This year’s annual 4/20 event in Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park was granted permits for the first time to provide medical services, security, food trucks, and 200 portable toilets. Alex Aquino, who owns the clothing store Black Scale, and a group of other Haight Street merchants footed the bill, estimated to be over $100,000, including paying for clean-up. The Police Department was on hand this year to close streets as needed and event organizers shelled out tens of thousands of dollars for fencing, security, concessions and park maintenance. The event cordoned, like a traditional festival, and no one younger than 18 was allowed in through the four gates. A host of items were prohibited, including glass bottles, folding chairs, tents and large coolers. Also banned were unpermitted commercial sales and booths of any kind. No major problems inside event were reported. Attendance was about 15,000, the same as last year.

what was once an underused, dead-end street. Daggett Plaza opened last month in the Showplace Square area, at the intersection of 16th and 7th streets, close to U.S. Interstate 280. The new park is one-acre and includes a lawn area, play and seating areas, a fenced-off dog run, a public art piece titled "Mission Marsh Bears," and landscaping. It was built by developer Equity Residential at a cost of $4.9 million, in return for a credit toward project impact fees on a neighboring development at 1000 16th St. Equity will also maintain the park site, which will be owned by the city and managed by a local nonprofit.