Issue 189, Winter 2010 - Telegraph Hill Dwellers

The SemaphoreThe SemaphoreA Publication of the Telegraph Hill DwellersA Publication of the Telegraph Hill DwellersWhy Native GARDENS?page 28Issue 189 winter 2010

From the Desk of Supervisor Chiuanyone who wishes to build a garage in a residentialproperty to obtain conditional use authorizationfrom the Planning Commission. As currentlydrafted, the legislation would deny authorization fora garage permit for properties where certain types ofevictions have been executed. The legislation is beingreviewed by the Planning Department, and will beconsidered by the Board in the coming months.Budget, Budget, BudgetDuring this past summer, the Board ofSupervisors and the Mayor passed a budget thatbalanced a $438M budget deficit for the 2009-2010fiscal year, and I know many of our residents havealready felt the impact of budget cutbacks for this fiscalyear. Unfortunately, with revenues continuing toslide, not only does the City have to balance a $45Mmid-year 2009-2010 deficit, but projections showthat we will now have another $522M budget deficitto balance for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. These areunprecedented numbers, and will require unprecedenteddecisions by City Hall.For the November 2009 ballot, I spearheadedthe successful Proposition A campaign, which willnow require multi-year budgeting and longer-termfinancial planning. While Prop A will hopefully forceour city to address structural budget issues head-onand not defer our budget problems into subsequentyears, we will need to continue to reform city government,find new solutions and make deep cuts toprograms and services. I welcome any and all ideasyou may have in this regard.PARKS, TREES, & BIRDS REPORTby Judy IrvingGreenwich Steps: In November, certified arboristIan Butler completed the second THD project in theGreenwich Steps right-of-way: removal of vines andNew view corridors will support native plants“fire ladders” (extremely flammabledead lower branches) from two largedeodar cedars. Funding was providedby the Valetta Heslet Garden Fund of the NortheastSan Francisco Conservancy. DPW collaboratedby sending their “chipper” the day after thepruning to chip, then haul away plant debris.Coit Tower: The Forest Managementproject took a great leap forward in earlyOctober, when view corridors were openedup through the Monterey cypress grove. Nowthose areas have been prepped and plantedwith native shrubs, grasses, and vines such aslizard tail and Oregon grape. The plants aresurrounded by netting that resembles giantburlap, and the gardeners have placed bafflesacross the hillside—all to prevent erosion onTelegraph Hill’s steep rocky slope.continued on page 29Issue #189 • Winter 2010 9

North Beach Icons:A Little Older, A Little BetterBy Ernest BeylNorth Beach, to paraphrase Hemingway, is amoveable feast. Yes, the old neighborhoodis changing— “evolving” might be a betterword— and that’s good. But some things don’t change;and that’s good too. North Beach hosts many of theoldest business establishments in San Francisco, treasuredicons that are only improving with age.Here are some classics. There are others to besure, but these have been researched recently.Fior d’ItaliaOpening on Broadway in 1886 on the groundfloor of an upstairs brothel, Fior d’Italia is believedto be the oldest continuously operating Italian restaurantin the U.S. In 1893, when that buildingburned to the ground, the restaurant moved nearbyuntil, in the great earthquake and fire of April 1906,it burned again. Fior soon reopened, however—thistime in a tent. The night before the ’06 catastrophethe incomparable Italian tenor Enrico Caruso haddined at Fior d’Italia. He fled the city the next dayand never returned.The restaurantcontinued at variousBroadway locationsuntil 1953 andthen made a jump toUnion and Stockton,remaining there untila devastating fireclosed it in 2004.The following yearit moved into theground floor of theSan Remo Hotel onMason.For more that 30 years now, Chef GianniAudieri from Milan has been serving up the morethan 90 Northern Italian dishes on the menu.The restaurant’s ownership also has been remarkablystable. During most of its existence there havebeen only four sets of owners: the original Angelo DelMonte family from Genoa, four Marianetti brothersfrom Lucca and later Achille Panteleoni, also fromLucca. In 1990, Bob Larive, a long-time restaurantexecutive, his wife Jinx and a silent partner, took over.These days Fior d’ Italia, like other establishments, isbeing hit hard by the perilous economic times. BobLarive is up front about this in his comments: “Thesetimes are difficult. We are operating on an almost dayto day basis—almost all restaurants are feeling pain.Although it’s to everyone’s advantage to keep the oldNorth Beach merchants in business, frankly, we don’tget much support from nearby residents.”Molinari’sPerhaps no otherinstitution representsthe heady essence ofNorth Beach betterthan Molinari’sDelicatessen. Sinceits origin in 1896 thebusiness has been located at the corner of Columbusand Vallejo. This enduring institution is presided overby Joe Mastrelli, third generation Italian-American.The young capo proclaims that Molinari’s is not onlythe oldest delicatessen in San Francisco, but the oldestwest of the Rockies. No simple neighborhooddeli, it carries more than a thousand Italian delicatezze(delicacies)—fine cheeses, homemade pastas,sauces, olive oils, vinegars, sausages and “cased meats”continued on next pageIssue #189 • Winter 2010 1 1

North Beach Icons cont’d from page 11such as salami, zampino, coppa, mortadella, galantinaand sopresetta.Molinari’s Delicatessen is the legacy of twoItalian families—the Molinaris and the Mastrellis—both from Italy’s Piedmonte region, high on the map’sItalian-booted leg. The Molinaris immigrated toSan Francisco in the 1800s, first opening a sausagefactory and then the delicatessen. Alfred Mastrelli,Joe Mastrelli’s grandfather, came to the city in 1908,joining the Molinaris. In 1962 Bob Mastrelli, Joe’sfather, took over the operation. Retired now, he isstill a partner in the business. Today Joe runs the delicatessenand his friend Frank Giorgi, another thirdgenerationItalian-American, heads up P.G. Molinari& Son south of the city where they make sausagesand “cased meats” sold in Molinari’s delicatessen.Victoria Pastry CompanyVictoria Pastry Company at Stockton andVallejo has operated since 1914 and still uses thesame brick oven. It was founded by two Sicilianbrothers. These heroes will have to remain unsung.No one at Victoria— which was named after oneof the brother’s daughters— can come up with theirnames. The bakery still uses original Sicilian recipes.Favorites include: Tiramisu, a delicate pastry layeredwith zabaglione and flavored with rum, and Cannoli,crisp pastry shells filled with sweetened ricottacheese and chocolate chips.Today Victoria is owned and operated by SusanFlaherty and Dino Belluomini who acquired it in1994. A few years ago the pair decided to stretch outand purchased Stella Bakery on Columbus. Stella’s,which opened in 1945, is the home of the etherealwhite sponge cake called Sacripantina, flavored withmaraschino liqueur, a bit of rum, with zabaglionespread among its multi layers.The story goes that there was a baker in Genoawho made this incredible cake. It seems that the wifeof a Genovese nobleman wanted to present her husbandwith a new dessert to gain his increased ardor(a sensible enough idea). So she created a special cakefor him. The nobleman took one bite and cried out‘Sacripantina!” which we are asked to believe is idiomaticItalian for something like “Holy Smoke.”Susan traces her interest in bakeries and baking toan early internship at the famous, but long-gone SanFrancisco bakery Fantasia where she learned to makeand decorate Belgian chocolate Easter eggs. Dino beganhis career as a dishwasher at (where else?) Stella’s. Heworked there five years and emerged as a baker.LiguriaThat addictive flatbread Italians call focaccia isone of several sound reasons to live in North Beach.And in North beach focaccia means Liguria Bakeryoperated at the corner of Filbert and Stockton by theSoracco family—father George, mother Josephine,daughter Mary and sons Michael and Daniel.This is a tale of an immigrant family of bakersfrom Genoa, port city of the province of Liguria innorthwest Italy. It was grandfather Ambrogio and hisbrother Joseph who led the Soraccos to San Franciscoback in 1910. The following year Ambrogio openedLiguria Bakery on the corner of Stockton and Filbert.It still operates with the original brick-lined oven.Originally the Soraccos made not only focaccia,which they sold for about 25 cents a sheet, but alsosourdough loaves, biscotti, panattone and grissini. Atvarious times the Soraccos also sold eggs, butter, milkand blocks of ice. They provided delivery service tonearby houses and restaurants by horse-drawn carriage.Gradually focaccia dominated the business andLiguria became a one product operation. To manyin North Beach, Liguria focaccia is a commodity, ahousehold staple.Baking starts at about 5am. Although theSoraccos are secretive about the exact ingredients,measurements and methods they employ, it willcontinued on next page12 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

North Beach Icons cont’d from page 12reveal nothing to report that flour, yeast, water, canolaand olive oil and “some spices” go into making thisexquisite flatbread. Then the focaccia is rolled out andplaced into flat pans and drizzled with olive oil andcoarse salt. The pans are slid into the oven which hasbeen heated the night before to 800 to 900 degreesFahrenheit and the sheets of focaccia are baked forten to fifteen minutes.For those with a focaccia passion, it’s a good ideato get to Stockton and Filbert early. Frequently there isa line that stretches around the corner and up Filbert.When Liguria sells out, that’s it. The CLOSED signgoes up on the door and the day is over.Little City MarketIn the old days, let’s say around the 1940s, therewere half a dozen or so Italian butcher shops inNorth Beach. Today Little City Market is the onlyone in the neighborhood and one of the few, oldfashioned,independent butcher shops in the city.Higher rents, labor costs, dwindling profit margins,all took their toll. Add the rise of the ubiquitoussupermarkets with the self-service, shrink-wrappedmeats, poultry and fish—and their shrink-wrappedprices—and you will understand what made theindependent butcher shops seem superfluous. Manyof the old butchers retired and their offspring preferredother careerpaths.But Little CityMarket, under itscurrent proprietorRon Spinali, justkeeps rolling along.What’s the secret toits longevity?Little City is aninformal neighborhoodclubhouse forthose who like goodfood and like to chatabout it. It just happens to sell top quality meats—select beef (corn-fed steaks), pork, “rose” and “white”veal, chicken and eggs and other products like hand-made Sicilian and Calabrase sausages from old familyrecipes.In 1941, Ron Spinali’s father George openedLittle City. The Spinali family is from Sicily. PatriarchLuciano Spinali came to San Francisco at the turn ofthe century, joining a long line of Sicilian immigrantswho became fishermen. He operated his own fishingboat at Fisherman’s Wharf. But his son, GeorgeSpinali, broke with tradition and became a meat cutter,working for Buon Gusto, a long-gone Italian market.A generous but frugal man, George Spinali savedhis money and opened Little City Market on GreenStreet. It remained there until 1951 when he moved tothe present site at the corner of Stockton and Vallejo.When George Spinali died in 1972, Little CityMarket went to Ron who had worked for his fathersince he was eight. Ron in turn, brought his son,Michael, into the operation when he was 16.Along with the select meat products and uniqueItalian sausages, Little City features a variety ofother items, none more important than the housedemi-glace, the intense veal-bone stock, reduced to itsessence over hours of simmering, that Ron and Mikeproduce on the premises. “A little demi,” Ron says“adds a richness and body to almost any dish.”Ron’s reference to “richness” and “body” mightserve as a closing text for this article. For it is thelong-standing establishments described here thatcontribute most mightily to the richness and bodythat is our North Beach landscapeBuon Gusto!Ernest Beyl is a North Beach writer and frequentcontributor to Semaphore. He refers to himself as “anaspiring gourmand” and patronizes the classic NorthBeach establishments profiled in this article.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 1 3

THD Celebrates Non-Profit AquariumBy Katie HopkinsOn September 28th, more than fifty TelegraphHill Dwellers gathered for a membershipmeeting at the Aquarium of the Bay nearFisherman’s Wharf. John Frawley, President and CEOof the Aquarium, gave an inspirational talk duringwhich we learned of the Aquarium’s 13-year transitionfrom a failing commercial business to a fullyaccredited, successfulmarine nature center.After this introduction,we were treatedto a private tour ofthe amazing centerand got to know (andtouch) some of ourthousands of neighborsin the bay.The Aquariumof the Bay becamea nonprofit marinenature center in Juneof this year. Withcontributions frommany individualdonors, corporationsand foundations, the Aquarium was able to developinto a 65,000 square foot facility. It features 300 feetof crystal clear acrylic tunnels holding over 700,000gallons of filtered Bay water. So, you can get up closeand personal with more than 20,000 marine animalsfrom the San Francisco Bay and nearby waters.Sharks, bat rays, octopi, jelly fish, skates, eels, invertebrates,and local fish species create an experiencethat inspires conservation of the San Francisco Bayand other marine environments.Although it’s amazing to observe an abundantarray of creatures, theBay and its watershedis in trouble.The Aquarium’s goalis for every visitor tocome away with newknowledge about thelife dwelling withinthe Bay, as well aswhat can be done tohelp preserve it.So, make sureto stop by and introduceyourself to ourbuddies beyond thebeach. Who knows?Maybe next year we’llchange the “Parks,Trees, and Birds” Committee to “Parks, Trees, Birds,and Marine Animals” Committee... what do youthink, Judy Irving?Dale Chumley, eat your heart out: Jellies on display at theAquarium by the Bay. Ph o t o by Ju l ie Ja y c o x14 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

BOB WATKE RECEIVES DWELLERS’ 2009BEAUTIFICATION AWARDby Merle GoldstoneThe recipient of the 2009 Telegraph HillDwellers’ Beautification Award will come asno surprise to anyone who walks or drives upUnion Street on a regular basis. At the organization’sSeptember 28th membership meeting, the awardwas presented to Bob Watke, the tall, lanky andsilver-haired gentleman who can usually befound sweeping the sidewalk at Kearnyand Union Street, keeping the intersectionspotlessly clean.A Telegraph Hill resident of25 years, Bob has lived with hiswife Donna in their condominiumoverlooking this well-traveled cornersince 1997.Since retiring, Bob hasmade it his business to keephis neighborhood clean. Askedhow his campaign began, herecalled, “When we movedin, the street was trashy lookingand I had the time to dosomething about it.”Sweeping up litter and removinggraffiti in an ever expanding areahas become the mission of this formermarketing executive, who loves livingin San Francisco and North Beach inparticular, but thinks the City needs cleaningup. Not content to sweep his own sidewalk, Bobpicks up litter and trash on his entire block, sweepingSonoma Alley as well. “If you don’t stay on top of it,it’ll just pile up on you,” he says.Bob’s pet peeves: neighbors who put mattresses,sofas and chairs in front of their places and don’t callBob and Donna Watke. Ph o t o by Merle Go l d s t o n efor pickup…and the free newspapers and magazinesthat are flung on the sidewalks. Somewhere, somebody’salways littering and the wind blows the trashup the street.So Bob is on the job all hours of the day, sweeping,calling 311 to get City services, and making surethat the neighborhood looks pristine. “I’m oneof those types who like to be busy all thetime.”“As soon as he gets up in the morning,he’s out there cleaning the street”,Donna chimes in.Traveling is Bob’s other passion,but neighbors need not worry thatthings will go downhill when he isaway. Bob and Donna’s son Markstays in their place and he does thesweeping. Like father, like son!“I hope I’ve inspired othersto get involved in cleaning theneighborhood,” says Bob, whonoted that some of his neighborshave taken up sweeping too. “Myneighbor Brad does a good job upthe street.”Next time you see Bob or Bradout there sweeping, give them somelove.(The author of this article is an employeeof the Department of Public Works and helpsto coordinate the Adopt-A-Street volunteer program.Adopt-A-Street supports the efforts of volunteerslike Bob Watke by providing free brooms,dustpans, leaf and litter bags and litter bag pickup.For more information about volunteering, call 311.)Issue #189 • Winter 2010 1 5

Before the Castro:North Beach a Gay Meccaby Dick Boyd – Author of “Broadway North Beach: TheGolden Years”This story has been a blast from the past forme. From 1948 through the 50’s I was a habituéof North Beach. I hit many of the wateringholes in this story. In 1955, I was a Grey Line TourGuide for their Night Club tours that made stops atFinocchio’s, the Gay Nineties and La Casa Dora, allon Broadway. In 1960 I became a partner in Pierre’sBar at 546 Broadway.During these years I was an observer of, if notregularly a participant in, the homophobic behaviorof the time. In the 40’s and 50’s and into the early60’s, gay guys were called either “fairies,” “homos,”“fags,” or “queers.” Lesbians were called “butches” or“bull dykes.” Homophobia reigned. A post WWII“macho” culture prevailed. It was that way in highschool and college in both athletics and fraternity life.In fact, the fraternity that a group of my friends and Istarted in 1948 at San Francisco State, “black balled”(no pun intended), some years after our departure,James MacGuiness, pianist, Black Cat, 1965Johnny Mathis, not because of his race, but becauseof his sexual orientation. The irony here is that atour founding we had applied for a national charterbut declined it after we learned of the national’s racialand religious stipulations. We called ourselves AlphaZeta Sigma and to us that meant we welcomedeveryone from A to Z. But by the mid-fifties thatfounding principle had been forgotten.I was going to all kinds of places in North Beachin the late 40’s and early 50’s. I don’t recall beingasked for an ID. My favorite two places were Vesuvioand 12 Adler. In the late 40’s, I was usually with theboys and the focus was on drinking and stories. Inthe early 50’s I began hitting Broadway for the girls.I did notice that 12 Adler was laden with Butches aswell as some foxy ladies. I was running on pure testosterone,so I only focused on the foxes. I don’t recallwhether on not I made a convert, but I do remembertrying. I never counted how many times I struck out.I just kept stepping up to the plate.Later at Pierre’s we had a few surprising gay experiences.Our Schlitz beer salesman saidhe belonged to the Mattachine Society (agay political organization formed in the1930’s lobbying for gay rights). My partnerand I never had a clue what it was, andthe guy was anything but swishy. DaveKopay was one of the 49ers that came inon Sundays after 49er games then playedat Kezar Stadium. His nickname in trainingcamp was “Animal.” He was the firstprofessional football player to “come out”publicly, a very courageous act at the time.Bill Paul, who was our bouncer for twoyears (1962 to 1964) and left to train forthe US Judo team, becoming captain ofcontinued on next page16 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

North Beach Gay Mecca continued from page 16the 1964 Olympic team in Tokyo, came out a fewyears later. He became president of the StonewallGay Democratic Club. He died in 1988 from a braintumor associated with the HIV virus.Now to the story. I have focused on five clubsthat best exemplify a cross section of gay/lesbianestablishments at the time.Tommy’s Joint, 299 Broadway, 1948 to 1952,Tommy’s Place, 529 Broadway, 1952 to 1954(Now the Garden of Eden)—Tommy Vasu wasthe first known lesbian to legally own a bar in SanFrancisco. When out on the town she dressed like aman in double-breasted suits, wide tie and a fedorahat. She used the men’s room, had a beautiful blondgirlfriend and loved to gamble. In short, she was arisk taker. She often came into Pierre’s for high stakesprearranged liar’s dice games with artist/entrepreneurWalter Keane.The 299 Broadway site was where businessmenJeannie Sullivan & Tommy Vasu (far right) taken at Mona’s.from the nearby financial district could find a willinghooker out of sight of prying eyes at places likePaoli’s. Stevedores from the docks close by also partookof the hookers on paydays. The hookers werethe girlfriends of the butches who hung out there.Adjoining Tommy’s Place was 12 Adler (nowSpecs) accessible by a back staircase. It was a lesbianpick-up rendezvous. Upstairs was entertainmentpretty much by whoever cared to perform. During apurge of gay bars in the early 50’s, 12 Adler lost itsliquor license in what appeared to outsiders as a setup.Drugs were found taped to the drain under thesink in the ladies room.Tommy ran the Broadway Parking concessionand was around Broadway until the mid 60’s.Tommy’s high maintenance blond was a heroinaddict and Tommy became a dealer to supply herneeds. She got busted and sent to Tehachapi whereshe was murdered shortly after her release.The Paper Doll, 1949 to1961—Located on Cadell Place justoff Union was a gay bar/restaurant.It was owned by New Pisa restaurantowner and North Beach baseballlegend Dante Benedetti. I livedaround the corner on Grant andate there frequently. The food wasexcellent. You could get a steak withall the trimmings for $1.65. I couldeven afford to tip at those prices.In the late 1950’s and early 60’sthe Paper Doll held Halloween partiesoverflowing down Union and upto Grant. There was a contest heldfor the best costume and drag queenscame from as far away as New Yorkto compete for the crown.Dante got busted in the samepurge of gay bars as Tommy Vasu.continued on next pageIssue #189 • Winter 2010 1 7

North Beach Gay Mecca continued from page 17He pursued appeals but finally lost the battle in1961. Later the place became the Manhattan Towers,owned by Katherine James, and leaned more towardsa lesbian pick-up place.The Black Cat, 710 Montgomery, 1933 to1963 (Now Bocadillo’s)—A Bohemian hangoutlocated right across from “The Monkey (readMontgomery Street) Block Building,” home ofBohemian legends William Saroyan, Benny Bufanoand Enrico Banducci. They, along with socialites,gays and “butches” cruising for new talent, bikers,the curious and college kids like myself looking for acheap meal, could be seen there. On a Sunday morningyou could cure a hangover with a great breakfastand a couple of Bloody Marys for under $3 bucks.In 1949, straight Black Cat owner Sol Stoumantook the issues of identifying and serving homosexualsto court (Stouman vs Reilly) and won. GeorgeReilly was the head of the Board of EqualizationFront of Mona’s 1945(BOE), which at the time was in charge of enforcementand taxation. This was before the AlcoholicBeverage Control (ABC) and enforcement at barsand clubs was hazy at best. The SFPD was sayingthat the Black Cat was attracting undesirables andStouman was being harassed and threatened withclosure by the SFPD, the BOE and later the ABC.For help, Stouman formed the San Francisco TavernGuild, which became the first gay bar association andstill functions to this day. However, the reformers(SFPD and the State Legislature) were relentless intheir legal efforts and eventually, after new legislation,the courts overturned the earlier ruling whichforced the Black Cat to close October 30th, 1963,after a 14 year legal struggle.The Beige Room, 831 Broadway, 1949 to1958 (Now the Woo Yee Children’s Services)—Strictly gay, it featured female impersonators whowere mostly gay. Unlike Finnochio’s it was not atourist trap and gay men felt more comfortable hangingout there. Also unlike Finocchio’s, where ownerJoe Finocchio forbade such socialization for fear oflosing his liquor license, the openly gay performersoften socialized with the customers. This often ledto wild after hour parties. Many of San Francisco’shigh society were to be seen there on special occasions,one of which was the Tavern Guild’s BeauxArts Ball, which like the Halloween event at thePaper Doll, was all about the costumes featured bythe drag queens. The establishment even had itsown columnist Henry Diekow who called himselfBaroness Von Dieckoff and called his column “Baga-Drag-bythe Bay” mimicking Herb Caen’s column“Baghdad-by-the-Bay”.Mona’s, 440 Broadway, 1939 to 1948—LesbianPick-up and Male Impersonators. Women dressedlike men and entertained customers.Mona Sargent and then husband Jimmie startedthe biz right after the repeal of Prohibition at 451continued on page 2318 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

The Invasion of the Testarossasby Paul KohlerThe high school marching band pauses at theapex of Columbus and Stockton, obedientlyfollowing their majorette. The drummersat the back enforce a rhythmic stationary march,“Boom… Boom… Boom…” The black furry Busbyhelmets, feather plumes, jackets with epaulets, sashesand white gloves unify the teenagers into one unit. Nowthe majorette blows her whistle and the woodwinds,brass and percussion follow in unison past NorthBeach Restaurant and down the gradual decline pastVictorian buildings, Caffe Delucchi, Mangarosa, CaffeRoma, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana and Café Divine tothe majestic Washington Square Park.The sidewalks are packed with enthusiasticsupporters who clap with appreciation, while proudrelatives of the band members wave and shout theirnames and bored younger siblings wrestle on thesidewalk curb. The sky is blindingly bright bluewith wisps of slowly moving clouds, colors so sharpand powerful they strain the eyes. The majorettetwirls her baton with increasing speed and launchesit into the vast sky. Like a slow moving bolero theparade route snakes its way from Fisherman’s Wharfthrough North Beach, Chinatown and back to NorthBeach, ending at the Washington Square in front ofSaints Peter and Paul Church.But during all this activity neighborhood denizensand even tourists are at sea. Café regulars atTrieste, Puccini and Roma are thrown off their routinesand established territorial seating arrangementsno longer hold. The typical tourist activities are givena rest. The amphibious vehicle Bay Quackers Duckcontinued on page 29Issue #189 • Winter 2010 1 9

A Neighborhood5.PreservedText and photos by Howard Wong“Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes madeof ticky tacky, Little boxes on the hillside, Littleboxes all the same.”—Malvina Reynolds, Song Lyrics(1962).Fortunately, and not accidentally,North Beach and Telegraph Hill’slittle boxes aren’t all the same. Insync with topography and the area’s naturalbeauty, our manmade milieu is shapedby neighborhood activism, civic pride,urban design/planning principles and historicpreservation standards.Incrementally, buildings and siteshave been added to the National Registerof Historic Places and the CaliforniaRegister of Historical Resources. AndCity-designated landmarks in NorthBeach represent temporal markers thatenrich the feel of the urban composition.In November 2008, Proposition Jcreated the Historic Preservation Commission,whose mission is in keeping withthe desire of the citizens that historicallysignificantsites and high-quality architectureshould be professionally evaluatedand the best preserved.Gradually over time, historically andarchitecturally significant buildings createthe urban texture and soul that definea unique society. San Francisco’s essenceincludes venerable historic resources,which need to be honored and their valueprotected for the enjoyment of visitors,residents, families, and children. Thereare some buildings, many renovated fornew uses, that deserev our attention.8.3.1.City LBroadw2. Bauer &Chestn3 ItalianGreenw4. Our Lat Ma20 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

2.1.6.ights Bookstore (1907), 261 Columbus ataySchwitzer Malting Company (1906-1908), 550ut at MasonSwiss Colony Building (1903), 1265 Battery atichady of Guadeloupe Church (1912), 906 Broadwayson5. Beltline Railroad Roundhouse Complex (1914-1918),Sansome at the Embarcadero and Lombard6. Columbus Tower (Sentinal Building) (1907), 916-20Kearney at Columbus7. Julius’ Castle (1923, 1928), 302-304 Greenwich atMontgmery8. North Beach Branch Library (1958), 2000 Mason atColumbus7.4.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 2 1

Restaurant ReviewTHE CHANGING FACE OF NORTHBEACH ITALIAN RESTAURANTSBy Carol PetersonPULCINELLA, 641 Vallejo St., San Francisco 94133415.829.7312 H H H ½Folks in North Beach know good Italian foodand won’t settle for less. That’s why I wasexcited to find another extraordinary Italianrestaurant joining the ranks of Sodini’s, E Tutto Qua,Vicoletto and Albona. This eatery, featuring the cuisineof Naples, is Pulcinella, located in the 600 blockof Vallejo St. The restaurant’s name derives from thecomedia del arte character associated with Naples, anda rendering of the character Pulcinella, executed by thelocal artist Vranas, dominates this wall mural.After a first visit to the restaurant, I knew Iwanted to write a review to share my enthusiasm forthis new establishment. I met the owner’s cousin,Dario, and arranged to come back, taste some specialties,and interview the owner Luigi Pucci, a nameI did not recognize.But when I actually met this Luigi I was in for abig surprise: The man looked at me and I looked athim. We smiled and said at the same time, “I knowyou!” Standing in front of me was the head waiterfrom E Tutto Qua that always made me feel likeI was the most special person to ever come to therestaurant. I knew he had left E Tutto Qua—withEnzo’s blessings – but I didn’t know where he hadgone. A Neapolitan native, Luigi brings with him allthe recipes from his family, which happens to own aprominent Italian flour company. Here’s an accountof some of the excellent food we sampled.As an appetizer, the hit was the imported16-month-aged prosciutto and creamy mozzarellacheese. The salty prosciutto complimented the mild,creamy cheese. This simple but wonderful dish,which can be shared by two, was embellished with apinch of sea salt and freshly crushed pepper. Anothermust-taste was the arugula salad with seared scallopsso fresh they could have come right out of the tank.Diners can expect this kind of consistent freshnessat Pulcinella because Luigi shops every day at theFarmer’s Market for vegetables, fruit and fish. Thescallops were perfectly grilled, with the outsideseared and the inside moist and tender.My favorite pasta dish was a new experiencefor me: Fagottini cacao e pere, which translates topasta filled with pears and cheese in a perfect blendof slightly sweet and salty butter and sage sauce. Ifyou have never had a dish with sage leaves cooked inbutter, you are in for a new treat. All the flavors fitexquisitely together.I tasted a few main course dishes. All of the meatis free-range and very tender and flavorful, but myfavorite dish was the fish of the day. It was a perfectlygrilled piece of salmon. Arranged on the top was atiny salad, with a light simple dressing of olive oiland lemon. The fish could have been eaten with awhite plastic fork it was so tender. A slight smatteringof small roasted potatoes and summer vegetables,perfectly steamed, complimented the fish. This dishis very uncomplicated but such a pleasure.Luigi’s brother Fabio makes all the pizzas, whichare truly Neapolitan style and, of course, made withtheir family’s flour. Fabio studied pizza-making at afamous school in Naples, and worked in the family’srestaurant there before bringing his talent here.For desert we had the most amazing amarettocreamed iced dish that featured caramel and nutsauce. I asked Luigi if he had concocted this recipe,continued on next page22 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

North Beach Gay Mecca continued from page 18Union Street (1933 to 1935), on the corner ofVarennes, between Grant and Kearney (now theDiamond Nail Waxing). In 1936 they moved to 140Columbus (now the Purple Onion). In 1939 theymoved to 440 Broadway. It was actually opened byCharlie Murray as the “440” but he soon brought inMona as a partner and it became “Mona’s 440.” Oftenmen had to front for lesbians in bars and clubs inorder to get the approval of the Board of Equalizationfor their liquor license. Mona’s flourished duringWWII and the Korean War. It was a favorite withlesbians but even with servicemen as it was not “offlimits.”Tourist loved it for its entertainment but alsoknew they might be able to connect with someone ofthe same sexwhich couldnot happenback home.It became Ann’s 440 Club in the mid fiftiesrun by Ann Dee. Johnny Mathis sang there underthe tutelage of Ann who helped him with his stagepresence. Lenny Bruce appeared there when his actwas more New York Jewish humor than the angerhe later fell into in his performances. Ann gave a lotof aspiring performers a chance to get on stage andworked with and helped train them.Looking back from a perspective of close to 50years, it’s easy to see how the mix of artsy bohemianism,tolerance and low rents made for an environmentthat allowed the gay lifestyle to prosper. All these ingredientsare still in place in our neighborhood—exceptfor maybethe lowrents.Pulcinella Restaurant continued from page 22but he told me it is a traditional dessert from Naples.It was one of the best desserts I have had in NorthBeach.While talking with the very charming Luigi, hetold me, “I care when people come back and they aredoing that. What I really want to do is change theimage of Italian food in North Beach for the touristsand serve the locals in the neighborhood, like youwere sitting in our home eating dishes that have beenprepared by our family for generations.”Welcome, Luigi and family. You and the proprietorsof the other excellent restaurants I’ve mentionedabove are upgrading the quality of Italiancuisine in North Beach. I can see it happening, andit is so exciting.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 2 3

Other Gay and Lesbian EstablishmentsArtists Club—345 Pacific Ave, 1946 –1949: Now aparking lot. Lesbian pick-up place.The Anxious Asp—528 Green Street—Bohemian/Lesbian, 1958–1967: Opened and owned byArlene ArbuckleBlanco’s Tavern—905 Kearny St., (Manilatown)Female impersonators, mostly gay Filipino men,and pick-up place, 1943 to mid 1950’s: Run byKay Blanco (half Filipino and Caucasian anda lesbian)—owned by her father. It is now the“Grassland Cocktail Lounge.”The Chi Chi—467 Broadway, Night Club, 1949–1956: Gay & Lesbian friendly, owned by Andyand Ted Marefos. Eventually became the PinkElephant and then by 1966 became the ClubFuji.The Capri aka The Kiwi—1326 Grant Avenue,Lesbian bar, pick-up place, 1964–1972. Now theRoyale North Beach Bar.Cargo West—1105 Battery, Restaurant/NightClub, 1968–1976: Ironically now “Retail West”,a commercial real estate business. They had neverheard of the Cargo West.The Colony Club—711 Pacific, 1965–1976:Lesbian, now the Ping Yuen Tenants Association,a San Francisco Housing Authority project forChinese.Copper Lantern—1335 Grant Ave, 1955–1965:Lesbian, opened by Lisa and Mike, two formerPaper Doll waitresses. It somehow survived theanti-gay purge of the Christopher regime and inthe 60’s they tried Go Go dancers for a while. In1966 it became the “Crown Room” for an undeterminedperiod. This location is now “Chong’sBarber and Beauty Shop.”BOOKS ON THE HILLJackson’s—2237 Powell Street (Next to CaesarsRestaurant), Male Bar/Restaurant, 1961–1976:A neighbor told me when they moved out hecounted 28 mattresses being tossed out of thesecond floor window.Katie’s Opera Bar—1441 Grant Ave., Bar, 1965–1976: Now the Blue Sparrow Pilates.La Vie Parisian—574 Pacific, bar/nightclub,Female Impersonators, 1947–1950.Mary’s Tower—1500 Grant corner of Union—Lesbian bar/restaurant—1953 to 1967. Now theMea Cines Ancient and Modern Artifacts.Miss Smith’s Tea Room—1353 Grant Ave., 1954–1960, Lesbian pick-up place: Now “MaggieMcGarry’s,” the owner was Connie Smith, aformer Artists Club waitress.Mona’s Candle Light Room—473 Broadway,1948–1957, Lesbian: owned by Mona Sargent(formerly of Mona’s) with partner Wilma Swarts.Later it became the Club Gala owned by PeteMarino, local Galileo HS boy. Later this locationhoused the Jazz Workshop, Burp Hollow andthe Dixie Land Jazz. These Clubs all “morphed”between 473 and 477 where the Bamboo Hut islocated today.The Tin Angel—981 Embarcadero, Restaurant/Night Club, Lesbian, 1953–circa 1962: originallyopened and owned by amazingly talentedartist/poet/raconteur/entrepreneur Peggy Tolk-Watkins. Peggy, who crossed the gender lines(bi-sexual), later opened up the Fallen Angelwith Sally Stanford at 1144 Pine Street, Sally’sold high end House of Prostitution. Peggy hit theBay Area like a comet but flamed out in 1973 atthe age of 51 after living life full speed.Join other books lovers in a lively discussion of books read in common. We meet the first Monday of each monthat the home of one of our members. Call Carol Peterson, 956-781724 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

New Neighborhood OrganizationFocuses onIndependentLivingBy Teresa Dal SantoThere is a new group in theneighborhood, the North EastExchange Team–SF (NEXT-SF), a group of community activists collaboratingto build a multi-generational,not-for-profit coalition of organizationsand individuals that will support andenhance independent living for residentsin their homes at our end of the city. Thegroup developed from a community dinner in May2006, when two North Beach residents, excited by theBeacon Hill Village model in Boston (NYT, February2006), began discussing the possibility of creating asimilar neighborhood aging-in-place program.”Villages” are community-based, non-profit organizationsthat address the growing demand amongbaby boomers and the elderly to continue living intheir own homes among friends and neighbors whilealso fulfilling their health care needs related to aging.Each Village is customized to local needs and preferences,providing services and discounts on anythingfrom groceries and health care to repairs and transportationassistance. Additionally, Villages organize a hostof social activities. To date, Villages have sprouted upin over 40 communities nationwide.To date, NEXT-SF has accomplished a greatdeal relying on the voluntary efforts of our Board andAdvisory Committee members. We recently receivedone of two grants awarded to Northern Californiaaging-in-place projects by NCB Capital Impacthttp://www.ncbcapitalimpact.org.Some of NEXT-SF services to be offeredinclude: helping neighbors access and coordinateexisting services, arranging social, cultural, and physicalactivities, helping with home maintenance andrepair services, and providing advocacy services.Services will be provided by both paid professionalsand a coordinated volunteer corps. Membersmay be charged for some services on a sliding scale.Our goals are nurturing, cultivating and conservingthe health and vitality of the neighborhood. Youcan become a fan of the Northeast Exchange Teamcontinued on next pageIssue #189 • Winter 2010 2 5

Neighborhood Activists continued from page 7Kristine Enea, IndiaBasin NeighborhoodAssociationIndiaBasin.orgIndia Basin (3 rd Streetto Bay, Hunters PointNaval Shipyard) has landmarks:the Shipwright’sCottage, near where the Maritime Museum’sAlma and Jack London’s Snark were built, andthe Albion Castle, a stone brewery built in1870over a spring that still gushes 10,000 gallons offresh water a day. It has a generous shoreline,fabulous weather, abundant wildlife and easyaccess for Silicon Valley commuters in an areascheduled to triple its population in the next 10years. But, currently, the nearest ATM, newspaper, cupof coffee or library is a mile or more away.Kristine Enea is a lawyer working with Apple. Butback when the dot com bubble burst she found herselflaid off and looking for a new view. She wrote a bookIndia Basin is becoming one of San Francisco’s best kept secrets!about that search, Time Off! The Upside to Downtime,that led her to explore the unknown Bay View whereshe fell so in love with the weather and water that shebought a home on Innes Avenue. Across the way, huggingthe glistening Bay at India Basin is a sliver of land,survivor of multiple failed development schemes thatcontinued on next pageNEXT continued from page 25by donating, or become a coach to receive trainingand provide assistance to your neighbors. If youor someone you know would benefit from being ateam member or for further information, contact usat nextsf@gmail.com or visit our web site at www.nextsf.orgGr a p h ic by Jo h n Mat o s26 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

Neighborhood Activists continued from page 26might have turned out any number of ways.Kristine and her friends at the India BasinNeighborhood Association envision the land revivedas a wooden boat harbor, like Seattle’s successfulCenter for Wooden Boats (cwb.org), with boat building,repair, berthing and lessons; waterfront restaurants;water taxis; the City’s best dog park; bike andpedestrian paths; perhaps a performance venue. Withfresh water, wind and wave energy and a great climate,it could be a perfectly sustainable community.Kristine’s advice: Seek and discover new places.You might fall in love.Gillian Gillett, San JoseGuerrero CoalitionSanJoseGuerrero.comThe San Jose Guerrero neighborhoodstraddles the boundariesbetween two neighborhoods(the Mission and Noe Valley), twosupervisorial districts (8 and 9), two police districts(Mission and Ingleside) and 3 major arteries—CésarGuerrero Street greening, extending 10 blocks through the Mission.Chávez, San Jose and Guerrero—Cars whiz past theoversized, blank-walled buildings and crumbling surfaceparking lots along César Chávez, more a corridorthan a destination.Toby Levine, a former neighborhood activist,worked with Mark Leno to tame Guerrero: reducingtraffic lanes, creating bike paths, adding trafficsignals, limiting turns on red. Gillian Gillett, VP ofa small software company and also of the San JoseGuerrero Coalition, has continued Levine’s workplanting medians and lobbying to be a Pavements-to-Parks trial site. Their work parties started with 100people, then grew to 400.The roadway changes have been wonderful,effective and award-winning, but they pale in comparisonto the upheavals in store, and Gillian andthe Coalition are trying to figure how best to ridethe bronco. The current challenge is the what to doabout St. Luke’s Hospital.The St. Luke’s campus contains City landmark#1, the original Bancroft Library, and the City’s firstlandmarked tree, both adjacent to a totally outmodedand seismically unsafe white elephant hospitaltower. The hospital is proposing whatthe neighborhood views as a doublewhammy: a new medical buildingsmashed against Victorians and theeventual removal of the old tower,creating another open site along theCésar Chávez checkerboard.Gillian and the San Jose GuerreroCoalition have excelled at cooperationwith City departments and atsecuring donations and grants.Gillian’s advice: “The averageSan Franciscan lives here

Why Native Gardens?by Judy IrvingWhen I checked the California NativePlant Society’s web site to find a succinctanswer to this question, there itwas on the page for Yerba Buena (San Francisco):Natives evolved here, are adapted to our environmentand weather and therefore are hardy and droughttolerant. In addition they are beautiful and are excellentsupport for local wildlife.Favoring drought-tolerant plants in a time ofextreme water scarcity makes sense, and wildlifefriendlyplanting with natives has its appeal as well.But I’d always been under the impression that, onthe whole, native plants weren’t particularly beautiful—that they’re more like, well, weeds! I was wrong.Just scanning the common names of these plantsconjures up a variety of colors, forms, and functions:wild lilac, fuchsia, iris, evening primrose, poppy,purple needle grass, yellow bush lupine, wild ginger,mountain strawberry, miner’s lettuce, western swordfern, morning glory, pearly everlasting, hummingbirdsage, California holly, columbine….Since I’m not a gardener and generally feelunlucky with plants, I needed to start from scratch ifOenothera Ph o t o by Pa u l Fu r m a nI were to embark on a native plant gardening project.What to plant? When to plant? How to keep theplants alive? (Even though they generally don’t needmuch care, natives can easily be choked out by nonnativeweeds.) I asked a local native plant expert, PaulFurman, to advise me. Furman is a landscape architectwho co-owns an online nursery, Bay Natives,which will actually deliver plants to your door, likea pizza! In early November Paul and I circumambulatedTelegraph Hill, looking at existing native plantsand talking about gardening possibilities. It was agood time to take the walk, because fall and winterare the best times to garden in San Francisco,not during our dry summers.Paul made an interesting point as we walkedup Lombard Street. “If you’re looking for a prettygarden,” he said, “plants from Australia or NewZealand are easy and colorful. But if you wantyour garden to be pretty for people and attractivefor wildlife, native plants are generally the wayto go.” Birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlifeneed berries, seeds, fruits, and nectar, and theyare often best adapted to the plants that growhere naturally.Our first stop was at the little pocket parkwhere Lombard turns into Telegraph HillBunch grass at Marconi Park Ph o t o by Ju d y Ir v in gcontinued on page 3628 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

Invasion of the Testarossas cont’d from page 19Tours and the imitation Cable Car Buses don’t run.The Segway tours for tourists with their crash helmetsand visors have come to a halt.Washington Square Park, that necessary openspace in this most densely populated district in thecity, is vacated by the regulars. The dogs who practicetheir shock and awe on the parks’ lawn have tohold it in for the day. Thai Chi practitioners, whoseside kicks can prove invaluable in securing a rightfulMuni bus seat, are given an exercise break. Recoveredand relapsing drunks who debate whether they prefercare or cash while seated on a park bench have tofind seats elsewhere. Young lovers who lie out on thelawn retire to their bedrooms.The reason the park has been vacated has nothingto do with bands or floats or waving politiciansin convertibles. Rather the park occupants have madeway for 40 plus Ferraris. The Ferraris are displayedon the park’s lawn of Kentucky blue, rye and fescuegrass. If you aren’t used to seeing cars driving andparking on grass and public parks don’t be alarmed.These are expert drivers who are seasoned in drivingtheir cars on their own and neighbor’s lawns aswell as their local parks. If you haven’t before seen aFerrari in North Beach don’t be surprised. These carscome from richer climes.The Ferrari is the top of food chain in motor vehicles.Many of the Ferraris in the park were Testarossasthat have maximum performance of 440 horsepower,6,750 revolutions per minute, 0 to 60 mph in 4.7seconds, a top speed of 290 kph (180 mph) and fueleconomy of 11 miles to the gallon. Such a car costsapproximately one quarter million to buy and thatdoesn’t include the super unleaded fuel. Armed withsuch a car and full Flomax and Viagra prescriptions, amiddle-aged American male is unstoppable.In speed and size the park occupants make a poorshowing next to the Testarossa. Squirrels weigh 0.5lbs and have a top speed of 16 mph. The fastest dog atthe Park might reach 25 mph when chasing a ball andweighs 80 lbs. The fastest North Beach human runningto catch a bus could hit 20 mph and the fattestmight reach 300 lbs. The Telegraph Hill parrots, cherry-headedconures, weigh up to 184 grams and fly asfast as 20 mph. All told, when compared to the supercar, it is a pathetic showing by the local residents.A Testarossa weighs in at 3,320 lbs. That’s equalto 33 of those 100 lb. Marina girls kitted out in Bebe,Dolce & Gabbana, fresh mani-pedis, Brazilian waxjobs and People magazine in attendance at anotherlawn-invading event—the North Beach Festival.Once the parade comes to an end in front of thechurch, the cars roar back to life and are driven offthe Park, leaving till next year, and the minestronesoup of people return to their normal lives. Ten daysafter the event much of the Park was roped off toreplant grass and is still roped off at the time of writing.Whether it was due to the humans, dogs, squirrelsor parrots still needs to be determined. But theFerraris are pleading not guilty.continued frompage 9PARKS, TREES, & BIRDS REPORTWild Parrots: The parrots have been hangingout in the eucalyptus trees around Coit Tower in themornings, but they have also been sighted again inBrisbane, eight miles south of Telegraph Hill! Theflock is doing quite well in its adopted urban habitat.If you see a huge flock flying together, which is rarenow, and you happen to have a camera with you,please take a picture, count the dots, and let me knowhow many birds are in the flock.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 29

PARKING & TRAFFIC REPORTby Gail and Paul SwitzerWork continues to further increase theridership on the #39 Coit bus line.Extending the route at Fisherman’sWharf to Pier 39 should happen this Spring, andwe hope that this extension will make the bus morevisible to both tourists and residents. Plans forexpanding publicity and marketing efforts for the busare moving ahead with Pier 39 and the Convention& Visitors Bureau working closely with MTA andneighborhood groups. We’ve also expressed ourpreference to MTA and Rec & Park for the weekendrestricted parking to be ongoing. Before making adecision, Rec & Park is still analyzing the data todetermine whether the restricted parking had aneffect on their revenues.Rec & Park is also working on an RFP for a newconcessionaire for Coit Tower. When it is developed,staff will consult with neighborhood groups includingTHD and Friends of Pioneer Park before posting it.Savemuni.com continues to work to stop thedevelopment of the Central Subway. Federal fundingfor this project has not yet been secured so the organizationcontinues to urge people to write letters. Goto their web site, savemuni.com for more information.MUNI head, Nat Ford appears open to a trial of analternate plan for improving the Stockton corridor inthe interim before the Central Subway is completed.By the time you read this issue of Semaphore, theadditional MUNI cuts to routes and schedules willhave taken place. MUNI is projecting deficits for atleast the next two years and we can expect furtherservice cuts and fare hikes. Savemuni.com is workingwith SF Tomorrow and other communitygroups to develop ideas forimproving MUNI.30 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

Neighborhood Activistscontinued from page 27Dick Morten, Sava Pool,Lake Merced Task ForceLMTF.orgD i c kMorten, formerlywithAccentureConsultingand the SFC h a m b e rof Commerce, has a thing aboutwater. Dick was a determinedadvocate for a new replacementfor the aging Sava Pool. The newfacility, at 19 th near Sigmund SternGrove, is a magnificent landmarkin the Sunset. Dick has also put inlong hours working to restore andprotect Lake Merced (once downto 12’ deep, now at 24’), stumpingfor restoration funding and participatingin negotiations to reduceover-pumping of the supporting aquifer. Now Dick has managed to combine his water-related prowess with hisother passion—emergency preparedness (He co-chairs SPUR’s Disaster Planning Committee)—in his currentefforts on behalf of the City’s Auxiliary Water Supply System.Dick’s advice:consider the City’swater needs nowand on an ongoingbasis and crosslinkand vet all privateand City plans toinclude emergencypreparedness components.Lake MercedIssue #189 • Winter 2010 3 1

32 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

NORTH BEACH STREET UTOPIA 2010is presenting a Free Film Festival on January 9th(Saturday) from 6-9pm at #1 Columbus Avenue. We’llshow utopian urban-planning films from green, sustainable,egalitarian, livable cities such as Curitiba (Brazil), Freiburg(Germany), and Portland, Oregon. We’ll also display paintings,photos & sculpture by North Beach artists, offer food by streetvendors, and present an exhilarating range of North BeachUtopian visions that we want residents to imagine; such as closingoff Grant Street to pedestrians only, renaming & remodelingWashington Square to duplicate the grand piazzas of Italy,installation of interactive Fountains & Public Baths, encouragementof street artists & food vendors, enhanced bicycle access,an architecturally-magnificent Public Library, historic footpaths,creative recreation for seniors & children, public beaches atFisherman’s Wharf, planting one thousand trees, extension ofLombard’s picturesque “Crooked Street” and a “FarmScraper”alongside Coit Tower, Plus Any Ideas You Might Have! Eventis hosted by Phil Millenbach (city planner) and Hank Hyena(writer, futurist). More info at http://streetutopia.orgYick Wo To Hold Silent Auctionby Bob McMillanIf you’re near Café Sapore (790 Lombard Streetat Taylor) during the month of February, drop in andget a preview of Yick Wo’s upcoming silent auction thatincludes art donations from local and celebrated artists.Additionally, our silent auction will have great items suchas vacation homes, restaurant gift certificates, fitness membershipsand more, all at extremely reasonable prices.Our Silent Auction & Art Show will be held onMarch 11, 2010 from 4 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at The LiveWorms Gallery at 1345 Grant Ave.Yick Wo is a public elementary school on Lombardand Jones Streets that is home to some 250 local childrenof diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. We area California Distinguished School and National BlueRibbon School because of our high academic performance.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 3 3

y Julie JaycoxART & CULTURE REPORTThe ArtWalkThis fall, the Art and Culture Committeepulled off a Second Annual rousingly successfulNorth Beach ArtWalk.This was my first time ever organizing an entirepublic event. I was completely amazed at the energyand effort that people who volunteered were willingto put out for something they believe is worthwhile!My diverse committee worked hard to makethis a successful event, and because good energyattracts more good energy, we had many new peopleoffer to help, likeTina Moylan ofthe Russian HillNeighbors, andThe MedicineAgency, whodesigned theArtWalk postersand mappro bono. TheArtWalk afterpartywas hostedat their businesseson Mason Street.Susan Weisbergdrove me toWest Oaklandthe night beforeto pick up theArtWalk maps. Javier Rodriguez spontaneouslyhelped me do a twelfth hour round of map deliverylate that night and passed out so many maps over theweekend that every person who walked by my photodisplay on Sunday already had one in hand (he scoreda THD t-shirt for his efforts!). Thank you, everyoneinvolved, for making this a funand successful event!And copious thanksespecially to the individualswho donated money to helpArtWalk succeed this year.A&C Members ExhibitNicholas Coley exhibited new paintings at CanessaGallery during December.Miriam Owen hosted an extended open studiothrough December in her Mendocino County studio.www.studio-tours.com/miriamowen/.A n d …Please lookfor the nextArt Salon inFebruary—Art& Culture willsend out a membershipemail tolet you knowwhat, when andwhereA n y o n edesiring toattend an Art &Culture meetingcan do so at6pm on the 3rdWednesday ofevery month atCanessa Gallery, 708 Montgomery (@ Jackson &Columbus) (We suggest writing art&culture@thd.org a few days in advance to verify this location for thatmonth or calling 415-392-1768 before the day of themeeting, just to make sure).During THD’s Artwalk, artists display work in Kerouac Alley. Ph o t o by Ju l ie Ja y c o x34 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

Fog Hill MarketHanna Chedyak415-781-88171300 KearnySan Francisco, CA 94133Issue #189 • Winter 2010 35

Why Native Gardens? continued from page 28Boulevard. Marconi Park has a small green lawn, aborder with lovely mounds of native bunch grass,and flowers in the middle, including sticky monkeyflower, with orange blossoms. Regarding grass, Paulsuggested that if you have a “show” lawn that youdon’t really use, you might want to replace it withcarex pansa, a slightly more shaggy native grass,which requires less water and maintenance.Pioneer Park gardeners Mark Tilley and MiloLinaman happened to be on the Hill that day. They’djust planted flowering currant, artemisia, Oregongrape, buckwheat, and other natives in the newlyopened view corridors among the Monterey cypresstrees (see “Parks, Trees, & Birds Committee Report”).Other plants that do well on the Hill include Douglasiris, St. Catherine’s lace, silk tassel tree, ceanothus, beeplant, purple needlegrass, hummingbird sage, manzanita,toyon (aka California holly), and coffeeberry.I planted toyon, manzanita, and coffeeberry inour small yard on the east slope of Telegraph Hillabout a year ago, but they haven’t done well. On thiswalk I found out why. Although native plants don’tneed as much water as exotics, they do need some,and I hadn’t been watering themproperly. According to Mark andMilo, the top of Telegraph Hill is“hydrophobic”—water tends torun off, rather than soak in. I’vebeen watering my natives once amonth, like it says in the gardenbook, but the water hasn’t beengetting to their roots, becauseI’ve been using a hose. Drip irrigationis better: It uses smallamounts of water, which tend tosoak in. Eventually I’ll install anirrigation setup. Apparently it’snot too complicated or expensive.You need to position a dripPioneer Park Plantingnear each plant, or use “micro-spray” irrigation: raisedspray heads about every five feet that mist the areawith a micro-rain. Both drip and micro-spray systemscan be purchased at garden supply stores. At UrbanFarmer, if you bring in a sketch with measurements,they’ll help you design everything. Native plants onlyneed irrigation during the first year or so, as they getestablished.Another problem for my poor natives has beenthat I put them in a shady spot; they like more sunthan they’re getting. They’ll just have to live with thatthough, because I don’t have a sunnier location. Ithelps to check on whether plants prefer sun, shade,or a combination (told you I was a beginner!).Near the end of our circumambulation ofTelegraph Hill, Paul and I came upon a ratty slope ofbare dirt, rock, and tree stumps near the south stairway,graced by a “No Dumping” sign. Milo intends toplant purple needle grass, buckwheat, and Californiafuchsia here, but the area needs to be connectedto the drip irrigation system for anything to actuallytake hold and do well, and that will cost money.continued on p. 38Ph o t o by Ju d y Ir v in g36 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

THD Board Motionsf o r t h e Mo n t h s o f Au g u s t-Oc t o b e r 2009MOTION: THD is a pro public transportationorganization but does not support the CentralSubway project for the following reasons:1) The cost is significantly disproportionate tothe stated benefits.2) The project fails to serve the transportationneeds of the city at large.3) The project creates potential adverse impactsto Chinatown, North Beach, Washington SquarePark and their historic resources.THD encourages city to redirect its commitmenttoward improving and expanding existing surfacepublic transportation systems, thereby increasingthe benefit and reducing the cost.The Motion passed.MOTION: THD supports preserving the existinglibrary and renovating and expanding it to meetthe various needs of the community. THD supportsopen space on 701 Lombard consistent withthe use of open space funds spent to purchasethe parcel. THD supports a thorough, objectivemaster planning effort for Joe DiMaggio Park andPlayground that includes retaining the existinglibrary and exploring Mason Street options.The Motion passed.September, 2009No MeetingOctober, 2009MOTION: THD does not support the consolidateddesign of the California Pacific Medical Centerbuilding because of the height, bulk and massingproposed.The Motion passed.Attention, THD MembersThe Telegraph Hill Dwellers Semaphore Needs Your Help.For several years Kathleen Cannon, our intrepid Semaphore ad sales person, has been beating the sidewalks ofour picturesque neighborhood in a quest for the advertising that keeps our publication alive. It’s due to her effortsthat we have been able to expand and improve The Semaphore.But it’s a lonely mission and now THD needs your help:1. Take out a Semaphore ad for your business or service.2. Contact a business that you love and loves you about taking an ad. If you’ll do the“leg work,” we’ll make the“close.”3. Volunteer to assist Kathleen, our ad selling quest.Let’s work to keep our Voice of the Neighborhood thrivingHere are our reasonable ad rates:Business Card — 2X3: one issue $45.00, one year $155Junior Ad — 3X3: one issue $ $80.00, one year $285½ Page — 3.5X6: one issue, $145, one year, $525Full Page — 7X6: one issue, $265, one year, $975For more information or to place an ad, call or emailArt Peterson, Semaphore Editor, 956-7817/apeterson@ nwp.orgIssue #189 • Winter 2010 3 7

Why Native Gardens? continued from page 36THD and the Pioneer Park Project will collaborateto make this happen.In addition to making sure your native plants aregetting the amount of light they like and the amountof water they need, Paul mentioned several otherdo’s and don’ts. Natives don’t need fertilizers, pesticides,herbicides, and the like. They do need to haveweeds removed so they can grow. The worst weed byfar, agreed all the gardeners, was “that grass,” erhartaerecta, which keeps popping up all over the Hill. Ifyou have a small yard, you could win this battle; it’smuch harder to eradicate in a large open space likePioneer Park. Plant now and the winter rains willhelp you out. It helps to mulch around the plants tokeep weeds down. Those kitchen scraps that we’renow required to separate from garbage actually makegreat mulch when composted.There are several native plant demonstration gardensclose by: Golden Gate Park’s Strybing Arboretum(which also has native plant sales), Berkeley’s TildenPark, Woodside’s Yerba Buena Garden and Nursery,and U.C. Berkeley’s Botanical Garden. You can purchasenative plants on-line at baynatives.com, at gardensupply stores, or at the HANC recycling centernear Kezar Stadium. Groups like the CaliforniaNative Plant Society and Nature in the City sponsorguided walks of our natural areas (Bernal Hill,Corona Heights, Mt. Davidson) and private gardens.There are flower walks, butterfly walks, bird walks,weeding parties (!) – many ways to explore our city’snatural habitat, and learn how to contribute to a morewildlife-friendly environment.There’s just one caveat: Don’t go overboard. Makechanges slowly. Birds have adapted to non-native berrybushes, for example, and if you rip out a cotoneasterfor the sake of planting toyon, the birds who dependedon the non-native berries won’t have anything to eatfor several years. Alan Hopkins, the expert birder whohelped me with “The Other Birds of Telegraph Hill,”article in the last Semaphore has this to say:“Unfortunately, I think there are some peoplewho are native plant fundamentalists who are soconvinced by their own dogma they fail to see thatplants they don’t like can be valuable habitat. Plantslike Himalayan blackberry and cotoneaster, in mostcases, were ‘planted’ by birds pooping their seeds.Birds are showing their food preference with theirdroppings. Having said all that, it will be great toplant natives, just ask what service will this plant provide?If it does not provide fruit, seed, insects, nectaror cover, it is just taking up space.” In other words,think like a bird!”Some of the photos that accompany this articlewere taken on a rainy day in November in StrybingArboretum’s “California Native Plant Garden.” NikiGoldsborough, (nikigold@earthlink.net) a THDmember who has been a docent in the Arboretum forover thirty years, showed me around. Niki leads walkson the fourth Thursday of every month at 1:30 PM(meet at bookstore near entrance). She said she wouldbe happy to take a group of THD members on a walkthis spring, or any time.Many thanks:Paul Furman, co-owner online nursery, www.baynatives.comNiki Goldsborough, THD native plant expertAlan Hopkins, birder extraordinaire, Bill Fee, landscape architect, David Loeb, publisher, Bay Nature, www.baynature.comAdditional online resources:California Native Plant Society www.cnps.orgHANC, 780 Frederick St www.hanc-sf.org/native-plant-nursery/Nature in the City www.natureinthecity.org/Larner Seeds www.larnerseeds.comStrybing Arboretum www.sfbotanicalgarden.orgJeffrey Caldwell /jeffreycaldwell.blogspot.com/Books:The Habitat Garden Book by Nancy BauerGardening With a Wild Heart by Judith Larner38 Issue #189 • Winter 2010

Telegraph Hill DwellersVoice Mail/Hotline: 273-1004. Fax: 255-6499. Web Site: www.thd.orgP.O. Box 330159 • San Francisco, CA 94133THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2009-2010President: Vedica PuriVice President: David SmolenRecording Secretary: Mary LipianCorresponding Secretary: Katie HopkinsTreasurer: Gail SwitzerFinancial Secretary: Chris StocktonHistorian: Nancy ShanahanImmediate Past President: Pat LusseSemaphore: Art PetersonDirectorsNate BacaGreg ChiampouAl FontesMerle GoldstoneJudy IrvingJulie JaycoxAndy KatzSarah KlibanTHD Co m m i t t e e s Ne e d Yo uYou can make a difference! Join one of THD's committees, meet and work with your fellow Hill Dwellers to improve life on the Hill.STANDING COMMITTEESParking and Transportation. Gail and Paul Switzer. Promotes efforts to ease congestion,optimize white zones, upgrade public transportation. Works with Department of Parking andTraffic.Planning and Zoning. Nancy Shanahan, 986-7094, Mary Lipian, 391-5652. Monitorsand reviews proposed development projects for consistency with applicable City ordinances.Works with Planning Department staff and represents THD before the Historic PreservationCommission, Planning Commission, Zoning Administrator and other regulating bodies to protecthistoric resources and maintain neighborhood character. Assists members to learn moreabout and participate in planning and zoning issues.Semaphore. Editor, Art Peterson 956-7817; artpeterson@writingproject.org. The editor andstaff produce a quarterly magazine for THD members.Program. Arranges social events, including quarterly membership meetings and getacquaintedsocial functions.Budget. Gail Switzer, gail_switzer@yahoo.com. As prescribed in Bylaws for Treasurer.Membership. Chris Stockton, membership@thd.org. As prescribed in Bylaws for FinancialSecretary.Archivist: Rozell Overmire, rozell@ureach.comSPECIAL COMMITTEES AND PROJECTSParks, Trees, AND BIRDS. Judy Irving, chair. Information and projects concerning localparks, green spaces and street trees.THD Web Site. Webmaster, Al Fontes; webmaster@thd.org. Shared information about meetings,local concerns and events.ART AND CULTURE. Julie Jaycox, chair. Organizes events and projects that celebrate thehumanities and history of our neighborhood.LIAISONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONSCoalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods. Representative, Gerry Crowley, 781-4201; gerrycrowley@aol.com. City-wide organization interacts with other neighborhoods todiscuss common problems.North Beach Neighborhood Coalition. Representative, Gerry Crowley. 781-4201; gerrycrowley@aol.com.Tel-Hi-sponsored group of residents, merchants and government agenciesworking together to address neighborhood issues.N.E.R.T. Energizes members to take emergency disaster response training program sponsoredby the City.Web Site = www.thd.orgWhether you want to catch up on THD’s Oral Histories, see what the THD is up to, or submit old photos of the Hill, www.thd.org is the place to go. Use the Web site to discover or email information about upcoming meetings in the neighborhood and atCity agencies, and ideas and concerns you want the rest of us to know about between Semaphores.Issue #189 • Winter 2010 3 9

Telegraph Hill DwellersP. O. Bo x 330159Sa n Fr a n c i s c o, CA 94133PRSRT STDU.S. Po s ta g ePAIDSa n Fr a n c i s c o, CAPe r m it No. 11882Telegraph Hill DwellersSchedules of Committee MeetingsPl a n n i n g & Zo n i n g: First Thursdays. Call for time and location. 986-7070, 563-3494, 391-5652.Look to the THD website for information on THD events. Log on to http://www.thd.orgFor a Voice in Your Neighborhood Join Telegraph Hill Dwellers.THD Welcomes New Members Sept-Nov. 2009: Terry & Regan Anderlini,Kathleen Burch, Dick Ingraham & Bill Gregory, Stacia Kato, Fiona McGregor,Jonathan Middlebrook, Michael Mott, Donna & Robert WatkeNEW MEMBER INFORMATIONSign Up or Sign a Friend Up as a member of Telegraph Hill Dwellers. Complete and mail to THD, PO Box 330159, SF, CA 94133NAME: ____________________________________ADDRESS: _________________________________CITY: _____________________________________________STATE: _______ ZIP: ___________________PHONE ___________________________________EMAIL: ______________________________________CHECK ENCLOSED FOR 1-YEAR MEMBERSHIPIndividual $30___ Household $45__ Senior (age 65 and over) $20__ Senior Household $35___