Your Bernal Crime Summary: Car Break-Ins, iPhone Thefts, and Succulent Bandits Still Suck

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Broken Window

Bernalwood’s intrepid volunteer scribe on the Police Beat, Reader Sarah, attended the SFPD’s Ingleside Station Community Meeting on Tuesday night July 19 — while you were (hopefully) having dinner with your friends and loved ones. Here’s her excellent summary:

Lt. Henry Parra filled in for the captain, who was traveling. He didn’t give out many statistics but focused on a few bigger-picture items:

– Street robberies are still the #1 problem in the district – especially people not paying attention when walking to/from BART and MUNI. He again reminded everyone NOT to listen to music or check your smartphone while in these areas.

– The #2 problem is car break-ins. The most-stolen items are GPS systems, and people inadvertently advertise that they have them in the car when they leave the holder or suction cup in the car. So take all of that stuff out. Laptops are the second-most-stolen item, often from backpacks that are left in cars. Other oft-stolen items that people leave visible in their cars are cameras, purses, and tools.

– Residential burglaries are not as high as in other districts. When they do occur, it is often because someone left a window open. Dog doors are also common entry points.

– He encouraged all iPhone users to get the MobileMe app, which continues to help police find stolen iPhones, though thieves are learning ways to defeat this app.

I asked about the Holly Courts shootings, and he did not know much new information on the investigation, but he said that the unit that was responsible for the party was supposed to have one person living in it but effectively had had six.

I also asked about the thefts of succulents and other plants, and he mentioned the arrest that had been made in Sunnyside, but he didn’t have much other information.

One burglary-prevention tidbit that came up was that employees of utility companies should have a tag with their name on it, except for meter readers, who are permitted to dress differently. But anyone trying to access your home should have a tag.

Ailed from the BHNC asked about the ShotSpotter and whether Holly Courts could get one. Lt. Parra said they are expensive and the technology is not infallible. The process for getting one is to petition the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, which will then make a recommendation to the Police Commission. The final decision is made, he believes, by the Police Commission (ie, not the Supervisors). Alemany apparently has a ShotSpotter.

Lt. Parra didn’t have many details but said that there WOULD be a new police recruit class at the Academy sometime soon (this was thought to be unlikely as of the last meeting), which is good news since SFPD has many looming retirements.

Finally, Tuesday, August 2, is National Night Out. SFPD and the Community Police Advisory Board will be holding a FREE barbecue from 5:30-8:00pm at Crocker Amazon Park’s Bocce Ball Court and Rec Center (Moscow & Italy Streets, parking available). There will be safety information, an SFPD motorcycle demo, and a K-9 demo. Mayor Ed Lee and SFPD Chief Greg Suhr will be in attendance, as will several Supervisors, Captain Mahoney from Ingleside, and someone from Parks/Rec whose name I did not catch. For more information, contact Ingleside at 404-4000 or Steven Currier at 415-587-9150.

Thank you so so SO much, Reader Sarah!

PHOTO: Car window smashed recently on Shotwell near Precita, by Telstar Logistics

Some Useful Services Offered via the Good Life Bulletin Board

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Signs of the Times

My my… There are so many handy service providers available via the bulletin board outside the Good Life grocery on Cortland! For example, you can sign up to learn guitar in a variety of neighborhood-appropriate styles from the teacher above.

Or, you can learn the harmonica. Even better, maybe you can learn guitar and harmonica at the same time, to master that Bob Dylan/Neil Young singer-songwriter schtick that requires playing both instruments simultaneously.

Signs of the Times

Or perhaps your needs are deeper and more spiritually complicated? In which case, you may have need for a hypnoterapist. And really, what could be better than a hypnotherapy referral that came from a handbill tacked to the front of your neighborhood grocery store?

Sign of the Times

Ah yes, but in the end, the joke is on me. Because when I walked down the block to Four Star Video, I saw this handbill inside. A discount couples therapist who advertises on a bulletin board at the neighborhood video store? Apparently, such services are very much in demand:

Signs of the Times

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Historic, Mysterious Fizzy Drink Bottle Found In Bernal Home

/ Todd_Lappin / 38 Comments

Here’s a fizzy little mystery for all you armchair consumer-product sleuths and local history enthusiasts. Neighbor Brent explains how this colorful bottle came into his possession:

Maybe you and your crack team of City researchers can provide information about the City Bottling Company of San Francisco?

The joy of homeownership: leaks. To combat a leak in our house, we’re replacing some siding. Yesterday, when removing the siding from one of our walls, our contractors found a bottle inside the wall. The bottle is for “City Club Cola”, and the label reads at the bottom, “Made and Distributed by City Bottling Co. San Francisco, Calif”.

A simple (but not exhaustive) search on Google found no references to the cola or the bottling company.  We figure it could date back to 1945, when the house was built. Maybe your crack team of researchers, or your readers, can solve our mini-mystery!

I’m curious about something that was San Francisco made and distributed, and wonder if the bottle really dates from 1945.  I mean, the label is in decent condition considering that it could be 66 years old!

Let the historical geekery and barroom hypothesizing begin!

PHOTO: Neighbor Brent

Meet the New Top Dog at the Stray Bar

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

There’s  new pup-in-residence at the Stray Bar, and I had the pleasure of meeting him during a boozy night earlier this week. Reader Heather explains…

If you’ve ever been to Stray Bar, you might have met owner Karen Opp’s old dog Camden. He was often found chilling next to the water bowl or behind the bar. Sadly, Camden passed last week, but there’s a new top dog in the house, a spry little pupster named Finnegan. And, of course, there’s the Foursquare Mayor, Perceval P Peninsula. And, my boyfriend and I adopted a Rocket Dog puppy, who we named LuLu La Bonte, from a Cortland Ave adoption event on July 4. (Do mayors get crowns in this town? Or just fedoras?)… There really is a whole episode of “Bernal Hill, 94110” going on four-on-the-floor-style in that place.

Note that Finnegan has his own Facebook page, if you want to become cyberpals.

PHOTO: Finnegan in full sunlight, via the Facebook

Say Hello to the Proposed Design for the Bernal Library Mural

/ Todd_Lappin / 29 Comments

Library Mural Proposal

Library Mural Proposal

If you think the debate currently taking place in Washington DC over raising the federal debt ceiling is a sticky bit of politics, you’ll no doubt enjoy catching up on the latest details of the plan to paint a new mural on the facade of the Bernal Heights Branch of the San Francisco Public Library on Cortland.

Just in case you need a reminder, here’s how the current mural looks — it was painted in 1982:

Library Mural

Ambassador Darcy Lee from Heartfelt on Cortland has been working on the new mural effort, and she sent Bernalwood this honest and (yes) heartfelt project status report:

I am a proud member of the task force working on the Bernal Library Art Project.  I have a tendency to focus on what we have accomplished, so here goes:

We had a divided neighborhood. Some felt the library should not be painted at all, and should be unadorned–  as it was when it was built as a WPA project.   Others felt that the existing mural represented many important issues and was a constant reminder of what is important within San Francisco.  They wanted it to be restored and remain.  A group of us got together to discuss and talk through all the issue. We fought through some truths, some conceptions, and some very passionate feelings.

Bernal resident Beth Roy guided us through this arduous process with skill and aplomb — It was quite remarkable. In the end, the decision was made to put new artwork on parts of the library.  Huge thanks to the city, Mayor Lee, Supervisor Campos, the Arts Commission, and the Library Commission for their help.

We decided to stay on course as a volunteer group, but we needed a project manager.  We had two (very small) fundraisers that raised enough to get us started. Gia Grant was chosen to manage the effort, and her experience and clear-headed expertise has been a boon!  We took input from two community meetings,  chose two artists, and approved artwork for the Cortland (front) and Moultrie facades.

I believe the chosen artwork addresses all our needs and desires.  Actual work will begin this summer.  We are planning a big fundraiser with renowned cellist Joan Jeanrenaud on August 6th.  Remember: We are lucky to be here and nothing is simple!

Well said. Lots more detail at the Bernal Library Art Project website. You can read the project’s Statement of Consensus right here (pdf). You can also read the digest of public comments about the mural submitted via the project email address at bernallibraryartproject@gmail.com. (Executive Summary: 19 positives, 34 negatives, 7 confused and/or off-topic.)

Meanwhile, the mural is on the agenda for the City Library Commission meeting that will take place TOMORROW, Thursday, July 21, 2011, at 4:30 pm in the Koret Auditorium of the Main Library (lower level). Be there if you have something you really really really really really want to say.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

The Triumphant Return of Bernal Hill’s Lost Garbage Can

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Important news for Bernal Hill dog walkers and/or enemies of errant fecal matter: The Lost Garbage Can of Bernal Boulevard has returned, now in a stylish new location across from our glamorous new Vista Pointe minipark.

Newbie Neighbor Rally provides the photo above, and the straight poop. (Sorry, couldn’t resist):

Good news for those who care about the mundane, yet mysteriously glamourous details of life in lovely Bernal Heights. The trash can that had gone in missing at the bottom of Bernal Hill is BACK! This caused quite the stir around here, even the awesome Bernalwood blog talked about it.

Here we see its glorious return, now repositioned across the street from its former location.

Woo hoo! Less poo! Meanwhile, Neighbor Renee adds:

PHOTO: Stolen with gratitude from Rally P/Going West

Carspotting: Clever Bowling Pin Art Car Parked at Precita Park

/ Todd_Lappin

Reader Mason (it’s his birthday today!) sent along this art car sighting:

Did Jesus Quintana visit Precita Park last weekend?

This past Sunday, while enjoying some old-time ice cream from Gina and Mike’s rebranded Cancilla Market (now known as Harvest Hills), my son and I happened upon this most marvelously vintage Bowling Pin/Fiat 500. Upon further investigation we are led to believe that it was actually taking an afternoon nap of its own: its side-mounted bowling pins pulse and twist in and out of the car as pedestrians approach. I was left wondering whether or not someone has the bowling balls to attempt this with a newly re-launched and rebranded Fiat 500c.

Coincidentally, our friends at Laughing Squid have more detail on the car, and a spiffy video too:

“Big Bang Theory” by San Francisco artist Eric Staller is an adorable Fiat 500 art car with 10 retractable bowling pins poking out of the passenger side. The pins can extend almost fully outside the car or retract within, and seem to do so autonomously, even when the car is parked and left unattended. The car has been baffling pedestrians in San Francisco’s Mission district over the Summer, though it was first built in 1996.

PHOTOS: Reader Mason

In Praise of the New Old Clam House on Bayshore

/ Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

So, it was Friday night, and we wanted to find a family-friendly restaurant where daddy could get a stiff cocktail to accompany his dinner. The thought of battling swarms of Mission hipsters at a place like Beretta or Flour and Water seemed nightmarish, and for a few minutes I felt stuck. And then it hit me: What about the New Old Clam House on Bayshore? They’ve got a full bar! They serve food! And change is afoot, so an updated taste-test seemed to be in order.

Indeed, much has changed. For one, there’s a new glassed-in patio area on the south side of the building that affords an outstanding view of passing traffic. The whole place got a new coat of paint. There’s also a Moderne-style neon sign that looks 80 years old — even though it was just installed a few weeks ago. The front doors are new and inviting, and the interior has been given a thorough spiffing-up.

Ye Newe Olde Clam House

In short, it looks pretty good, inside and out. But what of the food? And my drink?

The menu has been thoroughly revised, and while many of the old stand-bys remain — paging Mr. Cioppino, to the white courtesy phone! — there are some new surprises that bring the joint up-to-date. One very nice touch is that all guests — including my four year-old — are served a glass of warm clam broth just as soon as they are seated.

New Old Clam House

Yum! With some broth in my belly, I decided to satisfy my cocktail urge. I ordered a Tom Collins, which was made in with traditional craftsmanship — which is to say from scratch, without any high-fructose cornshite. Double yum!

For my main, I ordered the sand dabs with spicy tomato bacon sauce. It was baconlicious, and overall deeply satisfying. Triple yum!

New Old Clam House

We also got a half-crab, which arrived on a cast-iron pan sizzling with garlic butter. Quadruple yum in the pike position!

New Old Clam House

All in all, I’m a fan. Though I sure some old-timers will protest, I think the new Old Clam House fills an important niche in the Bernal restaurant ecosystem, in that there is a place in our little world for a reasonably-priced establishment where you can get a table without too much fuss, along with a stiff drink and a good piece of fish in an atmosphere that feels an awful lot like the kind of restaurant one might find expect to find somewhere along Route 46 in Clifton, New Jersey… and I mean that as high praise.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Sexy, Stoner-Friendly New Parklet Installed on 29th Street

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Reader Rita sends along some news about the first parklet to appear in the Dominion of Bernalwood:

Down here in the flats (or La Lengua, or south Mission, or whatever our neighborhood gets called these days) our first parklet was just installed at Café Seventy8 on 29th Street!  Anette Roeber and her co-owners worked with the neighborhood, a local architect: Hugh  Hynes of PROTOinc and another neighbor Matt Walsh who worked with Dan Piche and Jon Petterson, all of Saturn Construction to build out the parklett this weekend.  Finishing touches and plants will be installed on the 30th when the Tiffany Avenue neighbors are celebrating theer one year anniversary of planting of the sidewalk gardens.  Then it will just be a matter of when the city installs the bike corral in the space close to the corner!

Nice work, people. That looks great! Note also, the new parklet is literally across the street from the Bernal Heights Collective. Stoner bonus!

PHOTOS: Reader Rita

Uppity La Lenguans Seek to Brainwash Unsuspecting Motorists

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Mind Open, Road Closed

Oh, you know how it is with those people in La Lengua. They try to make every little thing a political statement here in our otherwise glamorous and complacently vapid neighborhood. As if de facto territorial autonomy and free Slurpees at their new 7-Eleven weren’t enough, the La Lenguans are now attempting to brainwash unsuspecting motorists with their neo-psychedelic separatist ideology.

Consider this affront, which was spotted this week at the corner of Guerrero and 28th Street. It seems the La Lengua Revolutionary Propaganda Front (LaLeRevPropFro) has appropriated an official City traffic control device to disseminate a mind-altering message intended to further the La Lengua cause. Sheeeesh!

PHOTO: Telstar Logistsics

SF Police Investigating Bernal Heights Plant, Garden Thefts

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

Here’s some encouraging news for crimefighters and public-spirited gardeners.

In the comments to this post and this post about recent plant thefts in Bernal Heights, Bernalwood readers have informed us that the San Francisco Police are now actively investigating the crimes, with an eye toward capturing the horticultural kleptomaniacs responsible.

Here’s a comment posted today by Reader Joyce:

Yesterday we got a visit from a very nice police officer regarding our thefts that I posted about earlier.  Indeed, they are taking this very seriously, and I notified them about this website’s postings.  Officer Elton explained the process of how things may move forward.   Any information you can provide to them would be most helpful.  He is fully expecting to be inundated with information from all of you.  You can contact him at his email address:  Broderick.F.Elton@sfgov.org