Reader Derek sent us in these photos of a new, truly mini park on Balboa between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

The handcrafted “Balboa Sand Park” is constructed around an old tree stump, and is decorated with features including a funnel, hula hoop, small platforms, and tree parts.

You could almost put on a small animal show in the park, coaxing your trained kitten from platform to platform. But we’re guessing the idea is to put some sand in the top funnel and watch it work its way down the tree.

But be careful who you tell about the new park for as Derek wrote, “Just hope it doesn’t go the way of the Pole Gardens and Tiny Door.”

Let’s just call it the Balboa SECRET Sand Park, shall we?

Sarah B.

Photo by Elaine L.

This past Saturday, we got an email from reader Wally R., telling us about a fire hydrant on Fulton near 34th Avenue that was hemorrhaging water. A SF Water Department truck was parked next to it (but no workers in site) and the area was cordoned off with caution tape.

Wally was particularly upset because he first spotted the issue on Friday afternoon, and after calling 311, the water was still pouring into the street nearly two days later. No signs were posted explaining why.

“In the last 24 hours thousands, heck, maybe even millions gallons of clean water have been wasted just pouring out onto the street!” Wally wrote.

Fast forward to today and the hydrant is STILL gushing gallons of water out onto Fulton street. Reader Elaine L. also contacted us, dismayed by the wasteful act. She was told by a SF Water worker on site that it was ordered by the SFFD to “release pressure” in the system. But when Elaine called the SFFD, she was told it was something the SF Water Department was doing.

So what the heck is going on? We did a little digging to try and find out why millions of gallons of waters are being spilled onto a city street…

We first reached out to Lt. Mindy Talmadge, spokesperson for the SFFD. It turns out that particular hydrant on Fulton near 34th is a “suction” hydrant. And where does it draw from? Spreckels Lake. She was told by the PUC that the lake was being drained. The SFFD has nothing to do with the operation.

Which puts it into Rec & Park territory. We have a call into Rec & Park and are hoping to get an answer on why Spreckels Lake is being drained, perhaps for cleaning? We’ll update you as soon as we know more.

In the meantime, the drainage is expected continue for several more days, possibly even through the end of the weekend. And while it’s not clean drinking water that is being wasted, let’s hope that it is being re-purposed in some way.

UPDATE 6/18/13 1:43pm: We heard back from Sarah Ballard from SF Rec & Park who confirmed that the suction hydrant at 34th & Fulton (technically a Rec & Park hydrant, not a SFFD hydrant though it is backup for the Fire Dept.) is draining water from Spreckels Lake. The drainage operation is part of an approved project to repair walkways and retaining walls in Spreckels Lake. The draining will continue through this Friday. Ballard said the water being drained from the Lake is not being re-purposed in any way, but she emphasized that it is groundwater from the lake, and not potable water. Spreckels Lake will be filled back up in mid-August.

Sarah B.

Thanks to commenter Tim who turned us on to this cool History Minute from outsidelands.org that gives some good info on our city’s hydrants:

The Western Neighborhoods Project turned us onto this fun clip from 1930 that features footage from Ocean Beach and the Cliff House. It’s very San Francisco – you see a woman in a full length heavy coat walking along the roadway, and it then cuts to children in swimsuits on the beach. Microclimates, people!

In the footage you’ll also notice a pier that runs out from Ocean Beach. It was known as both the Olympic Pier and the Lurline Pier, because it served as the intake for two downtown saltwater pools: the Olympic Club and the Lurline Baths. Yes, you read that right – a pipe carried seawater from Ocean Beach all the way to downtown.

The Lurline Baths were public salt water baths built in 1894 at the corner of Bush and Larkin streets, and closed in 1936. The pier remained on Ocean Beach until about 1966. [Wikipedia]

The clip also has footage of Market Street and the ferry that used to carry people to Marin and back, before the Golden Gate Bridge was built.

Sarah B.

[Via Cliffhouseproject.com]

Photo by Natures Lantern – David Cruz

Local nature photographer David Cruz came upon some coyotes in Golden Gate Park last week, with pups.

He even captured a funny shot of one adult coyote crossing the road just in front of a “WARNING: COYOTES IN AREA” sign. I wonder if the coyote planned that shot for a good laugh?

Sarah B.

Photo by Natures Lantern – David Cruz

Photo by Natures Lantern – David Cruz

Photo by Natures Lantern – David Cruz

Heartbaker owner Sybil Johnson with her father, Mark

This past weekend marked the opening for Heartbaker, a new cafe / bakery located at 1408 Clement near 15th Avenue. The cafe received some early buzz on local food blogs last Friday, and when we stopped in on Sunday afternoon, the place was already hopping with new customers.

Heartbaker is the lovechild of pastry chef Sybil Johnson, who is returning to the retail food business after taking some years off to be a Mom. Johnson had past stints as a pastry chef at some high-end San Francisco eateries, including Aqua, the Fairmont Hotel and Kokkari. But after not finding work right away, she ultimately decided she’d rather open her own place and work for herself.

She says she went back and forth between wanting to open a full-scale restaurant or just a bakery. Heartbaker is a nice blend of both – an assortment of pastries, small sandwiches, quiches, cupcakes and cookies – that will satisfy a wide range of palettes and appetites. And it’s a comfortable space where you’ll want to spend some time and have a nice meal.

Heartbaker is still awaiting their beer and wine license, but Johnson expects it to be approved within the next couple of weeks. Once it is, she’ll add more savory items to the menu, and stay open into the evenings for dinner fare.

The space at 1408 Clement has been empty since Chapeau! vacated it in mid-2009 and moved to the second block of Clement. In February, we saw the first Heartbaker sign on the door that promised “Coming Soon!”.

Fast forward a few months and Johnson was still tied up in city red tape trying to open. They kept neighbors updated with letters on the door that promised they were still working on things. Johnson’s father, Mike Johnson, who is a partner in Heartbaker, said it was a challenging journey to get to opening day.

But they made it and the neighborhood is happy to have them. The space looks great inside. Cool grey walls and a white, marble top counter make it feel warm, cozy and fresh. There is table seating for about twenty, and a few chairs at the counter.

Heartbaker definitely wins for some of the most unusual photos we’ve ever seen at a cafe or bakery. Large portraits of the Heartbaker staff hang on the walls, each of them wearing baked goods “masks”. One has a a faceful of chocolate chip cookies, another covered in puff pastries.

The cafe is on the north side of the street and gets great mid-day and afternoon sun. They’ll be adding outdoor seating soon, but in the meantime patrons can sit on two stone benches out front that are holdovers from the Chapeau! days. There is also a large back patio on the property, but they’re unsure if they will open that up for seating.

One of the best parts of Heartbaker opening for Johnson? Her short commute to work. She lives just a few blocks away with her husband and two sons, all of whom were in the cafe when we stopped by. The boys were reading on bean bag chairs back near the kitchen (“They’ve already found their space,” Johnson said), and her husband was working behind the counter.

Heartbaker is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7am until 5pm (closed Mondays). In a few weeks, they’ll add additional evening hours, staying open until 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sundays, and until 11pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Stop in and welcome them to the neighborhood!

Sarah B.

We are a city known for our sourdough bread, but most of us buy it at the market, or even better, fresh from the ovens at the Boudin Bakery on 10th Avenue.

But if you’re more of a DIY’er when it comes to breads, you might want to check out the Sourdough Starter Workshop at the Anza Branch Library on Wednesday June 19 at 6pm.

Cat Shimizu, the “breaducator” from Sour Flour, will talk about the art and science of making bread using a sourdough starter.

This includes how to feed and take care of your own starter, and how different factors such as time, temperature, and starter hydration affect the fermentation process. They will also provide samples and suggested reading that will help get you started on a new adventure in sourdough bread baking.

The workshop is free, and takes place at the Anza Branch Libary located at 550 37th Avenue, between Anza and Geary.

Sarah B.

[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of June 13, 2013. To be added to the station's mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]

CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
This week there has been an increase in Robberies in the lower end of our district near Divisadero Street. These have been happening in the very early morning 2 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Please take note of your surroundings when walking to and from the bus, parking lots, etc. If you think you heard or saw anything please call us, it helps us to build a case.

I attended a meeting last night and there was some confusion as to when to dial 911. If a crime is in progress please call 911, if it’s not an emergency the number is 553-0123. A person breaking into a car where you can see it happening is a 911 call. Someone in your neighbor’s yard that you think is suspicious is a 911 call. It is better to be safe than sorry and if the 911 dispatcher thinks your call is not an emergency, they will transfer you to the non-emergency line.

Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave.

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 06/07/13 at 10:12am, officers responded to a call of a possible burglary on the 2200 block of Divisadero St. The neighbors were reporting that there was music coming from a downstairs apartment and them new that the tenant was out of town. Officers were given the key to the unit and an officer covered the front door while others went to the back. They saw that a glass pane on the rear door had been smashed out. The chain was also on the door from the inside. When they got in they could hear the TV on in the living room and saw the suspect asleep on the couch, in a bathrobe. When the officers announced their presence, the suspect woke up and appeared to be quite startled. Several of the rooms had been ransacked and property belonging to the victim was found in the suspect’s jacket and pants which were on the bedroom floor. In the pocket of the bathrobe were other items, including jewelry and credit cards. The 47 year old male was charged with burglary, possession of stolen property and burglar tools.

On 06/08/13 at 5pm, officers came across an encampment near Overlook Dr and Middle Drive West, with two males living in a tent. One of the males had an outstanding narcotics warrant for his arrest from Belmont.

On 06/18/13 at 6:30pm, officers responded to a call of a male sleeping in a business on the 4100 block of California St. When they arrived he was sitting in the corner and said to the officers, “You would better take me in, I have a parole warrant.” The officers confirmed the warrant and took him in.

On 06/13/13 at 4:17am, officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress on the 5600 block of Geary. The caller was reporting that a male smashed out a window and was currently inside.

When the officers arrived they saw that the front window had been completely smashed out by a newspaper rack that was now sitting inside. They could see the suspect inside of the store standing completely still with his arms straight down by his side, facing the rear of the store. The officers, still outside yelled at the suspect who replied, “What are you going to do? You gonna shoot me?” He then walked towards the front door and punched out the glass. Again the officers order him to exit and he finally complied. Officers could see a deep laceration to his hand and called for a medic. He was taken to a hospital for treatment and while there he told the officers that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and had been hearing voices. He also said that he wanted to kill himself. The 24 year old suspect was placed on a 72hr psych hold.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
On 06/09/13 at 2:15am, the victims were walking west on Sutter towards Broderick St. When they reached the corner the two suspects approached them and pushed one of the victims, demanding his property. One suspect, who was holding a handgun, struck the victim in the side of the face with the gun, knocking the victim to the ground. He then took the victim’s camera and demanded the second victim’s purse. The suspects then ran west on Sutter St. They were described as black males, 25-30yrs, wearing black baseball caps, black shirts and dark jeans.

On 06/10/13 at 12:40am, the SFFD requested police presence at a house fire they had responded to. The firefighters had discovered that this home was a “grow house” and located numerous marijuana plants. Officer arrived and saw a large marijuana grow. SFPD Narcotic Inspectors arrived and assisted in the investigation which is ongoing. There was no one living in the home.

On 06/12/13, sometime after 4am, two suspects entered a home on the 2400 block of Sutter through an unlocked door. The suspect took some items from the main living level and then went upstairs to a bedroom. They awakened the occupant, pointing a handgun at him with their faces covered. They went through his room and took several items. They then went to a second bedroom and woke up the two occupants. They also took property from these victims. The suspect then fled south on Broderick St. The loss was iPhones, laptops, cash, wine and a flat screen TV. They were described as males, one with long black hair and dark clothing, the other was wearing a white t-shirt and black pants.

Gather up your reusable bags because a Farmer’s Market is coming to Clement Street!

Today was the final hurdle to the market happening – needed SFMTA approval of the street closures and bus reroutings that are required to accommodate the Sunday market. We got word via Foggy Notion’s Twitter that everything was approved at the SFMTA meeting:

That means the first market will take place on Sunday, June 23 (yes, in just 1 week!). The market will be run by the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM), which currently runs other markets at Stonestown, Civic Center, and in other Bay Area locations.

The Clement Street farmer’s market will feature a wide range of local products, including eggs, milk, cheeses, meats, plus children activities, and live music. The market will also provide matching dollars for “food stamp” users, and additional bike parking.

This initial approval is for a 6 week pilot of the market, which will run on Clement Street every Sunday between 2nd and 4th Avenues from 9am until 2pm.

Sarah B.