Tag Archives: San Francisco CA

Meet Mayoral Candidates & Your Neighbors at the DHIC FallFest

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Saturday, September 28

DHIC’s Fallfest, our annual neighborhood block party, is happening on Saturday, September 28 from 11am to 1pm on Sanchez Street between 21st and Hill Streets.  Everyone is welcome!

The FallFest will feature two mayoral candidates: Mayor London Breed and President of the Board of Supervisors, Aaron Peskin.  Mayor Breed will join us at 11:30am for 30 minutes of talk and Q&A. Supervisor Peskin will do the same from 12:15-12:45 pm. 

Join us to meet your neighbors, learn about our activities, hear from our Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and the mayoral candidates, and participate in our great raffle.  

This is an-all volunteer event.  If you can help, email us at info@doloresheights.org

Here’s what’s on tap for you:

  • View the historic Dolores Heights photos
  • Join your neighborhood block safety group
  • Get safety and security handouts; talk with savvy neighbors about home safety
  • Learn about the proposed mural project at 20th and Noe Streets
  • Meet the people behind the Green Gardens monthly hillside clean-ups
  • Bring your kids to “Kids Korner” activities
  • Hear from our District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman

And enter the raffle to win gift cards to great area restaurants and other services! (Note the raffle drawing will occur at 12:45pm.  You must be present to win.) 

SAVE THE DATE: DISTRICT 8 NEIGHBORHOOD MAYORAL FORUM

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Thursday, September 5

Thursday, September 5 at 6:30pm at the Randall Museum Theater:  All five major candidates are scheduled to participate. The forum is strictly a non-partisan, public education forum, organized by ten neighborhood groups. DHIC is proud to be a co-sponsor of this non-partisan forum along with nine other neighborhood associations from across District 8.  No sponsoring organization endorses any of the mayoral candidates. Doors open at 6pm.  Seating will be limited.  Mark your calendar for Sept. 5 at 6:30pm.    

Can you help out? Share your volunteer interest to make the forum a success. 

Safer Together: DHIC Block Safety Groups & Home Defense 

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Dolores Heights has block groups covering nearly every block in our neighborhood.  We also have a network of block safety captains who share information across groups.

If you’re not on one of our block safety aliases, email info@doloresheights.org with your name and block/cross streets (e.g., 3600 block of 21st St between Church & Sanchez.)

Report any key safety alerts/incidents on your block safety alias.

If you’re seeking info on how to make your home more secure, one neighbor has summarized his home defense recommendations here.

DHIC has a safety page on its website with more information and links to resources. Join your local block safety group for more updates as they occur.  Email info@doloresheights.org.

Want to learn more about home security. Use this QR code to read a summary put together by a Dolores Heights neighbor.

Please Patronize the Merchants Who Donated Raffle Prizes

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Once again, generous local merchants and restauranteurs donated gift cards and other prizes for our annual raffle. Please patronize these businesses who support our neighborhood.  If you’re already a customer, please thank them for their donation to the DHIC raffle.  

Coyotes in Dolores Heights

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Over the past several years, numerous people in Dolores Heights have seen a female coyote who frequents the area and Dolores Park.  Some (especially those with small dogs and cats) are concerned about coyotes.   

For the last 16 years, Janet Kessler has been documenting the San Francisco coyote population, their territoriality, and their behaviors, including their family life and behaviors towards dogs and people.  She emailed DHIC suggesting that we provide more education about the coyotes to dispel concerns and/or give people a solid base of information.  She posted this information on her blog.  We encourage you to read it.  

(Coyote spotted on the south side of Liberty, Street, between Church and Sanchez. Photo: Jennifer Bury.)

What’s Up with the Flying Car?

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Thanks to all neighbors who responded to the carjacked Lincoln that crashed through the barrier and landed upside down on 19th Street on Saturday, July 22 (see minute 1:25 on linked YouTube video.)  Many shared video and photos of the incident with SFPD.  That evidence helped SFPD to arrest the two ringleaders in this carjacking/reckless driving incident on July 26  

Unfortunately, the two individuals arrested are not being charged owing to lack of sufficient evidence to bring a strong case.  Specifically, the owner of the carjacked vehicle is unwilling to serve as a witness.  Sergeant Wren of Mission Station is investigating the crime.  It is still an open case.  As of September 2 he’s awaiting lab results on a piece of evidence that’s key to any further action.

DHIC has asked Supervisor Mandelman’s office to help us obtain a vehicle safety strategy and “calming” plan from SFMTA.  

Good news:  earlier in August, DPW workers replaced the broken metal railings on the top and bottom of the staircase.  

What you can do:

  • Continue to be vigilant when you are out in the neighborhood including when entering/exiting a car
  • Join us on Sat. Oct. 14 between 11am – 1pm at the 800 block of Sanchez (at 21st Street) when we host the DHIC Fallfest with info on safety, green gardens, and other DHIC-sponsored activities.  

(Surveillance camera footage of the crash. Start watching at 1:25.)

A Mural Beside the 20th Street Hillside

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Neighbors’ vision to fill the empty retaining walls next to the 20th and Noe hillside garden (see photo above) is getting legs (or arms and paintbrushes).  Dave Dea, co-chair of the Green Gardens Committee, reported that they’ve selected a wall mural artist. Her name is Melanie Getman, a native San Franciscan born in North Beach/Chinatown.  Her website has many  images of nature scenes with diverse color palettes, hopefully appealing to all tastes.  The group wants the mural to be a nature scene – with the landmark Cork Oak tree as an anchor image, along with insects, plants, birds and raptors nesting, flybys etc.

Dave is asking for feedback and for more volunteers to help set up a GoFundMe and to raise money for the conceptual drawing of the mural to submit to the SF Arts Commission. You can reach him at ddea888@gmail.com. 

Neighborhood Safety Tips from Dave Burke – D8 Public Safety Liaison

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On August 16, 20th Street residents walked the 3900 block of 20th with Dave Burke.  The objective was to identify ways to deter residential break-ins/burglaries

Dave described the burglar mindset: stealing is the profession, the burglar wants our things, not to hurt us, and usually does not break in via the front door.  90 % of break- ins happen between 2 am and sunrise.  Dave’s specific recommendations covered three areas:

Lighting: 

  • Bright light over front door, over garage, and at back door (“treat back door like your front door”
  • Don’t use motion-activated lights.  Set a timer to turn on the light at sundown and off at sunrise.  If burglars see a lit street, they will find a dark one
  • Light up spaces in between homes    

Security:

  • Secure all doors and windows even when you’re home
  • Set up cameras at the front and back doorsSet up TV lights, lights on timers and/or get a dog!
  • Do the same for the garage – radio or machinery noise
  • Reinforce any garage windows and pull up the emergency release cord    

Garden: 

  • Cut back bushes as burglars hide
  • Keep front garden neat and beautiful; burglars prefer unkept homes    
  • Keep garden free of ladders for burglars to climb and tools to take

Network with neighbors. Know when they are out of town.  Watch out for each other!