THEVOICE welcomes
your letters to the editor. Write the Noe Valley
Voice, P.O.
Box 460249, S.F., CA
94146. Or
email editor@noevalleyvoice.com.Please include your
full name and contact information. (Anonymous letters will not
be considered
for publication.) Be aware that letters may be edited for
brevity or clarity.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Don’t
Weigh the Blueberries
Dear Lynn Thompson:
Thank you so much for taking the time to write
about your
experience at Whole Foods Market Noe Valley [“Read the Fine
Print,” Letters,
September 2011 Voice]. I apologize for the
confusion regarding the
size/weight of the blueberry containers. Here’s the scoop on
pints and quarts:
Pints and quarts are measures of volume, not weight.
I apologize that the Team Member you spoke to
while shopping was
unable to explain this to you and eliminate the confusion from
the get-go.
Please come by Customer Service next time you’re
in the store,
where we have a gift card for you in gratitude for sharing
your experience.
Melanie Holt
Store Team Leader
Whole Foods Noe Valley
3950 24th St.
In
Defense of Vacation Rentals
Editor:
I would like to clarify some items in the
editor’s note that was
posted in response to John Bartleby’s Letter to the Editor
(“Are Guest Rentals
Legal?”), in the September 2011 Voice.
First of all, the editor’s note says that current
regulations
“would seem to preclude,” or prohibit, short-term rental of a
room in a house.
I have not seen any regulation to this effect. It
is my
understanding that theSan Francisco Municipal
Code on this matter
(Sections 41A.4 and 41A.5) applies to apartment buildings with
four or more
units. As far as I can see, it does not mention, and therefore
does not
prohibit, rentals for rooms in a house.
Second, the editor’s note referred to the Noe
group of vacation
home owners as an “association,” but we are in fact called the
Noe Vacation
Home Owners Organization (NVHOO).
I would also like to address John Bartleby’s
claims of vacation
rental guests being a public nuisance.
First, we are providing a great service to the
families of Noe
Valley, as many of our guests have been the parents or
grandparents of our
neighbors. Many of our neighbors are young parents living in
the typical Noe
Valley flat, with very limited space. For these neighbors, Noe
Valley vacation
rentals are a blessing.
Furthermore, our vacation rental guests couldn’t
be better
behaved. In fact, we have several vacation home owners in Noe
Valley who have
been operating for many years, and even their nearby neighbors
have no idea
that they exist.
Don’t forget also that vacation rentals bring
more people into Noe
Valley, people who are available during the day to go shopping
and to visit
local restaurants and cafes. Vacation rentals benefit the
local community in
many ways. By contrast, many long-term renters are indeed a
public nuisance.
For months, we put up with a long-term renter in a neighbor’s
building, who
often blasted rap music (complete with curse words) all
evening long! Such a
thing would not be a problem with a short-term renter.
Short-term renters don’t have tenants’ rights;
they know they can
be asked to leave at any time, if they create a nuisance of
any sort. They also
know to treat the furnished apartments very gently, as they
will be charged for
any damages upon checkout.
The other part of John Bartleby’s question was
with regard to the
hotel tax and tourism fees. Yes, these taxes are required by
the city, to be
levied on any stay of 29 days or less. Those of us who accept
short-term
rentals should be getting a gold star and a key to the city
because we are
responsible for generating typically $4,000 per unit in extra
yearly revenue
for the city! How wonderful that we can contribute so much to
the ailing
economy of San Francisco.
I was intrigued to read in Irene Barnard’s
obituary of
100-year-old Albert Gibeau [October Voice] that
“he spoke with a
now rare Mission/Noe Valley accent.” I suspect it must have
been Irish-based.
Is there anyone around who can describe the accent—or provide
examples?
I’d be interested in learning a bit more about
this...before it
totally disappears. Thanks.
Steven Short
415-710-0786
“Crosscurrents”
KALW Radio 91.7 FM
San Francisco www.kalwnews.org
THE NOE
VALLEY VOICE
P.O. Box 460249
San Francisco, CA 94146
www.noevalleyvoice.com
The Noe Valley Voice is an
independent newspaper
published monthly except in January and August. It is
distributed free in Noe
Valley and vicinity, on or before the first Friday of the
month. Subscriptions
are available at $30 per year ($25 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, address, and phone
number, 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 self-addressed, stamped envelope.
The Noe Valley Voice is a member
of the San
Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association.
Email: editor@noevalleyvoice.com
Editorial: 415-821-3324 or 415-821-2109
Website: www.noevalleyvoice.com
Distribution: Call Misha, 415-752-1726
Display Advertising: Call Steve, 415-239-1114
Class Ads: See home page
Display Advertising Deadline for the
December/January Issue: Nov. 19, 2011
Editorial/Class Ad Deadline: Nov. 15, 2011
CO-PUBLISHERS/EDITORS
Sally Smith, Jack Tipple
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND
EDITORS
Olivia Boler, Other Voices Editor
Corrie M. Anders, Associate Editor
Heather World, Associate Editor
Heidi Anderson, Karol Barske, Helen Colgan,
Chrissy Elgersma, Jan
Goben, Liz Highleyman, Laura McHale Holland, Florence Holub,
Tim Innes, Jeff
Kaliss, Doug Konecky, Pat Rose, Roger Rubin, Shayna Rubin,
Karen Topakian,
Nicole Wong
