Miraloma Park Improvement Club

Miraloma Life: April 2005

• Update: Neighborhood Wide Garage Sale Saturday May 14, 9 am – 3 pm
• Miraloma Spring Festival and Silent Auction
• History of Miraloma Park
• www.miralomapark.org
• Miraloma Park Benefits of Membership
• Real or Urban Legend?
• John Kassay, b. 1920 – A News Poem
• Fools’ Luck
• Teresita Traffic – Town Meeting
• Miraloma Park Residential Guidelines on Line
• Design Matters
• Legal Ease
• Ninth Annual Glen Park Festival
• Miraloma Park Improvement Club Clubhouse
• Graffiti Indictments
• Don’t Share Medications
• SOTA To Open Small Academy In August 2005
• Spectacular Wild Flower Walk Sunday, April 10 at 10 AM
• Calling The Police
• Flight and Descent

Update: Neighborhood Wide Garage Sale
Saturday May 14, 9 am – 3 pm

by Sue Kirkham

The Miraloma Park Neighborhood Garage Sale will be held Saturday, May 14, 9 am. to 3 pm. The sale will be followed by a post sale get-together for all Miraloma Park residents and friends, at the Club House at 4 p.m.

PLEASE NOTE: a typographical error in the side bar of the March edition of Miraloma Life incorrectly noted the sale as Sunday, May 14.  The garage sale is actually Saturday, May 14. If you have not already done so, please sign up soon to participate in the neighborhood wide garage sale. For more information and to sign up please call Sue Kirkham at 415-229-1297 or e-mail info @suekirkham.com.  Provide your name, address, contact information and types of goods for sale (e.g. children’s clothes, household, etc).

The Miraloma Park Improvement Club will advertise the neighborhood wide sale in the San Francisco Chronicle and other sources.  Advertising will direct prospective attendees to the Miraloma Park website for a list of participating homes.  In addition hard copy lists will be provided at various locations. The garage sale will be held in your garage, not at the Club House parking lot as had been done many years ago. Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to clear the clutter and bring in some extra money. Remember all neighbors and friends are invited to the get together after the sale. Come and discuss your great buys.

Miraloma Spring Festival and Silent Auction

by Sharon K. Gillenwater
Principal, San Francisco Group
Did you know that Miraloma Elementary has become one of the most sought-after elementary schools on this side of the city? The latest round of applications to SFUSD brought 190 applications for 60 kindergarten spots.
We really want everyone in the Miraloma community to come and see the school. Come check out Miraloma Elementary School and enjoy a great day out for the entire family at the annual Miraloma Elementary Spring Festival on Saturday, May 7 from 11 am to 3 pm. The Festival offers games, entertainment, food and fun for all ages. A raffle and silent auction feature goods and services from merchants all over San Francisco.

Admission is FREE. 175 Omar Way. Please help support this great community resource. For more information, call 643-5327 or email sharon@sanfranciscogroup.com.

History of Miraloma Park

by Rosalie Kuwatch

Miraloma Park was planned as an R1 zone of one-family residences of a maximum square footage and size. Houses were two or three bedrooms and one bath. Most of the lots were 25 feet wide with no space between houses. Open space behind homes had to be a certain size to allow for a green belt between streets. Lots were deep enough behind the houses for attractive landscaping, with the result that there would be park-like vistas behind the close rows of homes.

The entire tract of Miraloma Park was to be built up in units with services going into each unit just in advance of building. A well organized plan for integration of street construction, services installation and home building, with mass purchase and production of materials would result in homes within the means of the average family. The early homes of five and six rooms were to be priced at about $4500 in an attractive community adjacent to St. Frances Wood, already recognized as one of the most prestigious home centers in the Bay Area.

The streets in Miraloma Park were to be wide and curved to take advantage of the contours of the property. The homes were to be designed according to a variety of exterior plans but for best cost containment the interiors would follow a limited number of plans. The view side of each street was developed first. The area overlooked a side panorama on the south side of the city and the San Bruno Mountains. To the east was the forested Glen Canyon and a view of the East Bay.

Miraloma Park was out in the country surrounded by expansive views and hills covered with wildflowers. It was a place where kids played safely in the street. But Joel Bridgman, a real estate broker who grew up in the neighborhood, never forgot how he rode his tricycle down Teresita Boulevard when he was four. He crashed into a fire plug and bloodied his nose. Joel opened his office near his family home in Miraloma Park.

Since there was no convenient transportation, it was necessary to own a car. It was the beginning of the move to the suburbs which later stretched from Miraloma Park’s few miles to twenty and thirty miles away around the Bay Area. Transportation was a high priority when the Miraloma Park Improvement Club was formed in 1935.

( Editor’s Note: It still is today and occupies a great deal of discussion time at Board Meetings.)

These early members wanted a bus line to Forest Hill station, the closest terminal to Twin Peaks tunnel and downtown. Their reward for diligent effort was realized on July 23, 1939, when Mayor Angelo Rossi drove the first #36 bus over the route on Teresita Boulevard. The occasion was celebrated with a big parade of American Legionnaires, Boy Scouts and school bands.

The depression of the 1930’s did not have a disastrous effect on home building and many continued to be sold. Homeowners who lost their jobs managed to keep their houses under a federal agency which extended mortgage payments and allowed them to be paid off at a lower monthly rate. One man on Rockdale Drive didn’t suffer a loss of income. He ran a whisky still in his basement during Prohibition. His gas line was connected ahead of the meter, but PG&E had a monitoring device which showed an unusual increase in gas use every night. It was eventually traced to the bootlegger’s house. The police broke up his still and dumped the mash in the backyard.

Half the homes in Miraloma Park were finished in 1940 when, true to their plan, Meyer Bros. built the clubhouse they had promised. It was located on Del Vale Avenue off O’Shaughnessy Boulevard and donated to the Improvement Club in a dedication ceremony on November 10, 1940. It was on land leased from the San Francisco Water Department and the rental has been $1.00 per year. The Department of Public Works graded the clubhouse parking lot in exchange for permission to store tools and equipment during the improvement of O’Shaughnessy Boulevard.

Simultaneous with the establishment of the Improvement Club, the Garden Club was started. It was expected that residents would maintain the landscaping of their property with as much care as they maintained their homes. At monthly meetings residents learned about the best plants to decorate their home exteriors in an area that was frequently cold, foggy and windy. Once a year there were prizes awarded for the most attractive landscaping and homeowners were encouraged to put up elaborate lighted displays during the Christmas season. The Garden Club worked closely with the Horticulture School at City College and hired students to design a landscape plan for the clubhouse.

By July 1946, the combined Garden Club and Improvement Club had a membership of 1,000, an unequalled record in San Francisco where every neighborhood had an association. Organized community groups had significant political power and unified citizen action kept neighborhoods upgraded. The Miraloma Park Improvement Club has always been vigorous in pursuit of benefits and prevention of negative influences.

Residents who have lived in the community for fifty years still remember with pride a feature about the planned community of Miraloma Park which appeared in the “Home Section” of the San Francisco Chronicle on April 20, 1941. An ad next to the feature announced “How to get a new kind of living—away from noise, the shouts of newsboys, honking horns and the shriek of brakes of downtown traffic.” All during the fifteen year building period, Meyer Bros. had a model, decorated by the Emporium, open for showing to prospective buyers.

The article noted that the original plan included a business district large enough to supply the needs of 2,000 families. It was laid out in a two-block area on Portola Drive at O’Shaughnessy Boulevard at the northern limit of the neighborhood. In the nineteenth century, Portola Drive was Ocean House Road, a toll road which started at 17th and Corbett and ran out through the country to the ocean. It had been built by the Pioche Estate in 1860.

Before there was a grocery store in the business district, during the late 20’s and early 30’s, milk was available from George Christopher’s dairy in Glen Park. His cows were pastured nearby along O’Shaughnessy Boulevard. Alathough convicted for watering the milk, thirty years later (in 1956) he became one of San Francisco’s most popular mayors and served two terms.

Tower Market, an independent supermarket and anchor store in the Miraloma Park business district, opened in 1941 by Mark Pommon who had migrated from Greece just before the earthquake in 1906. After operating several small downtown grocery stores, he saw the opportunity to serve the growing communities around the top of Portola Drive. His son, Dan, started working in the store at age ten and entered into partnership with his father in 1945. When construction was possible after World War II, they rebuilt the store. In 1953 it was remodelled again to double the floor space. Dan Pommon has been president of one of the most successful independent markets in the Bay Area for many years now.

Construction in Miraloma Park stopped during World War II between 1942 and 1943. A hindrance to development occurred even before men and materials became scarce. On February 6, 1942, after a rainy winter, construction crews were cutting new roads on Mt. Davidson’s southeast slope when the entire hillside gave way and crashed down on several homes. A river of mud one-half mile wide and fifteen feet deep trapped many residents in the 700 block of Foerster Street. One woman was killed.

During the war years, many men, even those with families, were drafted. As imported food items such as coffee and sugar became scarce, there was panic buying. Then there were shortages of domestic grown foods as men were drafted or went into war industries. Some farmers were required to grow only certain crops in order to feed the army. To prevent hoarding, the government issued books of ration stamps to families. It was a headache for grocers. Dan Pommon not only felt that he had to apologize to each customer for the lack of certain items, but had to fill in forms with hundreds of their ration stamps to present to wholesalers in order to replenish his stock. There was a shortage of grocery clerks in the Bay Area as wages could not compete with those paid in the shipyards.

When the war ended in August, 1945, many military men who had spent time in San Francisco before embarkation or on discharge decided to live here. A housing shortage resulted in many small, illegal units being built in single family homes in violation of zoning and building codes. Neighbors opposed having them legalized because of the lack of off-street parking for cars. Advertisements of “investment properties” for sale by realtors were strongly opposed by the MPIC.

However, attitudes toward racial prejudice among club members gradually disappeared as minority groups bought homes after 1950 when restrictions were outlawed. In 1954, Dr. Carlton Goodlett, a prominent Black activist and the publisher of nine Black Bay Area newspapers, bought a house on Los Palmos Drive. Many Black families followed him to the 500 and 600 blocks on that street. Calvin Simmons, the former young Oakland Symphony conductor, lived there. He could never heed his friends’ call to come out and play football because he had to practice the piano. Abe Woodson, defensive back for the 49’ers, lived on Burlwood and Willie Mays lived on Miraloma Drive next to St. Francis Wood.

As Asian-Americans moved into the community, language classes for children were established at the Miraloma Community Church and later, at the public school with a teacher hired by the School District. The Miraloma Park Improvement Club has been listed in a Registry of Private Fair Housing Groups that service complaints of discrimination in real estate sales and rentals. The October 1977 club newsletter advised that complaints should be reported to the President of the club.

(continued next month)
Editor’s Note: This History of Miraloma Park appeared several years ago in Miraloma Life. There has been a great call for repeating it. It is fascinating for long term residents and newcomers alike. There will be 4 installments. We hope you will enjoy it and send comments, additions, reminiscences, etc.

www.miralomapark.org

The Miraloma Park Improvement Club website discussion page is back on line thanks to webmaster Ron Proctor. You can now post messages of importance or interest to the community or reply to messages or announcements others have posted. Has your opinion changed or remained the same about Tower Market becoming Mollie Stone’s? How do you feel about Teresita Traffic? How do you feel about the terrific mess installing the new water pipes on Teresita is causing ? What do you think about people leaving their garbage cans out in front of their house all week? Or storing broken down cars for months? Have you seen dog owners who pick up their dog’s feces, place them in a plastic bag and then throw the bag on your lawn or under your car? Has anyone seen the Miraloma Park coyote lately?

Let your neighbors know your thoughts by accessing www.miraloma park.org. For those of you who attended the holiday party, there are many more pictures on the website than could be printed in the January Miraloma Life. Log on and see yourself.

Miraloma Park Benefits of Membership

We invite you to become a member of the Miraloma Park Improvement Club (MPIC) or to renew your membership for the coming year. Here are just some of the benefits of membership:

• Miraloma Life Newsletter
• MiralomaPark.org website.
  Miraloma Park Improvement Clubhouse (can be rented)
• Preservation of the Architectural Character of Miraloma Park
• Miraloma Park Residential Guidelines
  A Neighborhood Free of Graffiti (active anti-graffiti committee)
• A Safer Neighborhood (constant contact and excellent rapport with Ingleside station and Captain Chignell.)
  Community Forums on Political Issues and Candidates
• Opportunities to Meet Your Neighbors
• Lectures on Wildlife, History, Trees, Architecture
• Holiday Party and Other Social Events

Real or Urban Legend?

Editor’s Note: One of the Miraloma Park Directors received the following email. Perhaps you have received one like it. It is an example of an urban legend, an event which sounds likely but never occurred but which has gained truthful status by being passed on by so many people.

Beware: I received a telephone call last  evening from an individual identifying himself as an AT&T Service technician  who was conducting a test on telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test I should touch nine (9), zero (0), the pound sign (#), and then hang up. Luckily, I was suspicious and refused.  Upon  contacting the telephone company, I was informed that by pushing 90#, you give  the requesting individual full access to your telephone line, which enables them  to place long distance calls billed to your home phone number.

I was  further informed that this scam has been originating from many local jails/prisons. I have also verified this information with UCB Telecom,Pacific Bell, MCI, Bell Atlantic and GTE.  DO NOT press 90# for ANYONE.  The GTE Security Department requested that I share this information with EVERYONE I KNOW.
My favorite urban legend is about the lady who was taking a urine sample to her doctor. She put it in a bottle which had contained a very expensive Scotch. Naturally when she got on the bus and set the bottle on the seat next to hers, someone grabbed it and ran off the bus. If you have similar urban legends to relate, access www.miraloma park and tell us about them. Perhaps, you might like to do a column for Miraloma Life.

John Kassay, b. 1920 – A News Poem

by Stan Andersen

Chairmaker
Shaker man
Scholar of simplicity
Loved lines
Of wood joining wood.

The Shakers
Had dances ending
Just when the movement
Reached the point
Of conclusion,

Then stillness began:
Shaker style furniture
Was like that, he knew,
Stillness after
Exquisite dancing.

Fools’ Luck

Tremendous crackling in the branches:
wild turkey, tail akimbo, teeters on a limb
barely thick enough to hold it, maybe not:
so precarious but so certain all the while,
pompous, big and riotous as a clown,
blind to the still coyote’s tracking eye.
Stuttering cries as another hoves in sight,
ungainly regal mate or brother crashing on
the same encumbered route one wingbeat
from disaster but somehow rising
just enough, this time, to tear through
the woods’ net and come safe home.

Copyright©Dan Liberthson, 2004

Teresita Traffic – Town Meeting

by Gary Noguera

On Feb 28, just before 8:00 AM, a speeding truck collided with a school bus at the Teresita/Stillings intersection. While the MPIC Board of Directors and its Safety Committee have continued to focus on the important issue of traffic, the problem has been escalating. The Department of Parking and Traffic (DPT) is now making a formal assessment of potential engineering changes intended to slow down the current easy and fast ride from one end of Teresita to the other, thereby discouraging commuters from speeding down the street and endangering pedestrians and other cars. Additional stop signs, new speed bumps, traffic circles, and islands are under consideration. All potential solutions are intended to slow down those who consider Teresita an expressway, not the residential street that it is. Residences on Teresita within specified notification range will be notified and consulted by the City agencies when final proposals are made.

On Sunday, April 17, at 2:00 PM, the MPIC will host a community forum on the issue. The DPT will attend and will make a formal presentation about their proposed solutions. We encourage Miraloma Park residents to attend, particularly those who live on Teresita. All Miralomans should be aware that Capt. Chignell and his Ingleside Station officers will be enforcing the traffic laws in Miraloma Park with increased vigor. As residents, we must observe the speed limit and come to a full stop at stop signs.

Don’t become the embarrassed recipient of a ticket!

Miraloma Park Residential Guidelines on Line

The Miraloma Park Residential Guidelines were adopted in 1999 by the City Planning Commission to promote preservation of neighborhood character by encouraging residential design compatible with neighborhood setting.

Residential Design Guidelines can facilitate the complex and often frustrating process of permit application and design review and can prevent costly and time-consuming Discretionary Review proceedings. The Guidelines are available at www.miralomapark.org.

Design Matters

Peter A. Zepponi, AIA – Architect

This is a monthly column addressing basic residential design and home improvement topics of interest to Miraloma Park residents. If you have a question or topic you’d like considered in Miraloma Life, please send an email to pazdesignmatters@aol.com.

Q: What should you do about dry rot?

A: Cut it out and replace it. Track down the cause (moisture) and remedy it. If you live in San Francisco you probably have dry rot somewhere. With the amount of fog and moisture we have coupled with the age of many of the homes it’s almost inevitable that moisture has gotten behind your siding or cement plaster and caused some rot. Not to mention the periodic earthquakes we get that shake the structure creating cracks and loosening up caulked joints and boards. Even architects aren’t immune as I have discovered during the current remodel on my own home.

As part of my remodel we are adding a bathroom and laundry room in the garage. When we stripped off some of the old drywall (sheetrock) on the inside we found a patch of dry rot near the corner of the front porch, a very bad omen. So we began with a small exploratory hole from the outside to confirm what I have seen many times before. When you can see the rot on the inside of your siding you’ve got a much bigger problem on the outside. But to my surprise we also found a healthy colony of termites feasting on my framing. So the exploratory demolition continued until we could find solid dry wood and building paper. I was surprised because I know the signs of termites and had not seen them, but even so the termites were there. Everything appeared solid from the outside, but behind the stucco and new paint about the only thing holding up the stucco in some spots was the stucco itself. The only decision was to tear it out and rebuild it.

As I stood looking at the new hole in my house I was wearing both my homeowner hat and architect hat. As the homeowner I was thinking that I really didn’t want to re-side and stucco my house. That was not in the budget, but as I have advised before I had a contingency set aside for unforeseen conditions. The contingency money I hoped could go towards a new big screen TV at the end of the project would now be applied to new stucco because the architect in me could see what had to be done. Just patching the rot at the bottom of the wall is putting blinders on and just delaying a larger problem. Water follows gravity down, and termites climb up making two problems. Water had to be getting in at the intersection of the wall and roof, along the windows, around flashing and at the corners. Fixing the rotten wood at the bottom did not solve the problem of how it was getting wet in the first place. Smart money is spent once doing it right.

Dry rot is the decay of wood caused by the fungi Serpula Lacrymans and Merulius Lacrymans. These are specific fungi that transport their own water supply. All wood-rotting fungi, including dry rot, require food (wood or other cellulose material), water, oxygen (air) and moderate temperatures (45-90 degrees); deprived of any one and it cannot survive. Since wood, oxygen and moderate temperatures are basically givens, it is therefore necessary to provide adequate ventilation and prevent infiltration of moisture. “Dry rot” could be better described as “wet rot”. Fungi generally occur when the moisture content in the wood exceeds twenty percent. You can often arrest the dry rot by eliminating the presence of moisture; however extensive dry rot will severely damage the integrity of your structural members and should be replaced. There are wood penetrating epoxy products and chemicals available for patching and repairing localized areas of rot but unless it is a visible piece of ornamental wood or a very small area I usually recommend replacing the damaged wood with new.

We also had to try and find where the termites were getting in and eliminate any untreated wood to earth contact since that is the usual culprit and seemed to be in our case as well. There should be a minimum of 6″ clearance between soil and wood because the termites eat their way up through the wood into your house. The other way termites get in is by building mud tunnels. If you see little mud tubes (1/4″-1/2″ wide) attached to your foundations those are termites. In our situation we will address means of mitigating termite intrusion architecturally as well as contacting a pest control expert to discuss extermination options.

On the bright side: Once the siding and sheathing were removed from the outside to expose the stud framing I took advantage of the opportunity to insulate and add electrical outlets to a wall that previously did not have either.

USEFUL RESOURCES

PAGES/FYD/HL243.pdf gives the Clemson Extension paper on Dry rot.

This column and its content are intended to be a source of general information. Applicability to your specific project should be verified.

Peter A. Zepponi, AIA is an architectural firm specializing in residential and commercial architecture.

Legal Ease

by Steven Solomon

Q: Since we’re in the late stretch of tax time, is there any remedy against government employees that are collecting back-owed taxes?

A: The law provides that neither a public agency nor public employee is liable for any proceeding or action involved in the assessment or collection of taxes. Did you know department : One of the national credit reporting agencies, Equifax, was named Retail Credit Cooperation in 1976. In 1996, Equifax purchased 70 percent of the company CDB Infotek, which advertised that it sold consumer information, including social security account and voter registration data. Equifax merged CDB into its Insurance and Special Services Unit, which in 1997 was renamed ChoicePoint. One of ChoicePoint’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Database Technologies, was hired in 2000 to provide the office of the Florida Secretary of State with the names of felons prohibited from voting which wrongly disqualified eligible voters from the 2000 election.

Ninth Annual Glen Park Festival

Sunday, April 24, 2005 marks Glen Park’s Annual Festival which will begin at 10:00AM and end at 5:00PM on Diamond Street, between Chenery and Bosworth. Live music will be provided by Lee Waterman Jazz Calente from 10 – 11:30 AM, followed by Hooker (Zakaiya Hooker, daughter of John Lee Hooker) and Bell from 12 – 2PM, and ending with the Latin sounds of Mestizo from 2:30 – 4:30.

There will be over 40 booths of local arts and crafts vendors, as well as local school information booths. We will also feature delicious food/wine/beer vendors, including Glen Park’s Chenery Park Restaurant, Pane e Vino Trattoria, and Destination Baking Company. A raffle features prizes throughout the day. Proceeds of the event will benefit Friends of the Library to enhance children’s programs at the Glen Park Branch and will benefit funds for other neighborhood children’s programs. The event is a FREE one day event.  For more information, visit our website at , or call us at 415-835-2112.

Miraloma Park Improvement Club Clubhouse

A Great Place for Any Event

Your MPIC Clubhouse

Workers have been very busy over the summer adding improvements to the clubhouse. The floors had become damaged and discolored over the years and the Board thought they may have to be replaced. Fortunately that was not necessary and the beautiful original wood has been refurbished and repaired. It gleams like new. To complement the floors, new colorful curtains grace the stage. Modern, lightweight tables have been purchased and new really comfortable chairs are available. Members get a special discount on rental fees. Trash and recycling available.

Call 415-281-0892 for rates/availability.

Graffiti Indictments

by Officer Christopher Putz
SFPD Graffiti Abatement

BART Police Department and the San Francisco Police Department worked together on a case that involved multiple graffiti vandalism suspects. You may remember the KUK case.  San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Harry Dorfman handled the case.  He convened a Grand Jury and they were all indicted.   That case came about because the community, the District Attorney and SFPD needed to send a message that we won’t tolerate it any longer.

One of the tools to reduce vandalism is to work with other agencies and jurisdictions so that we can have these serious repeat offenders prosecuted in multiple jurisdictions.  The Alameda DA recently convened a Grand Jury that handed down indictments for 4 members of the gang.  Warrants were issued today for their arrest by the Alameda District Attorney for graffiti vandalism, conspiracy, burglary and being members of a criminal street gang.  The main focus of the case involved felony vandalism.  This graffiti gang known as KUK was tagging throughout the Bay Area and that’s why they were criminally charged in more than one jurisdiction.

Don’t Share Medications

by Joanne Whitney

I was recently on a tour with a group of people who were educated and interesed in learning about the world. I was shocked, however, that they knew little about the prescription drugs they were taking and had no idea that these drugs are dangerous and can cause great harm if not taken properly.

One woman had forgotten her high blood pressure medication. She asked me if she could take someone else’s drug. When I asked about her medical condition, I realized that taking this borrowed drug would probably have caused her to lose consciousness and could possibly have induced a heart attack.

In another instance, I viewed a gentleman who was complaining about a backache accepting many Vioxx tablets from a woman sitting next to him at lunch. This is the rheumatoid arthritis medication that has recently been recalled by FDA because of the risk of heart attack and stroke in high doses.

The prescription drugs you take are tailored to your specific medical problems and to your own physiological state. Your physician and pharmacist have made sure that you are not allergic to the drug or that you do not have any other condition which would make the drug dangerous to you. Your pharmacist has checked your medication profile to ensure that you are not taking any other drugs that would interact with one another.

There is a simple rule to avoid medication errors that could lead to serious problems. Don’t borrow from or lend drugs to others.

SOTA To Open Small Academy In August 2005

by Donn Harris, Principal

Responding to the need for more high school spaces city-wide as well as the immense popularity of the Twin Peaks/Miraloma area, the School of the Arts (SOTA) will be opening a small academy on its campus in August 2005. To be known as the SOTA Academy of Arts and Sciences, the new program will combine the arts with traditional academic subjects in new and innovative ways. The program was presented to the Board of Education on December 14 and by January 14 over 150 students had applied for the 80 seats. The projected enrollment of the program is 80 students per year until 300 students are enrolled in 2008-2009.

SOTA itself has 640 students projected as its maximum, and ultimately the campus will house over 900 students. The long-range plans for SOTA to move to 135 Van Ness Avenue are gaining momentum, and we will keep the community informed of the progress on that front.

We at SOTA would like to thank the residents of the Twin Peaks/Miraloma neighborhoods for their gracious acceptance of our school in their midst and the wonderful merchants who have served our students over the past three years. We look forward to continuing these good relationships and adding the creative energy of our new Academy students to this wonderful high school environment.

Spectacular Wild Flower Walk Sunday, April 10 at 10 AM

by Kathy Rawlins

After the drenching Mt Davidson has had this winter the wildflowers are more abundant than ever! The California Native Plant Society will conduct a walk of Mt Davidson’s wildflower prairie, huckleberry scrub and eucalyptus jungle where a diverse array of plant life are seen. There will be native irises emerging from California fescue, leather-leaf ferns growing on cypress limbs two stories high and wild strawberries intermingling with goldfields.

Walkers will meet at the bus turnaround on Myra and Dalewood. Please bring water, sturdy shoes, and warm clothing. Leader:

Tom Annese (415-297-1413, tom.annese@sfgov.org)
Friends of Glen Canyon Park

Spring Flower Walk
Saturday April 9, 10am. Meet behind the Glen Park Recreation Center (Elk and Chenery).

Earth Day Celebration Work Party in Glen Canyon
Saturday April 16, 9am to 12 noon. Meet behind the Recreation Center.
Hot dog barbeque, soft drinks and salad will follow the work party. RSVP to Friends of Glen Canyon Park.

Free Bird Walk in Glen Canyon Park with birder David Armstrong Sunday April 17. Meet behind Recreation Center. At 10:30 am on

Sunday April 17, “Pancakes in the Park” takes place at the Silvertree Building picnic tables. A $5.00 contribution will ensure you a full and delicious breakfast.

To RSVP or obtain information concerning any of the events, contact Friends of Glen Canyon Park at 648-0862

Calling The Police

by Captain Paul C. Chignell, Ingleside Police Station

We want citizens to call the police. You are our eyes and ears in the community, but just as importantly your property, safety and quality of life can be at stake if you don’t call us. You pay our salaries and we never forget that. So utilize our services. We are here to protect you. Many folks ask us what numbers they should call and if they can remain anonymous. Those are excellent questions. We prefer not to have people call anonymously, because we may need to do follow up or ask additional questions. But we would rather have some information than none at all. Just a license plate number left on an anonymous tip line could solve a homicide or robbery case. When you dial 911 your address will pop up on the screen. But if you ask the dispatcher not to have the officers come to your residence for fear of retribution or some other reason we will respect that. The same is true for dialing 553-0123. If you don’t want to give us your name and number or do not want the officers to come see you, please tell the dispatcher, and we won’t contact you.

The Ingleside Station has an anonymous hot line at 587-8784 to report on-going crime problems that are not emergencies.

Narcotics complaints can be called to an anonymous line 1-800-272-2548. Of course, if you have an emergency or feel that you have an emergency please dial 911. Your address will come up on the dispatch screen when you call 911. That is very important for a variety of reasons. For non-emergency problems, call 553-0123. Often due to the volume you may have to wait several minutes to get a answer at that number, and I understand the frustration. But we must keep 911 for only emergency calls. If folks call 911 for a non-emergency it is like calling wolf. The people with real emergencies could be in jeopardy with phone lines tied up.

You can always call the Ingleside Police Station at 404-4000 to ask general questions and we are pleased to answer them. But we do not dispatch officers from the Station. They are dispatched from a communications center. Calls to the Station requesting an officer to come out must be re-routed, along with any accompanying information to the dispatch center resulting in delayed response. The bottom line is we need to hear from you. Some of the most heinous crimes have been solved because citizens took the time to call us and step forward. Please call us!

Flight and Descent

Days and days of rain past,
the cloud breaks open and lets
a shard of blue show through.
Just there, at eleven o’clock,
a hovering hawk slightly rocks
side to side, tail and wing feathers
feeling to hold the shifting wind.
Suddenly, silently, celebrant, he
stoops into a double barrel-roll
to thrill his close-trailing mate.
My lungs try to draw up and in
the whole sky
wracked with adoration
while she tips her wings
lightly, steadies, and shows
no sign of being swept away.
I have climbed to the summit
of my steep yard to escape
the sour smell of brain work,
snug stale air sagging
within the house like the dull
remnant in a downed balloon.
And for my labor I have earned
the certainty of being earth-
bound. I would give my whole
crabbed frontal lobe to win
what Madame Hawk assumes
her natural due. But I must
let go my heavy breath, give back
the borrowed air and descend,
stair by narrow stair, as new clouds
crowd in and the rain begins again.

(C) 2002 by Dan Liberthson