We weren't invited to dine with Charles Philip Arthur George, alas

We weren't invited to dine (or lunch) with Charles Philip Arthur George, but we have been out and about the last couple days.

Last Sunday night was the second annual North Beach Citizens' Community Recognition Award Dinner at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club (1636 Stockton St.). The dinner benefits North Beach Citizens, a homeless-relief project started by Francis Ford Coppola five years ago. For some reason their Web site isn't available right now. Hence, the substitute link.

This year's honoree was Mary Risley, aka Tante Marie of Tante Marie's Cooking School and founder of Food Runners, a nonprofit that picks up and delivers food that would otherwise be thrown away. Food Runners picked up and delivered 109,425 pounds of food in October. Amazing. And it all started with Mary Risley's vision back in 1987.

Yesterday we went to the 2005 Silver SPUR Awards Luncheon benefiting the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association which honored four San Franciscans who have made a difference: Ruth Felt, David J. Sanchez, Jr., Ph.D., Roselyne (Cissy) Swig, and Chuck Turner.

The event was held at Moscone Center West (corner of Fourth & Howard streets) and was sold out and over sold out. Our friend Kirby's table was numbered 30.5 (30.5?!?), as the organizers squeezed in just a few more tables to accomodate the crush of people.

We walked over because we need the exercise and because it's always a pain to park your car. We checked through all the exhibits and posters. Saw the proposed layout for the controversial development of Piers 27-31, and when the barrier tape was dropped, found our seat at a table hosted by neighbors up on Montgomery. Anne, one of the aforesaid neighbors, is on the SPUR Board with Kirby and sixty-three other board members.

The room was a-buzz with something like 1300 people in attendance, including our neighbor down the hill, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who is agin the Mills project, and folks from America True, who are for it. America True will, if the project gets built, be providing marine activities, including regattas, sailing lessons for youngsters, and more.

A motley crowd it was.