first shoot for new project Vélo Visionaries with Chris Carlsson

On Friday, I had the honor of interviewing and filming with Chris Carlsson for a new web series I'm producing called Vélo Visionaries.



Many of you know that Chris has always been at the forefront of the urban bicycle movement. Some of you might have read one of his books.



Or maybe you've listened to his Ted Talk. Or attended one of his historical bike tours around San Francisco.



In a month or so, when I've edited the footage, my hope is that you'll be able to see the world through the eyes of one of the great visionaries of our time.

All photos by judy b.

Morgan's Magical History Tour

Professor Morgan Fitzgibbons, founder of SF's Wigg Party, took a group of us on a magical history tour today from the Mission to the Haight, the neighborhoods adjoined by the bike route that San Franciscans adoringly call The Wiggle.



Morgan's community activism is centered around the idea that we all must be resilient in building more sustainable communities, much like his predecessors, the Diggers, about whose legacy we learned on his tour today.



Even those of us who ride The Wiggle every day learned a thing or two about the history of this famous zig-zag that makes mountains into molehills.



We also learned about some of the plans for improvement on The Wiggle, potentially including a roundabout at this very intersection at Scott & Page.



It's people like Morgan who preserve San Francisco's integrity, connecting the high-tech city of today to its roots in creative community activism of the 60s and 70s.



So thanks for getting us all together again for an enlightening and empowering day, Morgan! Ride on!

NOPA VELO ride on Sunday, February 28

NOPA VELO, the North Panhandle's much buzzed-about bicycling group for neighbors and friends, is geared up and ready for its second ride. Newcomers are definitely welcome.

On Sunday, February 28th NOPA VELO cyclists will meet at the Matching Half Cafe to get charged up and primed for the dastardly "Death-by-Duel" dash down the coast.

On the last day of February, VELO vibs spin their wheels in memory of the last days of David C. Broderick, the U.S. Senator from California who was shot and killed in a duel by a California Supreme Court Justice in 1859. Both Broderick and David S.Terry were Democrats, but they disagreed on abolition. Broderick was an anti-slavery advocate, and his one-time best friend Terry wanted to bring slavery into California. In the heat of arguments, they defamed each other's good name and then agreed to a duel near the shore of Lake Merced. Broderick's pistol fired prematurely, and Terry didn't wait for a second round. He shot and mortally wounded Broderick, who died three days later in a house at Fort Mason. The current resident reports that the house is haunted by the man who gave his name to a NOPA street.

After contemplating politicians who couldn't talk things through, NOPA VELO riders return by 12:30 pm for drinks and lunch at one of the North Panhandle's new restaurants, Bistro Gambrinus on Fulton near Masonic.

Heavy rain cancels; otherwise the ride is on.

Sunday, Feb. 28th
9:30 am Meet and Mingle @ Matching Half Cafe, 1799 McAllister at Baker
10:00 am Kick off for the ride
12:30 pm Drinks and lunch at Bistro Gambrinus, 1813 Fulton near Masonic