Glen Park News Fall 2011
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GPN glen park news Fall 2011 The Newspaper of the Glen Park Association Volume 29, No. 3 www.glenparkassociation.org Glen Canyon Park Plan Moves Forward Picture Glen Canyon Park with a new playground and tennis courts, an accessi- ble trail leading directly into by the canyon, a new plaza and Bonnee native plants garden, and Waldstein repaired Recreation Center and bathrooms, roof and heat- Elizabeth ing system. Those are ele- Weise ments of the Glen Canyon The Glen Canyon Park Improvement Plan, a Park tennis conceptual plan to improve the park that courts, with won key approvals by the Recreation and eucalyptus Park Commission and Board of Supervi- trees beyond. sors this summer. A proposed The nonprofit Trust for Public Land, redesign of the which crafted the proposal with help from park would move City officials, neighbors and advocacy the tennis courts groups, received the mayoral-appointed and require the commission’s OK of the plan in August. cutting of the trees, a move Now the design team is working on ardently opposed a more detailed plan to be presented to by some. Glen Park this fall. Among the outstand- ing issues that must be resolved: Photo • The size of the playground and the by materials to be used to build it. Parents Elizabeth Weise want to make sure that the equipment is free of toxins. should the chainsaws be fired up. hillside—with connectors that make Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks • Proposed removal of the eucalyptus • Whether improved access between sense. A handicapped-accessible trail Bond approved by voters in 2008, and trees on the hill above the present ten- the top of the park and the School of the loop would be created along Alms Road $900,000 set aside by the City for trail nis courts. A vocal group of neighbors Arts campus can be created. (the dirt road that starts above the tennis improvements. But that falls far short of hopes to save the trees, and they have The project, titled “The Glen Can- courts) and then back along the west side the estimated $22 million price tag to posted notices on the trees decrying their yon Park Improvement Plan,” calls for of the creek. The accessible trail would fund everything on the wish list that was possible loss; one person has threatened retaining the park’s three major trails— not extend into the more wild areas of the developed as a result of feedback during to chain herself to the jeopardized trees along both sides of the creek and on the canyon. Steep drop-offs above the creek nine community meetings, eight focus would be stabilized. groups and hundreds of written submis- Park access will be improved, but the sions from dedicated park users and advo- Glen Park Association Meeting rustic aspect will remain. There also are cates during the past three years. proposals to improve pedestrian access to “The intent of this plan is not only Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 7 p.m. the park from Elk Street. to guide short- and long-term improve- Glen Park Recreation Center The final design, construction draw- ments to the park, but also to serve as a Elk and Chenery Streets ings, bids and contract awards are expected fund-raising tool,” said Trudy Garber, a by winter 2011 and spring 2012, with representative of Trust for Public Land. (past the tennis courts) construction expected to commence soon Now the challenge will be to priori- after. Meanwhile, fund-raising will begin, tize the so-called Phase One improvement Hear representatives of both November Pension Reform Propositions. to help pay for the ambitious makeover projects that got the go-ahead from the Glen Canyon Park Improvement Plan update. of the park. Recreation and Park Commission and The project already has $6.7 mil- Board of Supervisors. SF Solar Reimbursement Program. lion committed—$5.8 million from the CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 INSIDE: TOLLYWOOD ON CHENERY, CALL TO LOCALIZE, SCHOOL NEWS, ED LEE RUNNING FOR MAYOR Glen Park News Page 2 Fall 2011 Glen Park News The Glen Park News is pub- Glen Park Business Roundup lished quarterly by the Glen Park Glen Park’s business district has stretched 1625 Palmetto Ave. in Pacifica. He says is back behind the counter on Chenery Association. Signed articles are the around the corner with the advent of he specializes in healthy and organic food Street. He has had as many as five stores opinions of the authors and not Cup, the latest addition for animals, joking, “The only thing I around the Bay Area, but the Glen Park necessarily those of the Glen Park by to the caffeination of our don’t have is little frou-frou sweaters.” pet emporium was “my first store, and it’s Association. Gail neighborhood. Critter Fritters owner Barry Leonard still my favorite,” he says. Bensinger To advertise in the Glen Park News The new coffee house, call 908-6728 or e-mail advertis- located at 6 Monterey [email protected]. Blvd., draws much of its daytime clien- tele from up the hill along Monterey and Farmersʼ Market is Extended Joost, says Kamal Naser, Cup’s owner. The menu of coffee drinks, tea and pas- Through Thanksgiving Week Please support our tries is familiar, but Cup expands Glen Park’s open mic opportunities beyond The weekly Glen Park Farmers’ Market has been a total success. Each Sunday Advertisers; the Monday poetry sessions offered by throngs of Glen Park residents can be seen walking to the market and then Bird & Beckett (Community Calendar, strolling home again laden with all manner of fresh fruits, produce, meat, they support us! Page 20). cheeses and baked goods. So far there’s no set schedule, but So much so that the seasonal market, originally scheduled to end the Sunday once or twice a month the Workshop before Halloween, will now stay open until the Sunday before Thanksgiving, SF, the house band, plays. Everyone allowing all of us to plan our holiday dinners around the bounty available Glen Park News is invited to add their own contribu- locally. 2912 Diamond St. #407 tions—music, stand-up comedy, per- A partnership of the Glen Park Merchants’ Association, BART and the San Francisco, CA 94131 cussionists, young teens with guitars—a Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association, the market hosts more than 15 (415) 908-6728 trend Naser notes approvingly. “There farmers and producers each week at the BART parking lot on Bosworth Street [email protected] are a lot of kids in the neighborhood at Arlington. who don’t have an outlet in the area,” The farmers’ market, which launched on May 15, is open every Sunday he says. And, yes, poets too. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Farmers come from no further than 150 miles away to With his brother, Eddie, Naser sell produce and other items. According to the market manager, it’s been getting Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Weise owns the three Toast eateries—they about 1,200 customers a week. And as San Francisco’s mayoral race heats up, Deputy Editor Rachel Gordon seem to have a knack for basic names— it's becoming a weekly rallying point for supporters of various candidates. Photo Editors Chris Hardy but this is their first coffee-only place. Plans for the market’s 2012 reopening will be announced as Spring Liz Mangelsdorf The décor is stylish, and the friendly approaches. Design Editor Mary Mottola chief barista is Naser’s cousin, Freddie Copy Editor Denis Wade Nazzal, who came out of retirement to Advertising Nora Dowley lend a hand. At the other end of our business dis- The mission of the Glen Park Association is to promote the collective trict, the East-West Integrative Medicine interests of all persons living in Glen Park, to inform and educate about Reporters Gail Bensinger Clinic is expanding into the next-door neighborhood and citywide issues, to promote sociability and friendships Dolan Eargle space vacated by the Kiki-Yo yoga and and to support beneficial neighborhood projects. Ashley Hathaway Pilates studio. According to Marnie Lewison Lem McCurdy, East-West’s owner, their cur- Rebecca Murray Metzger rent premises at 605 Chenery St. are “a GPA Board of Directors and Officers for 2011 Murray Schneider little bit cramped.” Jodell Scott While current zoning rules prohibit Bonnee Waldstein opening the wall between the two store- President Michael Rice 337-9894 fronts, McCurdy says the extra space [email protected] will allow the clinic to offer additional Vice-President Carolyn Deacy Columnists Bill Berry services, including a physical therapist [email protected] Kay Hamilton Estey and a psychotherapist. The initial offer- Treasurer Dennis Mullen 239-8337 Monika Lewis ings of acupuncture, message, nutrition Corresponding Secretary Michael Ames Cathy Meyer and herbal medicine will be augmented Recording Secretary Volunteer needed Miriam Moss by “more of the same and a little bit dif- Membership Secretary Heather World Michael Rice ferent,” she says. [email protected] Denise Sanderson Other business changes have come Health & Environment Volunteer needed Shelley Smith to our shopping district. Eggettes has [email protected] Scott Wiener rebranded itself as Rock-It Swirl, as the Neighborhood Improvement John Walmsley 452-0277 Bill Wilson owners ended their franchise with the Glen Park News Elizabeth Weise 908-6728 local chain of its former name. The new [email protected] emphasis is on house-made yogurts and Public Safety Carolyn Deacy Photographers Chris Hardy Gelato Classico ice cream as well as the [email protected] Bonnie Mills familiar bubble drinks and smoothies. Recreation & Park Ashley Hathaway 648-0862 Ashley Hathaway And one familiar face has left the Traffic, Parking & Transportation Lewison Lem [email protected] Murray Schneider neighborhood.