Dick Vivian never just sold vinyl.

• He built Rooky Ricardo's Records, a place where strangers became friends, collectors became regulars and a tiny Lower Haight storefront became a pivotal part of San Francisco's cultural fabric.

State of play: Vivian died last Friday at 78 after a battle with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer, leaving behind a music community that feels a little quieter without him.

• Since opening Rooky Ricardo's in 1987, Vivian transformed the vinyl store into a destination for soul, oldies and rare 45s, earning a reputation as a music connoisseur, curator and a one-of-a-kind neighborhood fixture.

The heartfelt tributes that followed paint a fuller picture than any obituary could.

• Local DJ Jonathan Toubin remembered Vivian as someone who "nourished the aesthetics of generations of musicians, fans and collectors," calling Rooky's a community center and music school as much as a record store.
• Matt Osborne, a photographer and owner of Glass Key Photo, credited Vivian with changing the course of his life, remembering him as a mentor and friend whose generosity helped shape both his career and the community he found in San Francisco.
• Others on social media recalled everything from his impeccable musical memory to the jokes, quick wit and generous spirit that made every visit memorable.
• The shop's own farewell described him as the "mayor of the Lower Haight," urging friends to skip flowers and instead "play your records for Dick."

💭 My thought bubble: Vivian's greatest legacy wasn't the records he collected, it was the community he built around them. His shelves were filled with rare records, but his real gift was creating a place where people felt they belonged.

What's next: Rooky Ricardo's will announce details on a memorial celebration soon.

• In the meantime, the shop remains open at 429 Haight St.

The woman at the center of Gavin Newsom's biggest political scandal is telling her story for the first time, reviving a chapter of San Francisco political history as the governor faces fresh national scrutiny ahead of a potential 2028 presidential bid.

Why it matters: For many longtime San Franciscans, the extramarital affair is old news — a scandal that rocked City Hall and almost ended Newsom's career nearly 20 years ago.

• But as the governor lays the groundwork for a possible White House run, the episode is reaching a broader national audience unfamiliar with one of the defining controversies of his political rise.

Driving the news: Ruby Rippey, Newsom's appointments secretary while he was San Francisco's mayor, detailed in Vanity Fair this week the 2005 affair that ruptured her marriage to Newsom's friend and then-deputy chief of staff Alex Tourk.

• Rippey decided to speak out after reading Newsom's memoir — in which he acknowledged the affair in a single paragraph — saying it prompted her to reclaim a story that in her view has been told almost exclusively through his lens.
• She disputes Newsom's portrayal of the affair as a brief episode, writing that the relationship spanned months and included repeated late-night meetings.
• She also denies Newsom's claim that he confessed to Tourk, writing that she was the one who told her husband.

The other side: Newsom's office declined to comment on Rippey's essay beyond pointing to his apology, per Politico.

• Newsom has repeatedly called it one of the "biggest mistakes" of his life.

The big picture: The essay arrives as Newsom closes out his final year as California governor while raising his national profile. Newsom is increasingly facing the vetting reserved for likely presidential contenders, where decades-old controversies often resurface.

Catch up quick: The affair became public in 2007 when Newsom publicly apologized and Tourk resigned. The then-mayor was already divorced from his first wife, Kimberly Guilfoyle, when it began.

• His political ambitions were nearly derailed, but the scandal did not stop him from later winning statewide office.

Full story

🏛️ Following several high-profile Waymo mishaps in San Francisco, Congressman Kevin Mullin introduced legislation this week pushing for greater oversight of autonomous vehicles. (Mission Local)

🎤 Congressional hopefuls Scott Wiener and Connie Chan will face off in a live San Francisco debate hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle and KQED on Oct. 1. (SF Chronicle)

🏙️ Hundreds of residents packed a community meeting to oppose a proposal to replace the Marina Safeway with a new store topped by two high-rise residential towers. (ABC 7)

Meet Bonita, a 10-year-old Australian Kelpie who proves you're never too old for a fresh start.

• Bonita was adopted from Muttville nearly a year ago. The nation's first cage-free senior dog rescue helps more than 1,300 older pups find homes each year.
• This active senior loves off-leash adventures at Stern Grove and Sunset Dunes and playing a game her owner Jason M. calls "Bonita hockey" (she chases the ball while he shoots it around).

❤️‍🩹 When Bonita first arrived, she was "clearly traumatized and uneasy around other dogs", Jason tells us, but today, she's much calmer.

• "Everyone who meets Bonita loves her and comments on how chill and easy going she is," he says.

Turns out a second act can be the best one yet.

📸 Got a pet that deserves the spotlight in our newsletter? Hit reply and send us their name, some cute pics and what they most like and dislike. They might just become our next featured star!