Police Warn Chinese Community of Latest “Blessing” Scam

A woman was approached by the first of three suspects, an Asian female, who asked for

directions to a healing salon. The second suspect, an Asian male, pretending to just be

walking by, approached and offered to use his smart phone to help locate the salon.

The male suspect then convinced the victim to walk to a nearby car where the third

suspect, an older Asian male, was waiting.

The victim was led to believe she had cancer and gave the suspects $5,000 as payment for

a cure. The suspects promised to return some of the money later that day, but never did.

The SF Police Department urges older members of the Chinese community to be

suspicious of strangers claiming to provide relief from a curse, illness or to provide

“purification” ceremonies, in which cash and valuable items must be offered

as part of the process. Potential victims are strongly advised to contact police

immediately if confronted with such a situation.

Children and caregivers of elder Chinese community members should discuss the scam

and instruct the elders to call a family member if anyone approachesthem under

similar circumstances.

Environmental Report for Mt. Sutro Forest Released

Due to the “rapidly declining conditions” at the University of California, San Francisco’s

Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve, the university began a public process two years ago to

develop a plan to restore the forest’s health.

The 20-year plan was developed by an advisory committee. The goals of the Mount

Sutro Open Space Vegetation Management Plan are to:

• protect the safety of people and structures in and around the reserve;

• improve the health of theecosystem;

• enhance the visual design and preserve the forest experience;

• ensure public access.

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the project was released in July. A copy

can be downloaded at the website at http://www.campusplanning.ucsf.edu.

The plan outlines a process to:

• gradually remove thousands of dead and dying trees;

• replant both eucalyptus and native species to restore the reserve’s canopy and improve the biodiversity of the vegetation;

• improve the safety of the reserve.

The university urges the public to review the DEIR and provide comments before the

Sept. 8 deadline. Send written comments to:

Diane Wong, UCSF Campus Planning, Box 0286, SF, CA 94143

or send an e-mail to EIR@planning.UCSF.edu.

Hard copies of the DEIR are available by calling the UCSF Campus Planning office at (415)

476-2911, or by going to the UCSF Library at 530 Parnassus Ave., and the following

public  library branches:

Sunset Branch, 1305 18th Ave.; and

Park Branch, 1833 Page St.

There will also be a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIR at the

Mill berry Union on UCSF’s Parnassus campus, on Aug. 24, at 6:30 p.m.

Sunset Youth Services Honored as Top Nonprofit

On June 28 Sunset Youth Services was honored by Assemblyman Phil Ting as a

California Nonprofit of the Year. A celebration was held at the state capitol in

Sacramento.

Sunset Youth Services joined nearly 100 other non-profit leaders from across the state

being honored at the annual California Nonprofits Day event. This year, Sunset Youth

Services, which was founded by Dawn and Ron Stueckle, celebrates 25 years providing

trauma-informed violence prevention, youth development, employment training and

family support services for San Francisco’s most vulnerable high-risk youth, young

adults and families.

A press release from Sunset Youth Services said: “We could not be more proud of our

devoted staff, the giving community that supports our work, and the many young people

we serve, who are endeavoring to break cycles of poverty, violence and incarceration.

We’re particularly thankful for Assemblymember Phil Ting and the many other

elected city and state officials we work alongside, who work tirelessly to build a thriving

community in which all can succeed.”

“Non-profit organizations are vitally important to the economy and well-being of

California. But too often nonprofits are ‘hidden in plain sight.’ We are thrilled that the

state Assembly has passed a resolution for the second year in a row that puts the

spotlight on nonprofits as an economic power that uses that power for the common

good. We congratulate all of the award recipients on being honored for the great work

they do every day to make California a better place,” said Jan Masaoka, CEO of the

California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits), a statewide alliance

of more than 10,000 organizations. Sunset Youth Services is located at 3918 Judah St.

Fun Day at Classic Bowling

The 24th annual “Fun Day” for children and adults with developmental

disabilities, including members at the Janet Pomeroy Center, located near the

SF Zoo, will be held at the Classic Bowling Center, on Aug. 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The event is sponsored by the Bay Area Knights of Columbus Foundation and Classic

Bowling Center, which provides free bowling, lunch and entertainment.

Uniformed police and fire personnel from Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City and San Bruno

volunteer their time to ensure everyone has a safe and exciting day. Other volunteers are

also welcome. Interested members of the public can send an e-mail to

Marian Mann at mann98@aol.com or call (650) 991-9386 to help out.

The Classic Bowling Center is located at 900 King Dr., in Daly City.

For more information, contact Cindy Blackstone by e-mail at cblackstone@prrcsf.org.

Golden Gate Park Band Performs Concerts on Sundays

The Golden Gate Park Band presents popular concerts in Golden Gate Park, including

classical transcriptions, original works for concert band, Broadway show selections,

opera and marches.

The director of the band is Michael L. Wirgler, who has been GGPB’s conductor

since July 4, 1999.

The free concerts are on Sundays, at 1 p.m., and are held at the

Spreckels Temple of Music at the Music Concourse.

The remaining schedule is:

• Aug. 6 – Honoring the SF Fire Department’s NERT and SERT volunteers;

• Aug. 13 – Great concert band music (TBA);

• Aug. 20 – Celebrate: St. Stephen’s Day (Hungarian music, singing, dancing);

• Aug. 27 – Celebrate: Ukrainian-American Day (Ukrainian music, singing, dancing);

• Sept. 3 – Inspiring music from Russia;

• Sept. 4 (Monday) – Labor Day celebration (Tribute to the American worker);

• Sept. 10 – No concert;
• Sept. 17 – Robert Emmett Day (Irish music, singing, dancing);

• Sept. 24 – Spanish dancing with El Grupo Sabores de España;

• Oct. 1 – Jazz at the Park;
• Oct. 8 – Final concert: all request.

For more information, go to the band’s website at www.GoldenGateParkBand.org.