The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 4

4 The Examiner. LOG A TJl fillip BAY BRIEFS Police receive camcorder grant The Twin Cities Police Department, which oversees Larkspur and Corte Madera, has received approximately $15,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the purchase of a laptop computer and two DVD camcorders to reduce the number of pedestrian and bicycle-related collisions. According to the department, the equipment will be used to record violations throughout the two cities. High voter turnout in Santa Clara County Santa Clara County estimates that approximately 75 percent of eligible residents voted in Tuesday's general election. According to the registrar of voters, voter turnout is estimated at 600,000 of 865,000 registered voters.

Unofficial summary results indicated that 446,167 ballots had been counted on election night, with approximately 207,000 ballots still remaining, the registrar of voters reports. Shellfish OK to harvest from beaches SANTA CRUZ Despite the continued appearance of red tide, seafood lovers can harvest mussels, clams and oysters from Santa Cruz beaches now that the state's seasonal quarantine period has ended, a county health spokesman said. The present red tide, evident at Rio del Mar, Hidden, Manresa and other south county beaches, may cause rashes, eye and ear infections or respiratory problems in some people. lliiji.lilllj.ii.il I.IIJIJIII.Ii'li'jWI. HiiWWl MLiin i i 'in fin li Richard Hongisto, with his son, on officers in clearing the building.

Hongisto later that year left his post as sheriff to become police chief of Cleveland under Mayor Dennis Kucinich, with whom he had a falling out months later. He then became commissioner of the New York state prison system before returning to San Francisco to win a Board of Supervisors seat in 1980. He was re-elected supervisor twice, then won the Assessor's Office in 1990 and ran for 0 llllpl in. Crusader led reforms within law enforcement BY ADRIEL HAMPTON AND ALISON S0LTAU Staff Writers Former San Francisco Sheriff Richard "Dick" Hongisto, 67, died of a suspected heart attack early Thursday, leaving behind a legacy of progressive reforms that helped shape San Francisco. Hongisto incorporated the gay and lesbian community into a grassroots political base to beat a 15-year incumbent sheriff in 1971.

In office, he improved jail living conditions and medical care, introduced job training and GED programs and created a jail library and band. An early radical who advocated the decriminalization of marijuana, Hongisto brought Joan Baez in for a jail concert and wore a badge with a peace symbol in place of the city seal. In his fight for better jail conditions, he went toe-to-toe with Mayor Joe Alioto and, in an attention-getting stunt, wore rags he said were representative of inmates' garb. As a police officer early in his career, Hongisto agitated for the rights of minorities, persuading the department to drop discriminatory height and weight restrictions and helping to found the black officers' association, Officers For Justice. As sheriff, Hongisto worked with Mayor George Moscone to prevent the demolition of the International Hotel, and in 1977 was held in contempt of court for refusing to evict the tenants.

After several days in jail, he led his "Dick was a character, he was cheerful, he could be very funny. There aren't many people who had as many positions as Dick did." Louise Renne is a former city attorney of San Francisco. I Mi I 1 7 i "Dick was and felt that any be successful. him buying a blown engine a manual on the kitchen had a very humor and EXAMINER FILE PH0I0191 Hongisto wore a "peace sign" sheriffs badge in the 1970s. TIMELINE 1942 Moved with family from Bovey, to San Francisco 1960s to 1971 Cop and founding member of Officers for Justice 1971 to 1978 -Sheriff 1977 Jailed for refusing to evict tenants at the International Hotel; sworn in as Cleveland police chief 1977 Gave gay Supervisor Harvey Milk a ride to City Hall on the back of his motorcycle following Milk's historic 1977 election 1978 Married Elizabeth Colton; became commissioner of the New York state prison system 1980 Elected to the S.F.

Board of Supervisors 1990 Elected S.F. assessor 1991 -Ran for mayor 1992 Appointed police chief for six weeks; fired following Rodney King riots over the scandal of seizure of newspapers with an unflattering caricature and the headline "Dick's Cool New Tool; Martial Law" 2000 Ran for District 5 supervisor 2002 Ran for assessor to had been lampooned by the Bay Times paper and was fired by the Police Commission a week after the papers were stolen. Hongisto ran for supervisor in 2000 and assessor in 2002. He managed a security company and was married four times. He is survived by ex-wife Elisabeth Colton and their two children, Richard 21, and Ashley, 17.

Funeral arrangements are pending. E-mail: ahamptonexaminer.com "Our effort at rehabilitating him during the 2002 assessors race culminated with a Green Party endorsement vote of 60 percent. He was very pleased when he learned a majority of that progressive group had come to terms with this whole story. He's a good sport." Matt Gonzalez is the Board of Supervisors presfde'ni. REACTION TO RICHARD HONGISTO'S DEATH EXAMINtR FILE PHOTO1992 day he was named police chief.

mayor in 1991. In 1992, Hongisto took a job as S.F. police chief as part of Mayor Frank Jordan's infamous "triple play," in which Jordan appointed Supervisor Doris Ward as assessor and filled her post with goddaughter Annemarie Conroy. Hongisto lost his job after just six weeks in the wake of violent protests in response to the Rodney King verdict and the theft by two officers of thousands of newspapers from news racks. Hongis I mm I I "I think he has the most colorful political career in San Francisco of anyone.

He was a very grassroots guy and they loved him. His base has always loved him. When he would come into a room people would go crazy for him. He's going to be sorely missed." Angela Alioto is The City's homelessness czar. iiwMumwimmvjiinHii imw "I knew him ran for sheriff.

when he was at a gay bar of Market. He of a guy. He life. He was true Libertarians recognized was a champion rights. Dick He has a lot JSC i Contra Costa warns of West Nile virus Health officials in Contra Costa County announced that more dead birds afflicted with West Nile virus have been discovered, a reminder that the threat of human transmission still exits.

Contra Costa mosquito district and health department officials said they wanted to remind residents to be vigilant in making sure there is no standing water near their homes and in repairing broken window and door screens. Compiled from wire reports "Richard Hongisto was a committed public servant in the City and County of San Francisco. I know that I join San Franciscans, and our entire civic family, in mourning the passing of Richard Hongisto. I have ordered the flags lowered at City Hall in observance of his passing." Gavin Newsom is mayor of San Francisco. extremely bright he could undertake challenge and I remember BMW with a and just getting and fixing it table.

He good sense of loved beinga controversial figure." Michael Hennessey is sheriff of San Francisco County since he first Met him campaigning in the South was a hell lived a good one of the first in that he gay rights and of civil will be missed. of friends." Wayne Friday is a columnist for the Bay Area.