Potrero View 2025: July by potreroview

Tattoo Museum Would Make Ink

Truly Permanent

BY MARK STEENSLAND

San Francisco is home to lots of museums. The de Young and Legion of Honor feature “high” art. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not is kitschy. The Museum of Craft and Design’s name tells visitors what to expect, while the Cable Car Museum, Beat Museum, and GLBT Historical Society specialize in slices of local history.

If tattoo artist Peter Bogdanov has his way, a unique museum focusing on the type of creations he produces inside his Legend Ink shop in Potrero Hill will soon be a part of this academy. Bogdanov wants to display art originally drawn on the skin of the person who wore it Each tattoo featured in the “Beyond the Flesh” museum will be harvested from the person on which it’s inked following their death, put through a process of post-mortem preservation similar to the plastination method used in exhibits such as Body Worlds.

First presented in Tokyo in 1995, Body Worlds displays dissected human bodies, animals, and other anatomical pieces. The show has been installed at 50 museums globally, attracting more than 50 million visitors.

The concept of saving tattoos after death isn’t without precedent. Save My Ink Forever, founded in Ohio by Michael

and Kyle Sherwood, has been performing such operations for nearly a decade, preserving more than 1,200 tattoos from deceased people as personal mementos for their loved ones.

Bogdanov wants to publicly display the tattoos, offering widespread access to view this unique art form. He’s launched a website detailing his vision for how a permanent exhibition space would allow tattoo artistry to “transcend the boundaries of mortality” and “become portals to the souls who once wore them, telling tales of passion, identity, and the vibrant hues of the human experience.”

Bogdanov was first tattooed in 1991: a gecko skeleton on his leg. Another soon followed. Within a year, he secured tattoo equipment and opened his own shop in the 900 block of Rhode Island Street in a house originally owned by his grandfather, Matthew.

“I tattooed five people for free,” he

said, “and then I was a hundred bucks an hour within a couple of weeks, and I never looked back.”

Two years later, he expanded, moving into a space on Townsend Street,

Potrero Hill PTAs Adjust to SFUSD’s New Expenditure Rules

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

Last April, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) announced new restrictions on use of funds raised by Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), as well as municipal grants from such sources as the Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF). These monies have historically paid for intervention and English Learner (EL) teachers, instructional coaches, lunch yard monitors, librarians, social workers, and basic supplies, like paper.

The District’s discretionary fund restrictions largely limit PTA personnel expenditures to classroom teachers. The San Francisco Board of Education adopted them to help balance its budget and avoid a state takeover. Schools can hire for approved certificated positions, like intervention teachers, when certain conditions have been met, principally that general education spots are 92 percent occupied across SFUSD and all “high potential +” schools have filled vacant out-of-classroom positions.

High potential + schools are those in which student learning outcomes haven’t changed in the past few years. They can also be Vision, Values, Goals, and Guardrails (VVGG) Focal schools, with a proficiency rate of 50 percent or less of SFUSD goals for end-of-year targets. Intervention teachers are credentialed to assist students experiencing classroom difficulties, often related to reading skills. Instructional coaches are credentialed to support classroom educators, assisting with setting instructional goals and implementing curriculum changes. EL teachers are credentialed to help students who need additional instruction in English to be able to read, write, and speak proficiently at grade level.

Neither Daniel Webster nor Starr King are high potential + schools. Starr King hasn’t been on that list since the 2019-2020 school year. Daniel Webster has never been placed in that category.

“If the District were to fund these schools properly so the PTAs didn’t have to raise money for paper, staff for a student wellness center, and a school

librarian, there would be more equity. That’s not the case,” said Stephanie McGarrigle, Daniel Webster PTA president.

“My approach is to be a little cautious but also transparent,” said Anita Parameswaran, Daniel Webster Elementary School principal. “What is expected is ever-changing. I feel that I get new information every couple of days. I can’t get too attached to anything. I can’t get frustrated or upset.”

Parameswaran previously served as Daniel Webster’s Academic Response to Intervention Facilitator – a reading specialist – and has worked in the District for more than a decade, teaching third grade for eight years. A key SFUSD goal is that students matriculate from elementary to middle schools with gradelevel reading skills. Reading is both a standalone and foundational ability that determines how well scholars do in all subjects.

“It was unclear what SFUSD would allow Daniel Webster PTA to fund and

Summer Stride of Library Love

BY JASON ROSENBURY

“Summer Stride is our biggest program,” said San Francisco Public Library Mission Bay Branch Manager Jana De Brauwere. “We prepare all year for it.”

As part of Summer Stride, the main and all 27 library branches offer tailored programs and activities, distributing free tote bags to those who engage in 20 hours of reading, listening, and/or event attendance from June to August.

Summer Stride is, “a big effort and our patrons show up time and time again,” said Potrero Branch Manager Rachel Bradshaw. “Last summer, we had more finishers than ever before.”

According to De Brauwere, Summer Stride tote bags have become popular collectible items. This year’s sack was designed by San Franciscan Kenard Pak, a picture book artist and animation art director. It features parrots enjoying books and comes in two sizes. Qualifying participants, or “finishers” – who self-report their 20 hours – can choose between a regular size tote bag or a smaller version. SFPL will have enough bags for all finishers through Summer Stride’s August 31 end date.

As part of Summer Stride both branches give away books; visitors can choose one volume a day to adopt. The libraries hold monthly raffles, with prizes donated by museums, movie theatres, Bi-Rite Market, San Francisco Giants, and Golden State Warriors. Visitors can enter once per person daily; frequent branch guests increase their chances of winning. According to De Brauwere, Mission Bay receives between 600 and 800 entries a month.

In addition to Sumer Stride, the Mission Bay and Potrero branches sponsor art shows. Through August 22, Potrero is hosting the Annual Potrero Hill Artists Exhibition, featuring works of artists who “live, learn, work, or worship on Potrero Hill or Dogpatch,” according to Bradshaw.

The Mission Bay Branch, located at 960 Fourth Street between Berry Street and the Mission Creek Channel, is on the ground floor of a Mercy Housing residence for low-income seniors, some of whom have lent or donated works for display. South-of-Market-based 6th on 7th Photographic Workshop is also exhibiting at Mission Bay.

Both branches screen films. Potrero movie night is on occasional Wednesday

Peter Bogdanov has a vision for a permanent exhibition space that'd allow tattoo artistry to “transcend the boundaries of mortality” and “become portals to the souls who once wore them, telling tales of passion, identity, and the vibrant hues of the human experience.” PHOTO: Courtesy of Peter Bogdanov

TATTOO continues on page 14

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Serving the Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay and SOMA Neighborhoods Since 1970

JULY 2025

PUBLISHER’S VIEW

Loneliness

BY STEVEN J. MOSS

In 2023 the U.S. Surgeon General declared that America suffered from a “loneliness epidemic,” caused by shrinking participation in such communal outlets as Kiwanis Clubs and bowling leagues. Replacement activities – pickleball, mah jong, puppy yoga, Potrero Boosters meetings – apparently haven’t yet been embraced by those more comfortable sitting on the sofa, alone, watching The Last of Us or Andor

One low-lift remedy to lonesomeness, which has the benefit of contributing to a better world, is positive casual social interactions. According to science, or what’s left of it, even brief interactions – small talk with a Farley’s barista; a quick conversation with a neighbor – can reduce feelings of isolation and create a sense of well-being.

Compared to my wife, Debbie, and in-laws – who frequently engage in full-blown life story swaps with parking attendants and passersby – I’m not much of a casual talker. But recently I’ve had a string of interactions that sparked good vibes between me and my minute-

friend, which, I choose to believe, echoed like whale songs throughout the world.

I was checking out at Total Wine and More on Harrison Street. After calculating my purchases, the 20-something cashier told me I had a $5 credit; would I like to use it now or later?

“I’ll gladly take the credit today,” I said, in an animated voice.

“OMG, Wimpy! I love Wimpy!” she exclaimed.

“Who doesn’t,” I smiled, though I was surprised she was familiar with a character from Popeye the Sailor, a television show that stopped production when I was a toddler.

“What was his tagline? I used it with my mom the other day when I had to borrow money from her,” wondered the cashier, who shifted her voice to sound like Wimpy. “I’ll gladly pay you when I get my paycheck if you give me money today.”

“‘I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for

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Behavior Changed

Eighty-two Behavioral Health Center at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital residents, some longtimers, will have to move to enable the facility to be converted into a mental health rehabilitation site to treat people in crisis. Current occupants will be relocated outside the hospital, including to two Hayes Valley residences, by early next year. The City and County has acquired one of the two Hayes Valley sites; the Board of Supervisors will vote this summer on buying the other. The new center will consist completely of locked beds for patients who require roundthe-clock psychiatric care. According to the Department of Public Health, SF General is an excellent place to add 57 locked beds. The top floor of the threelevel building is already secure, and the structure was built as a locked facility. The department has received $21 million in state funding to renovate the BHC, thereby doubling the number of locked beds in the City; there are presently about 100 across several facilities.

Beer at Pier

Standard Deviant Brewing opened a manufacturing facility and taproom last month at Pier 70. The bar offers more than 20 brews, indoor and outdoor picnic tables, 30-foot-high ceilings, bare steel girders and floor-to-ceiling

windows overlooking the Bay. There’s an occasional onsite taco truck. The establishment is open Wednesday to Friday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., weekends noon to 9 p.m. The independent brewery joins more than a dozen makers, food purveyors and innovators at Building 12, including SVEN Ceramics, Prowl Studio, and Studio Duskus Breadbelly and The Plenary, Co. will open at the pier before the end of the year… A new arts and entertainment venue will also be making land at Pier 70 this winter. Elevation Sky Park, a “multi-sensory playground” of geodesic domes will immerse guests in 360-degree experiences for live concerts, art, movie screenings and events. “The arts are leading San Francisco’s comeback, and we continue to see why,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “Elevation Sky Park will transform Pier 70 into a one-of-a-kind destination for immersive art, music, and community connection. Projects like this help us reimagine what’s possible in our City while creating new opportunities for residents, artists, and local businesses alike.”

Repetitive History

“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” arrived at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco during the latest Middle Eastern war and unavoidably prompts comparisons between

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Enclosed is my check. Please send, along with this form, to: The Potrero View, 1459 18th St., #214, S.F., CA 94107 I am sending my payment via PayPal to office@potreroview.net.

PUBLISHER Steven J. Moss

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Catie Magee

MARKETING MANAGER Richard Romero

PRODUCTION MANAGER Helena Chiu

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Dobner, Thomas Hunter II, Peter Linenthal, Rebekah Moan, Steven J. Moss, Colby Riley, Jason Rosenbury, Mark Steensland, Dena R. Verkuil, Jessica Zimmer

Editor,

Letters to the Editor

Thank you, Paul McDonald for the best laugh I have had in ages. Paul’s Op-Ed about TV ads is right on, very clever and priceless. I’m sharing it with friends and family.

The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association | potrerodogpatch.com

We meet on the 2nd Tuesday every two months from 9:45 - 11:00 a.m. Next meeting - August 12 at the Goat Hill Pizza, 300 Connecticut Street. The neighborhood’s only business association recognized by the State and the City.

PUBLISHER'S VIEW from previous page

a hamburger today,” I warbled back. “Did Wimpy ever actually get the hamburger?”

“I think he did!”

We smiled at one another, and I went on my way.

New Orleans might be the center of casual conversations. Everyone seems ready with a quick quip, comforting words, or advice about the best place to get jambalaya. At Jazzfest this year Debbie and I ducked into a hospitality tent for refreshments and relief. Exiting the lux porta potty, I searched for my wife, who was standing outside the entrance, chatting with one of the door keepers, a Black woman about our age.

“I was looking for you,” said Debbie.

“I told her, if she can’t find you, she could take her pick!” cackled the woman. “Lots of attractive men in here!”

“Don’t be saying that,” I retorted, grinning. “I don’t need that kind of trouble.”

We laughed, and parted with waves, tiny bubbles of joy floating above us.

Driving back from a meeting in Atwater, dressed like Jim from The Office – blue button-down shirt; khakis – I stopped at an Arby’s for a late lunch. As I got out of my car, I recalled the Arby’s jokes made by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, most of them scatological. “Arby’s! Isn’t there anywhere else we can eat..?” was the cleanest. “What’d he have against Arby’s, anyways,” I wondered.

I stepped up to the self-service computer screen to order and was immediately befuddled by the possible combinations. I just wanted a simple roast beef sandwich, maybe some fries. Was that the “Classic Roast Beef Meal?”

Or maybe the “Double the Meats Meal?”

“I can help you at the counter if you prefer,” said the middle-aged casher. “What would you like?”

“Thank you,” I said. “That’s very kind. I’m looking for the basics: roast beef and fries.”

“No worries,” she said. “Curly fries okay?”

“That’d be fabulous,” I replied. “I appreciate the help.”

“Such a respectful gentleman,” she smiled. “It’ll be right up.”

I wondered whether her pleasant response was because of abuse or curt interactions she received from other customers. Or maybe she liked my “office attire.” Either way, it didn’t matter.

“Thank you, ma’am,” I smiled as I picked up my order. “Have a fine day.”

“You as well, sir,” she smiled back.

I’m confident that both of our days were indeed a bit finer.

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biblical history and the present moment. For instance, “Hamen’s Punishment,” mounted next to a Sistine Chapel image, explains, “During the reign of King Ahasuerus, Haman planned to…” kill “…all Jews in the Persian Empire.” Modern-day Iran was the core of the ancient Persian Empire. However one views the present conflict, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not been shy about his desire to destroy Israel…Even the non-religious might be entertained by searching for historical throughlines between Michelangelo’s masterpiece and current affairs.

Beautiful View

For more information: potreroview.net/advertise/

Thanks to supporters such as Philip De Andrade , co-owner of Goat Hill Pizza, and Keith Goldstein, Potrero Hill and Dogpatch Merchants Association president, the View’s finances have stabilized; the paper can enter its 56th year this August with some confidence. Still, more work needs to be done, including continuing to attract subscribers, expanding distribution in Mission Bay – challenging to penetrate, given the density of large, locked, multi-unit buildings – bolstering marketing efforts, and reinvigorating a board capable of carrying the monthly into the future. Check out the notices throughout the paper to see how you can help!

Dogpatch Business Association | dbasf.com

Dogpatch Business Association (DBA) promotes and supports Dogpatch businesses and arts organizations. Business owners, artists and community members are invited to get involved!

Join the DBA! (dbasf.com)

Explore Dogpatch through a curated wayfinding map of local businesses, available online at https://linktr.ee/exploredogpatch

Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA) | dogpatchna.org

We nurture civic participation & community building while fostering the unique character of Dogpatch. Our meetings are open to all, but membership is the lifeblood of the organization. You do not have to live within the Dogpatch boundaries to be a member or come to meetings, you just need to care about what happens in Dogpatch. Monthly Meetings are usually held the second Tuesday of every month - 7 p.m. @ The Dogpatch Hub.

Come to our July 15th monthly meeting (the 3rd Tuesday): we will have updates from Swimmable San Francisco Bay, Pier 70, and the Potrero Hill Archives Project/Bethlehem Shipyard Museum

JOIN DNA TODAY!

Friends of Jackson Park (FoJP) | friendsofjacksonpark.org

Summer’s Here—Let’s Party in the Park! Mark your calendars: the Play in Your Park Party is taking place on Saturday, September 6th! It’s going to be a day of fun, games, music, and community vibes at Jackson Park. Got big ideas? Love planning parties? Want to help bring the fun to life? Join our planning crew! Email us at info@friendsofjacksonpark.org — we’d love to have you.

Let’s build the park our neighborhood deserves. Donate today at www. friendsofjacksonpark.org

Green Benefit District | GreenBenefit.org

Greetings, Dogpatch and NW Potrero Hill! The SF Department of Elections has sent out the GBD’s renewal ballots to all property owners in the District. Please keep an eye out for your ballot, vote "Yes," fill out the Owner Affidavit on the back, and return your ballot before the July 22 deadline. Let the Department of Elections know that you want the GBD to continue building, enhancing, and maintaining the public green spaces in your neighborhoods! https://greenbenefit.org/renewal

Our Monthly Board Meeting is on Wednesday, July 16th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Dogpatch Hub (1278 Minnesota St.), where we discuss all the great things we are doing in the neighborhood.

Help make the Green Benefit District greener. Our next GBD volunteer event is at the Vermont Greenway & Eco-Patch on Saturday, July 19, at 10 am. Sign up for a GBD volunteer event at greenbenefit.org/volunteer or report an issue at greenbenefit.org/report-a-problem

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association | potreroboosters.org

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association informs, empowers and represents the residents of the Potrero on issues impacting our community in order to develop and maintain complete, vibrant neighborhoods. We’re continuing to meet via Zoom on the last Tuesday of each month. Go to www. potreroboosters.org to learn more about how to join us!

Starr King Open Space | StarrKingOpenSpace.org

Join our monthly volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month. This month it is July 12th at 10 a.m. Donate to help keep Starr King Open Space open, accessible, and well-maintained for our neighborhood.

For a $225 annual fee your organization can be listed in Getting Involved. Contact production@potreroview.net

Rose Marie Ostler Carolina Street

“Grizzly” Goings-On at Mission Creek Park

BY MARK STEENSLAND

In 2021, the San Francisco Arts Commission invited proposals to create pieces for the Mission Creek Park Extension Public Art Project. The idea was to suggest a focal sculpture, or series of smaller ones, to be installed near the entrance of Mission Creek Park, where Channel Street meets Mission Bay Drive. A $535,000 budget would cover artist’s fees, as well as design, fabrication, insurance, and transportation expenses. Another $150,000 was set aside for site work and art installation.

Rigo 23, who moved to San Francisco in 1985 from his native Portugal

and has a shared studio space near Holly Park, was selected from 135 submissions to create a two-part sculpture, “The California Grizzlies of Mission Creek,” featuring a thirteen-and-a-half-foot tall mother bear and her six-foot tall cub, standing on their hind legs facing Downtown. He chose the grizzly as his subject to spark conversations about the bear’s history; its inclusion on the state flag in 1911, its elimination caused by habitat reduction and hunting in the 1920s and becoming the official state animal in 1953. Grizzly bears once roamed throughout California, including the hills of San Francisco.

The original 2023 installation date

was delayed because of the scope of the park extension project and its relationship with the artwork.

“The size of the piece requires a foundation,” explained Rigo 23, “which then becomes part of the work for the general contractor, meaning the timeline of the art project is completely dependent on the timeline of the overall park construction.”

According to Coma Te, San Francisco Arts Commission Director of Communications, the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) has overall responsibility for Mission Bay South Redevelopment Plan implementation. That includes

creation of new bikeways and walking paths inside an additional 3.24 acres of recreational open space west of the Mission Creek Park Pavilion, as well as expansion and improvement of the community garden in Huffaker Park, all of which requires public review of possible designs, a procedure that’s contributed to a lengthening timeline.

The OCII hopes to begin the 13-month park construction process by late fall, following a six-month period it anticipates will be required for contractor bidding and onboarding after permits are secured. If all goes according to

MISSION CREEK PARK continues on page 14

Jennifer LaRocca Realtor

Islais Creek Bridge to be Replaced

BY REBEKAH MOAN

At 75 years old, the Islais Creek Bridge is overdue to be replaced. Located on Third Street between Cargo Way and Marin Street, the link connects the Dogpatch and Bayview neighborhoods. It was constructed in 1949 to enable trucks, pedestrians, bicycles, and freight trains to travel between San Francisco Port’s north and south terminals. The bridge is deteriorating and seismically vulnerable, according to San Francisco Public Works (SFPW), but still safe to drive across.

In 2004, the California Department of Transportation reported that the drawbridge structure was poor. SFPW hired an outside consultant who found the same. Because there’s no longer a maritime need for a drawbridge – it hasn’t opened for marine traffic in more than a decade – the steel bridge will be replaced with a fixed-span concrete conduit. It’s slated to have a 26-footwide dedicated light-rail transit lane,

four vehicle lanes, and two lanes for pedestrian/bicycle traffic.

“This infrastructure project will bring critical life-safety improvements to this key connector between the Bayview and neighborhoods to the north,” said SFPW spokesperson Rachel Gordon. “The proposed replacement bridge will meet current structural and seismic standards and be more resilient to future sea-level-rise impacts.”

The area surrounding Islais Creek is at risk of flooding from heavy rainfall, coastal storm surge, and wave hazards, which’ll be exacerbated by sea-level rise and mounting groundwater, according to a joint Caltrans and SFPW environmental report. The bottom of the current bridge’s access hatches is at an elevation of 7.93 feet North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88), below the anticipated 100-year storm surge of 9.86 feet NAVD88.

SFPW has completed preliminary

Brewery Still at Anchor

BY MATTHEW DOBNER

More than a year after Anchor Brewing’s purchase by Hamdi Ulukaya – originator of Chobani and behind expansion of La Colombe Coffee – the 495 De Haro Street facility remains silent. A recent visit to the brewery, tucked inside an Art Deco building that looms quietly over the street, went unrequited.

“The building manager says that we do not give interviews to the public,” said the security guard, in reply to the View’s query, essentially the response given by various public relations firms associated with Ulukaya.

According to Anne Yalon, San Francisco Planning Department public relations manager, Anchor Brewing can sell alcohol on its premises. An application for an Alcoholic Beverage license was requested and approved by the City and County of San Francisco in 2024 for “Potrero Hill SF Brewing LLC,” operating as “Anchor Brewing Company.” The

address is listed as 200 Lafayette Street, Seventh Floor, New York, NY, the location of Shepherd Ventures, a holding company associated with Ulukaya.

Before Ulukaya purchased Anchor, Mike Walsh inspected the brewery as part of a separate attempt to purchase it. Walsh noted that Anchor’s amenities were aged; “inefficient” compared to modern operations. While for long term use the facilities needed repair, “there is no reason [Anchor] couldn’t be making beer now,” Walsh said.

Since acquiring the plant Ulukaya removed a wastewater system that emitted a foul odor and installed modest signage on exterior gates.

“I have not heard anything directly after the initial announcement and meeting with the new owners,” said J.R. Eppler, Potrero Hill Boosters Association president. “I am still excited at the prospect of a revival, and hope that we hear of progress soon.”

Multiple Resources Available to Improve Literacy

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) wants at least 70 percent of third grade students to read at grade level by the beginning of the 2027 academic year. Three years ago, just 52 percent of third graders achieved grade level reading proficiency, in part because of housing insecurity, homelessness, and school closures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SFUSD measures student literacy through numerous tests, including the Star Assessments in reading, devised by Renaissance, a Wisconsin-based company, as well as Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy and mathematics.

In addition to core classes, there are a host of supplemental offerings to help students perfect their reading skills. These include instructional coaches,

writing workshops offered by nonprofits, and afterschool programs.

Last year, 826 Valencia worked with Starr King Elementary School students to advance writing skills. The nonprofit will continue its intervention at Sarr King during the upcoming academic year.

“In the 2024-2025 school year, our staff and volunteers came to Starr King Elementary School to hold 45-minute creative writing sessions in three third and fourth grade classes. We came every Monday morning,” said Misha Villatuya, 826 Valencia programs director. “Kids (wrote) everything from opinion pieces to informational research projects to scary stories told as narratives. We called the last ones ‘scarratives.’ When our organization came to a class, the regular teacher remained in the room. We also had a staff member for our

As we celebrate our nation’s independence from a king, let’s stay awake — and make sure it stays that way.

Need a little caffeine to stay sharp? Farley’s has you covered.

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: 7:00am - 6:00pm

United States flag, held upside down, at the No Kings march, June 14, 2025.

PHOTO: Colby Riley

ISLAIS CREEK BRIDGE continues on page 15

Debbie Findling and Doug Goldman at the No Kings March. PHOTO: Potrero View Staff

No Kings March, Market Street, San Francisco, June 14, 2025. PHOTO: Colby Riley

Center: Potrero Hill activists Kayren Hudiburgh, Sister Lucia, Carol Sundell, Rose Marie Ostler, and Maury Schwartz. PHOTO: Courtesy of Kayren Hudiburgh

Yard-long Potrero Photos

BY PETER LINENTHAL

‘Yard-long’ group panoramic photographs a Kodak Cirkut camera, which rotated on a so slow that one rising student appears twice of the group to the other as the camera lens sold well; everyone in the photo wanted a once central to people’s lives.

The American Can Company, launched in 1902 with consolidation of 60 tin concerns, was the world’s largest can producer in the early-1930s.

It’s brick building on Third Street, built in 1915 and covering a city block, is now the American Industrial Center, owned by the Markoulis family for 50 years and home to more than 250 small businesses. In this 1921 yard-long, hundreds of Can Company employees are assembled. An arrow points to George Egan, who married Mayme Ayoob and lived in one of Dogpatch’s oldest buildings at 18th and Tennessee streets above the Ayoob’s market. Their son Tommy became a professional boxer, as profiled in the March 2025 View article, “Tommy Egan.”

Union Iron Work’s band, in front of the Machine Shop on 20th Street, celebrates the launching of the S.S. Lyman Stewart on October 31, 1914. The ship, built for Union Oil and named after the company’s president, carried petroleum products along the Pacific Coast. Stewart’s daughter Dorothy May stands at center. Stewart’s voracious business practices were matched by an intense religious zeal. Under his leadership, Union Oil’s workforce grew from 300 in 1900 to 3,000 in 1915. When the ship named for him was launched, he placed a bible he inscribed on board. In 1922 the ship collided with a freighter passing through the Golden Gate and was abandoned. Its engine block is visible by Land’s End at low tides.

become popular in the early-1900s. The images were often taken with a tripod, making every face recognizable. The horizontal rotation was twice in this writer’s high school graduation photo; he ran from one end lens turned. Though their heyday has passed, in their time yard-longs copy. They’re a reminder that belonging to neighborhood groups was

Next to California Canneries’ huge wooden building on Minnesota and 18th streets, a site now occupied by University of California, San Francisco residences. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 made European markets accessible. Northern California emerged as a central node of the state’s fruit canning industry. Melba Bowman canned peaches at California Canneries and was amused that after work other streetcar riders thought she was drunk, mistaking the scent of peaches on her clothing for alcohol. California Canneries went bankrupt in 1932, becoming Calbear Canneries until 1937, the year owner Moritz Feibusch died on the German passenger airship Hindenberg when it exploded into flames.

 Lick Wilmerding Lux Day at the Panama Pacific International Exhibition in the Marina District, October 8, 1915, brought together alumni and students from two privately endowed schools with tuition-free curriculums combining academics and industrial arts. Lick Wilmerding’s goal was to create ‘the Educated Craftsman.’ The school began as the California School of Mechanical Arts in 1895 on the block bordered by Utah, San Bruno, 15th, and 16th streets; a fragment remains at 16th and Utah. It moved to Ocean Avenue in 1955. Lux School for Industrial Training – with the motto ‘To do common things uncommonly well’ – opened in 1912 in a handsome terracotta-clad building, still standing above the gasoline station at Potrero Avenue and 17th streets, and shared facilities with LW until 1939 before closing in 1952. Today, the Lux building houses Soka Gakkai International Buddhist Center.

THE VIEW'S HISTORY FEATURE IS SPONSORED BY:

COMMUNITY |JULY

Now through 8/1 Friday Film: 2025 Anti-Fascist Film Series

The Anti-Fascist Film Series showcases five inspiring movies about people power overthrowing Fascism and restoring Democracy. 8 to 10 p.m., Fridays (no event on July 4). Free. Artists’ Television Access, 992 Valencia Street. For more information: https:// www.atasite.org/

7/1 Tuesday and 8/12 Tuesday History: Tarot Through Time What do 18th-century French mystics and modern movements have in common? Explore the radical reimagining of tarot during the French Revolution, learning how revolutionaries, esoteric thinkers, and underground printers transformed the deck into a tool of change and cultural resistance. The gathering will feature: a guided walk-through of tarot’s mythic timeline; secret histories, iconic art, and forbidden knowledge; lush visuals, historical context, and community conversation. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 to $20, with limited free tickets available. Dogpatch Hub, 1278 Minnesota Street. For more information: http://bit. ly/44bFzX8

Film: Everybody’s Climate: Necessity

The San Francisco Public Library

launches July’s Everybody’s Climate film series with a screening of the two-part documentary Necessity As Native and non-Native activists respond to the growing climate emergency and are charged with trespassing, legal strategies in the climate movement increasingly take center stage. Part One features the Mississippi Headwaters, wild rice fields and Great Lakes. Part Two focuses on the rivers and mountains of the Columbia River Gorge. Awe-inspiring terrain become sites of coordinated resistance to the corporate promotion of oil. New alliances form around shared commitments to protect the environment. 12 to 2:30 p.m. Free. Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin Street. For more information: http://bit.ly/4nco4i3

Design: Eames Exhibition “Past as Prologue”

The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity presents Past as Prologue: The Last Decade of Furniture Design by Ray and Charles Eames (1968–1978), an exhibition spotlighting the seminal work Ray and Charles Eames created in the final decade of their collaboration. Open daily in the newly revitalized Transamerica Pyramid, it marks the Institute’s first public installation beyond the Eames Archives.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Free. Transamerica Redwood Park, Clay Street between Montgomery and Sansome streets. For more information: http://bit.ly/3HPFXD7

Games: Chess at Barebottle Brewery

An evening of chess and craft beer. All ages and levels welcome. Bring a chess set if you can. 5 to 8 p.m. Free (reservations required). Bare Bottle Brewery, 1525 Cortland Avenue. Calendar and mailing list at bernalchess.com. For more information: http://bit.ly/44i1vzR

Gardening: Grow Your Own Food

Take advantage of San Francisco’s unique gardening climate, where fruits and vegetables grow year-round. Learn about summer pests and diseases and plan a winter garden. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $25 to $53.49. Garden for the Environment, 1590 Seventh Avenue. For more information: http://bit.ly/45te6T0

Community: San Francisco Service Day

Celebrate civic engagement and community service. The day concludes

with an evening celebration on the iconic Maiden Lane in Union Square; an opportunity to connect with volunteers, nonprofit partners, and municipal leaders in recognition of collective impacts. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information about Service Day: https://sfserviceday.org/ Volunteer opportunities: http://bit.ly/4eb1D8F

7/12 Saturday and 7/13 Sunday Sports: Pickleball Tournament For players of all levels. Join for a day of matches and camaraderie. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Doubles-only: $170 per team. Registration closes Wednesday, July 9 at 11:59 p.m. Thrive City, 1 Warriors Way. For more information: http://bit. ly/4eb3Ocl

7/17 Thursday through 7/20 Sunday Dance: Summer Sampler at ODC ODC celebrates its roots and future with two world premiere works. ODC Fellow KT Nelson’s (Nothings Going to Make Sense) performance helped define and inspire ODC/Dance for decades. Mia J. Chong’s (Theories of Time) coast to coast artistic journey began at age five at ODC. Plus, word by guest choreographer, Catherine Galasso (10,000 Steps: A Dance About Its Own Making). $30 to $100. ODC’s B.

CALENDAR continues on next page

St Teresa of Avila

building.

CALENDAR from previous page

Way Theater, 3153 17th Street. For more information: http://bit.ly/43WfwUQ

Art: “Cityscapes in Gouache” Workshop

This intermediate class will focus on simplifying subject matter and learning to work with gouache, whether watercolor or oil. Instructor Nathaniel Bice will teach his approach to gouache painting on panel: subject choice, composition, thumbnailing, value, atmospheric perspective, and color mixing. Using photo references provided, students will create compositions with thumbnail sketches, move to blocking in the painting, and a final pass of thick gouache paint. An instructional packet will be offered for students to take home. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. $188.58. ARCH Art Supplies, 1490 17th Street. For more information: https:// tinyurl.com/ytz3r7w8

Education: The Potrero Hill STEAM Festival

Fun and experiential STEAM activities; science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Explore interactive exhibits, participate in hands-on activities, and engage with STEAM experts. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. For more information: http://bit.ly/4kOL0Cf

sun

Craft: Papercut Cityscape Workshop

Create a 3D pop-up architectural scene with a few simple cuts and folds. Using paper, collage materials, stamping, and ink, students will discover how to

build a fold-out cityscape. Learn to add elements such as doors, windows, stairs, ladders, and bridges using paper engineering techniques. Details can be added using stamps and ink. A final piece will be able to go from a closed flat form to a theatrical dimensional tableau. 12 to 5 p.m. $115, all materials provided. No previous experience necessary. San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street. For more information: http://bit. ly/44heW37

Health: Community Calisthenics

Calisthenics is strength training accessible to any age and fitness level. No special equipment required for this self-guided workout with a suggested program. Cultivate muscular endurance, strength, mobility and joint stability by doing planks, hanging, rows, pull ups, push up, rows, squats, leg extensions. 9 to 10 a.m. Fee is donation based. Progress Park, Indiana Street, between 24th and 25th streets. For more information: https://tinyurl. com/y2ks9thk

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Health: Mom and Teen Daughter Yoga and Sound Bath

An evening of yoga, sound healing, and bonding for moms and their teenage daughters. Unwind and de-stress with a gentle yoga session suitable for all levels, followed by a soothing sound bath to rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit. 6 to 7 p.m. Donation requested. For ages 13 and up. Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. For more information: http://bit. ly/3SYxOyy

Crosswords

BY DENA WITKES

R. VERKUIL

Staff prepares for a graduation ceremony at Live Oak School last month.

PHOTO: Thomas Hunter II

what the district would fund itself. One thing to understand about PTAs is that they fundraise all the money for the coming school year in the year before. The SFUSD underwent so much back and forth. This made it hard to figure out how much the Daniel Webster PTA would need and what we’d spend the money on,” said J.R. Eppler, Daniel Webster PTA member.

The Daniel Webster PTA typically raises more than $250,000 each school year, paying for basic supplies, lunch yard monitors, and a full-time school librarian and social emotional coach to staff the school’s wellness center. Monies may also support the school’s afterschool program, instructional assistance for kindergarten and first grade classes, maintenance of an on-site parking lot converted to an outdoor education and lunch space, and The Mosaic Project program, which offers a week-long overnight camping trip for fifth graders.

According to SFUSD, many of these items can be funded in accordance with its supplemental hiring guide, which applies to personnel and doesn’t limit PTA support for materials or activities. A PTA can hire United Educators of San Francisco classified positions, like an instructional aide, family liaison, student or elementary advisor. Librarian spots are “conditional.” How a school classifies a position matters.

“If the position is classified as a civil service health worker, then it is allowed.

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to find more than a dozen museums, including one dedicated to the work of Salvador Dali. He thought St. Petersburg would be a good place for Beyond the Flesh.

“But as fate would have it,” Bogdanov said, “we got hit with a double hurricane.”

In 2024, Helene and Milton made landfall 13 days apart. Bogdanov lost almost everything in the ensuing floods, including hundreds of drawings and all his family photographs. Without those physical memories, he felt drawn back to San Francisco.

“Potrero Hill is our home,” he said. “I proposed to my wife at McKinley Square and we got married here. I may not have the photos anymore, but I can walk to where the memories are.”

Bogdanov opened Legend Ink at 10 Arkansas Street and began planning for Beyond the Flesh in earnest.

The branches offer regularly scheduled toddler, baby, and family story times, their most popular programs, throughout the year. Parents and kids are often turned away due to limited room capacity. According to Bradshaw, Potrero’s maximum occupancy is 30 people; De Brauwere said that at Mission Bay it’s 54, with 80 individuals sometimes lining up in the morning before the branch is open. Mission Bay also offers family story time at Spark Social, with unlimited capacity, on the third Monday morning of each month.

Mission Bay is SFPL’s most visited branch – besides the main library – and issues the most library cards each month. Visitation often swells during Giants and Warriors games.

MISSION CREEK PARK from page 4

If it is a social worker or counselor position that is currently funded through site funds, then it is conditional. If they are a certificated interventional position, then it is on-hold,” said SFUSD.

Daniel Webster PTA contributes roughly $19,500 a year to help support a clinical intervention specialist to provide therapeutic, case management and consultation services for children and families on-site, provided by Seneca Family of Services, an Oakland-based nonprofit. Without these funds the program would be solely reliant on Medi-Cal funding, which doesn’t fully cover costs. PTA support enables a Seneca clinician to meet with students who aren’t on Medi-Cal and offer drop-in counseling hours during lunch. The school is allowed to continue paying for the Seneca clinician as non-SFUSD staff for school year 2025-2026.

“Since Seneca is a nonprofit organization….and this is a partnership we have with them…we are allowed to fund this position just like our afterschool program or any other contracted community benefit organization. So as far as the district is concerned, this is a role that can be funded by the PTA,” said Parameswaran.

Daniel Webster PTA funding enables a full-time librarian to collaborate with teachers and support students with literacy and research projects. They also have time to teach students computer coding as well as digital agency; how to use technology responsibly, respectfully, and safely.

SFUSD suspended Daniel Webster’s ability to draw down a $350,000 Community Schools Readiness Award Grant from DCYF’s Student Success Fund program. The money – which the school began spending in 2024-2025 – was supposed to pay for reading intervention specialists. Use of the grant doesn’t meet the discretionary rules. Daniel Webster can’t access the funds unless the 92 percent and high potential + requirements have been met.

“No longer permitting these funds to be used for credentialed staff is a change in grant terms midstream,” wrote McGarrigle in a comment sent to the San Francisco Board of Education and San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

taking on a partner and apprentices. More moves followed: north to Portland, Oregon, south to Pacifica, west to Kauai. Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a population one-third the size of San Francisco, Bogdanov was surprised

The first works—three tattoos from a single donor—have already been secured. Other people have committed to the process, but he understands the challenges.

“How do you build a museum of world-class tattooing that exists on people who are alive and well? By getting the word out to as many people as possible so they can sign up for it.”

His hope is to acquire between three and four-dozen more pieces to exhibit along with other items related to the history and artistry of tattooing. While the location is still being determined, Bogdanov hopes to open Beyond the Flesh’s doors by the end of next year.

and Thursday evenings, featuring Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Miracle Worker in July. In August, the Potrero Branch will show Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, The Secret of Roan Inish, and The Black Stallion

Mission Bay shows one film a month in the afternoons. It’ll conclude its science fiction film series with Back to The Future on July 5 and begin a horror film series with Lost Boys on August 30.

Both branches offer an eclectic set of programs for adults, children and families. On July 9 Potrero will feature Pollinators in Your Neighborhood, in which children and their families can “explore the area surrounding the library with a Planet Bee scientist, documenting observations of plants, birds, insects, and all living things.” Other Potrero Branch programs include Crafting Greeting Cards and Crochet Circle. Watermelon Basket will be held on July 20, offering adults and families an opportunity to “carve a watermelon basket, filling it with an assortment of fresh fruit to create a stunning fruit salad display.”

Self Defense for the People, for adults, will be held on August 7; Octo-Play and Giant Jenga for children and families will be on August 13.

Mission Bay Branch programs for families include a Sock Puppet Party on July 6 and Upside Down Yoga Kids on August 16. On July 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mission Bay will host its annual Open House, with henna craft, story time, cookies from Gus’s Community Market, and live music by the Dave Rocha Jazz Trio. There’ll be activities on the patio, only open for special events, which features views of Mission Creek. The Giants have a home game at 1 p.m. that day against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It’s going to be a busy day for us,” said De Brauwere, who expected 200 to 300 visitors.

present plans, “The California Grizzlies of Mission Creek” will be installed in early 2027.

“It’s a bit like sailing with adverse winds but I’m also constantly reminded that having a bit more time can be a bonanza,” Rigo 23 said, adding that the artwork is being fabricated at four different locations across the state, including a bronze foundry in Oxnard, which he recently visited to view castings.

Rigo 23 has used the delay to develop contacts with Native American groups that’re particularly in tune with the bear and it’s meaning to native cultures. Tribal insights will contribute to what Rigo 23 called the artwork’s “nonmaterial side,” which’ll consist of audio files that people can access through a QR code, enabling them to hear a variety of indigenous people talking about the bears in their native languages.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity of doing this,” he said. “And I understand that some people are frustrated it hasn’t happened yet. But enlarging the footprint of park spaces in urban settings is always a positive, even if it takes longer than you expect.”

LITERACY from page 6

organization in the room, as well as one or more 826 Valencia staff members or volunteers. At times, there were over 10 adults in a room with 30 students. This helped students get really individualized attention and the positive feedback they needed to succeed at reading and writing projects.”

During visits, Villatuya observed students struggle with basic reading abilities, such as sounding out words and understanding compound sentences.

“The individual support with a trained staff member or volunteer is what helped move the needle the most. The end of third grade is a critical point,” said Villatuya.

San Francisco Public Library’s free reading intervention program also offers support for struggling first to fourth grade readers. Orton-Gillingham (FOG) Readers consists of one-on-one tutoring in which trained volunteers aged 15 or older help younger students “catch up” on decoding, focusing on letters and sounds.

The library launched FOG Readers in 2018 and now has 175 “work-pairs” of tutors and students, evenly distributed by grade level, meeting at libraries – including the Potrero branch – and online. Tutors provide reports, documenting student achievement on FOG Readers benchmarks, like spelling accuracy, every three months.

TATTOO from front page

PTA from front page

LIBRARY from front page

A police officer pulls over a bicyclist on Illinois St for running two red lights.

PHOTO: Thomas Hunter II

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from page 6 disruption to the community,” Walton said in a statement.

design work for the project and is in the environmental review process, which it hopes to have completed by the end of the year. A transportation analysis and transit and traffic detour plans are being developed. SFPW wants to minimize disruptions to the public during construction. Cars, buses, and pedestrians will likely be detoured around Third Street to surrounding routes. According to municipal officials, the T-line light rail will be replaced by a comparable shuttle bus service.

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton said his office will work to mitigate negative impacts and ensure appropriate community input.

“There will be no ideal scenario, but my hope is that all transportation strategies are effective and cause minimal

Once conceptual plans are finalized SFPW will begin designing the bridge, focusing on the details, which’ll take about a year to complete. The project could go out to bid in late 2026; construction may start in early 2027, with a two-year building duration. Proceeding, however, is contingent on identifying and securing the funding needed to complete the $60 million bridge replacement project.

“We’ve already received $6.4 million from the federal government for preliminary engineering and for work to achieve environmental clearance,” Gordon said.

The rest of the funds still need to be secured, potentially from the federal and state governments.

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