Turk and Baker's new STOPLIGHT!!

Finally the citizens of San Francisco will be safe from collisions and near death pedestrian experiences. We have a new stoplight at the corner of Turk and Baker. This is good.

Site visit from DPW and SFPT for the Median Greening

We are waiting to hear back from the SFPT and DPW for a site visit. This will occur in January in time for a presentation to the neighborhood at our annual meeting.

The gardening club at Wallenberg High School is very excited to participate with us on this beautification project. I look forward to working with the students on selecting a plant palette, planting and caring for our street park!

Encanto Avenue Neighborhood Watch starting in January

Finally! We are going to start a neighborhood watch group on Encanto Avenue.

Fortuna, Barcelona, Terra Vista, all have successfully completed this program, meet their neighbors, learned a lot, and have placed their signs.

I've talked with most of you on Encanto and it seems that there is a majority of folks who'd like to participate in some way shape or form.

I will post back here once I've spoken with Irina, the woman from SAFE who will be leading our meetings.

One of our potential funding sources

From the SF Beautiful website:

San Francisco Beautiful continues the legacy of its founder, Friedel Klussmann, by awarding grants to organizations that seek to maintain or enhance San Francisco´s unique beauty and livability. Projects must also encourage civic participation and create healthy, safe, and sustainable communities.

The quarterly grants, which usually range from $1000 to $5,000, are awarded to a wide range of projects. When evaluating applications, SFB pays particular attention to the level of community participation and to the sustainability of the project beyond the term of the grant.

Grants are given on a one-time basis to community groups and organizations working on projects in San Francisco. Grants are not awarded to individuals.

Proposal submission deadlines are: February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1.

Is your project right for a Friedel Klussmann Grant?

We look for projects that seek to accomplish one or more of the following:

Maintain the livability of San Francisco by rehabilitating or enhancing community landscapes or urban architecture.

Adhere to good urban design and contribute to the city´s beauty and sustainability. Projects should enhance the city´s public face.

Improve the quality of our city´s unique urban landscape. Areas of interest include neighborhood commercial districts, the waterfront, historic landmarks, parks and other open or urban spaces.

Support and enhance the link between clean, healthy physical settings and a healthy local socio-economic climate.

Encourage community involvement in projects that enhance and beautify neighborhoods or provide historic understanding/documentation of a neighborhood or significant space.

Create safe, inviting spaces for residents and visitors alike.

Our fields of interest include:

Neighborhood beautification

Public stairway improvements

Greening for public schools, parks and other urban spaces

Litter/graffiti/blight abatement/control

Public park and open space restoration/preservation

Enhancing urban spaces

Public awareness/educational programs

Restoration/preservation/documentation of historic sites/neighborhood treasures

Grant Policy and Program Limitations:
San Francisco Beautiful offers grants as a one-time catalyst to a project within the city of San Francisco. A demonstration of community volunteerism and support, as well as a high level of commitment to sustaining the proposed project into the future is expected. SFB encourages matching funds and in-kind support for the projects it funds. Grantees must have non-profit and tax-exempt status or work with a fiscal agent who does. Grants are not awarded to individuals. No more than one grant will be awarded per year to any applicant. Grants range from $1000-$5,000 in most cases.

The process begins

Met with Jane Martin of Plant SF last week to discuss the possibilities for our neighborhood beautification. She was a wealth of knowledge and help in determining a practical route to take. It looks like we have about a year to get the planting going! So exciting to have finally started the process.

The next steps:
1. Involve the high school.
2. Make drawing/measurements.
3. Talk with Terra Vista homeowners.
4. Determine plant palette with Jane.
5. Get funding secured.
6. Prepare plan and documents for permit applications.

Know anyone in the area who may have engineering/architecture skills? Would love to talk with them!

Anzavista Neighborhood Beautification Project #1

The Median Strip on Anzavista and O'Farrell:

Our mission is to beautify the neighborhood of Anzavista through community supported projects such as the planting and care of the median strip. See photos above as it looks now.

If you'd like to learn more, join us on the 23rd of October to measure the area and brainstorm ideas for the greening of this area.

Would you like to participate in the planning?
Contact Jeny at jeny(at)jenysmith.com

Spring Block Party!

In response to crime in the neighborhood: from Leela Gil Prez of NOPNA (North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association)

Finally, here are a few "observation tips" if you think you might be witnessing suspicious activity or a crime:

1) Observe what is actually happening before calling the police (unless it is a crime in process - this includes graffiti tagging- then call 911 right away)
2) How many people are involved? what are they wearing - especially their shoes! (we learned that a lot of times the 'bad guys" can take off their jackets but they don't take off their shoes)
3) look at any vehicles involved, write down license plate numbers and descriptions of the vehicles in detail (color, make model etc)

If you have paper available, take notes. If you know a neighbor on your block that might be home, call them and have them make some observations too. Then call 553-0123 (for suspicious behavior). If you think a crime is in process (drug dealing, graffiti, etc) you must call 911.

Attached is a word document that outlines these recommendations in more details. Please pass it around to your neighbors.

Stay safe.

Leela Gill
NOPNA President