Potrero View 2011: October

Southside inside - Enhanced coverage of San Francisco’s southern communities

October 2011

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

City Ignores Illegal In-Law Apartments

By Katrina Schwartz A weekend drive through parts of Visitacion Valley is akin to a tourist visit to crazy parking land: double-parked cars, vehicles left in the meridian, or on sidewalks. The parking mayhem may be partially the result of a steady expansion in the number of “secondary units” – in-law apartments – in Southside San Francisco.

In-laws are built into basements, over garages, and as rental additions that have separate entrances. Many of them are illegal, either because they’re located on blocks zoned for single-family homes, or don’t meet building code requirements. In wealthier communities – Dogpatch and Potrero Hill – these units are

View Endorsement:

Dennis Herrera for Mayor

By Steven J. Moss Next month’s mayoral election features enough candidates to fill the table at The Last Supper. But the attendees at this dinner party include neither a transcendent Christ-like figure, nor a Judas, though I suppose you never really know. All of the candidates make for fine dinner companions; decent conversationalists, knowledgeable about current affairs, with an ability to courteously point out that the individual seated next to them has spinach in their teeth, or gravy on their tie.

None is quicker than another to offer to help clear the table, or do the dishes.

In today’s San Francisco, weary of Donkey-Kong politics and an intermittently effective City government, politeness seems to be enough. In the wake of the crashing of Obama hope against Congressional seawalls, and the undertow of a recession that feels like a deep chest cold that won’t go away, voters would just as soon push the snooze button than participate in another election. Government’s incompetence, as evidenced by the near death of our corrupt financial system, two wars without end, and an inability

INSIDE

History Night Returns This Month

now often left vacant, or deployed as vacation rentals. In Bayview, Portola, Visiticion Valley, and elsewhere they’re used to house large extended families, or leased to strangers.

Some affordable housing advocates believe that this underground market provides a critical source of affordable housing in a pricey city, and generates extra income that helps hard-pressed families stay in their homes or avoid foreclosure. Southside San Francisco – particularly Districts 9 and 10 – have the highest foreclosure rates in the City. If a home is foreclosed, both the owner and renter are evicted.

The San Francisco Planning Department hasn’t conducted a see in-laws page 15

to do more than amputate vital services in the face of chronic budget deficits, has lowered our expectations so far that they’re barely distinguishable from dust on the floor. Who can blame us for looking at this November’s ballot as if it’s a multiple choice examination for which there’s no wrong answer?

Our children, that’s who. No matter how weary we are of politics, the City and County of San Francisco still spends $6.8 billion – in a bad year – either wasting our money or spending it wisely. The City’s 26,000 employees either ensure we have access to high-quality transportation services, offer world-class medical care to the indigent, and maintain our parks and public spaces, or they don’t.

In Southside San Francisco a new city is being built, one that could emerge as congested, alienating, and grey; or well-planned, welcoming, and green.

We can shrug our shoulders at the state of politics, and not give the mayoral race another thought. Or we can vote for the best candidate on this year’s ballot: Dennis Herrera.

Herrera has repeatedly demonsee Herrera page 7

Short Cuts p. 5

Photograph by Peter Linenthal

Josephine Firpo Alioto and Goat Hill Pizza’s Philip DeAndrade, though from different generations, found that they had much in common when they met over pizza to decide what subjects to cover when DeAndrade interviews Alioto at Potrero Hill History Night, October 22. Both are Italian, and have a lot to say about the village-like communities they grew up in, spotless Italian kitchens and what makes Sicilians different from the Genovese. Alioto was born on the Hill 90 years ago, roasted potatoes and tended goats on 20th Street, and had a cousin who boxed against Jack Dempsey, which resulted in one of the biggest scandals in sports history; the story to be told at History Night. Alioto also knows about the “storia secreta,” the little known internment of Italian-Americans during World War II. Another certain-to-be-lively History Night conversation will be between Hill resident and pioneer rock critic Joel Selvin and his long-time friend, Country Joe McDonald, of Country Joe and the Fish. See the advertisment on page 6 for more information!

Residents Concerned About Rec Center Park Renovations

By Melissa Mutiara Pandika Although Potrero Hill residents have mixed feelings about recent renovations to the Potrero Hill Recreation Center, located on Arkansas and 22nd streets, the exterior changes appear to be a significant improvement over the previously shabby site. Set to re-open on October 7, the run-down, 60-year-old playground adjacent to the Rec Center has been refurbished with stateof-the-art equipment in vibrant primary colors; the hard, densely packed sand with a padded rubber surface. According to Recreation and Park Department (RPD) facilities manager Steve Cismowski, the renovations were more about safety

SOMA Mural p. 1 Southside

Pedestrian Bridge p. 7 p. 6

FREE

p. 12

than aesthetics. The previous metal play structures would heat up during the day, leaving children susceptible to burns, and the sand did little to cushion falls. The newly-built benches encircling the playground provide an added safety measure, allowing parents to sit comfortably while keeping a watchful eye on their children.

Since renovations began last December, the site has undergone extensive landscaping. A previously narrow strip of lawn has been expanded into a verdant meadow, where leashed dogs are allowed, but prevented from entering the playground by a newly-erected fence. see Rec Center park page 24

p. 20

Crime & Safety p. 27

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THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

View’s Election Recommendations

Publisher’s View

Honor

Mayor: Dennis Herrera While we respect Public Defender Jeff Adachi’s moxie, San Francisco Board of Supervisors president David Chiu’s smarts, Supervisor John Avalos’ efforts to recreate a kinder, gentler, progressive movement, and thank Ed Lee for his service, there’s only one candidate for us.

By Steven J. Moss The sweep of history, and a glimpse into our collective futures, is visible from outside the Palace of the Legion of Honor, in Lincoln Park. Looking northeast, a statue of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar – known as El Cid Campeador, the “lord-master of military arts” – sits on the lawn adjacent to the broad steps leading up to the museum. During the 11th century Díaz shifted his allegiances between Christian and Muslim Spain, ultimately joining forces from both religions into an ecumenical kingdom. The warrior astride a horse figure speaks to an earlier age of manual, autocratic, conquest. But religion-fueled conflicts over who controls what lands continue into our high-technology enlightenment.

Perhaps not long from now a similar statue will be erected of General David Petraeus.

Continuing eastward, the Pacific glistens in the distance, if it’s not obscured by fog. Earth’s largest ocean, its waves lap the shores of the Artic, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, and Americas. The Atlantic dominated the last six centuries of discovery, colonializing, war, and trade; the Pacific is this millennium’s ocean.

How much it will rise in the wake of global climate change, and whether container ships – full of recycled paper and scrap metals going one way, and cheap consumer goods and investment dollars the other – will give way to war craft are among this century’s most pressing questions.

Next is the Holocaust memorial, set into an enclave that’s partially hidden from view. A lone survivor

sadly peers out from a barbed wire fence; behind him lay the twisted, naked, bodies of the slaughtered.

A few steps place a visitor behind the fence, or in front of it; choose between being a victim, a perpetrator, a witness, or just walk away entirely. The carnage continues, in Somalia, Sudan, and Syria; we peer at the dioramas of death shown on our television screens and newspapers, or look away by changing the channel or turning the page.

The plaza and fountain directly in front of the Legion of Honor is the Lincoln Highway’s western terminus.

The highway was the nation’s first coast-to-coast road, America’s second great link after the intercontinental railroad, a concrete expression of an aching desire to unify, which we now seem to have lost. To the east of the fountain, a red metal sculpture, created in 1961 by San Francisco artist Fletcher Benton, waves its gigantic I-beam arms at the future, welcoming the emerging American age towards its bony bosom, where it suckled for the past half-century. Towering steel riveted together by imagination’s flame.

Today our dreams are less often realized in metal, and are not as tall.

We no longer look up as much, in wonder at the stars, cathedral steeples, or high rises; more often drawing our eyes downward, into the screens on our hands, where we search for hidden messages on Twitter and Facebook. Humans have been palm reading for centuries; the future may not be so different from the past.

™ Masthead design by Giacomo Patri

EDITOR and PUBLISHER: Steven J. Moss PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lisa Tehrani OCTOBER STAFF: Jaime Alfaro, Regina Anavy, Lynne Barnes, Bailey Debruynkops, Carol L. Dondrea, Rheba Estante, Debbie Findling, Lori Higa, Ed Lortz, Catie Magee, Paul McDonald, Sara Moss, Melissa Mutiara Pandika, Mary Purpura, Katrina Schwartz, Mauri Schwartz, Simon Stahl and Lester Zeidman Editorial and policy decisions are made by the staff. All staff positions are voluntary.

Published monthly. Address all correspondence to: THE POTRERO VIEW, 2325 Third Street Suite 344, San Francisco, CA 94107 415.626.8723 • E-mail: editor@potreroview.net • advertising@potreroview.net (advertising)

T h e V ie w is print e d on r ec yc l e d n e wsp rint with soy- bas e d ink .

Copyright 2011 by The Potrero View. All rights reserved. Any reproduction without written permission from the publishers is prohibited.

Portola Garden Tour

Tickets on sale now!

The 2011 Portola Garden Tour is Saturday, October 15th, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tour proceeds benefit the Portola Garden District Scholarship at City College of San Francisco, which is given to a Environmental Horticulture and Floristy Department student. Twenty-two gardens to see; nine of which are brand-new to the tour and unseen publicly. More information: http://portolagardentour. com.

District Attorney: George Gascon Our second choice is David Onek.

County Sheriff: Chris Cunnie Paul Miyamoto makes for a fine back-up.

Road Repaving and Street Safety - $248 million: No. San Francisco’s streets are in sorry shape. But bond-financing road repairs enable politicians to avoid making the difficult and necessary choices about where our tax dollars should be invested. One of government’s basic functions is to maintain streets, sidewalks, and traffic signals, yet year after year, and even in economically flush times, the board and the mayor have deferred needed maintenance. What’s more, if this initiative passes there’s a good chance we’ll still be paying off the bonds after the roads had deteriorated yet again. Alternative revenue sources should be explored, including increasing permit costs to dig up streets, and requiring curb-to-curb repaving, rather than ad hoc hole filling, when roads are dug up.

School bond - $531 million: Yes. While it’s awkward to make large capital investments in our schools in a period in which operating budgets are tightly squeezed, we need new and better facilities, particularly at Daniel Webster and Starr King elementary schools, International Studies Academy and in the Bayview.

Pension and Health Benefit Reform (Mayor): No. Pension Reform Initiative (Adachi): Yes. We can’t afford the City’s pension system, which gobbles-up scarce general funds that could be used to pay for pressing social needs. Nor is it fair for taxpayers, many of whom will be largely reliant on modest Social Security checks in old age, to be burdened with topping-off well-paid civil servants’ retirement years. Under both initiatives the City would still make significant contributions to municipal workers’ retirement fund, and retirees, other than those making six figures, would still receive three-quarters of their working salaries during their golden years. While neither of the measures will provide a permanent fix – we need to rethink our benefits systems entirely, including health care coverage – Adachi’s takes us further down the reform road.

Allowing Amendments to or Repeals of Initiatives Ordinances and Declarations of Policy: Yes. This proposal wouldn’t be necessary if ballot initiatives drafted by supervisors and the mayor were rigorously crafted from the get-go. Still, allowing initiatives placed on the ballot by elected officials and approved by voters to be amended or repealed after three years – with a two-thirds vote of the board and mayoral approval – is a fine incremental step towards better governance that’s followed by 20 out of the 21 states that have initiative processes.

Local .5 percent Sales Tax Increase: No. Broad-based sales taxes tend to discourage consumer spending, which isn’t what small, local businesses need during the current sluggish economy.

And sales tax increases typically hit the poor – who spend everything they make – hardest. In a time when the state is slashing services for lowincome families, the disabled, and the elderly, it’s hard to justify raising San Francisco’s sales tax to nine percent. Now a tax on luxury goods, or obesity-caused foods, or an extra assessment on energy purchases that result in polluting air emissions, would be a good idea...

Modifying Registration and Disclosure Requirements for Campaign Consultants: Yes. The initiative would require campaign consultants to operate under the same rules as are already imposed on lobbyists.

Declaration of Policy: Quality Neighborhood Schools for All: No. This measure would make it City policy to encourage the San Francisco Unified School District to provide all students with the opportunity to attend their neighborhood school, or a school that offers language immersion or other special programs. However, SFUSD would be under no obligation to do anything even if it passes. While we’re in favor of neighborhood schools, the current system – in which residing in a school’s attendance area is one of four priorities used to make assignments – reduces racial and class isolation.

Moreover, popular schools wouldn’t be able to absorb all of the demand created by an exclusively neighborhood-based assignment approach, resulting in the need to assign students farther from home once again.

October 2011

EDITORIAL

Vote!

By Edward Lortz San Franciscan’s are only intermittently willing to participate in elections. In 2007, when Gavin Newsom was elected to his second term as mayor, only 36 percent of registered voters turned-out. Barack Obama’s election to the presidency drew an 81 percent turnout in 2008. But in 2010, when Jerry Brown was elected governor, participation rates dropped back down: only 61 percent of registered voters turned-out, representing less than half of eligible voters.

In 2008, Proposition 8, the anti-gay marriage initiative, passed by roughly 600,000 votes, while almost 10 million eligible voters didn’t register or didn’t vote. If just 10 percent of these Californians had bothered to participate in the election the issue might have avoided going to court, and the state’s progress towards equality wouldn’t have been surpassed by Vermont, New York, and Iowa. In Wisconsin, Republican Scott Walker was elected governor, and commenced his largely successful attack on unions, by 52 percent of voters, who consisted of just 32 percent of registered, and a sad 26 percent of eligible, voters. It’s hard to complain about a governor when, because of low voter participation, three out of four citizens didn’t vote for the winner.

In 2010 Potrero Hill voters turned-out at 64 percent, a bit better than the City as a whole. The Hill’s core – precincts 3004 to 3006, comprising approximately 18th to 22nd and Mississippi to Kansas streets – had 73 percent voter participation. The rest of the Hill – precincts 3000 to 3003; 3007 to 3008, and 3010 to 3011 plus 3037 – ranged from 55 percent to 69 percent, except for the Annex-Terrace complex, which had a disappointing 25 percent turnout.

I feel so strongly that citizens have a duty – not just a right – to vote, that if Potrero Hill has a turnout next month that exceeds 75 percent – excluding Annex-Terrace – I’ll match any contributions up to $125 to the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House. If Annex-Terrace turnout reaches 60 percent, I’ll contribute another $125 in matching funds to the San Francisco Park and Recreation Department’s Potrero Hill Recreation Center.

Voters should study the issues with some care. If we let robo-calls, 30-second spots, and slate cards be the sole determinants of our vote, we’ll end up with a bankrupt, corrupt government like Bell, California. San Francisco will host an important election next month, to elect a mayor, district attorney and sheriff. Let’s show up this time.

McKinley Park

by Simon Stahl

THE POTRERO VIEW

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EDITORIAL

Time for People-Oriented Development

By Mary Purpura Urban planning and architecture impact communities permanently, for good or ill. On Potrero Hill the library re-design is just one example of how to get things wrong. Before it was renovated, the library served as – in urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s parlance – “the third place:” an informal public gathering spot that’s not home – the first place – and not work, the second place. Oldenburg maintains that third places are essential to democracy and community vitality. The Potrero Hill branch library was an important third place; through its architecture and design it expressed many of the community’s most cherished values.

A community’s third places should feel familiar and inviting. Entering the pre-renovated library, visitors were greeted by warm wood, bright hand-decorated chairs, and the colorful artwork and displayed books that marked the children’s section. Placing children first communicated that the Hill valued its families. In contrast, the new library has a modern style, with lean, straight lines, metal and glass. The materials and design feel institutional and cold; less homey. The children’s section is tucked into the back of the first floor, segregating children and their parents, a too common design practice throughout society.

The old library’s periodical reading area felt like a living room. With chairs arranged in a circle, the space allowed readers to look up from their newspaper or magazine and see another human being. Now the reading area consists of a bank of chairs lined up – as if in an airport waiting room – in front of the second story window. Readers who glance up from their newspapers have a lovely view, but they look out onto a framed picture of the Financial District. What does that say about a community’s values?

The old branch library’s upstairs program room felt roomy and informal, with lots of natural light streaming in through the windows.

The retrofitted library’s community meeting room, with its glass walls, should be bright and inviting. But instead the space feels small and utterly without human imprint, like a waterless, lonely fishy tank. Oddly, the overall effect of the remodeled library is smaller, more compressed than its earlier incarnation.

The community didn’t design the space; how could the community’s values have been reflected in it? There were meetings, but professionals from outside the neighborhood were imported to craft an important third see development op/ed page 10

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THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

October 2011

Short Cuts

Concourse Conquered Did you know that the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center is slated to be torn down? Sue Hestor, the City’s self-proclaimed slow-growth attorney, doesn’t think you do, because of inadequate signage. The Concourse, located at 801 Brannan Street, and One Henry Adams, will be replaced with a $195 million mixed-use project that will include some 150 affordable housing units. The project has been subject to a lengthy Environmental Review Impact (EIR) study; public comment closed in August. “At One Henry Adams, that was posted every single side, but I was looking for postings on Brannan Street and didn’t see any, so I sent emails to the Planning Commission,” Hestor said, adding that as the comment period neared its end she couldn’t get hold of any city attorneys, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. “We’re maintaining that the site was properly posted,” said Nannie Turrell, a Planning Department senior environmental planner.

“We did three forms of posting: in newspapers, sending notices to owners within 300 feet, and posting three copies of an 11 by 17 notice, stating the availability of the EIR, if anyone wanted to get a copy. Someone took down the signs, and when [Hestor] called us, we reposted.” According to Hestor, the Concourse is used primarily by people who don’t live in the

Photograph by Peter Linenthal

On Labor Day semi-retired proprietor Roger Hillyard held a dedication ceremony for the parklet in front of Farley’s. According to Farley’s online announcement, “We consider the parklet to be a community platform, not just a space for additional seating.” Community groups can reserve the space. A fire scorched the cafe’s interior just before it opened in 1989, and some community members initially viewed Farley’s as an upstart challenging the established Daily Scoop, now Chez Papa. But Farley’s became a neighborhood center; a warm, informal place to hang-out, with a community vibe.

area; such as Berkeley-based KPFA, for its annual fundraiser. “Here you have a very unusual facility that’s only used periodically, and none of these people are having an opportunity to comment,” Hestor said.

Daggett Place

Gluten

Editor, I’m curious about the Daggett Place development, because I walk by the site regularly. I watched the Planning Commission hearing about it on my computer. Later, when I saw the article on the hearing in the September View (“Daggett Place Development Approved in Unanimous Vote”) I read it to get the reporter’s view of it. Two things impressed me. One was that from my perspective the article was absolutely objective and 100 percent accurate. The other was that the editor allowed the story to run so long, allowing space for every fact and every speaker’s opinion. Good work.

Editor, Being a woman allergic to wheat products, I was pleasantly surprised to see an article in your September issue featuring Gluten Free Reviewer Grocery (“Dogpatch Store Offers Gluten-F ree P roducts”), wh ich specializes in gluten-free items. The employees of Gluten Free Reviewer Grocery were very knowledgeable and accommodating to my needs.

The store is stocked with a variety of cereals, delicious cookies, crackers, pastas, and desserts, including frozen and packaged products, which cater to individuals with celiac disease. Celiac disease afflicts 1 in 133 people, and is inherited.

After I was done making my purchases at Gluten Free Reviewer Grocery, I enjoyed sitting at one of their tables drinking a cup of coffee and eating a yummy brownie.

Aikido Editor, I want to thank Jim Van Buskirk for his thorough article about Aiki Peace Week in the September issue (“Dogpatch-Based Martial Arts Group Sponsors Week of Peace”). I am impressed by the extensive research Van Burskirk did to describe so accurately the art of Aikido, Heart of San Francisco Aikido, and San Francisco Community Boards.

I’ve sent links to the article to the other dojos around the world mentioned in the article: in Germany, Turkey, and Australia.

Penny Sablove Ch ief I nstr uctor, Hear t of San Francisco Aikido

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on the 196-unit, six-story Potrero Launch building, which is being built at 2235 Third Street. The men, who plunged two to three flights as wet concrete poured over them, are employed by Nibbi Brothers General Contractors. The cause of the collapse is being investigated. The $40 million Launch building is expected to be completed next summer... The Copra Crane was temporarily removed last month as part of a renovation of the historical artifact.

Little Boxes

Letters to the Editor

Don Langley Mission Bay

THE POTRERO VIEW

Lucy Ceccarelli Connecticut Street

School Lunch Editor, I’d like to offer some corrections to the school lunch article published in last month’s View (“School Lunch Programs Struggle to Improve”).

According to the article, “SFUSD serves roughly 20,000 lunches a day.” In the 2010 school year, the district served on average 22,600 lunches daily. The article stated that see letters page 29

But Hestor was the only dissenting opinion at the July 28 Planning Commission meeting at which the project was approved. Tim Colon of the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition said his organization was excited about the project’s affordable housing elements. Planning Department staff is available to those who wish to discuss the project. Just make sure you know what “urban mixed used zoning” and “land dedications” are before you call; planners have a short tolerance for those ignorant on such topics. Or maybe they just don’t like reporters.

Development Stored California Mini Storage, located on a narrow former rail line rightof-way that stretches from Texas and 22nd streets to Pennsylvania Avenue, may soon be redeveloped by Sherman Little, who owns the parcel. Last summer architect Michael Leavitt presented preliminary plans to the Potrero Boosters and Dogpatch neighborhood associations to construct 276 residential one and two bedroom units in a 10-story building that would rise 150 feet, 32.5 feet above the adjacent Missouri Street hillside. In response to community members’ concerns about a number of the plan’s elements – including the open 10-foot wide stairway on the building’s northern side, connecting 22nd Street between Texas and Missouri streets – the architects went back to the drawing board, significantly increasing the stairway’s width and adding landscaping.

Little’s latest plans have yet to be revealed; according to Leavitt they’ll be presented to the community once they’ve been solidified.

Workers Injured Four construction workers suffered broken bones and other injuries, three seriously, when a roof where they were pouring concrete collapsed in August. The crew was working

Dogpatch resident and City Attorney Dennis Herrera received 30 first choice votes out of 38 cast, cinching the Potrero Hill Democratic Club’s endorsement for mayor. The club also endorsed David Onek for District Attorney, and Chris Cunnie for County Sheriff…In August, a coalition of community groups – including the Dogpatch and Potrero Boosters neighborhood associations – filed a lawsuit to stop AT&T from installing 726 U-Verse utility boxes on San Francisco’s sidewalks. The groups are demanding that the City conduct an environmental review before any utility boxes are sited. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors had previously voted six to five – District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen siding with the majority – to allow AT&T to proceed with its project without an EIR…Yuba Group Against Garbage is also suing the City, to stop it from contracting with Recology to landfill San Francisco’s garbage in Wheatland. These days it’s the courts, as much as our elected officials, which decide prickly public policy issues, which seems to be pretty much every public policy issue… Long time Potrero Hill resident Cathy Ritter sells Tomboy Tools – home improvement tools ergonomically designed for a smaller hand – through home “tool parties,” which provide women with the opportunity to handle the products, and learn about basic home repair projects. A portion of the profits from the Pink for a Purpose tool line Ritter sells is dedicated to nonprofits of her choosing; because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a slice of this month’s sales will go to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. Check-out www.tomboytools.info/cathy...Everybody reads the View: prompted by the paper’s July coverage of Roger Hillyard’s semi-retirement from Farley’s, both the San Francisco Chronicle and The Bay Citizen covered the story in August. Of course the View can’t take full-credit for making Hillyard a star; he had something to do with it as well…Napster founder Sean Parker hosted a party at a 16th and Carolina street warehouse last month that featured performances by Jane's Addiction, The Killers and Snoop Dogg. The View's invitation must have gotten lost in cyberspace....

McKinley Squared At a community meetings held in August and September to discuss McKinley Square’s future, Eastern Neighborhood Trust Fund advisor Keith Goldstein, who lives a block see short cuts page 9

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THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

Cor-o-van Site May Be Developed

By Rheba Estante As new mixed-use buildings sprout in Dogpatch, Potrero Hill, and Showplace Square, some Hill re side nt s a re spe cu lati ng t hat the parcel located on 16th street between Mississippi and Seventh streets – currently occupied by Cor-o-van, a warehouse and data storage company – may soon be developed. However, according to San Francisco Planning Department senior planner Julian Banales, “We have not received any application for development plans regarding the Cor-o-van building. We cannot comment on a project that has not been submitted.”

Despite Planning Department a s s u r a nce s, t he Ne ig hborhood Coalition to Save Potrero Hill is concerned that Walden Development intends to tear dow n the Cor-o-van building and replace it with a multi-use commercialmedical office complex, increasing traffic congestion and competition for parking in the area. “We are frustrated with what appears to be a lack of notification and transparency. There was no notification that the Cor-o-van site was identified as being historic and faced challenge [appeal] by the developer. There was no notification on the Cor-ovan historic matter being up for a key vote [in August] before the San Francisco Preservation Commission,” said Rodney Minott, a

Coalition member. The grassroots group was launched in 2001, and is comprised of community residents who want to maintain the Hill’s blue collar character.

Coalition members Minott and

Trucks parked at the Cor-o-van site.

Kepa A skenasy a ren’t opposed to development, but believe that developers can generate profits and contribute to sustainability if they engage in comprehensive consultations with the community.

“We are not anti-growth or new housing,” explained Minott. “We just want to preserve what makes Potrero Hill unique.” Development plans executed without input from

residents, they say, could degrade the neighborhood. “The lack of outreach by the developer and Planning Department is disappointing,” said Askenasy. “The development of Cor-o-van will have the greatest impact on residents of lower Potrero Hill. Yet there has been no outreach to those of us living in the immediate area of Cor-o-van. Moreover,

Photograph by Paul McDonald

when we recently contacted the developer with questions and concerns, the developer’s response was in effect to blow us off.”

“We wonder if there is a flawed and biased historical review process and analysis that smacks of City government coddling of a developer. Even though the Planning Department’s own consultant found historic merit of the Cor-o-van site,

warranting possible protection and preservation, the Planning Department brushed aside and rejected those findings and sided with the developer’s effort to deny historic designation,” said Minott. “The Planning Department’s staff recommendation relied on a heritage report prepared by a firm hired by Walden Development. The Planning Depar tment staff member [Moses Corrette] called that report an ‘independent evaluation;’ since when is a report bought and paid for by a deve lope r con side r e d independent?”

“A consulting firm named Paige & T u r nbu l l h ad a r epor t t h at identified the Cor-o-van building as having merit for historical significance,” said Minott. “There are three buildings nearby that were also identified in that same report as potentially having historical status.” According to the California Register, historic merit is triggered when buildings, sites, structures, objects, or historic districts are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to culture or history; are associated with the lives of important individuals; embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction, represent the work of a master, or possess high artistic values; or have yielded, or have the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history. “The Cor-o-van building was a factory during World War II that see cor-o-van page 14

October 2011

THE POTRERO VIEW

Crime and Homelessness Persist Near Pedestrian Bridge herrera

By Jaime Alfaro For months community members, together with representatives from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Police Department, City Attorney’s Office, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Recreation and Parks Department, and Department of Public Works have convened at Downtown High School to discuss ways to improve and beautify the 22nd Street pedestrian bridge. Spurts of criminal activity on and around the bridge, including last year’s stabbing and robbing of a woman who was walking alone on San Bruno Street, prompted nearby residents to work with the City to develop a plan to stymie criminal behavior. The pedestrian bridge – which connects western Potrero Hill and the Mission – provides a direct route from Kansas Street to the eastside of San Francisco General Hospital.

Hill residents and SAFE (Safety Awareness for Everyone) members have proposed restricting access to the bridge at night, similar to the way other parks and outdoor recreational areas are locked-down after dark, as a crime prevention tactic. Under one proposal the bridge would be open between 6 a.m. and midnight; most crimes occur outside that time period.

Gating the bridge to enforce restricted hours would be the City’s responsibility, a policy endorsed by Caltrans, which owns the overpass, if that’s what

the community wants. No closure plan has yet been adopted, although a recent poll of Vermont Street residents indicated that a majority favor a trial period to study the possible safety benefits of partial closure.

According to Vermont Street resident Henry Wimmer, the areas near the 18th and 22nd street pedestrian footbridges are prone to dangerous crimes partly because the crossings serve as effective getaways to the Mission District, where criminals have a better chance of evading police. “As a neighborhood, we have experienced a large number of auto break-ins and several instances of criminal behavior,” said Wimmer. “A few assaults have happened near the bridges, the most shocking when a young woman had her neck slashed. Reports were that her assailant fled across the footbridge.”

While many residents feel that blocking access to the 22nd Street footbridge would be an effective crime prevention strategy, others prefer to see the overpass revitalized to make it less attractive to dangerous individuals, with better lighting, enhanced fences, surveillance cameras, emergency phones, and reduced botanical growth for expanded visibility. Proponents of keeping the bridge open also warn that restricting foot traffic at the 22nd Street bridge might route walkers through equally dangerous zones under the 101 freeway.

An enclave of homeless shanties along the 101 freeway has added to

worries that the area near the 22nd Street bridge needs to be rehabilitated.

A Vermont Street resident said he felt unnerved by the situation, since in addition to violent criminal behavior the bridge tends to attract other shady practices. According to Wimmer, the homeless encampments behind the freeway’s sound wall are a hub for other illicit activities. "Some psychiatric patients from General Hospital have been known to use drugs in pockets near that area," he said.

The homeless inhabitants form a kind of "community," said Robert Salazar, Caltrans regional manager.

According to Caltrans, people being removed from camps are given 72 hours to gather their belongings and vacate the premises. After three days Caltrans officials return with the California Highway Patrol, which has the authority to arrest anyone who hasn’t left the area. If arrests are made, said Salazar, the courts typically release the individual. They usually end up returning to the neighborhood or relocating somewhere else near the highways.

According to Ray O'Conner, who leads the Kansas Street SAFE group, it's going to take time for Hill residents to reach a consensus on how best to manage the bridge, as many different social and environmental factors have to be examined carefully before making a decision to carry out changes to a significant part of the neighborhood's infrastructure.

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from front page

strated that, in the face of complex challenges, he can make things better.

As City Attorney he’s rooted-out corruption, reduced gang violence, and, through a series of brilliant legal maneuvers, gave the final push that felled the polluting Potrero Power Plant. By all counts he runs the City’s best office, in part as a result of a willingness to actually fire incompetent people, but also by creating a work environment that’s supportive of women, minorities, and taxpayer-oriented excellence. And Herrera has tangibly demonstrated his dedication to San Francisco’s neighborhoods, committing his family to Dogpatch when that community was better known for crime and garbage than high-end cafes and high-technology employment.

As much as any candidate, Herrera has demonstrated his ability to play nice in the political playground.

But civility inside City Hall is pointless if government isn’t being civil to its citizens. There are still things worth fighting for, including a trustworthy, well-run government, safe and healthy neighborhoods, and a thriving, inclusive, environment-friendly economy.

Of all the candidates, it’s Herrera you’d want on your side fighting for you and the City we love.

This is not the time to lower our expectations. As City Attorney Herrera has proven that he can get the job done. He’ll do even better as mayor.

Let’s elect him, if not for us, for our children.

Sales are happening in your neighborhood, keep your finger on the pulse.

Sales are on an upswing with more activity and buyer interest in the marketplace. Prices are holding steady, and days on market have come down slightly in recent months.

Properties that are in good repair and have nice updates are typically selling more quickly and much closer to the original asking price (and sometimes over). Location is important, so it’s no surprise that our coveted neighborhood is doing well.

For all of your real estate questions and needs, contact me any time!

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THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

Fog City Cab Prevents Encampments

By Paul McDonald Dogpatch residents – particularly those who live near Interstate-280 and 22nd Street – and commuters who use the 22nd street CalTrain station may have passed by a large space across from the station underneath the freeway. Not so long ago the roughly acre area was used as a homeless encampment. Recently, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which owns the parcel, cleaned it up, and leased it to Fog City Cab. Homeless individuals had burrowed into the concrete underside of the freeway, making it challenging for San Francisco police officer Sue Lavin and other officers to find them. They’d haul stolen copper to the site, which they’d burn and strip. Lavin – who has the unenviable task of handling homeless encampments in and around Potrero Hill and Dogpatch – helped dislodge the former encampment,

and, once the transients had been dispersed, assisted with the clean-up, experiencing rats running over her feet for her troubles.

Once cleaned-out the space was subject to re-inhabitation. To avoid a repeat situation, Caltrans negotiated an agreement with Fog City under which the cab company has erected a fence around the site. A recreational vehicle is currently parked on the space, which Lavin has been told is being occupied to prevent transients from coming back. Having a manned motorhome on site makes it easier for the police to evict trespassers, as the person making a complaint can sign the citizen’s arrest form to expedite procedural requirements; the police can do little if a call is placed anonymously. According to Fog City representative Frank Fahey, the company is aware of percolating community concern about the property, and its potential to turn into a junk yard.

Fallen Bridges Held Up by Community

Community members held a garage sale to raise money for Fallen Bridges Mini-Park last month. Top: David Adams and Jean Bogiages.

Left: Sebastien Bacher, eight, sold some of his books and DVDS. Photographs by Debbie Findling

Photograph by Paul McDonald

Photograph by Emily Payne

October 2011

short cuts from page 5 away from the park, expressed frustration that $25,000 the fund granted the McKinley Square Park Foundation a couple of years ago remains unspent. There was no lack of ideas from meeting attendees on how to unload the money, including adding a handrail to the steps leading up to the park on Vermont Street, financing a foxtail eradication effort, and renovating the children’s playground.

More expansive proposals, to expand the open space’s grassy area – by leveling the Vermont Street slopes – flatten the currently ragged entrance to the park at San Bruno and 20th streets to serve as a dedicated dog park, pave a pathway through

the middle of the park to provide emergency vehicle access, terrace the western edge near the freeway, and replace existing trees with the grasslands that existed a century ago (see image, right), were met with a variety of concerns, particularly related to the need for shade and wind barriers. Bay Area Air Quality Management District data indicates that areas around freeways tend to have high levels of toxic contaminants, from a mix of car emissions, tire particles, and metals emitted as a result of automobile braking. This hazardous stew prompts the need for significant vegetative covering to protect youngsters – as well as seniors and those with health issues – playing in McKinley Square from Highway 101 emissions…

No No! In last month’s issue the View erroneously identified the cofounder of Yeah Yeah! Pony Prince in the photograph caption accompanying “SOMA’s Yeah Yeah Pony Prince.” Her correct name is Jodi Mullin…16,500 children have been served by the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, rather than just the Willie Mays Boys and Girls Club, as indicated in September’s “Hunters Point Boys & Girls Club Engages Youth in Healthy Activities”...The Dogpatch store sells "gluten-free" items, not "glutten-free" as last month's headline shouted.

Proposed plans, right, for McKinley Square were floated as part of community meetings.

THE POTRERO VIEW

9

10

THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

development op/ed from page 3 place that they weren’t going to live with, for which they had no context.

During those community remodel meetings, the designers stated that there wouldn’t be more shelf space for books; the collection wasn’t going to expand. Instead, the branch would be reconfigured to be more comfortable and convenient, and to emphasize the use of natural light and the beautiful view. Yet the retrofit erased the old building’s advantages and personality without substituting other positives, except for the important fact that it’s now retrofitted in earthquake country.

In the end the new library’s design – as with most modern development – happened to us, not with us or because of us. As a third place, the remodel failed, in a moment when there are too few third places that don’t cost money to access.

All of this might sound terribly whiny if the Hill didn’t face a cascading set of renovations and additions that threaten the community’s health and continuity. The biggest of these is redevelopment of the Annex-Terrace housing complexes, dubbed “Rebuild Potrero.” Under cu r rent pla n s Rebu i ld Potrero includes seven- and eight-story residential towers. It would triple the population density on the existing Annex-Terrace footprint, an order of magnitude beyond what the Hill has historically absorbed all at once. When it was built in the 1980s, Parkview Heights’ 120 houses increased the Hill’s population.

Other live-work and condominium projects steadily followed, particularly on the south side of 26th Street. These new buildings – twostory townhouses and lofts – didn’t introduce a completely unfamiliar architectural animal to the neighborhood, and only modestly changed the community’s density.

If the prevailing sense from the neighborhood is that Rebuild Potrero is what Hill residents want, if this was the destiny the community had chosen for itself, who could kvetch?

But the feeling of insignificance the planning process has engendered in many residents has caused some long-time neighbors to consider moving elsewhere. They fear that the quality of life they’ve grown to love on San Francisco’s east side is about to change, irrevocably and dramatically, for the worse. In the wake of Rebuild Potrero’s realization, the local infrastructure would need to accommodate roughly 2,000 more cars – an estimated two per unit – while the landscape would be permanently changed. None of this seems to have grown organically out of the neighborhood’s needs; like the library, the whole thing seems to be happening to us. While increasing population density makes sense, its scale should be reasonable, and it needs to yield advantages for existing residents, such as a more walk-able neighborhood. And while remodeling Annex-Terrace is a good idea, it’s the kind of big impact venture that merits indigenous planning.

As part of the City and County’s

HOPE-SF program, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and the San Francisco Housing Authority teamed up to renovate San Francisco’s decaying public housing complexes. The City selected BRIDGE Housing Corporation to redevelop Annex-Terrace.

BRIDGE has made all of the pertinent design decisions with which Hill residents will live and interact.

Although Rebuild Potrero’s website asserts that “BRIDGE/BUILD and its design team…engaged in an 18 month community design process, culminating in a completed master plan” – implying that that “community design process” provided essential input for the “completed master plan” – many Hill residents believe that the master plan was more or less impervious to their opinions; the community design meetings a mere formality.

Neighbors who came in good faith to gatherings with ideas about how to make the community better – building a grocery store on the south side so that shopping for food and household necessities could become a walk-able errand for south side residents rather than another car-dependent outing – discovered that they hadn’t been invited to participate in an open conversation, but rather to respond to severely limited questions, along the lines of, “Do you guys want the basketball hoop over here or over here?” One Hill resident reported attending one of the early planning meetings where those who participated were each given a map and a set of stickon dots. They were instructed to use the dots to indicate where on the map they’d like certain predetermined features to be located.

But, the meeting facilitator warned, don’t get too attached to where you place your dots. Because, screamed the subtext, nothing you do or say really matters in this process. This kind of exercise in absurdity leaves people feeling that they have no influence on the important matters that impact their world.

Another neighbor told of attending the community amenities meeti ng. Va r ious featu res that might have been included in the final design, such as a medical center and a park, had been assigned different numerical values. Meeting attendees were told to select the amenities they most wanted, until they reached a pre-determined total number of points, based on adding together the numbers that’d been assigned. Yet by calling features such as a health center or park “amenities,” significant decision-making had already occurred. Amenities are non-essentials that improve quality of life, but are distinct from necessary features. A community needs to be able to decide what it considers fundamental, and what’s extraneous. If all a neighborhood prov ides is ba re -bones shelter for its inhabitants, and anything else – open space, a vibrant third place – is considered unnecessary icing on the community cake, what kind of life is being envisioned? Is it really so outlandish to imagine a park, and a health center, and vital third places in every San Francisco

neighborhood? By assigning different number values to each of these features, another important layer of decision-making had taken place. If community members have to choose between features that will become part of the landscape and lifestyle, shouldn’t they rank the importance of those features?

This kind of consensus-building is more complicated than the community involvement kit dispersed

by BRIDGE. But it’s the only way to genuinely involve the community in the process.

The Rebuild process feels like another example of the few ruling the many, an increasingly common arrangement in 2011 America. At the outset of the redevelopment discussion, many Hill residents thought they’d be included in an ope n conve r sat ion about t hei r community’s future. Instead, they found themselves answering narrowly defined multiple choice questions – embedded with meaning for the Hill’s future – that were designed by people who don’t live in the neighborhood.

The whole development process is deeply flawed. For example, the fact that a builder pays for the environmental impact report to analyze their own project suggests a troubling conflict of interest.

But Rebuild Potrero – as well as the many other projects emerging around our community – is happen ing in ou r back yards, w ith multi-generation implications that prompt a sense of urgency, coupled with a panicky feeling that, despite

decades of community investment in ou r beloved neighborhood – through property and sales taxes, volunteer work, appreciation of and affection for what we have – the process is outside our control, governed by forces that may not reflect our values. It’s hard to shake the sense that something indecent and wrong is going down. In the case of Rebuild Potrero, these challenges are joined by the question of how the financing has been structured: the eventual sale of market rate units is supposed to make it all work in the end. Isn’t that the same flawed model that helped create the current economic quagmire?

H i l l residents who have a n impulse to flee are stunned and saddened by their apparent impotence.

Can a person really invest more than half of their lives in a place, expect to retire and die there, and then find that that place – through the influence of external forces – risks becoming unpleasant, or unrecognizable to them? To lose those previously committed community members to other locations because they don’t want to live through the inevitable changes that Rebuild Potrero will force represents a large loss. Long-term residents provide continuity, a collective historical remembering, and a long view on a location and its people. But it’s better for developers and certain kinds of progress if older-timers move on. That way, new residents will know only what’s in front of see development op/ed on next page

October 2011

development op/ed from page 10 them; no one will miss a sweeter, more human-scaled Hill because they won’t ever have known it. In that manner the entire country has been homogenized; one crummy cr udscape – pu nctuated by the sa me golden a rches or Colonel Sanders’s smiling mug – bleeds into the next, with little neighborhood distinction or personality. There isn’t a straight line from Rebuild Potrero to a McDonald’s on the Hill.

But eight-story residential towers create a particular, standardized urban landscape that makes the Hill little different from New York or Chicago.

T he r e’s no e a s y a n s we r t o development, or effective citizen engagement. Those of us who live in and love the Hill know what a vital third place is, what a community is, and that a human-scaled neighborhood nurtures individuals as well as the collective. Knowing that, how can humans, neighborhoods, people and place i n f luence the development and design process? At what point(s) does a community need to be involved to have a real impact? How can the process be changed to make this kind of community input – messy and cumbersome, but genuine and human – the cornerstone? These questions aren’t directed at efficiency and economy, but people, place, and vision. The San Francisco I chose to live in a quarter century ago had room for all that.

Now, much less so.

THE POTRERO VIEW

11

Irish Eyes Smiling and Singing on Potrero Hill

By Rheba Estante When Tony Ryan left Ireland in 1979 at age 19 he initially thought he’d end up in Australia. Ryan first moved to Germany, where he stayed for two years, before traveling to New York. A three year stint in the Big Apple cemented his desire to stay in the United States. He tended bar, waited tables, and played music.

Ryan had worked in bars in his native Dublin as a teenager, but the money was much better in America.

Ryan next moved to San Francisco, where he tended bar at Harrington’s, on Front Street, for nine years. He moonlighted on weekends at another bar, working seven days a week for two years, saving enough money to put a down payment on his first home in Hayes Valley in 1991. In the late-1990s he sold his Hayes Valley property and bought a four-unit apartment building on Arkansas Street.

Ryan, these days a stay-at-home dad during the day, lives in one of his apartments with his wife, Rebecca, and 11-month old son Liam, and rents the other three units. “When I bought my first property in San Francisco around 1990 people back then said that real estate was overpriced in the City,” recalled Ryan. “But it’s nothing like it is now. After the dot.com boom house prices went out of control. I don’t think I could do it now like I did then if I were starting out.”

Ryan earned an associate degree at City College, followed by a

Photograph courtesy of Tony Ryan

bachelor’s in economics from San Francisco State University. He’d like to obtain another degree in statistics.

But his enduring passion was and is music. Ryan periodically performs at Hotel Utah and the Plough and the Stars, and publishes his music to distribute his songs to a wider audience. He considers his sound to be “acoustic rock,” influenced by Irish balladeer Christy Moore, Elvis Costello, and The Frames.

He’s currently setting up a mobile audio production studio for singers, songwriters and others who’d like to record in their homes or other nonconventional settings. “The service will bring high quality audio recording to any location for any recording purpose, and the finished product will be professionally edited and mixed to broadcast quality,” said Ryan. “I’m a singer, songwriter,

and guitar player at the end of the day, but it’s hard to make a living doing just that. I’ve broadened my horizons with the recording service to still be involved in music and the creative process but have another source of income.

Ryan was still intent on traveling to Australia when he first came to San Francisco. He even considered working on a private yacht to pay for his travel down under. “I heard talk about rich people who owned yachts and hired deckhands to work on their boats to earn their passage,” said Ryan. “I seriously considered it.” But San Francisco, and particularly the Hill, stuck. “Potrero Hill is a great place to have a home. San Francisco has lost some of the port town charm it had as old neighborhoods are replaced with high-rises and transient people who live in urban centers flock to the City,” said Ryan. “Potrero Hill is distinctive because you are still living in San Francisco but you know all your neighbors. People here tend to be long-term residents. It’s something that is rare now.”

“I called the View about a parttime employment position they had available and ended up being interviewed for a neighborhood profile which will help publicize my recording service. It’s a neighborhood of people helping each other out. How could you not love it?” Ryan added.

To learn more about Ryan’s music and recording services: www. tonyryan.com.

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THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

KIDS ON THE BLOCK Happy birthday to Caroline! Our not-so-little girl is turning six, and we're very proud of her. Love, Daddy and Papa.

Potrero Hill resident Connell Patrick, born July 8, 2011, enjoying his twomonth birthday in Jackson Park.

Sarah Grossblatt has joined the ranks of the big kids now that she’s three. Sarah attends the Jewish Community Center preschool and enjoys visiting Bay Area attractions like Gilroy Gardens and Children’s Fairyland in Oakland.

Brody Lee and Rudolph Reyes celebrate the finalization of their son’s - Pablo Anastacio - adoption on October 3rd. Congratulations!

Happy birthday Signe, we love you! Mom, Dad and Anderson

George Goldman, Ivy Ryssdal, and Johnny Doherty enjoy an ice cream treat on a warm, September day.

View photographer Tristan Schnetzler turns 11 on October 30.

We are thrilled to welcome our son, Gabriel Max Ryan, into the world! Born September 7th, 2011. With all our love, Debi & Shaughn and “Big Sis,” Ellie Ryan!!

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!

October 2011

THE POTRERO VIEW

13

Starr King’s Soccer Team Searches for Home Turf To Play On

By Bailey deBruynkops T wo yea r s ago, St a r r K i ng Elementar y School parent Terrence Jones organized a soccer team for his daughter to play on, triggering a soccer craze. With the help of other Starr King parentsturned-coaches, Jones nurtured two mixed-gender second grade squads into more than 100 kids participating in 10 boys and girls k i nde r g a r t e n t o fou r t h g r ade teams.

The teams play in the Vikings Youth Soccer League, whose fall season started last month. In the spring they’ll participate in the Police Athletic League, a 50-year old institution that supports multiple sports. Soccer has provided Starr King’s culturally diverse students with exercise, social interaction, and fr iend ly competition. The school offers Mandarin and Spanish immersion, as well as general and special education. One-third of the school’s population is on one of the parent-coached teams.

Coach Ma rcel lo Rod r ig uez, who has a daughter who is the same age as Jones’, manages one of the first two teams formed. “Many of these girls and boys get more exercise from soccer than any of their activities. They work hard at our weekly practice, and then they turn it up several notches on game weekend. They definitely fall asleep early on Saturday night,”

One of Starr King's soccer teams.

he said.

According to third grade coach Stacey Leyton, “Starr King has gone from no teams in 2008 to many more, plus a lot of kids who can’t make games join practices at the Potrero Rec field. So we have about 150 kids using the field for organized soccer practices every week now.”

“Soccer is bringing families together from all walks of life for the common goal of cheering on the children to achieve and perform at their best in an activity that they truly enjoy,” said Parent Teacher

Association president and parent of two Starr King third graders C a r r ie Won ze r. “We con side r the parent volunteer coaches our champions for the children.”

“This past year the girls’ third grade team won their first games since becoming an all-girls team,” said Jones. “It has been great to see them go from a group that had no idea of the game to a competitive team with the ability to win. They have really built their confidence individually and as a team. There a r e g i rl s f r om m a ny d i f fe r e nt backg rou nds on the tea m, a nd

they are all united by the game of soccer; they are learning to count on each other.”

Si nce 2009, the Sta r r K i ng teams have practiced at the Potrero Recreation Center, and played most of their matches on fields located in the Sunset. The teams would prefer to host their bouts at the Rec Center, but the Arkansas Street fields have been in poor condition for the past several years; dir t patches and gopher-holes aplenty.

“There is a little bit of frustration between Parks and Rec because they haven’t maintained the field very well. Now they’re starting to, after spending the $1.2 million on the Rec Center, but not the field which is most used,” said Jones. The San Francisco Department of Parks and Recreation is currently completing a renovation, funded through a 2004 revenue bond, that focuses on upgrading the Rec Center’s picnic tables and benches, the tot lot playground, new paving, planting and fencing around the perimeter, and softball field renovations. “With the affluence of Potrero Hill (see story this issue), there’s more demand for accou nt abi l it y w it h Pa rk s and Rec, no one has demanded that the maintenance be done but they’re beginning to focus on those things,” said Jones.

14

THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

cor-o-van from page 6 contributed to the war effort,” said Askenasy. “What we are concerned about is whether the City still regards the structure as potentially having historical value.”

“These buildings stand as monuments to our neighborhood’s blue collar/working class history. Those of us who have chosen to live here have a deep and abiding respect for our blue-collar neighbors who currently occupy many of these buildings and their contributions to San Francisco,” asserted Minott. “The systemic demolition of historically impor tant industr ial build ings that could in fact be repurposed is an affront to the surrounding community.”

Minott has intermittently lived on Mar iposa Street since 1991, maintaining a residence on the Hill even when his work took him to the Pacific Northwest. In 2000 he settled back into the neighborhood full-time. Missouri Street resident Askenasy is an architect who started working with contractors after moving to the Hill from Boston in 1978. “Around 2001 the Coalition began responding to plans in the eastern neighborhoods to re-zone the area,” said Minott.

“We have an active membership of 15 to 20 long-time members who share a commitment to maintaining the charm of the working class roots of Potrero Hill.”

Before any development plans can be approved by the City they

must be subject to an environmental impact report. “Our worry is that env i ron menta l rev iews are subject to and in response to political pressure,” said Minott.

“The Coalition wants to meet with developers who are active in the community, and don’t want to see Mission Bay-type land uses expand into the Hill.”

“The time, energy, expense, expertise, and resources to challenge all of this favors powerful development interests. In short, the outcome of the development game is rigged in favor of developers,” said Askenasy. “If it becomes a medical complex for employees and has multi-dwelling units, there is less parking space and a neighborhood that may become transient.

An increase in density will make Potrero Hill a high traffic suburb instead of its heritage as a closeknit community.”

Starlings on a Wire

Photograph by Paul McDonald

Local fauna watch the development in Mission Bay, including the new University of California San Francisco hospital under construction. Send your snapshot of random or curious sights to editor@ potreroview.net.

Complimentary ad space courtesy of the View

October 2011

in-laws from front page comprehensive census of illegal inlaws. A 1996 report issued by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) – based on now missing data collected by the Planning Department – estimated that there were 25,000 illegal in-law apartments in the City. Given population growth, particularly among Asian-Americans settling into Southside neighborhoods, the population of illegal in-laws has likely notably increased over the past fifteen years as residents transform parts of their homes into illegal in-laws. Based on San Francisco Tenants Union guidance that on average rentals house 2.1 people per unit, more than 50,000 San Franciscans may be living in illegal in-law apartments. And those apartments, legal or not, are subject to rent control. According to the Tenants Union, secondary units may represent more than one out of every ten rentcontrolled units in the City.

While the illegal units may pose hazards to occupants – including inadequate fire exits, lack of ventilation or windows, and code-busting plumbing and electrical service – they provide a substantial affordable housing stock in an expensive city. This dichotomy has led to what SPUR calls a “don’t ask, don’t tell attitude” towards in-law apartments. These units are “definitely hard to track,” said Bill Strawn, Department of Building Inspections (DBI) legislative and public affairs manager. The only way the City

knows about them is if a neighbor calls in a complaint, triggering a DBI inspector to stumble across an illegal unit. Or, after a property is sold, if the new owner brings in inspectors after a renovation to sign off on the work, he might discover the illegal unit. Even tracking how many illegal units have been identified in recent years is challenging, since DBI lists complaints by property address only.

Thousands of San Francisco properties that have grey market rental units attached to them have been under-assessed, likely resulting in the loss of millions of dollars in tax revenue for the City. On the other hand, the City – and private developers – invests tens of millions of dollars subsidizing affordable housing, the demand for which could grow without the availability of in-law units. In-law apartments also spread affordable housing throughout San Francisco, rather than largely concentrating them Southside.

There have been various attempts to legalize in-law apartments and foster their development over the years. In the late-1990s, then Supervisor Tom Ammiano advocated for full amnesty for in-law apartments that didn’t comply with zoning codes. In 2002, then Supervisor Aaron Peskin worked on legislation to allow zoning variances near transit hubs to encourage creation of secondary units. And San Francisco Board of Supervisors president and mayoral candidate David Chiu is currently working on the issue, though the details of this effort haven’t been released. None of

these initiatives were even granted a legislative hearing because of strong opposition by neighborhood groups, particularly those in the City’s western districts.

“We have an Eisenhower-era planning code with a Leave it to Beaver idea of housing. But now it may be time to move on from that,” complained Tom Radulovich, executive director of Livable City, a planning advocacy group. Much of San Francisco is zoned for RH-1, which means single-family homes. Livable City argues that this type of zoning isn’t a good use of space, especially if public transit is nearby. Despite readily observable evidence to the contrary, the Tenants Union asserts that minimal parking congestion is caused by illegal in-laws, since car ownership rates are lower among renters – particularly the elderly, low-income, and students – than property owners.

The Asian Law Caucus has been conducting a housing survey, including gathering data on in-law apartments, in the Excelsior and Ingleside neighborhoods. While the legal and civil rights organization hasn’t completed its study, initial surveys of 234 single-family homes found that almost 40 percent had an in-law apartment. Seventy percent of the surveyed renters took public transit to school or work. All of the surveyed homeowners who had in-law apartments said that they relied on the rent to help pay their mortgage.

Livable City, which would like to see more affordable housing while retaining San Francisco’s neighborhood character, believes in-law apartments are a win-win. “One of the great things about in-law apartments is that you can add density to a neighborhood and no one will even notice. It won’t look any different,” said Radulovich. According to the Housing Element adopted by the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor last June, “Secondary units represent a simple and cost-effective method of expanding the housing supply.

Such units could be developed to meet the needs of seniors and others who, because of modest incomes or lifestyles, prefer or need small units at relatively low rents.” The document goes on to state that the Planning Department should encourage

THE POTRERO VIEW

15

in-law units by changing zoning codes and addressing the issue at the community level, where there has been the most push back to the idea.

As a result, while DBI is expected to enforce zoning and building code violations, the City’s five-year plan is to promote secondary units.

“Tenants groups have had mixed feelings about legalizing in-law units. We want tenants to have legal recourse, but these units are more affordable,” explained Ted Gullicksen, the Tenants Union’s director, who has been working on tenants’ rights issues in San Francisco since 1988.

If a tenant reports landlord abuse in an illegal unit they risk losing their home. If a unit doesn’t have heat, for example, a complaint to DBI could trigger condemnation of the unit, though the renter could petition the San Francisco Rent Board for a rent reduction. According to Gullicksen, while it might seem like a situation rife with abuse, an overall balance is maintained because the renter has something on the landlord as well. If a renter is unfairly evicted or leaves disgruntled, they can report the illegal unit; an incentive for both parties to get along, and the reason why many better-off property owners have removed their units from the long-term rental market entirely.

Some housing advocates have pressed the City to grant building and zoning code amnesty to existing secondary units, as long as they don’t pose egregious health and safety violations. However, the Coalition of San Francisco Neighborhoods has opposed such policies, chiefly because of concerns about parking congestion.

In the meantime, the number of illegal units in the City steadily grows.

“Watching past efforts fail, a lot of supervisors set the goal of fixing the problem all at once. That might just be too much for people to take in,” said Radulovich. He pointed to Seattle’s neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach – in which city planners worked with community organizations to slowly change zoning codes to allow for more secondary units in places with easy access to public transportation – as a successful model. Making small changes to zoning laws as neighborhoods evolve could be the most effective way to legalize secondary units.

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OCTOBER 2011

N e i g h bor h oo d N e w s F ro m S O M A to B ay v i e w

Greening of Newcomb Block Still Underway

By Bailey Debruynkops

newcomb image

Photograph by Paul McDonald

Greening in progress on Newcomb Avenue.

More than two months behind schedule, the greening of the 1700 block of Newcomb Avenue is nearly complete. The $1.6 million model block project – funded through the U.S. Environ mental Protection Agency’s San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund and

the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Community Challenge grants – first broke ground last spring. “The building company that originally came out didn’t know what they were doing, and neglected that they needed to put the sewer line in, so there was a month and a half delay

Sam Jordan’s Serves it Up for More than a Half-Century

By Paul McDonald Sam Jordan’s Bar, located at 4004 Third Street, has been a Bayview institution since Sam, a former champion boxer and 1963 San Francisco mayoral candidate, opened it in 1959, when he was 33 years old. Sam died in 2003, at the age of 77, but his spirit lives on in the atmosphere and food that’s served the Bayview community for 52 years, and counting. Sam and his late wife, Bertha, had four daughters and four

Sam Jordan's bar.

sons; three of those eight children carry-on the restaurant and their father’s legacy. Ruth and Allen are at the bar and restaurant most of the time. Sam, the founder’s namesake, is also involved in the business.

Sam Jordan, born in 1925, was a local notable, not only because of his boxing prowess – he won the Golden Gloves light heavyweight title when he was 22 – but as a result of his 1963 see jordan’s page 3

Photograph by Paul McDonald

because of that. It’s difficult the way they’ve done it so far, parking has gotten much worse,” said Pastor Kenneth Sampson of New Home Baptist Church, which is located on the model block.

“On the construction end, this project had been in the planning stages for five years. The Planning Department and the Redevelopment Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency gave approval, and then once they got the funding together the Department of Public Works did the design and architecture work,” said DPW’s Dadisi Najib.

“Then there was a bidding process, contractors and A.H.I Construction hired; there were a few delays, and our completion date is now November 4th.”

“To me they have moved slowly.

While there were union protestors for a week and a half they didn’t do anything,” said Pastor Shad Riddick of Metropolitan Baptist Church, which is located on a block of Newcomb not included in the project. “They rectified that, but it was still kind of a waste of time. I started making phone calls because I was getting concerned that they were just tearing up the neighborhood and were just going to leave it there.”

Though the project won’t be delivered on time, it’s well underway. Concrete will be replaced with landscaping and trees, stormwater planters, pavers that allow rainwater to permeate, a repaved street, and additional pedestrian cautions.

Along with the facade upgrade, low interest loans have been offered to adjacent property owners to make home improvements.

While the block was intended to exemplify potential improvements in the rest of Bayview, further beautification is unlikely to occur rapidly.

“I don’t believe the City has enough money to do the other blocks this way,” said Riddick. “I asked when we at 1600 are getting a model block and everyone ignores me. I really think they’re trying to encourage young folks from across the City to go to City College over here and make it more safe looking. Most people who are indigenous to this community think it’s just gentrification. I think it’s like polishing one half of your shoe; it makes the part that was not polished look even worse than it did before. Way too much money was spent on one area; it needs to be spread out.” see Newcomb page 3

SOMA Mural Depicts Story of Undocumented Youth

By Katrina Schwartz The scuzzy neighborhood just south of Civic Center got a little more beautiful this summer with the installation of a mural on the east side of Ninth Street, between Market and M ission, facing an abandoned lot. A project of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) – the organization housed in the building on which it’s painted – the mural depicts the story of undocumented youth in this country. The project, called 67 Suenos, seeks to inject the voices of undocumented youth into the debate around immigration reform and pathways to citizenship.

Last year the Dream Act – which would have provided citizenship to undocumented youth who came to the U.S. as young children with their parents – failed to pass Congress.

The legislation would have provided two pathways to citizenship: attend university or serve in the military for two years. According to Pablo Paredes, the mural project’s lead organ izer, one of the problems with those requirements is that 67 percent of undocumented youth

don’t graduate from high school, a prerequisite for both university and the military. Paredes says that the proposed citizenship policy didn’t meet the reality of East Oakland and other immigrant youth, who frequently work as day laborers or field workers to help support their families, leaving no time for school.

According to a recently published report in the Harvard Educational Review, children whose parents are illegal immigrants face “uniformly negative” effects on their social development, including “low educational performance, economic stagnation, blocked mobility, and ambiguous belong.”

Paredes disliked the way the immigration debate has been framed.

Conservative groups paint undocumented immigrants as criminals; immigrant rights groups hold up only the highest achievers as examples. Both depictions are disingenuous. “You had to be exceptional to deserve human rights. We wanted to challenge that by telling everyday stories of the experiences of undocumented youth. Like citizen-youth, see mural page 2

D2 southside/potrero view | OCTOBER 2011 mural from page 1 most undocumented youth are not criminals and they’re not valedictorians. They are like everyone else, somewhere in between,” explained Paredes. Suenos means dreams in Spanish, and the number 67 was chosen to reflect the 67 percent of youth who wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the Dream Act were it to pass.

The project hopes to insert a new voice into the immigration debate, through such media activism as making short, catchy videos of the youths’ stories that can be used by other advocacy groups. And by creating the mural. “Public art is something that always starts conversations. Public art is something that there is no ignoring. Especially with the anti-immigrant climate in the nation and locally we figured it would be a great time to bring a really positive pro-migrant message in a mass mural,” said Paredes.

But imagining the mural and making it happen were two different things. Three weeks before they were supposed to start painting the group thought they might have to scrap the project. The professional muralist they’d hired couldn’t put all their ideas into a cohesive image, and getting a workable sketch before the painting was supposed to start seemed impossible. Fortuitously, Paredes ran into a muralist friend, Pancho Pescador, at a Berke-

Choose a

Photograph by Paul McDonald

67 Suenos captures the struggles of undocumented youth.

ley farmer’s market. After sitting down for a few hours to explain the vision, Pescador was able to come up with the exact image that everyone involved had imagined. The project was saved.

“One of the hugest parts was to develop the leadership of young people, to make them see themselves as leaders, to see themselves as change makers, as powerful people.

The young folks’ ability to lead the unveiling event was really a tribute to this process for them. They’ve really grown; they understand the issue; they feel comfortable talking

about it,” explained Paredes, who clearly takes pride in the youth he's mentored. “And the process of making the mural was out of this world.

I’d say about 50 people off-and-on participated in the process of making the mu ral,” raved Paredes.

Nearby residents and workers were encouraged to participate in a community paint day, and many did.

Alan Torres works in the government building across the street from the mural. One day he looked out the window to see a group of people painting. Curious, he went to check it out. He was soon roped

candidate in each column

in as a volunteer; he spent his next day off as a muralist. “Talking to the kids I found out how much reading they do. My impression was that they were young, passionate, and articulate. I’m even more sympathetic than I was before,” said Torres. Torres admitted that he’d never been an activist, nor has he paid much attention to the immigration issue. But, he said, “If you look at what’s going on in that mural, every image speaks to the experience these people are having. You can’t paint something like that and not realize what it means.” Torres also noted that painting the mural was hard work, and a little scary, up high, teetering on a ladder. He said it was an eye-opening experience; one he won’t forget soon.

Paredes is also pleased with the outcome. The community around the mural already treats the space differently. One man has made it his mission to keep the vacant lot in front of it clean. “The thing that transformed it is that the AFSC and this project nurtured undocumented youth to create something beautiful.

It just shows how when you nurture, when you g ive an oppor tu n ity, beautiful things happen and the whole community benefits,” Paredes explained. He hoped people can see the symbolism, and that national policy will soon allow America’s 1.2 million undocumented people to emerge from the shadows so that they too can contribute something beautiful.

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October 11: Early voting begins at City Hall October 24: Last day to register to vote November 1: Last day for vote by mail request November 8: Election Day Polls open 7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Visit sfelections.org/toolkit or call: Scan here for mobile access!

(415) 554-4375 (415) 554-4367 (415) 554-4366

Your Voter Information Pamphlet with candidate statements and summaries of measures A-H will be mailed in October City & County of San Francisco • Department of Elections • City Hall, Room 48 • 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place • San Francisco CA 94102

OCTOBER 2011 | southside/potrero view

newcomb from page 1 Community members were actively involved in public discussions leading up to the greening. “When the model block program was first introduced they made it available between Evans Avenue to Palou Avenue, with the offer for people to come to the meetings, and the particular block that had the most people was the one that would be remodeled,” said Sampson. “This block organized our church members, went to the meetings at City Hall, and wanted the opportunity.”

“Originally we were told we’d get some low cost loans and we could fix up our block, then the model block was suggested, to have it be a power block in that we use solar energy and be energy efficient, but that didn’t go over with the masses of people.

What went over with the masses was improvement of the street with

shady rest areas and trees that would make the block look a lot better; it took a few years of contracting and meetings. The church in particular was instrumental, though because of church and state we couldn’t ‘represent’ the outcomes, which is fine.”

“The street still doesn’t look anything like how it will when it’s finished. It’s definitely a positive project, the residents are very much looking forward to it once everything is complete,” Najib said. “They will be responsible for the maintenance of the landscaping once everything is said and done. There will be a huge block party in probably mid-November along with a ribbon cutting. The core group members of the block are really active in developing a plan to get additional lighting on the street to help with crime, vandalism, and loitering. They have neighborhood watch meetings monthly to address issues that are happening on their street.”

3 D

Copra Crane Undergoes Repairs

The Copra Crane was temporarily removed last month for repairs.

jordan’s from page 1 campaign for mayor. There are still a few of his “Sam Jordan for Mayor” flyers available and, running as the Freedom Now candidate, his platform remains relevant today, some five decades later: equality in housing, law enforcement that’s just, equal educational opportunities.

It’s easy to feel that little in the way of atmosphere or the menu has changed at Jordan’s over the decades.

According to Allen, who can be found toiling in the kitchen at the back of the main room most afternoons, “We have not only children of my father’s friends, but grandkids of his generation coming in now...52 years and we have the same telephone number, Valencia 4 – 0155.” That’s VA-0155 for

Photograph from The Joy of Life

the baby boomer generation and older; 824-0155 for those under 50.

There have been adjustments to the entertainment offered at the establishment, with Friday’s DJ playing hip hop; “Throwback Thursdays” featuring rhythm and blues, and Saturday typically providing a blend of both genres. The bar is open daily at 2 p.m., when locals start drifting in to convene in a familiar, friendly atmosphere that serves food late into the evening seven nights a week. The menu features ribs, seafood dinners, fried chicken, barbeque, and a dozen impressive sides, including African corn, mustard greens, onion rings and spaghetti. The impression is that if you eat and drink at Jordan’s you’re not going to leave unsatisfied. And that’s just the way that Sam would have wanted it.

D4 southside/potrero view | OCTOBER 2011

Complimentary ad space courtesy of the View

October 2011

THE POTRERO VIEW

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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

Burning Man Here and There

By Lynne Barnes, Potrero Branch Librarian

Volunteers Needed

Signs of good times at Burning Man, at Carolina and 20th streets.

The Potrero Branch needs homework helpers who enjoy working with youth ages 12 through 17. Helpers need to have a thorough knowledge of English and high school–level math skills. Thursdays, 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.

Contact Lia Hillman, Branch Manager: 355.2822.

Photograph by Steven Moss

October Programs for Adults

Hill re sident Juniper Grace, three, plays with a sound sculpture near the Temple at Burning Man 2011 last month.

This was her 4th burn; Juni eagerly talks about the trip throughout the year.

Film Screening: Bag It. In this touching and flat-out-funny film, we follow “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who is admittedly not a tree hugger, on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. Bag It has been garnering awards at film festivals across the nation. October 22, 4 p.m. For more information: www.bagitmovie.com.

Wherever There’s a Fight. Celebrating the centennial of California women gaining the right to vote, local authors Elaine Elinson and Stan Yogi share stories and historic photographs from their book, Wherever There’s a Fight, which illuminates the lives of California’s unsung heroines—from Charlotte Brown, who fought segregation on San Francisco streetcars 100 years before Rosa Parks, to suffragist Selina Solomons, who organized shopgirls in the fight for voting rights in 1911.

The book also covers women who are currently fighting for civil liberties in California. October 29, 4 p.m.

The Potrero Hill Book Club meets at the library every third Wednesday evening. October’s selection is The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye: Five Fairy Stories, by A.S. Byatt. October 19, at 7 p.m.

San Francisco Seed Library at Potrero Branch. In partnership with the San Francisco Seed Library, Potrero Branch has a colorful variety of seeds available for “checkout.” For more information: www.sfseedlibrary. org.

October Programs for Children Maria Luna Dance Performance. ¡Baila conmigo! Dance With Me, Maria Luna! Children will learn dances from different regions of Mexico, as well as structured footwork and partner dancing. For children ages five and older. Space is limited; please call for a reservation: 355.2822.

October 8, 4 to 5 p.m.

Baby Rhyme and Play Time. For infants up to 18 months old and their caregiver. October 4, 11, 18, 25, 1:15 to 1:45 p.m.

Family Storytime. Storytime features stories, songs, and rhymes. For children up to five years old and their caregiver. October 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 11:15 to 11:45 a.m.

Fun Flicks. This film program is offered every second Wednesday of the month and includes short movies based on children’s books and stories.

October’s films will be Teeny Tiny Woman and Where the Wild Things Are. Bring a snack. For children ages three to eight. October 12, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Read for the Record. On October 6, 2011, more than two million voices will call for an end to America’s early education achievement gap by reading Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney, setting a world record in the process! We'll read it during storytime at 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m Korean Storytime. For families interested in learning Korean songs and reading Korean books together. This program is offered by community member Hannah Chung, in partnership with the library. For children up to five years old. October 9, 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.

Donate to Potrero Branch Library Friends of the San Francisco Library accepts donations. If you’d like to make a contribution to Potrero Branch for programming, equipment, or supplies, call 415.626.7500 or email Mary Abler at mary.abler@ friendssfpl.org.

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October 2011

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c o m m u n i t y CALENDAR October 2011

Through December 20 Community: The Southeast Sewing Club City College’s Southeast Campus offers a sewing class for students of all ages, backgrounds, and sewing skills. The highly popular class is the only one in San Francisco that provides access to free sewing machines.

Space is still available; drop-ins welcome. Last class Dccember 16.

Fridays, 10 a.m to 3 p.m. Free. 1800 Oakdale Avenue.

Through November 19 Theater: Thrillpeddlers’ Shocktoberfest Thrillpeddlers presents Shocktoberfest, its 12th annual extravaganza, with Fear over Frisco. This trio of noir-horror plays is a collaboration between Thrillpeddlers and “Czar of Noir” Eddie Muller, author of the evening’s three plays. Each tale leads the audience through a different period of terror and titillation in San Francisco’s noir-stained history, including the contemporary déjà vu dread of The Grand Inquisitor, the post-World War II hysterics of An Obvious Explanation, and the Prohibition era high- and low-life of The Drug. Thursdays through Saturdays;, 8 p.m. Tickets: $25 to $35.

The Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street.

Information: http://thrillpeddlers. com.

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Fundraiser: Tutorpedia Back to School FUNraiser!

Support local nonprofit Tutorpedia with an evening at Café Du Norde featuring spoken word by Dre from Youth Speaks and musical performances by Nadine and local bands Guella and Antioquia. A raffle and live auction will include Giants and Oakland A’s tickets and a weekend in Mendocino. All funds will support Tutorpedia Foundation’s efforts to tutor low-income Bay Area students.

7:30 to 11:30 p.m. $10 door donation.

Café du Nord, 2170 Market Street.

Information: www.tutorpedia.org.

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Community: Discover 24th

The Lower 24th Street Merchants and Neighbors Association presents an evening along lower 24th Street in the heart of the Mission, with street performers, food tastings, art, music, and children’s activities. 6 to 10 p.m.

Free. 24th Street from Mission Street to Potrero Avenue. Information: www.lower24thstreet.org

October 8 through November 5 Art: Illuminations: Día de los Muertos 2011 SOMArts Cultural Center presents an exhibition and programming curated by René and Rio Yañez.

Illuminations honors El Día de los Muertos - the Day of

the Dead - a day for people to celebrate the beauty of life and pay respect to the spirits of the dead. Opening reception includes music, interactive performance, and the unveiling of more than 30 altars and installations. This year’s exhibition is dedicated to community pillar and Mission District business owner Marta Sanchez and renowned artist Pablo Picasso. Opening reception October 7, 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday Noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday Noon to 5 p.m. Opening reception: $5 to 10 sliding scale. 934 Brannan Street.

Information: www.somarts.org.

15 and 16. Fundraiser 6 to 9 p.m.

Open studio 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1250 Missouri, #201 (at Cesar Chavez).

Information: www.NewEraArt.com; 990.2879.

Fundraiser: Miles for Migraine’s 4th Annual 5K /10K Run and 2 Mile Walk

Community: The Potrero Hill Festival

9

In addition to raising awareness of the most common brain disorders, migraines and cluster headaches, the 4th Annual Miles for Migraine run/ walk will raise monies and bring attention to this debilitating neurological issue. Last year $10,000 was raised for the University of California, San Francisco Headache Center to support its research and clinical practice. 9 a.m. $25 early registration through September 1; $35 thereafter and on race day. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. Information: www.milesformigraine.org.

Community: Indie Mart Street Fair at Thee Parkside This family-friendly event offers a great lineup of vendors, featuring local, handmade, vintage, and rebuilt crafts, art, and creations. Enjoy music, barbecue, and a photo booth from Magnolia. Noon to 6 p.m. Entrance fee: $3. Thee Parkside, 17th Street at Wisconsin. Information: www. indie-mart.com.

Theater: To Bury A Cat

14-16 To Bury A Cat is the new

offering from Clowns on a Stick. A woman trying to bury her beloved cat is having trouble letting go, both figuratively and literally. The minister is impatient and impious, and the gravedigger is sure to get something wrong with every task. Friday and Saturday 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Tickets $15. NOH Space Theater, 2840 Mariposa Street.

Information: www.theatreofyugen. org.

Artist Xiaojie Zheng

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The 21st annual Potrero Hill Festival returns to 20th Street for a day of music on two stages, food, informational booths, and a kids’ zone. The event kicks off with a traditional New Orleans–style mimosa brunch at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. Live music by Pure Ecstasy, the Soul Delights, Third Thursday Band, and more. Brunch 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Festival 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Brunch tickets: $12; festival free.

20th Street between Arkansas and Missouri streets. Information:www. potrerofestival.com.

Family: American Gymnastics Club Grand Opening Celebration American Gymnastics Club invites youngsters and their parents to visit its brand new facility—12,500 square feet of state-of-the-art equipment, an in-ground trampoline, and foam pits.

Preview ongoing gymnastics classes and schedule a complimentary trial class. At 4 p.m. Competitive Team champions will perform the 2011 routines that contributed to their state, regional, and national success.

Snacks and refreshments will be served, and free T-shirts will be given to all kids. 390 Bayshore Boulevard.

Information: www.americangymnasticsclub.com; 920.1704.

Na Lei Hulu perfomer

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Fundraiser: Farley’s Nonprofit of the Month Event: Playworks

Head over to Farley’s to raise money for Playworks Bay Area. Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that supports learning by providing safe, healthy, and inclusive play and physical activity to schools at recess and throughout the school day. Daniel Webster and Starr King schools participate in the Playworks program. 5 to 9 p.m. 1315 18th Street.

Information: www.playworks.org

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Community: Farley’s 21st Annual Pet Parade and Costume Contest

The grand parade and costume contest offers trophies, pet treats, people treats, and wonderful live music. Parade starts at 18th and Arkansas and proceeds up 18th Street to Texas, where the judging, fun, and music begin. 1 p.m. Free.

Farley’s, 1315 18th Street.

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Community: Farley’s Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

Enter your jack-o-lantern in Farley’s carving contest. Prizes for all. Drop off pumpkins by 9 p.m. Free. Farley’s, 1315 18th Street.

Art: Xiaojie Zheng Open Studio Xiaojie Zheng, a member of the SOM A-based Asian A m e r i c a n Wo m e n’s A r t i s t s Association (AAWAA) and the subject of a View article in May, is one of several Hill artists participating in ArtSpan’s citywide Open Studios this month. Zheng’s New Era Art studio hosts a reception and AAWAA fundraiser on October 14, and is open to the public on October

Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakãne and his award-winning dance troupe, Nã Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, return to the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre with six performances. The show takes attendees on a global tour of dance and song, with stops in India, Samoa, Turkey, Spain, and Wai’anae. The trip is rounded out with Hanohano Kapalakiko, a suite of chants that celebrate the indelible bond and long historical ties between Hawai’i and San Francisco. Show times vary. Tickets: $35–$45 for regular performances; family matinee $10; opening night champagne reception (October 15) $90; gala benefit lu’au and silent auction (October 22) $150.

Palace of Fine Arts. Information and ticket purchases: www.cityboxoffice. com; 392.4400.

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American Gymnastics Club team members

The Hula Show 15-23 Dance: 2011

Community: Halloween

Organized by the Potrero Hill Parents Association, this fun, community event is for costumed children and adults alike, as they parade up and down 18th and 20th streets. 6 p.m.

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October 2011

Project One Brings Art Chic to Showplace Square

By Katrina Schwartz Three years ago, at the onset of the Great Recession, Brooke Waterhouse and her husband Steve realized their dream: they converted a former Rhode Island Street furniture store into a now popular art gallery and event space. According to Brooke, the creative and visionary energy behind Project One, the couple’s goal is to “always keep it fresh. We always want to surprise our guests. Ultimately, every time you come to Project One you have a different experience and you want to come back for more.”

Last month’s exhibit, “Untitled,” played with the idea of fashion as art, mixed with erotic themes. It featured work that ranged from traditional wall-installed pieces, to art that lies on the floor or hangs from the ceiling. The pieces included a chain metal jumper, created by the sister team behind the San Francisco jewelry company Litter; and a floor to ceiling dress by designer David Glamamore.

The gallery often features local artists. “I don’t really follow the trends. We just do what we like,” said Brooke. She pointed to the quality of her staff – a team of eight young artists and art enthusiasts – as key to the gallery’s ability to maintain a contemporary allure.

Project One takes a more curatorial approach to its exhibitions than other venues that mix art with other forms of commerce, such as 111 Minna, Farley’s, and Dogpatch Café. It displays art,

rents event space, and offers itself as a lounge, selling alcohol and featuring local DJs. The multi-purpose model has enabled the gallery to thrive despite the economic downturn.

Some members of the art community are concerned that Project

Exhibtion and lounge space at Project One.

One’s approach threatens artistic integrity. “I’m not saying their shows are bad, they just aren’t pushing the boundaries of what art is,” said Andrew McClintock, who edits and publishes the Bay Area’s only free, art-focused magazine, San Francisco Arts Quarterly. Arts Quarterly tries to bridge historical and contemporary art, pulling them into conversation with one another. McClintock admitted that he “enjoys shows where you can’t really buy the art” and hopes

to challenge San Francisco to grow beyond its casual art roots.

Sami Ezzaher, who helps with installations at Project One, studied art history at La Sorbonne in Paris, and comes from a traditional fine arts background. He was initially skepti-

Photograph by Paul McDonald

cal of Project One, but his opinion has gradually shifted. “You can’t just take the gallery part; it’s really a gallery and a bar. They’ve managed pretty well to put the lounge in one place and the gallery in another, though,” he said.

According to Ezzaher, the dual use of space makes the gallery innovative.

There aren’t many places in San Francisco where a patron can stand within the white walls of an art gallery, and then walk a few steps to hear vintage house music and have a drink.

Ezzaher readily acknowledged that Project One isn’t a downtown art gallery. “They aren’t scared to turn the space into something totally different. For the show “Breathe” she [Brooke] turned the gallery into a huge garden, with grass and trees,” he said.

The lounge draws unusual customers to the art scene. “I like the diversity of the place. The people who come in are curious and not just old people who have been in the art world for a long time,” said Ezzaher.

“We’re not really a specific neighborhood,” said Brooke. “Yes we’re Potrero Hill; we’re the Design District, but every neighborhood comes here.

Which I like a lot because it just brings everyone together.”

Project One is part of a steady trickle of new bars and restaurants – including nearby Skool and Source – that are drawing San Franciscans to Showplace Square. According to Ezzaher, Project One’s location may be a weakness; it’s off the beaten art track. People can’t just wander into the gallery on a First Thursday – the night when downtown galleries are all open – and find it. They have to seek it out, or discover it through word of mouth. Still, Ezzaher noted that once he’s at Project One for an art opening he’s likely to stop by his other favorite Potrero Hill spots, such as Thee Parkside.

When asked what’s next for Project One Brooke joked, “Project Two, Three, Four!” For now, she’s settled on revamping the lounge space, putting in a new DJ booth and remodeling the bar.

And of course, there are the monthly shows to curate, hang and celebrate.

October 2011

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Pier 70: Past and Present An exhibition of historic and contemporary photographs, featuring images by Ralph Wilson and Henrik Kam, was presented at the Dogpatch Cafe & Art Gallery last month. The exhibit highlighted the architectural heritage of the Central Waterfront, San Francisco’s fastest evolving neighborhood. A major shipbuilding facility from the mid1880’s through the mid-1960’s, and an active maritime repair facility to this day, Pier 70 has played a unique role in local history for the past 125 years. Many of its century-old buildings remain standing, either abandoned or underutilized. But this beautifully decrepit and toxic industrial complex - owned by the City and County of San Francisco is poised for redevelopment as part of a public-private partnership by the Port of San Francisco and Forest City Development.

Union Iron Works Machine Shop Interior.

Photograph from the William Dwyer Collection

Launch of the Cruiser USS Reno, 1943.

Photograph by Ralph Wilson

Photograph by Henrik Kam

Pier 70 Drydocks with Cruise Ships.

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October 2011

Potrero Hill Filmmakers Shine at Mill Valley Film Festival

By Lori Higa Two films by Potrero Hill residents – as well as other movies created by residents of adjacent communities – premier at the Mill Valley Film Festival, which runs from October 6 to 16. The latest from Hill resident William Farley – whose film Shadows & Light: The Life & Art of Elaine BadgleyArnoux was profiled in the October 2009 Vi e w – is a breathta k i ng visual poem titled The Walk. The mesmer izing film pays homage to a secret spot Farley frequently walks – Candlestick Point – whose seascape of twisted trees, swaying grasses, birdsong, fog and mist, is familiar yet strange. The Walk features Farley’s own elegiac poetry eloquently narrated by another local – playwright/actor and Project Artaud denizen John O’Keefe – and a haunting ambient soundtrack

by Jim McKee, of the Tenderloin’s Earwax Studio.

Discarded pens take on new life in Penultimate, a profile of artist and designer Costas Schuler. Kansas Street resident Paul Meyers has fashioned an all-too-brief but witty paean to Schuler, who devoted his life to creating whimsical works, from art cars to furniture, using recycled pens.

M ission Distr ict fi l m maker Paige Bierma’s Brush with the Tenderloin is an engrossing portrait of artist Mona Caron, as she developed and painted a large street mural in her characteristic photorealistic style in the heart of the ‘loin,’ at the corner of Jones and Golden Gate.

Bierma’s documentar y captures Caron’s thoughtful process as she created an urban Sistine Chapel against the gritty backdrop of the Tenderloin’s drug addicts, homeless, graffiti vandals, prostitutes and fixtures like Indian Joe, an

Alice Cooper fan/doppelganger, with depth, sensitivity and heart.

Seen through the eyes of a fifthgeneration ex-logger and a back-tothe-land grandmother who makes her living as a grower, Pot Country is a history of Humboldt County from the arrival of hippies in the 1970s to today. The film follows the semi-legal money crop’s rise and fall in rural Northern California, with marijuana legalization on the horizon and the bottom dropping out of the pot market. Co-director Kate Mclean lives in the Mission District.

Cory Mann is a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar. Nostalgic for his childhood, he spends a summer smoking fish at his family’s traditional fish camp.

Smokin’ Fish tells his story: a pilgrimage from the City to Mann’s ancestral home in remote Alaska, where he’s forced to confront the dichotomy between his ancient culture and the modern world. Director Luke Groswold-Tergis lives in the Mission and Alaska.

Other stand-out San Franciscomade films in the festival include Califor nia State of Mind: T he Legacy of Pat Brown. During the turbulent 1960s, Governor Edmund ‘Pat’ Brown apparently had a hand in creating today’s ‘superstate.’

Told from filmmaker and granddaughter Sascha Rice’s perspective, this documentary tells the inside story of the ‘godfather’ of modern California.

In Gold Violin Bow of Death, v i r tuoso v iol i n ist Joseph G old reminisces about his musical life – including studies under Jascha Heifetz – in this documentary by Mark Pope. A collector of violinists’ memorabilia, Gold recounts the story of Eduard Remenyi’s famous ‘Bow of Death,’ which he now owns and plays with passion.

In 2004, the existence of thou-

sands of corroded copper urns, containing the cremated human remains of its institutionalized residents, was revealed at Oregon State Hospital, site of the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In Library of Dust, co-directed by Ondi Timoner, photographer David Maisel captures the unique urns in a photo exhibit that exposes secrets, influences political decisions and reunites families. Timoner’s film documents the ongoing controversy surrounding a proper memorial for the forgotten souls.

Twenty-four-year-old Ameri-

can-born Alam Khan travels from San Rafael, California to India on his first concert tour without his ailing father, legendary Indian sarodist Ali Akbar Khan. When Alam feels the weight of living up to his family’s classical music tradition, his father’s advice echoes: ‘Don’t worry, play like a lion!’ Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, by Joshua Dylan Mellars, features interviews with local musicians Carlos Santana and Mickey Hart.

For more information: www. mvff.com.

Photograph courtesy of Director Paige Bierma

Tenderloin denizen and Alice Cooper fan/lookalike Indian Joe stands before muralist Mona Caron’s street canvas at the corner of Jones and Golden Gate streets from Brush with the Tenderloin.

October 2011

THE POTRERO VIEW

23

Get a Job

By Mauri Schwartz The View asked Hill resident and career expert Mauri Schwartz to answer questions from job seekers. Submit your questions to editor@potreroview.net.

Q: I’ve been receiving a lot of advice regarding my resume, much of it conflicting. Since I have varied experience, one friend told me that I should use a “functional resume” so I can highlight my accomplishments in the area I want to pursue. Another said that I should add an “objective” at the top so that potential hiring managers will know what I’m looking for. What do you think?

Photograph by Emily Payne

A: While I’m sure your friends are well-meaning, they’re not giving you good advice. If you submit a functional resume, it’ll be rejected without being read.

Hiring managers and their human resources gatekeepers want to know where you made your accomplishments, and when. They won’t try to figure it out from the document you’ve sent them. You must organize your experience in reverse chronological order. Those reading your resume will have several hundred to review for the same position. They don’t have time to read every one of them all the way through. Your first goal is to make it easy for them to see immediately that you have the qualifications for the position; at least that your resume is one of the few that should be read completely. Since the most important portion of your resume is the first one-third of page one – the content between your name at the top, through your current title and employer, but not the details of your current position – you must find a way to grab the reader’s attention in that space.

I recommend using a hybrid resume with functional highlights at the top and a reverse chronological presentation of the

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details of your experience. Before you begin, study your target job description carefully and identify the four or five most important criteria. What skills do they need most? For each of the criteria that you’ve defined, describe one or two achievements that most illustrate your ability to carryout that function. Make your statements concise, and be sure to highlight the positive results of you r ac t ion s, qu a nt i f y i n g when possible. Put this information at the top of your resume under the heading “Summary of Qualifications.”

In the “Professional Experience” section, in which you describe the positions you’ve held, include only those achievements that are relevant to your target position. You may have some terrific accomplishments that you’d like to share, but if they don’t have anything to do with the job at hand, you’re going to confuse the reader.

I strongly recommend against using an “objective” statement. A resume should be written with a specific audience in mind. You’ll want to modify your resume to match your target position, and your objective should be obvious from the resume’s wording. The best an objective statement can do for you is nothing, and waste space. The worst is that you forget to change the objective statement and submit your resume for a totally different position. Almost as bad is that you could miss out on an attractive opportunity at the same company that may not exactly match your stated objective.

Mauri Schwartz is President / CEO of Career Insiders www.

CareerInsiders.com.

24

THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

rec center park from front page The rusty fencing along the site’s perimeter has been replaced, and the misshapen trees behind it cleared to reveal a stunning panoramic view of the bay. The reforestation, like the playground renovations, was more than cosmetic. One tree had a severe lean, and snarling vines created an additional tree hazard, according to Cismowski. Moreover, the thick copse was the site of perennial homeless encampments. Pedestrian access through the playground has also been improved. The skinny, rectilinear walkway has been widened and repaved, and the Arkansas Street entryway has been reconfigured to meet American Disability Act requirements. In addition, new light fixtures and removal of the rusty fencing along Arkansas Street provide for greater visibility, heightening the perception of safety.

The dog play area along 22nd Street was also modified. Once a flat, overgrown patch, the space has been graded and re-soiled. This fall, it’ll be replanted with annual grasses.

According to Cismowski, ideally, the dog park would be fenced-off to prevent conflicts between dogs and people walking along the adjacent thoroughfare connecting Connecticut and Arkansas streets. However, there’s no funding for any additional park changes. “We have tapped out all the funding for this project,” said Cismowski. “Until there’s further funding [the dog park] will probably stay just as it is, with routine maintenance.” Project funding, budgeted for $1.2 million and sourced from a 2004 revenue bond, didn’t include dedicated monies for improvements to the dog play area. However, RPD was able to leverage small-scale alterations through on-site negotiations with the contractor.

According to Cismowksi and RPD deputy d i rector of public affairs Connie Chan, the community response to the renovations has been positive. “Oh, we’ve had such incredible feedback,” Cismowski gushed. Chan added that seeing the completed improvements might change the minds of residents who initially opposed the project. “Finally people can actually enjoy this park,” said Chan. “I think they will have a different reaction than in the earlier phases.” Cismowski agreed. “I think when they start

Photograph by Melissa Mutiara Pandika

New playground equipment will be unveiled this month at the Recreation Center.

seeing actually how much additional use this site gets, it’ll be really challenging to find someone who is in opposition of the progress. If there is somebody, by all means, step forward. Let’s talk about it.” Both he and Chan stressed that all of the prospective renovations underwent an “intensive community planning process,” which began in 2007 and involved numerous meetings. “So unless you just recently moved to this neighborhood, you should know exactly what we’re doing, because we’ve done everything as transparently as possible,” said Cismowski.

But some community members d ispute Cismowsk i’s asser tion, claiming that RPD has left the neighborhood mostly in the dark about the renovation process, and that outreach efforts have been minimal. None of the residents interviewed by the View knew that the park was scheduled to re-open.

“I’m out of the loop in terms of what’s going on currently,” said Jacob Weisman, who lives on 22nd and Connecticut streets. According to fifteen-year Arkansas Street resident and Galileo High School teacher Ray Vaughn, who uses the park twice a day to walk his dogs, and used to be involved in afterschool programs at the Rec Center, RPD often posted fliers for community meetings the same day they were scheduled, and only on the Center’s doors. Fortunately, community members had formed a network such that anyone who saw the fliers sent a mass e-mail notifying other interested residents.

To be fair, Vaughn said, RPD later began mailing notices to residents, although sporadically. He’s generally pleased with the changes to the

park, praising RPD’s reforestation efforts and installation of safer, plastic-coated fencing. The park “…looks great,” he said. “It looks beautiful.”

Fifteen-year Wisconsin Street resident Terrence Jones agreed that meeting publicity should have been more robust. Jones’ nine-year-old daughter attends Starr King Elementary School, where he coaches one of its soccer teams. As both a father and dog owner, Jones was a park regular, but his visits became less frequent after the park closed for renovations last December. He’s happy with the improvements to the facilities, and looks forward to the park’s reopening. “It’s been tough not having access to it for dogs or kids for the past six months and not having any communication about

what is going on up there,” he said.

Some community members complained that the department refused to incorporate feedback into renovation efforts, asserting that RPD presented plans as final versions, rather than drafts open to community revision. RPD “…would present the plan as ‘community involvement,’ but community involvement is just showing you what they’re going to do, never what would you like to be included,” said Weisman. “They’re not really seeking input. Usually they end up taking suggestions, and they come up a year later with the exact same proposal; d ifferent architect but pretty much the same plan.” “Basically they were showing the plan as if it were a done deal,” Vaughn agreed. “Even if we commented on it, they knew what they were going to do anyway.”

According to some residents, RPD staunchly resisted their requests to fence the dog play area.

“We were told point blank that it wasn’t going to happen,” said Vaugh n. Com mu n ity members argued that fencing would prevent conflicts between pedestrians using the thoroughfare, including those who might be afraid of dogs. Moreover, although RPD plans to reseed the area this fall, foxtail grasses currently pose a serious threat to dogs. Foxtail seeds cling readily to fur, and enter an animal by lodging themselves into body cavities, such as eyes, ears, and nose. The intrusive see rec center park on next page

October 2011

rec center park from page 24 seeds act like animated fishhooks, their tiny barbs preventing them from moving backwards. While RPD acknowledged residents’ concerns, it blamed a lack of funding for its decision not to fence the area.

In an op-ed the San Francisco Bay Guardian published in August, David Looman pointed to RPD’s failure to provide data showing its funding status and how it compares with other park systems in California and the U.S., despite this information being readily available.

In a 2011 annual survey conducted by the Trust for Public Land, a San Francisco-based park advocacy group, San Francisco ranked as the country’s fourth-best funded park system for cities with populations larger than 500,000, and the sixth best for cities with more than 250,000 people. Based on operating expenditures – total budget minus capital spending – San Francisco is similarly the fourth best funded among all municipalities.

Bayview resident Carla Eagleton cites wastefulness, rather than a lack of resources, for RPD’s refusal to fence-off the dog play area. “They should have spent a million and a half dollars on stuff we really need,” she said, calling the justifications that RPD gave for the renovations “lies.” Eagleton never heard of anyone getting seriously injured by the old play structures, and pointedout that RPD had renovated another playground along Arkansas Street in 2007. According to Eagleton, the renovations mostly just improved the park’s appearance. “It’s pretty, but of course a million dollar dress is going to be pretty,” she said.

Residents also pointed out that that although RPD designated the area located at 22nd and Arkansas streets as an official off-leash dog play area, it fails to meet RPD’s own criteria for such uses. In the official dog policy posted on its website, RPD states that smaller parks, falling in the less than 10 acre range, such as the Rec Center, can contain off-leash areas that are a minimum of 10,000 square feet, and have a physical barrier. Off-leash areas of this size are supposed to include double gates in at least two locations. However, the

Center’s off-leash area is less than 10,000 square feet, with no barriers or double gates, increasing the risk of collisions with pedestrians and oncoming traffic.

According to RPD policy, designated dog play areas should provide bag dispensers, signs, benches, surface material, and trash cans, none of which can be found at the newly renovated dog play area. Moreover, although dog play areas should be sufficiently distant from residences so that noise and activity levels aren’t severely disruptive to neighbors, the dog play area is located directly adjacent to the Terrace-Annex housing complexes.

For years before the renovations, dog owners allowed their dogs to roam the park unleashed. They believed that their presence improved

a place for them.”

According to some community members, the extent to which the Rec Center should allow dogs, while controversial, is only part of a larger issue of whether the renovations serve primarily to meet the Hill’s or the City’s needs. Weisman believes that changes to the park cater mainly to Sunday softball leagues, whose athletic field reservations RPD relies on to generate revenue.

Many of the teams that use the fields are from outside the Hill; some from outside the City. RPD is “…very interested and committed to cleaning [the park] up, and the residents are being actually shut out of the space,” Weisman said.

Accord i ng to Weisma n, the park renovations are reminiscent of those made to Jackson Park. Before

“RPD should make a definitive decision on where they stand between dogs and people....I love dogs, but there’s a place for them.”

-Edward Hatter, Potrero Hill Neighborhood House

the park’s social conditions, including better interactions between dogs and park goers, as well as a decline in the number of drug dealers and others engaging in illegal activity.

Roughly five years ago, after planning for park renovations was underway, the police began enforcing the City’s dog policies at Rec Center grounds, ticketing and threatening to arrest owners for allowing their dogs off-leash in designated leashed areas, or walking their dogs on the athletic fields. RPD blamed dogs for the fields’ poor condition, which made softball teams reluctant to utilize them. However, dog-owners contend that a number of factors contributed to the problem, including gophers, inadequate staffing, and a lack of maintenance.

Ed Hatter, who grew up on Dakota and Pennsylvania streets, and serves as the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House’s (Nabe) executive director, had hoped for a more ample dog run. He believes that the dog play area along 22nd street will become a source of conflict between dogs and pedestrians. “RPD should make a definitive decision on where they stand between dogs and people,” said Hatter. “I love dogs, but there’s

Jackson was renovated, residents utilized the baseball diamonds for lounging and playing catch. Now, Jackson’s baseball fields are much larger than those found in most City playgrounds, attracting more league reservations, and leaving little space for park goers from the surrounding neighborhood. Some residents fear that the same fate will befall the Rec Center, with the dog play area already considered unusable by most dog owners, and softball leagues potentially rendering both playing fields off-limits for neighborhood children.

A few decades ago, most San Franciscans avoided upper Potrero Hill, perceiving the area to be dangerous. “We’ve always felt that we were in a corner of the City where historically no one’s paid attention to what we want,” explained Weisman, who grew up on the Hill. Residents have traditionally been self-governing, determining their own uses for existing facilities. “It’s only when the demographics changed and this became a much more desirable area that RPD has wanted to improve what we had.” RPD “…see it as a big park with nice views, that it could be a crown jewel,” said Weisman. “We

THE POTRERO VIEW

25

would like something that would actually involve the community.”

Before the renovations, the park was abuzz with children and teenagers from the Annex-Terrace. Now, they’re nowhere in sight. Although the exterior renovations are “beautiful,” Annex-Terrace youth believe that RPD no longer wants them in the park, said Hatter, who works closely with the housing residents.

While he doubted that this outcome was RPD’s intent, “that’s the message that’s been sent,” he said.

W hen RPD introduced fee-forservice camps to the park in 2010, few parents from Annex-Terrace could afford the enrollment fees; a Housing Authority initiative to allow low-income families to attend the camps for free was poorly publicized.

In the end, the only camp attendees were European-American children, whose parents could pay the fees, said Hatter. Because the program’s two staff members were often too busy to address demands outside of camp operations, the Rec Center closed its doors during camp hours.

Some residents believe that the renovations, instead of making the area safer, might have triggered an increase in crime among neighborhood youth, which they fear will escalate if RPD isn’t proactive in its efforts to reintegrate them. The San Francisco Police Department’s Bayview station confirmed a total of 459 felony crimes within a quartermile radius of the park between January and September of this year, compared to 277 felony crimes in the area for all of 2010. Since January, the number of burglaries in the area increased almost tenfold, from 39 to 341. So far in 2011, three homicides occurred within a quarter-mile of the park out of a total of seven homicides in the Bayview station area; in 2010, only one of 14 homicides in Bayview occurred near the park.

Hatter has “noticed idle hands being the devil’s workshop. Again, you have young men and young women sitting around for long periods of time with nothing to do,” he said. “They start thinking of things to do, and a lot of the times it’s negative. If you have everyone housed together with nothing to do, they’re going to star t ter ror izing each see rec center park on page 26

26

THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

rec center park from page 25 other.” He suspected that the recent homicides were related to “turfing and stupidity. But again, you had those individuals with nothing to do when they would normally be at the gym playing basketball.”

The personnel changes precipitated by the renovations may have further alienated the Annex-Terrace community. Last year, RPD dismissed three longtime Rec Center employees, a decision that some residents saw as a cost-cutting measure. “They took care of those kids like they were their own kids,” said JC Prenner, who lives near AnnexTerrace and used to be heavily involved with Rec Center programs.

Eagleton, who joined other community members at City Hall to protest the dismissals, recalled how one of the employees continued to visit the children at the Center even after his departure.

Michael Bross, who replaced the former Rec Center employees, is “a good guy. Problem is, Michael’s white,” Hatter said. The youth “…had three black directors and [director] Jon Greenberg, who retired. The whole face of the Rec Center changed, and the doors were closed. That’s pretty much an obvious statement in itself as to what’s going on.”

Vaughn fondly recalled how he and other Hill residents regularly pooled their resources for the Rec

Center children, raising money for school supplies, Christmas gifts, Halloween goodies, and after school program snacks. The park “…was where I had my interaction with the other side of the Hill,” explained Weisman. “They knew me, and I knew them.” He described how he used to play pickup games at the basketball court with a diverse group that included Annex-Terrace residents and art students. “That’s one of things we’re going to lose when it’s Lawyers League softball,” he said. “We know each other by name – that’s the guy who owns that dog, and that’s guy who does that – and those are part of the things that make a neighborhood a neighborhood.”

Hatter believes that the exclusion of Annex-Terrace residents from the park was the result of shortsightedness. He doesn’t think RPD should have closed the Rec Center facility, and could have done the renovations in sections, rather than tearing up the entire site. Hatter, who wasn’t notified of the planning meetings, also stated that RPD could have done more outreach to Annex-Terrace.

Other Hill residents confirmed that they saw none of the housing project residents among meeting attendees.

Vaughn believes that other factors – such as rising living costs and the economic downturn – are equally likely to blame for the displacement of low-income Hill residents. “That’s just part of the dynamic of the City,” he said. “Good or bad, anyway you

want to see it, or whomever or whatever you want to blame it on, things are changing. The old guard is out, and the new guard is in…That’s just what happens sometimes.” Vaughn views park renovations as a concession to the more affluent individuals moving to the Hill’s south side at the expense of current residents. As an educator, he’s concerned that the needs of his students and their families, many of whom are low-income minorities, may no longer be met. “I worry that the people that get what they want are usually the people who have the stronger voice and bigger bank accounts,” he said.

“The real picture is to get rid of all those people,” said Eagleton.

Now they’re “…going to Richmond, or Vallejo…Younger people are leaving the City. This is a really great example of how [decision makers] do it.

It’s lies. They have an overall plan.”

She and other residents have noticed the changes in the demographics of those who use the dog park, tennis courts and second playground.

Once a diverse lot, park goers now consist mainly of children from affluent families and their nannies, who Eagleton believes could utilize Jackson Park. “Oh, let’s put the trust fund kids in the public place and all the kids who needed something in the Neighborhood House,” Prenner sneered. RPD “…immediately had to take from those who had nothing, and that’s just a crime.”

In the end, RPD has left residents with a host of unanswered questions.

“Is this going to be a takeover of the northern side of Potrero by people who rarely used it, or is this going to be a shared thing?” asked Hatter “With the fee for service camps and with the poor lineage of information, who knows? They need to do a major public relations effort and let people know that RPD is strapped, explain why the Rec Center employees were dismissed,” he said.

Nabe staff members have already begun organizing boys’ and girls’ basketball leagues that will include members from both sides of the Hill. They also plan to include their facility’s programming and activities among those offered by the Rec Center. “Other than that, it’s under the auspice of RPD to get out there, beat some bushes, and put together programs for people to participate in,” said Hatter.

October 2011

Crime & Safety REPORT Sponsored by Mainline Security

By Regina Anavy

Burglaries Homes located on Carolina, Missouri and Vermont streets were burglarized last month. In one case the burglar entered an occupied house through an open door and snatched a laptop bag. The home owners and his guests gave chase.

The bag was recovered, and the police apprehended the suspect who had other allegedly stolen items in his possession.

State Legislature Enacts AB 109 to Address Prison Overcrowding The 2011 Realignment Legislation Add ressing P ublic Safety, Assembly Bill (AB) 109, was signed into law last April. Starting October 1, non-violent, non-serious and non-sex offenders will serve time in county jails instead of state prisons.

Local custody and supervision tools will be enhanced, including home detention, additional jail credits for time served, and the broadening of allowable hospital costs for inmates.

In addition, diver ting low-r isk offenders to drug treatment, day reporting centers, and electronic monitoring is expected to reduce the state’s prison population without jeopardizing safety. No state prison inmates will be transferred to county jails.

A plan to implement the law in San Francisco was developed by the Community Corrections Partnership’s executive committee, whose members include District Attorney George Gascón, Public Defender Jeff Adachi, Superior Court Judge Charles Haines, County Sheriff Michael Hennessey, Public Health Director Barbara Garcia, Adult Probation Department Chief Wendy Still, and San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Chief Greg Suhr.

The Probation Department will be responsible for community supervision, which won’t exceed three years for each individual, with staffing costs reimbursed by the state. According to Still, the department is hiring 30 additional staff to deal with the expected increase of 400 to 700 parolees over the next year.

“The population is complex,” she said. “They are already on parole.

You will have the whole gamut of prisoners. Some offenders are non-violent only on the current conviction. They may have already served time for violent convictions.”

Individuals under community supervision will include registered sex offenders and armed robbers. “Their current conviction is for drugs or property crimes,” she said.

According to Still, San Francisco currently has a 77.8 percent recidivism rate for parolees. “We have an opportunity to do better, with the right supervision and programs.” The Probation Alternatives Court’s services and treatment protocol for non-serious, non-violent felony offenders will be the model for community supervision. Under this approach, San Francisco will deploy early validated risk/needs assessments, evidence-based sentencing and treatment, and close judicial and community monitoring. Participants will be linked to wrap-around services to help them avoid returning to jail, including a rehabilitation plan that includes a social worker. More than $600,000 is available for drug and mental health treatment, transitional housing, and job training. In addition, one million dollars is available to build a special facility for referrals and connections to services. Participants who successfully complete the program will have their cases dismissed. The program hopes to cost-effectively decrease recidivism and improve public safety.

The Sheriff’s Department will

THE POTRERO VIEW

27

be responsible for a home-detention program, which will include electronic monitoring in lieu of bail.

According to Eileen Hirst, Sheriff’s Department chief of staff, it’s a “misconception that released prisoners are going to flood the City.

There is no prisoner release. It’s realignment that goes into effect on October 1. People sentenced after that date will go to the county jails.” Hirst said that the new policy won’t occur all at once; rather, it’ll unfold over a two-year period. “The state is asking for an extension of five years. During the fiscal year, October 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, we will increase our jail population by several hundred. Realignment helps the state resolve part of its ongoing budget shortfall by shifting the cost of incarcerating offenders from the state to the counties.”

Inmates who are discharged under a supervision program will be returned to the county that was their last legal residence. According to the SFPD, no data is available on the number of parolees being returned to District 10. However, in contrast to the optimistic perspectives offered by City officials, an Adult Probation Officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said that 200 prisoners have already been released, and a total of 4,700 inmates will be freed in San Francisco. According to District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen, “A large part of the people released will be coming to the Bayview and Visitation Valley.

We have to be prepared.”

28

THE POTRERO VIEW

October 2011

Carl Padover Passes 1917 ~ 2011

Potrero Hill resident Carl Padover died in his sleep July 10, 2011, at his De Haro Street home. He was 94. He’d lived on the Hill for more than 60 years. He worked as a Merchant Marine and a stationary engineer; a Local 39 member until he retired in 1982.

I met Carl when I was door-todoor canvassing voters during last year’s District 10 San Francisco Board of Supervisors election. He greeted me with a broad smile before telling me that “politics will kill your soul,” advising me to rethink my campaign for supervisor. After firmly stating that he didn’t want to be the subject of a View article (sorry, Carl), he invited me into the home he’d built decades ago.

Inside he proudly took me on a tour of the many extraordinary pieces he’d collected over the years from Potrero Hill artists, including Jake Arnautoff, Helen Burke, Ken Byler, Charles Farr, Henri Marie-Rose, and Benny Vaganov. The artwork, and the tales he told about them, weaved

A Poem by Carl Padover monk's triad the black finger the white key and the blue note

a history of a life well spent in a close-knit community of individuals who knew how to use their hands to create art – and build useful things – as well as their well-read intellects to argue politics, and discuss science, philosophy and religion.

Carl’s devotion to his wife and childhood sweetheart Vig was palpable. He’d constructed an elevator from the rocky plateau on which his home was built to the street below after her mobility was compromised by ill-health. His dedication to a particular aesthetic – a handmade life full of good friends – and his generosity of spirit were existentially reflected in the objects he’d collected, and the things he’d built. My visit with him prompted my November 2010 “Publisher’s View,” about the fading of one Potrero Hill community, and the emergence of another.

I always intended to make a return visit; unfortunately I never did. Carl will be missed by those who knew him, and remembered for his passionate soul.

- Steven J. Moss

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October 2011

Raymond Bright, Jr. 1931 ~ 2011

Raymond Easton Bright Jr. died on August 31st, at the age of 80, in Napa.

He was the devoted husband of Marcelle Bright (Cluzeau), who passed in 2005.

He’s survived by two brothers and their wives: Michael and Jane Bright, and George and Nancy Bright.

Raymond was born in Ballard, Washington on July 5th 1931 to Raymond and Emily Bright. He was raised in Renton, Washington, and graduated from Renton High School. He received a scholarship to Yale University, and, after graduating, joined the United States Navy, serving in the Korean War. After he was discharged he attended Stanford Law School, received his doctor of jurisprudence degree, and moved to Potrero Hill.

Raymond built a San Francisco law practice, specializing in personal injury, while investing in and develop-

ing property. He helped develop an entire Hill block – now called Victoria Mews – into 87 condominiums that reflect San Francisco’s Victorian style.

After several years of a successful law practice and community involvement, Raymond shifted his focus to managing of his properties. He also boated, played tennis and golf, and enjoyed socializing with his friends and family.

He belonged to several organizations associated with the legal profession, as well as the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood and Potrero Dogpatch Merchant associations.

Raymond and his wife Marcelle traveled around the world, but made sure that their trips included family visits during the holidays. While their interests varied, a primary concern was ensuring that the environment would remain a beautiful and supporting place for mankind.

To that end, they established The WJ Fund, administered by Leland Stanford Junior University, which will annually reward an individual from regions around the world for a significant achievement in support of environmental preservation and global sustainability. The hoped the fund will help make this world a better place for those who follow.

At Raymond’s request a private burial service was held at Tulocay Cemetery in Napa, California in September. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the WJ Fund at Leland Stanford Junior University.

letters, continued from page 5 “Lunch programs vary, with public schools choosing different menus from items provided by the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).” Lunch programs vary only to the extent that middle and high schools offer students more choices each day than elementary students, who all get the same lunch, with a vegetarian option always available by preorder. Schools don’t get a “choice;” the elementary school menu is the same each day at each elementary school.

According to the article “Lunch is offered for free or at a low-cost for students from low-income families.”

All low-income SFUSD students eat for free. Although school districts are allowed to charge a 40 cents copayment for students who qualify for reduced price meals, SFUSD long ago elim inated the copay.

Students who qualify for “reduced price” get their meals for free, just as students who qualify for “free” do. The free and reduced income levels are set by federal guidelines, not local ones. To qualify for a reduced fee lunch means a family of four’s annual income must be less than $41,000. It’s less than $29,000 to qualify for a free lunch. Due to San Francisco’s high cost of living there’s little difference between those two income levels.

The article stated that “According to Quiroz, less than half of the school’s roughly 400 students eat National School Lunch program food, down from a high of as much as 90 percent a decade ago.” At Starr King Elementary School about 52

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percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced price lunch, compared to roughly 90 percent a decade ago. The introduction of the Mandarin Immersion program in the 2006 school year attracted a new cohort of students, such that the school is no longer as heavily low-income as it was a decade ago.

Like all SFUSD schools, a majority of students who eat the cafeteria meals qualify for free or reduced price lunch.

The article asserted that “According to Quiroz lunchtime favorites include tater tots.” “Tater tot” ty pe potato products were eliminated from SFUSD lunches several years ago. White potatoes are rarely offered at all in any form, although sweet potatoes are served as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s gold standard promotion of dark orange and leafy green vegetables.

I’m a member of the SFUSD Student Nutrition and Physical Activity Committee. My daughter chooses to eat “school lunch” about half of the time.

Stacey Bartlett Mississippi Street

Appreciation Editor, You are all doing an outstanding job at the Potrero View. I appreciated the articles in the September issue on the various developments and projects in our area. Thank you for keeping us informed.

Philip Bewley Wisconsin Street

HOW TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: UPDATE, POST, & PAY ONLINE Visit www.potreroview.net & follow the instructions for placing your ad.

COST $25 for up to 200 characters including spaces. Recieve an additional 20% discount provided for ads paid for six months in advance!

MAIL OR CALL IN YOUR AD View Wants Ads 2325 Third Street, Suite 344 San Francisco, CA 94107 415.626.8723 / office@potreroview.net * Payments and/or text changes must be received by the 18th of each month for ad to appear in the following month's issue.

CLASSIFIED ADS 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.

Employment JOURNEY LEVEL PLUMBING TECHNICIAN WANTED We seek a journey level plumber that has at least 3 years of experience in residential service for full time work.

Please call O’Grady Plumbing at 415-6479200 if you are interested.

For Sale

TOMBOY TOOLS Ergonomically designed for a smaller hand. Discover our quality tools for women at home parties, events & online.

On Potrero Hill Cathy Ritter 729-3955 www. tomboytools.info/cathy.

E M S PLUMBING Licensed & Insured contractor for your plumbing needs. Water heater 10+ yrs old? Thinking of going tankless?

4th generation Potrero Hill resident. Call Ed 596-0883 Lic#945019

Garden 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: 415-824-3538.

EXPERT GARDEN & LANDSCAPE SERVICES We do it all - garden maintenance, design, construction, irrigation systems, lighting, stonework, tree service & fine pruning.

No job too big or too small. Free estimates, excellent references, insured, over 20 years experience. Call David at 415-846-7581.

Home Services CARPENTRY & PAINTING also: plumbing, seismic/structural work, stucco, roof repairs & gutter cleaning, tree trimming. www.FarWestConstr.com Jim Kennedy, 415-276-1990 Ca. Lic. 751689 180 DEGREE DESIGN-COLOR HELP Struggling to find the perfect paint colors for the interior or exterior of your home or business? Get the Color and Design you want!

Color Designer for HGTV the Expert in Color Kathyjean Boise 415-285-3014

ELDERFRIENDLYRENOVATION.COM Live safely and comfortably in your own home no matter your physical condition. Call for a consultation. (888) 850-5051 Alfred Bay Lic. Gen. Contractor (499766).

Housekeeping CLEANING PROFESSIONAL 25 years Experience. Apartments, homes, or offices. Roger Miller, 415-794-4411 9a-5p or 415-6640513.

Photography FREE PORTRAITS BY A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED HOBBYIST am a retired professional who now does portrait photog-

raphy as my hobby/passion. I have a studio on Potrero Hill with top quality equipment where I do free portraits & prints for families or individuals. There is no catch, professional quality for free, and fun for all.

Contact me at alcastino@mac.com and I will send a link to sample photos.

Rentals SPACIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL Furnished guest garden apartment. Private. 1/2 blk. to restaurants. Non-smoking. 2 people. 415861-3208.

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

Technology Services COMPUTER PROBLEMS DRIVING YOU BUGGY? Problems fixed! 25 years of industry experience. Personal IT consulting 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.

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October 2011

Bayview Police Station Captain’s Community Meeting is held on the first Tuesday of each month. October meeting will be held at the Bayview Station Community Room, 201 Williams at Newhall. Next meeting: October 4th, 6 p.m.

Dogpatch Neighborhood Association usually meets the second Tuesday of each odd-numbered month. Next meeting: November 15, 7 to 9 p.m., 654 Minnesota Street @ 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.

McKinley Square Community Group 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.

MSCA board meets approximately quarterly on the second Wednesday of the month. Look to the online discussion group for postings of upcoming meetings. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKinleySquareCommunity. Locations vary between the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House and Downtown High School. For updates, including sustainable gardening and park workdays, and our grant progress, check out the MSCA blog at: http://mckinleysquareblog.blogspot.com.

Potrero Boosters 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: October 25. See www.PotreroBoosters.org for more information.

Potrero Dogpatch Merchant’s Association 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: October 11, 10 a.m.

Potrero Hill Democratic 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: October 4th, 7 p.m.

542 Kansas Street

Potrero Hill Garden 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 Open Space The Starr King Open Space Board Meeting is on Tuesday, October 11th, 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the library of Starr King Elementary School, 1215 Carolina Street. The third Saturday of each month neighbors and friends of SKOS are welcome to get down and dirty while sprucing up the open space. Come learn about our native flowers while being a steward for our land. The next Land Stewards Work Party is October 15th, 9 a.m. to 1p.m. Meet at the Open Space 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).

Rarely Available View Condominium Awash in light from its expansive bay windows this bright Marina flat is on the coveted North Slope of Potrero Hill.

This beautifully-remodeled full-floor flat offers two generous bedrooms, two baths, chef’s kitchen and an expansive family room. The living room boasts wonderful period details, a wood-burning fireplace, and magical views of the Bay Bridge. There is a tranquil, private patio for enjoying the Hill’s famously warm weather.

This lovely home is completed by an additional legal room and bath on the lower level, generous storage and parking for one car.

Steps away from Whole Foods Market and the shops of 18th Street.

For more information and showing schedules, visit www.542Kansas.com

TIM JOHNSON

Paragon Real Estate Group DRE# 01476421

415.710.9000 tim@timjohnsonSF.com www.timjohnsonSF.com

October 2011

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