April 2000



Kerry"s Notes
Bike Commuting Tricks and Tips
Welcome to new City Government Recycling Coordinator
Art in City Hall
Help the Custodians
Security is everyone’s responsibility
Let it Shine!
Health Service Enrollment Information

Kerry"s Notes
"Time Capsule" is defined in The Oxford English Dictionary (1989) as "a container used to store for posterity a selection of objects thought to be representative of life at a particular time."

Do you know your suggestion could be used in a City Hall Time Capsule?

In an effort to represent life as we know it in our particular time, San Francisco City Hall has a time capsule project of its own. Suggestions for the contents to be placed in the time capsule are now being accepted in the South Light Court.

It is extremely interesting because the priorities of our ancestors compared to the priorities of today. It is interesting in the fact that they are so different, yet, in many ways, very much the same. I thought you might enjoy reading a few of the suggestions already made since January 2000. Some are funny, such as the suggestion that we try to bottle some fog for the future. Some are poignant and touching, such as the suggestion that we add a square from the AIDS quilt, or a domestic partnership certificate to show how accepting San Francisco society is. Some are sentimental San Francisco ideas like a pair of Levi’s, a piece of cablecar, an opera program, or aerial photographs. Some could be quite profitable such as a silver dollar or a share of Microsoft stock. Others are just plain well thought out, such as the suggestion that we keep California plant seeds and animal DNA to preserve our environment for the future. Can you guess which suggestion already got the most votes? (To check if you’re right, look at the bottom of the page.)

The original time capsule placed in the cornerstone by Mayor James Rolph at the grand opening ceremony of San Francisco’s City Hall is currently on display in the South Light Court. We have the unique opportunity to enjoy the time capsule as both a message from the past and a message for the future.

Now is the time to make your suggestion. Please take a moment to stop by the South Light Court, view the contents recently unearthed from the past and contribute your own suggestion. The suggestions will be organized and a representative selection of items will be chosen. The original time capsule will be formally sealed and placed back in its original location by Mayor Brown, and in recognition of our restoration project, the new time capsule will be sealed and placed in a different location in January of 2001.

When it will see the light of day next? Your guess is as good as mine.

Time capsules are interesting to people of all ages and touch people on a worldwide scale. Time capsules preserve the salient features of history and can serve as valuable reminders of one generation for another. Be a part of making history.

Quiz answer: The Mayor’s Fedora

Bike Commuting Tricks and Tips
Summer is coming. What better time to start biking to work? Did you know that City Hall has a secure bike room with lockers and showers? Would you like to know your City Hall bike route options? Curious about how to commute by bike and not ruin your work clothes? Come to a brown bag lunch on April 25th from 12 to 1 p.m. in room 34 (near the cafeteria) and learn how easy and fun it is to bike to work. This presentation will have plenty of information for both beginning and experienced cyclists. There will be free bike maps and related materials for all participants, as well as cyclo-prizes for the lucky few.

Welcome to new City Government Recycling Coordinator
We are happy to announce that Victoria Fan has joined the Solid Waste Management Program as the new City Government Coordinator. Victoria previously provided technical assistance to the School Education program for Solid Waste, and left to do a stint with the City of Oakland’s Recycling Program, where she worked with city department recycling. She is looking forward to working with the City of San Francisco to reach the state mandated goal of 50% waste reduction by the end of the year. "We are well on our way, and I’m excited to help the City of San Francisco set the example and move further with our recycling efforts." For questions regarding City Government recycling, call Victoria Fan at 554-3403.

The Latest on the Greatest "Office Paper Recycling Competition"

We have received over 100 responses indicating interest in the contest; 15 of these have come from City Hall. A total of 45 departments are entered in the contest, representing 65 locations. We will be measuring your increased recycling efforts during the months of April & May, so be sure to make an extra effort during these 2 months, as you should be doing year-round. Winners will receive environmentally friendly prizes. Please call 554-3403 and tell us what your department could use.

Art in City Hall
Several popular exhibits closed recently, but I am pleased to announce several new short-term projects followed by a summer blockbuster exhibit of aerial photographs by Robert Cameron.

Continuing through April 12 is "I Never Saw Another Butterfly" - paintings by children held in the Terezin concentration camp near Prague.

On exhibit March 21 - April 12 are "Love Makes A Family: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender People and Their Families" - photographs by Gigi Kaeser with text edited by Peggy Gillespie; Paintings by Jean Moore Woods; and artworks from the Arts With Elders program. Continuing through April 9 are "Endangered Species" - photographs by Holman Turner; and drawings by Andrew Wei-Hsing Tu.

"Passage to Tibet" - color photographs by Fiona McDougall, opens March 21. A reception for the artist will be held in the cafe corridor, lower level, Thursday April 27, 5.30 - 7.30 p.m. All are welcome to attend and meet the artist.

"Above The City" - a major collection of more than one hundred aerial photographs by the renowned photographer Robert Cameron, opens April 20 and runs through July 16.

"Love Makes a Family" is sponsored by CAPE - the California Alliance for Pride and Equality, California"s statewide LGBT rights organization. For information on exhibitions please e-mail me at rupert_jenkins@ci.sf.ca.us.

Caption: Fiona McDougall, from "Passage to Tibet". Reception April 27, 5.30 - 7.30.

Help the Custodians
"Oh my aching back." We’ve all said this from time to time from too much bending or lifting. Our custodial staff is saying it because we are so "recycle" conscious, we now have 2 garbage bags to dispose of. We need to go just 1 more step to help them.

Before you toss that blue bag in the wastebasket, please tie it up. If you don’t, the custodians must bend down and tie the bags up and put them back into the trash bag. The reason this is important is that after the trash is compacted the blue bags are separated from the recycle bags.

Save a back, tie up your blue bag.

Security is everyone’s responsibility: What can you do to help?

Here are some simple precautions you can use to prevent theft, vandalism, or burglary, often committed by strangers posing as visitors, repair, or service personnel:

• Challenge wandering or "lost" visitors wandering the halls and escort them to the right office, or direct them to a telephone to call their intended contact.

• Watch out for "head poppers" who open the wrong door and pretend to be looking for a specific office or person. If they act nervous or immediately head for the nearest exit, remember their description and call Sheriffs security at 554-7251.

• Lock all offices, conference rooms, or storage rooms that are regularly unoccupied.

• Be discreet – don"t advertise vacation plans or absences by you or your co-workers when there are strangers in the office.

• When you must work before or after business hours, lock your door. Notify Sheriffs security of your presence, and where and what hours where you are working. You may be required to sign in at the metal detectors when you arrive at the building.

• Make sure you close and lock all doors and windows, and activate alarms if present.

• If you are the last to leave at night, secure all computer systems, critical files, and copiers. Do not leave laptop computers or valuable electronic equipment out on desks or cabinets – ensure they are locked up and secure. If you use any electrical appliances make sure they are turned off and unplugged (especially coffee pots).

The most important item to remember – close and lock all doors and windows!!

Let it Shine!
by Marco Medina, City Hall Carpenter

Have you ever wondered why the more you clean your hardwood floor, the dirtier it seems to get – and the sooner! The floor may even start to turn black. Maybe, it’s not the dirt but the way you clean your floor.

You are probably wondering how cleaning your hardwood floor could make it dirty. Well what happens is when you first had your hardwood floor installed or refinished it was completely sealed. So a quick swipe with a damp mop seemed to do a good job of cleaning. Over time, normal wear and tear such as foot traffic wears down the finish and thus the protection of the floor, leaving it susceptible to damage. Without the sealed finish, hardwood can become black when exposed to the water from the damp mop. In extreme cases too much water will actually buckle the floor.

So what can you do to maintain the beauty of your hardwood floor? Take a trip to your local home store. You will be happy to know that they carry products specially designed to clean and polish hardwood floors. These products will prolong the life of the finish on your floor so that you can enjoy the look of a beautiful floor for years to come.

Health Service Enrollment Information
The Health Service System will have its annual Open Enrollment from April 17 through May 12,2000. During the Open Enrollment, you may do any of the following:

• Enroll or cancel yourself of a dependent in a health plan.

• Enroll or cancel yourself of a dependent in a dental plan.

• Transfer from one health or dental plan to another health or dental plan.

• Enroll or re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and Dependent Day Care). Each year you must re-enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts.

• Enroll in, modify or cancel the short-term disability plan.

The Health Service System now needs the social security number of each of your enrolled dependents. If you are making changes to your benefits, please list the social security numbers of all your dependents (even if they are already enrolled) on your enrollment application. If you are not making any changes, use the separate form that will be provided in the packet.

You should receive your Open Enrollment packet at your home address by April 17. If you do not receive the information materials by April 20, please contact the Health Service System at (415) 554-1750.

Did You Know?
The Mayor received a letter last March from a citizen who came to do business in City Hall and ended up severely ill. She was allergic to chemicals and perfumes. As a result of her dealings here she had an allergic reaction, a migraine headache coupled with flu-like symptoms, which caused problems with breathing. It’s very important that we take caution when using scented products like perfume or cologne on ourselves and in the building.

The housekeeping staff will make every effort to use scent-free chemicals when available. Please be courteous and respectful of those around you, and in turn everyone will enjoy their time at City Hall safely.

APB
City Hall Employees: This is an APB (All Points Bulletin). Mark your calendars. On Thursday, April 27, 2000, City Hall will be invaded by the best of the best, the elite, the cream of the crop, the children of San Francisco’s Sheriffs Department employees. Thirty-five children will be participating the department’s annual "Take Your Daughter/Son to Work Day." Consider yourselves warned. City Hall may never be the same again.