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Community Meeting April 21

The Friends of Mountain Lake Park (FMLP) had  organized a community meeting on April 21st at St. James Church to discuss the general issue of neighborhood safety.

Thanks to our Organizers and Presenters!
FMLP want to thank everyone who came to our community meeting on April 21st, with special thanks to our organizer, Kirsten Macauley at the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services and to our presenters: Captain Richard Corriea from the SFPD Richmond Station, Irina Chatsova from SFSAFE, David Williams from the Park Police and Erica Arteseros from SFFD’s NERT. And also a special thanks to our Supervisor, Michela Alioto-Pier, for attending and prompting some excellent questions and follow up. Many thanks to our generous host, St. James Church!

We’ve heard from many of you who were unable to attend that you would like a recap of the evening and of the information presented. This information will be available here on the website at www.fmlp.org.

SFPD Presentation
Captain Correira from the SFPD Richmond Station gave an update on the arrest of the individual charged with the assault on our neighbor on 9th Avenue in December, 2009. The suspect was arrested and is being held pending trial. The District Attorney’s Office is handling the prosecution and the Police will give us updates as they may be available.

Captain Corriea also gave an update on a suspicious man reported at Mt. Lake Park. Included below is an excerpt from Captain Corriea’s weekly message on the status of that investigation:

\"On April 21, 2010 Richmond Station was alerted by email of recent suspicious activity by an adult white male at Mountain Lake Park. This suspect was seen using his cell phone to take photographs of children at the Mountain Lake Park play structures. He did not have any children with him. An alert member of the community used her cell phone to take a photograph the suspect, which she included with her email to Richmond Station. She followed the suspect to his car and reported to us that he drives a Silver Chrysler PT Cruiser.\"

\"The email and photograph was immediately distributed to Richmond Station Officers. Plain clothes officers, with the assistance of inspectors from the Department’s Sexual Offender Unit, started an immediate search of places that they could expect to locate an individual engaging in such activity. The work of plain clothes officers included stake-outs and showing the suspect’s photograph to possible witnesses. Thus far, we have not been able to identify the suspect from his photograph and a search of our sex offender database was unproductive. We have sent the photograph to our partners at the State of California Department of Justice in the hopes that they might be able to identify him.\"

\"All of the police activity described above is ongoing. I am glad to report that we have been able to determine several places that the suspect frequents, including a commercial establishment in the district. … The volume of internet traffic related to this issue has been significant and has done a great deal to raise public awareness about this suspect and his activities.\"

Captain Corriea also gave an overview of crime statistics and traffic issues in our area. Auto boosting continues to be the most prolific criminal activity. His advice is never to leave anything in your car. Criminals will break windows just to check on the contents of a package. Traffic enforcement has reduced drunk driving and drunk driving deaths by about a third.

Important Notes from Captain Corriea:

• Don’t hesitate to call the Police to report a crime or a suspicious person. They need to know what is happening to be able to do anything about it.
• You can receive the Captain’s weekly email newsletter discussing police activity in this area by adding your name to the distribution list. Email Captain Corriea to be added (address is given below)
• A volunteer Community Advisory Board meets once a month at the Richmond Station to discuss problem area policing. This puts some control of how police assets are used in the hands of the community.
• In locations near a state road �\" like Park Presidio, if you use your cell phone to dial 911 you may be routed to a CHP operator rather than a local dispatcher! This may delay response time. So, program your cell phone with the SFPD Emergency Number provided below.

Contact Information

SFPD Emergency	666-8090
SFPD, Richmond Station (Non-Emergency)	666-8000
Captain Richard Corriea �\" Direct Line and Email	666-8030 Richard.corriea@sfgov.org

SFSAFE Presentation
Irina Chatsova, SFSAFE’S Public Safety Coordinator for the Richmond, described the advantages of the Neighborhood Watch program which is a major focus of SF SAFE’S activities. San Francisco SAFE is a community crime prevention organization that works in cooperation with the SFPD to help San Franciscans protect themselves and not become victims.

She urged us to establish more Neighborhood Watch programs in our neighborhood. A Neighborhood Watch is a group of neighbors who live on the same block coming together to learn how to communicate with each other. Each group works to provide a block map, contact information for each family, a phone tree and a list of people with health issues on the block.

Important Notes from SFSAFE

• If you are interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch group, call SFSAFE at 553-1984. They have lots of free information and tools to help get you started. For more information go to www.sfsafe.org
• SFSAFE’s trained security specialists will do a free inspection of your home to assess how safe your home is against intruders. Cal SFSAFE to schedule your free evaluation today.

Park Police Presentation
David Williams from the National Park Service’s Park Police in the Presidio also spoke to highlight May 25, National Missing Children’s Day.

Important Notes from the Park Police

• On TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30pm the U.S. Park Police will fingerprint children and provide an ID card for their parents. The first 150 to 200 ID cards will be free, after that number there will be a $14.00 charge. Photo and fingerprints will be released to parents on the ID card, and then destroyed. The event will be held at the Presidio Officers Club at 50 Moraga Avenue in the Presidio.
• The Park Police also offer free child safety seat inspections for your car. Call 415/740-5948 to schedule an appointment with Neil Wu for a free child’s car seat safety check.
• Officer Williams is happy to answer all your questions about the Park Police and offerings available to residents. You can call his cell at 415-740-5948 or email him at David_E_Williams@NPS.gov

Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) Presentation
Lt. Erica Arsteres from the SF Fire Department’s Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) urged all of us investigate the free Neighborhood Response Team Training as well as to create a family disaster plan. The goal of NERT is to help all citizens of San Francisco to be self sufficient in a major disaster by developing multi-functional teams, cross trained in basic emergency skills NERT offers a variety of training classes from a weekend intensive program to once a week for six week courses to fit any schedule. There is a role for everyone in the event of an emergency!

As was pointed out at the meeting, in the event of an earthquake or other disaster, our police and fire personnel are going to be overwhelmed and we will be on our own to help each other for several days. So it\'s important that we all understand how we can be a part of the team. The free six session NERT course includes preparedness training as well as hands-on disaster skills. There is one starting up here in the neighborhood at St. Anne\'s Home, 300 Lake St., on April 29 from 6:30-9:30pm.

Check the NERT website for the most current schedule. Register online (www.sfgov.org/sffdnert) or call 415/970-2024


Wednesday Projects
Some people can\'t volunteer on Saturdays but can come during the week. We are now organizing volunteer opportunites on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 10 A.M. until noon. FMLP board member Scott Whelan is coordinating these with gardener Aaron Hilliard. Scott\'s email address is scott@fmlp.org. Meet near the bathrooms at the west end of the park. Even with three or four people, a lot of project work has already been done.

Improving Mountain Lake Park Entrances

Tenth Avenue Entrance After new Planting

The Friends of Mountain Lake Park and Rec & Park gardeners Chuck McMackin and Aaron Hilliard have agreed on an interim planting plan for the entrances to Mountain Lake Park from Eighth Avenue to Funston. The purpose of the plan is twofold.

First, we want the entrances to be more attractive; they have been given little planting design energy over the past few years. Second, we want a \"roadmap\" agreed to by both Rec & Park staff and volunteers so that arbitrary plantings are not done which are, in reality, long-range decisions made on the fly.

The emphasis in plant selection will be on California natives, though not exclusively. Once established, these plants are drought tolerant and most provide a beautiful display of Spring blossoms. Our planting palette includes Coffeeberry, Ceanothus, Ribes, Rock Rose, Fremontadendron and others.

Thus far, we have finished the Tenth Avenue entrance and cleared unwanted plants from Eleventh Avenue. You can see photos of our progress here.


Presidio Trust Sues CalTrans over Mountain Lake Contamination

In January 2009, the Presidio Trust sued the California Department of Transportation concerning the historic and ongoing contamination of Mountain Lake from Highway 1 (Park Presidio Boulevard). The case is pending in federal court in San Francisco before Magistrate Judge Zimmerman. You can read the complaint that the Presidio Trust filed here. Check back here for updates on what happens as the case progresses.

Trains on Lake Street?
Courtesy of train buff Chuck McMackin, who is also the head gardener for the Richmond District for Rec & Park, we have posted historic photographs of Muni Trains in the Inner Richmond.

Line 4 Lake Street 1940

FMLP now accepting online donations. The Friends of Mountain Lake Park have added a DONATE button to our website --on the left side of each page. We can accept tax-deductible contributions via credit card or with your PayPal account. We also gladly accept checks. (Click the \"Donate\" link at the top of the home page for mailing instructions.)

Right now, the primary expense of FMLP is for the dog cleanup bags at the three dispensing stations in the park. It would be great if dog owners would contribute to this expense.

However, it is likely that FMLP will embark on a fundraising effort in 2009 to support development of a new vegetation management plan for the park.

Old photographs of Mountain Lake. Courtesy of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Photo Collection, we have posted rarely seen photographs of Mountain lake.

Mountain Lake 1899

Supervisors unanimously adopt resolution on toxic Mountain Lake More here.