The Raccoon Man of Telegraph Hill has been identified, cookie thieves are terrorizing the Mission, and an adorable baby otters find a forever home. Here's what you missed this week.
Mystery Solved: 1950's Telegraph Hill Raccoon Man Identified,SFist
A few weeks ago, via a fascinating archive of historic SF color photos that I'm still not done with, I posted a few photos of a man only identified as a random "oldster" by the photographer, Charles Cushman, who was himself a tourist at the time the photos were taken, in March 1952. The man was walking a pet raccoon on a leash and sitting feeding it grapes atop Telegraph Hill, and apart from being just a funny San Francisco moment captured on Kodachrome, film, it opened up a small neighborhood mystery that I figured could be solved by someone who'd been there long enough to possibly remember this guy.And, thanks to a tipster and a young reporter at a local elementary school's newspaper, we now have a partial answer. Read more.
Orphaned Baby Sea Otter Finds Forever Home,The Huffington Post
Her life began with adversity: At just 4 weeks, she was separated from her mother, possibly during the tumult of a storm. She later had to be rescued from crashing waves on a Carmel, California, beach. But fortunately for this orphaned baby sea otter, her days are starting to look up. She's found a forever home -- and is being given another shot at life. Read more.
Man Punched, Robbed of Cookies in San Francisco,KRON4
A man was punched and robbed of a bag of cookies in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood on Friday afternoon, police said. The 35-year-old victim was holding a bag of cookies in the 1000 block of Mission Street when two men in their 40s approached him just before 4 p.m., according to police. Read more.
Muni Pass, Parking Fees Likely to Increase, San Francisco Examiner
Muni fares and private parking fees may soon rise, and the first public hearing to discuss those fees is scheduled for today. Budget documents for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which operates Muni, show fare increases for transit riders across the board. Parking permits and fees would also rise, as the SFMTA anticipates a $13.5 million budget shortfall in 2017, and a $14.3 million shortfall in 2018. The SFMTA increases are tied to inflation. Read more.
This Is the Real Reason Apple Is Fighting the FBI, Time
Rather, it’s a fight over the future of high-tech surveillance, the trust infrastructure undergirding the global software ecosystem, and how far technology companies and software developers can be conscripted as unwilling suppliers of hacking tools for governments. It’s also the public face of a conflict that will undoubtedly be continued in secret—and is likely already well underway. Read more.
