precita.org

The Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center will be hosting an event entitled "Strengthening Our Community Through Unity" on Saturday, November 4th from 10:00 am to Noon at 515 Cortland. The theme is violence prevention with a theatrical preformance about gang and youth violence as well as workshops on youth issues. Those interested in attending, please RSVP to asandoval@bhnc.org.

10/21/06 1:36 pm Cesar Chavez and Hampshire
In response to numerous complaints of drug use and drug dealing, Officers Dan Gibbs and Josh Kumli were working in plainclothes and spotted a suspicious person who was loitering at Harrison and Precita. They followed the suspect to Hampshire where he produced a "crack" pipe. The officers detained him and found suspected crack cocaine on his person. The suspect, who has no permanent local address and is on probation, was arrested on narcotics charges. Case #061124954

09/13/06 4:30 pm Precita and Alabama
A citizen who does a lot of work assisting the police with graffiti suspects, was driving home when he spotted a suspect committing a graffiti offense on a park bench in Precita Park. He called the police with Officers Herb Najarro and Jeffrey Chang responding. based upon the description given, the officers detained the suspect and a companion. The citizen positively identified the suspect and graffiti evidence was found. The suspect, who lives on the 1600 block of York, was cited for malicious mischief. Case #060979473.

09/09/06 1:00 pm 3100 block of Folsom
Officers Ben Santana, Ana Lee, Michael Walsh, Sgt. Michael Redmond and Sgt. Brian Philpott went to a residence on the 3100 block of Folsom on a drunken and estranged husband trying to break the door down and causing grave concern for minor children. The officers arrested the suspect at the scene for domestic violence, threats and a drunk driving warrant. Case #060962882

SFGate on Best Papusas in SF:

``Martina Romos, a native of San Salvador, who for the past 20 years has been selling her pupusas -- cooked in her home kitchen and packed in an insulated cooler -- every Wednesday at the Precita Park playground.``

She gets there around 10:30am and stays until around noon.

Metropolitan Arts and Technology High School (aka Metro High Charter School), is a new charter school n the old site of Immaculate Conception school (which was a K-8 school).

As a charter school, Metro's students come from all over San Francisco. When Metro High opened in Fall of 2005, they had 100 freshmen students. This year, they have added another 100 students, and plan on adding 100 more next year. Needless to say, this causes a bit of an issue with the neighborhood, as hundreds of high school students are now going to school in an area that was originally a school with a maximum student age of 13.

Students are now being dropped off and picked up on Treat Ave, even though the school stated that they would only be using the Folsom street entrance. This is causing severe traffic jams on Treat Ave in the mornings as school is starting (8:30-8:45) and afternoons when school gets out. The Folsom site has passenger loading zones, and the Treat side does not. Treat is also a narrow, dead end street and not a very easy street to turn cars around on.

Precita Valley Neighbors has also expressed concern about loitering and drug use in Precita park that appears to be connected with Metro students. We have also heard stories from Treat Ave residents who have been hassled by teenagers from Metro, but it has not been confirmed if these were Metro students or teenagers not affiliated with Metro who were simply in the area.

If you notice any inappropriate student-related activity, please immediately contact Principal Kenny Purser and let him know (and leave a comment about it here as well).

Should Chavez street be reduced to 2 lanes in each direction? There are a lot of different opinions on this. For example, Precita Valley Neighbors is afraid that if this happens, more traffic will be redirected onto Precita and 26th. But other people think that adding turn pockets to Chavez will actually speed it up, even if a traffic lane is reduced.



From the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition:

San Francisco's southern Mission district is extraordinarily well suited for bicycle riding, being both flat and centrally located. Yet, there are no established east-west bike lanes to safely connect the Mission with other neighborhoods. This is particularly noticeable on Cesar Chavez which connects the Mission to the Bayview, North Bernal, and Noe Valley neighborhoods. The current street configuration squeezes bicycles between fast moving traffic and dangerously close to opening car doors. Bicycle lanes on Cesar Chavez would provide a safe space for bicyclists and traffic-calming for a street with several schools and high volumes of foot traffic.``

The Department of Public Health is lobbying to put new street toilets on Chavez and/or 26th Street. Some neighbors say that new pay toilets will attract crime and prostitution, and that a better and humane solution is to properly maintain the existing public toilets in Garfield, Rolph and Potrero Del Sol Parks. If you are interested in helping to pursue the latter option, contact stopthetoilets@yahoo.com.

According to Jay, ``We do not believe that more toilets will make the public urination and defication problems worse. But we believe that the City should do what needs to be done to open and maintain the existing toilets in the area before it spends money to install even more toilets which, in time, it may also fail to maintain when it looks for ways to make budget cuts. ``

Jay also provided us with a map of the existing toilets in the areas.



1. Decaux toilet at Mission and 24th Streets
2. Day Laborer’s Office at 3358 Cesar Chavez
3. South Van Ness Decaux toilet at Cesar Chavez
4. Garfield Park near 26th Street
5. Rolph Park at 26th and Hampshire
6. Potrero del Sol Park at 26th and Potrero
7. S.F. General Hospital parking garage near 23rd and Potrero
8. S.F. General Hospital on Potrero

View of Precita Valley from 1888

Precita Valley Neighbors is a community group which advocates for the Precita Valley neighborhood, an area located to the north of Bernal Hill Park. Works with city government to address issues of concern such as Precita Park and Bernal Hill Park maintenance, crime prevention and other issues.

Precita Valley Neighbors on the second Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at Charlie's Deli, located at the corner of Precita Avenue and Folsom Street.