Rash of Burglaries Besiege Dogpatch, Potrero Hill
REPORTING AND PHOTOS
BY THOMAS HUNTER II
Over the last couple of months several break-ins occurred at Dogpatch and Potrero Hill businesses. On November 7, around 2 a.m., burglars slammed a stolen car into the front gate of Reno’s Liquor Store on 22nd Street. Once inside it took the thieves minutes to grab cash and cigarettes. Constables arrived and chased the pinched vehicle on U.S. 101; the driver jumped off the side of the freeway, sustaining serious injuries.
Reno’s has been open for 35 years, during which Dogpatch transformed from being dominated by largely derelict factories and warehouses into a trendy neighborhood. According to a store employee, this was the first time the business had been burglarized.
Around Thanksgiving, CoffeeShop on 22nd, Gilberth’s Latin Fusion, Gather Wine Lounge, and Humphry Slocombe, all on Third Street, were burglarized. Gilberth’s suffered the worst damage. An exterior lockbox was broken into, the
BURGLARIES continues on page 10
Starr King Open Space Struggles to Raise Money for Maintenance
BY REBEKAH MOAN
Starr King Open Space (SKOS), 3.5-acres located along Carolina Street south of 23rd, extending to De Haro Street at 24th, has been maintained by an elected board of directors and neighborhood volunteers since 1984. The Open Space doesn’t receive public funds, instead raising an average $6,000 a year through grants and donations.
“Last year, donations barely covered our operating expenses,” said SKOS treasurer Debie Abella. “Operating expenses are real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance supplies, and other recurring expenses and do not include extraordinary expenses such as cutting eucalyptus trees or sidewalk repairs.”
“With the storms we received this past winter, we needed to have one eucalyptus tree removed because it was dangerous,” said SKOS secretary James Hetherington.
A eucalyptus split and fell during the winter 2023/2024 storms, landing just 20 feet from cars parked on the street. There used to be seven eucalyptus trees at the top of SKOS, dubbed “The Seven Sisters.” The five remaining ones are reaching the end of their lives, according to SKOS board member Greg John.
“The trees are not looking great,” he said. “The trunks are splitting, which is very normal, but these are very old, very tired eucalyptus trees. I admire them because they’ve been beaten by the winds, by everything that’s come through there, but eventually, we’re going to have to take some measure to remove them probably for safety.”
Cutting the eucalyptuses is estimated to cost more than $4,000, funds that need to be raised. The SKOS board would like to replace them with oaks and Monterey cypresses, with residents planting and naming the new trees.
“The neighborhood would get to see this space as something that’s reflective of their lives, it’s their place,” John said. “It’s the whole City’s place for sure, but the neighborhood is the one that owns it and does the planting.”
On the second Saturday of the month, volunteers establish new flora native to the serpentine habitat and remove invasive species, such as blackberry, vine, clover, and thistle. Native purple spot gilia is thriving. Tufts of native grass are emerging, as well as yellow mariposa lily, which has just two remaining populations in San Francisco, according
San Franciscans Like to Read, A Lot
BY REBEKAH MOAN
San Franciscans are readers. Fiftyfive percent of residents have a library card, compared with a 29 percent average nationwide, according to the San Francisco Public Library Commission. And cardholders are checking out more items than ever before. At a Commission meeting last summer it was revealed that library patrons borrowed 14 million items in fiscal year 2024, 46 percent of which were electronic materials. In 2019, 11 million items were checked out.
“We are not a sleepy library,” said Potrero Branch Manager Rachel Bradshaw. “We don’t need a revitalization. Most Potrero patrons use the library as a Hubspot for holds.”
The Potrero Branch doesn’t have a lot of shelf space. Patrons often request a book that another branch carries, or for which there’s a waiting list of borrowers, to be picked up locally.
The library system is encouraging people to stop by their branch even if their requests are unavailable through its “Lucky Day” strategy, which prompted an almost 18 percent increase in library visitations citywide last year.
The Lucky Day collection, available at every San Francisco library, consists of highly popular books. If a volume is on the Lucky Day shelf it can be borrowed immediately even if there are multiple
holds on it. The books can be checked out for 21 days; renewals aren’t allowed. Lucky Day titles don’t appear in the catalog.
“SFPL wants people to visit the library so we can meet our mission statement: connect our diverse communities to learning, opportunities, and each other,” Bradshaw said. “We can’t do that without patrons choosing to visit the library.”
Apart from the Lucky Day collection at the Potrero Branch, the most-read book for adults in the last quarter of 2024 was The Women by Kristin Hannah.
“That book moves a lot,” Bradshaw said. “That one didn’t surprise me because books suggested on Reese Witherspoon’s book club list or in the BookTok world, we see it moving here.”
A volume whose popularity did surprise her is the one most circulated for teens: Every Day by David Levithan.
“It was published in 2012 and turned into a movie in 2018,” she said. “It wasn’t recently acquired by a streaming service and I couldn’t pinpoint why it’s moving all of a sudden.”
For children, the most checked-out book was Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey. The graphic novel is the ninth in Pilkey’s series. Although it’s geared toward first- and second
Last month Reno’s front entrance was covered with wood.
PHOTO: Thomas Hunter II
FREE
Serving the Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Mission Bay and SOMA Neighborhoods Since 1970
JANUARY 2025
PUBLISHER’S VIEW
The Potrero View
BY STEVEN J. MOSS
“Mobile Drug Clinic for Hill Rejected,” “Assault Wave Hits Elders,” “Community Tree Planting Gets Underway.” These headlines, published in The Potrero View’s August 1970 inaugural issue, aren’t so different from what might be presented in the paper today. And while the media – newspapers in particular – has changed mightily in the 54 years since, the characteristics of community-based journalism have remained largely the same. Few other outlets cover neighborhood news and goings-on and doing so doesn’t pay well. Or at all.
San Franciscans have solid access to local and regional news, especially compared to the rest of the country. For $90 a year, the digital-only San Francisco Standard offers often wellwritten coverage of local politics, governance, and the economy, as well as the entertainment, restaurant and bar scenes, top of mind for most residents. The San Francisco Examiner provides somewhat least robust news reporting for free. The San Francisco Chronicle is available for those who care to pay $200 a year for an annual digital subscription; much more for print.
Yet, while 10 years ago there were
upwards of 20 neighborhood newspapers in the City, now there are fewer than half that number. One of them, the digital-only Mission Local, aspires to be more akin to a metropolitan paper, essential a competitor, or complement, to the Standard. Another two, El Tecolote and Bay View, cater to specific demographics; communities to be sure, but mostly neighborhood news adjacent.
The View is almost entirely reliant on print advertising and low paid writers for its continuing survival. Despite its readers’ palpable love for the newspaper – “better than the Chronicle !” yelped one long-time reader, at an event in Dogpatch at which the paper distributed logoed slime to kids – there’s almost no chance that it will ever thrive. There’s no money in local journalism, unless a well-heeled philanthropist takes an interest, or somehow readers are “monetized” beyond low-paid subscriptions and modest donations. The business model is poorly paid quasi-volunteers who, against all odds and contrary to the present zeitgeist, believe that local news – that isn’t delivered haphazardly and in untrustworthy ways via social media – is essential to democracy, community,
SHORT CUTS
BioLabs
The Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA) and Potrero Boosters withdrew their Board of Appeals claim that the San Francisco Planning Commission “abused its discretion in determining the [BioLabs] project was not a life science laboratory.” The 700 Indiana Street project would consist of laboratory, office, conference, and community rental space for biotechnology startups, which caused consternation among neighborhood groups. According to DNA President Donovan Lacy , withdrawing the appeal is part of larger negotiations with MBC BioLabs. “The Boosters and
and cohesiveness. Plus, are nosey about other people’s situations.
In this sense local news may be more akin to a religion than a business, passing the hat to collect enough nickels and dimes to put out that next issue. What it lacks is organization. The View might benefit from becoming a part of a national news network, supported by a community congregation – readers – but subsidized by a larger entity dedicated to the church of accurate, entertaining, enlightening, and occasionally useful articles. Journalism students could be taught the necessary liturgy – who, what, where, why and how – learn both sides of the confession booth and swear to a life dedicated to honest attempts at adult education. Plus, near-poverty, or finding a partner or side-gig to supplement their meager writing wages.
America, however defined in the
DNA are still actively working on the project and the process is still moving forward,” he said. “We’re continuing to progress and we expect to have resolution early this year.”
Knox
Unable to renew its lease, Hard Knox Cafe closed its 2526 Third Street location last month. The restaurant’s Clement Street outlet remains open. Chef-owner Tony Hua started Hard Knox Cafe in 1999, expanding to the Richmond District nine years later. The eatery is known for Southern food like fried chicken with waffles, fresh corn muffins and macaroni and cheese.
present period, needs well-trained eyes and ears on the ground to report meaningful stories, or to give stories meaning. Social media has shown its fangs. Artificial intelligence is the opposite of the answer. The remedy to alienation and despair caused by a daily onslaught of doom, danger, and divisiveness is a drawing by a neighborhood kid, printed in a neighborhood newspaper, for which the child receives a $20 check from the View as the winner of the youth creative contest in which every contestant wins. News goes down better with community. And coffee, brewed by a local loyal advertiser, Farley’s.
Donations are always welcome, made through www.potreroview.net, or, to be tax deductible, posted to SF Community Power, 296 Liberty Street, San Francisco, 94114.
PUBLISHER Steven J. Moss
ACCOUNTING MANAGER Catie Magee
MARKETING MANAGER Richard Romero
PRODUCTION MANAGER Helena Chiu
THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS Thomas Hunter II, Alex Mangot, Rebekah Moan, Rich Moore, Steven J. Moss, Danny Pham, Mark Steensland, Dena R. Verkuil, Jessica Zimmer
New San Francisco School Members Join Board
BY JESSICA ZIMMER
This month newly elected school board members Jaime Huling, Parag Gupta, and Supryia Ray will take their seats on the San Francisco Unified School District School Board, alongside incumbent Matt Alexander. The quintet secured 17 percent, 14 percent, 13 percent, and 12 percent of last November’s votes respectively, with Alexander edging out John Jersin by less than 300 votes.
Voter turnout for the November 2024 election reached 79 percent, significantly higher than the 62 percent November 2022 participation, but less than the 86 percent achieved in the November 2020 election. Voter turnout in Dogpatch, Mission Creek, and Potrero Hill was generally higher than in the rest of the City, reaching 88 percent in some precincts. Overall voter turnout in the state was 71 percent.
Ray said her constituents want public schools to deliver better academic results.
“We need to implement sound, evidence-based policy, stick to our budget, and be a reliable and wellfunctioning workplace for teachers and staff,” said Ray.
She added that considerable work needed to be done to prevent a state takeover, reduce absenteeism, increase enrollment, and improve outcomes.
“We can meet these challenges. A major concern is that we must deal with both a significant budget crunch and staffing shortages. We’ve had trouble finding enough qualified teachers for a long time. That will get more difficult in the coming year,” said Ray. “We can also innovate in special education.
One idea is hiring administrative staff to help special education teachers complete the enormous amount of paperwork and scheduling they have to do. That takes away from them teaching kids in the classroom.”.
Southside neighborhoods strongly supported Huling, with upwards of 70 percent of voters in Potrero Hill and Dogpatch precincts choosing him. Up to 60 percent of voters in Mission Bay precincts backed Gupta.
Gupta, Huling, and Ray were endorsed by the Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club. United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), SFUSD’s teacher union, backed Alexander, Gupta, and Huling. Alexander, Huling, and Ray were endorsed by the Potrero
Hill Democratic Club (PHDC). Ray was also recommended by SF Guardians, a group founded in 2021 that successfully recalled school board members.
Joni Eisen, PHDC vice president, said the club was gratified that the school board candidates it endorsed were all elected. She described Alexander as “one of only two progressives in a field dominated by well-funded moderates. The seven-member board will include four who are new; one appointed and three elected. In dealing with the multitude of serious issues facing SFUSD, experience can be a valuable complement to fresh perspectives.”
Ray’s “…on the front lines and is a candidate with integrity. We didn’t endorse any other candidate except
Laurance Lee. It is disappointing to see Alexander (squeezed) his way back in. Hopefully this time around he’ll do a better job,” said Siva Raj, SF Guardians co-founder. “There is no easy way to shut schools but it’s necessary. How equitable is it to send kids to underfunded, under-enrolled schools? Every student should be going to a school that’s fully resourced and fully staffed.”
After the election SF Guardians ceased operating.
“We came together to recall certain Board members, and then continued on to do a few other things. But now our work has ended,” said Raj.
“While we didn’t endorse Ray, we’re SFUSD continues on page 8 It’s
a new year, let’s enjoy the best things in life, together, in community at Farley’s.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: 7:00am - 6:00pm
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!
Dogpatch Business Association | dbasf.com
Dogpatch Business Association (DBA) promotes and supports Dogpatch businesses. Business owners and community members are invited to get involved!
• Join the DBA! (dbasf.com)
• S ign up for our newsletter to find out about member meetings, opportunities, and local news
• F ollow us on Instagram @destinationdogpatch to learn more about Dogpatch businesses, events, and activities
• E xplore Dogpatch through a curated wayfinding map of local businesses, available online at https://linktr.ee/exploredogpatch
The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association | potrerodogpatch.com
The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association promotes and advocates for independent, locally owned businesses while actively supporting our neighborhood and our wonderful communities.
PREFund | prefund.org
PREFund brings neighbors together to support education and build community. Learn more and get connected at prefund.org
Starr King Open Space | StarrKingOpenSpace.org
Join our monthly volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month. This month it is January 11th at 10 a.m. Donate to help keep Starr King Open Space open, accessible, and well-maintained for our neighborhood.
Dogpatch Residents Make New Year’s Resolutions
Nabil wants to decorate his Dogpatch home in the New Year.
Chiscin wants to travel more, while Ryan hopes to focus on doing the things he likes and developing a better work-life balance.
Zach a Dogpatch resident, New Year’s resolution is to improve his fitness and diet.
PHOTOS: ALEX MANGOT
COMMUNITY |JANUARY
Now through 3/6 Thursday (select dates)
History: Alcatraz Buy One Get One Free Tickets
Alcatraz City Cruises is offering a buy one, get one free ticket promotion available only to state residents on select 2025 dates. Tour includes roundtrip ferry ride to Alcatraz Island; the award-winning cellhouse tour audio presentation; daily optional programs and exhibits; admission to a new permanent exhibit “The Big Lockup: Mass Incarceration in the United States.” For more information: https:// bit.ly/3ZySKyT
Now through 4/20 Sunday Design: “RugLife”
Rugs and carpets have defined the character of spaces since animal skins began to warm and adorn cave dwellings. The earliest known Persian rugs are nearly 2,500 years old. RugLife features the work of 14 contemporary creators from around the world who use carpet as a medium to address cultural issues such as religion, technology, social justice, housing, and the environment.
Admission: $8 to $10; free for children under 12. Museum of Craft and Design, 2569 Third Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/3VD7jAq
1 wed
Botany: San Francisco Botanical Gardens Free Admission Day
The San Francisco Botanical Garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of landscaped grounds and open spaces, showcasing more than 9,000 plants from around the world. Access is free for San Franciscans; visitors can enjoy this treasure at no cost on the second Tuesday of every month; it’s without charge on Thanksgiving, Christmas
Day, and New Year’s Day for everyone. San Francisco Botanical Garden, 1199 Ninth Avenue. For more information: https://bit.ly/3ZSRNTD
Environment: Dogpatch
Beautification Day
Join Refuse Refuse San Francisco, Shine On, San Francisco Public Works, and TogetherSF for a neighborhood cleanup. Stay afterwards for a free lunch sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco. 12 to 1:30 p.m. Meet at Progress Park, 1300 Indiana Street. For more information and to reserve your spot: https://bit. ly/3WkHYt8
Art: Renaissance Tapestries
Art and War in the Renaissance: The Battle of Pavia Tapestries features seven woven artworks that depict, in exquisite detail, the Battle of Pavia, a turning point in the European pecking order. The tapestries offer insights into a time in which history and propaganda were messaged through thread, color, and composition. In the present period of war in Europe and the Middle East, the pieces offer a compelling reminder of the cycle of violence that has relentlessly beset the world. de Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park. For more information: https://bit.ly/4iNHpE1
15 wed 12 sun
Education: “The Wizard of Oz and the 1896 Presidential Election”
Frank Baum’s 1898 classic The Wizard of Oz is an allegory about the 1896 Presidential election, which pitted William McKinley against William Jennings Bryan. This class will shatter
your childhood love for Oz, as the tin man, scarecrow, lion, wizard and even the flying monkeys are identified as real characters from that election. History teacher Terry McAteer will highlight one of the most consequential elections in American history. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $29. Presented online, via Zoom, by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Non-members welcome; student registration with OLLI is required. For more information about the course: https://bit.ly/3VCpjLn
18 sat
Food: Lumpia Fest
Find exclusive merch, photo ops with your favorite characters, live karaoke, and plenty of lumpia! The first 500 attendees get a free Lumpia Fest tote; the initial 150 are gifted a Lumpia Fest T-shirt plus goodie bag; simply show your Eventbrite ticket. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry from $5.58. Cow Palace Arena & Event Center, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City. For more information: https://bit.ly/4fki0ia
1/25 Saturday & 1/26 Sunday
Lunar New Year: Flower Market Fair
The Flower Market Fair is held on the weekend before Chinese New Year Day. Purchase fresh flowers, fruits, candies and supplies for the home to begin the new lunar year.
Performances by traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, folk dancers, and opera singers. More than 120 booths and concessions. Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chinatown, Washington and Grant streets. For more information: https:// bit.ly/3OSJjW5
26 sun
Music: San Francisco Civic Symphony Free Concert
In 1931, Mrs. Sigmund Stern created the San Francisco Civic Symphony, with the support of Dr. Josephine Randall, San Francisco Recreation Department’s first director. The symphony is the West Coast’s oldest community orchestra. Since 2002, it's been all-volunteer. The program will include works by Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. 3 to 5 p.m. Free. Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Avenue. For more information: https:// bit.ly/48cVO81
1/29 Wednesday through 3/5 Wednesday
Craft: Introduction to Clay Workshop
This six-week course introduces ceramics to students interested in throwing on the wheel, trimming work, surface design techniques, glazing, and hand-building which can be incorporated into wheelwork or explored independently. The class is designed for beginners with little to no ceramics experience looking to gain an overview of the art form. Participants are provided with up to 25 pounds of clay; unlimited studio access during open hours; free firing and glazes. 6 to 8:30 p.m. $370. Clayroom Potrero, 1431 17th Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/4gQiNZF
hospital, 18th St, or bike the flats. Standard commercial leasing terms offered: email maripos59-leasing@yahoo.com for info.
3 menus at Besharam
Chaiwali on Thursday and Friday 11.00am to 4.00pm
Brunch on Saturdays 11.00am to 1.45pm
Dinner Wednesday to
@besharamsf.com / www.besharamsf.com
The View accepts legal notices. Please contact: production@potreroview.net; 415.643.9578.
Write Your Own Obituary
We're all going to die; why leave the writing of your obit to someone else? Whether you believe the end is imminent or just something you contemplate idly whilst taking a shower, you can control your own destiny, or at least how it's reported. Or, after examining your life story and finding it lacking, add to it! Up to six people in three two-hour sessions, $150. Interested parties should contact editor@potreroview.net Freelance Writers Wanted Modest pay, interesting assignments. Contact: editor@potreroview.net
Got something to sell? Have a service to provide? Each classified ad is $25 for up to 200 characters. www. potreroview.net/advertise
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to SKOS Board President Sarah Burton.
“We’re proud to have one of them,” she said. “And having the lily connects us to other parts of the county and state. It ties a part of the environment together.”
“Starr King’s health and vibrance is a direct result of residents’ input, their direct participation,” John said. “Absent the kindness of strangers, we’re looking at a wild patch of land that collects trash and broken glass. It’s because of volunteers that the Open Space is so wonderful.”
John has long been an Open Space fan. He served as Starr King Elementary’s principal from 2010 to 2013 and visited it on particularly bad days.
“Just being in the high grass there, being under the eucalyptus trees, it had a healing impact on my soul,” he said. “And you see everywhere from there. It’s just a stunning spot.”
“My wife and I are on our third rescue dog, a pit mix, and the Open Space is a great spot to take those dogs for a little exercise,” said Hetherington, a Potrero Hill resident since 1995. “With all the great views, that’s what got me interested in the Open
Space but once I got onto the board and started learning more about the flora and fauna that’s there, it’s incredible all the life that carved a place for itself at the Open Space.”
Lately, birders are frequenting SKOS to catch sight of a sage thrasher, not typically found in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s more commonly at home in deserts, arid areas, shrublands, savannas, and thickets. In winter, the sage thrasher may be spotted on the shores of Baja California, but is rarely since so close to Northern California’s coast.
“Whatever we accomplish on behalf of the residents of the Hill and on behalf of the entire City happens because of donations from residents and volunteers from the community,” Hetherington said. “Come join us.”
For more information on Starr King and to volunteer, visit https:// starrkingopenspace.org/
LIBRARIES from front page
graders, it also appeals to fifth- and sixth-graders, according to Bradshaw.
“Something about the tropes and formatting does really well for elementary-school kids, especially reluctant readers,” Bradshaw said. “This is incredibly important because it allows them to read something with confidence and have a positive association with books.”
The San Francisco Public Library system doesn’t track e- or audiobooks by branches. The top ebooks for the year for adults citywide were Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Poverty,
by America by Matthew Desmond. For teens, it was A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. For children, Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey.
willing to collaborate with anyone who is willing to fight for schools our students deserve. We look forward to building a partnership with her,” said Cris Garza, director of the Committee on Political Education (COPE) for UESF.
“We need to keep our eyes on the prize
of achieving thriving and joyful school communities that support students and educators to succeed. Whether a school board member is brand new or a veteran, what matters most is implementing effective policies and interventions to achieve ambitious goals. It’s about staying focused on our students and strengthening our public schools. That’s true for everyone from the school board to the Mayor to the President of the United States. We plan to continue holding our elected leadership accountable at all levels because our students are counting on us.”
Celebrate Your Loved Ones
Your community wants to know about and celebrate the life of loved ones who've passed on, as well as other lifecycle events. Consider placing notices in the View, at half the price of regular advertising rates. We can also write what needs to be said for a modest fee.
STARR KING OPEN SPACE from front page
SFUSD from page 3
Crosswords
BY DENA WITKES
R. VERKUIL
Gather Dogpatch
BY DANNY PHAM
Gather Dogpatch, which opened last fall at 2490 Third Street, a location that previously housed Yield Dogpatch, offers a comfortable spot to enjoy wines from around the globe and closer to home paired with small bites.
The bar’s sparkling, white and red wines are imported from Italy, Germany, France, and South Africa. Glasses average $17. Taste sizes, about half a glass, are roughly $4. Food is mostly locally sourced and includes charcuterie ($21) and cheese ($19) flights, as well as smoked duck breast ($10) and olive bruschetta ($9).
According to Robert Levy, Gather’s managing partner, who has lived on Indiana Street for the past three years, the bar only carries wines produced with vineyard practices that maintain the fruit’s purity – “low-intervention” in farming parlance – or derived from organic/natural processes. It provides gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and non-alcoholic options alongside more traditional offerings.
“We’re keenly focused on guests’ satisfaction and for maintaining the nice vibe, comfortable environs and energy that I always loved to receive myself — plus a really balanced, approachable and beautiful wine list of course — whenever I went out,” said Levy.
Gather features wooden, rich velvet and floral textures. With its mantra
of “By chance we met. By choice we gather,” Levy wants to nurture social and convivial energy at the establishment, where he’s present most days.
Gather allows patrons to taste wines before choosing what to drink, whether it’s a sip, or two or three, whatever it takes, according to Levy, who believes guests should have the opportunity to try the wines themselves rather than relying on a written description or server recommendation.
“Together, it really lets our guests settle into an amazing glass of wine that satisfies them in that moment,” said Levy. “That was one of the primary reasons I opened the lounge; to take down that barrier and eliminate the stress and common dissatisfaction when choosing a wine.”
Gather hosts social events throughout the week to attract new clientele and build a sense of community. “Wag ‘n Wednesdays” offers lounge areas for pets and a discount when customers post a picture with them on social media. “Throwback Thursdays” evokes nostalgia with vintage music. On Saturdays, Gather’s live music series features Bay Area talent such as blues singersongwriter-guitarist Essie Thomas.
“Wine and chocolate pairings, sake offerings, unique beer selections and game nights will continue to add liveliness to the neighborhood during the week,” he said.
PHOTO: Jordan Kazemi
1515 19th Street a Ghostly Reminder of the Past
BY RICH MOORE
Neighbors, realtors, developers and passersby have long wondered about the derelict property located on the southeast corner of Connecticut and 19th streets. Situated in a steadily more valuable neighborhood, one plausible theory is that the house and adjacent yard remain vacant because the absent owner doesn’t want to sell an asset that holds substantial ‘sentimental value’ for their family.
While the property’s characteristics have evolved significantly over the years, its ownership has remained consistent. It’s been in possession of the same family since 1929, when Maria Erminia Cantou applied for a building permit to erect a 36 feet by 25 feet wood frame building at 400 Connecticut Street at an estimated cost of $3,000.
The Cantou’s made numerous alterations to the property over the years, including an addition around 1935 to accommodate the budding dental practice of Maria’s son Jean Pierre. Years later, the adjacent 1515 19th Street property was added to the parcel. The growing Cantou family resided in the corner house while Dr. Cantou’s dental practice was housed in a renovated space in 1515 19th Street.
Somewhere along the way the initial structure on the corner at 400 Connecticut was demolished. Local historian and Potrero Hill Archive Project Director Peter Linenthal believes it burned down, “Sometime between 1950 and 1970.”
A photograph of the corner lot taken by the City’s Building Department in 1973 shows a property that looks much the same as it does today, with one exception. Parked in the yard was an old Ford pickup truck attached to an even older shiny chrome Airstream trailer. Other than the pickup and trailer, twothirds of the lot was vacant. The only structure on it was the house at the back of the parcel at 1515 19th Street. The rest consisted of overgrown grass and weeds and random debris surrounded by sixfoot chain link fencing topped here and there with a bit of barbed wire and pad locks on two gates. It’s much the same today, more than 50 years later.
According to neighbors the remaining house has been vacant since the early 1980s. It’s been boarded up for years. Many in the community hope that any future improvements are modest and don’t impede the current open view of the City.
Dr. Jean Pierre Cantou and his wife Doris (Asplund) Cantou were engaged in San Francisco in the fall of 1935. Their oldest child, Pierre, was born a few years later, followed by a daughter
Suzanne (Keller), and Jerome, who some knew as Jerry and others as Mo.
“They built their initial family home at 400 Connecticut, but I believe it burned down long ago,” said local historian and long-time Potrero Hill resident Steven Herraiz. “Dr. Cantou’s dentist practice was in 1515 19th Street for years. I became good friends with their youngest child, Jerry, who was a serious radio enthusiast. I took him dozens of transistor radios to repair. He could always fix them.”
Neighbors recall Jerry regularly holding garage sales at 1515 19th Street. Some speculate that the boarded-up garage still houses intriguing items, possibly a World War II vintage Willy’s Jeep as well as an antique dentist’s chair.
“I’d love to add that dentist’s chair to our Potrero Hill Archives Project,” Linenthal lamented. “It would be an ideal historic addition.”
Along with raising their family and growing his dental practice, Dr. and Mrs. Cantou were involved in various civic organizations. A librarian, Mrs. Cantou served as president of the San Francisco chapter of the American Association of University Women. Founded in 1881, AAUW is a nonprofit that works to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.
Dr. Cantou, a graduate of the University of California and the College of Physicians & Surgeons, San Francisco, was an avid outdoorsman, serving in leadership positions in Ducks Unlimited, the Pacific Rod & Gun Club, and the Sierra Club. He was a member of La Ligue Henry IV, a 50-year member of La Parfaite Union #17, and a member in perpetuity of The National Sojourners. In 1942 he served as Vice Chairman of the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Commission of the Potrero District. As a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he was ordered for active duty in October 1943.
Dr. Cantou died in San Francisco on March 31, 1996. Mrs. Cantou died here on April 18, 2001.
In December 2021, a Deed of Trust, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing was submitted to the City and County of San Francisco listing 1515 19th San Francisco LLC as the Owner/Trustor of the property. Pierre Cantou, oldest child of Dr. and Mrs. Cantou, is identified as the beneficiary. Numerous efforts were made to reach Mr. Cantou as well as representatives of the LLC Trustor and Trustee, without success.
Years ago, the Trust engaged an architectural firm to evaluate what could be built on the property, but there’s no indication that changes will be made anytime soon.
For The Love of Letters
BY MARK STEENSLAND
Graphic designer Rob Saunders founded the Letterform Archive ten years ago as a place to share his personal collection of graphic arts ephemera with the public and preserve the history of anything with letters on it, from hand carved Mesopotamian tablets to midcentury subway tickets.
The nonprofit, which bills itself as a place for “all who love letters,” quickly outgrew its original Mariposa Street location. In 2020, it moved into a custombuilt space at 2325 Third Street.
With nearly 30 employees, the museum aims to make its collection of more than 100,000 artifacts accessible. A digital archive was launched in 2019 for those who can’t visit in person. Unique exhibitions focus on specific holdings, including the current show featuring the work of Amos Paul Kennedy.
Kennedy’s journey into graphic arts began more than 35 years ago when, at the age of 40, he took a break from his corporate job as an AT&T systems analyst to vacation on the East Coast. During a tour of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, he saw a demonstration of the letterpress printing process, a technique of relief printing not unlike the common rubber stamp, where a raised surface is inked and pressed against paper to create an image multiple times. Kennedy became so enamored by the process that he decided to embark on a new career.
He studied for a year at a community-based shop in Chicago before earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in graphic design at the University of Madison, Wisconsin in 1997. He then opened Kennedy Prints! in Detroit, Michigan.
Kennedy was the subject of Proceed and Be Bold, a 2008 documentary about his life. He’s exhibited in dozens of museums and galleries, including New York City’s Poster House, Brooklyn Public Library, Library of Congress, and the Museum of Modern Art. Despite this exposure he describes himself as a “humble negro printer.”
Four years ago, Letterform Archive acquired more than 2,000 unique posters, handbills, maps, and artist’s books printed by Kennedy. The collection includes the Quotations of Rosa Louise Parks from 2015; rarely seen early artist’s books Strange Fruit, Riddle Ma Riddle, and Mask; prints that feature colloquial expressions, like the African Proverbs and I Am as Southern As series; and now-collectible gig and festival posters that celebrate the power of community.
Ladies, No Fighting in the Bathroom was made in 2003 for Tee’s Lounge in York, Alabama. The establishment was having trouble with the issue in the title; the sign successfully stopped it. According to Kennedy, prints of the poster are especially popular with parents who have more than one daughter.
Citizen Printer, a companion book to the show, contains more than 800 reproductions of Kennedy’s work, including new commissions. It’s the latest from the museum’s publishing venture, Letterform Archive Books, which has published 16 titles so far, 11 in the last year alone.
The exhibit of Kennedy’s work continues
through this month. Admission to the gallery is $10 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no charge on Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The archive plans special events to mark their 10th anniversary following the Kennedy show.
BURGLARIES from front page
key inside used to enter the restaurant. Items were scattered around; the thieves stole a safe, laptop, point of sale tablets, and shoes.
Gather’s lockbox also was broken into. An iPad and two bottles of wine were stolen. Humphry Slocombe’s front door was shattered in what appeared to be a failed attempt to gain access. CoffeeShop’s front window was smashed. Nothing was taken, though a single cracked pane can cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Bandit, a 20th Street restaurant, was burglarized the morning of December 9th. A thief broke the front door glass and took the cash drawer.
In November, intruders broke a large window and entered Connecticut Yankee, on 17th and Connecticut streets. The cash register drawer was empty; nothing was taken.
In response to the rash of burglaries, residents near the Potrero Hill Whole Foods Market formed a WhatsApp group. On November 26th, a group member noticed a confused postal worker searching for a U.S. Postal Service mailbox. Another replied that the letterbox had been present the previous day. Multiple group members have Nest cameras. They reviewed their footage; one neighbor had a particularly good angle and shared recordings. At around 3:30 a.m. on November 26th a camera captured a silver sedan circling the area. Eventually, the vehicle pulled over in front of the USPS mailbox. A couple minutes later the sedan drove off. The letterbox was gone.
The USPS mailbox was bolted to the ground; recently cut pins now sit flush to the cement. Based on footage another resident captured it seems likely that a second car served as a lookout. Stealing a USPS letterbox is a federal offense; an investigation is underway.
The Postal Service has replaced or retrofitted mailboxes throughout San Francisco to eliminate the pull-down handle in favor of a slender mail slot with a singular goal: foiling thieves. Stealing an entire letterbox appears to be at least one response by burglars. Robbers are looking for anything of value, such as unemployment documents, bank and credit card information.
BURGLARIES continues on next page
1515 19th Street circa 1973. PHOTOS: Courtesy of Rich Moore
In addition to ad hoc WhatsApp collectives, several organizations have emerged over the years to help residents safeguard their neighborhood. These include SF SAFE, which provides tools, knowledge, and skills to help prevent crime and violence; the Neighborhood Safety Team, a San Francisco Police Department unit that focuses on crime prevention and safety awareness; and Neighborhood Watch Groups.
The Portfolio
YOUTH CREATIVE CONTEST at
"The Abominable Rainbow Man" (colored pencils) is by Rad Elmarouk, five-yearsold, who attends kindergarten at Fitness for the Brain.
What remained of Bandit’s cash drawer after the break-in.
Marcella's Lasagneria, on 22nd and Tennessee streets, had its front door broken on December 23rd.
Bandit’s front door was boarded up in December.
