New batting cage for Washington High School

An effort to raise $200,000 for the construction of a new batting cage at George

Washington High School has been successful and plans are being made to begin

construction in June, 2018.

Aside from the monetary donations, several businesses have contributed their expertise

to the project, including RMW Architecture and Interiors, Novo Construction,

DPR Construction, Webcor Builders and Woo Electric Co.

The effort to get a new batting cage was spearheaded by former Washington Eagle

baseball coach Rob Fung.

“This facility will serve generations of George Washington athletes and represent the

continued class and excellence of the Eagle baseball program. Thank you to all who may

have contributed to this project already and to those who may still,” Fung said.

It is hoped the new building will be completed before the start of the new school year in

September, 2018.

Dinner a la Heart to raise money for I.O.A.

The Institute on Aging (I.O.A.) will hold one of its primary fundraisers,

Dinner a la Heart, on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

During that day, more than 50 restaurants in the City will be donating a portion of their

proceeds to the non-profit I.O.A. Lunch will be served at participating restaurants at

noon, and dinner at 7 p.m. Prices range from $85 to $250 per person, including wine,

coffee or tea.

For more information or to make a reservation, call (415) 750-3443 or go to the website at

https://dalh2018.eventbrite.com.

GG Park meadow named for Robin Williams

The SF Recreation and Park Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 21, 2017, to rename

Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park after the late comedian Robin Williams.

Williams was instrumental in providing assistance to the annual Comedy in the Park

event, which is held at Sharon Meadow. He often donated money to put on the event

(anonymously) and often performed.

Williams died in 2014, at 63 years of age.

The Robin Williams Meadow is located between the Sharon Art Studio, Children’s

Playground and Hippie Hill in the eastern part of the park.

The 38th annual Comedy in the Park will take place on Sept. 16, 2018.

Argonne gets grant for art, music, sports classes

Thirty-one Bay Area schools received $100,000 in Step Up to the Plate for Education

grants from Wells Fargo and KNBR in December to support their sports, music,

art and education programs.

One of the schools was Argonne Elementary School, which received $2,500 to pay for

registration fees for the first Lego League robotics competition and to buy team T-shirts,

STEM experimentation kits and STEM programs.

Professional baseball player Brandon Crawford, who plays for the SF Giants, spoke to the

grant winners about the power of education.

“As a kid, my parents always emphasized the importance of an education – above and

beyond participating in sports. As a Bay Area native, it is an honor to be part of a

program that increases education and athletic programs for local kids,” Crawford said.

Argonne Elementary School is located at 680 18th Ave.

Telephone scam targets Chinese residents

San Francisco Police are warning San Francisco’s Chinese community of a “robocall”

scam, in which an automated call, falsely claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy,

indicates that the recipient has a package being held for pick-up.

When the victim presses a prompt, he or she is asked to enter a credit card number to

release the package. San Francisco Police investigators ask recipients of these automated

calls to hang up immediately without providing any personal information.

The robocalls appear to be the latest in a series of scams that have targeted the Chinese

community in recent years. Members of the public who are confronted by scammers or

knows of an elder who was approached by scammers is advised to contact police.

Reports can be made at any SFPD district station or by calling (415) 553-0123 and

requesting an officer to take a report. Cantonese speakers can leave tips on a special tip

line by calling (415) 553-9212 or (855) 737-3847. Information can also be called into the

anonymous tip line at (415) 575-4444 or via Text a Tip by texting a message to TIP411 and

beginning the message with SFPD.

Free Mandarin lessons for youth

The Ortega Branch Library will host a 10-week-long introductory session for students in

the first through third grades who want to learn Mandarin.

Students will work with instructor Emma Zhang to learn Mandarin basics, including

numbers, days of the week, colors, animals and more.

The free classes will be held at the library on Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 16, from

4:30-5:30 p.m., free. The Ortega Branch Library is located at 3223 Ortega St. For

more information or to sign up a youth (space limited), call (415) 355-5700.

Magnolias bloom at Botanical Garden

One of the great sights in San Francisco only takes place once a year during the cool and

crisp days of winter at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, from Jan. 15-March 31, where

nearly 100 towering magnolias, many rare and historic, defy the chill and erupt into a

riot of pink and white blossoms.

Visitors to the garden can take advantage of a free Magnolia Walk map, docent-led

tours and a magnolia mobile app. The Botanical Garden, which has free admission for

San Francisco residents, has 54 species of magnolias on display.

For more information, call (415) 661-1316 or visit the website

at http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org.