Anzavista Neighborhood Blog

Halloween is Almost Here!

2011-10-25T01:21:00.001-07:00

Halloween is Almost Here
I’m forwarding an email from “The Barcelona Family” who is sponsoring a Halloween walk again this year for our children. This is a great event which keeps our kids close in our own area where our residents designate their homes as safe “Trick or Treat Houses” (see below for a list of residences).

If you would like to participate by either opening your home up to Trick or Treaters or by volunteering to be a “crossing guard” – basically an adult or teen, not in costume, who can stand on a corner with a flashlight between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm greeting kids and families and helping with safety please email barcelonafamily@yahoo.com or call Kari Lee at 748-3555.

Block Party Kudos
Last week’s Block Party was another success with a lot of comradery and good food. I’d like to thank Ellen Farrell, Jeny Smith and Gary Robichaud for working so hard to organize the event as well as those of you who helped set up and put together those tasty dishes.

A very special and grateful Thank You also to Vanita and Austin Louie of Barcelona Avenue who gave us a very generous donation which covered all the Association’s food costs as well as some of our other incidental expenses. That was very much appreciated.

Neighbors Fighting Back
Last Wednesday, someone spotted a man looking in car windows near Turk and Masonic early in the morning. The Police were alerted and determined that the man was already on probation for possession of stolen property and had on him tools commonly used for burglary plus a collection of 23 vehicle keys.

Whether or not this was one of the persons who has been burglarizing our own cars isn’t known for sure but what this does show is that it really does pay to call the Police anytime you see something that doesn’t look right. Looking in car windows certainly fits that criteria. Just call the non-emergency 553-0123 number and do so while the person is still in our area. The Police will respond more rapidly when they know a suspect is still around.

AVNA Update

2011-10-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

Block Party October 15th
Please join us for our annual Block Party this Saturday, the 15th, on Anzavista between Barcelona and Encanto. Our event kicks off at 11:00 am and runs to 2:00 pm (Please see attached Flyer). It’s a great chance to meet and mingle with your neighbors. Morgan St. Clair, our newly assigned SAFE coordinator will also be there to answer any questions you might have about setting up a new Neighborhood Watch or infusing a little more life into an existing one.

We’ll provide the basics: hamburgers, hot dogs, soda, water, etc., but it would be great if you could bring one of your favorite dishes as well. We’ve had some exciting food fare in the past and it’s always fun to see what people bring. You don’t need to bring a lot; just enough that maybe 10 or 15 people can sample.

Please let Ellen Farrell know early next week (415) 771-6998 maudesp@yahoo.com if you’re able to bring something. We also need chairs and any small tables. If you need help getting them there, please give me a call at 931-8988.

Some Good News
Two cars that were stolen out of our area in the last month have been recovered. Additionally, one of the very expensive bikes that were stolen from a locked garage on Barcelona was tracked down by the owner when it was advertised on CraigsList. He notified the Police and the ad brought them to a Pawn Shop on 6th St. where the Police obtained the name and address of the person from Bernal Heights who had pawned the bike and arrested him. You can read the full article at http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/law-and-disorder/2011/09/new-san-francisco-police-strategy-leads-bike-theft-arrest.

Nike Re-Use-A-Shoe Campaign
It’s that time of year again. That’s when Marcia Sprinkle sponsors the Nike Re-Use-A-Shoe Campaign.

Over the years, Nike has collected over 25,000,000 pairs of running and other types of athletic shoes. They then grind the various parts and use them to provide ground cover for playgrounds, tennis courts and running tracks for schools and recreation departments. It is a great way to recycle, provide new surfaces for places that are all cash-strapped right now and keep those old shoes out of the landfill!

Marcia facilitates the collection of these old shoes and delivers them to Nike. Just drop off the shoes in her driveway or at her door at 57 Barcelona any Saturday in November. Please remove any mud and dirt from the shoes and again, only athletic shoes can be recycled (CROCS can’t be used.). Also, this year the wrist bands from the Live Strong Foundation (Lance Armstrong) are being collected.

For a first hand look at how the grinding process is done, go to www.Nikereuseashoe.com.

SAFE 5K Run
Just a reminder that San Francisco SAFE, the organization which helps us set up our Neighborhood Watches is sponsoring a 5K Run Sunday, October 30th at 11:00 am at Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park. This will be a fun event which includes a BBQ, Music, the SF Mounted Police and K-9 units, a talking Police Car, a Bouncy House and face painting. To signup for the race or sponsor a friend, go to sfsafe5k.dojiggy.com. Additional information can be found at 5kfunrun@sfsafe.org or by calling 553-1984.

AVNA update

2011-09-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Block Party Set for Oct 15th
Our Block Party will be held on Saturday, Oct 15th on Anzavista between Barcelona and Encanto. Please save the date and join us to meet and mingle with your neighbors.

A planning meeting will be held on Thursday, Sep 22nd at 7:00 pm at 140 Terra Vista Ave. Please attend to provide your support and ideas on how to make this year’s Block Party another success.

New Speed Limits Around the School
A public hearing was held earlier this month to establish a 15 mph speed zone around Wallenberg High School when children are present. The streets involved include:

All of Nido Avenue

All of Vega Street

O’Farrell between Masonic and Anzavista Avenues and

Anzavista between O’Farrell and Barcelona Avenue

At this point, it’s not clear when the new speed limit will begin or what signage will be used but you can be sure that, when the new limit does go into effect, it will be aggressively enforced initially so that everyone is aware of the change.

Speed Humps on Anzavista
Independent of the new speed limit, I have received a couple of requests to install traffic calming speed humps on the level portion of Anzavista between the turn on Anzavista (at the end of the 100 block) and Encanto to discourage speeding. I’m not sure if that strip qualifies as a candidate for speed humps but I’d like your thoughts as to whether we should proceed with a request to SFMTA. Other than directly around the school, the rest of our neighborhood is relatively hilly so I don’t know if speed humps would be allowed on any of our other streets.

Doggie Poop
It’s clear that there has been a spike in some dog owners not picking up their dog’s poop and, in some instances, bagging it but then leaving it on someone else’s lawn.

This is a tough one. I assume its people who transit through our area because I don’t know of any dog owner in our neighborhood that doesn’t pick up. In fact, some of you pick up even when it’s not your own.

If you do come across someone who’s disrespecting our area by not picking up, you might consider asking them to do so without being confrontational. Hopefully, they’ll be embarrassed and pick up or, at least, know that they’re being watched and stop coming though our area.

Wallenberg Car Wash
There’s a car wash at Wallenberg High School this Saturday, the 17th to help raise funds for the Senior Prom and other graduation expenses. Food and drinks will be available while you wait and the Seniors will happy to “spiff-up your ride” anytime between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Car Registration Tags
There have been a few thefts of car license plate registration tags in our area lately. While there are a lot worse things that can happen, the loss of a registration tag can be annoying as, besides having to fill out paperwork with DMV to get it replaced, there’s also an accompanying fee.

SFPD offers this tip: “Don’t let your old tags pile up too much on your license plate.” That just makes it all the more easier for someone to peel off the new one.

Please give me a call if you have any questions.

CAR BREAK-IN UPDATE!

2010-11-17T15:40:00.001-08:00

Here’s some welcome news from the Park Police Station Newsletter covering incidents that happened last Friday (the 12th).

”First block of Anza Vista Ave. 1:55 am Auto Burglary - Arrest Made.

A resident called to report a parked car with a broken window. Officers Jackson and Wong found the car, but could not locate the owner. They remained in the neighborhood. The same resident called again when he saw a man enter the car and rummage through its contents. The resident confronted the man when he tried the handles to the resident's vehicle. The burglar fled and the police were called.

Officers Jackson and Wong recognized the description of the thief as a convicted burglar who lived on the 700 block of Lyon Street. They searched the area and found the 53 year old man carrying a gym bag containing shoes and clothing at Lyon Street and Golden Gate Avenue. They detained the man and the Anza Vista resident identified him as the burglar. The burglar was
arrested and the bag was seized. A pick up truck with a broken window and a similar gym bag was found on the first block of Anza Vista Avenue, too.

Sergeant Remedios took over the case later in the day and located the owners of the vehicles with the broken windows. One of the men reported his gym bag and its contents missing. Both men gave formal statements and the
case went forward. The burglar was on parole for a similar crime (he had been released from prison in July 2010) and a parole hold was placed on the man (meaning that he cannot be released on bail or on his own recognizance). Case 101050665”

This was a great job by the Police Officers and the resident who took the initiative to call the Police even though the first car wasn't his. That’s the way to be proactive against these thieves.

The suspect’s description sounds like the same person that was arrested last year in a car break-in at Anzavista and Terra Vista where an envelop containing cash was taken. After that arrest, there was a noticeable decrease in break-ins around our area. Hopefully, we'll have a similar result this time as well.

Anza Vista Neighborhood Association Newsletter 11-11-10

2010-11-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

NIKE REUSE A SHOE Campaign
This Saturday, November 13th is the final day of the NIKE REUSE-A-SHOE Campaign. Please drop your old running shoes in the bin at 57 Barcelona Ave between 10:00 am and Noon so that Nike can grind them up and turn them into resurfacing materials for schools and Recreational Centers.

AUTO BREAK-INS
There was another break-in of a van parked overnight last Tuesday at the corner of Anzavista and Terra Vista Avenues. I also noticed fresh glass this morning at the corner of Anzavista and Baker.

Jim Grossman, who attended the community meeting at Park Police Station Tuesday night, reports that our new Police Captain, Captain Denis O’Leary, stressed that all vehicle break-ins need to be reported so that he can get a full understanding of what’s going on up here and react accordingly. There is an easy-to-use, on-line reporting facility at:

http://www.sf-police.org/index.aspx?page=778

Please remember not to leave anything on your seats or even on the floor in your vehicles regardless of whether it’s day or night. And always call 553-0123 if you notice anyone behaving suspiciously in our area particularly if they’re looking into car windows or entryways. It’s important that you call immediately while the person is still here so you can provide an adequate description and direction the person is taking. If you do see an actual crime in progress or other activity that, in your mind, poses a threat, call 9-1-1.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS AT PARK STATION
Community meetings at Park Police Station, which often include interesting guest speakers, are held on the second Tuesday of every month and are a great vehicle for getting up to date on what’s been happening in our general area. Park Station is located at 1899 Waller Street off Stanyan in the old Kezar complex.

If you’d like to receive a copy of Park Station’s Newsletter, send an email request to Captain O’Leary at denis.o’leary@sfgov.org.

BURNED OUT STREET LAMPS
One way to be proactive in preventing car break-ins is to keep our streets lighted. There’s been at least five burned out street lights that I’ve been aware of over the last couple of months and it’s really easy for us to get those bulbs replaced. Just call 3-1-1 and the operator will notify the department responsible for replacing the burned out bulbs and give you a tracking number.

Each lamp post has a number stenciled on a metal plate partway up the light pole which identifies the specific pole but really all you need to get the process moving is the nearest street address. Normally bulbs are replaced within 48 hours.

Thom Dempster and Iris Woo have been kind enough to call in outages, even when they’re not on their own street, but we all should be more responsive in reporting outages that are right in front our own residences.

Please call me if you have any questions.

Annual Neighborhood Association Meeting Saturday February 27th!

2010-02-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone:

The annual general membership meeting for our neighborhood association will be:

Saturday, February 27th in
the Meeting Hall at
St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church at
the corner of Baker and Turk

Sign in, which provides an opportunity to meet and mingle with your neighbors for a few minutes, begins at 10:00 am and the meeting will start promptly at 10:30 am.

Guests will include:

Officers from Park Police Station and

Mark Farrell, Candidate for District 2 Supervisor

Please plan to attend as this is your chance to let us know what you’d like us to be working on this year. We’ll also be nominating and electing Officers and Board Members.

Annual dues remain at $10 per owner household and $5 per tenant household and can be paid at the door. If you’re unable to attend but would still like to support your local organization and receive newsletters about what going on, please mail a check payable to either Anza Vista Neighborhood Association or just AVCIC to Mark Sander, 15 Fortuna Ave., SF, CA 94115.

Please let me or Jeny Smith (640-8011) know if you’d be able to bring any treats or refreshments.

Remember that the entrance to the Meeting Hall is through the Church parking lot on Turk St.

Looking forward to seeing you there. Please call me if you have any questions.

Al Sodini
931-8988

Check out our photo book of the new Street Park!

2010-01-14T19:45:00.000-08:00

http://anzavistastreetpark.shutterfly.com/

The Street Park is on its way!

2009-10-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

DPW removed the concrete on the median today. Planting will commence on Saturday at 10am!

Divisadero Corridor to Get Major Facelift!!

2009-09-14T18:03:00.001-07:00

Starting Monday, Divisadero Street will receive a major facelift between Waller and Geary. The revitalization project will consist of new trees, streetlamps, bus shelters, pavement improvements, curb-ramps, This revitalization project will consist of curb-ramps and new sidewalk bulb-outs, new streetlamps, landscaping, sidewalk improvements, street trees, sewer installations, pavement improvements, and median improvements for pedestrian crossings. The Divisadero corridor has experienced a resurgence in recent years with a number of new businesses opening and the successes of the weekly farmers market and quarterly art walk. Supervisor Mirkarimi looks forward to these new improvements continuing this positive trend. Note that parking will be temporarily removed along sections of Divisadero and adjacent streets. Be sure to check the posted signs for the ‘no-parking' times and dates. The entire project is scheduled to last until January 2011. If you have any questions or experience any problems, feel free to contact our office, or you can contact Dadisi Najib at DPW at 437-7018 dadisi.najib@sfdpw.org. For after-hours emergencies, you can contact the contractor, Synergy Project Management Inc. at 415-850-0826.

Anzavista Greening's Street Park Plan APPROVED!

2009-07-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Simulation of median location currently and after planting

Site plan

Photos from the Block Party!!

2009-06-08T19:44:00.001-07:00

Update on the Anzavista Street Park

2009-05-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

The greening committee have met three times now and are moving along nicely with the neighborhood beautification project. If you'd like to participate in the planning please contact Jeny at 415-321-4237. Our next meeting is June 2nd at 6pm.

Rebecca Dye from Design Focus will be collaborating with us on the preliminary plant palette and donating her landscape architect services! We have a preliminary site plan from Daniel Hui a graduate student at UC Davis and are very excited and happy to have these two brilliant people working together with us to make this a true success.

The photo below is an example of planting done in the Outer Richmond neighborhood in SF. We will not be allowed by the city to plant trees in our project but we are looking to have a simple yet elegant design of drought tolerant plants with some vibrant colors to be a welcoming gate to the neighborhood.

Cracks in the Asphalt

2009-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

This book is incredible, it is called Cracks in the Asphalt. Just bought it and can't wait to go on an urban garden tour. Maybe our street median project will be in there one day!

It is full of beautiful color photographs of San Francisco community gardens, maps, and other useful information.

Encanto Avenue Gathering for a safer neighborhood

2009-02-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Our first meeting on Monday night for the Encanto Avenue neighborhood watch was a total success. We had many neighbors participate and everyone had an opportunity to talk about their concerns for the street. It was incredible to hear how long some of our neighbors have been on this street and truly a joy to see people meet who had never met before after so many years. Perhaps now we will wave or smile in passing and be able to look out for one another in times of need or emergency.

It was agreed that the next gathering would be to discuss home security.

Check out the SAFE website to learn more.

We are well on our way to creating a cohesive and supportive community!

See you at the next gathering, March 16th at 7pm.

Turn Brown Leaves Green

2009-01-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Adopt-A-Street Volunteer,

On behalf of the Department of Public Works, I want to thank you for your commitment to beautifying your street. Volunteers like you make our City look great. As the Adopt-A-Street Program celebrates its 10th year of cleaning and greening, we want to take this opportunity to let you know that there is a new component to Adopt-A-Street that we need your help with.

Trees are important to improving air quality and beautifying the landscape, but their leaves often end up in landfill. That’s why DPW is launching an educational campaign called, Turn Brown Leaves Green, to encourage residents to pick up leaves off of their streets, sidewalks, and catch basins and put them in their green recycling carts. You can help turn leaves into new life as rich nutrient compost that can be used in gardens and vineyards.

DPW is offering Adopt-A-Street members free compostable leaf bags to assist with this process. You will also receive a coupon to save on the purchase of a rake at participating stores, which the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is providing. (Offers are limited, while supplies last.)

We encourage you to order your leaf bag and coupon by calling 3-1-1. For more information about DPW’s Adopt-A-Street Program and Turn Brown Leaves to Green Campaign, please visit the website. You can also contact Merle Goldstone at 415-641-2625 or email her at merle.goldstone@sfdpw.org.

Thank you and we look forward to your continued participation.

Sincerely,
Mohammed Nuru
Deputy Director of Operations,
Department of Public Works

Encanto Ave Neighborhood Watch

2009-01-15T21:58:00.001-08:00

Our first Neighborhood Watch meeting for Encanto Ave will be on Monday February 9th at 7pm. For information please contact Jeny at 415-321-4237.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Finally 2009 is here and it is going to be a great year. Here are a couple photos of homes that will benefit from the median project and are nice examples of our neighborhood's architecture.

Turk and Baker's new STOPLIGHT!!

2008-12-17T21:14:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-16T18:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-27T18:51:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-02-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

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

Our neighborhood when it was Mt. Cavalry cemetery

2007-12-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

This photos shows Anzavista Neighborhood as seen from the east. You can see the USF campus in the foreground. Pretty amazing eh?

Source:http://webbie1.sfpl.org/multimedia/sfphotos/AAD-6131.jpg

Fall Block Party - September 29th 2007

2007-11-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Anzavista Neighborhood

2007-10-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all who live in our neighborhood of Anzavista in San Francisco!

Please come back soon to see photos from our recent neighborhood block party and to learn about updates, goings on, and happenings in the Anzavista neighborhood.