Jane Underwood Sees the Lovely in Bernalwood’s Details

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

Pointed

Red Steps

Neighbor Jane Underwood recently submitted a nice batch of photos to the Bernalwood Flickr group, and though each one is different, they are all clearly of a kind. Jane has an eye for the small details; the lovely juxtapositions of color and shape that are so much a part of like in Bernal Heights — if you bother to look.

Billboard Overlooking Allemany Flea Market

As she explained in the caption for the above image:

This billboard overlooks my neighborhood’s weekend flea market. It’s the kind of eccentric scenery that, I think, city dwellers become so accustomed to that they often don’t even notice it after a while. I try never to take my San Francisco environment for granted, and that includes the obscure parts as well as the obvious ones.

PHOTOS: by Jane Underwood

2011 Bernal Hill Blackberry Crop a Sorry Sight

/ Bronwyn Ximm / 10 Comments

For months we’ve been hungrily eyeing that prodigious patch of blackberry bushes near the parking lot at the entrance of Bernal Hill Park. After all, what says “It’s summer on Bernal Hill” more than picking and munching your own blackberries while admiring the view of the bay?

But alas, it’s been the same thing since June: lots of unripe red berries, plus a smattering of still-unripe black ones. A recent visit revealed that a considerable percentage of the fruits have shriveled up. We’ve been hoping against hope that for some wacky reason, this year’s crop is simply taking its own sweet time. But the above shot was taken on Labor Day, so our hope is withering on the vine. Whither shall we go?

PHOTO: Aaron Ximm

Fearmongering NIMBYs vs. Bernal Heights iPhone Owners

/ Todd_Lappin / 34 Comments

Ugh. Here we go again.

AT&T would like to offer some relief to those long-suffering iPhone owners in southeast Bernal Heights, who have long had to endure dropped calls and poor reception. This relief would come in the form of a new antenna installation atop the building at 3901 Mission Street (at College).

But before the antenna can be installed, AT&T must first secure approval from the City’s Planning Commission. Yet glumly and predictably, the usual crew of fearmongering, science-hating NIMBYs are already lining up to oppose the project.

This email was recently posted to a neighborhood mailing list:

Subject: Stop Cellphone Tower Installation @ 3901 Mission
(Mission and College)

Why?

The proposed installation would emit radio-frequency (RF) radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This site would be within a 300-foot radius of numerous residential homes and close to St. Mary’s Park.

Considerable debate and uncertainty exists within the scientific community about the potential health effects to individuals, especially children, from exposure to electromagnetic and RF radiation. Some adverse health effects show up immediately, but it can take 3 to 10 years or more for the longer-term effects of RF illness, such as cancer, to appear. More research is needed to provide a definitive answer. We should not be forced to act as guinea pigs in a bio-effects experiment.

We value our neighborhood as a safe, community-oriented place to live and raise our children.

How?
– Attend the Public Hearing on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 12 p.m. (noon) at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400
– Contact the Planning Commission:
Diego R. Sanchez
The Planning Department,
650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103
415-575-9082
diego.sanchez@sfgov.org

Radiation! Cancer! Uncertainty! AND WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN???!!!! All the hot-buttons are pressed here, in lurid, sensationalist, and grossly misleading form.

But is any of it true? Well, it is true that the antenna would transmit RF radiation 24-7. But then again, so does the KQED antenna atop Sutro Tower, the many geosynchronous telecom satellites high above, and the WiFi router you probably have in your home. OMG!!!

As Bernalwood has patiently explained before, RF is not the kind of radiation that causes cancer. And unless you want to be an intellectual bedfellow with Climate Change Denialists and those who refuse to believe in Evolution because it is “just a theory,” the overwhelming scientific consensus on the safety of this technology should be enough to put your mind at ease.

Calling My City Supervisor

I could go on in this vein. But instead, I’ll just hand the microphone over to Neighbor Fiid, who recently cc’d Bernalwood on a letter he wrote to Supervisor Campos to weigh in on the proposed AT&T antenna at 3901 Mission:

Subject: New Cell phone tower on Mission St. & WiMax project on Bernal Hill

Greetings Mr Campos,

I’m writing to express my ambivalence to the addition of additional cell phone towers in the neighborhood. I know there are a brigade of people around Bernal that go around protesting any kind thing that looks like an antenna on the basis of “junk science”. You might think that I would write in support, but I don’t care enough about a particular project to do that; what I care about is that companies trying to provide better services to our community aren’t hampered by unnecessary burden.

As I’m sure you know, everyone expects cell phones to cause cancer, since they are transmitters that are very close to your head. It is surprising therefore, that a clearly demonstrated scientific link still has not been established. On the other hand, cell phones save millions of lives every day because they enable people to communicate in times of need and generally allow people to communicate better. Better communication hopefully allows people to be more efficient in environmentally destructive resource usage, like using cars, airplanes, or even coordinating food consumption.

If evidence comes to light that provides more clear evidence of health problems being caused, I will be the first to lobby in opposition, or to regulate any wrongdoing. But this simply is not the case at the current time.

The technology industry is a big employer in our area, and seems right now to be one of the only industries that are doing well in our incredibly tough economic climate. The economy is detrimental to everyone; government, that provides less and less of the facilities that support society as we know it, like social safety nets, infrastructure, and education. The private sector outside of technology is also suffering.

I believe the benefits that these projects provide both in terms of direct help, and indirect help via employment and economic and infrastructure support far outweigh the “maybe” risks that a minority of people use the threat of to torpedo the common good.

I wanted to mention also my dismay that the WiMax project on Bernal Hill was cancelled, for the same reasons; although I realize there may be other planning issues involved there.

I hang out on some mailing lists in the neighborhood; and I try to provide scientific and non-biased factual guidance for people on those lists. The anti-antenna lobby emails to that list have caused people to request me to weigh in on this issue with some science and fact, which I try to provide. I have received many thank you emails from other neighbors after doing this, so I think there is a majority of people that will not write to you in support of a cell phone tower, but who nonetheless reject the junk science offered by the vocal minority. I trust that you assess and take this into account when you establish your position on these issues.

Thanks for your time and your ear, and if I can help in any way, please let me know.

Nicely said, and eminently neighborly and reasonable, eh? So what can you do to help? Here are a few ways:

  1. Don’t let the tinfoil-beanie crowd get the last word. Attend that Public Hearing on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 12 p.m. (noon) at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 400.
  2. Write to Supervisor Campos (David.Campos@sfgov.org) to let him know that you want better telecommunications services in Bernal Heights
  3. Sound off in the comments to this post, to make a public statement about your desire for better wireless service (or just to vent about fearmongering NIMBYs).

PHOTOS: 3901 Mission, by Telstar Logistics

He Liked the View from Bernal Hill So Much, He Moved Here

/ Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

Remember that old TV commercial about the guy who liked his electric shaver so much, he bought the company? Well, in a similar way, photographer Adrian Mendoza visited Bernal Heights for the first time recently, and he liked it so much he decided to move here:

Hello, I am a Vernal Birgin – oops, I mean, Bernal Virgin…

Attached is a panoramic photo taken on July 23rd – the first time I EVER set foot on the hill. It is comprised of five separate photos.

Loved it so much, I just moved in on Labor Day (just off Cortland Avenue).

I spent a total of 23 years as a photojournalist in the Central Valley. Most of the photos at this link are mine, including the aerial photos of the California Delta and the portrait of jazz legend Dave Brubeck.

I’m ecstatic to be living here now with my partner, a newly hired editor in the S.F. office of the Huffington Post.

Cheers!

Here’s his panorama (click to embiggen):

Welcome to Bernalwood, New Neighbor Adrian, and thanks for sharing your photos. Keep ’em coming, please.

PHOTOS: Adrian Mendoza

Watch This Video to Help Leonard Flynn Elementary School

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

Here’s your big chance to be a mouse-potato AND help Bernal’s Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School… at the same time! Neighbor Teresa explains:

Local Bernal elementary school, Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School (just off Precita Park) is a finalist in the Coupon Cabin’s arts grant contest.

Our YouTube video has garnered almost 1,000 views and could use a boost from Bernal neighbors. Views, “likes,” and comments are 25% of the judging for the $5k, $10k, or $15k award to be used for art and music programming at this local gem of an elementary school.

We have until September 18 to rally around the video and win the award for our programs.

I’m not going to embed the video, just to make double-extra sure the school gets full credit for all the clicks and views. But you know what to do, dear neighbors. View this video. (It’s only a minute long.) Add it as a favorite. Share it on the Facebook. Tweet your peeps. Spam distant relatives in far-away states, and/or any Nigerian dictators you correspond with regularly. Let’s help bring home the bacon for the kids at Leonard Flynn.

Meet the World’s Best Neighbor, Next Door to 3407 Folsom

/ Todd_Lappin / 25 Comments

Last week’s post about that new, modern house at 3407 Folsom generated a lot of spicy commentary and armchair architectural criticism. Some folks love the design of the new house, and others just don’t really dig this whole “modernism” thing. Among the latter group, there was plenty of concern about the overall look of the neighborhood, while some expressed pity for the residents of 3401 Folsom — the traditional-style house that’s right next door.

Happily, however, the residents of 3401 don’t need any pity, because they’re quite pleased with the new house next door, and they’re looking forward to welcoming their new neighbors. We know this because Mark, who lives in 3401, added his voice to the comment thread, where he wrote:

We are the neighbors next door, and naturally have followed the discussions and on-again/off-again planning around this site for many years. Around four years ago the previous owners presented construction plans to the East Bernal Design Review Board, a voluntary neighborhood group that I was a member of at the time. This was for a two-unit building that neighbors found pretty objectionable. Planning stalled for awhile, and new plans for a single family home were presented at a public meeting of the Board some two years later. Feedback was provided and incorporated into the current design.

We and a number of others in the neighborhood would have loved for the site to be made part of Bernal Hill Park, and made initial headway with a non-profit interested in helping the Rec and Parks Dept acquire it. For complicated reasons having to do with the fact that the Dept of Public Works and not Rec and Parks owns the public land to the left of the sidewalk going up the hill, this was not to be. The site was sold to a small construction company who built the house and sold it to our new neighbors.

There are a few things worth mentioning about this whole process. The original owners and developers of the land went out of their way to take into account our perspectives and those of others in the neighborhood. Larry and the crew who bought the project from them and actually built the house over the last eight months worked hard to get the construction over with quickly and with minimal disruption. It’s never easy having a building like this go up over your back fence, but really, everything went much more smoothly than we could have expected, and Larry and his crew (who agreed to make use of our house’s water and electricity so a loud and obnoxious generator wouldn’t be needed) were accommodating and friendly thoughout.

As for our new neighbors Scott and his family? They want to be part of the chicken raising project we’ve had going for two years now with the other neighbors adjoining our properties. They want to do us all one better (and thrill our kids) with the idea of bringing goats into the mix. They have a young child who is age-perfect for my 14 year old daughter-with-baby-sitting-certificate to take care of while all readers of this excellent blog join them on their heli-deck for cocktails every Friday evening (I think that’s what Scott wrote). And we now have yet another enthusiastic Bernal family joining this great community of ours, in the best neighborhood in San Francisco

Welcome Scott!

I love that in so many ways, but not least because it is a pitch-perfect expression of neighborly warmth, patient adaptability, and YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) open-mindedness. Bravo to Mark for the sentiment, and thanks for weighing in.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

The Thin Line Between Fog and Not-Fog

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

There Is No San Francisco Without The Fog. It Defines Us.

Last night, photostar Bob Horowitz snapped the amazing photo you see above. It was a clear night in Bernal, but when Bob looked downtown from Bernal Heights Boulevard, he saw that the skyscrapers were shrouded in a thin layer of spooky fog that covered the ground like a whispy blanket.

I know this because I happened to drive down Bernal Heights Boulevard just a few hours later, and the spectacle impressed me so much that I also stopped to take a few photos of my own:

Fogliner

DSC_0658.jpg

But the funny thing is… I didn’t know that Bob had captured a similar shot; it was only after I got home and took a peek inside the Bernalwood Flickr group that I noticed we’d both been beguiled by the same phenomenon. Great minds, blah blah blah…

PHOTOS: Top, Bob Horowitz. Below, Telstar Logistics

1892: Irate Man Threatens to “Wipe All Human Life Off Bernal Heights”

/ Todd_Lappin / 7 Comments

The old-timers say that Bernal Heights has changed a lot over the years. But even the old-timers aren’t old enough to recall when Bernal was *this* rough around the edges…

In 1892, a Wool Street resident named Denis O’Keefe allowed whisky to “get the upper hand,” on his otherwise intelligent nature. During his “good old-time spree,” Mr. O’Keefe propositioned two young sisters, and, when rebuffed, flew into a rage which culminated in the shooting of guns and much consternation among the neighbors.

This is how the story appeared in the November 22, 1892 edition of the San Francisco Call. Read on… it’s a great little tale:

Many thanks to The Bernal History Project, Fred Sharples, and Burrito Justice for the tip!

Before There Was Bernalwood, There Was Bernaltown

/ David Gallagher / 5 Comments

Yes, that’s right: Before there was Bernalwood, there was Bernaltown.

Bernaltown was a 1997 film project by Gregory Gavin, starring neighborhood kids and a variety of locals. It premiered in early June 1997, in an outside screening at the Bernal Heights Playground behind the library. 500 people showed up.

A narrative neighborhood film project structured around the Powerbuilders, a foursome of pre-teen superheroes who resist an evil scheme to build a gigantic casino on top of the community’s sacred resource – Bernal Hill. Instead of fighting evil with guns the kids build fantastic crime fighting gadgets in a secret underground workshop from which they also launch their homemade soap box cars through secret tunnels into the narrow streets of Bernaltown.

VHS copies of the movie are — or were — available at the Bernal Heights Library and 4-Star video. You can watch some excerpts from it on Gavin’s website.

So, find a hat like mine, and you get instant street cred.

Meet Mayor Ed Lee on Cortland, Saturday Afternoon

/ Todd_Lappin / 12 Comments

Mayor Lee

Ms. Darcy from Heartfelt rang the Bernalwood hotline to tell us:

Mayor Lee will be campaigning in Bernal on Saturday. He’ll be doing a merchant walk,  handing out posters, etc. Starting at 1:00 pm at Heartfelt.

As Darcy noted, this is a campaign event. But precisely because it is a campaign event, this is also a great opportunity to talk to our smiling mayor about anything City-related that’s on your mind: schools, cops, infrastructure, taxes, succulent thefts, La Lenguan autonomy, vintage billboards, or whatever. And because he’ll be in Candidate Mode, Mayor Lee wil probably be extra-patient with you. Be polite, but have your say, citizen!

PHOTO: Mayor Ed Lee at Vista Pointe Minipark in Bernal, June 2011. By Telstar Logistics

Did Apple Goons Impersonate SFPD Officers to Search Bernal Heights Home?

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Apple's Death Star Looms over Bernalwood

The story about the missing Apple iPhone 5 that was last traced to Bernal Heights has become national news, and with the increased scrutiny, the tale has gone from cute to bizarre.

The latest news, astutely reported by SF Weekly, is that Apple investigators may have represented themselves as SFPD when they searched the home of a Bernal Heights resident. SF Weekly has identified the resident as “Sergio Calderón, 22, of Bernal Heights.”

Let’s let SF Weekly explain:

​A Bernal Heights man says that six officials claiming to be San Francisco Police officers questioned him and searched his family’s home in July for a lost iPhone 5 prototype they asserted had been traced to the residence using GPS technology.

The man’s statements to SF Weekly in an exclusive interview add significant new twists to the unfolding story of the unreleased iPhone 5 that was reportedly lost at a San Francisco bar this summer.

If accurate, his account raises the possibility that Apple security personnel attempting to recover the prototype falsely represented themselves as police officers — a criminal act punishable by up to a year in jail in the state of California — or that SFPD employees colluding with Apple failed to properly report an extensive search of a person’s home, car, and computer.

“This is something that’s going to need to be investigated now,” SFPD spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield said, when informed about the Bernal Heights man’s statements to SF Weekly. “If this guy is saying that the people said they were SFPD, that’s a big deal.”

SF Weekly has lots more lurid detail on the search of Calderón’s home and the threats that were allegedy made against him, and at least one of the men who conducted the search has since been revealed as “a former San Jose Police sergeant… employed as a ‘senior investigator’ at Apple. ”

Oh my. Read the whole thing. Or is the whole the entire incident a hoax?

UPDATE: Another twist, another turn. Turns out SFPD was involved, but Neighbor Calderón did not know that the people who searched his home were Apple employees. SFWeekly rocks it (again):

The bizarre saga involving a lost prototype of the iPhone 5 has taken another interesting turn. Contradicting past statements that no records exist of police involvement in the search for the lost prototype, San Francisco Police Department spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield now tells SF Weekly that “three or four” SFPD officers accompanied two Apple security officials in an unusual search of a Bernal Heights man’s home.

Dangerfield says that, after conferring with Apple and the captain of the Ingleside police station, he has learned that plainclothes SFPD officers went with private Apple detectives to the home of Sergio Calderón, a 22-year-old resident of Bernal Heights. According to Dangerfield, the officers “did not go inside the house,” but stood outside while the Apple employees scoured Calderón’s home, car, and computer files for any trace of the lost iPhone 5. The phone was not found, and Calderón denies that he ever possessed it.

Liberty Cafe on Cortland Sold to Owners of Vega (Also of Cortland)

/ Todd_Lappin / 19 Comments

Liberty Cafe

Remember when we told you that the Liberty Cafe on Cortland was up for sale? It’s now been sold… to the owners of Vega, the Italian restaurant that’s also on Cortland (and practically across the street). Our friends at Inside Scoop have the, uh, scoop:

“It’s the pillar of the neighborhood,” [Vega co-owner Vega Freeman-Brady] says. “It really needs some TLC, so we’re going to clean it up, bring it back to life.”

She adds: “We’re keeping it the Liberty Cafe.”

For now, she doesn’t plan on going dark, hoping that they can transition into a new era — revised menu, local ingredients, revised service practices, etc. — over the next few months. She says that the restaurant hasn’t had an on-site operator in years, so everything needs to be refreshed. They’ll make changes slowly, and hopefully, they’ll have an official reopening shindig later this year.

Can’t wait. All in all, a very Bernal, very all-in-the-family resolution, eh? Love that.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics