Richmond Roundup

Arrest made in domestic violence murder
The SF District Attorney's Office has successfully extradited a suspect from Mexico who allegedly killed a Richmond District woman in October 2000.

Tari Ramirez was extradited from Cancun to face charges in the murder of 28-year-old Claire Tempongko, who had attained a restraining order against Ramirez because of domestic violence charges. Despite the restraining order, Ramirez was able to enter the victim's apartment on 22nd Avenue where he allegedly stabbed her to death.

According to District Attorney Kamala Harris, the murder served as a "wake up call" that helped city agencies become more responsive to the victims of domestic violence. The action was a catalyst for the police department, District Attorney's Office and adult probation departments to better communicate with one another.

Ramirez was arrested in Mexico in June 2006 but fought his extradition to the United States. He was arraigned in court April 16, where bail was denied by Judge Kathleen Kelly. On April 23, Ramirez entered a plea of not guilty.

Trouble at Cabrillo Playground
Concerned neighbors in the Outer Richmond got together April 3 to discuss the deteriorating conditions at the Cabrillo Playground, located on 38th Avenue between Fulton and Cabrillo streets.

According to Devi Joseph, a resident who lives near the park, the playground has become a haven at night for juvenile delinquents during the past couple of years. There is late-night partying, with smoking, drinking and cars driving in the playground. The site is often littered with broken bottles, cigarette butts and feces.

Joseph said the site has been without a gardener for about a year. She said a new gardener had been hired by the SF Recreation and Park Department to help care for the playground, but that gardener was transferred to the North Beach after a news story pointed out the sad state of affairs at a playground toilet there.

The neighbors will hold another meeting on May 8, at 6:30 p.m., tentatively scheduled to be held at the playground's clubhouse. For more information, call 831-1221.

I.O.A. Ready to Break Ground on New Site
The Institute on Aging and Bridge Housing held an all-star gathering April 23 to celebrate the beginning of a new project on Geary Boulevard which will provide housing and services for San Francisco seniors under one roof.

Currently, the institute's services are scattered among several nearby sites.

Attending the "launch" of the new project was former San Francisco Giant Willie Mays, former head of the city's health department David Werdegar, Matt Franklin from the Mayor's Office of Housing, Anne Hinton from the city's Department of Aging and Adult Services, District 1 Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, and television personality Belva Davis, who emceed the event.

The new six-story-tall building, which will be located on Geary Boulevard near Arguello Boulevard at the site of the closed Coronet Theater, will have four stories of senior housing and two stories of senior services. There will also be a level of underground parking.

"This new facility will help thousands of San Francisco senior citizens lead better lives," Mays said. "I am proud to be a part of this project."

The wrecking ball is expected to start tearing down the Coronet Theater at the end of May. The new building will occupy the footprint of the theater and the parking lot next door.

Several hundred people attended the event, which featured ballpark hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks. The celebration started with a customized rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," entitled "Take Me Out to the Richmond."

For the event's finale, a new song called "Now There's Hope" was performed by Steve Seskin, who co-wrote the tune with Robert Sockolov.

Suspected Lyme Disease discovered in San Francisco
Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that is carried by ticks, was recently discovered in San Francisco. Testing is now going on to determine if two individuals have the disease - they have the symptoms.

One was bitten in Golden Gate Park, on a hill above the children's playground on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 18th Avenue, and the other case was in Glen Park. As well, a tick was discovered near the public restroom at 48th Avenue and Taraval Street.

Symptoms of the disease manifest themselves throughout the entire body, including flu-like symptoms, a bulls-eye rash, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, insomnia and a sensitivity to chemicals and light and sound. There is no cure for the disease.

Ticks are small insects that attach themselves to a host and suck their blood.

The best protection from ticks are to walk through wooded areas in the center of paths, wear light-colored clothing and a hat, tuck pants legs into socks and use tick repellent.

For animals, Frontline makes repellent for cats and Frontline and Advantix makes repellent for dogs. The disease affects animals as well as people.

For more information about Lyme Disease, go to the Web site at www.lymenet.org.

D.A. warns of '809' scam
A Richmond District woman got a telephone call. "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you - get back to us quickly. I have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a telephone number beginning with the area code 809.

The phone call is part of scam being perpetuated on unsuspecting people who take the time to return the call.

According to AT&T, individuals should never call the 809 area code unless they know for sure who is at the other end. Scammers are using the code to bilk unsuspecting callers out of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

The scammers often say they have information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or that someone has won a wonderful prize. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly return these calls, where they can be billed for up to $2,425 per-minute, even if they get a recording. The longer the caller stays on the line, the more they are charged - some callers have been billed as much as $24,000 for their call.

The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (the Bahamas), where U.S. companies have little control.

According to AT&T Field Service Manager Sandi Van Handel, if an individual complains, both the local phone company and long distance carriers do not want to get involved and will most likely tell the victim that they are simply providing the billing for a foreign company. The victim then ends up dealing with the foreign company, which argues they are innocent.

PG&E volunteers clean up park
More than 1,000 PG&E employees, retirees and their families worked alongside community volunteers on Earth Day, Saturday, April 21, to help clean up and restore 16 state and community parks in northern and central California.

In San Francisco, about 300 volunteers gathered at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park to prune, remove weeds and work on habitat restoration.

Wells Fargo goes to bat for Roosevelt
Wells Fargo Bank will be donating money to Roosevelt Middle School this year - the amount depends on how well the Giants do at the plate.

Wells is donating $100 to five Bay Area schools for every run scored by the SF Giants this season. The exact amount of money being donated to the school via the Adopt a School program won't be known until the end of the season, but during the last three years the fund has generated $225,000 for schools.

According to Wells Marin-Golden Gate Regional President David Galasso, last year Sunset Elementary School received $10,000 and Argonne Elementary School got $1,000.

The public can support the philanthropic program by going to the Web site at www.knbr.com and clicking on the "adopt a school" link.

Additionally, the Grant Thorton accounting firm donated 300 calculators for Roosevelt students.

The school is located on Arguello Boulevard, between Geary Boulevard and Clement Street.

Safety Network honors local leader
Public safety is one of the most challenging issues that is facing San Francisco and no matter what neighborhood you live in, feeling safe in your community is fundamental to leading a healthy, productive life.

The Safety Network acknowledges and honors the efforts of these individuals and groups at the Community Leadership Awards, which will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at 6 p.m., at the State Building Auditorium at 455 Golden Gate Ave.

Karen Fishkin will receive the award in the Richmond District for her commitment to seniors, disabled adults and the larger Richmond community. She is the coordinator for the Neighborhood Resource Centers, a program of the Institute on Aging.

"Karen has been active in the community for many years. She coordinates the Richmond District Advisory Council, which meets every odd numbered month to advocate for senior and adults with disability issues. It's also a forum for senior service providers to meet, share information and problem solve systemic issues such as advocating for better education for seniors regarding Medicare," said Cassandra Costello, an aide to Supervisor Jake McGoldrick.

For more information about the event, contact Kitty Ha, Richmond District community organizer, at kitty@safetynetwork.org or 668-5955, ext. 375.

Bike to Work Day in May
The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, along with people who already commute daily by bike, will welcome another 50,000 new cyclists during the Bay Area's 13th annual Bike to Work Day, which will be held May 17.

The bicycle coalition has set up 25 "energizer stations" throughout San Francisco, including one in the Inner Sunset District, at Irving Street and Seventh Avenue, and one in the Richmond District, at Cabrillo Street and Arguello Boulevard. The stations will be set up from 7:30-9:30 a.m. and offer free refreshments, encouragement and giveaways, as well as free advice on how to navigate the City.

For more information, go to the Web site at www.sfbike.org.

Web site Revamped
The SF Mental Health Board has announced a new, more "user-friendly" Web site, which contains information about the board and its efforts to serve the public.

Online community support services and helpful resources concerning mental illness are listed with descriptions, contact information and links to additional information. The new site is located at www.mentalhealthboardsf.org.

Celebrate Asian/Pacific American Month
The San Francisco Maritime Historical Park celebrates the contributions of Americans who are Asian and Pacific Islander with a series of programs and exhibits that highlight the hopes and challenges of their lives in the United States.

Some of the events and programs at the maritime park include:

"Chinese Cannery Workers:" Learn about the lives and culture of the Chinese men who were an essential part of West Coast maritime commerce by touring the newly renovated workers' quarters on the 1886 sailing ship Balcutha, Hyde Street Pier, Sundays, May 6 and 13, at 1 p.m., $5 admission to ship.

"Chinese Shrimp Junk 'Grace Quan' Raises Sail:" Join park staff for a program that includes sail raising and net hauling on a replica of the 19th century Chinese shrimp boat "Grace Quan," Hyde Street Pier, Saturdays, May 19 and 26, 1 p.m., free.

"Chinatown Exhibit aboard Balcutha:" Explore Chinatown through an exhibit that features period clothes, provisions and equipment used in canning operations, Hyde Street Pier, daily during the month of May, $5 admission to ship.

"Asian American Exhibit at the Visitor Center:" Learn the story of Asian immigrants who were detained at Angel Island, including their hopes and challenges of life in America, Visitor Center, 499 Jefferson St., daily during the month of May, free.

For more information about the San Francisco Maritime Historical Park and its programs, call 447-5000 or visit the Web site at www.nps.gov/safr. SF

Athletes and Coaches Receive Honors
Among the individuals who will be inducted into the San Francisco Prep Hall of Fame at its 25th annual banquet and induction ceremony are: Jack Lilja, who played basketball at Polytechnic High School from 1946 to 1948; Robert Moore, who played football at Polytechnic from 1948 to 1952; James Ray Thomas, who coached basketball, cross country and track and field at Lowell High School from 1974 to 2003; and Carrie Wert, who has coached softball and volleyball at Washington High School from 1981 to the present.

The 2007 awards banquet will be held at the Spanish Cultural Center-Patio Espanol Restaurant, located at 2850 Alemany Blvd., on Saturday, May 19, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person. For more information about tickets and reservations, call 826-3572.

Local resident creates audio tour of GG Park
Inner Richmond District artist Jeremy Dalmas wants the public to supplement their walk through Golden Gate Park with his musical audio tour, entitled "If you consider."

The tour, which can be downloaded onto an MP3 player, iPod or discman, guides the participant on an 80-minute walk along rarely-treaded paths, through hidden tunnels and past forgotten buildings. The audio tour, which starts at the northeast part of the park, costs $5. The tour features a narrator, who points out interesting sights and related stories, and has background music to create a "mood."

To download the tour, go to the Web site at www.theabsurdists.com/ifyouconsider.

30th birthday for KUSF
The University of San Francisco's cutting-edge radio station KUSF (90.3) celebrated its 30th anniversary on April 25.

The radio station, which serves the public with a wide array of diverse programming, was founded by Steve Runyon.

New wheels donated to V.A.
In an afternoon ceremony on March 30, a patient transport cart was donated to Fort Miley Veterans' Hospital by the La Puerto de Oro chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The cart, one of four such devices the DAR plans to donate to California hospitals this year, was dedicated in the name of Vincent Rios, commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars in San Francisco. Commander Rios, a highly decorated veteran who has used a wheelchair since sustaining injuries during the Vietnam War, was the first to try out the new cart, which is used to transport wheelchair patients along with medical apparatus.

Many state officers of the DAR, including state Regent Ann Lampman and members of local VFW chapters, were in attendance and took turns driving and riding the cart.

The VA Hospital is located at Clement Street and 42nd Avenue.