Noe Valley Voice November 2002
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Short Takes

By Laura McHale Holland

November in the Park

Friends of Glen Canyon Park will sponsor two free morning walks in Glen Canyon this month. Naturalist Neal Faye will lead a geology walk on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon. Then, on Sunday, Nov. 17, ornithologist David Armstrong will offer an autumn bird walk from 9 to 11 a.m.

Jean Conner, vice president of the Friends, says both Faye and Armstrong are experts in their fields. "We have these large rock outcroppings in the park, which have been folded by geological forces. [Neal Faye] will show the evidence of earthquakes on the rocks, and you can get a general idea of how the canyon was formed." Faye is also an expert on snails, she notes. "He's collected them for the Academy of Sciences on many trips around the world."

As for the bird walk, "we'll be seeing birds that are migrating through in the fall, as well as the birds that winter-over in the park. We usually see close to 20 species of birds on one of our walks. David Armstrong has led several bird walks for us before. Last year he led one of the walks for the Audubon Christmas bird count," says Conner.

Both Faye and Armstrong are volunteering their time. On walk days they'll meet you at the picnic tables behind the park's recreation center. If there's a light rain, the walk is on. If a heavy rain falls, the walk will probably be cancelled. Glen Canyon Park is located at Chenery and Diamond Heights Boulevard. For more information, call 584-8576.

The SFFD Needs You!

The San Francisco Fire Department needs up to 1,000 volunteers to be "victims" in a mass casualty/disaster scenario on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Candlestick Park (3-Com Park).

The event is an exercise drill for Fire Department personnel to practice disaster response skills. Volunteers will have a chance to see the SFFD in action and to experience what occurs during the aftermath of a disaster. Refreshments and event mementos will be provided.

To volunteer, call the SFFD's disaster drill volunteer hotline at 561-5924.

We're Fit to Knit

A yarn shop called Imagiknit has opened at 18th and Sanchez in the Castro, in response to a revived interest in knitting and other fiber arts. This fall, Imagiknit is offering a host of classes, including Knitting 101, My First Sweater, Sock It to Me, U-Turn Scarf, and Felting.

"Knitting is extremely popular these days," says Allison Isaacs, co-owner of the store with her friend in fiber, Sara Lucas. "There's such a diverse amount of fibers available that you can just know the basics of knitting and make some fabulous garments or gifts. It's very relaxing, and I think it gives people a chance to stay home and spend time with family and slow down a little bit."

Not sure what felting is, exactly? It's where you create a garment or accessory using "roving." Roving is unspun fiber. You create felt from the roving by using hot water and agitation. "The simplest way to do felting is a kids' project, where you take roving and wrap it around your finger. Then you put that in hot water, agitate it by moving it around, and you can make a finger puppet," explains Isaacs.

Prices for the classes vary because some meet only once, while others meet several times. Knitting 101, for example, is a four-week class, offered on Saturday mornings (Nov. 2 to 23) or Monday evenings (Nov. 25 to Dec. 16); the cost is $70. You can learn how to knit a hat in two sessions (Hats 101) from 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 5 and 12, for a cost of $35. The Felting workshop takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 19, from 7 to 9 p.m., and costs $20.

Classes are held in Imagiknit's spacious store, which is stocked with yarns, knitting supplies, books, patterns, hand-knit garments, accessories, and gifts. A big couch and well-placed antiques give the establishment a homey feel.

The store is located at 3897 18th Street. For further details on the knitting classes, call 621-6642 or visit www.imagiknit.com.

A Time for Clay and Glass

We use them day in, day out. Take them for granted. Forget that they can be works of art. For a reminder of just how extraordinary dishes, platters, bowls, teapots, vases, and other handcrafted items can be, why not go to the San Francisco Clay and Glass Festival?

It's being held Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 9 and 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Fort Mason Center's Herbst Pavilion.

More than 100 members of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists (ACGA) will be exhibiting and selling their wares. One of them, Bonita Cohn, has been working in the Noe Street studio she shares with several other artists since 1976. (It's just over the hill near 19th Street.) She's been an exhibiting member of ACGA since 1979. "I make functional objects, such as tea bowls and bottles, in a stoneware clay, thrown on the wheel," says Cohn. "I usually fire my work in a gas kiln. Since 1985, I have taken part in numerous wood firings. I think of pots as stones in a river, heavily impacted on one side and quiet on the other."

The festival is a chance to see ceramics of almost every style and surface. It is also, says Cohn, "a chance to own a piece and shake the hand that made it!"

Fort Mason Center is at Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street. Admission is $7 adults, $5 seniors. Children under 12 are free. A $1 discount coupon is available at www.acga.net. For further information, call 507-9909.

Calling All Celts

If you're of Celtic heritage, or simply interested in Celtic culture, you might want to attend "Where the Three Streams Meet: A Celtic Day of Spirituality and Prayer." It will take place at St. Philip's Church, 725 Diamond Street at Elizabeth Street, on Saturday, Nov. 9.

The day of reflection and discussion will begin at noon and conclude with a 5 p.m. mass. It will be facilitated by St. Philip's pastor, Father Michael Healy, a native of County Cork, Ireland.

"Celtic spirituality is based on nature, the environment, and the animals," says Katy O'Shea, who is helping to organize the event. "And one thing about Ireland is that when St. Patrick came, he incorporated the local customs into Christianity so that there was never any bloodshed about converting people in Ireland because they were able to retain their own practices as they went into Christianity."

Did you know that the Celts invented personal confession, that Ireland's physical isolation made it difficult for Rome to impose outside authority, and that women had a strong voice in church government due to their more equal footing in ancient Irish law? To reserve a spot so you can learn more, call Katy O'Shea at 648-6275, Colleen Driscoll at 664-7259, or Terry Kelleher at 650-344-9262.

The requested offering is $15, and everyone is welcome. A light lunch will be served.