Memorable Moments: Activist Baker

By Dylan Lienhard
(One in a series for Central City Extra!)

David Baker was just a block from Original Joe’s when the wail of fire trucks caught his attention. He immediately ran to investigate, only to find the favored Tenderloin restaurant engulfed by fire and water.

“When I came upon the fire, I thought, ‘My god, no!’ ” said Baker, a longtime resident and activist. “I kept telling myself, This can’t be a real bad fire. But it was.”

The fire erupted around 11 a.m. Oct. 13, 2007, when a member of the kitchen staff lit a charcoal burner. Flames and smoke quickly spread upward through an exhaust flue, forcing residents of the Moderne Hotel upstairs to flee.

“I didn’t linger. I thought at the time that the damage would be limited,” said Baker. “How wrong I was.”

The Tenderloin icon was predicted to be closed only for a couple weeks, but a dispute with the insurance company put those plans on hold. It’s been closed ever since. “The fire at Joe’s was not just an isolated incident but affected the area’s identity, the positive aspects of it anyway,” Baker said.

Original Joe’s originally opened in 1937and currently is owned by John and Marie Duggan.

“I guess when we talk about memories, we’re thinking of pleasant memories. But, you know, the Tenderloin is sort of hard living,” said Baker. “And when something disappears that conjures good feelings, well, that hurts
morale, that hurts community morale.” ■