Volume XXXVII, No. 9
November 2013
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE
Blooming Pair. The October Harvest Festival on 24th Street brought out costumed canines such as this friendly duo, 2-year-old Jack (in purple) and Stella, 6. The pretty flowers— actually, they’re English bulldogs—were accompanied by their Noe Valley guardians, Dean and Kristy Duchak, and Josh, Ellen, and Pia Marrow. Photo by Sally Smith
Teams Engage in Trivial Pursuits Local Bars Packed for ‘Pub Quiz’ Nights
By Corrie M. Anders
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he capacity crowd at the Valley Tavern had already spent hours locked in a closely contested game. Now it was nearly 11 p.m., on a workweek night, and the diehards were still hanging out in the 24th Street saloon awaiting the final tally that would name a champion. Then cheers erupted in the back of the pub as a veteran team of players was announced the winner. A collective groan resounded throughout the bar as the victors collected their prize—a $30 bar tab. Welcome to trivia night in Noe Valley. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
and now for the
RUMORS behind the news
A Growth Spurt! Kindergarteners (from left) Henry Torres, Cameron Verma, and Sheryl Torres planted a “prehistoric” garden at Thomas Edison Charter Academy in October. Their outdoor classroom is just one of dozens sprouting at neighborhood schools, thanks to grants from public and private sources. For the whole scoop, see page 25. Photo by Patricia De Fonte
How Linda Got Her Smile Back
24th Street Dentist Was Part of the Bridge By Tim Innes
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fter a decade of escalating verbal and physical abuse by her husband of 20 years, Linda decided enough was enough. “I was physically beaten down,” she said, “with not only my confidence being
Linda shows off her new smile, a gift of the Give Back a Smile program for battered women. Photo courtesy Aestheic Dentistry
broken, but also my body. He kept me from my family, from going to church.” The abuse was also affecting their daughter, but she had an out: she was heading off to college. “I decided I had to stand up,” said Linda, who agreed to share her story on the condition that her last name or whereabouts be kept private. “I had to leave, too.” Her husband didn't take the news well. In a rage, he attacked Linda with a pipe, fracturing her left leg, shattering her ankle, and knocking out her upper teeth. After treatment for her injuries—ultimately she had 14 surgeries to repair her leg and ankle—she found herself broke, homeless, and living in a shelter for CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
Phoenix Turns Another Page
Bookstore Has a New Owner And a New Name: Folio By Tim Innes
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ike its mythical namesake, venerable Phoenix Books is being reborn this month, as a new bookstore named Folio Books. Folio, expected to open in early November, is owned by Paula Foley, a former co-owner of Cover to Cover Booksellers on Castro Street. Phoenix owner and co-founder Kate Rosenberger closed that store Oct. 20, after a 28-year run in Noe Valley, the last four at 3957 24th St. A single mother and proprietor of three other bookstores in the CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Ministry Remodel Moving Forward Bilingual Preschool Likely A New Tenant for Church By Heather World
Real News on Real Food
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TAH FRUITFUL: Supervisor Scott Wiener led a small delegation from Noe Valley to Utah last month, to meet with the top brass at Nutraceutical Corporation, which owns the vacant-for-adecade Real Food Company store on 24th Street. The group returned from the Oct. 17 summit with encouraging news. According to the envoys, Nutraceutical con-
fter three years of changing plans and uncertain funding, work on the Noe Valley Ministry’s 125-year-old building on Sanchez Street is under way and expected to be done by next fall, just in time to welcome a new bilingual preschool. “We’re well on schedule,” said Rev. Leonard Nielson, a Presybyterian minister with a background in architecture and contracting who is serving as the Ministry’s liaison with the builders. The original entrance at 1021 Sanchez St. is being restored, and custom-made
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By Mazook
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Hi, Sweetie! Longtime Noe Valley merchant Dona Taylor (left) and co-owner Alison Porter are ready to satisfy your candy cravings at their new store Buttons Candy Bar on 24th Street. See our Store Trek column on p. 27 for more details. Photo by Pamela Gerard