GPN glen park news Summer 2011 The Newspaper of the Glen Park Association Volume 29, No. 2 www.glenparkassociation.org Firefighters Make Ultimate Sacrifice Tragedy struck the San Francisco Fire Department with the on-duty deaths of two veteran firefight- by ers assigned to Station 26, Elizabeth which serves Glen Park and Weise Diamond Heights. and Lt. Vincent Perez, 48, Rachel and Anthony “Tony” Val- Gordon erio, 53, succumbed to inju- ries they sustained battling a house fire at 133 Berkeley Way on the morning of June 2. Valerio, a firefighter and paramedic, served 13 years with the Department of Public Health and 14 years with the Fire Firefighter Department. Perez was a 21-year veteran memorials of the Fire Department. at SFFD The two victims suffered severe burns Station 26 and were rushed to San Francisco General in Diamond Hospital. Perez died there the day of the Heights. fire, Valerio two days later. A third fire- fighter sustained minor injuries and was Photo treated and released. by A funeral for the two fallen heroes Chris was held June 10 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Hardy The service, televised live, drew thou- and down Interstate 280 to Colma, where was in 1995, also while fighting a house In the days following the deadly sands, including firefighters from across the Perez and Valerio were laid to rest. fire in Diamond Heights. two-alarm blaze in the four-story hill- California and states afar, the city’s elected The two fatalities marked the first “This has been an extremely difficult side house, neighbors visited Station 26 family and state and federal representa- San Francisco firefighters to die in the time for the members of the San Fran- bearing food, cards, flowers and hugs. tives, friends, relatives and strangers. A line of duty since 2003, when a crew cisco Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Located at 80 Digby St., Station 26 procession of more than 150 fire engines member fell off an engine en route to a Joanne Hayes-White. The deaths of the responds to calls in Diamond Heights and escorted the bodies through the city streets call. The last firefighter to die in a fire two men “have left all our members with Glen Park. It is well-known to families heavy hearts; they will be greatly missed. visiting nearby Walter Haas Playground Our prayers are with both the Valerio who get to use the fire house bathroom Glen Park Farmers' Market and Perez families as they grieve their and, when lucky, ring the bell on the losses.” Gets "Thumbs Up-Plus!" CONTINUED ON PAGE 21 Despite Old Man Winter delivering as luck would have it, the sun came out unseasonable chill and rain and it fitfully felt like Springtime. by just hours before, the first- John Silveira of the Pacific Coast Glen Park Association Meeting Ashley ever Glen Park Farmers’ Farmer’s Market Association began the Wednesday, July 13, 2011 at 7 p.m. Hathaway Market offically opened at opening ribbon-cutting ceremony with a Sunnyside Conservatory 10 a.m. on Sunday, May brief introduction to an attentive crowd. 15, in the Glen Park BART parking lot Glen Park Merchants Association Presi- 236 Monterey Blvd. at Bosworth and Arlington streets. More dent Ric Lopez spoke next, thanking the than 1,500 market-goers quickly warmed community and others who supported the Enjoy a pot-luck appetizer and dessert social up to the unique shopping experience project, including Silveira and Glen Park at this lovingly restored landmark! that a local Farmers’ Market brings, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 INSIDE: PG&E GAS LINES, CHENEREY STREET FENCE, AT&T SIDEWALK CABINETS, MORE! Glen Park News Page 2 Summer 2011 Gas Transmission Pipeline Near Glen Park Deemed Safe in PG&E Field Inspections Many Glen Park residents received a let- way 1 up from Daly City, then hangs a ter from the president of Pacific Gas & right at Alemany Boulevard, which it Electric this spring, informing them that follows until one block north of Ocean their property is located Avenue, at San Juan Street, where it zigs by within about 2,000 feet of west one block to Cayuga Avenue. Elizabeth a natural gas transmission It then runs beneath Cayuga all the Weise pipeline. The letters are part way to Rousseau Street, where it jogs of the company’s response south one block to Trumbull Street. to the San Bruno gas pipeline explo- It then follows Trumbull to Stoney- sion of Sept. 9, 2010, which killed eight brook Street, where it jogs north, going people and leveled 35 houses. under and then along Alemany Boule- The gas transmission pipeline near vard again until it jogs north to Fol- Glen Park, designated Line 109, was som Street, which it follows to Bernal constructed in 1932. It runs along High- Heights. For a zoomable interactive map, go to www.pge.com/pipelinelocations or call the PG&E pipeline hotline at 888- Glen Park News 743-7431. 2912 Diamond St. #407 With the San Bruno disaster fresh San Francisco, CA 94131 in our minds, The Glen Park News asked (415) 908-6728 PG&E spokesman Joe Molica about the [email protected] safety of our nearby transmission line. He explained that the pipeline is “greatly reduced in size and pressure” when it reaches Daly City, after bringing gas up Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Weise the Peninsula. Deputy Editor Rachel Gordon The nearly 80-year-old Line 109 was Photo Editors Chris Hardy hydrostatically pressure-tested in 1995, Liz Mangelsdorf at which time a lining was installed A map showing the PG&E natural gas transmission pipeline that runs past Design Editor Mary Mottola inside the pipe, Molica said. There are Glen Park. Map courtesy of PG&E Copy Editor Denis Wade also manual shut-off valves to the north Advertising Nora Dowley and south of our section, he added. PG&E sends foot or aerial patrols The mission of the Glen Park Association is to promote the collective Reporters Gail Bensinger along its gas lines on a quarterly basis, interests of all persons living in Glen Park, to inform and educate about Dolan Eargle and Line 109 was last patrolled in May, neighborhood and citywide issues, to promote sociability and friendships Ashley Hathaway 2011; no problems were found. A leak and to support beneficial neighborhood projects. Murray Schneider survey of this section was done on April Jodelle Scott 10, 2011. Bonnee Waldstein In addition, the company does a GPA Board of Directors and Officers for 2011 test involving sending low levels of Columnists Bill Berry electric current along the outside of its Kay Hamilton Estey pipelines to check for corrosion. The President Michael Rice 337-9894 Monika Lewis last one was done this April, Molica [email protected] Cathy Meyer said. In addition, spot testing was done Vice-President Carolyn Deacy Miriam Moss in 2009; that involved actually digging [email protected] Michael Rice down to key spots on the line to check Treasurer Dennis Mullen 239-8337 Denise Sanderson it with x-rays—which also showed no Corresponding Secretary Michael Ames Shelley Smith problems. Recording Secretary Volunteer needed Scott Wiener Membership Secretary Heather World Bill Wilson [email protected] Glen Park News Health & Environment Volunteer needed Photographers Richard Craib [email protected] Chris Hardy The Glen Park News is pub- Neighborhood Improvement John Walmsley 452-0277 Bonnie Mills lished quarterly by the Glen Park Glen Park News Elizabeth Weise 908-6728 Ellen Rosenthal Association. Signed articles are the [email protected] Murray Schneider opinions of the authors and not Public Safety Carolyn Deacy Michael Waldstein necessarily those of the Glen Park [email protected] Bill Wilson Association. Recreation & Park Richard Craib 648-0862 Traffic, Parking & Transportation Lewison Lem [email protected] Distribution Grace Clark To advertise in the Glen Park News Zoning & Planning D. Valentine [email protected] [email protected] call 908-6728 or e-mail advertis- Program Volunteer needed [email protected]. Summer 2011 Page 3 Glen Park News glen park association news In December, I wrote in the Glen Park Rec Center, adding new bathrooms and new entrance path. We can look forward the hillside. I hope this means an early News about the upcoming Glen Canyon community space, and opening up the to new playing surfaces and lighting. cleanup of the stumps and logs. and Recreation Center plan- main room to the park as a full, modern • “The hillside below Elk Street looks like The plans, we know, are much larger by ning efforts with the Recre- multipurpose room. a clear-cut that stopped. Haul away or than the $5.8 million available now. Michael ation and Park Department. • “Renovate the playground structures chip up all the logs and stumps. Replant Funding the rest of the $22 million esti- Rice I said, “RPD staff has prom- with up-to-date equipment and surfaces. more native cypresses and pines. Are the mated cost will require strong community ised an active process to reach How about a sweeping hillside slide, as at eucalyptuses safe from storm damage? support and political activism. Glen Park out to the neighborhood on how to invest Seward Street in Eureka Valley or Esmer- Build a usable trail or walkway on the looks ready to take this on, to polish the the bond funds right.” alda Steps in Bernal Heights?” west of Elk Street from the park entrance jewel of Glen Park. Six months later, many of us have The playground will be 70 percent to Sussex Street.” attended eight or nine workshops, filling larger, with new equipment to be planned The plans show needed improve- the Rec Center meeting room along with in detail.