Richmond Roundup

Historic Cliff House Renovation Complete
The historic Cliff House completed its $18 million makeover and reopened with a symbolic ribbon cutting Oct. 19.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisor Fiona Ma and various other dignitaries were on hand for the celebration. Newsom declared the day "Cliff House Day" in honor of the event.

"I'm so happy we have such a great eating and dining restaurant on the west side," Ma said.

The Cliff House was restored to its original 1909 neoclassical version, although some windows fronting the Great Highway were removed to hide a relocated kitchen, and a new wing, using architecture mimicking the long-ago-closed Sutro Baths, was added to the new wing. Large glass windows open vistas of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the old baths and Marin Headlands to the north.

Diners have been eating at the Cliff House since 1863. After the original and a subsequent Cliff House burned down, the current structure was built.

Dan and Mary Hountalas have operated the restaurant for the past 30 years.

According to General Manager Ralph Burgin, a former chef at the Cliff House, a new chef was hired to ensure a unique, quality dining experience for the thousands of locals and tourists who make the journey to the westernmost point in San Francisco.

Leland Yee Named  "Legislator of the Year"
State Assembly Speaker pro Tem Leland Yee was named "Legislator of the Year 2004" by the California Psychiatric Association (CPA). The recognition was the result of Yee's efforts and accomplishments on behalf of the mentally ill, particularly children with severe emotional disturbance and other mental disorders.

Yee authored two pieces of legislation deemed CPA priority support bills. The first, AB 1792, called for ultra-violent video games to be considered "harmful matter" and to restrict the sale of such games to children. The bill was killed in the Assembly Arts Committee after heavy lobbying by the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry.

Lee's second bill, AB 1793, requiring retailers to post signs warning parents about violent video games, successfully passed the legislature and was signed into law by the governor.

2004 Beautification Award Winners Named
San Francisco Beautiful is a 57-year-old non-profit group dedicated to sustaining and enhancing the City's livability. It recently announced its 2004 Beautification Award winners, which were selected with consideration of the theme "New Beginnings: Preservation, Sustainability and Innovative Design."

Awards went to those working to improve the quality of life in San Francisco, with an emphasis on high-quality historic preservation projects and those projects with sustainable and original design components.

Among the nine 2004 winners were the Conservatory of Flowers on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park; Sunset resident and author Adah Bakalinsky, for her work "Stairway Walks in San Francisco;" The Villas Parkmerced, located at 3711 19th Ave.; and the Mountain Lake Restoration Project, located at Lake Street and 12th Avenue.

Local Resident Writes Text for GGNRA Book
Sunset District resident Christine Colasurdo has created the text for a book entitled "Golden Gate National Parks: A Photographic Journey."

The book takes a look at the various components of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), including Fort Mason, Fort Point, Fort Funston, Sutro Heights, Alcatraz and the Presidio. More than 20 photographers contributed to the publication.

Colasurdo is a member of the Native Plant Society and publisher of another book, "Return to Spirit Lake: Journey Through a Lost Landscape," which deals with the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.

"Golden Gate National Parks: A Photographic Journey" is available at GGNRA bookstores at Fisherman's Wharf, the Embarcadero Center and at two locations at Crissy Field, the Warming Hut and Visitor's Center. The book, which costs $5.95, can also be obtained at the website http://parksconservancy.org. Proceeds from book sales support park service programs.

Poster Contest Winners Announced
As part of the annual Clement Street Festival held in mid-October, an autumn-themed poster contest was conducted featuring the artwork of Richmond District youth who attend local schools.

The winners of the competition are:

Kindergarten/first grade - Kaela Lee (Alamo Elementary School); Gisela Chin (St. Monica); Seth Durant (Alamo); and Raymond Chen (Sutro Elementary School).

Second grade - Stephanie Barrow (Zion Lutheran); Marisa Ling (Alamo); Carlo Flinkinger (Lafayette Elementary School); and Joanne Ho (Sutro).

Third grade - Alice Tang (George Peabody Elementary School); August Stadtfeld (Zion Lutheran); Whitney Erikson (Katherine Delmar Burke School); and Melody Lee (Sutro).

Fourth grade - In Tae (George Peabody); Tina Li (George Peabody); Elani Veros (Lafayette); and Dana Buzon (St. Monica).

Fifth grade - Desislava Petkoya (Lafayette); Savannah Gehlen and Sonya Felt (St. Monica); Emelia Roche and Teresa Wu (Lafayette); and Christina Wong (St. Monica).

Sixth grade - Sidney Archibold (St. Monica); Joey Palazzolo (St. Monica); Nicole Lee (St. Monica); and Melissa Mui (St. Monica).

The poster contest winners received ribbons and their school art departments got small cash awards.

Local Artists to be Featured
Several local artists will be featured in upcoming events.

Richmond District clay artist Judy Hummel and Sunset District artists Barbara Sebastian and Eileen Goldenberg will have their creations on exhibit at the Association of Clay and Glass Artists' Clay and Glass Festival, being held at the Fort Mason Center's Herbst Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

For more information, call 507-9909.

Free Admission to Academy
San Francisco residents can take advantage of free admission days at the California Academy of Science, now through Sunday, Nov. 21. Invitations for the specific days are offered according to neighborhood and zip code, so each visiting adult must provide proof of residency via a driver's license or utility bill.

The Richmond, Seacliff, Western Addition, Pacific Heights, Laurel Heights, and Presidio areas (zip codes 94121, 94118, 94115, and 94129) can gain free admission on Friday, Nov. 12, Saturday, Nov. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 14. For more information, call 321-8000.

Free Healthcare for Student Athletes

San Francisco high schools with football programs do not currently have team doctors or trainers, so student athletes can now take advantage of the services provided by a UCSF program called PlaySafe.

Through a grant from the Mount Zion Health Fund, PlaySafe is a free sports medicine clinic for all student athletes in the SF Unified School District that provides care from UCSF sports medicine specialists, athletic trainers and physical therapists. Free clinics are held at 1701 Divisadero St., Suite 240, every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., through Thanksgiving.

Former Photojournalist Teaches Art Classes
A photojournalist who graduated from George Washington High School and documented the dire conditions of children working in the municipal dump at Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, has started a local project to teach children art.

Kimberly de Caires says she started Art with Kimberly to help augment the loss of art programs in local schools. She uses the Reggio Emilia approach, which emphasizes respecting youth artists by valuing, observing and documenting their creative processes. Classes, which cost $120 for a six-week course, meet at 3423 Balboa St. For more information, call (650) 738-2583 or ArtwithKimberly@earthlink.net.

Group Helps First-time Asian Homebuyers
The First American Title Company has launched a marketing program to help remove cultural barriers that limit the Asian-American community from purchasing a home.

On Oct. 12, the title company, with the assistance of the Asian Real Estate Association of America, held its first meeting in the Richmond District. The groups conduct seminars to educate members of the Asian-American community who are interested in owning a home but have been historically hampered by cultural barriers.

For more information, call Mary Placido at 333-9991.

Children with Limited Hearing Needed for Study
Participants in San Francisco are needed for a national children's hearing study. A team of researchers funded by the National Institute of Health is seeking children with hearing loss and children with normal hearing 4 months to 2 years old. 

The time commitment is minimal and participants will be paid for each session. The study will help children with hearing loss. For more information, contact the office of the Early Development of Children with Hearing Loss research project; toll free, at (866)-236-9164.