Potrero View 2023: August

SFMTA Releases Revised Proposal for 17th Street Bike Lane

BY ODIN THIEN-AN MARIN

In June, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) released a revised proposal for a 17th Street Quick-Build Project, which’d rely on non-permanent materials, thereby shortening construction times and cutting costs. The new plan calls for a protected bike lane, buffered from the roadway by offset parking paths from the curb known as “floating parking”, with plastic bollards and painted raised elements.

The push to establish a protected bicycle lane is largely the result of advocacy efforts by Safer17th, a threeyear-old group founded by Potrero Hill residents. The organization wants to protect the wellbeing of cyclists, particularly younger people. Safer17th has collected more than 700 signatures supporting its advocacy.

“One of the things that’s been great about this effort is the way it’s been driven by local residents. It’s made of people who use 17th Street in their daily lives advocating for how it can be improved,” said Peter Belden, a Vermont Street

Food Bank Struggles to Meet Demand with the End of Emergency Support

resident, parent of two high schoolers and Safer17th volunteer organizer. “I think we end up with better solutions because it’s very locally attuned.”

The 17th Street Quick-Build Project would stretch from Potrero Avenue to Mississippi Street, “a key connection in San Francisco’s bikeway network,” according to SFMTA. With 16th Street optimized for buses and cars, 17th Street is a main route for bike commuters traveling between the Eastern neighborhoods and the Mission, who reflect upwards of 40 percent of traffic along the project’s corridor.

“There are only so many ways to get places…because hills and highways are in the way. 17th Street is the best route for bikes, but that doesn’t mean it is a safe route. There is a lot of double parking with trucks,” said Kate Blumberg, a 22nd Street resident whose youngster, Benno, will attend Lowell High School this fall. “More and more people on the Hill bike places. I’ve been biking with my son everywhere, but for him to bike by himself, there needs to be infrastructure

Neighborhood Leaders Makes Things Better

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

The View canvassed its readers to identify individuals who volunteer their time to make a positive difference in their community, some of whom are described in this article. The paper welcomes nominations of others.

Katherine Doumani serves as the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association (DNA) executive committee president, elected to the role in 2019 and 2022. She’s been a San Franciscan for 22 years, initially landing in the Western Addition before moving to Tennessee Street. She works in property management.

According to Doumani, DNA has just under 200 members who pay an annual $25 fee, with complimentary membership available to residents with limited resources.

Its emails are opened by roughly 1,000 people, a communication effort it bolsters with street posters, social media, and monthly community cleanup days. DNA sponsors an annual block party on Minnesota Street in April and a winter holiday gathering in collaboration with The Potrero Boosters.

Doumani said one of DNA’s recent accomplishments was preventing the splitting of Dogpatch from Potrero Hill as part of the 2020-mandated redistricting of supervisorial boundaries. DNA also advocated for Esprit Park’s renovation “with a design to serve everyone in our community.”

The organization is working to reduce cut-through traffic in Dogpatch to make the neighborhood safer

BY DANNY PHAM

Every Saturday afternoon on the corner of De Haro and Mariposa streets, San Franciscans line up at Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church promptly at noon to collect groceries provided by the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. It’s one of several initiatives the nonprofit has led over the past 30 years, including sponsoring college food pantries, helping families apply for CalFresh assistance, home-delivering foodstuffs, as well as policy advocacy to reduce the risks of hunger.

The Food Bank distributes to more than 350 agencies in San Francisco and Marin. Food Pantries, volunteer-led dispersal locations, also rely on the Bank.

“Though the Food Bank operates 22 Popup Food Pantries, the majority of the 250 food pantries in our network are run by community partners like Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church,” said Tina Gonzales, Director of Community Partnerships, SF-Marin Food Bank. “Those that don’t have weekly food distribution may rely on our Food Bank to support their meal and snack programs. Examples of these are schools, meal programs, churches and more.”

Before the pandemic, about one in five Marin and San Francisco residents were at risk of being insufficiently nourished, according to Gonzales. However, the demand for food is even greater today.

“We’re seeing a sustained 72 percent increase in need for our services, and we are spending five times more on food compared to 2019. Over and over, we hear from neighbors that food is just too expensive at the grocery store; especially

The Food Bank works closely with its partners to assess specific food needs and make sure offered items are relevant to the community being served. For example, at some supportive sites that cater to unhoused populations, low- or no-cook meals are provided.

Earlier this year, the CalFresh program announced that federal government benefits provided during the COVID pandemic, which’d been allocated to low-income families across California for the last three years, would end.

“In March, CalFresh participants saw the last payout of extra emergency allotments they received during the pandemic. A return to pre-pandemic payouts means that San Francisco recipients lost an average of $160 a month. Single CalFresh recipients are now receiving as little as $23; what can you buy for $23 in San Francisco?” said Gonzales.

According to Gonzales, there’s a feeling amongst policymakers and the public that the pandemic and its effects are over. But the financial consequences of the emergency continue to linger.

According to a recent survey, almost three-quarters of Food Bank participants haven’t recovered financially from the pandemic; and near four-fifths often worry about running out of food.

The Food Bank serves a diverse population; many recipients are multicultural and speak English as a second language. More than two-thirds of Food Bank participants are Asian, and almost one-fifth Hispanic/Latinx. Cantonese is the most common language spoken, fol-

The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank distributes groceries.

PHOTO: Courtesy of SF-Marin Food Bank fresh produce and protein like chicken or eggs.”

BIKE LANE continues on page 9 FOOD BANK continues on page 10

LEADERS continues on page 10

Katherine Doumani, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association executive committee president.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Katherine Doumani

PUBLISHER’S VIEW

BY STEVEN J. MOSS

The View doesn’t have so much a business model as a business prayer. Every month, we hope that enough ads are booked, subscriptions taken, and donations received that we can afford to publish the paper. This admittedly not excellent system has lasted 53 years. More than 600 monthly editions, upwards of 100 million pages of material, have been delivered to doors and cafes, grocery stores and distribution racks. Through a dozen and a half U.S. “military interventions” or outright wars, Dotcom booms and busts, a pandemic and six significant earthquakes, one a 7.1 on the Richter scale doozy, the View has delivered its mix of news, features, and photographs, sometimes with cartoons or crossword puzzles thrown in.

Whether or not the View will make it to its 54th anniversary largely depends on you. Despite the heroic efforts of the paper’s marketing manager, Richard Romero, advertising revenues are way down, with more longtime sellers declining to renew – in many cases because they went out of business – than new ones signing up. After receiving spirited support during the pandemic, much of which was passed on to local merchants in the form of substantial ad rate reductions, charitable donations have almost disappeared. While the View prints in the range of 12,000 copies a month, we have roughly 50 paid subscribers. Delivered over the internet or physically the viability of news has been cratered by the adage, why pay for something you can get for free?

The View has survived largely be -

cause of its staffs’ willingness to be paid little or nothing for their efforts. I assign and edit all articles, write this monthly column, and generally manage operations essentially as a volunteer. The paper’s production manager hasn’t received a raise from her modest salary in many years; which is to say, ever. Freelance reporters are provided with paltry pay, not nearly enough to support robust investigative pieces. Meanwhile, the cost of the View’s main expense, printing and delivery, has steadily increased.

Despite the lack of pecuniary benefits, we’re collectively dedicated to the View because we believe in the importance of community news, especially in today’s fractured world. And we get joy imagining and sometimes witnessing the smile on a merchant’s or family’s face when they see themselves in an actual paper, one they can send by post to distant relatives, while giving our readers a sense of informed rootedness in a real life, non-cyber space, location. We know that many, including lonely older adults aging in place in an everchanging neighborhood, look forward to each new issue as if it’s an old friend.

This month the View celebrates more than a half-century of delivering community news. If you’re moved to send us a present – a subscription for a friend, advertisement for a local business or nonprofit, or a straight up donation – we guarantee that it’ll be a gift that keeps on giving. Your support can help us rejoice in this year’s renewal; our business prayers will be answered.

Anchor Drop

After Anchor Brewing Company announced it was shutting down last month several San Franciscans, as well as the brewery’s union, indicated they wanted to purchase the brand. Anchor employees notified Sapporo USA, Anchor Brewing’s parent company, that they’ve “decided to launch an effort to purchase the brewery and run it as a worker co-op.” San Francisco native Kyle Withycombe, who sold a juice company last year, has also raised his hand, as has Mike Walsh, who has lived two blocks from the brewery for 30 years. A serial investor who helped finance more than 200 companies, Walsh said he’d have made an offer in 2017 when the company was transferred to Sapporo had he known it was for sale… Potrero Hillians who grew up in the neighborhood can smell the yeasty odor of beer-making in their dreams. And the periodic holiday parties at the brewery will be missed. Given the property's value to be developed as housing, the City will need to step in with significant tax breaks for any rescue deal to be successful.

Bus Stop Housing

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency released its latest redevelopment plans for the Potrero Yard bus facility, reflecting 513 units, down from the 575 previously proposed. The design, by Canadian-based IBI Group, depicts an 150-foot structure with roughly 1.24 million square feet of space, including more than 540,800 square feet dedicated to housing. Residences would consist of 117 studio apartments, 184 one-bedrooms, 144 two-bedrooms and 68 three-bedrooms. The 2500 Mariposa Street property would feature a seventhfloor amenity area, with 75,620 square feet of community gathering spots, a dog trail and two community gardens separated by a central tower and two earth mounds. A bit more than half the homes would be affordable to those earning no more than 80 percent of San Francisco’s median income of roughly

$126,000, with the rest earmarked for people who make up to 120 percent of the median. SFMTA hopes that the project will be constructed by 2027.

Just Reopen

Less than five months after it abruptly shuttered, Just for You Cafe is being resurrected under the name Giuliana’s Just for You Cafe.  Co-owner Michael Tufo, who owns Calabria Bros. Italian deli in the Excelsior, wants to open this month, pending final City approvals. The breakfast and brunch spot was a neighborhood favorite for 33 years before then-owner Reid Hannula closed it last April. The new menu will include breakfast basics like pancakes, eggs, and bacon along with old favorites, such as New Orleans-style beignets. Tufo hopes to bring back former staff.

San Francisco Hearts

In 1988 on a Saturday evening after dinner while watching television a 65-year-old man collapsed in front of his wife and son. The son, poorly trained in traditional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), attempted to ventilate his father, who didn’t respond. The son then tried manual chest compression; his father remained pulseless and breathless. Desperate, the wife and son grabbed a toilet plunger, successfully using it to get the man’s heart going until an ambulance arrived. Later, after the patient recovered at San Francisco General Hospital, his son gave the doctors some advice: put toilet plungers next to all the beds in the coronary unit. SF General didn’t do that, but the idea prompted physicians to consider better ways to do CPR. More than three decades later, at a summer meeting of emergency medical services in Hollywood, Florida, researchers presented data showing that using a plunger-like setup leads to remarkably better outcomes for reviving patients. A new procedure, known as neuroprotective CPR, is now gaining traction in medical circles, thanks to one family’s impromptu plumbing solution.

Steven J. Moss

ACCOUNTING MANAGER Catie Magee

MARKETING

MANAGER Richard Romero

MANAGER Helena Chiu

PUBLISHER

PRODUCTION

Port, Rec and Parks Assume Responsibility for 18 Mission Bay Parks

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

Last month, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) and Port of San Francisco assumed maintenance and operation responsibilities for 18 Mission Bay parks. The more than 24 acres of open space was previously managed by Parklab Open Space Management (POSM), which took over from MJM Management Group. RPD held a community celebration at the Mission Creek Park Pavilion to mark the change.

The Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) has a master ground lease with the City and Port for the 18 parks, which it hopes to terminate by the end of this year. FOCIL-MB LLC has a lease with the City and Port for nine additional Mission Bay sites. With tax increment funding, FOCIL-MB is improving seven of the parcels as parks, two into small open spaces. One of the larger sites being developed is 5.4-acre Bayfront Park, between Chase Center and the Bay.

FOCIL-MB LLC, which purchased

HANDY NUMBERS

the Mission Bay master development from Catellus Development Corporation roughly 20 years ago, expects to complete the nine sites by 2028. The company will terminate its master ground lease for each of the locations as they’re finished.

Ultimately, the Port will manage 9.67 acres in Mission Bay. In July it assumed responsibility for roughly four acres. RPD will administer 31.87 acres of open space in Mission Bay.

“The Port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are exploring many ways to address sea level rise along the waterfront to keep the parks safe,” said Justin Berton, Port of San Francisco director of communications and external affairs.

RPD is now responsible for the Channel Street Dog Park, Mariposa Park, Mission Bay Commons, Mission Bay Kids Park, and the Mission Creek Complex. Complimentary dog waste bags will be provided for one year. The department is evaluating what activities, such as youth programs, to offer at these facilities. Park hours will remain the same, typically 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

RPD’s permit fee structure for activities, like use of picnic sites and indoor rentals, differs from POSM’s.

“Some things are a little higher than before and some things are lower than before, but it works out to be comparable,” said Tamara Aparton, RPD spokesperson.

According to Donna Dell’Era, Mission Bay Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) member, prior to the transfer Mission Bay residents occasionally met at the Mission Creek Park Pavilion at no charge.

“Now we’re trying to figure out how much it will cost to hold such meetings in the future,” said Dell’Era.

The Pavilion at 290 Channel Street can be reserved by submitting an online application at least 30 days in advance of the requested date. Securing the facility entails a $76 reservation fee, $102 an hour with a four-hour minimum, $250 refundable security deposit, and $26 per hour staffing fee with four-hour minimum.

“The neighborhood has seen a lot of car break-ins and vandalism. We’re hoping that RPD’s Park Patrol officers will do as good a job as the team hired by MJM Management Group,” said Sarah Davis, Mission Bay CAC chair.

“The more I know, the fewer concerns I have. I am less worried that the (change) will mean that the parks will stop feeling like part of the Mission Bay community,” said Dell’Era.

According to Davis, Mission Bay can have the texture of a separate place, distinct from the rest of San Francisco.

“That’s not actually true. These

parks (now assumed by) RPD and the Port show that. It’s a big step for us,” said Davis.

Dell’Era hopes RPD will create a senior center in the neighborhood.

According to Dell’Era, the area has basketball courts and large lawns for children, but no recreational spaces for pensioners. The City maintains senior centers in a number of locations, including the Golden Gate Park Senior Center, Castro Senior Center, and Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center in Bayview Hunters Point.

Two Community Facilities Districts (CFD) – Five and Six –impose special property assessments in Mission Bay. CFD #6 pays for construction of roads, utilities, and parks in Mission Bay South. These charges will be collected until Mission Bay South construction has been completed and associated bonds retired. CFD #5 pays for maintenance and operating expenses of the 41.5 acres of open space in Mission Bay North and South. These duties will be levied until 2044. In fiscal year 2023-2024, CFD #5 generated $2.9 million in revenues. Assessment income will either be directed to the Port and RPD to support maintenance and operations at the 18 parks or be used to fund development of the nine remaining Mission Bay sites.

“There are sufficient funds to build out the remaining parks. There have been some supply chain problems due to COVID, which have caused delays,” said Marc Slutzkin, OCII project manager for Mission Bay North & South.

Green Benefit District | GreenBenefit.org

The GBD is looking for a new Executive Director! More info about the job and how to apply on the GBD website. The Dogpatch Music Series starts up again on Saturday afternoon, August 26, with performances continuing on September 9 and 23, and October 7. More information on performers and vendors will be posted at GreenBenefit.org as available.

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!

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. We are accepting new members to our Community Advisory Board this Fall! Learn more prefund.org/volunteer

Starr King Open Space | StarrKingOpenSpace.org

Please join our monthly volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This month it is August 12th.

If you can, please donate to help keep Starr King Open Space open, accessible, and well-maintained for our neighbors. StarrKingOpenSpace.org

The Good Life Grocery Feeds Bernal Heights, Potrero Hill

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

Potrero Hill residents Kayren Hudiburgh and Lester Zeidman have long nurtured The Good Life Grocery, a natural foods store located at 1524 20th Street. Together, the duo weathered the COVID pandemic, 2008 recession, and different turns of fortune for close to five decades.

Good Life Grocery’s Bernal Heights location, at 448 Cortland Avenue, opened in 1991. Both stores feature deli counters and homemade desserts, sushi, seafood, and produce, with prepared foods made in-house daily. Catering is also available.

Hudiburgh and Zeidman pride themselves on vending locally made and organic products. Hudiburgh’s favorites include organic berries from Medina Berry Farms in Watsonville, organic grapes from Benzler Farms in Fresno, and sweet corn from Dwelley Family Farms in Brentwood. Hudiburgh also sources from the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market.

“Fresh fruit bowls made daily, entrees from our deli, and our new pre-cut produce items that save our shoppers a lot of time are new additions,” said Hudiburgh. “It’s great seeing our neighbors come and shop, getting to know lots of people and watching young folks grow up before our eyes.”

The Good Life Grocery has sponsored numerous events on the Hill and in Bernal Heights.

“Giving back to the community is an essential part of why and how we run our stores. The Potrero Hill Festival, the

Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Fiesta on the Hill, the Potrero Hill Art Show, the Potrero Hill History Night, the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, Farley’s Pet Parade, and all the other different activities that the schools put on and need donations for. Giving back is essential for a neighborhood business,” said Hudiburgh.

The Good Life Grocery emerged from a grassroots effort amidst a national movement. The late-1960s and early-1970s saw the rise of “the food conspiracies,” movements of young liberals who mocked then-President Richard Nixon, who characterized them as Communist conspirators. The goal was to offer healthy, inexpensive, organic, and local food, which in turn would prevent the exploitation of workers, limit pollution, and encourage healthy lifestyles. Buying food in bulk and distributing it without excessive processing or packaging became a tool of resistance.

In the Bay Area, activists formed the People’s Food System (PFS), which encouraged groups to open stores in their communities. By the mid-1970s, almost every San Francisco neighborhood hosted a movement grocery.

A group of young Potrero Hill residents opened The Good Life in 1974. Additional PFS network stores included Other Avenues in the Sunset, which remains open; the still thriving Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in the Mission; Seeds of Life, also in the Mission; the Haight store in Haight-Ashbury; Noe

GOOD LIFE GROCERY continues on page 9

Day on the Green returns to Potrero Hill Recreation Center Park

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

The 2023 Day on the Green neighborhood celebration will be held on August 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center Park, 801 Arkansas Street. The free familyfriendly event will feature complimentary barbeque, raffles, dances, entertainment, music, bounce houses, a youth zone, and field games. Participants are encouraged to bring an additional dish or non-alcoholic beverage to share.

The event is organized by Potrero Annex-Terrace residents in partnership with Stand in Peace, a San Francisco nonprofit that sponsors peace walks and other community-building occasions.

Shervon Hunter, Stand in Peace founder, is a fourth generation Hill resident who still lives in the neighborhood. She grew up going to Day on the Green celebrations, which were originally started in 1966 by Jon Greenberg when he became Potrero Hill Rec Center director. It ran until the 1990s.

In 2020, Hunter and other longtime Hill residents decided to re-establish the tradition. After a pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the event returned in 2021.

Day on the Green is for “current and legacy” Hill residents, said Hunter.

“This is a Potrero Hill event that’s a coming together of all races, colors, ages, ethnicities where everything is free for everyone. From food to raffles, it’s about being together in an open, green space.

We’re here to get to know each other and have fun,” said Hunter.

“We will do outreach to invite Starr King families to join. We’ll also share what the Starr King PTA is accomplishing with the community,” said Najuawanda Daniels, Starr King Elementary School Parent Teacher Association copresident.

Daniels, who now lives in Hunters Point, grew up on the Hill. She remembers the 1980s and 1990s Day on the Green celebrations as lively neighborhood events that bridged the gap between Annex-Terrace residents and the rest of the community.

“That’s still what Day on the Green accomplishes. It’s a mixture of cultures and ages that helps us find common ground,” said Daniels.

Former Hill resident, Charles Bryant, known as “Coach Charlie O,” codirected the Rec Center with Greenberg in the 1990s. He’s happy the event is bringing back former residents who used to play at the Rec Center as children and teenagers.

“Day on the Green is so enjoyable. I came last year and plan to come again. Last year, I refereed a flag football game, something I did often during my 31 years with the Rec and Parks Department,” said Bryant, who was grateful to Hunter for “picking up Day on the Green and running with it.”

Erika Woodson, a former Hill

DAY ON THE GREEN continues on page 11

Dance: Bollywood Dance at Salesforce Park

Hailing from the dream dance city of Mumbai and Amritsar, also home to Bollywood and Holy Vibes, these energetic, charismatic, and fun dance instructors-performers-entertainers, Manpreet and Amit, have spread Indian dance music and moves across India, the United States, and Europe. They recently performed at Herbst Theater in San Francisco. In this alllevels Bollywood dance lesson, learn a 60-minute Bollywood or Bhangra dance that’ll leave you feeling loved, lighter, and delighted. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Free. Salesforce Park, 425 Mission Street. For more information: https:// bit.ly/dance-bollywood

Ceramics: Heath Tile Factory Tour

Tour Heath’s tile factory, showroom, newsstand, and artist collective; limited to 12 guests. 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. $15. San Francisco Factory and Showroom, 2900 18th Street. For more information and tickets: https://bit.ly/heath-tour

8/5 Saturday

Music: Afrosolo Arts Festival

San Francisco native, Martin Luther McCoy, is an actor, guitarist, singer/ songwriter, producer and imploring soul-man who refuses to confine himself to any one creative pursuit. Since emerging as a charismatic frontman on the Bay Area’s fertile 1990s neo-soul scene he’s continued to find new avenues for expression while serving as a conduit for socially conscious music. In some circles McCoy is best known for his work with the seminal hip hop collective The Roots. Others discovered him through his incendiary performance starring in Julie Taymor’s 2007 film Across the Universe. He’s performed with Dave Matthews, Jill Scott, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the SFJAZZ Collective and other marquee acts. 1 to 2:30 p.m. Free. Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission Street between Third and Fourth streets. For more information: https://bit.ly/martin-luther-mccoy

Pets: Andrea’s Dream Rescue Kitten Fair

Andrea’s Dream Rescue is a San Francisco-based nonprofit whose mission is to rescue cats from high kill shelters before they’re euthanized.

Andrea’s holds weekly kitten adoption fairs, with all cats and kittens spayed/ neutered, FelV/FIV tested, FVRCP vaccinated, deflead/dewormed and microchipped. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free.

Pet Food Express, 1975 Market Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/catadoption-fair

Environment: Clothing Swap

Help fight fast-fashion and the destructive ecological wake it leaves behind. Bring gently used and laundered clothing, shoes, and jewelry to swap. Unclaimed items will be donated to Out of the Closet to benefit HIV healthcare. 1 to 2:30 p.m. Free. 152 Church Street. For more information and to reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/ august-swap

Community: The Park Market at Crane Cove SF Parks Alliance, along with Sunset Mercantile, bring San Francisco’s newest recurring market, August through November, featuring local makers, food and drinks, activities, and musicians, nestled in Dogpatch’s waterfront park, Crane Cove. The kickoff Summer Mercantile will feature local merchants, artists, and summertime fun.11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information: https://bit.ly/parkmarketaugust

Literature: Poetic Tuesdays with Litquake at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Sharing works that delight, provoke, inspire and rouse, the Poetic Tuesdays series turns lunchtime into an oasis of creative expression. Lighting up the Gardens with a curated line-up of poets and musicians, Poetic Tuesdays offer a midday breather for all. 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Free. Jessie Square, Yerba Buena Gardens, 760 Mission Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/poetic-tues

Career: San Francisco Virtual Job Fair

If you’re looking for a job in San Francisco, you’ll want to attend this. Dress up and sharpen your resume. Once you log into the event, you can visit employers’ virtual booths and see what they’re offering. If you’re a match for the job, you could get hired on the spot. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. For more information: https://bit.ly/sf-job-fair

Film: Blankets & Blockbusters

Take in a family favorite outdoors and explore the interactive kids zone featuring games, crafts and face painting stations, cinema-inspired snacks, beverages, and more. All ages welcome. In Lightyear legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot companion, Sox. As this motley crew tackles their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work together as a team to escape the evil Zurg and his dutiful robot army that’re never far behind. 4 to 7 p.m. Free, registration required but doesn’t guarantee admission. Space is limited and subject to availability. Thrive City, 1 Warriors Way. For more information: https://bit.ly/lightyear-at-thrive

8/11 Friday through 8/27 Sunday

Theater: PlayGround’s Free-Play Festival

The second annual Free-Play Festival features three new dramas: Melina Cohen-Bramwell’s Please Don’t Slow Me Down; Akaina Ghosh’s Character Assassination; Ipsheeta Furtado’s Distanced Dates. Available in-person

CALENDAR continues on next page

Summer Mercantile comes to Crane Cove Park on August 6.

IMAGE: Courtesy of SF Parks Alliance

at Potrero Stage and online. Free; donations gratefully accepted. For more information and reservations (required): https://bit.ly/freeplay2023

Community: Bernal Heights Hillwide Garage Sale

The Bernal Hillwide is arguably San Francisco’s largest single day garage sale. More than 100 households exchange trash for treasure, a bargain bonanza that only happens once a year. Records, vehicles, water toys, collectibles and baked goods can be found for pennies on the dollar. New and used, worn and pristine; Bernal Heights in bulk. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Start at Cortland Avenue! For more information: https://hillwide.com/

Festival: Summer Ferry Fest

Celebrate the Ferry Building’s 125th anniversary at the Summer Ferry Fest. Enjoy the Ferry Building marketplace at night, with wine, beer, bites, and live music from La Gente SF. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Entry is free; attendees must purchase “tasting tickets” to exchange for bites and sips. For more information: https:// bit.ly/ferry-fest

8/19 Saturday – 8/20 Sunday

Flowers: Dahlia Show and Competition

Growers from throughout the state bring their best blooms to the Dahlia Society of California’s annual show. Blooms in all categories are judged and awarded ribbons, including the elusive “Best in Show.” Other categories: Best Photo; People’s Choice Award; Best Arrangement; Best Junior Bloom; and “Nature’s Oddities.” You must be a member to compete, but the public is welcome to see this eye-popping event. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Hall of

Flowers, Ninth Avenue and Lincoln Way. For more information: https://bit. ly/dahlia-show2023

Fitness: Rooftop Bootcamp at the Park

A relentless, time-efficient, actionpacked workout, with heart-thumping drills and total body challenges. Provided by FITNESS SF and open to the public. 8 to 9 a.m. Free. Main Plaza, Salesforce Park, 425 Mission Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/ rooftop-bootcamp

Comedy: Summer Beer & Comedy Festival

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers has been defiantly brewing small batches of beer in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood since 1997. Celebrate this legacy with a popup comedy festivalevery Friday night featuringfood trucks, andan exclusive lineup of Speakeasy beers, fresh right from the brewery’s taps. Enjoy a 70-to-90-minute show with four to five comics with credits like Cobbs, Punchline, SF Sketchfest, Clusterfest, and Outside Lands. 21+ only. Entry is free. Speakeasy Brewery, 1195 Evans Avenue. For more information: https:// bit.ly/speakeasy-comedy

PHOTO: Greg Goddard

From Juvenile Hall to City Hall: Your Resume Can Change by Shamann Walton

BY CHAITANYA TONDEPU

From Juvenile Hall to City Hall: Your Resume Can Change follows the journey of a young Black boy who went from spending his junior and high school years at Juvenile Hall to becoming San Francisco Board of Supervisors president.

Walton was raised by a single mother, Catherine Cartwright, who moved them around the Bay Area in search of affordable housing and to keep her son out of trouble. Walton didn’t have a relationship with his biological father; his mother was wary of letting them meet due to his dad’s abusive and promiscuous tendencies.

At the impressionable age of nine, Walton moved in with his grandmother in Bayview-Hunters Point, where he was often in the company of his Uncle Corey. Driven by his grandmother’s exhortations, Walton excelled in fourth grade academics. As a former “punk” who usually avoided trouble, Walton got into his first fight with a neighborhood kid, propelled by his desire for Uncle Corey’s approval. Walton leaned into his newfound confidence as someone who can “get the grades, but also have the fight.”

Walton moved to Mountain View for a year, and then to Vallejo the summer before sixth grade, where his life took a turn towards serious mischief. In seventh grade, he started selling drugs alongside his more experienced friends. At the time Walton believed that slinging crack cocaine was one of the only ways he could achieve a lucrative life distinct from how he grew up. In high school, Walton started carrying a 0.38 revolver, including to basketball practices. He and his friends would frequently carjack and engage in petty robberies, becoming regular patrons of the criminal justice system through high school.

Walton spends little time describing the emotional context in which he operated while a teenager, a loss given the almost stereotypical arc of his story for disadvantaged Black men, who often don’t secure his level of achievement.

Walton met Philmore Graham (PG), who founded the Omega Boys and Girls Club in Vallejo, where Walton’s mom sent him after school in an attempt to redirect him toward more positive behaviors. The club focused on academics and exposing young Black males to opportunities to enable them to overcome unfavorable financial or familial situations. PG, or “pops”, became integral to Walton’s evolution from a troubled kid to a mature man, serving as father figure and role model of ethics and integrity.

Walton refers to PG throughout the book, emphasizing the lasting impact that pops had on him because of the values he instilled and belief he had in Walton, as well as the unconditional moral and financial support he provided. PG would pay Walton to work in his backyard or get good grades, He’d interfere with Walton grinding, selling drugs, and regularly accompanied Walton’s mother to pick him up from jail when he got caught.

In 1992, when Walton had just

finished tenth grade, PG advocated for Walton to be one of five young men to be sponsored to attend an Omega Psi Phi youth leadership conference in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a pivotal event, in which Walton’s perspective was entirely altered by seeing other Black men who were well put-together, thriving in their careers, supporting one another.

“When I got to the conference, it was a completely different world for me,” Walton wrote. “I saw a world I didn’t even know existed…While on the streets, my reality was framed by the hustle that this is all there is and the only way to having more. In one trip with a different landscape, I saw that there was more, and with education came exposure on so many other levels.”

Walton decided to entirely transform his life to secure a spot at an Historically Black College and University, such as Alabama State University, Morris Brown College (MBC), or Tennessee State University. He stayed on top of his grades, took the S.A.T. twice, stopped grinding, kept to a cleaner social circle, and tried to avoid trouble, though trouble seemed to remain an arm’s length away.

Walton started at MBC in Atlanta in the Fall of 1994. He excelled in his classes and socially. He joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the same society PG was a part of, and was elected student government association vice president. Walton graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Cum Laude honors.

After graduating, Shamann tried his luck in the entertainment business, working on a rap album with friends in Vallejo. After that effort failed, Walton went back to school to secure a master’s in public administration from San Francisco State University. He decided to pursue a political career, and although he didn’t get enough votes to procure a seat on the San Francisco Board of Education in 2012, he was elected in 2014. He later served as Board president. In 2018, Walton was chosen to represent District 10 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming Board president in 2021.

The book is at its best when it follows Walton’s journey from a simple, innocent boy to one with a troubled legal record who experienced a cathartic event that transformed his life’s trajectory, replete with references to the influential individuals that helped pave the way to a brighter future. The remaining chapters are haphazard, as he discusses his political career, with negligible references to his biological father. He only briefly alludes to his son and daughter, Malcolm and Monique, without providing much detail other than the financial responsibility he had to shoulder to support them. While Walton confesses his guilt as a teen father who repeatedly neglected his kids while he was studying in college, the reader is left wondering how they really impacted his life and decisions, a topic Walton says he’ll delve further into in his next book.

“I hope people understand that I

De Haro Street resident Christina Kent moved to Potrero Hill from Palo Alto, after a short spell in the Lower Haight. Kent is a self-taught oil painter who works to capture evocative moments of color and light in everyday moments, which she discovers while walking in San Francisco and the Northern California hills. Kent can often be found on the street painting local shops, street corners, and views. She was recently selected for the Emerging Artist award by Pence Gallery in Davis, California. Her work can be seen at several Bay Area galleries, including Studio and Inclusions. Replicated here is , a 10 by eight inch oil on panel. IMAGE: Courtesy of Christina Kent

wrote the book as a vehicle to provide hope to young people to say that no matter how tough life can be, with all the blessings and strifes, some of these obstacles can be fuel to do better, more energy to achieve,” Walton told the View. “And everyone remember to not give up on people, because if you work with people and give them opportunities, you’ll be surprised with what they can achieve.”

BIKE LANE from front page that we can count on to make sure that these kids can bike themselves places.”

Nearby businesses are concerned that the proposed lane-size reduction in curbside parking, as well as the loss of passenger and commercial loading zones, could prompt adverse economic impacts. The proposed design would eliminate 129 of 185 parking spots on 17th Street from Potrero Avenue to Mississippi Street. SFTMA estimates there are 1,800 on-street parking spaces within a one-block radius of 17th Street, typically used by people with close by destinations.

The plan attempts to keep street parking outside businesses where possible while retaining existing passenger and commercial loading zones by shifting the floating parking lane from one side of the street to another on different blocks. This wiggle has the additional benefit of traffic calming, as straight roads encourage drivers to travel at higher speeds.

The white loading zone is slated to remain outside Bottom of the Hill, albeit slightly shorter, with one parking lane remaining on the same side of the street as the venue. Existing zones that’d be replaced by the bike lane would be moved to adjacent streets.

“The neighborhood around us has changed a lot in the last 15 years, so the infrastructure no longer works. We’re having growing pains in terms of figuring out how to make it work better,” said J.R. Eppler, a Connecticut Street resident and Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association president, with a son, Frank, at Daniel Webster Elementary School. “The usage of this corridor for bicycle traffic is only going to increase, so taking the opportunity now to make it work better — not just for the bicycles but for the cars that have to mix with the bicycles — makes sense. We’ve worked with businesses to try to optimize what parking would remain.”

Short-term green parking and metered zones outside businesses could help offset decreased parking along the corridor by accelerating parking turnover. Additionally, the neighborhood will gain more than 150 off-street parking spots associated with opening of the San Francisco Flower Market on the corridor’s eastern side, which’ll be available for public use after regular business hours.

“The lower part of Potrero Hill has never had well-regulated parking, and as a result, it becomes a parking lot for people who go to their destination outside of the area,” Eppler said. “I think that enhancing targeted parking controls for the local businesses will help mitigate any impacts from the removal of parking spaces along the route. I would like to see that as part of the final plan.”

“I think they’ve done a smart job of preserving the white loading zone, shuttle zone; they’ve added some commercial loading zones. So overall, it’s a

great design but there are always little tweaks where it can be better,” Belden commented. “The intersection of Potrero Avenue needs more protection, but overall, I think the proposal is something that will be a real step forward.”

“This is a great way to serve the neighborhood. It opens up the City for our residents in our neighborhood and so I think it’s a big win for making the whole City more accessible,” Jessica Holmes, a cyclist and PREFund board member, said.

PREFund is a nonprofit that works to ensure Potrero Hill families have access to quality educational opportunities.

“This opportunity at lower cost, using paint on the roadway and plastic bollards, is a good way to see how this protected bike lane will work and provide the blueprint for a more permanent protected facility in the future,” Eppler said.

While the protected bike lane is the focus of the Quick-Build project, other traffic safety improvements are included in the plan. A stop sign on 17th Street would be added at the Carolina Street intersection. Presently, a lack of traffic controls along 17th adjacent to Jackson Park enables vehicles to travel at faster speeds. The City’s new “crossbikes” — continental crosswalk striping extended into the street painted green – would be added to increase bike lane visibility.

“One thing that doesn’t get talked about is the way the quick-build will also make crossings much safer for pedestrians,” Belden said. “Right now, if you walk across 17th Street, you’ve got six feet of bike lane, 22 feet of cars, and another six feet of bike lane. That’s over 30 feet to cross, and when you have over 30 feet of unobstructed space, people tend to drive faster.”

The protected bike lane narrows the roadway width to roughly 20 feet, which’d further slow traffic.

“Walking those 20 feet for pedestrians makes it significantly safer, especially people who walk slower, older people, and those with disabilities. People have a refuge before they get to the sidewalk,” Belden said.

Four additional striped crosswalks would be added along 17th Street at Texas, Missouri, Connecticut, and Wisconsin streets to help increase pedestrian visibility. Black and yellow painted raised elements would be placed in the roadway of some intersection corners to create extra space from traffic, serving to safeguard bike lane users and pedestrians crossing the street.

“It’s not the worst street. Seventeenth is one of those streets where you see bikes because it’s a decent street, but it could be so much better. With this proposal, it will be so much better,” Blumberg emphasized.

“ This project is more than just protected bike lanes; it’ll make things safer for a range of folks,” Belden concluded.

SFMTA plans to approve a final design in time to implement the project this fall.

GOOD LIFE from page 4

Valley Community Store; and Community Corner in Bernal Heights, “affectionately known as Commie Corner,” said Hudiburgh.

“The beautiful thing about PFS was the enterprises it sponsored under its umbrella. The People’s Bakery baked real bread, not soft white processed bread. Later it became Tassajara Bakery. Offshoots of that are still operating, like Acme Bread Company and Semifreddi’s,” said Hudiburgh.

Hudiburgh first got involved with

the food conspiracies by buying produce for the Peace and Freedom Party. She joined The Good Life staff in 1976, becoming a partner two years later. By 1980, she’d bought out all other members. Shortly thereafter Zeidman joined the enterprise.

“When we got married in 1982, he and I came to own The Good Life by ourselves. It was through his hard work and financial planning that we were able to grow the store, survive an eviction in 1985, and open in our current location on 20th Street in 1986,” said Hudiburgh.

In 2000, Hudiburgh and Zeidman bought the building for the Bernal Heights store, purchasing the structure housing the Potrero Hill outlet sixteen years later. The two locations collectively employ 70 people.

Hudiburgh’s favors local farmers who sell to the store directly, small cheesemakers, primarily based in Sonoma County, and Earl’s Organic Produce, which sources from local farmers. Founder Earl Herrick started the business by operating out of his truck in 1976. Hudiburgh still buys from Veritable Vegetable, a women-owned organic produce distribution vendor based in the City and established in 1974.

“The biggest emphasis was on organic produce. The founders of the community stores began a whole new industry of local and/or organic fruits and vegetables. They’re the reason most companies at the wholesale produce market carry both conventional and organic produce,” said Hudiburgh.

Hudiburgh and Zeidman originally met at The Mayflower, a bar located at the corner of 18th and Connecticut streets.

“He was a bartender there. I regularly traveled the three doors down from the store to have the Happy Hour specials at 50 cents a drink. There were

only a few storefronts open on 18th Street at the time,” said Hudiburgh.

Hudiburgh arrived in San Francisco in 1969, drawn by the political scene, initially settling in the Fillmore. She’d grown up in Texas, where she’d been a teacher. Zeidman, from New Jersey, hitchhiked across the country after he graduated high school.

Goat Hill Pizza opened in 1975, also at the intersection of 18th Street and Connecticut streets. The commercial strip began to attract other businesses, including The Daily Scoop, Mary’s Flowers, Spiro’s Greek Restaurant, Just For You, and Seams Like Only Yesterday, along with previous mainstays Chips Liquor and The Little Red Door.

“Potrero Hill quickly became my favorite neighborhood. Lester also chose Potrero Hill. Both of us lived in various places on the Hill until we were lucky enough to buy our home on Carolina Street in 1984,” said Hudiburgh.

In the mid-1970s and 1980s, Zeidman volunteered as a photographer and reporter for The Potrero View, writing articles about the neighborhood and its history, especially street names.

“We have both been involved in lots of political struggles. We both have always loved being a part of the business community on Potrero Hill, seeing our neighbors come and shop. We got to know lots of people and watch young folks grow up before our eyes,” said Hudiburgh.

In 2022, Zeidman retired from The Good Life Grocery. Samantha Zuvella, a third generation Hill native, who started working at the Hill location bagging groceries as a teenager, became Hudiburgh’s new business partner.

“It is very rewarding to see her GOOD LIFE continues on page 11

SHAMANN WALTON from previous page

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for bicyclists and pedestrians.

“Much of the hardest work that DNA does is behind-the-scenes advocacy with the City and speaking on behalf of the community at City Commission meetings,” said Doumani.

DNA has seen a new set of faces emerge as residents engage with one another more.

“This is reflected in the new members of our board. We look forward to this trend continuing,” said Doumani. “I turn my energy to work on solutions when I find myself complaining or troubled about issues in our community. Instead, it’s better to take the long view…enjoy the camaraderie we build with our neighbors, who become our friends, during the ride.”

Rebecca Kee, Daniel Webster Elementary ParentTeacher Association president, has been a PTA member since her son started kindergarten at the school in 2016. DW PTA has roughly 100 member-families, its highest participation level in years.

Kee lived the first decade of her life in the Sunset District, before her family moved to Marin County. After graduating from college in New York City, Kee moved to Bernal Heights, where she initially was a second-grade teacher at Paul Revere Elementary School. She’s presently director of Potrero Kids Preschool, a year-round, Spanish-focused preschool with locations in Dogpatch and Potrero Hill.

In 2022, DW PTA held a “Jump-athon” fundraiser.

“Kids had a great time on the (school) yard having a jump-roping party. (They) got small pledges from family and friends for how many jumps they could do. We raised $10,000 for the school,” said Kee.

Last year’s direct giving campaign,

“Give a Hoot,” raised tens of thousands of dollars. The DW PTA typically organizes two large evening events on campus, Pasta Night in the fall and Circus Night in the spring, at which educators, staff, and families can connect and have fun together.

Kee said DWPTA has a new website on which the group posts updates.

This month new families will “…be invited to join the PTA and get to know each other at our back-to-school BBQ (which) happens in the early weeks of the new school year,” said Kee.

Kee added that part of the fun of being involved with a PTA is that there’s always a guaranteed influx of new leaders.

“Local restaurants have catered events, nearby businesses have (donated) gift cards for our auctions, and local circus performers have entertained us at gatherings. There are so many ways to partner with (DW PTA) on supporting these amazing kids in the neighborhood,” said Kee. “It’s a joy to see how the DW community comes together to care for everyone’s children and invest in their success. My hope is that the DWPTA will continue to welcome new families into our community and engage them in our communityfocused vision for the school.”

Peter Linenthal, became Potrero Hill Archives Project director in 1990. He attended preschool at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in the 1950s and has lived on Missouri Street since 1975. Linenthal worked for decades as a pre- and after-school teacher at several City schools. Most recently, he taught at Daniel Webster Elementary School.

Linenthal began amassing material for the archives in 1986 by collecting

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oral histories of Hill residents. Since then, he’s been acquiring “almost anything” connected to Potrero Hill and Dogpatch history.

The Potrero Hill Archives Project gathers historic materials and makes them available to the public. Images from the archives will be used as part of a projection project by Ben Woods, a visual artist, which’ll celebrate the opening of the San Francisco Flower Mart in the historic Pacific Rolling Mill building. The archives has held several popup museums on street corners and led walking tours of the Hill during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has a large display at the Potrero Hill Festival in October, and sponsors Potrero Hill History Night in November.

The 2023 History Night will take place at St. Teresa of Avila Church, focusing on interviews with longtime residents, along with scenes from the 1970s television show “Streets of San Francisco” filmed in the neighborhood, supported by a “generous grant” from Avenue Greenlight, a San Francisco program that funds merchant associations and community groups.

“It’s encouraging to see more and more newcomers to the neighborhood at these History Nights. I sense that, increasingly, folks want to find out more about where they live,” said Linenthal.

This year, the Potrero Hill History Archives Project will move from Linenthal’s basement to the Dogpatch Hub, creating more accessibility and the ability to display history collections.

“It means a thorough reorganization of the archives and finding folks to help us too. We’ll get help from other neighborhood history groups,” said Linenthal.

Along with Abigail Johnston, Linenthal co-authored two Arcadia Publishing books on Potrero Hill history, San Francisco’s Potrero Hill and Then & Now: Potrero Hill

“People sometimes think of the past as rigid and boring but, in fact, it’s con-

stantly changing as we discover what’s been forgotten or neglected. There’s always something new to learn about the past,” said Linenthal.

He’s working with historian Hudson Bell on an article for the San Francisco Historical Society about a Black man from New Bedford, Connecticut who came to the City during the Gold Rush, established a soap-making factory, which eventually moved to Potrero Hill.

Linenthal has illustrated roughly a dozen children’s books, including the Look, Look! series of high-contrast board books for infants. He’s particularly proud of Jaya’s Golden Necklace, which takes place in the Kushan Empire of Central and South Asia. He’s working on a catalog of his collection of Central Asian artwork, which he calls “the Kushan Collection.”

“I’m sure my early art experiences at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House were an inspiration. Art materials were always available there. The director, Rhoda Kellogg, was an innovative teacher who discovered common motifs in very young children’s art from many cultures. Kellogg was really my introduction to Potrero Hill,” said Linenthal.

lowed by English, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, and Vietnamese. Roughly twothirds are over the age of 60 and women. One-third of those who partake have someone with a disability in their homes and/or have children present, with more than one-third single-parent households. Only five percent are unhoused.

According to Michael Reid, codirector of The Food Pantry, which operates at Saint Gregory’s Episcopal Church, most recipients are Potrero Hill residents, with the rest coming from the Mission, Bernal Heights and Bayview.

“We are seeing more younger people in food lines, as well as new immigrants from war-torn countries and young families,” Reid said. “We would see people come from Alameda occasionally, as well.”

From January to March, the Food Bank’s call center saw a 64 percent

FOOD BANK continues on next page

LEADERS from front page

Rebecca Kee, Daniel Webster Elementary Parent-Teacher Association president. PHOTO: Courtesy of Rebecca Kee

Peter Linenthal, Potrero Hill Archives director.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Peter Linenthal

FOOD BANK from front page

Chanwit Yasamut, Vecteezy.com

FOOD BANK from previous page increase in requests to sign up for its services. The organization’s staff reports that many participants are visiting pantries weekly, instead of a few times a month as a supplement.

“We are grateful for our community stepping up during the height of the pandemic, but we continue to need their help in its aftermath,” said Gonzales.

DAY ON THE GREEN from page 4

resident who now lives near Sacramento, remembers Day on the Green as “a big family reunion. People in the neighborhood did all the work. In the late-1980s and early-1990s, Potrero Hill was divided by streets. At Day on the Green, everybody forgot about all that. Everyone brought a community dish and came together.”

Woodson recalled that Day on the Green occurred around Greenberg’s birthday.

“Yet Jon didn’t make himself the center of attention. He used his birthday to celebrate everybody else,” said Woodson.

Greenberg, now 83, retired as Rec Center director in 2008.

“(When I came on in 1966), I felt there was a need to bring the community together in an event at the Rec Center to celebrate the end of summer. We had boys’ and girls’ teams, teen trips, and Tiny Tots, but little to offer families. Thus, an event that could offer this,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg named “Day on the Green” after music promoter Bill Graham’s legendary concerts in Oakland. Those events, which took place between 1973 and the early-1990s, were initially held at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, featuring well-known bands like The Grateful Dead, The Beach Boys, Chicago, and The Eagles.

“I used and applied (the phrase) to our green baseball diamond for (our) event. I wanted to bring the community together for some fun and food…to celebrate the Hill’s diversity and beauty,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg asked Rose Hammork, “Ms. Rose,” who worked as a recreation supervisor on the Hill for more than 30 years, and Jesse Wilson, who served as an RPD recreation and Potrero Hill Rec Center director, for help coordinating the event. He solicited local businesses for food donations, and requested that community members supply their own dishes, barbecue, and talent for the stage.

The Pickle Family Circus, which

had an office and rehearsal space in the 1980s at a former church on Missouri Street, performed at Day on the Green for years.

“Circus members Geoff Hoyle and Kimi Okada were Potrero Hill residents. The Circus performed to raise funds for community service organizations. Its philosophy was that individual excellence contributes to the good of the group,” said Peter Linenthal, Potrero Hill Archive Project director.

“I hope it (remains) an annual event. I think this type of event helps strengthen a community by pulling (everyone) together to have some food, fun, and music and mark the end of a wonderful summer,” said Greenberg.

To donate to Day on the Green or volunteer to help with setup or cleanup in the youth zone or with registration contact Stand In Peace: 415.289.5974; DOTGvolunteers@gmail.com.

GOOD LIFE from page 9

succeed. She shows other employees that they too can make a career of the grocery business. Her work lets others know they can be a part of something bigger, better, and more unique than working for a huge company that barely knows your name,” said Hudiburgh.

According to Hudiburgh, The Good Life Grocery’s most recent challenge was riding out “the pandemic storm,” staying open daily.

“Sometimes we opened a little later because deliveries were unpredictable. We all felt like this was our time to show the community that we were there. The staff was ready to help. It was our goal to feed our neighbors,” said Hudiburgh.

During the pandemic The Good Life Grocery rewarded its staff with weekly bonuses through the end of 2021.

As part of the Potrero Hill Festival The Good Life Grocery sets up a farmers’ market with local produce for sale under three tents, offering hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and other goodies. During Christmas the Hill store has brought Santa Claus to 20th Street.

“We live in a small community, and we need all these events to bring us together, to have fun together and to solve problems together. Small businesses help to create that necessary link, getting folks out of their houses,” said Hudiburgh. “It takes all of us to share the load and the laughter. Let’s meet each other in these special places and get involved. There’s plenty of work to do!”

What’s in Your Closet?

BY STEVEN J. MOSS

Growing up with three sisters in 1960s California, family vacations were dominated by road trips to lakes, forests, and the beach. We’d often stop at roadside attractions, places that featured oddly twisted trees, life size fiberglass dinosaurs, and gigantic Redwoods you could drive through.

Confusion Hill, in Leggett, opened in 1949, and continues to operate. My daughter, Sara, and I dropped by earlier this year; it was largely as I remembered it. According to the orange-yellow brochure I found in my closet, “A magnetic current flows through the area strong enough to actually magnetize or demagnetize a soft rod depending on the direction in which the rod is held.” It's a mildly amusing place whose hype exceeds its delivery, which is part, maybe most, of the entertainment.

Winchester Mystery House opened as a tourist attraction in San Jose in 1922. When we visited it decades ago its main feature was its opulent, sprawl-

ing architecture, stairs that went nowhere, and a vaguely spooky legend revolving around its owner, Sarah Winchester, the widow of firearms magnate William Wirt Winchester. Today it tries harder to draw crowds, with haunted house type tours and events, especially on Halloween. From a kid’s perspective it was slightly more interesting than the model home tours my parents liked to take at popup Southern California suburbs. Still, I kept the souvenir photographs.

We made an annual pilgrimage to San Diego, flying PSA Airlines – “PSA gives you a lift!” – from Los Angeles to stay with my grandparents for a week. Traveling was half the fun, at least for me, given the mini-skirted, pillboxhatted, lipsticked stewardesses. My grandma, Sara, for whom my daughter is named, had a set menu of activities and meals that my sisters and I relished: her award-winning spaghetti, baloney sandwiches, hamburgers, and a fruit inflicted Jell-O dessert that required us to shout “abracadabra!” for the mold to come out right. A highlight was the San Diego Zoo, where I picked up a mini viewfinder that features poorly photographed and mounted images of a Nile Hippopotamus, sea lions, macaws, and other creatures. Good times. Tell us what’s in your closet or garage: editor@potreroview.net.

MarlaGran, created by a group of female artists with a vision to nurture happy kids around the world, is a multilingual, interactive children’s story about a girl who embarks on a journey with the question, “How does one live creatively?” Three years in the making, the book initially emerged as a collaboration between writer Maria Lentzou and her friend and illustrator Claudia Escobar. For more information: https://www. authenticmovementsf.com/marlagran IMAGE: Courtesy of MarlaGran