Validated parking and Group Fitness classes aren’t included, and towel and lock rental available for small fee.

Here are the details:

Fitness in your neighborhood! UCSF Fitness & Recreation Open House, May 6 – 14, 2013.

Come work out for FREE at UCSF Fitness & Recreation Centers. Friends and family welcome. (Must be 18 or over.) Join by May 14 and pay no enrollment fee. Save $50-150!

• Cardio & strength machines
• 70+ Group fitness classes weekly*
• Free weights
• Swimming pool(s)
• Squash & racquetball courts
• Basketball court
• Pilates studio
• Sauna
• Locker rooms
• Towel service
• Access to Mission Bay location

Senior 60+ discount available

Facility hours:

Mon-Fri:          5:30am – 10:00pm,
Sat & Sun:       7:30am – 8:00pm
New member enrollment hours: Mon-Fri 7:00 am-7:00 pm, Saturday 9:00 am-1:00 pm, 2:30-5:30 pm
For more info, contact Member Services, 415.476.0348

 Address:  UCSF Millberry Fitness & Recreation Center, 500 Parnassus Avenue, level B1
campuslifeservices.ucsf.edu/fitnessrecreation

* Validated parking and Group Fitness classes not included during Open House. Towel and lock rental available for small fee.

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MILLION DOG MARCH

Sunday, June 2, 2013

McLaren Park, San Francisco

We can’t break the world record without you and your dog!

San Francisco Bay Area dog lovers have worked hard to make the Bay Area the most dog friendly place on earth. Yet there are threats to many of the gains we’ve made—from Muir Beach to Montara, Oakland to San Francisco. That’s why dog people are planning to gather one June 2nd at McLaren Park in San Francisco to stand up and be counted, once again, for our dogs and our community—and to have a whole lot of fun at the same time as we try to break the Guinness World Record for largest dog walk.

We hope you’ll join us for the first-ever Million Dog March, a fabulously large dog walk and festival of fun and games, and help us:

• Break the world record for largest dog walk
• Show the size and passion of the Bay Area dog community
• Stand up for our right to walk with our dogs in city parks, federal recreation areas and other public spaces
• Raise money for Friends of SF Animal Care and Control
• Enjoy a great time in one of San Francisco’s most beautiful yet underutilized parks

The Million Dog March will be a beautiful three-mile walk in McLaren Park, through grassy fields, around scenic lakes, under redwoods, over charming wooden bridges, and along trails with some spectacular views of San Francisco. After the walk, there will be a festival with music, vendors, information tables and games and activities for you and your dog. Have a photo taken of you and your dog. Let your dog try her paw at some agility equipment, go bobbing for tennis balls to win a prize, or see his furry face as a caricature.

The cost of the event is $25 in advance/$30 on the day of the event, which includes registration for one dog and its human family members as well as one t-shirt for you and a bandana for your doggie. Any proceeds from the event will be donated to Friends of SF Animal Care and Control, to benefit city shelter animals. Because of the number of participants, we ask that you keep your dog on leash during the walk.

REGISTER EARLY!



To register and find out more: http://www.milliondogmarchsf.org

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/milliondogmarchsf

Event sponsors: Zynga, Pet Camp, K9 Scrub Club, Pet Food Express, Yelp, San Francisco SPCA, the Park Cafes, Citipets. Media sponsors: The Bark, 7 x 7, Bay Woof, San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Hosted by SFDOG. Endorsed by Crissy Field Dog Group, DogPAC of San Francisco, Ft. Funston Dog Walkers, Grateful Dogs Rescue, ODOG-Oakland Dog Owners Group, Ocean Beach DOG, Marin Unleashed, McLaren DOG, Montara Dog Group, Muttville, Point Isabel DOG, the Professional Dog Walkers Association, Save Off Leash Dog Walking, Wonder Dog Rescue.

“1:30 PM Glenview & Burnett Theft of Credit Cards, Checks
“Suspect posed as a private contractor working for PG&E. Victim allowed him into her backyard where the suspect distracted the victim while an accomplice burglarized her home.”

So if someone says they’re from PG&E and they’ve come to help you – it probably makes sense to call the company. And not on the number the person gives, but the one from the phonebook or 411.

OTHER CRIME

• The newsletter reported a traffic collision (without any details about who collided with what, but a bicycle was involved):  9:12 AM Twin Peaks & Panorama,  Unsafe Speed for Bicyclist Conditions.
• It also had 4 instances of thefts from cars in the Twin Peaks Parking lot   – all in the daytime, when presumably there would be people around, but it still happened. Also, lots from other areas including one inside a parking garage.
• A bicycle was stolen from 100 Crestline, which is over on the other side of Twin Peaks – but just as a heads up to all the riders in our neighborhood. I feel like everyone I know who rides has had a bike stolen some time. Maybe we should microchip them. (The bikes, not the riders.)

It was as colorful and interesting as usual, and it’s always a pleasure to browse.

There were the usual unusual things: jewelry designed and made by the people at the stalls, artworks I wished had wall-space for, garments, several stalls with hats and caps, rugs, candles, decorative mirrors with marquetry or metal frames, bags, and ceramics.

I took my camera, but forgot to charge the battery, which gave up one block down. I have fewer pictures than in other years (like in 2011, HERE or 2010, HERE). If anyone wants to send me some to fk94131 at yahoo dot com, I’ll happily publish them here.

At one stall, beautifully finished hand-made wood utensils caught my eye. They looked very tactile. I couldn’t resist; I bought a lovely little coffee scoop of madrone wood, even though I favor instant coffee… and when I got it home, I was delighted by the brand-name: Moonlight Shenanigans.

NOT SO NICE

The fine day and the promise of the street fair seemed to have brought out not just the crowds, which was great, but an unusual number of panhandlers. None of them seemed to be West Portal regulars, to whom I admit I do sometimes give.  Today I just felt disconcerted and didn’t.

And then, to top it off…  removal notices on the two trees on the sidewalk next to the former Squat and Gobble. They survived the fire and the demolition; but now they’ll be demolished anyway, to provide access for cranes. Necessary, but sad. They’re among the few tall trees still left in West Portal. There was a huge and beautiful tree next to the station entrance that was lost in one of the renovations. Gradually, all the tall trees will be gone and the village will have lost something of its character.

The San Francisco Forest Alliance  and  Save Sutro Forest  are holding a meeting on 21 April 2013 to talk about the planned felling of trees on Mount Sutro — and on Mount Davidson. These actions would gut two important urban forests near our neighborhood and irretrievably alter the landscape.

Do you want to know:

• How many thousand trees do they plan to cut down on Mount Sutro? On Mount Davidson?
• Who’s “They”?
• What about Pesticide use?
• When will this happen?

For answers to these questions and more…
Come to the San Francisco Forest Alliance meeting.

WHERE: Miraloma Park Clubhouse,  350 O’Shaughnessy Blvd,
San Francisco, CA 94127

(It’s about 2 miles from Forest Knolls.)

WHEN:  April 21st, 2013 (Sunday) – 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

The steep hillside above the planned development

A few weeks ago, I’d noted that the Planning Commission approved the San Francisco Overlook project.

Here’s a more detailed note from Dr Sam Sobol of Crestmont Preservation. In summary: The Mount Sutro Woods Owners Association (which is the relevant association for that area of the neighborhood) decided not to file an appeal.

They may take separate action, but for now, the broader neighborhood is not involved. As Dr Sobol says: “If the time comes when we again need to mobilize the larger neighborhood to take action, we will let you know. In the meantime, we want to express our profound gratitude for the support so many of you have shown over the years…“

Crestmont-Mt.Sutro-Forest Knolls Neighborhood Preservation Coalition

A note of appreciation and look toward the future
The Planning Commission 7-0 Decision

Bulletin 4-12-13

A month has passed by since the Planning Commission hearing on the San Francisco Overlook project took place. I regret that I was not able to attend as I was on a long planned overseas trip when the meeting, rescheduled from February 14 to March 7, took place.

[Article from the San Francisco Chronicle, March 11, 2013

Mt. Sutro residents fight development ]

I have now had the opportunity to review the entire video of the proceedings and wish to thank all the neighbors on Crestmont Drive, Forest Knolls and the downhill apartments who turned out to support our neighborhood, and especially the two dozen who spoke against the development. Your reasoned, intelligent, articulate and impassioned arguments covered all of the relevant issues, highlighting why this project is so wrong for our community.

[Webmaster: The Video can be viewed HERE.]

Unhappily, the Planning Commissioners seem committed in this era to the growth of housing in the City, particularly in the Western districts, no matter how disruptive or inappropriate to the location or oversized the project. It was evident that the decision had been made and that no amount of community resistance or outrage would reverse that decision, as confirmed by the 7-0 vote to approve the project.

Unwilling to give up without further action, I subsequently explored the option of mounting an appeal to the Board of Supervisors, arguing in part that the project shouldn’t be built without a pedestrian stairway downhill to 5th Ave, both for better access to public transit and for safety as an escape route in case of fire, landslide or other uphill emergency blocking Crestmont. This issue was raised by Commissioner Hillis during the Hearing, and he even brought up the question of eminent domain to force an easement by the downhill property owner which would allow for such a stair walkway.

However, conversations with two of Supervisor Norman Yee’s legislative aides, one of whom explored the issue with the City Attorney’s office, convinced us that such an appeal would be quixotic and have no chance of achieving the 8-3 necessary vote in the Board of Supervisors. Moreover, the unanimous vote of the Planning Commission made any hope of securing sufficient votes among the Supervisors to materially change any element of the project, on any grounds, virtually nonexistent.

We, therefore, did not mount the necessary petition drive to appeal to the Board of Supervisors, which would have required signatures of 20% of all homeowners within 300 ft. of the project’s borders. Nor did the adjacent homeowners’ association, the Mount Sutro Woods Owners Association (MSWOA), submit such an appeal within the 30 day limit.

Does this mean that the project will inexorably move forward in its present form? Not necessarily! There remain other issues which may have to be resolved by mediation or the courts, involving SF Overlook’s failure to abide by certain of the MSWOA’s restrictions and covenants. These issues are, however, within the provenance of the immediate homeowners’ association (of which the developer is a member) and do not directly involve the larger Crestmont Drive and Forest Knolls neighborhood.

If the time comes when we again need to mobilize the larger neighborhood to take action, we will let you know. In the meantime, we want to express our profound gratitude for the support so many of you have shown over the years in our attempt to deter or downsize this development, and in particular those who have helped on so many occasions to distribute flyers and posters, and especially those who spoke out so eloquently for our neighborhood’s values, safety and integrity at the March 7th hearing.

Samuel Sobol, M.D.

The California Academy of Sciences has a few free days occasionally. (The usual ticket is $30 for general admission; $25 for seniors/ students/ youth 12-17; and $20 for kids 4-11. Under 4s are free.) The last admission on free days is at 4 p.m., but it’s usually crowded so they recommend getting there early.

• Target sponsors free days by zipcode, and ours (for 94131) are coming up soon: April 12-14th, 2013. If you’re going, the adults will need proof of residence, and can take in up to 6 children.
• On April 18th, admission is free until 2 p.m. but the place closes at 3 p.m.
• The next general free day, courtesy Chase, is on 2 June 2013.

Before visiting, check out the details HERE on their website.

CalAcademy is only about 10-15 minutes away from Forest Knolls. (Some people even walk down there, though I guess it’s a bit of a hike back, uphill!) Personally, I find it so interesting and convenient that I have a membership. It takes only 2-3 trips to break even.  The Membership page of their website is HERE.

On Friday,  April 12, San Francisco launches the nation’s first ever Walk to Work Day. All it takes to participate is walking fifteen minutes of your commute. Wherever you are in the city, you can share your experience by following us on twitter.com/walksf or instagram.com/walksf and posting with the #walk2work hash tag. You can also like us at facebook.com/walksf and share the attached image on your timeline or make it your profile picture.

Or, you and your friends can stop by one of our official Hubs between 7:30 and 10 a.m. where we’ll also be handing out “I Walked to Work” stickers and FREE Clipper cards pre-loaded with a ride home.

Not only will you get some energy and exercise, you’ll also help reduce the city’s carbon emissions and get FREE perks at certain coffee shops and other local businesses (here’s a map with all the sites and details).

View Larger Map

After work, you can head over to Show Dogs for happy hour and a chance to win one of the Walk to Work Day contests:

• “Best Shoe Bling” – take a picture and post to Twitter/Instagram with #walk2work hash tag, then follow us to see if you’ve won
• “Longest Walk Commute” – post to Twitter with #walk2work hash tag, or on the Walk SF Facebook fan page
• “Most Interesting Sight” – take a picture and post to Twitter/Instagram with #walk2work hash tag, then follow us to see if you’ve won
• “Most Employees Participating” – post to Twitter with #walk2work hash tag, or on the Walk SF Facebook fan page (there’s even a free employer toolkit you can download with resources to encourage participation)

If you’re interested, there’s more information on Walk to Work Day, check out walk2workday.org and they’re happy to respond to questions.

• 2012: West Portal Arts and Crafts Fair
• 2011: A Brilliant Day at the West Portal Arts and Crafts Fair
• 2010: West Portal Street Fair

Right now, there’s not much up there.  If you have comments, stories, blog-posts or pictures to contribute, so much the better.  It’s at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/590570520956031/