Flippered fish eaters

Patricia and Jasmine bring out the sunshine.

Photo courtesy Martha & Bros.

More Women We Love Editor:

The March issue of the Voice was full of interesting news. An especially fun read was “These Women Do It With Heart” on pages 1 and 11.

However, our morning coffee group, which includes longtime Martha’s customers, thinks you missed/forgot two important 24th Street Martha’s ladies in your article: Patricia and Jasmine. They are among the best at Martha’s, and just being in the company of these women seems to bring out the sunshine.

Pete, Emil, Jean Paul, Peggy, Susan, Bill W, Bill C, Doug

At the Noe Valley Town Square

What Makes Community Editor:

Your cover article about Martha Lau in the March 2022 issue (“These Women Do It With Heart,” by Megan Wetherall) caught our family’s eye.

We love Martha, and ever since we moved to Noe Valley in 2016, she has single-handedly given us a huge dose of community.

I showed the article to my 7-year-old daughter Lucy, who has a special fondness for Martha. Every time we come in or pass by her store (Danny’s Cleaners) to say hello, Martha always has a warm hello for us and a lollipop of choice for Lucy. My daughter’s affection for her goes beyond red, green, and blue lollipops.

I explained to Lucy how a person can respond to a newspaper article, and as a life-learning lesson she wanted to write you a letter to the editor.

She dictated it into my phone and I transcribed it for her.

Kindly consider printing this letter in your next edition.

Thank you!

Steve Zwillinger

THE NOE VALLEY VOICE

P.O. Box 460249 • San Francisco, CA 94146 www.noevalleyvoice.com

The Noe Valley Voice is an independent news paper published in San Francisco. It is distributed free in Noe Valley and vicinity during the first week of the month. Subscriptions are available at $40 per year ($35 for seniors) by writing to the above address.

The Voice welcomes your letters, photos, and stories, particularly on topics relating to Noe Valley. All items should include your name and contact information, and may be edited for brevity or clarity. (Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication.) Unsolicited contributions will be returned only if accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope.

The Noe Valley Voice is a member of the San Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association.

Email: Editor@noevalleyvoice.com or Sally@noevalleyvoice.com Website: www.noevalleyvoice.com

Distribution: Call Jack, 415-385-4569 Display Advertising: Call Pat, 415-608-7634, or email PatRose@noevalleyvoice.com

Display Advertising Deadline for the May 2022 Issue: April 20, 2022 Editorial Deadline: April 15, 2022 CO-PUBLISHERS/EDITORS Sally Smith, Jack Tipple

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND EDITORS Corrie M. Anders, Associate Editor

Heidi Anderson, Matthew S. Bajko, Owen Baker-Flynn, Karol Barske, Michael Blake, Olivia Boler, Gabe Castro-Root, Liz Highleyman, Kala Hunter, Jeff Kaliss, Doug Konecky, Richard

May, Roger Rubin, Tom Ruiz, Suzanne Herel,

Tim Simmers, Astrid Utting, Megan Wetherall CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Art Bodner, Pamela Gerard, Najib Joe Hakim, Beverly Tharp ACCOUNTING Jennifer O. Viereck

PRODUCTION Jack Tipple, André Thélémaque DISTRIBUTION Jack Tipple WEB GURU Jon Elkin

ADVERTISING SALES Pat Rose, Jack Tipple Editor’s Note: We are pleased to print the following letter, which accompanied the one from Steve Zwillinger and family.

Martha Lau ‘Nice to Everyone’ Editor:

Martha is very sweet to a lot of kids. I saw the newspaper and was very happy to see that Martha was honored to be a good neighborhood person. And she is very nice to everyone. That is why she should be honored.

Lucy Wainschtein, age 7

Round of Applause for Noe Valley Town Square Editor:

I’m a longtime Noe Valley resident. While relaxing in the well-used Noe Valley Town Square again, I was reminded that this wonderful, welldesigned community feature is a brilliant reuse of a prime parcel, far superior to a block of looming, exclusive condos.

A huge thank-you to the Noe Valley community and its activist prime movers, and to the City and the former owner (the Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church), for enabling the town square to exist.

Peter Grenell

After an absence of two years, the Noe Valley Garden Tour is back! The Friends of Noe Valley Garden Committee has almost finished lining up the gardens to be included on the tour.

You will be amazed at what the huge December rain has done for local gardens this year. Come and be inspired.

The tour will be Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will offer seven to nine gardens bursting with greenery and color. Featured gardens will showcase a variety of styles. You may see a vegetable garden, a lovely meadow-like garden, a hidden garden in a forest setting, a garden for dining and entertaining, a terraced garden on a steep hillside, a garden with a koi pond (and incredible views), a rose garden, sidewalk gardens, and a public garden or two. Plans are also in the works to include art and music in select gardens.

As always, a donation to a beautification project in the neighborhood will be made with Garden Tour proceeds.

Ticket prices will remain the same as past years at $20 for adults and $15 for seniors 62+. Children under 12 are free.

Tickets are being sold at When Modern Was, Just for Fun, and Folio Books on 24th Street; at Olive This, Olive That on Vicksburg Street; and at Omnivore Books on Cesar Chavez at Church Street.

The tickets also can be purchased at the Farmer’s Market in the Town Square on Saturdays April 16, 23, and 30, and on the day of the tour, May 7. You may also purchase tickets online after April 16 at friendsofnoevalley.com.

Raffle tickets will be sold, and among the prizes will be an orchid from Flowers of the Valley and $100 gift certificates to Flora Grubb Gardens and Flowercraft Garden Center. Raffle tickets can be purchased at the same locations as Garden Tour tickets, at the Saturday Farmer’s Market, and on the day of the tour at all of the gardens. Raffle tickets are $1 each and 30 for $20.

We are still in need of Garden Greeters! If you would like to volunteer, please email lindalockyer3@gmail.com. Shifts are two hours and Garden Greeters will receive a free ticket to the Garden Tour.

We look forward to seeing you on May 7!

Peggy King and Linda Lockyer and the Friends of Noe Valley Garden Tour Committee

Photo courtesy Peggy Cling

THE CARTOON BY OWEN BAKER-FLYNN