This Week's Top Stories

education

Bond Dollars Are Rebuilding West Portal Elementary — But the Watchdog Committee Has Sued SFUSD

Construction at the century-old school presses forward on a $21 million bond-funded project, even as the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee takes San Francisco Unified to court over how it governs bond spending.

Work at West Portal Elementary is visibly accelerating: eight dilapidated portable classrooms have been cleared, two new buildings are rising, and a warming kitchen renovation is underway — all part of a $21 million project designed by WRNS Studio and built by general contractor Bana Builders. SFUSD project records show construction restarted in early 2024 after a delay caused by insufficient funds, drawing on state reimbursements to the district's 2016 bond program and additional money from the 2024 Prop A bond.

community

SF Good Neighbor Week Opens Friday — and a West Portal Resident Is Running It

Julia Gitis, who lives in West Portal, is organizing the second annual SF Good Neighbor Week, a nine-day citywide celebration of community connection running September 26 through October 4.

San Francisco Good Neighbor Week returns Friday for its second year, running September 26 through October 4. The holiday is modeled on National Good Neighbor Day, first proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. It was brought to San Francisco last year by Julia Gitis, a West Portal resident, who organized the inaugural 2025 edition and is now expanding it as a citywide event. The SF Examiner, in a story published today, described Gitis as staging the event to promote civic service and everyday acts of kindness between neighbors.

Upcoming Events

Friday, September 26

SF Good Neighbor Week — Citywide Kickoff & Neighborhood Parade

📍 Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco · 12:00 PM · Verify · SF Good Neighbor Week

Sunday, September 27

Lake Merced Half Marathon & 4.5-Mile Run

📍 Lake Merced Main Parking Lot, Lake Merced & Sunset Blvds, San Francisco · 8:00 AM · Verify · Active.com

Sunday, September 27

Bookshop West Portal: September Nonfiction Book Club

📍 Bookshop West Portal, 80 West Portal Ave, San Francisco · 10:00 AM · Verify · Bookshop West Portal

Tuesday, September 29

Meet the Author: Michelle Chouinard with Cara Black

📍 Bookshop West Portal, 80 West Portal Ave, San Francisco · 7:00 PM · Verify · Bookshop West Portal

Saturday, October 3

West Portal Elementary School Centennial Block Party

📍 West Portal Avenue, starting at the West Portal Library courtyard, San Francisco · 11:00 AM–3:00 PM · Verify · Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association

More from the Community

Empire Theater Site Would Become West Portal's Largest-Ever Housing Project Under Plans Filed in Late August

Developer DM Development, on behalf of property owner Empire West Portal LLC, filed revised plans in late August that nearly triple the proposed apartment count at 85 West Portal Avenue — growing…

Stonestown Redevelopment Enters Technical Mapping Phase After Infrastructure Financing Plan Approved January 27

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on January 27, 2026, to approve the Infrastructure Financing Plan for the Stonestown redevelopment project, according to a newsletter published by Brookfield Properties, the…

Lake Merced Trail: Skyline Boulevard Pathway Reopened September 4

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department posted an update on September 4, 2026, confirming that the pathway along Skyline Boulevard at Lake Merced is now open following trail work that had…

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