by Anne Seeman

On Saturday, Nov. 13, an enthusiastic group of 130 people attended a meeting at the Visitacion Valley Community Center to discuss plans for the Schlage Lock site. Currently Home Depot has a proposal making its way through the Planning Department that shows a 107,000 square foot store, a nursery and a 650-car parking lot. There is a strong feeling in the community that this design could be much improved upon, given the size of the site (13-1/2 acres) and the lack of benefits to the neighborhood in the initial plan. Home Depot's plan is not a done deal--we still have the opportunity to create something much better.

Based on surveys conducted throughout the neighborhood by the Visitacion Valley Planning Alliance, volunteer architects and planners from the nonprofit group Urban Ecology drew up two alternative conceptual plans. One plan uses many of the existing structures, the other shows all-new construction (already creating more construction jobs than the single-use megastore). Even with a Home Depot occupying the same square footage, yet housed in a more attractive building and with ample rooftop parking, there is room enough on the site to meet community needs. These include a supermarket, other neighborhood-serving retail such as a coffeehouse and bookstore, market-rate and affordable housing, high tech industry and artisans, and a City College extension.

The City College extension will expand ESL classes and link with neighborhood job training programs, to dramatically increase both educational and job opportunities for local residents. The alterative plans offer a greater number and variety of jobs than Home Depot's plan--between 778-919 estimated jobs as opposed to Home Depot's 200-225 estimated jobs.

Thirteen-and-one-half acres is a lot of precious San Francisco real estate, and it would be an inappropriate use of space to devote it solely to a suburban-style big box. The community's plans are completely viable and will make Visitacion Valley a better place to live.
The Visitacion Valley Planning Alliance is in contact with City College officials, who are enthusiastic about the site. A developer has expressed interest in building the housing and supermarket.

Instead of a car magnet, we will create a transit hub that takes full advantage of the coming Third Street Light Rail link with the Caltrain. We will not have to ride busses across town or get on the freeway to do our grocery shopping. Roads and pedestrian walkways through the complex will at last link Little Hollywood with the rest of Visitacion Valley. The alterative plans will contribute to the revitalization of Leland Avenue while the initial Home Depot plan will o nothing for it.

At that November meeting, support for the community's alternative plans was unanimous. As a well-organized community, we can influence City Hall. Please take time to fill out a survey. Copies are available at the public library and various businesses on Leland Avenue. A display of the alternative plan will be on view in the window of the library.

If you would like to voice your opinion in favor of the alternative plans, you may call or write to:

*Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., City Hall, Room 200, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102; (415) 554-6141, (415) 252-3107 (TDD); e-mail: damayor@ci.sf.ca.us

*Gerald G. Green, Director of Planning, San Francisco Planning Department, 1660 Mission St., 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103; (415) 558-6411 (secretary); (415) 558-6409 (fax).

Valley Resident Announces Run for Supervisor

A local resident with decades of experience in neighborhood activism recently announced his candidacy for District 10 of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Don Bertone, who for many years has served the community as president of the Little Hollywood Association also chaired the Planning Commission's Local Health Risk Assessment Committee and served on the Board of Supervisors Airport Noise Committee, the Coalition For San Francisco Neighborhoods, and the All Peoples Coalition as well as being involved with R.O.S.E.S. and S.F. Beautiful.

Library Commission Approves Valley Branch Hours

S.F. Public Library Commission voted at its Dec. 7 meeting to approve new hours for the Main and Branch Libraries that went into effect on Jan. 3.

Visitacion Valley Branch Library at 45 Leland Ave. is open Tuesday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday 12 noon to 7 p.m.; Thursday 1 to 7 p.m.; Thursday 1-6 p.m.; and Friday 1 to 6 p.m. and is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Monthly Asian Law Caucus

A free legal clinic, a collaborative project of Asian Law Caucus and Chinese for Affirnative Action, is held monthly at various neighborhood centers in and adjacent to Visitacion Valley on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Legal consultation for seniors includes: general legal rights; housing/eviction; immigration/naturalization; and public benefits.

Provided by Khin Mai Aung, Asian Law Caucus staff attorney, the next clinics will be held at: Visitacion Valley Senior Central #7, 66 Raymond Ave. on Jan. 5; and Mission YMCA, 4080 Mission St. on Feb. 2.

Ingleside Station Police Report

*On Dec. 17, 1999 at 1 p.m. on the unit block of Excelsior Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery. The
victim was walking into the laundry mat when a group of juveniles both females and males confronted her. They surrounded her
and started to beat her until she fell to the ground. Several adults broke up the fight and the juveniles fled. The victim's purse was taken during the fight. The police arrived and a description of the suspects was given. The area was searched and several subjects detained. The victim was able to identify several of her attackers. One suspect was booked and the other two cited and released. There were three other suspects who are still outstanding. The first was a black male juvenile approximately 5'6", 100 lbs., wearing a black baseball cap, red/black jacket, and blue pants. The second was an Asian male juvenile wearing a white baseball cap, blue sweater, and beige pants. The third was a male juvenile of unknown race 5',110 lbs., wearing a red sweatshirt. He had big brown eyes, a crooked tooth, and was possibly Samoan. Case 991530495

*On Dec. 18, 1999 at 2:35 a.m. on the 4900 block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery with a gun. The victim was lured to the cash register where a gun was placed to his back by a suspect. He was ordered to open the cash
register. A second suspect came up from behind and took the money out of the register. The suspects then fled the store. The
first suspect was a black male 6'1", 230 lbs., 35-40 years old. He was unshaven and was wearing a blue watch cap, blue jacket with straps, and faded jeans. The second suspect was a black male 5'7", 190 lbs., approximately 21-23 years old. He was wearing a black hooded jacket. Case 991533176

*On Dec. 18, 1999 at 9:21 p.m. on San Jose Avenue, Ingleside officers pursued a reckless vehicle. The vehicle was driving at a
high rate of speed. It was also weaving in and out of traffic recklessly. The officers pursued the vehicle until it jumped a median and the officers were unable to pursue it. The vehicle with a license plate of 3FBT737 was reported stolen approximately 30 minutes later. It was later recovered. Case 991537065

*On Dec. 19, 1999 at 2:34 a.m. on the 3100 block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers were flagged down regarding a fight. A
victim was found intoxicated with minor injuries. A witness saw the suspect beat the victim. The suspect took the victim's jacket, shoes, and wallet then fled. There is no suspect description. Case 991537645

*On Dec. 19, 1999 at 4:00 p.m. at Cortland and Bayshore, Ingleside officers in plain clothes set up surveillance in this area known for narcotics activity. Several arrests were made and drug paraphernalia seized. Three male suspects were booked for multiple offenses including: possession of narcotics, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of a firearms, sales of narcotics, and violation of probation. Case 991539237

From the D.A.'s Office

Two Arrested for Elder Financial Abuse

San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan announced Dec. 8 that investigators from his Special Prosecutions Unit had arrested two men involved in separate incidents of elder financial abuse in connection with real estate fraud.

Manuel Espinosa, 34, who is employed as a Municipal Railway mechanic and Evan Ian Terzulli, 37, who is an unlicensed building contractor, could respectively get eight and 10 years in prison if convicted.

"Crimes against the elderly are on the rise as our population ages," said Hallinan. "A great deal of wealth is controlled by this age group which makes them attractive targets for thieves. It is heartbreaking to see our senior citizens swindled out of their life savings. To stop this, I have created an elder financial abuse team of lawyers and investigators to focus on this type of crime."

Espinoza was arrested on charges of grand theft for allegedly defrauding an elderly couple, John and Katrina Ryan who were his neighbors. Espinoza deployed a complex series of real estate transactions beginning in 1996 that resulted in his obtaining the Ryan's flats located on Cayuga Street--without paying for the property.

The Ryans are now deceased.

Terzulli was also arrested for grand theft and on state tax fraud charges for engaging in a similar scam against an elderly woman, Beatrice Glasser. Glasser hired him to work on her house on Lower Terrace, and Terzulli subsequently obtained title to another property owned by Glasser--again without paying for it. Terzulli got the property through a series of questionable transactions that began in 1995. He also depleted Glasser's bank account of more than $400,000 and failed to pay state income taxes on the money.

Glasser has also since died.

Jury Finds "Vampire" Murderer Sane

District Attorney Hallinan on Dec. 9 applauded the conviction of Joshua Rudiger, the so-called "Vampire Killer" who murdered one woman and seriously injured three other people in an effort to drink their blood.

The same jury that had two weeks earlier found Rudiger guilty of second degree murder and other offenses also ruled him mentally competent, making him legally liable for his actions.

"This is a great verdict for the citizens of San Francisco," said Hallinan. "This is a very violent and dangerous man that has been roaming our streets, committing the most vicious of crimes. My office vowed to get him put away and I am particularly proud of the work of Assistant District Attorney Braden Woods who feverishly worked to lay out a solid case for conviction."

Rudiger was found guilty of murdering a woman in 1998 by slashing her throat with a knife. He was also found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon and inflicting great bodily injury during similar attacks on three other people.

Rudiger claimed to be a vampire and said he attacked his victims in an effort to drink their blood to survive. During trial, he sought to be found guilty by reason of insanity but the jury rejected any such plea.

"The jury did the right thing," said Woods. "Insanity is such a high standard (to prove). You have to have no comprehension of what you did. But Rudiger was very calculating and deliberate in what he did--stalking people and cutting their throats."

With penal enhancements for violence and previous convictions, Rudiger is facing a minimum of 20 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 27.

Conviction in Tenderloin Murder

District Attorney Hallinan's office on Dec. 12 registered its 20th homicide conviction without a loss with the guilty verdict of a man who stabbed a woman to death in a Tenderloin hotel.

Thomas Washington was convicted of second degree murder for a 1998 New Year's Day attack during which he stabbed his victim nine times before fleeing through a fourth floor window at the MacAllister Hotel.

According to witnesses, Washington and the victim, Patricia Estelle, checked into the hotel as husband and wife early evening on New Year's Day. At about 11 p.m., another hotel guest said he heard a belligerent and threatening male voice coming from Washington's room. Next came a "loud, piercing...blood curdling" scream of a woman followed by a deadly silence, the witness said.

Moments later, Washington was seen leaping from the hotel's fourth floor window and limping away. Police found Estelle dead with nine stab wounds, three to the chest.

Washington was arrested a short time later at St. Francis Hospital where he had gone for treatment for two fractured heels.

"There was evidence the victim had a high level of cocaine in her system but I explained to the jury that the laws don't only protect Snow White," said Assistant District Attorney Kamala Harris. "The jury went through the evidence very carefully."

Arrest in UCSF Medical Center Embezzlement

District Attorney Hallinan announced Dec. 13 that office investigators arrested a former cashier at the Medical Center at the University of California at San Francisco for embezzling $4.7 million from the school.

After a lengthy investigation, Marie A. Taliaferro was booked on one count each of embezzling public funds, grand theft, money laundering and tax fraud. Taliaferro devised a scheme that resulted in the theft of approximately $4.5 million from UCSF and another $200,000 from UCSF Stanford Health Care Services--all in cash. The money was eventually deposited in various banks in amounts under $10,000 in an attempt to avoid arousing suspicion at the banks.

"This appears to have been a very carefully crafted scheme," said Hallinan. "This is a huge amount of money from a public institution which means this was essentially a theft from the tax-paying public. I place a high priority on the investigating and prosecuting these kind of corrupt public employees."

Taliaferro, 54, was a 17-year employee of UCSF where she worked as the head cashier until last May when the huge dollar losses were uncovered. Until then, her job was to make up the bank deposits from the receipts of cash and checks brought in by various UCSF departments.

However, an internal audit found that, beginning in late 1997 and continuing until mid-1999, large sums of cash that were supposed to be deposited into two UCSF bank accounts were in fact missing.

The arrest of Taliaferro capped a six-month investigation by the district attorney's office which determined that at least $1.3 million of the missing money had been deposited in bank accounts belonging either to Taliaferro or other family members. In addition, approximately $2.5 million of the UCSF cash was deposited in accounts belonging to Solimar Inc., an apparently failing business.

Investigators discovered that Solimar Inc. listed Taliaferro's daughter, Christina "Sunni" Taliaferro, as its CEO and Marie Taliaferro as its chief financial officer.

The business operated a new age gallery in Lafayette called Wings of Solimar which sold items with angel-related themes and published a magazine, Solimar, Living in the New Millennium.

In addition to the district attorney's office, the State of California Franchise Tax Board assisted in the investigation.

Taliaferro, if convicted, faces the possibility of more than 20 years in prison and up to $9 million in fines.

Trio Convicted of Invasion Robbery

District Attorney Hallinan on Dec. 17 announced the conviction of three men in the brutal attack and attempted robbery last year that left a Western Addition shopkeeper badly injured and bloodied.

Michael Hamilton, Dale Neal and robert Hickerson were found guilty of 33 felony counts including attempted robbery, assault with a semi-automatic weapon, false imprisonment and ex-convicts with firearms. The convictions stem from an attack last year that involved the pistol-whipping of the 63-year-old owner of Harput's Adidas store at 1527 Fillmore St.

"It was a heinous and cowardly act and I'm proud to say that with their conviction these men won't be around to further terrorize our city," said Hallinan, praising the efforts of Assistant District Attorney Robert Gordon who prosecuted the case.

With guns and tear gas, the three men burst into the store on Jan. 16, 1998. They tear gassed a customer and several employees before binding their captives hands with adhesive tape. Then they proceeded to demand that the owner of the store, Feti Harput, open his safe as they beat him in the head with a gun and metal desk ornament.

But before they could escape, police arrived at the store, alerted by a silent alarm that had been triggered by one of the store employees. Police arrested one of the defendants immediately and later found the other two hiding in a crawl space in the ceiling.

"Thanks to the alert police response and the intelligence of the jurors, the defendants will be punished severely for their vicious acts," said Gordon.

The three men, all 27 years of age, face 14 to 28 years in state prison.

Former Muni Driver Charged with Workers Compensation Fraud

District Attorney Hallinan on Dec. 22 announced the arrest of a former San Francisco Muni bus driver on charges of workers compensation fraud in connection with two injury claims while working as a driver in 1998.

Willie James Thomas, 53, was arraigned in Superior Court on three counts of workers compensation fraud, one count of grand theft and eight counts of perjury--all felonies. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. If convicted, Thomas faces as much as 13 years in prison, a $50,000 fine and an order to pay full restitution.

"Workers comp fraud is a very serious matter, bordering on the kind of so-called white-collar crime that this office has repeatedly and vigorously prosecuted," said Hallinan. "The public is demanding and end to this sort of thing. Citizens are rightly demanding an honest day's work for an honest day's pay."

Thomas is accused of receiving worker's comp disability benefits on two claims in 1998 while simultaneously operating his own heating and furnace contracting business. Thomas' first claim occurred in January 1998 when he claimed he injured his back while bending over to pick up some Muni bus transfers that had fallen on the floor of his bus. He then went out on approximately six weeks of disability.

Unbeknownst to his employer, doctor, and his workers comp adjusters, however, Thomas was actively running his heating and furnace contracting business during his time off on disability.

Thomas returned to work in April but went out on workers comp disability again in June, claiming he injured his back, knee and ankle, and suffered psychiatric trauma during an alleged assault by a rider on his bus. He remained on disability until October 1999--again, all the time operating his contracting business.

Beginning in April of 1999, Thomas was caught on videotape working at customers' houses on heating jobs. In June, during a deposition with the City Attorney's Office, Thomas denied receiving any outside income while on disability, doing any furnace or heating work or even owning a business. All this in spite of the fact his business, Thomas and Son Heating Contractors, advertised in the Yellow Pages and a local newspaper.

District Attorney investigators subsequently searched Thomas' house where he ran his business and seized hundreds of pieces of evidence including a 122-pound air compressor that Thomas was caught on videotape loading and unloading from his truck during a contracting job while on disability.

Thomas earned $47,000 from his business between January 1998 and October 1999. During the same time while he was on disability, he received $40,000 from the city on his two workers compensation claims.

In June 1999, Thomas resigned from his Muni bus driver's job.

Free Testing for Special Education Students

Does your child need special education services? All children develop at different rates and in different ways. If you think that your child may have a learning disability or need special help, you can have him or her assessed in the following areas: autism; hearing; visual or speech impairment; emotional disturbance; mental retardation; physical disabilities; or brain trauma. Your child may be eligible to receive Special Education Services even if they attend a private or parochial school.

For children less than three years old, please contact the Golden Gate Regional Center at 546-9222. For children three to five years old, contact the Early Childhood Special Education Program at 750-8538. If your child is enrolled in a San Francisco Unified School District school, contact the principal. If your child attends a public or parochial school in San Francisco, call 452-4608 to obtain an assessment referral packet.

For general information about Special Education Services in the SFUSD, call 355-6904.

Saturdays at the Randall Museum

The Randall Museum at 199 Museum Way (off Roosevelt, above the Castro) offers drop-in, hands-on art and science workshops on Saturdays at 1 p.m.

Workshop fee is $4 per person. Sign-ups begin at 12:30 p.m. and children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Call 554-9600 for more information.

*Jan. 15: Stick Puppet Workshop: See how giant puppets are made, how they work, and maybe even try on one of the 10-foot giant puppets on display. Then make a small stick puppet of your own to take home.

*Jan. 22: Magnificent Mammals: Come find out about San Francisco's diverse mammals, then model a mammal out of clay.

*Jan. 29: Coil Construction Clay: This introductory ceramics workshop is basic coil construction from snails to prehistoric Japanese style pottery.

Group Offers Grants to Neighborhood Parks

Friends of Recreation and Parks has granted $175,000 to San Francisco's neighborhood parks, available to community groups or individuals interested in improving their neighborhood parks for special projects, programs, events or physical improvements.

Awards are between $1,000-10,000. New proposals can be submitted to Friends through Thursday, Jan. 13. The project must create an enhancement for a neighborhood park, either physical or programmatic, and must include a "match," either in cash or in-kind goods or services. In addition, it should serve as a model of collaboration with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Bike racks, interpretive displays, neighborhood gardens, art projects or a series of volunteer work days supported by community barbecues are examples of the kinds of grants available.

While the stipends fund modest improvements, the real goal is to involve neighbors in local parks and increase usership to strengthen the constituency.

For further information, call 750-5110 or fill out the application on the website: www.sfparks.org.

HUD Report Paints Comprehensive Picture of Homelessness

WASHINGTON - A landmark study recently reported that most people who become homeless have suffered severe hardships--including physical and sexual abuse, childhood trauma, poverty, a poor education, disability and disease--but are successful in escaping homelessness when they get help from federal and other programs.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo released the report, which is the most comprehensive study ever of homelessness in America. The report is titled The Forgotten Americans--Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve, and is filled with revealing statistics that tell the story of people around the nation who have fallen through the social safety net into homelessness.

The report said the top priority of homeless people it surveyed was to get a job--the first step to self-sufficiency. It said 44 percent of homeless people surveyed worked at least part-time during the past month.

The report also said that when homeless people get housing assistance and needed services - such as health care, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, education and job training - 76 percent of those living in families and 60 percent of those living alone end their homeless status and move to an improved living situation after completion of the assistance program.

"Homeless people are locked out of America's prosperity, but we have the key that can let them in," Cuomo said. "Assistance programs can replace the nightmare of homelessness with the American Dream of a better future."

The study shows homelessness is associated with a broad range of problems. It found that:

*Serious problems since childhood are common among homeless people, with 25 percent reporting childhood physical or sexual abuse, 33 percent reporting running away from home, and 27 percent saying they lived in foster care, a group home or other institution as a child.

*Homeless people are among the poorest in the nation, with incomes averaging half the federal poverty level. In the 30 days before they were surveyed, single homeless people reported a mean income of $348, and homeless families reported a mean income of $475. In addition, 40 percent of homeless people surveyed went without food one or more days in the previous month because they couldn't afford food, compared with 3 percent of other poor Americans.

*Health and disability problems are common among homeless people. When survey participants were asked about their health in the previous month, 46 percent said they had a chronic health problem such as arthritis or cancer, 39 percent reported a mental health problem, 38 percent reported an alcohol problem, and 26 percent reported a drug problem. 55 percent said they had no medical insurance.

*Homeless people have low educational levels. The survey found that 38 percent of homeless people have less than a high school diploma, compared with 18 percent of the overall population. This makes it harder for homeless people to get jobs.
The release of the report comes shortly after HUD's Continuum of Care program--which helps homeless people around the nation get housing and needed services and works to help them become self-sufficient--won the prestigious Harvard University Kennedy School of Government/Ford Foundation Innovations in American Government Award for its effective approach to addressing homelessness.

Cuomo released the report at the House of Ruth transitional housing facility for homeless families in Washington, where he and William Baldwin--an actor and President of the Creative Coalition--previously participated in a roundtable discussion on homeless issues with residents. The Creative Coalition is the leading non-profit, non-partisan social and political advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment industry.

Baldwin participated in HUD's December to Remember campaign, which encouraged pledges by the private sector, non-profit groups and individuals to help homeless people.

"This report shows homeless people are victims of a downward spiral of personal problems that finally force them onto the streets," Baldwin said. "But it also shows that if we give homeless people a helping hand they can come back and turn their lives around. We can accomplish a lot more by unlocking the potential of homeless people to succeed than we can by locking them in jail cells or ignoring their needs."

Baldwin pointed out that the cost of homeless assistance is substantially less than the cost of putting homeless people in jail to get them off the streets. For example, the Supportive Housing Network estimates that in New York City in 1998 it cost $40,000 per year to jail someone, compared with just $12,500 to provide affordable housing and a variety of supportive services.

The study was designed and funded by 12 federal agencies under the auspices of the Interagency Council on the Homeless, which is chaired by Cuomo. Tipper Gore is an advisor to the Interagency Council. In addition to HUD, the Council members that funded the survey are the Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Justice, Labor, and Transportation as well as the Social Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The report is based on interviews completed in 1996 with 4,207 people--most homeless at the time and the rest people living in poverty who benefit from homeless assistance programs such as soup kitchens. The study is also based on interviews with representatives of 11,909 programs that serve homeless people. Interviews were conducted in 76 metropolitan areas, small cities and rural areas. The U.S. Census Bureau collected the data and the report was prepared by the Urban Institute.

"This survey is important because it paints the most detailed picture we've ever had of America's homeless population," Cuomo said. "It gives us the information we need to improve our programs by tailoring them to the needs of homeless people."

The survey also found that:

*68 percent of homeless program clients are male, and 32 percent are female. 43 percent are black, 38 percent are white, 15 percent are Hispanic, 3 percent are Native American, and 1 percent are other races. 52 percent are married.

*60 percent of homeless women and 41 percent of homeless men have children 17 or younger. While 65 percent of the mothers live with at least one minor child, only 7 percent of homeless fathers live with a minor child.

*33 percent of homeless men surveyed are military veterans.

*38 percent of those surveyed said they were robbed, 41 percent were victims of theft, 22 percent were physically assaulted, and 7 percent were sexually assaulted since becoming homeless.

*71 percent of homeless people live in central cities, 21 percent in suburbs, and 9 percent in rural areas.

HUD's Continuum of Care initiative, which was developed by Cuomo when he was an Assistant Secretary at HUD, is the centerpiece of the federal policy on homelessness. It has helped more than 300,000 homeless people get housing and jobs to become self-sufficient.
The Continuum of Care stresses permanent solutions to homelessness through comprehensive and collaborative community planning.

Communities submit plans to HUD that reflect efforts to address the complexities of homelessness through a range of housing and services. The services provide emergency assistance and assessment of a homeless person's needs, and help the person to obtain permanent housing and become self-sufficient.

HUD has invested nearly $5 billion in programs to help homeless people since President Clinton took office--more than three times as much as the $1.5 billion HUD spent on homeless assistance programs from 1987 to 1993. HUD's Fiscal Year 2000 Budget provides for $1.02 billion in funding for homeless programs--a $45 million increase over 1999.