Comings and Goings West of Twin Peaks
Around the Town
By Mitch Bull
Comings and Goings…
The 2008 Holiday Season upon us, and we are awash in the daily deluge of bad economic news from layoffs to bank failures. It is a time to reach out to family and friends and reflect on the past year and look forward to 2009.
I would like to take the time to thank everyone associated with the newspaper, including our readers, our advertisers and our colleagues to making the Westside Observer a fun, vibrant community paper. I am looking forward to more stories and meeting new people in 2009.
This week the West Portal Merchants sponsor the Holiday Tree Lighting event (on the 5th) and are having “Festive Fridays” with all of the merchants staying open until 8 PM on Friday evenings. When doing your holiday, or other shopping, look to our local merchants - Shop the Ave.!!
In these difficult times, it is easy to be caught in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and to forget about those who are much less fortunate. During this season, please don’t forget programs such as: Local Food Banks; Toys for Tots; The Salvation Army; Glide Memorial, or your favorite local charity. The need is greater this year and a small donation can go a long way to help those in need.
In this issue of the paper, we are conducting a small survey to get a better understanding of what it is you want to see in our paper. Do you like/dislike: Sudoku, Movie Reviews, Political Commentary, Brain Food, Featured Columnists, Cartoons...let us know. I look forward to the diverse opinions of our readers.
Of course you can always just send me an email.
You can reach me at: mitch@WestsideObserver.com. Be sure to check out the Observer online @ www.WestsideObserver.com.
Happy Holidays !—See you in 2009!
December 2008
Comings and Goings…
We had the wonderful experience of hosting a small “Meet and Greet” event for our columnists at the Que Syrah Wine Bar at 230 West Portal Avenue last month. The weather turned out to be very pleasant and approximately 20 people attended to share stories about the paper and meet each other, as most of what we do is via email. Owner Stephanie McCardell did a great job of keeping the wine and food flowing. A good time was had by all. When you are in the mood for a glass of wine in a great location, check out Que Syrah.
It is fortunate that San Francisco continues to have many vibrant, active communities within its’ borders, and the community newspapers are a reflection of this. All of us at the Observer value your thoughts and feedback, and we have a very eclectic mix of writers, columnists and other contributors. After all, it is the community that makes a true community newspaper successful.
Unfortunately the Irish Delights store, located on West Portal Ave. has closed its doors. A sign hanging in the window thanks the customers for 22 years of support. Let’s hope the current economy doesn’t claim any more “victims”.
You can reach us at: mitch@WestsideObserver.com. Be sure to check out the Observer online @ www.WestsideObserver.com.
November 2008
You may have noticed some changes in the Observer last month, such as a change from the West of Twin Peaks Observer to the Westside Observer. That’s not the only thing to change.
With the September issue of the paper, new publishers have taken the reins. Mitch and Alice Bull have taken over the duties of Publishers from Phyllis Sherman. Phyllis will continue to be associated with the paper. You will continue to find her monthly musings in her column “Phyllis’ Findings.”
The new owners are not new to the area, Alice is a native San Franciscan, and Mitch has been in town for a little over 26 years, so they kind of know their way around. Although you may continue to see small changes in the format and look, the Observer will continue to bring our readers the same news, features and event information that we always have.
It is fortunate that San Francisco continues to have many vibrant, active communities within its’ borders, and the community newspapers are a reflection of this. All of us at the Observer value your thoughts and feedback. After all, it is the community that makes a true community newspaper successful.
You can reach us at: mitch@WestsideObserver.com. Be sure to check out the Observer online @ www.WestsideObserver.com.
Festivals Galore…Pull out your calendars. September and October feature two community festivals to highlight the fall season.
On Saturday, September 13, 2008, the Sunset District Autumn Moon Festival Committee will present the 4th annual Autumn Moon Festival in the Sunset. This annual festival has become an integral part of the San Francisco culture, attracting thousands of people to enjoy entertainment, art, products and, of course, delicious food. A “Kids Corner” will also be an attraction with a petting zoo and bouncy house.
Many local organizations and merchants have participated in the planning, including the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. There is a long and storied history to this traditional Chinese celebration held to commemorate the successful revolt to drive the Mongols from China during the Yuan Dynasty.
The festival will take place from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Irving Street, between 22nd and 25th Avenues. Admission is free. For more information about the Autumn Moon Festival, visit the website at www.AutumnMoonFestival.org.
Food and fun moves to Taraval Street on October 25th as the Taraval Merchants Association presents the 2nd annual Taraval Street Fair. Taraval Street, between 46th and 47th Avenues will be closed to make way for food booths, artisans, and a stage for bands. The festival will run from 10:30 A.M. to 6:00 PM. Admission is free, so join in the fun. For more information visit the website at www.TaravalMerchants.org.
With the Olympic games wrapping up in Beijing, a local China event is also wrapping up in September. Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s MING Dynasty ends at the Asian Art Museum on September 21st. Make it a point to catch these rare objects while they are still on display in San Francisco. For more information visit www.asianart.org.
September 2008
Copperfield’s Stationers, a fixture at 254 West Portal Avenue for 23 years closed their doors at the end of May as the owners decided to retire. The storefront was not vacant for long as Back to Sports Fitness and Therapy moved from their current location at 342 West Portal to the larger space formerly housing Copperfield’s. The larger space will allow them to provide more expanded services to their clients. The center is a full service fitness and therapy location with personal training, physical therapy and chiropractic services available, in addition to the large compliment of fitness machinery.
Cynthia Pagan and her husband, Darren Badong, the owners of “Back to Sports Fitness”, as well as the Just Because Card and Gift Shoppe at 162 West Portal, are excited about moving the Fitness center to the new space because it allows them to retrofit the space at 342 West Portal into a comprehensive group exercise studio. The new studio “Back to Sports Studio” will focus on group exercises such as yoga, pilates, kick boxing, and aerobics. Eventually they would like to add dance classes in ballroom and salsa to the mix. The opening of the exercise studio is slated for mid-July.
Everyone who is interested in 20th Century art should check out the Frida Kahlo exhibit at SFMOMA. The exhibit consists of approximately 75 of Kahlo’s works, as well as photographs of her and her husband, the muralist Diego Rivera. An interesting side note is that Rivera and Kahlo lived in San Francisco in both 1931 and 1940. During 1940 they were remarried at City Hall, after being divorced in 1939. While Rivera was the more famous artist during their lives, it may be Kahlo’s intense pieces that will be longer remembered. The exhibit runs through September 28. The best way to get tickets is online, as admission is timed due to the large turnout of people visiting the museum. Visit the SFMOMA website for more information.
July-August 2008
