Most of the 1,500 people who come every Saturday
morning to the
Noe Valley Farmers Market probably don’t know that the
market’s very existence
is a small miracle. Eight years ago, a handful of neighbors
launched a protest
against Nutraceutical, the Utah-based corporation that had
shut down the now
blighted Real Food Company space at 3939 24th St., and fired
the employees who
were on the brink of unionizing.
The group of neighbors, which had never run a
farmers market,
decided to “take back the food,” and—as energized as we were
na•ve—start a
market of our own. The experts we consulted told us it would
take at least a
year to get one off the ground. We opened the farmers market
in three months.
People may not also know that ours isn’t just any
farmers market.
It’s the only independent, community-run
market in San
Francisco. “Community” is the operative word. What the
market’s founders didn’t
entirely realize is that in making the space for a market, we
also made a space
for community. Noe Valleyans come every Saturday not just to
shop, but to hang
out, let their children play and dance to the music, eat
brunch, and be
together.
Now, it’s eight years later and it’s time for
another miracle. As
the Noe Valley Voice reported in its February
issue, the
parking lot is being sold (the Noe Valley Ministry needs the
money for a
much-needed renovation); the market value is $4.5 million. Our
goal is to
purchase this property and transform it into a town square
that will be the
neighborhood’s to use for perpetuity, like a mountain that is
protected from
development. It’s only because I’ve seen it before—neighbors
stepping up to
make something wonderful and out-of-the-ordinary happens—that
I believe we can
pull this off, raising the necessary funds to preserve a
unique urban open
space that can be used throughout the week to host everything
from, of course,
the farmers market to children’s festivals and early morning
tai chi classes to
four-square dances and music events.
But the fact is that this project will not
succeed unless a few
civic-minded investors from Noe Valley step forward and make
substantial
donations to make this town square a reality. Our group has
been able to help
by gaining the support of the city administrators who pledged
money from San
Francisco’s Open Space fund for a significant portion of the
costs, but
ultimately the success of our efforts will depend on us, Noe
Valley neighbors,
with the wherewithal and the commitment to say “Yes” to what
could be a
magnificent public space for our community. If you are
someone, or
if you know someone, who might fall into this
category, we
would be eternally grateful if you would step forward to help
at this critical
moment.
Every Saturday, when our group stands outside the
market to raise
awareness and money, we’re seeing a groundswell of support.
We’ve raised tens
of thousands of dollars in pledges. But we need much more
help. If you love the
Noe Valley Farmers Market, if you want to preserve this rare
space on the
commercial strip of 24th Street, we invite you to step up and
make a pledge.
To get more information about creating a
permanent Noe Valley town
square and making a donation towards this effort, go towww.noevalleytownsquare.comor
stop
by the market. We have a table set up in front and would love
to have you
be a part in making this brand-new miracle on 24th Street
happen.
Leslie Crawford
Co-Founder, Noe Valley Farmers Market
Board Member, Residents for Noe Valley Town
Square
Wanted: Police on the Beat
Editor:
Here’s an issue I’d like addressed by the Police
Department: Why
does Noe Valley not have a beat officer every day? As we all
know, our beloved
Officer Lorraine Lombardo has been off for a couple of months
between her surgery
and vacation. In the meantime, major shoplifting has returned
to 24th Street,
new street people/shopping-cart people have arrived, and some
are sleeping in
the parklets and on the Chase Bank building’s brick benches at
the corner of
Noe Street.
At one time we had two beat officers, which meant
there was always
coverage. Now, if Lorraine is off we have no coverage. With
Lorraine talking
retirement in the not too distant future, I am afraid what
this ultimately
would mean for the neighborhood’s safety and security.
We merchants try to increase the number and scope
of events to
energize the community (SummerFEST, 24 HoliDAYS, Harvest
Festival, etc.), but
it costs money to produce them. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the
money for events
had to be re-allocated to security efforts because the city no
longer provided
the community policing we’ve always had.
David Eiland
Owner, Just For Fun
Piling on the Examiner
Editor:
In the May 2012 edition of the Noe Valley
Voice,Leslie
Wellbaum wrote a letter to the editor asking if anyone else
was frustrated with
the San Francisco Examiner’s unsolicited
delivery of its
newspaper in our neighborhood. I am and I agree with Ms.
Wellbaum that
unsolicited delivery of newspapers after repeated requests to
stop delivery,
following theExaminer’s own procedure to request a
stop, is
tantamount to public littering.
Like Ms. Wellbaum, several years ago, I called
theExaminer to
ask that the paper not be delivered to our home several times.
When that did
not work, I emailed all of the contacts in the paper to stop
delivery. When
that did not work, I emailed all of the contacts in the
newspaper and Bevan
Dufty, who at that time was our supervisor. Imagine this: it
took an email from
Bevan Dufty to get the Examiner to stop
delivery. While I was
sorry my little issue distracted Supervisor Dufty from more
important tasks, I
was delighted that it worked.
To my disappointment, the next year, the
unsolicited deliveries of
the Examiner started again. Again, I called
several times, I
emailed, and I finally involved our new supervisor, Scott
Wiener. It took an
email from Scott Wiener to the Examiner’s office
to finally
get the deliveries to stop.
I asked Supervisor Wiener how the Examiner could
possibly
be allowed to continue to deliver unsolicited newspapers. The
reply
was: the right to free speech. I believe in the right to free
speech. I also
believe that when reasonable measures are taken to ask to be
excluded from
delivery, they should be respected. We should not have to go
all the way to the
supervisor’s office to ask the Examiner to
stop delivery.
It makes me sad to see the streets lined with
papers that have not
been picked up for days. Clearly, there are not just two Noe
Valleyans who are
not interested in reading the Examiner. Maybe
the Examiner should
come by the next day and pick up all of the papers they have
dropped off.
Nancy McGee
23rd Street
That Amendment Again
Editor:
Ms. Wellbaum’s complaint about S.F.
Examiners all
over the place in their slippery plastic bags (Noe Valley
Voice, May 2012) is
well founded, and her deliveries should be discontinued. There
is, however, a
complication called the First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution.
A number of years ago, a complaint was voiced
about the
proliferation of newspaper racks in Noe Valley, and San
Francisco in general.Chronicle columnist
Herb Caen researched this and found out that the racks were
protected under the
freedom of the press clause in the amendment.
I think that distributing the Examiner in
the way
the publisher is doing, while very annoying, is protected in
the same way. I am
afraid that we would not be able to muster the requisite
number of votes, even
here in Noe Valley, to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Don Schultz
24th Street
Embrace the Litter
Editor:
Litter?!? Did someone say litter!?! I
walk dogs
three times a day and the litter problem in Noe Valley is
horrid! But I do not
include the Examiner under that
heading; it doesn’t
blow around. Pick it up and toss it! The S.F. Chron now
costs
over $400 a year. The Examiner is a nice source
of info and
publishes AMC movie schedules, not just Century, and it’s
free. I only had to
call once when I needed something. Don’t give up.
However, complaining is not going to solve the
problem. We need to
actively clean up the papers and coffee shop/food containers
that float about
our lovely neighborhood. I do so every day, three times a day.
One generally
has soiled, dirty hands when walking dogs, so picking up a few
papers is not a
problem. If each of us did that, it would go a long way toward
creating a
cleaner, nicer area. And bending down and picking up is good
exercise! Shop
owners take care of the spaces in front of their
establishments. We need to
take care of the space in front of our homes. One usually
washes one’s hands
when returning home, so a little litter soil shouldn’t
inconvenience anyone too
much. Please pitch in!!
The Phantom Dog Walker
Name withheld by request
Brokers Not Always Good Parkers
Editor:
Tuesdays are the days that Noe Valley real estate
brokers hold
open houses for new listings that come on the market. With the
current tech
boom and Noe Valley being “hot,” Realtors flock to those open
houses in a
feeding frenzy. They park on the sidewalk, block driveways,
and double-park.
They seem to think that because they are Realtors they are
important and that
rules about pedestrian safety, blocking traffic, and
disrupting the peace of
the neighborhood do not apply to them.
On May 15, there was a brokers open house at 1430
Diamond St. I
walked my dog past the home at 12:30 and there were two cars
blocking the
sidewalk (one in a neighbor’s driveway) and two Realtors
double-parked (one in
each direction). I stopped and said to three of them something
to the effect
that blocking sidewalks was inconsiderate, unnecessary, and
illegal, especially
when there are open parking spaces within one half block. The
replies went
something like, “You can walk around me,” “I will only be a
few minutes,” and
“Why? Does it bother you?”
Realtors appear to have rationalized their bad
behavior; they
certainly are not being good citizens of Noe Valley or
responsible business
people. Following the law, respect for the neighbors, and
consideration for
pedestrians should be at the top of their business values.
I think it is time for Noe Valley Realtors to
re-set their parking
practices. Personally, I would not do business with any
Realtor whose ethics
allow them to break the law and behave as inconsiderate
adults.
Larry D. Trask
LETTERS to the EDITOR
THEVOICE welcomes
your letters to the editor. Write theNoe Valley Voice, P.O.
Box 460249,
S.F., CA 94146. Or email editor@noevalleyvoice.com. Please
include
your full name and contact information. (Anonymous letters
will not be
considered for publication.) Be aware that letters may be
edited for brevity or
clarity. We look forward to hearing from you.
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE
P.O. Box 460249
San Francisco, CA 94146
www.noevalleyvoice.com
The Noe Valley Voice is an
independent newspaper
published monthly except in January and August. It is
distributed free in Noe
Valley and vicinity, on or before the first Friday of the
month. Subscriptions
are available at $30 per year ($25 for seniors) by writing to
the above
address.
The Voice welcomes your letters,
photos, and
stories, particularly on topics relating to Noe Valley. All
items should
include your name, address, and phone number, and may be
edited for brevity or
clarity. (Unsigned letters will not be considered for
publication.) Unsolicited
contributions will be returned only if accompanied by a
self-addressed, stamped
envelope.
The Noe Valley Voice is a member
of the San
Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association.
Email: editor@noevalleyvoice.com
Editorial: 415-821-3324
Website: www.noevalleyvoice.com
Distribution: Call Misha, 415-752-1726
Display Advertising: Call Pat,
415-608-7634,
or email PatRose@noevalleyvoice.com
Class Ads: See home page
Display Advertising Deadline for the
July/August Issue: June 15, 2012
Editorial/Class Ad Deadline: June 15, 2012
CO-PUBLISHERS/EDITORS
Sally Smith, Jack Tipple
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND
EDITORS
Olivia Boler, Other Voices Editor
Corrie M. Anders, Associate Editor
Heather World, Associate Editor
Heidi Anderson, Karol Barske, Helen Colgan,
Chrissy Elgersma, Jan
Goben, Liz Highleyman, Rebecca Huval, Laura McHale Holland,
Florence Holub, Tim
Innes, Jeff Kaliss, Doug Konecky, Roger Rubin, Shayna Rubin,
Karen Topakian,
Nicole Wong
