Chainlink Fence Art Installation Unites Neighbors Working to Rebuild

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Completed installation on Mission Street last week. Photo: The artist via CurbedSF

Last week, a new art installation appeared on the chain-link fence that spans the vacant Mission Street lot near 29th Street where Cole Hardware stood before the 2016 fire.

Brock Keeling at CurbedSF got the scoop:

Almost one year after his “Home Street Home” piece appeared along beleaguered Division Street, a local artist, who has requested anonymity, has completed another work. Once again he uses a chainlink fence for a canvas, but this time the message is different. In fact, it’s incomplete, which is exactly how he wants it.

“Given the history of the neighborhood, the fire, loss, and the displacement of so many residents, it felt appropriate to use the quote, but to not finish it,” says the artist. “This leaves the meaning open to interpretation. Each person will fill in the blank on their own.”

Members from Galería de la Raza and Secession Art and Design helped tie the final product together.

Neighbor Eden Stein from Secession Art and Design was part of the team that helped install the piece, and when Bernalwood spoke to her last week, her face was still sunburned from a day spent attaching little flags to the fence.

Neighbor Eden said working on the project had been a powerful and uplifting experience, so we asked her to tell us about it. Here’s Neighbor Eden’s story about the making of the chain-link art installation:

My passion is running Secession Art & Design and also being President of the Mission Bernal Merchants Association. This is my home and community.

One year ago, I did not know all of the merchants of the 3300 Block where the fire occurred, and now we are family. Something happens when you go through a hardship together, like a fire, and all you want to do is help. For this past year I have fundraised, listened, supported, done advocacy to connect merchants with city agencies, and been someone that the merchants can depend on when they can’t get an answer.

This past year I have gotten to know the owners of Playa Azul, Cole Hardware, El Grand Taco Loco, and the 3300 Club. My co-corridor coordinator, Ani Rivera, joined the MBMA team this year and we were so excited to get a small grant to do a temporary beautification project on the Playa Azul and Cole Hardware fence. Ani is the director of Galleria De la Raza and lives in Mission Bernal.

Playa Azul is going through the planning process to rebuild, and they wanted a facade to let people know they are coming back. Urban quilt artist, Amy Ahlstrom met with the Sanchez family to create a coming soon sign. She photographed the mother and daughter, and the family gave us a photo of their grandmother; three strong women that are determined to rebuild the restaurant. The sign is based on their exterior sign that was one of the only things left after the fire.

Unfortunately, not even 24 hours after installing the Playa Azul sign, somebody painted over it with house paint, along with graffiti on the 3300 building.

But this artwork is not graffiti. This is an approved project by the city and property owners of Playa Azul. This is public art. A new panel has been ordered and will replace the damaged panel.

A local artist came up with the design for The Cole Hardware fence: 2000 plastic pieces make up the lettering that reads from across the street, or passing by on the bus, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE…. You get to fill in the blank. Home? Cole Hardware? Whatever is special to you?

So many merchants and residents lost their businesses and homes. Where did they go? This really changed our community, and we hope they can come back. During the install, everyone who walked by had a story to tell about what they needed from Cole.

I could barely sleep on Tuesday night in anticipation of these art installations going up on Wednesday. I woke up early to help install. A beautiful crew from Galleria De Raza Gallery on 24th Street volunteered and we had a great time talking and installing. We even had a few people passing by that took time from their day to stop and help.

All day long the community came out and talked about how much they missed this block and all the merchants. Three people were brought to tears knowing that Playa Azul was actually coming back. A women slammed on her breaks, double parked, and gave me a hug. This project is about bringing people together, and a message that the people and merchants that make this neighborhood are on our mind and we are right by their side as they rebuild.

El Paisa is the first business closed by the fire to reopen on the block. At one point in the day the owner, Jose told all of us installing it was time to take a break and eat. We sat in his restaurant that is filled with so much love and persistence and had an incredible lunch that meant much more than food.

Thank you to everyone who made this day happen!

XO Eden

PHOTOS: Top, courtesy of the artist. Below, process photos courtesy of Eden Stein.

Save the Date: The 2017 Bernal Heights Hillwide Garage Sale Happens August 12

/ Todd_Lappin

Start shoveling out your closets and reorganizing your storage spaces, because the Season of Purge is upon us! On Saturday, August 12, 2017, Bernal Heights will hold the legendary Hillwide Garage Sale, during which all Bernalese will have the opportunity to sell-off the worldly crap treasures that now clutter and oppress your closets and garages.

The Hillwide Elves bring all the details:

Hi Neighbors!

We’re here to let you know that Hillwide 2017, quite possibly San Francisco’s largest single-day neighborhood garage sale extravaganza, is coming up on Saturday, August 12th from 9am-2pm.

Register today at Hillwide.com to get your garage groove on and get yourself on the map!

This is your chance to empty out the garage or storage shed, recycle old toys and tools, and part with your least favorite knick knacks, doo-dads and thing-a-ma-bobs. The Hillwide is a San Francisco tradition – last year we had over 150 houses register their goodies for sale.

Promote your sale by posting pictures of your soon-to-be goldmine of gear on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or whatever floats your social media boat using the hashtag #Hillwide2017. We also have some posters and images to help you out at our Media Center.

To get your garage sale on the Hillwide.com map and a listing of your goodies on our website, all you have to do is register at Hillwide.com.

We have four levels of donations this year:

  • Hill Top Rock Sponsor Level @ $15
    Includes our unwavering gratitude and deepest admiration, a listing on the map and the web site and a shout out on Twitter when you register
  • Bernal Coyote Contributor Level @ $30
    All the benefits above plus a picture submission on the website and personalized social media mentions of your sale from our wildly popular Hillwide sites
  • Esmeralda Slide Sponsor Level @ $50
    All the benefits above plus free membership to the BHNC
  • The Distinguished Bernal Heights Ambassador Level @ $100
    All the benefits above plus some other fabulousness that we haven’t quite figured out yet!

Oh, and of course everyone gets their name on the wonderful Wall of Fame!

Last year we raised over $3,000 for the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center.

Their mission is to develop affordable housing throughout San Francisco; provide linguistically and culturally responsive services to community seniors, youth and families and to organize and empower tenants, clients and members as community advocates.

Register today at Hillwide.com to support this great neighborhood institution and get on the map!

Got questions? Send Michael Minson an email at michael@michaelminson.com or use our handy-dandy contact form over at The Hillwide site.

Thanks for participating, don’t forget to share the love with #Hillwide2017, and we’ll see you at the Hillwide!

Warmest Regards
The Hillwide Elves

Warning: Carbo-Crazed Tater Tot Fans May Invade Cortland This Evening

/ Todd_Lappin / 4 Comments

Warning: The eastern end of Cortland Avenue may be packed with people this evening, as an exceptionally large number of foodies are expected to descend upon Barebottle Brewing, where a food truck will be on had to sell some ostensibly special tater tots.

Fanned by several local media outlets, the news that Jackrabbit Kitchen will be on hand at Barebottle this evening, Friday, July 14 starting at  4 pm has ripped through the Interwebs like a grease fire, such that that 10,000 people have said they’re interested in attending.

SFGate writes:

Jackrabbit Kitchen, which operates food trucks and a catering business, will be hosting Tater Tot Fest, a Facebook event at Barebottle Brewing Co.

Jackrabbit is known for its crispy cheddar-scallion tot — served with Sriracha ketchup — but it reportedly will be offering some new tot creations, including sweet-potato with ancho aioli and a fresh corn with a jalapeño vinaigrette.

So far, more than 10,000 people have expressed interest in attending. If even a portion of them do, Jackrabbit better have lots of tots.

Indeed. Even if we assume an exceptionally high Facebook event flake-rate, such that only 0.5% of those people will actually attend, that still means there may be 500 carbohydrate-crazed souls wandering the streets of Cortlandia this evening.

Likewise, if we also assume a bunch of those people may be jacked-up on ancho aioli and jalapeño vinaigrette, well, Bernal residents living in and around the impacted area are hereby advised to shelter in place until Tater Tot Fest subsides.

PHOTO: Very special tater tots by Jackrabbit Kitchen

Wayward Truck Gets Really Stuck on Northeast Bernal Streets

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

Stuck trucks are a Bernal Heights tradition.

This is because to look at Bernal Heights on a map is to see a tempting variety of shortcuts which give no indication that our hilly topography and narrow, winding streets are way too tight for many big vehicles to traverse.  Indeed,  the advent of digital navigation tools like Google Maps and Waze may have actually helped reduce the frequency of the problem, by actively routing drivers away from Bernal streets where calamity and shame are likely to ensue.


Last night a FedEx tractor-trailer driver learned the hard way that the streets of northeast Bernal Heights are best avoided in a big-rig. Neighbor Ryan  was on the scene:

Fedex truck jammed into the sharp corner at Peralta and Florida, been stuck for well over an hour, blocking the street.

… where the truck remained for a few more hours into the night, when a recovery crew arrived to extract the hapless truck and its humiliated driver from the unfortunate intersection.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Neighbor Ryan

Bernal Family Back Home Again After Cole Hardware Fire

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

In 2016, the Vasquez family was living in an apartment on 29th Street, just around the corner from Mission Street. On June 18, 2016, they were displaced by the massive Cole Hardware fire that devastated several adjacent buildings on the block.

This month, the Vasquez family returned home to their restored apartment. Marty Higgins, the owner of the building at 37 29th Street and CEO of the Harvest dispensary on the ground floor, explains how it happened:

The Vazquez family moved back into a newly renovated apartment on July 1st.

They had to leave after the fire. They were placed in temporary housing that was offered, and then moved into a semi-perm residency until we finished renovations on their apartment.

The family has two kids, and they lost everything. It was heartbreaking to tour their unit, so our ownership group gave them a gift certificate after the fire to help with the little things. Then the Harvest dispensary raised over $2k to help them get settled into their newly renovated apartment.

We’re excited to see the area slowly start to return to normal. We hope the new developments will help this area return to the vibrancy it had before the fire. For now, we’re happy to help the turnaround of the area.

As previously reported, a new building has already been proposed for the former Cole Hardware site at at 3310-3312 Mission Street. As planned, the building would include 8 new homes above a new Cole Hardware store on the ground floor.

PHOTO: The Vasquez family, back home again. Courtesy of Marty Higgins

Crowdfunding Underway for Alex Nieto Memorial on Bernal Hill

/ Todd_Lappin / 48 Comments

Rendering of proposed Alex Nieto memorial on Bernal Hill (Source: gofundme)

A crowdfunding effort is currently underway to finance a memorial for Bernal neighbor Alex Nieto, who was killed during a confrontation with San Francisco police officers in March 2014.

Launched by friends and family of Alex Nieto, the crowdfunding campaign says:

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ voted 9 to 1 in favor of the “Amor for Alex Nieto Memorial,” which means that this ordinance is veto proof from the Mayor. We will transform history with this powerful monument.

For Alex Nieto, for our community, we fought this fight, and we won the first memorial ever in California dedicated to a victim of a police killing. We held our dignity and proved to the world how we argue better and action more creatively and courageously than anyone ever could imagine.

Once the memorial is established, community members will hike up to that mountain and pray like Alex did and look out over the beautiful view of San Francisco and be inspired by our community resilience. Students will travel up to that hill for field trips and to learn about the history and creativity of our community; they will write thousands of educational essays. Families will pilgrimage hands together and love each other at the place where Alex breathed his last breath. This will be a place of peace, of inspiration and amor.

Bernal neighbors who would like to contribute to the memorial campaign may do so here. At publication time, the campaign has raised $2500 of a $40,000 goal.

Alex Nieto lived on Cortland Avenue with his parents, Elvira and Refugio Nieto. He was killed during a March 21, 2014 confrontation,  during which police alleged Alex Nieto pointed a weapon that looked like a handgun.

A San Francisco District Attorney investigation of the incident concluded that police acted lawfully during the incident, and during a subsequent wrongful death suit initiated by the Nieto family, a jury ruled the SFPD officers involved in the incident had not used excessive force.

Friends and family of Alex Nieto maintain his death was a byproduct of gentrification. In 2016 , then-San Francisco supervisors John Avalos and David Campos passed an ordinance directing the City to install a memorial for Alex Nieto on Bernal Hill.

Saturday Morning: Join the Cleanup Party in Precita Park

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

PrecitaParkcleanup

When you look down at Precita Park from on high, it looks… Peaceful. Pristine. Like an urban oasis.

Actually, when you look at Precita Park from street level, it looks pretty damn awesome as well.

This is no accident. Precita Park looks so super-sexy in no small part because of all the hard work Neighbor Demece Garepis has done through the years under the auspices of Precita Valley Neighbors, the volunteer group she so valiantly leads.

Tomorrow morning, July 8, starting at 09:00, PVN is organizing a neighborly Precita Park cleanup — and it’s a great opportunity to give the park some of your love. Neighbor Demece says:

Hey Neighbors!

We’re having a Precita Park Clean-Up Party!

Just bring yourselves – tools, gloves, bags are provided. We’re going to clean Up Precita Park!

Saturday July 8th at 9:00a.m., meet in the Children’s Playground. Ridiculously fun neighbor mingling and old/new friendship provided! Lovely morning refreshments will also be provided.

And don’t be shy: tell your neighbors to get our emails by signing up for updates! It’s free and fun!

Sparkle on,

Demece

Saturday: A Super-Special Outdoor (Farewell) Edition of Photographic Memories

/ Todd_Lappin

Phonographic Memories is a very special thing: A cozy series of live events held at the Bernal Heights Library for first-person storytelling about the relationships people have with the vinyl records they love. This Saturday, July 8 from noon to 4 pm, the library will co-host an extra-special outdoor edition of Phonographic Memories at the Bernal Rec Center (just behind the library).

The event is free, and all are invited. Here are all the details:

For over two and half years Phonographic Memory has put on free monthly shows at the Bernal Heights Library. The program’s creator, Corey Bloom, is moving to the east coast so we’re going big with the last session in the neighborhood.

On July 8th, from 12:00-4:00 PM, at the Bernal Heights Recreation Center we’re throwing an outdoor park jam with DJ’s, record vendors, community groups, a food truck and, of course, storytellers. Corey has curated the lineup to pay tribute to the depth and dimensions of the Bay Area music scene, which have impacted his life in a variety of ways.

The list includes:

  • Cassidine: The first female MC on the West Coast to get a record deal, who released her debut, Man Handler, on 75 Girls in 1988.
  • Davey D: Famed journalist, historian, professor, DJ, syndicated talk show host and activitst.
  • Equipto: Pioneering and prolific San Francisco MC and community leader
  • Teeko: World famous DJ (DMC, ITF), producer (Mark Ronson, D’Angelo) and funky innovator

DJ B Cause (Four One Funk) will warm up the turntables before the stories. DJ Marz, of the infamous Bullet Proof Space Travelers, will be holding down the music throughout the afternoon.

 

There will be an El Tonayense Taco Truck and record vendors on hand, as well as community partners from the Saint Francis Homeless Challenge.

Phonographic Memory is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to examining and celebrating the human experience as framed through vinyl records. Bridging cultures and generations, heavy collectors and casual fans, our goal is to create a global community through individuals’ stories, providing folklore to the physical artifact. We accomplish this through a combination of our free monthly live events at the Bernal Heights Library, which we have been hosting since 2014, and other live events throughout California and even Rome. Our podcast, which was chosen for NPR’s Earbud.FM, features our favorite stories from these events, all archived and available for download via our website PhonographicMemory.org, as well as iTunes and Bandcamp.

Saturday, July 8 | Noon – 4PM
Bernal Recreation Center | 500 Moultrie, San Francisco | FREE EVENT

 

Friday: City Hall Hearing on SFMTA’s Northwest Bernal Permit Parking Plan

/ Todd_Lappin / 21 Comments

Bernalwood has been covering the bureaucratic debacle that is the Northwest Bernal Residential Parking Permit (RPP) proposal for two years, and while the process has revealed much about the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s dubious methodologies and lack of accountability, it’s now moving into the final stages of the approval process.

On Friday, July 7 at 10 am in Room 416 at City Hall , the SFMTA will  hold a public hearing to review the proposal to establish a new RPP zone in Northwest Bernal Heights. This map outlines the proposed permit area, where Bernal residents who live outside the blue RPP zones will be restricted to two-hour parking Monday – Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm:

Source: SFMTA

The SFMTA meeting announcement says:

Residents of northwest Bernal Heights have petitioned the SFMTA to form a new residential parking permit area to better manage and find parking closer to their homes.

In May 2017, a majority of residents on the following blocks voted to move forward with residential permit parking Coleridge (1 – 99), Coso (1 – 199), Esmeralda (200-299), Fair (1-99), Lundy’s Lane (1-29), Mirabel, Montezuma, Powers, Precita (1 – 299), Prospect (100-199), Shotwell (1400 – 1499), and Winfield (1 – 99).

The proposal to create a RPP area on these blocks will be heard at a SFMTA Engineering Public Hearing at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 7 at City Hall, Room 416. Interested parties are invited to attend and comment on the proposal.

A summary of the community vote and overall project history can be found on the project website and May project update.

This map [PDF] shows the blocks where 50% or more residents voted for inclusion in the RPP pilot program, with the following RPP regulations:

  • One parking permit per driver
  • Two parking permits per household
  • Two-hour parking limit for non-permit holders Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Continue reading →

Seasonal Reminder: Kindly Refrain From Incinerating Bernal Hill on July Fourth

/ Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments
hillfire1

Bernal Hill on fire, July 4, 2013

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July! Hooray! There will be barbecues, and patriotism, and lamentations that our president is a clown, and at the end of the day there will be fireworks. That last part can pose some problems, so here’s a seasonal request for all Citizens of Bernalwood: Please do not turn Bernal Hill into a blazing inferno.

Bernal Hill is a popular place to watch the official fireworks pink fog show put on by the City, but the dry grass makes it a dangerous place for civilians to stage their own fireworks displays. For example, the photo above shows Bernal Hill on July 4, 2013, after an amateur fireworks show set the hill on fire. Doh!

That was bad. Let’s not do that again. So here’s your annual reminder of some time-tested Fourth of July fire prevention tips for Bernal Hill from Neighbor Sarah:

1. Do not set off fireworks. Definitely don’t set them off on Bernal Hill, which is covered in dry grasses and brush. You may recall that [in 2013], some moron set the Hill on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, but imagine if this had happened in an area crowded with people watching the downtown fireworks display. If you remember nothing else, remember this: No. Fireworks. On. Bernal. Hill.

2. If you see someone setting off illegal fireworks on Bernal Hill, call the police. Dial 553-0123 if nothing is on fire yet. Dial 911 or 553-8090 if there is an active blaze. Again, call 553-0123 if you see fireworks in progress, and call 911 if it actually sets off a fire.

PHOTO: Fire on Bernal Hill, July 4, 2013, by Neighbor Bernard

Cyclists Say Homeless Encampment on “Hairball” Bike Path Is Unsafe

/ Todd_Lappin / 47 Comments

Cyclists from several neighborhoods in southeast San Francisco have recently expressed concern about the expansion of homeless encampments along the narrow bike lane through the Chavez/101 “Hairball” interchange. The bike path is the only safe route for cyclists who need to traverse 101, but today it’s nearly impassable.

Neighbor Angela from Prospect Ave. in Bernal Heights uses the bike path daily, and yesterday she sent this email to several local officials, including D9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen,  D10 Supervisor Malia Cohen,  Department of Public Works chief Mohammed Neru, and SFMTA chief Ed Reiskin.  Bernalwood was cc’d on the email as well.

Neighbor Angela writes:

Dear Supervisors and SF Public Works and CalTrans:

The bike path along Cesar Chavez St, under the 101 freeway (both eastbound and westbound) is nearly unpassable for bikes due to the tents, tarps, junk, garbage and animals that have taken it over.

This is a dangerous situation for the bicyclists, people and pets that are there.

There is no viable alternate route for bicyclists from the Mission/Bernal Heights/Glen Park/Noe Valley to CalTrain and eastern parts of the City. Riding on the street with cars under the overpass is also extremely dangerous.

I live in Bernal Heights and ride my bike every day to get to CalTrain to go to Palo Alto. This is what my morning commute is like:

What you don’t see is the big puff of crack smoke the first woman on the left exhaled just as I rode by.

I have registered requests for enforcement and complaints with different City services, but I find the cases get closed with no action taken.

While I do understand the complexities of the situation, leaving the bike path in this state is untenable. Please find a way to join forces to address this issue as soon as possible.

On behalf of all the bicyclists who just want to ride safely, thank you.

UPDATE 1:45 pm, 30 June: More than 24 hours after her note was sent, Neighbor Angela says she has yet to receive a response from any of the City officials addressed in it.

PHOTO: Screenshot from Neighbor Angela’s video of the bike route through the Hairball

Runaway Truck Trashes Street Tree on Treat

/ Todd_Lappin / 11 Comments

Bernal Heights is built on the slopes of a hill, and our neighborhood is home to several of the steepest streets in the City. So it should come as no surprise to anyone, really, that runaway cars and trucks are a very real danger here.

Last Friday, a runaway truck caused some havoc on Treat Street just south of Precita Park. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and property damage was minimal, but it could have been much, much worse.

Neighbor Christian shared this report from the scene:

Just another afternoon on the steep incline of the 1500 block of Treat Ave. The truck missed our house by 24″.

The tree was the only thing that stopped it; Otherwise we would have had a living-room filled with other people’s Amazon diapers and music.

Afterward, the block was filled with stories of past runaways. Somehow this truck without brakes threaded the needle between Eddy the dog, a neighbor’s steps, and her car, missing all, and came to rest in the poor tree.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Neighbor Christian

Saturday’s Celebration of the Restored Esmeralda Slides Was a Best of Bernal Moment

/ Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Heroes of the Esmeralda Slide Park: From left, mosaic artists Jesse Medina and Rachel Rodi, project organizers Nancy Windensheim and Joan Carson

In case you missed it, last Saturday’s celebration of the re-restored Esmeralda Slide Park and its new sidewalk mosaic was a lovely moment of Bernal at its best.  About 50 Berenal neighbors showed up to admire the now-gorgeous little park, along with representatives from The City’s Department of Public Works, who did much to help make it happen.

Artist Rachel Rodi, the creator of the fabulous new sidewalk mosaic, was also on hand as a special celebrity guest.

Some may recall that Dianne Feinstein zipped down the slides when the slide park first opened in 1979:

DiFi didn’t show up to reprise that feat on Saturday, but Bernal neighbor Michael Nolan was on hand to complete the circle between past and present. Neighbor Michael, of course, helped organize the effort to create the Esmeralda slides in the late 1970s:

Esmerlada slide crew in 1978. That’s Neighbor Michael Nolan, circled on the left.

And here’s Neighbor Michael on June 24, 2017, braving life, limb, and potential liability by plunging down the slide like the true daredevil he is:

Of course, the slide is all about motion and laughter, so here’s a little video that captures a moment on Saturday that will hopefully be repeated tens of thousands of times in years to come. Turn the volume up to hear the sweetest sound any neighborhood can possibly experience:

PHOTOS and VIDEO: By Telstar Logistics