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| Guests from Sacramento
Visit Valley Beacon Center Visitacion Valley Community Beacon Center hosted a visit on Feb. 8 by a team of officials, teachers and students from the city of Sacramento interested in learning about the process of establishing a multi-layered collaborative such as the Beacon. Beacons have several layers of collaborative relationships. One layer is the funding collaborative (government contracts with several departments, private foundations, United Way, with some funds for individual Beacons and others shared among all of the Beacons in the City). Another layer is the relationship between the S.F. School District, the funders, the non-profit "Lead Agency", and the other community-based organizations that contribute to the Beacon programs. A third is the relationship between the students, parents, school and the Beacon, and the Beacon Council, made up of representatives of all "stakeholders" (that is, anyone who has any interest in the Beacon on the neighborhood level). As one can imagine, this is a complicated set of balls to keep in the air at once, but the rewards are great. Once the many partners on all levels work out a good working relationship that respects all the various interests and rules and bureaucracies; all partners can focus on providing services to the maximum benefit of the children, parents and community with dynamic results. Interested in starting a program like
the Beacon, the Sacramento visitors learned what Valley Beacon experience
was like, and were impressed at the many goals that had been accomplished.
Herz Playground Inaugurates
A new tutorial program staffed entirely by volunteers was opened Feb. 9 at Herz Playground. Operated by retired employees of the San Francisco Unified School District, the tutorial program's grand opening at the playground featured introductions of new tutors, a poetry reading, a raffle, and a lovely luncheon. Ruth Jackson, director of Visitacion Valley Parents for Youth, Visitacion Valley Childcare provider, mother and neighborhood activist recruited Dr. James Calloway, a retired teacher who worked with Renee Strong, Herz recreation director, to set up the program. He recruited all the teachers. Shaquanna Green, who works as a youth
recreation leader assisting Renee read a poem by Langston Hughes.
Valley Doctor Opens New Office in Portola More than a year after Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Clinic closed on Leland Avenue, its former director has now opened a new office in the Portola district. Dr. Sam Ho, M.D., who served many local residents as medical director of the Valley branch of St. Luke's Neighborhood Clinic from its October, 1996 opening until its final day on Nov. 25, 1998 had recently been practicing at a location on Bosworth Street in Glen Park. "I moved my office to make it more convenient for my patients to come and see me from Visitacion Valley as well as for the surrounding area," explained Dr. Ho, who noted that his new location at 9 Silliman St. can now be accessed by one bus from the Valley. Adjacent to the Portola Branch Library, the new office is in a building serviced by an elevator. Dr. Ho's office, open Monday through
Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday by appointment only can be
reached at (415) 337-6135.
OLV Walkathon Will
Help
Students, parents, faculty members and supporters of Our Lady of the Visitacion (OLV) School will be participating Apr. 8 in a second annual walkathon event sponsored by the school's Parents-Teachers Group. With a goal to raise at least $25,000 to help keep tuition affordable for OLV families--many consisting of working mothers and single-parent families with a small percentage receiving public assistance--Healthwalk 2000 will be a two-mile trek around the perimeter of 3Com Park. Each walker will also sign a sponsor sheet. OLV is currently requesting monetary donations of any amount to help with the cost of tee-shirts and baseball caps to be each distributed to the estimated 300 participants. Bags of fruit and health bars are also slated to be dispensed at the finish line. For more information about Healthwalk
2000, contact OLV weekdays at (415) 239-7840 between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
VVES Awards Spelling Bee Champion Congratulations are extended to Wendy
Kwong, a fifth-grader at Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) who
on Feb. 18 won her school's Spelling Bee championship to go on to compete
with students from other schools in San Franciscoe. VVES grade-level champions
of the competition included: Peter Chau (4th grade); Amy Zhang (3rd grade);
Carmen Choy (2nd grade); and Serena Chow (1st grade). Special thanks to
the Spelling Bee schoo coordinator Ms. Christie, and the judges: Ms. D.
Davis and Ms. J. Washington.
Ingleside Station Police Report *On Jan. 15 at 11:50 p.m. on the 3400
block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers along with officers from the
Alcohol
*On Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. on the 3100 block
of Mission Street, Ingleside officers along with officers from the Alcohol
*On Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. on the 1200 block
of Geneva Avenue, Ingleside officers along with officers from the Alcohol
*On Jan. 16 at 1 a.m. on the 3700 block
of Mission Street, Ingleside officers along with officers from the Alcohol
*On Jan. 18 at 9:55 a.m. on the 200 block of Ripley, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a burglary. The victim was sleeping in his bedroom when he woke up to find the suspect in his room going through his things. He yelled at the suspect and the suspect fled the room and the apartment. The suspect is a black male, 15-25 years old, 5'10", 160 lbs. and was wearing a black stocking cap, black jacket, and had a green back pack. Case 000071211 *On Jan. 18 at 11:39 p.m. on the 2100 block of Geneva Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a robbery. The suspect, who is known to the victim, asked her to meet him. When she arrived the suspect took her pager and fled the area. The suspect is a black male and is 26 years old. He is 5'6", 135 lbs. and was wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and tan shoes. Case 000074873 *On Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. on the unit block of Moffitt, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a battery. The suspect, who is known to the victim, asked her for some money. The victim told him she would get his money later and the suspect got angry. He told her he would drive her to the BART station. The victim got into the car but the suspect kept driving. When the victim asked the suspect where he was taking her he said he was going to kill her. A struggle ensued where the victim was beaten and choked while trying to get out of the vehicle. She was able to finally get out of the car and the suspect fled the scene. The suspect is a black male and is 19 years old. He is 5'7", 140 lbs. and was wearing a blue coat, gray shirt, blue pants, and blue tennis shoes. The vehicle he was driving was a small, two door white car. Case 000071095 *On Jan. 19 at 8:11 a.m. on the 700 block of Sunnydale Avenue, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a bomb threat. The school received a phone call from a suspect saying there's a bomb in the building. The school was evacuated and the premises checked with no results. Case 000075683 *On Jan. 25 at 11:53 a.m. on the 5000 block of Mission Street, Ingleside officers responded on a call of a homicide. The victim and the suspect checked into the motel in the early morning. The suspect left sometime later and the victim was discovered. The suspect is a black male, 34, and 5'10", 200 lbs. Case 000100434 *On Feb. 5 at 12:36 a.m. at Bayshore
Boelevard/Arleta Avenue, Ingleside officers were flagged down by a Muni
bus driver. The
*On Feb. 6 at 2:54 a.m. at Bayshore
Boulevard/Visitation Avenue, Ingleside officers conducted a traffice stop.
The traffic stop revealed the driver had a suspended license. The driver
would be cited and the vehicle towed. The occupants were asked to step
out of the vehicle so an inventory of the car could be taken. The search
revealed a gun underneath the passenger seat. The officers
From the D.A.'s Office Verdict in Shooting of Aspiring Chef A San Francisco jury on Feb. 1 returned
a second-degree murder conviction against Gilbert Ibarra, 42, in the May,
1998, shooting
In the early morning hours of May 8,
an altercation developed between Hernandez and Ibarra, who had been drinking.
Ibarra
The parents, sister and niece of Randy
Hernandez attended the week-and-a-half trial presided over by Superior
Court Judge Philip Moscone. They expressed relief at the jurors' rejection
of Ibarra's claim that he had acted in self-defense. Assistant District
Attorney Braden Woods, who prosecuted the case, commented, "You can't shoot
someone in the back and claim
Ibarra was sentenced Feb. 18. Former Muni Driver Arrested for Insurance Fraud A former San Francisco Muni bus driver was arraigned Feb. 10 on 37 felony charges of insurance fraud and one count of grand theft. Pyron L. Stewart, 55, is accused of fraudulently obtaining private disability benefits from Colonial Life and Accident Insurance Company as a result of an injury he reported incurring on Dec. 31, 1993. On that date, Stewart claimed to his employer, Muni, that he strained his lower back when he slipped and fell on the steps of his bus. He filed a workers compensation claim and went on to disability. Between 1994 and 1999, the City and County of San Francisco paid more than $80,000 on Stewart's workers compensation claim. Stewart retired from Muni in 1996. One month after filing his worker's compensation claim, Stewart allegedly filed a claim for the same injury on his private disability insurance policy with Colonial. Stewart claimed to Colonial that the injury had occurred off the job when he fell down some stairs at a BART station. Stewart's policy with Colonial stipulated that if his injury was incurred on the job, he would be paid $500 per month during the first year and $300 a month thereafter; however, if the injury occurred off the job, he would get $2000 a month the first year and $800 a month thereafter. Over the next five years, it is charged, Stewart regularly submitted forms to Colonial claiming his injury occurred off the job and thereby receiving the higher payments. Altogether, Stewart was paid more than $62,000 by Colonial between 1994 and 1999, Of that, $47,200 was obtained fraudulently, according to the allegations. Colonial reported the alleged deception in February 1999 to the California Department of Insurance's Fraud Division. In July 1999, investigators from that agency interviewed Stewart at his home and he admitted lying on the 37 claim forms he had submitted to Colonial. The case was then referred to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office Insurance Fraud Unit for prosecution. The case is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Alan Kennedy. This is not the first time Stewart has ben in trouble for insurance fraud. In 1980 Stewart was convicted in Alameda County of filing fraudulent insurance claims. In 1994 he was convicted in San Francisco of felony insurance fraud, forgery and grand theft in conjunction with a workers compensation claim filed while he was a Muni driver. He received a year in jail, five years probation, and was ordered to make restitution. Stewart is also currently on felony probation in Sacramento for a 1997 felony conviction for unemployment insurance fraud. Stewart was arrested Feb. 9 by state Department of Insurance fraud investigators. "This serves as a warning to people engaged in this illegal activity," said state Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quakenbush. "If you commit insurance fraud in California, you will be caught and punished." S.F. Library Connecting
Teens
Local teens have a chance to talk directly with working professionals from diverse backgrounds ranging from a forensic psychologist to a ballet dancer. In a quiz show format called What's My Line of Work?, teens can ask the professionals questions, build a profile, then match a profession to a list provided. Teens have a chance to win one of 24 $30 gift certificates to Tower Records. Once a career has been guessed, professionals will be available to discuss real world characteristics of their work life with students. Free workshops will be conducted: Monday, Mar. 20 from 6-8 p.m. at Mission Branch, 300 Bartlett; Wednesday, Mar. 22 from 4-6 p.m. at West Portal Branch, 190 Lennox Way; and Tuesday, Apr. 25 from 4-6 p.m. at Chinatown Branch, 1135 Powell St. Funniest Noodle Photo Greg Raphael of San Francisco started the year 2000 with an extra thousand--dollars, that is. Plus, as a winner of Campbell's Funniest Noodle Photo Contest, his photo appears larger than life on a billboard in San Francisco. Thousands of funny photos were submitted in the nationwide chicken noodle soup photo contest that was launched in September by Dick Clark. From skydivers slurping noodles mid-air, to noodle soup tea parties, few entries could top the comic nature of Raphael's funny photo. The photo features a waitress serving
up a soupy snack--champagne glasses brimming with Campbell's Chicken Noodle
Soup.
Free Tax Help at City College Southeast Campus For the ninth consecutive year, free income tax assistance will be available at the CCSF Southeast Campus, sponsored by the Josephine Cole Library and the CCSF John Adams Campus Library. Help with completing and filing federal and state income tax forms will be available on several Saturdays just prior to the tax filing deadline. Spanish and Cantonese speaking volunteers will be available on site. On March 11, 18 and 25, preparers trained by the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Project (VITA) will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Josephine Cole Library, Room 512, 1800 Oakdale Avenue, San Francisco. Preparers will help people fill out the following state and federal income tax returns free of charge (tax returns can be filed electronically): *Federal: 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040 Schedules A, B, R and EIC; *State: 540 and 540A. No appointment is necessary but the public is encouraged to sign up at the library or telephone (415) 550-4353 in advance to ensure assistance. Home Ownership Rate
Hits Record
WASHINGTON - A record 66.8 percent of American households owned their own homes in 1999 - a higher percentage than in any year in American history, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo announced Jan. 27. The percentage of households owning their homes--known as the homeownership rate--has risen steadily since President Clinton took office, jumping from 64 percent in 1993 to 66.3 percent in 1998 before setting another new record in 1999. "This is the latest in a long line of remarkable economic statistics that show just how dramatically Clinton Administration policies have improved the lives of America's families," Cuomo said. "Homeownership has always been the American Dream, and now the dream is becoming a reality for more and more of our people. "As a result of the rising homeownership rate and the nation's growing population, a total of 70.1 million families owned homes in 1999. There were 8.7 million more homeowners at the end of 1999 than when President Clinton took office in 1993. There were 57.7 million white, 6 million African American, 4.2 million Hispanic, and 2.2 million Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander homeowners in 1999--all record high annual numbers and annual percentage rates, according to Census Bureau statistics.Here's how the homeownership rate has risen since 1993, measuring the percentage of all households owning their own homes and then listing breakdowns by major racial and ethnic groups, as well as location. The category of other includes Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Central cities are the major cities in metropolitan areas.
1993 1998 1999
A total of 40 percent of the net new homeowners since 1994 are minorities--even though minorities account for just 24 percent of the population. In addition to hitting annual record highs in 1999, the African American and Hispanic homeownership rates continued growing twice as fast as the white homeownership rate, but still lagged too far behind, Cuomo said. "While we've made important strides in increasing minority homeownership, the homeownership gap dividing whites from minorities remains far too wide," Cuomo said. Homeownership has many benefits. Homeowners generally enjoy better living conditions than renters; accumulate wealth as their investment in their homes grows; strengthen the economy by purchases of homes, furniture and appliances; and tend to be more involved in promoting strong neighborhoods and good schools than renters. For many families, taking a second mortgage on a home is a way of financing a new family business or a college education for a child. When parents who own a home die, the home is usually the most valuable asset they pass on to their children and helps the next generation find economic security. While the booming economy and low mortgage interest rates created by Clinton Administration policies have been the main factors in the growth in homeownership, Cuomo said Administration homeownership programs have also increased homeownership and will continue to do so in the future. For example, HUD is working to make more mortgage funds available to minorities, low- and moderate-income families, and city residents. In July, Cuomo announced a policy to require the nation's two largest housing finance companies to buy $2.4 trillion in mortgages over the next 10 years to provide affordable housing for about 28.1 million low- and moderate-income families. The historic action by HUD raised the required percentage of mortgage loans for low- and moderate-income families that finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must buy from 42 percent of their total purchases to a new high of 50 percent in 2001. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is part of HUD, insured about 1.3 million home mortgages in 1999 at a value of $124 billion. Without FHA insurance, many families would be unable to get mortgages to become homeowners. In January this year, FHA began insuring home mortgage loans of up to $121,296 in communities where housing costs are relatively low and loans ranging up to $219,849 in communities where housing costs are high. HUD's crackdown on housing discrimination, which was ordered by President Clinton, is opening up new housing opportunities to minorities. HUD is also conducting a major study of housing discrimination around the country as part of its continuing efforts to eliminate discrimination that stands as a barrier to minority homeownership. The National Partners in Homeownership--a coalition of 66 national groups representing the housing industry, lenders, non-profit groups and all sectors of government--was created in 1995 as part of President Clinton's National Homeownership Strategy. The Partners have successfully implemented initiatives to make buying a home more affordable, faster and easier. Activities to increase homeownership are also being carried out by 153 local homeownership partnerships established to support the national strategy. Among the activities developed by the partners are homeownership counseling, homebuying fairs, and help with locating homes. The Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that requires lenders to make loans to all segments of the communities they serve, has resulted in some $1 trillion in loans to people in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods since it was enacted in 1977. A significant portion of these funds has been used for mortgage lending that has boosted homeownership. |