Tonight: Eat at Ichi Sushi, Benefit Colorado Flood Victims

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Tonight is the last night to participate in the benefit effort underway at Ichi Sushi to assist the victims of the recent Colorado flooding. Neighbor Erin from Ichi shares the annoucement:

Our hearts go out to the thousands of people in seventeen counties impacted by the recent Colorado flooding. Colorado has been home to much of the ICHI team, including our Sous Chef Erik and Sushi Chef Chris.

Come in, dine and sip and help others by having sushi with Erik and Chris. To support the victims of the flooding, we will be making a donation to the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. In addition we will also be donating a portion of our sales on Monday, October 28th through Wednesday, October, 30th. Join us to help support the Colorado Community. Please help us help Colorado!

WHEN: Monday, October 28th-Wednesday, October 30th
WHERE:
ICHI Sushi
3369 Mission Street (at Godeus Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 525-4750

Three Long-Lost Views of Army Street at Midcentury

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Our friends at the Bernal Heights History Project recently pointed us toward a relatively obscure Facebook group dedicated to the history of the area around Precita Park.

That’s where we found the rather remarkable photo you see above, showing the intersection of Mission and Army (Cesar Chavez) looking east, shortly before the infamous “street-widening” project. The photo reveals that Army had already been widened to South Van Ness, and demolition is clearly underway on the north side of Army to extend the widening west to Mission Street. Look closely on the left side of the photo and you can also see the oddly-shaped, three-story apartment building that was later rotated 180-degrees and moved across the street when Army was finally widened.

There are also some terrific pictures of the original St. Anthony’s Church on Army near Folsom, which was destroyed in a suspicious June 1975 fire.

Here’s how St. Anthony’s looked from street level in 1965:

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And here’s the real heartbreaker; check out this spectacular view of the church interior, as seen in 1958:

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UPDATE: Let us not forget that rebel blogger and animated GIF historian Burrito Justice also created a spiffy overhead graphic that visualizes the transformation of Army at Mission that occurred as the street was widened. Click here to see it.

PHOTOS: via Precita Park in Bernal Heights on Facebook

Celebrity Interview: Meet the Bernal Author Who Wrote the New Book About Apple Design Guru Jony Ive

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If you own an iPhone or iPad, you’re probably familiar with the work of Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of industrial design. Likewise, if you’ve recently upgraded your iDevice to iOS7, you’re now intimately familiar with Ive’s approach to design, which, in simplified terms, seeks to make the form of the interface follow its function more closely.

Ive is famously media-shy, but neighbor Leander Kahney of Moultrie Street just completed a much-anticpated a book about him. It’s called “Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products,” and it goes on sale Nov. 14.

Neighbor Leander’s wife told Bernalwood that the book represents the culmination of “14 long, painful stressful months of blood, sweat, tears and lots of swearing,” so we decided to do a celebrity interview with Neighbor Leander to find out more about his prose-creation process:

Bernalwood: How much of the writing for your book did you do in Bernal Heights?

Neighbor Leander: I did the majority of the writing in Bernal, mostly at Martha & Bros coffee shop and Progressive Grounds. I’d go to Martha in the morning and fuel up on coffee — it’s the best on the hill. At lunchtime, I’d go over to Progressive for a bite to eat and spend the rest of the afternoon there.

Did you find any places in Bernal Heights that were good for your muse?

It’s non-fiction, so it was less muse, more head-in-hands crying and deadline terror. Writing is torture for me. I have an office in the Mission but found it impossible to concentrate there. I’d spend all day surfing the net or cleaning. I need the buzz of a busy coffesshop to help me focus.

What about the dread writers block? Did you discover any Bernal-based remedies for that?

Walking certainly helps clear the mind. I’d often pace up and down Cortland. Sometimes I’d hike up to the top of Bernal Hill. That would sometimes help, but most of the time I just wanted to fling myself off a cliff.

There are a lot of people in Bernal Heights who write books. It’s kind of like having a dog. Why do you think Bernal is home to so many writer-types? Is there something in water here?

I’d say that’s true for San Francisco generally, although Bernal is definitely a hotspot for creative-types. Up until a few years ago, it was your classic semi-affordable, bohemian neighborhood. We’ve been here for 13 years, and back then it was the only place we could afford. Our house was a half-derelict crack house. There were bars on everyone’s windows. Now people worry about their succulents.

If Jony Ive had to do a midday meeting in Bernal Heights, which coffee shop do you think he’d choose?

I think he’d forego the coffee shop and chose a nice discreet bar, like the Lucky Horseshoe. He does all his deals over a drink, according to people like Bono, although he frequents much fancier places like the bar at the Clift Hotel. However, he could hang out at the Lucky Horeshore and not draw too much attention to himself. He’s a shy guy.

Neighbor Leander’s book is called “Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products,” and it is available for pre-order now.

PHOTO: Neighbor Leander, avoiding the temptation to throw himself off a cliff

This Afternoon: Fun, Free Pumpkin Carving at New Wheel Bike Shoppe

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Miss Karen from The New Wheel newfangled bike shoppe on Cortland invites kids of all ages to their free pumpkin carving event, this afternoon:

The New Wheel is hosting our 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving!

We welcome all (kids especially!) to join us in carving pumpkins and lighting up our Bernal streets!

Pumpkins and snacks provided. Please bring your own knife.

When: Monday, October 28th 3-6:30PM
Where: The New Wheel, 420 Cortland Avenue, Bernal Heights

PHOTO: The New Wheel

Yarn-Bombed Doggie Heads Generate Bernal Wonder, Mystery

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Last weekend, the Citizens of Bernalwood were aflutter about a most uncommon sight found in the upper reaches of Folsom on the north side of Bernal Hill: Three cartoon-mascot dog heads, yarn-bombed inside three colorful, hand-knit cozies.

The spectacle was such that it begged an obvious question: Whaaaaaaaaat?

Happily, this one is easy to answer. The dogs themselves are relics from the Bay Area’s late, lamented Doggie Diner restaurant chain. The three on the trailer are under the custodianship of a local literatus (and friend of Bernalwood), and they regularly show up at quirky events around town. Rule of thumb: Where the dogs appear, fun is near.

As we reported earlier this month, Bernal was once home to our very own Doggie Diner, on the corner of Mission and Army (Cesar Chavez), until it closed in the early 1980s. Bernal’s Doggie Diner head would have looked exactly like the ones you see on the back of this trailer.

Except for the yard-bombing, of course. The cozies are a recent addition, and they were created by Olek, a NYC-based yarn artist:

We’re excited to report that yarn artist Olek has crocheted over the Holy Trinity of the Dogminican Order, the three vintage Doggie Diner heads that are under the care of Laughing Squid partner John Law. John reports, “Olek wanted to work with a San Francisco icon. The Golden Gate Bridge wasn’t available this trip (the girl is AMBITIOUS so who knows…) but the second most iconic SF landmark(s) was!”

So why were the doggie heads weekending in Bernal? Who knows? Who cares? Just like Bigfoot or the Bikini Jogger, it’s best not to ask why. Instead, simply marvel and appreciate that the universe has seen fit to grace us with their curious presence.

PHOTO Neighbor Lisa Morehouse

Video Reveals the Deeper Story About the Story of Neighbor Laurel’s Ongoing Journey

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About 25,000 people live in Bernal Heights, and each one of them has a story to tell. In fact, there’s a story behind each story, and at least one or two stories behind that, and maybe even a few more behind those. That’s an awful lot of stories when you start to do the math, but the real point is: The stories we tell each other are often vastly more complex than they might seem at first.

For example, two weeks ago, Bernal Neighbor Steve Sisler became intrigued by the story of Neighbor Laurel May, who wrote that lovely goodbye note to all of us shortly before she left Bernal to move to Las Vegas.

Neighbor Steve decided to interview Neighbor Laurel as part of his ongoing video series about Bernal people, and with the camera rolling she revealed that the story Bernalwood had received was only small part of a much larger, and more complex, and more moving story about the journey that Neighbor Laurel has embarked upon:

On her last day in Bernal, freelance writer Laurel May opens up about deep attachment to the neighborhood, having Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer and about living a meaningful life. From the mad scientist experiments she and her partner Brett hosted at Halloween, to Prize Panties on Cortland Avenue (and other pranksterish fun), to walking around with her bulldog Manchester, the 4 years Laurel spent in Bernal were the most at-home she’s ever felt anywhere.

Laurel and Brett are moving to Las Vegas, where they’ll be part of the Downtown Project — building a neighborhood from scratch in a blighted and rundown area. But although she’s moving on, Bernal has carved a place in Laurel’s soul forever. She’s also been named Chairwoman of the Bernal Heights Alumni Network.

This one-take, no-edit interview is most powerful intact and untouched from start to finish — with a run time of 21:46. We realize that’s bit on the long side, but this video is a not-to-be-missed gem.

Here’s Steve’s video, with an haute-couture celebrity cameo at the very end:

On top of all that… after Neighbor Laurel declared her desire to be Chairwoman of the Bernal Heights Alumni Network, Neighbor Steve ran out that very same day and created awesome plaque to make it official:

Godspeed, Neighbor Laurel.

You can follow her continuing adventures on the Twitter, or on her blog, canceristhenewblack.com.

Young Son of Accused Holly Park Hit and Run Driver Is Arrested for Hit and Run

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On top of everything else, this is simply unbelievable:

The son of a city gardener accused of running over a woman in a San Francisco park has been arrested for leaving the scene of a collision with a bicyclist. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to pursue the case, but 19-year-old Jonathan Burnoski was booked by police, on a hit-and-run charge.

Police said the hit and run incident happened Wednesday afternoon in the Outer Mission shortly after Burnoski left the courtroom where his father was being arraigned.

Investigators say the 19-year-old hit a bicyclist as he was making a right turn. That person was not badly injured. Burnoski lives about a mile from where the accident occurred. He was followed by a witness who then called police. He was arrested for hit and run and booked into the county jail.

ABC-7 has video coverage of the younger Burnowski’s encounter with the law.

IMAGE: Scene of Jonathan Burnoski’s alleged hit and run, on Mission at Regent, via ABC-7 video

This Weekend: Artist Open Studios in Bernal Heights

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It’s that creative time of year again, so put on your walking shoes to make your pilgrimage as part of the annual SF Open Studios series in Bernal Heights:

When SF Open Studios was started by a group of enterprising artists in 1975, no one could have foreseen that it would become a citywide art celebration that includes over 800 artists. Now, 38 years later, the event, which spans four weekends in October and November, is considered the largest and oldest open studios program in the country. But it’s more than just an annual event that connects the public to art; it’s a salute to the artists who make up the cultural wealth of our city and gives us credence as one of the most creative places in the world. If you are new to this event, here is the premise in a nutshell: The city is divided into four quadrants for the four open studios weekends. Artists in each neighborhood open their studio doors to show the pubic their art on their designated weekend:

Bernal Heights is in the spotlight this weekend, and here’s a list of the sexy Bernal artists who are participating on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26 & 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m (keyed to the map above):

207a – Silvi Alcivar – Secession Art & Design – 3361 Mission Street
207b – HumanTreeRobot – Secession Art & Design – 3361 Mission Street
207c – Heather Robinson – Secession Art & Design – 3361 Mission Street
207d – Rob Sakovich – Secession Art & Design – 3361 Mission Street
207e – Hilary Williams – Secession Art & Design – 3361 Mission Street
225 – Jesse Jones McMillin – 41 Winfield Street
226 – Beryl Landau – 3290 Harrison Street

IMAGE: Top, “Taking in Work, Play and Artisinal Cheese,” by Hilary Williams

Sunday: Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos Celebration at J. Serra Elementary School

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Neighbor Kristen invites you and your junior zombies to the Halloween festivities taking place on Sunday at J. Serra Elementary:

J. Serra Elementary at 625 Holly Park Circle will be having its annual Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos celebration from noon to 3 p.m. this Sunday, October 26, 2013.

Parents are compiling amazing raffle prizes and there will be the following activities and events:

Activities: Cooking class—ceviche, Loteria or bingo, Beauty salon, Pumpkin patch, Face painting, Ponies/farm, Photobooth, Fortune teller, Games (free and paid), Crafts and Food/beverages

Events: Student performance, Costume contest, Raffle.

Aztec dancers will perform at 1 p.m..   Our parent liaison at the school is one of the dancers; they do it for us every year and it’s pretty amazing.

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UPDATED: Felony Charges Filed Against City Worker In Holly Park Tragedy; Driver Allegedly Made Two Attempts to Flee Scene

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The other shoe has dropped in the aftermath of the Sept 5 tragedy in which SF Recreation and Park employee Thomas Burnoski ran over and killed Christy Svanemyr while she was relaxing on the grass in Holly Park.

Yesterday the San Francisco DA’s Office filed felony vehicular manslaughter and hit and run charges against Burnoski.  The San Francisco Chronicle’s Vivian Ho has the story:

Thomas Burnoski, 58, turned himself in to face the charges leveled by the district attorney’s office in connection with the Sept. 5 death of Christine Svanemyr, 35, at Holly Park. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

Burnoski was arrested the day of the accident, but had been free on $25,000 bail while police and prosecutors continued to investigate. Prosecutors did not explain Tuesday’s decision, but the charges suggest they believe Burnoski acted recklessly.

The Recreation and Park Department employee ran over Svanemyr in a city pickup truck as she relaxed in the grass with her dog and her then-10-month-old baby, Isa Amalie.

Burnoski’s attorneys said he veered onto the lawn from a paved pedestrian path to avoid an unleashed dog. However, park department policy does not allow workers to drive on pedestrian paths.

After hitting Svanemyr, the gardener continued down the grassy hill, hopped off a curb to Holly Park Circle – which surrounds the park – and drove to a staff meeting at nearby St. Mary’s Park. According to his attorneys, he then told his supervisor that he believed he hit something, but didn’t know what, and they returned to Holly Park.

“We believe in this case it was a tragic accident, but it wasn’t criminal,” attorney Tony Tamburello, whose firm is representing Burnoski, said Tuesday.

Burnoski, a parks employee since 2006, was placed on unpaid leave after Svanemyr’s death. He had no recent criminal record, though he was cited last year for talking on a cell phone while driving, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles.

Tamburello said Burnoski was devastated by the incident. The gardener’s 20-year-old daughter, Tiffany Burnoski, had died in a car accident in April in Fresno County.

“He understands what this all means and is devastated and feels very strongly,” Tamburello said. “He relates to the child that has to grow up without a mother and a husband who has to parent by himself. He understands all that. It’s been very difficult.”

A press conference on the charges filed against Burnoski is scheduled for this afternoon; Bernalwood will update this post if additional information becomes available.

UPDATE 24 October: SF Chronicle reporter Vivian Ho follow up with additional details about the prosecutors’ case against Burnoski:

The San Francisco city gardener accused of fatally running over a woman in a Bernal Heights park before leaving the scene told his supervisor that he thought he hit “a dog or a child” after he tore down the grassy hill where the victim lay with her baby, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Prosecutors outlined some of their case against the gardener, 58-year-old Thomas Burnoski, a day after charging him with felony vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run in the Sept. 5 death of Christine Svanemyr, 35, at Holly Park.

The district attorney’s office said the felony manslaughter charge, which requires a finding of gross negligence, was merited because Burnoski was simply looking for a shortcut when he veered onto the grass.

After he left the scene, prosecutors said, his supervisor forced him to return – before he made a second effort to get away.

But an attorney for Burnoski, who pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment Wednesday, said his client had no idea he struck a person after he was forced to swerve off a pedestrian path to avoid an unleashed dog.

The Department of Park and Recreation gardener quickly alerted his supervisor to what happened, and they returned to Holly Park, said the attorney, Tony Tamburello.

The prosecution and defense argued over Svanemyr’s death as they fought over bail. In the end, Superior Court Judge Monica Wiley decreased Burnoski’s bail from $350,000 to $100,000, which Tamburello said Burnoski’s supporters plan to raise.

Burnoski drove his Ford F-250 truck about 30 feet down a hill and over a spot where Svanemyr was relaxing with her dog and 10-month-old baby. He continued about 30 feet more over the grass, then jumped a curb onto the roadway below.

Tamburello said Burnoski had felt a bump under his wheels, but saw a dog running from under the truck and a baby about 45 feet away – and assumed both were safe.

Of the unleashed dog that purportedly darted in front of Burnoski’s car on the pedestrian path, Assistant District Attorney Omid Talai said, “There’s no evidence of that. Even if that was the case, I would press the brakes. I wouldn’t swerve into an area where there might be people.”

Talai said Burnoski drove to a staff meeting at nearby St. Mary’s Park, where he told his supervisor, “I hit something. It was maybe a dog or a child.”

The supervisor told Burnoski they needed to return to Holly Park, and they headed back in separate cars. When he saw police there, Burnoski tried to make a U-turn that was consistent with an attempt to flee, according to Talai.

IMAGE: Illustration by Bernalwood. Inset, Thomas Burnoski via SFPD. Background, tire tracks at Holly Park incident scene on Sept 5, 2013, by the San Francisco Examiner.  

Viva La Contra-Revolución! La Lengua Dissidents Dislike Funny Name, Seek to Rejoin Dominion of Bernalwood

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Fellow Citizens of Bernalwood, this is a day we’ve long awaited.

We have endured years of rebellious bluster and seditious propaganda seeking to undermine the integrity of the Bernal Heights motherland. Yet we now have indications that the La Lengua separatist movement may be collapsing under the weight of its own geopolitical absurdity.

Last week, the Greater Bernalwood Signals Intelligence Unit received this encrypted communication from Neighbor Lisa, who resides deep within La Lenguan territory:

My neighbors and I have a problem. We have been saddled with an absolutely awful nickname for our little corner of San Francisco (La Lengua) and we don’t know how to get rid of it.

The blogosphere, including your esteemed and oft quoted blog, seems to think it is a great term, but the only person on our block who likes it is Burrito Justice himself. Every time someone shares a link to an article containing the hated term, our street mailing list fills up with emails suggesting alternatives. Even when the article is about a pot smoking bear, people get more excited about That Name.

We’d be happy to be referred to as Bernal Heights at this point.

So, how do we get people to use a different name for our microhood? I actually have some pretty strong feelings about what we should call my ‘hood, but unfortunately nobody likes my suggestion as much as I do. Anything but La Lengua.

And yes, every good revolution needs a splinter group.

Rest assured, Lisa, the Citizens of Bernalwood will be happy to welcome you back into our nurturing embrace!

IMAGE: Historic map from 1889 clearly includes the so-called La Lengua territories with the geographic boundaries of Bernal Heights. (On the other hand, this same map also includes six different streets named California Avenue, so draw your own conclusions.)

Your Bernal Heights Crime Report for October 2013: Lock Doors and Windows, Club Your Honda, Beware During Early Sunsets

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Neighbor Sarah, your vigilant volunteer Bernal Heights crime reporter, attended the SFPD Ingleside Community meeting last week, and she filed these terrific summary notes on the latest Bernal Heights crime trends. (Thank you, Sarah!!)

Read on, read carefully, and stay safe:

Notes from Ingleside Community Meeting: 10/15/13

Captain Falvey presided.

CRIME STATS & TRENDS:
See Sept 2013 Compstat file (included below) for detailed statistics

Homicide: There was a homicide last Weds. at 4pm near Mission and Brazil.  The police are gathering evidence, including possible video evidence.  The Violence Reduction Team is also in the district.

Robberies: Up 21% YTD, which is the same as the citywide number.  Cell phones continue to be a big factor, but jewelry theft is on the rise.  Arrested two men who were robbing elderly women of necklaces.

Robberies have moved away from the transit hubs, where the police had deployed resources, to further out, especially near the border with Taraval, where there was a cluster of similar robberies.  The Violence Reduction Team had IDed three possible suspects.

Muggers also seem to be targeting people coming out of bars between 12am and 2am.

Robbery arrests up 77% YTD.

Daylight saving time ends 11/3.  There was a big increase in robberies at this time last year.  SFPD is deploying more officers to BART and nearby to warn commuters.

Burglaries: Creeping up.  Unlocked windows and doors continue to be a problem. Same with homes under construction or renovation.  Burglars look for easiest routes – make it hard for them.  Burglary arrests are up 38% YTD.

Auto Thefts: Spiked the last 2 months.  50% are pre-2001 Hondas or Acuras.  Buy a club-like device or get a new ignition from the dealer!

Ingleside got overtime grants for vehicle theft abatement, which while be used to focus officers in specific areas where lots of cars are stolen.  Police use license plate readers on some patrol cars, but thieves thwart this by stealing front license plates from other, similar cars.  (Police also look for back plates with no registration tags.) Police do NOT chase car thieves because of risks involved in high-speed chases on residential streets.

Larceny: These are thefts that are not from a person, but rather things like shoplifting or someone taking your computer at a coffee shop while you’re in the bathroom.  Be vigilant.  City College is seeing a lot of this.

Auto Boosting: These are thefts involving property taken from autos. Do not leave anything in your car!  Recent thefts at Good Life involved multiple laptops each (items were not left out, but were in in bags inside car).

Internet/Gambling Cafes: Neighbors continue to have concerns, esp. about NetStop on the 4400 block of Mission. The “Sweepstakes” model currently seems to get them out of being prosecuted for gambling.  Crime is clustering around certain sites, new cafes springing up.  NetStop building owner has made some changes – reduced hours, added security, prevented loitering.

Reminders:
Call 911 for any crimes in progress. (Including crimes like this one)

Wear reflective clothing when walking at night!

Drivers, be extra-careful to look for pedestrians.

Do not jaywalk with your kids because it teaches them that it’s OK.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
PAL 3×3 Basketball Jamboree at SOMA Rec Center, 11/7, 8:15am-6pm.  Need 7th and 8th graders, any level.

Bayview Gun Buyback: 12/14/13

Ingleside CPAB Gun Buyback: 4/5/14

Q&A:
Glen Park residents requested traffic enforcement on Diamond from Diamond Heights to Bosworth. People run all the stop signs. Captain agreed to do so.  Advised them that they recently did a similar operation in another neighborhood, and it turned out that most of the people running the stop signs (34 of 40 tickets) lived within 3 blocks.  Still worthwhile to do, but it wasn’t the “outsiders” the neighbors had assumed were the problem.

GUEST SPEAKER:
Jimmer Cassiol, Community Liaison for SF Department of Public Works: jimmer.cassiol@sfdpw.org, 415-641-2625

DPW has a variety of community programs that are volunteer-based: Adopt-a-Street, Graffiti Watch, Clean Team

The Clean Team’s cleanup for Districts 8 and 9 is SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 – meet at O’Connell High (Folsom/20th) at 9am to help clean and green the area. Supervisors Campos and Wiener will be there.

ALSO: Gigantic 3 e-waste and bulky item dropoff for Districts 8 and 9 is Saturday, 10/20, 8am-12pm.  District 9: Firehouse 7 at 2300 Folsom; District 8: St John’s School (925 Chenery).  Call 330-1300 for an appointment or drop by (but wait in line).

Giant Sweep is the umbrella over all of these programs. The goal is to get residents and businesses involved in keeping the city clean, as well as prevent littering by reaching kids at an early age.

Adopt-a-Street – they give you supplies for keeping your block clean and graffiti-free.

Graffiti Watch – also involves free supplies but you must go through training on how to use the solvents.  Graffiti removal is for public property/city “furniture” only.

Street Parks – adopt small piece of land and turn it into a park.

Finally, what’s the difference between art and graffiti?  “Permission.”

InglesideCompstatSept2013