-
nopna.orgNOPNANews
North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association
2019 : issue 3
PHOTO: Michelle Petersen
Joe Thompson and Fracture Comics
Joe Thompson discovered his dreams in 1990’s NOPA. Raised in an incredibly
loving, nurturing home on Baker Street—where his family has resided for over 60
years—Joe was always encouraged to be creative.
Joe has fond memories of birthday parties at Golden Gate
Today, Joe owns the Comic Book Company Fracture Comics
Park, learning to ride his bike in the Panhandle, and riding
and works in the Comix Experience Outpost. Joe has part-
the horse at the playground near Masonic. His mother was an
nered with Chris Adams to publish their comic books and the
English teacher and his father studied history and urban stud-
duo is currently featured in the documentary Table Stakes.
ies. Joe loved to draw, so his father filled his Easter baskets
The documentary short centers on Joe and Chris’ story,two
with sketch books and art supplies. His mother read to him
African American comic book writers working to make it in
every night and from a very young age he loved to read. His
a field dominated by white and Asian writers, revealing the
father collected comic books and shared his interests in super
struggles they’ve had to overcome. Director Khai Thu Nguyen
heroes with Joe, watching cartoons with him and taking him
wanted to highlight artists of color in the comic book and
to Toys ‘R’ Us. Comic books are where Joe found inspiration
movie industry, and the challenges they face to gain audience
and his calling in life.
attention. Nominated for Best Short Film at the San Diego
2 | NOPNANews
FROM THE BOARD
Help us sustain and grow.
Three summers ago, I started volunteering with NOPNA with the goal of
connecting with the neighborhood where my husband and two-and-half year
old son are growing our roots. I began volunteering by writing an article to
learn more about what NOPNA is. I learned that NOPNA is an incredibly
small, non-profit organization that offers large-scale events and forums to
connect our neighbors and elevate our community’s voice, including general
meetings, the annual block party, Halloween block party, Holiday celebra-
tion, and neighborhood newsletter. Making this all happen requires lots of
volunteer hours and monetary support.
When I wanted to do more, the idea of starting a business outreach team
was born. The goal of the business outreach team is to liaise with our local
businesses and neighbors to sustain the cost of these activities and forums.
To date, we’ve been making improvements in soliciting donations. Our
longer-term goal is to create an annual campaign that gives NOPNA a
consistent and stable funding stream in order to plan more activities for the
neighborhood.
Just like my fellow board members, I believe that we can shape how our
community will grow through empathy and action; but this can only be done
through your volunteer and monetary support. If you’re interested in dona-
tions,sponsorships or joining the business outreach team, please reach out
to Carmen Chan by emailing sponsorships@nopna.org.
Carmen Chan is a San Francisco native who has lived in NOPA for
the past 8+ years. She hopes to bring her professional experience in
client management and operations as well as her passion for local
businesses to build a stronger relationship between NOPNA and
the local business owners we all rely on.
Calendar of Events
NOPNA Annual Holiday Party
Saturday, December 7
6:30 – 9:00 pm
Jannah, 1775 Fulton
Farmers Market
Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm
DMV Parking Lot
Broderick@Fell
NOPNA General Meetings
Thursday, Nov. 21, 7 pm
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7 pm
City Real Estate | 629 Divisadero
SFPD Park Station
Community Meetings
Second Tuesday each month, 6 pm
Park Station Community Room
1899 Waller St.
The NOPNA News is published by the North
of Panhandle Neighborhood Association for
the residents, businesses, and friends of
our neighborhood, which is bounded
by Masonic Avenue and Turk, Divisadero
and Fell Streets.
PUBLISHER
NOPNA Board of Directors
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jason Cauthen | jason@nopna.org
LAYOUT
Lisa Eastlack
BUSINESS OUTREACH/ADVERTISING
Carmen Chan | sponsorships@nopna.org
PHOTOGRAPHY
Joseph Wilinski
COPY EDITORS
Nathan Lovejoy, Erika Alexander, Jessica
Stoneman, Lydia Horne
DISTRIBUTION
Will Valentine
PRINTING
Image Printing, San Francisco
NOPNA’s mission: The purpose of this associ-
ation shall be to establish neighborhood unity,
maintain multi-ethnic and multi-cultural diversity,
foster a sense of neighborhood pride, promote a
safe and clean community, and improve the qual-
ity of life for all residents of the neighborhood.
Your financial support allows NOPNA to
cover the costs of our newsletters, community
building events like our block party and holiday
party, public art projects in the neighborhood,
and other activities that enrich our dynamic
neighborhood. It also supports this site.
Make a difference on our streets and
become a member today!
Contact NOPNA
board@nopna.org | www.nopna.org
Panhandle Park Stewards
Second Saturday each month
9am – 12pm
Bulletin Board near Panhandle
Playground
Joe Thompson and Fracture Comics (cont.)
Joe’s published comic books include Hellfire, ARK: Academy
of Research and Kinesis, Godhand, and Sugar Rush. He
tends to write darker stories that incorporate either horror or
science fiction, inspired by the greats: Frank Miller, Kentaro
Miura, Yoshihiro Togashi, Cullen Bunn, Hiroya Oku, Katsuhiro
Otomo, Rumiko Takahashi, and One.
Striving to create inclusive worlds where everyone is
represented, Joe hopes to one day utilize his master’s
degree in film from the Academy of Art to bring his stories
to the big screen.
Joe’s comic books can be purchased from his website
PHOTO: Leela Gill
Black Film Festival 2019, the documentary has also been
www.fracturecomics.com or in person at various events. You
screened at Afro Comic Con and SF Doc Fest at the Roxie
can find more information on their website or follow them on
Theater and was featured at the California Independent
Instagram: @Fracturecomics.
Film Festival.
Michelle Petersen has lived in NOPA for 2 years. She loves the history of the neighborhood and the many great restau-
rants. She has also been a volunteer and written oral histories for the Mill Valley Historical Society.
4 | NOPNANews
How Neighborhood Activism
Preserved Our Neighborhood
We enjoy strolling or biking along the Panhandle, the accessi-
When the City Recreation and Parks Commission unan-
ble and extraordinary park in our own backyard. Few remem-
imously approved the Panhandle proposal in 1964, San
ber when the Panhandle was almost destroyed and turned
Franciscans rose up and turned to action, attending Supervi-
into an urban thoroughfare.
sor meetings, writing letters, and holding rallies to make their
From the early 20th Century through to the 1960’s, the City,
along with the entire country, was caught up in accommodat-
ing ever-expanding car ownership and the growing tentacles
of the Interstate Highway System.
Here in San Francisco, the Central, Alemany and Bayshore
freeways appeared first. City planners and developers
wanted more, and envisioned bringing the Central Freeway
all the way along the Panhandle and eventually connecting to
the Golden Gate Bridge.
Beyond the park’s destruction, between 415 and 500 people
were to be removed from their homes and relocated away
from the Panhandle corridor, replaced by new housing along
the periphery. The City already had a very disturbing history
of urban renewal. Since the 1940’s, major sections of the
Fillmore and Western Addition were decimated, with many
residents displaced.
“Many citizens were losing their
appetite for sacrificing neigh-
borhoods for grand civic proj-
ects,”said Griffen Estes, in “The
Panhandle Freeway and The
Revolt That Saved The Park.”
opposition heard.
As contemporary Chronicle
writer Harold Gilliam warned,
“the Panhandle planners’ calcu-
lations were once again blind to
the social cost that the project
would have on the nature of the
city itself.” *
The people of San Francisco did finally win this fight. In 1966
the Board of Supervisors voted 6 – 5 to reject both the Pan-
handle and the complementary Golden Gate Freeway.
The civic activism and engagement of previous residents
established a valuable precedent. Today, as city planning and
the private real estate developers take it upon themselves
to envision solutions to the extremely important problem of
affordable housing and economic diversity, it is just as crucial
as ever that the residents of NOPA involve, engage, and
openly dialogue with all stakeholders. The future of our city is
at stake.
Steve Nuzzo has lived on in NOPA since 2005, and in San Francisco for over 40 years. He is an educator at heart, and
has taught in public schools and universities in the Bay Area, in addition to leading communication training workshops
throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. He loves riding his bike through the Panhandle, out to the beach, and up and down
the coast.
*’Battle of the Panhandle’, March 29 1964, Chronicle, Harold Gilliam.
Sources: (Chronicle, July 11 1964, ‘Panhandle Parkway Approved’), (Chronicle, May 9 1964, ‘Building Unions Back Parkway Freeway’),
(SF Call, Oct 14. 1964, “MacAteer warns on Panhandle”), (Chronicle, May 1 1964, ‘Brown Will Push for More SF Freeways’)
6 | NOPNANews
Annual Block Party
Not even the blustery San Francisco winds could
dampen the jubilant atmosphere at our annual
NOPA Block Party in June! Thank you to all of
the neighbors who came out to enjoy the music,
family yoga, fire truck, bounce house, face paint-
ing, arts & crafts, games, and food from local
vendors.
We could not have put on this event without the
support of our community. NOPNA would like to
thank the families on Baker between Fulton and
Grove, the volunteers who came out to help set
up and break down the event and our local busi-
nesses and organizations that made this event
possible through contributions or participation.
We are all looking forward to next year!
If your neighborhood business or organization
would like to participate next year, please contact
Mollie Poe
Top Producer 1% SFAR
415.902.2447
DRE 01239280
Jennifer Brandl Jennifer Brandl is a neigh-
borhood resident since 2013, NOPNA News
aficionado, and NOPA business patron. She is
passionate about volunteering and contribut-
Declan Hickey
Top Producer 1% SFAR
415.902.2446
DRE 01356209
ing to communities.
PHOTOS: Leela Gill
Top Producers. Nopa Specialists.
As neighbors and North Panhandle sales experts for nearly 20 years, we bring a
wealth of knowledge to the selling and buying process. Powered by data, technology
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Living in the heart of a strong community like
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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable
but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact
dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit property already listed.
issue 3 : 2019 | 7
Meet a Neighbor on the SFMTA Board
Hello neighbors! My name is Amanda
Municipal Railway (Muni) public transit,
Eaken. Last September, I was
as well as bicycling, paratransit, park-
appointed by Mayor London Breed to
ing, traffic, walking, and taxis.
serve on the Board of Directors of the
San Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency (SFMTA), a seven-member cit-
izen board to provide policy direction
and oversee all of the agency’s opera-
tions. I have lived in NOPA for 6 years
with my husband and two children (and
previously lived on Grove Street in the
early 2000s). I love this neighborhood
and feel fortunate to live here.
I wanted to share a little bit about the
agency, the Board, and how you can
get involved.
SFMTA is charged with implementing
the four goals of its strategic plan:
1. Create a safer transportation experi-
ence for everyone.
2. Make transit and other sustainable
modes of transportation the most
attractive and preferred means of
travel.
3. Improve the quality of life and envi-
ronment in San Francisco and the
region.
4. Create a workplace that delivers
outstanding service.
The SFMTA Board meets the 1st and
3rd Tuesdays of the month at 1pm on
the 4th floor of city hall (agendas are
posted at SFMTA.com). The SFMTA
is unlike any transportation agency in
the country. Established by the voters
in 1999, SFMTA has oversight over the
I am honored to serve
on the SFMTA board
because I believe a
great transportation
system is necessary for
a thriving, healthy, and
equitable city. I believe
cities should be places
for people, and that it
is our duty at SFMTA to
make it easy, safe, and
affordable for people to
get around, whatever
mode you choose to
travel. Pedestrian safety
has particularly come
into focus for me in the
past few years as our
daughters have become
old enough to start
walking to school by
themselves.
I am proud of my NOPNA colleagues
who volunteer their time to make the
streets in our neighborhood safer, and
to ensure more, better, safer transpor-
tation options. In addition to SFMTA’s
work in this space, you can read about
NOPNA’s Vision Zero committee else-
where in this issue.
I hope to see you out on a bike ride
in the panhandle some time. Feel free
to find me on Twitter at @aeaken and
share any thoughts you may have.
Amanda Eaken’s day job is Director of
Transportation at the Natural Resources
Defense Council, where she leads an
initiative called the American Cities
Climate Challenge to to cut carbon
Since becoming a member of the
pollution and make 25 US cities more
Board of Directors, I take personally the
sustainable for their residents.
responsibility to make the streets safe
for all San Franciscans to use, and am
a strong advocate for San Francisco’s
Vision Zero goal to eliminate all traffic
fatalities by 2024.
8 | NOPNANews
The African American Church in Nopa: Part 3 (final)
When I commenced a walking
by the American flag and portraits of
redevelopment program—is of a kind
exploration of NOPA in late 2018 to
previous pastors—no doubt about it,
with that of New Liberation Presbyte-
determine the number of African Amer-
this is an African American church. As
rian Church (1100 Divisadero Street)
ican churches in our neighborhood, I
current pastor, Rev. Yul Dorn, stated to
and Little Zion Baptist Church (1245
reported in the inaugural article of this
me in my brief interview with him after
Divisadero Street), both profiled in
series that I counted seven and I listed
the worship service, “We are an inclu-
Part 2 (2019: issue 2). The eight Afri-
them and their addresses (2019: Issue
sive church, we welcome all…!” Pastor
can American churches noted in this
1). That listing, however, did not include
Dorn speaks with justifiable pride of
series—though not all profiled—predate
Emanuel Church of God In Christ—1649
Emanuel’s 79 year history in San Fran-
the formation of NOPNA, and because
Hayes Street, partly because I was
cisco—the church has been at its current
of the emblematic cultural significance
uncertain of its ethnicity and it was not
site since 1972, having relocated there
of the African American church in the
until after I had submitted Part 2 of this
from its founding location on Post Street
arc of African American history, these
series that I was able to attend a Sunday
in the Western Addition as a result of
churches—in my view—contribute
worship service at Emanuel.
the redevelopment program. Pastor
mightily to the sublime grace of this
Dorn said that the acquisition of its Post
vibrant neighborhood.
Upon entering the church on June 9 this
year, I was warmly greeted by a smiling
young African American male: “…wel-
come to Emanuel”, he said pointing me
to the sanctuary where I observed the
service was underway; I sat near the rear
Street location by the Redevelopment
Agency and its relocation assistance
enabled Emanuel to “…pay cash for
this site…we were treated well by the
redevelopment program.”
Carl Williams is an attorney and writer
with a wide-ranging interest in African
American history, religious, and literary
culture. He and his wife Jayne, also an
attorney, are homeowners on Broder-
so I could better view the congregation,
Emanuel’s longevity in NOPA–with an
the subtle elegance of the pulpit framed
impetus from the Western Addition A-2
ick Street since 1977.
Reverend Yul Dorn afer services at Emanuel Church
PHOTOS: Joseph Wilinski | www.joewilinski.com
issue 3 : 2019 | 9
Free Micro-Libraries
Mickey Mouse Comics, Fifty
well, some of us know what that is, maybe even able to use
Shades of Grey, and War and
it). Whether it is a neighbor, a student of the nearby school,
Peace. What do these titles
or a homeless person, this little wooden container has offered
have in common? Well, just a
quite a number of stories to read and to tell.
little free library and an active
community of readers.
We are one of two Little Free Libraries in the neighborhood,
there is another one at Turk near Broderick. If you’d like
We mounted and installed a
to learn more about Little Free Libraries or create one
little wooden library in front
of your own - you can learn more about them here...
of our place at 2106 Golden
https://littlefreelibrary.org/
Gate near Central last September and the success has been
beyond any expectations: the library gets new titles every week
(it has never been empty) and it sparks conversations with
and between passersby — (no, not via chat, they talk to each
other!). Some books make their way back to the library and
start a new journey with another reader just a few days later.
Hope you have a chance Come and to come by and check it
out, take a book, leave a book. Next time you may see one or
more copies of the NOPNA magazine (if they don’t get picked
up right away).
It occasionally becomes fully multimedia, as DVDs are added
to the library (we spotted a good old cassette audio-tape —
Francesco Rovetta (Franz is the nickname, but he is Italian) has
been a NoPa resident with his wife Lizzy for 7 years — he is in a
triathlon phase and always starts the day with a real espresso.
When I shop, I shop local. Pota was the natural choice
for our Realtor when the time came to sell our NOPA property.
She has local knowledge and lots of it.
- J. Briscoe
Pota Perimenis knows NOPA!
20
16
12
8
4
0
#1 in
Sales
and
Volume
Over the past 3 years, Pota has closed more
home sales in NOPA than any other agent.
Pota
Perimenis
#2
Agent
#3
Agent
#4
Agent
#5
Agent
Real Estate Questions?
Contact Me.
POTA PERIMENIS
#1 NOPA Realtor 2016-2019
415.407.2595
DRE 01117624
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only
and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All
measurements and square footage are approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.
10 | NOPNANews
What’s Poppin in the Panhandle
ment projects and fostering community
engagement. For example, two years
ago, the Panhandle Pedestrian Safety
Improvement Project led to improved
paving of the pedestrian-only pathway
and installed new benches, updated
trash cans and added the first recy-
cling bins in the park. Danley is actively
recruiting for his successor, and inter-
ested parties can reach out to board@
nopna.org to learn more.
“Having a new play-
ground presents a great
opportunity for people
in the neighborhood
to organize and work
together,” said Danley.
“Hopefully, we will feel
proud of the new play-
ground and one way to
express that—in addition
to bringing children to
play there—will be to
show up for volunteer
days when we help the
department keep it clean
and free of weeds.”
So, no matter what brings you to the
eucalyptus-scented air of the Panhandle,
remember that your neighbors—and
you—are what make it great.
Molly Tobin has lived in NOPA for
two and a half years, and loves Alamo
Square Park, Yoga Garden and carnitas
burritos from El Rancho Grande.
PHOTO: Joseph Wilinski | www.joewilinski.com
It could be argued that the best thing
Playground renovation. In early April of
about San Francisco is its urban parks.
this year, work began to upgrade the
As a non-native San Franciscan, I’m
Panhandle Playground, thanks to a gen-
constantly awed by the beauty and
erous donation from the San Francisco
ubiquity of our hilly city’s green oases.
Parks Alliance. The project is one compo-
With over 24 million visitors per year to
nent of the Lets Play SF initiative, which
Golden Gate Park alone, it’s clear that
will renovate thirteen parks throughout
San Franciscans know how to integrate
the city over the coming years.
nature into daily life, and strive to make
it a point of civic pride. This probably
comes as no surprise to the readers of
the NOPNA News, as our neighborhood
is proximal to many parks and is literally
defined in relation to one in particular -
the Panhandle.
The new Panhandle playground is
designed by RHAA Landscape Archi-
tects in Mill Valley. The design features
a variety of play equipment, including
the usual suspects like swings and sand,
as well as musical elements and even
a slide built into a rock embankment.
On a recent, unseasonably warm Sat-
Construction is scheduled to conclude
urday, the Panhandle was teeming with
in 2019, and more information can be
sunbathers, strollers, bikers, ballers, and
found at www.sfrecpark.org.
at least one very impressive juggler. It’s
clear that this park is used by a wide
range of people for a diverse set of
activities, and it got me thinking about
the way the park has changed (and is
changing) to meet the needs of our
neighbors.
The playground is not the only change
happening with the Panhandle this year.
Dale Danley, who has been the leader
of the Panhandle Park Stewards for ten
years, is stepping down in December.
The Panhandle Park Stewards are a
group of volunteers dedicated to main-
One of the most obvious changes cur-
taining the natural beauty of the park
rently underway is the Panhandle
through organizing capital improve-
Coming Soon: A Safer Divisadero Street
issue 3 : 2019 | 11
In 2014, San Francisco adopted a Vision
proposed project will focus on improve-
in May, and SFMTA has started detailed
Zero initiative with the goal to eliminate
ments that can be implemented quickly
designs that will be completed by the
traffic deaths by 2024 through better
and inexpensively, including:
end of this year. As SFMTA finalizes key
street design, education, law enforce-
ment, and policy support.
• Removing parked cars at corners
(“Daylighting”) and introducing
Tragically, in the five years since San
pedestrian safety zones to improve
Francisco adopted Vision in 2014, two
drivers’ view of pedestrians in inter-
pedestrians have been killed in colli-
sections, slow turning vehicles, and
sions in our neighborhood. In 2018, the
shorten crosswalk distances
NOPNA Board formed a Vision Zero
Subcommittee with the goal of improv-
ing transportation safety in NOPA.
• Advanced limit lines—the paint lines
that indicate where drivers must stop
at intersections—to improve visibility
The NOPNA Vision Zero Subcommit-
and reduce crosswalk conflicts
tee identifies street safety issues in the
neighborhood and proposes solutions
to address them in partnership with city
agencies. Earlier this year, Supervisor
Vallie Brown worked with NOPNA and
others to allocate discretionary funding
to pedestrian safety on Divisadero. The
• Traffic signal improvements, such as
pedestrian head-starts in crosswalks
and larger traffic signal lenses
SFMTA staff presented their proposal at
the NOPNA General Meeting in March.
design elements, they will reach out
to businesses and neighbors for input.
Construction will follow in 2020, though
design elements that are easier to install
may come earlier; look forward to a
safer Divisadero soon!
Supervisor Brown has already indicated
interest in funding a second phase of
safety improvements along Divisadero.
In the meantime, the Vision Zero Sub-
committee will continue influencing the
current project design while forming
ideas for future improvements. We
welcome ideas from the community.
Let us know your ideas for street safety
improvements or if you would like to
get involved in the NOPNA Vision Zero
Funding for the project was approved
Subcommittee.
Jeremy Besmer has lived in or near the neighborhood since 2015, and spends most of his time riding a bike, walking, and
hanging out in the many nearby parks.
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