YICK WO NEWSPAPER CLUB
JANUARY 2015
Yick Wo Elementary School | San Francisco, January 2015
MS. FERNANDEZ: THE NEW
4TH/5TH GRADE TEACHER
By Sabrina Abuzaid
New Yick Times: Where did you
teach before you came to Yick Wo?
Ms. Fernandez: Harvey Milk Civil Rights
Academy. It was a 4/5 split class here in San
Francisco. I taught there for two months.
NYT: What college did you attend?
Ms. Fernandez: U.C.S.C., which
stands for University of California at
Santa Cruz for my (undergraduate) and
I got my teaching credential from San
GARDENS WILL BLOOM AT YICK WO IS MIDDLE
By Kiki Huang
There are going to be new gardens
blooming in Yick Wo. Hopefully we are
going to have one in front of Yick Wo
and maybe one in every class. We are go-
ing to plan a school garden to make the
school look better and teach kids about
growing plants.
According to Principal Young, we are
not planting a garden yet, but we are
going through the greening process with
the district to plan for a green school
Front Row (l-r): Adam Belayadi, Kristen Wong, Bella Jayanti, Andy Liang, Christian Perez-Ibarra, Mia Gale garden. Also, Ms. Young said we are
Second row (l-r): Zuzu Bikahi, Carmen Chen, Atticus Hansen, going to work with the greening consul-
Third row (l-r): Brooke Saverkrubbe, Chloe Hu, Himardri Mandal, Frankie Liang, Lina Deng tants to learn which plants will grow the
Fourth row (l-r): Kiki Huang, Sonya Straus, Shirley Liang, Sinclair Wessling, Sabrina Abuzaid, Victoria Duran best in our school, but we are not going
Last row (l-r): West Middleton, Gigi McMillan, Ellie Aronica, Fiona Tan, Carson Beale to plant seeds for another year or two.
Absent: Brenner Wessling, Cheyanne Chow I also interviewed Ms. Fernandez
because we are growing a garden in her
class. She said it is important to plant
Special thanks to:
seeds because we get fruits, vegetables,
Ms. Susanna and Principal Young for their support
Photo by Kiki Huang
Ms. Stephanie for sharing the computer lab
and spices from plants. She said plants
Copyright 2015
Andrew Middleton & Antea von Henneberg for underwriting the printing costs are pretty and they make a room more
Yick Wo Elementary School
Parent volunteers: 2245 Jones St. Ms. Lipscomb in her
Bob McMillan, Natasha Lavine, Suzanne Hansen, Tamara Straus, Kate Beale San Francisco, CA 94133 classroom with the bean plant.
Francisco State University.
NYT: Are you married? Do you have
children?
Ms. Fernandez: No.
NYT: Have you always wanted to be a
teacher and why?
Ms. Fernandez: My mom was a teacher
and I went to work with my mom. I
always loved working with kids.
NYT: Where were you born?
continued on page 2
inviting. Ms. Slater and Ms. Lipscomb
are also growing plants in their class-
rooms. When asked why she grows a
garden in her classroom, Ms. Lipscomb
said, “We grow a garden so the kids
can understand the complete life cycle
of the bean plant from seed to regener-
ated seed.”
Hopefully the plants will grow big and
strong, and we will see gardens bloom
in every classroom in Yick Wo.
Photo by Sabrina Adnani
Ms. Stephanie
Fernandez
SCHOOL
A GAMBLE?
By West Middleton and Gigi McMillan
Ro, sham, bo...rock, paper, scissors ro,
sham, bo... rock, paper, scissors...That’s
exactly what it feels like trying to get
into middle schools in San Francisco.
Actually you do have a choice but it de-
pends on the lottery, finances, siblings,
and maybe a bit of luck.
So what should students and parents
think about when choosing a middle
school? According to Yick Wo Principal
Stephanie Young, “Families should try
to take tours to learn about the middle
school and see what they have for the
usual subjects like reading and writing
and math and social studies and science.”
They should also look for electives, sports
and clubs, she says.
Across the street from the main
Francisco Middle School building is a
continued on page 4

THE CASE OF THE
STOLEN MASCOT?
By Sinclair Wessling
I was walking on Clay Street one day
when I saw a familiar character painted
on a school wall. It was a cartoony panda
holding a book. It looked like just like
the Yick Wo panda, our official school
mascot. But here it was, painted on the
wall of Gordon J. Lau Elementary School
in Chinatown. Could this school have
stolen our mascot?
My prime suspect was the principal
of the school, Dr. Dennis Chew. I knew
I had to interview him to get to the
bottom of this mystery.
I emailed him, asking for an appoint-
ment. To my surprise, Dr. Chew replied
that he would be happy to talk to me
about the school and its mascot. At the
interview, I asked why they chose that
mascot, and he said “The panda is one of
the most culturally significant animals in
Chinese culture, and it is certainly a be-
loved animal for the kids of this school.”
That might be true, I said, but which
school had the panda first? Asked when
their school opened, he handed me a
blue piece of paper which told the histo-
ry of Gordon J. Lau Elementary School.
From 1895 to 1906 it was called the
Chinese School. It was called that because
back then people were segregated accord-
ing to their race.  But all the teachers were
white! Then from 1906 to 1948  it was
renamed the Oriental School so Kore-
an and Japanese kids could also attend.
Believe it or not, speaking any language
on the school grounds apart from English
was against the rules.
After World War II, the name was
changed to Commodore Stockton School
in honor of a famous U.S. Navy hero,
and Alice Fong Yu became its first Chi-
nese-American teacher. In the 1960s the
school was opened to kids of all races. Fi-
nally in 1993 the school was named Gor-
Page 2
SCHOOL NEWS
don J. Lau School after a
famous Chinese-American
civil rights leader who was
the first Chinese-American
elected to the San Francis-
co Board of Supervisors.
Yick Wo School is also
named after an import-
ant Chinese-American
civil rights leader. But
it got that name and
the panda mascot in
1983. Before that, it was Which elementary school mascot came first, Gordon J. Lau’s
known as Sarah B. Cooper or Yick Wo’s?
School, and did not have any
Chinese history.
So, I am not really sure who displayed
the panda mascot first, but with almost a
100-year head start and a Chinese-
Ms. Fernandez
continued from Page 1
Ms. Fernandez: I was born in Santa
Monica, Calif.
NYT: What elementary, middle, and
high school did you go to?
Ms. Fernandez: I went to Corpus
Christi School from kindergarten to 8th
grade. I went to high school at Mary-
mount in Los Angeles.
NYT: Did you play any sports in
elementary?
Ms. Fernandez: When I was four
years old. I started playing soccer, and I
played until I finished college.
NYT: What other sports did you play?
Ms. Fernandez: My favorite sport
was soccer, and I also played basketball,
volleyball, and softball.
NYT: What is the most enjoyable
things about your job being a teacher?
Ms. Fernandez: When I see students’
eyes light up because a skill or concept
CURRENT EVENTS
JELLY BEANS GALORE
By Fiona Tan
BeanBoozled, Jewel Collection,
Tabasco beans, Belly Flops, Bertie Bott’s
Every Flavor, and Fruit Gems.
Everybody has eaten Jelly Bellys or
has heard of them but nobody really
knows how these amazing jelly beans
started or how they are made. I went
to the Jelly Belly Candy Company to
Photo by Sinclair Wessling
interview Anthony, a current worker at
the factory.
New Yick Times: How long does it
take to come up with a new flavor?
Anthony: Workers and visitors always
suggest new flavors. Kiwi took us a
really long time to get a flavor that tastes
similar. It usually takes a few months
to mix flavors that taste like what our
American heritage, I think Gordon J. customers expect.
Lau most likely beat us to it. That’s OK, NYT: What unsuccessful flavors did
because one thing that is no mystery is
that sharing is a very good thing.
the factory decide to stop making?
Anthony: Honey, Jalapeño, Peanut But-
ter, Peppermint Stick, Cafe Latte, Caramel
Apple, and Ice Blue Mint.
became clear to them. NYT: What was the idea you were
NYT: What is the most interesting trying to give when you presented the
story you ran into while teaching?
Ms. Fernandez: At Harvey Milk
Civil Right Academy, I met a teacher
who biked across the United States to
better understand people’s perspectives HOW CHRISTMAS BEGAN
on education.
NYT: What additional contribution By Lina Deng
do the parents of the PTO do? Have you ever wondered how Christ-
Ms. Fernandez: I’m so lucky to have mas began? Christmas is a popular
three room parents who help plan field holiday. But why do you celebrate that
trips, donate books, provide snacks, and holiday? Is it just for fun?
help with book groups. Christmas began in Rome, but no
NYT: What do you think of the new one actually knows when Christmas
remodeling at Yick Wo? began. Christmas was called “Pagan
Ms. Fernandez: I really like the Holiday”, but now Christmas is called
cheerful colors and that the library and “Christmas.” Other people call it “Mid-
the computer lab are separated. winter” too, because Christmas is in
NYT: What additional improvement the middle of winter. Christmas began
would you like to see at Yick Wo? because of Jesus. Some people think
Ms. Fernandez: In general, I think all Jesus was born on December 25, but
schools could be improved by having some religions do not believe that he
smaller class sizes. was born on that day.
jelly beans to the costumers?
Anthony: A high class jelly bean
made from all natural flavors.
NYT: What is the most exciting part
of working in the factory?
Anthony: Doing tours and seeing the
reactions on people’s faces when they see
all the exciting things that happen here.
The Jelly Belly Candy Company
started out as a small candy store called
the Herman Goelitz Candy Company.
In 1976, David Klein requested a jelly
bean made with natural ingredients to
be sold in single flavors. Fruit purees
and juice concentrates were mixed
into the natural ingredients, and the
first Jelly Belly was born. It was later
brought west when Ernest Rowland
and Alyose Rowland, along with their
son Herman G. Rowland, came upon
Fairfield and opened the Jelly Belly
headquarters.
The process of making jelly beans is
complicated. It starts off by cooking the
candy. Liquid sugar is heated to 347
degrees Fahrenheit and an agitating
Do you celebrate Christmas on
December 25? If you do, then have you
ever wondered where your presents
came from? If you lived in the third cen-
tury, a guy named Saint Nicholas went
out every Christmas and gave presents
to everyone. Saint Nicholas is also
known as “Father Christmas” and “Kris
Kringle.” Saint Nicholas is called “Father
Christmas” because he’s the person who
gives all the presents on Christmas.
Today we call him Santa Claus. He’s
a wonderful person and you should
remember what he did.
Christmas is a magical holiday, and
I hope you get fantastic presents!
device mixes the ingredients together.
The sugar is poured onto the a bean-
shaped molder, forming millions of jelly
beans each day. The beans are then sent
to the drying room where they stay for
24 hours.
This leads the beans to the next step:
building the candy shell. The jelly beans
are then put in a drum that rolls them
around while they’re sprayed with sugar.
This process is repeated four times to
produce the candy shell. In the last step,
with 124,000 jelly beans in each pan, hot
syrup is added to the jelly beans pol-
ishing them. When the jelly beans rub
against each other it forms the shiny top
layer. Then the pan stops spinning and
lets the beans sit and air dry for 24 hours,
allowing the glaze to set. From there they
drop to the packaging department, ready
for you to eat!
THE HISTORY
OF HALLOWEEN
By Brenner Wessling
Do you ever wonder where Hallow-
een came from? Do you think it was an
American holiday?
If you did think that, then you’re
wrong! Halloween was an ancient Celtic
festival named Samhain (pronounced
sow-in), celebrated by the Irish and
Scottish. Celtic priests called Druids lit
big bonfires and wore costumes to scare
away ghosts they believed had returned
to Earth to haunt them. The day was
later turned into a Christian religious
holiday named “All Saints Day” by Pope
Gregory III. When it came to America,
however, it changed quite a bit.
Nowadays, people go out at night,
dressed in costumes and getting candy,
and sometimes go to Halloween cos-
tume parties. Instead of being really
scary or religious, it’s more about having
fun. You probably celebrate it this way,
too, unless you’re a Druid!
Page 11
 CURRENT EVENTS
RICK RIORDAN: FROM BAD
STUDENT TO BESTSELLING AUTHOR
By Carson Beale
You may think Rick Riordan was a
good student or that he got his first
book published right away, but that’s not school, he sent in another book and it was
the case, according to the author, who
came to the Fox Theater
in Redwood City, Calif., to
talk about his life.
Riordan was always the
student in the back who did
nothing, never raised his
hand or never was called
on. “I hated middle school,”
said Riordan, “and back
then there was nowhere to
hide. Back then we didn’t
Author Rick Riordan
have social media. We
didn’t have cell phones. We
didn’t have the Internet. Or cable TV.
We didn’t have video games.”
There were two things to do, which
were play sports or read. Since he hated
the outdoors, he chose to read but he still ries to tell him, so he made up the Percy
disliked reading. His first favorite book
was The Lord of the Rings. “That was pret-
ty awesome. You had dwarves and elves
and magic and monsters and dark lords
and awesome stuff,” Riordan said.
He heard one of the honors teachers
did her masters thesis on The Lord of
the Rings and he wanted to be in her
class. So you’re probably thinking Rick
Riordan must have had As to get into
her class and publish a book, but that’s
incorrect. Here is what really happened.
He had never been an honors student, so around a star called M Dwarf. This planet
he went to see the principal about it. The
next day in front of his whole class, his
teacher asked him, “Can you tell me what
is irony, please?” and he said, “Irony is
the fact that I can’t think of the definition that makes up 70% of the Milky Way
of irony right now.” He admits he was
surprised when he got into her class.
This teacher taught him how The Lord
of the Rings had to do with Norse mythol-
ogy. Also in honors he wrote a book and
Page 10
his teacher thought he should try to pub-
lish it. He sent it to publishers, but he was
denied, nicely at least. When he graduated
accepted. It took him 19 drafts to finish.
The book he first published
was Big Red Tequila, a book
for adults.
When Rick Riordan gradu-
ated from college, he became
a teacher and got married. “I
loved being a teacher,” said
Riordan, and he also made it
fun by wearing costumes to
school and teaching his kids
kung fu. One day while read-
ing to his students, they told
him to write kid’s books, but
that’s not why he wrote Percy Jackson.
Rick Riordan then had a son. As his
son grew up, he told him stories about
Greek myths. One day he ran out of sto-
LIFE ON ANOTHER PLANET?
By Carmen Chen
Astronomers from NASA recently
found an earth-sized planet that just
might support life!
On April 17th, 2014, scientists an-
nounced their amazing find. The research-
ers at NASA say that Kepler186f is just
a little bit bigger than Earth, and orbits
is 490 light years away from earth, and is
in our solar system, the Milky Way.
Kepler186f ’s star is classified as an
M Dwarf or Red Dwarf, a class of stars
galaxy. They found that the star hosts
at least five planets, which are called
Kepler 186c-Kepler186fe. But only one
is thought possible of having life. Astrophysics Division director at the
Researchers say that the other Kepler
SCHOOL NEWS
Jackson and the Olympians series. He got
it published, and that’s how he became WHERE IS COACH CRAIG? WHO IS
the star he is today. Once he finished the
Percy Jackson series, he made the Heroes By Himadri Mandal Coach Craig does not do Playworks MS. BALL?
of Olympus series, and that was also a big Coach Craig Bostwick was Yick Wo’s at Spring Valley. Coach Craig started
hit. The last book in the series, The Blood popular Playworks teacher. Last year he to work at Spring Valley in August. By Bella C. Jayanti
Of Olympus, came out this year. left the school. The kids over here won- Coach Craig misses Yick Wo. He still There’s a new coach at Yick Wo. We
Don’t worry! He’s still writing books! dered where he went. He went to work plays the same games. The Spring call her Ms. Ball. Ms. Ball has taught
His new series is called Magnus Chase at Spring Valley Elementary School. Valley kids are funny. Coach Craig me a lot of new and different games.
and the Gods of Asgard and is based on gets to help kids. He says that the kids’ One of the games I like is scarf juggling.
Norse mythology. By the way there are favorite games are switch and knock She teaches P.E at other elementary
no spoilers here. You’re probably think- out and — for the younger kids — schools. Another elementary school Ms.
ing that the last name Chase is familiar. cookie monster. “We also play a lot of Ball teaches at is Cleveland Elementary
Well it is, because it’s Annabeth’s last kickball,” he says. School. In the past Ms. Ball taught at
name from the Percy Jackson and the He runs the after-school program. Lafayette Elementary School and Chi-
Heroes of Olympus series. The Magnus Over 100 students are in the after- nese Immersion Elementary School. Her
Chase series will also feature characters school program. Spring Valley has favorite sport is Muay Thai kick boxing.
from the Percy Jackson series. 350 students. Each yard there has a New Yick Times: What did you do
Photo by Ava Dubois
Until Magnus Chase and the Gods of play structure and a garden. He says before you came to our school?
Asgard comes out, I would suggest read- a group of 3rd graders in particular Ms. Ball: I went to other elementary
ing his other books: love to laugh and tell jokes. Coach schools.
Photo courtesy of Rick Riordan
• The Percy Jackson and the Olympi- Craig misses everybody and plans on NYT: Are you happy working at our
ans series stopping by soon. “I can’t wait to see school?
• The Heroes of Olympus series Coach Craig has moved from Playworks to everybody and play some more four Ms. Ball: Um, yes, I guess so.
• The 39 Clues series teaching at Spring Valley Elementary. square,” he says. NYT: Why?
• The Kane Chronicles series Ms. Ball: Well everybody seems
• Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods happy and not sad.
Have fun reading them all. DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM TO THE RESCUE NYT: Why did you choose this pro-
fession?
By Shirley Liang said the following about the Dewey Ms. Ball: I had really great teachers
Have you ever gone to a library and
not been able to find the book you
Decimal system:
New Yick Times: When did you learn
when I was a little girl.
NYT: Which university did you go to?
planets are way too hot for life forms, wanted? about this system? Ms. Ball: Louisiana State University.
because they are too close to the star. The Dewey Decimal System is a Ms. Krajewski: When I was in ele- I hope she keeps it up.
Kepler186f orbits around its star every system that helps people find books mentary school.
130 days, and its neighbor planets are easier when they are in the library. It NYT: Do you like this system?
so much closer they orbit the star every was created in 1876 and named after Ms. K: Yes.
3, 7, 13, and 22 days. Melvil Dewey. Dewey created this sys- NYT: How does this system work?
Astronomers say that this distant plan- tem in the United States to help people Ms. K: You use decimals to find books
et is exciting because it’s in the “habitable find the books they need. The classes around the library.
zone” like Earth, referring to the range of (categories) range from 000 up by hun- Now I am going to show you how
distance from the star where liquid water dreds to 900. They cover categories the Dewey Decimal System works.
might pool on the surface of an orbiting from general works to philosophy to First choose a book. Say you want
Photo by Bella C. Jayanti
planet. They think that the planet is history and geography and everything a planet book. All the planet books
rocky, like Earth, which would also make in between. are in one category. Planet books are
life possible. This system was created for libraries found in the science category. Science
“The discovery of Kepler186f is a to keep the library books organized. It is 500s and within the 500s all the
significant step finding worlds like our helps people find books so they don’t planet books are under 523. Then find
planet Earth,” said Paul Hertz, NASA’s have to search around in different your book and that’s it — it is that
places to find their books. Ms. Kra- easy! Now you can use this system in Yick Wo’s new coach, Ms. Ball, has a lot of
agency’s headquarter at Washington. jewski, the Yick Wo school librarian our school library. experience with elementary school kids.
Page 3

PLAY WORKS!
By Zuzu Bikahi     
Playworks was founded by a teacher
named Jill Vialet. Jill was tired of the same
kids coming into the principal’s office
during recess for fighting and arguing on
the yard. She wanted kids to play during
recess, so she had a meeting with the
other school staff. Soon after the meeting,
she created a program called Sports4Kids.
Sports4Kids is now called Playworks.
 Playworks believes in teamwork and
leadership. They want every kid in school
to play during recess. They don’t want
kids sitting out because of problems or
Middle school
continued from page 1
small annex where you’ll find the gym-
nasium, fitness lab, boys-and-girls’ locker
rooms, the cafeteria, and the music room.
Students in green and gray uniforms lift
weights, run on treadmills, and pedal
exercise bikes. The three physical educa-
tion teachers; Mr. Jung, Mr. Guenza, and
Mr. Catalini all run the different sports
teams. Not only does Francisco have a
great sports program but it has a terrific
after-school program called BEACON
that has homework help, cooking, sports
activities, community service, and more.
Many students like the second-genera-
tion Francisco graduate and principal Ken-
nith Lee. “[What I like most about Francis-
co] is the teachers and the principal,” says
Abby Burrell, a former Yick Wo student
and now a 6th grader at Francisco Middle
School. Another former Yick Wo student
and Francisco sixth grader, Gino Moragan,
says he likes the way teachers teach at that
school and the physical education classes.
Yick Wo is a feeder school for Francisco
which means that if you are a Yick Wo
student and you apply for Francisco you
will almost certainly get in, according to
Principal Lee. In fact, as long as a student
applies for any public school in San Fran-
Page 4
SCHOOL NEWS
disagreements, when those kids go back
to class sometimes they are hurt or sad.
Playworks wants all kids to go back to
class with a smile on their face. They
encourage problem solving using rock
paper scissors: The person who wins
gets to chose the call, and there are no
arguments on the yard. Any school with
Playworks probably has fewer argu-
ments then schools without Playworks.       She likes working with us because kids are
 Playworks serves over 250 schools, and
one of those schools is ours. A favorite
Playworks program we use is called Junior
Coaches. Junior Coaches help out on the
cisco they can get in somewhere. Yick Wo
tracked 39 students from the 2014 graduat-
ing class and found that 62% of them went
to Francisco.
Public schools are the basic choice for
students in San Francisco. According to the
school district, 60% of the school-aged chil-
dren in San Francisco attend public schools.
A special kind of public school is a
charter school. When students apply for
charter schools in San Francisco, they are
put in a lottery system just like the regular
public schools. Gateway Middle School
was a popular school with
Yick Wo students last year.
Gateway classes are smaller
so students are better helped
by teachers, according to
Ford Middleton, a former
Yick Wo student and an 8th
grader at Gateway.
Another option for
middle school is a private
school. Private schools in
San Francisco cost a lot of
money but there is financial
aid for lucky students who
get scholarships. Cathedral
School for Boys is a private
school and happens to
also be a parochial school.
Parochial schools are private
yard. If there’s an argument at recess, and
the Coach is busy, a Junior Coach can help
solve the disagreement with ro sham bo.
Our new Playworks coach is Sam. When
we spoke last fall, I learned a lot about her.
She became a coach because it looked like
fun to play with kids at recess. She went to
U.C. Davis. She’s had other jobs, but ours is
the first school she’s worked at. Kickball is
her favorite Playworks game, and she has
a lot of fun playing it. Outside of school
Coach Sam loves running and archery.
funny and fun to work with!
My opinion is that Playworks is a
great program and that our school is
lucky to have it. Play works! Play works!
schools that are serious about promoting
their religion while also giving you a good
education. CSB has a couple of graduates
from Yick Wo. Former Yick Wo student
Milo Wetherall is a 7th grader there and he
says it is not much different from a public
school except for the religion classes.
These are the kind of choices facing
Yick Wo 5th graders. The dice roll...
they land... you got into... that’s what
it feels like trying to get into middle
schools... the roulette wheel spins...the
cards shuffle... you pick one.
CURRENT EVENTS
CELL PHONES TRANSMIT
MORE THAN JUST MESSAGES
By Ellie Aronica
You just got home from school and you
need a rest so you clunk up to your room
and flop down on your bed, but instead
of picking up a good old book you reach
over and grab your cell phone and call
your friend. You end up loosing track of
time and chatting on your phone for an
hour. Then on top of having to do your
homework at 8:30 p.m., you also have just
been exposed to very harmful radiation
that could cause cancer or other harmful
effects such as headaches, sleep loss, sight
loss, and memory loss.
Mobilize is a newly released (2014)
and fascinating documentary about cell
phone radiation. The movie shows many
studies, most of which say that radiation
from cell phones could be a life or death
problem. The filmmaker, Kevin Kunze,
goes on a hunt to see what radiation from
cell phones really can do, and interviews
many credible sources including scientists
and doctors. The movie gives viewers a
lot of helpful facts, some of which are:
This picture
from Mobilize
shows how
much radiation
is absorbed at
different ages.
• In the U.S., one third of 11-year-
olds own their own cell phones.
Most studies show that the young-
er you are the more radiation you
will absorb because your skull is
thinner and your brain tissues
are more absorbent (see image,
below).
• Every cell phone emits radiation.
• Most cell phone manuals include
information on radiation and how
to be safer from it, and that users
should keep their phones at least 5/8
of an inch away from their bodies.
One phone manual even said 9/8
of an inch away, especially from the
abdomens of pregnant women and
the lower abdomen of teenagers.
• In 2010, The San Francisco Board
of Supervisors and former mayor
Gavin Newsom passed a Right
to Know Bill to let people know
about the potential harms of radi-
ation from cell phones and how to
use phones safely.
• When the Board of Supervisors
tried to alert the public about
cell phone radiation, the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry
Association (made up of the heads
of major technology companies)
threatened to sue, so the bill was
dropped
When I asked Mr. Kunze what he
would like our readers to know about
cell phones, he said “I think that
companies like Fisher-Price and Apple
should stop marketing iPhone baby
rattles and apps designed for toddlers
because children absorb a lot more
radiation from cell phones than adults.
Some children also don’t have the
ability to read the cell phone manuals,
which instruct users to hold the phone
about an inch away from the body. It’s
just common sense.”
Although more research is still being
conducted, the World Health Organiza-
tion and other credible sources say that
there is definitely a chance that cell phone
radiation is “possibly carcinogenic” and
that means that there is a chance that
radiation could actually cause the deadly
symptoms I have already mentioned.
Here is a list of precautions you can take
to protect your health:
• First of all you should never sleep
with your phone under your pillow
because the longer and closer the
phone is to your head the more
radiation you could be absorbing.
• When you do need to use a cell
phone it would be the best to plug
a headset into the phone to mini-
mize the time the phone is against
your head.
• Try to text, not call!
• Don’t carry your cell phone in
your pocket!
As one cancer survivor in Mobilize
argues, following these precautions
could be inconvenient, but not nearly as
inconvenient as having a brain tumor!
Page 9
 COMMUNITY NEWS
THE OLD SOURDOUGH SMELLS
THAT FILL FISHERMAN’S WHARF
By Chloe Hu
Everyone knows about the unique
Boudin Bakery from the crocodile
baguettes to the sky lining basketsful of
fresh delicious bread. It’s obviously one
of the main reasons why people visit
Fisherman’s Wharf. Everyone thinks
that Boudin is just a very successful
bakery, but it ‘s way more than that.
Gold was discovered in California in
1848. Thousands and thousands of adven-
turers from around the world squished
into the tiny town of San Francisco. Most
of these people suffered from a lack of de-
licious bread. They all had to live on hard
tasteless bread for a whole year. But soon,
the Boudin French Bakery was established
and their fresh delicious bread won the
hearts of all the people who dwelled in the
tiny town San Francisco.
HELP SAVE THE
RESTAURANT ON WHEELS!
By Atticus Hansen
My favorite restaurant is a restaurant
on wheels, but it may soon be gone from
North Beach unless we help. Off The
Grid has different trucks serving food
from around the world all together in
one place...here in our neighborhood!
The Off The Grid team chose Joe
DiMaggio as the best possible place to
be because it’s central to our communi-
ty. Sadly, when the construction starts
in January, Off The Grid well be gone
for a while. People are trying to find a
new place to hold Off The Grid in North
beach, but for now, no one knows if it
can continue.
The first Off The Grid event was in
2010 at Fort Mason Center. A man
Page 8
Even after the Gold Rush, the Boudin
Bakery’s business still flourished. In
1906, the San Francisco earthquake and
fire greatly affected the Boudin French
Bakery. Luckily, Louise Boudin saved
the “mother dough” or starter from the
burning depths of the bakery.
Since that time, Boudin has contin-
ued to flourish. People from around the
world sit at the Boudin Bistro enjoying
the unique taste of sourdough tacos.
Upstairs, many adults sit at the bar
talking while Boudin staff refill their
empty glasses of margaritas and marti-
nis. In the far back, the Boudin Museum
sits. There is a long line of families, cou-
ples and loners alike, waiting for their
turn to get into the exhibit. Inside are
many diverse things to learn about, such
as the ways Boudin trained their bakers.
named Matt Cohen, who tried to have
a food truck and failed, brought a
small group of friends with food trucks
together to make a mobile market of
wonderful food. Four years later the
business has grown to hundreds of
trucks all over the city. Off The Grid has
doubled in size in the last 6 months!
You may wonder why Off The Grid is
outdoors, it’s to have a different experience
than you can anywhere else. On an average
Wednesday night, 50 people at any given
time are eating and playing at Off The Gird.
They usually serve 400-500 diners a night.
If you have an idea for a new place
Off The Grid can call home, they would
love to know. Call or email them and
help save our restaurant on wheels!
A little boy giggles as he sees a sour-
dough teddy bear on an old wagon. A
young woman reads the humongous
book about Isidore Boudin. An old cou-
ple glance at the many different types
of bread that Boudin produce. All of
them have one thing alike. They are all
smiling and enjoying themselves while
tasting the unique sourdough bread and
learning about the fascinating history of
this great establishment.
MAKING A BIG
CHANGE TO A
BIG PARK
By Kirsten Wong
Located at Lombard and Columbus
Avenue between Fisherman’s Wharf
and Chinatown, the North Beach Joe
DiMaggio Playground will soon have a
new look.
The Playground is currently being reno-
vated. The new renovations will include a
larger children’s play area relocated next to
the North Beach Swimming Pool accord-
ing to Gregory Scott, Aquatics Facility
Supervisor. Fifty new trees, plantings and
shade areas will be added to the park.
New deck, seating, picnic tables and
benches will be included. They will even
add new places for seniors to gather and
exercise. For people who like sports, more
basketball hoops and new tennis courts
will be added.
Mr. Scott said, “The new changes will
make it safer for the children.” The reno-
vation is expected to be finished by the
end of 2015.
The North Beach Park was founded in
the early 1900’s to provide recreational
activities for ordinary and under-privi-
leged kids. In 2000 the park was re-
named after the famous baseball player
for the New York Yankees, Joe DiMag-
gio, who grew up in the neighborhood.
COMMUNITY NEWS
SAN FRANCISCO’S
SWEETEST LANDMARK
By Cheyanne Chow
Have you ever eaten a piece of
Ghirardelli chocolate? If you have,
have you ever wondered about the
history of Ghirardelli? Well, wheth-
er you have or have not let me tell
you about how it was created. It all
started when a man named Domingo
Ghirardelli came to San Francisco
in 1849 during the California Gold
Rush to try and make a fortune by
selling chocolates.
In 1893 Ghirardelli bought the
Pioneer Woolen Mill (an entire San
Francisco block) so that he could make
the headquarters in the Ghirardelli
Company bigger. In 1895 the Ghirar-
delli Chocolate Company relocated to
Ghirardelli Square. Then in the 1960’s
the Golden Grain Macaroni Company
purchased the Ghirardelli Company.
They sold it and relocated it to a new
modern facility across the bay in San
Leonardo. In 1962 William P. Mat-
son Roth and Ms. William P. Roth
THE SAN FRANCISCO DUNGEON!
By Christian Perez-Ibarra
The San Francisco Dungeon is a place
where the people can get a good look at
San Francisco and see the history of the
city. It’s also dark and scary place kids
and people can be scared about! It will
give you the chills and goosebumps and
the feeling that you want to go back
every time you visit!
The San Francisco dungeon opened
six days after the wax museum closed.
One hundred or more people go there
(his mother) decided to
purchase the Ghirardelli
site. Together they turned a
chocolate making compa-
ny into a courtyard with
specialty shops and nice
restaurants, which turned
the area around the square
into a neighborhood with a
vibrant atmosphere. Ghirardelli Square
opened in 1964.
In 1965 San Francisco declared that
Ghirardelli was an official city land-
mark. Ghirardelli has been granted Na-
tional Historic Register status to ensure
its preservation for future generations.
Today Ghirardelli sells chocolate, hot
chocolate, sundaes, ice cream, hot choc-
olate powder, chocolate covered cookies,
souvenirs, and more. Most people love
Ghirardelli chocolate (see chart above),
so if you haven’t tried their chocolate
before be sure to try it. Now.
Ghirardelli is located in Fisherman’s
Wharf on 900 North Point Street be-
each day to take the tour. It takes about
an hour to complete the tour of the San
Francisco Dungeon. You will experience
nine live-actor shows and a boat ride
while inside. The Dungeon experience
covers more than two hundred years of
San Francisco history!
At the dungeon, they have stuff that
you can buy or you can buy things at
the place right next to it that you can
remember forever. Recommended for
ten years and older.
tween Polk and Larkin. After eating all
that chocolate be sure to take a walk to
burn off all your chocolate calories.
NEW CRUISE
SHIP TERMINAL
By Brooke Suverkrubbe
Did you know that when you go on a
cruise ship or go to a cruise ship termi-
nal and you flush a toilet it could be rain
from the roof of the terminal? Because
they collect water from the roof!
I asked Susan Renals, the director of
the port some questions. The first thing I
asked her was why they built a new termi-
nal. Susan said that it was because the last
one was out-dated. She said it cost $100
million to build the new one. It was ready
and opened September 2014. I asked
her how many cruise ships are going to
come this year and she said that 85 ships
are going to come visit the city. Our new
terminal is called the James R. Herman
Cruise Ship Terminal and that it took 25
years to plan it and 3 years to build it.
I think that it was good that they built
a new terminal. I know because I live
across the street from the terminal. But
it is a little loud.
Page 5
 COMMUNITY NEWS
CHINATOWN BART IS
GOOD FOR CHINATOWN
By Andy Liang
I am walking by the Chinatown
BART. This massive underground con-
struction project started in 2010, and
is the second part of the San Francisco
Municipal Transportation Agency’s
Third Street Light Rail Project. It will
take until 2019, five more years, to
complete the extension of the line.
The new BART station is on Stockton
and Washington Streets in Chinatown,
which is the most populated part of the
city. The 1.7 mile line goes all the way
GARFIELD ELEMENTARY
to 4th and King in South of Market,
WARRIORS ARE SCHOOL GETS A FACE LIFT
COMING TO SF
By Adam Belayadi
I am in a car, driving by signs ad-
vertising the new arena for the Golden
State Warriors, Oakland's National Bas-
ketball Association team. The construc-
tion crew hasn’t started it yet. I have
been waiting all my life to see it because
I like basketball and I especially like the
Golden State Warriors. The arena will
be finished in 2018. It will hold 18,000
seats. Some critics say, with its bowl
shape, it looks like a toilet.
There have been a lot of arguments
about where the arena should be located. In
2012, the Warriors, who play in Oakland,
announced plans to move to San Francisco,
below the Bay Bridge. But citizens com-
plained the arena would block Bay views, so
the Warriors abandoned their plans and set-
tled on the beautiful Mission Bay location.
Fans probably won’t care whether
the arena is near the Bay Bridge or not.
They’ll care whether it’s a awesome
place to see basketball games.
Page 6
and will stop at three stations along the
way. It will allow many people from
our neighborhood to go to different
places in the Bay Area, such as Oak-
land and the San Francisco Airport.
The project has been planned for a
long time. In 2008, the San Francis-
co Municipal Transportation Agency
Board of Directors voted to extend the
subway line. But the project was too
expensive for the city to afford by itself.
By Victoria Duran
Next year Garfield Elementary will
be playing in the school we were in last the smaller students because the doors
year, Hancock Elementary, because
their school is being renovated too.
Just like Yick Wo, Garfield is getting a
face lift.
Many of San Francisco Unified School other amenities. Just like Yick Wo, I’m
District’s school buildings are being
renovated because of Prop A, passed by
San Francisco in November
2011. The last portion of $1.3
billion in bonds is being used
to modernize and improve
safety rules at SFUSD schools.
Some phases are completed
and other projects are still in
progress.
Garfield was founded in
1852 and is located right
under Coit Tower. It was
originally called Clarks Point
Grammar School. Later the
name was changed in hon-
or of the president James A. Garfield Elementary School will be receiving a renovation
Garfield. next year.
In 2012, the Federal Transit Administra-
tion, which is a national organization,
announced it would provide $942.2
million for the project under its New
Starts program. Money has also come
from the State of California.
In the future, the line may terminate
in North Beach or extend to Fisherman’s
Wharf to connect with the F Market. If
that happens, more people will ride the
subway, and fewer people will be in buses
and cars. That will mean more visitors
to our neighborhoods, but probably less
street traffic. And people will be able to
get places quicker. Overall, the new sub-
way line and the Chinatown BART will
be good for the neighborhood.
The remodel will change many things.
The doors will be lighter especially for
are very heavy. Garfield is also going to
have new updates during the remodel-
ing process. After the remodel, it will
have a better look, faster Internet, and
sure the new Garfield will turn out to be
really nice!
Photo by Sonya Straus
COMMUNITY NEWS
WHITE WONDER
GETS BREAKFAST
By Sonya Straus things, which provoked Bonnie to bite
Jarrod Willis holds out a square metal
pole with a square grill at the end. He
lures the alligator in to feed him the furry
black and white object in the plastic bag.
It takes 10 minutes to get the alligator into
the perfect position on the rock. Suddenly,
Willis pulls the creature out of the bag. It
is a rat! The alligator lifts his head, opens
his toothy jaws, and swallows the rat
whole with a satisfied look on his face.
This is how Willis, a senior biologist at
the California Academy of Sciences, gives
Claude, a 19-year-old albino alligator, a
special feeding every month. It is also part of
the three private training sessions the alliga-
tor receives from his trainer every week.
Since he arrived in San Francisco in
2008, Claude has been one of the main
attractions at the California Academy
of Sciences. He was born in Florida on
September 15, 1995. Because he is albino,
a rare genetic condition, his vision is not
good and he is nearly blind. This condi-
tion also makes him white, white like a
greenish ghost.
Claude was taken out of the wild, and
given a safe place to live in San Francis-
co’s science museum, because he prob-
ably would have been eaten or at least
unable to defend himself in the wild with
his poor sight. For a few years, Claude
shared a tank with an alligator named
Bonnie. Claude tends to bump into
Claude at mealtime.
him on the foot. Bonnie was sent back to
Florida and Claude remains alone.
Claude’s habitat is on the first floor of
the museum in a sunken swamp. The
swamp consists of a heated rock, many
swamp-like plants, water, snapping
turtles, and fish. The scientists at the
museum made this place for Claude so
he would feel at home. They also give
him yearly checkups. If all goes well, he
is expected to live to 80 years old.
Does Claude feel like he is at home?
Willis says Claude knows his name. So
maybe he does.
COAST GUARD TO THE RESCUE
By Mia Gale
As seen on the internet Reza Baluchi
sits in his hydro pod, which is an inflatable
bubble, eating a protein bar and figuring
out the next step. This is not his first time
on the water, but he is trying to break a re-
cord by floating 1,000 miles. Right now he
is 70 miles from Saint Augustine, Florida
surviving only on protein bars, bottled wa-
ter, his GPS, and a satellite phone. Oh no,
his bubble pops by the strong waves! The
Coast Guard come into action. They rescue
him and bring him to shore.
Have you ever seen an orange and
white helicopter rescue people from
a sinking boat? That is where the U.S.
Coast Guard come down to help. The
Coast Guard are trained to help peo-
ple that are in distress anywhere in the
water. They also patrol the coastline to
make sure boats are safe.
About two years ago, I saw a boat stuck
on the rocks in the Presidio. It took about
a minute or two for the Coast Guard boat
to show up. The Coast Guard noticed the
tip was slowly sinking. They told the two
TIMBER, A
TREE IS FALLING
By Frankie Liang
I was sitting in my dad’s car. I heard
a crack and I saw the tree fall down.
It broke the front of the truck. It was
huge and tall. The tree had a lot of
branches. It fell in the truck’s seat and
it was over the street. Nobody got hurt
from the tree. It broke the glass from
the truck. The wheels came off.
The city of San Francisco has
about 105,000 public trees. There are
more than 226 types of trees in the
city. We don’t how many trees will
fall this year. If it happens near you,
it will be loud and dusty.
men on the boat to lean aft, to the back
end of the boat, while they were getting
the line ready to throw across to the
sailboat. When the Coast Guard threw
the line over to the sailboat, the two men
hung on and were pulled to safety. About
an hour later, the Coast Guard managed
to get the sailboat out of the rocks.
The Coast Guard have been around
for a long time. They were first founded
in 1790. Coast Guard are one of the five
armed forces. The Coast Guard is made
up of nearly 38,000 women and men
who are on active duty. Their jobs are
to enforce the law, protect the environ-
ment, save lives, and operate ports and
waterways. In 2012, the Coast Guard
saved over 3,560 lives and responded
to 19,790 search rescue calls. The Coast
Guard Reserve is a force of about 8,000
people that are specially trained, who
work one weekend a month and 14 days
a year. Next time you see a Coast Guard,
you might want to thank them for keep-
ing our waters safe.
Page 7