Fraud Warning about Chinese Language Robocalls

The Bay Area, as well as the rest of the country, is being bombarded by robocalls in Mandarin looking to defraud unsuspecting victims.

There are two versions of the robocalls targeting Chinese immigrants. When they stay on the line, a live person tells them the Chinese Consulate has important documents that might affect the immigrants’ legal status; or, that their property is a part of a criminal case involving money laundering and that payments must be sent to a Hong Kong account. The scam has conned about 100,000 people so far, out of some 3.5 billion automated telephone calls sent out in April alone.

To report a suspicious robocall or potential victim, contact the SF District Attorney’s Office at (415) 551-9595 (consumer fraud hotline), or (415) 553-9044 (victim services division).

Carmen Chu Receives Edwin M. Lee Public Service Award

In May, San Francisco Assessor Carmen Chu earned the Asian Pacific American Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Mah Lee Public Service Award.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award and share it with the tens and thousands of public servants who work tirelessly every day to make our City better,” Chu said.

Chu has served the city and county of San Francisco for more than a decade, including stints as deputy budget director in the mayor’s office, District 4 supervisor and her current position as the city’s elected assessor.

The Edwin Mah Lee Public Service Award was established to recognize outstanding Asian Americans who exemplify the values and work of San Francisco’s late Mayor Edwin Lee, who passed away from a heart attack late last year. He was known to be a humble and effective leader and supporter of immigrant rights, civil rights, economic development and affordable housing.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The award presentation took place at the San Francisco War Memorial’s Herbst Theatre. For more information, visit the website at http://apasf.org.

Local Author Honored by Supervisors, Small Business Commission

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, who has written a book about food and recently retired from the Other Avenues Co-op, was honored with a small business award in District 4 in May.

Sacharoff will present her book, “Cooking Together: A Vegetarian Co-op Cookbook,” and conduct a cooking demonstration at two events in June. On June 16, she will be at the Far Out Gallery, 3004 Taraval St., from 2-3 p.m.; and at the School for Self Healing, 2218 48th Ave., on June 18, from 7-8:30 p.m.

A ceremony, which was attended by friends and family, was held at City Hall on May 12. Members of the SF Small Business Commission were on hand to recognize the small business award winners from each of the city’s supervisorial districts.

Free Concerts at Stern Grove Start in Mid-June

The annual free concerts at Stern Grove begin on June 17 and run through Aug. 19.

This year’s lineup is:

June 17 – Jeffrey Osborne and Peabo Bryson;

June 24 – Ziggy Marley;

July 1 – M. Ward and Theo and the Get Down Stay Down;

July 8 – Mexican Institute of Sound;

July 15 – Ancushka Shankar;

July 22 – SF Symphony;

July 29 – SF Ballet;

Aug. 5 – Ferni Kuti and the Positive Force;

Aug. 12 – Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes;

Aug. 19 – The Revolution and guests.

Stern Grove is located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. All shows begin at 2 p.m. For more information, go to the website at http://www.sterngrove.org.

“A Huge Success” for Park Presidio-Sunset Lions Club’s Blood Drive

The Park Presidio-Sunset Lions Club held its annual blood drive, in partnership with the Richmond District YMCA, in mid-May.

There were 26 pints of blood collected by the Blood Center for the Pacific, utilizing its Bloodmobile, due to a good turnout of local residents and others contributing to the vital Bay Area blood bank.

Tony Villa, the Lions’ chairman for the event, was happy with the blood drive turnout.

“This year is only our second blood drive and we had a fantastic turnout of blood donors. I would like to thank all of the Lions in our club and the volunteers at the YMCA who worked so hard to make this a huge success,” Villa said.

Members of the Park Presidio-Sunset Lions Club provided logistical support, as well as food and beverages for the volunteers and people making donations at the event.

The Lions Club has been serving the west side since 1946.

Angler’s Lodge, Casting Pools Celebrate 80th Anniversary

The Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club celebrated its 80th anniversary on Saturday, May 12. The club is located in Golden Gate Park, at 1232 John F. Kennedy Dr.

The celebration included a visit from District 1 Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer and a barbecue lunch.

The club and casting pools are a project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938. The ponds are free and open to anyone with an interest in fly fishing, from beginners to seasoned experts.

For more information, go to the website at http://www.sfgov.org.

Critically Acclaimed Chinese Film to Show at Library

The Richmond Branch Library will show the critically acclaimed movie “The Blue Kite (Lan Fengzheng), on Wednesday, June 20, from 5:30-8 p.m. (free).

The 1993 film, directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang, traces the fate of a Beijing boy and his family as they experience the political and social upheavals in China during the 1950s and ’60s. The dialogue is in Chinese, with English subtitles.

The Richmond Branch Library is located at 351 Ninth Ave. For more information, call (415) 355-5600.

Free Water-saving Assistance; Rebates and Incentives

To help maintain a reliable water supply for the future, the SF Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) offers a variety of free water-saving assistance, rebates and incentives.

San Francisco residents and businesses can sign up for a free indoor/outdoor “water-wise evaluation” to help identify leaks and inefficient fixtures, and where free shower heads, faucet aerators and toilet leak repair parts are provided.

Technicians will review the billing history of a property, discuss water reduction goals and provide a detailed report of the findings.

If a toilet was installed before 1994, it could be eligible for a free replacement, with installation included through the SFPUC’s Plumbing Fixture Replacement Program (a.k.a. PREP). To qualify, an existing toilet must use at least 3.5 gallons per flush and have no unusual plumbing or site conditions.

To find out more about the SFPUC services, rebates and incentives that are available to city residents, visit the SFPUC’s website at http://www.sfwater.org/conservation.