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| Visitacion Valley
to Host
Multicultural Celebration Visitacion Valley merchants, schools, churches and community service providers will join to celebrate the many cultures that make up the neighborhood in a Multicultural Celebration to be held in the Visitacion Valley Community Center gymnasium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 26. Organizers hope to build relationships of respect and understanding between all the people of Visitacion Valley. Visitacion Valley Family
School
by Steve Glumaz Visitacion Valley Family School (VVFS)
faculty, city officials, volunteers and citizens came together Dec. 10
at Visitacion Valley Community Center (VVCC) to give thanks and to celebrate
the grand reopening of the recently renovated Family School kitchen.
"I love all the kids and since I come from a large family of cooks, I like cooking, and the new kitchen allows for better cooking," said assistant cook Jewel Furlough. "The kids like the cole slaw even with the onions in it; but don't tell them there's onions in it, because we sneak those things in." Renovation commenced last Sept. 29 with the Bayview Environmental Services Company coming in first to remove any hazardous lead paint and asbestos. In fact, more than 15 Bay Area business organizations volunteered their expertise of knowledge, material application and manpower towards the project. For the ceremony, the doorway and door to the new kitchen were draped in ruby-red Christmas paper, tiny lights strewn all over, a green pine wreath dead center on the door and velvet brandy wine colored ribbon stripes with gold leaf trim beckoned observation. Large platters of hot an cold food, such as buffalo wings marinated overnight in special sauce then baked with basil, were streamlined across tables but couldn't be touched until after the presentations. In fact, the cooks stood vigilant over the platters. VVFS Teacher assistant Ana Hernandez had been preparing the Center's children for two weeks to sing for the atendees on this memorable day, which they did beginning with the song Jingle Bells. After warming-up, the 22 children went on to sing ABCs with those in attendance cheering them on. "We are the only county in the state that passed a local care initiative to refurbish childcare facilities," explained Deborah Alvarez, director of the Mayor's Office of Children, Youth and Their Families. "To that aim, we have helped build or refurbish over 1,000 childcare slots within San Francisco in recent past. This is a high quality childcare facilities fund established about a year and a half ago committed to universal affordable high quality childcare." New floor mats, five stainless steel counters and sinks, an immense six-burner stove complete with two large ovens and a 2-by-3 foot grill, and five huge reach-in industrial refrigerators filled to capacity with food still allows for room to move about comfortably. Having once been offices for childcare directors, the kitchen will now serve more than 300 meals a day, up from 200. A state-of-the-art fire system was also installed. Some VVFS faculty members said they are going to miss the workers who became family. "The only sad thing about the culmination of this job is that you don't get to see anybody (the workers) anymore," said VVCCenter Director Julie Kavanagh. Certificates of appreciation were presented to the following Bay Area organizations that aided in consultation, design and construction of the new VVFS kitchen: J.F. Duncan Industries; Aire Sheet Metal Inc.; Rosendin Electric; Architecture Door Services; Norman Wright Mechanical Equipment; Superior Auto; J. Gibbs & Sons, Inc.; Lawson Roofing; Ballet Bros.; O'Reilly Faina; Giampolini Architectural; ISEC Inc.; Bayview Industrial Services; and Stomper Company, Inc. But the highlight of the ceremony occurred when VVCC board member Renie Champagne presented an award to Morse Diesel International for work accomplished and subcontractors assigned. "Now we can make sure they (the kids) get the nutritious meals that our gracious cooks (Owena Walker and Jewel Furlough) prepare," explained Champagne. "This center started in 1980 and is dedicated especially to the children. And as an added addendum, that kitchen is going to allow them (the cooks) to make me some gumbo." After the awards presentation, most people in attendance said that it was difficult to comprehend who was responsible for actually getting the project started, since everyone seemed to distinguish each other as the groundbreaker. Denis Driscoll of Morse Diesel International first previewed the kitchen with the architect before bringing in the subcontractors to show them the existing kitchen. "The first thing I did after the architect did his thing was to bring in the subcontractors," said Driscoll. "It's not so much the construction part, but the design. We were going to build a kitchen in an old conference room, then I realized that there was not enough counter space, so...the kitchen functions well with the cooking and prep area together." VVTS Director Brenda Lopez, was said to have sparked the idea for more kitchen space by flat-out stating, "With sledge hammer in hand, take that wall out." Holiday Pot Luck at VVES Sponsored by the Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) PTA the multicultural pot luck dinner brought about 100 parents and children to the school on Dec. 16. After a presentation on "Holiday Stress Management for Families" by Beacon Center consultant Dera Blake, dinner was served by the school staff. It was a real pleasure for all the folks who attended the event to share a meal together during the holiday season and taste various home cooked ethnic delicacies. Special thanks to Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Morales, Mrs. Basco, Mrs. Argumedo and Mrs. Romero of the PTA and to Ms. Davis and Mrs. Flores of the school for cooking and coordinating this successful event! "Little Vis" Celebrates Winter Festival On the early morning of Dec. 17, the children heard the bad news: Santa's trailer broke down. Would he be able to deliver his gifts to the school? How? By 10:30 a.m., Santa arrived in Officer Kaleva's patrol car with bags of goodies for all the children! Bulletin Warns of Animal Cruelty in Valley Some Visitacion Valley residents recently received a shocking neighborhood bulletin warning about animal cruelty. The bulletin reads: "Your pets may be in danger of being poisoned. A number of dead cats have been found in our neighborhood in the last few weeks. Anyone who sees or hears anything suspicious, please call the Animal Care Control. "Anyone who is vicious enough to put poison out to kill any animal does not care if the animal he kills is someone's pet or a wild creature! Even someone's child may pick up the poison! "If you find any dead animal, please either take it to the Animal Care and Control yourself or call them to pick it up so they can check for poison! "Also up on Harkness Street, there is someone trapping cats and taking them to Animal Care and Control to be killed. Please report anything suspicious by calling Animal Care and Control at this number: 554-9405." New Muni "Open Door" Meeting Muni General Manager Michael T. Burns announced plans to hold another "open door" meeting with individual members of the public. This customer outreach program, modeled on Mayor Brown's highly successful Open Door Days will have its next session on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the office of the Muni General Manager at 491 Van Ness Ave., Room 320. Individual meetings will be for 5-10 minutes and by appointment only. A Muni hotline at 923-6199 has ben established to make reservations. Callers should leave their name and phone number, and a Muni staff member will return their call. Legislation Introduced to End Sale of Ultracompact Weapons S.F. Supervisor Alicia Becerril on Jan.
31 introduced legislation to crack down on the sale of very small or "ultracompact"
weapons.
Becerril's legislation defines ultracompact weapons as 6-3/4 inches or less in length or 4-1/2 inches or less in height, smaller than the size of a man's palm. So small, these weapons can be easily hidden in a coat or under pants. Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is illegal in California. In San Francisco, permits to carry concealed weapons are issued only in very limited circumstances. "By allowing the purchase of ultracompact weapons that are explicitly marketed as concealable, we are in effect encouraging people to break the law," becerril pointed out. Gun manufacturers have started making these small guns in response to the relaxation of concealed weapons laws in other states and as a way to get around junk guns bans. Ultracompacts are higher quality than junk guns so are not covered by the current ban. Because they can be easily hidden, ultracompact weapons are ideal for individuals who intend to break the law. Incarcerated felons report that they very often consider concealability in selecting guns for crime. In one study, almost 70 percent of felons reported owning a very small handgun. SFUSD Tests School Hotlines Children worried about being called a "tattletale" have a new, safer way to report potential problems. Pacific Bell Information Services announced Jan. 24 that it is donating one voice mailbox to each of the San Francisco Unified School District's (SFUSD) 155 schools. The donation allows schools to set up hotlines for students, parents and neighbors to anonymously report their concerns. Jim Dierke, principal at Visitacion Valley Middle School, came up with the idea several years ago and wanted to find a way to expand it. During an education roundtable meeting last year with State Senator Jackie Speier, Dierke mentioned his idea as a way to improve school safety. Senator Speier offered to help,and turned to Pacific Bell Information Services. "It's about everyone listening to each
other's needs and learning from each other," said Speier, who represents
San Francisco in the state Senate. "The schools came up with a great idea
and Pacific Bell offered voice mail. I'm sure we'll all find this to be
a helpful tool."
"These hotlines provide schools with a useful tool for preventing potential safety issues from becoming real problems," said SFUSD Superintendent Linda Davis. "We appreciate Pacific Bell's donation and Senator Jackie Speier's initiative to help our schools." Permit Hearing for Valley Residential House Neighborhood residents were among those in attendance at a meeting of the S.F. Planning Commission Jan. 20 to hear an agenda item involving a request for conditional use authorization to allow for the legalization of an existing 24-bed group housing facility in Visitacion Valley. Metropolitan Fresh Start House, which was opened two years ago and currently houses 12 persons and occupys two residential structures on one lot on Leland Avenue between Elliot and Delta Streets, was applying for the correct permits from the Planning Department to expand to 24. Department staff had commented they advised Fresh Start to obtain the permits two years ago. There were reservations and concerns expressed by the Planning Department staff and commissioners, as the Commission decided to "continue" this item for the purpose of allowing Fresh Start more time to comply with some requests and suggestions that Planning Commission staff had made of the operators of the house. There were also a number of people anxious to comment on this item, and commissioners allowed them to speak. This issue had supporters, opponents and a number of people with mixed feelings. Those with mixed feelings said that facilities like Fresh Start House were gravely needed, and for that reason, could not oppose the project. However, they were concerned that proper communication be established with neighbors and that careful and proper management was imperative. Supporters included residents of the Fresh Start House, who were moving in their testimonials to the benefits they have received by residing in Fresh Start House. They were determined to help Rev. DeVore meet and exceed all needs and expectations of both the Planning Commission and the neighbors, pledging to do so during discussions held after the meeting. Opponents of the permit issue were those who felt nervous about having a facility for recovering substance abusers immediately next door, across the street from childcare facilities and around the corner from the Elementary School. There was a mixed bag of other concerns expressed by various people. Most of them, however, were not willing to utter that infamous phrase: "Not in my back yard!" A general consensus seemed to be that although there were a number of concerns including: safety, density of the enlarged population, parking and traffic problems, and management capability, most of those concerned were willing to try to assist the Fresh Start House in their efforts. Ingleside Station Police Report *On Dec. 24, 1999 at 6:18 a.m. on the
4600 block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers responded on a call of
an arson. Upon
*On Dec. 25 at 12:35 a.m. on the unit block of Ora Way, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery. The victims arrived at home and were in the process of putting their vehicle in the garage. They saw the first suspect walking down the street. Then a white/blue four door chrysler pulled up and two other suspects got out and ran toward the victims. The supsects took their money and fled in the vehicle. The first suspect is a black male approximately 20-30 years old, 6'01", 200 lbs. He was wearing a blue jacket, dark pants, and had short dark hair. The second suspect is a black male approximately 20-30 years old, 6'0", 170 lbs., wearing a light sweater and dark jeans. The third suspect was possibly a black or Hispanic male. He was wearing an olive green jacket. Case 991560737 *On Dec. 25 at 12:53 a.m. at San Jose and Sagamore Street, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a carjacking. The victim was sitting at a red light stopped. The first suspect opened her unlocked passenger door and got inside. The second suspect came up to her driver side window and pointed a gun at her and told her to get out. The suspects took the vehicle and fled the area. Case 991560806 *On Dec. 29 at 6:08 a.m. on the 100 block of Blythdale Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a rape. Upon arrival the victim gave the officers an suspect and vehicle description. The suspect is known to the victim. The officers made a search of the area with no results. The victim said she was at home in bed when the suspect entered and forced himself on her. The victim said there were other people in the house at the time it occurred. They did not help her when she screamed for help. The suspect is a 26 year old black male. He is 5'11", 160 lbs., and was wearing blue jacket and black pants. He was driving a newer 1990 model red Camaro. He frequents the 1100 block of Scott Street. The other subject wanted is black male approximately 25-28 years old and is 5'7", 150 lbs. There was a third suspect arrested in the case. Case 991574772 *On Dec. 29 at 10:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Highland Avenue, Ingleside officers were in the area further investigating the rape which occurred on 12-29-99 (case number 991574772) because the suspect vehicle was seen in the area. The officers know the suspect frequents one of the homes in the area. The officers were unable to locate the suspect at that time. Case 991574772 *On Jan. 3, 2000 at 8:50 p.m. on the 500 block of Campbell Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a report of a robbery. The victim said he was walking and was aware of the subjects behind. He heard one of them say "gimme the backpack." The victim turned around to confront them and was struck in the eye. The suspects took his wallet and fled the area. The first suspect was a black female 18-25 years old. She was approximately 6'0", 170 lbs. and wore dark clothing. The second suspect was a Black male 18-25 years old. He was approximately 5'9", 165 lbs. and wore dark clothing. The third suspect was a black male 18-25 years old. He was approximately 6'0", 175 lbs. and wore dark clothing. Case 000011110 *On Jan. 3 at 10:19 a.m.on the 300 block
of Ocean Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a call of an explosive
device.
*On Jan. 3 at 4:20 p.m. on the 3700
block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers responded on a call of terrorist
threats.
*On Jan. 4 at 4:12 a.m. on the 700 block of Gates, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery. The victims were at home in bed. There were two supects with guns who entered their bedrooms and asked them for money. The victims told them they had no money and then the suspects fled the house. The first suspect was a black male approximately 23 years old. He was 5'2", 150 lbs. and was of medium build with a high pitched voice. He wore a black skull cap, a black handerchief over his mouth, a gray jacket, and gray tennis shoes. The second suspect was a black male approximately 22 years old. He was 5'9", 180 lbs. and was dark skinned. He wore a blue/red baseball cap and his mouth was covered by a black rag. Case 000011916 *On Jan. 4 at 8:11 p.m. at Holyoke/Mansell, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery. The victim got off the bus and was walking when she was attacked. The first suspect grabbed her and threw her to the ground. The suspect grabbed her purse then he and a second suspect fled the area. The first suspect is a Hispanic male approximately 30-35 years old. He is 5'5", 150 lbs. and was wearing a dark beanie, dark puffy jacket, and dark pants. The second suspect is a Hispanic male approximately 20-25 years old. He is 5'7", 170 lbs. and was wearing a dark puffy jacket with a hood and dark pants. Case 000015504 *On Jan. 4 at 2:23 p.m. on the 100 block
of Leland Ave., Ingleside officers responded on a call of a stolen
*On Jan. 5 at 7:57 p.m. at Silver/Mission, Ingleside officers responded to a call of a robbery. The victim flagged an officer down and pointed out a suspect who had attempted to "rob her." The suspect got on a muni bus but the officer was able to stop the bus and detain the suspect. The juvenile was booked for the attempted robbery. Case 000019910 *On Jan. 7 at 9:28 p.m. at Moultrie/Eugenia, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a vehicle accident involving a taxi cab. The officers were also notified that the cab was a carjacked vehicle. While the officers were conducting their investigation an anonymous caller called and gave information as to where the carjacking suspects could be found. The officers responded to the location and were able to take the suspects into custody. The victim was able to identify the suspects. Male suspect #1 was booked on charges of carjacking and possession of stolen property. Female suspect #2 was booked on charges of carjacking and possession of stolen property. A third male was detained for questioning and released. Case 000029373 *On Jan. 9 at 4:23 p.m. on the 400 block of Athens, Ingleside officers responded on a call of an indecent exposure. A description of the suspect was broadcast and the officers were able to locate him. When they tried to detain the suspect he fled and the officers pursued him. The officers caught and took the suspect into custody even though he struggled with them. The male suspect was booked for indecent exposure and sex offender registrant. Case 000034968 *On Jan. 10 at 10:25 p.m. on the 5900 block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers were patrolling the area. They observed a juvenile walking down the street. They then saw the suspect spray paint the side of a building. They stopped and took the suspect into custody. The juvenile was booked for the vandalism. Case 000040868 *On Jan. 10 at 5:20 p.m. on the 5300 block of Diamond Heights, Ingleside officers were flagged down by citizens of a robbery committed on a Muni bus. The vicitm was robbed on the bus by someone she knew previously from school. The vicitm was able to produce a picture of the suspect for the officers. The officers, through their investigation, were able to locate the suspect and take her into custody. The juvenile was booked for the robbery. Case 000039742 *On Jan. 11 at 11:30 a.m. on the 400 block of Hanover, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a burglary. The vicitms had returned from the store and found a vehicle in their driveway and their front door forced open. While the victims stood outside two suspects came out of the house with the vicitms property. The victims tried to stop the suspects from leaving but were unable to. The first suspect was an Asian male approximately 20-30 years old. He was 5'6", 145 lbs. and had brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing a navy blue or black jacket. The second suspect was an Asian male approximately 20-30 years old. He was 5'6", 145 lbs. and had brown eyes and black hair. He was wearing a navy blue or black jacket. They were driving a dark blue sedan type vehicle. Case 000042626 *On Jan. 12 at 3:30 p.m. at Blythedale
Avenue at Santos Street, Ingleside officers were patrolling the area when
they observed a
*On Jan. 12 at 11:19 p.m. on Cortland/Mission, Ingleside officers responded to a call of a robbery. The victim had gotten off the Muni bus and the three suspects exited off with him. They asked him for money and at the same time felt his pockets. He took out his wallet in an attempt to show them he had no money. One of the suspects hit him in the face several times and took the wallet fleeing the area. The other two suspects followed. The first suspect was a black male approximately 17-18 years old. He was 5'10" 190 lbs. with black hair. He was wearing a red baseball cap. The second suspect was an Asian male approximately 17-18 years old. He was 6'1", 140 lbs. with blond hair. He was wearing a polo shirt, Tommy Hilfiger jacket, and blue jeans. The third suspect was a Hispanic male approximately 17-18 years old. He was 5'7", 125 lbs. and had black hair. He was wearing a red polo shirt, blue jeans, and had curly slicked back hair. Case 000050378 *On Jan. 13 at 3:08 a.m. on the 400 block of Vienna, Ingleside officers responded to a call of a domestic violence. The suspect tried to enter the victim's house by breaking the garage door and he had also made death threats. The victim told the officers the area in which the suspect lived. The officers responded to the area and were able to locate the suspect and take him into custody. The male suspect was booked for domestic violence, terrorist threats, vandalism, and an outstanding warrant. Case 000050873 API Shows S.F. Schools Better Than State Average California's new Academic Performance Index (API) shows schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) scoring higher than the state average. Nearly two-thirds (65.4 percent) of San Francisco's public schools ranked at or above average with a 5-10 ranking on the newly devised state index. The API ranks all schools in California from one to 10 with half of the schools scoring above and half below five. In San Francisco, 42 percent of the schools ranked well above average with a score of 7-10 on the statewide ranking. "We are very pleased with the progress our schools have made," said SFUSD Superintendent Linda Davis. "We will continue to work closely to improve the performance of schools that are not at or above average. We are committed to bringing in prepared, competent and caring teachers and to provide a special focus on schools with the greatest needs." SFUSD has been actively involved in school reform initiatives for many years and is currently participating in the state's Immediate Intervention for Underperforming Schools Program (II/SUP) designed to help schools succeed. Conference Will Showcase City's Natural Lands The Randall Museum, S.F. Recreation and Park Department and the Yerba Buena Chapter of the California Native Plant Society are sponsoring a conference that showcases the city's wild and scenic natural lands. A Decade of Making History: San Francisco Ecological Restoration will take place on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way. Come celebrate a decade of volunteers and professionals working together to build natural as well as human communities in the wild and scenic areas of San Francisco. You are invited to come and learn about the successes of many of San Francisco's community-based habitat restoration projects. Workshops include: youth and restoration education, photomonitoring, networking, environmental justice and restoration, and poetry and restoration. Register by Tuesday, Feb. 14 by calling 753-7265 or 554-9604. Senate Fellow Applications Available Applications are still available for the 2000-2001 California Senate Fellows Program. This program provides college graduates an opportunity to become full-time Senate staff members for 11 months beginning October 2000. Fellows are assigned to the personal or committee staff of a senator and also participate in academic seminars with senators, senior staff, journalists, lobbyists and state government officials. They are paid a stipend of $1,882 a month plus health and dental benefits and earn 12 units of graduate credit from California State University, Sacramento for the academic portion of the program. Deadline for submitting applications is Mar. 1, 2000. Eighteen Fellows will be selected in May after an initial screening and a subsequent panel review of semifinalists. Applications may be requested from Senator Jackie Speier's office at 400 South El Camino, Suite 630, San Mateo; at the Hiram Johnson State Office Building, 455 Golden Gate Ave., Suite 14200; or by calling the program office at (916) 322-7563. Saturdays are Special at Randall Museum The Randall Museum offers drop-in, hands-on art and science workshops every Saturday at 1 p.m. at 199 Museum Way (off Roosevelt, above the Castro). All ages are welcome; under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Museum admission is free with $4 per person workshop fee (except where noted). Call 554-9600 for further information. *March 4: 18th Annual Science Fair - Browse among 200 science projects as the Randall hosts the annual S.F. Middle School Science Fair. *March 11: Tiles and Trivets - Make your own ceramic tile with a textured design. *March 18: Amazing Amphibians - Discover the world of these wet and wonderful creatures. *March 25: Clay Boxes - Learn how to make a box out of one piece of clay and add texture as a decorative element. Junior Engineer Day
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