Despite pleas from school, cell phone antennae get OK

by Ed Moy

The SF Planning Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 8 to approve plans for the installation of new AT&T cell phone antennae on the roof of the Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE), located at 639 14th Ave.

According to David Waksberg, the CEO at BJE, the Bureau has had a cellular antenna on the roof of its building for the past 14 years. To earn extra income, the Bureau wants to install new antennae on the roof in fake chimneys.

However, parents, faculty and administrators at the Lisa Kampner Hebrew Academy, located next door to BJE, have protested the proposed project, claiming the antennae will emit dangerous levels of radiation, which could compromise the health of the school’s students. About 80 people concerned about the project met in October.

Representatives from the school say they did not know there was a cell antenna on the roof next door, but object nevertheless to the proposed intensification of the project that the new antennae would bring.

“Last spring, when we were in negotiation with AT&T, all neighbors in close proximity were invited to an informational session. Only a handful showed up,” Waksberg said. “As we have had a cell antenna on our building for 14 years, we never imagined this would be a controversial move.

“When it came to our attention that the project provoked concerns among parents at the neighboring Hebrew Academy, we requested that AT&T revise its original plan, removing two antennas that were planned to be closer to the school and facing the school,” Waksberg explained. “As a result, the remaining antennas are at the far corner of our building (away from the school), facing east and north (not south toward the school). In essence, the new antennas are at the same location of our existing antennas (at the northeast corner of our building).”

Waksberg said an engineering firm that conducted tests to determine the level of radiation emitted from the new antennae determined that radiation outside the school at the point nearest the antennae would be at a level 20,000 times below the FCC standard.

Nevertheless, during public testimony at the Planning Commission hearing, several Hebrew Academy staff members and parents made pleas to reject the project because of potentially harmful affects on children from antennae radiation.

Waksberg told the commission: “We have no intention of harming the school. We have, with AT&T’s support, significantly changed our proposal in a way that we believe is not going to harm anyone at the school, and is supporting of the view that there is really no radiation going to be beamed toward the school.”

With the plan’s approval, those opposed to the project have 30 days to file an appeal with the SF Board of Permit Appeals and/or the SF Board of Supervisors to overturn the Planning Commission’s decision.

According to Lane Kasselman, spokesperson for AT&T, the project could be completed as soon as April or May of 2012, pending the approval of the building permit some 30 – 45 days after the end of the appeal process.

“Each Planning Commission meeting reviews and approves multiple requests for cell antennae construction,” Waksberg said. “These antennae are all around us and each person who claims to be concerned about the project uses a cell phone (which emits much more radiation to the user than the radiation they would receive from the antennae). No credible evidence has shown any health or safety risks.”

Doug Loranger, organizer of the San Francisco Neighborhood Antenna-Free Union (SNAFU), a grass-roots citywide coalition that focuses on the impacts of wireless facilities, stated he opposes the project, and that the school and nearby residents’ best recourse now is to appeal the installation to the Board of Supervisors on “land use” grounds, rather than potential health impact grounds.

Loranger said the World Health Organization has classified the kind of radiation the AT&T antennae emit as “Class 2B,” a possible human carcinogen. He also pointed out that since 2001, a total of 14 such “Conditional Use” appeals of wireless facilities have been decided by the Board of Supervisors in favor of residents and against various wireless carriers.

“Unfortunately, getting AT&T to voluntarily respect residents’ concerns about wireless facilities at sensitive locations and withdraw from these sites has about as much chance for success in San Francisco as convincing them to change the name of AT&T Park to Willie Mays’ Field,” Loranger stated.

Task Force looks to redraw Richmond District voter lines

by Thomas K. Pendergast

On Nov. 15, the task force assigned to redraw San Francisco’s neighborhood district lines heard from citizens about putting the Seacliff neighborhood and Lake Street back into the Richmond District, or District 1.

With the advent of district elections more than a decade ago, the City was carved up into 11 supervisor districts, each having about the same number of residents. In the Richmond, the north side of Lake Street and the Seacliff neighborhood were both placed into the adjoining District 2 (Marina District and Pacific Heights).

In the last decade, San Francisco’s total population rose 3.7 percent, from 776,733 to 805,235. The South of Market area got most of the new residents, however, all districts must by law be within one percent of their mean average, plus or minus, so district lines are likely to be redrawn to account for the new city residents.

A Redistricting Task Force has been comprised, which is now holding a series of public forums to gather input from citizens and other interested groups concerning the redrawing of supervisorial district lines. The task force must have the district lines redrawn by April 15, 2012.

Karin MacDonald said she works for the private consulting firm Q2, which was hired by the SF Department of Elections to advise the nine members of the task force.

She gave a presentation to them at the San Francisco County Fair Building to explain the process. At that time she brought up the term “compactness,” meaning avoiding strange or awkward-looking district lines, often the result of gerrymandering.
“When you tell people ‘redistricting,’ that’s what people think about, usually, it’s just lines that look really strange that they don’t necessarily know how to explain. So, compactness is trying to get around weird-shaped districts,” MacDonald said.
She suggested that the easiest way to achieve compactness is to use “the eyeball approach.”

“If it looks funny, then it probably has some explaining to do,” she said. “This is a really good thing to keep in mind, if you have a district that looks funny then you better be prepared to explain it further.”

Mike Sullivan, 52, of San Francisco went before the task force and explained the issue of Seacliff and Lake Street further, at least as he sees it.

“When I think about compactness and a real gerrymandering, one line drawing from the last time around that really jumps out is the grouping of Seacliff with District 2. I think that fails the eyeball test and I think more logically it would be lumped in with District 1,” he said.

Margie Hom-Brown, a member of the Planning Association for the Richmond, told task force members she would also like to see the previous boundaries reinstated.

“Ten years ago, the Richmond was cut off of one little portion of the neighborhood that was always considered the Richmond. This is an opportunity to restore the boundaries to what they were before the division 10 years ago,” Hom-Brown said. “One of the reasons that it makes sense is we share a lot of facilities of interest.”

Jonathan Lyens, a fiscal and policy assistant with the mayor’s office, agreed with Hom-Brown about common interests in the area, such as public transportation.

“We have shared values and shared public resources, including public transport lines like the #38 Geary, #2 Clement, and #1 California,” Lyens said.

He suggested that people living on Lake Street and in the Seacliff are likely to shop on Clement Street and Geary Boulevard.
“These are the things that you really need to look at,” Lyens said.

Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar told the task force that he was on the task force that set the current boundaries. He further explained why they are where they are now.

“When you eyeball something sometimes you don’t get the whole historical and cultural context of an issue,” Mar said.
A former community organizer in the Chinese community, Mar said he considered not just the ethnic makeup of the district but also factors like socio-economic status.

“So, I looked at tenants versus homeowners,” he said. “Areas where you have multi-million dollar homes might not fit in with other areas, where you have heavily immigrant, working class and low-income populations. It’s going to dilute the voter population of lower-income, working class people when you lump in a highly-likely voter population of mostly older people with multi-million dollar homes.”

Chris Bowman told the task force he was a mayoral appointee on the previous task force.

“I heard the argument: Where do people in the Seacliff go to shop or go to dine? No, they don’t go to Clement. No, they don’t go to Balboa,” Bowman said. “They might go to the Balboa Cafe on Fillmore, but, they also go to Union Street, they go to Chestnut Street, they go to their part of Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights, where there is some commonality of interests.”
Bowman, a Republican, gave yet another reason for keeping Seacliff in District 2.

“It’s twenty-one, twenty-two percent Republican. The Richmond’s now 10.5 percent Republican. So there are strong arguments to keep the (Seacliff as a part of District 2) lines the way they are.”

After the meeting a member of the task force, Eric McDonell, said they will be holding a series of meetings in the coming weeks in various parts of the City to get public input on redistricting issues. But, they won’t start making decisions until after the New Year in January.

Prescriptions at Walgreens could end

by Aaron Goldsmith

Some west side neighbors may no longer be able to use Walgreens drugstores after Dec. 31 of this year if they participate in prescription drug programs run by Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI).

At issue is a contract dispute between the retail pharmacy and ESI, the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) for many government and private health plans. According to Walgreens, ESI is insisting on contract terms that will make it unprofitable to serve patients in ESI plans.
The loss of Walgreens as a participating pharmacy will hit senior citizens in some Medicare Part D plans especially hard, as well as active and retired military covered by TRICARE and employees in some employer-provided health plans, like Anthem Blue Shield.

Walgreens has 68 retail pharmacies in the San Francisco area, many of which are open 24 hours. Ten stores are located within easy access of Sunset and Richmond residents, from West Portal to the outer Sunset, Parkside and Richmond districts. Details about exact locations are available at the website http://www.Walgreens.com.

“A vast majority of our pharmacy customers live in the neighborhoods adjacent to our stores in the City and stop by often. Walgreens is committed to serving local needs with unique services like San Francisco’s only 24-hour community pharmacies,” said Shawn Houghtaling, a San Francisco district pharmacy supervisor at Walgreens.

Pharmacies like Walgreens are filling in the gaps in access to health care by offering a variety of expanded health-care services, such as flu and other immunizations shots, in addition to filling prescriptions. According to the website http://www.Napb.org, pharmacists play a key role in helping seniors make effective use of their medications through one-on-one counseling about prescriptions, side effects and drug interaction.

Because of Walgreens services, numerous locations and convenient hours, their departure from ESI health plans could result in serious pharmacy access issues.

Seniors age 65 and older fill more prescriptions, on average, than younger age groups, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, so any change in pharmacy care will affect them. On San Francisco’s west side, many seniors have mobility issues or rely on public transportation to get their shopping done, so it may be inconvenient for them to find a new pharmacy.

For example, ESI’s pharmacy locator suggests that when Outer Richmond residents can no longer use a Walgreens pharmacy their closest options are the La Playa Safeway and a CVS store on 32nd Avenue near the Palace of the Legion of Honor – each location is at least one mile away.
In the Outer Sunset, several local pharmacies on Noriega and the pharmacies at Lucky’s, off Sloat Boulevard, or the Noriega Safeway will be the neighborhood’s only fallback options. In any case, a short walk turns into a $2 Muni ride and a transfer to another line to reach a pharmacy.

Walgreens is advising seniors who wish to continue to have their prescriptions filled at their stores to select a Part D plan, which includes Walgreens, during Medicare’s annual sign-up from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.

Couple works as a team to help neighborhood businesses thrive

by Jonathan Farrell

Geary Boulevard is one of the city’s major thoroughfares. It starts downtown at Union Square and goes westbound all the way to Ocean Beach. To have a shop along this merchant corridor is to feel the pulse of the City’s economic life.
David and Shlomit Heller, proprietors at the Beauty Network on Geary, know how important it is for a major street like Geary to have a thriving business community. Even before the onset of the current recession, Geary was sensitive to the whims of the economic climate. But, despite the trials and tribulations of running a business, the Hellers are celebrating a major milestone – 25 years in business.
During a recent anniversary celebration at the Beauty Network, dozens of people stopped by to congratulate the dynamic couple – David has been president of the influential Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners Association for the past 10 years and Shlomit has been serving clients as an esthetician.
“It is hard to fathom that it has been 25 years,” Shlomit said. “I never envisioned a career like this, but I am pleased and so thankful.”
All day during the open house customers, family, friends and local city officials stopped by to say hello, including District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, Richmond Station Capt. Keith Sanford and SFPD Commander Richard Corriea.
Shlomit noted that early in life she only saw herself as a wife and mother. Yet, when the opportunity to become an esthetician presented itself, she followed her intuition and started a new career.
Since 1980, the Beauty Network has been serving the skin care and beauty product needs of the community.
“I keep learning and striving to provide only the best to our customers,” she said.
The Hellers have seen the City change, especially the local neighborhood. Two of the City’s most popular movie theaters closed, the Coronet and Alexandria, which were located on Geary and attracted patrons from all over to the Richmond District.
When a landmark like a large cinema or a major business shuts down, it has far-reaching impacts. The Coronet Theater is where blockbuster movies, like “Star Wars,” made their debut, drawing large crowds. The Coronet was torn down.
“Originally, we were located on Geary between 18th and 19th avenues, just a few doors away from the Alexandria Theater,” Shlomit said. “Now, we are near 22nd Avenue. We’ve been at this place since 1994.”
The Hellers hope the old theater will be resurrected soon.
Since 2008, many long-time shops and stores, like Delano’s, have left the neighborhood. With so many store vacancies along the Geary Boulevard corridor Heller sees it as his mission to bring as much business as possible back into the neighborhood.
“People often don’t realize how much of an impact the loss of local business has upon the neighborhood,” he said.
The Hellers work to promote local businesses.
“Everything we have in our store is from family-owned or small business companies,” Shlomit said.
“If I know the owners and establish a good business-to-business relationship with them, I improve the quality of service not only for my customers but for their customers as well,” she said.
Carol Miller was a sales rep 25 years ago when she met the Hellers and has stayed friends with them ever since. She attests to the couple’s tenacity working to promote business in the community.
“I have known Carol for a very long time and our friendship has been very beneficial to one another,” Shlomit said.
When businesses help each other, the interaction builds and strengthens the community, she said.
“That is what David likes doing, helping others in business so they can raise families and make the City a good place to live and work,” she said.
Shlomit took a moment to recollect how the two of them met.
“We met at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) helping out as volunteers,” she said.
David laughed when he heard her talk about their meeting.
“Do we need to go back that far?” he asked, before telling the story of how he came out west.
“In the mid-’70s I was in New York City, selling clothing,” he said. “When the opportunity to move to California emerged, I followed it. That was in 1977 and I was helping a friend sell his accessory line of merchandise, which included things like perfume, cosmetics, scarfs, etc.
“He needed to sell as much as he could because as a buyer he was over-stocked and wanted to make room for new merchandise. So, I offered to help,” David said. “I fell into this business by accident.”
“I did so well at helping him, I sold his entire stock, that I decided to open a business of my own,” he said.
Shlomit had no idea when she decided to help out in her husband’s venture that she would eventually establish her own professional career as a licensed esthetician.
“An esthetician is a specialist who understands the external as well as intrinsic aspects of skin care,” she said. “It used to be someone who specialized in cosmetics, but now the field has advanced even further, requiring more study and training.”
Shlomit completed a program at Skyline College in 1989 and received her certification and license.
“I thought I was simply going to be a wife and mother. I really had no idea that this would be a career for me,” she reiterated. “This is a real passion for me. I want to help people know about how to care for their skin and what is in the products they use.”
The Beauty Network has products and skin care for men as well as women.
Raya Zion, Shlomit’s sister, vouches for her passion.
“My sister takes pride in all that she does,” Zion said. “She is very talented and very particular.”
As the lead singer for the Tribal Blues Band, Zion understands how important details are and for a team to work well together. She is very happy and pleased for Shlomit and David’s success.
“The products are the most beneficial and of highest quality; there’s no junk in this shop,” Zion said.
“A woman stopped by the shop today after she saw our ad in the local newspaper. She just wanted to stop in and visit and congratulate us on being here for so many years,” Shlomit said. “She said she would come back again. That means a lot to me.”
In this information age of technology and the Internet, Shlomit sees lots of opportunity. Yet, regardless of the new social networking sites on the Internet, she still considers customer service a top priority.
For more information about the Beauty Network, located at 5748 Geary Blvd., call (415) 387-1477 or go to the website at http://www.beautynetwork.com.

Battle over rooftop cell phone antennae near school

by Paul Kozakiewicz

A fight has erupted between two Jewish organizations over the installation of cell phone antennae.

The Lisa Kampner Hebrew Academy of San Francisco, located at 645 14th Ave., is an orthodox Jewish school with about 250 students, many of them immigrants from Russia and the former Soviet Union. It is located next to the Bureau of Jewish Education, a non-profit group that promotes Jewish education, promotes connections to Israel, and provides student scholarships.

The Bureau of Jewish Education wants to install six AT&T antennae on the roof of its building in fake chimneys to earn extra money and has applied to the SF Planning Commission for a Conditional Use Permit, which is scheduled to be heard Nov. 3.

When teachers, administrators, parents and students got wind of the plan, they organized to fight it.

According to Rabbi Pinchas Lipner, dean at the Hebrew Academy, two meetings with the leadership at the Bureau of Jewish Education failed to produce results. The Bureau claims the antennae are safe because scientists have been unable to make a solid link between electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and cancer or other health-related issues.

On Oct. 26 about 80 concerned people gathered at the Hebrew Academy to plot strategy.

“We’re up against tremendous forces,” Lipner told the crowd. “We have to tell them our lives are in danger.”

Numerous people volunteered to attend the Planning Commis­sion meeting to oppose the antennae and some said they would write letters, sign petitions and contact elected officials.

If the Planning Commission approves the permit, the group plans to take its appeal directly to the SF Board of Permit Appeals and/or the SF Board of Supervisors.

The Planning Commission was originally slated to hear the permit application at its Oct. 13 meeting, but that date was during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which lasts eight days and restricts the ability of Orthodox Jewish people to drive or ride in vehicles.

When Lipner complained about the timing of the hearing, AT&T rescheduled it for early November.

According to David Waksberg, an AT&T representative, there are already two antennae located on the Bureau of Jewish Education and he did not anticipate any problems adding six more.

Lipner said he did not know there were already antennae on the roof of the building or whether or not he will pursue the removal of them. Because the agreement between the Bureau of Jewish Education and AT&T is private, it is unknown what the two parties have agreed to.

Golden Gate Park bicycle lanes get unanimous OK

by Ed Moy

The SF Recreation and Park Commission voted unanimously in October to approve the John F. Kennedy Drive Separated Bikeways project for implementation in January 2012.

The Bikeways Project is a joint effort of SFMTA in conjunction with the SF Recreation and Park Department to install cycle lanes on John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park, which would provide a new bikeway separated from moving vehicles.

The project also received approval from the San Francisco Concourse Authority in early October after two community workshops to discuss the design concepts for the new cycle tracks.

According to SFMTA, the goal of the project is to make John F. Kennedy Drive accessible to all users, including pedestrians and cyclists of all abilities, and to support the SF Board of Supervisors’ 2010 resolution to have a goal of 20 percent of trips in San Francisco by bicycle by 2020.

By creating a bikeway that is physically separated from parked and moving vehicles, the project addresses the need for bicycle lanes and creating a buffer between cyclists who are not comfortable riding with cars next to them.

SFMTA also notes that in addition to increasing the comfort level for cyclists, separated bikeways reduce the incidence of having vehicles stopped in the bike lane or having parked cars open their doors into the bike lane.

Paul Rose, SFMTA spokesperson, stated that the project will cost about $425,000, including $40,000 from air quality grants. He said the final design has not been finalized.

“While the project received final approval from the Rec. and Park Commission, the work is not done,” stated Rose. “We are continuing to work with pedestrian safety and disabled advocates (including the Mayor’s Disability Council) to make minor design changes and to collaborate on an education/outreach process to help ensure safety following implementation.”

Some disabled activists testified at the Planning Commission meeting that the current design is unsafe because vehicles with ramps would have to encroach into the buffer zone and possibly into the cycle track to drop off or pick up disabled people.

“I oppose this plan as proposed,” said Bob Planthold, an activist for the disabled community.

Rose also pointed out that although the original estimates in the bicycle plan indicated that about 150 parking spaces would be eliminated, according to estimates in the current plan, there would be a net loss of about 80 parking spaces.

Additional details on the project can be found on the website at http://www.sfmta.com.

Balboa Theater saved, long-term lease signed

The Balboa Theater has been saved.

The theater, which opened at 3630 Balboa St. in 1926, was threatened with closure because it needed a $200,000 investment in digital projection equipment.

But theater operator Gary Meyer worked out a deal with the SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation to preserve the theater’s future as a movie house. A lease was signed to extend operations through 2024.

The theater was built by the Levin family, which operated a network of San Francisco theatres that included the Metro, Coliseum, Coronet and Vogue. The theater was designed by brothers James and Merritt Reid, who designed numerous movie palaces throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area.

The Balboa joins the Vogue as the second theater to be rescued by the SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation. The foundation purchased the Vogue in 2007.

“It’s great to be able to save another of San Francisco’s last remaining neighborhood cinemas, said Alfonso Felder, president of the SF Neighborhood Theater Foundation. “Gary Meyer has done an incredible job keeping the Balboa going and providing the Richmond District with an exceptionally well-programmed neighborhood theatre. We’re looking forward to working with Gary to establish a plan to keep the Balboa’s marquee lit for many more years.”

The non-profit Theater Foundation plans to initiate a fundraising campaign immediately to cover the costs of necessary repairs and improvements to the Balboa Theatre.

“Together with the Foundation, I’m looking forward to establishing a plan that will secure the long term survival of the Balboa and its sister theatre, the Vogue,” Meyer said.

The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Found­ation will host an open house at the Balboa Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m., to discuss future plans for the Balboa. Meyer and members of the Theater Foundation’s board of directors will be present to answer questions and solicit input. Fundraising efforts will also be discussed. Donations to support the Balboa Theater can be made to the San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation. For more information, go to the website at http://www.sfntf.org.

George Washington High School to celebrate 75th anniversary

by Judith Kahn

Five hundred people are expected to attend George Washington High School’s (GWHS) 75th anniversary celebration on Oct. 15.
The school’s alumni association is working to make sure the event is a success. It will be held at the school, located at 30th Avenue and Anza Street.
Many events will take place during the gala celebration, which starts at 5:30 p.m. and runs through 9:30 p.m. One such event that will take place during this festive day is the variety showcase, where an all–star lineup of alumni will perform in the GWHS auditorium. Singing, dancing and comedy promises to be part of the repertoire. A reception before the performance will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
A long-time tradition of GWHS is to have a football game (Bell Game) the day prior to the anniversary. This year’s football game is to take place on Friday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m., as the Washington Eagles take on a team from Abraham Lincoln High School.
Washington High School, a comprehensive high school built on a former rock quarry, opened its doors to the students of San Francisco on Aug. 23, 1936. It was designed by the distinguished architect Timothy Pflueger, who also designed the Castro and Paramount theaters among other well-known buildings in the City. Even though over the years many modifications have been made to the building, all changes have been faithful to the original intent of Pflueger’s design.
One third of the funding for Washington High School’s construction came from funding for public arts – Works Project Administration grants. One of the artists commissioned to create at the school was Victor Arnautof. His most notable works were his bas relief sculptures of Thomas Edison, George Washington and William Shakespeare, which are seen at the main entrance. His other works, located in the interior of the building, are murals entitled “The Life of George Washington,” which depicts scenes from the life and times of George Washington.
In the second floor library, there is an other mural produced by Lucien Labaudt, entitled “Advancement of Learning through the Printing Press.”
Washington High School’s Alumni Association, created in 1951, has 18 board members and is integral to the high school’s growth and development.
John Rothmann, a 1966 graduate, says what makes the alumni association work so well is that it is a team, with everyone committed to seeing Washington remain a comprehensive high school – where every student entering its halls has the right to an education to maximize his or her potential.
Tammy Aramian, a 1974 graduate, is vice- president of the association. Both Aramian and Rothmann have fond memories of their alma mater.
Rothmann remembers a school with great teachers, an outstanding administration and excellent student body. His principal, Ruth Adams, was the second women principal in San Francisco and of exceptional quality.
“She was confident, knew the students and faculty well, and knew how to laugh and to be of help,” Rothmann said.
At a time when there are drastic cuts in public education funding, Washington has been able to maintain a high academic standard and provide many extra curricular clubs for its diverse student body. In 2011, the school had a graduating class of 530, with a 96 percent college acceptance rate for those who applied.
Aramian credits both of these achievements to a dedicated staff and excellent administration, a spirited, diverse student body, and an active, committed alumni association. The goal is to see Washington remain a comprehensive school, which offers many extra curricular clubs for its diverse student body.
At Washington there are four types of endowment funds, each created to enhance the growth and development of students. If a contributor has a particular interest in science or English, they can donate money to the Departmental Endowment Fund, where the money will be used for that particular department. At present, there are departmental funds for English, science, social studies and visual and performing arts. Departments that do not have endowments are world languages, English language learners (formerly ESL), and special education and gifted student programs. There is also a student award endowment, which is given to a graduating student by a teacher’s recommendation. The money can be used for college.
In addition, students who meet departmental criteria can receive one of 20 awards at the end of the school year. Other awards, for leadership in specific areas and honoring seven of Washington’s former principals, are granted to seniors during commencement festivities.
There is also a permanent endowment fund, which provides money to individual teachers for classroom supplies or for taking courses to enhance their teaching skills.
As Washington High School approaches its 75th anniversary, it will continue to provide an educational experience for all students in both the academic arena and through its extra curricular activities.
At George Washington High School’s 75th anniversary celebration on Oct. 15 there will be a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a variety showcase at 7 p.m., classroom reunions at 8:15 p.m., and a concluding ceremony at 9:30 p.m. The cost for the event is $75 if paid by Oct 1. Participants can pay at the door on Oct. 15, but the cost is $80, payable by cash or check. The goal of the alumni association is to raise $75,000 for the event, so donations are currently being sought. For more information, visit the website at http://www.sfgwhsalumni.org or contact Tammy Aramian via e-mail at tammy@artamstudio.com.

Alumni and supporters can also shop at Fresh & Easy until Oct. 19 and ask that 5 percent of their purchase be donated to the Washington High School PTA. They can also turn their receipts from the store over to the PTA before Dec. 31 to get 5 percent of their sales donated to the school.

Mayoral candidates battle for district’s votes

by Thomas K. Pendergast

Mayoral candidates came together at a candidates’ forum in an effort to win Richmond District votes. They explained their positions on several local issues, including the Geary Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal and the needs of small businesses in the Richmond District. The forum was held at the Richmond Recreation Center on Sept. 19.
The candidates were asked about their opinions concerning the proposed synthetic turf soccer fields at the west end of Golden Gate Park. They were almost unanimous in their opposition to the new turf and outdoor lighting stands that would light the fields up at night. Only Bevan Dufty defended the proposal, citing the dearth of playing fields for youth and adult soccer players in the City.
Concerning the proposed re-claimed water facility that would also be located in the west end of the park, the candidates were unanimous in their support for keeping the facility out of the park.
Concerning the Geary BRT, state Sen. Leland Yee said he supports the Geary BRT project but would proceed with caution.
“There are concerns on the part of businesses that if we move ahead with this particular project it is going to create even more havoc along the Geary corridor and as a result devastate even more of the business community,” Yee told a standing-room-only crowd. “There are many individuals, residents, who are absolutely concerned about the congestion that’s going to be created if in fact you take a lane out of the lanes that are currently existing on Geary and dedicate it to buses. What is important for the mayor to do, and I will do, is ensure that different elements that are important to our community … we all understand what those problems are and make sure the BRT is going to deal with all of those issues.”
San Francisco’s Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting said he would support either the Geary BRT or an alternative plan, the Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP), which would be less expensive. This plan would include relatively inexpensive changes to the Muni 38 bus line, including self-service fare collection, low-floor buses, traffic signal preemption and optimizing bus stop locations.
Local entrepreneur Joanna Rees said she would support the TEP proposal.
“We need to be continually looking for ways to improve service on Geary Boulevard,” said Rees. “If we have a limited-stop bus line, we should be testing, should it stop every 20 blocks, should it stop every 25 blocks? What happens to load? How does that improve travel time? What happens when we change the timing of the lights? How about having dedicated lanes on the road? This is the stuff that we need to continually do.”
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said he would support both plans.
“We know that the 38 line is incredibly overtaxed,” Herrera said. “I happen to believe that the Transit Effective­ness Project provides a great strategic vision as to changes that we have to make to not only benefit the Muni system citywide but also the 38 Geary. I also believe that the BRT is a great step.”
Tony Hall is running as an independent candidate. He said he favors implementing the TEP plan.
“You could put 15 different alternatives on how to approach rapid transit on Geary Boulevard, but the two things you cannot forget about are: How does it affect the residents who live here? and: How does it affect small businesses?” Hall said. “What­ever plan comes up has to start with those two things in mind.”
Dufty, a former San Francisco supervisor, also threw his support behind the TEP and Geary BRT projects.
“At this point, I do support the TEP and I do support Bus Rapid Transit if it’s done right,” he said. “It’s got to be done the right way, with your district supervisor and the community pulling together. Ultimately, if there is a desire in this part of town to have an enhanced transportation service, we ought to have the vision to be able to go after it.”
The current president of the SF Board of Supervisors, David Chiu, said he favors both plans.
“I do think there’s a way to do (the Geary BRT) that will make sure we can really build the type of transit system out here in the Richmond that we should have envisioned many, many years ago. I also have been a huge proponent of the Transit Effectiveness Project,” Chiu said. “We do have in a lot of parts of the City an awful lot of bus stops, particularly when we get into the downtown part of San Francisco, which I represent. I happen to have two bus stops on my block. We’ve got to figure out a more efficient way to do that.”
Green Party candidate Terry Baum also supports both Muni projects.
“We need transit so great, you don’t even want your car. The future of this planet depends on us getting out of our cars more and more. We know that. We want to have this beautiful little jewel of a planet with good air to breath and the oceans not washing over whole continents for our children and our grandchildren. One of the things we have to do is to have truly great public transit so we are living in a more sustainable way.”
SF Supervisor John Avalos supports both plans but thinks the TEP should be implemented first.
“We need a Bus Rapid Transit system along Geary Boulevard. I support that idea,” Avalos said. “I think that’s more of a medium-term solution and I do support the Transit Effectiveness Project as well. There are so many solutions to our needs around transit in the TEP that it needs to get enacted right away.”
Public Defender Jeff Adachi was the only candidate at the forum to call for a third option: a Muni light rail line going down Geary Boulevard.
“I think it would really help the businesses along Geary if we had a light rail. That’s really a concern because people don’t come out here as much as they should. You’ve got great businesses out here, including restaurants. You saw that with the (Outside Lands) festival and all the folks that were out in this area, utilizing services and patronizing businesses. We need to have more of that and the only way to do that is to have a dedicated light rail.”
To help spur economic growth along the Geary Boulevard commercial corridor, between Arguello and 34th Avenue, three candidates, Avalos, Baum and Paul Currier, argued for amending the City Charter to start the creation of a city-owned bank.
“The idea of a community bank simply takes a City Charter motion and we need a California state charter as a county. That’s all and then we’re off to the races,” said Currier. “We need a small business development corporation that’s funded by our bank to handle our investments. We could go ahead and fund this plan right here with our own small business development program, which would help many districts.”
Baum concurs.
“Right now the Bank of America gets the profits from all of our pension funds. If we had that municipal bank we would get the profits. It could be lent to small businesses in the Rich­mond and also to individuals in San Francisco,” Baum said. “I also would start, as mayor, Clean Power SF. This would build all over the City very small installations of renewable power – wind and solar. We could start it right now if we had the political will. It could create up to a thousand new green jobs. It would pay for itself in 10 years and then the City would get the income from selling power to residents.”
Rees said she would push to eliminate some of the tax and permit burdens for small- and medium-sized businesses.
“I think it’s interesting people are talking about getting loans for small businesses. We need loans to pay for all the burdens that the City puts on us for licenses and permits,” said Rees. “We need to alleviate that burden on our businesses. I do agree with removing the employee payroll tax systemically across the City. We have to get much more consumer friendly about parking, and the way we manage parking. Our parking rates are too high.”
The forum was sponsored by the Planning Association for the Richmond, Richmond Reform Democratic Club, New America Media, Chinese American Voter Education Committee, Coalition to Save Ocean Beach, Friends of Sutro Heights Park and the Clement and Geary merchants’ associations.
Two candidates, Michela Alioto-Pier and SF Mayor Ed Lee, were invited to the forum but did not attend, citing previous commitments.

Residents express concerns about concerts in Park

by Jonathan Farrell

More than 30 local residents gathered at the Richmond Station Sept. 20 to voice concerns about the Outside Lands Music Festival, which was held in August in Golden Gate Park. Those who showed up in the community room to speak with festival promoter Allen Scott included SF Recreation and Park Department representatives, SF Police Department officers, Richmond Station Capt. Keith Sanford and members of the public.

Sanford said this was his first experience with the Outside Lands Music Festival and that he was very impressed with the three-day concert.
Scott, vice president of Another Planet Entertainment, which puts on the Outside Lands concert, said a lot of planning went into the event and that work crews were very respectful of the neighborhood.

“Much of the protocol and procedures we followed were based upon requests of the residents, through the series of community meetings we had in the past,” Scott said.

In its third year, the concert has become a major annual event by music fans from around the country. Back in the summer of 2008, Scott met with Rec. and Park representatives to explain the purpose of the event (a celebration of music), which now draws crowds in the thousands.

Concert promoters said all three days of the concert were sold out, with some 60,000 tickets being sold for each day.
But some residents fear it will eventually outgrow the park.

Richmond District resident Sue Fry, while she admitted she liked the concert, said the loud noise from the concert needed to end earlier, especially on Sunday.

“The following day is school and to have concerts until after 9 p.m., with crowds still excited as they disperse, makes it difficult for school kids to get their sleep,” she said.

Fry asked if it was possible for Another Planet to shorten the event from three to two days and to perhaps have only day-time performances, with concerts ending at sundown?

Scott said that scenario would not work because some of the best headliners only perform at night.

“To have this festival be a success we need to have headliners. Otherwise, it will not work,” he said.

Richmond resident Christine Hall questioned the data and wondered if it might be possible to have the Outside Lands Music Festival elsewhere.

Scott noted that based upon ticket sales many of the attendees were from the City and surrounding Bay Area.

The SF Chronicle agreed, noting: “Despite its mammoth scale, this was still a distinctly local event.”

Scott said Golden Gate Park was a perfect venue and reiterated that every precaution had been taken, and will continue to be taken, for concerts in the future.
“There were no major incidents, no accidents or violence,” Sanford said. “Other than some complaints about noise, all went well.”
Denny Kern, director of operations for Rec. and Park, assured the public that the concert was closely watched.
“We monitor and do site inspections,” Kern said.
Kenneth Woo, who lives on Fulton Street, said revelers who defecated near his car “were indifferent.”
Sanford said the police department does not take policing lightly, but that with such crowds responses to complaints or incidents must be evaluated in order of priority. While defecation and vomiting in public is offensive, it is not life-threatening or done with intent to destroy property.
Nicholas Kinsey, a representative of the Rec. and Park Department, said events like Outside Lands are a major revenue sources for the department.
“If we did not have events like this, we would have to consider employee lay-offs,” Kinsey said.
Kern said the approximately $1 million paid by festival promoters goes into the department’s maintenance fund.
Fry and others were curious as to how much the event earned after paying all overhead costs, but Scott would not say.
After two hours of discussion, Sanford recommended the meeting be continued to another time.