This Week In Noe Valley: It's Pride Week (And A Few Other Things)

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Omnivore Book's Celia Sack made a quiet announcement Wednesday [@omnivorebooks]
• So it was Andy Anduha who was arrested near Bernal last week for stealing packages [SF Examiner; also NVSF]
• FOCC is looking for help to green Ames and Quane St - two alleys at the eastern edge of Noe Valley [FOCC]
• Some of British writer Tony Quarrington's pictures of his time in Noe Valley [Tony Quarrington]
• Jerry Kuns is blind and has a beautiful garden full of texture, smells and sound [San Francisco Magazine]
• Joyriding kids take out a stoplight and flee from the awesome Prius that labels them Noe Valley hoodlums [f6x]

[Photo: zoxcleb]

This Week in Noe Valley: Local Movie Shoot, A Rush of Condo Sales, And Super-Duper Moon Tonight

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Mill Mercantile gets a Best of Bay Area Style 2013 nod [7x7]
• If you've ever wondered what's inside the cool clock shop on 26th at Sanchez (besides Mike the Cat) [Shawn Clover]
• A springtime rush of condo sales in Noe [Downing & Co.]
• That movie being shot near Alvarado? Quitters, by Noah Pritzker, has moved into Noe Valley [UptownAlmanac]
• Supervisor Scott Wiener's June newsletter [ScottWeiner.com]
• Super-Duper Moon on the way tonight [@NWSBayArea]

[Photo: Today's Noe Valley Town Square Celebration]

Now Valley Town Square Official Celebration (With Dignitaries)

Now that purchase of the parking lot from the Noe Valley Ministry for the Noe Valley Town Square has been funded by the City and locals celebrated with pizza and "adult beverages," a formal ceremony and photo op is in order. Here's the announcement from Todd David (with minor edits, including removal of 'all caps'):

You Helped Make the Town Square Happen ... Now Help Us Celebrate!

This Saturday, June 22, 10:30 am at the Noe Valley Farmers Market, we'll be celebrating the acquisition of the Noe Valley Town Square.

Please join your Noe Valley friends and neighbors, District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, President of the Board of Supervisors David Chiu, San Francisco Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg, and former Supervisor Bevan Dufty to celebrate the $4.2 million purchase of the future home of the Noe Valley Town Square. Bill Freeman and Patx Azpiroz of Patxi’s Pizza will be on hand to present the company’s $24,000 donation to the Town Square!

The event will take place at the Noe Valley Farmers Market (on 24th Street between Vicksburg and Sanchez Streets) this Saturday, June 22nd at 10:30AM.

This Saturday’s celebratory event is a great time to fulfill your pledge! Feel free to email me at todd@noevalleytownsquare.com if you have forgotten how much you have pledged. Checks should be made payable to “The San Francisco Parks Alliance.”

If you have not pledged yet or would like to increase your pledge (we still need to raise at least $375,000 to build the Town Square), please do so online at http://noevalleytownsquare.com/pledge/ or make your donation at the Farmers Market this Saturday. We hope to see you there!

Crime Beat: Bicycle Bandit Package Thief Arrested (Again?)

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

Obviously not Noe Valley, but worth a read:

June 18, 2013

Theft w/Prior --12:30pm, 1500 Blk Hampshire. Officer Bernard responded to the call of a person stealing packages from the entrance of a private residence. Prior to his arrival, several officers had detained a suspect matching the description provided by dispatch. The officers brought the witness/reportee to the location where the suspect was detained, and he positively identified him as the person who had taken the package from the home.

Officer Bernard interviewed the reportee who told him that he observed the detained suspect riding a bicycle which he parked and got off of. The suspect then walked up the street and reached over a retaining wall where he removed a package from the front porch of a home. The reportee then called the police.

Officers located the package on the suspect. They took control of the package and the bicycle he was riding. All items were given to Officer Adams who responded to Ingleside station for further investigation. The suspect was also transported to Ingleside station pending follow up. A record check revealed various arrests for stolen property and that he was on active probation.

Officer Bernard made contact with the resident of the address where the package had been taken from. The resident confirmed the package was addressed to him and verified he had ordered its contents. He told the officer that he did not know the suspect and gave him no permission to remove any items from his home. The suspect was booked at the instruction of Sgt. Sawyer. Report Number 130500514

Of course we don't know for sure, but this sure sounds like Andy Anduha - the Bicycle Bandit who stole packages off Noe Valley doorsteps until he was taken down by Bear Spray. We've heard lately that he has a strict stay-away order for Noe Valley but has been seen on 23rd St and in Bernal Heights. Sounds like he may be behind bars again, but here's a bit of advice in case you see him:

Please let everyone know Andy Anduha (the bicycle bandit) has a Stay Away Order for all of Noe. Call police at once @NoeValleySF @Bernalwood
— Zack Lara (@zacklara) June 19, 2013

[NVSF: Crime Beat: Suspected Package Thief Doused With Bear Spray, Arrested]
[NVSF: Video: Thief Empties Box Left By OnTrac]

This Week In Noe Valley: Census Data For SF, A Pride Profile, And Crafts For Kids

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Get to know your neighbors [The Front Steps]
• Fun with signs at Noe Valley Wine Merchants [Burritos and Mosquitos]
• LGBT Pride Profile: Punk Domestics founder Sean Timberlake [Bay Area Bites]
• Have you seen this lost dog? [poster]
• Mike Adamick nearly brings Peter Hartlaub to tears [The Poop]

[Photo: saraallan]

Oh Look It's The Noe Valley SummerFest

SummerFest is tomorrow, and if this is the first you've heard of it don't worry. For many people, the first indication that there's a festival is *clip* *clop* and "Oh Look! Horses!!" as the hay ride ambles past. But there's more to it than that, and it's a great time to hang out with others in the neighborhood.

Summerfest runs from 11am-5 pm on June 15th between Castro and Church on 24th St. In addition to the hay ride there's live music, a bouncy tent, a petting zoo, face painting, a ballon artist and SFPCA adoptions. Merchants are offering special sales and activities. Coming from out of the area (or having an especially hard time parking at Whole Foods)? $10 parking at James Lick benefits the JLMS PTSA. Other than that it's a free event.

[NVA: SummerFest]

Crime Beat: Aggravated Assault On Day St

Information is from Mission and Ingleside District San Francisco Police Station newsletters.

June 8, 2013

Aggravated Assault -- 10:25pm, 100 Blk Day St. Officers McMilton and Peregrina responded to an aggravated assault. They located a victim who was bleeding profusely from the head area and immediately summoned an ambulance to the scene. The reportee was on scene and told them that he was leaving his home when he saw a male hitting the victim over the head several times with a baseball bat. The victim then fell to the ground and the reportee called the police. The suspect fled toward Church but the witness said he would not be able to identify him.

The officers attempted to speak with the victim who said he could not recall the events clearly. He told them that he was walking down the street and saw the suspect pass him, but did not think anything. Suddenly, he said, he was hit from behind, but did not know with what. He told the officers he would be unable to recognize the suspect if he saw him again.

The officers took pictures of the victim’s injuries and assisted the ambulance with the transportation to the hospital. There were no other witnesses at the scene and no surveillance cameras were located in the vicinity.

This Week in Noe Valley: Outer Noe Oasis, Mitchell's Is 60, And The Trouble With Being A Landlord

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Noeteca revisited: A public parlor in the outer lands of Noe Valley [Spoonwiz]
• Mitchell's Ice Cream turns 60 [SevenSquaredSF]
• Why it's so hard to find a decent apartment to rent in Noe (or anywhere else in SF for that matter) [NY Times]
• 88 year old lesbian pioneer in Noe waits (im)patiently for Prop 8 to fall [eBAR]

[Photo: Mansha Khithani]

Town Square: Farmer's Market Twice A Week?

[Photo: Dressed in Orange]

Yesterday the Board of Supervisors authorized Rec and Park to purchase the Noe Valley Ministry parking lot and convert it to a much-anticipated Town Square. But there was another interesting item that quietly passed just before the Town Square vote:

Park Code - Farmers’ Market Permits
Sponsor: Wiener
Ordinance amending Park Code, Section 7.21, to authorize Farmers’ Markets on Recreation and Park Department property to operate more than once a week, and specifying the applicable permit fee; and making environmental findings.

PASSED, ON FIRST READING by the following vote:
Ayes: 11 - Avalos, Breed, Campos, Chiu, Cohen, Farrell, Kim, Mar, Tang, Wiener, Yee

There are a very few other farmers markets that operate on Rec/Park land, so this isn't that big a deal. But then we remembered this goal from the Town Square folks: "...will host everything from twice-a-week farmers markets to food pantries, music events, evening movies, neighborhood bingo, exercise classes, cafe seating, senior citizen events…"

Fresh peaches, strawberries and heirloom tomatoes available midweek? We're in. Probably don't need to get the freshest winter kale, but a 2nd summer market would be a bonus.

Of course there is still much to do before any of that happens. But now that the Town Square is a go it's time to think more seriously about how to use the space. We expect there will be more meetings, but feel free to start the process here in the comments.

[SFBOS: Draft Minutes, June 4, 2013]

Noe Valley Town Square Becomes Reality With Unanimous Board Of Supervisors Vote

Good news from Todd David and Residents for Noe Valley Town Square:

I am ecstatic to report that the Board of Supervisors just unanimously passed Supervisor Wiener's legislation to purchase the Noe Valley Town Square!!

IT'S TIME TO CELEBRATE

PIZZA PARTY AT THE PARKING LOT--5:30PM TO 7:30PM

Please join us tonight AT THE FARMER'S MARKET PARKING LOT for a FREE pizza party sponsored by Patxi's Pizza from 5:30PM to 7:30PM at the Farmer's Market parking lot. (Children will be served first from 5:30 to 6:30 and then the whole community from 6:30 to 7:30). Drinks are being generously donated by Noe Valley's Whole Foods.

ADULT CELEBRATION AT THE VALLEY TAVERN--8:00PM TO ???

After putting the kids to bed, please join us tonight at the Noe Valley Tavern starting at 8PM for an adults only celebration.

IT'S TIME TO COLLECT PLEDGES

We are now collecting pledges. If you made one - or would like to now that the Town Square is happening -- please feel free to bring a check made out to "The San Francisco Parks Alliance" to the pizza party or the Valley Tavern. If you have forgotten if you pledged or are unsure of the amount, do not fret. . . simply send me an email at todd@noevalleytownsquare.com and I will let you know. Also, we will be contacting everyone who pledged soon!

If you have not pledged or you want to INCREASE YOUR PLEDGE (we still need to raise at least an additional $400,000), you can do so at the following link http://noevalleytownsquare.com/pledge/

We are looking forward to seeing all of you wonderful Town Square supporters tonight!

NVV June 2013: We Read It So You Don't Have To

The Noe Valley Voice is published ten times a year and has been a neighborhood fixture since 1977. Here are notable highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until the middle of the month.

June 2013

Front Page: Local travel guru Chris McGinnis offers travel tips; A Noe Courts update; Profile of Mike Adamick, author of Dad's Book of Awesome Projects.

Letters: Praise for Scott Wiener's response to every day minutia; Recycling thieves' idling cars causing smog; Praise for the Noe Valley Garden Tour from a volunteer; 1220-1222 Church St is painted but still empty; Does AT&T pay fees for new cabinets on the sidewalk? [Ed.--yes]; In Memory: Jack Garvey.

Features and Short Takes: SummerFest is June 15th; A rundown of the various utilities digging up Noe Valley streets; New manager at the NV/Sally Brunn Library and possible new hours (PDF).

Cost of Living in Noe: Super expensive flips raise the average/median home cost.

Rumors: A detailed history of the Noe Valley Town Square starting with the firing of Real Foods employees 10 years ago to the launch of the farmer's market to the crazy meetings about the Plaza to the founding of Parklets to today's effort to preserve public space; Griddle Fresh opened; Noe Valley resident and founder of Code Pink Medea Benjamin who repeatedly shouted down Barack Obama on May23rd; "I wish this was..."; Kale Chips at Luva Java; That great photo of Drewes before they were always going out of business.

Notable Trend: Realtor ads are taking over the NVV.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week in Noe Valley: Town Square Pizza Party, Lost Railroad Tracks, And More Real Estate Madness

News from, about and for Noe Valley from around the interwebs:

• Pizza party planned for after final Town Square vote on June 4 [NVTS]
• The lost railroad tracks of the Mission and Noe Valley [Curbed]
• Noe Valley homes average $1.97M in April; the median price is only slightly saner  [Downing & Co]
• Omnivore Books June newsletter with events and happenings [Omnivore] 
• Clipper Corner dog grooming is shutting down; space available [@NoeValleySF]
• Scott Wiener's May newsletter [Scott Wiener]
• Raw sewage leak at 22nd and Hoffman has plagued neighbors for 6+ months [CBS]

[Photo: Burritos & Mosquitos]