Richmond Roundup

New Playground at Zion
Zion Lutheran School opened a new play area at its Ninth Avenue church/school location on May 8. The structure replaces a 15-year-old jungle gym, built on uneven ground, with a recycled-rubber and polyurethene surface. "We even had kids donating, collecting water bottles and donating their birthday money," Zion Principal Donna Laughlin said. The Parent Teacher League (PTL) raised most of the money, supplemented with church fundraiser meals. The project was completed in eight months.

City to get new supervisor districts
Although the Richmond District's population did not change enough to trigger a redrawing of the City's supervisorial districts, there was enough change citywide to trigger a citywide redistricting.
The head of the SF Department of Elections called for the city's supervisorial districts to be redrawn in early May because the city's population grew, with many of the new residents being located in the South of Market area near South Beach and the SF Giants ballpark. District 6, which encompasses the area, saw its population grow from about 75,000 people in 2000 to 100,000 in 2010.
During the creation of districts for district elections 10 years ago, the Seacliff and Lake Street neighborhoods were removed from the Richmond and put in District 2, which includes the Marina and Pacific Heights districts. With each San Francisco district expected to grow in size, it could be possible for these areas to be included in District 1.

Athletes share keys to success
SF Giants pitcher Sergio Romo, former Oakland Raider player Tony Stewart, UC Berkeley Associate Head Coach Ron Gould and USF Men's basketball coach Rex Walters shared the keys to success with student athletes from George Washington High School on May 10.
The event, held at Lafayette Elementary School, is the year-end celebration of Washington High's Athletes in Math Succeed (AIMS), a program where high school student athletes are encouraged to take advanced math and regularly tutor and mentor elementary school students at Lafayette. The aim of AIM is to provide young athletes with the opportunity to pursue careers requiring math and a chance to make a positive difference in their communities.

New free lecture series at Presidio
The Presidio Trust is sponsoring a new lecture series featuring nationally-known historians.
Contemporary Historians at the Presidio: Voices and Views, covers themes directly related to the Presidio as a former military installation and, currently, as a national park.
The Trust held its first lecture in May with Frank Matero, who is from Global Historic Preservation Today.
The remainder of the series for 2011 is:
• June 16 – Richard White, "The transcontinental railroads and wars better left unfought (7 p.m.);"
• Aug. 11 – Linda Harris Mehr, "The way we thought we were: Images in World War II films (7 p.m.);"
• Oct. 13 – Patty Limerick, "Witnessing war: Army wives as undercover observers of the 19th century west (7:30 p.m.);"
• Nov. 17 – Michael Corbett, "Fundamental San Francisco – the creation of the port and the development of the City (7 p.m.)."
The free lecture series is held at the Golden Gate Club, located at 135 Fisher Loop. For more information, call (415) 561-5418 or go to the website at www.presidio.gov.

Art studio's tsunami relief
The SF Recreation and Park Department's (RPD) Sharon Art Studio presented a check for $22,000 to the American Red Cross for Japan tsunami relief on May 3.
On hand were Rec. and Park's General Manager Phil Ginsburg and the American Red Cross' representative, Woody Baker-Cohn.
The art studio raised the money on April 17 by holding a "tea bowl fundraiser," which drew more than 250 attendees.

Stewards honored for Oak Woodlands' restoration
The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (RPD) recently honored and recognized the members of the Oak Woodlands Stewards for their extraordinary service and talent in maintaining and enhancing the Oak Woodlands Natural Area, located in the northeast corner of Golden Gate Park.
Under the leadership of Robert Bakewell, the Oak Woodlands volunteers have made great strides in the effort to restore native habitat and remove the aggressive, invasive species that have thrived in the park. Bakewell has been a steward of this area for more than 16 years in various capacities, and with the support of a dedicated group of volunteers, has been instrumental in increasing visibility, access and safety and in promoting more widespread use by the community.
In addition to helping make the area more welcoming to human park users, the Oak Woodlands Stewards have made the area very attractive for native wildlife as well; creating habitat for dozens of different birds, insects and small mammals.
In a location that requires constant maintenance, trash cleanup and the dismantling of fire rings, the Oak Woodlands Stewards have taken on each section of the park's natural area over the years. Some noteworthy improvements include revamping the horseshoe pits and surrounding hillside, cleaning up and increasing access to the Coon Hollow area, and recreating natural shrub habitat on the Third Avenue slope.
On every second Saturday of the month, volunteers are involved in planting, pruning, weeding and cleaning-up of the area.
Several months ago, during a SF Recreation and Park Commission meeting, commissioners recognized Bakewell and all of the Oak Woodlands Stewards for their tireless dedication to service, remarkable talent, and significant contributions to the Oak Woodlands Natural Area.

Roaring Mouse, USF move to Presidio
Two new tenants are helping "expand and create a dynamic recreation and education destination" at West Crissy Field.
Roaring Mouse Bikes and the University of San Francisco (USF) have taken up residence in two recently rehabilitated historic buildings along Mason Street in the Presidio.
Originally built in 1921, as part of the U.S. Army Air Service's Air Coast defense station at Crissy Field, the two buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and contribute to the Presidio's National Historic Landmark status. Both received seismic upgrades, improved access for people with disabilities, and other improvements to accommodate contemporary uses. Much of the buildings' historic fabric remains intact. Some elements retained from the historic aviation use have been incorporated into the rehabilitations, such as the large swinging doors formerly used to facilitate aircraft engines that now are reopened and filled with windows.
Roaring Mouse found its way to the Presidio almost by chance. Owner Chris Lane was "Googling around" the Internet looking for a new home for his undersized, but highly regarded and popular bicycle shop. His search brought him to Crissy Field's Building 934, a former aircraft engine test facility. The unique building matched perfectly with Lane's vision for his shop.
"I loved the building from day one," Lane said. "I felt a connection to the location's history as an airfield. After all, it was two bike mechanics – the Wright brothers – who invented modern flight. The industrial nature of the building seemed the perfect setting for a new bike shop."

"The Mouse," as it is affectionately known to its fans and customers, opened in mid-January after 10 years at 15th Avenue and Irving Street in the Sunset District.

The University of San Francisco (USF) opened a satellite campus, called USF at the Presidio, earlier this year in Building 920, a former aircraft motor repair shop. The 8,000-square-foot building houses several graduate programs, including the master of arts (M.A.) in investor relations, master of science (M.S.) in financial analysis and M.S in risk management.
USF will also collaborate with the Presidio Trust on a series of lectures, artistic displays and films that will be open to the public. Programs will focus on a wide range of topics, including San Francisco politics, Latino-American culture and the history of the WPA.

Free movies at Stonestown
The Stonestown Galleria will once again show summer movies in its Center Court space every other Tuesday until mid-August. At 6 p.m. there will be activities for youth and the free movies start at 7 p.m.
The schedule for this year is:
• June 7 – "Tangled;"
• June 21 – "Despicable Me;"
• July 5 – "Megamind;"
• July 19 – "Toy Story 3;"
• Aug. 2 – "Shrek Forever After;"
• Aug. 16 – "Gnomeo and Juliet."
For more information, call (415) 564-8848 or go to the website at www.stonestowngalleria.com.