by Mayor Willie Brown
One of my ongoing pledges to San Franciscans is that I will do everything I can to keep our streets and sidewalks safe and clean. Working with various city departments, I have developed and implemented several "Clean Street Initiatives" that address different aspects of street cleaning and neighborhood beautification. The Great Sweep is one of those efforts and a great way for you to pitch in and help keep San Francisco clean.

Great Sweeps happen twice per year with thousands of residents hitting the streets and taking matters (and trash) into their own hands. First, the city is divided into 10 districts with a city official taking responsibility for each district. They organize clean-up teams, identify "hot spots" that require extra attention, work with community groups, and on the day of the Great Sweep dispatch volunteers to clean up.
At the last two Great Sweeps, volunteers picked up nearly 200,000 pounds of trash off the streets of San Francisco.

Great Sweep III will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. There are 90 volunteer reporting sites throughout the city. Call 554-5447 or log on to http://sanfrancisco.sidewalk,com to find a convenient site, and volunteer. You can also participate in the Great Sweep by simply cleaning up in front of your home or business on the morning of the 7th.

Whether you are a seasoned Great Sweeper or this is the first time you will volunteer, thank you for helping to keep San Francisco litter-free.

Some Great Sweep tips:
*Bring your own broom and dustpan.
*Bring and wear heavy gloves and appropriate clothing for the weather (i.e. sunblock, hat, etc.).
*Bring plenty of water to drink.
*Don't pick up anything sharp, hazardous, or unsanitary (tell your area captain the location of such an item so he/she can arrange for disposal).
*Don't discard household or business trash--this is a street and sidewalk clean-up only.

Physician Applauded for 50 Years of Service

Arthur Coleman, M.D., 78, put his feet on his desk and sat back in his chair. It was the end of a "slow day," he explained--the end of the month when Medi-Cal patients are waiting for next month's eligibility approval before seeing their doctor.

In 1948, shortly after arriving in San Francisco to launch a new medical practice, you could have seen a 28-year-old Dr. Coleman, fresh out of the Air Force, sitting at his desk with his feet up.

"What else could I do," Dr. Coleman recalls. "After renting an office and setting up my practice, it was nearly two weeks before my first patient arrived." In the weeks that followed, he lived on a cot in the back of his office, showering at the YMCA, while searching for a suitable apartment for his wife and daughter, who were still living in Philadelphia.

Over the past 50 years, there have been precious few moments for kicking back while caring for an estimated 25,000 patients (including those generations of families), all of whom have flowed through his offices in Bayview-Hunters Point.

Today, the Arthur Coleman Medical Center, located at Third and Ingerson, stands as a tribute to his energy and dedication over five decades.

For a lifetime of contributions to the community that have raised both the quality of life and healthcare for the area's low-income residents, Dr. Coleman was recently honored with a dinner tribute, local community barbecue, and a parade down Third Street.

"Sometimes I feel like an old country doctor serving as a pivotal point in a small community," Dr. Coleman said in a recent interview. "We are kind of in the boonies here, cut off from the rest of the City by the freeway." The isolation of his practice and his patients hasn't stopped him from being a fierce advocate of top quality medical care for Bayview-Hunters Point residents.

In the meantime, Dr. Coleman is still hoping to attract a bright young doctor to assume his "country doctor" role. He notes that most African-American doctors practice in University settings in San Francisco, as teachers and researchers. Few are in private practice.
"If I can attract a replacement to care for my patients in Bayview-Hunters Point," Dr. Coleman said, "perhaps I'll be able to start kicking back again and put my feet up on the desk."

Celebrating Recycling During America Recycles Day

by David Assmann, Senior Administrator
San Francisco Recycling Program

November 15th, 1998 has been designated as the second annual America Recycles Day--a nationwide celebration of recycling designed to promote recycling and the purchase of recycled products. The idea behind America Recycles Day--which is sponsored by a wide range of organizations and agencies around the country--is to build on the success of recycling and to raise awareness about the need to purchase recycled products to support recycling.

Recycling doesn't end with putting your recyclables out on the curb or in your apartment recycling bin. In order for there to be a market for collected recyclables, manufacturers need to use recycled materials in products that are sold to consumers. And consumers need to search out products with recycled content to support recycling. That's why it's important, whenever you're making a purchase, to look for recycled content.

For example, many paper products, including writing paper, paper towels, toilet paper, and greeting cards, are available with and without recycled content. By buying paper products with recycled content, you're able to help support your curbside recycling program.

A number of activities will be held in San Francisco to celebrate America Recycles Day. There will be a celebration at San Francisco's Recycling and Waste Transfer Facility at 401 Tunnel Avenue (near 3Com Park) on Sunday November 15th, from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m., which will include tours, arts and crafts workshops, a display of recycled instruments, giveaways, and raffles. Norcal Waste Systems will be conducting tours to show residents what happens to their recyclables after they are collected, and there will be drawings with prizes.
San Francisco residents can fill out cards pledging to buy recycled and increase recycling. By pledging, residents will become eligible to win a 3-bedroom American Green Dream House in a random drawing. Other national prizes include a trip for four to Disney World (under-18 winner), as well as a number of California prizes, such as a personal computer system, an airline travel package and an electric bike. Last year more than 750,000 Americans pledged to buy recycled and increase recycling.

You can make your pledge electronically on the Internet at www.ca-recycles.org/, by calling 1-800-YES-1-CAN (1-800-937-1226), or by filling out the America Recycles Day Pledge Card that you'll find in the San Francisco Recycling Program ad in this paper. For more information about America Recycles Day activities in San Francisco, call our 24-hour hotline at 554-RECYLE (7329).

And while, we're on the topic of special days in November, Great Sweep III will be held on Saturday November 7th. This is a citywide effort to help keep the streets of San Francisco clean.  More than 10,000 residents participated in each of the last two Great Sweeps, and November 7th will be your opportunity to help keep your City clean. Call 554-5447 or go to sanfrancisco.sidewalk.com for more information.
November 19th, 1998 will be the fourth anniversary of Use Less Stuff Day, a national day dedicated to encouraging people to use less during the holidays. According to the organizers of Use Less Stuff Day, an additional one million tons of waste per week is created nationwide between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. Use Less Stuff Day is sponsored by more than 300 organizations, including the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Keep America Beautiful.

Taking waste prevention one step further, November 27th is International Buy Nothing Day. Last year, organizations in ten countries, including the United States, used this day to encourage consumers to buy nothing on the busiest shopping day of the year.
There are many ways to reduce waste during the holidays. One step you can take now is to reduce some of the junk mail you receive. Changes to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act took effect last year and under one provision of the new law, consumers can call toll-free numbers to remove themselves from lists used by credit card companies and some direct marketers to solicit them by mail. Consumers need to call only one of the three major national credit bureaus to get off all such lists. The special "opt-out" numbers are: Equifax: 1-800-556-4711; Experian (formerly TRW): 1-800-353-0809; Trans Union: 1-800-680-7293.

Finally, if you are looking for environmental ideas for the holidays, call our office at 554-3400 and ask for our Green Holiday guide. This guide includes tips on how to keep the environment in mind during the holiday season.

Color Your Landscape Beautiful, Any Time of Year

Do fall and winter turn your landscape into a dead zone? If so, perhaps a more colorful approach is in order. Extending color in the garden is easy with these ideas from the American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA):

Good soil is essential to plant performance. Raised beds provide better drainage and that means less disease and winter rot. Prolong blooming cycles with regular fertilization, and irrigation, and by deadheading faded flowers. If soil was properly prepared in spring, keeping blooms colorful is often just a matter of replacing summer annuals with fall plants.

Gardeners now have more late summer options than ever before. Growers are offering large containers of plants like petunias and impatiens. These larger groupings shine at late summer parties--especially if flower beds are fading. Even if purchased just a day before the party, pots filled with plentiful blooms look like they've been growing all season.

Chrysanthemums, asters, Iceland poppies, scented stock and calendula pick up where summer flowers leave off. As fall bloomers wind down, interplant winter-hardy pansies with ornamental kale or parsley. Tuck in spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips for a bright surprise in late winter or early spring. In mild climates, snapdragons overwinter well. Cut them back in early spring and they'll bloom again in summer. Ornamental grasses add color, as well as texture and movement, to fall and winter gardens.

If you can't let go of your green lawn, try overseeding with winter rye grass. In milder climates, fescue lawns stay green longer with fall fertilization and regular irrigation. Nursery professionals know what works best in your area, with your type of grass.

Inject interest in the winter landscape with evergreens. Magnolias and Lenten roses are possibilities, as are hollies, fir and spruce. When many trees and shrubs are dormant, witch hazels brighten landscapes with color and fragrance.

Extending color through the seasons requires planning, but a visually appealing landscape uplifts spirits when the days are short and dreary. Landscape designers are particularly helpful in developing a four season color palette. If you enjoy the thrill of discovery, explore garden centers for additional ways to maintain color in the landscape.
American Landscape and Nursery Association

Five Years Ago in the Grapevine

NOVEMBER 1993

*Visitacion Valley residents disgruntled with Muni's proposed Third Street light rail project began circulating petitions calling attention to the frequented 9-San Bruno and 15-Third bus lines they fear would be replaced.

*Students, teachers and personnel were again evacuated from their classrooms and offices at Wilson High School the morning of Oct. 21 when two students reportedly sprayed a can of pepper gas inside the building.

*A whole-day fair featuring traditional an new activities was scheduled for Nov. 13 at St. James Presbyterian Church.

*Visitacion Valley Elementary School began participating in Success For All, a nationally recognized reading program.

*Kathy Richards, Geneva Towers resident, floor monitor and mother of five, became president of the Parent Teacher Association at Alvarado Elementary School.

*Girls Against Gangs named Edwardo De La Cruz, a City College engineering student, as Mr. Visitacion Valley for the month of November.

Historic Proportions

Match clues to answers.

1955

 1. Victorious sports stars always seem to want to go to this place, which opened July 18.
 2. Film legend died in a Sept. 30 car crash on way to an auto rally.
 3. On Oct. 4, they were the Bums no more.
 4. This Dec. 5 merger of two organizations formed a labor power.
 5. On Jan. 19, he conducted the first televised presidential news conference.
 6. Blackboard Jungle made him a rock star.
 7. Argentine dictator fled Sept. 19 after a civilian-supported military coup.
 8. When the U.S. Post Office announced it would no longer deliver unaddressed mail on Apr. 1, sneaky advertisers came up with this title.
 9. Popular with youth was this interesting piece of headgear.
10. He started growling a pitch for his cereal.
11. He was singin' Sixteen Tons.
12. On Sept. 10, Marshal Dillon began gunning down bad guys on this TV show.
13. They were the NBA champs.
14. This baseball team started play in their new city.
15. A vaccine program was started to combat this disease.
16. On Dec. 1 in Montgomery, Alabama, she didn't sit in the back of a bus and made history.
17. He died on June 12 at the age of 96, but not before making one hot dog of a name for himself.
18. Resigning as British prime minister on Apr. 5, he was the last surviving politician to serve under Queen Victoria.

A. Tennessee Ernie Ford
B. Juan Peron
C. Rosa Parks
D. AFL-CIO
E. Tony the Tiger
F. Kansas City Athletics
G. Disneyland
H. Winston Churchill
I. Brooklyn Dodgers
J. Syracuse Nationals
K. Bill Haley
L. Occupant
M. Dwight D. Eisenhower
N. Oscar Mayer
O. Polio
P. James Dean
Q. Gunsmoke
R. Coonskin hat

Answers: 1-G, 2-P, 3-I, 4-D, 5-M, 6-K, 7-B, 8-L, 9-R, 10-E, 11-A, 12-Q, 13-J, 14-F, 15-O, 16-C, 17-N, 18-H.

Sez Who?

Match quotes to speakers.

1. "An editor is someone who separates the wheat from the chaff and then prints the chaff."
2. "Grown up, and that is a terribly hard thing to do. It is much easier to skip it and go from one childhood to another."
3. "It is well known what a middleman is: he is a man who bamboozles one party and plunders the other."
4. "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and organize."
5. "Since people are going to be living longer and getting older, they'll just have to learn to be babies longer."
6. "If you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they will make you a part of it."
7. "Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast."
8. "I'm not confused, I'm just well-mixed."
9. "We estimate the wisdom of nations by seeing what they did with their surplus capital."

A. Benjamin Disraeli
B. Oscar Wilde
C. Art Buchwald
D. Andy Warhol
E. Adlai Stevenson
F. Robert Frost
G. F. Scott Fitzgerald
H. Ralph Waldo Emerson
I. Vice President Al Gore

Answers: 1-E; 2-G; 3-A; 4-I; 5-D; 6-C; 7-B; 8-F; 9-H.