Bernal Watercolor Geeks Unite! Meeting on Friday and Upcoming Group Show at Cafe 78

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

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Neighbor Jesse Schlenker wants to tell you about the Watercolor Community of San Francisco,  a new group of local watercolor enthusiasts who will meet at the Bernal Heights Library tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 17 (and every other Friday thereafter). There’s also a group show going up on Nov. 2 at Cafe 78 in La Lengua.

Neighbor Jesse writes:

I’d like to introduce the Watercolor Community of San Francisco (formerly known as the Russellers).

We meet at the Bernal library every other Friday from 1-5pm to paint together, share techniques and enjoy each other’s company. We welcome any fellow watercolorist who would like to paint with us. No instructor is provided but we do learn from each other. Our next meeting is this Friday, Oct. 17th.

Check us out on our blog.

Our original group met each other while taking the watercolor classes of Kay Russell, who taught at City College. When she retired a few years ago, we decided to create our group to continue to enjoy the community and camaraderie her classes had fostered.

Every year we have a group show which is coming up on Nov. 1st. Come, check us out and enjoy our artwork!

Here are the details:

Watercolor Community of San Francisco 4th Annual Group Show
Cafe 78 at 78 29th St./ Tiffany / between Mission and Guerrero St.
Starting Sun. Nov. 2nd, running through Sat. Nov. 29th

Our reception will be on Fri. Nov. 7th from 5-7pm

Artists participating in the show are: Avelina Leanos, Laurie Wigham, Gail Block, Janie Dubuque, Shirley Edwards, Heather Solway, John Webster, Jesse Schlenker, Juliet DiGiovanni, Joanie Helgeson, Colleen Sundquist, Jo Hunter, Carmel Adams, and Peg Robinson.

IMAGE: Watercolor by Neighbor Jesse Schlenker

Tonight: There’s a New Variety Show at the Moonlight Cafe

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

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A “happy pirate team” of Cortland merchants have conspired to create a new, monthly variety show at the Moonlight Cafe, and there’s one happening tonight.

Ms. Monique from Heartfelt shared the news:

Monique from Heartfelt and Aziz from Moonlight have teamed up with local funny gal morgansfunny to host a monthly Variety Show in Bernal at the Moonlight Cafe (634 Cortland).

It happens every 3rd Wednesday of the month (there’s a show tonight, October 15!!!) and the show consists of comedy, spoken word, and music.

There are four acts, and the show begins at 7:30 and runs about 90 minutes with an intermission. Cost is $10, and there is food and drink (modified from Moonlight’s regular menu) available for purchase. 21+ as we hope to make this a regular grown up night in Bernal.

We just started an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds in an attempt to make this show and other entertainment more available more often. Please check it out and spread the word!

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Neighbors Furious After Bike Stolen at Gunpoint on Leese Street

/ Todd_Lappin / 25 Comments

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Neighbor Mat had his custom-built bike stolen at gunpoint on Leese St. earlier this week, and his friends and neighbors are spreading the word:

Our singlespeed cross friend, Mat, was robbed at gunpoint one block from my house last night in Bernal Heights on Leese near Park and Mission. The motherfuckers took his bike and his wallet. One asshole pinned him against the car pointing the gun in his face while another one grabbed the bike and his wallet while he was unloading. I happened on the scene minutes after while Mat was giving a report to the police. I had bikes myself to unload. Better be sure I’m not going to be playing by the same rules anymore.

If you see the Gaulzetti bike in the picture attached, please notify Mat and the police immediately.

I talked to two cops in our precinct this morning, and they had little encouraging news. They said that only three teams patrol a huge swath of the city in the Ingleside District–Excelsior, Outer Mission, Bernal, Glen Park. They told me that there are few convictions and barely any jail time, one or two days max, for felony robbery when property is involved. The only sentences are for bodily injury, even if the people are caught on tape. They see the same thieves cycling through the system “hundreds of times” and “the courts just put them right back out on the street.” They said, “policing is a partnership between the community and law enforcement, and San Francisco is not a police-friendly city . . . there’s only so much we can do. . . . . the advice we can give you is don’t be a victim.”

A biased view I’m sure, but I’m lobbying to my landlord and other tenants for cameras and automated flood lights and signage. I’ve contacted Bernal Neighborhood Center to see what community policing goes on.

Neighbor Sarah, your ever-vigilant crime correspondent, shares this recommendation:

One thing that anyone interested in community policing should do is to contact SAFE to set up a neighborhood watch group. You can fill out the form here.

It may not be what immediately comes to mind after an incident like this, but having more trained eyes on the street goes a long way.

PHOTO: Neighbor Mat’s stolen bike

Wednesday: “Cupcake Happy Hour” at Little Bee Baking’s Anniversary Party

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

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There’s another one-year anniversary happening on Cortland this week. Bernal Neighbor Stacie Pierce from Little Bee Bakery extends the invite, with an extra pinch of yum:

Our 1 year anniversary is on Wednesday, 10/15!

We have had such a great year and have really felt a lot of love and support from Bernal and beyond. We just want to say thanks to everyone and are excited to be baking in Bernal for many years to come!

There will be cupcake “happy hour” from 4-6pm, with free mini cupcakes (one per customer – until they run out).

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PHOTO: Neighbor Stacie via Little Bee

Saturday: Get Cocktailian at Holy Water’s First Anniversary

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

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Has it been a year already? My, how time flies…

Holy Water, our tasty refuge for cocktailians in Cortlandia, opened one year ago. Owner John Ottman invites you to come in for the birthday party:

This Saturday is the one year Anniversary party of Holy Water. Everyone is invited!! We want to thank the neighborhood for the continual support throughout this past year and hopefully the years to come. See yall soon!

There will be merriment. There will be a taco truck. PRO TIP: John makes a mean Jungle Bird:

HWjunglebird

PHOTO: Jungle Bird at Holy Water, photographed and consumed by Telstar Logistics

Then and Now: 90 Years of Auto Biz at the Former Mission Chevrolet Dealership

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

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Recently, Bernalwood noticed a big For Sale/Lease sign on the facade of our locavore auto partsmonger, the stylish O’Reilly store on Mission at Precita.

More changes, afoot?  Perhaps. Eventually. Inevitably. Because change is the only constant.

Come what may, the thing to remember about this particular building is that it was originally constructed in the late 1920’s as the showroom for Mission Chevrolet, an automobile dealership established during the early years of the motorcar revolution, at a time when this corner of Bernal Heights was making a dramatic transition from equine industries to internal combustion.

Here’s the location of today’s O’Reilly store, as seen in 1927 on Mission Street looking north at Precita:

MissionChevrolet2

Mission Chevrolet was still under construction in left-center of the image, so let’s zoom and enhance to take a closer look at the facade. The Chevrolet bow tie sign is clearly visible, just to the right of the Delicatessen Grill (which is now home to Virgil’s):

MissionChevrolet2x

It’s nifty to see the front of the old Chevy dealership. But the back side of the building was way cooler.

The front door to the Mission Chevrolet showroom was on Mission Street, but the Service entrance was on Valencia, just south of Army/Cesar Chavez. This contemporary aerial photograph from the Bernalwood Intelligence Agency makes the building’s configuration clear to see:

MissionChevroletAerial

Now, here’s what Mission Chevrolet’s Valencia facade looked like in the late 1920s, courtesy of a photo from the Bernal History Project:

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Again, let’s zoom and enhance:

missionchevrolet.detail

First. OMG! Look at Bernal Hill in the background. So naked and soooo cuuuuute! No Sutrito Tower. No trees. No party hat!

In the 1920s photo of the Valencia side, some of the architectural details are a little hard to distinguish. But they’re easy to visualize… because they’re still there today! Here’s the same spot, in 2014:

missionchevy2014

The flagpole remains on the far right side of the building, as well as the Spanish-style roof, and the arches from the original entrances. But the coolest detail is the bas–relief roundel right above the arches. The reliefs are still there, and if you look closely, you can still see a Chevrolet from the late 1920s embedded in the facade:

chevdetail

It’s a fun element, because it’s a representation of a late 1920s Chevrolet that’s baked into the building facade, rather like a bug in amber.

Picture it: Here’s what you’d get for your hard-earned Bernal dollars if you wandered down to Mission Chevrolet in 1928.

1928 Chevrolet Ad

 

SFFD Staffing Changes May Slow Paramedic Access in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 5 Comments

Eng11precita

Neighbor Will emailed Bernalwood to share some concerns about emergency medical team staffing at SFFD Station 32 in Holly Park. He also calls your attention to a Fire Commission meeting that’s happening tonight:

There are some changes afoot with how the San Francisco Fire Department assigns paramedics to neighborhoods, and Station 32 in Holly Park is one of the fire houses that are affected.

Until this week, Station 32 was “high priority” enough to have an Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine. This meant that one of the engine crew was always a paramedic. However, in the last few days the SFFD has reorganized this priority list, which in effect means that Engine 32 will almost never have a paramedic assigned. Bernal Height’s engine will become Basic Life Support (BLS) only. This means that medical calls will be attended to by an EMT until an ALS engine or an ambulance arrives with a paramedic on board. Paramedics are trained and licensed to administer life-saving drugs; EMTs are not.

Particularly in the light of the poor response times of SFFD ambulances that have been widely reported, Bernal residents should be concerned about this sudden change in paramedic coverage. Someone in the neighborhood in cardiac arrest will now have to wait for an ALS engine from Station 11 (26th @ Church), Station 9 (Jerrold @ Upton), or for one of the overstretched ambulances in order to receive the drugs and paramedic care that may save their life.

A further concern is that the engine at 32 is a compact apparatus which is able to maneuver well in the narrow streets of Bernal Heights. The regular sized engines which will be rushing to the neighborhood have a far more difficult time negotiating these streets, which will potentially affect the response time to a medical emergency.

I am very close to an employee of SFFD; they do not wish to publicly question or criticize the Department because of the fear of disciplinary action. I think it would be great if somebody from Bernalwood called the Department to find out what is behind these changes. Concerned citizens might want to ask questions at an SF Fire Commission meeting; the next one will take place on October 9 at 4pm at SFFD Headquarters, 698 2nd Street.

PHOTO: Engine 11 in Bernal Heights, by Telstar Logistics

What Is the Mysterious, Reverberating Sound We Hear in North Bernal?

/ Todd_Lappin / 22 Comments

bernalencounters

This week, several residents of Precitaville have heard a strange, deep-throated rumbling sound echoing through the air.

It’s been a topic of discussion in various neighborhood mailing lists — and Bernalwood’s inbox.

Indeed, your Bernalwood editor has actually heard the sound a few times as well. Personally, I thought it sounded like a very large diesel engine at idle, or a massive extraterrestrial spacecraft hovering over Bernal Hill. Or, at least, what I imagine a massive extraterrestrial spacecraft would sound like, if it was hovering over Bernal Hill.

Yesterday Neighbor John wrote to Bernalwood:

Does anybody know what that rumbling sound is?  I’ve heard it for a couple of days now, runs through the night too.  Weird.

Neighbor Linda heard it again this morning:

The noise is back. Time for some sleuthing.

As far as I can tell, it started on Monday afternoon/evening and continued until Tuesday morning. It started again Tuesday around noon, but quieter. I’m going to attribute that to the weird atmospheric noise bounce we get sometimes (remember Beyonce?). It’s also possible it was going the entire time and I just didn’t hear it.

Right now it’s loud and clear.

I can’t figure out where it’s coming from.

Yesterday evening I set out to figure it out. I walked Bessie to Precita to Shotwell, across to Cesar Chavez, down Cesar Chavez to Folsom, all around St. Anthony’s, up Folsom to Precita to Flynn school, and down Harrison to Cesar Chavez. Most of the time it was really quiet and of course the noise from Cesar Chavez made it inaudible. But when I crossed the pathway in the park I could hear it distinctly on Precita between Treat and Harrison.

I gave up and went home. Based on this I’m guessing it’s coming from the other side of Cesar Chavez, maybe down Harrison. I might try to drive around later but don’t have much time.

Maybe an intrepid reader of Bernalwood knows what this strange sound is.

Neighbor John says it sounds familiar:

Back before the Iraq invasion, the Navy did lots of training on the Bay. Might be the same. Seaborne pilot rescue. As I recall, they were doing some kind of mine clearing operations back in ’02 that had those big Sea Stallion helicopters dragging some kind of device thru water. Sound carries real well over water. Might be it.

I had a somewhat similar thought; that the noise might somehow be connected to Fleet Week, which happens this weekend. Or, possibly, the arrival of the amphibious assault ship USS America in town on Monday morning, which could validate Neighbor John’s Navy helicopters-at-sea-level theory.

Neighbor Andy was on the scene to report the USS America’s arrival:

So, maybe that?

Or, a massive extraterrestrial spacecraft hovering over Bernal Hill. Possibly with a cloaking device.

UPDATE 5;17 pm: Neighbor Rusty did some field research, and he thinks the noise is definitely coming from the USS America:

I’m 99% certain it’s the USS America (LHA-6) which is docked at the end of Bryant street at Pier 32. It’s the same sonic signature that I hear from north Bernal. I drove down to Mission Rock and could hear it coming from the direction of the Bay Bridge. Drove down the Embarcadero and sure enough the sound was quite apparent over the sound of traffic right in front of where LHA-6 was docked.

Here’s a visual of USS America here, now, courtesy of Raul:

USS America (LHA-6)

And, a corroborating video!

Meet the Man Who Makes Tuesday Emergency Siren Tests Go “WAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

/ Todd_Lappin / 16 Comments

bernalsirenWAAA

Every Tuesday at noon, for about as long as anyone cares to remember, the City of San Francisco has conducted a test of its emergency alert siren system. If you need  reminder of what that sounds like, just listen right here. Or, wait a few minutes, and the siren will play today. At noon. Like always.

If you’re out of town, and feeling nostalgic for the weekly test, you can also get it via Twitter:

San Francisco’s Outdoor Public Warning System has been in place since 1942, and the system now includes 109 siren towers sprinkled around the City. Here in Bernal, there’s one (strategically) perched on Bernal Hill right next to Sutrito Tower, as well as one atop Leonard Flynn Elementary School in Precitaville.

The Tuesday tests are managed from the Department of Emergency Management headquarters in Western Addition. The test features a 15 second “wail” tone, followed by a recorded message that says, “This is a test. This is a test of the Outdoor Public Warning System. This is only a test.” (FUN FACT: Apparently, the voice on that recorded message is Dave Morey, the former KFOG DJ.) In the event of real emergency, the sirens will play continuously for 5 minutes, followed by instructions and announcements for the general public.

Another fun fact: The Tuesday siren tests are actually conducted manually, by a guy named Cesar. This awesome little video will introduce you to Cesar and show you how he makes the siren tests go “Waaaaaaaaaaaa!”

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

This Is the Tasty New Wine Book by Bernal Oenophile Alder Yarrow

/ Todd_Lappin

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A while back, we told you about the book that celebrity oenophile (and Bernal Heights neighbor) Alder Yarrow was working on:

Neighbor Alder Yarrow is the founder and editor of the famous Vinography wine blog, and he’s launched a Kickstarter campaign to secure pre-orders for a coffee table book called “The Essence of Wine.”

Well now the fundraising is done, the words have been written, the pages have been proofed, and copies have been printed. Neighbor Alder’s book is finished, and wouldn’t you know it… it pairs nicely with a good glass of vino.

Here’s what the literary foodies from Omnivore Books in Noe Valley had say about it:

Alder Yarrow is widely regarded as the original and most influential wine blogger on the Internet. His award-winning site, Vinography, has been around for nearly 11 years, and in 2011, he was a finalist for the James Beard journalism award. Now after more than a decade online, Yarrow has turned his attention to print, marrying his eye for design and penchant for poetic writing into a 150-page hardcover coffee table book that celebrates the singular flavors and aromas found in wine.

Bernalwood got a taste of the book. We noticed that the layouts are sophisticated and well-balanced, with hints of exotic flavor:

essencewine1

The photography is bold and exuberant, with earthy notes:

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Plus, with only 78 days remaining until Christmas, you may want to pick up a copy of “The Essence of Wine” for that special oenophile in your life. You can buy the book here, and don’t hesitate to boast that the author just happens to be one of your Bernal Heights neighbors.

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IMAGES: Courtesy of Alder Yarrow

 

Sexy New Parklet Completed In Front of VinoRosso on Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 40 Comments

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A few weeks ago, I noticed that construction had started on the new (and mildly controversial) parklet on Cortland Avenue at Anderson, right in front of VinoRosso Enoteca and the Inclusions Gallery.

Last weekend I noticed that construction was complete, and the parklet was already in use. Though last weekend’s warm weather certainly helped, the sidewalk scene in the new parklet night was booming. Very chic. Ridiculously glamorous. Rather cosmopolitan.

Opinions may vary, but I’m innnnnterested to see how/if this new parklet will influence Cortlandia’s robust social ecology.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Welcome to the World, California Sunday Magazine!

/ Todd_Lappin

CSMbernalwood2

As if Jack London’s Bernal roots and New York Times domination and lots and lots of books aren’t enough to demonstrate our neighborhood’s literary heft, there’s a high-profile media launch happening this weekend, and it’s got some deep Bernal Heights DNA.

The project is called California Sunday Magazine, and it’s brought to you by many of the same people responsible for the insanely popular Pop Up Magazine series that’s taken San Francisco by storm in recent years. California Sunday Magazine is a print magazine with literary-journalism aspirations to cover the world from a West Coast point of view. Here’s the About Us:

The California Sunday Magazine roams across California, the West, Asia, and Latin America, telling stories for a national audience. We also produce a live event series, Pop-Up Magazine. We explore science, business, entertainment, politics, technology, art, social issues, sports, food, and more. We’re curious about everything. The first weekend of each month, we’ll have new stuff to share, on the web, on our mobile apps, and in print—delivered with select Sunday copies of the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Bee. Once we get the hang of that, we’ll start publishing two weekends a month and then every weekend. We’re brand new, so thanks for reading!

Did you catch that?  California Sunday Magazine has a diabolically clever distribution strategy: It will appear in the Sunday editions of several major California newspapers (most of which have either eliminated or gutted their own Sunday magazines in recent years). So if you usually get the San Francisco Chronicle on Sundays, look for California Sunday Magazine inside this weekend. The content from the first issue is online here. The print edition will be monthly at first, ramping up to weekly.

This is a fascinating experiment, and in coming days it will no doubt attract a great deal of interest in media circles from coast-to-coast and across the galaxy. But as you enjoy California Sunday Magazine, and partake of all the buzz, know this: The publisher and co-founder of California Sunday Magazine is Chas Edwards, your Bernal Heights neighbor. Oh, and the editor-in-chief is Doug McGray, who doesn’t quite live in Bernal, but can be called Bernal-adjacent:

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They’re already talking about Cal Sunday in BusinessWeek:

For years, California journalists have dreamed of a Left Coast publication to rival media icons such as New York magazine and the New Yorker. The editorial operations of Condé Nast-owned Wired are in San Francisco, but most publications that tried to set up shop there—such as the Industry Standard, which had a moment during the first dot-com boom—have failed. (The audiences for Los Angeles and San Francisco magazines are loyal but local.) John Battelle, chairman of online ad company Federated Media, helped launch Wired and the Industry Standard and is an investor in California Sunday. “I think they are really on to something,” Battelle says. His first effort at a Bay Area-based magazine, the Pacific, never got off the ground. “The biggest impediment was the cost of circulation,” he says, and California Sunday solves that problem by paying an insertion fee to bundle with newspapers.

Best of luck to the California Sunday Magazine crew. Your neighbors will be rooting for you from the home-team bleachers.

UPDATE: Sunday 5 Oct: Ooh. Look what just arrived!

Here’s to the start of a brand-new weekend ritual:

Calsundaycoffee

IMAGES: via California Sunday Magazine Coffee photo by Telstar Logistics