Life in the Later Lane
Writer of science fiction for the young tries to impart their simultaneous sense of wonder and danger
The path to success for many novelists is paved with rejection slips, but not for Ellen Klages,...
Wattusi Trio dancers embraced by U.S. jazz greats and European club scene of the ’50s-’70s for their fantastical, “exotic Africa” perfomances
An animal trainer from Barnum and Bailey Circus trained Deloris Perlmuttter, center, to use a whip in...
Noted landlord for the down, out and addicted admits to a tough job but still worries she hasn’t done enough
The family’s money was tight, but Kathy Looper, then a teenager, headed to Union Square and a...
SENIORS TALK: How did you spend New Year’s Eve?
On a cool, clear winter morning, the Noe Valley Town Square is a fine place to sip...
From Kezar to Levi’s stadiums, No. 1 49ers fan has kept the faith – and the facts
Martin Jacobs at age 13. (Photo courtesy of Martin Jacobs) Martin Jacobs’ love affair with the San...
After the ‘food shock’ and a challenging beginning in U.S., Mexico City emigre finds her way back to her life of art
When Esperanza Villanueva arrived in Lake Tahoe from her native Mexico City in 1994, her hardest adjustment...
What’s in a memory? And why these – random, insignificant things and events – not the big, more important ones?
SENIOR BEAT COLUMN Over 30 years ago, my mother caught sight of her reflection in a shop...
Social worker turned fiduciary finds meaningful career in protecting seniors from scammers
The battle to protect seniors from scammers after their savings or property is a never-ending one. Tom...
Intent at eight years old on making art everyone can see, Mexican artist forges path to widespread public acclaim
When he was eight years old, Victor Mario-Zaballa told his family he was going to be a...
San Francisco podcaster and sister-city advocate earned his news chops freelancing for BBC in South America
Jim Herlihy spent years managing investments for major banks in South America. While stationed in hotspots like...
Concert pianist gets a surprise from the past: One of her own compositions, performed in 1980, pulled from university archives for publication
It was 1980 and Katrina Krimsky prepared to perform at the Piano Creative Music Studio in Woodstock,...
Apiarist, Aquatic Park swimmer, and volunteer first-responder is as busy as the bees in her backyard
Beekeeper Gigi Trabant remembers vividly that spring day 11 years ago in the backyard of her Outer...
All Posts
OMI Senior Center holds annual Lunar New Year celebration
The Ocean View-Merced Heights-Ingleside Senior Center held its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The full day’s program included OMI seniors performing New Year’s songs in English and Chinese, dances by the San Francisco Guangchang Line Dancing Group, a raffle, and a sumptuous 17-course lunch. After lunch, a troupe of retired members ...
Fire Department NERT training gets residents ready in case of an earthquake
We all know the “big one” is coming – an earthquake, a fire – some disaster that will wipe out a section of the city. We also know that when it does, emergency services will be overwhelmed. It may be three to five days before help arrives. The key to survival is being prepared. The ...
Neighborhood Circles create community for San Francisco seniors
Most seniors, 87 percent, want to stay in their homes as they age, according to the American Association of Retired Persons. Fortunately for San Francisco seniors, the San Francisco Village’s “neighborhood circles” help them do that. The nine-month-old Sunset Circle is one of 13 in San Francisco, including one for LGBT seniors, where neighbors meet ...
Miraloma Park Neighbor Fest focuses on safety, building neighborhood resilience
In late October, the Miraloma Park Improvement Club threw a Neighbor Fest. Some 450 neighbors came. Like other Neighborfests around the city, the purpose was to gather people together and turn “strangers into neighbors and neighbors into friends.” This Fest, however, also included extensive disaster preparedness information along with the hotdogs, coloring books, and camaraderie. ...
Art With Elders Program Harnesses Creativity and Yields Greater Health
Many of the students in the Art with Elders program have overcome significant physical and cognitive obstacles to produce their art, including the loss of the use of their dominant hand. “One of our objectives is to promote how our students use their wisdom and experience to overcome these obstacles. It’s tough!” said Mark Campbell, ...
Sunset seniors get pumped up putting their power into Taiko drumming
At the Cole Valley Fair in September, 11 members of the Kotobuki Taiko group demonstrated that seniors can drum energetically and with passion. They can also get healthier doing it. The Kotobuki (longevity) Taiko group was formed nine years ago at The Stonestown Family YMCA Annex, under the leadership of volunteer teacher Carol Ayers, 73, a longtime Taiko drummer. “I had some surgeries, ...
