RICHMOND ROUNDUP

Anza Branch officially closed for renovation
The Anza Branch of the SF Public Library had an official closing party on May 23 to celebrate and then prepare for its much-needed renovations.

Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar and City Librarian Luis Herrera were present to show their support.

As part of the Branch Library Improvement Program, San Francisco voters approved a $106 million bond measure in November 2000 to upgrade the city's branch library system. The Anza Branch is scheduled to reopen in 2010.

Through the Neighborhood Library Campaign, the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library is raising funds for new furniture, fixtures and equipment for the Anza Library.

For more information on how to get involved in the library's capital campaign, contact Marian Chatfield-Taylor at (415) 626-7512, ext. 103, or send an e-mail to marian.ctaylor@friendssfpl.org. For more information about the branch closing, call (415) 355-2822 or visit the Web site at www.sfpl.org/ news/blip/improvementprogram.

Laurel Hill Clubhouse loses director
The SF Recreation and Park Department is laying off its recreation director at the Laurel Hill Clubhouse, located on Euclid Avenue, due to budget cuts.

The department held a meeting June 1 to discuss the possibility of some organization leasing the site. The focus of the meeting was about possible uses for the site and the department's required Request for Proposals to lease it.

The meeting also focused on the leasing of the Cow Hollow Clubhouse, which is in the same predicament as Laurel Hill.

The meeting was held at the Moscone Recreation Center, located in the Marina District at Chestnut and Buchanan streets.

Yee named Legislator of the Year
Students at the University of California, Davis have recognized state Sen. Leland Yee as their Legislator of the Year for his efforts to bring transparency and accountability to UC's governance.

"I am honored to receive this award from UC students," said Yee, who is an alumnus of UC Berkeley. "Students were essential in helping pass the Higher Education Governance Accountability Act last session and they are continuing their efforts on several bills this session."

"Sen. Yee is an ideal recipient for this award, not only for his leadership on pro-student legislation, but also for his willingness to partner with students in the state capital," said Talia MacMath, the students' lobby corps director.

Monitoring the living roof
The California Academy of Sciences is looking for people aged 12 years and older to collect data for a long-term monitoring project on the Academy's living roof. Along the way, they will learn about the roof's native plants and animal visitors.

A meeting will be held at the Academy to discuss the Living Roof Project on Sunday, June 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There is a general admission charge plus $3 and reservations are requested because the group is limited to 15. For more information or to RSVP, call (415) 379-8000.

The Academy is located at 55 Music Concourse Dr. in Golden Gate Park.

New home for non-profit
The Western Neighborhood Project, an organization dedicated to recording and preserving the history of the west side of San Francisco, opened a new headquarters on May 16.

The new office is at 300 Taraval St., at Funston Avenue. For more information about the group or its office hours, go to the Web site at www.outsidelands.org.

Program to report park problems
ParkScan (www.parkscan.org) and 311 are partnering to improve park maintenance.

As parks are expected to receive additional cuts next year due to the budget crisis, further reducing available staff for maintenance, the creation of an unique partnership between the City's 311 customer service tools and the ParkScan web service for park users to report park problems could prove beneficial.

"Our parks are one of our greatest resources and this partnership will help keep them maintained to a standard that residents expect and deserve," said Mayor Gavin Newsom. "Connecting ParkScan to our 311 system will make government more efficient and accountable, it will also make it easier for San Franciscans to report park issues online."

ParkScan.org, a 6-year old project of the Neighborhood Parks Council, allows city residents to use the web to report conditions that need attention in parks. The partnership will now link all of the ParkScan.org observations into the city's 311 system. "Our 311 system is proud of our 90 percent closure rate on park issues reported by the public," said Nancy Alfaro, director of the 311 system.

We expect San Francisco parks and recreation centers to be maintained and operated at a very high-level of excellence," said Jared Blumenfeld, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. "By receiving up-to-date reports on issues that need our attention, we can be more responsive to the needs of the public. This new public-private partnership between 311 and ParkScan will help us identify issues and track progress towards implementation."

For more information, call (415) 621-3260 or go to the Web sites at www.sfnpc.org and www.ParkScan.org.

Alert given about the spread of Swine Flu
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell in April reminded school officials throughout the state that they can download a free "Keep Our Schools Healthy" toolkit in multiple languages to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses, such as the recently reported outbreak of swine influenza.

"I am very concerned about preliminary reports in Mexico and Southern California about the emergence of a swine flu outbreak," said O'Connell. "By taking simple precautions like washing hands often, students can increase their chances of avoiding the flu, so they can stay healthy, stay in school, and keep learning. These simple steps will help everyone protect their health so students and teachers will have fewer sick days."

State health officials report six known cases of swine flu in California. However, reports indicate the outbreak is much larger in Mexico and has forced the closure of schools and other public facilities.

The toolkit contains six posters designed for students, teachers and parents. The posters advise students and teachers to avoid spreading germs and viruses by frequent hand washing with soap and covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Other posters advise parents to keep their children at home if they suspect their child is ill, teach children how to wash their hands often with soap, and cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze.

For more information, call (916) 319-0579 or go to the Web site at www.cde.ca.gov/139430. - Tina Jung Information Officer, California Department of Education