Potrero View 2010: November

newest S.F. neighborhood Searching for an identity

By Bill Slatkin

Growing over the past decade from a few homeless inhabitants to upwards of 600 residents, the neighborhood just south of Dogpatch is struggling to develop its own identity. But there’s no place at the civic table yet for the people living or doing business south of 22nd Street, north of Cesar Chavez, in the area bordered by the T-line and CalTrain tracks. “We got left out of the planning process,” said Glenn McNulty, co-owner with wife Alexis of Oyster Bed, a Tennessee Street manufacturer of contemporary storage beds and other space-saving furniture. “When the rezoning was done for the Central Waterfront, this area was completely ignored. Like we don’t exist. We need to find a way to have a voice.”

The area used to serve as the hub for small enterprises that served companies in the meatpacking industry to the south, and the shipbuilding industry along the eastern waterfront. Until mid-century last, the Tubbs Cordage Company – a nowforgotten manufacturer of rope and marine cordage – was a major San Francisco employer, located on land

History Night Showcases “The Unique Ones”

now used to park dozens of Muni buses. The waves of development that intermittently rolled through the City over the past sixty years mostly left untouched the vacant industrial buildings and empty lots that extended to what used to be called Army Street. It wasn’t until the dot.com boom and the creation of a loophole in San Francisco’s building regulations – which enabled livework lofts to be fast-tracked towards development – that the area began to come back to life.

“This was a place where you didn’t want to be at night,” said Rich Lawson, whose roofing company has hugged the corner of 25th and Tennessee streets since 1984. According to Lawson, the first round of development, which starting roughly twelve years ago, was the “loft boom. It did change the area. More people here, that improved our personal safety.”

The trend toward gentrification, including newly-erected loft projects wired with fiber-optic cable, BMWs parked curbside next to pick-up trucks, and the delivery of trendy sofas and entertainment centers from South-of-Market furniture bou -

the rain, and missed the San Francisco Giants clinching the pennant, to hear interviews with long-time Hill residents: (left to right) Thomas Terrell, “Butchie” Alabanza, Donald Minor, Villy Wang, Gregory Bryant, George Brown and “Jackie” Smith. The guys - known as “The Unique Ones” - grew up mid-century last in the Potrero Annex-Terrace complex, and have been close friends all their lives. Wang is president of BAYCAT, a nonprofit that teaches media skills to underserved youth, whose video, Public Housing on Potrero Hill, premiered, and is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vTtK1F9nYw. Lorraine Vinson, who helped create the community garden at 20th and San Bruno in 1969, was interviewed by Phillip De Andrade. Andie Grace showed slides of the Burning Man party that takes place each October in Dogpatch. Thee Parkside, Chat’s Coffee and Bottom of the Hill offered a tasty barbeque. History Night is co-sponsored by the Potrero Hill Archives Project and the Potrero Hill Association of Merchants and Businesses. Photograph by Peter Linenthal.

Living and Working at Home

By Sarah Macdonald

international Studies Academy Principal builds Community

By Linda Chang

Matt Livingston might want to add “international diplomat” to his job description. As International Studies Academy’s (ISA) principal, his responsibilities include negotiating logistics for a group of 15 exchange students from Cologne, Germany, who are living with ISA students while visiting the U.S. The exchange program – ISA is the only San Francisco public school that hosts students from Germany – is in its third year. Next June, 15 ISA students will spend three weeks in Cologne. ISA currently supports five international trips – nicknamed “iTrips” – for students each academic year. In 2010 the destinations include Barcelona, Puerto Rico, New York, and a service-learning experience in Haiti. Families start saving money

in the ninth grade; ISA staff and others raise additional funds to support the programs. For many of these students, the “iTrip” will be the first time they’ve left San Francisco.

ISA, which serves sixth to twelve graders, has a mission to cultivate students to become global citizens.

In addition to international travel, graduating seniors are required to take a year-long course in international relations that includes a senior thesis.

A teenager pokes his head through the back door of Livingston’s office, and hands a paper to him.

Livingston tells the student that he’s busy, but earnestly expresses his intention to follow-up with him later.

Our meeting is already 45-minutes

of the ordinary. Borg rents a small apartment and large workspace –where he runs Eco-Imprints, an environmental design firm – across the street from historic Pier 70. He splits his time between San Francisco and Bolinas, where his children go to school.

When Borg first moved to his Dogpatch digs he lived and worked there full-time. “Living where you work makes a lot of sense,” said Borg. In the past, people often combined their homes and businesses. Doctors and lawyers worked out of home offices; shopkeepers lived in apartments adjacent to their stores. The Olympia Building, where Borg lives, was once a saloon and boarding house for pier workers. According to Borg, Dogpatch used to have a “company town culture,” with workers living walking distance from their jobs. While urban sprawl and modern work practices have driven workers to longer commutes, Borg said he expects more people will start living where they work in the future.

“Our culture is changing,” he

John Borg’s part-time home on Illinois Street might be considered out

Principal Matt Livingston honors Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi with Honorary Principal Certificate. Photograph by Linda Chang.

The 11th annual Potrero Hill History Night was held last month at International Studies Academy. Roughly 150 audience members braved

by Steve Moss

Over the past several months

I’ve walked up and down Potrero Hill dozens of times, and knocked on thousand of doors, a form of exercise that lingers in my now 50-year old knees. The experience has been exhilarating. Our community is living and breathing, changing, and being changed.

Babies are being born. Throughout our community infants and toddlers are being strollered, and playing at our parks. Young mothers and proud fathers accompany their children to our local shops and preschools, passing by the sidewalk chalk drawings of their older siblings. I remember when I too was one of these freshly-minted parents, wheeling my daughter from Kansas Street across the 18th Street pedestrian bridge to the Mission. Just a decade ago my walks felt lonely; I can’t recall ever passing another stroller. Today the hill sprouts with fresh shoots. But more than once these young moms and dads worried out-loud about whether they can afford to stay, whether their child would get into a good public school. Although more parents are fighting to maintain their toehold in the City, it remains challenging to keep the six to eighteen year-old population in our neighborhood.

Multiple times I was met at doors by a nurse taking care of an elderly resident, who was too infirm to get out of bed. Neighbors asked whether I’d seen a particular long-time community member, and how they were doing. With these deaths eras are passing, right before our eyes. The artists, ship builders, roll-up-your-

Home Delivery

sleeve workers who settled on the Hill mid-century last are fading, leaving behind hand-made houses, exquisite art pieces, and the aroma of a closely connected community. And they’re retiring from their long-time posts as guardians of our neighborhood. More than once I heard how a long-timer purchased extra property to make sure it was protected from over-development, kept as a garden or modest-sized home. With their deaths our hill will tighten up, houses shifting in their seats to accommodate more growth, more wealth.

There are dogs everywhere. It felt like the door bell on half the doors I knocked on was four-legged, often with a companion. Most of the people I passed on the non-commercial streets were attached to a dog. Many of them gather en masse twice daily at McKinley Square, Jackson Park, or the fields on Arkansas. The dog people form a loose network of communication; dogs sniff one another while their owners share neighborhood gossip, complaints, and news. It’s a new phenomenon, our large dog population, one that needs to be acknowledged, and responded to at our parks and open spaces.

The experience has reminded me that the one thing that’s constant is change. One minute we’re four years old, playing with blocks. The next we’re nearly retired, watching the next generation repeat what we did so long ago. Communities today are no different. They grow, they change, they stay the same in essential ways. If we’re lucky, the good times far outnumber the bad ones. And here, in Potrero Hill, we’re lucky.

Editor,

In response to a letter to the editor published in last month’s View, I’d like to remind readers that Esprit Park isn’t an off-leash dog park. When you have your dog off-leash it’s in violation of the law. There are many off-leash dog parks in the City. If you’re a law-abiding citizen you’d bring your dog to one of those. There are days that I’d like to sit in Esprit Park on a chair in the meadow, but I can’t because of all of the dogs running off-leash. I can’t bring my toddler grandchild to play in the park because I am afraid for his safety. I have already had a dog jump on me. The grass is ruined. Plantings have been destroyed. The San Francisco police do a great job, and we need to thank them instead of criticizing them. By the way, Esprit Park is also smoke-free (another law).

Meryl Krouss Dogpatch

Editor,

Opponents of Proposition L, civil sidewalks, say that there are existing laws that should be enforced instead of adopting a new law. Take a walk along the City’s sidewalks and it will be evident that the laws as they stand

aren’t working. The police have little power except in cases of violence, theft, or vandalism. Why should we have to wait until a situation gets to that level before intervening? Proposition L will provide the preventative measures that we sorely need.

I’ve been a San Franciscan business owner for 25 years. Over the last decade I’ve noticed the downward spiral of specific vagrants. If we take care of the homeless encampments the City will take in more revenue from business to provide more services to the homeless.

Proposition M was introduced as a substitute for Proposition L. Proposition M, which calls for more street patrols, is a weak ordinance without any teeth. More patrols will only cost the City more money, and will not solve the problem of offensive encampments on the sidewalks.

Let’s not support, reward and enable bad behavior. Instead, let’s provide safe and clean sidewalks. The poor, middle class and the wealthy deserve a respectable City to live in.

Small Business Owner Showplace Square

The writer preferred not to sign this correspondence for fear of retaliation

San Francisco Parks Need Your Help

By Phil Ginsberg

What would happen to our quality of life if San Francisco’s 225 neighborhood parks suddenly closed? Where would we play without our 179 playgrounds 82 recreation centers and clubhouses, 72 basketball courts, 60 soccer and baseball fields, or nine swimming pools?

Public parks and recreation facilities play an essential role in our lives, whether we’re children, teens, adults or seniors. They offer a welcome respite from the rigors of our daily schedules, providing us with the opportunity to relax, exercise, explore and rejuvenate our spirits in ways that are personal and meaningful.

But our parks are in trouble. Across the country, budget deficits are decimating urban park districts. Here in San Francisco, years of budget cuts, including a whopping $12.4 million deficit for this fiscal year alone, have left the Recreation and Park Department at a critical juncture.

For years, our staff has worked hard to do all it can with limited resources. Despite being 200 gardeners and 60 custodians short, our park maintenance scores have never been higher. We survived our most recent budget challenges by implementing creative revenue generating initiatives and scouring our operation for staff efficiencies, including a new gardener apprentice program and a 26 percent reduction in worker’s compensation claims. We’ve also implemented a complete reorganization of our rec -

reation model that’s more efficient, saves money and improves the quantity and quality of programming at our recreation facilities by asking the public to play an active role in deciding what types of programs are needed at each individual site.

But our bag of tricks is empty. While I’m proud of the results our staff continues to produce, the public is beginning to see noticeable reductions in services. We can no longer adequately staff our smaller clubhouses. We’re looking for community partners to provide relevant programming at these sites to keep them active, safe and fun. We can no longer operate our recreation centers and pools seven days a week. We’re pursuing grants and philanthropic support to help keep the doors open. Further reductions to our budget would surely result in even more drastic impacts on our parks and programs.

In order to sustain our treasured public spaces and recreational programs, we need to consider new revenue generating ideas and amenities in our parks, such as sponsorships, concessions and special events. We must ask our elected leaders and fellow San Franciscans to protect our urban park system by prioritizing recreation and parks and by supporting additional dedicated and sustainable funding sources.

We need your help. Get involved. Visit our website – www. sfrecpark.org – and join our email list. Check-out our calendar of up -

see PArkS page 11

Short CutS

bridge

Tempers are flaring over a proposal to close the 18th and San Bruno pedestrian bridge which was floated at last month’s Community Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) meeting. The idea, which was prompted by a neighborhood crime wavelet – including the knifing of a young woman – is to treat the bridge like a park, with closure hours between roughly midnight and 5 a.m. That, in turn, would remove a quick get-away avenue for would-be criminals, in a corridor with poor visibility. Those opposed to the concept are loath to cut-off one of the few passages between the Mission and Potrero Hill, particularly given scant evidence that the bridge prompts more criminal activity than other locations. A preferred approach may to be follow the lead of the Utah Street SAFE group, which started landscaping the western foot of the bridge two years ago. The bridge and surrounding areas could be well-lit and beautified; something tangibly welcoming, as opposed to slightly threatening. Debate over what to do with the 18th Street Bridge has prompted a similar discussion about the 22nd Street pedestrian overpass, with similar concerns…Additional AT&T boxes will be placed within 300 feet of boxes already located on Mariposa, Kansas, 20th, 22nd and 23rd streets…By the end of the year the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority will install “No

Through Access” signs for westbound traffic on 18th and 20th streets at Vermont, 15 miles per hour advisory speed limit signs on 20th between San Bruno Avenue and Vermont Street, and new curb ramps at 20th at Vermont Street.

garden

The Pennsylvania Street Garden has been awarded $85,000, a bit more than half in the form of a City-funded Community Challenge Grant (CCG), with the rest from the San Francisco Public Utility Commission. The funds

will be used to flatten the grade from street to railroad level so the slope no longer provides a hidden area for homeless encampments, and, in collaboration with Friends of the Urban Forest, to plant roughly 30 trees. The garden wants to work with local businesses, and hopes to spend as much of the funds as possible on the Hill and surrounding neighborhoods. To find out more, visit http://psgsf.org. The Vermont Street Neighbrohood Association and McKinley Square Park Foundation were awarded a $10,000 CCG for landscaping at McKinley Square. And Progress Park, emerging south of Dogpatch, received an $8,600 CCG, and a $600 Innovator award from the San Francisco Parks Trust. Congratulations to our green spaces, and the citizen-leaders who are bringing them to life.

little

Zynga has signed a lease at an 8th and Townsend street building, capable of housing up to 2,000 employees. Combined with traffic created by the University of California, San Fran-

cisco-Mission Bay campus, Whole Foods, and the California Culinary Academy, don’t expect parking to get any easier… Craving a chocolate pick-me-up? If you happen to be in Dogpatch when the urge strikes, head over to Poco Dolce’s new showroom and retail outlet located on Third Street in the American Industrial Center (AIC) building. The “little sweet” confectioner has been whipping up its chocolate tiles and toffees locally for years now. Who knew?... Poquito’s also opened on Third Street last month, the latest “ito” seemingly spawned by Regalito’s, which opened in the Mission four years ago. Poquitos features small plates from Ecuador – arepas, ceviche – as well as bar snacks, such as fried fava beans…Speaking of little, a casual stroll around the Hill indicates that it’s spider season. Dozens of webs, with an individual araneide waiting patiently inside each, have been constructed, and are particularly visible on the southern slope.

opportunities

International Studies Academy senior Nicole Zatarian Rivera accepted a $10,000 National Arts and Humanities Award on behalf of Writerscorp last month. Writerscorp provides writing teachers to public schools… Also last month City Attorney and Dogpatch resident Dennis Herrera was elected president of International Municipal Lawyers Association. The association has 3,600 active members consisting of chief legal officers for state municipal leagues, and attorneys who represent municipalities, counties, and other local government entities…Carter, Reddy & Associates is looking for teachers and experienced tutors, offering up to $50 a hour. For information call 866.903.7323; candr@crandassociates. org...Rebuilding Together San Francisco is looking for volunteers for its see Short CutS page 4

Cupcakes, anyone? Brook Bent (left) and Caroline “Firefly” Freeman-Cherry (right) stopped by the Daniel Webster Elementary School Pumpkin Patch last month, which coincided with the Potrero Hill Festival. The fundraiser, which included a Decorate your Own Cupcake table, earned more than $3,000 for the school and Potrero Kids at Daniel Webster preschool. Photograph by Lisa Tehrani.

Pg&e’s Pipelines Criss-Cross Potrero hill

By Christine Mai-Duc Special from Mission Loc@l

Most residents who live at York and 25th streets said they were unaware of their proximity to a northern section of the same main natural gas transmission pipeline that exploded in San Bruno recently, leaving four people dead, more than 60 injured and many more displaced. “It’s disconcerting considering current events,” said Brendan Kelly, who lives just blocks away. Others were unfazed. “They have to go somewhere,” shrugged Mauricio Albrizzio, a 37-year old teacher who lives along the pipeline. “We all can’t be NIMBY about it. We all have to take a little bit of risk to have the common comforts.”

Mission Loc@l obtained the location of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) gas transmission lines from an online mapping program available to the public through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The maps show the pipes running along 25th Street between Potrero Avenue and York Street, and southward on York to Cesar Chavez. The lines continue into Bernal Heights to the south, and run adjacent to San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) and through Potrero Hill to the west.

PG&E gas transmission lines, similar to the one that exploded in San Bruno, run through Potrero Hill. Source: Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

In late-September PG&E finished inspecting all 200 miles of pipelines located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shortly thereafter, the utility released its list of 100 highest-priority pipeline safety projects, none of which are located in the City.

When asked about extra precautions taken for pipelines in or near high-density areas, such as

those adjacent to SFGH, PG&E president Chris Johns said that the company’s policy is to put extra emphasis on safety measures, such as lower operating pressures and more frequent inspections.

To see the complete map of pipelines in Potrero Hill visit: https://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov/ PublicViewer/.

annual Rebuilding Day in April. The organization offers free home repairs to low-income households. Last year, with the help of 1,400 volunteers, Rebuilding Together rebuilt 30 San Francisco homes. More information is available at www.rebuildingtogethersf.org... South-of-Market resident Kristen Nolan, proprietor of I Luv My Body Fitness, will start one of her month-long Hot Momma Boot Camps in mid-November; $97. Nolan offers classes six days a week; most take place at My Gym on Minnesota Street. The Saturday class is held outdoors behind AT&T Park. For more information: www.sanfranciscobootcamps.com. Hot poppas welcome too... During November, World Gym San Francisco will donate five percent of its membership proceeds to the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, and will match, dollar for dollar, the total amount raised from membership donations. For more information: robin.taylor@worldgym.com.

Assistance

Potrero Hill resident and Bottom of the Hill sound engineer Kim Griess is battling stage 3 breast cancer. To help her the music club is holding a benefit concert with silent auction and raffle on November 11th. Local businesses Yield Wine Bar, Serpentine, Slow Club, Emily Payne Photography, and Peter Ellenby Photography have donated to the event. See page 15 for more information.

Short CutS from page 3

Photography Project Captures Neighborhood

By M.E. Greg

As the sun fades into early-evening twilight you may notice a man walking along Connecticut Street, between 20th and 22nd streets, on Potrero Hill. Camera in hand, his dog Mika at his heels, photographer Tom Hood is seeking-out the individuals and stories that define this neighborhood.

Hood, a longtime Missouri Street resident, began walking this “street next door” because it’s quiet, free

of fast traffic and flat. “The more I walked the street, the more I began to imagine all the stories that exist here,” Hood said. “I’m always looking around, and I started to notice the architecture. Some say that every era of architecture is represented here, from Victorian’s that rival the Painted Ladies to shaded, hidden bungalows to Eichler-inspired modern homes.”

A commercial photographer, Hood

balances his professional work with personal projects that allow him to pursue his own interests and creativity. “Often times it’s hard for me to stop and find time to make my own photographs. Those images that help me express thoughts that are purely my own, with no one else looking over my shoulder and telling me what I should or shouldn’t be focusing on.”

Hood has photographed national advertising campaigns for Intel, Bank of America, Invisalign and Genentech, among others. While his work allows him to travel frequently, he loves calling Potrero Hill home. “I’m always excited to come home,” he said. “It’s such a great part of the City, the weather is gorgeous and the people are often wonderful and unique.” Through his Connecticut Street photography project Hood met Michael McKinney, a 30-year resident who built his own house, and, after being photographed, introduced Hood to his neighbors.

This quiet residential street near the top of the Hill is a place where children draw on sidewalks and neighbors linger outside their homes, chatting and catching-up after coming home from work. “It’s very charming. You get a true feeling of a neighborhood

here. People are social and genuinely interested in each other.”

One couple Hood recently photographed, Jon and Lauren Bowne, had been renting a home nearby, but had always wanted to live on Connecticut Street. When a house came on the market, they were excited about the opportunity to buy and move onto the street that they’d loved for years. Now expecting their first child, they feel comfortable and fortunate to live in such a special place. “When you meet people with stories like that, you can see it in their eyes,” Hood said. “This is the place for them, I want to visually tell their story to the rest of the world.”

While the Connecticut Street project is in its early stages, Hood has been well received by most of the people he’s approached to photograph. “Some people are relatively private and not interested in this, so I respect their privacy and move on. However, the majority of those I have spoken with are truly open to it. I think they know how special the street is and want to be a part of the project.”

While he’s not sure what the end product will be after collecting his images, for the time being, Hood continues to walk the street, working to bring its stories to life. “After all, it’s good walking, it is possibly the flattest street in town!”

Michael McKinney. Photograph by Tom Hood.

Jon and Lauren Bowne. Photograph by Tom Hood.

Law Office of Heather A Cutler Bankruptcy Law

Potrero Hill Dance Club Maintains its Rhythm

By Sasha Lekach

John Zane knows that the intersection of Connecticut Street and Cesar Chavez isn’t the most glamorous address. But for him and his sisterturned-business-partner Ann Jung, the location, at the base of the Potrero Annex-Terrace housing complex, is a welcome home for their dance studio, Danzhaus.

Danzhaus settled into a remodeled former t-shirt printing warehouse next to an auto mechanic shop on 1275 Connecticut Street in the mid-1990s. Zane transformed the space into a large showroom with a raised stage, theater seating, bar and lounge, and studio space decorated with the quintessential mirrors and stretching bars.

Zane and Jung found the warehouse after being forced-out by rising rents at the 24th and Mission streets ballet studio Dance Central, where Zane served as director. The Mission is known for its dance culture, and Zane was sad to leave the area. But, he said, Danzhaus brings in the Mission dance vibe. “We are really separate from [Potrero Hill], the Mission is definitely 70 percent of our dance business,” Zane explained. “But people come from all over: the East Bay, Palo Alto, San Mateo, Daly City because we are inbetween freeways.”

Zane and younger sister Jung grew-up in Honolulu in a family of eight siblings. They arrived in San

Francisco in 1981. The two have complementary backgrounds in hotel and catering work. Coming from a big family eased the pair into the event and performance world. “We are used to lots of people, our parents always had parties,” Zane said.

Zane, who has a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance/Theater from the University of Hawaii, is in charge of Danzhaus’ artistic side and advertising operations, while Jung, who studied communications, is responsible for administration. Danzhaus, named after Zane’s interest in the Bauhaus art movement, was created as a place for Zane to continue his choreography work. “Running a dance studio is really easy,” he said.

Danzhaus is available for weddings and bat mitzvahs, offers classes, and provides dance companies rehearsal space. The theater hosts shows and performances, including the recent tour of Lizz Roman & the Dancers. According to Zane, Roman and her dancers “[break] the fourth wall, they bring the performance down to the audience’s space. They’ll be performing in hallways, bathrooms, outside, and hang off the ceiling. It’s wild and very athletic.”

Last spring Zane obtained an after-hours weekend permit from San Francisco’s Entertainment Commission. At the time the San Francisco Police Department expressed concerns about patron safety in the sometimes rough neigh-

borhood. Audrey Cole, Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association president, said she hasn’t heard any specific complaints about Danzhaus, but she knows safety concerns are a big issue for clubs in the area.

“Unfortunately there are other examples of clubs where there are problems, such as violence. If done right, it certainly can work in the

On the online review website Yelp, reviewers attest to Danzhaus’ rave-like qualities and after-hours Saturday night partying. According to Yelp user Johnny P, “This is the place to go if 2 a.m. is just to damned early for you to call it a night.” Zane has plans to make Danzhaus into a more established nightclub. “My dream is the old Cotton Club: dinner, music, dancing, people all dressed up.”

Faux Car Chase Speeds Down Wisconsin Street

Late last month Wisconsin and 20th streets was the scene of another film shoot and car chase, this time for the Japanese television show Kaikoukan Kuroda KosakuDiplomat Kuroda Kosaku - starring Yuji Oda. The series will be shown on Japanese TV starting next year, Thursdays at 10 p.m. Photograph by Peter Linenthal.

said. People don’t stay at the same job as long as they used to, and more work is freelance and computerized. “I think [living at work] is going to be more important in the future,” he said. Borg leases part of his work space to other green companies, as well as a nonprofit that works in Africa. “It has sort of a familial quality, which is good for work,” he said.

Mirna Rivera and her partner Missy Nery run their graphic design firm, 13 Squared, from their home on Pennsylvania Street, in a building that’s designated by the City for residential, mixed-use residential and commercial use. According to Rivera,

most of the building’s residents don’t work from home. She and Nery designate the largest space in their loft for work, but “unfortunately for us, work kind of spills out of the work room.” Rivera prefers to work from home because it allows her to make her own hours without sacrificing a personal life. Even if she works late at night, she said, “I can still have a life with my partner.” Mark Houston, an advertising photographer who rents a live-work loft behind 323 Gallery, at 16th and Potrero streets, agreed that living where he works can make life easier. “It’s the best commute in the world,” he said.

On Kansas Street, Dr. Justin Davis runs his practice, The House Doctor, from his home. “It’s a little bit more like an old time medical practice,” said Davis, who also visits patients in their homes. Davis grew up in a family that ran a school, and said he was used to not having a separation between work and his personal life. He lives and runs his office in two units of the same building, and said that working from home enables him to be more flexible with his schedule and see patients at times that are convenient for them. He said having a home office is more comfortable for patients. “It feels very warm and inviting,” he said.

Sherri Franklin agreed that a home office can feel more comfortable.

She operates Muttville, a nonprofit dog rescue, out of her Kansas Street home. “I think people enjoy coming to a place that’s a little more homey,” she said. She runs Muttville from home

for economic reasons. “It was the only thing to do,” she said. Muttville has an office manager and several volunteers. According to Franklin, having people at her house throughout the day keeps her street safer, but she’s had to give up some privacy. “It’s hard to stop and say, ‘now is my time,’” she said. She’s recently instituted off-limit hours for employees and volunteers, but it’s still a challenge to create boundaries between Muttville and her personal life. “I think if I weren’t so passionate I could more easily turn it off,” she said. Houston has similar issues. “You never feel like you’re leaving it behind,” he said. He tries to create some separation by leaving the house every morning for coffee with friends,

and turning his computer off by 10 p.m., unless he’s on deadline.

Rivera has more trouble keeping a regular schedule. “I end up working really late hours,” she said. While she appreciates the freedom to set her own schedule, she finds it hard to detach from work. “It’s a double-edged sword,” she said.

According to Borg, most people who own small businesses face these challenges, whether they live at work or not. He said he often gets ideas in bed or in the shower, and living at work makes it more convenient when inspiration strikes. “It’s a much more on-the-go culture,” he said. In the future, he said, “I think there’ll be more spaces kind of like this.”

Auto Repair Shop Stands Strong for Three Decades

By Sarah McDonald a guide to local companies that reduce their use of toxic chemicals. According to Siegel, his shop recycles everything it can, including used oil. A mobile recycler regularly filters and purifies their antifreeze, which is re-used.

Located on the corner of 18th and Florida streets, San Francisco Auto Repair Center brightens up the block with its graffiti-painted garage doors and signs advertising smog testing and service for hybrids. “We’re a very San Francisco company,” said manager Gary Siegel. The 33-year-old shop sits in a rapidly changing neighborhood on the border of the Mission and Potrero Hill. According to Siegel, the area has changed “tremendously” in the 10 years he’s worked there, boasting new residential buildings, cafes, and shops. “The neighborhood’s not Valencia Street, but it’s close behind,” he said, adding that he welcomed the change despite the parking problems it’s created.

San Francisco Auto Repair Center is one of the first companies recognized by the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s Clean and Green program, which publishes

Rick Collins Macintosh Help

Seigel said he helps his customers reduce their environmental footprints, through regular smog checks, changing their air filters and inflating their tires, practices that improve mileage efficiency. The shop also encourages its customers with diesel-power vehicles to use biodiesel, clean-burning fuel made from plants, directing clients to Dogpatch Biofuels, a local biodiesel fueling station. The repair shop is certified by California’s Gold Shield program for smog protection, meaning they’re held to a higher standard for smog inspection and repair. “We help cars clean up the air,” said Siegel.

The company has a history of educating its clientele. Owner Jerry Brown once taught auto mechanic training classes at the shop, teaching students how to repair their cars and communicate with mechanics. But roughly a year ago interest started to wane. “Cars have changed,” said Siegel, and the do-it-yourself approach is harder with new technology. “Cars generally last longer [and] need less repairs,” he said.

According to Siegel, cars used to require a tune-up every six months. Now “there is no more tune-up.” Between better technology and the Great Recession, the shop is struggling. “We’re just trying to stick it out until the economy picks up,” said Siegel. In the meantime, they try to reach-out to people who live and work in the neighborhood. “We’re not a destination repair shop,” said Siegel. “We want to work on our neighbors’ cars.”

The shop employs five mechanics who “fix pretty much anything someone needs fixed on their car,” said Siegel. In addition to hybrids, they also specialize in on older vehicles. Siegel said he wants the shop to have a trustworthy reputation, giving fair, honest evaluations and prices to their customers. “We stand behind our work,” he said.

Dogpatch resident and business owner John Borg.

New Boosters President Hopes to Attract New Members

By Sarah Mcdonald

Audrey Cole began her term as Potrero Neighborhood Boosters Association president last June. Cole, who previously served on the

Autumn Day in the Openspace

Booster’s board, has lived in Potrero Hill for more than a quartercentury. She relies on her friends and fellow association members to balance her new duties with her day job as a database consultant. “I knew it was a lot of work,” she said. “Without the support of the board I would not have done this.” According to immediate past Booster president Tony Kelly, who is running for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in District 10, Cole is doing a fine job. “She’s been a very faithful Booster,” he said.

Cole, who lives on Missouri Street, has been a longtime Potrero Hill Association of Merchants and Businesses (PHAMB) member, is a Bay Area Association of Database Developers board member, and volunteers as treasurer for Developing Indigenous Resources, a nonprofit organization that works to improve public health in India. She used to volunteer with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, “until the neighborhood kitty adopted me,” she said. Between her professional, community, and philanthropic pursuits, Cole also finds time to garden. “I went from having one potted plant on a roof deck to buying a house with a huge garden,” she said. She’s a member of the Potrero Hill Garden Club.

Cole plans to use her term with

534

Beautifully remodeledhome ~ 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, open floor plan with gourmet kitchen; large attic space ready for EZ development!

the Boosters to work on membership recruitment and making meetings more accessible. In the past, she said, “we had been so outwardly focused...that we didn’t do much housekeeping.” Cole is working with the View and PHAMB on a Welcome Wagon campaign, to let new residents know about neighborhood resources, and invites local merchants to share their products at Booster meetings. Loving Cup, a rice pudding and frozen yogurt shop that just opened on Owens

Street, visited a recent meeting and brought treats to share. Kelly said he appreciates Cole’s focus on getting people involved. “She knows full well there’s a lot of folks...who can’t always go to every meeting,” he said.

Cole resurrected the Boosters’ holiday party roughly five years ago, and plans to continue it this year, along with the association’s spring awards dinner. “I feel like

see Cole page 18

BONUS rooms down; great for bedroom and office, plus half bath.

Beautifully remodeled home on the North slope! 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, open floor plan with gourmet kitchen; large attic space ready for EZ development!

Unwarranted rooms down; great for bedroom and office, plus half bath.

Gorgeous landscaped garden and deck. Just steps to 20th Street shops and restaurants!

Gorgeous landscaped garden and deck. Half of a block to 20th Street shops and restaurants.

$799,000

Call me for details!

Audrey Cole in her garden. Photograph by M. Joseph Schaller.

A view of Bernal Heights from Starr King Openspace. The trees and part of this vantage point will be lost if the structure to the left is replaced with a larger residential building that is currently proposed at 1321 De Haro Street. Photograph by Nicki Dugan.

off-track as a result of a prior parent meeting, and one day delayed due to an unexpected district principals’ meeting. “I can’t get a moment alone,” he said. “But being principal is, nonetheless, a very lonely job.”

Livingston was raised in Los Angeles, schooled at the University of California, San Diego, and is pursuing his doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley. Both his parents were teachers, whom he credits for giving him the impetus for entering the field. He got his start as an eighth grade math teacher, and first hit the principal track at an elementary school. He was the principal of Gloria R. Davis College Preparatory Academy, and became assistant ISA principal before being promoted to head principal in 2009. He moved to Potrero Hill a few years ago so he could be more involved in the community and better support the school’s vital after-hours activities, such as Parent-Teacher Association and School Site Council meetings.

As we settle into the interview, interruptions abound. “This job needs a kind of communication and resiliency,” he explained. “I embody the school itself. I am the last stop, the one with ultimate responsibility. I think of it like being that boulder in the midst of a river current—sometimes there’s quite a lot of turbulence, sometimes there’s calm—but I’m that rock, while the rest of the school is

the river.”

These days, principals need to be strong strategic thinkers in addition to having exceptional execution skills. “You need passion and

excitement, Livingston stated. “But you’ve also gotta be kinda crazy, but the good kinda crazy; and find that part of you that will do whatever it takes to get things done, make things happen.”

The slate of things happening at ISA is impressive. The school recently hosted two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Betty Williams and Shirin Ebadi. In Livingston’s office are two large Warhol-like digital portraits of each woman created by ISA students and signed by each Laureate. Ebadi delivered her speech in Farsi with a translator assisting. In reviewing the difficult obstacles she faced as an Iranian human rights activist, she articulated a wise truism: defeat can be the beginning of your greatest triumph. Betty Williams, who won the Nobel in 1976 for her work in Northern Ireland, delivered a message that received thunderous applause and cheering. After having everyone stand-up and give their neighbor a hug, she said, “Arms are

for hugging, not for killing.”

A week earlier, San Francisco Giants Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, who is originally from Puerto Rico, spoke to ISA students about the importance of non-violence and global citizenship. A brand new video conferencing facility opened at the school last month, made possible with the help of District 10 Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and a number of Potrero Hill businesses.

Despite these successes, a sense of community eludes the school. This is in part because of ISA’s diverse student and faculty population. ISA students largely come from Excelsior, Mission, Bayview, Chinatown, and the Western Addition. Only a few are Potrero Hill residents. The teachers and staff, on the other hand, come from different neighborhoods. Attending a recent Potrero Hill neighborhood meeting on safety, alongside Mark Alvarado, Downtown High School’s principal, Livingston remarked on how the packed cafeteria was full of adults who were not connected to either his nor Alvarado’s students.

Livingston is wrestling with a microcosm of the Hill’s own identity crisis. An increasing number of Hill residents only spend significant amounts of time in the neighborhood during the evenings and weekends, commuting to jobs on the peninsula or elsewhere. Meanwhile, Zynga, California Culinary Academy, and the University of California, San Francisco-Mission Bay, bring in a robust number of outsiders during the weekdays. Building community in this context is challenging.

The challenge of communitybuilding is also at the heart of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which seeks to engender a universal sense of community on a global level so that the human community can transcend the localized drivers of more destructive negative behaviors. Before their visit, Livingston had all ISA students and faculty review a single set of presentation slides about the Nobel Prize winners’ lives, their accomplishments and why they were honored with the prize. By galvanizing the entire school around such a powerful universal message through a mutually understood narrative, that elusive sense of community seemed to make a rare showing.

Maureen DeBoer

Photograph by Emily Payne

Nobel Women’s Initiative Co-Founder Betty Williams autographs her ISA student created digital portrait. Photograph by Linda Chang.

neighborhood from front page

tiques, signaled the neighborhood’s transformation, a process Lawson refers to as the “natural progression.” But that progression has stalled. A snapshot taken today would reveal the same scene, the identical mashup of residences and diverse small businesses, which comprised the area before the start of the Great Recession.

“We feel sorry for people in that area; they still don’t have services,” said Janet Carpinelli, Dogpatch Neighborhood Association president. A decade ago Carpinelli presciently predicted that the area south of 23rd Street “will be an island.” With the exception of the Phoenix Café on Indiana Street, run by nonprofit Hireability, no new services have opened in the neighborhood for the past five years. Meanwhile, the four-blocks north of 23rd have sprouted a number of food, beverage and other businesses.

According to Ken Watson, coowner of Sports Graphics, the progress hoped-for by local residents came to a halt in 2008, with the sudden and severe drop in both housing demand and the availability of funds needed to continue the area’s expansion. Watson and partner Pat McCune moved their company – a producer of silk-screen and digital printing on T-shirts and other items for a nation-wide clientele – to its current Minnesota Street space from Bryant Street roughly eight years ago, seeking room for expansion and parking for their now 45 employees. “We want to see more changes,” said Watson. “I’d like to have a convenience store. More commercial space and more services would be good for the people who work here and who live here.”

Scott Wilkinson, a six-year resident and director of the homeowner’s association (HOA) at a 30-unit loft project down the street from Graphic Sportswear, would also like to see

more neighborhood-serving services.

According to Wilkinson, “If natural progression calls for additional residential development…the City should not impede that development by trying to maintain PDR [production, distribution, repair] areas that are underutilized as a result of the City’s treatment of employers. I’d maintain buildings and areas with historic significance, but also recognize that change must come to pockets within

cleaner.” Klassen believes that his business benefits by its location. “I’d say ‘hip’ is the word to describe this. Not like the downtown salons where you pay $30 to park. And they’re all pretty much the same. Customers like coming here to the loft. It’s not like other places; it’s got a distinct, artistic feel.”

One change Klassen applauded is the transformation of an empty California Department of Transportation

right direction. “You should have a contest to name the neighborhood,” she recommended.

According to Huie, developing Progress Park has helped bring the neighborhood together. “Working together on this project as a community,” he said, “has helped us get to know one another. It’s a critical step in building a neighborhood with our own unique identity.” The plan for the park includes installation of a cistern to collect rainwater from the freeway and nearby rooftops. Harvested water would be used to irrigate the ground cover and plants. “The PUC [San Francisco Public Utility Commission] is very interested in what we’re doing. They see it as a model for other public spaces. And it’s exactly the kind of innovation we want identified with our neighborhood as it evolves.” Progress Park is envisioned as the “anchor to a string of green spaces – a necklace, if you will – stretching all the way down to Warm Water Cove at the shores of the bay,” he said.

our district that are not only underused, but that constitute a dangerous condition for the neighborhood.”

Scott Klassen, co-owner of Dekko a Salon on Indiana Street, prefers less growth and a more creative set of businesses and residents.

“We ought to have more artists and different kinds of businesses; specialized businesses.” Klassen said.

“There could be a little grocery store here with unique products. But I wouldn’t like a big store and 400 more condo buildings. I want to know the name of the store’s bagboy.” He noted that when Dekko was established in 2002 – the first tenant and the only business – in the 48-unit condo project on Indiana Street near 25th, “This was an empty industrial area. I’m glad the area doesn’t feel like that as much as it did. There is less crime than there was. And it’s

lot across the street to a multi-use community space, to be called Progress Park. The park will, according to Bruce Kin Huie – who serves on the HOA board for the condominium development at the corner of 23rd and Indiana streets – “help turn our area into a real neighborhood. We aren’t exactly Dogpatch. We’re our own unique area, and I think the park is important in building our ‘brand.’”

Last month the park received a Community Challenge Grant and a San Francisco Parks Trust Innovator Award. Carpinelli agreed that creation of the park is a step in the

Walking along Indiana, where railroad tracks brought loads of equipment and supplies for the busy companies that have long vanished from the area, Huie looks at the fenced-in empty lot that will ultimately be developed as condominiums, and at the broad expanse of soil destined to become a park. “We know this area will grow, and as it does, it will take on some kind of personality,” he said. “It’s our responsibility to be pro-active, not just sit back and watch what happens. If we want our neighborhood to be recognized at City Hall, if we want to enjoy where we live, and to have a neighborhood we’re proud of, we need to be involved in managing that growth.”

Scott Klassen (left) and Richard Lawson (right) are two of the business owners supporting the new neighborhood south of Dogpatch. Lawson photograph by Bill Slatkin.

Fallen bridge Mini Park brightens 18th Street Pedestrian bridge

By Steve Moss

Take a group of Potrero Hill neighbors, add organization and research, sweat equity, and a united effort, and – viola – you can transform a garbage dump into a lovely, landscaped park.

The slice of land surrounding the western entrance of the 18th Street Pedestrian Overpass has been called “Fallen Bridge Park” for decades. In the 1970s it sported a well-used children’s playground. Over the years, however, it fell into neglect and disrepair, was frequently marred with graffiti, and become a haven for drug users and the homeless. In 2004 the Utah Street Safety Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) group – renamed MUNA to include Mariposa, Utah, 18th and San Bruno streets – started a committee to improve the situation. The hope was that by creating an attractive park, dog walkers, pedestrians, and the neighborhood in general would be drawn to the space.

Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) manager Robert Watkins supported the effort, and worked with the neighbors to provide plants, mulch, and weed cover, which was laid-down with the help of numerous volunteers. A volunteer landscape architect designed

see FAllen bridge page 19

New Listing! New Listing!

PotreroHill North Slope Home

•3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths

•2 levels of living space

•Living room with downtown SF Views

•Formal dining room

•Large eat-in kitchen

•Laundry room with washer & dryer

•Wine cellar in basement

•Garage with two car parking plus storage

•www.455connecticut.com

455 Connecticut Street

Listed for: $899,000

Prime North Slope Condo-B2B Views

•Expansive 2 bedroom 2 bath layout

•Sweeping panoramic SF Skyline, Bay, Bridge views

•Private walk-out deck

•Private Garage

•In-unit washer & dryer

•Great natural light throughout

•Deeded storage room

•Pool & Tennis Courts

•Fitness Center & Clubhouse

Listed for: $799,000 1802 20th Street

PArkS from page 2

coming community meetings. We want and value your input. Volunteer in our parks and at our recreation facilities. We need you. Advocate. Ask our elected leaders to support a more financially sustainable urban parks system.

This month, we’re beginning a much-needed $1.3 million improvement project around Potrero Hill Recreation Center that will renovate the tot play area, upgrade the north softball field and implement American Disability Act improvements at the Arkansas Street entrance. The anticipated reopening of these areas is July 2011. The adjacent Potrero Hill Playground, which was renovated in 2007 thanks to the Trust for Public Land, will remain open throughout this renovation process. Concurrently, the clubhouse at Jackson Playground will reopen this month, which will enable Potrero Hill’s school-age and kindergarten after-school programs to continue just down the hill. In addition, we’ll be continuing outdoor programming at Potrero Hill, and will partner with other community agencies to find locations to provide additional recreation opportunities.

For more information about parks and recreational programming, visit www.sfrecpark.org. Ginsburg serves as general manager at the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

Susan is both your PotreroHill neighbor and Realtor®. With her keen business sense and warm approach to client service, she is at once upscale and down to Earth. Kind of like PotreroHill.

And with nearly 30 years of San Francisco real estate expertise in the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods, and of course her own home base of Potrero Hill, it’s no wonder she’s the first person so many San Franciscans turn to for guidance when they decide to buy or sell property. She’s been at the top of this game for years; when only the best of both worlds will do, call Susan Olk.

Volunteers worked to landscape Fallen Bridge Park in October.

the world of technology comes together for you

imagine the possibilities.

High-speed broadband access to the Internet empowers, transforms and enlightens.

That’s why AT&T is embarking on one of the largest network upgrades in our history. We’re bringing fiber optic technology built on the global standard of Internet Protocol (IP) to San Francisco.

imagine:

Your television, cell phone, laptop, PDA, digital video recorder, home appliances and so much more –working better because they work together for you .

We are currently meeting with San Francisco neighborhood groups. To request a meeting or to find out how you can help bring AT&T U-verse® to your neighborhood, please contact us today.

att.com/IPnetwork4sf

Kids on the Block

Happy Birthday to Joshua Lightyear ... or is that Buzz Smith? Love Mummy, Daddy, and little sister Jessica.

Happy second birthday, Bridget! Love, Mommy Mama, Daddy, Grandma, Grampa, and Uncle Eric.

Above: Crazy Eights come in threes: Potrero Hill residents, Starr King Elementary School students and SK Storm soccer buddies celebrate eight together. Skylar Tan (November 3rd), Helen Lude (November 19th), and Daisy Wanger (October 10th).

To our favorite dancing princess: Happy birthday, Nugget! Love, Mommy, Daddy, Dashiell, Ralph, Rufus and Beau-Beau.

The View is delighted to publish local kids’ birthdays, accomplishments, and milestones. Please email your image and/or caption to graphics@potreroview.net by the 18th of the prior month. High resolution photos, please!

Potrero Hill native Olivia Moss turns nine this month. Happy birthday, Olivia!

Left: Leila turns five this month! Happy birthday to our sweet, lovely, little (big) girl. Besitos, Mommy and Baba.

Grace Verne turns one on November fifth. Happy Birthday, Gracie!!! Mom and Dad love you.

BLACK FRIDAY WAREHOUSE SALE!

15% off Total Purchase*

STOREWIDE DISCOUNTS & MORE

November 26, 7am-5pm

CENTER HARDWARE

999 MARIPOSA STREET SAN FRANCISCO 415.861.1800

www.centerhardware.com

2 free keys per customer with purchase. Free giveaways every hour! We recycle! Bring your batteries, CFL/Fluorescent Bulbs & Tubes & Latex Paint. * Some exceptions apply.

Serving The City since the 1880s. Please continue to support local businesses.

654 Minnesota Street (between 18th & 19th streets)

Meeting Agenda:

6:00-7:30pm Mission Bay Phase 2

 This is the second of three community meetings for this project to plan for the remaining undeveloped blocks on the UCSF Mission Bay campus (north of 16th street)

 We will be soliciting feedback on various options regarding campus locations for future research buildings, housing, outdoor recreational space, parking and other uses.

7:30-9:00pm Mission Bay Hospital

 Proposed Garage Design

 Construction Activities

Refreshments will be served. 654 Minnesota Street is accessible by the #22 Muni bus and the 'T' light rail line (Mariposa Station stop).

If you would like to be on our email notification list, or if you have any questions, please contact Barbara Bagot-López, Director of UCSF Community Relations, at BBlopez@CGR.ucsf.edu.

UCSF fully ascribes to the Americans with Disabilities Act. If at any time you feel you have a need for accommodation, please contact UCSF Community & Governmental Relations at 415-476-3206 with your suggested accommodation.

The garden planted in August continues to grow and thrive with residents harvesting lettuces, collard greens and other fresh, organic vegetables. David Glober, the interim garden manager, is organizing workdays to plant fall vegetables and the children at Oscaryne Williams Infant and Toddler Center are planting seeds and watching them grow. The Garden Committee of the Community Building Group has been meeting on a regular basis to plan for a larger garden to be located on Texas Street.

On Friday, September 17th, two Potrero Terrace residents, Benita Johnson and Sarah Gillette, along with nine people from other public housing developments, graduated from HOPE SF Leadership Academy. Cheered on by friends, family and colleagues at City Hall, they received certificates and talked about their personal experiences, community building projects, and visions for the HOPE SF revitalization. This completes the third year of the HOPE SF Leadership Academy, which engages HOPE SF residents in the public housing revitalization process by building strong leadership skills.

Rebuild Potrero had a booth at this year’s Potrero Hill Festival, with information about the proposed plan including drawings and color renderings of the plans for rebuilding (download available at www.rebuildpotrero.com). Dozens of

neighborhood residents stopped by to get information and paint tiles that will become part of the new buildings. In addition, BRIDGE sponsored interested Potrero Terrace and Annex (PT&A) to attend the jazz breakfast at the NABE to encourage greater interaction between neighbors.

The Festival also marked the unveiling of the Dream Boxes built by members of the Community Building Group under the moniker “Unite Potrero”. Many people wrote down their hopes and dreams for the neighborhood and put them in the boxes. For all who want to share their dreams and ideas, or just add to the dialog about uniting all residents of Potrero Hill in common purpose, the website is www.unitepotrero.org

While the land use review process proceeds apace, the Rebuild Potrero team is focusing on developing a community building plan that will guide efforts to strengthen social ties, build community pride, and increase the “social capital” of residents to improve the quality of their lives. A series of “get togethers” this Fall hosted by PT&A residents of all ages will identify the issues most important to residents and the personal and institutional assets available to tackle them.

If you have questions please contact us at 415-321-4011.

Through December

Art: It Goes As It Grows

4

Ping Pong Gallery presents its first solo exhibition with San Francisco artist James Sterling Pitt. Pitt will share his series of sculptural abstracts and diagrammatic works on paper. “Elemental and vital to his life and practice, Pitt uses his art as a memory aid or journal to grasp the elusiveness of memory, giving the passage of time a kind of materiality and shape that might otherwise escape him,” the Gallery’s curators explained. Gallery hours: Tuesday and Thursday 6 to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1240 22nd Street. Information: www.pingponggallery.com.

November 5 - 30

Art: I Live Here: SF

SOMArts Main Gallery presents an exhibition of the photography and storytelling work of community mobilizer Julie Michelle. The participatory exhibition and photographic portrait series enables the public to share their experiences of what it means to live in San Francisco. Opening reception November 5, 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday 12 to 7 p.m.; Saturday 12 to 5 p.m. Free. 934 Brannan Street. Information: www.somarts.org.

November 5

Dance: Copious Dance Theater Benefit Soiree

Copious Dance Theater celebrates the start of its 2010-2011 season with a party at Dolby Studios. Watch a short dance performance by Copious Dance Theater, a nonprofit dance organization, with free wine, music and food. 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets: $20 per individual, $30 per couple presale; $25 per individual, $40 per couple at the door . 100 Potrero Avenue. Information: www.copiousdance.org.

November 6

Community: Mural Day

Through November 7

Theater: Habibi

Intersection for the Arts, in association with resident theater company Campo Santo, debuts a new play by emerging playwright Sharif AbuHamdeh. Habibi tells the story of three different generations of Palestinian immigrants attempting to make sense of the world that surrounds them. 8 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $15 - $25 sliding scale. 446 Valencia Street. Information: www.theintersection.org.

November 4 -7 & 12-14

Performance: Burning Libraries

ALICE premieres Burning Libraries: Stories from the New Ellis Island, a theatrical performance featuring music, dance, puppetry, aerial arts and video effects. Travelling from a Yemenite kitchen to a Vietnamese refugee boat and from a Mexican desert to a Liberian campfire, the performance tells more than thirty authentic tales of ordinary people from minority and immigrant communities. Burning Libraries celebrates the ability of the human spirit to take flight, and is a visceral reminder that we have all come to America as travelers from some other place and time. 8 p.m.; performance on November 14 at 3 p.m. Tickets: $15 - $30. Z Space at Theater Artaud, 450 Florida Street. Information: alicepresents.org.

Community members are invited to work on Daniel Webster Elementary School’s new mosaic mural being installed on the school’s main building. Snacks, drinks and a special guest performance by San Francisco alternative country band, The Porkchop Express, rounds-out the event. Prepare to get dirty. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 465 Missouri Street. Information: www. danielwebstersf.com/mural.

November 6-7

Community: San Francisco Green Festival

Find out how Bay Area communities, nonprofits and municipal departments are collaborating to make their cities healthier places to live. Learn a new skill, listen to inspiring words from political, intellectual and cultural icons, shop at green vendors, munch on delicious cuisine, enjoy a glass of organic wine, peruse recent publications, sample fair trade chocolate and coffee, engage with

local nonprofit organizations and more. Family-friendly exhibits and entertainment. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: $15 one day; $25 weekend pass; special discounts $10. SF Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 8th Street. Information: www.greenfestivals.org.

November 7

Community: Day in the Dogpatch

Acupuncture Kitchen hosts an indie fair featuring crafts and art, in collaboration with crafters such as Botany Factory and Hello Sisters, promoting a do-it-yourself holiday. The first 20 attendees get $1 off scoops of Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous ice cream. Pie making contest; judging begins at 3 p.m. Featuring art by Heather Capan. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 2325 3rd Street, Suite 4r-70 in the American Industrial Center. Information: www.acupuncturekitchen.com.

Benefit: Miles for Migraines

Miles for Migraine’s 5K/10K Run and 2 Mile Walk celebrates its third year. The nonprofit event will benefit the University of California Headache Center for Research and Clinical Practice of Headache. Founded by Eileen Jones in support of those who suffer from head pain. The race caters to regular racers as well as to those individuals and their families who suffer from the effects of head pain and want to raise awareness and show support for one of the most under-publicized health issues in the world. 9 a.m. $35. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. Information: www.milesformigraine.org.

November 11

Music: Kim-O-Benefit at Bottom of the Hill Potrero resident and Bottom of the Hill’s sound engineer Kim Griess is honored in a benefit rock, alternative and indie rock concert to help her with her fight against stage 3 breast cancer. Axes, Fake Your Own Death and Kill Moi will be rocking the house. Raffle and silent auction.

9 p.m. Tickets: $10 and up, sliding scale. 1233 17th Street. Information: http://www.ellenby.com/kimmy.htm

November 13

Families: School Enrollment Fair

Start your public school enrollment search at this free annual event. The Enrollment Fair provides families with the opportunity to learn about the schools and programs that are available for their children. All public schools will have representatives to answer your questions. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. Concourse Exhibition Center, 620 7th Street. Information: www.sfusd.edu.

November 16

Spoken Word: Storytelling and More at Farley’s November’s featured storyteller is Kate Frankel, spinning tales of tricksters, fools, striving younger sons, mythical heroes, and strong women. Open mic to follow; share a poem, story, song or music. 7 p.m. Free. 1315 18th Street. Information: contact Susan Ford 407.4297; suford@ earthlink.net.

November 18

Art: SF Loteria Live

Head over to San Francisco Center for the Book for a benefit showcasing Loteria and Roadwork prints. Print your own loteria card, view and purchase original letterpress loteria prints and learn how to play loteria while sipping fine tequila. Food, drinks and art for sale. 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: $35. 300 De Haro Street. Information: www.sfcb.org.

November 25

Dance: Café Flamenco

Experience live Flamenco dance with Yaelisa and her dance troupe, Caminos Flamencos, at the Verdi Club. Wine and tapas by a variety of caterers will be available. Front row table reservations required, otherwise open seating. 8 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $18 in advance and $22 at the door. 2424 Mariposa Street. Information: info@caminosflamencos.com.

Community: Thanksgiving Fundraiser for the Food Bank

In honor of the day to give thanks, Farley’s will match all tips with a donation to the San Francisco Food Bank, located in Potrero and providing free food throughout the City. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 1315 18th Street.

November 30

Art: Farley’s Pet Parade Take Down Show

If there’s a photo of you, your kids, your friends or your pet on the wall from the 20th Annual Farley’s Pet Parade, come and get it! Farley’s is giving the portraits away. Donations welcome, and will benefit Martin de Porres, a homeless resource center on Potrero Avenue. 7 p.m. 1315 18th Street.

One of the portraits in SOMArts’ newest exhibiton I Live Here: SF by Julie Michelle.

Burning Libraries plays at Z Space this month. “Making Tortillas” photograph by Taija Lynn.

Habibi debuts at Intersection for the Arts.

Photograph by Pak Han.

thrillpeddlers’ Kiss of Blood thrills Audiences to death

By Lori Higa

Thrillpeddlers’ latest show, dubbed “Kiss of Blood Shocktoberfest 2010, the 11th annual pageant of terror and titillation,” provides a farcical, laugh-riot of fake blood and gore, over-the-top drag humor and sequins. Presented at the troupe’s outrageously decorated South-of-Market warehouse, the Hynodrome, the show includes two original pieces , Lips of the Damned and The Empress of Colma – a commission by New York playwright Rob Keefe – and Kiss of Blood , based on a 1929 Grand Guignol classic Le Baiser du Sang by Jean Aragny and Francis Neilson, and adapted by Thrillpeddlers cofounder Daniel Zilber.

Le Baiser du Sang caused a sensation when it debuted at the infamous Le Théâtre du Grand Guignol in Paris in 1929 due to its gruesome opening scene, set in an operating room in the aftermath of a botched brain surgery. The avant-garde cabaret had an international reputation for shocking violence, overt sexuality and guffaw-inducing situations.

Lips, set in a torture museum forced to close its doors due to a rat infestation, cleverly frames an illicit tryst amongst a guillotine and other antiquarian torture devices. Empress takes place in the basement clubhouse of a group of drag pageant contestants vying

desperately for the title of “Empress of Colma.” A dental assistant girlfriend who is only tolerated for providing access to pharmaceuticals, scores the wrong drugs one fateful day, with hilarious results.

The show’s finale is a well-executed tribute to the 1950s horror movie gimmicks of William Castle, a haunted house spook show replete with ghostly apparitions in a vertiginous total black out. The company’s enormously talented co-founder, Russell Blackwood, directed the trio

Fathers Come in All Stripes

By David Matsuda

I’m Kimi Matsuda’s biological father; referred to in anthropological literature as her genitor. In many Western cultures genitors play all-encompassing roles in their children’s lives, as both co-creators of a new life, and, though unfortunately not always, as primary care givers. However, there are peoples and cultures – particularly where extended families are society’s primary building blocks – which differentiate between the roles of reproductivelyrelated sperm-giving genitors and culturally-specified care-giving paters.

of plays while pulling off a delicious drag turn in Empress

Kiss of Blood will be playing in repertory with the Thrillpeddlers’ runaway musical hit Pearls over Shanghai through November 19, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission and $35 for “Shock Boxes” and “Turkish Lounges.”

For more information: www. thriollpeddlers.com; 800.838.3006; www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/67716.

In the Matsuda household, Kimi – our youngest daughter and most adaptable child – has a biological father and many paters. There’s me, her genitor and a pater who is occasionally of intense interest to her, but gone for a year at a time, in readjustment mode upon return, and, dare I say it, a boundary setter. Barely able to mask her frustration Kimi confides, “Dad, quit making rules. I just want to love you.” Someone has to make the rules, but boundaries and unpopularity are a package deal in the mind of my twelve year-old daughter. I need a hug.

Then there’s Jerry, my motherin-law’s long-time boyfriend and a

see FAtherS page 18

Flynn DeMarco and Bonni Suval in Thrillpeddlers’ Shocktoberfest!! 2010: Kiss of Blood Photograph by www.DavidAllenStudio.com.

African Americans’ Role in City’s History Explored Through Dance

By Lori Higa

“African-Americans and their histories are disappearing from San Francisco,” said Joanna Haigood, artistic director and co-founder of Zaccho Dance Theatre. “The average San Franciscan would not recognize the name of Mifflin Gibbs or Mary Ellen Pleasant, and yet they were national figures, working on behalf of all African-Americans.”

In the early-1800s, AfricanAmerican-owned businesses lined San Francisco’s waterfront, which at the time bordered Battery Street at Market. In 1858, many AfricanAmericans fled the City. Sailing Away, Haigood’s newest work for Bayview-based Zaccho Dance Theatre, illuminates this population’s forgotten stories, powerful legacies and reasons behind the exodus.

Last month Zaccho Dance Theatre performed Haigood’s original 45-minute piece along the north side of Market Street, starting at Powell and Stockton and ending at Battery. The site was selected to reflect the historical places on which the performance was based. Authentic costuming, cityscapes alive and rich with history, and monuments gave passersby a feel for 19th-century commercial life on San Francisco’s most important thoroughfare, once home to myriad African American-owned enterprises.

Through dance movements

show parallels to the current outmigration of African-Americans.”

Haigood was inspired to create Sailing Away after coming across an article by the African-American Historical & Cultural Society describing the painful forcing out of African-Americans in the 1850s from San Francisco. “I had never heard of this and was fascinated by the stories of these highly educated, entrepreneurial and successful African-Americans.” Among the real people characterized in Sailing Away were Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, played by Antoine Hunter. Gibbs was a devoted abolitionist, a participant in the Underground Railroad and a friend of Frederick Douglass,

Black Green PMS 382 Red PMS 185

and gestures, Zaccho’s performers recreated an era in which African-American small businesspeople, artists, activists and workers thrived. According to Haigood, half of the City’s 1858 AfricanAmerican population was driven out of San Francisco – including to Canada – by racist actions and discrimination. “While creating this work, it was important for me to reflect on the invisibility and loss of African-American history and

RGB Green (184, 218, 25) Red (241, 26, 10)

Leading the Way to Clean and Green

CMYK Green (28, 2, 96, 0) Red (5, 90, 95, 0) Black

who made a fortune in the clothing and dry goods trade, real estate speculation and transportation industries after starting out as a carpenter. Gibbs founded the Mirror of the Times, California’s first black newspaper. Archy Lee – performed by Matthew Wickett – was a slave

who was the focus of several court cases involving slavery laws and civil rights. Peter and Sarah Lester – played by Travis Rowland and Raissa Simpson – were a father and daughter who owned the Lester and Gibbs Boot and Shoe Emporium at 636 Clay Street.

George Washington Dennis, played by Bob Chanel Bibene, ran the Custom House Livery Stable at Sansome and Washington streets. He later opened the City’s first fuel yard, the Cosmopolitan Coal and Wood Yard, at 340 Broadway near Montgomery. Mary Ellen Pleasant, played by Amara Tabor Smith, was well-known in the Underground Railroad. Pleasant joined with

Gibbs to fight slavery and racism, and eventually left the City for the North Bay.

Historic accounts document the intense racism of the times. Though California was a free state,

SAiling AwAy page 19

Photograph of Zaccho

Dance Theatre artistic director and founder Joanna Haigood in her piece Picture Redhook. Photograph credit: The New York Times.

Performers in Sailing Away, clockwise from the top: Travis Rowland, Antoine Hunter, Matthew Wickett, Tristan Cunningham (at bottom), Robert Henry Johnson, Byb Chanel Bibene. Inside: Raissa Simpson, left, and Amara Tabor Smith. Photograph by Joanna Haigood.

gifted pater. Seventy-four and unencumbered by parental responsibilities, Jerry feeds the ducks and birds with Kimi, takes her on bakery walks to get grandma’s morning pastry, and always has a special project for her. Jerry, unlike me, gets the dish from Kimi about Kimi, her friends and what goes on at school. Kimi has issues she feels safe expressing to me. But she also needs an unencumbered relationship. Thank goodness for her pater Jerry.

When Uncle Peter – my wife’s brother – visits, Kimi lights-up. In short order the two of them are conspiring or being mischievous. Happily divorced, Peter is an avid on-line dater and always in virtual trouble with at least one if not multiple lady friends. The first to admit that he could be a more ethical digital dater, Uncle Peter is a nonetheless a pater extraordinaire. Often Kimi laughs uncontrollably as Uncle Peter regales her with off-color jokes, tales of dates gone wrong and funny family stories about when he and my wife Kristi were young and engaged in sibling warfare. But, most importantly, Uncle Peter always dedicates time to Kimi and to Kimi alone. It’s a great comfort to know that Kimi has an outstanding pater figure, if not necessarily a role model, no matter where I am in the world.

I was my nephew Mike’s pater back in the day, showering him with love and affection, helping him heal wounds caused by family rifts, often the person who was there for him and him alone. Mike, in a case of relationship come full circle, is now a pater to Kimi, playing games, cooking her scrumptious meals and engaging in that light-hearted banter and humor that exemplifies a trust-based friendship. Long ago I planted a pater seed in Mike, who is now planting a mater seed in Kimi, who will in turn…

Kimi can have but one genitor.

But, in the best of all worlds our children can have many paters, who bring to their lives a love unencumbered by stages and passages.

Cole from page 8

I’m a coordinator as much as anything,” she said. Cole said she’s happy to be involved with the Boosters because it’s well-known and respected. “It’s the oldest and one of the largest organizations active in San Francisco,” she said.

“We are respected and maybe slightly feared at City Hall.”

Cole can often be found walking through the neighborhood. She leaves her house early when going somewhere because she runs into so many neighbors on the street. In Potrero Hill, “people know each other,” she said. “It’s like a little village in the City.”

Local Artist Participates in Celebration of Craftswomen

FAllen bridge from page 11

a beautiful spiral at the foot of the bridge. What was once a mess of broken glass, needles, and sand was transformed into a lovely garden. Bricks donated by a neighbor were used to create a walking path.

But there was more work to do. In 2007, the Miller Company, working pro bono, donated an ingenious landscape plan for a complete renovation, which was submitted to the City-funded Community Challenge Grant (CCG) program. CCG awarded MUNA a generous $40,000 grant, which was accompanied by another $5,000 from San Francisco Beautiful and $1,000 from an anonymous donor.

slave owners flouted the law. Free blacks were further disenfranchised by laws requiring them to pay poll taxes. They were denied the right to vote or testify in court, leaving them vulnerable to theft and assault.

Grafton Taylor Brown, played by Robert Henry Johnson, was considered California’s first AfricanAmerican landscape painter and the Bay Area’s first professional artist. He purchased G.T. Brown & Company, a San Francisco lithography business that made stock certificates and commercial documents. A contemporary Bayview-Hunters Point resident is played by Tristan Cunningham.

Local artist Terry Ow-Wing displays her artwork at the 32nd annual Celebration of Craftswomen benefitting The Women’s Building. The event honors the craft of women in America and is the City’s biggest crafts holiday retail fair. Ow-Wing uses glass powder and stencils in her work. She explained, “In some of the pieces I have used Katagami Japanese Kimono Stencils.

Supported by RPD manager Steve Cismowski and the Neighborhood Parks Council, the first phase of this project was completed by MUNA in 2009. A beautiful stone wall was constructed leading up to the bridge, augmented by native, drought-resistant plants. The park committee continues their work with RPD through volunteer neighborhood park parties, weeding, removing trash, and watering the area regularly. Through this simple organization of like minds and willing hands, huge progress has been made. MUNA continues through volunteerism and grantseeking efforts to transform and maintain what was a garbage-filled patch to a green gateway.

Haigood, who is known for her site-specific, multidisciplinary works often involving stunning aerial acrobatics, was a military brat, born in Japan, raised in the Middle East and New York City. After graduating from Bard College, she moved to San Francisco and launched the company. Sailing Away was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission’s Art on Market Street Temporary Projects Program. Zaccho Dance Theatre, located in the historic Yosemite Place building in the Bayview, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and offers free classes for local youth.

For more information: www. zaccho.org or 822.6744.

Industrial

10AM to Noon

South Shore of McCovey Cove

Meet at the Willie McCovey statue at the Junior Giants Field Across the 3rd Street Bridge from AT&T Park rsvp to info@seascavenger.org

SAiling AwAy from page 17

Crime& SAFety

By Regina Anavy

Police hope dnA evidence will lead to Arrest

On September 15 near midnight, at 18th Street and San Bruno Avenue, a 36-year-old woman was cut across the throat with a box cutter and robbed. The box cutter was dropped near the scene and is being tested for DNA. According to San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Captain Greg Suhr, “We have three characters of interest. A DNA match would be a slam-dunk.” The victim is out of the hospital and recovering.

Pedestrian bridge Closing discussed at Meeting

The second annual City-sponsored Community SAFE meeting was held on October 5 at Downtown High School, 693 Vermont Street. Representatives from the SFPD, City Attorney’s Office, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Recreation and Parks Department, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Department of Public Works (DPW) joined Crime Watch volunteers and community members to discuss crime and safety issues on Potrero Hill.

At the meeting a proposal to close the 18th and San Bruno pedestrian bridge – developed by the City Attorney’s office, SFPD, DPW and Caltrans in response to the mid-September mugging – was present. According to Robert Salazar, regional manager of Caltrans, which owns the bridge, though it’s maintained by the City, “I will support whatever you guys want to do.”

Yvonne Mere, deputy city attorney, asked the assembled crowd, “Would it help stem the violence if we gate the bridge? We could enclose the bridge and treat it like a park. A lot of parks in the City are closed at 10 p.m. and open at 6 a.m. We’ll take responsibility to make sure no one’s on that bridge so they can’t get locked in. We’ll get

the locks shrouded so they can’t get cut off.”

Responses to the proposal have been mixed. Some residents favor the idea as an effective way to stop crime. Others see the bridge as an essential gateway to the community, and prefer it to be rehabilitated, with better lighting, increased visibility, and improved painting and façade.

Automobile burglaries, robberies remain a Concern

According to Suhr, “There are more auto burglaries on the Hill than anywhere else in the district. The high-water mark on Potrero Hill was in June, when we had a total of 37 auto burglaries, up to June 25. We put all kinds of cops out and have reduced that number so that since June 25 to date, we’ve had 47 auto burglaries total. So we’ve cut it in half.” Suhr reported that “There were no more than three robberies a month on Potrero Hill through July. The number started to go up in August, when we had five, then eight in September. Five of the September robberies occurred within blocks of the pedestrian bridge at 18th and San Bruno.”

Suspect nabbed in Car-window Smashing

At 4:30 a.m. on September 27 a resident in the area of 17th and Missouri Street heard glass breaking and saw someone swinging a golf club at the windows of a parked car. Police arrived, and found four vehicles with smashed windows. A suspect was detained and identified by the resident. “This particular suspect has a history of crimes of vandalism and violence,” said Suhr, “I think we now have the person responsible for all the vandalism that has been going on in the neighborhood.”

Police Catch rape Suspect

Police reported that Damir

Shalako was detained in connection with a beating, sexual assault and robbery which occurred in the Potrero Annex-Terrace complex on September 28 at noon. A photograph and description circulated in the media, prompting a tip from a citizen, and Shalako’s October 1 arrest.

bayview Police get guns off the Street

Bayview Station officers have recovered 105 guns from suspects so

far this year.

Fire at Mission bay gets Quick response

On October 2, flames were seen at a construction site on the 400 block of Mission Bay Boulevard. A witness saw a man jump the fence and run away. The San Francisco Fire Department responded and put out the blaze, with damage limited to a row

see CriMe page 22

POTRERO BRANCH 1616 20th STREET 355.2822

Tuesday 10 am - 8 pm, Wednesday 12 noon - 8 pm

Thursday 10 am - 6 pm, Friday 1 pm - 6 pm

Saturday and Sunday 1 pm - 6 pm

Monday CLOSED

By Abby Bridge, Potrero Branch Librarian

holiday Closure

The Library will be closed November 11 for Veterans Day and November 24, 25 and 26 for Thanksgiving.

Adult Programs

Introduction to Mongolian Dance. Mongolian dance reflects the joy and open hearts of the Mongolian people riding their horses on the boundless grassland. Learn the cheerful dance of this fascinating culture with Fei Tian Academy of the Arts dance teacher, Cecilia Xiong. Saturday, November 6, 4 to 5 p.m.

teen Programs

Hour Intensive SAT Workshop. This workshop will cover everything you need to know to improve your scores on the SAT, including basic test strategy, time management techniques, process of elimination, the essay, vocabulary help, grammar, critical reading and math - all in just ten hours of class time. This workshop is offered in partnership with SuccessLink Tutoring and advanced registration is required. More information and registration: http://successlinktutoring.com/SFPL Saturdays and Sundays, November 6, 7, 13, 14, 1-3:30 p.m. Please note: This workshop meets on consecutive days, Saturday and Sunday.

Children’s Programs

Baby Rhyme and Play Time. For infants up to eighteen months old and their caregivers. Tuesdays, November 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 1:15 to 1:45 p.m.

Family Story time. Story time featuring stories, songs and rhymes. For children from birth to five years old and their caregivers. Thursdays, November 4 and 18, 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

Fun Flicks: The Box, Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock, Anansi and the Talking Melon, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Fun Flicks is offered every second Wednesday of the month and includes short films based on children’s books and stories. Bring a snack! For children ages five and older. Wednesday, November 10, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Hoop Dancing with Eddie Madril: Native American Stories, Songs and Dance. Yaqui Indian storyteller and hoop dancer, Eddie Madril will entertain and amaze with stories, songs, and dance from Native American cultures. Funded by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. This program will be held on the first floor of the library. Saturday, November 20, 4 to 5 p.m.

Unless otherwise noted, all Potrero Branch Library programs are held in the 2nd floor meeting room.

Potrero library Campaign

The Potrero Neighborhood Library Campaign Committee meets monthly to discuss fundraising strategies and progress. If you’d like to join the campaign committee, please contact Mary Abler at Friends of the Library: 626.7512, extension 107 or mary.abler@friendsssfpl.org.

905

SFR on XL lot! 1BD/1BA Marina-style home. Living rm with fireplace, formal dining rm, kitchen leading to yard. Large garage. 1308

2

SFR with city and bridge views, living room with fireplace, plus bonus room and bath down. 1429 Rhode Island 3+ bedroom single family home with Twin Peaks views! Features a formal entryway leading up to large living rm with fireplace.

b ayview Police Station Captain’s Community Meeting is held on the first Tuesday of each month in the Bayview Police Station Community Room at 201 William Street. Enter through the Newhall Street door. Next meeting: November 2nd, 6 p.m.

d ogpatch neighborhood Association usually meets the second Tuesday of each odd-numbered month. Next meeting November 9th, 7 to 9 p.m. 654 Minnesota St @ 19th Street. Voting membership is open to anyone living in or owning property or a business in Dogpatch. For more information or to join/pay online: mydogpatch.org.

Mck inley Square Community g roup is a communication and discussion group regarding events and activities, clean up days, improvement and beautification, and other concerns, such as crime in the neighborhood. No Board meetings in November or December. Next meeting: January 12, 2011, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Downtown High School, 693 Vermont Street. Board meetings open to the public. Visit www.mckinleysquare.com for more information.

Potrero b oosters neighborhood Association meets the last Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. (social time begins at 6:45 p.m.) in the wheelchairaccessible Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. For more information: www.potreroboosters.org or email president@ potreroboosters.org. Next meeting: November 30th.

Potrero hill Association of Merchants & businesses meets the second Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. at Goat Hill Pizza, corner of Connecticut and 18th streets. Visit www.potrerohill.biz or call 341.8949. Next meeting: November 9th, 10 a.m.

Potrero hill d emocratic Club meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. For more information: 648.6740, www. PHDemClub.org. Next meeting: November 2nd, 7 p.m.

Potrero hill g arden Club usually meets the last Sunday of the month at 11 a.m. for a potluck lunch in a local home or garden. Discussions are held on organic, edible, or ornamental gardening appropriate for Potrero Hill’s microclimate. Call 648.1926 for details.

Starr king openspace The next Starr King Openspace Board of Directors Meeting is on Wednesday, November 10th, 6:30 p.m. at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. Board meetings are open to the public. While time will be set aside for public comment, the Board may reserve some agenda items for closed session discussion. The Starr King Openspace Volunteer Work Day is held on the 3rd Saturday of each month, excluding holidays. Next Volunteer Work Day: November 20th, 9 a.m. to noon. Meet on the Openspace along Carolina Street, across from Starr King Elementary School. For more information: www.starrkingopenspace.org; email the Board of Directors at starrkingboard@gmail.com; voice mail 415-6336-SKO (756).

of seven portable toilets. A suspect was arrested and positively identified in the area of Terry Francois and Mission Rock.

recycling Pick-up Schedule Change

Missouri, Mississipi and 18th street residents have noticed that garbage and recycling pick-up now takes place in the afternoon. According to Andrew Thompson, a supervisor at Sunset Scavenger, the schedule was changed because “a route was pulled and we had to move a couple of routes around. Hopefully this is temporary, but I can’t give you an exact time frame.”

Café Cocomo Shooting

On October 9 around 12:30 a.m., a 23-year-old man was shot at Café Cocomo, 650 Indiana Street. The victim was taken to San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) with life-

threatening injuries. Witnesses heard multiple gunshots inside the club and saw people running away. No one has been arrested. Another shooting incident at Café Cocomo on September 5, which left two victims grazed by gunfire, is under investigation.

update on Attempted robbery of Federal Agent

Two juveniles and one adult were arrested in connection with an attempted robbery of an Internal Revenue Service agent on August 4 in Hunters Point. The adult will be tried in U. S. District Court. One of the juveniles, 15-years-old, has been discharged from SFGH, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and is being held in the Youth Guidance Center pending a hearing. According to Reverend Shad Riddick, “They are looking for a residential school for him on Treasure Island, which will take him out of a bad environment, one where he has no parental supervision. That will be his salvation.”

CriMe from page 20

Art and Music

ATTENTION ARTISTS Goat Hill Pizza is looking for local artists to show their work at the restaurant. Please call Alicia Wong at 415.641.1440 if you are interested.

Community Activities

SENIORS (60+) - DON’T EAT ALONE!

Join us for daily lunch and add to your social life. Mon-Fri, hot nutritious meals-your first time with us you get a free lunch! Bingo, cards, birthday celebrations, special events, and other activities. For more information, call Dolores Maghari at 415.826.8080. PH Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St.

education

TUTORING Get help with tests & homework. See www.myStudyBuddy.org. Jane Radcliffe, M.A., CA Credential #150007. 415.586.4577.

home Services

TOM’S PLUMBING Tom has been satisfying Potrero Hill customers for over 30 years. All plumbing needs handled promptly and efficiently at a very low cost. Keep it local and call Tom Keats: 415-8243538.

CLASSIFIED ADS

HANDYMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE! 20 years experience repair, remodeling. Elec, plumbing, light fix. Anything doors! Double-hung windows. Cabinetry, Decks, staircases MMcQuate@gmail.com. Mike (415) 308-2380.

E M S PLUMBING Licensed contractor for your plumbing needs. Selling your home and need to replace toilets? 4th generation Potrero Hill resident. Doing it right the first time! ED 596-0883 Lic#945019.

J. A. EMMANUEL CONSTRUCTION License #861994 is organized to provide service with optimum efficiency and flexibility. Quality work with experience in residential construction can help make your dreams a reality. New construction, house addition, remodeling and conversion. House, apartments, condos, kitchen, bathroom & more. Reasonable rates. All insurance necessary for the projects. Call 415.902.2469 for FREE ESTIMATE or visit www.jaemmanuelconstruction.com.

housekeeping

CLEANING PROFESSIONAL 25 years

Experience. Apartments, homes, or offices. Roger Miller, 415-664-0513 or 794-4411 9a-5p.

DO YOU NEED HOUSECLEANING? We will do it for you. Call Sara & Marco 415310-8838.

rentals

SPACIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL Furnished guest garden apartment. Private. 1/2 blk. to restaurants. Non-smoking. 2 people. 415-861-3208.

VACATION RETREAT FOR POTRERO

HILLIANS. Calistoga/St Helena area 3 bdrms 2 baths sleeps 6 (max). Lrg decks w/ views of stream woods & meadow. Frplace w/wood, 30 acres trails, all-year stream. Dogs OK. 3 night wkend=$500 Week=$900. Discount for repeat guests. Photos: spot02. googlepages.com. 415.647.3052.

CHARMING GARDEN APARTMENT One BR, 2-night minimum. Fireplace, patio, deck, French doors. 415.641.4488.

ACTIVSPACE FOR ART, HOBBY & BUSINESS. Rent from $395 a month utilities included. Private, Secure, Affordable, 24/7 access. Call Tama for further details 415355-1515.

technology Services

COMPUTER PROBLEMS DRIVING YOU BUGGY? Problems fixed! 25 years of industry experience. Personal IT consult-

ing to small businesses or busy professionals. We can install and/or help shop for computer/network/printer or setup/ troubleshoot wireless networks. If you’re not technical, don’t worry we are. Rob 415.244.3305 rob@sfcomputech.com.

STEREO REPAIR / HOME THEATER INSTALLATION Gene’s Sound Service offers expert component-level repair and installation of audio, video and home theater systems. On-site service with convenient day, evening or Sat appointments. Many local references. “Gene’s honest and knows his stuff. Give him a try.” Bobby McFerrin. Call Gene at 415-377-1258. More info at www.genessoundservice.com.

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: