Hey there, San Francisco. 

On Thursday, I spoke with David Campos, a local political fixture who’s currently running for San Francisco’s vacant State Assembly seat. 

It was a good conversation, and you can listen to it here. In it, we talk about why Campos felt compelled to throw his hat in the ring for the open position and why he’s proud of his recent work in the District Attorney’s office. 

Importantly, we also got into the story of how the bow tie became his signature look. 

Campos told me when he was in college, sometime back in the 90s, he interned on Capitol Hill. And one fateful day, he happened to ride an elevator with then-Illinois Senator Paul Simon, who was a bow-tie-guy himself. 

“He looked at me and said, ‘Young man, you look very sharp. But have you ever thought of wearing a bow tie? Because you’d look even sharper,’” Campos remembers. “And so that, I think, kind of planted the bug in my ear.” 

Over the years, Campos said, he also found that regular ties “tended to get in the way.”

And with that...onto some news…

Top Story: One thing you should know

On Wednesday, a San Francisco judge denied the Mid-Sunset Neighborhood Association’s attempt to delay construction of the s​​even-story affordable housing complex set to be built at 2550 Irving Street. The group is still suing the developer, in part, for “refus[ing] to consider a scaled-back, neighborhood-supported alternative that would be five-and-half floors instead of seven and 80 units instead of 91,” the Chronicle’s JK Dineen writes. 

In response to the judge’s decision this week, Mayor Breed’s spokesperson Jeff Cretan said: “This project needs to continue to go forward. Delaying housing through appeals or lawsuits means denying people homes.” (Chronicle / SFist) 

Quick Bits: Bite-sized news stories from across the city 

• 🍖 According to a press release on Thursday, Mayor London Breed plans to introduce legislation that would push back the deadline for when businesses need to bring their parklets up-to-code by nine months, from mid-next year to March 31, 2023. As reporter Janelle Bitker writes: “The move comes three days after The Chronicle published a story about panic in the restaurant industry, with many owners feeling like they had to tear down their parklets to meet new safety requirements.” (Chronicle) 

• 🚕 San Francisco taxi drivers protested outside of City Hall on Tuesday, calling for debt relief on the $250,000 medallions they purchased to be able to operate in the city. As 48 Hills reporter Garrett Leahy writes, “The city put the permits on sale in 2010, and many drivers went into debt to buy one.” But with the rise of rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, Leahy notes, “the medallions lost much of their value.” 

  “The business is gone,” one taxi driver said on Tuesday. “They need to give us our money back.” (48 Hills) 

• 🏠 Meanwhile, Lyft, which is headquartered in China Basin (near Oracle Park), told its employees this week that they can remain working remotely for the entirety of 2022. Previously, Lyft employees were slated to return to their offices in February. (Bloomberg) 

• 💉 On Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Finance Committee voted in favor of spending $6.3 million to purchase property in the Tenderloin meant to serve in the future as a city-sanctioned drug consumption site. The full board will consider the matter next week. (Bay Area Reporter) 

• 🔫 United Playaz, a “violence prevention and youth development organization,” is hosting its annual, no-questions-asked gun buyback sale this Saturday from 8 am to noon at 1038 Howard Street. Those turning in weapons will receive $100 for handguns and $200 for automatic firearms. (Broke-Ass Stuart) 

What else I’m reading: Links to browse at your leisure

The Frisc’s Guide to SF’s 60 Pages of New Parklet Rules (Frisc) 

Immersive Picasso art exhibition coming to former S.F. porn palace (Chronicle) 

At the Granada Hotel, a Rush to House the Homeless Comes at the Expense of Elderly Tenants (SF Standard) 

Are ‘resource hubs,’ a pandemic lifeline for many, here to stay? (Mission Local) 

San Francisco’s latest climate plan sets path for a zero-emissions future (Examiner) 

Weekend guide: Some ideas to consider for your weekend ahead 

🛍 Shop at a craft fair. ‘Tis the weekend in San Francisco for holiday craft fairs. Seriously, there are so many of them! So, instead of going into too much detail, I’ll list some out below and maybe you can pick a couple to attend that pique your interest: 

• The Box SF ​​Holiday Artists and Makers Fair Sale / Friday-Sunday / 1069 Howard Street

• Fog City Flea Holiday Market / Friday-Sunday / Ferry Building 

• West Coast Craft / Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm / Fort Mason Center

• Harvey Milk Holiday Craft Fair / Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm / 50 Scott Street 

• La Cocina Holiday Market / Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm / 332 Golden Gate Ave. 

• Zeitmarkt Holiday Pop-Up / Saturday, 1 pm - 6 pm / Zeitgeist Beergarden 

• San Francisco Fetish Flea / Saturday, starting at 11 am / 289 8th Street 

😎 Consider heading east. SantaCon is scheduled for this Saturday. So if you’re not planning on dressing up and going out, maybe head east to Temescal since the Chronicle released one of its “Best Food Day Ever” guides for the area on Thursday. If you do go, reporter Janelle Bitker suggests starting your day off at Alem’s Coffee, grabbing lunch at Aman Cafe, dinner and drinks at Snail Bar, and late-night food at Azit. Bitker offers a bunch of backup options as well that are worth checking out. 

🇲🇽 And finally...stop by Donaji. On Sunday, December 12, the Mission District’s new Oaxacan restaurant Donaji is celebrating Virgen De Guadalupe’s birthday with mariachi from 10 am - 11 am. Co-owner Alison Cook also tells me there will be a painting of the Virgen in the restaurant to view by local, Oaxacan-born artist, Vladimir Cuevas. Donaji, which recently made the Chronicle’s top new restaurant list for December, will open its kitchen for brunch at 11 am. Options include huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, entomatadas with steak and eggs, and breakfast tacos. 

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading y’all and we’ll see you back here tomorrow. It’s almost Friday! - Nick B.