<A friend has asked me to join the Northwest Bernal Alliance and I am curious how other members of the Tribe feel about it.">

In the past there was far-ranging publicity about meetings, agenda items such as approval of liquor licenses, zoning changes, and whatnot. It historically had been an extremely active group, one of the very best neighborhood groups in SF. They fought of highrise condos that would have ruined the hill. They were responsible for the vast difference in street live along Mission between Cesar Chavez and Cortland. Contrast this with the street scene between Chavez and 20th -- the differences aren't accidental. They were hard-fought with challenges to liquor licenses for stores celling fortified wines and catering to drug dealers, etc. That was all the NWBA's doing.

For six years I had participated in the NWBA and had produced their newsletter, which was distributed far and wide. It was distributed door to door and posted in neighborhood shops. People knew what the NWBA was doing and newcomers were always welcomed. Apparently I stepped on some toes there and was removed from my position as newsletter editor. What followed was a poorly-produced newsletter that came out only sporadically and gave the indication that the NWBA wasn't doing anything any longer. Meetings declined, nobody knew what was going on, and the group has basically fallen apart.

Today, the NWBA is just basically a shell. There is no publicity to speak of, just an occasional post here or there about the website. As participattion waned (people moved out of the area and there was no outreach to newcomers) it was essentially taken over by two women who now run it is as their own personal group.

Here's the website for what it's worth: www.northwestbernalalliance.org/

Pam:

The NWBA is an all-volunteer, not for profit neighborhood group. We're different from the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center in that we have no paid staff. We take on all kinds of issues that directly affect those that live in the area. We work with the bars and restaurants to create a more enjoyable experience on Mission St. We are supportive of the merchants on Mission St. and work to bring new business to the corridor. We bring speakers to our quarterly meetings which we announce via email, flyers, announcements in merchant windows etc. The NWBA used to have meetings every month but we know how busy everyone is these days so we only have 4 general meetings a year and use a committee framework to get things done in the neighborhood.

The NWBA is alive and well and doing great things in the neighborhood. The organization has an active, 7 member board and a volunteer membership that includes merchants. Recently we've planted trees on Mission St., done clean-ups and put down the Only Rain Down the Drain signs near the catch basins on the corridor and some of the finger streets. In June we were awarded a Community Challenge Grant to place plantation teak benches, galvanized flower boxes and a few containerized trees at business sites along Mission and 29th streets. NWBA volunteers came out for each event. If you've ever wondered why we don't have the graffiti that other neighborhoods have its because the NWBA has a graffiti abatement team that removes graffiti daily. Our CCG pays for the materials and the team is staffed by volunteers. We're now working with property owners on the corridor to abate the graffiti vandalism that is near the roof lines. We also abate graffiti throughout the neighborhood, including Precita Park and in the buffer zones including parts of Glen Park, Noe Valley and the Mission.

We also work closely with the Department of Public Works, the Burear of Urban Forestry, and other city departments to get illegally dumped garbage picked up, catch basins cleaned out, trees re-staked, and sidewalk abated and much more.

The Bernal Heights Design Review Board is also a committee of the NWBA and meets twice a month if there are projects to review. The members of this board are elected at a NWBA meeting in June.

If you'd like to know more about the NWBA or are interested in participating on a committee, a clean-up/greening day, or planting more flower boxes for Mission St. businesses please contact northwestbernal@aol and we'll put you on our email list.

FYI we're still meeting with the owners of bars and restaurants whenever there is a new liquor license application or a transfer. These business owners sign a Good Neighbor agreement with the NWBA and if there is any trouble at a given location we meet with the owner or broker a meeting between the NWBA, the owner and the Ingleside police.

We're working with the Transportation Authority as an advisory committee to make sure that the Mission South of Cesar Chavez Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Plan gets funding and is done according to the plan. The advisory committee includes the NWBA, the SJG Coalition to Save Our Streets, and the Dolores Triangle. The BHNC will be dropping off the committee after Dec. because there isn't the money to pay their staff.

Again, please send us an email to northwestbernal@aol if you're interested in receiving our emai announcements or want to join a committee. The NWBA does not charge a membership fee.

There are so many new people in Bernal Heights that unless we got an army of volunteers to deliver the newsletters we'd never be able to enlist new members...and because we're an all volunteer organization we don't have the funds to hire people to deliver.
So we have to rely on word of mouth.
It's very important to know that even tho we don't meet every month, we're all working very hard to keep the neighborhood free from gang activity, graffiti and trash. We're greening the street with trees and plants.. and working to improve pedestrian safety.
In fact the REASON Bernal has 5 new foot patrol cops on Mission Street (from 4PM to 2AM) is because the NWBA stays in contact with Ingleside station and the captain is very proactive.
We can always use an extra pair of hands and surely appreciate another point of view during discussions about the state of the neighborhood.
So please tell all your friends about us
northwestbernal@aol.com