Two Fisherman's Wharf Merchants Slain


via SF Appeal

Two Fisherman’s Wharf merchants were slain by a businessman from a rival store Sunday night in an apparent dispute over the sale of similar merchandise, San Francisco police said.

The suspect, 56-year-old Hong Ri Wu, of San Francisco, was taken into custody at the shop at 269 Jefferson St. where he allegedly shot Qiong Han Chu, a 30-year-old man, and Feng Ping Ou, a 30-year-old woman, police said.

The shootings were reported at 8:20 p.m. at the store, which sells souvenirs and luggage, according to police.

Police said Wu, a competitor at a nearby store who knew the victims, walked into the store and allegedly shot Chu and Ou. The victims, both San Francisco residents, were pronounced dead at the scene.

“It’s a dispute between merchants regarding the selling of similar items,” police Lt. Troy Dangerfield said.

Merchants on the Wharf are a bit…different. A couple of years ago a lot of these merchants were packed with fake LV bags. The Wharf now has deteriorated into carbon copy shops selling the same Escaped from Alcatraz shirts and Cable Car snow globes. On that note, if you are the two tourists who witnessed this crime, please contact SFPD immediately.

San Francisco’s North Beach Wins Yahoo! Bus Stop Derby

We are thrilled to announce that the neighborhood of North Beach in San Francisco is the winner in the Yahoo! Bus Stop Derby – a two month city-wide challenge that came to an end on January 28th.

Here’s how the competition shaped up:

1. North Beach: 363,650

2. Tenderloin: 329,625

3. Mission: 306,275

The first of its kind, the Yahoo! Bus Stop Derby was a unique experience using 72? touch LCD screens located in downtown bus shelters. Riders were able to represent their neighborhood by playing interactive games and competing for a community block party with a performance by Grammy winning band, OK Go.

Congratulations team North Beach for your valiant victory in the world’s first Bus Stop Derby. Well played. Your 363,650 points and over 150,000 game plays got you first place, with the Tenderloin in close second with 329,625 points. We don’t know how many buses you missed, but the sacrifice was worth it: in addition to citywide bragging rights you get to host the rock block party with OK Go!

The entire city is invited to rock out on the rooftop at the SF Art Institute, from the toughest competition (Mission and Tenderloin—so close!) to the slightly less tough (Noe Valley, thanks for playing). Come enjoy a variety of street food, games, and mingle with your fellow neighbors on February 5, starting at 3:30pm. Concert doors open at 5:30pm—but come early, since only the first 800 people will get wristbands to the show.

P.S. Take the bus. Parking at the block party is very limited so hop on the Muni (nearby lines: 45 Union/Stockton, 30 Stockton, and 41 Union) or ride your bike.

I’m inclined to reveal how North Beach won this but maybe somethings are best left unsaid. Anyway big thanks to those that helped us crush those Tenderloin heads. On another note, I think Ok Go! is some kind of Hoobastank cover band.