Nine gardens have been selected for the 2012 Noe Valley Garden Tour to be held on Saturday, May 19th from 10am to 4pm.  The gardens range across Noe Valley, from 23rd Street to 30th, Hoffman to Dolores.  Six are owner designed and maintained and three are professional gardens by Janet Moyer Landscaping, Michele Schaal and Shape of the Earth.  Most are well established but one is brand new, showing you how to be realistic about where your new garden will start as well as what it can become.  All nine will be on view for $18 general admission, $14 seniors (65+).  As always, net proceeds will go towards Noe Valley beautification. This year the projects selected are improvement of the Alvarado Elementary School garden and tree trimming at the Upper Douglass Dog Park.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, April 28th at local merchants and at tables set up outside the Noe Valley Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.  Tickets are available online. Click on the link below to purchase tickets.

*Buy tickets online for the Garden Tour!*

Volunteers can earn a free ticket by working a 2.5 hour shift greeting touristas at a garden entrance, checking tickets and selling any new ones needed. To volunteer email the Garden Tour project team at gardentour@friendsofnoevalley.com.  Shifts are 9:30am to 12 noon, 11:30am to 2pm, and 1:30pm to 4:00pm.  Let us know which shift you prefer; we’ll try to accommodate you.

Sponsors are also being solicited for the Garden Tour.  Sponsorships usually cover the costs of the Tour so ticket sales can be donated towards Noe Valley beautification.  If you would like sponsorship information, email us at the same address: gardentour@friendsofnoevalley.com.

Two neighborhood organizations have already offered to sponsor a shuttle van between the gardens for those who need or want to ride, rather than walk the self-guided tour or (horrors) drive and try to park.  Big thank yous to the Noe Valley Merchants & Professionals Association and to the Noe Valley Association, Noe’s community benefits district made up of property owners along 24th Street’s shopping corridor.

The Noe Valley Garden Tour is an annual project of your neighborhood association, Friends of Noe Valley.  This is Tour #7!  Get your walking shoes ready!

Noe Valley is the place to be!

Read about the hot housing market in Yes, yes, Noe Valley, say eager S.F. home buyers from the San Francisco Chronicle Business Report, February 20, 2012.

Join the Friends of Noe Valley at Bliss Bar for a champagne and chocolate tasting and a little “warm up” before Valentine’s Day.

when: 5-7 pm,
Thursday, Feb 9

where: Bliss Bar,
4026 24th St.

how much: $10 for tasting of three champagnes & three sparkling wines, plus chocolates.

Mark your brand new 2012 calendars!

March 11th through the 17th is Noe Valley Word Week.  What dat?  In its previous five years NVWW was called Noe Valley Book Week but this year Friends of Noe Valley acknowledges that words don’t always come in books.

Here’s the schedule:

Sunday, March 11th
My Favorite Book
Local celebs read from their favorite books and tell why. 3-4pm at the Noe Valley Library. Come hear Senator Mark Leno, Supervisor Scott Wiener, former Supervisor Bevan Dufty and his daughter Sidney, Noe Valley artist Ramon Sender, and Noe Valley Association Executive Director, Debra Niemann plus more.

Marshmallow Madness!: Dozens of Puffalicious Recipes by Shauna Sever.
Enjoy yummy, puffy madness at this fun event from 3-4pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Monday, March 12th
Nonfiction Night
Organized by Judy Levy-Sender and Ramon Sender of Odd Mondays fame. On an even Monday at 7pm at Phoenix Bookstore. Five non-fiction authors will be reading from their work and answering questions from the audience.

Ginny Pizzardi:
SF Noe Valley psychotherapist and author of Lessons In Loss-What Every Therapist Needs To Know. In her book, Pizzardi shows beginning and experienced therapists and laypersons what they need to know to face grief and loss.

Reverend Robert Warren Cromey:
Retired Episcopal priest who is a therapist and the author of Sex Priest. Cromey is known for his courage in speaking out on rights of homosexuals and all beleaguered minorities.

Sydney Gurewitz Clemens:
SF teacher and author of Pay Attention to the Children: Lessons for Teachers and Parents from Sylvia Ashton-Warner. This memoir tells of the influence of New Zealand author Sylvia Ashton-Warner, on Clemens’ work in Harlem and in Bayview-Hunter’s Point. Sydney has written two other books and is also a poet.

Bill Yenne:
Author of novels and many history books has written about Noe Valley and most recently has written Cities of Gold. This book charts 5 centuries of quests based on rumor, inuendo, fable and fantasy about explorers, new world cities and people still seeking gold.

Mike Miller:
Known for 50 years of activism with SLATE, SNCC, Mission Coalition and his pioneering work in the Organize Training Center. His book, A Community Organizer’s Tale details some of his accomplishments in community organization.

Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way by Chloe Coscarelli.
Book discussion and signing from 6-7pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Tuesday, March 13th
How I Got My First Book Published
Authors dish all the dirt. 7pm at St. Philips Church. A panel of four local authors will discuss the ins and outs of getting a book to press. On the agenda are:

Michael Aleynikov:
Ivan and Misha: A Novel in Stories – Northern California Book Award
Best Gay Fiction, 2011 

Chris Cole:
His first novel is in the hands of his agent and prospective publishers

Carolyn Cooke:
Daughters of the Revolution
The Bostons: Short Stories

Julia Flynn Siler:
The House of Mondavi: The Rise and fall of an American Wine Dynasty
Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure - San Francisco Chronicle’s bestseller list

Wednesday, March 14th
Notes From a Maine Kitchen by Kathy Gunst.
Food and book signing, 6-7pm at Omnivore Books on Food, 3885a Cesar Chavez Street.

Thursday, March 15th
Happy Birthday Phoenix Books!
Come celebrate the birthday of Noe Valley’s very own Phoenix Books with authors, music, and food. 7pm at Phoenix Books.

Friday, March 16th
Winning Student Writers Read
Winning literary work from the kids in Noe Valley schools will be read by the student winners. 4-5pm at the Noe Valley Library. Come one come all to congratulate our budding authors!

Saturday, March 17th
A Taste of Paris: Words, Wine and Crime!
Spend the afternoon with Cara Black, Noe Valley mystery writer, whose latest book is
Murder at the Lanterne Rouse. 4-5:30pm at Le Zinc. $62 includes an autographed hard cover book, 2 course hors d’oeuvres and wine. RSVP to Le Zinc.

Audience Participation
Online Publication Throughout the Week
Get yourself published on friendsofnoevalley.com!  Submit your work by March 1st to noevalleywords@gmail.com. Submissions will not be returned.  The event team (an editor, a teacher and a librarian) will select work.  Prose no more than 500 words. Poetry no epics please!

For more details about Word Week events check back on this web site and look for news in the February and March issues of the Noe Valley Voice.

As we enter this final holiday week, we wanted to wish you and yours a Happy Hanukkah, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.