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| Check Presented
for New King Senior Housing
Friends, family and neighbors were on hand at the John King Senior Center the morning of July 2 when Christina Ha of Wells Fargo Bank presented the organization's board of directors with a check for $50,000 to commence construction on the new John King Senior Housing (JKSH). Soon slated for ground breaking, the
91-unit complex will be built on the north side of Raymond Avenue adjacent
to Sawyer Street where the Early Years Academy school is currently located.
When completed, JKSH will be an attractive, landscaped complex featuring
a new senior center to replace the current facility now located in the
Ridge View Methodist Church at the end of Leland Avenue.
Visitacion Valley to Celebrate Neighborhood Day Visitacion Valley will host its second annual Neighborhood Day on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the park on Visitacion Avenue at Cora Street. Festivities will also take place at the adjacent Visitacion Valley Family School on Leland Avenue and at the Elementary School on Schwerin Street. Celebrate Diversity was chosen as this year's theme in recognition of the community's successful coalition of many multi-racial groups. This day will serve as a model of how communicating and understanding reflects the idea: "together we can." Activities of the celebration will highlight the importance of diversity and promote the education of different cultures, while strengthening social ties and preparing the community for the new millennium. There will also be cultural foods, music, dance performances, and arts and crafts. Immunizations will be provided by Kaiser Permanente and the Department of Public Health as a community service. Informational booths will inform residents of various available services. For further information, call Ann Williams, 239-2877 or Christina Wong, 274-6763. Valley Greenway Project Gets Grants After three years of outreach in the community and working with the Mayor's Office and various non-profit organizations--most importantly the Trust for Public Land--the Visitacion Valley Greenway project has effected its first step in the eventual jurisdictional transfer of the Reis Tracts from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Recreation and Park Department. The strip of lots henceforth to be named the Visitacion Valley Greenway runs from Tioga to Leland Avenue. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the PUC and the Recreation and Park Department requires that an infrastructure consisting of pathways, irrigation and fencing be built on all the lots within five years or the land will revert to the PUC. A $500,000 grant from the State to the Recreation and Park Department has been designated for the Greenway. These funds will insure that the requirements of the MOU will be fulfilled much sooner than anticipated. More funding will be needed, but the Greenway is well on its way. A generous grant has also been received from the Friends of Recreation and Parks which provides funding for various neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Greenway infrastructure will be built mainly by the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners and the San Francisco Conservation Corps. Once it is in place, landscaping will be done over time by various community groups such as the Visitacion Valley Beacon and school classes from the surrounding area. The Greenway will function as an outdoor classroom and recreational area for intergenerational activities. Some of the elements which be will be incorporated into the design include: community and children's gardens; a native plant section; a children's play area; agriculture, street and orchard trees; and a senior pavilion/Tai Chi court; a corridor the length of the entire Greenway consisting of native and beneficial plants for pollinators; and a plaza on Leland Avenue. In the interest of safety, gates to the Greenway will be closed at night. Recent improvements on the two Arleta Avenue lots are due to the hard work of young people from the San Francisco Conservation Corps, the San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners and neighborhood community gardeners. Their work is much appreciated. Community design meetings will be announced as they are scheduled. On Saturday, Sept. 18 there will be a community potluck celebration at the Arleta/Teddy site. This year there is much to celebrate! Everyone is invited to participate! Valley Planning Alliance Conducts Neighborhood Survey by Fran Martin and Anne Seeman VISion, the Visitacion Valley Planning Alliance, continues to do outreach in the community in its efforts to establish a moratorium on all large scale development in Visitacion Valley until a Master Plan is created with the consensus of the community's residents. VISion is placing surveys in various sites in the Valley and going door to door asking neighbors what they would like to see in terms of small businesses, and neighborhood serving retail/services. In order to implement the findings of the survey, a petition is also being circulated to promote the creation of the Master Plan. In an effort to address the growing educational needs of the Valley, VISion has contacted City College officials who have expressed enthusiasm about creating a new extension in the Valley. The goals of VISion are to address the issues of transportation, traffic, education, ecology, jobs, urban sprawl, and affordable housing while protecting existing businesses and housing. Neighborhood reaction to the survey has been enthusiastic. The majority of the populace interviewed find the need for a produce/meat/fish/large scale market to be paramount. In general there is great desire for all kinds of retail businesses and increased social service facilities such as child care, after school programs, immigration and legal agencies, and a formal police resource center. There is also great concern that these services be bilingual. Overwhelmingly people are in favor of
a new library and a City College Extension for job training classes, ESL,
senior programs, and performing/visual arts classes. There is only one
location left in the Valley for such development which is at the Schlage
Lock site. We need to work together to educate ourselves about the pitfalls
of building a single use megastore accessed solely by automobile such as
Home Depot proposes at the Bayshore site. We need to build a mixed use
development that fulfills our community's needs.
VISion will keep the Valley residents informed as to the findings of the survey and upcoming community planning meetings. It is hoped that all who are interested will participate. Valley Receives Grants in Awards to Park Projects Butterfly gardens, benches made of guns, murals and computers comprised the range of projects recently funded by Friends of Recreation and Parks to San Francisco's neighborhood projects. At the Visitacion Valley Greenway Project, which received nearly $10,000 from the Friends to fund both an herbal garden and a fall community kick-off celebration, the grant augmented a recent $500,000 award from the state of California. Completion of the culinary garden, pathway and fencing is "imminent," according to Fran Martin, who co-chairs the Greenway Project along with Anne Seeman and Salvador Velasco. "It is being accomplished with the assistance of SLUG (San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners) and the S.F. Conservation Corps," explained Martin, "and will revitalize our neighborhood." Another grant is under the direction of teacher Gloria Minjars at Visitacion Valley Middle School Garden Environmental Educational Collaborative, where she has worked with McLaren Park Director Keith Grier to design, develop and publish a McLaren Park Field Guide. It will be ready for distribution in the fall and will include the history of the park, photos and descriptions of all plants, animals, insects and birds in the park. Created by 6th grade special education students, the guide will be used for the nature walks provided by the Recreation and Park Department and by the neighborhood schools that use the park as an outdoor classroom. Restoration of Turtle Marsh at McLaren Park is being funded with a $5,000 Friends grant to design an area cleanup, matched by in-kind volunteer work by the S.F. Conservation Corps, which is removing silt and sediment around a bridge. The marsh is an educational site for Kids in Parks, which brings students and teachers to McLaren. :The kids have learned how to make check dams in this area, which is listed by Rec and Park as significant natural area resource and is home of the rare San Francisco fork-tail damselfly," explained David Graves, who monitors the site and solicits other McLaren Park school and youth groups to involve themselves in the pond restoration. The Palega Tiny Tots Program also received a Friends grant for new toys, which added a new curriculum component to their heavily used program. In turn, parents donated one educational toy as a match. An additional award from Friends to Palega Playground provided a community bulletin board. Saint Mary's Recreation Center also received an award that will fund a creative arts and science project for inner city youth. Lunar, stellar and planetary observations through their newly acquired telescope will enable the group, which meets on Mondays with collaboration from the Planetarium, to take celestial excursions. "By laying down the foundation, the subject matter is springing to life as we actually observe the stars, sparking the imagination and opening up the infinite possibilities of our universe to the participants," explained program director Marjorie Johnson. Neighborhood Park Grants are available to groups or individuals interested in improving their neighborhood parks for special projects, programs, events or physical improvements. Awards are between $500 and $10,000. Deadline for the next proposal is Sept. 24. Ingleside Station Police Report To provide information on any of the following cases, phone 911 and give a complete physical description and case number to the police dispatcher. *On June 1 at 3:40 p.m., a male suspect was booked for being under the influence in public, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Case 990667289. *On June 1 at 4:42 p.m., a male suspect was booked for possession of narcotics paraphernalia and parole violation. Case 990667847. *On June 1 at 10:28 p.m., a male suspect was booked for possession of methamphetamines. Case 990668607. *On June 1 at 11:00 p.m., a male suspect was booked for possession of Crack Cocaine and parole violation. Case 990668936. *On June 2 at 6:50 p.m., (a male suspect was booked for possession of methamphetamines and outstanding warrants. Case 990673270. *On June 5 at 10:45 p.m., a male suspect was booked for possession of cocaine and parole violation. Case 990685902. *On June 6 at 2:10 a.m., officers responded to the 1700 block of Sunnydale Avenue on a report of an attempted arson. Private security had a male suspect detained due to the fact they had observed him throw a liquid substance at the building which smelled of gasoline. Officers discovered a Molotov cocktail near where the suspect had been detained and the suspect made a spontaneous statement claiming ownership of such firebomb and as to what he could do with it. The suspect was booked for possession of firebomb, attempted arson, aggravated assault, and attempted homicide. Case 990686336. *On June 7 at 7:00 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 1900 block of Sunnydale Avenue where a resident pointed out a male suspect who had been knocking on her door and would not leave. The officers detained the suspect and it was discovered that he had a no-bail warrant. The suspect was booked at Ingleside Station. Case 990689982. *On June 7 at 10:30 a.m., Ingleside officers responded to the area of 28th and Douglass streets in an attempt to locate a knife wielding robbery suspect which had occurred on the 5200 block of Diamond Heights Boulevard. The officers took a male suspect, who was still fleeing on foot, into custody. Two knives were discovered in the area which the suspect had discarded and food items were recovered. The suspect was booked for robbery and aggravated assault with a knife. Case 990691222. *On June 9 at 12:30 p.m., plain cloths officers were on the 200 block of Ney Street when they had contact with a male suspect who had a warrant for his arrest. Case 990699806. *On June 9 at 9:22 p.m., officers spotted a stolen car on Leland Avenue at Desmond Street. Officers arrested the male driver and later booked him for vehicle theft and warrants. Case 990585465. *On June 10 at 7:25 a.m., during a traffic stop, an officer found a male driver to be driving on a suspended license. The driver was also found in possession of crack cocaine. Case 990708021. *On June 10 at 8:37 p.m., officers responded to the area of Nevada and Powhattan on the report of an auto-boosting in progress. Officers found two male suspects stealing parts from a vehicle. Both subjects were arrested and cited for auto parts theft. Case 990678543. *On June 11 at 8:00 p.m., officers conducted undercover surveillance in the unit block of Kelloch Street and arrested a male suspect on an outstanding parole warrant for narcotics activity. Case 990712533. *On June 13 at 6:00 p.m., while officers were conducting a traffic stop on the 900 block of Geneva Avenue, it was discovered that the male driver had several outstanding warrants for his arrest. Case 990718161. *On June 14 at 1:55 a.m., on the 400 block of Cortland Street, officers arrived on a report of a robbery with a gun. The two suspects entered the business and told the patrons that the place was being robbed. Suspect #1 began to demand a ring from the victim and when the victim said no, he was shot in the arm. The suspects fled the scene taking cash. The victim was last listed in critical condition. Suspect #1: black male, 20-25 yrs., 6'2", 220 lbs., black hair, armed with a pistol. Suspect #2: black male, 20-25 yrs., 5'10", 180 lbs., black hair, wearing dark clothing and a mask. Case 990719238. *On June 14 at 4:00 p.m., on the 600 block of Brunswick Street, a male suspect entered a store and attempted to make a purchase. When the suspect was refused service he began to assault the victim with a metal rod and his hands. The suspect then pulled a shelf onto a small child in the store. The suspect then fled on foot. Suspect description was put out by Ingleside officers. Suspect was later detained by Daly City Police, and positively identified through a cold show. Case 990722526. *On June 14 at 9:56 p.m., undercover Ingleside officers responded to the unit block of Bache Street. The officers had prior knowledge that a male suspect had and outstanding warrant and he was taken into custody. Case 990723900. *On June 15 at 12:20 p.m., officers responded to the 5200 block of Diamond Heights Boulevard were a merchant had a male suspect in custody for theft. The officers discovered that the suspect had been convicted in the past for theft and also had a warrant. Case 990725837. *On June 16 at 2:15 a.m., officers discovered during a booking search that a male suspect who was being arrested for battery also had cocaine for sale on his person. Case 990728778. *On June 16 at 2:00 p.m., officers were on the 900 block of Girard Street on a burglary which had occurred earlier that day where jewelry and electrical items were taken. As the officers were conducting their investigation, evidence was discovered which led officers to the home next door to the victim. The officers spoke with a resident of the suspect home and were granted permission to search. Several of the stolen items were discovered in the basement and identified by the victims. A male suspect was booked for burglary and receiving stolen property. Case 990730660. *On June 16 at 10:35 p.m., officers observed a vehicle being driven at a high rate of speed in the area of Darmouth and Olmstead streets. The officers pursued the vehicle which stopped when it was involved in an accident and an attempt was made to take a male suspect into custody. The suspect attempted to hit the officers with his vehicle then drove off. The suspect fled and was taken into custody when he crashed into another vehicle injuring it's driver. The suspect was booked on multiple charges including a methamphetamine offense. Case 990732729. *On June 16 at 10:40 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of Sawyer Street where it was discovered that an unknown suspect had fired shots into a home. Several casings and rounds were collected. No suspect description available. Case 990732876. *On June 16 at 11:54 a.m. on Mission Street at Richland Street, a male suspect was arrested for an outstanding warrant while officers were conducting a suspicious activity complaint. Case 990029778. *On June 17 at 4:14 p.m. on the 100 block of Brookdale Avenue, officers took a male suspect into custody due to the prior knowledge that he was a parole-at-large and had prior knowledge of the warrant for his arrest. Case 990735660. *On June 18 at 10:40 a.m., a male suspect was booked for possession of crack cocaine which was in plain view in his vehicle which was double parked. Case 990742477. *On June 19 at 12:37 a.m., officers responded to Sunnydale Avenue and Santos Street on a report of a carjacking. The victim had been driving when he stopped behind a vehicle which was double parked. While waiting to go around the double parked vehicle several males surrounded his vehicle which prevented him from leaving. The suspect who had been driving a white vehicle stopped next to the victims vehicle, got out, and told the victim "I'm going to take your car." The victim exited his vehicle and ran. When he looked back his vehicle, the white vehicle, and all parties involved were gone. Suspect #1 described as a black male, 20-25 yrs., 5'5", 170 lbs., black hair, brown eyes. Case 990742712. *On June 20 at 10:30 a.m. on the 300 block of Sawyer Street, officers responded a stolen vehicle call with suspect information. The victim claimed that a male suspect took their car and it's keys without their permission. The suspect was discovered at home, brought officers to the vehicle, and admitted that he did not have permission to take the car. The suspect was booked for stolen auto and stolen property. Case 990747201. *On June 20 at 11:40 a.m., Ingleside officers assisted Daly City police on a search warrant on the 300 block of Prentiss Street. A methamphetamine laboratory was discovered in the garage. Two male suspects where both booked on multiple offenses relating to the discovery. Case 990746980. *On June 21 at 2:50 p.m., officers arrived on the 5200 block of Diamond Heights Boulevard where security had detained a male suspect for shoplifting. Officers accepted a citizens arrest and the suspect was cited and released. Case 990752028. *On June 21 at 5:00 p.m. at Sunnydale Avenue and Santos Street, an officer took a female suspect into custody as she wished to turn herself in for an outstanding warrant. Case 990753098. *On June 21 at 9:00 p.m., the Fire Department requested police assistance for a male suspect who was sitting in his vehicle on Moscow Street at Geneva Avenue with several open alcoholic beverages in his vehicle. The suspect passed a field sobriety but was arrested for several outstanding warrants. Case 990754171. *On June 22 at 3:00 p.m., Ingleside officers conducted a traffic stop where it was discovered that the male driver was driving on a suspended license and had an outstanding warrant. Case 990756826. *On June 23 at 12:00 p.m., An Ingleside officer arrived in the area of Mission Street at Precita Avenue where he observed two suspects matching the description of a theft which had just occurred on the 3100 block of Mission Street. The suspects got into a vehicle and were then detained by the officer. A cold show was conducted and a male suspect was identified as the suspect who committed the theft and the stolen property was recovered below the seat he had been sitting. The suspect was booked for theft with prior convictions. Case 990760833. *On June 23 at 4:50 p.m., officers on-viewed a verbal dispute on the 1700 block of Sunnydale Avenue. It was discovered that one party in the dispute, a male suspect, had an outstanding warrant. Case 990762312. *On June 24 at 8:45 a.m., the victim was walking on Richland Street at Leese when the suspect approached her from behind and snatched her purse from her arm. The suspect was described as a black male, 5'10", 165 lbs., black hair, wearing a nylon cap, t-shirt, black jersey with #30, and black nylon pants. The suspect was followed by a witness to Mission and Richland streets. Both the victim and the witness would be able to I.D. the suspect. Case 990764261. *On June 24 at 10:29 a.m. on 3000 block of Mission Street, the suspect was seen by the reportee to be placing earrings into her purse. When the reportee confronted the suspect she pretended that she was going to pay, ran out of the store, and into a vehicle which was parked in front of the store. The suspect was described as a black female, 20 yrs., black hair. Case 990764697. *June 24, 1999, 2:40 p.m. on the 4600 block of Mission Street the two suspects were seen leaving the store with a pair of shoes that had not been paid for. The following day an Ingleside officer observed the two suspects who fit the description walk into a bar. The reportee was brought to the suspects and they were positively identified and admonished per the reportee's request. Case 990766132. *On June 24 at 8:55 p.m., the victim was on a Muni bus at Geneva Avenue at Prague Street when a suspect grabbed him from behind and threw him to the floor then another suspect took the victims wallet from his pants. The victim was then hit and kicked until the suspects fled from the coach when the driver stopped. The three suspects were all described as black males, 15-20 yrs., wearing black jackets. Case 990767845. *On June 24 at 11:20 p.m., inspectors responded to the 800 block of Sunnydale Avenue. and took a male suspect into custody for a warrant. Case 990611753. *On June 25 at 2:38 a.m., the victim was waiting at the bus stop on Visitacion Avenue and Schwerin Street when the suspect approached him and demanded his money. The victim argued with the suspect briefly when the suspect took the victims wallet from his pants pocket then stabbed the victim on the right side of his stomach with a sharp object. The suspect was described as a black male 18-19 yrs., 5'08", skinny, and wearing black pants, sweatshirt, shoes, and beanie. Case 990768445. *On June 25 at 11:00 a.m., an officer arrived on the 100 block of 27th Street and spoke with the 82-year-old victim. The victim claimed that the night before she had asked a male suspect for help hanging up a curtain rod when he began yelling at her. When the victim asked the suspect to stop yelling at her he became enraged and pushed the victim with both of his hands causing her to fall to the floor. The victim screamed for help because she could not get up but the suspect left the room. The victim was transported to the hospital where she remained with a broken hip and the suspect was arrested later this day for elder abuse. Case 990769227. *On June 25 at 11:30 a.m. on the unit block of Ankeny Street, a witness observed two suspects leaving a residence on this block carrying a TV. When the witness asked what the suspects were doing the suspects fled to their vehicle (a red wagon), placed the TV on the rear of the vehicle and fled the scene striking a parked vehicle. When officers arrived it was discovered that the security bars over the kitchen window were bent and the window open. The suspects who were only described as black males left the home through the lower front door. Case 990769465. *On June 25 at 2:00 p.m. on the 900 block of Geneva Avenue, the suspect entered the establishment and when asked if he needed help he pushed the cashier aside and took cash from the register. The suspect then fled into a vehicle described only as an 80s blue van. The suspect was described as hispanic male, 30s, 6'04", 250 lbs., black shoulder length hair, black shirt, white pants. Case 990769982. *On June 26 between 12:00 a.m. and 10:18 a.m. on the 300 block of 29th Street, two apartments were burglarized. The two suspects who were both described as white males with baseball caps who apparently had access to the building which was unlocked due to ongoing construction. The suspects took linens and a dining room set. Case 990773836. *On June 26 at 9:05 a.m., the victims report that they were in their home on the unit block of Edinburgh Street when they heard several loud cracking noises from the downstairs rear of the home then the front door and gate close. The unknown suspect had kicked in the rear door then fled through the front of the home. The suspect did not take anything. Case 990773535. *On June 26 between 9:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m on the 900 block of Athens Street, the unknown suspect made entry into the home through the kitchen window and left through the rear door. The suspect took a safe which contained cash, jewelry, and banking information. Case 990775387. *On June 26 at 3:40 p.m., officers responded to Mission Street at Cortland Avenue where the victim was located. The victim had several lacerations to his face and stated that an unidentified suspect had hit him on the face with a bottle. Case 990774878. *On June 26 at 11:00 p.m., officers arrived on the 800 block of Geneva Avenue where a male suspect was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant. Case 990775923. *On June 26 at 4:44 p.m., officers arrested a male suspect for possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. The discovery was made during a traffic stop where some of the narcotics were in plain view of the officers. Case 990775036. *On June 27 at 10:38 a.m., the victim reported from the 100 block of Alemany Boulevard that she had her wallet taken from her purse, without her knowledge, which was hanging from her shoulder. No suspect description available. Case 990776824. *On June 27 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., the victim reported that on the 100 block of Juanita Way a bicycle was taken from his garage which had been left open. No suspect description. Case 990778416. *On June 28 between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on the unit block of Caine Street, the unknown suspect entered the backyard of a residence through an unlocked gate and took a bicycle. Case 990782865. *On June 28 at 6:45 p.m., officers were given a description of a robbery suspect and property taken which a witness had observed on the 2000 block of Bayshore Boulevard. The officers located a male suspect several blocks away and was positively identified by the witness. The victims property was located on the suspect and across the street from where he was arrested. No victim had been located however Bates was booked for robbery, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, and a warrant. Case 990784093. *On June 29 between 9:00 a.m. and 7:20 p.m. on the 100 block of Cotter Street, the unknown suspect attempted to gain entry into the garage of a residence by breaking the window on the garage door. The suspect was unsuccessful at opening the door. No loss reported. Case 990789128. *On June 29 at 2:49 p.m. on the 100 block of Monterey Boulevard, a male suspect was taken into custody for a warrant which was discovered during a traffic stop. Case 990787699. *On June 29 at 8:00 p.m., Officers observed a male suspect drinking in public at Alpha Street and Raymond Avenue. It was discovered that the suspect had a concealed knife on in his pocket as well at a crack pipe. The suspect was cited at the scene. Case 990789140. *On June 29 at 11:27 p.m., officers arrived on the 3300 block of Mission Street where a citizen was holding a prisoner for theft. Officers accepted the arrest of a male suspect and he was booked for theft with prior convictions and his parole was violated. Case 990788512. *On June 30 at 11:57 a.m., two men armed with chrome handguns entered the United States Post Office at 68 Leland Ave. and ordered the customers and employees to get on the ground. The suspects, both wearing bandannas over their faces, pointed their guns at everyone present, and one of the suspects then jumped over the counter and removed all the currency from the cash drawers. Both suspects then ran from the Post Office and were seen leaving the area in a copper (very dull) colored Oldsmobile Cutlass or Buick Regal, late 70s or early 80s vintage. The vehicle had mag rims and was possibly "lifted" in the rear. The witness obtained a partial license of 2U__89_. The suspects are described as: #1) black male, 20-30, 5'9", 180, wearing sunglasses and a blue bandanna on his face, with a black jacket and black pants; #2) black male, 20-30, 5'8", 170, wearing a blue bandanna on his face and a black beanie cap, white jacket and blue pants. Case 990791656. *On June 30 at 11:45 a.m., the victim who was a parking control officer had been conducting traffic control duties on Portola Drive at Bernett Street when a male suspect struck her with his vehicle when she refused to move from her post to let him go by. The suspect was booked for aggravated assault. Case 990791571. *On June 30 at 2:40 p.m. on the 100 block of Southwood Drive, the reportee stated that the suspect had entered the home through the front door by removing the hinges and knobs. No loss could be determined nor was there any suspect information. Case 990792115. *On July 1 at 9:55 a.m., the victim who resides on the unit block of Turquoise Street stated that the unknown suspect came into her home somehow in the last few months and took jewelry. Case 990795517. *On July 1 at 5:30 p.m., a male suspect was booked for loitering for controlled substance violation on the 100 block of Kelloch Street. Case 990798646. *On July 1, 1999 at 8:18 p.m., Ingleside officers made an arrest of a male suspect for burglary. The officers were notified by a burglary inspector that the suspect's prints were positive from a burglary inside of a residence which happened in the Ingleside where a witness observed the suspect, another known suspect, and their vehicle which was located and towed. Case 990636610. *On July 1 at 11:30 p.m on the 300 block of Precita Avenue, it was reported that the front door of a residence had been forced open. It was not able to determine if there was any loss at that time. Case 990799218. *On July 2 at 7:30 p.m on the 100 block of Tucker Street, the victim reported to police a burglary. It was determined that the suspect(s) entered the home through a rear door where a lower panel had been removed. The victim reported jewelry, clothing, and collector coins missing. The victim believed the suspect(s) might be his landlord due to an ongoing eviction. Officers discovered a note which read "That's what you get for not moving." Case 990803568. *On July 3 at 10:00 p.m. An Ingleside sergeant arrested a male suspect for an outstanding warrant. Case 990807388. *On July 3 at 10:50 p.m. on Cortland and Bennington Street, the victim was walking when he was approached from behind by a suspect who was pointing a shiny semi-automatic at him. The suspect demanded that the victim empty his pockets and put the items on the ground. The victim complied and the suspect pick up the victims wallet and cash. The suspect then fled on foot with two other suspects who were across the street. Suspect was described as a black male, 16-18 yrs., 6'0", 165 lbs.,wearing white t-shirt, and light colored pants, and armed with a firearm. The victim felt that he would be able to identify the suspect if seen again. Case 990807510. *On July 3 at 10:56 p.m. on Rutland Street and Leland Avenue, Ingleside officers were in their patrol vehicle when a vehicle which turned the corner at a high rate of speed narrowly hit them. The officers pursued the vehicle which they learned during the pursuit was a carjacking vehicle which had occurred in Daly City. The three suspects exited the vehicle at Fitzgerald and Hawes Street and were pursued on foot. Two male suspects were taken into custody. The third suspect was described as a Samoan female wearing dark clothing. Case 990807504. *On July 4 at 12:00 p.m. a resident reported on the 1700 block of Church Street that a washing machine in the common laundry area had been knocked over, pried open, and the coin box removed. No suspect description. Case 990808900. *On July 14 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the unit block of Florentine Street, the suspect removed the lock to the front iron gate then broke the window of the front door gaining entry to the home. Both bedroom doors were kicked in and cash and jewelry were taken. Case 990853842. *On July 7 at 6:00 p.m., a woman was stopped in her vehicle for a red light at Alemany and San Jose avenues when a second vehicle bumped into her from behind. The passenger in the second vehicle got out and approached the woman, and the passenger pointed a handgun at her and told her to get out of her car or he would shoot her. The driver of the second vehicle then yelled out, "Shoot her," and the victim got out of her car. The suspect with the gun then got into the victim's vehicle and drove it away, followed by the second suspect, who was still driving the second vehicle. The first suspect (with the gun) is described as a Hispanic male, 20-25, 6'0", 200, wearing a white baseball cap, black sweatshirt and black jeans. The second suspect is described as a black male, 20-25, 6'0", 200, wearing a black sweatshirt and black jeans. The suspect vehicle is described as a 1987 Chevy Camaro, burgundy in color, with "very old paint." The victim's vehicle was later located by the SFPD on the 300 block of Gaven Street in the Bayview District. Case 990823425. *On July 15 between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. on the 700 block of Naples Street, the suspect pried open the metal gate then climbed through an open window. Each bedroom door which was locked was pried open with a knife and jewelry and clothing were taken. No suspect description available. Case 990857838. *On July 15 between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m, the victim who resided on the unit block of Calgary Street was approached by the suspect "Lisa" at the front of his home. Lisa stated that she worked for a nursing agency and requested to see the victims medications. While the victim retrieved his medications he observed Lisa go to his dresser twice. After Lisa left the victim was asked by his wife where the rent money which had been on the dresser was. Suspect is described as a black female, 30 yrs., 5'11", black hair, brown eyes, long mid-back length hair, green/gray dress, and claiming to be from "West Bay Home Health Services." Case 990862081. *On July 15 at 7:21 p.m. at Mission and Persia streets, the victim was walking when the suspect who had been on a bicycle grabbed the victim, threw him to the ground, and began going through his pockets demanding the money the victim owed him. The suspect took the victims cash and fled on foot and a witness got on the bicycle and rode away. Suspect described as Hispanic male, 19-21 yrs., 5'10", 175 lbs., black hair, blue eyes, goatee and mustache, black hooded sweatshirt, and black pants. Case 990858682. *On July 16 at 10:58 a.m., the victim reported on the 1600 block of Alemany Boulevard that the day prior he had left his home for a few hours and left the back door open but the screen door locked. The victim discovered that his life savings was missing from his security box and that the screen door had been taken from it's hinges. No suspect description available. Case 990860922. *On July 16 at 11:40 a.m. on the 4440 block of Mission Street, the victim returned to his business to discover the door handle missing and the door open. No loss reported and no suspect description. Case 990860875. *On July 16 at 7:20 p.m., the suspect entered the store located on the 4600 block of Mission Street. Security watched the suspect put items into a shopping bag. When the suspect was confronted the suspect pepper sprayed the security and after a brief struggle fled the store to a waiting 1960s model vehicle with a white camper shell on a yellow body. The suspect was described as a black female, 30 yrs., 6'0", 180 lbs., black/brown braided hair, wearing a black jacket, and light colored pants. Case 990863534. *On July 17 at 1:39 a.m., the victim who worked on the 3300 block of Mission Street discovered her purse in a store aisle which had been in her employee locker. A surveillance camera captured a video of the suspect who entered the locker room then exiting placing something in his jacket. The loss was cash and credit cards. Suspect described as an Hispanic male, 18-22 yrs., wearing black knit hat, tee-shirt, blue nylon jacket, plaid shirt, tennis shoes. Case 990864394. *On July 18 at 12:06 p.m. on the 4800 block of Mission Street, the victim placed a cash bag next to his register and helped a customer for a few minutes. He returned a few minutes later and discovered the cash bag missing. The victim described the suspects as: #1: black male, 17-19 yrs., 5'04", 140 lbs., black hair, brown eyes, wearing red jacket and hair in a pony tail; #2: black male, 17-18 yrs., same physical, wearing purple shirt, blue jeans, with long hair. Case 990869297. *On July 18 at 11:00 p.m. on the 400 block of Andover Street, the victim was unloading his car from a trip and upon returning to his car for another parcel discovered a garment bag missing. No suspect description available. Case 990871151. *On July 19 between 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Silver Avenue, the unknown suspect broke a window pane on a door. When the victim returned home he found the front door open however nothing was missing from his home. Case 990876048. *On July 19 at 8:45 a.m. on Naples and Excelsior, the victim left his bicycle inside of a store and upon returning discovered the suspect riding away on the bike. The suspect was described as an Asian male, 13-15 yrs., 5'9", 150 lbs., wearing red cap, green jacket, black pants. Case 990872422. *On July 19 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on the 300 block of Melrose Street, the suspect pried open the iron gate and door gaining access to the home. Cash and credit cards were taken and the suspect fled the home through a window in the kitchen. No suspect description available. Case 990873997. *On July 20 at 6:45 p.m. on the unit block of Vienna Street, the victim was about to open her front door when she felt tugging on her purse. As she turned the suspect pulled her purse and fled into an 1980s blue toyota corolla with a partial plate of 1LGZ44-. The loss was credit cards, cash, and a cellular phone. The suspect described as a black male, 25-29 yrs., 5'11", 200 lbs., bald, wearing a blue t-shirt. Case 990880613. *On July 20 at 8:33 p.m., the victim reported he was on the #52 Excelsior bus at Moscow and Amazon streets when the suspect approached him and asked for his skateboard. When the victim said "no," the suspect grabbed the board and fled the bus. The victim chased and caught the suspect and they struggled. The suspect then pulled the victim's backpack from him and fled. The victim and a witness discovered the backpack a block away with all of it's contents. Suspect described as a black male, 14-15 yrs., 5'6", 140 lbs., black hair, brown eyes, wearing gold hoop earring in left ear, blue/black jacket, black pants, black shoes. Case 990881019. Mayor Proposes Extending Rental Eviction Protections Mayor Willie Brown on July 13 announced he would seek assistance from legislators in Sacramento in extending protections for tenants facing evictions in owner move-in situations. The so-called "Three and Three" proposal would extend eviction notice times from 30 days to 3 months in cities with very low vacancy rates and would increase the relocation costs paid to tenants by new owners from $1,000 to $3,000. "I am well-aware that tenants in San Francisco are anxious about our housing crunch and particularly about their vulnerability to eviction," said Brown. "Increasing both the time tenants have to find a new place of residence and the one-time relocation payment from new owners should help cushion the blow." The extension of owner move-in eviction notices would require a change in state law, specifically a change to the State Civil Code. Increasing the relocation costs paid to tenants would require an amendment of a local ordinance. Brown noted that the "three and three" proposal would apply to owner move-in evictions only, and "not to evictions for cause, such as non-payment of rent and lease violations." Currently, a bill by Sen. John Burton is being debated in the state Legislature that would increase the eviction notification requirements to anywhere from 120 days to one year for tenants being evicted under the so-called Ellis Act. Currently, under the Ellis Act, in which a building is permanently removed from the market is 60 days. Brown is supportive of Burton's bill. "I will be asking Sen. Burton, Assemblywoman Carole Migden, and Assemblyman Kevin Shelley to assist us in our efforts to modify state law," Brown said. The "three and three" proposal was welcomed by Joseph Grubb, executive director of the Rent Control Board. "The mayor's proposal provides real relief and breathing room for those tenants facing an owner move-in eviction," Joe Grubb said. "Tenants will have more time to find the right apartment as opposed to now having to scramble for the first thing they can find within 30 days. "The increase in the relocation costs will be more in line with the true costs of having to move to and undoubtedly face a higher rent, particularly in this very tight housing market. This proposal will make the difference for many tenants, with respect to what they can afford to move in to and will provide a cushion of support that is vitally needed," Mr. Grubb said. Grass Fire at McLaren Park A stubborn, afternoon fire burned more than a dozen acres of grass July 2 near Mansell Street in McLaren Park. Although the flames threatened one nearby home, firemen had the blaze under control within an hour. San Francisco in the 1960s KRON-TV looks at San Francisco during the 1960s in the eighth of 12 monthly primetime documentaries chronicling the past 150 years in the Bay Area to air Wednesday, Au. 18 at 9 p.m. on Channel 4. The one-hour program will be repeated on Sunday, Aug. 22, 29, Sept. 5 and 12 at 8 p.m. on BayTV (Channel 35 on most Bay Area cable systems). Funding Requested for New Valley Child Care Center A request was recently submitted to HUD for the release of $100,000 to begin putting together a new child care center to replace a facility on Raymond Avenue soon to give way to a senior housing complex. Funds designated for the Visitacion Valley Child Care Center, to be located at 130 Tucker Ave., would be combined with funds from other sources by S.F. Recreation and Park Department. The project cost is estimated at $650,000 with all sources combined. The new development calls for the installation of a licensable child care facility for up to 40 children on approximately three-fourths of an existing, vacant, City-owned parcel on the south side of Tucker Avenue, one parcel west of Rutland Street. Included is the installation of two modular classroom units totalling 2,500 square feet, a rampway between the modular units for handicap access, an outdoor lawn and paved play space, perimeter landscaping, and two vehicular spaces that would be used exclusively as a pick-up/drop off area. This site would be bounded on the west, east and south sides by a six-foot wooden fence, and by a six-foot metal picket fence planted with vines on the north edge. The remainder of the parcel would be reserved for future development as a public open space. A time-restricted zone to serve as a second pick-up and drop off area is proposed along Rutland Street at Tucker Avenue, and would include the addition of crosswalks and four-way stop signs at the intersection. Olive Garden Donates Meals to S.F. Community Food Bank Christmas came in July for the San Francisco Food Bank with the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant's donation of a refrigerated trailer filled with food. Olive Garden made the donations as part
of its team sponsorship of the American Le Mans Series race at Sears Point
Raceway on July 25.
Securing refrigerated trucks has become a national focus for the Second Harvest Food Bank network of which San Francisco is a member. Working with national and local food producers, San Francisco Food Bank's mission is to end hunger in the City by distributing more than 12 million pounds of donated food annually through a network of 400 human service agencies. Ever day, up to 22,000 meals are served to families and individuals in need. "This donation is extremely significant since the trailer truck will allow us to collect and distribute much-needed fresh foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, which are important for the nutritional requirements of the people we serve," said Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank. "We all must do more to address the needs of the hungry in our community. We welcome Olive Garden as a partner in our drive against hunger." S.F. Students Shine on STAR Test Building on a positive trend of increased academic achievement for the seventh year in a row, students in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) posted substantial gains on the STAR test, California's new standardized exam administered to all public school students grades 2 through 11. SFUSD students scored higher in 29 of
the 43 categories, with math and language scores at or above national average
in every grade. Test scores remained the same as last year in nine categories,
while just five of the 43 testing categories saw a drop in scores.
"Our expertise shows that smaller class size in the lower grades and the extended school day for grades 6-9 are having a direct impact on academic achievement," said Linda Davis, interim SFUSD superintendent. "Students now receive more quality teaching time and personalized instruction, which is reflected in their strong showings in language, math and science. We are especially proud of the hands-on, minds-on approach our teachers use to engage students in learning. We are grateful for the successful partnerships we have developed with businesses and institutions like the Exploratorium, the California Academy of Sciences and local universities." S.F. School Board President Juanita Owens also praised students for their progress. "I am very proud of the gains San Francisco public schools have made on this year's STAR test. Our students are doing excellent in math. In the area of language, their test scores went up at every grade level, with only one grade falling short of the national average. There is always more to do, and more funding needed to do it, but our students are still making great progress. We will be analyzing the test data carefully to see how we can improve on this positive trend." The SFUSD administered the SAT-9 test to nearly 40,000 or 91 percent of its students. Of those tested, 8,760 or 20 percent are Limited English Proficient (LEP) students who have had more than 30 months of English instruction or were recommended by a teacher or parent as ready to be tested in English. Another 4,000 LEP students with less than 30 months of English were exempted from taking the test, a policy that is consistent with national testing standards and which was upheld in court last year. The California Legislature is also considering a bill to amend the state's policy of exempting LEP students. A list of test scores by national percentile rankings is available for each of the San Francisco public schools at: www.stusd.edu Individual student scores were mailed home to parents in mid-July. Muni Metro Improvement Program Achieves Second Milestone Muni Metro continued to make improvements in service in April and May, achieving the second milestone of the Muni Improvement Program. This marks the second time that Muni has been able to demonstrate system improvements since October 1998, when the improvement Program began. "We're seeing steady improvement in Metro service," said Muni General Manager Michael T. Burns. "Muni Metro employees have continued to put their efforts into making service more reliable, and, incrementally, it's paying off for our riders." Mayor Willie Brown also praised the progress while noting that improvements still remain. "I'm proud to join Muni in announcing these improvements. We need to congratulate ourselves on what we've achieved, and recognize what still remains to be accomplished. We've got to keep our eye on the third milestone that will make a significant difference for San Francisco riders." The milestone measurement period ended on May 31. During this period, the average number of cars in service reached 85, up from 84 at the end of March. The average line failure lasted approximately 20 minutes, down from 29 minutes, and average on-time performance hit 80 percent, climbing from 72 percent. The most dramatic improvement occurred in the number of line delays, which decreased from 671 in March to 540 at the end of May, and significantly exceeded the goal of 740 delays per month. For the baseline period, which spanned September 1998, Muni Metro averaged 72 cars in service, with an average line failure of 40 minutes, and approximately 1,200 line failures for the month. On-time performance sat at 55 percent. "We were able to achieve those improvements by taking unreliable cars out of service," explained Burns. "Historically, Muni has concentrated on every available car each day. But when we look at maintenance records, it's clear that the same few cars are causing a large percentage of the delays. We're getting these non-performing cars out of service, and getting them truly fixed." Other efforts that contributed to the improvements include additional training for vehicle and central control operators and maintenance staff, traffic control at West Portal, and improved line management processes. In the coming months, the Improvement Program will continue to implement improvements that focus on system reliability. "At this point, we understand that the key to improving the system is getting reliable vehicles out on a realistic schedule," said Dale Duncan, project manager for the Improvement Program. "Michael Burns has announced his commitment to addressing the schedule, and at then operations level we are addressing the vehicle issues." On June 4, the first Boeing car went into the emergency retrofit program designed to make the older Metro vehicles more reliable until they can be replaced. A campaign is also starting to increase the reliability of the newer Breda cars. Both initiatives are necessary to bring the car count up to 95 by the end of August. Other areas of improvement include: increased purchase and distribution of parts to maintenance facilities; monitoring of vehicle problems to prevent repeat failures; line management support at central control and throughout the system; and new signage to help riders navigate the system. The Improvement Program's next and final milestone measurement period begins Aug. 30 and ends Sept. 30, 1999. The Muni Metro Improvement Program will continue to support Muni in maintaining improved service levels through the end of the year. Safety on Muni Top Priority Muni General Manager Michael T. Burns recently issued the following statement: "Muni's safety record is of great concern to me, as it is to the Mayor and all San Franciscans. Unsafe drivers have no place in this transit agency, and I intend to see that Muni abides by and exceeds industry standards for drivers' safety records. My charge as the new General Manager of Muni is to take my 20 years of experience and rebuild the system from top to bottom, with the resources and support provided to me by the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors. As I tackle Muni's various problems, safety will always be my No.1 priority. We are currently reviewing our system safety and training departments--which were starved for personnel and resources over the past decade--and tightening up our accident policies. In addition, Mayor Willie L. Brown,
Jr. has called for, and I support an independent review of all serious
Muni accidents.
I will not rest until our accident rates drop, our drivers are adequately trained and reliable, and Muni regains the public's trust with regard to system safety." HUD Report Shows America's Inner Cities Hold Tremendous Economic Promise President Clinton released a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report July 6 showing that America's inner city neighborhoods--with $331 billion in annual retail purchasing power--hold major economic potential for retail business growth. The HUD report is titled New Markets: The Untapped Retail Buying Power in America's Inner Cities. It concludes that retailers can find major profit-making opportunities in low- and moderate-income inner city neighborhoods, which it calls "undiscovered territories for many businesses." "This new report shows that when businesses invest in our nation's inner cities, they can increase profits and benefit communities at the same time," said President Clinton. "By working in partnership with business, we can make our strong national economy even stronger and create new jobs and new opportunity for millions of Americans." The two major findings of the HUD report are: *America's inner city neighborhoods possess enormous retail purchasing power, estimated at $331 billion last year, or one-third of the $1.1 trillion total for the central cities in which those neighborhoods are located. The report suggests that businesses not yet operating in inner cities should not ignore that large domestic market. *Despite their huge buying power, many of America's inner city communities are "under-retailed," with sales that fall significantly short of residents' retail purchasing power. The report makes clear that not only is there a large inner city consumer market worth competing for, but there is also room for expansion of that market. The report finds that many inner city neighborhoods suffer from "out-shopping." These neighborhoods simply have too few retail stores to meet the demand and tap the buying power of their own residents. As a result, many shoppers make a large number of their purchases in suburban malls, by mail order, and increasingly over the Internet. The HUD study also highlights two gaps--capital and information--that hold back the growth of inner city economies. The capital gap deprives inner city businesses of the investment dollars they need to set up shop and expand. The information gap deprives businesses of vital market information they need to establish retail stores that can succeed by meeting the shopping needs of inner city residents. Vice President Al Gore, who chairs the Community Empowerment Board and has played a key role in the Administration's initiatives to revitalize communities,, said the HUD report shows that "the best way to reverse decades of decline in America's cities is to attract new businesses and new jobs to bring people and prosperity to every corner of our nation." HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo said: "Increased business investment can transform many inner cities from places left behind by the new economy into places leading the way to economic success. This investment will bring shoppers, billions of dollars in consumer spending, and new jobs to urban America." President Clinton began a Mew Markets Tour on July 5 visiting six economically distressed urban and rural areas that represent untapped markets. The President led a bipartisan delegation of corporate CEOs, Members of Congress and Cabinet Secretaries on the tour of communities that can grow their economies if they receive capital investment. The communities are: Annville and Hazard, KY; Clarksdale, MS; East St. Louis, IL; Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, SD; Phoenix, AZ; and Los Angeles and Anaheim, CA. The President is proposing tax incentives and investment tools that will make it more attractive for corporate America to search for opportunities in inner cities and distressed rural communities. The President's proposals build on Clinton-Gore Administration initiatives that seek to remove remaining barriers to business development in new markets. These barriers include access to capital and technical expertise, as well as better market information. When joined to existing programs with a proven track record in community development, the President's new initiatives can stimulate private investment and bring the full benefits of America's unprecedented economic expansion to communities in need. The HUD report said the President's initiatives will "connect Wall Street to Main Street" and "join the great engine of American capital and entrepreneurship to the places where people are ready to work but not yet employed, ready to buy but not yet served adequately by businesses." The report also says inner cities have many overlooked business advantages, among them: significant and concentrated spending power of large numbers of residents, an available and trainable labor pool, an excellent central location at the hub of metropolitan transportation networks, and underutilized land. As an example of the business opportunities created by high population density, the report points out: "Harlem's estimated retail demand for food and apparel of $116 million per square mile per year is more than twice the New York metro area rate of $53 million; retail demand per square mile in inner-city Boston is six times as great as in the Boston metro area as a whole; and the Super Stop and Shop store in Boston's inner city is the highest grossing of that company's 186 supermarkets." The study focuses on the retail buying power and sales patterns in the 539 U.S. central cities--the principal cities of metropolitan areas--and specifically on the low-income, inner-city neighborhoods within those central cities. It highlights the enormous potential waiting to be tapped in economically distressed communities. The report says: "clear profit potential is attracting a handful of major retailers to tap the gold mine of urban markets. often in the inner city. Sears, Roebuck & Company has dramatically expanded its urban presence in the last few years. With annual sales of $75 million to $100 million each, these center city stores are grossing triple the company average. K-Mart's SuperK store in Oakland reports sales 50 percent higher than for comparable stores in the chain, and the Food Locker outlet in Harlem has sales exceeding $1,000 per square foot." America's untapped markets are not limited to inner cities, the report says. The record breaking economy presents America with the opportunity to boost markets in rural America that have been mired in poverty and joblessness for decades, such as those in Appalachia, the Mississippi Deltas, and Indian Country. In coming months, HUD will issue a report on the market potential in rural America. "Thanks to the information revolution and other economic trends, businesses are increasingly mobile," the report says. "A wider array of businesses can reach their customers from strategic rural locations that offer competitive advantages, such as inexpensive land, lower average labor costs, and more." The report points out, for example, that on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, in the poorest county in the nation with a poverty rate of 63 percent in the most recent census, there is $60 million in retail buying power each year. In the Mississippi Delta, where poverty was almost 21 percent in 1995, counties have $95.7 billion in retail purchasing power. And in the counties that make up the Kentucky Highlands in Appalachia where the poverty rate in 1995 was 33.5 percent, residents have more than $1.3 billion in retail purchasing power. The report concludes: "The opportunities highlighted in this report are significant for inner-city neighborhoods and for America. Pent-up, unmet demand--and the density of that demand--in new urban markets, presents us with a chance to further two of our most important goals as a Nation: first, to extend the record-breaking economic expansion by identifying new profit opportunities and room for growth; and second, to extend the fruits of that expansion to all Americans, especially those who have yet to be lifted fully in the Nation's extraordinary rising tide." From the D.A's Office Landlord Sentenced for Violating Rent Ordinance George Hoffberg, owner of a Russian Hill apartment house known as Tudor Hill, located at 1111-1133 Green St., pled no contest to one count of attempting to unlawfully evict a tenant in violation of the San Francisco Rent Ordinance, and one count of violating the San Francisco Housing Code. Hoffberg, the first landlord to be convicted under the city's Rent laws, was arrested Dec. 22, 1998 on a 22-count misdemeanor complaint. He was sentenced to 30 days in the County Jail, payment of $20,000 in criminal fines, and payment of $500 to the Victims Indemnity Fund. In addition, Hoffberg has been placed on three years probation under the terms and conditions designed to strictly monitor his conduct as a landlord in San Francisco. The terms and conditions of probation, which if violated will result in Hoffberg automatically serving 6 months in jail, prohibit Hoffberg from engaging in a variety of activities, including, but not limited to: 1) unlawfully attempting to evict any tenant; 2) imposing illegal rent increases; 3) imposing garbage return fees; 4) renting space at Tudor Hill under any type of commercial lease; 5) renting space for any purpose whatsoever which is deemed uninhabitable by the City and County of San Francisco; 6) attempting any Ellis Act evictions at Tudor Hill during the time that Hoffberg has any ownership interest in the property during the term of probation; 7) failing to cure housing code violations within 30 days of notice; and 8) harassing tenants for purpose of getting them to move out. Levi Strauss Employee Arrested for Embezzlement A long term employee of the San Francisco-based clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss has been arrested on charges of embezzling more than $224,000 from the company. Diane C. Mancini, charged with grand theft and six counts of tax fraud, surrendered June 24 to district attorney investigators of the Special Prosecution Unit. It is alleged that Mancini, employed as an administrative assistant in the customer relations department at Levi Strauss since 1988, embezzled the money between February 1996 and September 1998. She illegally double-billed expenses to the company and charged personal expenses to the company credit card. The scheme was discovered by internal investigators for Levi Strauss and it was in turn reported to the District Attorney's office. The arrest of Mancini caps a four-month joint investigation by the State of California Franchise Tax Board and District Attorney's office. Action Against Cellular Phone Retailer Settled The Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit of the District Attorney's office, in conjunction with the Santa Clara County District Attorney Office has reached a settlement of a civil action against Mobius Investments, Inc., doing business as Cellular Connection, Inc., a Bay Area retailer of cellular equipment and service. There are 13 Bay Area Cellular Connection stores and it is the largest local CellularOne dealer. The civil lawsuit and settlement documents were filed in the San Francisco Superior Court on June 25, 1999. The complaint alleges that between January and October 1998, Cellular Connection advertised various offers for phone equipment and Cellular One service without clearly disclosing all costs, limitations, and qualifying terms and conditions, which applied to the offers. Without admitting liability or wrongdoing, Cellular Connections, Inc. consented to a civil judgement which included provisions and the award of $55,000 in civil penalties and costs. Representatives for Cellular Connection were cooperative and responsive throughout the investigation and took steps prior to the settlement to bring their advertising into compliance with advertising laws. Local Service Station Stopped from Issuing Fraudulent Brake Certificates to San Francisco Taxicabs S.F. District Attorney Terence Hallinan announced July 6 that his Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit has obtained a preliminary injunction prohibiting Potrero Service Station, located at 998 Potrero Ave., and its president, Gerald Lin, from issuing brake certificates during the pendency of the litigation. The pleadings filed in support of the application for the injunction allege that 10 taxicabs with brake certificates from Potrero Service had defective emergency brakes when tested by the taxicab unit of the San Francisco Police Department at the airport. Four undercover vehicles were sent to the service station by the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) after Sgt. Stu Molvar of the SFPD taxi unit reported the taxis with defective brakes, and certificates from Potrero. All four undercover cars were sent to the station as salvaged vehicles, which require brake certificates before they can operate on the public roadways. Each of the four bad defective brakes, which, according to Felix Fortugaliza stated that the brake drums on the four cars had been machined so that they were too thin, and would overheat during use. The overheating could cause the brakes to fail. Potrero released the four cars with brake certificates, attesting to the safety of the brakes, without disassembling their brakes to even initiate the state required inspection that must take place before certificates can issue. The District Attorney's Office argued that the violations set forth in the extensive pleadings and declarations filed in support of the motion were so flagrant that Mr. Lin and the Potrero Service Station should be prohibited altogether from conducting brake service and repair during the pendency of the litigation. Judge David A. Garcia, however, refused to extend the injunction that far, and prohibited only the issuance of brake certificates. District Attorney Hallinan stated that "We wanted to stop this dangerous practice as soon as possible before these violations caused a horrific accident. Tourists and other residents in San Francisco need to know they are traveling in safe vehicles." Local Sprout Manufacturer Charged with Unfair Business Practices District Attorney Hallinan announced July 9 that his Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit filed a civil lawsuit for unfair business practices against FLP, Inc., which does business as Silver Sprouts, located at 1069 Pennsylvania Ave. The lawsuit alleges that bean sprouts are processed by the San Francisco company under conditions which are unsanitary, and are in violation of the California Sherman Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Food Sanitation Act, as well as of the Good Manufacturing Practices which are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the company,which had been in business in San Francisco for over 10 years, stipulated to a temporary restraining order which requires extensive testing of the water used to irrigate and wash the sprouts during various stages of the growing and processing. The tests are for bacteria and indicators of contamination. A preliminary injunction was set for hearing on July 15 in the San Francisco Superior Court. In the meantime, the testing, reporting, and cleaning required under the restraining order remained in effect. Dr. Jeffrey Farrar, a Food and Drug scientist for the state, has filed a declaration in the case, stating that bean sprouts pose a significant public health threat when they are improperly processed, handled, packaged, or distributed. He states: "Pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli 0157.H7, and Bacillus cereus, have been repeatedly associated with consumption of sprouts in numerous outbreaks in the United States and other countries. For some of these pathogens, such as E. coli 0157.H7, only a few organisms may be necessary to cause severe illness." The recent discovery of salmonella bacteria in Dixon, California, which has been traced to sprouts, confirms the recognized danger presented by these "health foods" when they are not processed under sanitary conditions. State representatives have been meeting with the FDA, in an effort to draft national legislation to set standards for cleanliness in this industry because of the particular danger posed by sprouts to the public which eats them raw. Candy Store Worker Arrested on Warrant A sticky-fingered candy store worker, wanted for the theft of $110,000 from a well-known confectioner, surrendered to police, S.F. District Attorney Hallinan announced July 16. Arsenio M. Solon was booked on an arrest warrant from the Special Prosecutions Unit of the District Attorney's Office and, if convicted could face up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Hallinan applauded the arrest and declared that this kind of white collar crime will continue to be a high priority for his office. "Every year San Francisco businesses lose millions of dollars to crooks such as this," said Hallinan. "This is a classic embezzlement scam committed by a trusted employee of a local small business. The impact of these crimes extend beyond the targeted business, causing higher prices to consumers and lost tax revenues for the City as well." Solon is charged with embezzling the money from renown San Francisco candy king Joseph Schmidt over a four-month period. Solon, who worked in the shipping department, stole company checks made payable to a vendor and them signed them with the forged name of a company official. Solon then deposited the checks into his own bank account via ATM machines. Solon is charged with grand theft, forgery and tax fraud for not reporting the stolen money on his state income tax returns. Deadly Firebug Gets 20 Years to Life A second-degree murder conviction was announced July 28 for an arsonist who set an apartment fire that left 48 people homeless and an elderly woman dead. "I am pleased with this latest homicide conviction and proud of the hard work by our office, particularly Assistant District Attorney Al Giannini who feverishly worked to bring this case to a just conclusion and ensure the safety of all San Franciscans," said District Attorney Hallinan. "Arson is an especially heinous crime, given its potential to become deadly and uncontrollable, as is this case." The sentence represents the 15th homicide conviction in a row for the San Francisco District Attorney's Office which has not lost a murder trial in over a year. The defendant in this case, Darryl Geyer, was sentenced to 15 years to life on the murder charge plus another 5-year prison term for arson in connection with a 1996 fire at a Bush Street apartment building. The sentences mean Geyer faces 20 years to life, with the possibility of parole. Geyer has long had a compulsive urge to light fires but the last one he set fatally roared out of control, destroying a multi-unit apartment building and causing a 75-year old woman to leap to her death from a fourth-floor window. 'While expecting Geyer to spend all, or substantially all, of his life in prison, it seems appropriate not to deprive him of hope," said Assistant District Attorney Al Giannini, who prosecuted the case. "And that is all the possibility parole is: hope." Saturdays are Special at Randall Museum The Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (off Roosevelt, above the Castro) offers drop-in, hands-on art and science workshops every Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Workshop sign-ups begin at 12:30 p.m. All ages are welcome but children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Museum admission is free; $4 per person workshop fee. Call 554-9600 for more information. *Aug. 7: Atmospheric Gases - Dale Pooley will explore the magical, mysterious and often explosive nature of gases that make up our atmosphere, and make a hot air balloon, too! *Aug. 14: Totally Turtles - Carol Preston will introduce live land, pond and desert turtles, and Denise Treanor will show participants how to make a ceramic turtle to take home. *Aug. 21: Ceramic Tiles and Trivets - Dennis Treanor will demonstrate how to work with texture and surface decoration when making tiles and trivets out of clay. *Aug. 28: Blueprint Silhouettes - Chris Boettcher will lead a workshop on how to use old blueprint paper to make full-sized shadowgrams of yourself with your favorite objects. *Sept. 4: Clay Applique Boxes - Join Dennis Treanor and learn how to build a clay box and decorate it with "coil and dot" applique decoration and impressed-and-incised "beaker ware" designs. *Sept. 11: Marvelous Magnets - Julie Selden will invite participants to experiment with the forces of nature using electromagnets and batteries, and then show everyone how to make an electromagnet to take home. *Sept. 18: Paper Bag Hats and Magic Wands - Michael Stanley will show you how to make a hat that's the envy of any party--out of recycled grocery bags! Then learn how to use sticks, strings, shells and other magic materials to create a wand that can make any dream come true. *Sept. 25: Sssnakes - Discover the myth, mystery and movements of these much maligned but really remarkable reptiles. A superbly, squiggly, fun class for serpentines of all ages, led by Maria Topper. Tree Tours in the City Aug. 7: Russian Hill
Sept. 11: Crissy Field and the Presidio
Oct. 9: Potrero Hill
Note: These tours may be subject to change. Check the events calendar for Friends of the Urban Forest or phone the office 561-6890, extension 460. Tree Tours are on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until close to noon. Phone the office for each tour meeting place. There is no charge, but donations are accepted. Volunteers are always needed in a variety of areas. |