Visitacion Valley Grapevine - Valley News - March 2010

Gleneagles Golf Course One of the Best Gleneagles Golf Course was named a top nine-hole location by Golf Magazine. by Betty Parshall Recently Golf World magazine came out with its list of the twenty-five top nine-hole golf courses in the country and Gleneagles Golf Course in McLaren Park is ranked as number 17. The course on the hillside above Sunnydale and not far from Visitacion Valley Middle School is extremely challenging, with narrow fairways, sloping approaches and lots of trees. It also is subject to our usually windy afternoons that make the game even trickier. The course was built in 1962 by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, designed by Jack Fleming (Harding). It was redesigned in 1982 by Robert Muir Graves (Sea Ranch Golf Course) and Erik De Lambert. For people new to the area it can be hard to find since there are no signs to guide visitors to the road off Sunnydale Avenue up to the course parking lot. But once found people, both city residents and those from out of town, keep coming back. “Devoted followers keep a watchful eye on newcomers for fast play and religious repairing of divots and ball marks. (It’s) just a hard core players’ course that has been home to everyone from city mayors, low digit players and a loyal crew of golfers who only speak of it in a whisper.” See website www.gleneaglesgolfsf.com Tom Hsieh, Jr., who is general partner of the firm that manages the course for the city, told the San Francisco Chronicle he is very pleased with the ranking – even if it didn’t make it into the top ten. He pointed out that most of the others that ranked better were built for a lot more money. And unlike the course that ranked first, Gleneagles is open to the general public. Last November Gleneagles welcomed six First Tee San Francisco at Visitacion Valley player to this challenging course. They were welcomed by Mr. Hsieh who presented them with gift bags that included golf balls, tees, ball markers and lip balm, followed by a short orientation and pep talks by several of the Gleneagles “old-timers” before beginning a 5 hole round. In future the course will welcome other Valley students too. For those who wish to play 18 holes there are two tee-offs for each fairway. But whether one plays nine or eighteen holes, all (age 21 and older) can enjoy the 19th hole for genial hospitality and exchanging tales about the day’s game. Workforce Development Services Heading to Visitacion Valley by Russel Morine Job seekers in Visitacion Valley will soon be able to tap into numerous job preparedness opportunities through a wide range of new services funded by the City. In the coming weeks, a new One Stop Job Career Link Center will open at 73 Leland Ave. Operated by Florence Crittenton Services Family Services, the One Stop Career Link Center will offer a variety of free job search, career development and employment resources for Visitacion Valley residents. In addition to the One Stop Center, Goodwill Industries and the San Francisco Conservation Corps will be offering job readiness programs to job seekers with barriers to employment. The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency in conjunction with the San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development awarded Goodwill and the SF Conservation Corps nearly $650,000 to support job readiness in the community. Goodwill was awarded $375,000 and the SF Conservation Corps $292,000. The City's objective is to prepare Visitacion Valley jobseekers for entry into one of the City sponsored “Sector Academies.” The Sector Academies provide job preparation, vocational training, job placement, and other services in order to develop a pipeline of skilled and prepared workers for industries facing staffing shortages and/or identified as having short- or long-term job growth. There are currently four key industries as priority sectors for the Sector Academies: Construction, Green Collar, Health Care, and Social Service. Residents with barriers to employment such as a lack of a high school diploma, suspended driver’s license, or a lack of child care are encouraged to seek out these job readiness assistance opportunities. Goodwill. (415) 575-2110 San Francisco Conservation Corps (415) 928-SFCC (7322) April Special Edition Parks, Plazas and Open Spaces Dedicated Readers: Next month’s Grapevine will be a special edition focusing on Parks, Plazas, and Open Spaces in the Visitacion Valley. The Grapevine is asking for your input to make this Special Edition Extra Special. We are looking for articles, stories, poems, and images focusing on open space in the neighborhood. Tell us about your favorite park or plaza. Where do you go to get away from it all? Where do you go to walk with your dog? We want to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Which park needs more attention from the City? Does your park feel unsafe at certain times? A few lines will do. Articles can be as short s you like (a haiku?), but please no more then 500 words. Please submit your article, poem, image, or comments by March 19th. We will try to print all submission in the April 2010 edition of the Grapevine. We look forward to hearing from you! Send to Rmorine@aol.com or by mail to GRAPEVINE SPECIAL, 28 Leland Ave., SF CA 94134 . New Web Site to Share Innovative San Francisco Policies Mayor Gavin Newsom announced February 23 the launch of PolicySF.org (http://policysf.org/), an initiative designed to share successful San Francisco policies with other communities. The site showcases a number of San Francisco’s most innovative efforts from San Francisco’s universal health care program, Healthy San Francisco to the open data policy that powers the City’s Open Gov efforts on DataSF.org (http://datasf.org/). “I am pleased to announce the launch of PolicySF, a one-stop destination for idea sharing and collaboration to make it easier for other cities to learn about and implement creative solutions, like our universal health care program,” said Mayor Newsom. “Our hope is that by opening up our policy achievements to a broader community of government and civic leaders, these ideas can grow and take off in other cities.” PolicySF contains “policy toolkits” which offer readers an overview of the policy, frequently asked questions, an explanation of the policy making process, and a copy of San Francisco’s legislation used to initiate the program. The web site provides step-by-step instructions on how the policies were implemented in San Francisco. The new site currently features a number of San Francisco initiatives, including Healthy San Francisco, the City’s plastic bag ban, San Francisco Promise, JobsNow SF and San Francisco’s open data policy. More toolkits will be added to PolicySF in the weeks and months ahead. Additionally, Mayor Newsom asked communities to share their own policy ideas with visitors to PolicySF. “Perhaps someone in Chicago or Tulsa has figured out a creative solution to a problem and wants to let everyone know how to replicate it,” said Mayor Newsom. “We are trying to help communities solve challenging problems together by sharing some of the best ideas from our cities.” PolicySF is part of a larger Open Gov Initiative for the City and County of San Francisco, which focuses on open data, open participation and open source. McLaren Park News and Notes by Betty Parshall Sad Days at the Reservoir One Friday in February, several of the fish in Shelley Lake (the reservoir) were gathered at the east end of the water, lying just below the surface. There were several carp, large and small, and an impressive sturgeon of perhaps three feet long. We wondered if they were getting ready to spawn although it was a bit early in the year for that to happen. And the sturgeon was definitely out of place. The next morning I visited the lake again to see a few dead fish lying on the rocks, and learned from others that several other victims had been spotted, including the sturgeon. In the days that followed more dead fish were seen, and it is doubtful that there are any survivors. So what happened? I learned that the previous week the water had been very low due to a leak. Repairs were made and water (which comes directly from Crystal Springs) was released to refill the reservoir. While there has been no final solution to the tragedy, it seems likely that the intake of the huge amount of water contained too heavy a concentration of chloramines for the fish to survive. Chloramines are a disinfectant added to our drinking water. It is perfectly safe for humans and animals and birds, but deadly to fish because it enters the blood stream. It damages the gill tissues, enters the red blood cells and causes an acute blood disorder. It also does not dissipate for a long time. People who own aquariums were warned about this several years ago when the City began to use chloramines in our drinking water and must routinely use a neutralizer when adding water to the fish tanks. The fish in Shelley Lake were planted many years ago and provided pleasure as they grew to large size and developed a fine array of color variations. They will be missed for their own sakes, and we’ll also miss the heron, egret and cormorants that visited frequently to feed and keep the fish population in check. There’s an Elephant in the Room….. The workshop meeting at Louis Sutter Community Building on January 26 drew a big crowd of people eager to say what they like about McLaren Park and what improvements they’d like to see. The room was packed and after introductions by Karen Mauney-Brodek, Park Planner, the crowd divided up into several small groups. The purpose of the meeting was to get lists of people’s favorite park sites and features, any complaints, and what were seen as urgent maintenance and improvement projects. In addition, folks were asked to designate what projects could be designated as “short-term” and “long-term.” (For example, placement of recycle and compost bins in the park was reported to be implemented once a survey of sites was completed. This could possibly be considered “short-term.” See Grapevine, May 2009) The people reconvened to turn in the groups’ lists. Time did not permit for reporting results, but all of the information will be tallied and shared at the next workshop that will be held in March. After one announcement was made, an invitation to visit the disc golf course in Golden Gate Park, a community resident attempted to read a short statement (at least the paper he was reading from was very small) but he was shouted down by some disc golf proponents who were present. Disc golf was not on the agenda (although on the minds of several people), so was not to be discussed. The next workshop (the second of three planned) will be held March 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Crocker Amazon Playground Clubhouse. Everyone is urged to attend all the workshops as each will build on the information gathered previously. For information you can contact Tina Kim or Karen Mauney-Brodek at (415) 831-2789 or e-mail Karen.Mauney-Brodek@sfgov.org Spring is Sprung at McNabb Lake One of our far-flung correspondents has reported that while winter visitors – mergansers, widgeons, spoonbill duck and others - can still be observed, along with several coots, one coot couple was observed apparently starting nest construction. We look forward to seeing a batch of baby coots again. About the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater For the past several months neighbors and concerned citizens have been meeting to explore forming a “friends” committee to work on specific amphitheater issues, including: The effect of high fees on booking the amphitheater. Working on outreach and communication to inform the public about shows and events. Putting together a varied Performance Festival in 2010. If you are interested in staying informed of the progress of this committee or volunteering by joining on of the working sub-committees please sign up for the Google Group by e-mailing attykatz@pacbell.net or calling 415-585-8005. This committee is working in conjunction with San Francisco parks Trust, the office of Supervisor John Avalos and in full participation with existing McLaren Park groups. Why Shelley Drive Was Closed The gates to Shelley Drive were closed a few days in February because a crew was filming a Chevrolet commercial in the park. No word on when it might be shown but it’s something to watch for if a Chevy ad comes on. …from the desk of the VVBOOM newsroom by Nick Wolff Lunar New Year Event Draws Police Chief to Leland VVBOOM was honored to host the 13th Annual Lunar New Year Crime Prevention and Public Safety Awareness Campaign Press Conference in downtown Visitacion Valley on Tuesday, February 9th. Previously a safety awareness campaign aimed at educating merchants and curbing the high rates of extortion of Asian owned small businesses in Chinatown and San Francisco, a strong outreach campaign put on by San Francisco Safety Awareness for Everyone (SF SAFE) and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has almost entirely eradicated extortion cases city-wide. This year based on a renewed focus on Muni safety and the growth of the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch group, the Lunar New Year press conference took place in downtown Visitacion Valley. A number of merchants and residents gathered at the intersection of Leland Ave. and Desmond St.. to take in the event on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. They were joined by members of SF SAFE, dozens of uniformed officers, Bayview Captain Greg Suhr, Ingleside Captain David Lazar and the San Francisco Chief of Police George Gascon who spoke about the importance of reporting crime to law enforcement and how to avoid being a victim of crime. The Chief’s message echoed the overarching principles of the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch group, which stresses relationship building among business owners, communication with law enforcement and a shared focus on crime prevention. When it came time for SF SAFE and SFPD to walk the commercial corridor distributing crime prevention information packages to merchants it was no surprise many of the merchants already knew them by name through their involvement with the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch Group. If you’re interested in seeing video taken from the press conference, search “Partners on Crime: Police and Merchants Team Up on Safety” on youtube.com. We look forward to building on the strong partnerships already in place with SF SAFE and Ingleside Police and growing our Leland Avenue Merchant Watch Group in the coming year. Distinguished Art Downtown Visitacion Valley will soon have its signature art piece on the highly visible corner of Leland Ave. and Bayshore Blvd. This summer as the Leland Avenue Streetscape project nears completion, Street Life, a playful sculpture made from recycled parking meter heads attached to an 18 foot steel pole arching will be erected in front of the Shun Lee Market. The public art project designed by the artist team REBAR was selected by the community during a public viewing at the Visitacion Valley branch library from September 11th through September 21, 2009; getting approved by the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) on November 2nd. On Monday, February 8th, the SFAC and REBAR held a meeting at Joe Leland Coffee Shop to give the community a sneak peak at what the new art instillation will look like and solicited input on its design. According to SFAC, “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.” Local Merchant Honors Late Butcher The following piece was written by Joaquin Escobar, owner of La Loma Produce Market – 65 Leland Avenue. It is intended to honor the loss of a skilled local butcher as well as a loyal and reliable man who is sadly missed – Mr. Don Jose. Furthermore, it is intended to acknowledge the strong support La Loma has received from the community through this difficult time. Continue to support neighborhood businesses in Visitacion Valley. “On February 3rd, 2010, La Loma Produce and Visitation Valley lost one of the best butchers of our times. It did not matter what nationality you were; when you walked to his counter, you were always greeted with a smile and treated with good customer service. He cared about people. Very often you would hear about him attending customer’s parties, funerals or even visit customers that were ill. He wasn’t just a butcher; he was a friend. Born in El Salvador, he left his beloved wife and kids eight years ago to better not just his life, but his family’s life as well; his family who needed him the most. Visitation Valley became his new home. He enjoyed working in the Valley so much that he postponed his return to El Salvador. Little did he know that when he said his farewells one night, he would not be able to see the next day. We the people at La Loma Produce would like to thank all the customers who helped in raising money for his funeral and his trip back home. We thank you with all our hearts.” Joe Leland ... Around the Neighborhood Rummage Sale: The Mother’s Club of The Church of the Visitacion will be having their annual Rummage Sale at the Parish Hall, 655 Sunnydale Ave on Friday, March 5th (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Saturday, March 6th (9 a.m.-2 p.m.). Lots of new items, clothing, books, jewelry, furniture, and lots more.. All-U-Can Eat Chili: SECOND ANNUAL Chili Cook-Off. $10 All-U-Can Eat Chili, Kids eat for free. There will be a $100 cash-prize for the winner! Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Louis Sutter Roundhouse (near McNab Lake) From 12 to 3 p.m. To enter the contest or to attend the event, please contact Trilce at helpmlpark@gmail.com. Organized by Help McLaren Park group. www.helpmlpark.weebly.com Crab Feed: The Bayview Social Club presents its annual Crab Feed on March 20th, 2010, 7 p.m. at 111 Raymond Ave. (Thutmose Temple). For tickets and information, contact James Smith at 415-468-4725 or Tony Winstead at 415-469-4848. Donations $35. Martial Arts on Leland: Support a great new neighborhood martial arts studio. Kuk Sool Won of Visitacion Valley, located at 189 Leland Ave. (at Rutland St.) offers the entire spectrum of the traditional Asian techniques of body conditioning, mental development, self defense, fighting arts as well as traditional weapons training. For more information, call 415-999-6159 or checkout their website: http://www.visvalleyksw.com/san-francisco/ Vacant/Abandoned Buildings: The City recently amended the SF Building Code to include language requiring the annual registration of vacant properties. Once registered, a fee (about $750) must be paid annually as long as the building remains vacant. The stated goal of the amendment is “ to provide effective measures to encourage property owners of vacant and/or abandoned buildings to act immediately and improve the property.” To avoid costly fines, the owner must also maintain the building. Maintenance includes landscaping, regular removal of exterior trash and graffiti, preservation of the physical integrity of the structure; including but not limited to paint and finishes, foundation, roof, chimneys, flues, gutters, downspouts, scuppers, flashing, exterior stairs and decks and finally the prevention of criminal activity on the premises and trespass by unauthorized persons. To report a blighted vacant property, contact DBI’s Code Enforcement Services by telephoning 415/558-6454, or by emailing the suspected address to dbi.codeenforcement@sfgov.org. San Franciscans also may report suspected vacant and/or abandoned buildings to the City’s 3-1-1 system. Quote of the Month: "The young can't teach traditions to the old". -Yoruba proverb About Art in Visitacion Valley by Betty Parshall Art is all around us in Visitacion Valley. Murals grace the walls of commercial buildings. Sculptures complement the platforms on the T-Line Stations. Mosaics adorn our schools and parks. Over the next several months the Grapevine will feature the variety of art found throughout our community. We hope this series will give a new life to the overlooked and under appreciated works of art in our neighborhood. We hope you will enjoy this journey. Endangered Park In 1987, the San Francisco Art Commission commissioned a public art project that was to enhance the bayside area at Candlestick Cove, where a pump station and holding tank for water and sewage was to be built. Patricia Johnson was the co-designer of the Sunnydale Facilities, and her intent was to present this functional structure as a work of art and also a productive landscape. Taking the image of the endangered San Francisco garter snake as her subject, she was able to incorporate tidal sculptures, a butterfly meadow, habitat restoration and seating and overlooks into a public access walk. It is thirty feet wide and one-third of a mile long and covers the roof of the water transport/storage system. A sculpted earth mound that rises twenty feet above a meadow of butterfly food-plants represents the head of the serpent. The mound is covered with flowers and provides host plants for caterpillars and nectar for butterflies. Except for an occasional manhole cover, both the meadow and the walkway give no hint that there is a working sewer below. Walking south along the path brings one to the “Ribbon Worm Tide Pools,” a small sculpture within the body of the snake. The winding design forms a continuous ramp and stairway that enables walkers to go down to the beach. The tiny ribbon worm can be found along the shore among mussels and barnacles. At high tide the worm’s lower loops fill with water, creating habitat for inter-tidal communities. Eventually the sculpture will become encrusted with barnacles and marine growth and provide habitat for shrimp, worms, crabs, hydrozoa, sponges and algae. It will be simultaneously aesthetic, functional, and nurturing. Continuing to walk south one will encounter depressions in the pavement, modeled on California Native American petroglyphs. These fill with rainwater for birds. Hundreds of prehistoric shell mounds once dotted the shore of the bay and near this site were native settlements. The people hunted waterfowl in the marshes and foraged for shellfish along the mudflats. When the site was excavated in 1919, many human burials and artifacts were recovered from a shell mound at this site which today lies buried under twenty-five feet of landfill. Our bond with these people is the continuity of the landscape and the life of the bay. The birds, shellfish and native plants that we see today are descendants of the same communities that attracted prehistoric man to this place. Their survival is our responsibility. Many people walk, jog, and ride bicycles and skateboards along this site because it is now part of the Bay Circuit Trail. They also stop along the way to observe the birds and waterfowl feeding in the marsh and the mudflats below. During the migration season thousands of birds can be seen a Candlestick cove. There is the daily drama of rising and falling tides and the interplay between those eating and those eaten. And there are the fine views of San Bruno Mountain and the east and south bays. To get there, take Blanken Avenue to Executive Park Boulevard, turn left to Harney Way, turn left on Harney Way to the parking lot on the right. Walk south from the parking lot to enjoy the “Endangered Park” walkway. Visitacion Valley Police Report Police Cases On Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. on the 400 block of Mansell Street, officers responded to a call regarding a fight that was to take place after a basketball game between some gang members. Officers walked through the crowd in an attempt to stop any fight, but did not encounter one. An officer passed one subject, who told the officer to “get out of his face” and not to talk to him. The officer asked the subject what had happened, when the subject pushed the officer. The officer approached again and told the subject he was under arrest, at which point the subject punched the officer in the face. The officer performed a physical control on the subject and placed him in handcuffs and under arrest. Another officer also placed another subject under arrest who attempted to intervene. The first officer sustained an injury to his hand during the struggle. Both subjects were booked at Juvenile Justice Center. On Jan. 27 at 1:05 p.m. on the 1500 block of Sunnydale Avenue, officers assisted in a FRET (Fugitive Recovery Enforcement Team) operation. They responded to the residence of a parolee to conduct a parole search. They found that the parolee was not at home, but conducted a search of his residence/bedroom. The officers discovered ammunition and loaded magazines. They later returned to the residence and took the parolee into custody. At 3:26 p.m. on the 1800 block Sunnydale Avenue, officers were conducting a fugitive recovery enforcement operation with other officers when they saw several suspects running from an undercover officer. One of those suspects had an active warrant for his arrest. The officers gave chase on foot and ultimately caught three suspects. The charges for these suspects ranged from possession of drugs for sale to resisting arrest and violation of a stay away order. At 11:10 p.m. on the 200 block of Blythdale Avenue, officers responded to the report of a battery in the parking lot. They found both parties present and were told that one of the female combatants had pepper sprayed the other female combatant. Neither party wished to pursue criminal charges. On Jan. 28 at 4:54 p.m. at Schwerin Street and MacDonald Avenue, officers were on patrol in plain clothes when they saw a vehicle with a damaged registration tab. Suspicious of the car having fraudulent registration, the officers met with the driver after he parked the car. The officers spoke with the driver, who gave a story that didn’t make sense. The officers suspected the driver of using a false identity and took him to Ingleside Station for further investigation. At the station, they discovered that the suspect had in fact been using his brother’s identity and actually had a suspended drivers license. They also discovered shaved down car keys which are often used to enter and start cars illegally inside the car. The car itself had altered VIN numbers. The man was booked with several charges, including driving with a suspended license, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. At 1:54 p.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery. They arrived and met with a woman who said that she had been in an altercation with a woman who demanded money from her. The suspect then reached into the victims pocket and took the victims cell phone. At 3:05 a.m. on the 1700 block Sunnydale Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a theft. The victim said that her boyfriend arrived at her home and demanded money. The suspect then took the victim’s car keys and entered her car and took some money. The suspect then left the scene after refusing to return the car keys. On Jan. 29 08:15 a.m. on the 200 block Hahn Street, officers responded to a residence where a juvenile runaway was reportedly sleeping. As the officers entered the residence, the juvenile subject ran out of the rear of the house and was later apprehended by additional officers who responded as backup. The juvenile was discovered to have a warrant for his arrest as did another juvenile in the residence. Both juveniles were booked at the Juvenile Justice Center. At 7:15 a.m. on the unit block Tucker Avenue, a victim told officers that all four wheels were stolen from her parked and locked vehicle. At 9:30 a.m. on the 100 block Brookdale Avenue, officers took a report from a victim who stated that two of his vehicle tires were slashed. The victim's daughter stated that she believed that a girl she has been fighting with slashed the tires. At 11:32 a.m. at Woolsey Street and San Bruno Avenue, officers were on patrol when they observed a subject, who they knew is on probation, with a pair of nanchaku’s (wooden weapon attached by a chain) in plain view. Officers detained the subject and confiscated the weapon, placing the subject under arrest as well. On Jan. 30 at 10:40 a.m. at Velasco Avenue and Rio Verde Street, officers responded to a call of shots fired and located two areas near Velasco and Rio Verde with ammunition casings of various calibers. No shooting victims were located. On Jan. 31 at 1:35 p.m. at 2401 Geneva Avenue, officers met with a Daly City officer who showed them to a vehicle in an alley behind the address where a vehicle was parked that matched vehicle used in a shots fired incident the previous day. The officers took pictures of the vehicle at a witness’ request and showed them to him. The witness positively identified the vehicle from the shots fired incident. The vehicle had been reported stolen from a victim in Oakland. The vehicle was towed for further investigation. On Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. at Crocker Amazon Park, an officer observed an adult male standing alone in the parking lot of the park. The suspect made some suspicious movements after he saw the officer. The officer stopped the suspect and was told that the he was on parole. The officer attempted to conduct a search for weapons of the admitted parolee who then became uncooperative and physically struggled with the officer. The officer soon overcame the suspect and placed him in handcuffs. A baggie of marijuana was retrieved and the suspect was arrested. At 12:13 a.m. at Brookdale Avenue and Santos Street. a shooting incident was broadcast in the Sunnydale Housing Area. Shortly thereafter two victims were brought to SFGH where officers were standing by. The victims stated that they were shot by two unknown male assailants who shot them as they were standing on the building line near the intersection of Brookdale and Hahn. The officers then broadcast the shooting location to other officers in the area who located the crime scene. The suspects were described as unknown race males, in a newer black, 2 door, Chevy Camaro with 18 or 20 in chrome rims armed with assault rifles. At 11:14 p.m. on the 100 block of Tucker Avenue, officers responded and met with a sergeant from Brisbane PD who had a “Lo-Jack” hit in the area on a stolen trailer. The officers contacted a resident of the home that was indicated on the hit and obtained suspect information. The trailer was towed as the owner could not be contacted. On Feb. 2 at 10:05 p.m. on the 1600 block of Sunnydale Avenue, officers responded to a fight call. The officers located a male yelling at a woman in a residence. The officers approached the male and he yelled at them and then failed to comply with their commands. The officers attempted to control the irate and intoxicated man but he began punching and kicking at the officers striking one of the officers. The officers were able to gain control of the man. Their investigation revealed that the man had threatened the woman and she believed that he would carry out the threat. He was arrested. At 8:43 p.m. at Wilde Avenue and Goettingen Street, a witness reported to officers that a vehicle had been broken into. The suspects were seen fleeing the scene by the witness. The officers located and detained three suspects matching the witness description. The witness could not positively identify the suspects. There was no property stolen. They were identified and released. On Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. at Mansell and Gottingen streets, a male juvenile was robbed on a Muni coach of his cellular phone by an African American juvenile male. The victim got off of the bus and reported the crime to the security at his school. A call was quickly made to 911 and officers responded to the area.Numerous Ingleside officers responded to the call. The officers located a suspect who was later positively identified by the victim and witnesses. The suspect was arrested with the stolen property in his pocket. At 1 p.m. at Persia Street and Sunnydale Avenue, immediately after the above robbery, the suspect turned to another male juvenile on the same bus and demanded the victim give him his iPod. The victim refused to hand over his property. The suspect then attacked the victim, knocking him to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the face. The suspect then grabbed the victims backpack and ran off of the bus. The victim also exited the bus and found his backpack. The victim suffered a cut lip. The suspect was arrested. At 8:19 p.m. on the 300 block of Velasco Avenue, officers responded to a burglary. The victim stated that three African American males were seen in her back yard after she heard glass break. She screamed and the suspects fled. The sliding glass door to the backyard was shattered. No property was reported missing. At 8:30 a.m. on the unit block Raymond Avenue, an officer was told by a victim that his vehicle had been broken into overnight by an unknown suspect. The vehicle ignition was damaged and numerous items of personal property were stolen. On Feb. 4 at 10:14 a.m. on the unit block of Kelloch Avenue, officers responded to the report of a shooting along with numerous other Ingleside Units.Officers arrived to find two victims of gunfire. The victims were treated, and later interviewed. The victims said that they were walking in a park when they heard gun shots behind them and suddenly felt pain. They got up and ran home to call for an ambulance. A witness at the scene reported seeing an African-American male shooting from the passenger seat of a silver Ford Thunderbird, with a second African-American male driving. At 11:31 a.m. on the 1200 block of Goettingen Street, officers responded to the report of vandalism. The victim said that she came out to her car to find that it was unlocked and its steering column damaged. At 12:41 p.m. on the 100 block of Leland Avenue, officers were on patrol when they were dispatched to the report of threats being made. The victim said that he saw a man drive through a construction site he was working at. The suspect held a gun outside the window of the vehicle as he drove by. The victims said that he recognized the suspect as a man who requested employment over the past couple months, but became irate when he was denied. The suspect was described as an Asian male, possibly Filipino, driving a black Kia. At 4 p.m. at Harkness Avenue and Brussels Street, a report was prepared at Ingleside Station regarding the vandalism of a vehicle. The victim said that she came out to go to her car when she encountered her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. The suspect demanded to speak with the victim or else she would vandalize the victim’s car. The victim went inside to call the police, and the suspect fled the scene. The victim came back out to her car to find that it had been vandalized. On Feb. 5 at 9:45 a.m. at Brookdale Avenue and Santos Street, officers responded to a call of a victim bleeding from the hand. The victim told the officers that he was standing alone when he was pushed down from behind. The suspect then slashed at the victim with a knife, cutting the victims finger. Another suspect kicked the victim once on the back. The suspects did not take any property from the victim. At 3:40 p.m. at Hamilton and Mansell streets, officers responded to a residence where they met a juvenile robbery victim and his mother. The victim told them that while walking home from school he was approached by an African American man, 19-20 years old, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and a bandana on his face. The suspect pointed a black handgun at the victim and demanded that he empty his pockets. The victim complied and the suspect ran away with the victims’ property. On Feb. 6 at 5:05 p.m., an officer responded to McLaren park regarding an individual burning paper in a BBQ. He contacted the man who was burning paper, but also had in his possession an air gun, a violation of the Municipal Police Code. The man was cited for the violation and the fire department put out the fire. On Feb. 7 at 7:02 a.m. at Santos Street and Velasco Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery. The victim said that she was standing at a bus stop when a man began to chase her. The suspect pushed the victim to the ground a stole her purse. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. He was described as an African-American male, about 5’6" and 160 lbs., wearing black clothing with a black scarf covering his face. At 3:07 p.m. on the 600 block of Velasco Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a purse snatch. The victim said that she was walking to a bus stop when a man came running towards her. The man tried to take the victims purse, but she held on to it. The suspect then pulled the purse until the victim fell down and another suspect helped to get the purse away from the victim. The victims then fled on foot. They were described as African-American males, 5’2" 125 lbs. with dark clothing and 5’7" 145 lbs. with dark clothing. At 5:57 p.m. at San Bruno Avenue and Burrows Street, officers were on patrol when they saw a subject they knew to be on probation. The officers spoke with the subject and discovered a warrant for his arrest. The subject was placed under arrest and transported to Bayview Station for booking. On Feb. 8 at 7:15 a.m. on the unit block of Heritage Avenue, officers were told by a victim that her property was stolen from her locked and unattended vehicle. At 7:18 p.m. on the 500 block of Campbell Avenue, a reportee called the police to her residence for an unrelated matter and then turned over two guns to the officers for safekeeping. The officers inspected the weapons and one was determined to be an illegal assault weapon. At 9:17 p.m. on the unit block of Santos Street, officers observed a commotion on a stopped Muni bus and investigated. They found that two male friends had a fight while drinking and using drugs. The suspect took the victim's jacket containing his cell phone and money when the victim jumped onto a Muni bus. The jacket was found nearby missing the other property. The suspect could not be located. On Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. at Brookdale and Blythdale avenues, an officer was advised of a carjacking that had occurred and responded to the area. The officer located the victim and the owner of the vehicle. The victim stated that the suspect, the vehicle’s prior owner, approached him while he was working on the car for the new owner. The suspect told the victim that he had a gun and to give him the keys to the vehicle. Fearing for his safety, the victim complied. The suspect drove away in the vehicle. A description of the suspect and vehicle was broadcast. A police sergeant at Mission Station located the suspect and the vehicle and made the arrest. At 9:36 a.m. on the 500 block of Visitacion Avenue, officers were on patrol when they responded to the report of a theft. The victim said that her purse had just been taken from her kitchen.She said that a woman had come to her door asking to use the phone because she had locked herself out of her home. The victim said that she began to feel suspicious about the woman and asked her to leave. The woman left, but the victim later discovered that her purse was missing. The suspect was described as an African-American female with shoulder length hair and black clothing. At 3:15 p.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Santos Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a shooting. The victim was riding in a van with other occupants when a suspect fired a shot at the van. No one was injured in the shooting. The suspect was described as an African-American man, 15-17 years old, with a black hooded sweatshirt. At 6:30 p.m. on the 600 block of Velasco Avenue, officers were on patrol when they responded to the report of a robbery attempt. The victim said she was walking down the street when she saw two men emerge from a nearby alley. Another suspect approached from behind and grabbed her tote bag. The victim held on to her bag and yelled for help. Her husband came out from their nearby home and scared the suspects away. The suspects were African-American males, one was about 20 years old and the others were 12-13 years old. They were all wearing dark clothing. On Feb. 10 at 10:37 p.m. on the unit block of Talbert Street, officers responded to a residence to look for a wanted parolee. They entered the residence and did not find the parolee, but did locate a quantity of marijuana packaged for sale, stolen property and counterfeit money. Their investigation led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of numerous items of stolen property, and burglary tools. On Feb. 11 at 11:27 a.m. on the 3200 block of San Bruno Avenue, officers responded to a reported burglary. The victim said that her parents returned to their home to find that the front door had been kicked in. The victims found that over $120,000 in cash had been stolen. On Feb. 12 at 10:41 a.m. on the unit block of Blythdale Avenue, officers responded to a residence in Public Housing and met with the victim who showed them a broken window and a broken door within her unit. At 4:30 p.m. on the 900 block of Visitacion Avenue, an incident report was prepared regarding a known suspect who vandalized the victim's vehicle by kicking the side of the car several times. On Feb. 13 at 5:48 p.m. in Crocker Amazon Park while on patrol, an officer located a convertible vehicle in a parking lot adjacent to a park playing very loud music. He observed three males sitting next to the vehicle and one appeared to be smoking marijuana. The officer contacted the males and found that the owner of the vehicle was the man smoking. The officer's investigation led him to a search of the vehicle which produced a large amount of various narcotics packaged for sale, a scale, and other paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested. At 1 p.m. on the 1000 block of Girard Street, an officer responded to a residence where the homeowner had discovered that a skylight on the roof had been damaged by a bullet. On Feb. 14 at 4:52 p.m. in Crocker Amazon Park, an officer approached a baseball diamond on foot and was attacked by an intoxicated Hispanic male adult. The officer was able to handcuff the suspect after using a takedown technique and called for assistance. The suspect was placed under arrest. At 10:10 a.m. on the 200 block of Argonaut Avenue, a victim told an officer that a known suspect had called him and threatened to harm him if he did not give the suspect a large sum of money. The victim feared the threat may be carried out and reported the incident. On Feb. 15 at 12:04 a.m. on the 1600 block of Geneva Avenue while on patrol, a police lieutenant observed a suspicious adult male. The lieutenant engaged the suspect who discarded a vehicle CD player. Additional officers responded to the area and found a ransacked vehicle missing a CD player. The suspect had burglary tools in his possession and dropped his cell phone in the vehicle. At 1:25 p.m. on the 100 block of Brookdale Avenue, officers responded to a residence in public housing regarding a burglary call. They conducted an investigation and recovered a stolen television. On Feb. 16 at 8:37 a.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Hahn Street, officers Muro responded to a reported shots fired call. They met with a witness who said she heard about 10 shots outside, but did not see anyone. Other witnesses also reported hearing the shots. A police sergeant located several shell casings, but no victims of the shooting. At 2:08 p.m. at Leland Avenue and Peabody Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a theft from a vehicle. The victim said that he had been told by a passer-by that someone had been stealing items from his work truck. The victim saw that several tools were missing from the truck At 6:20 p.m. in McLaren Park, a report was prepared about a dog attack. The reportee said that he was walking his dog in the park when his dog was attacked by a pitbull dog. The reportee and the other dog’s owner exchanged information. On Feb. 19 at 5:43 a.m. on the unit block of Blythdale Avenue, officers were on patrol when they saw a vehicle which had illegal tint on its windows. When the officers attempted to pull the car over, the occupants exited the vehicle and ran. While the driver was trying to run, he appeared to drop a gun. The suspect picked the gun up and ran. Both suspects were lost in the area. At 12:15 p.m. on the 200 block of Rey Street, officers were on patrol when they saw a suspect from a prior incident in which he fled from officers in his car in the Bayview district. The suspect was arrested without incident. At 7:12 p.m. on the 200 block of Leland Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a dog bite. They met with the victim who said she was walking down the street when a dog ran out of a garage and bit her on her leg. The owner of the dog said that the dog got out by accident when he opened the garage door. The owner was issued a citation. On Feb. 20 at 2:56 p.m. at Bayshore Boulevard and Arleta Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a fight on a Muni bus. The incident began when a woman began challenging two other women to fight because she thought they were making fun of her. The woman then began to assault the two victims when they got off the bus at their stop. The suspect fled the scene but was later found by other police units. At 10:20 .p.m. on the 1000 block of Brussels Street, an officer met with the victim of a home invasion robbery at Bayview Station. The victim said that he and his family were at home when they heard a knock at the door. When the door was answered, three suspects stormed into the house, one armed with a gun. They rounded the residents into a room in the rear of the building and robbed them. They also ransacked the house before fleeing. The suspects were described as African-American males (all about 5’7" and 160 lbs.), wearing an orange sweatshirt, a grey sweatshirt, and a dark blue sweatshirt. A search of the area was conducted, but the suspects could not be found. On Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Tucker Avenue, officers received information that there was a stolen car inside a residential garage. The officers met with the elderly homeowner there and found the car stripped. They recovered the car and performed a probation search on a man in the house and found him to be in possession of ammunition, which is a violation of his probation. The man was arrested for this probation violation. Police Summaries Jan. 28: 8:20 p.m.: Geneva and Brookdale Aves., vehicle collision Jan. 29: 11:50 a.m.: Felton and Gottingen Sts., stolen license plates. Jan. 29: 9:00 p.m.: 500 block of Carter St., stolen auto. Jan. 31: 00:01 a.m.: Bayshore Blvd. and Leland Ave., suspended driver. Jan. 31: 2:52 p.m.: 200 block of Blythdale Ave., recovered vehicle. Feb. 1: 06:45 p.m.: Sunnydale and Hahn St., suspended driver. Feb. 1: 11:14 p.m.: 100 block of Tucker Ave., recovered trailer. Feb. 3: 0:10 a.m.: 1800 block of Sunnydale Ave., recovered auto. Feb. 3: 09:40 a.m.: 400 block of Sawyer St., recovered auto. Feb. 4: 8:24 a.m.:1600 block of Sunnydale Ave., stolen auto. Feb. 5: 9:00 a.m.: Geneva and Carter St., traffic accident, hit and run. Feb. 5: 12:52 p.m.: 1200 block of Goettingen St., recovered auto. Feb. 6: 9:57p.m.: Visitacion and Mansell St., unlicensed driver. Feb. 7: 5:13 p.m.: Blythdale and Brookdale Aves., hit and run collision. Feb. 7: 5:32 p.m.: Unit block of Blythdale Ave., recovered auto. Feb. 9: 9:00 a.m.: 1600 block of Burrows St., lost license plates. Feb. 11: 9 a.m., 1000 block of Bowdoin St., stolen auto, '95 Infinity G20. Feb. 13: 7:30 a.m., 1200 block of Brussels St., traffic collision, hit and run. Feb. 15: 10:35 p.m., Geneva Ave. and Santos St., stolen auto. Feb. 16: 11:02 a.m., 200 block of Blythdale Ave., recovered truck. Feb. 18: 3:35 p.m., 1700 block of Sunnydale Ave., stolen/recovered auto. Feb. 20: 10:45 a.m., San Bruno and Arleta Aves., unlicensed driver. Feb. 21: 2:17 a.m., Leland Ave. and Hahn st., traffic collision. Feb. 21: 3:30 p.m., 100 block of Tucker Ave., recovered auto. Feb. 21: 11:56 p.m., 200 block of Hahn St., recovered plates. Feb. 22: 12:35 p.m., Sunnydale Ave. and Hahn St., unlicensed driver. Captain David Lazar of ingleside Station and Captain Greg Suhr of Bayview Station contributed to this report. Events in March at Valley Branch Library Following are events in March at the Visitacion Valley Branch Library, 45 Leland Ave. Mar. 11, Thursday: Teen Duct Tape Workshop from 3:30 to 5 p.m. -- Celebrate Teen Tech Week and make a home for your cell phone out of duct tape. Learn how to use this low-tech material to make holders for all of your high-tech gear. For teens, ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415)355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org. Mar. 24, Wednesday: Container Gardening from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. -- Container gardening can provide a solution for the urban gardener with little space, as well as a new element to a garden that needs some rejuvenation. Join a workshop to discuss types of containers to use, and what kinds of soil and plants do best in them. In partnership with Garden for the Environment. This is a Green Stacks program. Mar. 25, Thursday: Teen Gaming Tournament from 3:30 to 5 p.m. -- SFPL’s Teen Services is hosting a city-wide Teen Gaming Tournament to celebrate Teen Tech Week! Gaming tournaments will be held at participating libraries throughout the city. The winner of this tournament will be invited to the Main Library on Friday, Mar. 26 for the championship play-offs and a chance to win a Nintendo DS! For teens, ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415)355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org. Free GED Class at Burton High School Join the Bayview Beacon and City College of San Francisco at Burton High School on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for free GED (General Educational Development) preparation classes. No classes will be held March 27 and April 3. Call (415) 337-7991 to enroll. Free Saturday Class at Garden for the Environment Jump-start your spring garden with some homemade compost. Aside from giving veggies and flowers a healthy start, composting encourages beneficial organisms in the soil and can help break the life cycle of plant pests and disease. Join Garden For the Environment (7th Avenue at Lawton Street) for this fun, hands-on class teaching methods for backyard and worm composting on Saturday, Mar. 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Come learn what you can do to improve your garden without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and prevent organic waste from ending up in the landfill. Saturdays are Special at Randall Museum The Randall Museum offers drop-in, hands-on art and science workshops every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 199 Museum Way (off Roosevelt, above the Castro). Workshops are $3 per child; $5 for a parent and child combo. All kids under 8 must be with a paying adult. Call 554-9600 for further information. Mar. 6 - Construct your own animal sculpture from our abundant wood scrap supply Mar. 13 - Use rubber fish and experience the art of gyotaku, Japanese for fish printing. Mar. 20 - Celebrate Spring! Cut, glue and create your own personal fabric flag in a myriad of textures and colors. Mar. 27 - Experience the magic of paper marbling as you make marbled greeting cards using shaving cream and liquid watercolor. Other regular Saturday activities include: Morning Family Ceramics from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ($5 per person workshop fee) Meet the Animals from 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon. Animal Feeding at 12 noon. *Golden Gate Model Railroad Club Exhibit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gleneagles Golf Course One of the Best

Gleneagles Golf Course was named a top nine-hole location by Golf Magazine.

by Betty Parshall

Recently Golf World magazine came out with its list of the twenty-five top nine-hole golf courses in the country and Gleneagles Golf Course in McLaren Park is ranked as number 17.

The course on the hillside above Sunnydale and not far from Visitacion Valley Middle School is extremely challenging, with narrow fairways, sloping approaches and lots of trees. It also is subject to our usually windy afternoons that make the game even trickier.

The course was built in 1962 by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, designed by Jack Fleming (Harding). It was redesigned in 1982 by Robert Muir Graves (Sea Ranch Golf Course) and Erik De Lambert. For people new to the area it can be hard to find since there are no signs to guide visitors to the road off Sunnydale Avenue up to the course parking lot. But once found people, both city residents and those from out of town, keep coming back.

“Devoted followers keep a watchful eye on newcomers for fast play and religious repairing of divots and ball marks. (It’s) just a hard core players’ course that has been home to everyone from city mayors, low digit players and a loyal crew of golfers who only speak of it in a whisper.” See website www.gleneaglesgolfsf.com

Tom Hsieh, Jr., who is general partner of the firm that manages the course for the city, told the San Francisco Chronicle he is very pleased with the ranking – even if it didn’t make it into the top ten. He pointed out that most of the others that ranked better were built for a lot more money. And unlike the course that ranked first, Gleneagles is open to the general public.

Last November Gleneagles welcomed six First Tee San Francisco at Visitacion Valley player to this challenging course. They were welcomed by Mr. Hsieh who presented them with gift bags that included golf balls, tees, ball markers and lip balm, followed by a short orientation and pep talks by several of the Gleneagles “old-timers” before beginning a 5 hole round. In future the course will welcome other Valley students too.

For those who wish to play 18 holes there are two tee-offs for each fairway. But whether one plays nine or eighteen holes, all (age 21 and older) can enjoy the 19th hole for genial hospitality and exchanging tales about the day’s game.

Workforce Development Services Heading to Visitacion Valley

by Russel Morine

Job seekers in Visitacion Valley will soon be able to tap into numerous job preparedness opportunities through a wide range of new services funded by the City.

In the coming weeks, a new One Stop Job Career Link Center will open at 73 Leland Ave. Operated by Florence Crittenton Services Family Services, the One Stop Career Link Center will offer a variety of free job search, career development and employment resources for Visitacion Valley residents.

In addition to the One Stop Center, Goodwill Industries and the San Francisco Conservation Corps will be offering job readiness programs to job seekers with barriers to employment.

The San Francisco Redevelopment Agency in conjunction with the San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development awarded Goodwill and the SF Conservation Corps nearly $650,000 to support job readiness in the community.

Goodwill was awarded $375,000 and the SF Conservation Corps $292,000.

The City's objective is to prepare Visitacion Valley jobseekers for entry into one of the City sponsored “Sector Academies.”
The Sector Academies provide job preparation, vocational training, job placement, and other services in order to develop a pipeline of skilled and prepared workers for industries facing staffing shortages and/or identified as having short- or long-term job growth.

There are currently four key industries as priority sectors for the Sector Academies: Construction, Green Collar, Health Care, and Social Service.

Residents with barriers to employment such as a lack of a high school diploma, suspended driver’s license, or a lack of child care are encouraged to seek out these job readiness assistance opportunities.

*Goodwill. (415) 575-2110

*San Francisco Conservation Corps (415) 928-SFCC (7322)

April Special Edition
Parks, Plazas and Open Spaces

Dedicated Readers:

Next month’s Grapevine will be a special edition focusing on Parks, Plazas, and Open Spaces in the Visitacion Valley.
The Grapevine is asking for your input to make this Special Edition Extra Special.

We are looking for articles, stories, poems, and images focusing on open space in the neighborhood.

Tell us about your favorite park or plaza. Where do you go to get away from it all? Where do you go to walk with your dog? We want to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Which park needs more attention from the City? Does your park feel unsafe at certain times? A few lines will do. Articles can be as short s you like (a haiku?), but please no more then 500 words.

Please submit your article, poem, image, or comments by March 19th. We will try to print all submission in the April 2010 edition of the Grapevine.

We look forward to hearing from you! Send to Rmorine@aol.com or by mail to GRAPEVINE SPECIAL, 28 Leland Ave., SF CA 94134 .

New Web Site to Share Innovative San Francisco Policies

Mayor Gavin Newsom announced February 23 the launch of PolicySF.org (http://policysf.org/), an initiative designed to share successful San Francisco policies with other communities. The site showcases a number of San Francisco’s most innovative efforts from San Francisco’s universal health care program, Healthy San Francisco to the open data policy that powers the City’s Open Gov efforts on DataSF.org (http://datasf.org/).

“I am pleased to announce the launch of PolicySF, a one-stop destination for idea sharing and collaboration to make it easier for other cities to learn about and implement creative solutions, like our universal health care program,” said Mayor Newsom. “Our hope is that by opening up our policy achievements to a broader community of government and civic leaders, these ideas can grow and take off in other cities.”

PolicySF contains “policy toolkits” which offer readers an overview of the policy, frequently asked questions, an explanation of the policy making process, and a copy of San Francisco’s legislation used to initiate the program. The web site provides step-by-step instructions on how the policies were implemented in San Francisco.

The new site currently features a number of San Francisco initiatives, including Healthy San Francisco, the City’s plastic bag ban, San Francisco Promise, JobsNow SF and San Francisco’s open data policy. More toolkits will be added to PolicySF in the weeks and months ahead.

Additionally, Mayor Newsom asked communities to share their own policy ideas with visitors to PolicySF.

“Perhaps someone in Chicago or Tulsa has figured out a creative solution to a problem and wants to let everyone know how to replicate it,” said Mayor Newsom. “We are trying to help communities solve challenging problems together by sharing some of the best ideas from our cities.”

PolicySF is part of a larger Open Gov Initiative for the City and County of San Francisco, which focuses on open data, open participation and open source.

McLaren Park News and Notes

by Betty Parshall

Sad Days at the Reservoir

One Friday in February, several of the fish in Shelley Lake (the reservoir) were gathered at the east end of the water, lying just below the surface. There were several carp, large and small, and an impressive sturgeon of perhaps three feet long. We wondered if they were getting ready to spawn although it was a bit early in the year for that to happen. And the sturgeon was definitely out of place.

The next morning I visited the lake again to see a few dead fish lying on the rocks, and learned from others that several other victims had been spotted, including the sturgeon. In the days that followed more dead fish were seen, and it is doubtful that there are any survivors. So what happened? I learned that the previous week the water had been very low due to a leak. Repairs were made and water (which comes directly from Crystal Springs) was released to refill the reservoir.

While there has been no final solution to the tragedy, it seems likely that the intake of the huge amount of water contained too heavy a concentration of chloramines for the fish to survive. Chloramines are a disinfectant added to our drinking water. It is perfectly safe for humans and animals and birds, but deadly to fish because it enters the blood stream. It damages the gill tissues, enters the red blood cells and causes an acute blood disorder. It also does not dissipate for a long time. People who own aquariums were warned about this several years ago when the City began to use chloramines in our drinking water and must routinely use a neutralizer when adding water to the fish tanks.

The fish in Shelley Lake were planted many years ago and provided pleasure as they grew to large size and developed a fine array of color variations. They will be missed for their own sakes, and we’ll also miss the heron, egret and cormorants that visited frequently to feed and keep the fish population in check.

There’s an Elephant in the Room…..

The workshop meeting at Louis Sutter Community Building on January 26 drew a big crowd of people eager to say what they like about McLaren Park and what improvements they’d like to see. The room was packed and after introductions by Karen Mauney-Brodek, Park Planner, the crowd divided up into several small groups.

The purpose of the meeting was to get lists of people’s favorite park sites and features, any complaints, and what were seen as urgent maintenance and improvement projects. In addition, folks were asked to designate what projects could be designated as “short-term” and “long-term.” (For example, placement of recycle and compost bins in the park was reported to be implemented once a survey of sites was completed. This could possibly be considered “short-term.” See Grapevine, May 2009)

The people reconvened to turn in the groups’ lists. Time did not permit for reporting results, but all of the information will be tallied and shared at the next workshop that will be held in March. After one announcement was made, an invitation to visit the disc golf course in Golden Gate Park, a community resident attempted to read a short statement (at least the paper he was reading from was very small) but he was shouted down by some disc golf proponents who were present. Disc golf was not on the agenda (although on the minds of several people), so was not to be discussed.

The next workshop (the second of three planned) will be held March 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Crocker Amazon Playground Clubhouse. Everyone is urged to attend all the workshops as each will build on the information gathered previously. For information you can contact Tina Kim or Karen Mauney-Brodek at (415) 831-2789 or e-mail Karen.Mauney-Brodek@sfgov.org

Spring is Sprung at McNabb Lake

One of our far-flung correspondents has reported that while winter visitors – mergansers, widgeons, spoonbill duck and others - can still be observed, along with several coots, one coot couple was observed apparently starting nest construction. We look forward to seeing a batch of baby coots again.

About the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater

For the past several months neighbors and concerned citizens have been meeting to explore forming a “friends” committee to work on specific amphitheater issues, including:

*The effect of high fees on booking the amphitheater.

*Working on outreach and communication to inform the public about shows and events.

*Putting together a varied Performance Festival in 2010.

If you are interested in staying informed of the progress of this committee or volunteering by joining on of the working sub-committees please sign up for the Google Group by e-mailing attykatz@pacbell.net or calling 415-585-8005.

This committee is working in conjunction with San Francisco parks Trust, the office of Supervisor John Avalos and in full participation with existing McLaren Park groups.

Why Shelley Drive Was Closed

The gates to Shelley Drive were closed a few days in February because a crew was filming a Chevrolet commercial in the park. No word on when it might be shown but it’s something to watch for if a Chevy ad comes on.

…from the desk of the VVBOOM newsroom

by Nick Wolff

Lunar New Year Event Draws Police Chief to Leland

VVBOOM was honored to host the 13th Annual Lunar New Year Crime Prevention and Public Safety Awareness Campaign Press Conference in downtown Visitacion Valley on Tuesday, February 9th. Previously a safety awareness campaign aimed at educating merchants and curbing the high rates of extortion of Asian owned small businesses in Chinatown and San Francisco, a strong outreach campaign put on by San Francisco Safety Awareness for Everyone (SF SAFE) and the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has almost entirely eradicated extortion cases city-wide. This year based on a renewed focus on Muni safety and the growth of the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch group, the Lunar New Year press conference took place in downtown Visitacion Valley. A number of merchants and residents gathered at the intersection of Leland Ave. and Desmond St.. to take in the event on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. They were joined by members of SF SAFE, dozens of uniformed officers, Bayview Captain Greg Suhr, Ingleside Captain David Lazar and the San Francisco Chief of Police George Gascon who spoke about the importance of reporting crime to law enforcement and how to avoid being a victim of crime. The Chief’s message echoed the overarching principles of the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch group, which stresses relationship building among business owners, communication with law enforcement and a shared focus on crime prevention. When it came time for SF SAFE and SFPD to walk the commercial corridor distributing crime prevention information packages to merchants it was no surprise many of the merchants already knew them by name through their involvement with the Leland Avenue Merchant Watch Group. If you’re interested in seeing video taken from the press conference, search “Partners on Crime: Police and Merchants Team Up on Safety” on youtube.com. We look forward to building on the strong partnerships already in place with SF SAFE and Ingleside Police and growing our Leland Avenue Merchant Watch Group in the coming year.

Distinguished Art

Downtown Visitacion Valley will soon have its signature art piece on the highly visible corner of Leland Ave. and Bayshore Blvd. This summer as the Leland Avenue Streetscape project nears completion, Street Life, a playful sculpture made from recycled parking meter heads attached to an 18 foot steel pole arching will be erected in front of the Shun Lee Market. The public art project designed by the artist team REBAR was selected by the community during a public viewing at the Visitacion Valley branch library from September 11th through September 21, 2009; getting approved by the San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) on November 2nd. On Monday, February 8th, the SFAC and REBAR held a meeting at Joe Leland Coffee Shop to give the community a sneak peak at what the new art instillation will look like and solicited input on its design. According to SFAC, “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.”

Local Merchant Honors Late Butcher

The following piece was written by Joaquin Escobar, owner of La Loma Produce Market – 65 Leland Avenue. It is intended to honor the loss of a skilled local butcher as well as a loyal and reliable man who is sadly missed – Mr. Don Jose. Furthermore, it is intended to acknowledge the strong support La Loma has received from the community through this difficult time. Continue to support neighborhood businesses in Visitacion Valley.

“On February 3rd, 2010, La Loma Produce and Visitation Valley lost one of the best butchers of our times. It did not matter what nationality you were; when you walked to his counter, you were always greeted with a smile and treated with good customer service. He cared about people. Very often you would hear about him attending customer’s parties, funerals or even visit customers that were ill. He wasn’t just a butcher; he was a friend.

Born in El Salvador, he left his beloved wife and kids eight years ago to better not just his life, but his family’s life as well; his family who needed him the most. Visitation Valley became his new home. He enjoyed working in the Valley so much that he postponed his return to El Salvador. Little did he know that when he said his farewells one night, he would not be able to see the next day. We the people at La Loma Produce would like to thank all the customers who helped in raising money for his funeral and his trip back home. We thank you with all our hearts.”

Joe Leland ... Around the Neighborhood

*Rummage Sale: The Mother’s Club of The Church of the Visitacion will be having their annual Rummage Sale at the Parish Hall, 655 Sunnydale Ave on Friday, March 5th (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Saturday, March 6th (9 a.m.-2 p.m.). Lots of new items, clothing, books, jewelry, furniture, and lots more..

*All-U-Can Eat Chili: SECOND ANNUAL Chili Cook-Off. $10 All-U-Can Eat Chili, Kids eat for free. There will be a $100 cash-prize for the winner! Saturday, March 13, 2010 at Louis Sutter Roundhouse (near McNab Lake) From 12 to 3 p.m. To enter the contest or to attend the event, please contact Trilce at helpmlpark@gmail.com. Organized by Help McLaren Park group. www.helpmlpark.weebly.com

*Crab Feed: The Bayview Social Club presents its annual Crab Feed on March 20th, 2010, 7 p.m. at 111 Raymond Ave. (Thutmose Temple). For tickets and information, contact James Smith at 415-468-4725 or Tony Winstead at 415-469-4848. Donations $35.

*Martial Arts on Leland: Support a great new neighborhood martial arts studio. Kuk Sool Won of Visitacion Valley, located at 189 Leland Ave. (at Rutland St.) offers the entire spectrum of the traditional Asian techniques of body conditioning, mental development, self defense, fighting arts as well as traditional weapons training. For more information, call 415-999-6159 or checkout their website: http://www.visvalleyksw.com/san-francisco/
*Vacant/Abandoned Buildings: The City recently amended the SF Building Code to include language requiring the annual registration of vacant properties. Once registered, a fee (about $750) must be paid annually as long as the building remains vacant. The stated goal of the amendment is “ to provide effective measures to encourage property owners of vacant and/or abandoned buildings to act immediately and improve the property.” To avoid costly fines, the owner must also maintain the building. Maintenance includes landscaping, regular removal of exterior trash and graffiti, preservation of the physical integrity of the structure; including but not limited to paint and finishes, foundation, roof, chimneys, flues, gutters, downspouts, scuppers, flashing, exterior stairs and decks and finally the prevention of criminal activity on the premises and trespass by unauthorized persons. To report a blighted vacant property, contact DBI’s Code Enforcement Services by telephoning 415/558-6454, or by emailing the suspected address to dbi.codeenforcement@sfgov.org. San Franciscans also may report suspected vacant and/or abandoned buildings to the City’s 3-1-1 system.

*Quote of the Month: "The young can't teach traditions to the old". -Yoruba proverb

About Art in Visitacion Valley

by Betty Parshall

Art is all around us in Visitacion Valley. Murals grace the walls of commercial buildings. Sculptures complement the platforms on the T-Line Stations. Mosaics adorn our schools and parks. Over the next several months the Grapevine will feature the variety of art found throughout our community.
We hope this series will give a new life to the overlooked and under appreciated works of art in our neighborhood. We hope you will enjoy this journey.

Endangered Park

In 1987, the San Francisco Art Commission commissioned a public art project that was to enhance the bayside area at Candlestick Cove, where a pump station and holding tank for water and sewage was to be built. Patricia Johnson was the co-designer of the Sunnydale Facilities, and her intent was to present this functional structure as a work of art and also a productive landscape.

Taking the image of the endangered San Francisco garter snake as her subject, she was able to incorporate tidal sculptures, a butterfly meadow, habitat restoration and seating and overlooks into a public access walk. It is thirty feet wide and one-third of a mile long and covers the roof of the water transport/storage system.

A sculpted earth mound that rises twenty feet above a meadow of butterfly food-plants represents the head of the serpent. The mound is covered with flowers and provides host plants for caterpillars and nectar for butterflies. Except for an occasional manhole cover, both the meadow and the walkway give no hint that there is a working sewer below.

Walking south along the path brings one to the “Ribbon Worm Tide Pools,” a small sculpture within the body of the snake. The winding design forms a continuous ramp and stairway that enables walkers to go down to the beach. The tiny ribbon worm can be found along the shore among mussels and barnacles. At high tide the worm’s lower loops fill with water, creating habitat for inter-tidal communities. Eventually the sculpture will become encrusted with barnacles and marine growth and provide habitat for shrimp, worms, crabs, hydrozoa, sponges and algae. It will be simultaneously aesthetic, functional, and nurturing.

Continuing to walk south one will encounter depressions in the pavement, modeled on California Native American petroglyphs. These fill with rainwater for birds. Hundreds of prehistoric shell mounds once dotted the shore of the bay and near this site were native settlements. The people hunted waterfowl in the marshes and foraged for shellfish along the mudflats. When the site was excavated in 1919, many human burials and artifacts were recovered from a shell mound at this site which today lies buried under twenty-five feet of landfill. Our bond with these people is the continuity of the landscape and the life of the bay. The birds, shellfish and native plants that we see today are descendants of the same communities that attracted prehistoric man to this place. Their survival is our responsibility.

Many people walk, jog, and ride bicycles and skateboards along this site because it is now part of the Bay Circuit Trail. They also stop along the way to observe the birds and waterfowl feeding in the marsh and the mudflats below.

During the migration season thousands of birds can be seen a Candlestick cove. There is the daily drama of rising and falling tides and the interplay between those eating and those eaten. And there are the fine views of San Bruno Mountain and the east and south bays.

To get there, take Blanken Avenue to Executive Park Boulevard, turn left to Harney Way, turn left on Harney Way to the parking lot on the right. Walk south from the parking lot to enjoy the “Endangered Park” walkway.

Visitacion Valley Police Report

Police Cases

*On Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. on the 400 block of Mansell Street, officers responded to a call regarding a fight that was to take place after a basketball game between some gang members. Officers walked through the crowd in an attempt to stop any fight, but did not encounter one. An officer passed one subject, who told the officer to “get out of his face” and not to talk to him. The officer asked the subject what had happened, when the subject pushed the officer. The officer approached again and told the subject he was under arrest, at which point the subject punched the officer in the face. The officer performed a physical control on the subject and placed him in handcuffs and under arrest. Another officer also placed another subject under arrest who attempted to intervene. The first officer sustained an injury to his hand during the struggle. Both subjects were booked at Juvenile Justice Center.

*On Jan. 27 at 1:05 p.m. on the 1500 block of Sunnydale Avenue, officers assisted in a FRET (Fugitive Recovery Enforcement Team) operation. They responded to the residence of a parolee to conduct a parole search. They found that the parolee was not at home, but conducted a search of his residence/bedroom. The officers discovered ammunition and loaded magazines. They later returned to the residence and took the parolee into custody. At 3:26 p.m. on the 1800 block Sunnydale Avenue, officers were conducting a fugitive recovery enforcement operation with other officers when they saw several suspects running from an undercover officer. One of those suspects had an active warrant for his arrest. The officers gave chase on foot and ultimately caught three suspects. The charges for these suspects ranged from possession of drugs for sale to resisting arrest and violation of a stay away order. At 11:10 p.m. on the 200 block of Blythdale Avenue, officers responded to the report of a battery in the parking lot. They found both parties present and were told that one of the female combatants had pepper sprayed the other female combatant. Neither party wished to pursue criminal charges.

*On Jan. 28 at 4:54 p.m. at Schwerin Street and MacDonald Avenue, officers were on patrol in plain clothes when they saw a vehicle with a damaged registration tab. Suspicious of the car having fraudulent registration, the officers met with the driver after he parked the car. The officers spoke with the driver, who gave a story that didn’t make sense. The officers suspected the driver of using a false identity and took him to Ingleside Station for further investigation. At the station, they discovered that the suspect had in fact been using his brother’s identity and actually had a suspended drivers license. They also discovered shaved down car keys which are often used to enter and start cars illegally inside the car. The car itself had altered VIN numbers. The man was booked with several charges, including driving with a suspended license, possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools. At 1:54 p.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery. They arrived and met with a woman who said that she had been in an altercation with a woman who demanded money from her. The suspect then reached into the victims pocket and took the victims cell phone. At 3:05 a.m. on the 1700 block Sunnydale Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a theft. The victim said that her boyfriend arrived at her home and demanded money. The suspect then took the victim’s car keys and entered her car and took some money. The suspect then left the scene after refusing to return the car keys.

*On Jan. 29 08:15 a.m. on the 200 block Hahn Street, officers responded to a residence where a juvenile runaway was reportedly sleeping. As the officers entered the residence, the juvenile subject ran out of the rear of the house and was later apprehended by additional officers who responded as backup. The juvenile was discovered to have a warrant for his arrest as did another juvenile in the residence. Both juveniles were booked at the Juvenile Justice Center. At 7:15 a.m. on the unit block Tucker Avenue, a victim told officers that all four wheels were stolen from her parked and locked vehicle. At 9:30 a.m. on the 100 block Brookdale Avenue, officers took a report from a victim who stated that two of his vehicle tires were slashed. The victim's daughter stated that she believed that a girl she has been fighting with slashed the tires. At 11:32 a.m. at Woolsey Street and San Bruno Avenue, officers were on patrol when they observed a subject, who they knew is on probation, with a pair of nanchaku’s (wooden weapon attached by a chain) in plain view. Officers detained the subject and confiscated the weapon, placing the subject under arrest as well.

*On Jan. 30 at 10:40 a.m. at Velasco Avenue and Rio Verde Street, officers responded to a call of shots fired and located two areas near Velasco and Rio Verde with ammunition casings of various calibers. No shooting victims were located.

*On Jan. 31 at 1:35 p.m. at 2401 Geneva Avenue, officers met with a Daly City officer who showed them to a vehicle in an alley behind the address where a vehicle was parked that matched vehicle used in a shots fired incident the previous day. The officers took pictures of the vehicle at a witness’ request and showed them to him. The witness positively identified the vehicle from the shots fired incident. The vehicle had been reported stolen from a victim in Oakland. The vehicle was towed for further investigation.

*On Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. at Crocker Amazon Park, an officer observed an adult male standing alone in the parking lot of the park. The suspect made some suspicious movements after he saw the officer. The officer stopped the suspect and was told that the he was on parole. The officer attempted to conduct a search for weapons of the admitted parolee who then became uncooperative and physically struggled with the officer. The officer soon overcame the suspect and placed him in handcuffs. A baggie of marijuana was retrieved and the suspect was arrested. At 12:13 a.m. at Brookdale Avenue and Santos Street. a shooting incident was broadcast in the Sunnydale Housing Area. Shortly thereafter two victims were brought to SFGH where officers were standing by. The victims stated that they were shot by two unknown male assailants who shot them as they were standing on the building line near the intersection of Brookdale and Hahn. The officers then broadcast the shooting location to other officers in the area who located the crime scene. The suspects were described as unknown race males, in a newer black, 2 door, Chevy Camaro with 18 or 20 in chrome rims armed with assault rifles. At 11:14 p.m. on the 100 block of Tucker Avenue, officers responded and met with a sergeant from Brisbane PD who had a “Lo-Jack” hit in the area on a stolen trailer. The officers contacted a resident of the home that was indicated on the hit and obtained suspect information. The trailer was towed as the owner could not be contacted.

*On Feb. 2 at 10:05 p.m. on the 1600 block of Sunnydale Avenue, officers responded to a fight call. The officers located a male yelling at a woman in a residence. The officers approached the male and he yelled at them and then failed to comply with their commands. The officers attempted to control the irate and intoxicated man but he began punching and kicking at the officers striking one of the officers. The officers were able to gain control of the man. Their investigation revealed that the man had threatened the woman and she believed that he would carry out the threat. He was arrested. At 8:43 p.m. at Wilde Avenue and Goettingen Street, a witness reported to officers that a vehicle had been broken into. The suspects were seen fleeing the scene by the witness. The officers located and detained three suspects matching the witness description. The witness could not positively identify the suspects. There was no property stolen. They were identified and released.

*On Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. at Mansell and Gottingen streets, a male juvenile was robbed on a Muni coach of his cellular phone by an African American juvenile male. The victim got off of the bus and reported the crime to the security at his school. A call was quickly made to 911 and officers responded to the area.Numerous Ingleside officers responded to the call. The officers located a suspect who was later positively identified by the victim and witnesses. The suspect was arrested with the stolen property in his pocket. At 1 p.m. at Persia Street and Sunnydale Avenue, immediately after the above robbery, the suspect turned to another male juvenile on the same bus and demanded the victim give him his iPod. The victim refused to hand over his property. The suspect then attacked the victim, knocking him to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the face. The suspect then grabbed the victims backpack and ran off of the bus. The victim also exited the bus and found his backpack. The victim suffered a cut lip. The suspect was arrested. At 8:19 p.m. on the 300 block of Velasco Avenue, officers responded to a burglary. The victim stated that three African American males were seen in her back yard after she heard glass break. She screamed and the suspects fled. The sliding glass door to the backyard was shattered. No property was reported missing. At 8:30 a.m. on the unit block Raymond Avenue, an officer was told by a victim that his vehicle had been broken into overnight by an unknown suspect. The vehicle ignition was damaged and numerous items of personal property were stolen.

*On Feb. 4 at 10:14 a.m. on the unit block of Kelloch Avenue, officers responded to the report of a shooting along with numerous other Ingleside Units.Officers arrived to find two victims of gunfire. The victims were treated, and later interviewed. The victims said that they were walking in a park when they heard gun shots behind them and suddenly felt pain. They got up and ran home to call for an ambulance. A witness at the scene reported seeing an African-American male shooting from the passenger seat of a silver Ford Thunderbird, with a second African-American male driving. At 11:31 a.m. on the 1200 block of Goettingen Street, officers responded to the report of vandalism. The victim said that she came out to her car to find that it was unlocked and its steering column damaged. At 12:41 p.m. on the 100 block of Leland Avenue, officers were on patrol when they were dispatched to the report of threats being made. The victim said that he saw a man drive through a construction site he was working at. The suspect held a gun outside the window of the vehicle as he drove by. The victims said that he recognized the suspect as a man who requested employment over the past couple months, but became irate when he was denied. The suspect was described as an Asian male, possibly Filipino, driving a black Kia. At 4 p.m. at Harkness Avenue and Brussels Street, a report was prepared at Ingleside Station regarding the vandalism of a vehicle. The victim said that she came out to go to her car when she encountered her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. The suspect demanded to speak with the victim or else she would vandalize the victim’s car. The victim went inside to call the police, and the suspect fled the scene. The victim came back out to her car to find that it had been vandalized.

*On Feb. 5 at 9:45 a.m. at Brookdale Avenue and Santos Street, officers responded to a call of a victim bleeding from the hand. The victim told the officers that he was standing alone when he was pushed down from behind. The suspect then slashed at the victim with a knife, cutting the victims finger. Another suspect kicked the victim once on the back. The suspects did not take any property from the victim. At 3:40 p.m. at Hamilton and Mansell streets, officers responded to a residence where they met a juvenile robbery victim and his mother. The victim told them that while walking home from school he was approached by an African American man, 19-20 years old, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and a bandana on his face. The suspect pointed a black handgun at the victim and demanded that he empty his pockets. The victim complied and the suspect ran away with the victims’ property.

*On Feb. 6 at 5:05 p.m., an officer responded to McLaren park regarding an individual burning paper in a BBQ. He contacted the man who was burning paper, but also had in his possession an air gun, a violation of the Municipal Police Code. The man was cited for the violation and the fire department put out the fire.

*On Feb. 7 at 7:02 a.m. at Santos Street and Velasco Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery. The victim said that she was standing at a bus stop when a man began to chase her. The suspect pushed the victim to the ground a stole her purse. The suspect then fled the scene on foot. He was described as an African-American male, about 5’6" and 160 lbs., wearing black clothing with a black scarf covering his face. At 3:07 p.m. on the 600 block of Velasco Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a purse snatch. The victim said that she was walking to a bus stop when a man came running towards her. The man tried to take the victims purse, but she held on to it. The suspect then pulled the purse until the victim fell down and another suspect helped to get the purse away from the victim. The victims then fled on foot. They were described as African-American males, 5’2" 125 lbs. with dark clothing and 5’7" 145 lbs. with dark clothing. At 5:57 p.m. at San Bruno Avenue and Burrows Street, officers were on patrol when they saw a subject they knew to be on probation. The officers spoke with the subject and discovered a warrant for his arrest. The subject was placed under arrest and transported to Bayview Station for booking.

*On Feb. 8 at 7:15 a.m. on the unit block of Heritage Avenue, officers were told by a victim that her property was stolen from her locked and unattended vehicle. At 7:18 p.m. on the 500 block of Campbell Avenue, a reportee called the police to her residence for an unrelated matter and then turned over two guns to the officers for safekeeping. The officers inspected the weapons and one was determined to be an illegal assault weapon. At 9:17 p.m. on the unit block of Santos Street, officers observed a commotion on a stopped Muni bus and investigated. They found that two male friends had a fight while drinking and using drugs. The suspect took the victim's jacket containing his cell phone and money when the victim jumped onto a Muni bus. The jacket was found nearby missing the other property. The suspect could not be located.

*On Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. at Brookdale and Blythdale avenues, an officer was advised of a carjacking that had occurred and responded to the area. The officer located the victim and the owner of the vehicle. The victim stated that the suspect, the vehicle’s prior owner, approached him while he was working on the car for the new owner. The suspect told the victim that he had a gun and to give him the keys to the vehicle. Fearing for his safety, the victim complied. The suspect drove away in the vehicle. A description of the suspect and vehicle was broadcast. A police sergeant at Mission Station located the suspect and the vehicle and made the arrest. At 9:36 a.m. on the 500 block of Visitacion Avenue, officers were on patrol when they responded to the report of a theft. The victim said that her purse had just been taken from her kitchen.She said that a woman had come to her door asking to use the phone because she had locked herself out of her home. The victim said that she began to feel suspicious about the woman and asked her to leave. The woman left, but the victim later discovered that her purse was missing. The suspect was described as an African-American female with shoulder length hair and black clothing. At 3:15 p.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Santos Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a shooting. The victim was riding in a van with other occupants when a suspect fired a shot at the van. No one was injured in the shooting. The suspect was described as an African-American man, 15-17 years old, with a black hooded sweatshirt. At 6:30 p.m. on the 600 block of Velasco Avenue, officers were on patrol when they responded to the report of a robbery attempt. The victim said she was walking down the street when she saw two men emerge from a nearby alley. Another suspect approached from behind and grabbed her tote bag. The victim held on to her bag and yelled for help. Her husband came out from their nearby home and scared the suspects away. The suspects were African-American males, one was about 20 years old and the others were 12-13 years old. They were all wearing dark clothing.

*On Feb. 10 at 10:37 p.m. on the unit block of Talbert Street, officers responded to a residence to look for a wanted parolee. They entered the residence and did not find the parolee, but did locate a quantity of marijuana packaged for sale, stolen property and counterfeit money. Their investigation led to the arrest of two suspects and the recovery of numerous items of stolen property, and burglary tools.

*On Feb. 11 at 11:27 a.m. on the 3200 block of San Bruno Avenue, officers responded to a reported burglary. The victim said that her parents returned to their home to find that the front door had been kicked in. The victims found that over $120,000 in cash had been stolen.

*On Feb. 12 at 10:41 a.m. on the unit block of Blythdale Avenue, officers responded to a residence in Public Housing and met with the victim who showed them a broken window and a broken door within her unit. At 4:30 p.m. on the 900 block of Visitacion Avenue, an incident report was prepared regarding a known suspect who vandalized the victim's vehicle by kicking the side of the car several times.

*On Feb. 13 at 5:48 p.m. in Crocker Amazon Park while on patrol, an officer located a convertible vehicle in a parking lot adjacent to a park playing very loud music. He observed three males sitting next to the vehicle and one appeared to be smoking marijuana. The officer contacted the males and found that the owner of the vehicle was the man smoking. The officer's investigation led him to a search of the vehicle which produced a large amount of various narcotics packaged for sale, a scale, and other paraphernalia. The suspect was arrested. At 1 p.m. on the 1000 block of Girard Street, an officer responded to a residence where the homeowner had discovered that a skylight on the roof had been damaged by a bullet.

*On Feb. 14 at 4:52 p.m. in Crocker Amazon Park, an officer approached a baseball diamond on foot and was attacked by an intoxicated Hispanic male adult. The officer was able to handcuff the suspect after using a takedown technique and called for assistance. The suspect was placed under arrest. At 10:10 a.m. on the 200 block of Argonaut Avenue, a victim told an officer that a known suspect had called him and threatened to harm him if he did not give the suspect a large sum of money. The victim feared the threat may be carried out and reported the incident.

*On Feb. 15 at 12:04 a.m. on the 1600 block of Geneva Avenue while on patrol, a police lieutenant observed a suspicious adult male. The lieutenant engaged the suspect who discarded a vehicle CD player. Additional officers responded to the area and found a ransacked vehicle missing a CD player. The suspect had burglary tools in his possession and dropped his cell phone in the vehicle. At 1:25 p.m. on the 100 block of Brookdale Avenue, officers responded to a residence in public housing regarding a burglary call. They conducted an investigation and recovered a stolen television.

*On Feb. 16 at 8:37 a.m. at Blythdale Avenue and Hahn Street, officers Muro responded to a reported shots fired call. They met with a witness who said she heard about 10 shots outside, but did not see anyone. Other witnesses also reported hearing the shots. A police sergeant located several shell casings, but no victims of the shooting. At 2:08 p.m. at Leland Avenue and Peabody Street, officers were dispatched to the report of a theft from a vehicle. The victim said that he had been told by a passer-by that someone had been stealing items from his work truck. The victim saw that several tools were missing from the truck At 6:20 p.m. in McLaren Park, a report was prepared about a dog attack. The reportee said that he was walking his dog in the park when his dog was attacked by a pitbull dog. The reportee and the other dog’s owner exchanged information.

*On Feb. 19 at 5:43 a.m. on the unit block of Blythdale Avenue, officers were on patrol when they saw a vehicle which had illegal tint on its windows. When the officers attempted to pull the car over, the occupants exited the vehicle and ran. While the driver was trying to run, he appeared to drop a gun. The suspect picked the gun up and ran. Both suspects were lost in the area. At 12:15 p.m. on the 200 block of Rey Street, officers were on patrol when they saw a suspect from a prior incident in which he fled from officers in his car in the Bayview district. The suspect was arrested without incident. At 7:12 p.m. on the 200 block of Leland Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a dog bite. They met with the victim who said she was walking down the street when a dog ran out of a garage and bit her on her leg. The owner of the dog said that the dog got out by accident when he opened the garage door. The owner was issued a citation.

*On Feb. 20 at 2:56 p.m. at Bayshore Boulevard and Arleta Avenue, officers were dispatched to the report of a fight on a Muni bus. The incident began when a woman began challenging two other women to fight because she thought they were making fun of her. The woman then began to assault the two victims when they got off the bus at their stop. The suspect fled the scene but was later found by other police units. At 10:20 .p.m. on the 1000 block of Brussels Street, an officer met with the victim of a home invasion robbery at Bayview Station. The victim said that he and his family were at home when they heard a knock at the door. When the door was answered, three suspects stormed into the house, one armed with a gun. They rounded the residents into a room in the rear of the building and robbed them. They also ransacked the house before fleeing. The suspects were described as African-American males (all about 5’7" and 160 lbs.), wearing an orange sweatshirt, a grey sweatshirt, and a dark blue sweatshirt. A search of the area was conducted, but the suspects could not be found.

*On Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. on the 100 block of Tucker Avenue, officers received information that there was a stolen car inside a residential garage. The officers met with the elderly homeowner there and found the car stripped. They recovered the car and performed a probation search on a man in the house and found him to be in possession of ammunition, which is a violation of his probation. The man was arrested for this probation violation.

Police Summaries

*Jan. 28: 8:20 p.m.: Geneva and Brookdale Aves., vehicle collision

*Jan. 29: 11:50 a.m.: Felton and Gottingen Sts., stolen license plates.

*Jan. 29: 9:00 p.m.: 500 block of Carter St., stolen auto.

*Jan. 31: 00:01 a.m.: Bayshore Blvd. and Leland Ave., suspended driver.

*Jan. 31: 2:52 p.m.: 200 block of Blythdale Ave., recovered vehicle.

*Feb. 1: 06:45 p.m.: Sunnydale and Hahn St., suspended driver.

*Feb. 1: 11:14 p.m.: 100 block of Tucker Ave., recovered trailer.

*Feb. 3: 0:10 a.m.: 1800 block of Sunnydale Ave., recovered auto.

*Feb. 3: 09:40 a.m.: 400 block of Sawyer St., recovered auto.

*Feb. 4: 8:24 a.m.:1600 block of Sunnydale Ave., stolen auto.

*Feb. 5: 9:00 a.m.: Geneva and Carter St., traffic accident, hit and run.

*Feb. 5: 12:52 p.m.: 1200 block of Goettingen St., recovered auto.

*Feb. 6: 9:57p.m.: Visitacion and Mansell St., unlicensed driver.

*Feb. 7: 5:13 p.m.: Blythdale and Brookdale Aves., hit and run collision.

*Feb. 7: 5:32 p.m.: Unit block of Blythdale Ave., recovered auto.

*Feb. 9: 9:00 a.m.: 1600 block of Burrows St., lost license plates.

*Feb. 11: 9 a.m., 1000 block of Bowdoin St., stolen auto, '95 Infinity G20.

*Feb. 13: 7:30 a.m., 1200 block of Brussels St., traffic collision, hit and run.

*Feb. 15: 10:35 p.m., Geneva Ave. and Santos St., stolen auto.

*Feb. 16: 11:02 a.m., 200 block of Blythdale Ave., recovered truck.

*Feb. 18: 3:35 p.m., 1700 block of Sunnydale Ave., stolen/recovered auto.

*Feb. 20: 10:45 a.m., San Bruno and Arleta Aves., unlicensed driver.

*Feb. 21: 2:17 a.m., Leland Ave. and Hahn st., traffic collision.

*Feb. 21: 3:30 p.m., 100 block of Tucker Ave., recovered auto.

*Feb. 21: 11:56 p.m., 200 block of Hahn St., recovered plates.

*Feb. 22: 12:35 p.m., Sunnydale Ave. and Hahn St., unlicensed driver.

Captain David Lazar of ingleside Station and Captain Greg Suhr of Bayview Station contributed to this report.

Events in March at Valley Branch Library

Following are events in March at the Visitacion Valley Branch Library, 45 Leland Ave.

*Mar. 11, Thursday: Teen Duct Tape Workshop from 3:30 to 5 p.m. -- Celebrate Teen Tech Week and make a home for your cell phone out of duct tape. Learn how to use this low-tech material to make holders for all of your high-tech gear. For teens, ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415)355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org.

*Mar. 24, Wednesday: Container Gardening from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. -- Container gardening can provide a solution for the urban gardener with little space, as well as a new element to a garden that needs some rejuvenation. Join a workshop to discuss types of containers to use, and what kinds of soil and plants do best in them. In partnership with Garden for the Environment. This is a Green Stacks program.

*Mar. 25, Thursday: Teen Gaming Tournament from 3:30 to 5 p.m. -- SFPL’s Teen Services is hosting a city-wide Teen Gaming Tournament to celebrate Teen Tech Week! Gaming tournaments will be held at participating libraries throughout the city. The winner of this tournament will be invited to the Main Library on Friday, Mar. 26 for the championship play-offs and a chance to win a Nintendo DS! For teens, ages 12-18. For more information or to register, contact Abby at (415)355-2848 or aharwood@sfpl.org.

Free GED Class at Burton High School

Join the Bayview Beacon and City College of San Francisco at Burton High School on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon for free GED (General Educational Development) preparation classes.

No classes will be held March 27 and April 3. Call (415) 337-7991 to enroll.

Free Saturday Class at Garden for the Environment

Jump-start your spring garden with some homemade compost. Aside from giving veggies and flowers a healthy start, composting encourages beneficial organisms in the soil and can help break the life cycle of plant pests and disease. Join Garden For the Environment (7th Avenue at Lawton Street) for this fun, hands-on class teaching methods for backyard and worm composting on Saturday, Mar. 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Come learn what you can do to improve your garden without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and prevent organic waste from ending up in the landfill.

Saturdays are Special at Randall Museum

The Randall Museum offers drop-in, hands-on art and science workshops every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 199 Museum Way (off Roosevelt, above the Castro). Workshops are $3 per child; $5 for a parent and child combo. All kids under 8 must be with a paying adult. Call 554-9600 for further information.

*Mar. 6 - Construct your own animal sculpture from our abundant wood scrap supply

*Mar. 13 - Use rubber fish and experience the art of gyotaku, Japanese for fish printing.

*Mar. 20 - Celebrate Spring! Cut, glue and create your own personal fabric flag in a myriad of textures and colors.

*Mar. 27 - Experience the magic of paper marbling as you make marbled greeting cards using shaving cream and liquid watercolor.

Other regular Saturday activities include:

*Morning Family Ceramics from 10 to 11:30 a.m. ($5 per person workshop fee)

*Meet the Animals from 11:15 a.m. to 12 noon.

*Animal Feeding at 12 noon.

*Golden Gate Model Railroad Club Exhibit from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.