Richmond Roundup

New Traffic Light Debuts on Geary at 12th Avenue
A long-awaited traffic light made its debut at Geary Boulevard and 12th Avenue on Thursday, July 18. San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick and local residents were on hand when the switch to activate the light was thrown at 8:30 a.m.

The light, five years in the making, is the first of several slated for Geary Boulevard, including the currently un-regulated intersections at Fourth and Seventh avenues.

Longtime Consignment Shop Closes
The first consignment shop in the Richmond District, Abbe's, mysteriously closed its doors for good recently. The shop, located at 1420 Clement St., was in business for more than 50 years.

Free City College Classes Available at Local Sites
The City College of San Francisco is bringing education directly to residents of the west side with several free classes.

A new beginning-level English class will be taught daily starting Aug. 19. It will be held at the Park-Presidio Methodist Church, located at Geary Boulevard and Seventh Avenue, starting at 8:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. For more information, call 561-1875.

A citizenship class for adults will be offered at A.P. Giannini Middle School, located at 3151 Ortega St., this Fall. The class will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:35 p.m. Students must be able to read and speak English at the intermediate level (ESL Level 4). Enrollment begins Monday, Aug. 19. For more information, call 561-1875.

A self-healing course will be taught by Diane See from Aug. 19 to Dec. 20 on Mondays (Stonestown YMCA, 3150 20th Ave.), Wednesdays (Christ Church Lutheran, 1090 Quintara St.) and Fridays (Richmond District YMCA, 360 18th Ave.). Drop in anytime during the semester. For more information, call 585-2442.

New Exhibit Debuts at Thacher Gallery
"Masterworks in Hot Type: Andrew Hoyem Retrospective" will be on exhibit at the University of San Francisco's Thacher Gallery beginning Monday, Aug. 26, and running through Sunday, Oct. 13.

The exhibit will present books, illustrations and portfolios designed and published by master printer Andrew Hoyem during his career at Arion Press from 1974 to the present. Hoyem began training as a printer in 1966 with legendary San Francisco fine printer Robert Grabhorn. In 1974, Hoyem founded Arion Press and expanded the tradition of high-quality bookmaking and typography to include experimental forms and collaborations with contemporary artists. In 1989, he purchased the oldest and largest surviving type foundry in America.

Hoyem's works are said to be marked with "unusual inventiveness," and individuals, museums and libraries around the world collect his editions.

The Thacher Gallery is located at USF's Gleeson Library/Geschke Center, 2130 Fulton St. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 422-2311.

Historical Society Begins Studies on Presidio Building 640
The National Japanese American Historical Society, headquartered in San Francisco's Japantown, is undertaking a conceptual study of Presidio Building 640 with the intention of renovating it as an Interpretive Center.

Building 640 housed the original World War II Fourth Army Intelligence School and was instrumental in training Japanese Americans in translation, battlefield interrogation skills and cultural understanding, hastening the end of the war and ensuring post-war democracy in Japan. Ironically, Building 640 is just a short distance from the Presidio Headquarters where commander of the Western Defense Command, General John L. DeWitt, gave the order to intern thousands of Japanese Americans. Japanese American men at Building 640 were in the United States military while their families were forced into internment camps.

To the National Japanese American Historical Society, what happened in Building 640 is symbolic of the determination of Japanese Americans to maintain their integrity during wartime racism, prejudice and hysteria.

Recently, the appropriations committees of the U.S. Congress agreed to allocate $600,000 to the National Park Service for the second phase of a feasibility study for the rehabilitation of Building 640. Approval of the final project program is pending at the Presidio Trust.

An informational presentation about the feasibility study for Building 640 will be made at the National Japanese American Historical Society, located at 1684 Post St., on Saturday, Aug. 10 and at the Crissy Field Center at the Presidio on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call 921-5007.

Food Bank Opens Four New Pantries
The San Francisco Food Bank, the largest distributor of food to low-income families and individuals in San Francisco, has opened four new food pantries in some of the City's most needy neighborhoods.

The neighborhood pantry programs provide low-income families and individuals with supplemental groceries so they can nourish themselves by preparing food in their own homes. Two of the pantries are at Christ Church Lutheran, located at 20th Avenue and Quintara Street in the Sunset District, and St. Francis Episcopal Church, located at 399 San Fernando Way in the Ocean/Merced/Ingleside neighborhood. The other two pantries are located in the Mission District and Visitacion Valley.

Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank, estimates that these new pantries will make a difference in the lives of more than 5,000 families every week.

Free Shuttle Service Running in Park
A free bus shuttle service started in Golden Gate Park May 4 has transported some 6,000 people, 28 percent of whom were San Francisco residents, to various points throughout the park during its first eight weeks in operation.

The shuttle service runs Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through October. It is paid for by the Golden Gate Park Concourse Authority as part of its plan to improve transportation in the park.

The shuttle picks up passengers every 15 minutes at 15 marked locations in the park, including the McLaren Lodge, Conservatory of Flowers, Academy of Sciences, Strybing Arboretum, Stow Lake, Bison Paddock, Polo Fields and the Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant.

When the pilot shuttle system was created last summer, it carried about 200 people a day. This summer, about 500 people a day are using the service. Most people discovered the shuttle after arriving at the park.

According to the results from 170 rider surveys, people come to the park via various modes of transportation, including mass transit (45 percent), cars (30 percent) and bicycling and walking (24 percent).

Shuttle route maps are available at Golden Gate Park or at the Concourse Authority's website at www.goldengateparkconcourse.org.

Musee Mecanique gets new site at Fisherman's Wharf
The Musee Mecanique, the historic arcade located in the bowels of the Cliff House, has gotten the go-ahead from the national park service to temporarily relocate the collection to Pier 45 at Fisherman's Wharf.

The Musee Mecanique will be located next to exhibitions by the SF Museum and Historical Society, World War II submarine "Pompanito" and Liberty Ship "Jeremiah O'Brien."

The collection is slated to move to a newly constructed visitor's center that is planned to be located on Merrie Way, the parking lot located east of the Cliff House and Sutro Bath ruins. The collection must move now so a massive rehabilitation and restoration can begin at the Cliff House.

Books Donated to Sutro School
Some 400 people, including Junior Achievement delegates, Deloitte & Touche employees and educators from Sutro Elementary School, participated in a book presentation ceremony at the SF Marriott July 19.

More than 400 books were given to the school, located at 235 12th Ave. They were donated by Junior Achievement members, local bookstores and employees at Deloitte & Touche.

Neighborhood youth travel to New Jersey to compete
More than 100 San Francisco youth traveled to Newark, New Jersey July 31 through Aug. 4 to compete in the 36th annual United States Youth Games.

The Olympic-style games are part of a tradition started by New York Mayor John Linsay in 1967. The Youth Games will come to San Francisco next year.

Youth participating in the games from the Richmond District are: Justin Fong (swimming); Marissa Holden (swimming); Alexandria Nazar (swimming); Christopher Pothong (swimming); Elizabeth Bloomfield (soccer); Madeline Combs (soccer); Katlin Cowan-Stucky (soccer); Jamie DeAraujo (soccer); Jopierre Davis (track and field); Micaella Cabral (volleyball); Daniella Morales (volleyball); Christina Moylan (volleyball); Melissa Wong (volleyball); Katharine Kilgore (tennis); Carmen Lam (tennis); Rashad Taylor (flag football); Dominique Brooks (flag football); Hobbie Dowsey (flag football); and Anthony Rodreguez (flag football).

A celebration was held at City Hall on Thursday, July 24, to send the athletes off. It was led by Olympic medalist Ted Murphy (Silver Medal, rowing, 2000 Summer Olympics) and the SF Recreation and Park Department's Young People's Teen Musical Theater Company and Omulu Copeira Group.

The Other SF State 'Seniors'
Sixty Plus at San Francisco State University invites anyone 60 years of age or older to join and participate in its many activities. Members of Sixty Plus meet twice a month on campus to share a stimulating speaker's program, conversation and refreshments.

Other activities include local and out-of-town bus tours; attending the SF Symphony, SF Ballet and many other Bay Area performing arts groups at reduced ticket prices, use of the university's library and, most uniquely, the opportunity to audit university courses without a fee. All of this is available for $75 annual dues.

The campus is easily accessible by Muni, bus and auto. Shuttle bus service to and from meetings is provided from a nearby parking area. For more information or a membership application, call Beverley Bender at 566-9347.

Western Square Dancing
Modern Square Dancing is today's fastest growing form of social dancing. Learn how it is done on Fridays beginning Aug. 2, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m at Christ Church Lutheran, located at the corner of 20th Avenue and Quintara Street. Single or married people, age 18 and up, are invited to have some fun, enjoy the music and meet nice people. Sponsored by San Francisco B n B Square Dance Club, the first three Fridays in August - Aug. 2, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 - are free. For more information, call 566-3563 or 566-6647.