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Friends Hold Debates on Hot Props

Can't tell the difference between Propositions K and L? Don't know how you feel about Prop. N? Then you might want to attend the Oct. 12 meeting of the Friends of Noe Valley.

The residents group will host a "Hot Issues Debate," covering the more controversial of the Nov. 7 ballot measures. Speakers will argue the pros and cons of the two slow-growth initiatives, Props. K and L. Prop. K is sponsored by Mayor Willie Brown and would maintain the city's annual limit on downtown office development, count dot-coms as offices, and put a two-year moratorium on large office construction in the Mission and Potrero Hill neighborhoods. However, it also would create a planning czar appointed by the mayor to serve 10 years.

Prop. L, dubbed the "Daughter of Prop. M," would also keep the lid on dot-coms downtown and in other areas of the city. But in addition, it would make sure more "live-work" lofts go to artists, and place a ban on new office development in parts of the Mission and South of Market.

People on opposite sides of Prop. N will also take the floor at the Friends meeting. The measure, sponsored by the San Francisco Tenants Union, would make it harder for people to buy flats or apartments and convert them to condos.

"The evening promises to be lively," says Friends member Jean Amos, "because these are really pitched battles."

The fireworks will start at 7:30 p.m. at the Noe Valley Library, 451 Jersey St. For further details, call Amos at 826-2044.

Artists Open Their Doors

Can you believe San Francisco's Open Studios is 25 years old? The popular program gives the public a chance to visit artists' studios and homes, to enjoy and buy art at studio prices and meet and talk with the artists. Whether it's painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, furniture, glass, jewelry, or photography that interests you, you can find fine specimens at 750 local artists' studios on the four weekends in October from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Noe Valley artists, along with those in the Castro, Glen Park, Bernal Heights, Duboce Triangle, and the Mission, will be featured on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7 and 8. Diamond Heights, Twin Peaks, the Haight, West Portal, the Marina, and the Sunset are among the neighborhoods featured on Oct. 14 ­ 15. The next weekend, Oct. 21 ­ 22, will focus on South of Market, Potrero Hill, North Beach, Russian Hill, and the Tenderloin. Artists in the Bayview, Portola, Excelsior, and Hunters Point will strut their stuff Oct. 28 ­ 29.

One cluster of Noe Valley artists -- Linda Saytes, Susan Sternau, and Sherrod Blankner -- will post signs around 23rd and Noe streets, and on 24th Street on Oct. 7­8. Sternau paints urban landscapes, such as 24th Street shops and the Castro Theater, in oils and pastels; Blankner paints San Francisco streets in oils and pastels; and Saytes paints seascapes in mixed media and pastel florals.

In honor of the 25th anniversary, a magazine, "The Guide to San Francisco Open Studios," is being distributed free in local coffeehouses and book and record stores. The magazine is available for order by credit card, too, at 861-9838 for $5 shipping and handling. The Bay Guardian will also print maps to each weekend's studios on the Wednesday before.

SomARTS Gallery, at 934 Brannan St., will exhibit one piece of work by each participating artist from Oct. 7 to 29. Hours are noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The web site at www.sfopenstudios.com also gives you an easy way to map out your tours and search for samples of the artists' work. Happy hunting.

Demos Sign Up Voters

The San Francisco Democratic Central Committee is running its Voter Registration Drive and needs volunteers to man tables on the weekend of Oct. 7 and 8 at Castro and 24th Street and in Glen Park. There are two shifts, a morning shift from 10:30 till noon, and an afternoon shift from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Volunteers should meet beforehand at the Gore 2000 headquarters at 479 10th St. (between Harrison and Bryant) for coffee, muffins, and bagels, and to pick up registration materials. If you'd like to volunteer or have questions, call Jane Morrison at 564-1482 or the San Francisco Democratic Party office at 626-1161.

Tenants Talk Politics

The Noe Tenants Association, a local group affiliated with the San Francisco Tenants Union, is organizing a series of forums for San Francisco renters, at the Noe Valley ­ Sally Brunn Library. On Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 7 to 8 p.m., the topic under discussion will be "Solutions to Issues Affecting Us as Renters."

On Saturday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to noon, the group will discuss the two renters initiatives on the Nov. 7 ballot: Proposition H, which would limit landlords' ability to pass on capital improvements to tenants; and Proposition N, which seeks to classify tenancies-in-common (TICs) as condominiums.

The library is located at 451 Jersey St. For more information on the forums, call the Tenants Union at 282-5525.

Be a Lifesaver for Baby

Having a baby? Becoming an aunt or uncle? Be in the know for emergencies. Cover to Cover Booksellers is hosting an Infant & Child CPR class on Sunday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 11 p.m., taught by the American Red Cross. There's a $45 fee per participant.

You can call the store at 282-8080 to reserve a place. It's a small class (they have a limited number of child mannequins), so call as early as possible to get in. The bookstore is located at 3812 24th St., near Church.