Richmond Roundup

Washington Wrestlers Win City Championship
The George Washington High School's wrestling team won the city championship Feb. 23. With an overwhelming show of force, the Eagles won competition in 12 of the 14 weight classes.

Winning their individual battles were Eagles Andy Lam (103 pound weight class); Frank Zhu (112); Toan "Kelly" Nguyen (130); Jason Liao (135); DeMon Jones (140); Mitch Coloma (145); Demetric Strong (152); Osmon Chim (160); Anthony Marshall (171); Coleman Rosenberg (189); Jesse Grimes (215); and Yoyci Medina (275). These athletes, along with Galileo's Amir Khan and Sam Chue, are now off to represent the AAA in statewide competition.

In a coaches poll taken after the championship round, the top competitors were named as Chue in the lightweight division, Mitch Coloma in the middleweight division, and Coleman Rosenberg in the heavyweight division.

According to AAA Commissioner Donald Collins, no team in recent memory has sent 12 wrestlers to statewide competition and no athletic conference has had all 14 of its athletes enter competition with undefeated records. During the season, Washington crushed its competition, going undefeated with six victories.

The Eagles were led by head coach Michael Meneses, a graduate of several Richmond District schools, including Washington.

Students Learn Value of Helping Others
Zion Lutheran School's eighth grade students recently received national recognition for their commitment to community service.

Susan Mueller, Zion's eighth grade teacher, learned of the Touching Others with Leprosy Bandages project through her local church congregation. The organization was designed to create leprosy bandages for the people of Vietnam suffering from the debilitating disease.

The class was approached by Mueller to participate in the act of service. Knit bandages are preferred because gauze does not last as long and cannot be washed. Knit bandages, however, can be washed and reused countless times. Not only used on wounds, the bandages are also worn on limbs where they act as shoes or gloves.

"When we started this project only two students knew how to knit. Now all 19 have at least the concept and have finished one bandage," Mueller said. "As their teacher, I am proud of their persistence at learning a new skill, their determination to finish at least 20 bandages, and their joy in serving others."

When the organization received Zion's package, they were very pleased to find a total of 34 bandages.

"Knitting was fun and it was a way I could help the lepers in Vietnam," says student Mari Ma. "My bandages can show them I care about them."

Ma impressed his peers by knitting several bandages.

In January, the eighth grade class was proud to find themselves on the home page of the Touching Others with Leprosy Bandages blogspot. Featured were pictures of the class and praise from the organization touting the project a "big success."

The next project for the eighth graders at Zion Lutheran puts their newly-gained skills to good use. They will create a new project in which they knit scarves for homeless people. Mueller said she and her class are excited to begin their next community outreach project.

2 Local Filmmakers Debut New Projects at Film Fest
Richmond District filmmaker Richard Wong has created a new film that will be shown at the SF International Film Festival in March.

Wong's film "Option 3" is a suspense mystery involving a young man whose girlfriend suddenly goes missing. A wild chase ensues when the man discovers a strange voice on the missing woman's cell phone.

Wong, who earned critical acclaim with his earlier film, "Colma: the Musical," also worked on two new Wayne Wang films that will debut at the festival.

Another local creator, Chihiro Wimbush, will have his short film "Cross Fader" shown at the festival.

"Cross Fader" revolves around a female insomniac who searches for a late-night radio D.J. In the end, the woman discovers their secret history.

The 26th annual SF International Film Festival will be held at several locations March 13-23. For more information, go to the Web site at www.asianamericanmedia.org.

Nominations for Safety Heroes
The Safety Network is seeking the names of groups and individuals who have been instrumental in improving neighborhood safety. Those nominated (all will be recognized) will be honored at the Community Leadership Awards, which will be held on April 2 at the State Building.

The deadline for submitting an application is March 14. For more information or a nominating form, call Kitty at (415) 668-5955, ext. 375, or go to the Web site at www.SafetyNetwork.org.

Civil Grand Jury Seeks Participants for New Session
San Francisco residents (and U.S. citizens) who are passionate about an honest, dependable government that acknowledges the needs of citizens, and who are willing to devote 10 or more hours per week beginning July 1, are invited to volunteer for the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury.

Participants learn in depth about how local government functions and meet a variety of people while making an important contribution to the community. For more information or to apply, visit the Web site at www.sfgov.org/site/courts or call Gary Giubbini at 551-3605.

Local Site for Family Services
The SF Department of Children, Youth and Their Families has set up 20 sites in the City where parents can get information relevant to family services and neighborhood events.

The "neighborhood conveners" were given grants of $30,000 to $60,000 to fulfill their missions.

The site in the Richmond District is at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, located at 741 30th Ave. For more information, call 751-6600.

Group Works for Former City Employees
The Retired Employees of the City and County of San Francisco is an organization that monitors and fights for issues of importance to former city workers.

For more information or to become a member, call Mary at (415) 467-6862 or go to the Web site at www.reccdsf.org.