Noe Valley Voice May 2025 by The Noe Valley Voice

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE

Sisters Take the Reins at Merchants Association

Their Mission? Help 24th Street

Ride the Winds of Change

By Matthew S. Bajko

Asister duo with long familial and business ties to the neighborhood is now leading the Noe Valley

Merchants & Professionals Association.

They have been instrumental in the growing success of the monthly night markets held at the Noe Valley Town Square and are looking at ways to boost foot traffic during the summer, when many Noe residents head out of town.

Since January, when they were offi-

Cancer Survivor Performs Black Comedy at Fringe

Noe Native Finds Humor and Art In Chemo, PTSD

By Emily Hayes

Maybe it’s her Irish blood that runs deep. Or maybe it’s a survival mechanism. For whatever reason, actor

Megan Timpane has a penchant for gallows humor, inspiring her to create a successful one-woman show about her run-ins with cancer, disordered eating, and severe anxiety. And now she’s set to make her debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The show—dubbed Lymphomaniac—is billed as a onewoman performance about “surviving cancer, laughing through the darkness, and finding our way through life’s challenges.” It’s set to run August 13–14 at the Just the Tonic venue in Edinburgh, Scotland. Timpane has been busy fundraising to finance the trip on the online Ko-fi platform, with the goal of raising $25,000 to cover accommodations, promotions, venue, and festival fees, among other expenses.

The first part of the performance is about her experience getting diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer affecting the lymphatic system, at the age of 22. She was successfully treated with chemotherapy at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and has been in remission for over 10 years.

The second half is about her struggles post diagnosis with overeating and anxiety, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

“When we're sick, you can see it on

cially voted into their positions by members of the business group, Kristen McCaffery has been serving as the association’s president, and her sister, Kathryn Gianaras, as vice president.

No strangers to local commerce, McCaffery and Gianaras for the past decade have co-owned and operated the Greek-inspired restaurant NOVY at 4000 24th Street.

The site was where their parents, John and Vi Gianaras, had operated the beloved Greek restaurant Panos’ for nearly 20 years. McCaffery also owns

Explore Twin Redwoods on May 17 Tour

Old-Growth Trees Stand Tall Among 10 Garden Sites

By Matthew S. Bajko

Walking

into the back yard of Richard Cutler’s house on 23rd Street just off Church Street, a visitor can’t help but be awed by the towering redwood tree that stands in the middle of it. Estimated to be 160 years old, its trunk has a circumference of 18 feet.

Just behind it is another Sequoia sempervirens in the back lefthand corner of the yard. While it too stands tall over the 2,500-square-foot garden, the more-than-a-century-old coniferous tree is nowhere near as gigantic.

Nonetheless, the two specimens of Sequoia add a unique element to the garden tended by Cutler and the various

professional gardeners he has worked with since moving into the Victorian house with his wife, Corky, in the fall of 1982.

“Oh my God, this garden is really nice,” Linda Lockyer recalled in first seeing it earlier this year. “He has a super well established garden. It was garden ready, and it could have been on a tour that day.”

Lockyer, who helps organize the annual Friends of Noe Valley Garden Tour, told the Voice that the committee of gardeners that visits prospective gardens and decides which to include each year normally waits until seeing all the submissions before taking a vote on them. Yet, after seeing Cutler’s garden, they told him that day it would be

2025 Milestones: Not only did sisters Kathryn Gianaras and Kristen McCaffery (right) celebrate their restaurant NOVY’s 10th anniversary, they gladly stepped forward to fill the top jobs in the Noe Valley Merchants & Professionals Association. Photo courtesy Mike Norquist

A Secret Path: Walk back in time in the garden behind the oldest house in Noe Valley, one of 10 sites on this year’s Friends of Noe Valley Garden Tour. Photo by Art Bodner

Next Stop Scotland: A bi-coastal actor living mostly in Brooklyn, Megan Timpane is raising funds to do her new solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.

Playing With Politics: Students at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts are doing some serious role-playing in preparation for their May 29–31 performances of Assassins. The 1990 musical may be Stephen Sondheim’s most controversial work. See story, p. 13 Photo by Megan Robertson

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CRIME SNAPSHOT

Property Thefts March Right Back

By Corrie M. Anders and Sally Smith

After a refreshing decline in February, shoplifting and other property thefts in Noe Valley returned to their pesky average in March, according to data from the San Francisco Police Department’s digital map of incident reports.

There were 45 incidents of “larceny/theft” recorded during the month, accounting for more than half of the numbers in the 10 categories the Voice tracks monthly. By contrast, there were 26 incidents in February.

Among the more recent 45 thefts were 24 shoplifting incidents, eight thefts from cars, two stolen bicycles, one stolen license plate, and 10 unspecified “other” thefts.

Police classified three criminal complaints as robberies in March, where force was used during the incident. In one of the incidents, occurring March 5 at 7:20 p.m. in the area of 24th and Noe streets, police arrested two suspects.

There were 13 burglaries in March, down from 15 the previous month. Of those, six were at commercial buildings, six at residential, and one at an unidentified location. Of the residential burglaries, three occurred while a person or persons were at home.

The month’s vehicle thefts involved five cars and one motorcycle. The inci-

Source: Dataset titled “Map of Police Department Incident Reports: 2018 to Present” at https://data.sfgov.org/Public-Safety/Police-DepartmentIncident-Reports-2018-to-Present/wg3w-h783/. This

timeliness, or correct sequencing of the

dent report also listed two fraud incidents, two assaults, and four domestic violence incidents, which may have been violations of restraining orders.

All in all, police recorded 88 incidents in March, compared to 96 in March a year ago.

You can view these statistics at Data.sfgov.org. We scraped the March 2025 data for the SFPD’s “Noe Valley” on April 17, 2025.

If you have an emergency in San Francisco (or anywhere), call 9-1-1.

To report recurring problems, call 415-553-0123, or contact Mission Police Captain Liza Johansen at Liza.tifee@sfgov.org or Ingleside

Station Captain Amy Hurwitz at Amy.Hurwitz@sfgov.org.

May 2025

Double Wedding Ed. Note: Two pairs of words are repeated in this puzzle. Wed them with “&” and get a 24th Street store.

Sisters Get Busy Boosting Local Business

with her husband, Mike McCaffery, the restaurant Mr. Digby’s at 1199 Church Street at 24th Street.

“The last couple of years, there has been so much more involvement by merchants, and by new and existing merchants. Being president is something I am happy to do,” said Kristin McCaffery.”

Previously, McCaffery had served as vice president. Then, in 2023, she became co-president of the group with Rachel Swann, a real estate agent who had filled the presidency for eight years, starting in December 2016.

After Swann stepped down last October, McCaffery agreed to take the top job, mostly due to the encouragement of Small Frys children’s store owner Carol Yenne.

“[I took it] because Carol told me I was going to do it,” joked McCaffery, when asked why she wanted to lead the 102-year-old association.

But Yenne, an active member for 34 years and treasurer of the group since November 2023, was more direct. “It is just wonderful Kristen and Kathryn have stepped up to take it over,” she said. They are both “really smart, organized, creative, talented gals. We are lucky to have them in our association.”

Gianaras describes her role as being “the righthand man” to her sister and Yenne. The three women have formed a trio, she said, that is overseeing the continued viability of the association.

“Kristen is amazing at this kind of stuff,” said Gianaras. “She is so organized and good at planning ahead. She is on top of it.”

Gianaras said her main task as vice president had been and will be to manage special events, specifically the Noe Valley Night Market, held from 5 to 8 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month in the public square at 3861 24th Street. She officially took over coordinating the event in January.

Launched last October, with fiscal support from the Civic Joy Fund, the night market has been so successful there is a waitlist for vendors and food purveyors.

Market to Spill into Street

To accommodate the merchants as well as the crowds, Gianaras hopes to expand the market’s footprint into the block of 24th Street between Sanchez and Vicksburg streets. She is currently working on getting city approvals to do so and is eying June for the first street closure during the event.

“I think the neighborhood really likes it. I have gotten tons of positive feedback from the people participating,” said Gianaras.

On the Tuesdays of the markets, the street will be closed to traffic for four to five hours to accommodate setting up for the event and then clearing it out afterwards. The Civic Joy Fund, which provided $100,000 to cover the costs of 12 night markets, will kick in another $50,000 for the added costs of closing the street, Gianaras said. The town square can accommodate up to 16 vendors, and there are already 30 that want to participate in the June 24 market.

“Honestly, the way I try to explain it to vendors is that this is more of a marketing opportunity to get your name and your brand out there and to meet your customers face to face and talk

about your business and show examples of what you have to offer and get them to actually come into your store,”

Gianaras said.

More Wine Walks on Tap

The markets are just one of several efforts the merchants are undertaking to draw people, both neighborhood residents and those from around the city, to shop and dine in Noe Valley. They also host wine walks in the spring and during the all-important holiday season, to bring shoppers to 24th Street.

“What the merchants want is they want people spending their time and money on 24th Street and in the surrounding streets of Noe Valley, and shopping small, supporting local,” said Gianaras.

With business usually down in June and July while schools are out for the summer, Gianaras said, she has floated the idea of hosting a summer wine walk as well. More than 400 people showed up for the one held in April.

“It would be cool to do a summer wine walk if people are around and want to participate,” she said.

Yenne agreed, saying, “I think we could do the wine walk more than two times a year. It would be really good for retail.”

Another idea is to form an entertainment zone in Noe Valley, as various neighborhoods have done around the city. During special events, it would allow businesses and bars to sell alcoholic drinks-to-go to be consumed outside. That is on McCaffery’s to-do list this year.

An Early Letter to Santa Coming back for a second year this December will be the “Noel Valley” holiday festivities. Launched last year by MX3 Fitness co-owner Dave Karraker with assistance from the merchants association, Noel Valley included a contest for the best decorated store windows.

Karraker wants to see it become an annual tradition, and this year he may invite a visitor from the North Pole. “I would love to get Santa to visit the neighborhood in a big way,” he said.

McCaffery wants the Noel contest to return as well. “Once everything was up, I felt the neighborhood looked more festive than it has looked in a long time,” she said. “The merchants were happy with it, and everyone loved it. I

am sure we are going to keep it going.”

She plans to engage with shop owners early in the fall to sign them up to decorate their windows.

Karraker is excited to work with the “Gianaras sisters” and assist with marketing efforts on behalf of the merchants association, which he and his husband joined when they opened their gym in Noe Valley last year.

“Kristen is amazing. She already had demonstrated her fantastic support for the community and is just a good example of a small business owner who wants to give back to the community,” he said.

Noe Valley Is Home

Kristin McCaffery and husband Mike have two daughters, Frances, who turned 5 in April, and two-and-halfyear-old Irene. The family lives in Noe Valley. In April 2021, they opened Mr. Digby’s, named after Mike McCaffery’s childhood dog.

Last year, Kathryn Gianaras married her husband, Brady Knight, and the couple share their Noe Valley home with their two fur babies, Mack, a 6year-old Maltese, and Ducky, a 3-yearold teacup Yorkie.

As of this year, Gianaras works on weekdays as the office coordinator for Scale Venture Partners, a venture capital firm in Foster City. She also serves as secretary of the Saint Ignatius Catholic High School alumni board, which will honor her with its Alumni of the Year Award at its Red and Blue event on June 7.

“I have been wanting to get another job at least two years now, because the restaurant is running so smoothly on its own,” said Gianaras.

She credited NOVY’s chef and general manager, Travis LeMaster, for helping to free up her schedule. She no longer feels she has to be onsite every day, she said.

A Surge in Membership

Since last year, the sisters have focused on updating the association’s website at https://noemerchants.com/ and adding a special page for members. A yearly membership runs $250, and now there are close to 90 members.

“The more people can get involved, the better it is for the whole neighborhood,” said Kristen McCaffery. “If any new merchants or new businesses are reading this, we would love them to

reach out and join.”

Her presidency is coming after an influx of new businesses on 24th, Castro, and Church streets post pandemic. There are few vacant storefronts left to be leased, with a number of new enterprises set to open soon. The supply of available spaces is so low that Karraker told the Voice MX3 Fitness is unable to open a second location in Noe Valley to accommodate the 450 people on its waitlist to become members of its gym at 4045 24th Street.

“If we were able to find the right retail space in Noe Valley, we would open a second gym in a heartbeat,” he said. “The low vacancy rate in Noe Valley shows the local community really is showing up for small businesses.”

Yenne is also optimistic. She believes the city’s new mayor, Daniel Lurie, is “working hard to protect San Francisco’s small businesses, and so we are hopeful.”

Buffeted

by Outside Forces

With the replacement of sewer lines along 24th Street and the repaving of the roadway finally occurring after two years of disruptions, McCaffery says most merchants on the street “are holding steady” and have seen improvements in business so far in 2025.

But with the White House’s trade war and imposition of tariffs on goods from around the world, combined with the continued high cost of food and other products, there is unease about how the rest of the year will play out, she said.

“It is hard to feel good given what is happening in the world. There is so much that shifts the consumer’s behavior,” McCaffery said. “Even with the restaurants having a really great last four weeks, all the tariff news has caused foot traffic to definitely decrease.”

Mr. Digby’s lost its parklets during the most recent street project, and she and her husband aren’t sure whether the cost to rebuild them is worth it, McCaffery said. To make up for the revenue the parklets would have provided, they are now opening for dinner on Mondays and for happy hour seven days a week. (As of May 2, the new happy hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are 2:30 to 6 p.m. Those three days will also have a special brunch menu from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.)

The sisters also are keeping NOVY open all day again, having closed it in the late afternoons during the peak Covid years. The restaurant now features a daily happy hour menu from 3 to 5 p.m.

“Where NOVY’s success came from is we have been listening to the voices of the neighborhood for 10 years,” said Gianaras. The restaurant has repeatedly pivoted to provide the neighborhood what it wants, she said.

It is a philosophy the sisters are now bringing to their leadership roles at the merchants group.

“You have to be able to adapt to the neighborhood,” noted Gianaras. “You can’t expect the neighborhood to adapt to you.”

Kathryn Gianaras smiles as she surveys the crowds at the April 29 night market in the Noe Valley Town Square. The popular event takes place on last Tuesdays. Photo by Art Bodner

Still a Favorite sight in Noe Valley is the mural on the wall of Omnivore Books on Ceasar Chavez and Church Streets.

Photo by Jack Tipple

Slow Sanchez Gets Spiffed Up

OMNIVORE BOOKS ••• MAY EVENTS

HAILEE CATALANO IN CONVERSATION WITH ABENA ANIM-SOMUAH • BY HEART• 6:30 P.M. FREE! Classic ﬂavors meet modern kitchen magic.

MAKENNA HELD • MOSTLY FRENCH RECIPES FROM A KITCHEN IN PROVENCE • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Julia’s Provence, Makenna’s modern table—classic roots, fresh French spirit.

LUCINDA SCALA QUINN IN CONVERSATION WITH NICHOLE ACCETTOLA • MOTHER SAUCE • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Italian-American classics, nonnas’ stories, beautifully honored.

RICK MARTÍNEZ IN CONVERSATION WITH KRISTINA CHO • SALSA DADDY • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Timeless Mexican ﬂavors, bold salsas, and vibrant culinary stories.

HAWA HASSAN IN CONVERSATION WITH SHAKIRAH SIMLEY • SETTING A PLACE FOR US • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Resilience, culture, food in conﬂict, and preserving heritage via recipes.

ANDREA ALISEDA & SRISHTI JAIN • MAKE IT PLANTBASED! MEXICAN & MAKE IT PLANT-BASED! INDIAN • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Celebrate plant-based Mexican and Indian cuisine.

SARAH ALLABACK & MONIQUE F. PARSONS IN CONVERSATION WITH CARA MANGINI • GREEN GOLD • 6:30 P.M. FREE! Exploring the avocado’s cultural and culinary evolution into a global obsession.

ZOULÉ CANELÉ POP-UP • 11:00 A.M. TO 1:00 P.M. Canelés are back! Crispy, custardy perfection available for pre-order or day-of walk-up sales.

Steve Vaccaro of Elizabeth Street caught these artists repainting the mural on April

Noe Native Takes Show on the Road

someone immediately. You lose your hair. You lose your eyebrows. You physically don't look the same,” Timpane explains. “A lot of physical health things that have happened to me in the last 10 years as a result of cancer, but also a lot of mental health struggles, and that's very much unseen and not talked about enough.”

Timpane performed a short run of five sold-out Lymphomaniac shows at the Gregangelo Museum in the St. Francis Wood area of San Francisco in December 2024. The storytelling about cancer drew in patients and healthcare staff, while the mental health issues struck a chord with a broader audience, Timpane says.

“We all go through things in life, and it’s just a matter of your perspective and what helps you get through those times,” Timpane says. “I do offer a lot of my own experiences that have helped me get through some darker times, and I like to think that that’s helpful.”

Dark Comedy

Why see cancer as humorous? There certainly is a strain of dark comedy, satire, and sarcasm running deep in her blood, says Timpane, whose parents, Kevin Timpane and Christina Stonehouse, have Irish ancestry.

Timpane has spent most of her life in Noe Valley. She grew up on Elizabeth Street and attended Live Oak Middle School and the Drew School, where she studied drama and languages (French and Spanish). She took classes at the

American Conservatory Theater (ACT) and performed at the New Conservatory Theater on Van Ness. She has a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She says she especially loves doing impressions and using her language skills in skits.

“I've always been really interested in how to create different people,” Timpane says.

She started to feel sick while living in L.A. She had been experiencing soreness on the side of her neck but chalked up the discomfort to her hip hop dance classes. She once fainted on the set of a TV show and had to go to the emergency room, but the doctors thought she was just anemic. Ultimately, she was so weak she could barely stand and was diagnosed in 2014 with Hodgkin lymphoma. She underwent surgery in L.A., followed by six

months of chemo at UCSF. Then she was clear, and—as far as she knows— she has been in remission ever since.

“I've had quite a few scares and that’s been part of my mental health journey,” Timpane says. “You never fully feel in remission, even when you are. As a cancer survivor, you never feel fully invincible like you might have previously.”

‘Cancer Is Hilarious’

The idea for a show stemmed from journaling about her cancer treatment. Every day, she would write down five things she was grateful for—simple things like being able to walk around the block or being well enough to see someone and go get a hot chocolate.

“As I was writing these things down, I started to notice the people that I was interacting with at the hospital every day, and they were such characters and such wonderful people and such a big part of what made me feel good and got me through treatment,” Timpane says.

Led by mentor Don Reed, a local impressionist and storyteller, she developed the show Having Cancer Is Hilarious, about real-life people, though she changed their names and got their permission to be included. She performed her show at the Marsh theater in 2015.

Timpane created the new Lymphomaniac at the suggestion of staff at the Gregangelo Museum to bring the show back. She only uses two props in the show—an IV pole and letters written to her during treatment. The new show features characters who embody her anxiety.

“Healing isn't linear. It’s not something that just ends one day. It continues on, and just because the cancer is over doesn't mean I’m not still affected

on a daily basis from the things that have happened 10 years ago,” Timpane says.

Noe Valley, Safe Place

After the Gregangelo show in December, locals shared their own personal journeys with anxiety and EMDR and thanked Timpane for articulating difficult experiences.

“It’s not for the faint of heart,” she says. “You go through a lot of reprocessing, which can unfortunately create a lot of emotional distress. So you have to be vetted pretty thoroughly before you start the treatment.”

In April she performed Lymphomaniac at the Broadwater Theater in Los Angeles, and she booked the Dixon Place theater in New York this month. Timpane has lived in Brooklyn for the last few years but keeps close to her home roots.

“There’s this true sense of camaraderie and this pride in Noe Valley and people taking care of each other and looking out for each other,” she says. “It feels more like a small town.”

In addition to acting, Timpane is a speech coach for SpeechSkills, an executive communications training company located on 22nd Street between Sanchez and Noe. She often travels back for work and to see family.

“It’s my safe place.”

For more information about Timpane’s play, see www.lymphomaniacshow.com, and @lymphomaniacshow on TikTok and Instagram. She performs August 13–14, 2025, at the Just the Tonic venue as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scotland (www.edfringe.com), and is raising money to finance the event on the Ko-fi platform (see ko-fi.com/lymphomaniac).

Megan Timpane performed her one-woman Lymphomaniac at the Gregangelo Museum on San Leandro Way in December 2024, selling out five shows.

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Nina Greets the River — Pen, Ink & Pencil — 2024

Actors

Sondheim’s ‘Most Controversial’ Play

Students at Ruth Asawa School of The Arts to Perform Assassins

By Megan Robertson

The last weekend in May, theater students at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in Diamond Heights will take the stage to perform Assassins, the 1990 musical many have called Stephen Sondheim’s most controversial play.

Via dialogue by John Weidman and music and lyrics by Sondheim, Assassins “lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States,” the show’s licensing agency states. It is the finale of the SOTA Theatre Department’s 2024–25 “election” season. Inspired by the fervor of last November's contest, the department selected shows that examined different aspects of the American political landscape. The season opened in February with Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone’s 1776, highlighting the Founding Fathers, and then presented Mary Kathryn Nagle’s Sovereignty, depicting the history of the Cherokee Nation.

Assassins puts figures like John Wilkes Booth in conversation with other assassins, or would-be assassins, like John Hinckley and Lee Harvey Oswald. “It pushes the envelope,” says Laura Espino, head of the school’s theater department. “You have to be careful to not glorify these people.”

Everette Rovetti, a senior who is playing Booth in the show, views “Assassins as a musical, not to feel bad for the assassins but to bring a bit of humanity to them. It’s an explanation

without an excuse.”

This is the first time the arts high school, with prestigious alumni like Joe Talbot, Sam Rockwell, and Aisha Tyler, has performed the musical. Actors in the program have been rehearsing five days a week since February, digging deep into what it means to play flawed historical figures.

“We did a dramaturgy assignment on our character’s motives and back story,” Rovetti said. “I didn’t have any recordings. There were very minimal photos. What I did have, though, were records from his family, from his letters, from his diary, from other eyewitness accounts.”

The research brought up complicated emotions. “As a person of color, it’s wild to be playing Booth,” Rovetti said. “But I got to understand him more as a person, which is exactly what this

musical tries to do. It emphasizes, but it doesn’t sympathize.”

Senior Gwendolyn Herndon plays Guiseppe Zangara, who attempted to assassinate President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. “I read [Zangara’s] memoir, and it’s clear he was just a very troubled individual,” Herndon said. “And he didn’t kill anyone, so I feel like I can feel worse for him.”

For other actors, finding that empathy was more difficult. Senior Michelle Matsuura plays Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, the Charles Manson follower who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. “We had a whole talk about not pre-judging your character,” Matsuura said. “It’s not a fair depiction of them if we have so much judgment, because they believe that they were doing the right thing for America. I don’t personally agree with

that, but…I have to understand that, to a certain extent, to portray it.”

The students’ work on the musical has been informed also by recent political assassinations and assassination attempts, including the July attempt on (then former) President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania and the December killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.

For Thistle Schleifer, a junior playing g Sara Jane Moore, another attempted assassin of Ford, the musical is as relevant today as it was 35 years ago.

“This kind of play is really pivotal, especially now,” Schleifer said. “It’s important to see the past, even if it’s a dramatized version. It’s good to see what caused people to go over that edge, so we can recognize that pattern.”

Junior Elijah Cooper, who plays Samuel Byck, attempted assassin of President Richard Nixon, said, “There are two types of entertainment, the one that entertains and the one that teaches. This is definitely the one that teaches,” he said. “It makes people think.”

Espino maintains, “If you are not speaking to the present moment, then you risk a show like this one falling flat. I don’t know when there will be another time that seems [more] appropriate to do the show. I don’t know when there will be another Donald Trump…. I don’t know when there will be another Luigi Mangione or Nikita Kassab.”

“It’s important,” agrees Rovetti.

Assassins will be performed on May 29–30 at 7 p.m. and May 31 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, 555 Portola Drive. Tickets are $10 for students, $20 for adults and general admission. For more information see www.sfusd.edu/school/ruthasawa-san-francisco-school-arts.

Students (l. to r.) Everette Rovetti, Thistle Schleifer, and Elijah Cooper rehearse the finale of Assassins, singing, “Everybody’s got the right to their dreams.” Photo by Megan Robertson

You’re invited to submit your poems, short fiction, essay or non-fiction piece for possible inclusion in the August 2025 edition of The Noe Valley Voice

750 word limit. No payment, but your work will be seen by thousands of readers of our print and online editions.

Deadline: July 15, 2025

Email editor@noevalleyvoice.com

Thank you.

MORE FOOD TO EAT

Dumpling Kitchen’s Pork Xiao Long Bao

This dish doesn’t require much work to find. It sits proudly in the top spot on Dumpling Kitchen’s online order page, as well as atop the restaurant menu’s Specialty Dumplings & Dim Sum list. It’s clear why.

A basket of Pork Xiao Long Bao ($11.80 for six), also known as steamed soup dumplings, is a masterful balance of artistry, flavor, and texture.

Even before you step inside Dumpling Kitchen Noe Valley, located at 3913 24th Street near Sanchez Street, you can watch the dumpling makers through the window on 24th Street, their hands working with speed and precision.

Each dumpling begins with a dollop of seasoned pork, chicken broth, and chopped onion, nestled into a palm-sized dough wrapper. Then, with practiced dexterity, the chefs fold the dough into delicate pleats, sealing in the savory filling.

Eating xiao long bao dumplings is an experience in and of itself. My partner and I follow a well-rehearsed ritual: First, we place the dumpling on a soup spoon, then take a small bite from the top or side. That allows us to slurp up the rich, flavorful broth before savoring the rest. The interplay of textures—liquid broth, tender pork, and chewy dough— creates a perfect bite every time. The dish is served piping hot and freshly steamed, as all good dim sum should be.

We enjoyed our dumplings in Dumpling Kitchen’s backyard patio, a charming little alcove covered with a canopy.

Whether for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack, Pork Xiao Long Bao is a must try. Hope you love it as much as we do.

—Matt Fisher, on the beat for More Food to Eat Have a suggestion for a dish to try in Noe Valley? Send an email to Matt Fisher at MoreFoodtoEatNoeValley@gmail.com. Meanwhile, check out the full Dumpling Kitchen menu at https://dumplingkitchennoevalley.toast.site/. Hours at the Noe Valley restaurant, 3913 24th St., are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (closed Wednesdays). For information, call 415-282-4969.

Explore, Create, & Discover San Francisco

From Muni rides and neighborhood adventures to explorations of the city’s music, art, food, and cultures, campCDS turns San Francisco into a summer playground, inspiring kids to love where we live!

Preschool – Grade 5 | June 23 — August 8

Table Tennis, Anyone?

Spring Session continues through May 31 at Upper Noe Recreation Center at 295 Day St. Sign up for classes now at sfrecpark.org/register. Summer registration opens on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m.

International Folk Dance (18+) returns this summer on Wednesdays from 10:45 to 12:15. This is a free course but requires registration. Come learn dances from around the world. Beginners welcome! Ping-pong also has returned, to the Upper Noe lobby. Balls and paddles are available from the office. Note: The children’s playground will be closed June 2 through 27 for long-awaited replacement of the play surface with a new rubbery material.

Upper Noe summer hours will remain the same, Tuesday through Saturday, since the rec center is not hosting camps. Summer camps nearby at Glen Canyon Rec Center, St. Mary’s Rec Center, Balboa Pool, and across the city offer something for everyone.

Many classes and activities at Upper Noe are drop-in and free. Call the office at 415-970-8061 or visit www.uppernoerecreationcenter.com for more information. If you see something that needs fixing at the park, contact San Francisco customer service (3-1-1). Park staff rely on your 3-1-1 reports to support service requests. For issues related to Joby’s Dog Run, open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., call 3-1-1 or email info@fundogsf.org.

Upper Noe Spring Schedule (March 24 to May 31, 2025) Rec Center Hours, 295 Day St.: Tues. to Fri., 10 a.m. to

Outside activities only on Sundays and Mondays. Park grounds open daily, 7 a.m.

Tuesday

9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE

10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball (all ages) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Strength & Flexibility (18+)

2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE

5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (18+)

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)

Wednesday

10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Gym (adult) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Feldenkrais (18+)

3 to 6 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

2 to 4:30 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE

5 to 7:30 p.m. Advanced Drop-In Volleyball (18+)

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)

7 to 8 p.m. Tennis Beginning (18+)

Thursday

10 to 11:30 a.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pickleball (18+) FREE

12 to 1 p.m. Pilates (18+)

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Strength & Flexibility (18+)

2 to 5 p.m. Open Gym (youth) FREE

4 to 5 p.m. Petite Bakers (ages 3–5)

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (ages 9–10)

5 to 7:30 p.m. Open Gym (18+) FREE

6 to 7 p.m. Adult Shred N' Butter

6 to 7 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (18+)

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga Vinyasa (18+)

Friday

9 to 10 a.m. Zumba (outside) FREE

10 to 11 a.m. Tot Futsal

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Open Gym (adult) FREE

3 to 6 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Girls Volleyball Team Practice (8-10)

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (ages 9–10)

5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Girls Volleyball Team Practice (11–14)

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tennis—Beginning (ages 9–11)

6:15 to 8 p.m. Girls Teen Drop-in Volleyball (11–16)

Saturday

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Open Gym (all ages) 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Family Zumba/Play Pass $

11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Place to Play (Free Play)

1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Girls League Volleyball

Scan to register or visit: cds-sf.org/summer-camp

The Sands of Time: Be sure to visit the children’s playground at Upper Noe Rec Center this month. The popular play space will be closed in June. Photo courtesy Chris Faust

STORE TREK

Store Trek is a regular feature of the Noe Valley Voice, spotlighting new businesses in Noe Valley. This month, we introduce a club for kids that has roots in a Noe Valley park.

JAMAROO KIDS CLUB

3870 24th St. at Sanchez Street 415-614-2001

https://www.jamarookids.com/classes /kids-club-noe-valley/

Throughout April on Wednesdays during the sensory art classes she teaches at the JAMaROO Kids Club, Melissa Torres tailored her lesson plans to fit that month’s theme of outer space. Each month, the staff selects a different topic to center their curriculum around, such as oceans or dinosaurs.

Torres had her classes use tissue paper and other materials to make a comet one day last month. She varies the materials used by the age range of the classes, whether it be infants and toddlers or bigger kids aged 3 to 6.

“As you get to the older kids classes, they are more engaging and able to do more on their own,” said Torres, a former preschool teacher in Oakland who joined JAMaROO Kids a year ago.

She is the operations manager for the business and spends most of her time at its Cow Hollow location. It soft-opened in Noe Valley at 3870 24th St. on October 21, two years after opening at 2116 Union St. on October 16, 2022.

A unique offering at JAMaROO Kids is its bilingual classes, in either English and Spanish or English and Mandarin. In Noe Valley, there are bilingual classes for music and movement.

“We have a waitlist for the bilingual

classes,” said Torres, noting that they are “something you don’t often see people offering” at similar businesses.

Jamaica Stevens founded JAMaROO Kids in 2004 to specialize in developmentally appropriate enrichment for young children. The name is a portmanteau of her first name. (She was named after the Jackson Browne song

“Jamaica Say You Will” and the nickname given to her by her high school cheerleader squad in San Anselmo.)

“We just wanted to create a beautiful space for children to play in and for families to gather. A place that sparks imagination and creativity… I feel like this is part of the reason my heart is in education,” said Stevens, who notes she is dyslexic and struggled with academics in school but found confidence via the music and dance classes she took as a child.

Born in San Francisco and initially raised in the Haight Ashbury, Stevens and her family moved to the North Bay when she was 13. Her parents are now

retired; her dad was a mailman and her mom a hairdresser.

When she started JAMaROO Kids, Stevens was solely focused on providing dance, music, and yoga classes at preschools and for family childcare providers in Marin County. Part of the Glide Ensemble choir at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, Stevens began to get clients in the city her sixth year in business.

She continued to grow her client base until Covid hit in 2020 and eventually led to school closures and staff layoffs. Finding it impossible to move her program online because of the young ages of the kids, Stevens pivoted to offering classes in city parks, such as Noe Courts on Douglass at 24th Street.

“It is hard to connect with young children online, so we were pushed into the parks,” she said.

Today, with the pandemic over, JAMaROO Kids provides up to 400 classes each week at 187 schools, recreation centers, and other childcare sites all over the Bay Area. Stevens spends most of her time teaching classes in San Mateo County, and she looks to hire three additional teachers to help spread the workload.

“We write our own curriculum and have our own music,” said Stevens, the author of children’s books about yoga and vegetarian cooking. “I think most people think we are just running a kids’ club.”

The connections Stevens and her staff made with families in San Francisco via the park classes led her to revive her kids club idea, which she’d tried in Lower Pacific Heights a decade pre Covid. She felt there was a need for a spot where parents could bring their children for art, dance, and music classes.

“We think outside of the box so are

continuously introducing children to fun, creative art mediums, rich language, and new experiences,” she saidd. Stevens lives near the Union Street location and opened in that area first, due to the demand for her offerings in parks there and in the Marina.

Having seen a pediatrician in Noe Valley until she was 7 years old, Stevens told the Voice her intention haad always been to open a second JAMaROO Kids Club in Noe shortly after opening her first. But it took longer than expected.

“We wanted to open in Noe right after we opened in Cow Hollow, but w we were so busy trying to rebuild the busiiness post-Covid, we couldn’t,” said Stevens.

When the health foods purveyor Urban Remedy closed its Noe location n in 2023, Stevens swooped in to sign a new lease. She saw that the 1,100square-foot space needed minimal renoovation. “I think we found the perfect spot,” she said. “I didn’t want to take on a huge construction project, and most spaces that come up in Noe need a lot of construction.”

Where there had been refrigerators on the left-side wall are now two cubbyholes for kids. The rest of the front room is set up as a play space and music room, with a back room that has s a sink used for art classes.

Total occupancy is 22 people, so classes are kept small and capped at no o more than 10 kids, which allows for them to be accompanied by a parent or r caregiver. Demand has been strong from day one, said Stevens.

“Things are going great. Noe Valley y is such a wonderful community,” she said.

One difference with the Noe Valley location, said Torres, is the neighborhood tends to be more peaceful and doesn’t have the same foot traffic as thhe Union Street storefront. There is also more demand for classes later in the day at 24th Street because more parentts are working from home and signing up p for sessions once their workday is overr. Classes run for eight weeks, and signups can happen anytime, if space i is available. The cost is $35 a class with a $10 registration fee, plus a 40 percent sibling discount. JAMaROO Kids also o offers free classes at Salesforce Park and the Crossing at East Cut, open spaces in downtown San Francisco.

The club is surveying Noe Valley families to see whether they might like e Friday or weekend classes. Classes are e currently only offered Monday through h Thursday.

“We are just really happy to be in Noe Valley,” said Torres. “The commuunity has been really welcoming so far. We love it here.”

—Matthew S. Bajkko

Thursday Night -Locals Night!

Serving great Sardinian Cuisine for 19 Years

Serving great Sardinian Cuisine for 18 years

Come join us for Great Food and Featured Wine Tastings.

Tuesday through Thursday 5:30 pm-9:45 pm Friday and Saturday 5:00 pm-10:00 pm

291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114 415-550-8114 • www.info@laciccia.com

Music and dance are essential parts of the curriculum at JAMaROO Kids. Photos by Art Bodner

JAMaROO Kids founder Jamaica Stevens reads to her playmates in a newly refurbished space at 3870 24th St. She’s the author of children’s books on yoga and vegetarian cooking.

Spring Lingers in Noe Valley

Photo by Jack Tipple

HANDYMAN

• Custom & Refaced Cabinets

• Replacing Dry Rot Deck Planks

• Carpentry and Painting

• Refinishing Hardwood Flooring

• Finish Decks 6 different stains lasting 6 to 8 years. Call Miguel (510) 333-0732

415.608.7634

Clear the Clutter Reclaim your Space! pat@patrosehomeorganizing.com patrose@gmail.com

(415) 641-0700

VSA Construction General Contractor LIC # 990233 No job too small Old World Craftmanship (415) 877-1293 PAT ROSE Home Organizing

25 year member of Pet Sitters Intl. Cass Morgan • 415.513.9299 positivelypets1@earthlink.net www.sfpositivelypets.com

Troubleshooting/Tutoring Tune-Ups/Upgrades SFMacMan.com (415) 821-1792

May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29: Family STORYTIMES are Thurs., 10:15 am and 11 am. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29: Chad Balch leads an intermediate level IYENGAR YOGA class. Noon-1:30 pm. Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. iyisf.org

May 1-31: Artists are “Visualizing Gertrude Stein” on the 100th anniversary of The Making of Americans, at ART HAUS SF, 3977 24th St. Reception May 10, 4-7 pm. Hours: Tues.-Fri., 11 am-6 pm; Sat. & Sun., 10 am-5 pm. 590-2315; info@arthaussf.com

May 1-July 6: Nancy Reese and Ben Pax show PAINTINGS at Gallery Sanchez in the Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez. 2822317; noevalleyministry.org

May 1-Sept. 2: SFMOMA continues its retrospective of the art of Noe Valley icon RUTH ASAWA. sfmoma.org

May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30: The Noe Valley RUN CLUB meets Fridays at Noe Cafe, 1299 Sanchez. 6:45 am 4 miles, and 7:30 am for 2.5 miles. noevalleyrunclub.square.site

May 2 & June 6:The self-guided Castro ART WALK features the work of local artists on the first Friday of the month. 5-8 pm. For a map: castroartwalk.com

May 3-31: The FARMERS MARKET has fresh produce, food, and music Saturdays, 8 am to 1 pm. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 3-31: Ease on down the road with NOE WALKS on Saturdays. Meet at 24th and Sanchez, 10 am.

May 4: Celebrate Jewish heritage with Saul Goodman’s KLEZMER BAND. 1 to 2 p.m. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 4: Join a STAR WARS PARTY from 2 to 3:30 p.m. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl. org

May 4 & 18: YOGA FLOW offers free alllevel classes; bring water and a mat. 11 amnoon. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 5, 12 & 19: TODDLER Storytimes at the Noe Valley Library are Mondays at 11:15 am. 451 Jersey; 355-5707.

May 6: ACTION SF meets from 6 to 7:30 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. Confirm at ActionSFTeam@gmail.com

May 7: The CLIMATE ACTION Book Club for ages 11 to 18 includes a zine-making workshop. 4 to 5 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707.

May 9-June 30: Lola Gallery holds FAFO, a group art show on current times. Opening reception featuring Elizabeth Brown, May 9, 5-7 pm; Tue.-Thurs., noon-6 pm; Fri.-Sun., 9 am-6 pm. 1250 Sanchez. 642-4875

May 10: RHYTHM & MOTION happens. 45 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 10 & 17: The Randall Museum offers a workshop for ages 11 and up, “Threadless Pine Needle BASKETRY.” Noon-2 pm. 199 Museum Way. 554-9602; randallmuseum.org

May 11 & 25: FOLK YOGA offers free alllevel classes; bring water and a mat. 11 amnoon. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 11: ACOUSTIC SUNDAY at the Noe Valley Town Square features singer/songwriter Stephanie Woodford. 1 to 3 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 11: Kung Pao KOSHER COMEDY holds a Mother’s Day show with Shanti Charan, Joe Klocek, Ian Williams, and Lisa Gedildig. 7 pm. Eclectic Box SF, 446 Valencia. 956-9888; koshercomedy.com

May 12: A PAINTING AND POETRY workshop offers readings from Rumi 4-5 pm.Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707.

May 13: It’s LEGO and Board Game Night at the Noe Valley Library. 6-7:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 14: Hear Jane Natoli of YIMBY Action and affordable housing advocate Buck Bagot at a public gathering of the Noe Valley Democratic Club. 6-7:30 pm. Valley Tavern, 4054 24th. noevalleydemocrats.org

May 14: Sing out at KARAOKE Night at the Noe Valley Library. 6-7:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 16: The Short Stack BOOK CLUB discusses So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan. 3-4 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 16: The CASTRO Night Market features LGBTQ+ artists and live entertainment. 5-10 pm. 18th & Castro.

May 17: Noe Valley Books has a new KIDS STORYTIME, starting at 9 am. 3957 24th. 590-2961; noevalleybooks.com

May 17: The annual Friends of Noe Valley GARDEN TOUR features 10 local sites. 10 am-4 pm. Tickets available at the Farmers Market; LindaLockyer3@gmail.com

May 17: Bring seedlings, seeds, or a healthy plant to a PLANT SWAP, from 10 am to 1 pm, at Noe Cafe. 1299 Sanchez. 234-0592.

May 17: Register for Summer CLASSES at Upper Noe Rec Center. 10 am. 295 Day. Call 628-652-2900; sfreconline@sfgov.org

May 17: The dance party SALSA IN THE SQUARE features music by Los Jefes. 6-8:30 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

May 17: SF COMEDY Underground stages standup at “Noe Valley Farms” on third Saturdays. 7:45-9:30 pm. 1828 Castro. Eventbrite; bestmedicinethebay@gmail.com

May 18: Volunteers for Noe Valley CLEANUP DAY meet at the Town Square. 10 am to noon. 3861 24th. togetherSF. org

May 18: City Guides offers walking TOURS of Noe Valley, starting at 451 Jersey, at 2 pm. Register at 375-0468 (sfcityguides.org).

May 19: Rick Martinez talks up his Salsa Daddy: Dip Your Way Into Mexican Cooking at OMNIVORE Books. 6:30 pm. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712; omnivorebooks.com

May 19 & June 2: Journalist Rasa Gustaitis leads a two-part MEMOIR WRITING workshop; reservations required 4-5 pm. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707.

May 21: Omnivore Books on Food hosts HAWA HASSAN, author of Setting a Place for Us: Recipes and Stories of Displacement, Resilience, and Community from Eight Countries Impacted by War. 6:30 pm. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712

May 21: Upper Noe Neighbors holds a

COMMUNITY MEETING on top local issues. 7 pm. Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day.. uppernoeneighbors.com

May 24: “Ready, Set, Draw,” Karen Luk’s ART WORKSHOP for all ages runs from 2 to 3:30 pm; reservations required. Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey. 355-5707.

May 24: The Civic Symphony performs an afternoon of CHAMBER MUSIC at the Noe Valley Ministry. 3-5 pm. 1021 Sanchez. 2822317; sfcivicmusic.org

May 24 & 25: CARNAVAL SF brings a parade, food and live music to Mission Street. 691-1147; carnavalsanfrancisco.org

May 27: The Noe Valley NIGHT MARKET offers vendors, food, and entertainment, 5 to 8 pm, on last Tuesdays. Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th. Noemerchants.com

May 27: Make a reservation for PAJAMA Storytime at the Noe Valley Library. 6:30 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

May 29-31: Students at Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts perform Sondheim’s ASSASSINS. May 29 & 30, 7 pm; May 31, 2 & 7 pm. 555 Portola. sfusd.edu/school/ruthasawa-san-francisco-school-arts

June 1: ACOUSTIC SUNDAY at the Noe Valley Town Square features music from Christie Aida and the Free Press. 1 to 3 pm. 3861 24th. noevalleytownsquare.com

June 4: The Graphic Novel MEMOIR BOOK CLUB at the Noe Valley Library looks at Alison Bechdal’s Fun Home. 5-6 pm. 451 Jersey. 355-5707; sfpl.org

June 4: Tyler Malek discusses America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook. 6:30 pm at OMNIVORE BOOKS. 3885 Cesar Chavez. 282-4712; omnivorebooks.com

June 6: A free Interfaith LABYRINTH WALK is accompanied by meditative music. 7 pm. Bethany United Methodist Church, 1270 Sanchez. 647-8393.

CHILDREN’S FICTION

In Catherine Rayner’s Molly, Olive, and Dexter: You Can’t Catch Me! a fox, an owl, and a hare love to play chase. Ages 3-5.

Go Team Spidey! by Frankie Hallam is the latest in the series featuring Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and Black Panther. Ages 3-5.

Home Is a Wish, a picture book by Julia Kuo, is about leaving a familiar spot and ﬁnding new places to ﬁt in. Ages 3-6.

A girl’s abuela helps her turn her worst day into a ﬁesta, in Martina’s Muy Bad Day, a dual-lingual picture book by Melanie Wick Singer, with illustrations by Natalia Jiménez Osorio. Ages 4-8.

In Team Awkward: Jojo vs. Middle School, by Joy McCullough and Veeda Bybee, four friends cope with the ﬁrst day of sixth grade. Ages 8-12.

CHILDREN’S NONFICTION

Kids can learn about good relationships in The Friendship Guide, by Dr. Jillian Roberts, illustrated by Andrea Armstrong. Ages 3-5.

Lefty: A Story That Is Not All Right, by Mo Willems with art by Dan Santat, traces the history and travails of the left-handed. Ages 4-8.

In Snakes: What Do Cobras, Pythons, and Anacondas Get Up to All Day?

Christian Cave and Rebecca Mills follow the everyday routines of snakes. Ages 5-8. Emma Bland Smith describes her childhood on the island where her parents worked, in Growing Up in the Shadow of Alcatraz. Ages 8-12.

LGBTQIA+ gods, heroes, and spirits appear in Queer Mythology: Epic Legends From Around the World, by Guido A. Sanchez, illustrated by James Fenner. Ages 11 and up.

CHILDREN’S EBOOKS

Alice Schertle’s board book Little Blue Truck’s Springtime (illustrated by Jill McElmurry), continues the adventures of the vehicle and his friend Toad. Ages 1-3.

Based on a true story, The Endless Sea, by Chi Thai, with illustrations by Linh Dao, describes a refugee journey from Vietnam to the UK. Ages 4-8.

A girl alone in the wilderness has to fend for herself in Into the Wild, the ﬁrst book in Anh Do’s Wolf Girl series. Ages 8-12. Lissie and her family relocate to Guatemala in Lynne Rae Perkins’ short novel At Home in a Faraway Place. Ages 8-12.

TEEN FICTION

In Shana Youngdahl’s A Catalog of Burnt Objects, 17-year-old Caprice’s small town is beset by wildﬁres. Ages 12-17.

In poems and short stories, teens express their thoughts during Covid in A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe by Mohogany L. Browne. Ages 12-17. Kochin ﬁnds a way to resurrect a person from the grave in His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le Ages 12-18.

Teens from rival families at the Pasadena farmers market ﬁnd love in Hangry Hearts by Jennifer Chen. Ages 12-18.

In The House No One Sees by Adina King, a girl must confront her mother’s opioid addiction. Ages 14-18.

TEEN NONFICTION

Banned Together is an anthology of ﬁction, poetry, essays, and graphic stories on censorship, edited by Ashley Hope Pérez, with

MORE GROUPS TO JOIN

Fair Oaks Neighbors

Email: hello@fairoaksneighbors.org

Address: 200 Fair Oaks St., SF, CA 94110

The Fair Oaks Street Fair is traditionally held the day before Mother’s Day.

Friends of Billy Goat Hill

Contact: Lisa and Mo Ghotbi, 821-0122

Website: www.billygoathill.net

Friends of Dolores Park Playground

Contact: Nancy Gonzalez Madynski, 828-5772

Email: friendsofdolorespark@gmail.com

Website: friendsofdolorespark.org

Friends of Christopher Park

Contact: Brynna McNulty, 818-744-4230

Email: friendsofchristopherpark@gmail.com

Website: FriendsofChristopherPark.org

Festival Friends of Glen Canyon Park

Contact: Jean Conner, 584-8576

Address: 140 Turquoise Way, SF, CA 94131

Plant restoration work parties, Wednesday mornings and third Saturday of the month.

Friends of Noe Courts Playground

Contact: Laura Norman

Email: noecourts@gmail.com

Address: P.O. Box 460953, SF, CA 94146

Meetings: Email for dates and times.

Friends of Noe Valley (FNV)

Contact: Todd David, 401-0625

Email: info@friendsofnoevalley.com

Website: friendsofnoevalley.com

Meetings: Two or three annually.

Friends of Slow Sanchez

Contacts: Christopher Keene, Andrew

Casteel

Email: info@SlowSanchez.com

Website: SlowSanchez.com

Friends of Upper Noe Recreation

Center

Contact: Chris Faust

Email: info@uppernoerecreationcenter.com

Website: uppernoerecreationcenter.com

Meetings: Email or check website.

Friends of Upper Noe Dog Owners Group (FUNDOG)

Contact: David Emanuel

Email: info@fundogsf.org

Website: www.fundogsf.org

Glen Park Association

Contact: info@glenparkassociation.org

Website: glenparkassociation.org

Address: P.O. Box 31292, SF, CA 94131

Juri Commoners

Contact: Dave Schweisguth, MI7-6290

Email: dave@schweisguth.org

Website: meetup.com/Juri-Commoners

The group is on hiatus and seeking a new leader. Call Dave. “Tidy up when you can.”

Liberty Hill Neighborhood Association

Contact: Dr. Lisa Fromer, president Email: efromer3@gmail.com

Meetings: Quarterly. Email for details. Noe Neighborhood Council

Contact: Ozzie Rohm or Matt McCabe

Email: info@noeneighborhoodcouncil.com Website: noeneighborhoodcouncil.com

Meetings: Quarterly at Sally Brunn Library, 451 Jersey St.

Noe Valley Association–24th Street

Community Benefit District

Contact: Debra Niemann, 519-0093

Dispatch: To report spills or debris on 24th Street, call Billy Dinnell, 802-4461.

Email: info@noevalleyassociation.org. Website: noevalleyassociation.org

Board meetings: Quarterly. See website. Noe Valley Democratic Club

Contact: Sam Maslin, President E-mail: noevalleydemocrats@gmail.com Website: www.noevalleydemocrats.org

Meetings: Monthly at Valley Tavern or Todo el Día, dates publicized on website. Noe Valley Farmers Market

Open Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 3861 24th St. between Vicksburg and Sanchez Contact: Leslie Crawford, 248-1332

Email: info@noevalleyfarmersmarket.com

Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association (NVMPA)

Contact: Kristen McCaffery, President, Kristen@novysf@gmail.com, 829-8383; or Kathryn Gianaras, Vice President, Kathryn@novysf@gmail.com

Meetings: 9 a.m. Call to confirm location. Website: https.noemerchants.com www.NoeValleyMerchants.com

Noe Valley Parent Network

An e-mail resource network for parents

Contact: Mina Kenvin

Email: minaken@gmail.com noevalleyparentsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Noe Walks

Contact: Chris Nanda

Email: christopher.n.nanda@gmail.com

Website: NoeWalks.com

Meetings: Saturdays, 10 a.m. Starts 24th and Sanchez. Ends Noe and Duncan for photo. Progress Noe Valley Facebook: ProgressNoeValley Email: progressnoe@gmail.com Website: progressnoe.com

Meetings: Check Facebook page for current meeting and event schedule.

San Francisco NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team)

Contact: Noe Valley NERT Neighborhood Team co-coordinators Maxine Fasulis, mfasulis@yahoo.com; Carole Roberts, carole_roberts@faludi.com

Website: https://SF-ﬁre.org/nert

Visit the website to sign up for trainings. Upper Noe Merchants

Contact: Info@UpperNoeNeighbors.com; https://uppernoeneighbors.com/merchants/ Upper Noe Neighbors

Contact: Chris Faust

Email: Hello@UpperNoeNeighbors.com

Website: www.uppernoeneighbors.com

Meetings: Bi-monthly on third Wednesdays. Confirm by email or check website.

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE editor@noevalleyvoice.com

All phone numbers are in the 415 area code, unless otherwise noted.

Group Think

By Mazook

WELCOME TO NV: The Noe Valley community became internationally known a few years ago, when our Town Square’s public bathroom, estimated to cost $1.7 million, made a big splash in the media. Even candidate Donald Trump got into the act, declaring the toilet was Governor Newsom’s boondoggle and that it was “not even nice. I saw pictures of it.” So lame.

In fact, when all was said and done, the ﬁnal cost to the city was $300,000.

But before there was a toilet, there was the Noe Valley Town Square. It came into existence a decade ago (ofﬁcially, in October 2016), through the efforts of a community group that raised more than $7 million to make it so. It also became a great example of how city agencies and community groups can work together to make something that improves a city.

The project transformed an underused gas station parking lot, ﬁrst into a Saturday farmers market and then into the heart and soul of our neighborhood, providing a space for creativity and social connection.

Now, if you search the internet about our town square, you will get more than 22 million results.

When I moved to Noe Valley almost 50 years ago, I felt the sense of community immediately. I joined a group called Friends of Noe Valley, which discussed Noe Valley and its sometimes NIMBY politics.

I also started reading a neighborhood newspaper called the Noe Valley Voice. Then I joined the Noe Valley Democratic Club and hung out at the Meat Market Coffeehouse (4123 24th St.), talking with locals, mostly about politics.

When that closed, I started going out to dinner at nearby Little Italy Restaurant (4109 24th), which was packed with patrons from all over the city almost every night. I can still recall the smell of garlic that drifted out to the street.

I started writing this column in the Voice in 1981, and over the months and years, I became amazed at the number of new groups forming in the neighborhood, all of which were spreading that notion of “community.”

YOU GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS: As you can see on the front page of this issue of the Voice, the Friends of Noe Valley is still active and presenting the Noe Valley Garden Tour on Saturday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is being sponsored by 20 neighborhood businesses, and tickets can be bought at Just for Fun, When Modern Was, Olive This Olive That, Noe Valley Books, Omnivore Books, and the Saturday Farmers Market in our Town Square.

The Friends of Slow Sanchez group was founded in 2020, to promote community and safety along the Sanchez Street corridor. At the end of April, the group recreated the on-the-street mural it had painted once before, on Sanchez between 24th and Elizabeth streets.

According to mural artist Amos Goldbaum, who painted the ﬁrst mural in March 2021, more than 100 volunteers helped him paint the new fourcolor mural, with paint supplied by

Friends of Slow Sanchez, in just two days. “We had volunteers show up from all over San Francisco, who did a great job over the two days.”

Goldbaum noted, “It was a bit scary, because rain had been predicted for the day we started, and I was ﬁnding it hard to get to sleep the night before.”

Meanwhile, a partnership between Friends of Slow Sanchez and Friends of the Urban Forest is creating the “Sanchez Greenway,” which hopes to beautify Slow Sanchez by helping residents add sidewalk gardens on their properties.

Phase one of the Sanchez Greenway, 20 gardens along Sanchez between 27th and 28th streets, kicked off in April and was expected to be completed the ﬁrst week of June.

In other group news, the Noe Valley Democratic Club has over 130 members currently, according to club president Sam Maslin, and the meetings are attended by more than 30 members. They bring in speakers to discuss current political affairs in San Francisco and around the state. “Our primary focus is on city and District 8 issues.”

Maslin afﬁrms, “As part of the club, you’ll be able to attend regular events, meet your politically active neighbors, engage with our elected leaders, and vote for endorsements come election time. To become a member, you must be a registered Democrat, live in Noe Valley, ﬁll out a membership form, and pay your club dues.”

The group meets next on Wednesday, May 14, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Valley Tavern, 4054 24th Street. Local zoning issues will be on the agenda.

NIGHT AND THE MARKET: The Noe Valley Merchants and Professionals Association, founded in 1923, is one of the largest groups of its sort in San Francisco. The purpose of the NVMPA is to promote business and invigorate Noe Valley’s 24th Street and Church Street commercial corridors. Their latest invigoration, since October of last year, is hosting the Noe Valley Night Market on the last Tuesday of every month at the Noe Valley Town Square, 5 to 8 p.m. They invite the neighborhood to “come hang out at the Noe Valley Night Market for a fun evening of food, music, and shopping under the stars!”

I and the Mrs. went to the April 29 event, which was nothing short of spectacular.

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There were dozens of merchant booths for food and shopping. New last month was the gang from Whole Foods, who showed up to lay out a spread of yummy fruit salads for everyone to freely nibble on. They provided the small dish, fork, and napkin. Kudos go out to Whole Foods team member Christina McFadden for preparing the salad. “I was up all night before the event preparing the food,” she said.

A vendor that I need to go back to was Sam’s Gourmet Jams. Their “lowsugar, small-batch, artisan jams” are from the recipes of Shirley Moore. But I forgot to ask who Sam was.

The master of ceremonies, Lambert Moss, was the creator of fun and games for the kids and a Mother’s Quiz to celebrate the soon-to-arrive Mother’s Day. Three moms volunteered to participate in the quiz, and each received gifts donated by several of the merchants. Moss performed, singing lots of jazz and R&B, and many kids came up and danced to the beat.

Moss also brought, for the ﬁrst time, a folksinger, Divya Raghavan, who performed to the delight of all of us sitting in front of the stage. Hopefully, she will also appear soon at the Noe Valley Farmers Market on Saturdays. She will no doubt be at the next night market, on Tuesday, May 27.

The market plans to expand into 24th Street in front of the square at the June market, scheduled for June 24.

The NVMPA also sponsored the Noe Valley Spring Wine Walk on April 10. A good 450 people bought a ticket for the Downtown Noe Valley stroll. There were 22 merchants serving up wine for the strolling folks, and many of them partnered with local winemakers, including Passaggio Wines, Spur Road Wines, Sottomarino Winery, Treasure Island Wines, Vie Winery, Waits-Mast Family Cellars, the Winery Collective, and the Winery San Francisco.

ART SPEAKS: The next two months, says artist and proprietor Lola Herrera, Lola Gallery will present “FAFO, a group exhibition showcasing 13 artists responding—each in their own voice— to the world as it is now. Politically charged, deeply personal, quietly defiant, or bold and unfiltered, the works on view reflect the uncertainty, resistance, and revelation that characterize our current moment.”

will be Olivia Kuser, Linda Trunzo, Jennifer Keith, Don Bardole, Robert Nielsen, Shiva Pakdel, Michele Coxon, Linda Horning, Paul Blackburn, Melissa Hutton, Andrew William Brown, and Mara Lea Brown.

Speaking of the arts, Art Haus at 3977 7 24th is hosting an exhibition through May, Visualizing Gertrude Stein, which will show “the world premiere of a monumental work by Gisela Züchner-Mogall,” says curator Elizabeth Dekker (“You have to see it to believe it!”) as well as works by numerous artists inspired by Stein’s 100-year-old novel The Making of Americans. Among the local artists participating is Michelle Echenique, who says her contribution will be “Steination,” a collage featuring Stein’s face where the stars would be in an American ﬂag. The show’s reception is Saturday, May 10, 4 to 7 p.m.

GROUP AGAINST THE DICTATORSHIP: : A new group formed in March to “Stop the Slide Into Dictatorship.” It had its second meeting April 28 at the Noe Valley Ministry on Sanchez.

Over 50 people attended the event, to discuss their worries about what was s happening in Washington during the ﬁrst t 100 days of Donald Trump’s regime. The meeting was moderated by longtime Noe Valley resident Hans Kolbe, whose family was caught up in the 1930s rise of Adolf Hitler.

Said Kolbe, “We discussed what makes dictatorships brittle and vulnerable, and how to exploit those weaknesses for a successful pushback and reversal. It is helpful to look at examples s in our own history and in other countries for inspiration and learning.

“One of the recent success stories is Poland,” he continued. “In October 2023, the Polish people managed to remove the authoritarian regime of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Initially, [Morawiecki] had been extremely popular and successful, but after two terms in ofﬁce he ﬁnally was voted out by a broad coalition of nearly all parties committed to the constitution.”

If you are interested in helping with the next meeting, reach out to the group organizers: Lisa Jaicks, Gloria Saltzman, and Hans Kolbe.

A SWEET COOKIE: Anyone remember r What’s for Dessert, the bakery café at 1497 Church Street that was famous for r its Chocolate Chewies?

Mervyn Mark, the owner and pastry chef, died April 28 at the age of 86. He told me back in 1999, when the cafe closed, that he would reveal his Chocolate Chewy recipe when he published his cookbook. Well, we at the Voice never saw the cookbook, so we assume he never divulged the recipe. However, we will always remember Mervyn, his wonderful family, his generosity in hosting Voice parties, and the taste of those chewies.

There will be a memorial service for Mervyn Mark on Tuesday, May 13, 11 a.m., at Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Avenue, in Daly City. All are invited.

THAT’S 30, my friends. It is time to start organizing groups to support candidates in the congressional election in November 2026. Let’s elect Democrats and yes, Republicans who will stop the moronic and horrible things happening in the White House. I think San Francisco should secede from the Union n and go our own way. Crazy? Maybe so. What are your thoughts? Ciao for now. and now for the

The Town Square was packed with people. I estimate that more than 800 people showed up over the three hours. Wow! The aisles were peoplepacked. Did I say there were crowds of

The show will run from May 9 through June 30, at the gallery and shop at 1250 Sanchez Street, with an opening reception Thursday, May 9, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Besides Herrera, the featured artists

Light Up the Night: The most color-coordinated concession at the Noe Valley Night Market has to be Sam’s Gourmet Jams, the pur veyor of organic jams and jellies made by chef/owner Shirley Moore with help from manager Br yan Robinson They were among dozens of vendors at the April market, including Whole Foods

Photo by Sal y Sm th

Noe Valley Voice May 2025

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE

Sisters Take the Reins at Merchants Association

Cancer Survivor Performs Black Comedy at Fringe

Explore Twin Redwoods on May 17 Tour

Walking

JESSICA BRANSON

CRIME SNAPSHOT

Property Thefts March Right Back

Sisters Get Busy Boosting Local Business

by Outside Forces

Slow Sanchez Gets Spiffed Up

OMNIVORE BOOKS ••• MAY EVENTS

Noe Native Takes Show on the Road

Dark Comedy

Actors

Sondheim’s ‘Most Controversial’ Play

Students at Ruth Asawa School of The Arts to Perform Assassins

MORE FOOD TO EAT

Explore, Create, & Discover San Francisco

Table Tennis, Anyone?

STORE TREK

HANDYMAN

MORE BOOKS TO READ LIBRARY

Browsing the Stacks

EVENTS

MORE GROUPS TO JOIN

Group Think

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