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Leland Avenue Streetscape Project
 Driving on Leland Avenue these days can be a little tricky, but Valley residents know the end result will be worth the wait. Low Stacks Featured in Sunnydale Building
Blocks
by Betty Parshall On Saturday, January 23 about sixty participants gathered to see the presentation of the design layout of the building blocks that will emerge in the new Sunnydale. The master plan with 1,700 housing units is to allow for a better mix of households at different incomes. Laurie Volk, an expert in creating mixed income communities, recommends that 40 percent of the housing should be market rate. Sixty percent will include the existing number of public housing units along with “tax credit” affordable housing. In response to previous questions about how many units of various sizes are planned a chart was presented: *One bedroom: 580 units, 34 percent of total. *Two bedroom: 804 units, 47 percent of total. *Three bedroom: 303 units, 18 percent of total. *Four bedroom:12 units, 1 percent of total. At present, the overall parking ratio in the master plan is .85 off-street parking spaces for each unit, and 1.18 total parking spaces for each unit off and on the street. The City requires an independent traffic study to describe car, bike, pedestrian and bus traffic expected and the impact on the neighborhood. The study will be made this year and presented at another community meeting. Major objectives that guide the design process were described. In addition to mixed income and the mix of units, safety and security is to be enhanced because buildings will include either unit entries, stoops or porches that face the street or park so there are “eyes” on the street. All buildings should be of the same high quality design and construction regardless of the income level of residents. To accomplish this, there are to be a variety of architectural styles by different architects. At least 30 percent of the housing will be accessible or adaptable for disabled and senior residents. Each building is to include basic amenities such as a community room, laundry machines, secure bike and car parking, and secure outdoor courtyards for the residents of each building. Various options are being considered for the construction period, with the priority of causing the least amount of inconvenience to residents, and these options will also be presented to the community for discussion. Small groups of six to eight people met to generate questions and concerns and each group then reported out to the entire meeting. *Is any consideration being given to the impacts on the greater community due to the increase in housing units in both Sunnydale and the Schlage Lock property? *What is the timeline for completion of the project? *What is the ratio of bathrooms to bedrooms in the units? *Why are there only 12 units with four bedrooms? What about large families? *What provisions if any will there be regarding smoking? *How will garbage and recycling collection be handled? Could there be incentives to encourage residents to participate fully in recycling? *Will disaster preparedness be included in the design? *How wide are the sidewalks? *Can video cams be placed on streets? *How might noise complaints be handled? *What size will rooms be in the various units? What floor covering will be used? These and other questions will be addressed at future meetings. The master plan design will be presented in the near future to the SF Planning Department. The process of review, preparation of the required environmental impact report and its review, and final approval by the City will take about one year. To contact Mercy/Related HOPE SF: 1657 Sunnydale Avenue, SF 94134, (415) 452-9744 Tonja Boykin: TBoykin@mercyhousing.org Michelle Daniels, Community Liaison: MDaniels2mercyhousing.org Jasmin Khabay, Community Liaison: JKhabay@mercyhousing.org Ramie Dare, Housing Developer: RDare@mercyhousing.org Cantonese participants can call Paul Lam: 333-9956, Plam@mercyhousing.org McLaren Park News and Notes by Betty Parshall Park Planning Process in Progress By the time this column comes out in the February Grapevine, the first of three community meetings heralded as “the McLaren Park Needs Assessment & Action Plan Workshops” will have taken place. The purpose of the workshops is to gather thoughts and ideas from everyone on the top priorities for improvements to the park that is to result in an action plan that will have practical and measurable goals. Tina Kim, an intern with the Recreation and Parks Department, has advised that there is a grant application will be made improve park features, and that community help is solicited to choose what project should benefit from the money. Karen Mauney-Brodek is a planner working for the Department and started gathering information from park users in early January and walking through the park to become acquainted with its many features. I was able to join one of her walks with a few others and we pointed out situations that many park users have previously urged the Department to improve. Karen explained that she will spend some months gathering information and then spend a few more months preparing a list of recommendations and possible means to accomplish projects along with priorities to be assigned. While I appreciate the efforts being made to develop such a plan, I must confess to a sense of déjà vu. (See Visitacion Valley History column, Grapevine, September 2009.) However, I hope that these workshops will have dozens or even hundreds of participants from all the neighborhoods surrounding the park. People often complain that McLaren Park does not get anything like the attention given to Golden Gate Park. It is vital that our neighborhoods turn out and make our voices heard. Good, hard-working individuals and groups have been volunteering time and energy to bring amenities to the park. Now is the time for a lot more folks to get involved in giving the Department the information it solicits. An interesting phenomenon has occurred since these workshops were first scheduled. While the notices from the Department suggest a broad range of issues that can be addressed some folks are posting flyers in the park and on neighborhood electronic message boards suggesting that the meetings are to address the question of disc golf in the park. This is certainly a legitimate issue to bring to the workshops, but not the only one. Plan to attend, there are sure to be some lively discussions. Mark your calendars. You are urged to attend both meetings if possible, large attendance tells the Recreation and Parks Department that our communities have strong feelings about the park and its use. Tuesday, March 23 6:30 p.m.to 8 p.m. at the Crocker Amazon Playground Clubhouse Tuesday, May 25, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Louis Sutter Playground Roundhouse For additional information you can contact Tina Kim or Karen Mauney-Brodek at 415-831-2789 or email Karen.Mauney-Brodek @sfgov.org About Art in Visitacion Valley  Recology, the new name for garbage collection and recycling processing posted this new sign recently. Will they still be good neighbors? *Ukulele: From Wikipedia.com: The ukulele is commonly associated with music from Hawai‘i where the name roughly translates as "jumping flea" due to the action of one's fingers playing the ukulele resembling a "jumping flea". According to Queen Lili'uokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch, the name means “the gift that came here”, from the Hawaiian words uku (gift or reward) and lele (to come). Developed in the 1880s, the ukulele is based on a small guitar-like instrument, the machete introduced to the Hawaiian Islands by Macaronesian (Portuguese and Spanish) immigrants. *Churches, Synagogue, Temples: The re-imagining of Sunnydale and the redevelopment of the former Schlage Lock site continues to move forward. At last count the number of new homes from these developments stands at nearly 2,500. New parks and open space gathering places are part of the planning dialogue, but what about houses of worship? Historically neighborhoods, towns, and cities nucleated around civic buildings and houses of worship. Surely all the future new residents of Visitacion Valley will not be godless. *Shotspotter in Sunndale?: The gunfire location system may be on its way to Sunnydale in the very near future. ShotSpotter has already been deployed in the Bayview Hunters Point Area and can rapidly pinpoint the origin of gunfire to within 25 meters. Alerts will be automatically forwarded to the local police station and officers deployed according. *Street Life: Meet the Artists; Join the San Francisco Arts Commission and the artist team REBAR to learn more about the new sculpture that will be located at the corner of Leland Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. WHEN: Monday, February 8, 2010, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.WHERE: Joe Leland (coffee shop), 28 Leland Avenue. the artist team REBAR’s designed the new public art project that will be installed as part of the Leland Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project. Scheduled for completion by early summer 2010, Street Life is a playful sculpture made from recycled parking meter heads attached to 18-foot arching, steel poles. The cluster of parking meters was designed to appear as if it had grown to a whimsically tall height and is intended to remind the viewer of swaying grain or other organic forms. For more information about the Leland Avenue public art project contact Mary Chou at mary.chou@sfgov.org or at 415/252-3215. For more information about REBAR, visit www.rebargroup.org. *Quote of the Month: Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand. -Chinese proverb *Bonus Quote of the Month: A leader must have the courage to act against an expert's advice. -James Callaghan About Art in Visitacion
Valley
 The Art of Stained Glass by Betty Parshall The stained glass window centered on St. James Presbyterian Church depicts the Sower from one of Jesus’ parables in which he likened his preaching to a man sowing seeds. Like seed sown on rocky ground and failing to take root, some people received his words with joy but quickly forgot them as they had “no root in themselves.” Seeds sown among thorns failed as his words failed to reach those who were too immersed in the cares and riches of the world. “As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands; he indeed bears fruit.” (Matthew 13:18-23) The church at 240 Leland Avenue was completed in 1923. The original design plan depicts a large generic window but there are no follow-up detailed drawings for it. We don’t know any details, but the story that was passed along orally was that the stained glass in the church, including “The Sower” was liberated from a deserted church in a ghost town somewhere in Nevada. “Campbell Glass and Paint Company” can be seen in the lower right-hand corner of the window. We are grateful to the Kansas City Main Library for the following information. This company had its inception in 1879 under the firm name of Campbell and Cutler, and was reorganized by Charles Campbell who founded the original business. It was big news in 1915 when the company moved into its new seven-story Campbell Building in Kansas City at Sixteenth and Walnut streets. In 1916 Campbell acquired the Platt & Thornburgh Paint Company of St. Louis, and this expansion made Kansas City “one of the first four cities in paint manufacturing in the country.” Later still the Campbell Company was acquired by Glidden Glass and Paint Company. In the three lengthy articles about the company, there is no mention of stained or any other kind of glass. But also supplied by the Kansas City library is the obituary for Thomas J. B. Pain, who died on March 1, 1936. Born in London on October 28, 1849, as a boy he ran errands for Charles Dickens and once watched Gustave Dore drawing caricatures of Queen Victoria while Dore was getting drunk in a London pub. Pain emigrated to Canada when he was 18 years old and moved to Kansas City in 1869. He worked at Campbell Glass and Paint Company for over forty years, where he served as executive and as a designer of glass. After retiring in 1926 he continued his avocation of painting watercolors and had paintings of every Episcopal church in Kansas City. He served as senior warden at St.Mary’s Episcopal Church, and he designed that church’s windows. Perhaps he also designed the beautiful window of our own St. James Church. …from the desk of the VVBOOM newsroom  by Nick Wolff Your Neighborhood Pharmacy When it comes to commercial institutions in Visitacion Valley, none is more storied than the Visitacion Valley Pharmacy at 100 Leland Avenue. With downtown Visitacion Valley undergoing tremendous changes via the Leland Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project, construction of a new branch library, and the redevelopment of the old Schlage Lock site, it is fascinating to step back and examine how much the community has changed. As the Visitacion Valley History Project (VVHP) reveals, the storefront has seen it all in the past 150 years. The following excerpt is taken from San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley (Images of America Series) book, available locally at Joe Leland Coffee Shop, 28 Leland Avenue for the winter bargain price of $15.00. “In the mid-1860s, the Rossi family settled in Visitacion Valley and established large vegetable gardens which they worked by hand. Virginio Rossi went on to own the Visitacion Valley Pharmacy on Leland Avenue until 1970, when his daughter took over. Oral historian Mary Leotta Schwartz recalled that when she was a young girl the “library” was a single shelf unit about three feet wide and five or six shelves high, located in Jennings’ store at Leland and Alpha, which later was Rossi’s pharmacy. “There were no cards or due dates,” she remembered. “People simply borrowed books and returned them to the shelf.” Edie Epps remembers going to the pharmacy with her mother when she was a little girl. "The mezzanine above the store was hung with old photos of Visitacion Valley and some deer and elk heads. Behind the counter was a line of big jars filled with candy, root beer barrels, horehound drops, hot cinnamon drops and others and it was a great treat to pick out twenty-five cents’ worth.” Today, Pharmacist Oliver Lee and his friendly, knowledgeable staff are dedicated to treating all customers as family. Aside from filling vital prescriptions, the Visitacion Valley Pharmacy offers an array of household health and beauty products including; vitamins, cosmetics, cough and cold medicine, band aids and cough drops just to name a few. They also have a large selection of greeting cards, stationery and they sell monthly SF Muni Monthly passes. Drop by, say hello and of course, shop local.   Birthday Wishes Are in Order Casa Lopez, the fruit and produce market at 58 Leland Avenue celebrated their fifth Anniversary on Friday January 1, 2010. To show their appreciation for the community's support, they served up free hot dogs and hamburgers for all downtown Visitacion Valley shoppers from 12 noon to 3 p.m. In 2005, Casa Lopez was selected as an honorable mention for the inaugural San Francisco Neighborhood Business Award sponsored by the Examiner and Urban Solutions. Five years later, Casa Lopez continues to provide neighborhood residents access to organic produce and fresh meats in a warm, festive shopping environment. Casa Lopez remains a family-owned business operated by Trinidad and Refugio Lopez. Remember, local merchants are here to support the community. Make it a point to shop downtown Visitation Valley in 2010. SAFE – Lunar New Year Visitacion Valley The 13th Annual Lunar New Year public safety press conference will kick off the 2010-Year of the Tiger celebrations on Tuesday, February 9th at 1:30 p.m. in downtown Visitacion Valley on Leland Avenue. With a precise location still to be determined, the event is being hosted by San Francisco Safety Awareness for Everyone (SF SAFE) in collaboration with San Francisco Chief of Police George Gascon, along with Captain David Lazar (Ingleside) and Captain Greg Suhr (Bayview). The growth of the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch Group coupled with increased concern for safety on neighborhood bus lines has landed the annual press conference in Visitacion Valley. Thanks to strong partnerships with SF SAFE and SFPD, this year’s press conference will focus on street crime prevention Muni safety. Visitacion Valley Police Report Police Cases *On Dec. 24 at 8:43 a.m. on the 2400 block of Bayshore Boulevard, officers were sent to investigate a call of a burglary. Upon their arrival, they were told by the victim through a family member’s translation that the store was left locked and secured on Dec. 23 at approximately 7:30 p.m. When the victim/owner returned on Dec. 24 at 8 a.m. they noticed the front top window had been broken and that appeared to be the point of entry and exit since the front door was still locked and secured. The loss was an unknown amount of lottery scratchers. The victim and reporting party was not able to provide suspect information. CSI responded to the scene for follow up. At 7:55 p.m. on the 1700 block of Geneva Avenue, officers were sent to investigate an attempted robbery. The victim told the officers that while on the bus he was approached by three suspects. One of the suspect’s was attempting to take the victim’s pinky ring. The three suspects then started punching the victim. Once they were done the suspects fled from the bus empty handed. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The suspects were described as three African American males between the ages of 19 and 21. *On Dec. 25 at 8 a.m. on the unit block of Heritage Avenue, a Police Services aide prepared a report regarding threats. The victim told the PSA that she has been receiving death threats from a known suspect against her and her daughter. The victim is fearful so she responded to Ingleside to file the report and then will a restraining order. *On Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. at 121 Blythdale Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a vandalism case. The victim told the officers that she parked her car only to discover that someone punctured her tire. No suspects were seen. *On Dec. 29 at 1:10 p.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Hahn Street an officer was sent to investigate a battery case. The victim told the officer that a known suspect was attempting to gain entry into a dwelling. The victim said that the suspect was kicked out and could not be let in because he is a “crook.” The victim told the officer that the suspect got mad and ran to her house and began to ransack it. The victim's son went to look for the suspect only to have the suspect flip him over onto the pavement. At 5:50 p.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Hahn Street, officers were sent to investigate a vandalism case. The victim told the officers that she was at home when she heard a noise. The victim told the officers that when she went to investigate she discovered someone had broken her window. The victim said that she saw three young African American kids running from the scene. *On Dec. 30 at 6:49 p.m. on the 100 block of Garrison Avenue, officers responded to the report of a street robbery. The victim said that she parked her car and noticed a man standing about 20 feet away. When she got out of her car, the suspect ran up and ripped her purse away from her. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. He was described as an Africa-American male 20-30 years old, wearing a dark hoodie. He was about 5’10” and 175 lbs. *On Jan. 1 at 3:09 a.m. at Raymond Avenue near Visitacion Avenue, officers responded to the report of a person dialing 911. They met with the victim who said that he was walking home from a party when a man pointed a gun at him and demanded his wallet. The victim said he was able to punch the suspect and knock the gun away. The victim said that he then ran away from the scene. At 3:58 a.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Santos Street, officers were in the area after responding for a “shots fired” call when they saw a vehicle with known gang members inside. The vehicle had stopped in the middle of the street and had a badly cracked windshield. The officers stopped the car and met with the occupants. When they did, the officers smelled the odor of marijuana come from inside the car. While searching the car for drugs, a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found under a seat. The three occupants were booked for weapons charges, drug charges and a gang violation. At 11:17 a.m. on the 900 block of Sunnydale Avenue, an officer was dispatched to a reported vandalism to a vehicle. The victim said that he came out to his parked car to discover that his tire had been slashed. The victim did not have a suspect description. *On Jan. 4 at 2:23 p.m. on the 400 block of Argonaut Avenue, a Police Services aide prepared a report regarding a fraud. The victim told the PSA that she discovered that an unknown suspect had charged items on one of her credit cards totaling over $3,700. At 10:09 p.m. on the 100 block of Britton Street, officers were sent to investigate a fraud case. The victim told the officers that an unknown suspect had cashed a check on his account and overdrawn it. *On Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. on the 300 block of Leland Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a fraud case. The victim told the officers that an unknown suspect was using her social security number without her permission. The victim wanted this information recorded. At 12:39 p.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Rey Street, officers were sent to investigate a threats case. The victim told the officers that her car had broken down and had to call for a tow truck. The victim told the officers that the suspect walked up to her, threw water on her face and then showed her a black gun in his waist band. The suspect then walked away. *On Jan. 6 at 7:05 p.m. on the 100 block of Rey Street, an officer was on patrol when he observed a suspect that he knew from prior contact. The suspect had over $20,000 worth of warrants to his credit. The suspect was taken into custody. *On Jan. 7 at 1:11 p.m. at Bayshore Boulevard and Blanken Avenue, officers were flagged down by a subject that had information of someone with a warrant. The officers stopped and asked the subject who was the individual that had the warrant. To their amazement, it was the subject himself! The warrant was for $350. The subject was arrested. At 10:27 p.m. at Croker Amazon Park, an officer was patrolling the park when he observed a suspect that kept trying to light something with a lighter. Because a cigarette usually only takes one, maybe two attempts he ruled that out. The officer decided to investigate. The officer softly walked up behind the suspect and lit him with his flashlight. The officer observed a crack pipe in the suspects hand as he turned around, then dropped it in an attempt to hide it. The suspect was detained and the suspect and the area searched for more drugs. There were none. The suspect was placed under arrest and then cited. *On Jan. 8 at 1:41 p.m. at Santos Street and Brookdale Avenue, officers were patrolling when the noticed a suspect that was wanted on a warrant for probation violation. The officers were able to arrest the suspect without incident. At 2 p.m. in McLaren Park, an officer of Mission Station prepared a report regarding a robbery that occurred in the Ingleside district. The victim told the officer that he was waiting for a bus near the park when a suspect walked up to him and asked for some money. The next thing he knew there was a gun to his face. The total loss was over $800 cash and property. *On Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. on the 1100 block of Goettingen Street, a Police Services aide prepared a report regarding a vandalism case. The victim told the PSA that she parked her car in front of her home only to discover the next morning someone had punctured her tire. No suspects were observed. At 7:17 p.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Rey Street, officers were informed of a suspect that was wanted on a threats incident. The officers responded to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect. Once they arrived it was only minutes when the wanted suspect walked by them. The officers took the suspect into custody. The suspect was booked on felony threats with a gun. At 8 p.m. on the unit block of Heritage Avenue, a Police Services aide prepared a report regarding a vandalism case. The victim told the PSA that she parked her car in front of her home only to discover the next morning someone had broken her window. The suspect was described as an African American male, 17-22 years of age wearing a black hoodie and pants. *On Jan. 11 at 2:26 p.m. on the unit block of Blythdale Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a trespass case. The victim told the officers that an unknown suspect entered her apartment with a key. There was no loss or damage. The victim wanted the incident documented. *On Jan. 12 at 2:37 p.m. on the unit block of Delta Street an officer responded to the report of a robbery. The victim said that he had gotten off of the bus and was approached by two men who asked to use his phone. The victim told them that he was using the phone and could not lend it to them. One suspect then displayed a black gun and demanded the contents of the victim’s pockets. The suspects then fled the scene. The suspects were described as African-American males (5’9 medium build, 5’11 heavier build) who were wearing dark colored clothes. *On Jan. 13 at 8:45 a.m. on the 100 block of Blythdale Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a burglary. The victim told the officers that she left for work and locked all her doors only to discover someone had made entry and taken her TV. The back door was left open. No suspects were observed. *On Jan. 14 at 9:53 p.m. on the unit block of Brookdale Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery. The victim said that he was making a delivery when he noticed that the building he was supposed to deliver to was vacant. The man was then suddenly grabbed by 3 men who tried to drag him behind the building. The victim broke free and was able to drive away. *On Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m. on the 1900 block of Sunnydale Avenue, an officer was responding as a backup to another Ingleside unity on an occupied stolen car. The officer was able to determine that the two women suspects were in the car and were in possession of all the stolen goods. Both suspects were arrested and booked. *On Jan. 16 at 1:39 p.m.on the 400 block of Argonaut Avenue, officers were patrolling when they observed a suspect that they knew he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The officers detained the suspect and conducted a warrant check to confirm that the warrant was still valid. The warrant was valid, the subject was arrested. At 7:55 p.m. at San Bruno Avenue and Harkness Street, an officer was sent to investigate a robbery case. The victim told the officer that she was walking along when she heard footsteps behind her. The victim went on to say that she had her purse hanging from her shoulder and that the suspect grabbed it and as he ran by her. The suspect jumped over a fence and disappeared. *On Jan. 17 at 1:50 a.m. at Santos Street and Sunnydale Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a possible robbery in progress. The officers located and spoke to the victim who told them he and a friend were robbed at gunpoint. The victim told the officers that they were going to a friend’s house to visit. The victims told the officers that when they got there they were let into the home. The victim used the bathroom and upon his return he spoke with a subject that he exchanged information with. The victim told the officers that it was at that point that the suspect pulled out a semi automatic gun and demanded that both victims give up all their property. The suspect took all the property that the victim brought in, but would not give up his keys. The victims made a run for the door and to their car to escape. While the victims were running to the car they heard gunshots and saw the suspect waiving the gun at them. The loss was $180 in cash and electronic property. No one was injured during this incident. At 10:48 a.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Santos Street, officers were sent to investigate a vandalism call. The victim told the officers that when he woke up this morning he noticed that there were three BB holes in the window. No suspects were observed. At 11 a.m. at Leland Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard, officers were sent to investigate a vandalism case. The victim told the officers that someone had damaged a cash dispensing machine. At 1:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Sunnydale Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a burglary. The victim told the officers that she went across the street to talk to a neighbor but left the front door unlocked. The victim said that when she returned she saw that the TV and camera were missing. The victim did not see anyone going into the house. At 1:45 p.m. on the 2200 block of Geneva Avenue, officers were sent to investigate a robbery. The victim told the officers that she was on her way home when the suspect came up from behind her and pushed her down to the ground while pulling on her purse. The victim received abrasions to her knees and hands. The loss was a purse and $20 in cash. *On Jan. 20 at 9:23 a.m. on the unit block of Ordway Street, officers were responded to the report that a citizen wanted to turn in some firearms. The reportee said that she was renovating her house when she found various firearms in a closet. She said the she did not want the guns and turned them over to the officers for safe-keeping. At 10:33 a.m. on the 100 block of Argonaut Avenue, officers were on patrol when they responded to the report of a hot-prowl burglary. The victim said he was asleep in his house when he heard a loud crash and then the sound of glass breaking. He went to go see what was going on and found a man trying to disconnect his television. The victim confronted the suspect, who fled the scene on foot. The suspect was described as an African-American man (6’00” 190 lbs.) wearing a black hoodie and black jogging pants. *On Jan. 21 at 2:11 p.m. on the unit block of Talbert Street, officers conducted a search of the residence of a man on parole along with several other officers. During the search, the officers found the parolee to be in possession of ammunition. The ammunition was seized and the man’s parole agent was notified. At 5:06 p.m. on the 1700 block of Visitation Avenue, officers were on patrol when they saw a vehicle which displayed a yellow 2010 registration tab. A record check of the car showed that the registration had actually expired in 2009. They stopped the vehicle and met with the driver. Further record checks revealed that the driver was driving with a suspended license and had an active warrant out for his arrest. At 9:32 p.m. at Garrison and Argonaut avenues, officers were on patrol when they were flagged down by the victim of an auto burglary. The victim said that he came out to his parked car to find that it had been broken into and his car’s audio system had been stolen along with his backpack. *On Jan. 23 at 11:57 a.m. on the unit block of Brookdale Avenue, officers responded to a well-being check of a man with an injury to the back of the head. They met with the victim who stated that he was struck by an unknown person and made unconscious. The victim was not missing any property. *On Jan. 24 at 5:26 p.m. on the 200 block of Blythdale Avenue, an officers responded to the report of a battery. They were met by the victim who said that she got into an argument with her ex-boyfriend and his cousin. The victim said that the cousin then ran up and hit the victim several times before the victim could defend herself. An unidentified man then grabbed the victim and brought her to safety. Police Summaries *Dec. 24: 7:18 a.m., 200 block of Teddy Ave., stolen auto. *Dec. 24: 11:47 a.m., 100 block of Tucker Ave., stolen truck. *Dec. 24: 9:39 p.m., Geneva Ave. and Carter St., traffic accident, hit and run. *Dec. 26: 5:16 a.m., 300 block of Ward St., stolen truck. *Dec. 30: 3:09 a.m., 700 block of Visitacion Ave., stolen plates. *Dec. 30: 1:10 p.m., Sunnydale Ave. and Santos St., suspended license. *Dec. 30: 1:18 p.m., 200 block of Blythdale Ave., recovered auto. *Jan. 4: 6:36 p.m., Santos St. and Geneva Ave., suspended license, tow. *Jan. 5: 4 p.m., Campbell Ave. and Rutland St., traffic accident. *Jan. 6: 12:53 p.m., 1300 block of Sunnydale Ave., unlicensed driver. *Jan. 7: 10:22 p.m., Sunnydale Ave. and Santos St., suspended license, tow. *Jan. 8: 9 a.m., 3800 block of San Bruno Ave., stolen auto. *Jan. 8: 11:45 a.m., 500 block of Leland Ave., recovered truck. *Jan. 11: 2:20 p.m., Sunnydale Ave. and Rutland St., suspended license, tow. *Jan. 12: 8:40 a.m., Unit block of Schwerin St., hit and run report. *Jan. 12: 3:01 p.m., 400 block of Sawyer St., recovered auto. *Jan. 12: 4 a.m., 1700 block of San Bruno Ave., stolen truck. *Jan. 13: 8:19 a.m., Geneva Ave. and Santos St., suspended license. *Jan. 13: 5:54 p.m., 2000 block of Bayshore Blvd., recovered truck. *Jan. 15: 10:14 a.m., 1900 block of Sunnydale Ave., recovered auto. *Jan. 15: 8:00 p.m., 300 block of Elliot St., stolen plates. *Jan. 16: 6:00 a.m., 400 block of Harkness Ave., stolen truck. *Jan. 17: 10:00 a.m., 1200 block of Sunnydale Ave., stolen truck. *Jan. 20: 12:01 p.m., 900 block of Rutland St., suspended license. *Jan. 23:1:01 a.m., Santos St. and Brookdale Ave., suspended driver. Tax Relief and Job Creation for San Francisco Businesses Mayor Newsom on Jan. 26 spoke in support of the three job creation and retention measures described during his recent State of the City address and introduced to the Board of Supervisors. The measures are aimed at helping small and mid-sized businesses create and retain local jobs – an extension of our City’s biotech tax credit, a payroll tax exemption for new hires, and tax incentives for small businesses that provide health care to their employees. Mayor Newsom and Supervisor Michael Alioto-Pier have submitted these three business tax-lowering proposals to the Board’s Budget and Finance Committee, as the first step to a full board vote. However, the Committee has refused to calendar the three job creation and job retention measures for a hearing. “Although San Francisco’s unemployment rate remains one of the lowest in the state, at 9.4%, it is still unacceptably high,” said Mayor Newsom. “With tens of thousands of San Franciscans looking for work, we must put aside our ideological differences and do whatever it takes to grow our local economy and create jobs. I once again call on the Board of Supervisors to schedule hearings for these measures.”” “The new jobs payroll tax exemption is ‘one of the most cost-effective ways’ for the City to spur private sector job-growth," said Ted Egan, the City’s Chief Economist. Mayor Newsom emphasized the critical need for a payroll tax exemption for new hires. The new Jobs Payroll Tax Exclusion would cap a businesses' payroll tax liability at 2009 level for two years. Therefore, any business that creates a job in 2010 or 2011 would not have to pay payroll tax on that hire until 2012. By eliminating the payroll tax on new jobs, the City will remove a disincentive to create a job in this down economy In support of the payroll tax exemption, Mayor Newsom was joined Patrick Connolly, CEO of Obscura Digital, a quickly growing technology firm based in SOMA. Obscura Digital currently has 40 employees and over 100 contractors. Connolly cited the potential of the payroll tax exemption as a means to weather the economic downturn, continue contributing to the economy, and an incentive to hire San Franciscans. The payroll tax exemption for new hires would allow Obscura Digital to bring on an estimated 20 new employees. Meet the Artists of the Leland Avenue Public Art Project Join the San Francisco Arts Commission and the artist team REBAR on Monday, Feb. 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.at the Joe Leland coffee shop, 28 Leland Ave. to learn more about the new sculpture that will be located at the corner of Leland Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard. On November 2, 2009, the San Francisco Arts Commission approved the artist team REBAR’s design for the new public art project that will be installed as part of the Leland Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project. Scheduled for completion by early summer 2010, Street Life is a playful sculpture made from recycled parking meter heads attached to 18-foot arching, steel poles. The cluster of parking meters was designed to appear as if it had grown to a whimsically tall height and is intended to remind the viewer of swaying grain or other organic forms. For more information about the Leland Avenue public art project, visit www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection or contact Mary Chou at mary.chou@sfgov.org or at 415/252-3215. For more information about REBAR, visit www.rebargroup.org. Events in February at Valley Branch Library Following are events in February at the Visitacion Valley Branch Library, 45 Leland Ave. *Feb. 3, Wednesday: Manga and Cartoon Art Workshop - Comic book artist Oliver Chin will teach you how to draw your own comics from 4 to 6 p.m. Get tips from a pro and get ready to submit your work to the Teen Manga/Cartoon Art Contest benefitting the Visitacion Valley Branch Capital Campaign. Space is in this workshop is limited, so please sign up in advance! For teens, ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415) 355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org. *Feb. 25, Thursday: Friendship Bracelets - Show a friend or loved on you care with a handmade friendship bracelet from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Learn the basics at this workshop for teens. All materials provided. For ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415) 355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org. Mayor Announces New Initiative to Fight Truancy Mayor Newsom on Jan. 15 launched the new Truancy Assessment and Referral Center (TARC) to address chronic truancy and close the achievement gap in San Francisco schools. TARC will be a city-wide one stop location allowing police to hand off truant youth to the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Community Based Organizations. TARC will assess youth and make the appropriate referrals to reengage them in the academic process. “The 21st century economy demands an educated, prepared workforce,” said Mayor Newsom. “We must rise to this challenge and close the graduation gap that afflicts underprivileged communities in San Francisco.” TARC is a joint effort with the SFUSD, SF Juvenile Probation Department (SFJPD), San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), Department of Children, Youth, and their Families (DCYF), and our community partners, Huckleberry Youth Services and Urban Service YMCA, to open a new drop-in facility at 44 Gough St. "As San Francisco's District Attorney, I see what happens on the back end of school failures: young lives are being lost to street violence or prison time at an appalling rate,” said District Attorney Kamala Harris. “Children will either get their education in the streets or in school. Combating truancy is a smart approach to crime prevention." By addressing truancy, the City hopes to close the graduation gap. In San Francisco last year, 32 percent of African American, 19 percent of Caucasian and 19 percent of Latino students didn’t graduate public high school. All students coming into 44 Gough will first be referred to the Community Assessment and Referral Center (CARC) for appropriate assessment before moving on to TARC. Whereas CARC provides a single point of entry for crisis intervention, assessment, service integration and referral of arrested youth, TARC will be focused solely on truant youth. TARC, staffed by a SFUSD Counselor and a Community Based case manager will do an educational assessment of the youth and determine the best next steps to reengage the youth into the educational process, and refer them out for wrap-around services in the community. This innovative collaboration between CARC and TARC is the first-in-the-nation that leverages existing city resources to specifically target young people who are chronically absent. |