Richmond Roundup

New Supervisor for District 2
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has appointed Marina District resident Michela Alioto-Pier to represent District 2, the district left unrepresented when Newsom won the mayor's race.

District 2 includes the Marina and Fillmore districts and a portion of the Richmond District, including the Presidio Heights and Seacliff neighborhoods and the area along Lake Street.

News of Alioto-Pier's appointment was announced at a press conference Jan. 19 at the Moscone Playground and she was sworn in shortly thereafter. The 35-year-old supervisor, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress and California secretary of state, has to run for re-election for the District 2 seat in November.

Alioto-Pier is the daughter of anti-trust attorney Joseph Alioto. She is also the granddaughter of former SF Mayor Joseph Alioto and the niece of former SF Supervisor Angela Alioto.

Model Yachts to Set Sail
The SF Model Yacht Club plans a full schedule of model boating activities from Feb. 22 through Nov. 7, when model boat skippers from across North America will meet to test their skills. All events are at Spreckels Lake in Golden Gate Park, located at 36th Avenue and Fulton Street.

Informal power boating events start at 9 a.m. every Saturday (gasoline) and Sunday (electric and steam). Sail regatta events (radio-control and free-sail) take place most Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, at 1 p.m.

For more information about the SFMYC, visit the website at www.sfmyc.org or call Dave Sands at (415) 665-1976.

Local kung fu academy takes center stage
Master Tat-Mau Wong, founder of the Richmond District's Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy, will be hitting the airwaves again reprising his television persona from his days as host of KTSF's "Kung Fu Theater."

Wong will co-host the Feb. 7 broadcast of the Chinese New Year Parade, along with co-host Juliette Zhuo, of Los Angeles' station KSCI's "Tea Time." The parade will be broadcast live, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., on KTSF Channel 26 (Cable 8).

From their broadcast perch in Union Square, the two will describe the action and customs of the parade in both Cantonese and Mandarin. This is KTSF's 16th year of broadcasting the parade live.

San Francisco's 130-year-old Chinese New Year Parade is expected to bring a half million people downtown to help celebrate Chinese Lunar Year 4702 - the "Year of the Monkey."

Wong's kung fu academy, recently named "Best Martial Art School" by KPIX Evening Magazine, will partake in the ceremony of this year's parade. With more than 60 Kung Fu Monkeys, a Monkey King, some demons and a Dragon King, they will perform an action sequence from the tale, "Adventures of the Monkey King."

"We all feel very honored and proud that the parade committee has chosen the Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy for this special performance," Wong said. "I am really looking forward to being this year's host."

Merchants' luncheon features new mayor
New SF Mayor Gavin Newsom will be the keynote speaker at the Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners bi-annual luncheon Feb. 24.

Also scheduled to speak are new District Attorney Kamala Harris, SF Tax Assessor Mabel Teng, SF Fire Department Chief Joanne Hayes-White and SF Treasurer Susan Leal and SF Supervisor Bevan Dufty. The theme for the event is, "The time for change is here!"

Several long-time merchants will be honored for their community contributions at the luncheon. They are: Ernie Louie, from State Farm Insurance; Bert Bomersine, from the House of Flowers; Isabel Kazemi and Surveen Singh, from Richmond Vision Care; Dr. David Werdegar and Ken Donnelly, from the Institute on Aging; and Albert Levy, from Aladdin Rugs.

The luncheon will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, located on Geary Boulevard at Van Ness Avenue, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35 in advance (before Feb. 20) and $50 at the door. For more information or to make a reservation, call the president of the Geary Merchants Association, David Heller, at 387-1477.

Exotic birds spotted at annual count
Low numbers of California Quail were found during the annual Audubon Society San Francisco Christmas Day Bird Count.

"Declining numbers as usual," said Dan Murphy, the Audubon Society's count compiler. He said only 18 California Quail were spotted in San Francisco (14 at the Presidio and four at Golden Gate Park).

Some of the rarer finds of the 173 species observed in the Dec. 30 count include: Northern Fulmar, Greater White Fronted Geese (at the Golden Gate Bridge), Barn Swallow, Yellow Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Swamp Sparrow (at Lake Merced), Hooded Oriole (at Middle Lake Drive in Golden Gate Park), and the Hammond's Flycatcher.

"Those were the most unusual birds for the count," said Murphy. He said there were 76 participants with 51,325 birds being observed during the annual count. The observations were conducted on the northern peninsula from San Bruno to the northern anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge.

- Ryder Miller

Exhibition at Presidio
The National Park Service is hosting an exhibit at the Presidio Officer's Club featuring the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The exhibit, open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., runs Feb. 20 to April 18. For more information, call 561-4404.

New Head Start Program opens
A new center for the Kai Ming Head Start Program opened Jan. 27 at 6221 Geary Blvd., at 26th Avenue.

The new center will provide educational, health and social services to 20 to 40 children participating in morning and afternoon sessions. Free breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.

Head Start is a federal program, started in 1965, that aims to provide low-income children between the ages of 3 and 5 with a comprehensive program to help improve their educational, nutritional and social development.

The Kai Ming Head Start Program serves the Chinatown, North Beach, Richmond and Sunset districts. With a staff that speaks Cantonese, Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese, the Geary Avenue center will also provide counseling services to assist families. The center is the result of Head Start's desire to expand services to low-income families living in the Richmond District.

Low-income families with a 3-to-5-year-old child can call (415) 982-4777 for more information or to receive an application.

Balboa Theater to Celebrate 78th Birthday
On Thursday, Feb. 26, the Balboa Theater will hold its annual birthday party to recognize the longevity of the Richmond District movie house. In honor of the theater's 78th birthday and the Academy Awards a few days later, the Balboa will feature a 35mm print of William Wellman's World War I romantic adventure, "Wings." The feature, starring Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Roger, Richard Arlen and Gary Cooper, was the first movie to win an Oscar for "Best Picture."

The evening starts at 7:30 p.m. with short subjects, followed by a vaudeville show featuring magician James Hamilton and Suzanne "Kitten on the Keys" Ramsey. Nik Phelps, of Sprocket Ensemble, will lead a musical group performing the silent film's original score. Director Wellman's son Bill Wellman is expected to attend and audience members are encouraged to attend in period clothing.

The Balboa Theater opened in 1926 as "The New Balboa" under the guidance of Samuel Levin, who built numerous neighborhood theaters. His son, Irving "Bud" Levin, continued the family tradition while also founding the SF International Film Festival in 1957 - the first film festival in North America. Theater lover Gary Meyer agreed to take over operation in February, 2001. The theater is currently undergoing major upgrades and improvements.

The Balboa Theater is located at 3630 Balboa St., at 38th Avenue. More information can be obtained at the website (www.BalboaMovies.com) or by calling 221-8184.

A special morning screening is also scheduled for "Wings" on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. A recorded musical score will accompany the film. All seats are $5 for the morning show.

Homeless Become Victims of Assault in the City
A recent study by UCSF researchers reveals that the city's homeless population is as much as 40 times more likely to become victims of sexual or physical assault than the general population.

According to the findings, transgendered people and women are among the most vulnerable homeless and marginally housed individuals. Nearly 12 percent and 9.4 percent of the people in these groups, respectively, were reportedly sexually assaulted in the past year. The results also suggest a strong link between victimization and mental illness, since those with mental disabilities may not be able to assess risks adequately and, therefore, find themselves in particularly vulnerable situations.

Kids Explore the National Parks Next Door this Summer
The Crissy Field Center has created a combination of urban environmental and national park-based summer day camps for children ages 6 to 11. The program offers campers unforgettable experiences exploring the outdoors and then putting their minds and hands to use at Crissy Field Center's community kitchen and art, computer and ecology labs.

There are nine week-long day camps to choose from. Two Junior Ranger camps, one for the north and south districts, allow youths to investigate national park sites each day - from the historic cellblocks on Alcatraz to the tidepools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Raptor Camp allows kids to get up close and personal with local birds of prey. Ohlone Journeys is an opportunity to learn about the original residents of the San Francisco Bay. Presidio Trekkers is an opportunity to explore the Presidio's natural and cultural history. Planet Patrol lets the creative juices flow as youth think up ways to save the planet and turn trash into treasure in the art room. Animal Adventures is a camp to track the critters living in the Presidio. Fabulous Food teaches kids about the food we grow and eat as they cook at the community kitchen. Eco-Explorers lets youths explore the ecosystem around them by using unique technological tools.

The week-long camps meet at Crissy Field Center June 14 through Aug. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The camps range in price from $299 - $399 per session. For more information or a brochure, call 561-7762 or visit www.crissyfield.org.

Contract Smartly
As Californians prepare their homes for the cold winter season with new roofs, insulation, outdoor lining, weather stripping and so on, the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) is urging homeowners to exercise their rights in hiring and managing contractors.

Contractors who perform work on a project priced at $500 or more must be licensed by the CSLB. CSLB has also just produced a new consumer guide, Tips for Hiring a Roofing Contractor: A Consumer's Rights and Responsibilities. For more information, call 1-800-321-2752 or visit the web site at www.cslb.ca.gov.

Recycling keeps district green
San Francisco's Department of the Environment recently launched a major new initiative to promote the three-cart Fantastic Three recycling and composting program throughout San Francisco, starting in the Richmond District. As an incentive for residents to meet the goal of a 25 percent increase in composting, SF Environment has awarded a grant of $5,000 to Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF) to be used for plantings in the Richmond District. The first planting with the funds took place Jan. 24.

Friends is a compatible partner for SF Environment's composting program because of their work planting trees in urban settings highlights the benefits of composting, which is the creation of fertile soil from recycled food and yard trimmings.

Those interested in helping FUF can call 788-1000, ext. 205.

Special heart health events
In honor of American Heart Month, California Pacific Medical Center is offering several free cardiac health lectures and a mini health fair in February.

Classes will be held to teach people how to change their diets to improve their heart health every Tuesday throughout the month, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at 2100 Webster St., Room 106.

Every Wednesday there will be a heart health class at 2333 Buchanan St., in the A-level conference room at 6:30 p.m. The topics will be stress reduction, women and heart disease, the truth and consequences of heart attacks, and hormone replacement therapy.

Brown bag lectures will also be held at 2100 Webster St., Room 106 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. The first will discuss cardiac rehabilitation on Tuesday, Feb. 3 and the second will be a question and answer session with a pharmacist on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Two special heart health classes on hypertension and cholesterol will also be held at the same location, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, on Thursdays, Feb. 5 and Feb. 26, respectively.

The health fair, which will be held at 2100 Webster St., will take place on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fair offers cholesterol screenings, free body fat analysis, blood pressure screenings, blood sugar screenings and a five-minute chair massage.

For more information or to register for classes and lectures, call 923-3155.

Ombudsmen needed for seniors
The California Department of Aging is expanding protections for people living in nursing homes by recruiting additional volunteer long-term care (LTC) ombudsmen, who will be trained and certified. The program plans to train hundreds of new ombudsmen to help nursing home residents, their families and friends understand and exercise nursing home rights guaranteed by state law.

Ombudsmen act as advocates to improve the quality of life for residents at LTC facilities, regularly visit local facilities, monitor conditions and provide support and resolve problems. In 2003, more than 1,400 ombudsmen statewide received complaints from nursing home residents and successfully resolved more than 15,000 of them. For more information, call (800) 510-2020.