In a New York Times article, reporters uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act what many Mission District residents found out long ago: the government’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the past few years has not targeted criminal offenders as often purported, but noncriminal and nonfugitive immigrants. If you weren’t following Mission Loc@l’s coverage of last fall’s raids, catch up with many aspects of its effect on Mission residents in our multimedia report.

Finally, someone besides a spokesperson or blogger speaks in favor of American Apparel. Mission Mission posts a copy of the Mission Merchants Association’s letter to the planning commission. It states that, in light of empty storefronts lining the street, “the proposed store will help alleviate blight.” For other responses from local businesses, or to just have fun clicking on pineapples, no signs, and legs, check Mission Loc@l’s map.

Yes, American Apparel galore! Well, enjoy it, because after Thursday’s planning commission meeting, we can all move on to more important things. Right?

But seriously, since our supes can’t do what they were elected to do and balance the budget, they’re sending us to the polls to do it ourselves. As the Chron reports, in June we may be faced with several tax increases to chose from. Or we may not. It all depends what our elected leaders do from now until then. Or don’t.

The Mission’s sweet tooth gets a shoutout in 7×7’s Food Trend Tracker. Somehow, the reference of the “Lower East Side of the Mission District”—home to Humphry Slocombe and Dynamo Donuts—sounds to my ears like Tendernob. That is, not quite right. Same with cornflake ice cream, but I hear it’s incredible.

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Founder/Executive Editor. I’ve been a Mission resident since 1998 and a professor emeritus at Berkeley’s J-school since 2019 when I retired. I got my start in newspapers at the Albuquerque Tribune in the city where I was born and raised. Like many local news outlets, The Tribune no longer exists. I left daily newspapers after working at The New York Times for the business, foreign and city desks. Lucky for all of us, it is still there.

As an old friend once pointed out, local has long been in my bones. My Master’s Project at Columbia, later published in New York Magazine, was on New York City’s experiment in community boards.

Right now I'm trying to figure out how you make that long-held interest in local news sustainable. The answer continues to elude me.

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  1. Californio, thanks for responding to our site, and I agree that there are many more things to be covered in the neighborhood aside from the American Apparel ballyhoo. Hopefully you’ll take interest in our other stories, like our immigration raid coverage linked above. The reason we’re covering this issue to such an extent is that we’ve seen a great interest in our stories about it, demonstrating to us that it concerns many people in the neighborhood. We try responding to what our readers and those we talk in the streets, businesses, and meetings of the neighborhood tell us, including yourself.

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  2. There are four stories on the cover page regarding AA. I know this story is fascinating, but there are other pressing issues in the neighborhood that deserve more attention.

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