Richmond Roundup

Geary Cell Antennae Judgment Sent Back to Trial Judge
A federal appeals court ordered a trial judge in March to consider whether or not the SF Board of Supervisors discriminated against a telecommunications company when it voted to halt the installation of cell phone antennae on the roof of a mini-shopping mall at Geary Boulevard and 16th Avenue. MetroPCS, a Dallas-based telecommunications company, filed the lawsuit.

To determine if there was discrimination, the U.S. judge must look at the requests of other telecommunications companies and whether or not their requests were granted.

UCSF Hosts Mini-Medical School
The University of California, San Francisco is sponsoring a "mini-medical school" May 18 through June 29, with six new lectures focusing on the theme "Brainstorms to Breakthroughs: Frontiers of Medicine."

Students walk in the shoes of a first- or second-year medical student and learn from leading UCSF scientists and teachers as they describe breaking events in health sciences research and how those discoveries may be translated into therapies. Each lecture is followed by a question-and-answer period.

The series is scheduled for Wednesday evenings, May 18 through June 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in Cole Hall on the UCSF campus at 513 Parnassus Ave.  Tuition for the course is $75.

UCSF first offered the public education course in the fall of 1999. The series has sold out in previous years, so early registration is encouraged.

For registration information, call the university's Public Affairs office at 476-2557 or send an e-mail to eobrien@pubaff.ucsf.edu.

Clement Bus Changes Proposed
In an effort to close a projected $57 million deficit, Muni is proposing to cut service on several of its mass transit lines, including the #2 Clement.

Proposed is a plan to reduce the number of buses available for the line and reroute it to run on California Street between Arguello Boulevard and Presidio Avenue.

Muni will host a meeting for public feedback in Chinatown May 11 and at the City College of San Francisco on May 12. For more information, call 934-3907.

Rossi Playground Gets Funding
Rossi Playground is one of 11 neighborhood parks that will share some $16 million to complete site renovations due to a reallocation of SF Recreation and Park Capital Improvement funds facilitated under the auspices of SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's office. 

The reallocation will save the City some $4 million in interest costs  because the City will delay the issuance of a $21 million revenue bond until next January.

Presidio a "Distinguished School"
Based on students' standardized test-score achievements, the California Department of Education recently bestowed Galileo and Lowell high schools and Presidio Middle School with the status of "Distinguished School."

This is the first time Presidio Middle School has received the honor of academic excellence, for which there is no monetary award. Galileo High School also won the award in 1996 and Lowell has made the list six times.

Galileo High School, which was given the status in 1996 only to drop into "underperforming" status a few years later, sees the "distinguished" status as an indication of the school's academic comeback. For Lowell, the most recent win marks the sixth time the school has made the list.

SFSU Student Wins National Contest
The Broadcast Education Association recently announced Richmond District resident and San Francisco State University student Davin Affrunti as the winner of two prestigious national awards for his script "Full Circle" - the Best of Festival/King Foundation Award and first place in the feature film category of the student scriptwriting competition.

"Full Circle" is a crime drama that Affrunti originally began as an assignment for a Dramatic Writing class and completed within three months. He and fellow SFSU student Sean Warner are currently in the process of producing "Full Circle" and hope the film will be picked up by a major production company at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Training for Seniors to Avoid Scams
Volunteers aged 55 and older are invited to join with the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and California Department of Corporations to train to be a Senior Against Investment Fraud, or $AIF.

Training sessions will teach seniors how to avoid being victimized by scam artists. For more information or to enroll, call 731-3335.

Youth Rides Cross-Country for Charity
Developing a life-long appreciation for volunteer achievement and service, Aryeh Canter, a 14-year-old Richmond District resident and freshman at the SF Jewish Community High School of the Bay, will ride his bicycle across the US to help children with cancer attend summer camp.

On his 4,200-mile trek, he hopes to raise $2,500 for Camp Quality USA, a non-profit all volunteer organization.  Since 1986, the camp has provided free, week-long camping experiences to thousands of children with cancer and their families.

Canter will be one of six high school students participating in BikingX's Coast-to-Coast fundraising tour. He will spend June 19th - August 15th, biking from San Francisco to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

"I am grateful to have the opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime and to forever touch the lives of children with cancer in the process," Canter said. "This adventure is more than the personal challenge of riding my bike across the country; this is a chance to give back to the community."

Richmond Residents, Leaders Honored
The Safety Network Partnership honored local activist Jeanne Lynch and two George Washington High School students at its Community Awards Night, held March 23 at the SF Public Library.

Lynch works with the Senior Action Network, the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Richmond District Advisory Council and is past chair of the Paratransit Coordination Council. She often testifies at community meetings and government hearings.

The partnership also recognized Holly Kong, a sophomore at Washington, for her leadership skills and Jackie Chang, a junior, for vision.

Richmond Police Station Capt. Sandra Tong was also cited for her crime-fighting efforts at the event.

Village Beacon Seeks Feedback
The Richmond Village Beacon Center, located at George Washington High School, is holding the first of four workshops to get community input concerning its various youth and adult programs, which are held at several Richmond District locations. The beacon center serves about 1,500 people a year.

The workshop will be held at the Beacon Center, Building T-5, Washington High School, 30th Avenue and Anza Street, Wednesday, May11, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, call 750-8554.

Correction
In April, the caption for a picture of retirees at Stow Lake's snack shack was incorrect. The retired staff is from Abraham Lincoln High School and started meeting at the lake in 1978.

Free Healthier Living Workshops
Ocean Park Health Center, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, is offering "Healthier Living: Managing Ongoing Health Conditions," a six-session interactive workshop designed to teach people how to cope with the symptoms and frustrations of living with chronic conditions. Sample topics include fighting fatigue, managing stress, developing an exercise program and setting positive goals. Everyone is welcome, but participants must register in advance and plan to attend all six of the Tuesday evening sessions. Workshops will be held at the Ocean Park Health Center, 1651 24th Ave., on Tuesdays, June 7 through July 12. For more information or to register, call 682-1964.