Volume XLI, No. 1
February 2017
THE NOE VALLEY VOICE Former Noe Valley Resident Named District 8 Supe
Baby Box Sports Safe Sleep Design Free Program Distributed From Noe Valley Business
School, Housing, and Health Issues a Focus for Jeff Sheehy
By Olivia Boler
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“I am not a politician,” Sheehy, 59, the first person living with HIV to serve on the board, told reporters the day of his announcement. In talking with numerous District 8 community leaders, Lee said he was repeatedly told to find “a replica of Scott Wiener.” While there was “no such way to do it,” Lee said he did find in Sheehy “someone who is aspirational, has a deep
If you’re a San Francisco family expecting a baby before Nov. 1, 2017, you qualify for a free gift. It’s a baby box worth nearly $70, and it’s full of goodies, including the box, which doubles as baby’s first bed. You might be wondering, what is a baby box? The concept originated in Finland in the 1930s, according to a BBC News Magazine report. Expectant mothers in Finland to this day receive a free maternity package from the government that contains infant clothes, diapers, cleaning wipes, and other supplies new parents need. The box also has a small mattress and sheet that fit snuggly in the cardboard box—a perfect bed for a newborn infant. At 26¾ by 16¾ by 11½ inches, the box can accommodate babies up to about 4 to 6 months of age. Studies credit the baby box with Finland’s low infant-mortality rate and a reduction in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Noe Valley neighbor and merchant Carol Yenne learned of the baby boxes a
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By Matthew S. Bajko
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ayor Ed Lee surprised shoppers and cafe patrons along 24th Street one afternoon in early January when he popped into several Noe Valley businesses to introduce Jeff Sheehy, his pick to fill the vacant District 8 seat on the Board of Supervisors. The introductions at Martha & Brothers, David’s Tea, Holey Bagel, and Bernie’s went cordially, with both Lee and Sheehy briefly saying hello to the strangers, for the most part, they met. At Good News, the mayor told owner Sam Salamah to contact the new supervisor should he ever need assistance. “Okay, will do,” responded a smiling Salamah. On the sidewalk in front of Whole Foods, an elderly gentleman approached Sheehy to seek his help in fighting his landlord's Ellis Act eviction of himself and his neighbors from their apartment building near Dolores Park. An aide to the mayor asked for the man's contact information so Sheehy, then still two days away from being sworn into office, could
Many Wanted Another Wiener. And those who know Jeff Sheehy say he’s the right one to fill Scott’s shoes as District 8 supervisor. Here, Sheehy is shown strolling through Noe Valley minutes after his Jan. 6 appointment by Mayor Edwin Lee. Photo by Kelly Sullivan
follow up on the matter. Sheehy also agreed to get into contact with the man, telling him, “The Ellis Act is a thing of the devil, really satanic.” It was a clear example that the mayor had picked no wilting flower to represent not only Noe Valley but also the Castro, Diamond Heights, and Glen Park at City Hall. His choice to succeed Scott Wiener, who in November won election to the state Senate, is a battle-hardened political operative not afraid to speak his mind.
Michael Castleman Blogs About Sex for Psychology Today Prolific Author and Journalist Has Global Audience
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By Corrie M. Anders
here is nothing that you can’t ask Michael Castleman about sex. You can’t make him blush and you can’t make him cringe. And he doesn’t tippy-toe around discussion of the most intimate activities in front of his wife or children. It’s in his job description to be explicit.
Castleman is a health journalist who has covered trends in sexuality for four decades. He has an audience that extends far beyond the book-crammed basement office of his Noe Valley home. “There’s an old saying that the only one thing worse than having parents who won’t talk to you about sex is having a parent who won’t shut up about it,” says CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Piling Up the References. Michael Castleman’s office strains to contain some of the source materials for his fiction, health, and sexuality books. Photo by Corrie M. Anders
All You Supply Is the Baby. Small Frys employee Saralany Carvajal and 3-month-old Lulí Gonzalez try out the Baby Box, which comes complete with fitted mattress and sheet, a onesie, and other items courtesy of the Bezos Family Foundation. Photo by Pamela Gerard