This NASA Pilot Will Think of Bernal Heights As He Flies the Space Shuttle Over San Francisco Tomorrow

September 20, 2012September 21, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

This is Craig Batteas. He flies the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier aircraft, and tomorrow morning he will fly his plane, with the Endeavour space shuttle strapped to its back, over San Francisco. And as you can see, he really wishes he worked for BASA, Bernal’s very own space agency.

The shuttle will fly over San Francisco tomorrow; I’ve seen the flight plan, and it looks like Crissy Field and Treasure Island will be prime viewing spots. @KarltheFog permitting, the shuttle should be visible from Bernal Hill.

Timing-wise, it looks like the overflight will happen between 9 or 10 am, but there may be a 1 hour delay. Check the @bernalwood Twitter account tomorrow morning for updates.

Your Bernalwood Editor saw Endeavour arrive here at Edwards AFB a few hours ago. Here’s what it looked like:

BONUS: This just in….

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

BASA Visits NASA to Say Farewell to Space Shuttle Endeavor

September 19, 2012September 19, 2012 / Todd_Lappin

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Today, as you read this now, a representative from BASA, Bernal’s very own space agency, is visiting a facility operated by NASA, that *other* space agency you may have heard about.

Specifically, your Bernalwood editor is spending a few days at NASA’s Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Southern California. BASA is here at NASA’s invitation to watch Space Shuttle Endeavor arrive on the back of it’s specially modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, which is scheduled to happen tomorrow. If the past is any guide, it should look something like this:

But the thing is, this is not only the last time a space shuttle will fly on the back of a 747; It’s the very last time a shuttle will fly at all. Ever. Endeavor is headed to its permanent home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and it’s the last of the retired shuttle fleet to require transportation via 747.

But before that happens, there will be adventure. Early Friday morning, NASA’s special 747 will take off from Edwards. From there it will fly north, to the Bay Area, for a scenic low-and-slow flight over Silicon Valley and the City of San Francisco. (PRO TIPS: NASA tells us the shuttle flight should arrive over San Francisco between 9 and 10 am on Friday morning. Bayfront vantage points between the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown will probably be best, but the view may be pretty good from Bernal Hill with binoculars. Please take photos!)

And then that’s it. Forever. Maybe you will live long enough to see another Transit of Venus from Bernal Hill. But you will never, ever see another space shuttle flying over Our Faire City — or anywhere else. Sad but true.

Keep an eye on the @bernalwood Twitter account for updates and announcements on the Shuttle overflight. Viva BASA! Thank you, NASA!

The Stray Bar Brunch: PBR, Football, and Free Hot Dogs

September 19, 2012September 13, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

If it fills you with existential dread to contemplate the idea of spending yet another Sunday brunch nibbling on free-range organic buttermilk pancakes while chatting idly about the latest New York Times Magazine cover story, you’ll be pleased to know that the Stray Bar on Cortland now offers a more robust alternative:

Football season is here and Stray Bar is ready for you! We have the NFL Ticket and we are open every Sunday at 9:30AM so you can fill up on your favorite teams and hot dogs all day long! Enjoy $5 Bloody Mary’s, $2 Tecate, $3 Pabst Blue Ribbons from 10-2pm along with free hot dogs & popcorn. We have a first-come first-served policy, so arrive early if you want to see your game on one of our three TV’s at the front bar. Come early for a good seat at the bar!

If you ask nicely, the bartender may let you pour maple syrup over your hot dogs. Maybe.

PHOTO: The Stray Bar

The Secret Sauce That Makes “Occupy Bernal” Effective

September 19, 2012September 18, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

There’s an interesting new article on the KALW website that seeks to explain why, unlike so much of the Occupy movement, “Occupy Bernal Heights” has actually been rather effective.

The secret, it turns out, is a door-to-door, block-by-block focus on local communities:

Buck Bagot is a long-time resident of Bernal Heights, and a self-described leftist activist since the early 70s. He and a handful of other activist neighbors founded Occupy Bernal in early January, coming together around another neighbor’s impending foreclosure.

Bagot says at that point, most members of the group were not facing foreclosure themselves, but wanted to take action to help those who were. At first they didn’t know much about the issue, but once they started to look into it, they found the problem was much more widespread than they would have thought.

[…]

Taking the time to talk to people and make personal connections has led to a continuous growth of the organization; Occupy Noe Valley is the most recent offshoot. Many people who wouldn’t have thought to align themselves with the Occupy movement have been drawn in, either through neighborhood door-knocking campaigns or old-fashioned word of mouth.

Larry Faulks is facing foreclosure on his Diamond Heights home, but says he was initially wary about coming to a meeting with these “Occupy people”.

“My vision of it was a group of people with tambourines and bullhorns, and that’s what’s gonna save the world,” he says. But when he went to the meeting, he says he found something different. “I was surprised to see that there was a lot of older people, like me. The group has lots of people of color, like me.” He says the diversity made him feel more comfortable.

Even a seasoned activist like Buck Bagot initially found Occupy’s approach somewhat challenging. While he did visit the San Francisco encampment in the fall of 2011, he was looking for a different way to embody the Occupy movement’s ideals.

“I’m 61 years old. I work,” he says. “I couldn’t camp out. I couldn’t spend six hours in a general assembly.”

Bagot says Occupy Bernal was formed to “try and take the possibilities created by Occupy and the ideals stated by Occupy, and root them in a concrete struggle in our neighborhood.”

PHOTO: Lily Rothrock

Fantastic Photos of Bernal Heights In Low Light

September 18, 2012September 18, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

It’s been a rather strange week, so let’s close it out with a few eye-popping photos to keep things real. Even better, both these pictures were taken from Noe Valley, which provides further proof of the Gatsby-like role that Bernal Heights plays for people who dwell in that part of The City.

Up above is a monumental photo taken from Goat Hill in Noe Valley by the mega-talented Bob Horowitz.

Then we get this spooooooooky image of a big moon over St. Paul’s Church and Bernal Hill, as captured by the eagle-eyed Matt Spolin:

PHOTOS: Top, Bob Horowitz. Below, Mathew Spolin

Billboard Saga Part XXIII: Pro-Life Billboard Removed, Yet Hacked Again. Again.

September 18, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 73 Comments

Okay, follow along…

As of this morning, the controversial pro-life billboard on Cortland that was hacked, then replaced, then hacked again, and replaced again, has now been removed completely.

So the billboard is gone, but it has nevertheless been hacked again. Neighbor Andy sent along this photo, and explains:

The Bernal Heights / Pro Life billboard fight continues. It’s torn down now revealing a new message.

On the bright side, at least it’s a happy message.

PHOTO: Neighbor Andy

Race Report: Bernal Dads Racing Team Avoids Shame During 24 Hours of LeMons at Thunderhill

September 17, 2012September 18, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

Those grease-huffing papas from the Bernal Dads Racing Team had an excellent adventure during last weekend’s 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race at Thunderhill, and they represented Bernal Heights with honor. A few highlights:

• Two of the Dads flew to the race track in a private plane, which gave the whole team a little bit of jet-set flair:

• Both of the Dads’ cars received new paint jobs. The Whale, a battered a survivor of 12 previous LeMons races, adopted a new olive-drab livery, with a Flying Tiger-style shark mouth painted on its nose, to commemorate its war-weary status:

• Meanwhile, the mutant Miata-Volvo cross-breed “Molvo” was repainted gold after a vertigo-inducing trip to a Walmart, where six cans of gold spray paint were discovered on an aisle not far from the Gatorade. Naturally:

• The Whale blew a head gasket late Saturday afternoon. The car managed to limp through the day, then two Dads rushed to Sacramento (rather stylishly, in a borrowed Porsche convertible) to buy replacement parts. By morning, the new head gasket was installed, and the car was ready to race. Go team:

• The Molvo accrued so many penalties on Saturday afternoon that it was banned from the race. Luckily, some desperate pleading (while using a 6 year-old kid with a broken leg as a pity-generating prop) morning yielded a reprieve on Sunday morning, as the LeMons judges allowed the car to return to the track:

On Sunday afternoon, when the checkered flag was finally waved after some 15 hours of racing, both of the Dads’ cars were still running smoothly out on the track. They finished in the middle of the pack in their class, and in the middle of the pack overall, which was not exactly great but not shameful either. Most importantly, all the Dads returned home safely to father another day, and a very good time was had by all:

PS: Lots and lots and lots more photos from Thunderhill right here.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Bernal Dads Have Gone Racin’ For the Weekend

September 14, 2012 / Todd_Lappin

On top of all the other fun stuff going on this weekend, the ever-manly Bernal Dads Racing Team will take to the track this weekend to participate in the 24 Hours of LeMons “Vodden the Hell Are We Doing” endurance race at Thunderhill Raceway in exotic Willows, California.

The Dads will be bringing both of their race cars: One is the valiant Whale (#245), a battered Volvo 240 wagon that has already survived 12 LeMons races — and which now carries a new olive-drab livery to commemorate it’s war-weary status. The other is The Molvochero (#243), a Mazda Miata disguised as a Volvo that’s been converted into a pickup truck. Naturally.

Your Bernalwood editor will be embedded with the Bernal Dads throughout, so keep an eye on the Bernalwood Twitter account for regular updates from the track… and the driver’s seat. Wheeeeee!

Three Bernal Homes Selected for Schwanky Architecture Tour

September 14, 2012September 13, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

Here’s some deep evidence of Bernal’s celebrity status. This year, three (3!!) Bernal Heights houses were selected for inclusion in this weekend’s Home Tour organized by the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects. So chic!

Thankfully, our real estate-obsessed friends at CurbedSF prepared an excellent executive summary:

The 10th annual San Francisco: Living Home Tours are this weekend. We thought it best to give you a preview of the featured projects on the tour. The tour aims to shine a little light on a wide variety of architectural styles, neighborhoods and residences – all from the architect’s point of view (most of which will be on hand to answer all your questions). This is a great way to get an inside look into the world of distinctive and new residences in the city. The projects are showcased on either Saturday, the 15th or Sunday, the 16th from 10am to 4pm.

The Folsom Street Residence [3407 Folsom] designed by Gary Gee Architects is a brand spankin’ new home that was built on a vacant, cross-sloping downhill lot in Bernal Heights. From the architect we learn that the design concept was “to create simple layering of living spaces stacked and interlocked to express the mass and topography of the site.” It’s a 3-level home with a 2-car garage. Our favorite property highlight is the roof deck that has views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Downtown, East Bay Hills and the Bay. [EDITOR’S NOTE: This same roof deck/helipad was much beloved by the Invisible Obamas during their recent visit to Bernal Heights.]

Bernal Heights is definitely the neighborhood of choice for this year’s tours. The Bernal Tower [66 Ellsworth] by Blue Truck Studio is a tightly-detailed modern home that re-mastered a decrepit bungalow. The architect says things about the house like “The classic bay windows and siding of neighboring Victorians were re-interpreted as a floor-to-ceiling front window and square-grooved vertical siding” and “The street level facade of nearby stucco houses was re-invented with a rough-sawn cedar siding hand-coopered to curve up under the soffit.” It has a green roof.
[…]

This single-family home [175 Ripley] designed by Zack | de Vito Architecture and Construction is a retreat in Bernal Heights for a professional couple. The residence is a spacious 3,200 sq. ft. and has “dramatic views” of downtown via floor-to-ceiling glazing and terraces from the back.

If you want to join the Home Tour, tickets are available. For everyone else, do not be alarmed if you see a lot of architect-types wandering the neighborhood over the weekend. They’re easy to spot; just look for sharply-dressed men and women wearing the telltale Daniel Libeskind glasses.

Lastly, hearty congrats to the Bernal Heights homeowners (and their architects) who are participating in the tour. Thanks to you, all of Bernal can now bask in the glory of being AIA-certified glamorous.

PHOTOS: Folsom, Mark Luthringer Photography; Ellsworth, Eduardo Navarro Photography; Ripley, Bruce Damonte Photography

Why You Should Attend the Polkapalooza Benefit for the Children of Bernalwood

September 14, 2012September 12, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Neighbor Kristen is the president of the PTA at the J. Serra Elementary School near Bernal’s fashionable Holly Park. In that capacity, Neighbor Kristen does a really really really good job explaining why you really really really should attend the Polkapalooza benefit she’s organized for the school this weekend:

I’m attaching a flyer /poster about PTA of J. Serra Elementary School’s Second Annual Polkapalooza event coming up on Sunday Sept. 16 from 11am -3pm.

I’m PTA president and my husband is the drummer for Polkacide and our event will be held at Thee Parkside (1600 17th St. at Wisconsin). Totally kid-friendly. The club does the food and rents the space to us for 250.00. Bands donate their time and great music. The PTA is having a bake sale (since the club doesn’t serve dessert, they encourage us to sell baked goods to raise more cash!)

Our first band is Erin Brazill and the Brazillionaires. Our very own fifth grade teacher, Ms. Mermer is the stand up bass player. Again, totally kid friendly, we’ll have arts and crafts out back and a “beauty salon” for the kids where we’ll pain nails, faces and spray crazy colors on hair. GOOD TIMES. Please buy tix for all your family members and friends as it is, of course, FOR THE CHILDREN.

That’s right, citizens. Please Polkapalooza… for the children.

Bernal Heights Considered as Refuge for Endangered Plant

September 13, 2012September 12, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 10 Comments

We have a credo here in the Dominion of Bernalwood: “Give me your rare, your beleaguered, your endangered plant life yearning to grow free.”

In that spirit, the SF Appeal brought news last week that Bernal Heights is being considered as a refuge for Franciscan manzanita, a native shrub in need of a good home:

Federal authorities on [Sept. 4] announced that a rare shrub has been listed as an endangered species and proposed to establish areas in San Francisco as a critical habitat for the plant.

The Franciscan manzanita, an evergreen ground cover shrub, was thought to be extinct until one was discovered in 2009 during a road renovation project. The plant has been moved into the Presidio for protection.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which announced the listing of the plant as endangered, is working with conservation groups to help the plant recover as a species.

As part of the efforts, the agency has proposed setting aside about 318 acres at 11 sites around in San Francisco for the plant, including at Fort Point, Immigrant Point and Inspiration Point in the Presidio.

Other sites include Twin Peaks, Mt. Davidson, Bernal Heights and Diamond Heights, according to the agency.

Here’s a little more backstory from the Wikipedia:

A. h. franciscana – Franciscan manzanita – native to the city of San Francisco and thought to be extinct in the wild until one specimen was discovered in 2009. Less than a month later, Caltrans transplanted this specimen to make way for the Doyle Drive Replacement Project. As of September 4, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans to designate Franciscan manzanita as an endangered species.

Fellow citizens, if asked, are we not ready to provide shelter and succor to the struggling Franciscan manzanita?

PHOTO: Franciscan manzanita, California Academy of Sciences

How Much Is This Cute 1BR For Sale on Powhattan Really Worth?

September 13, 2012September 13, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

Miss Sally, our real estate-obsessed friend at the tony CurbedSF blog, directed our attention to a new listing for a home at 9 Powhattan that just hit the market. It’s a rather adorable 1BR, 1BA , and the realtor propaganda says:

High on the Hill – Bernal Hill, you will find this one of a kind & rarely available view cottage with fantastic outlooks & great light. Perched high in a secluded & private setting, on a quiet street, yet just steps to the heart of Bernal Village, & all that makes this neighborhood so great! Cute beyond belief, this 1 bedroom house has tremendous views over Bernal to the Southern Hills, a large & protected deck, & an expansive yard with gardens featuring native grasses, trees & shrubs. The yard backs up to the very top of Bernal Hill itself, so you can exit your back gate to walk the dog around the Hill! A quite exceptional opportunity to enjoy the indoor/outdoor environment so sought after in sunny Bernal Heights. Prime -just off Cortland!

Isn’t that just so quaint? Don’t you suddenly find yourself craving chamomile tea and that old Indigo Girls CD you haven’t listened to since the Clinton Administration? The starting price is $499,000, and there’s an open house on Sunday from 2-4.

Meanwhile, Miss Sally wonders, “I’m always curious how 1-bed single-family homes like this will sell, since the buyers’ pool is pretty limited.” Great question. If you do go take a look this weekend, report back here to let us know what you thought of the place

IMAGE: SFARMLS

Art, California-Style, at the Gleeson Gallery on Precita

September 13, 2012September 13, 2012 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

My neighbor Jim Gleeson runs a lovely little art studio and gallery on the ground floor of his home on Precita, and he’s got an interesting show running this month:

You are invited to a California-themed art show by
Jay and Jamie Watson

At the Gleeson Gallery – 148 Precita Ave., San Francisco, CA 94110 (between Folsom & Mission) This is a unique gallery in a great neighborhood.

We look forward to seeing you!

Jay Watson
Jamie Watson

Neighbor Jim says the gallery will be open this weekend.