FEBRUARY 1998

Street Fair Could Soon
Become a "Neighborhood Day"

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) members were presented with a plan Feb. 28 to convert the area's Street Festival into a new annual celebration tentatively called Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Day.

Ideas for the new event, to take place Saturday, May 16 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. were presented by Dr. John Flores, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS), who suggested the new festival could be moved from its present Leland Avenue location to the playground and gymnasium of the Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) on Schwerin Street where Principal Vincent Chao has already expressed his approval.

Use of the school, its auditorium, restrooms, and possible use of the cafeteria could provide a base for the five-hour event, supplemented by use of the Visitacion Valley Community Center (VVCC) bungalows adjacent to VVES on Leland Avenue where activities could be arranged for pre-school children. An outdoor stage would also be erected to provide live entertainment.

A basketball tournament for both middle and high school students would also coincide with the festivities, and could be held at the VVMS gym.

Held annually since 1984, the original Street Fair and Parade saw marchers began their walk at Coffman Pool on Visitacion Avenue and Hahn Street, finishing at the Community Center on Raymond Avenue. In later years, the scaled-down event was moved to the first block of Raymond at VVCC, where arts and craft exhibits augmented the festival. Another move to Leland Avenue, the neighborhood's key business strip, met with mixed results from merchants, some who felt the street's closure for eight hours was a detriment to business.

A NEW LELAND AVENUE
Jay Smith and Gloria Woo of the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD) presented drawings drafted by the Community Design Center depicting how Leland Avenue could appear after revitalization of Visitacion Valley's business area. Originally unveiled at a neighborhood planning committee meeting on Feb. 23, these drawings feature a spruced-up, tree-lined street with an infusion of new business. Committee members were able to give feeback at the meeting to be considered in a final rendering of the drawings.
Woo also reported that additional input was sought to supplement recent research of a survey conducted by the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University from both monolingual Asian and Samoan residents in the Valley.

TASK FORCE BYLAWS
After nearly two months of examination, the Task Force Bylaws Committee presented the VVTF with a revised nearly-complete 11-page document correcting what some members had alleged were uncertainties and contradictions in the originally-approved document. Members then agreed to render a decision on the new bylaws by the regular VVTF meeting of April 24.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE
Dr. Flores also distributed documents consisting of cover sheets and guidelines to the Task Force pertaining to reports about government-funded projects in the Valley. Both a group's project coordinator and an individual evaluator will be monitoring and giving progress reports about an organization at future VVTF meetings.

In reviewing past operations of the Valley Merchants Association, VVTF member Al Thomas summarized an attempt had been made to organize businesses on Leland Avenue, but that a lack of merchant leadership had been a detriment.

VALLEY PARKS
Anne Seeman of Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks presented a letter from the Task Force to be sent to the Mayor's Office (See Page 2) requesting support for the revitalization of Valley parks, as well as preservation of the Reis Tracts adjacent to Rutland Street as open space.

LEADERSHIP SEMINAR
Rita Adrian announced the next phase of leadership training for VVTF members would be Saturday, Mar. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at VVCC.

JANUARY 1998

Task Force Throws Out Election

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) members unanimously approved a motion by its Bylaws Committee to invalidate results of an election it held last summer at a regular monthly meeting Jan. 24. Members also agreed that the laws should be redrafted, using the bylaws of the Visitacion Valley Community Center as a guide.

According to a memorandum issued to the audience, the Task Force had asked the Bylaws Committee to look into VVTF elections last October following controversy during an Aug. 23 election which saw VVTF members vote to create co-chair positions and then subsequently elect officers to fill the new posts. Both Joel Tate and Don Bertone served as VVTF co-chairs until Oct. 4, when Bertone resigned office during a special meeting after a heated debate erupted over the legitimacy of the elections.

Also voted into office in August were Bill Threadgill as Secretary, John King as Treasurer, and Anne Williams as Parliamentarian.
Meeting on Jan. 12, the Bylaws Committee discussed and examined minutes of both July and August 1997 meetings which resulted in the following recommendations:
"The elections were not properly conducted because there was no prior notice of bylaw changes that affected the election, i.e., splitting the treasurer and secretary position and adding a co-chair, without eliminating the vice-chair. In addition, another Committee member felt that there was no specific designation of specific members for each office."

VVTF also asked the Bylaw Committee to update confusing language in the current document to make it more coherent but committee members soon found themselves debating over a time-consuming project they estimated would take several months.

With repeal of the Aug. 23 elections, Tate was returned to his previous post as Acting Chair. New bylaws will be presented at a future Task Force Meeting for membership to examine. Current bylaws will remain in effect until being nullified following public notice.

MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION EVALUATION
In the first of several evaluations scheduled to report on projects funded by the Enterprise Community (EC), VVCC Director Julie Kavanagh presented statistics of the Valley Merchants Association which had been allocated a total of $52,000 with the inclusion of an EC outreach worker.

Two Merchant outreach workers were staffed from July 1996 through June 1997 and met with shopkeepers along Leland Avenue to develop the roots for a new organization. Kavanagh explained that a high turnover in businesses since a previous association was in operation nearly a decade ago had resulted in changed priorities. Most of the Valley's businesses were concerned about neighborhood safety, which compelled Merchant coordinators to contract El Dorado Neighborhood Betterment Council, which had successfully operated resident walking patrols on Valley streets.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE
VVTF member Ralph Oroquita explained an agreement reached with the Household Hazardous Waste plant at 401 Tunnel Avenue to keep its emissions down to 5 pounds a day for the next three years, except for one day a month when 9 pounds could be reached to account for businesses. He also updated and described a $24 million sewer project planned for Sunnydale Avenue and reported on construction of a 550-foot concrete block retaining wall which will hold back replenished dirt on a hillside below homes in Little Hollywood.

VALLEY SURVEY
Gloria Woo and Jay Smith of the Mayor's Office summarized results generated from merchant and resident surveys conducted last November and recently compiled into a report by the Public Research Institute at S.F. State. Both drop-off boxes and random sampling of residents were used in compiling statistics which show the primary concern of Valley residents and merchants is safety.

VALLEY PARKS
Anne Seeman of Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks reported on progress made in improving conditions at neighborhood playgrounds. She announced that funding for a design plan at Visitacion Valley Playground was recently approved, while new construction to improve Herz Playground is slated to begin at the end of February.

DAY OF DIALOGUE
Rita Adrian of Community Boards summarized a Jan. 18 Day of Dialogue on race relations at VVCC by saying "It was a good start." The Sunday afternoon forum drew 35 participants and featured several guest speakers, including Mayor Willie Brown, who presented concrete ideas and set the groundwork for future discussions. "We will build on it," said Adrian.

DECEMBER 1997

VVTF Subcommittees Report Findings

Four subcommittees of the Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) gave reports to the membership and audience Dec. 13 as the organization concluded its fourth year of operation before the holidays.

VVTF members also updated their roster of active participants and Sub-area representatives from the Valley's seven geographic regions.

Having met twice, the Safety Committee determined it would hire a part-time coordinator to run the program and do outreach in the community. Several benchmarks, including community relations, conflict resolution and emergency training have been drafted for further study.

An Environmental Committee is also meeting to determine the impact various actions, including toxic cleanup, hazardous waste and new construction, have on the neighborhood. Meanwhile, an Evaluation Committee is devising a plan to monitor and present updated information on various government-funded organizations in the Valley, while a Bylaws Committee is meeting to identify and revise language of the VVTF bylaws, a document currently generating heavy discussion.

TASK FORCE TRAINING
Rita Ardian announced individual interviews would be conducted for Task Force members by Community Boards at the Village on Wednesday, Jan. 21 from 2 to 7:30 p.m. Future meetings would involve a needs assessment and a workshop based on information collected from interviews.

BEACON CENTER
Beacon Director Reba Rose outline the program's various activities while distributing literature and detailing the center's future plans. At least 15 after school programs for youth currently operate with plans to add more activities for adults.

PLAYGROUNDS AND PARKS
Anne Seeman summarized the various activities of Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks, dedicated to preserving open space in the neighborhood. Group events drew public attention to needed improvements at Visitacion Valley Playground, as well as public use of the Reis Tracts adjacent to Rutland St.

LELAND AVENUE SURVEY
Surveys collected from Leland Avenue merchants are currently being compiled into a report by the Public Research Institute at S.F. State University.

NOVEMBER 1997

Sub-Committees Will Help Task Force
Settle Bylaws, Establish Safety Program

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) created two new sub-committees and restarted an older one as members began to tackle internal issues which had plagued proceedings in recent months.

Hoping to unsnarl several uncertainties in the rules governing the organization, the Bylaws Committee consisting of Rita Adrian, Julie Kavanagh, Ralph Oroquita and Judith Sandoval first met on Nov. 19 to begin determining the debated document.

Also established is a new Evaluation Committee consisting of Dr. John Flores, Judith Sandoval and Marlene Tran which will monitor various neighborhood programs. Such evaluation was deemed necessary because of issues raised by several neighborhood residents regarding allocation of government funds.

VVTF members also agreed to reestablish the Safety Sub-Committee which originally began in January 1996 and had a series of productive monthly meetings generating a wide array of ideas before a hiatus last winter. Safety members include: Rita Adrian, Julie Kavanagh, Ralph Oroquita, Al Thomas, Bill Threadgill and Marlene Tran and first met on Nov. 24.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
A motion was made to consider moving the public comment segment of the Task Force meetings from the end of the proceedings to maximize the number of prospective attendees. Members of the neighborhood would be allowed to voice their opinions and make announcements without having to wait until the end of a meeting.

NEW MEMBER
A motion was made and accepted to name Robert Uhrle to a vacated Community Based Organization (CBO) post representing the Enterprise Community.

MERCHANTS AND SURVEYS
In updating a recent series of meetings with Leland Avenue merchants, Gloria Woo of the Mayor's Office of Community Development reported that 21 of 39 local merchants responded to an neighborhood survey asking their opinion for improvements to the district's business area. She also suggested that outreach for future meetings could also be accomplished by phone or a personal visit.

Information taken from the returned merchant surveys is being compiled by the Public Research Institute at San Francisco State University, as are returned resident surveys asking questions about neighborhood conditions and improvements which numbered 240 at the Nov. 15 meeting. Residents were able to return their completed surveys to more than a dozen organizations and businesses located in Visitacion Valley.

OCTOBER 1997

PUC Proposes New Waste Line

Project Would Be on Sunnydale Ave.

S.F. Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has revealed preliminary plans to supplement Visitacion Valley's current sewer system with a new line to run beneath Sunnydale Avenue.

Planning for the new line would be completed by the middle of 1998 with the system's design scheduled to take another nine months. If the project stays on schedule, construction could begin by mid-1999.

PUC's Ella Brown, along with project manager Manfred Wong and Barry Pearl from the Bureau of Systems Planning and Regulatory Compliances, explained to Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) members at a regular meeting Oct. 25 that the new line was deemed necessary to alleviate overflow now jeopardizing the present inadequate system during the rainy season.

Pearl, who assists the City in getting permits for construction projects explained that the new line would be installed in two parts, both east and west of Bayshore Boulevard.

"What we're proposing initially is to do a tunneling project rather than open cut construction," said Pearl of a 12-foot diameter tunnel planned to run from the foot of Sunnydale Avenue to Candlestick Point State Park. West of Bayshore, more traditional cut-and-cover construction is proposed along Sunnydale ranging in diameter from 6 to eight feet. The line will then hook up with existing pipe.

Future community meetings will solicit neighborhood ideas and opinions as the project's planning continues.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING
VVTF members gave approval to Rita Adrian of Community Boards, who described plans for two meetings to provide leadership training. A preliminary meeting would facilitate dialogue and generate ideas to plan training for the second session.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
Gloria Woo from the Mayor's Office of Community Development updated the task force on the final round of appeals for proposal funding denied by the Enterprise Community. Three appeals from various neighborhoods--including one from Visitacion Valley Bilingual Education, Supportive Services and Training (VVBESST)--were each denied in a special meeting Oct. 20 where a panel did not find any unfair review process in denying funding to the applicants.

With $34,333 still allocated for a safety program in Visitacion Valley and El Dorado School Neighborhood Betterment Council (ESNBC) not appealing a denial of its requested funding for safety, Vincent Chao suggested a council be organized to incorporate ideas from of both VVBESST and ESNBC, as well as other suggestions for a group to serve the whole Valley.

"Saying that "Police can't help us until we learn to work together," Julie Kavanagh made a motion that was seconded to solicit suggestions and then try to design a safety program within the limits of the funding.

Marlene Tran suggested that any designed safety program also be subject to the same guidelines as both previously rejected safety programs.

Funding in the new cycle of Enterprise Community funding will begin Dec. 1, 1997.

NEW OUTREACH WORKER
Judith Sandoval is the new outreach worker for the Enterprise Community in Visitacion Valley, replacing Georgette Allen who resigned on Oct. 10. Sandoval said she would resign her VVTF post.

TASK FORCE BYLAWS
VVTF members agreed with Kavanagh's motion to refer the organization's disputed bylaws to a bylaw committee while opening that committee to new members who want to become involved.

LELAND REVITALIZATION
Following input from several prior productive meetings with Valley merchants, Woo announced surveys would be start being distributed Oct. 27 to both residents and merchants of Visitacion Valley so researchers could determine various types of goods and services the neighborhood would like to see. At least 13 sites in the community, including schools, businesses and community centers, have been designated as points where surveys can be both acquired and dropped off after completion.

GREAT SWEEP
Woo also reminded those in attendance of the City's Great Sweep scheduled for Nov. 8 where residents of San Francisco would be organized to clean the City's streets.

MOMENT OF SILENCE
As the meeting adjourned, Kavanagh requested 30 seconds of silence in memory of Raymoin Shaw who was killed two days earlier in a fire at the condemned Rose Olivet Baptist Church on Bayshore Boulevard.

Notification to Task Force on Safety Committee
The VVTF Safety Committee must be revitalized. A focal point is how to spend the $34,333 of San Francisco Enterprise Community funds that is reserved for a Visitacion Valley Safety Program. VVTF members and residents of Visitacion Valley are invited to join this committee.

The Rules and Bylaws Committee will also be revitalized. This committee is open only to VVTF members because it involves the operating rules and principles of the Task Force. The committee will make recommendations as to how the amendments and bylaws affected the election of officers at the August 23, 1997 Task Force meeting.

The VVTF Environment Committee is still active. Task Force members Ralph Oroquita and Don Bertone, and three additional residents of Little Hollywood: Richard Lucas, Ron Gibson and Dan Macchiarini will continue to give updates and submit letters to the Task Force and the newspaper of Visitacion Valley, the Grapevine. The committee will be involved with the Norcal/Sanitary Fill Company garbage transfer, recycling and hazardous waste facilities at Tunnel and Beatty Avenues; Forty-Niner Stadium/Mills Mall at Candlestick Point and the Sunnydale Sewer Project.

Residents of Visitacion Valley/Little Hollywood are invited to join these committees. Former members of these committees, please let the Task Force know if you can continue to serve on these very important committees. Written responses can be sent to the VVTF, c/o Visitacion Valley Community Center, 50 Raymond Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94134 or call Ms. Judith Sandoval, (415) 587-7896, Fax (415) 239-8146.

Please reply as soon as possible so frequency, places and times of committee meetings can be set.

SEPTEMBER 1997

Explosive Task Force Meetings
Reveal Discord in Proceedings

Co-Chair Resigns as VVTF Members
Argue Legitimacy of Bylaws

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) member Don Bertone ended his brief tenure as Co-Chair during a special meeting Oct. 4 at the Community Center.

The additional meeting was slated one week following a regular monthly VVTF meeting Sept. 27 where continual disruptions by both task force members and the audience forced cancellation of at least one scheduled agenda item.

Bertone's departure followed nearly 30 minutes of member debate concerning the legitimacy of his election as VVTF Co-Chair. As members began questioning the viability of undoing decisions voted on by those present at nomination and election meetings of VVTF officials, Bertone verbally announced he would resign as Co-Chair of the task force to save the group time in reversing its decisions.

Members had elected Bertone VVTF Co-Chair during an Aug. 23 election, that also elected Joel Tate for the parallel post. Nominations for Co-Chair were created during a meeting July 26 through Sections 4.03 Quorum, 4.05 Voting, and 4.10 Quorum of the VVTF Bylaws, which are subject to the provisions of California law.

Contacted later by phone, Bertone explained the group's continual discord in the last two months would not be conducive to a good working relationship and would also leave the VVTF as a member.

APPEAL DENIED
Task force members also voted Oct. 4 to deny a lengthy appeal to a safety proposal submitted by Visitacion Valley Bilingual, Supportive Services and Training (VVBESST) on the grounds that it did not establish that a neighborhood review process of proposals in its category was conducted unfairly. VVBESST spokesperson Marlene Tran had questioned the viability of other submitted proposals during an explosive exchange of views with other VVTF members Aug. 23 when told earlier that funding for VVBESST would only be recommended in a collaborative effort with the El Dorado School Neighborhood Betterment Council (ESNBC), which had also submitted a denied proposal.

When VVTF members voted to divide allocated Enterprise Community funding for three acceptable proposals into three equal shares, Tran contended the amount would be insufficient to properly operate her intended program.

Continual outbursts came from a number of supporters of the denied VVBESST proposal who attended the next regular VVTF meeting Sept. 27 displaying undisclosed signs handwritten in Chinese.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
An interesting video narrative was presented by Dr. John Flores, principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS) and Task Force member, about the school and many recent accomplishments by its staff and students.

Flores explained he was brought in to take charge of the school in 1994 when "the whole notion of reconstitution was actually something that was very negative in San Francisco." Both VVMS and Bret Harte Elementary were the first public schools in San Francisco to be reconstituted in 11 years.

Assisted by assistant principals Kay Nomura and Lisa Wichser, the segment summarized a number of successful VVMS programs and policies that have transformed the once problematic institution into a success story reaching national attention. Stories of VVMS success appeared locally in both the S.F. Examiner and S.F. Weekly, while an article in the Oregonian of Portland described one school's desire to make improvements using VVMS as a model. A recent visit by the Assistant Secretary of Education to VVMS, along with contacts by both the Fox Network and Microsoft have confirmed to the principal that, "Something is going well in the Valley and is impacting kids positively."

Students began wearing uniforms this fall by request of their parents, who are informed of the school's various activities through a bi-monthly newsletter while being involved in VVMS curriculum through Key-SEC, a successful parent group put together two years ago by Wichser.

"We're very proud of our students," said Nomura, who detailed an impressive rise in test scores while Flores noted the school now has very few behavioral problems.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
Following are representativies and alternates voted to represent the Enterprise Community in Visitacion Valley:
Community Based Organizations: Vincent Chao, Visitacion Valley Elementary School, representative; John King, John King Senior Center, alternate.
Business: Joel Tate, Tate Electric, representative; Marlene Tran, Limited Liability Corporation, alternate.
Resident: Carlos Ramirez, representative; Winnie Tsang, alternate.

GOODBYE, ARTINA
VVTF members thanked and applauded Artina Lim, Task Force liaison to the Mayor's Office, whose final meeting was Sept. 27.

AUGUST 1997

Valley Task Force Elects Officers,
Decides Enterprise Community Funding

With only half its membership present, the Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) elected new officers Aug. 23 to serve two-year terms.

VVTF elections, which will normally take place bi-annually in June, were postponed for two months to maximize the number of candidates for nomination. Despite the extra time, virtually all individuals nominated at the July 26 meeting went unchallenged.

Members then voted to change the organization's bylaws, creating a second Chair position and making Vice Chair nominee Don Bertone a candidate for the office. Both Bertone and Joel Tate were then elected VVTF co-chairs, along with Bill Threadgill, Secretary; John King, Treasurer; and Ann Williams, Parlimentarian.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
Task force members passed a motion to evenly divide available Enterprise Community funds into the three existing priority areas: education and training; safety; and community information sharing. The amount for each area would be $34,333.

One opposing vote came from VVTF member Marlene Tran who requested the statement, "This majority doesn't reflect the majority of the community."

Tran had compiled a list of suggested criteria for Enterprise Community proposals and had made copies available to VVTF members at the meeting, but was told the selection process was complete and her input added too late in the process to be accommodated.

COMPUTERS ACQUIRED
With the Mayor's Office of Community Development acquiring 24 computers and 16 dot matrix printers from the Department of Health and Human Services, four Enterprise Community neighborhoods, including Visitacion Valley, will each be receiving six computers.

COMMUNICATION PROGRAM
Participants in the Grapevine's Youth Communication Apprenticeship Program (YCAP) returned surveys in evaluating the program, which was concluded at the end of August. During the last several months, apprentices wrote articles, did research in communications, attended community meetings and home delivered copies of the monthly newspaper.

YCAP also produced a mid-month newsletter, Grapevine Extra, and distributed flyers announcing meetings for the Task Force. Through the project, a website was established in July for the Grapevine, including separate pages for the VVTF and a business directory of the Valley Merchants Association.

JULY 1997

Nominations for Task Force Officers

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) nominated five of its members to hold office during a regular meeting on July 26 at the Visitacion Valley Community Center.

Nominations will remain open until the next VVTF meeting August 23, when the organization will hold its first election. Officers will serve shortened terms which will run through June 30, 1999, the length of terms approved by the members and amended to the bylaws.

Members also approved dividing the secretary/treasurer's position into two offices.

Nominated for office are: Chair: Joel Tate; Vice Chair: Don Bertone; Treasurer: John King; Secretary: Bill Threadgill; and Parliamentarian: Ann Williams.

NEW VVTF MEMBERS
Three new members joined the VVTF ranks July 26. They include: Rita Adrian, Dennis Hicks and Bill Threadgill.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
A contract extension of six months was approved by VVTF members for new Enterprise Community outreach worker Georgette Allen, who will be based at the Village on Schwerin Street.

JUNE 1997

Screening Requests for Proposal

With Requests for Proposal (RFPs) in the second round of Enterprise Community (EC) funding due by July 21, the Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) learned June 28 of a special meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Visitacion Valley Community Center (VVCC), 50 Raymond Ave., to review various applications.

Vincent Chao explained to fellow VVTF members that a screening process for proposals in the four designated EC categories: neighborhood beautification plan; vocational education and training; safety; community resource center to focus on information sharing, should have no conflict of interest with any of the RFPs. Approval was also given to upgrade an open position for an EC outreach worker to a one year, 18-hour week which VVTF member Don Bertone suggested should be subject to an interviewing panel.

BYLAW AMENDMENTS
VVTF members unanimously approved amendments to the organization's adopted bylaws on June 28, while designating the Aug. 23 meeting for election of three officers: Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. Nominations for these offices will be made at the next VVTF meeting on July 26.

RECYCLING AWARD
Artina Lim of the Mayor's Office announced that Visitacion Valley had exceeded its projected goal in the S.F. Recycling Program and will be awarded $1,000 for a summer youth program either educational or recreational in nature (but not to be used for equipment).

INFUSION ONE
Gaylon Logan announced that the third annual Community Youth Debate and Speakout will be held at the Main Library on Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"The purpose of this event is to give youth something fun, empowering and educational to do over the summer," said Logan, "and to give them a much needed forum for them to present their ideas on various issues."

He explained that the project is organized through Infusion One, which provides youth services in Bayview/Hunters Point, and is currently recruiting youth 11-19 years for expansion to seven training centers to be held at Bayview/Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley, Ocean View, the Tenderloin, the Mission and Potrero Hill. Two training sessions in each neighborhood will focus on: fundamentals of public speaking and debating, and putting together a presentation.

Prizes to winners in three top categories of the Debate and Speakout will include computers or cash awards.

Through surveys conducted at youth functions, Logan said the four most vital topics of concern for young people today include: violence, drugs, AIDS and HIV, and teen sexuality.

MAY 1997

Demolition of Geneva Towers

With asbestos removal slowly continuing at Geneva Towers, HUD recently began working with Imtech Communication, a Berkeley-based organization, to explore options for its eventual demolition.

Vacant shortly after its official closure on August 31, 1995, the two 20-story Geneva Towers will be removed either by wrecking ball or implosion.

"The first step is to let the community know they have a choice and what's involved in that choice," said Imtech's Kathleen Cha at a regular Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) meeting May 24. She explained that asbestos removal had recently commenced at the Towers and would take about six months. Although a demolition company has not yet been contracted, Cha said the earliest projection for the removal of Geneva Towers would be in mid-December or early in 1998.

Problems yet to be resolved would include temporary relocation of surrounding residents during the destruction and post-demolition cleanup of the neighborhood.

Theresa Higgins of Imtech explained advantages of implosion over a wrecking ball, which she described as a long, tedious and evasive way of removing buildings that could take months. As opposed to what she said some people call a headache ball, Higgins found implosion, the planting and detonating of explosives at strategic points inside a building to make it cave inward, to be quicker, more immediate and less disruptive in the long run. She also said such a demolition, if selected, would be heavily insured to protect the site and surrounding properties.

Since Geneva Towers is in the vicinity of earthquake faults, extensive research by a team of experts would determine if the site, located at Sunnydale Avenue and Schwerin Street, is stable enough to withstand the impact of implosion.

Higgins also assured the task force that Valley residents will receive all facts concerning the demolition project before any decision is made.

TASK FORCE AMENDMENTS
VVTF members decided two pages of amendments to their recently approved bylaws will be voted on at a regular June 28 VVTF meeting. Sections to be included to a revised 10-page document include:

*Nomination of Alternate Members: Membership will be open for alternate members that are waiting for positions to open for their designated geographical areas or the other categories. Alternate members can chair committees.

*Nomination for Associate Membership: Associate members do not have to work or reside in Visitacion Valley. Associate members can be committee members.

*Expulsion: (a) By the Task Force. A member may be removed from membership for any justifiable reason by resolution adopted by a two-thirds vote of all the Task Force members. Expulsion shall become effective immediately unless the Task Force shall, in the resolution, fix another time.
(b) Notice of Expulsion. Prior to expulsion of a member, the task force shall give such member at least 15 days notice prior there to and the reasons therefore. Such member shall have the opportunity to be heard, orally or in writing, not less than five days before the effective date of expulsion by the Task Force. Such hearing shall be held by the Task Force or a committee thereof authorized to hold such hearing.
(c) Attendance of Meetings. A member will be replaced if that member is absent for three consecutive monthly meetings without providing to the Executive Committee a valid written excuse for not attending. The vacant position shall be filled by the nomination process for the specific position. Notification of replacement shall be given to the member being replaced within 30 days.

*Required Notice: Any required notification may be given by any method reasonably calculated to provide actual notice. Any notice given by mail must be given by first class or registered mail sent to the last known address of the member shown on the Task Force's record.

*Loss of Quorum: The member present at a duly called held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by at least a majority of the members required to constitute a quorum.

*Voting: (a) Eligibility to Vote. Persons entitled to vote at any meeting of members shall be Members as of the date next preceding the date notice is given in accordance with these bylaws.
(b) Manner of Casting Vote. Voting may be by voice or ballot, providing that any election of Task Force members must be by ballot if demanded by any member before the voting begins.
(c) Only majority of members represented at meeting required, unless otherwise specified.

*Meetings Tape Recorded: All Task Force meetings will be tape recorded. This is done to ensure that all community concerns will be addressed. It will also assist the secretary in documenting all motions put forth and voted on or carried over to the next meeting.
Sections in the amendments will move November and December VVTF meetings to the second Saturday of those months, while election of Task Force officers will take place during June meetings with those elected starting their terms on July 1.

RECYCLING BRIEFING
Ed Cooney of the San Francisco Recycling Program explained that every household in the City is generating an average of one ton of garbage each year. He said a pit at the transfer station located on Tunnel Avenue is larger than a football field and that every day, San Francisco fills this pit 20 feet high.

Cooney said there are resources being thrown away every day and wanted to remind residents of the proper way to recycle: all paper (except for that coated with metal or wax), newspapers, magazines, and cardboard broken down to a maximum of 2-by-2 feet (to conform with limitations of the recycling trucks) are recyclable, along with junk mail. "If everyone in the City recycles just a couple of pieces of junk mail," said Cooney, "it would be saving 10,000,000 pounds a year from going into the waste stream, and going back into making paper. So a little bit goes a long way."

Plastics, he also explained, can be recycled if they have either a #1 or #2 designation in a small triangle. On the other hand, Styrofoam, which many people put out, isn't. Cooney also said it is unlawful for someone to remove the contents of another person's recycle box, and that general recycling questions could be answered by dialing 554-3400.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY UPDATE
Gloria Woo from the Mayor's Office of Community Development (MOCD) reported that the Enterprise Community (EC) at MOCD had convened to define outcomes for the second round of funding and that three recent meetings in Visitacion Valley determined which areas the community wanted to address. A community-at-large meeting provided a last opportunity for comments on the following four categories: a Visitacion Valley beautification plan; vocational education and training; safety; and the development of a community resource center to focus on community and information sharing.

VVTF member Don Bertone said all neighborhood groups and organizations should be allowed to participate, an idea seconded by Ralph Oroquita who said the wording should be as general as possible so that everyone in the Valley would have an equal chance at putting in a proposal.
Woo explained the outcome of this latest process would be available June 20, following EC Board approval on June 9.

LELAND AVENUE PROJECT
Woo also updated a Leland Avenue Project, explaining the Mayor's Office would be doing economic development activities on Visitacion Valley's main street of commerce. With a recent tour of the street finding a number of vacated storefronts, she said the City would like to see a community-driven process initiated starting with a revamping of the current merchant's association. A kick-off event is being planned for June with City officials invited.

COMMUNITY BOARDS
Selina Low of Community Boards talked of her organization's 20-year tenure in conflict resolution and how San Francisco residents could use its services to settle disputes. Resolutions, she explained, are settled with three or four panelists who remain neutral while heightening communication between parties to settle their disputes.

A Community Boards seminar on respect held May 10 was successful, and will be followed by a second forum on Saturday, June 28 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Visitacion Valley Community Center, 50 Raymond Ave.

APRIL 1997

Task Force Adopts Amended Bylaws

After months of unforseen delay, members of the Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) finally adopted an amended 10-page version of the organization's bylaws at their regular monthly meeting on Apr. 26.

Originally updated last November, a large number of agenda events and questions concerning certain parts of the document's language have kept members from putting the bylaws into affect. Most important in this shortened version is a provision in Section 10.01 allowing the VVTF to easily amend its section with approval of its members.

Now consisting of 30 sections, the document divides Visitacion Valley into seven geographical sub-areas, including: Geneva Towers/Village/Britton Street; Geneva Terrace; Leland Avenue; Little Hollywood; Lower Visitacion; Sunnydale; and Upper Visitacion.

Designed to be served by a board consisting of 21 members, each sub-area will be represented by two VVTF members of which one member can be a service provider. Three members will serve from either the business or industrial or mercantile areas from the neighborhood, while four persons will represent churches, senior associations and schools. No task force member will be allowed to miss more than two VVTF meetings without a valid written excuse.

Meeting dates have now been officially set at the fourth Saturday of every month. Next VVTF meeting will be Saturday, May 24, 10:30 a.m. at the Visitacion Valley Community Center (VVCC) gym, 50 Raymond Ave.

A complete set of the new bylaws is scheduled to be printed in the June issue of the Grapevine.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
In a full agenda of activities, representatives of both IAM CARES and Urban Ecology made presentations to the VVTF.

IAM CARES is a nonprofit, no-fee job placement service based in both San Francisco and San Mateo counties helping qualified people with disabilities obtain suitable employment.

Representatives from Urban Ecology in Oakland offered their services to the VVTF to mutually seek funding for neighborhood enhancement.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
Representatives from the Enterprise Community, funding the original benchmarks selected by the VVTF two years ago, announced that all except one of the original earmark grants would be given consideration in the second cycle of funding. With an additional $109,000 in funds needing to be allocated, a special meeting to discuss two new priority outcomes of safety and communication has been scheduled for Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. in the VVCC gym.

MORE BUS SERVICE
ESL instructor Marlene Tran told the VVTF of her efforts to get hours of the 9x-San Bruno line extended each day to 20 hours. Having collected more than 3,000 signatures petitioning for increased service on this route vital to many living in Visitacion Valley, she pointed out the line's current hours end much too early for many local residents heavily depending on it to return home from the northern part of the City.

Explaining a proposal to extend light rail service down Third Street also called for eventual removal of its heavily-used 15-line, a list of nine concerns was compiled, including: timely scheduling, accessibility, proper lighting, and built-in safety features including an electronic sign displaying information about delays. She also requested that suggestion forms be provided to riders in several languages to make service more efficient. Tran also said she'd prefer to see the proposed rail line pass through the Valley and extend in a loop to Balboa Station and City College for more accessibility to other neighborhoods.

"Right now it's like a river running down Third Street and stopping in front of our Valley."

MARCH 1997

Senior Housing Proposed for Raymond Avenue

Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) members will finally get a chance to vote on their proposed bylaws when the group again meets Apr. 26 at the Community Center.

Long a committee topic never adopted in several previous meetings due either to full agendas or lack of member attendance, a draft of the 10-page document was distributed at the most recent meeting Mar. 22, where the VVTF approved  Bill Carlin's suggestion to mail copies to those not receiving them that day.

Contained in its pages are 30 separate sections covering all facets of the group's structure, including purpose, meeting times, election of members, and methods of procedure.

VVTF member Ralph Oroquita stressed that all questions or comments concerning the proposed bylaws be submitted to the Visitacion Valley Community Center at 50 Raymond Ave.

SENIOR HOUSING
With 91 units of low income housing recently proposed for the north side of Raymond Avenue adjacent to Sawyer Street, and a number of heated exchanges between neighboring residents both for and against the new construction occurring at several previous local meetings, VVTF's Don Bertone motioned an oversight committee be created to collect facts and present initial findings at the April meeting.

Although it was agreed affordable housing in the Valley was indeed necessary to replace the twin 20-story Geneva Towers at Sunnydale Avenue which were officially closed in August, 1995, opponents to the proposed housing at 500 Raymond Avenue cite a lack of provided information, street congestion, fear of additional crime, and the removal of a childcare facility currently housed on the property as reasons for disapproval.

YOUTH COMMUNICATION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Grapevine Editor Len Appiano presented the first four youth apprentices from Visitacion Valley Middle School who will initially be distributing the monthly newspaper and attending community meetings to gather facts. He also described the program's plans to create a mid-month information flyer and establish a Grapevine website on the Internet.

NEW VVTF MEMBER
Albert Thomas became the newest VVTF member after receiving member approval following a recommendation by retiring member Lisa Wischer.

FEBRUARY 1997

Safer Streets with Neighborhood Watch

Streets in the neighborhood have been a little safer the last several months with members of Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Watch making their regular patrols. Frustrated with repeated meetings in the last two years which discussed local crime but ultimately amounted to just words, the private citizens assembled their own group to improve the neighborhood.

"We decided to get organized, take the bull by the horns and come up with our own program," explained Valley resident and Watch member Kathy Munch who described the group's operation at the Feb. 22 meeting of the Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF).

An offshoot of the El Dorado Neighborhood Betterment Council, the dedicated neighbors patrol designated Valley streets in two hour shifts, keeping in constant contact with the S.F. Police. No markings identify either Watch members or their vehicles, and all unusual activity is reported immediately to the authorities without intervention.

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY
Representatives from the Mayor's Office of Community Development updated VVTF members on the next phase of funding available for Visitacion Valley's Enterprise Community. Approximately $313,000 is slated in Round Two for vital neighborhood programs originally selected by a VVTF committee in a lengthy benchmark process two years ago.

S.F. Enterprise Community (EC) also announced it has developed a Conflict of Interest Policy, mandating a policy of full disclosure of connections with organizations that plan to apply for EC funds. EC Board members will no longer be able to participate in proceedings in which either they or a family member has financial association.

JANUARY 1997

Neighbors Upset with Norcal Waste Facility

Tempers were flaring at the Community Center on Jan. 25 as a full house joined both the Visitacion Valley Task Force and Little Hollywood Committee for their first meetings of 1997.

Both meetings had scheduled as their first orders of business the concerns of neighboring residents to Norcal's Solid Waste Recycling and Transfer Station located on Tunnel Avenue.  In fact, the waste plant was the only topic of discussion on the agenda for Little Hollywood, whose frustrated residents could easily have gone past the alloted hour used to compare their unfavorable experiences.

Representing San Francisco Solid Waste Management Company at the task force meeting was Karen Strandoo, who said her job was to oversee operations at the household hazardous waste facility.  She began by telling those in attendance that she wasn't going to deliver a standard presentation because she was unsure about what people wanted to know, but rather wanted residents to voice their concerns about the waste facility.

And voice they did, loudly, starting with 25-year Little Hollywood resident Ron Gibson who interupted when Strandoo claimed there were no current plans for expansion.

"That's a lie!" exclaimed Gibson to the acknoledgement of many in the audience.  "They keep driving it out here and hope to run us down into the ground so we'll give up.  We're tired of this crap."

When Strandoo continued to explain about improvements being made to the facility, Gibson interjected, "We're talking about the old business.  We were promised that we wouldn't smell a thing when that transfer station went in back in the 1970s.  Ever since then, we've smelt garbage and we've been lied to."

His comments were supported by several of his neighbors who repeatedly cited the various nusiances directly stemming from the waste facility that he said had plagued the community for 15 years, including noise, odors, dust, heavy truck traffic, rats, and an unusually large population of sea gulls, which on many an occasion have been one of the most talked-about problems associated with the facility.

Most residents from Little Hollywood had said they were continually frustrated by years of persistent hungry birds, often numbering in the hundreds, flying over their homes and vehicles and leaving a large volume of droppings.

"I just bought a new car and I can't park it on the street," expressed one resident as several of her neighbors related similar experiences.

When task force member Ralph Oroquita questioned Strandoo about a past proposal to increase the waste plant's volume of through-put material, she explained that no current plans called for an increase in the processing of waste, which was requested to be put into writing.

Strandoo also encouraged two-way communication between her office and the residents of Little Hollywood and Visitacion Valley, saying she wanted to first hear from the people when there were problems and concerns stemming from the waste plant.

Saying he felt it unethical for the City to send an agent to find out what problems exist between the waste plant and its neighbors, Little Hollywood resident and VVTF member Don Bertone suggested that S.F. Solid Waste Management set up an advisory committee through the Board of Supervisors that would study the problem so that a modified, documented ongoing public process be created by public agencies and officials.

"This needs to be run exactly like the LAC," suggested Bertone, referring to the Local Assessment Committee which held monthly public meetings for three years while Norcal considered the waste plant's expansion before its building permits expired last year.  "If you want to gain any credibility for anything that's going to be done over there (waste facility), you need to have a similar process."

VACANT LOTS
Representing Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks was Anne Seeman, who delivered a proposal suggesting that empty lots currently available in the neighborhood be maintained as open space developed for recreation for children, youth and adults.  She further proposed that the open parcels of land be developed in part as a high yield organic community farm.

"We envision a cooperative venture which will join local schools, youth, seniors, community organizations and all residents in developing an agricultural, environmetal education center," said Seman.

Local businessman Henry Schindel suggested that some of the land also be reserved for needed parking in a revitalizing business area to offset congestion on Leland Avenue

Supervisor Leslie Katz, who made a special appearance at the meeting, explained that the empty lots were owned by the S.F. Water Department, which owns similar parcels of land throughout the City, and that no real plans had been devised for the land other than possibly selling it to the highest bidder and using the money to acquire property that could be better utilized for their needs.

Katz said she would rather have the City take an interest in these open lots and work with the neighborhoods to best utilize them.

LITTLE HOLLYWOOD
Little Hollywood's Meeting continued the heated discussion started at the VVTF forum, as committee member Oroquita gave a detailed presentation with visual aids of the existing waste facility problems.  Both his comments and those by fellow residents were supported by Schindel, who reminded everyone that most important was what would be left for the next generation.