Hey there, San Francisco. 

This morning, I was driving on Lincoln Way alongside Golden Gate Park and saw a group of teenage festival-goers talking to a security guard and presumably, asking him where they could enter. It was 8:30 am. 

Ah, to be young again! 

If you’re heading to Outside Lands this weekend, I wish you an awesome time. As we mentioned here yesterday, before you get there, it might be a good idea to download the CLEAR app and create your “Clear Health Pass” to verify your vaccination status. According to the Outside Lands’ website, this will get you “expedited entry” into the festival. 

Also, something I didn’t realize, the Chronicle reported on Thursday that while Halloween costumes are encouraged, there are some outfits and props that are allowed. Namely, no dressing up as a first responder (police, medical staff, firefighters, etc.) so that there’s no confusion in case of an emergency. Also, no helmets, headdresses, toy weapons, masks that fully cover your face, or fake blood.  

And, no cash this year! So, make sure you have a credit card or Apple Pay set up. 

Alright, enjoy yourselves out there. And for the rest of us still online, here are some of the top news stories for the day: 

On Thursday, the Chronicle’s J.K. Dineen reported that the California state housing department is investigating whether the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ “acted improperly” this week in its decision to uphold an appeal to the building of a 495-unit housing project in SoMa. 

Specifically, Dineen writes, the state agency is working to determine if “the board violated one of two laws: the Housing Accountability Act, a state law that limits the ability of cities to reject housing that complies with local zoning; or the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, which studies how development impacts things like wind, shadow, traffic and air quality.” 

State Senator Scott Wiener said this week on Twitter that the board “probably violated state law,” while supervisors who supported the appeal, including Supervisor Myrna Melgar, maintained that the environmental report was “lacking,” especially regarding earthquake safety. 

As for state housing director Gustavo Velasquez, he told the Chronicle: “It’s premature to say whether it’s definitely a CEQA issue or an HAA issue.”

Quick bits: 

• 🔫 Police told residents in a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday that they believe the two shootings last week in the Haight and Hayes Valley areas were both gang-related. “It was not just an act of random street violence that occurred,” Police Lieutenant Bassey Obot said. “I know that sometimes doesn’t make us feel any safer, but you can know it wasn’t someone just showing up out of nowhere and shooting the first person that they see.”

  So far, the police haven’t made any arrests and both victims remain in critical condition. (Chronicle) 

• 💰 Seventy-six percent of the dollars raised in the recall effort against school board members Alison Collins, Gabriela López, and Faauuga Moliga came from San Francisco residents, KQED reports. Top donors include venture capitalists David Sacks and Arthur Rock, who both gave $49,500. (KQED) 

What else I’m reading: 

'Totally blown away': This couple's beachside Pacifica Taco Bell wedding reception is what dreams are made of (SFGATE) 

Warriors assign first-round pick Moses Moody to Santa Cruz G League affiliate (Chronicle)

Editorial: San Francisco City Attorney must investigate allegations at Department of Building Inspection (Examiner) 

I Took Acid and Walked the Entirety of Golden Gate Park (Bold Italic) 

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Zillow house of the day: 

This 4-bedroom, 3-bath house in the Sunset could use some love on the outside, but it actually looks pretty nice inside. The price seems nice as well: $1.38 million. 

Plus, it's right next to Golden Gate Park, which means walking distance to Outside Lands next year. 

Check it out here. 

And finally...a piece by Paolo. 

The walls of the houses he paints look like they could be made of carrot cake, or at least frosted in a vibrant orange pastel. Cars line the sidewalk below. A horizon of black blue water stretches in the distance like the body of a great whale.

“I find everything around me to be beautiful,” Painter John Musgrove told me in an interview this week. 

Musgrove, now 66-years-old, enjoys representational art. Other artists have captured his Sunset neighborhood with a keener eye toward realism than he does. But that’s not his style. 

Musgrove’s lived in San Francisco since 1980 after a childhood in Tampa, Florida. He drew all the time as a kid and got his degree in graphic art from the University of Florida. He started his professional career in local advertising. 

“Nothing that ran on the Super Bowl halftime show,” Musgrove laughed. 

After losing a fancy job to the dot.com bubble burst in 2001, he decided to give his painting a real try. He got a foothold in the community and took off running. Living in the Sunset and getting to know the lifestyle out there began to influence his work. The painting “Moraga & 17th” is what he considers his first success. 

“I’m always doing these cityscapes,” Musgrove said. “It never gets old.” 

You can snag some of Musgrove’s prints right now at a 20% off discount. More info on that deal here. You can also follow along with his paintings on Instagram @jrmuskie.

That’s all for today! ICYMI, we included the “Weekend Guide” in yesterday’s edition, something that we’ll do on Thursdays moving forward to give you more time to plan ahead. I’d suggest the Twitter thread on best Trick-or-Treat spots in the city in case you’re still thinking about where to take the kids on Sunday. There’s some really good suggestions in there, including The Great Hauntway!

Alright, have a great weekend y’all! - Nick B.

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