1986

*Visitacion Valley Grapevine publishes very first edition on July 29 with a 4-page August issue.

*San Francisco Alive, Mayor Dianne Feinstein's anti-graffiti and litter committee announced a scheduled Aug. 2 Visitacion Valley campaign.

*More than 200 Valley and Sunnydale residents were joined by Mayor Feinstein, volunteers from Delancy Street, S.F. Youth Conservation Corps, S.F. Police Dept., S.F. Sheriff Dept. and graffiti artists from S.F. Youth Guidance Center in S.F. Alive's clean-up campaign.

*Visitacion Valley Senior Park and Community Garden received Honorary Mention and a $100 check from the American Community Gardening Association, awarded for A New Garden in the Western Region.

*An Oct. 12 power outage at 1:18 p.m. blacked out 2500 Geneva Towers residents for 36 hours, and continually the following week.

*Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS) inaugurated its outdoor science program with flower and vegetable gardens in McLaren Park.

*Several neighborhood merchants participated in the Valley's first holiday window decorating contest, with Bernice's Custom Drapery Shop the winner.

1987

*Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School on Girard St. was dedicated Jan. 15.

*A memorial service was held February 1 at St. James Presbyterian Church for Rev R. Mark Coonradt - parish pastor from 1971 to 1984 - who died in New York following a long illness.

*A grant of more than $15,000 was approved by the S.F. Foundation for the Geneva Towers Recreation Program.

*Former Mission High football great Mike Klotovich was among ten members of the 1987 S.F. Prep Hall of Fame to be honored at a special May banquet at USF Commons.

*Mayor Feinstein met with concerned Valley residents at the Sunnydale Auditorium May 12 to investigate and resolve complaints about Geneva Towers management and an increase of crime, vandalism and drug abuse.

*Three new sets of stop signs were approved for the Valley's business area to control traffic and protect pedestrians.

*Motorists coming from the peninsula into the Valley were advised to take the Brisbane exit to avoid Sept. 18 traffic from Pope John Paul II's special service at Candlestick Park.

*Camp Fire started its Visitacion Valley group October 13 with the theme: Every kid is a winner.

*After months of painting, the Library Mural on Leland Ave. and Desmond St. was dedicated Nov. 7.

*San Francisco teens -- hoping for jobs in the Mayor's In-School Youth (MISY) employment program -- joined community leaders for a press conference on the steps of S.F. City Hall when funding was cut.

*Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) received a Distinguished Elementary School Award for 1987 from the State Department of Education.

*Schlage Lock employees donated a total of nearly $85,000 to United Way of the Bay Area.

1988

*A collection and disposal facility for household hazardous waste was opened near Beatty Road for City residents.

*SFPD began escorts and members of the Guardian Angels began riding busses on the 15 Third St. line in the Valley after several rock peltings and a gun attack in February.

*After 14 years of planning, a new crosswalk was installed across Bayshore Blvd. at San Bruno Ave.

*Students at VVMS celebrated completion of their Sports of Hope mural located in the gym.

*Annual Cleanup Day was scheduled June 25 in the Valley.

*After 59 years, Gatti Nursery closed June 27.

*Protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall July 6 to show their displeasure at City Planning's proposed Hazardous Waste Disposal plan for San Francisco.

*A group of 37 people met with Mayor Art Agnos to develop and implement strategies for the Mayor's Drug Symposium Task Force.

*Furious, frightened and frustrated Sunnydale residents met Sept. 13 to discuss drug-induced violence at their housing project.

*Valley activists met with Capt. Gleason of Potrero Station to discuss an SFPD program to combat drug dealing in the City's southeast communities.

*Mayor Agnos presented Hertz Recreational Director Renee Strong with S.F.'s first place Employee Recognition Award.

*After netting $229 in a bake sale, the Long Shots Youth Club of Geneva Towers sponsored a home delivery program of chicken and fish dinners.

1989

*Board of Advisors of Outstanding Americans named Valley resident Derrick Dogan to the 1988 roster of Outstanding Young Men of America.

*After 26 years in the Valley, druggists Jack Creighton and wife Yvonne closed their Leland Avenue Pharmacy.

*Maxicare, the Valley's only medical facility, closed its Leland Ave. location Feb. 1.

*Ownership and management of Leland True Value Hardware was assumed by the Advincula family.

*S.F. Department of Social Service, in cooperation with the Mayor's Homeless Program, began placing homeless women, children and families in vacant apartments at Geneva Towers.

*A new mural at the VVCC playground was dedicated at the May 20 Street Fair.

*A new traffic plan was devised by the Candlestick Park Transportation Task Force with the California Highway Patrol to assist motorists trying to get into the Valley during ballgames.

*Sunnydale planned an Aug. 19 grand opening celebration for its new community center.

*Vincent Chao was named principal of VVES.

*Narcotics Task Force officers began conducting athletic clinics for youth 8 to 13 at three playgrounds.

*A new mural designed by Jo Tucker and titled Treasure Our Earth was completed at 325 Leland Ave.

*Mayor Agnos announced a loan pool established to help qualified small businesses affected by the Oct. 17 Loma Prieta earthquake.

1990

*Tuntex Properties, Inc. of Taiwan purchased S.F. Executive Park, almost 900 wet and dry acres of Southern Pacific land and property on Sierra Point.

*El Rancho Market, a fixture in the Valley since 1954, closed.

*Schlage Lock donated $10,000 to the S.F. Earthquake Relief Fund.

*Rev. Jeremias Resus was named new pastor at St. James Presbyterian Church Nov. 11.

*A 51-unit Hospice by the Bay home for people with life-threatening illnesses was planned for the former Maxicare site at 141 Leland Ave.

*Rosa's Boutique celebrated its 10th anniversary on Leland Ave.

*Student Natriece Spicer of Our Lady of Visitacion School was named Miss Sunnydale 1991 at a November contest.

*Peacemaking Awards were presented Dec. 16 by St. James Presbyterian Church to Karen Murray and Shirletha Holmes-Boxx.

1991

*Persons representing various professions spoke at El Dorado School's Career Day.

*More than 50 Valley residents met at VVCC Jan. 14 to form an association dealing with neighborhood crime.

*A memorandum of understanding from Executive Park let residents of both 94124 and 94134 zip codes have first opportunity of jobs, both construction and permanent.

*More than 900 volunteers came to Visitacion Valley and OMI neighborhoods Apr. 27 to spruce-up residences of low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners.

*After several years of wrangling, HUD obtained a court judgement allowing in to assume management of Geneva Towers.

*VVES honored its teachers, staff and volunteers during Teachers Appreciation Week in May.

*Regi Oliver became VVCC's new music instructor in June.

*Sunnydale's Gang Prevention Program was named finalist for the H.B. McDaniel Group Award.

*Local merchants honored longtime Valley merchant, realtor and activist Henry Schindel at a July 21 breakfast meeting.

*Members of the Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Association gathered at a special meeting Sept. 13 to debate Hospice by the Bay's proposed Leland Avenue Residence -- a home for people with life-threatening illnesses -- to ocupy the former Maxicare site.

*Mayor Agnos appointed 30 young leaders to a citywide Youth Forum.

*Sunnydale's Just Say No to Drugs Club was presented with a plaque Oct. 22 for first place honors in the S.F. Youth Fair parade.

*Residents of Geneva Towers and Sunnydale came together Nov. 6 for a Cease Fire candlelight vigil to take their neighborhood back from drug pushers and gang bangers.

*Valley-Wide Parents' Council formed Dec. 3 to help parents work together with schools, recreation centers, daycare and other programs their children attend.

1992

*El Dorado School students spent Feb. 28 cleaning a section of Ocean Beach.

*VVES students held two multicultural assemblies to share cultures and celebrate ethnic diversity.

*Darleen Wong, instructor at VVES for 35 years, was awarded Elementary School Teacher of the Year May 2 by S.F. State University Alumni Association.

*Southeast Health Center sponsored a Father's Day Health Fair June 6 at VVCC.

*El Dorado School Neighborhood Betterment Council held its first barbecue June 27 at Girard St. and Harkness Ave.

*Visitacion Valley's six teams of the Midnight Basketball League began play in August.

*Construction began in September on 563 new condominiums at Executive Park.

*Shanani Bardell was named Miss Sunnydale 1993.

*VVES's new gym floor was dedicated Nov. 20.

*Capt. Harlan Wilson assumed command of Ingleside Station in November.

1993

*After more than 35 years in the Valley, Boulevard Cleaners announced in would close in March.

*With its 75th anniversary Mar. 14, VVCC celebrated its founding with a gala potluck celebration where State Senator Milton Marks presented the center with a special plaque.

*Mayor Frank Jordan brought grim budget news to a Valley meeting at Wilson High Mar. 18.

*Gigi Hithe was elected Valley representative of S.F. Children's Services for the 1993-94 fiscal year.

*Ready for Work started at VVCC to provide job readiness training for youth ages 14 to 17.

*Muni presented plans to Valley residents Apr. 29 for a light rail system through the Bayshore corridor.

*Valley residents attended a special May 25 meeting with S.F. Supervisors to describe neighborhood problems.

*Preliminary plans to expand Southeast Community Hazardous Waste Collection Facility were discussed at a July 6 meeting.

*Coalition members began a vigil at Geneva Towers July 21 to protest what they felt were unreasonable living conditions.

*More than 20 people, including eight firefighters - one fatally - were injured when an Aug. 14 fire destroyed a third floor Geneva Towers apartment.

*More than 100 volunteers from 10 companies assisted staff at VVCC, Sept. 13 to 17 during Week of Caring.

*Burning noses, watering eyes and nausea resulted from a mysterious gas that sent some Wilson High students and staff to the hospital Sept. 22.

*VVES began participating in a nationally recognized reading program called Success for All.

*Rose Donovan was awarded Volunteer of the Year honors at a Salvation Army Council holiday party Dec. 21.

1994

*Geneva Towers residents had a gala farewell party Jan. 21 for departing Executive Manager Arthur Hutton.

*A second annual Dr. Vernetta P. Caldwell Health Fair was held Feb. 26 at Geneva Towers.

*S.F. School District announced Sala and John Burton High School would shift to the Wilson campus on Mansell St. that fall, with Wilson High phased-out after existing classes graduated.

*Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) held its initial meetings Feb. 22 and Mar. 1.

*Girls Against Gangs began producing their monthly cable television shows.

*VVMS appealed to a U.S. District Court to halt its eventual reconstitution.

*Local residents attended the Valley's first National Emergency Response Team (NERT) meeting in April.

*Captain Michael Dower became new chief of Ingleside Police Station.

*Visitacion Valley celebrated its tenth annual Street Fair on May 21.

*VVTF released a preliminary draft of its community survey results at a regular June 20 meeting.

*Mayor Jordan joined S.F. Housing Authority staff and Sunnydale residents July 20 for unveiling of a refurbished model building.

*Four VVES students won awards for excellence in science and math in the annual Science Exposition at Whitney Young Center.

*Reconstituted VVMS began planning its fall semester under new Principal John Flores with briefings and a tour of the Valley.

*Local residents requested longer hours and better books at a Sept. 1 library hearing at the Visitacion Valley Branch.

*HUD recommended demolition of Geneva Towers and their replacement with low-rise housing at a Sept. 19 VVTF meeting.

*A Vista Overlook project was announced for McLaren Park.

*Recognized for its best improved volunteer school program, VVES became one of three S.F. institutions to receive the Honor Roll of Schools awarded from S.F. School Volunteers.

*Regular VVTF monthly meetings were moved to the fourth Friday of every month.

*St. James Presbyterian Church held a successful second annual faire.

*Elections voted in a new student council at VVMS.

*VVTF members presented a Neighborhood Strategic Plan to the S.F. Redevelopment Agency on Dec. 6.

1995

*Neighbors and friends in Visitacion Valley got together January 16 for a community-wide Clean-up Campaign to remove trash from McLaren Park and other areas of the neighborhood.

*Staff and students of VVES gathered at the corner of Bayshore Boulevard and Sunnydale Avenue Jan. 24 for the unveiling of their Neighborhood Image Enhancement billboard.

*VVTF members unanimously agreed Feb. 25 to request a bilingual officer to be assigned in the Valley.

*Two crucial meetings were held Apr. 18 and 20 to discuss a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and its relation to proposed expansion of an existing household hazardous waste facility on Tunnel Avenue.

*VVMS introduced two new school programs: KeySEC, an association of parents, teachers and staff, students and community members, and Viz Kids, an after school program.

*Residents of both Little Hollywood and Visitacion Valley unanimously opposed proposed expansion of a household hazardous waste facility on Tunnel Avenue at an Apr. 18 meeting at VVCC to revise an EIR.

*Ruth Jackson was named Woman of the Year for 1995 by the Delta Delta Zita Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

*St. James Presbyterian Church held a joyous May 14 celebration on Mother's Day, as well as spirited festivities June 18 on Father's Day.

*VVTF members agreed on May 27 to meet in weekly sessions to develop benchmarks for inclusion in a request for government funding.

*Visitacion Valley held its 11th annual Festival on May 20.

*Acknowledging decades of devotion to his community, Henry Schindel received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from John F. Kennedy University on June 17.

*New English as a Second Language (ESL) classes were announced for Visitacion Valley commencing Aug. 21.

*Schlage Lock began testing the soil on it premises for contamination.

*HUD presented $11.8 million to the Housing and Community Development Corporation (HCDC) at a July 19 Geneva Towers meeting to help build new Valley housing.

*McLaren Park was selected as one of three potential sites for an underground reservoir to provide emergency supplies of water for firefighting, park irrigation and industrial use.

*Geneva Towers were officially closed for demolition on Aug. 31.

*VVTF members agreed children and youth, education and training leading to employment, and a stronger economic base were top priorities needing improvement in Visitacion Valley.

*VVMS replaced its viking mascot with a falcon logo.

*Valley neighbors gathered Sept. 16 at VVCC for a combined garage sale.

*Plans were commenced to establish a Beacon Center at VVMS.

*Representatives from Muni and both Potrero and Ingleside police stations were present at a Sept. 23 VVTF meeting listening to residents voice their concerns.

*Neighbors gathered to give Visitacion Valley Community Garden a cleaning Oct. 21 prior to its official reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

*At an Oct. 28 meeting, VVTF members and concerned residents approved five benchmarks: after school programs, child care, economic development, job training and placement, and ESL, as vital areas to be developed.

*St. James Presbyterian Church held a successful bazaar on Nov. 18.

*About 50 residents from Visitacion Valley were provided with a Muni bus to attend a Residents of South East Sector (ROSES) meeting on Nov. 2.

*Greetings in five languages welcomed visitors to the Dec. 2 grand opening of the Village, a new association of several vital Visitacion Valley services located at 333 Schwerin St.

*A Red Cross Family Support Center opened Dec. 7 at 1704 Sunnydale Ave.

1996

*Burglars broke into St. James Presbyterian Church around Jan. 14, taking $10,000 in church property.

*Meetings of the Southeast Communities - Norcal - City Agecies Forum were held Jan. 18 and Mar. 7 at Executive Park to resolve problems caused by the existing waste facility on Tunnel Avenue to the surrounding neighborhood.

*Architects attending a Jan. 27 VVTF meeting presented plans for 91 low rise homes along Sunnydale Avenue adjacent to Geneva Towers.

*Fresh Start Farms and VVMS formed a partnership creating a commercial farm on school grounds.

*Many Visitacion Valley residents and merchants joined joined other concerned citizens at a meeting of a newly-appointed Police Commission at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School on Feb. 28.

*Jeff Mori replaced Anthony Lincoln as director of the Mayor's Office of Children, Youth and Their Families.

*VVES celebrated black history and the lunar new year in a combined multicultural assembly on Feb. 15.

*Geneva Valley Development Corporation (GVDC) was created to plan new replacement housing for Geneva Towers.

*St. James Presbyterian Church celebrated its 90th anniversary Apr. 28 with special appearances by two former pastors.

*More than 1,400 signatures were gathered on a petition calling for improved safety measures in the Valley.

*Visitacion Valley held its 12th annual Festival on May 18.

*In a festive program, a long-awaited Beacon Center at VVMS, 450 Raymond Ave. opened on June 10.

*St. Luke's Hospital announced it will open a Visitacion Valley clinic by late summer.

*Catholic Charities announced plans to open a licensed care facility by the end of 1996 at 141 Leland. Ave., the former Maxicare site.

*Mayor Willie Brown joined HUD's Andrew Cuomo on June 17 to announce the San Francisco had received $41.9 million to fund various neighborhood projects.

*A VVTF safety subcommittee revealed plans to establish police report desks at three vital Valley locations: VVCC, the Village and the Beacon Center at VVMS.

*Seven students in a youth painting class  at VVCC won an award for participating in the Young Audiences' spring art exhibition Faces of San Francisco: Faces of Change at Levi Strauss and Co.

*In celebrating its tenth anniversary in August both the Visitacion Valley Grapevine and Editor Len Appiano received certificates of achievement from State Senator Milton Marks.

*Visitacion Valley Task Force (VVTF) members voted July 27 to establish a special Communication and Transportation committee to improve neighborhood outreach and mobility.

*Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS) became recipient of 151 computers donated and upgraded through the Detwiler Foundation.

*A revitalized Valley Merchants Association held its first meeting Sept. 28 to discuss ways on improving commerce in the neighborhood.

*Neighbors began circulating a petition in September requesting that Visitacion Valley be included in only one police precinct.

*More than 150 students from Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) came to their school garden Oct. 5 to clear weeds, remove unwanted vegetation and dedicate the garden's new name.

*Fresh Start Farms worked with VVMS students in establishing a vegetable garden.

*St. Luke's Health Care Center van made several trips to Visitacion Valley prior to the October opening of the new Leland Avenue Clinic. More than 160 guests attended a festive dinner celebrating the opening Dec. 6 at VVCC.

*VVES held its Winter Festival on Dec. 19.

1997

*Angry residents of both Little Hollywood and Visitacion Valley voiced their concerns about operations at the Norcal Solid Waste Recycling and Transfer Station during a VVTF meeting Jan. 25.

*Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Watch described its safety and patrol program during a Feb. 22 community meeting.

*An account was established at the Visitacion Valley branch of the Bank of America to assist a family stricken by a devastating fire which gutted their Delta Street home on Mar. 19.

*Community Boards held two forums on respect for the neighborhood.

*VVTF adopted its bylaws on Apr. 26.

*VVMS announced that its students would be wearing uniforms beginning with the Fall 1997 semester.

*Visitacion Valley held its 13th annual Street Festival on May 17.

*HUD began working with Imtech Communication of Berkeley to explore options for the demolition of Geneva Towers.

*Key leaders from the Visitacion Valley community, businesses, neighborhood associations and educational institutions met July 2 at Visitacion Valley Community Center to discuss expansion of a recently formed steering committee for community outreach on the demolition of Geneva Towers.

*Armed with a large aerial photograph of Visitacion Valley used to illustrate various perimeters and identify residents' homes, representatives from both Aman Environmental Construction, Inc. and Controlled Demolition Incorporated (CDI) spoke July 15 at the second Steering Committee Meeting handling community outreach for Geneva Towers. 

*Members of Visitacion Valley's business community met with a City representative July 12 in an initial meeting to discuss improvements to the neighborhood's main business thoroughfare.

*More than 75 signatures were gathered on a local petition in support of Bart Ribotta, popular senior swimming instructor at Coffman Pool, to keep him from being replaced.

*Results announced Sept. 24 of a first-of-a-kind neighborhood election to decide which demolition method was best for taking down Geneva Towers showed an overwhelming support for implosion.

*Friends of Visitacion Valley Parks (FVVP) hosted its first Valley Greenway Rally and Community Picnic Sept. 6 in the Senior Park on Arleta Avenue.

*Affirming the real achievements of families in a Family Community Partnership program while honoring the efforts of all who fight poverty, neighbors from both Potrero Hill and Visitacion Valley came together Oct. 17 at the Sunnydale Auditorium for On the Road to Success.

*Members of the S.F. Public Utilities Commission (PUC) further detailed plans to improve Sunnydale's inadequate sewer system in a community meeting Dec. 11 at Schlage Lock

*Neighbors were awakened at 2:30 a.m. Christmas Day to find a blazing inferno in a home at 450 Sawyer St. 

1998

*Visitacion Valley merchants thought too many people hung around the business area, a problem exacerbated by a prevalence of crime, dirty streets and too many shops selling similar wares, according to a survey conducted by the San Francisco State University's Public Research Institute and the Mayor's Office of Community Development.

*Beneath a large banner proudly proclaiming, "Our Pride is Back," students of Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS) combined music and verse in a spirited afternoon Black History Assembly on Feb. 27 which featured enlightening words from guest speaker Mayor Willie Brown.

*Visitacion Valley Task Force 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.

*San Francisco's Board of Supervisors brought their regular weekly meeting to Visitacion Valley on Mar. 2, where neighborhood residents packed the Sunnydale Auditorium to voice their concerns about local issues.

*Demolition was scheduled to begin Apr. 13 on the clubhouse located at the northeast corner of Visitacion Valley Playground. 

*In the waning hours of the soon to be imploded Geneva Towers, local residents got together May 16 at the Elementary School to celebrate Visitacion Valley's first Neighborhood Day with entertainment, food and fun.

*An important chapter in the story of Visitacion Valley came to an end May 16 – just a little after  2:30 p.m – when both Geneva Towers, out-of-place in a landscape of low-rise housing for more than three decades were imploded.

*After a year of strategic planning, Visitacion Valley's revived Merchants Association finally found itself off the ground with an official endorsement by Mayor Willie Brown during the Leland Avenue Community Meeting on July 23 at VVCC.

*With the removal of rubble continuing at the former Geneva Towers site across the street, Mayor Willie Brown joined HUD's Art Agnos and a number of other officials Aug. 13 in a large empty lot on Sunnydale Avenue for the official ground breaking of the Britton Street Family Housing.

*San Francisco submitted a request to HUD on Sept. 17 for released funds to begin construction of the Heritage Homes project at 222 Schwerin St. 

*Visitacion Valley Middle School received national recognition by President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Education Richard Riley in a new publication from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).

*Rapid construction of new homes continued in the Hester Heights area along a new Valley street called Lois Lane.

*U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Janice Lachance presented Principal Vincent Chao of Visitacion Valley Elementary School with 44 computers on Oct. 16 donated by the U.S. Department of Education. 

*Discovery of a local labor union plan to picket the long-awaited Oct. 29 Heritage Homes ground breaking caused both Mercy Charities Housing (MCH), California and the Geneva Valley Development Corporation (GVDC) to postpone the event.

*Police called to investigate an incident near the intersection of Sunnydale Avenue and Sawyer Street early morning on Oct. 29 found a taxi with its motor running, headlights off, and the driver draped over the steering wheel with a fatal bullet hole in his head.

*Vernon Long, director of The Village, served as master of ceremonies Nov. 6 during mid-day festivities as several students celebrated their graduation from a class of the Visitacion Valley Jobs, Education and Training program.

*Inspirational music and good food were a part of the festivities Nov. 24 as a packed house at the Visitacion Valley Community Center auditorium turned out for Roy Barker "Giving Thanks" '98.

1999

*After more than 73 years in Visitacion Valley, Schlage Lock Company announced it would phase out its Bayshore Boulevard manufacturing location during a several month period in 1999.

*Mayor Willie Brown was special guest at Visitacion Valley's Lunar New Year Community Celebration on Feb. 25 which featured cultural performances and cuisine.

*More than 100 Visitacion Valley neighbors and Mayor Willie Brown attended a candlelight Vigil Apr. 6 in memory of Sugi Kim, co-owner of the KC Market at 400 Wilde Ave. who was shot to death by a masked robber three days earlier after complying with his demands for money and liquor. 

*Home Depot presented its plans to the Visitacion Valley Task Force on Mar. 27 for a newly-constructed 107,000 square-foot store – its first in San Francisco –  to be built on the present site of Schlage Lock Company. 
*Visitacion Valley Community Center was one of seven organizations honored May 26 at Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts with the 25th Anniversary Community Institution Award. 

*Two men wearing bandannas to conceal their faces robbed the Visitacion Valley Post Office just before noon on June 30. 

*Friends, family and neighbors were on hand at the John King Senior Center July 2 when 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).

*After three years of outreach in the community and working with the Mayor's Office and various non-profit organizations, the Visitacion Valley Greenway project 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. 

*James S. Dierke, a member of the San Francisco Unified School District for 25 years, became new principal at Visitacion Valley Middle School (VVMS). 

*Both John King Senior Center (JKSC) and Mercy Charities Housing hosted a groundbreaking celebration on Sept. 16 for the new senior housing complex to be built at 500 Raymond Ave.

*Visitacion Valley Community Beacon acquired a Chinese hotline for those in the community whose primary language was Cantonese.

*Under a banner to "Keep our schools safe for everyone," Visitacion Valley Middle School established its VVMS Hotline at 281-8406 for both students and neighbors to use for anonymous messages.

*Construction continued on the 560 of St. Francis Bay Apartments along Executive Park Boulevard. 

*More than 200 people turned out Nov. 13 at the Visitacion Valley Community Center to learn and voice their concerns about the potential Home Depot hardware giant moving into the neighborhood. 

*Mayor Willie Brown made a guest appearance at St. James Presbyterian Church on Nov. 21.

2000

*A new tutorial program staffed entirely by volunteers was opened Feb. 9 at Herz Playground.

*Visitacion Valley merchants, schools, churches and community service providers joined to celebrate many cultures that made up the neighborhood in a Multi-cultural Celebration at the Visitacion Valley Community Center gymnasium on Feb. 26.

*Construction started in February on the John King Senior Community and Child Care Center to be located on Raymond Avenue at Sawyer Street.

*Students, parents, faculty members and supporters of Our Lady of the Visitacion (OLV) School participated Apr. 8 in a second annual walkathon event sponsored by the school's Parents-Teachers Group.

*Representatives of HUD and local organizations were on hand the morning of Apr. 28 in a Welcome Home Celebration for returning Geneva Towers residents at both the new Heritage Homes and Britton Courts on Sunnydale Avenue.

*Two men were injured Apr. 30 in shootings on Brookdale Avenue in the Sunnydale housing complex.

*Parents and students packed the auditorium of Visitacion Valley Elementary School (VVES) on May 12 for multi-cultural assemblies celebrating Latino, Filipino and Samoan cultures.

*Visitacion Valley Community Center (VVCC) honored an instructor,  Randy Tanksley, who has been a part of its children's programs for nearly three decades.

*Visitacion Valley's third annual Neighborhood Day was scheduled for Sept. 16 at Leland Avenue and Schwerin Street. 

*Visitacion Valley voters attended a candidates' forum for San Francisco Supervisor on Oct. 7. 

*With meetings of a community advisory group outlining final changes and improvements to the plan for the Third Street Light Rail Project, construction of the line was scheduled to begin sometime in 2001 and be in operation in 2004. 

*A number of Visitacion Valley organizations sponsored a CommUnity Walk and Potluck beginning at The Village community center on Dec.9.

*After being vacant for nearly two years, a new medical clinic at 82 Leland Ave. made final preparations for its 2001 grand opening. 

*District 10 voters in San Francisco on Dec. 12 elected Sophie Maxwell to represent them on the Board of Supervisors. 

*Mo'Raysha Pouoa won first place in a design competition held by Providian Bankcorp on her design titled "World Peace."

*About 180 Visitacion Valley youngsters visited a winter wonderland on Dec. 20 when the Bear Care-A-Van from Mervyn's arrived at The Village on Schwerin Street.

2001

**District 10 Supervisor Sophie Maxwell Visitacion Valley residents on Feb. 3 for the first of several weekend neighborhood clean-up campaigns sponsored by the Mayor's Office and the Department of Public Works.

*Village Director Vernon Long was honored Mar. 4 during a public worship service of Ridge View United Methodist Church.

*Mayor Willie Brown gave an encouraging presentation on Mar. 24 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Hans Schiller Plaza.

*St. James Presbyterian Church celebrated the 95th anniversary of its founding with a special Sunday service on Apr. 29.

*North East Medical Services (NEMS) celebrated the grand opening of its Visitacion Valley clinic at 82 Leland Ave. on May 10.

*Hundreds of parents and children attended a sold out Evening Talent Show on May 17 at VVES sponsored by the PTA. 

*More than 100 firefighters battled a stubborn wind-powered blaze on June 19 which burned 60 acres of dry grass around noon at Crocker Amazon Park. 

*Soil and groundwater work was started in June adjacent to PG&E's Martin Service Center.

*Representatives of several San Francisco departments joined Supervisor Maxwell at the Visitacion Valley Community Center on July 21 as neighborhood residents gathered to acquire information and get their questions answered at a Town Hall Meeting.

*Friends and neighbors got together Sept. 22 for a day of fun, food and entertainment as Visitacion Valley celebrated its fourth annual Neighborhood Day at Herz Playground.

*Visitacion Valley residents attended two community forums hosted by Urban Ecology and Supervisor Maxwell on Nov. 14 and 17 at the former Schlage Lock auditorium to help determine what new development could take place in the neighborhood. 

2002

*Muralist Josef Norris guided 4th graders from Ron Machado's class at VVES to paint a mural on the outside of their school as part of a 16-week workshop.

*Captain Kevin Dillon took charge of the Ingleside Police District on Jan. 4, replacing Captain Marsha Ashe.

*A remedial investigation of the soil and groundwater at the Schlage Lock site on Bayshore Boulevard found both volatile organic compounds and metals as the primary contaminants, according to a detailed report recently issued by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

*After more than half-a-decade of discussion, planning and eventual construction, John King Senior Community (JKSC) on Raymond Avenue held an eventful grand opening on May 11.

*Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the Third Street Light Rail Project took place May 28 at the Caltrain Depot (Fourth and King Streets.

*Both VVES and VVMS exceeded their growth goals in all areas of the State API Testing and received awards during a meeting of school administrators on Aug. 7.

*Visitacion Valley got its first look at the City's new parking meters when workers began installing them along Leland Avenue on the second week of October.

*Running unopposed, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell was reelected to serve District 10 on Nov. 5 with 97 percent of the vote.

*San Francisco Housing Authority on Dec. 5 opened the Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. Youth Center on Sunnydale Avenue at Santos Street complete with a recording studio for aspiring artists.

*Dressed in black apparel, members of the Visitacion Valley neighborhood joined together on Dec. 26 for a midday march through the Sunnydale housing complex in an effort to get their community to stop continual violence.

2003

*Muralist Josef Norris guided VVES second and fourth-graders through a 14-week tile mural project which culminated in an afternoon unveiling ceremony on Jan. 11.

*Representatives from several San Francisco city departments joined Supervisor Maxwell on Mar. 22 in  hosting a town hall meeting at VVCC.

*The San Francisco Library Commission on Apr. 17 passed a purchase and sale agreement by a 5-to-1 vote for a new Visitacion Valley Branch Library to be built on Leland Avenue at Rutland Street.

*Construction was started on a pedestrian crossing over railroad tracks near Little Hollywood after CalTrain announced it would be laying two additional tracks south of the tunnel.

*Youth and adults from community-based organizations around the Bay Area had a fun day of games and entertainment in a carnival atmosphere known as Game Day 2003 at VVMS on May 10.

*Neighborghood residents attended a June 14 meeting of the Visitacion Valley Planning Alliance (VVPA) for an update on the Segment F construction of the Third Street Light Rail on Bayshore Boulevard.

*San Francisco Bicycle Coalition unveiled high-priority bike lane projects which included plans for Bayshore Boulevard.

*More than a year after the John King Senior Community officially opened its doors, the new John King Child and Family Development Center located on the premises celebrated its grand opening Aug. 1 with a gala celebration.

*For the first time in 31 years, VVMS was given a fresh coat of paint – inside and out – during the summer.

*San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) purchased the Super Fair Market at 201 Leland Ave. tol build a new Visitacion Valley Branch Library

*Combining two former neighborhood events – Harvest Festival and Neighborhood Day – organizers held their first annual Celebrate Visitacion Valley (CVV) on Oct. 4 at Visitacion Valley Playground to mark the noontime ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Visitacion Valley Recreation and Park Clubhouse. 

*The Village West Community Center was opened Nov. 22 at 1099 Sunnydale Ave. to provide services and resources for residents of all ages.

2004

*VVES PTA sponsored a multicultural pot luck dinner on Jan. 30 with more than 150 people bringing home-cooked delicacies.. 

*Residents packed the VVCC gymnasium Feb. 21 to learn latest developments in the planning process for the controversial Shlage Lock site.

*Hundreds of neighborhood residents packed the VVES auditorium on Apr. 24 to voice their concerns during a Saturday morning town hall meeting with Mayor Gavin Newsom.

*VVES, together with several other San Francisco public schools, received a state Title 1 Achieving School Award on April 29 in a special banquet ceremony.

*Friends and neighbors packed the VVCC gym on May 18 to honor Pat Crocker, former senior director who retired after nearly two decades of service.

*Project Connect, a new door-to-door program designed to direct residents of various San Francisco neighborhoods to various City services, was commenced on June 10, 

*Five spectacular mosaic murals created by sixth-graders at VVMS were unveiled May 21 in an afternoon ceremony at the school entrance.

*Rob Reiner, the actor and director best known for his portrayal of Archie Bunker's outspoken son-in-law Michael Stivik in the TV classic All in the Family, was joined by local officials on June 2 at Visitacion Valley Family School on Leland Avenue to announce the first phase of a plan to implement voluntary universal preschool for the City's four-year-olds. 

*Many friends and neighbors of Visitacion Valley gathered at the Community Center on June 26 with members from the Sunnydale Residents' Council to help families memorialize loved ones who lost their lives in violence that has plagued the southeast sector of San Francisco.

*The Children's Programs at VVCC hosted a Night in Napoli event on July 16 at the gymnasium.

*Neighborhood residents gathered Sept. 18 at the corner of Sunnydale Avenue and Hahn Street to celebrate completion of a community-wide mural project.

*San Francisco Beautiful awarded the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse as a 2004 recipient for a beautification award.

*Youth and other residents from both Heritage Homes and Britton Courts participated on Oct. 9 in a Visitacion Valley voter registration drive.

*The Apple Store in downtown San Francisco on Oct. 18 displayed a descriptive documentary compiled by a Visitacion Valley youth media club.

*Visitacion Valley residents desiring to improve pedestrian safety were present Oct. 21 for an early morning press conference with Supervisor Sophie Maxwell on the Polk Street steps of San Francisco City Hall. 

*More than 150 neighborhood residents gathered at the  Church of the Visitacion on Nov. 7 to present their needs and solutions to their growing need for more security in the neighborhood.

2005

*City Planning expressed interest in acquiring a closed Travelodge site on Bayshore Boulevard near US101 for new housing. 

*Mayor Newsom was in Visitacion Valley on Feb. 1 to announce the Dave Matthews Band had donated $250,000 to rebuild a playground in the Sunnydale housing complex.

*Burton High School announced it would install a synthetic sports playing surface thanks to a $200,000 grant from the National Football League (NFL) Grassroots Program.

*Mayor Newsom on May 12 visited Burton High School where he was joined by students, school administrators and School District representatives to celebrate the opening of the Burton High Wellness Program.

*More than 350 local residents attended the Visitacion Valley Violence Prevention Collaborative's Community Summer Jam 2 on June 4 at Herz Playground. 

*More than 90 firefighters were needed to extinguish a smoky three-alarm fire on June 29 which destroyed a two-story home at 29 Teddy Ave.

*VVCC presented its first annual Florence Friedman Award to Mayor Gavin Newsom during an Awards Gala on July 13 at the Hotel Nikko in downtown San Francisco.

*Mayor Newsom on Aug. 11 unveiled Phase II of the City’s Clean and Green Initiative: the Better Streets Program in Visitacion Valley at Hans Schiller Plaza on Leland Avenue.

*California Assembly Member Leland Yee and other state representatives were on hand with more than 100 other guests Sept. 23 to celebrate the expansion of the Family and Community Services Center (FCSC) at 161 Leland Ave.

*Neighborhood residents who live on and use Leland Avenue had their first opportunity to formulate opinions on its forthcoming improvement at the first of three design workshops on Oct. 22 at the Visitacion Valley Elementary School auditorium. 

*Casa Lopez at 58 Leland Ave. was one of six City businesses selected to receive an honorable mention award at the first annual San Francisco Neighborhood Business Awards Reception Oct. 27.

*Children’s advocate and actor/producer Rob Reiner announced the completion of signature gathering for the Preschool for All initiative on Nov. 17 at the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse on Leland Avenue.

*After months of anticipation, San Francisco's Visitacion Valley, the neighborhood's first photo history compiled by a group of five local historians, finally went on sale along Leland Avenue on Dec. 13.

*Despite pouring rain and cold wind, the Boys and Girls Club hosted their annual Greater Visitacion Valley Boys and Girls Club Art Show on Dec. 17.

2006

*Uchechi Amaechi, a seventh-grader at VVMS was named winner of a student essay contest on Violence in the Media sponsored by the Violence Prevention Collaborative.

*San Francisco’s Department of Public Works acknowledged and honored neighborhood resident Fran Martin’s efforts with the Visitacion Valley Greenway Project with an award during the 2006 Clean and Green City Summit on Feb. 15 in Golden Gate Park. 

*Building on input received in two previous workshops and a merchants workshop, the local community on Feb. 11 was invited to provide final comments on a draft design for a proposed makeover of Leland Avenue. Most suggestions called for better street lighting and crosswalks, with more greenery planted that would be easily maintained. 

*James Dierke, principal of VVMS since 1999, was named administrator of 2006 among all middle grades in the state by the Association of California School Administrators.

*One of Visitacion Valley's pioneering churches,  St. James Presbyterian, hosted a centennial celebration in April marking the 100th anniversary of its founding on Apr. 26, 1906.

*VVCC and the Beacon Center instituted the Green Stewards Program, a special youth outdoor education scholarship program for boys and girls, in a partnership with the Visitacion Valley Greenway Project (VVGP).

*Visitacion Valley participated for the first time in an annual citywide “Shop the Block” event on May 20 with its own Leland Avenue Sidewalk Sale.