Sunset Spotlight

Lawton Students Jump for Health
About 400 students at Lawton Elementary School jumped rope on March 9 to raise money for the American Heart Association and to promote physical activity at school. Students have been participating in Jump Rope for Heart for the last seven years. Jump Rope for Heart is a national fundraising program that promotes physical activity, heart-healthy living and community service to children.

Voter Pamphlet Now Online
The SF Department of Elections is encouraging San Francisco voters to "go green" by getting their Voter Information Pamphlet online instead of in the mail.

To opt out of receiving the Voter Information Pamphlet by mail for the June 5 election, a completed form must be received by the department no later than April 16.

For more information, go to the department's website at www.sfelections.org.

Author Publishes New Book About the Sunset District
Local Historian Lorri Ungaretti has published a new book about the history of the Sunset District. It features some 200 historical photos, quotations from people connected to the Sunset, and in-depth profiles of four people who were a part of the Sunset's growth.

"Stories in the Sand" contains the little-known, colorful stories of people who embodied the pioneer spirit by moving into an area of San Francisco once considered uninhabitable, transforming it into a thriving neighborhood.

"Stories in the Sand is a much-needed history of San Francisco's Sunset District- well-written and thoroughly researched. It details the legal strife that determined the ownership of these western lands, the pioneers who settled the sandy wastes, and those who wrested from sand an expansion of San Francisco's residential area. A must read for all those interested in San Francisco history," said Charles Fracchia, historian and founder of the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society.

Woody LaBounty, a local historian and founder of the Western Neighborhoods Project, agrees.

"San Francisco history is more than the Gold Rush, the 1906 earthquake and the Summer of Love. 'Stories in the Sand' reveals the nuanced and fascinating history of the western half of San Francisco," he said.

Park Tennis Contract Awarded
The City has announced that Scott Howard and Robert Stang have been awarded the contract at the Golden Gate Park Tennis Complex to teach tennis lessons, operate a pro-shop and run a small cafe at the facility.

Both Howard and Stang have a long history in San Francisco and at Golden Gate Park.

The Golden Gate Park Tennis Academy will provide individual and group lessons to the public for both children and adults.

Tennis courts in Golden Gate Park were first built in 1894.

For more information, call (650) 281-3680.