Bernal Family Back Home Again After Cole Hardware Fire

July 11, 2017July 12, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

In 2016, the Vasquez family was living in an apartment on 29th Street, just around the corner from Mission Street. On June 18, 2016, they were displaced by the massive Cole Hardware fire that devastated several adjacent buildings on the block.

This month, the Vasquez family returned home to their restored apartment. Marty Higgins, the owner of the building at 37 29th Street and CEO of the Harvest dispensary on the ground floor, explains how it happened:

The Vazquez family moved back into a newly renovated apartment on July 1st.

They had to leave after the fire. They were placed in temporary housing that was offered, and then moved into a semi-perm residency until we finished renovations on their apartment.

The family has two kids, and they lost everything. It was heartbreaking to tour their unit, so our ownership group gave them a gift certificate after the fire to help with the little things. Then the Harvest dispensary raised over $2k to help them get settled into their newly renovated apartment.

We’re excited to see the area slowly start to return to normal. We hope the new developments will help this area return to the vibrancy it had before the fire. For now, we’re happy to help the turnaround of the area.

As previously reported, a new building has already been proposed for the former Cole Hardware site at at 3310-3312 Mission Street. As planned, the building would include 8 new homes above a new Cole Hardware store on the ground floor.

PHOTO: The Vasquez family, back home again. Courtesy of Marty Higgins

Crowdfunding Underway for Alex Nieto Memorial on Bernal Hill

July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 48 Comments

Rendering of proposed Alex Nieto memorial on Bernal Hill (Source: gofundme)

A crowdfunding effort is currently underway to finance a memorial for Bernal neighbor Alex Nieto, who was killed during a confrontation with San Francisco police officers in March 2014.

Launched by friends and family of Alex Nieto, the crowdfunding campaign says:

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ voted 9 to 1 in favor of the “Amor for Alex Nieto Memorial,” which means that this ordinance is veto proof from the Mayor. We will transform history with this powerful monument.

For Alex Nieto, for our community, we fought this fight, and we won the first memorial ever in California dedicated to a victim of a police killing. We held our dignity and proved to the world how we argue better and action more creatively and courageously than anyone ever could imagine.

Once the memorial is established, community members will hike up to that mountain and pray like Alex did and look out over the beautiful view of San Francisco and be inspired by our community resilience. Students will travel up to that hill for field trips and to learn about the history and creativity of our community; they will write thousands of educational essays. Families will pilgrimage hands together and love each other at the place where Alex breathed his last breath. This will be a place of peace, of inspiration and amor.

Bernal neighbors who would like to contribute to the memorial campaign may do so here. At publication time, the campaign has raised $2500 of a $40,000 goal.

Alex Nieto lived on Cortland Avenue with his parents, Elvira and Refugio Nieto. He was killed during a March 21, 2014 confrontation, during which police alleged Alex Nieto pointed a weapon that looked like a handgun.

A San Francisco District Attorney investigation of the incident concluded that police acted lawfully during the incident, and during a subsequent wrongful death suit initiated by the Nieto family, a jury ruled the SFPD officers involved in the incident had not used excessive force.

Friends and family of Alex Nieto maintain his death was a byproduct of gentrification. In 2016 , then-San Francisco supervisors John Avalos and David Campos passed an ordinance directing the City to install a memorial for Alex Nieto on Bernal Hill.

Seasonal Reminder: Kindly Refrain From Incinerating Bernal Hill on July Fourth

July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

Bernal Hill on fire, July 4, 2013

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July! Hooray! There will be barbecues, and patriotism, and lamentations that our president is a clown, and at the end of the day there will be fireworks. That last part can pose some problems, so here’s a seasonal request for all Citizens of Bernalwood: Please do not turn Bernal Hill into a blazing inferno.

Bernal Hill is a popular place to watch the official ~~fireworks~~ pink fog show put on by the City, but the dry grass makes it a dangerous place for civilians to stage their own fireworks displays. For example, the photo above shows Bernal Hill on July 4, 2013, after an amateur fireworks show set the hill on fire. Doh!

That was bad. Let’s not do that again. So here’s your annual reminder of some time-tested Fourth of July fire prevention tips for Bernal Hill from Neighbor Sarah:

1. Do not set off fireworks. Definitely don’t set them off on Bernal Hill, which is covered in dry grasses and brush. You may recall that [in 2013], some moron set the Hill on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, but imagine if this had happened in an area crowded with people watching the downtown fireworks display. If you remember nothing else, remember this: No. Fireworks. On. Bernal. Hill.

2. If you see someone setting off illegal fireworks on Bernal Hill, call the police. Dial 553-0123 if nothing is on fire yet. Dial 911 or 553-8090 if there is an active blaze. Again, call 553-0123 if you see fireworks in progress, and call 911 if it actually sets off a fire.

PHOTO: Fire on Bernal Hill, July 4, 2013, by Neighbor Bernard

Runaway Truck Trashes Street Tree on Treat

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

Bernal Heights is built on the slopes of a hill, and our neighborhood is home to several of the steepest streets in the City. So it should come as no surprise to anyone, really, that runaway cars and trucks are a very real danger here.

Last Friday, a runaway truck caused some havoc on Treat Street just south of Precita Park. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and property damage was minimal, but it could have been much, much worse.

Neighbor Christian shared this report from the scene:

Just another afternoon on the steep incline of the 1500 block of Treat Ave. The truck missed our house by 24″.

The tree was the only thing that stopped it; Otherwise we would have had a living-room filled with other people’s Amazon diapers and music.

Afterward, the block was filled with stories of past runaways. Somehow this truck without brakes threaded the needle between Eddy the dog, a neighbor’s steps, and her car, missing all, and came to rest in the poor tree.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Neighbor Christian

Owner Sentenced in Fatal 2014 Workplace Accident on Cortland Ave.

April 5, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

1525 Cortland, as it looked in 2014

Back in 2014, two workers were killed by falling slabs of granite at 1525 Cortland, which at the time was a warehouse operated by a granite distributor called Galaxy Granite. (Three years later, the building is now home to Barebottle Brewery.)

This week, justice in the case was handed down as the owner of Galaxy Granite was sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter. SF Gate reports:

The owner of a granite company in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood was sentenced today to one year of home detention and three years’ probation in the 2014 deaths of two workers who were crushed by falling slabs of granite.

Meng Peng, a Hillsborough resident, was sentenced after pleading guilty in January to two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and three labor code violations in connection with the deaths of two of his employees on Feb. 17, 2014.

Philip Marich, 53, of South San Francisco, and Hector Vazquez, 46, of Oakland, were removing large slabs of granite from a shipping container at Galaxy Granite at 1525 Cortland Ave. when slabs fell on them around 10:15 a.m.

ALERT! Fabio the Gargoyle Guardian of Esmeralda Slide Park Is Missing

March 8, 2017March 8, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Alert! Alert! Alert! Fabio the Gargoyle has been plundered!

For many moons Fabio has stood watch over the wonderful Esmeralda Slide Park on the west slope of Bernal Heights. Yet now it seems some scoundrel has absconded with the pensive neighborhood sentinel.

Neighbor Michelle tells Bernalwood:

Some sad news to pass on. “Fabio”, the Esmeralda Slide Park gargoyle, has gone missing once again. In the past when this has happened in his previous home location, he would happily turned up in a variety of nearby locations. This time the thieves bent some re-bar to remove him and haul all 50+ pounds of gargoyle away. Asking Bernal neighbors to keep watch, and let us know if you spot him.

Please be on the lookout for Fabio, and contact Bernalwood if you see him.

PHOTO: Fabio the Gargoyle, keeping an eye on Esmeralda Slide Park before he disappeared

Epic Rains Trigger Mini-Mudslide on Bernal Hill

February 21, 2017February 21, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

mimimudslide

Heavy rains over the weekend triggered a mini-mudslide on Bernal Hill, along the south side of Bernal Heights Boulevard, just east of Ellsworth.

Neighbor Fiid shared this photo of the washed out segment of the slope, and from this angle is looks like Bernal Hill is trying to reclaim the roadway. Which, in a geological sense, it most certainly is.

UPDATE: Bernalwood dispatched the Mobile Uplink Miata to the slide scene this morning. Here’s a complete daylight view:

In addition, there are many smaller slides and mud flumes visible all over Bernal Hill, so tread carefully to avoid slipping and/or exacerbating soil erosion.

3300 Club Gone for Good, SRO’s Fate Uncertain, as Fire-Damaged Building Up For Sale

February 2, 2017February 6, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

300clubrepainted

The 3300 Club has operated at 3300 Mission Street, on the corner of Mission Street and 29th, since 1956. It’s been closed since last June, when a devastating fire destroyed the building next door and displaced the 50+ residents of the Graywood Hotel SRO who lived upstairs. The owners of the 3300 Club were determined to rebuild, but now we learn that the classic watering hole probably isn’t coming back because the whole building has been offered for sale.

In a public post on Facebook, Bernal neighbor and 3300 Club co-owner Shukry Lama writes:

3300 Mission Street is now up for sale. The landlords, who had a sit down meeting with us and talked about their plans to rebuild, and offer us a new lease with potentially more space, failed to let us know about this. My mom got to find out when a reporter called and asked about it. Imagine her surprise.

As much as I’d like to keep hoping that we’ll get a lease in that location, I think we all know it would never be the same. Yea, we could try and move to a new location, but the limits on moving a liquor license, the amount of protests you would get from opening a new bar, the amount of capital you would need, the time and effort that none of us have left, it’s just too much. We had such high hopes for a return, bringing our bar back to the neighborhood where we had been a staple for 60 years, but there is no loyalty in the real estate industry.

Dipak Patel, the current property owner, purchased the building for $1.5 million in 2004. MissionLocal spoke to Patel, who adds:

Before the fire struck, Patel was in the process of remodeling the hotel rooms, had done work to the hotel’s hallways and heating system, and had installed sprinklers which ultimately saved the building from more damage, he said.

“We spent about $10,000 a room before fire, so about $200,000 total, and we did electrical upgrades,” he said. “Whatever happens to the building, it will be a 100 percent upgrade.”

Under a sale, the status of the Graywood Hotel SRO, and the rooms where its former tenants lived, also remains uncertain.

The building at 3300 Mission Street is now offered for $3.5 million. The property listing says:

The property is currently vacated (subject to residential tenant’s rights), stripped down to studs, and in need of a complete rehab. The building consists of 6 tourist licenses and 22 SRO (previously with 2 non-conforming rooms) on the two upper levels. The ground floor previously housed two retail tenants, a bar and a restaurant, and will be delivered free of tenants. There is a full-height basement. This property presents the opportunity for a developer to reconfigure rooms to maximize square footage and income. This beautiful Bernal Heights corner property is waiting to be restored to its former glory and more!

PHOTO: The 3300 Club sign, as it looked after a fresh paint job in 2013. Photo by Burrito Justice.

Driver Hits Two Homes Along Precita Avenue

January 23, 2017January 23, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

precitacarhouse2

There was some morning mayhem along the eastern end of Precita Avenue last Saturday, when an out-of-control car struck a house and a fire hydrant before coming to rest in the wall of another home up the street.

The incident began at around 10 am on Saturday morning, when a Toyota traveling west on Precita swerved from the roadway and bounced off the facade of a home on the 600 block of Precita:

precitacarhouse1

Next, the vehicle sheared off a fire hydrant, sending a column of water into the sky:

precitahydrantsfmoca

The car then continued west for another half-block, until it left the street again and embedded itself in the side of a house on the northwest corner of Precita and Florida.

precitacarhouse3

Police at the scene said two people were in the car, but no one was seriously injured. The driver showed no sign of alcohol- or drug-impairment, and the accident was treated as a motor vehicle violation, not a criminal incident.

PHOTOS: Structural damage photos by Telstar Logistics. Hydrant geyser by @SFMOCA

Big Winter Storm Knocks Down Trees Around Bernal Heights

January 9, 2017January 9, 2017 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

None shall pass! Neighbor Amy encounters the tree blocking Bernal Heights Blvd.

The big winter storm that blew through San Francisco on Sunday generally spared Bernal Heights from too much biblical-grade havoc, but it did get the best of our trees (and a few parked cars). Luckily, no one was injured.

The leafy mayhem kicked off on the Richland Avenue, where Neighbor Audra shared this photo of a big limb that fell across the Bernal Cut bridge, cutting off access to our ancestral kin in Bernal-Glen:

bernalglentree

DPW quickly cleared the branch from the Richland bridge (thank you!), but that was not the end of our arboreal mayhem.

Neighbor Darcy shared this photo of a tree eating a Nissan on the 100 block of Bradford, near Powhattan:

bradfordtree

On Wool Street, Neighbor Bernard reports that a tree had it out for this Audi:

wooltree

The Revenge of the Trees continued in Precita Park, where Neighbor Maria captured another tree munching on the hood of a Mazda, as a neighbor raised her fist in solidarity with the fallen foliage:

precitaparktreedown

But the biggest drama unfolded on the south side of Bernal Hill, where a very big tree fell across Bernal Heights Boulevard, rendering our scenic artery impassable. Neighbor Markus shared a dramatic photo of the fallen tree’s root structure:

treedown-markus Meanwhile, on the western side of the roadblock, Neighbor James captured a neighbor pausing for a stylish moment of chaos chic. Never mind the Golden Globes; What’s the it-look for Bernal Heights storm-chasing in 2017? Why, it’s slip-on sneakers, cranberry tights, and a slim-fitting winter coat in navy — obviously!

treedown2-james

Supervisors Approve Alex Nieto Memorial on Bernal Hill

December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 / Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Yesterday, the Board of Supervisors approved a plan to establish a permanent memorial for Alex Nieto, the Bernal neighbor who was killed in a controversial confrontation with the San Francisco police in March 2014.

The San Francisco Examiner reports:

The Board of Supervisors voted 9-1 on Tuesday to adopt legislation directing the Recreation and Park Department to install a memorial for Alex Nieto, who was shot and killed by San Francisco police in Bernal Heights Park on March 21, 2014.

A civil federal grand jury exonerated the four officers who shot Nieto after police said he pointed a Taser at them when responding to a call about a man with a gun.

The memorial, which would be designed through community input, would require approval by the Arts Commission.

Supervisor John Avalos, who introduced the legislation, said, “If we acknowledge these incidents have happened, it brings us closer.”

Avalos said the memorial is also about a “sense of healing.” At the site of Nieto’s killing, there is currently an altar that is often visited by Nieto’s parents, who attended Tuesday’s meeting.

Wall Collapses at Crescent Avenue Construction Project

December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 / Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

wallcollapse

A wall collapsed yesterday at a home renovation jobsite on the corner of Crescent Avenue and Moultrie in South Bernal. Fortunately, Bay City News reports no one was injured:

The collapse was reported at 501 Crescent Ave. just after 10 a.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

The two-story residential building is currently under construction. No injuries have been reported, fire officials said.

The city’s Department of Building Inspection has been called to the scene.

A June 2016 Google streetview of the site shows what the project looked like before the accident. Neighbor T. adds that the property has been — and remains — a magnet for drama:

The house at Crescent and Moultrie that collapsed Tuesday morning has been undergoing the most recent of MANY unfortunate renovations. The crew that was working on it today scattered/disappeared just as it was collapsing. Then, after hours of police investigating and photographs/red tagging it, they came back after dark and were demolishing more. At 7:30 pm there were 2 police cars on the scene with three guys face-down on the street, I imagine arrested for trespassing a red tag.

PHOTO: 501 Crescent yesterday, courtesy of a Bernalwood reader

Oakland Fire Victim Cash Askew Had Deep Roots in Bernal Heights

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016 / Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Cash Askew

A few neighbors have alerted Bernalwood that one of the victims in last weekend’s horrific Oakland warehouse fire had roots in Bernal Heights. Cash Askew, 22, perished in the blaze.

Neighbor Paula says:

Cash Askew, one of the artists who perished in the Oakland fire, grew up in Bernal and also worked at Bernal Beast for a few years before she moved away to go to school.

Neighbor Jordan adds:

Cash Askew died in the Oakland fire. Cask was a graduate of Children’s Day School and she was in a band named Them Are Us Too.

Cash’s step-dad, Sunny Haire runs a dog-walking business and walks many a Bernal dog (including mine). Cash’s mom, Leisa Askew, owns Fix Studios on Valencia Street.

Neighbor Jordan adds that a memorial fund has been set up to assist Cash’s surviving family as they come together to recover. Bernalwood readers are encouraged to contribute.

The Washington Post published a profile of Cash Askew yesterday:

Cash’s stepfather, Sunny Haire, is a transgender man and skilled guitarist who for years worked as the manager of one of the last lesbian bars in San Francisco, the Lexington Club, he told The Washington Post. As a child, Cash would spend time with her stepfather in the Lexington Club, sipping cranberry juice and watching the clientele.

Since 2013, Cash had been performing in a musical duo called Them Are Us Too alongside Kennedy Ashlyn, whom she met while studying at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Some have described the group as “goth” or “synth-pop,” but the duo prefers to refer to its sound as “visceral,” “euphoric” or simply “feelings.”

Most of all, the two identified as “queer femmes” and connected most with underground, queer or transgender communities of young people in different parts of the country, Ashlyn told the Post.

“It’s our chosen family, our radical music community,” Ashlyn said, describing their circle as one of “creative, beautiful people who are not as highly valued in normative spaces as they should be.”

Them Are Us Too released its first album last year, and had since toured the country several times, Ashlyn said. Cash had been working on a new demo track for years, and the duo had hoped to finish writing a new album within the coming year. They planned to tour South America at the end of January, Ashlyn said.

This is “Eudaemonia,” from Them Are Us Too’s 2015 album, Remain. It’s wonderful: