Interim Mayor Ed Lee Greets the Natives on Cortland Avenue

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Mayor Edwin Lee greets merchants in District 9 with Supervisor David Campos

Ed Lee, our City’s interim mayor, went for a stroll along Cortland Avenue with Distruct 9 Supervisor David Campos last weekend, and Sing Tao Daily was on hand to cover the scene:

天氣晴朗，春意盎然。三藩市市長李孟賢昨天展開首次巡街「走透透」的行程，以步行的方式挨家挨戶探訪Bernal Heights社區商家與市民，希望藉此了解民眾需求，作為政府施政與建設考量的方針。據悉李孟賢下一站可能前往訪谷區巡街。

受第9區市參事坎帕斯（David Campos）之邀，三藩市市長李孟賢昨天前進Bernal Heights社區，沿著Cortland大道訪問商家與市民，李孟賢除親切問候外，也向商家們詢問三藩市當局是否有可以幫手改善市況與街道硬體設施的地方，期望能夠在眾人齊心協力下，改善市民生活品質與促進地方小商業的經濟發展。

一路上民眾都向李孟賢的到來表示歡迎，不少人更要求合影留念。喜歡甜食的李孟賢更掏腰包跟一名為學校籌款義賣的小女孩買了5條巧克力棒，表示要與家人分享。

Bernal Heights社區除了住宅外，更是許多小商業蓬勃發展的地區，書店、雜貨店、影碟出租店、咖啡廳、寵物店皆是小本經營模式商家。

李孟賢表示，所謂刺激地方商業，首先就要以行動支持本地店家做起。

這是李孟賢首次以社區為單位進行步行尋街訪問，接下來他的足跡也將擴展到市內其他社區，正在考量的下一個地點為三藩市南面的第10區，有許多華人聚集的訪谷區可能是屆時確切的巡街地點。

UPDATE 9 Feb, 2011: Darcy from Heartfelt on Cortland managed to get some facetime with hizzhonor Mayor Lee during his visit, and sent this photo along. Work it, Darcy!

Photo: Top, Mayor Ed Lee on Cortland, with supervisor David Campos and a typical fashion-obsessed Bernalian, via Mayor Ed Lee’s Flickr account

Off the Hill: A Better Boathouse, A Brand New Brewpub, A Crooked Cop, and Bickering Neighbors at Sundance

/ Todd_Lappin

Stow Lake

Let’s catch up on things that are happening elsewhere in the City…

Interim Mayor Ed Lee is on Twitter (but he’s not very popular)

The Boathouse at Stow Lake will soon get an upgrade (City Insider)

Someone found a few hand grenades inside a house on Potrero Avenue (KCBS)

A new brewpub plans to open in The Mission, hopefully this spring (Mission Loc@l)

A documentary about bickering neighbors in the Lower Haight was shown at Sundance (Haighteration)

The City has a plan to preserve Modern architecture built between 1935 and 1970 (SocketSite)

A Richmond District police office charged with embezzlement and fraud (Richmond District Blog)

How to replace your bike’s handlebars with a Land Rover steering wheel (MissionMission)

Coyotes have been spotted around Park Presidion Boulevard (Richmond District Blog)

Photo: Stow Lake paddle boats, by Linda Waterfield

What’s Up With That Bright New Light Atop Bernal Hill?

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

What Up Bernal?
The neighbors have been talking. Not our neighbors here in Bernalwood; rather, our neighbors in surrounding neighborhoods have been talking — about us! They say we look different these days. Specifically, they say there’s a new light shining from atop Bernal Hill, and that it is very bright.

For example, Bob Horowitz, the photographer who took the photo above on January 29, asks:

Is it my imagination or has the beacon atop Bernal Heights gotten brighter recently?

From the looks of Bob’s photo, it seems the bright light may be a new floodlight installed to provide security for our stylish and beloved microwave tower.

Now,  I’m just speculating here, but the new light may tie in with an effort to prevent the defacement of the tower facility with graffiti… which may in turn tie in with an effort to address the (overblown) concerns of Supervisor David Campos, who recently blocked the installation of new cellphone antennas atop the tower because he said the site was marred by graffiti. So the new light may be part of an effort to keep the tower site cleaner to secure permission to install those antennas eventually.

But like I said, that’s just one theory. I also have another theory, and it goes something like this:

Photo: Top, Bob Horowitz

See Work by Bernalwood Artist Ian Robert Mullen at 111 Minna

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

If you find yourself downtown on tonight, get yourself a cocktail and a little cultcha by showing up at the opening party for Bernal Heights artist Ian Robert Mullen at at 111 Minna Gallery:

IAN ROBERT MULLEN was born into a rich family history of master tradesmen that have claimed the city of Philadelphia home for eleven generations. After striking out to attend the painting program at Boston University he found himself right back where he started, working with wood. Curious and inventive by nature, Ian still continues to explore the world around him through his woodworking, oil painting, sculpture, and anything else he can get his hands on.

“Whether it be with wood, plaster, or oil, I derive much of my inspiration from nature. An avid outdoorsman, I am always looking for new elements to implement into my next piece.” – Ian Robert Mullen

If you can’t make it to the opening, Ian’s art will be on display at 111 Minna until March 3. Represent!

Happiness Is a New Sewer Line on Bocana

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

While we’re on the subject of  infrastructure — an innately sexy topic, BTW — our friends at the City’s Department of Public Works want you to know that they are hard at work installing a new sewer main on Bocana:

A new sewer main is replacing an aging line on Bocana Street, from Cortland to Wool, in Bernal Heights.  Bocana is closed to through traffic during construction hours, though the street is open to local motorists at all times.  Once the sewer replacement is completed, crews will repave the road with fresh asphalt within the next few weeks.  This is one of several streets to be renovated under the Various Locations Pavement and Sewer Renovation #13.

Hooray for new sewer lines! Hooray for “the Various Locations Pavement and Sewer Renovation #13” (whatever that is)!

Photo: Courtesy of Jean Pedigo

A Design Workshop to Untangle the Cesar Chavez “Hairball”

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Not a moment too soon, work is set to begin on the Cesar Chavez Street redevelopment plan — a heavy-duty urban infrastructure project that will transform the western leg of the former Army Street from a grim quasi-freeway into a tree-lined boulevard that will be both more attractive and more bike- and pedestrian-friendly.

But the fate of the eastern portion of Cesar Chavez — from Hampshire street in the northeast corner of Bernalwood to Illinois Street on the waterfront — remains unresolved. To improve that part, the City Planning Department will hold a series of workshops to help design a plan for that stretch of the street, including the infamously treacherous tangle of US101 onramps known as “The Hairball.”

US 101 at Cesar Chavez and Potrero, San Francisco

The first workshop will take place next Thursday, February 10, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the auditorium at Buena Vista Elementary School (2641 25th Street @ Utah, near the Hairball).

The City says:

Please join us to discuss the future of Cesar Chavez Street from Hampshire Street to Illinois Street, including the 101 and I-280 interchanges. The plan will re-imagine Cesar Chavez Easy as a vital connector of the Mission, Bayview, Potrero, Bernal, and Dogpatch neighborhoods, more safe, pleasant, and convenient for people who live in, work in or travel through the area, and more responsive to ecological and cultural opportunities.

Of course, all that is kumbayaspeak for “let’s figure out a way to make it not suck so much.” But it is a goal I’m sure we can all endorse. I attended some similar meetings that took place to develop the plan for Cesar Chavez west, and they were substantive, well-organized, and generally excellent. I trust this one will be the same.

Photo: Below, therealkarumi

A Moment of Badassitude in Glamorous Bernalwood

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

Challenger
Bernalwood is known known for many things — glamour, haute couture, and a certain jet-set languor, to name but a few. But rare are the instances when our neighborhood is synonymous with badassitude.

Yet like steep hills, arrogant canines, and giant insects, badassitude also resides among us, and I happened to catch a glimpse of it not long ago when this gentleman drove past in his unmistakably badass Dodge Challenger while I was standing on Cortand.

Photo: Telstar Logistics

Pedal On: There’s a New Bike Repair Shop in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Great news for local fans of human-powered vehicles: There’s a new bicycle repair shop and frame-builder at 1637 Florida Street (between Precita and Peralta) on Bernalwood’s North Slope.

Actually, it’s two businesses in one: Bernal Bike for basic bicycle service, and Kroyer Cycles for frame repair and frame-building. Both are overseen by Sam Kroyer, a skilled bike mechanic who spent 12 years working at the venerable Valencia Cyclery in the Mission.

But don’t look for a regular storefront facade; Bernal Bike operates from the garage of Sam’s house, and we’ve received assurances that the business is fully licensed and blessed by the landlord. Business manager Erin McLachlan wrote Bernalwood to say:

Know us by the bike rack and the welcome sign.  Kroyer Cycles is owned by Sam Kroyer, a bicycle mechanic for over 25 years and a Bernal resident for 16 years.  The shop performs full-service repair and maintenance, custom builds, frame repair and warranty service.  We carry inventory of replacement parts and necessities.

Photos: Kroyer Cycles

The Oxalis Weed: An Uninvited Guest That Never Leaves

/ Molly Samuel / 26 Comments

Every winter after the rain, oxalis starts popping up. Maybe even during the rain; I don’t know for sure. But one thing is certain: On that day when you glance up on a walk and think, “oh, it’s green again,” part of the reason for the change in color is oxalis.

Bane of gardeners, this aggressive weed grows in yards, between sidewalk cracks, on hillsides, in planter boxes. The oxalis we all hate is Oxalis pes-caprae, a native of South Africa. (Which also gave us ice plant. Thanks a lot, South Africa.)

Oxalis is just about impossible to get rid of. Our La Lenguan neighbors have it, too. Actually, it’s all over the city. I’ve never had any luck eradicating it. I’ve heard that what you really have to do is dig down and remove every single god-forsaken bulb. One of these letters to the Chronicle from 2007 suggests getting chickens. So there’s that option.

It’s also known as sourgrass–and also, apparently, as Bermuda buttercup (though I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before). In small quantities it’s even edible. You can chew the flower stalk or eat the leaves; it’s kinda peppery-lemony, like a woodsy lemon drop.

Oxalis afficianados will point out that not all oxalis are bad. In fact, we even have some nice native ones, including redwood sorrel (Oxalis oregana), which grows in redwood forests. But the oxalis known as oxalis is a serious pain. To part on a really cranky note, this essay by science writer David Quammen explains much more eloquently than I ever could why most weeds suck.