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YICK WO NEWSPAPER CLUB

FALL 2013
Yick Wo Elementary School | San Francisco, December 2013

‘IS THERE A PROBLEM HERE?’ WE SAY


Yick Wo Peacemakers make a difference.
FAREWELL TO
By West Marek Hazard Middleton  comes over and says, “Is there a problem
MR. EHRMAN
“No!  The ball is mine,” says the first-
here?” Just then the second-grader yells,
“He took the ball!” but after a walk with
grader. “No it’s mine!” says the second- the Peacemaker everything is OK.
grader. As both the first- and second- By Stephanie Lee
graders clench their fists, just like an angel A Peacemaker is a Yick Wo student
floating down from above, a Peacemaker chosen by Principal Young and teachers Mr. Ehrman taught fourth and fifth
to help students work out their conflicts grade for 30 years at Yick Wo Elemen-
on the playground. Although not on the tary School, before retiring last year.
same level as Mahatma Gandhi or Martin He was a very special teacher known
Luther King, Jr., those two world peace- for his kindness and generosity.
makers are good role models for student
Peacemakers. King helped resolve race On October 5, 2013, his students and
discrimination problems and Gandhi friends held a party for him at Michelan-
used peace and non-violence to make gelo Park. It was a blast. There were many
things better in India. A good Yick Wo kids and teachers celebrating his retire-
Peacemaker learns from those two great ment party to show how much they care
men and uses their lessons to help stu- about him. With retirement, Mr. Ehrman
dents work things out among themselves.  is doing wood work, building tables,
benches, and chairs. We thank him for his

Photo by Gigi McMillan


When it comes to conflicts on the Yick time and help. Mr. Ehrman has helped
Wo playground there are many types. our community a lot in the past.
First- and second-graders usually fight
over who is “it” in tag or whose turn it
is to play with the ball. A typical fourth-
Fifth-grader Lydia Tomayko helps solve prob- and fifth-grader problem happens when
lems as one of Yick Wo’s Peacemakers. continued on page 3

CONSTRUCTION AT YICK WO
By Mia Gale site of our old building? What is the
Back row, left to right: Stephanie Lee, Alice Talker, Lovely Sonnier, Zenobia Pellissier Lloyd, West Middleton, and Cheyanne Chow; reconstruction going to look like? Here
middle row, left to right: Ashley Chun, Mia Gale, Gigi McMillan, Ava Jones Dubois, Sinclair Wessling, Lina Deng, and Carson Beale; This fall we moved to a new school is what Principal Stephanie Young says.
front row, left to right: Fiona Tan, Nadja Goldberg, Brenner Wessling, Austin Lesseps, Chloe Hu, Ellie Aronica, and Lucas Woon. called Hancock Elementary School

Photo by Stephanie Lee


because they’re rebuilding Yick Wo. New Yick Times: Are you expanding
We are staying at Hancock Elementary the lunchroom?
School for a year. Ms. Young: Yes. You know how there
was that gate where you came inside?
While neighbors of 2245 Jones Street Now the cafeteria is going to go to that
hear construction every day, you may gate. The bathrooms are going to be Mr. Ehrman, with Yick Wo graduate Tiffany
ask yourself what are the plans for the continued on page 4 Lee, enjoys a party in his honor.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Newspaper of Record for Yick Wo Elementary School, San Francisco
December 2013
HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR wouldn’t eat this kind of chocolate
anymore. Amiya, in 5th grade said, “I

CHOCOLATE BAR NOW? think I might stop eating chocolate.”


Then she added, “I’m as mad as I am
at McDonald’s because they make fake
Reporters: Ellie Aronica By Zenobia Pellissier Lloyd At the cocoa farms the children are meat.”
Carson Beale forced to use big knives and machet-
You love your favorite chocolate bar, but es to cut cacao beans. The children “I think it’s just horrible that people can
Cheyanne Chow you may not after you finish this article. never get doctors or get to go to the treat children like slaves and they don’t
Ashley Chun hospital when they get injured. When get a childhood,” said Miss Woo, who
Lina Deng Did you know that 11,000 children somebody asked if they had ever tasted learned about this issue earlier. “ I only
are taken from their homes to work chocolate the children answered,”No.” eat fair trade chocolate.”
Ava Jones Dubois in cocoa farms. It’s true. Every year If the children worked slowly or tried
Mia Gale children Niger and Mali are trafficked to escape, they’d get beaten. But also some kids just love chocolate
Nadja Goldberg to the Ivory Coast and Ghana to work and don’t care. “I still love chocolate
in secret farms. The children—from 7 When all the beans are cut, the cocoa because it’s tasty and sweet,” said one
Chloe Hu to 16 years old—come from the poorest costs 75 cents a pound. After the Yick Wo student who wasn’t moved to
Stephanie Lee villages in Africa. cacao beans are sent to the big com- change his habits.
Austin Lesseps panies, they make chocolate products.
Traffickers convince the children that they Now for each pound they can make What do you think about it?
West Middleton will get paid and return to their families 20 chocolate bars which could cost
Gigi McMillan with money. But soon children find out $40 or more. What does that mean? There are many ways to help: First of
Zenobia Pellissier Lloyd that they will never return to their families It means that these horrible compa- all, don’t eat all the mainstream choc-
Special thanks to: and that they don’t get paid. This happens nies make millions of dollars a day. In olate brands. After you stop eating
Lovely Sonnier Ms. Susana and Principal Young for their support in all 600,000 cocoa farms. addition, these kids are sold for about that, you can start finding good brands
Alice Talker Ms. Stephanie for sharing the computer lab $350 dollars. such as Alter Eco, Askinosie, Camino,
Fiona Tan San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Caleb Garling Surprisingly, Hershey’s, Nestlé, ADM, Green and Black, Madecasse, Newman’s
Barry Callebaut, Kraft, and Cargill all At Yick Wo, kids have many different Own Organics, Shaman, SunSpire, Sun
Brenner Wessling Parent volunteers: depend on child slavery in Africa. opinions. Some were surprised and Drops, Taza, and Theo Chocolate. This
Sinclair Wessling Bob McMillan; Natasha Levine; Carol Lloyd; Kate Beale; were mad that companies would do may be more expensive, but it will help
Lucas Woon Jo Ward; Andrew Middleton; Hank Pellissier; Tony Wessling These companies deny that they use such a horrible thing as ignore child the 11,000 children working in the
child labor even though everyone slavery. Some even decided that they cacao farms in Africa.
knows that they’re lying. But remember
there are still nice companies. Ones that
make fair trade chocolate.

TOMATO FIGHT! TOMATO FIGHT!
It all starts with people called traffick-
Copyright 2013 ers, who get the children across the By Ashley Chun fun that more then 9,000 people join.
Yick Wo Elementary School borders and to the chocolate farms.
940 Filbert Street (temporarily!) Without the parents knowing, a traf- There’s a place where you can throw toma- Since 1944 this festival has become a
ficker gets the children inside a bus toes not just at dogs or cats, but at people traditional ceremony. People celebrate
San Francisco, CA 94133
and drives them to the border. At the too! Can you guess where it is? it because it is fun. After the fight some
border another trafficker takes them people swim in the leftover tomato juice.
near the cocoa farms. On a motorcycle It is in Spain. Every year on the last
the children will get transported to Wednesday of August, people grab as So if you ever go to Spain and it is the
the cocoa farms. By the time they get many tomatoes as they can and throw last Wednesday of August, be sure to
there, the process starts all over again. it at people. The people have so much bring an umbrella!

Page 2 Page 11
SCHOOL NEWS
SCIENCE NEWS
PLAYWORKS: IT’S NOT their own rules or tricks for a games.

Playworks does more than teach games.


BAY AREA SCIENCE FESTIVAL THE HARMLESS ALL FUN AND GAMES They painted the Yick Wo playground
with bright colors. Playworks also
MAKES FOR A SUPER SATURDAY SPIDER WITH By Carson Beale P.E. more because I like the games much
makes sports teams, gets sports equip-
ment, and helps kids settle arguments.
more because the games are more excit- Coach Craig makes kids more confident
By Fiona Tan water and cornstarch. It is like quick-
sand. You can walk across it, you can
THE LONG LEGS Playworks works hard at helping
kids to have fun. It has programs in
ing.” There are other people who don’t like
Playworks because they can’t make up
because he helps kids join games that
they would not play by themselves.
On a warm sunny Saturday last month play with it, and it is really easy to make. 20 states in 360 schools and teaches
thousands of families packed into AT&T Also the robots were of all shapes and By Lina Deng about 350,000 kids. Coaches, like
Park. They weren’t there for baseball; sizes. One was small and connected Yick Wo Elementary School’s Coach
they were there for science. to a iPhone. There were wheels on the Are you afraid of daddy longlegs? If you Craig Bostwick, teach kids to be good
bottom which make them move around. are, don’t be because they are harmless. sports, to cooperate, and to participate
Science should be fun and important. The They also had bigger robots that could They live everywhere. They live in San during recess.
Bay Area Science Festival’s mission is to take care of kids. They can play with the Francisco and Yick Wo, and even maybe
celebrate the Bay Area’s scientific wonders, kids but cannot cook or do housework. your own closet if you have one. One Here are the many ways that Playworks
resources, and opportunities by exploring might be wandering on your jacket right helps our school: They added a course
the role of science, engineering, and tech- I talked to Mark and Milo Aronica , a now. Daddy longlegs can also live in that helps kids make up with their
nology. This event happens every Novem- father and son who went to the Science rooms, caves, garages, and ceilings. friends when they argue. Kids often
ber 2. It is free and kids of all ages can go. Festival. One of their favorite things don’t get enough exercise, and Play-
was the robots. They thought it was very You might find daddy longlegs in the works helps kids exercise. Playworks or-

Photo by Ava Dubois


Who are the organizers? The Science & enjoyable but wish it could have lasted fall or late summer. In fall crops are har- ganizes sports activities outside school
Health Education Partnership (SEP) and longer. vested and another name for the daddy like girls basketball. Playworks wants all
a core group of science institutions. longlegs is the harvestmen. kids to have a recess that’s safe and fun.
The Science Festival will be a great
They had organized some of the coolest experience for you and your child. Mark Daddy longlegs eat decomposing veg- Playworks teaches kids a lot of fun
things I saw. There was Oobleck and it on your calendar. Discover your inner etation and animal matter. When the games. Some of them are football,
there were robots. Oobleck is made of scientist! daddy longlegs catch their prey for their soccer, castle dodge ball, basketball, Playworks Coach Brian Bostwick reminds students that it is important to be a good
children, the mom and dad don’t eat medic dodge ball, handball, and four sport during games he organizes at recess.
anything. When it’s dinnertime for the square.

UNFAIR STORY IN SCHOLASTIC parents, the kids play. And when it’s
dinnertime for the children, the parents Lots of teachers like Playworks too. Mr. Peacemakers I’ve seen conflicts happen in other
feed them. Daddy longlegs are carnivores, Chew, a third-grade teacher says, “My continued from page 1 schools that students have to solve by
By Austin Lesseps People are taking pictures of them out but when they are really hungry they suck students like Playworks. I know because themselves but at Yick Wo Elementary
of water because they get caught in the juice out of plants and fruits. I always see them smiling.” the jump-ropers and one-flag-up players its different. “Just having Peacemakers
They should be kept under water. fishermen’s nets. are squeezed into too small of a space around helps,” says Malvin Chew, a
Did you know that daddy longlegs are As part of its program, Playworks choos- on the playground. Peacemakers have teacher.  Students have different opin-
People think blob fish are very ugly. The truth about blob fish is that under not even spiders? They are insects called es fourth- and fifth-graders to be junior lots of conflicts to resolve. ions about Peacemakers. Carson Beale,
People also think they are the ugliest water there’s a lot of pressure and they Opiliones. They do not catch their food coaches to teach kids games. Fiona Tan, a student at Yick Wo, says, “I think
animal. have a shape. But out of water they in webs. They don’t even spin webs. Spi- a fourth-grade junior coach, says, “Junior How do Peacemakers resolve prob- Peacemakers are helping because I hear
don’t. They’re slimy all over, they have ders have two body segments, and daddy coaches help kids with games and they lems? First, they ask both sides what the they are.” Another Yick Wo student,
Why do they think that? Maybe they big noses and they are blobby. longlegs have three, with legs with seven teach kids games in a nice way.” problem is. Next they separate the sides. Ava Dubois, says, “I do not like them
read it in Scholastic. sections that are easily broken off. One Next, they listen carefully to opinions because when I was little they always
The blob fish is a endangered animal. more difference is spiders have silk and Not all students see Playworks the same of the students. Then, Peacemakers got me in trouble and they are not that
Two months ago, I looked at a Scholastic venom glands, but daddy longlegs don’t. way. Zenobia Lloyd, a fourth-grade girl, bring the two sides together again and helpful.”
issue that had a picture of a blob fish out of I am just trying to say, don’t judge says, “I used to not like Playworks, but I listen again to both perspectives. Usually,
water. It was wrong. That is not its natural something by how it looks. Are you still afraid of daddy longlegs do now because the games are better.” after all the listening and talking, the Finally, I should tell you, that the author
habitat. When I looked at Google Images, after reading this? If you are, and if you students themselves realize the problem of this article is a Peacemaker, and
they were all out of water. Wrong twice. Humans see what they want too see. see one, think before you scream. Chloe Hu says, “I like Playworks, but I like and then apologize to each other. proud of it.

Page 10 Page 3
SCHOOL NEWS COMMUNITY NEWS

CONSIDER PARKLETS
what I wanted it to be. I wanted to have
more chairs out and I would like to

I AM THE TIGRESS have heat lamps because it’s cold, right?

INSTEAD OF PARKING
But besides that it looks like what I
wanted it to be.
I’m the only girl on the basketball I started playing basketball when I was
team. We’re called the Tigers. You’ve two years old. My brother would take me NYT: What do you have to do to get a
got to be rough and good at the same to the park and practice with me. Then By Ellie Aronica parklets on busy streets, and we don’t parklet?
time. You’ve got to be rough so you five years later I was on a basketball team. have any [on Cortland Ave.], but we Takehara: You have to have a permit
don’t get pushed around, and you’ve Parklets are popping up all over the have a nice sunny neighborhood, so I from the city. We are basically remov-
got to be good to play on the team. In the future I will play from sixth place, but what exactly is a parklet? A wanted to have the first parklet in Ber- ing the parking spaces so we need to
This is not common. grade until the Women’s National parklet is an area where you can sit, nal Heights. move the meters. And then I had an
Basketball Association (WNBA). In the rest, relax, and absorb the peacefulness architect who drew the drawings of
Photo by Nadja Goldberg

I’m the only girl in the league. “I see fourth grade, I played with my brother of the city around you. But still not NYT: How did you fund it? what we wanted to do, and then my
girls every few years,” my Coach, and his friends on the Police Activities everyone loves parklets. They also take Takehara: I used Kickstarter, which is husband built it.
Norman Robinson, says. I’m treated League (PAL), and we won the cham- up parking spaces. Out of 21 adults I a funding website that we ask all the
like everyone else on the team. I get the pionship. Then the league gave us free talked to, here are the results: neighbors, family, and friends to donate NYT: Do you like the parklet now after
same playing time as the boys. They Warriors tickets and we had front row a little bit of money to help me build it’s done?
expect me to work hard. seats. We also got backstage passes. What  do  you  think  of  parklets?   because they cost a lot of money. Takehara: Yes I love it, and I hope ev-
By Lovely Sonnier eryone’s going to enjoy it!
NYT: Who designed your parklet and
Yes,  I  want  parklets!  
6   is it different from what you thought it So it’s your choice: Do you want par-
No,  I  don’t  want  parklets  
12   was going to look like? klets or do you want parking? You could
Maybe,  I  want  parklets  
2  
1   Takehara: My husband is a contractor make a parklet in your neighborhood
I  don’t  know  what  parklets  are  
School construction then Playworks will paint at some point, meeting we had some teachers come who designed it and it is pretty much too just like the owner of 903.
continued from Page 1 just like they did last year. to another meeting to hear about what
their plans were and to give some There are many different types of
inside and it’s going to be a little bit NYT: When did they start working? input. Ms. Susanna was a big help with parklets including wood parklets,
bigger and there is going to be a door. Young: They started in June 2013, right that one. The whole school is also go- metal parklets, concrete parklets,
It’s kind of like a big garage door made after we moved out. ing to have new floors and new paint. and other types too. “The beauty of
of windows. So you can roll it up so parklets is they get rid of something
you can make it bigger. The cafeteria is NYT: When are they going to be fin- ugly and put in its place something
also getting a new floor and new paint. ished with everything? friendly, creative, and natural,” said
Young: That’s a really good question. Carol Lloyd. Some people who use
NYT: What are they doing to the bath- They think in March or April of 2014, public buses like parklets since they
rooms? but they will definitely be done in don’t need to park.
Young: In the cafeteria they are putting time for us to move back for the new
the bathrooms inside. They are putting a school year. In January 2013 there were officially 38
bathroom for the kids in the special day parklets in San Francisco, including one
classes to share. NYT: How did you know what to re- was just put in on Cortland Ave. in Ber-
model? nal Heights. Parklets need to be funded
NYT: What are they doing to the library? Young: I didn’t. Ms. Susanna came somehow too.
Young: They are putting up a wall so with me to the first meeting. Ms.
Photo by Ava Jones Dubois

that the library is going to be a separate Susanna has talked to all the teachers A restaurant, 903, next to the Cortland

Photo by Ellie Aronica


room with windows so you can see into because she has worked here for six Ave. parklet has figured out how to fund
them. years now, she knew what was going one, and here is an interview with the
on. I had some ideas based on what 903 owner, Mutsumi Takehara:
NYT: What are they doing to the yard? some of the teachers told me. Ms.
Young: Apparently the new play struc- Susanna and I sat down and gave them New Yick Times: Where did you get the
ture went in. So that’s new. They are a list of all of the things that we wanted According to Principal Young (above), the idea for a parklet? This is just one of the almost 40 parklets in San Francisco, which provide spots for people to
going to put new pavement down and fixed in our dream world. After that school will be ready for students this fall. Mutsumi Takehara: There are so many slow down and enjoy some peace in the city.

Page 4 Page 9
COMMUNITY NEWS SCHOOL NEWS

THE SALESIAN BOYS WHO’S THAT NEW FACE NYT: What is your educational back-
ground?

AND GIRLS CLUB IN THE COMPUTER ROOM? Ms. Stephanie: I went to Mission High
School, Spring Valley, and City College
here in the city.
By Chloe Hu NYT: What about the first graders?
By Gigi McMillan ates are members of the Ms. Stephanie: A lot of the first graders, NYT: Do you have any siblings?
Club. This year’s upcoming There’s a new computer teacher at Yick like Cool Games, CoolMathGames.com. Ms. Stephanie: Three sisters and one

Photo by Gigi McMillan


Who knew that the church you might community theatre shows Wo. Stephanie Dominguez replaced We also sign them up on the typing brother.
pass everyday is home to a club for include “A Very Salesian Paula Egan this year. Before she came tutorial. Kind of help them set/learn
boys and girls ages 8 to 18? The club Christmas” written by Yick here she was working as a computer how to type. NYT: What did you do before you came
is part of the Saints Peter and Paul Wo graduates Enzo Giorda- teacher at Philip Burton High School. here?
Church at the corner of Filbert and no and Charlotte Campbell. Ms. Stephanie does a lot of sports. Did NYT: Does each class have different Ms. Stephanie: I worked at Philip Bur-
Powell. It was established in 1918 by There will also be a produc- Salesian Boys and Girls Club organizes sports teams, theater you know that Ms. Stephanie works games to play? ton High school. At the computer lab.
Father Oreste Trincheri as a place for tion of “Anything Goes” by productions, arts and crafts, and other activities. with people who are deaf? Ms. Stephanie: I let them play games
boys to go and stay out of trouble. They Cole Porter in the spring. at the end of the class. At the beginning NYT: What is something interesting we
would go there instead of misbehav- Valeria Melendez, a fourth grader at Yick to make space for all these things,” says New Yick Times: What do you do for of class we like try to learn the pro- don’t know about you?
ing around the neighborhood. Back Wo says that what she likes about the Hughston. Right now, for example, the the kindergarteners? grams on the computer. As you know! Ms. Stephanie: I do sign language and
then it was a boys-only club called The Club is, “It’s affordable for all people.” theatre program can be bumped back Ms. Stephanie: Sometimes we do Star- [She laughs] have a lot of friends. I play volleyball,
Salesian Boys Club. Girls weren’t ad- because of boy’s basketball, but with fall. They like HyperStudio. They also baseball, soccer, and ice skating.
mitted until 1994, when it became The In fact, the Club is so popular that they the expanded building there is going to like to do Pages. That’s another pro- NYT: What do you do in your spare
Salesian Boys and Girls Club. need to expand it. “We are fundraising be room for both these activities. With gram on the computer. A lot of them time?

The club costs only $10 a year, and if you


separately [with a program] called The
Building Campaign, because we want
the new building there is going to be a
dance studio/martial arts dojo on the
like to get on the Internet, so we try to
get something else educational on the
Ms. Stephanie: I volunteer. I do sign
language so I can volunteer with people
STUDENTS
can’t come up with that, then nothing
at all. They do field trips in the summer
to build another level, because we have
programs that use the gym and these
second floor. The Club was last renovat-
ed in 1971, so that means this is the first
Internet for them. who are deaf.
ELECT SCHOOL
that they get a discount price on and they
charge the members the amount of the
rooms. So we’re hoping to raise money renovation in over 40 years!
OFFICERS
discount price. In addition to that, they
have league sports like basketball, volley-
ball, and soccer, and a theatre program
LIVING ON ANGEL ISLAND By Brenner Wessling

with three public shows a year. By Nadja Goldberg can visit the amazing places without The Yick Wo Student Council was
having to worry about catching a ferry elected in October 2013. The mem-
How do they pay for all those activities? Angel Island looks empty when you back home. Nick’s favorite spot there is bers of the council are Lucy Bika-
“We do a lot of fundraising”, says Sherri look at it from San Francisco, but on Ledyard Overlook. Ledyard was a gun hi (president), Emily Pitkin (vice
Hughston, the Club’s Assistant Director, the island there are actually small places battery during the Spanish-American president), Lydia Tomayko (treasur-
“to raise money for the Club to make sure where rangers and workers live. War. All that’s left is a cement base with er), Nadja Goldberg (secretary), and
that we have the power on, the electric bills a breathtaking view. Charlie Wetherall (sports commis-
paid, and the phone bill, and then we pay Nick Jameson, a worker for the Parks sioner).
for theatre, and we pay for sports; like this Service, works and sleeps on the island Many people over the years have lived
season it’s boys basketball and girls soccer.” four nights a week. Nick’s typical day on Angel Island. Three thousand years For their campaigns, the candidates
consists of assisting visitors, helping ago it was a hunting and fishing site for gave speeches and put up posters saying
The Club has over 1,000 active members. board the ferries, and helping raccoons the Coastal Miwok Indians. It was a U.S. what they would do if they were elected.
“It’s open to the public”, says Hughston. get out of dumpsters when they’re stuck. Army post beginning with the Civil War.
You don’t have to be part of the church or From 1910 to 1940, the island was a place The student council is elected by ballots.
Photo by Chloe Hu

go to school there to be a member. The When Nick sleeps on the island, he where immigrants, mostly from China, Ballots are pieces of paper to vote on.
Club offers programs like community sleeps in a dormitory. He thinks it’s had to stop before coming to California.
theatre, music, martial arts, cooking, very beautiful to live on Angel Island, If you ask Ms. Young about what the
tutorial programs, and arts & crafts. but inconvenient if you want to go to You can experience living on Angel Is- Student Council is doing, she will say
the store or see a movie. A great thing land by camping there overnight on one Yick Wo’s new computer teacher, Stephanie Dominguez, doesn’t just spend time at a computer. “The Student Council is working very
Many Yick Wo students and gradu- about living on Angel Island is that you of the campgrounds. She likes sports and hanging out with friends. hard to do good things for our school.” 


Page 8 Page 5
COMMUNITY NEWS
COMMUNITY NEWS
COIT TOWER CLOSED FOR
A MUCH-NEEDED MAKEOVER
NEW LANDMARK FOR NORTH BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD
By Alice Talker Some of the problems at Coit Tower
By Cheyanne Chow hour book returns, and express self rebuilt,” said Supervisor David Chiu in are water around the murals, flaking of
checkout machines. an email interview. Coit Tower, San Francisco’s famous paint off the ceiling and walls, insect
Next year, there will be a bigger and landmark that was built in 1931 and infestation, and really old and poorly
better library in North Beach, and best “I support the new library; the old When can we expect to grab a book from that has been attracting visitors over functioning insulation that needs to be
of all, it’s going to be a welcoming and library did not work for children, the new library? It will open in spring 80 years, currently is in need of major replaced.

Photo by Carson Beale


dynamic public place with a future con- families, and seniors and needed to be 2014. renovations. Although the tower has
nection to the park. been maintained over the years, due Some of the major work is going to be
to weather and the age of the struc- restoration of the beautiful murals that
This new library is split into four ture, some problems have developed, are damaged by the water. It probably
sections: the quiet adult reading area, which need immediate attention and will be the hardest part of the project.
a teen area, a children’s area, and a pro- repairs. The paintings were created by different Coit Tower’s murals that were painted during
gram room. The building has two stories artists in 1933 during the Great De- the Great Depression need major restoration.
in a triangular shaped building. Some of pression and will need to be restored
the new benefits are that the new library
will be seismically safe and fully acces- HOW LOW WILL by skillful modern day painters. take about six months. Coit Tower
closed on November 18, 2013, and it’s

THE GIANTS GO?


sible. Since this library is much bigger The renovations are going to cost anticipated that it’s going to reopen in
than the old library, it’s going to have approximately $1.5 million and will mid-April of next year.
more books, computers, laptops, and
restrooms. By Sinclair Wessling

It will be a well-lighted place with The Giants aren’t acting like giants. They’re
THE WILD WORLD OF
lots of big windows with many awe-
some views like Coit Tower, Lom- A drawing of the planned library, designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, shown with
acting like little mice! We know how much
the Giants mean to us. The problem is, that AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
bard Street and Saints Peter and Paul adjoining North Beach Playground and Pool. they didn’t make it to the playoffs. I bet San
Church. The new North Beach library Francisco sports fans are pretty sad. By Ava Jones Dubois you things at the same time. But sadly
saves energy by using blue jeans for soccer season just ended. I can’t wait
insulation to keep the building warm.
There’s also homework helping, 24-
BART ON STRIKE ... AGAIN? Now Coach Craig, our Playworks manager,
has an opinion about how they lost. He
There is a wide world of after-school
activities, from soccer to horseback
for next year,” says Mia Gail. Mia is in
an all-girl league. Mia’s team name is
suggested that the pitchers didn’t work hard riding. In between there is the After The After Shocks. Another team in our
By Lucas R. Woon who depend on BART will be stressed enough. He inferred since they were playing School Program (ASP) at Yick Wo, school is called The Barbary Coasters.
because they have to find another way the Dodgers, that it would be a breeze. Hopkido, and many others. Many of They are a fourth-grade girls team with
Due to an error by Bay Area Rapid to get to work. People will have to theses activities are helpful, not only one third-grader.
Transit (BART) management in the con- wake up earlier to get to work on time. Craig also called on a great point that the for the children but for the parents
tract agreement, BART could possibly People would be very tired when they Giants were in the same division as the too. Sometimes parents need to work One of the many other activities is the
go on strike for the third time. get home. Dodgers. And there might have been a few long hours and need after-school sup- Chess Club. On Thursdays many Yick
injuries in between innings. port. If that is so, they can send their Wo students gather in the library after
MUNI, AC transit, and Sam Trans Governor Jerry Brown can help by children to ASP. At ASP the children school. Snacks are passed out to the
would provide extra service for com- talking to BART management and their And as we all know, it’s very windy in San play outside for 20 minutes, read for students, and then they start to play
Photo by Carson Beale

muters and workers. A strike will effect unions to get a contract settlement. If Francisco. So, maybe the wind carried 20 minutes, and then they do their chess.
the entire Bay Area. BART would pro- Governor Brown doesn’t help, the entire the ball somewhere else. Coach Craig’s homework.
vide extra shuttles for commuting from Bay Area will be shut down again. There conclusion is: Not bad, not great. Maybe you will consider putting
the East Bay. If BART goes on strike for will be long lines for the ferry boats and Then there is soccer. Soccer can be your child or children in one of these
a third time, people will be paralyzed casual carpools. BART cannot afford to So, they didn’t make the playoffs. Don’t helpful. It can teach kids to stand up activities. There is also piano lessons,
Construction is moving quickly for the new in traffic. Businesses would lose money go on strike. The results will be devas- worry. Its not the end of the world. There’s for themselves without hurting each theater, newspaper club, or any other
North Beach Library. because there are no patrons. People tating for everyone. always next year! other. “It is so much fun and it teaches sport. I’m sure they’ll like it.

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