Author: Todd_Lappin

How to Help This Man Repatriate the Bernal Heights Marmot

/ Todd_Lappin / 20 Comments

marmotman

This is Duane.

He’s here to catch a marmot.

This is a marmot:

marmot

Yes, the elusive marmot that has taken refuge in Bernal Heights remains at large in the area around Bocana and Ellert Streets.

But Duane works with Wildlife Emergency Services, and he’s very confident the decontextualized rodent will be safely captured. Soon. And then, after the marmot has been brought under control, Duane will gently return the cute animal to its native biome in the High Sierras.

Here’s KTVU’s latest Action (action… action…) News (news… news…) summary of the situation:

The rodent, which is a member of the squirrel family, isn’t a city dweller, and experts want to get the little creature back home to the Sierra Nevada.

Experts set three traps Thursday afternoon, each baited with something different.

“We’ve tried a few things,” said Duane Titus, of Wildlife Emergency Services. “We’ve tried a little spinach. There’s some mixed nuts. There’s a little bit of apple pie. They’re omnivorous, so I have no idea which one will work, but it will be interesting to find out.”

(We might have suggested one of those yummy waffles from the new Suite Foods kiosk in 331 Cortland… because no omnivorous creature could possibly resist that.)

Anyway, Duane is requesting assistance from the Citizens of Bernalwood to help him figure out where exactly the marmot came from, so he/she can be returned to the very same place. “To its family,” as Duane told Bernalwood.

Based on various bits of evidence — namely, neighborhood sighting reports and marmot guano piles — Duane estimates the marmot arrived in Bernal Heights sometime around June 20. He also suspects the marmot’s home was somewhere around the 6500-foot mark in the Sierras.

So, If you live in Bernal, and you recently returned from a trip to the High Sierras; or, if you received a delivery from a vehicle that may have come from the High Sierras, Duane would like to hear from you, in case the marmot hitched a ride under the hood of your vehicle, as they are apparently wont to do.

Here’s how to help: If you  returned to Bernal Heights from the mountains not long ago, please call Wildlife Emergency Services at (866) 945-3911. They’re eager to speak with you.

All that said, Bernalwood suspects that the marmot is no longer in Bernal Heights. Indeed, Bernalwood’s sources tell us the elusive marmot is actually holed up in the transit zone of the Moscow Airport, where it has been seen in the company of international fugitive Edward Snowden, while nibbling on apple pie.

You heard it here first.

UPDATE: The Bernal Marmot tweets!!!!

PHOTO: Top, Telstar Logistics. Marmot via Wikipedia

Glamorous TV Shoot Brings Taye Diggs to Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

murderinfirst

Bernal Heights was aflutter yesterday morning, as a film crew was spotted shooting a big-budget production on the north side. So! Completely! Glamorous!

But what were they shooting?

Neighbor Jenna tracked down the details:

jennatweet

Here’s what Deadline Bernalwood Hollywood has to say about “Murder in the First,” which will air on TNT:

Boss‘ Kathleen Robertson and Private Practice‘s Taye Diggs have been tapped as the leads in Murder In The First, TNT’s drama from NYPD Blue co-creator Steven Bochco. Co-created by Bochco and Eric Lodal, Murder In The First is a murder mystery set in contemporary San Francisco. Said to be in the vein of The Killing, it centers on two SFPD homicide detectives, Terry Seagrave (Diggs) and Hildy Mulligan (Robertson), as they take on a case that seems more like a maze.

Or maybe… a labyrinth???

PHOTO: Filming on Alabama, by @donderheim

UPDATED: A Piano Sprouts on Bernal Hill, Seeking Pianists

/ Todd_Lappin / 24 Comments

bernalpiano

The sudden onset of warm weather is having a strange effect on the Bernal Heights ecosystem. (Cue: Koyaanisqatsi)

First we got a marmot, then there was a Bikini Jogger sighting, and now a piano has sprouted on Bernal Hill.

Anyone have any idea what the hell it’s doing there?

And/or, when do the ad-hoc ragtime hilltop sing-alongs begin? Because apparently, that kind of thing is encouraged:

playme

UPDATE, 9:30 PM: Our local pianists are rising to the challenge. Neighbor Heinz reports:

Here is a picture taken today of a lady playing the piano on top of Bernal Hill.. She was playing in front of a small crowd of about 8 -12 people.. There was also another gentleman that played before her.

pianist

And check this out! Neighbor Christopher made a movie of someone performing the Star Wars theme!

Neighbor Ros captured another pianist in action at sunset:

pianist2

Looks like the same pianist, but @ddotkdot captured this stunner:

Pianist3

UPDATE 2 (28 June)

Well, that didn’t take long. Neighbor Jonathan shows us that the Bernal Piano was tagged with graffiti overnight:

taggedpiano

But still, the band plays on. Neighbor Mike comments:

Tagging has no impact on the performance of the instrument. It actually adds character to the piano, in my opinion. I got a text about the piano yesterday and got to play a little today in the hot sun!

PHOTOS: Top, Neighbor Jonathan. Below, Neighbor Heinz, Neighbor Ros, @ddotkdot, Neighbor Jonathon

UPDATED: Marmot Alert!! Marmot Alert!! Wild Mountain Creature Spotted in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

marmot

There’s been a marmot sighting in Bernal Heights, and rescuers are scrambling to capture the very cute, very decontextualized creature, which normally lives at altitudes above 5000 feet. The SF Appeal just went live with this breaking story:

Wildlife rescuers are spending this afternoon trying to capture a marmot that was spotted in the backyard of a home in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood.

A resident called WildCare, a wildlife rehabilitation center based in Marin, to report seeing the marmot in the yard this morning.

The call was forwarded to members of Wildlife Emergency Services, based in Moss Landing, who were on scene this afternoon trying to coax the marmot from underneath a shed, said Rebecca Dmytryk, an animal expert with the organization.

Dmytryk said she believes the animal made its way to Bernal Heights by hitching a ride on the undercarriage of a truck or car on the drive from the Sierras or other mountainous location and has likely been in San Francisco for about a week.

UPDATE: As of this evening, KTVU reports that the marmot remains at large and warns that the creature may be a glycerol addict:

At 6:15 p.m., Dmytryk told KTVU that they were unable to round up the marmot from under the “little studio.”

“We will be placing cage trap and monitoring continuously,” wrote Dmytryk in an email to KTVU. “We really want need to know if someone from the area has come back recently from mts like tahoe or yosemite”

Dmytryk said she believed the animal made its way to Bernal Heights by hitching a ride on the undercarriage of a truck or car on the drive from the Sierras or other mountainous location and has likely been in San Francisco for about a week.

She cited a phenomenon in which marmots get into automobile engines and chew through the engine hoses to drink antifreeze.

Hide your antifreeze, Citizens of Bernalwood!  There is a marmot on the prowl.

PHOTO: A marmot, via Wikipedia

Friday: Attend the First Hearing for the Suspects Accused of Mugging Your Neighbors

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

scales-of-justice

If you remember the deep, deep, deep unpleasantness of last January’s string of Bernal Heights muggings, you will also remember how good it felt to learn that the SFPD had apprehended the perps responsible for the crimes.

Now Neighbor Sarah, Bernalwood’s official unofficial crime reporter, is encouraging all Citizens of Bernalwood to attend the first criminal hearing for the men who stand accused of last winter’s crime spree:

The rescheduled hearing date for the robbery suspects is coming up on Friday, June 28 (Hall of Justice,  850 Bryant,  Department 20,  at 8:45am). We need people to sign up to attend the hearing to show their concern and support our neighbors.

We all probably remember how terrifying it felt in January when it felt as if we were “under siege,” as Caroline (I believe) so aptly described it. But you may want to reread this to drop yourself back into the moment.

Neighbor Jeff (robbed in the Bocana Street incident) and the others will appreciate your support. The two suspects will surely have their families and community members there to support them again. Bernal Heights needs to be represented as well.

Please sign up using this online form if you would like to attend. If it doesn’t work, or if you’d rather just let me know directly, email me with your name and contact info at so I can add you to the list.

An important note:  These hearings often get rescheduled at the last minute, so as much as we want people to sign up and attend, please know that this hearing might get rescheduled (again). That’s to say, we need people there if it DOES move forward, but please don’t feel jaded and disillusioned if it gets moved. That’s just the way the process works.

One thing I will say is that these hearings – and just being in the court watching this and other court business – is totally fascinating, so there’s that ancillary perk.

There’s a Bernal Buried in the Mission Dolores Cemetery

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

bernaltomb2

bernaltomb1

Neighbor Laurie made a historic discovery last weekend at Mission Dolores:

Sketching at Mission Dolores today, I was startled to see the headstone (and footstone, if there is such a word) for one of the original Bernal family that gave its name to our neighborhood.

It’s a good pilgrimage site for any fanatical Bernalwood patriots out there.

Amen. José Jesús Bernal was the son of José Cornelio Bernal, namesake of Bernal Heights and the original recipient of the land grant that included our present-day neighborhood. Wikipedia provides a handy thumbnail history:

José Cornelio Bernal (1796–1842), grandson of Juan Francisco Bernal, who was a Spanish soldier on the Anza Expedition, was also to become a soldier and married Maria Carmen Sibrian (1804–) in 1819. José Cornelio Bernal, was regidor (a member of the ayuntimiento, or town council) of San José starting in 1828. In 1834 as secularization of the Missions began, Bernal was granted 6 acres (24,000 m) at Mission Dolores by Governor José Figueroa. Rancho Rincon de las Salinas in was granted in 1839, and Rancho El Potrero Viejo in 1840. José Cornelio Bernal died in 1842, and the grant inherited by his widow, Carmen Sibrian de Bernal, and their son, José de Jesus Bernal (1829–1870).

With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Rincon de las Salinas y Potrero Viejo was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented to Carmen Sibrian de Bernal and José Jesús Bernal in 1857.

The family gradually sold off the land. The first portion of the Bernal grant to pass to other hands occurred in 1859, when General William Tecumseh Sherman foreclosured on a mortgage. In the 1860s the rancho was subdivided into small lots, primarily populated by immigrants who farmed the land and ran dairy ranches.

PHOTOS: Neighbor Laurie

There Was a Fatal Shooting at Alemany Housing Last Night

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

alemanyfatal2

A man was shot to death at the Alemany Public Housing project last night. Hannah Albarazi from Bay City News has the details:

San Francisco police received calls shortly after midnight, reporting gunshots heard in the 900 block of Ellsworth Street, near the San Francisco Housing Authority’s Alemany Boulevard property.

Police and fire units responded to the scene and located the victim with at least one gunshot wound to his chest.

The victim was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:38 a.m., police said.

No suspects had been arrested in connection with the homicide as of this morning, police said.

UPDATED: Vandalism and Neglect Plague Bernal Library Playground

/ Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

brokenswing2

The playground behind the Bernal Heights library is extremely popular, but a sad combination of meathead vandalism and bureaucratic neglect have combined to make the playground a less happy place.

Over the weekend, Neighbor Ron wrote to Bernalwood about the latest affront:

One of the child swings is missing from the playground.

It was here yesterday.

Also, the slide hasn’t been replaced since its torching last February. *ARG!

Its time for Bernal parents to email Parks n Rec!

Great idea. You can file complaints about broken equipment at the Bernal library playground via the 311 System, here.

Also try the ParkScan system, here.

And while you’re at it, it’s also worth shooting Supervisor David Campos an email to see if he can lubricate the wheels of progress.

UPDATE: In the comments below, a Bernalwood reader helpfully informs us that the swing was not vandalized this weekend; instead, it was cut by the San Francisco Fire Department in order to rescue an older child who had gotten stuck in the kiddie swing. Thank you, Reader Adam!

PHOTO: Neighbor Ron

Meetings Announced to Discuss Bernal Library Southern Facade Artwork

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

eastMural

There’s been a lot happening with the Bernal Heights Library art project of late. The mural on the eastern side of the library was recently completed (check it, above), and yesterday there was a raffle to raise funds for the artwork proposed for the library’s southern, playground-facing side.

But wait…. What will they do with that raffle money? And what will the proposed artwork look like?

Neighbor Brandon is a member of the Bernal Library Art Project Task Force, and he invites all interested Bernalese to participate in a set of meetings that start this weekend to discuss the proposal for the library’s southern facade:

BERNAL LIBRARY ART PROJECT: PHASE 2 — Playground Wall

COMMUNITY MEETINGS – EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

The second and final phase of the Bernal Library Art Project is being launched this summer.

The Bernal Library Art Project Task Force invites you to:

Meet Johanna Poethig, the artist selected to design and implement the project. This is Johanna:

Poethig

Engage with the artist and other Bernal residents to reflect on Bernal as a community, the library as a resource, and the working concept of the project.
The meetings will be both informative and interactive. The first meeting happens on Saturday, with the second following quickly on Tuesday:

MEETING #1
Saturday, June 22
2:00 – 4:00 pm

MEETING #2
Tuesday, June 25
7:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
515 Cortland Avenue

Questions? Email bernallibraryartproject @ gmail . com

Communityposter4x6

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Bernal Library Art Project Task Force

Have Fruit, Will Can It: Bernal Neighbor Will Transform Your Surplus Produce Into Tasty Treats

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

SonomaJam

LemonMarmalade

This is so great. If you have fruit trees on your Bernal Heights property, Neighbor Deborah from Montcalm Street is prepared to make an offer that’s hard to refuse: She will turn surplus produce from your fruit trees into tasty treats… and share the bounty with you.

Neighbor Deborah tells Bernalwood:

Summer is almost here! Or at least what passes for summer in San Francisco. Ripening fruit is hiding in plain sight on sidewalk trees, and I suspect much more is tucked away in back yards; more than the owners can eat.

I’ve decided to try a new project. I’ve been a home canner and bread baker for years, mainly for gifts and charitable fundraising. I’ve started to notice the fruit trees in our neighborhood, on the streets and in people’s back yards. I have a hunch much of that fruit is likely going to waste, so I thought I’d contact neighbors to see if people are interested in giving away some of their fruit in exchange for a few jars of whatever I can produce from it.

If you have a fruit tree that’s giving more than you know what to do with, I’m happy to take the produce and turn it into jam, sauce, or some other treat-in-a-jar and return a few jars to you in exchange. What better way to eat locally?

If you have fruit to share, please contact me at sfbernaljam *AT* gmail *DOT* com.

PHOTOS: Some of Neighbor Deborah’s fruity handiwork, via Neighbor Deborah

Bomb Scare Shuts Down Mission Street, Confounds Bernalwood Editor’s Clever Dinner Plan

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

SFBombSquad

SFPD.Bombscare

Business is booming at Ichi Sushi on Mission Street. The critical accolades keep coming, and there’s always a crowd at the door waiting to get in. That’s great news for Chef Tim Archuleta and his wife Erin, and Bernalwood couldn’t be happier for them — except for the fact that as Ichi’s fame has grown, it’s gotten steadily harder to get a table, especially on a Friday or Saturday night.

But last night was a Wednesday, and when a visiting friend declared that she wanted sushi, I saw my opportunity: Ichi! Midweek! On a Wednesday night! Yessss!

And so, with dreams of a friendly spot at the sushi bar swirling in my head, Bernalwood fired off an enthusiastic tweet to Ichi to warn them of our impending arrival. Ichi’s response caught us by surprise:

WHAT?? A bomb scare????!!

Yes, the San Francisco Police Department had cordoned off several blocks of Mission Street between Cortland and Virginia. The Bomb Squad was at the scene, along with several units from the San Francisco Fire Department. It seems a suspicious briefcase was found abandoned near a bus stop on Mission, and our City’s law enforcement authorities decided to err on the side of caution.

Happily, it all turned out to be a false alarm. The suspicious briefcase posed no threat, and after about an hour of nervous anxiety, the SFPD declared an all clear. The police tape came down, Mission Street reopened, and Chef Tim scrambled to recall his staff from the nearby Rock Bar, where they had wisely chosen to take shelter.

Bernalwood arrived at Ichi a short time later, by which point the place was already packed — as if the whole bomb scare thing had never happened. Blessedly, a space opened up after about 10 minutes, and our fantasy of snagging a coveted space at the bar finally came true.

All clear, indeed.

PHOTOS: Top, Rachel Leibman. Below, Jeremy Fitzhardinge

Win David Byrne’s Suit (and Other Fabulous Prizes) in the Bernal Library Artwork Raffle

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

molldb2x

byrnesuit2-1

It’s well documented that celebrity musician David Byrne has a special for fondness for Bernal Heights.  And in turn, glamorous Bernal Heights has a special fondness for David Byrne. Now you have the opportunity to become the proud owner of a very special, autographed suit that David Byrne donated to support the raffle for the artwork that will go on the southern (playground) side of the Bernal Heights Library.

The raffle will take place at a tony after-party that will be held in conjunction with the Summer Solstice Stroll on Cortland tomorrow, June 20th. The party will be held at Wild Side West on Cortland, beginning at 7 pm.

David Byrne’s camo suit is currently on display in the window of Heartfelt, and Heartfelt’s Miss Darcy writes to tell us more about the raffle:

Here is the poster for the After Stroll Party [see below]; it details all the great raffle prizes.

This is a fund raiser for the playground side of the library, and the artist chosen to do the installation Johanna Poethig, a well known public space artist. Now we just have to raise some bucks!

There will be a beer garden at the back of Wild Side, with a bottomless cup for $10. Raffle tickets are on sale at Heartfelt, at $5 each or five tickets for $20.

Side Note: Bernalwood will have additional details about the proposed library artwork (and a series of meetings to discuss it) later this week.

Fashion Geography Caveat: The raffle suit really did come from David Byrne, but wannabe owners are advised that the camouflage pattern on the suit is optimized for heavily forested woodlands, rather than the grassy scrub of Bernal Hill. This should not pose a problem from a fashion-cool standpoint, though it may be a hindrance if you intend to disappear on Bernal Hill while wearing the David Byrne suit. Good luck in the raffle!

AFTERPARTYSTROLLPHOTOS: Top, Mark Johann. Below, Telstar Logistics