Richmond Roundup

Conservatory Gets "Topped"
A ceremony marking the tallest structural point of the new, as yet unfinished, eight-story San Francisco Conservatory of Music was held at the Civic Center in March.

Guests watched as a beam was raised into place by a crane, viewed architectural renderings and were led on hard-hat tours. The $80 million teaching, performance, rehearsal, and practice facility in the heart of the City's performing arts district is on schedule for a grand opening in the fall of 2006.

Mayor Critiques First Year
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom took the opportunity in March to reflect on his first year in office - a tumultuous year - during a meeting with the publishers of the city's neighborhood newspapers.

One bone of contention for Newsom is the attempt by some city supervisors to wrestle control over some commission appointments.

Newsom said it is difficult to follow the directives of the electorate to implement change when he has little power over the direction of the commissions that run the City. The key is in making the appointment, he said, and not in being involved in the minutiae of the group's business.

"I've never called a commissioner in my life (to influence decision making)," he said.

According to Newsom, the supervisors can reject the mayor's commission picks but the mayor has no control over the supervisors' appointees.

In other news, the mayor said he wants to increase the city's ability to deliver methadone treatment to addicts because the program is effective. There are about 200 heroin-overdose deaths a year in the City.

Although the city is facing a large budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, the mayor is opposed to some of the ideas being proposed to close the deficit, including charging $5 to ride the cable cars and charging consumers 17 cents each for grocery store bags.

- Paul Kozakiewicz

Grant OK'd for "Friendship Line"
A $12,500 grant from the Institute on Aging will allow older adults throughout the Bay Area to continue accessing emergency mental health services via a 24-hour toll-free emergency hotline, or "friendship line."

Since 1997, the Institute has operated the line - a program that tries to help stop an epidemic of elder depression and suicide caused by loneliness, isolation and/or distress.

For more information, contact the Institute on Aging's website at www.ioaging.org.

Presidio Concerts Set to Begin
Four Friday evening events highlighting the talents of young professional and youth classical performers will be held in a program called "Pacific Union Presents: Concerts at the Presidio." The free performances, held at the Presidio's Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, at 8 p.m., include: "Marriage of Figaro," April 15; "Opera Scenes - With a Touch of Broadway," June 17; a piano recital, Sept. 16; and Mozart's "Cosi fan tutti," Nov. 18. For more information or to reserve seats, call 447-6200.

Walks Support St. Jude Hospital
Seven walks to raise money for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will be held on Saturday, April 30.

Registered participants will be able to take off on one of seven guided tours, which will leave every half hour from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The tours will start at Liberty Fitness Center, sponsor of the event, located at 3725 Noriega St.

Pre-registration costs $10 and signing up the day of the event (starting at 9 a.m.) costs $15. For more information or to schedule a starting time, call Liberty at 564-4734.

Free Mammograms Now Available
More than 4,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the Bay Area each year.  In an effort to address the health issue, SF Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced the city's first mobile clinic to offer mammograms to low-income, uninsured, underinsured and homeless women living in the Richmond District and other communities throughout the City. 

The "mammovan" will be stationed outside of the San Francisco Free Clinic, located at 4900 California St., at various times to conduct exams and provide information on wellness and prevention.

The goal of the program is to make mammograms available to women at the same site where patients would normally go to make their medical appointments and get treatment. The plan allows the program coordinator to inform the clinic of the patient's results so that proper care for the patient can be administered as soon as possible.

"Breast cancer is an issue that affects all women. We will do everything possible to increase access to preventive care for every woman living in San Francisco," Newsom said.

San Francisco will have the only van equipped with GE Senograph, digital equipment considered to be the best in detecting and helping reduce the number of women who die of breast cancer. The examination takes approximately 15 minutes and results are provided almost immediately.

The mammovan is scheduled to visit each community in the City on a rotating basis one day a week, starting at 8 a.m. Each visit is by appointment only.

For more information, call the SF Free Clinic at 750-9894 or the SF Community Clinic Consortium at (415) 355-2222.

The preventive health care service is provided in partnership with the city and county of San Francisco, UCSF and the Department of Public Health, with private contributions from AVON, St. Joseph's Foundation and the Oakland A's.

Seeking Beautiful Landscapes
San Francisco Beautiful, an organization dedicated to creating, enhancing and protecting the unique beauty and livability of San Francisco, has announced a call for its 2005 Beautification Award nominations.

This year, special consideration will be given to projects reflecting the theme "Environmental Solutions and Urban Beauty," or environmentally sound and aesthetically pleasing solutions to improving the urban landscape. Examples of such projects include building public parks in vacant lots and restoring historic buildings with sustainable design features.

To qualify, all projects must be located in San Francisco and be visually and/or physically accessible to the public. Individuals, organizations, businesses, agencies or city entities must be nominated by June 1, and award-winners will be announced in October. For more information or a nomination form, call 421-2608 or visit www.sfbeautiful.org.

Signs Post Speeds on 19th Ave.
The Automobile Association of America of Northern California is sponsoring a traffic safety program that seeks to save lives and prevent injuries along a highly trafficked stretch of 19th Avenue.

The $22,000 program consists of the permanent installation of speed radar signs that alert drivers of their vehicle's speed in an attempt to prompt them to slow down if they are speeding. Northbound drivers can now see one of the signs between Wawona Street and Sloat Boulevard, while southbound drivers will see the speed-detection sign between Lincoln Way and Irving Street.

Statistical data from seven fatal crashes and 405 injury collisions on 19th Avenue between 1999 and 2003 served as a partial impetus for the program, which cost about $22,000 to implement.

City Taxpayers Can Support Arts
San Francisco property tax payers and other individuals can help alleviate the strain of recent budget cuts that have reduced funds for neighborhood arts and cultural organizations. Since its inception in 1984, the Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund (VACF) has collected and directly distributed upwards of $1 million to more than 200 non-profit cultural arts organizations.

To participate, city property tax payers can use a special coupon enclosed with their tax bill and either "round up" their property tax to include a contribution of $5 or more or write a separate check when paying taxes before April 10. For more information, call 554-6710 or visit www.sfgfta.org.

Renters can also participate in the effort by sending a contribution directly to: VACD, Room 347, City Hall, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Yee, Chu Head API Caucus
California Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Leland Yee and Assemblywoman Judy Chu have been selected to co-chair the California Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus.

"The caucus will continue to advocate for our children, our state's diverse communities and protecting vital services," Yee said.

The caucus' 2005 agenda includes preserving critical programs that serve APIs, supporting API legislation, supporting the Commission on Asian Pacific Islander American Affairs and increasing the number of API appointments.