Notes from Kerry
Deputy Sheriff Takes Home the Gold
Childcare Center at City Hall
Art in City Hall
Assessment Appeals Board
Media Service head starts
Free Summer Concert Series You’re Invited: Community Events


Notes from Kerry
People are always shocked when we talk to them about the Website. Did you know there’s a website for City Hall? It’s www.ci.sf.ca.us/cityhall

Building Management has a dream… some day, anyone in the world will be able to click on and see the building; rent it for an event; or take a virtual tour. At the moment, the site talks about the summer concerts, available docent tours, restoration facts, floor plans, and the even the City Scoop. We plan to add a virtual tour, the rental brochure, and a picture display of events and community days.

The restoration section is designed so that any child doing a research paper, any history buff, or just the casual browser can learn interesting facts and read about our incredible re-opening. It has automatic links too!

The Building Management office gets e-mails from places as far away as Sweden asking about tours, telling us about their visit, or commenting on things they read. One of the most useful things is the directions and parking map that can be quickly pulled up and printed or faxed. We frequently refer to it when citizens phone.

Lots of credit must go to the Webmasters, Jennifer Schuler and Susan Kelly at DTIS. If you have any ideas or suggestions please call and pass them along, many minds make great work!

Deputy Sheriff Takes Home the Gold
San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey announced recently that Deputy Sheriff Maurice Valentine made an exceptional showing at the World Police and Fire Games in Stockholm, Sweden, winning the gold medal in the Decathlon and setting a new record in his age group. In addition to his sweep of the two-day, ten-event decathlon, Deputy Valentine took five silver and one bronze medal in track and field events at the games which were held July 16 through 29.

Prior to taking off for the World Games in Stockholm, Deputy Valentine garnered a total of seven medals – two gold, four silver and one bronze – at the California Police Games held in Pasadena June 20 through 26. He set a new record for the 45-50 age division in the 110 High Hurdles, and holds the Decathlon record for the California Games which he established in 1996.

A ten-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Valentine has been competing in the Police and Fire Games throughout his career. A disciplined life-long athlete, he keeps his skills honed and enthusiasm for competition keen by serving as head track and field coach for Berkeley High School. When not in training for the police games, he also volunteers as a youth coach for the Oakland Police Activities League.

"Deputy Valentine is an inspiring role model for the young people to whom he devotes his time and for all of us struggling to stay fit while handling work and community commitments," said Sheriff Hennessey. "The entire Sheriff’s Department joins me in welcoming him home and congratulating him on his magnificent achievement at the World Games."

Visit the Sheriff"s Department home page

Marin opens Childcare Center at City Hall
Marin Day Schools is very excited to announce that their newest childcare center is scheduled to open in San Francisco City Hall on September 7, 1999. The center is designed to serve infants, toddlers, preschoolers and pre-kindergarten children. A state of the art facility, it includes two on-site outdoor play yards directly outside the childcare center. Hours are M-F from 6:30 AM to 6 PM. Our official "Ribbon Cutting Ceremony" on Tuesday, September 14, 1999 at 4 PM, will be lots of fun and coincides with the Children’s Art Exhibit in the lower level of the building.

Marin Day Schools is a Bay Area nonprofit organization, committed to providing the very best in nurturing child care, developmental early childhood education, parent/family support, educational resources and work/family corporate assistance. The City Hall Campus will continue the tradition of providing the highest quality childcare and exciting early childhood education which started in 1981.

The City Hall Campus is employer-sponsored but will also be open to the public. We serve employees of the City of San Francisco, with priority given to people who work in City Hall first, all City of S.F. employees second, and the general community as the third group. Our site director, Barbara Kanter, has been a preschool teacher for over 10 years. She has administrative experience and is very excited about getting to know the families at the City Hall Campus. We will be on site setting up the facility from August 16 on and would love you to stop by and say "Hello." We look forward to serving your childcare needs and providing a wonderful preschool experience for your children.

Art in City Hall
by Rupert Jenkins, S.F. Arts Commission Gallery Director

Exhibitions in the lower level areas continue with a reception for all artists to take place Thursday, September 2, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Food and drinks will be served in the City Hall Cafe, so we encourage you to come and relax, meet the artists, and look at some fabulous work!

We are pleased to announce that Grants for the Arts are continuing their ongoing support of the Art in City Hall exhibition program through FY 99-00. Many thanks to Kary and Renee, Sam, and all the staff in Room 347! And while we"re at it, many thanks to Loretta Whittle in the Café (we love her cookies as much as we love her art), and to you for your support of the program. We encourage you to let us know your opinion of the exhibits, past and present, and what you"d like to see in the future. You can even tell us what you don"t like – we can handle it! E-mail us at sfacgallery@telis.org

September exhibitions:
• "Naming the Homeless" – photographs by Lucy Gray, through September 30

• Paintings by Leroy Morvant; "Viet Nam in Black & White" – photographs by Douglas Legg

• Artworks by children sponsored by the Mayor"s Department of Children, Youth, and their Families, organized by Nancy Record

• A group show by artists from Visual Aid (opens September 20).

All exhibitions except Lucy Gray are on display through November 19.

Lucy Gray: from "Naming the Homeless"
Douglas Legg: from "Viet Nam in Black & White"

Assessment Appeals Board
by: Victor Young

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, the Assessment Appeals Board (AAB) provides the taxpayers of the City and County of San Francisco a service that allows them to appeal their property tax assessment. In this role, the Assessment Appeals Board equalizes the value of property for the purpose of taxation.

Members of the AAB are professionals such as lawyers, accountants, appraisers, and real estate brokers. These accredited experts act as impartial arbitrers who resolve differences of opinion concerning property value between San Francisco property owners and the Assessor’s Office.

Currently there are two Assessment Appeals Boards and a Hearing Officer Program. Each board consists of five regular members and three alternate members. All of our regular and alternate members also act as hearing officers. An Assessment Appeals Board is scheduled to meet Monday through Friday for either a morning or afternoon session, or sometimes both. AAB hearings take place in City Hall hearing room #406.

If you are interested in obtaining more information about the Assessment Appeals Board, please call our office at 554-6778 or visit our website at www.ci.sf.ca.us/bdsupvrs/appeals.htm

Media Services head starts
On August 3, Rohan Lane joined the Building Services staff as Media Services Manager. He will be working very closely with Bonnie Hong and David Kim. Rohan had been at the Office of Media Services at U.C. Berkeley for 16 years, the last five as Operations Manager for services to campus classes and events. Originally from England, you will recognize him by the white streak in his hair.

Welcome to City Hall, Rohan.

PS. "If you are interested, the white streak in my hair appeared overnight about 4-5 months ago," said Rohan.

"Out to Lunch" Free Summer Concert Series b

Location: Alioto Piazza (formerly Civic Center Plaza)
Time: Noon to 1 PM

September 2 – Specdrum
("out of this world" music to swing you to the year 2000)

September 9 – Donovan Donovan Band
(Rock ‘n Roll and beach classics)

September 16 – Juanita & Picante Ensemble
(Mexican Mariachi and romantic music)

September 23 – Soul Sauce
(Latin Jazz quintet)

September 30 – Royal Street Boogie Band
(swing)

For more information please call 554-4799 or visit the website of the Summer Concert Series

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You’re Invited: Community Events For the Month of September

September 29
Recovery Works! Celebration Culminating a month-long series of open-houses during National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Location: North Light Ct.
Time: 6 – 8 PM