Richmond Roundup

Seniors Protest for Sidewalk Safety
The Senior Action Network (SAN) conducted a pedestrian safety demonstration in the Inner Richmond District on May 30. The action was taken to call attention to the fact that many seniors and those with disabilities are injured on the city's sidewalks from bicyclists and, to a lesser degree, skateboarders and roller skaters.

The group wants to educate the public about the proper use of non-motorized vehicles. Bicycles need to be walked on the sidewalks, or else they have to travel on the same roads as cars and must obey all traffic laws, such as stopping at stop signs.

According to SAN, skateboards are banned on many city streets, yet many skateboarding and roller skating skofflaws ignore the law, risking the life and limb of pedestrians.

The May demonstration, the fifth in a series held to educate the public about bicycle safety, was conducted at the intersection of Geary and Arguello boulevards at 12:30 p.m. Numerous groups were represented, including the SF Police Department, SF Department of Public Works, SF Bicycle Coalition and the Muni Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Anza Library Extends Hours
The Anza Branch Library, located at 550 37th Ave., is now open seven days a week.

Special programs, including storytime for ages 3-5 on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. and for families on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m., are also being offered.

On the second Tuesday of each month at 10:30 a.m., children ages 3-5 can enjoy films.

Additionally, in the month of June, the library will hold summer reading programs for teens and children of all ages.

The new weekly schedule at the Anza Branch Library is: Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information, call 557-4277.

Honoring Fallen Heroes
Thousands of San Franciscans attended a Memorial Day observance at the National Cemetery in the Presidio May 28. The event honors the more than 1 million men and women who have died fighting to secure the freedoms of the United States and other countries throughout the world.

The moderator of the event, retired Lt. Col. Wallace Levin, used the occasion to honor two San Francisco families who recently lost their sons in Iraq. The families of Cpl. Christopher Rose and Pfc. Keith Moore accepted gold stars on behalf of their fallen sons.

Mayor Honors Local Teachers
To demonstrate the community's appreciation, two neighborhood teachers received the mayor's "Teacher of the Month Award" in May.

Sandra Berger, a teacher at Lafayette Elementary School for the past 35 years, created an African-American history program and encourages her students to learn about the culture of the City by taking them to the symphony, ballet, opera and theater. She has also coordinated assemblies and field trips for her students, including one overnight trip which came from her own budget.

George Cachianes, a biotechnology teacher at Abraham Lincoln High School, has impacted the lives of many of his students and inspired some to pursue careers in the area of biotechnology. Cachianes attended Stanford University, previously worked at Genentech, and is currently composing a biotechnology text book along with another teacher.

Scoops for Firefighters
In May, Baskin-Robbins hosted a special 31 Cent Scoop Night while paying tribute to local heroes.

Partnering with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which honors America's fallen firefighters and their families, the ice cream chain offered customers any flavor for only 31 cents. Baskin-Robbins then made a $100,000 donation to the NFFF to help support the organization's programs, such as one that helps prevent firefighting line-of-duty deaths and injuries.

Certain Baskin-Robbins stores also raised additional funds for their local firehouses by inviting fire departments to the event to collect donations.

Help Secure Home Safety for Seniors
Volunteer with the Senior Home Safety Program to install smoke detectors and perform home safety checks for seniors living in San Francisco. Training will be provided at the beginning of the day, and volunteers will then be sent in pairs to some of the hundreds of seniors remaining to be served.

For more information about these events, happening on two Saturdays, June 2 and 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., contact Becky Selleck at 495-7223 or RSVP via e-mail at bselleck@aarbf.org.

Richmond Locals Achieve Academic Success
Two Richmond District residents just earned their college degrees, and two more were recently honored for their academic achievements.

Kimberly Joy Hom graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies, and Brian Tucker received a Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University in San Francisco.

Carol Brennan, a sophomore pursuing a Business Administration major at the University of Vermont, was named to the Dean's List for the fall 2006 semester. To merit this honor, Brennan earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and ranks in the top 20 percent of her class in the School of Business Administration.

Similarly, Northeastern University announced that Business Administration major Laura Rogan, Psychology major Artemis Smith, and International Affairs major Edward Brennan all made the Dean's List for the fall 2006 semester. At Northeastern, students with that distinction must carry at least four courses, earn a grade point average of 3.25 or higher, and carry no grade lower than a C during their college career.

Amy Meyer Honored
San Francisco Tomorrow (SFT), a 37-year-old urban environmental organization, conducted its annual awards ceremony at Castagnola's restaurant on Fisherman's Wharf May 16, honoring five persons who have contributed to a better environment in the City.

The Jack Morrison Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Amy Meyer and Dr. Edgar Wayburn for leading the campaign to establish the 80,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area on former military, park and private lands in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

Much of the area was threatened with commercial development in 1970 when they won the support of more than 65 civic and environmental organizations for an appeal to the U. S. Congress. In response, San Francisco's Representative Phil Burton, with the aid of other Bay Area members of Congress, created the GGNRA in 1972.

Meyer, an Outer Richmond District resident, is a former San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioner and member of the Presidio Trust.

Library Starts Reading Club
The San Francisco Public Library offers a variety of programs that encourage children in all age groups to read during the summer months.

Participants may sign up at any neighborhood branch library or bookmobile, and earn prizes based on the number of hours devoted to reading. Some prizes include free books and passes to Bay Area family amusement parks for the younger age group, and free art classes, airline tickets, and iPod merchandise for teenagers.

The Summer Reading Club, for children up to age 13, is a citywide program that runs from Saturday, June 16 to Saturday, Aug. 11. Participants can read whatever interests them, including books in languages other than English, and librarians have prepared a summer reading list with recommended titles that fit this year's mystery and exploration theme.

As in years past, children preschool-age and younger may participate in the Summer Reading Club by having someone read to them. This year, to help families and caregivers foster pre-literacy skills, the library will have special reading logs and offer age-appropriate prizes to children up to age 3 who participate in the Baby/Toddler Summer Reading Club.

For teenagers ages 13-18, the library runs its Teen Summer Read program from Friday, June 15, to Friday, July 27, for those who want to read books, magazines, graphic novels or newspapers to qualify for prizes. For youths ages 10-16, they are also eligible to become Kid Power volunteers.

For more information, call 557-4277.