NVDC Summer Fundraiser

This Thursday is the Noe Valley Democratic Club's summer fundraiser. Should your politics lean to the left (and we're guessing they do as we've never heard from a NV Republican Club) it will be a "good opportunity for Club members and neighbors to mingle with the political luminaries of the City." More:

The club is requesting a $35 contribution to help club activities including the advertisements we purchase in the Voice.

Confirmed for the event are Supervisors Scott Wiener, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Board President David Chiu, Supervisor David Campos, Treasurer Jose Cisneros and City College Trustee Rafael Mandelman. Expected to attend are State Senator Mark Leno and District Attorney George Gascon. Hoping to attend are Assembly member Tom Ammiano, Assessor Carmen Chu and School Board member Emily Murase.

What: NVDC fundraiser
When: Thursday, Aug 8th, 6:30-8:30PM
Where: Savor, 3913 24th St
Cost: suggested donation of $35

NVV March 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.

March 2013

Front Page: A 3-page profile of the wacky and colorful Sheila Ash, owner of Noe's Nest (a B&B at 1257 Guerrero); Bliss Bar plans to rebuild - but it may take awhile; Word Week starts on March 16; the community garden behind Sally Brunn Library is full of shoots, plants and leaves.

Letters: The Noe Valley Democratic Club asks dems of all stripes to join the dialogue; a supporter of the Noe Valley Town Square urges Noe Valleyans not to sound so entitled by claiming we're under-served as a community; another neighbor urges Scott Weiner not to force seismic upgrades for homeowners and renters - and Scott Wiener replies.

Farewell: "The highest ranking woman in the history of Judo" and Noe Valley dojo owner Keiko Fukuda died last month.  

Cost of Living in Noe: A 1904 Victorian on 22nd St. at Sanchez that sold for $2.89 million in 14 days was one of only 5 single-family homes to close in January. No condos sold (a first in many years).

Store Trek: Caskhouse (caskhousesf.com), Spark Creativity (sparkcreativitysf.com).

Rumors: Scott Weiner celebrates the team championing the Noe Valley Town Square (pledges are nearing $500,000); @CookieTimeTruck is no longer in the Ministry parking lot; Ed Lee pays a visit to the parklet in front of Just for Fun to congratulate our community benefit district; Mark Zuckerberg owns a home close by and has been spotted on 24th St (and at the Saturday Farmer's Market); Elisa's Health Spa is for sale; the 6th annual Easter egg hunt has been cancelled; Umpqua Bank has nearly $10k in grants available; Opes Advisers is expanding into the former Children's Playhouse; and winners of the Tech Search Party announced.

[The Noe Valley Voice]

This Week In Noe Valley: It's Getting More Expensive To Live Here, NV Dems Don't Quite Realize NV Actually Wealthy, And The Mayor Of NV

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

• Caskhouse getting noticed, but not a sports bar [7x7, NVSF; also: we're betting the Zagat blogger hasn't actually been there]
• Year-end Noe Valley home sales averaged more than $1.6M - and not for prime properties [Downing & Co]
• NV Dems stunned to learn "regular" Americans equate out-of-touch wealth with large kitchens, flat screen TVs and iPads...like most Noe Valley households [NVDC]
• SFGirlByBay's new digs [San Fran Mag]
• Profile of 'mayor" Sam Salameh of Good Times News [Kate Imbach]
• Another mayor, but with a cigar [kayladontcare]

[Photo: aironsmiles]

Noe Valley Music In The Park 2012

September heralds the arrival of summer in San Francisco, and summer means music festivals. Noe Valley's 9th Annual Music in the Park is this Saturday. From the presser: 

Bands and barbecue will be on hand at the 9th Annual Music in the Park community picnic on Sat., Sep. 8, just in time for San Francisco's actual summer. You can groove and chow down at Noe Courts Park at 24th St. and Douglass from 11 am to 3 pm. Admission is free.

The focus is on kids at this event. There'll be a jumpy tent sponsored by the Friends of Noe Valley, dodgeball organized by the Upper Noe Rec Center,stickers from Noe Valley Town Square, balloons and more. The Noe Valley Democratic Club will be registering big kids to vote.

Bands for everyone will play throughout the picnic. Headliners will include the District 8 Rock Band made up of local rock and roll parents, including Dan Luscher from Noe Valley. D8 plays progressive rock (SF? Natch!), roots and indie elements.

Not to be outdone by the parents, students are also playing. The Cadigan Dynamic jazz band is made up of recent SF high school graduates. Catch them before they're off to college! Come find out what Cadigan means! The CD play all kinds of jazz: Latin, Blues, Funk and Swing. Dancing on the lawn is definitely permitted.

Noe Valley's own Michael Capozzola will keep the show on the road as the master of ceremonies.

As last year Chef Pierre and Chef Doug will be flipping burgers and making sure your hot dogs are hot. Need your salt and sugar? Plan to pig out on chips and cookies and other goodies. Hey, it's only one day. You can run it off on Sunday. If you're thirsty, water, juices and soft drinks will be available. Proceeds from food and drink sales go to pay for Music in the Park.

This year, two local businesses have ponied up money as event sponsors: David's Teas and The Valley Tavern. The Canadians and the Irish love us! Any net proceeds go to fund the work of Friends of Noe Valley, your neighborhood association.

More bands and more kids activities are planned. Other neighborhood groups will be on hand. Check out friendsofnoevalley.com for the latest update.

What: Bands & BBQ at Noe Courts
Where: Douglass at 24th St
When: Saturday September 8th, 11am-3pm
Cost: Free entry

NVV March 2011: 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 highlights from the latest issue. Links are to items we've covered here on NVSF or outside sources as the Voice doesn't post stories online until mid-month.

March 2011

Front Page: An interview trying to rehabilitate the infamous "worst husband in the world" Stephen Fowler who traded his Noe home for one in Eureka Valley after the Wife Swap incident - and is now considering writing a book; local Noe resident Mike Underhill heads the team trying the government's case again BP in the aftermath of the Gulf Oil spill; the story behind the "blue bottle tree" on 30th at Sanchez.

Photo: Members of Bethany United Methodist Church return to their property on Clipper at Sanchez to celebrate the start of the remodeling. The work should be done by Christmas 2011.

Features: Upper Noe Rec Center sandbox is beloved by kids - and cats (Funniest line: "Pretty much almost every day where parents come up to me and say, 'My child was sitting in the sandbox and rubbed poop all over themselves.'"); Town square concept drawings; profile of the Beatles-loving Tamasei Sushi owners on 24th Street.

Cost of Living in Noe: Zephyr reports just 3 houses and 2 condos changed hands in Noe in January.

Short Takes: Noe Valley Democratic Club meets March 16 at 7:30 PM at St. Philip's at 725 Diamond - speakers will include District 8 Supe Scott Wiener who will have updates about the new Mollie Stone's on 18th Street, Trader Joe's coming to the Castro, and the proposed Noe Valley Town Square. Also lots of food happenings at Omnivore Books this Spring.

Store Trek: LOLA women's clothing store; Little Music Makers (30th at Sanchez).

Rumors: Two Birds women's clothing boutique opens, Noe Smiles & Braces still coming soon, and Russo Music also still coming soon; several other store fronts still vacant and asking hefty monthly rent (former Mop Salon: $3,000, old J&J corner market: $5750, ex-Urban Cellars: $4500); Garage Store on Sanchez at 24th changed it's name to Decor Galore to avoid the confusion of it being an (ahem) garage store; Star Magic changed it's name to Cosmic Wizard; Mollie Stone's set to open in the Castro on March 9; Noe Valley Ministry converts parking lot on 24th Street to monthly spots to raise money (says Luke Aguilera, co-owner of the company that runs the lot for the Ministry, "...we expect we have roughly eight more months before the Ministry sells the lot, [which I guess will be] to the city). [Ed note: That's quite an edit to the quote!]

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVV: 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 until the middle of the month.

April 2010

Front Page: Celebrate Book Week April 10-17 (Phoenix Books turns 25); a breathless story about the Noe Valley Dream House Raffle to benefit Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (sorry, raffle ended yesterday final deadline to buy tickets is May 28); neighbors up in arms about a proposed pedestrian mini park on Noe at 24th; local musician Jimmy Goetz joins a band and teaches music to kids to make ends meet.

Letters: A bicycle commuter calls for Muni reform, not more meter hours or parking fines (employee pay hikes are out of step with the economy); local renter calls the Feb 25 community meeting to discuss lifting the ban on new restaurants on 24th Street "a sham"; an older pedestrian reports a "dangerous cyclist" that ran a stop sign at 24th and Sanchez; a local is surprised to learn that one of the top 5 sellers at Whole Foods is bottled water (and begs people to drink tap, buy a reusable bottle, and carry reusable shopping bags); plus a last-minute letter from an opponent to the proposed Noe parklet.

Cost of Living in Noe: Unchanged from this time last year; single-family homes still going for over asking.

Traveling Voice: Kenya.

Store Trek: Pixie Hall Studios; When Modern Was.

Rumors: Half a page of Noe trivia (a sample: What was the name of the restaurant at the corner of 24th and Sanchez in 1970? A: Linder's); Noe Valley Democratic Club open forum debate on March 25 featured Rebecca Prozan (top Noe issues: public schools, housing, planning), Scott Weiner ("the economical development" of 24th Street, public shools, transportation); and Rafael Mandelman (public shools, J-Church, vacant stores); Little Chihuahua opening in May in the Bistro 24 space; Patxi's pizza opening in late September in the old Mi Lindo Yucatan space; When Modern Was antique store is now in the old Riki space and closing its Church Street location by May 1 after a "blowout sale" (-Ed note: Everything in the Church store is currently 40-50% off; the gardening store that occupies 1/2 of the space, Independent Nature, is not closing - and not taking over the whole storefront).

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Community Meeting Minutes: Let The Free Market Work

It was a full house tonight at St. Philips. Not as many people as at the Whole Foods community meeting but still a good turnout and all the usual suspects were there with Bevan as the smooth-talking moderator to keep things civil. The most vocal were people who live on or around 24th Street, or on Jersey or Elizabeth (with restaurants in their backyard).

Short SFPD Presentation

• Captain Corrales praised Chief Gascon, who has brought in new perspective and ideas – like fingerprint kits for car break-ins
• Lots of clapping for Lorraine Lombardo, 24th St beat cop for 20 years

More Restaurants on 24th Street

• Quick overview of the proposal from Bevan that passed the Board last month, and he then introduced the lady pictured here (couldn't catch her name). Her main point – Starbucks opened in 1993 even when we had all these rules in place. All of this needs more study - we need balance and stability “like a good shopping mall.”
• Another woman stood up and asked what “necessary and desirable” means in the planning code. The Planning Department's Elizabeth Watty's answer: “It’s subjective.” It needs the community support and restaurants typically should be no more than 20% of commercial space. And no formula retail or chains – communities typically support independently-owned restaurants.
• Yet another complained about the “hustle and bustle on the streets to create a new restaurant” so that they could "open and close, open and close” and the “pizza crusts” and “rats” she worried about with a place like Extreme Pizza opening (it was shut out in the 90s)
• Bill and Carol Yenne stood up and said they’ve lived in the 'hood for years, have kids and grandkids here (on and around 24th Street) and everyone they know supports more restaurants

Other Highlights from Public Comment

• Everyone hates nail salons, title companies and banks
• The biggest opponents to more restaurants are people who live on or around 24th Street and near restaurants (they hate the noise, smells, and delivery trucks)
• There were a few people who worried about the gentrification of Noe (all these changes are driving out “working class people like me”)
• Fresca, "the taqueria" and Hahn’s Hibachi are hated by their neighbors for the noise and smells
• Starbucks neighbors hate the noisy refrigerated delivery semis that idle in their driveways for hours every night
• Savor was held up as a good neighbor for respecting and listening to complaints and installing state-of-the-art (read: quiet) ventilation
• At the end of this segment Bevan asked for a show of hands. There were many more for more restaurants than against. 4-to-1? 3-to-1? Hard to tell but it was a solid majority.

Pavements to Parks (aka the New Plaza for Noe on 24th and Noe)

Debra Niemann gave a quick talk about what the Noe Valley Association does (greening, maintenance, crosswalks, making downtown Noe an urban village) and highlighted some of the recent projects like the green area near Starbucks and the pedestal newsstands – as well as the Harvest Fest.

"Very soon" they plan to invite neighbors to talk about the proposed green common space at 24th and Noe. No details yet, except that Flora Grubb is donating the landscaping and other vendors are donating design time. Send an email to info@noevalleyassociation.org if you want an invitation to the meeting to discuss the proposal. The hope is to have a decision soon enough to open the space on June 21.

Reminder: Community Meeting With Bevan Dufty Tonight

Bevan Dufty is co-sponsoring a community meeting tonight with the Noe Valley Merchants Association, the Noe Valley Association, Friends of Noe Valley, the Noe Valley Democratic Club and Upper Noe Neighbors. The agenda includes:

• New legislation to allow more restaurants on 24th St
• An introduction of Captain Corrales, SFPD Mission Station
• And a presentation by the NVA including details on the "upcoming Pavements To Parks program project at 24th & Noe Streets."

What: Community Meeting
When: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 7:30 pm
Where: St. Philip's Church, 725 Diamond St. (between Elizabeth & Castro)

NVV: 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 highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered.

March 2009

• Front page: Noe Valley housing market is slow, Whole Foods offering Tuesday shuttle, City College closing campus at James Lick, Upper Noe Rec Center not offering residents enough time to play, consignment stores busy.
• Cost of Living in Noe: slow market, slightly cheaper; rents down a little from last year.
• Letters: Bye-bye Bell; condemnation for evil candle-condemning priest; NVV attracts Fowler witch hunt, too.
• NVDC: full coverage of last month's meeting.
• Crime Beat: Capt Tacchini asking for more communication with residents; no Peace Blotter this time.
• Feature: Elizabeth Street Brewery.
• Store Trek: Just Awesome!, City Grill.
• Rumors: suggests the reader reference Google for more information on the Obama candle "debate;" picked up more Fowler info from the Fowler family blogs; Contigo opens; Noe Soup likely not opening due to investor pull-out [Ed.-- Perhaps Tuttimelon can buy their conditional use permit]; CSAA is closing; Cover-to-Cover to offer free delivery; Basso's giving seniors a 15% discount.
• Bonus: The Voice made it to Dover Castle, India, Thailand and even Florida, and the pictures to prove it are back.
  

[The Noe Valley Voice]

NVDC Town Forum: SFPD, Whole Foods & More

This month's edition of the Noe Valley Democratic Club meeting was much more crowded than usual. The reason? Likely the community interest in the arrival of Whole Foods on 24th St. Over 150 people attended a meeting that usually has 12-20 participants. The panelists included representatives from the SFPD, the NVA, Whole Foods and a surprise representative of the shuttered Real Foods -- all MC'd by Bevan Dufty.

SFPD Mission District Captain Stephen Tacchini

• Victim of a theft or break-in? Report it! Resources are allocated to a police area based on the number of reports and the department maps trends. You can report online here.
• Only 1,000 reported incidents in Noe the last 6 months (vs. 200,0000 per year in the Mission)
• There has been an increase in burglaries in the last year which is finally starting to decrease – you can help by locking windows and keeping valuables out of your parked cars (laptops, cameras, cell phones are the big targets)
• There have been a few armed robberies – and they’ve recently made some arrests
• Got a rogue garage business to report? Officer Miguel in code enforcement can help

When the floor opened to questions the biggest concerns were:

• Can I park my SMART car perpendicular to the curb? (No)
• How do I get the Examiner to stop littering my doorstep - and so people don't break into an obviously empty building? (Bevan actually said to call or email him for help)
• When school is out MUNI is hell (Deputy Chief Tony Parra monitors MUNI for the SFMTA)

Whole Foods

The info was much the same as previously reported, but with the following new tidbits:

• The Campanga family (that owns the property at 3950 24th St) donated $5,000 to green the front of the lot
• Whole Foods will break ground mid-March with a projected September 1st opening
• They are committed to a one-day-a-week shuttle to the Potrero location, with more possible if demand requires and/or justifies it
• The recycling center will remain, but will be more “aesthetically pleasing” and "suit the neighborhood"
• Considering opening the lot for a farmer’s market one day (midweek) during construction
• Whole Paycheck? “38% cheaper than Bell Markets on produce; 25% cheaper store wide.” (Based on apples-to-apples comparison.) “Meats and seafood are competitive, but quality is higher.” - Joe Rogoff, VP for Whole Foods Market Northern California
• Hours: 8am-10pm; delivery receiving to maintain existing hours, but with smaller trucks/box vans, and will continue to load on 24th St (not Elizabeth St)
• Employees will not be allowed to park in the lot [Ed. -- which means more parking will be available than when Bell was operating], and will be encouraged not to drive to work
• The 24th St Cheese Co is the only merchant that has expressed concern about competition, and the NVMPA and WF are working to allay concerns
• BONUS: Joe Rogoff confirmed that Whole Foods has signed a contract to open in a new development at Market and Dolores –- which should alleviate traffic to Noe Valley (if built)

Suggestions:

• Add recycling bins to the front of the empty lot during construction
• Senior discount? No
• Hire laid off union employees from Bell (They’ll have first dibs to interview)
• Will there be food for lazy vegans? Yes

Real Foods Neutraceutical, represented by Sergio Diaz of Fresh Organics

New:

• Reached a settlement agreement with Real Foods workers yesterday and so “now we can talk about this.”
  
• Have gone through various design and planning phases over the last five years, but now don’t have enough money to do what they wanted so will start the process over with “scaled back” plans
• They do not have a Conditional Use permit [Ed -- which means a hearing in front of the Planning Commission and probably 2 years until anything happens]

Old:

• Unrepentant about the process, but “I do apologize to the neighborhood for five years of this.”

Suggestion:

• Sell, and get the _____ out while you can. (“We want to prove we can have a good store.”)
  

UPDATE: Cooks Boulevard has a more thorough account of Sergio's appearance.

Noe Valley Association, Deb Neimann, President

Very brief:

• We did: Crosswalks, planters, street furniture
• Got ideas or feedback? Call/email

[NVSF: Whole Foods Responds]
[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]
[NVSF: Blight: Real Foods]

NVV: 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 highlights from the latest issue. Links are to stories we've covered.

February 2009

• Whole Foods is on the way. There's a front-page article, a 2 color full-page ad promising "early fall" and other mentions throughout.
• A priest is upset about an Obama candle at Just For Fun. (Ironic, no?)
  
• 24th Street merchants worried about closure of Bell Market, but optimistic that Whole Foods will bring more foot traffic to the area.
  
• Obits: Dave Cannata (co-owner of Hidden Cottage B&B); nice memorial to Blake Egoian.
• Cost of living in Noe: the national economic meltdown has hit Noe Valley, but only a little. It's still expensive to live here.
• Crime Beat? Still happening. But now, in the Age of Obama, NVV features a Peace Blotter "showing how neighborhood conflicts can be resolved without threats, litigation or a call to police."
• Short Takes: NVDC forum, Bethany moving to the Mission during renovation.
• Rumors: Not much...except: "Harry Aleo's estate was worth nearly $24 million," and many of his Noe properties are for sale now (we believe it's all the buildings with Barbagelata signs). The parking lot across from his office may be named for him, because he was the president of the Merchant's Association in 1959 and championed the purchase of that land as a parking lot for the commercial district.
• A full page (ad?) dedicated to the schedule at the Upper Noe Valley Rec Center. Also available online.
• Notably not in the NVV: pictures of Noe Valley residents who've schlepped the Voice to far off places. Sign of a soft economy?

[The Noe Valley Voice]

Noe Valley Democratic Club Town Forum

As mentioned earlier, there is a meeting on February 18th that (among other things) will give Noe Valley residents another chance to hear what's going on with Whole Foods and express concern or support.

NVDC presents Bevan Dufty in a town forum

Questions, opinions, musings about Noe Valley happenings? Now is the time to share them. Our supervisor, Bevan Dufty, will be here to answer your questions and/or direct you to some of the people who can fill in the details that you’ve been wondering about. Bevan will head up a panel consisting of Captain Stephan Tacchini of SAFE and the San Francisco Police Department, Debra Niemann, representing the Noe Valley Association and the Community Beautification District and Glen Moon of Whole Foods. Please feel free to forward questions in advance to me. Many have already expressed great interest in the fact that Whole Foods will be taking over the Bell Market space after extensive renovations. The speakers will appreciate the extra time to do advance research for your specific questions but of course questions will be entertained from the floor. There will be much to discuss and the panelists want to be prepared.

Our meeting will take place at our usual location and time:
Wednesday February 18 at 7:30 pm
St Philips Church
725 Diamond St. at Elizabeth St.

Again as usual, the meeting is open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Molly Fleischman
Vice-President
Noe Valley Democratic Club
415.641,5838 or molly@ffrsf.com

[Noe Valley Democratic Club (under construction)]
[NVSF: Update: Whole Foods]