Visitacion Valley Grapevine - Features - March 2010

VISITACION VALLEY HISTORY PROJECT Wildflowers in the Valley Mission brown bell by Betty Parshall We are indebted to Viola Rusca who donated a newspaper clipping that describes the wildflower activities enjoyed by Visitacion Valley students many years ago. The picture that accompanies the story shows Louis Rusca (destined to be Viola’s husband) and Jean Taylor studying “the same flowers that greeted the eyes of Spanish settlers.” Because Louis appears to be about eleven or twelve years old, Viola advises that the article must have appeared in 1936 or 1937. The article begins “ ‘Vale of the visitation of the blessed Virgin to the home of her cousin, Elizabeth’ was the sonorous translation of the Latin name bestowed by the Franciscan friars (who discovered it in 1777) to what is now so briefly known as Visitacion Valley.” There were nearly 40 varieties of flowers to be found in the surrounding hills and in the valley, beginning in January and continuing until the last poppy faded in late summer and fall. The pupils would make excursions into the San Bruno Hills to pick just enough sprays of flowers for exhibition. They were careful to not pull out the roots and would press and mount the flowers. They would also write original stories about the flowers for their language lessons, paint wild flowers during their art periods and go outdoors to sketch flowers in their native habitats. While other schools’ students carved soap into animal shapes or missions, the Visitacion Valley children carved wildflowers. The children also learned the associations of certain flowers to other countries and literature – Shakespeare’s cowslips, Homer’s violets, the thistles of Scotland and the forget-me-nots of Germany. “This intensive study and appreciation of wild flowers, from the earliest grades up, instills a love of beauty in the children which is theirs for life,” says Miss Mary A. Nolan, the principal. Miss Nolan would have no doubt disapproved of another flower-related activity revealed by oral historians Clarence Wikse and Harry Pierce, who engaged in picking wild flowers and selling them to earn some spending money, wild iris being the biggest prize. However, Wikse did go on to be a florist in his later years, specializing in stunning arrangements made from dried grasses and flowers. The article concludes with a few brief facts about the school. “Land for the original school site was donated by the estate of Peter Burnett, first American governor of California, who had a home in Visitacion Valley. In the last 30 years the school has grown from 48 to 540 pupils. They’re breaking ground for a new building immediately behind the present structure.” The new building fronting on Schwerin Street was completed by 1937. The old building was then torn down and that land is now the Visitacion Valley playground and park. The High Price We All Pay for Truancy by Senator Mark Leno Law enforcement agencies, school officials and district attorneys across California are teaming up to help combat crime before it happens – by making sure our youth stay in school. Truancy and chronic school absence, an alarming problem in our state, have been identified as one of the early warning signs for students who are at greater risk of becoming involved with gangs, drugs, alcohol or violence. School truancy has lifelong consequences for students and our communities. Research shows that there is a strong connection between truancy and crime. 75% of children who are habitually truant will not graduate from high school and are more likely to end up in prison. In fact, 82% of prisoners today are high school dropouts. The crimes that these high school dropouts commit cost the state $1.1 billion per year, according to the UC Santa Barbara California Dropout Research Project. That cost increases to an astonishing $24 billion a year when social and medical costs and wage tax and other economic losses are calculated. By addressing truancy issues early on, we not only help prevent future crimes and improve public safety, but we also save precious state resources. As Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I held a hearing in February on the topic of “Why Truancy and Chronic School Absence Matter to Public Safety.” In these fiscal times, the high rate of incarceration and its drain on our public resources tends to capture most of our attention. This hearing, however, focused on early intervention and examined what prevention efforts our law enforcement partners are taking at the front end of our continuum of responses to crime, and how they are reaching out to at-risk populations -- young, school-aged children. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and San Bernardino District Attorney Mike Ramos testified on their successful local campaigns to combat truancy. They have found that collaboration with law enforcement officials, mental health workers, social service providers, school administrators, educators and parents is essential to helping students stay in school. Most importantly, they are communicating with parents and youth to emphasize the importance of education and are providing outreach services to those who need help overcoming barriers that may prevent regular school attendance. If intervention and mediation are not successful, parents of children who are truant may be subject to prosecution. One of the most effective ways to prevent youth from starting a life of crime is to make sure they stay in school. We know that students who stay in school double their chances of getting a good paying job, are less likely to be involved with gangs and drugs and are also less likely to become victims of crime. I am a strong supporter of local programs that direct our at-risk youth down the right path. These campaigns to keep youth in school are increasing attendance rates and will help give our young people a better start in life. This ultimately will also assist us in stopping crime before it happens. For more information on fighting crime by combating truancy, please contact my San Francisco District Office at 415-557-1300 or San Rafael District Office at 415-479-6612, or by e-mail, Senator.Leno@senate.ca.gov. Senator Mark Leno represents the Third Senate District of California, which includes portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties and all of Marin County. He can be reached via the web at www.sen.ca.gov/Leno. Joining a National Movement on Health Disparities by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma Recently, I was invited to participate on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Minority Health Advisory Group to provide input for a draft of the "National Plan of Action to End Disparities” and more specifically, to raise awareness about health concerns in the Asian American community – such as hepatitis B. In 2006, the federal Office of Minority Health (OMH), US Department of Human Services created the National Partnership for Action and convened a federal team to address health disparities. From 2007 – 2009, the OMH held a series of meetings with diverse communities and organizations to develop strategies and actions to systematically address health disparities. These meetings led to the creation of the “National Plan of Action to End Disparities,” a unique bottoms-up approached plan (The Plan). Health disparities can be based not only on race and ethnicity, but also on geography, gender and socioeconomic status. The Plan provides a road map -- a starting point -- of the collaborative strategies and collective actions. Minority populations, now comprise 34 percent of the total US population, are increasing in number faster than the White population, and are expected to represent 40 percent of the population by the year 2030. In September 2009, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies issued "The Economic Burden of Health Inequities in the United States" which provides insight to the costs associated with NOT eliminating health disparities. The study concluded that the combined costs of heath inequalities and premature death in this country were $1.24 trillion and will rise exponentially in the near future. This is a health and economic crisis that needs to be addressed immediately and collectively. While there are many underlying social causes for health disparities such as the environment, race or poverty that must be dealt with, there are still many things that individuals can do to take control of his or her own health. Actions as simple as getting tested for hepatitis B or modifying your diet to prevent diabetes can go a long way. There is nothing more important than our collective health and prevention and early testing are key factors in securing a healthy future for all. To review the draft "National Plan for Action to End Disparities," provide input, or get more involved in this movement, please log onto http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov. Dreams First grade students and teacher Ms. Esther Mok at Visitacion valley Elementary School contributed their versions of the Langston Hughes poem Dreams. Hold n to dreams For when dreams die Life is like exploding hearts. -Jaen Williams, age 6 Hold on to dreams For when dreams die Life is like ice cream That is melted. -Jonathan Fores, age 6 Hold on to dreams For when dreams die Life is like a car Crushing a turtle. -Diego Lopez, age 6 Hold onto dreams For when dreams die Life is like marshmallows That are squished. -Frank Kellom, age 6 When your head is down And your hopes are frief brown Hold on to your dreams Never loose sight of the gleam Put the stars back between the clouds Lift up your face, sing out loud. Even when you have holes in your socks And have hit the bottom of a rock Hang on to your dreams Make every second sizzle and steam Move mountains without a hassle Soon you will dance and dazzle. by Esther Mok Grapevine Five Years Ago MARCH 2005 With City Planning having expressed interest in acquiring the closed Travelodge site on Bayshore Boulevard near US101 for new housing, Visitacion Valley residents expressed their concerns on drawings presented by a developer and architect for the new town houses and multi-family units at Planning Alliance meetings. Ashley Castromero became spelling bee champion at Visitacion Valley Elementary School for 2005. The Dave Matthews Band donated $250,000 to rebuild a playground in the Sunnydale housing complex. Money was raised by the band at a charity concert in Golden Gate Park. Burton High School was planning to install a synthetic sports playing surface in the summer thanks to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL, Youth Football fund and the Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Historic Proportions 2009 Match clues to answers. 1. Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Jan. 1. 2. Agreement comes into force Dec. 1. 3. On Aug. 3, first South American country to declare right of indigenous people to govern themselves. 4. Presidency of the European Union on July 1. 5. Government and banking system collapsed Jan. 26. 6. News legend died on July 17. 7. President João Bernardo Vieira assassinated on Mar. 2. 8. Super Bowl 43 winners on Feb. 1. 9. Deady bushfires here Feb. 7 killed 173 and left 7,500 homeless. 10. World Series champs on Nov. 4. 11. Death on June 25 caused outpouring of worldwide grief. 12. Fifth Summit of the Americas was here Apr. 17. A. Iceland B. Walter Cronkite C. Michael Jackson D. Czech Republic E. Guinea-Bissau F. Trinidad G. Bolivia H. Treaty of Lisbon I. New York Yankees J. Pittsburgh Steelers K. Sweden L. Australia Answers: 1-D, 2-H, 3-G, 4-K, 5-A, 6-B, 7-E, 8-J, 9-L, 10-I, 11-C, 12-F. Sez Who? Match quotes to speakers. 1. “If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulder.” 2. “Patience: A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.” 3. “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” 4. “Beware the fury of a atient man.” 5. “A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.” 6. “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” 7. “If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion.” 8. “Inflation is taxation without legislation.” 9. “Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience.” A. John Dryden B. Yogi Berra C. Abigail Van Buren D.George-Louis de Buffon E. George Bernard Shaw F. Milton Friedman G. Ambrose Bierce H. W.C. Fields I. Robert Fulghum Answers: 1-C, 2-G, 3-I, 4-A, 5-H, 6-B, 7-E, 8-F, 9-D.

VISITACION VALLEY HISTORY PROJECT

Wildflowers in the Valley

Mission brown bell

by Betty Parshall

We are indebted to Viola Rusca who donated a newspaper clipping that describes the wildflower activities enjoyed by Visitacion Valley students many years ago. The picture that accompanies the story shows Louis Rusca (destined to be Viola’s husband) and Jean Taylor studying “the same flowers that greeted the eyes of Spanish settlers.” Because Louis appears to be about eleven or twelve years old, Viola advises that the article must have appeared in 1936 or 1937.

The article begins “ ‘Vale of the visitation of the blessed Virgin to the home of her cousin, Elizabeth’ was the sonorous translation of the Latin name bestowed by the Franciscan friars (who discovered it in 1777) to what is now so briefly known as Visitacion Valley.”

There were nearly 40 varieties of flowers to be found in the surrounding hills and in the valley, beginning in January and continuing until the last poppy faded in late summer and fall. The pupils would make excursions into the San Bruno Hills to pick just enough sprays of flowers for exhibition. They were careful to not pull out the roots and would press and mount the flowers. They would also write original stories about the flowers for their language lessons, paint wild flowers during their art periods and go outdoors to sketch flowers in their native habitats. While other schools’ students carved soap into animal shapes or missions, the Visitacion Valley children carved wildflowers.

The children also learned the associations of certain flowers to other countries and literature – Shakespeare’s cowslips, Homer’s violets, the thistles of Scotland and the forget-me-nots of Germany.

“This intensive study and appreciation of wild flowers, from the earliest grades up, instills a love of beauty in the children which is theirs for life,” says Miss Mary A. Nolan, the principal.

Miss Nolan would have no doubt disapproved of another flower-related activity revealed by oral historians Clarence Wikse and Harry Pierce, who engaged in picking wild flowers and selling them to earn some spending money, wild iris being the biggest prize. However, Wikse did go on to be a florist in his later years, specializing in stunning arrangements made from dried grasses and flowers.

The article concludes with a few brief facts about the school. “Land for the original school site was donated by the estate of Peter Burnett, first American governor of California, who had a home in Visitacion Valley. In the last 30 years the school has grown from 48 to 540 pupils. They’re breaking ground for a new building immediately behind the present structure.” The new building fronting on Schwerin Street was completed by 1937. The old building was then torn down and that land is now the Visitacion Valley playground and park.

The High Price We All Pay for Truancy

by Senator Mark Leno

Law enforcement agencies, school officials and district attorneys across California are teaming up to help combat crime before it happens – by making sure our youth stay in school. Truancy and chronic school absence, an alarming problem in our state, have been identified as one of the early warning signs for students who are at greater risk of becoming involved with gangs, drugs, alcohol or violence.

School truancy has lifelong consequences for students and our communities. Research shows that there is a strong connection between truancy and crime. 75% of children who are habitually truant will not graduate from high school and are more likely to end up in prison. In fact, 82% of prisoners today are high school dropouts.

The crimes that these high school dropouts commit cost the state $1.1 billion per year, according to the UC Santa Barbara California Dropout Research Project. That cost increases to an astonishing $24 billion a year when social and medical costs and wage tax and other economic losses are calculated. By addressing truancy issues early on, we not only help prevent future crimes and improve public safety, but we also save precious state resources.

As Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee, I held a hearing in February on the topic of “Why Truancy and Chronic School Absence Matter to Public Safety.” In these fiscal times, the high rate of incarceration and its drain on our public resources tends to capture most of our attention. This hearing, however, focused on early intervention and examined what prevention efforts our law enforcement partners are taking at the front end of our continuum of responses to crime, and how they are reaching out to at-risk populations -- young, school-aged children.

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and San Bernardino District Attorney Mike Ramos testified on their successful local campaigns to combat truancy. They have found that collaboration with law enforcement officials, mental health workers, social service providers, school administrators, educators and parents is essential to helping students stay in school. Most importantly, they are communicating with parents and youth to emphasize the importance of education and are providing outreach services to those who need help overcoming barriers that may prevent regular school attendance. If intervention and mediation are not successful, parents of children who are truant may be subject to prosecution.

One of the most effective ways to prevent youth from starting a life of crime is to make sure they stay in school. We know that students who stay in school double their chances of getting a good paying job, are less likely to be involved with gangs and drugs and are also less likely to become victims of crime. I am a strong supporter of local programs that direct our at-risk youth down the right path. These campaigns to keep youth in school are increasing attendance rates and will help give our young people a better start in life. This ultimately will also assist us in stopping crime before it happens.

For more information on fighting crime by combating truancy, please contact my San Francisco District Office at 415-557-1300 or San Rafael District Office at 415-479-6612, or by e-mail, Senator.Leno@senate.ca.gov.

Senator Mark Leno represents the Third Senate District of California, which includes portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties and all of Marin County. He can be reached via the web at www.sen.ca.gov/Leno.

Joining a National Movement on Health Disparities

by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma

Recently, I was invited to participate on the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Minority Health Advisory Group to provide input for a draft of the "National Plan of Action to End Disparities” and more specifically, to raise awareness about health concerns in the Asian American community – such as hepatitis B.

In 2006, the federal Office of Minority Health (OMH), US Department of Human Services created the National Partnership for Action and convened a federal team to address health disparities. From 2007 – 2009, the OMH held a series of meetings with diverse communities and organizations to develop strategies and actions to systematically address health disparities. These meetings led to the creation of the “National Plan of Action to End Disparities,” a unique bottoms-up approached plan (The Plan).

Health disparities can be based not only on race and ethnicity, but also on geography, gender and socioeconomic status. The Plan provides a road map -- a starting point -- of the collaborative strategies and collective actions.
Minority populations, now comprise 34 percent of the total US population, are increasing in number faster than the White population, and are expected to represent 40 percent of the population by the year 2030.

In September 2009, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies issued "The Economic Burden of Health Inequities in the United States" which provides insight to the costs associated with NOT eliminating health disparities. The study concluded that the combined costs of heath inequalities and premature death in this country were $1.24 trillion and will rise exponentially in the near future. This is a health and economic crisis that needs to be addressed immediately and collectively.

While there are many underlying social causes for health disparities such as the environment, race or poverty that must be dealt with, there are still many things that individuals can do to take control of his or her own health. Actions as simple as getting tested for hepatitis B or modifying your diet to prevent diabetes can go a long way. There is nothing more important than our collective health and prevention and early testing are key factors in securing a healthy future for all.

To review the draft "National Plan for Action to End Disparities," provide input, or get more involved in this movement, please log onto http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov.

Dreams

First grade students and teacher Ms. Esther Mok at Visitacion valley Elementary School contributed their versions of the Langston Hughes poem Dreams.

Hold n to dreams
For when dreams die
Life is like exploding hearts.
-Jaen Williams, age 6

Hold on to dreams
For when dreams die
Life is like ice cream
That is melted.
-Jonathan Fores, age 6

Hold on to dreams
For when dreams die
Life is like a car
Crushing a turtle.
-Diego Lopez, age 6

Hold onto dreams
For when dreams die
Life is like marshmallows
That are squished.
-Frank Kellom, age 6

When your head is down
And your hopes are frief brown
Hold on to your dreams
Never loose sight of the gleam
Put the stars back between the clouds
Lift up your face, sing out loud.

Even when you have holes in your socks
And have hit the bottom of a rock
Hang on to your dreams
Make every second sizzle and steam
Move mountains without a hassle
Soon you will dance and dazzle.
by Esther Mok

Grapevine Five Years Ago

MARCH 2005

*With City Planning having expressed interest in acquiring the closed Travelodge site on Bayshore Boulevard near US101 for new housing, Visitacion Valley residents expressed their concerns on drawings presented by a developer and architect for the new town houses and multi-family units at Planning Alliance meetings.

*Ashley Castromero became spelling bee champion at Visitacion Valley Elementary School for 2005.

*The Dave Matthews Band donated $250,000 to rebuild a playground in the Sunnydale housing complex. Money was raised by the band at a charity concert in Golden Gate Park.

*Burton High School was planning to install a synthetic sports playing surface in the summer thanks to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program, a partnership between the NFL, Youth Football fund and the Bay Area Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).

Historic Proportions

2009

Match clues to answers.

1. Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Jan. 1.
2. Agreement comes into force Dec. 1.
3. On Aug. 3, first South American country to declare right of indigenous people to govern themselves.
4. Presidency of the European Union on July 1.
5. Government and banking system collapsed Jan. 26.
6. News legend died on July 17.
7. President João Bernardo Vieira assassinated on Mar. 2.
8. Super Bowl 43 winners on Feb. 1.
9. Deady bushfires here Feb. 7 killed 173 and left 7,500 homeless.
10. World Series champs on Nov. 4.
11. Death on June 25 caused outpouring of worldwide grief.
12. Fifth Summit of the Americas was here Apr. 17.

A. Iceland
B. Walter Cronkite
C. Michael Jackson
D. Czech Republic
E. Guinea-Bissau
F. Trinidad
G. Bolivia
H. Treaty of Lisbon
I. New York Yankees
J. Pittsburgh Steelers
K. Sweden
L. Australia

Answers: 1-D, 2-H, 3-G, 4-K, 5-A, 6-B, 7-E, 8-J, 9-L, 10-I, 11-C, 12-F.

Sez Who?

Match quotes to speakers.

1. “If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulder.”
2. “Patience: A minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.”
3. “Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”
4. “Beware the fury of a atient man.”
5. “A rich man is nothing but a poor man with money.”
6. “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
7. “If all the economists were laid end to end, they’d never reach a conclusion.”
8. “Inflation is taxation without legislation.”
9. “Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience.”

A. John Dryden
B. Yogi Berra
C. Abigail Van Buren
D.George-Louis de Buffon
E. George Bernard Shaw
F. Milton Friedman
G. Ambrose Bierce
H. W.C. Fields
I. Robert Fulghum

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