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DUBOCE PARK UPDATE – FEBRUARY 9, 2016
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| REC AND PARK INCREASES NUMBER OF PARK RANGERS The number of park rangers patrolling San Francisco parks will increase from 24 to 43 full time rangers; the number of part time rangers will increase from 7 to 9. There will still be five supervisors and five dispatchers and someone will be in the dispatch center 24/ hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The dispatch telephone number is 415-242-6390. The future goal is to increase staffing to 80 full time rangers. The main goal of the rangers is to enforce the San Francisco Park Code. Calls for service include vandalism, burglaries, vehicle theft, illegal dumping, traffic accidents, physical altercations, graffiti, threats, gang activity, sexual assaults, crisis response, crowd control, medical calls, alarms, and permit violations. Park Ranger Chief Mike Celeste, who started in December 2015, is a retired Colma Police Department sergeant and ran the police academy for San Mateo after that. Second in command is Lieutenant Marcus Santiago, who has been involved with parks for 17 years.
Park Rangers issued 4401 citations, conducted 231 field interviews, and filed 393 incident reports in 2016. Citations were issued for smoking, drinking, being in the park after hours, sleeping in the park after hours, and other violations of the Park Code. Celeste said, “When I started here my philosophy…was education first…If there’s a dog off the leash, (we) talk to the person. 95 percent of them say yeah, no problem. Some don’t. If they’re in an area where you can’t smoke in the park so we tell them. We don’t just walk out and say you’re smoking and give a citation. That is not how it works. It’s education first and then some people don’t want to comply. Sometimes a citation makes them comply.” Many tourists and people from other neighborhoods aren't aware of all of the rules for parks. Field interviews are given only when they feel there might be a problem that will arise later on. Incident reports are usually made for vandalism and car accidents. Park Rangers can issue parking citations but they cannot do vehicle stops or enforce the vehicle code for stope signs or speed.
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TREE PLANTING IN DUBOCE TRIANGLE ON APRIL 22
If you’ve thought about planting a tree in your front yard or sidewalk, Friends of Urban Forest (FUF) is offering you a chance to participate in their tree planting on Earth Day, Saturday April 22 in the Duboce Triangle, Lower Haight, and Hayes Valley. To get a tree, you have to apply by March 8, either online or by calling (415) 258-0772.
There are many benefits to planting a tree. Besides making our streets more beautiful, trees also: increase property values; produce oxygen, clean the air and reduce global warming; reduce flooding and water pollution; calm traffic and absorb traffic noise; increase revenues in shopping districts; and, may help reduce crime.
Eight trees were planted at the last FUF planting in the Triangle on May 14, 2016. Since 1981, FUF has planted more than 51,000 trees, totaling 47% of the San Francisco’s street tree canopy. Their staff and volunteer teams visit each tree at least four times during the critical first five years after it’s planted. The teams assess the health of the tree, ensure that its supporting stakes and ties are sound, and prune it as needed.
For more information, please contact Esmeralda Martinez at (415) 268-0772 or info@fuf.net or visit the FUF website.
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Hoodline featured Duboce Park in two recent stories. The January 28 article talked about the recent rains requiring two sections of the Dog Play Area being fenced off to prevent damage to the oversaturated turf and other maintenance issues. The January 21 piece featured some of the art in Duboce Park, including the Photo Center, the Scott Street Labyrinth, the mosaic way-finder pillar, and the stenciled dogs.
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| NEXT VOLUNTEER DAY SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11
Join the Friends of Duboce Park at our next volunteer day on Saturday, February 11, from 10 a.m.-noon. We will be supervised by a Rec & Park gardener and all supplies, plants, tools, and gloves will be provided.
A special thanks to the November volunteers who removed a few trees in the playground and a bush in the planting triangle between the basketball court and children’s playground and replaced them with six new plants.
Contact rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370 for more information or with any questions or comments. Our volunteer day is always the second Saturday of every month. 30 minutes or an hour of your time makes a big difference in the appearance of our park. Volunteers gave more than 180,000 hours of their time and energy to improving our parks and programs in 2016.
More than 500 volunteers came out to improve San Francisco parks on MLK Weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy. The worksites included Youngblood Coleman in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Adam Rogers Park in partnership with Hunter's Point Family, and Ocean Beach in partnership with the GGNRA and National Park Service.
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New sod was put down near the Potomac Street benches and the area is now fenced off to allow the grass to take hold.
The large area in the Dog Play Area (DPA) that had been fenced off for months was removed and the grass there appeared healthy and green until the rains are made that area very muddy and mushy. A fence was put back up to protect that large section of the DPA and signs there read, "Due to saturated conditions please refrain from off leash use in this area until considtions dry and improve."
Fenced off areas also exist in other nearby parks. Dolores Park has two huge sections of oversaturated lawn fenced off, work in Alamo Square continues and fences will reamin up there during construction, and large grassy areas of the Pandhandle and Golden Gate Park are closed.
Using funds from our last Tag Sale, Friends of Duboce Park is working with Rec and Park to repaint the fading playground equipment and replace the two metal perforated staircases that are rusting, leaving sharp edges on the rusted areas that could cause injuries. The painting will probably take place in March after the new stairs are installed.
Graffiti remains a constant problem and Rec and Park does a good job of removing it within 24-48 hours of receiving a report. All of the problems listed above were reported on the SF311 app or in an email report to Rec and Park. You can always also just dial 311 rather than using the app or email.
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| ENCAUSTIC PAINTING CLASS THIS SATURDAY
What exactly is encaustic painting? The word encaustic originates from the Greek word enkausticos, which means to burn in. Heat and pigment infused beeswax are necessary for a painting to be called encaustic.
An Introduction to Encaustic Painting, a one-day course offered this Saturday, February 11 at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts, will cover a brief history of the medium, the diversity of encaustic painting, explanations of tools and materials, techniques used, visual references and a hands-on approach. Each student will complete two unique pieces of art. Students will need to bring collage materials including photographs and two dimensional personal keepsakes. All other materials will be provided. This workshop is open to all painting and art making skill levels.
A complete listing of all courses is available online or in the 2017 Winter Activities Guide available in the Harvey Milk Recreation Center for the Arts lobby. The catalogue offers course descriptions, times, and costs. You can register online or at the Center.
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| FEATURED PHOTO CLASSES – CYANOTYPE, DIGITAL PRINTING INTRO
The Harvey Milk Photo Center offers numerous introductory photography courses as part of their Winter 2017 class schedule. Two courses starting in February are featured below. The complete class schedule and description of courses are listed here.
Cyanotype - Making Prints By Hand, starting on February 25, teaches students how to make beautiful blue, painterly prints simply and inexpensively — from digital or film photos. A Cyanotype print is made using the sun and water and can be printed on almost any surface. Students will learn to make the chemicals, prepare paper and chemicals, and use or make negatives from film or digital photos. Then students will learn how to expose, develop and tone the prints with tea, coffee and other simple chemicals. This class will show you how to use this historical process in very versatile, creative ways to make unique, hand-made art.
Digital Printing Made Easy - Intro Level, starting on Tuesday, February 21, is an introductory level workshop for students who wish to understand the key basics and steps for digital printing. Each step is broken down into an easy- to-follow step by step demonstration. Students will then practice the steps and make their own prints in class.
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| PHOTO EXHIBIT LECTURE SERIES TONIGHT, EXHIBIT OPENING FEBRUARY 11
The first photo series lecture of 2017 is tonight at the Photo Center from 6-8 p.m. The free event showcases three local photographer’s work in a show and tell format every other month. Each photographer will share their body of work as well their approach in creating the work.
Tonight’s featured photographers are Jason Andrescavage, L. Herrada Rios, and Sean Vranizan. Andrescavage’s personal practice centers on portraiture and fashion. Herrada-Rios finds the dark humor in the mundane and the warmth in the strangers around her She uses her diverse training as well as her genuine enthusiasm for the world to capture life’s follies and everyday triumphs. Vranizan uses a multitude of mediums to create logo branding, hand painted murals, custom font designs, and vintage signage photography.
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| The opening reception for the Nocturnes & Noir photo exhibit is this Saturday, February 11, 5:30-8 p.m. The show is curated by Tim Baskerville, Director, The Nocturnes Night Photography Group and Dave Christensen, Director, Harvey Milk Photo Center. According to the Curator’s Statement, the title of the exhibit hopes to shine some light on two schools of thought regarding Night Photography (NPy).
The first, a romanticized landscape photography of Nocturnes, traces its origins to the late 19th century, the Pictorialism movement, and later on, the efforts of the Photo-Secessionists. The second style of NPy – Noir – was heavily influenced by German Expressionism, Surrealism, and associated, as early as the 1920s and 1930s, with the newly formed cinema, which attained its apex in the Classic Film Noir period of the 1940s and 1950s. Photographers like Bill Brandt and Brassai echoed the dark vision of the Film Noir tradition with surrealistic content; punchy, “contrasty” scenes; and heavy darkroom manipulation. More information is available here:.
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Work has started on the Panhandle Pedestrian Safety Project. Pathways may be temporarily closed during construction but not during commute hours. The scope of the work includes: installing benches, trash receptacles, and surface mounted bike racks; installing way-finding signs; and, installing striping for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Almost all of the work is taking place on the north pathway. South pathway improvements still need to be funded.
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| The Conservatory of Flowers, opened in 1879 and modeled after Kew Gardens in London, has 16,800 panes of glass and is the oldest building in Golden Gate Park. The current Roof Improvements Project is an important component of the ongoing maintenance this unique building requires. Rec and Park is replacing deteriorating roof putty with new silicone caps and sealant while preserving the historic integrity of the building and replacing or securing panes of glass as necessary. The Conservatory remains open during construction and is scheduled to be complete in Spring 2017. The greenhouse is home to more than 1,700 species of rare and beautiful tropical plants.
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| Groundbreaking for renovations and improvements to the Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds takes place on Tuesday, February 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza (Larkin and Fulton Streets). The two playgrounds are 20 years old and serve an area where open space is limited, including the Tenderloin, Western Addition, Hayes Valley, and South of Market neighborhoods. The playgrounds are also used by many day care centers, school children, and visitors to the surrounding cultural institutions, including the Library and the Asian Art Museum. The goal of the renovation is to create unique, artful, safe and inviting play areas for families and children of different ages.
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| Although Rec and Park acquired the 3.29 Francisco Reservoir site, last summer, the Francisco Park Conservancy, the organization overseeing the park’s development, still has to raise $25 million for construction and another $150,000 annually for park maintenance. There is also disagreement about how the park, which sits next to the cable car line on Hyde Street, should be used. Some neighbors want a quite green space while others want more active uses: a children’s playground, a dog park, community gardens, or a soccer field.
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| Six large-scale illuminated bamboo lanterns, titled Sui Sui Ping An – Peace All Year Round, by Hong Kong artist Freeman Lau, were installed in Civic Center Plaza and commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and coincides with the Lunar New Year. The public dedication took place on January 30 and will remain in place through March 10. The sculptures range in height from 16 to 20 feet. Each sculpture is illluminated from within with LED lighting. Segments of the lanterns were built in advance in Hong Kong and assembled onsite so public could observe the work in progress.
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| Mansell Street Corridor in McLaren Park had its opening celebration last Saturday. The $6.8 million renovation reconfigured two of the four lanes of traffic into a protected, two-way bike lane, a rubbery running path, and ample space for people of all ages to enjoy walking. Two lanes remain open for vehicle traffic. The one-mile stretch between Visitacion and Brazil avenues was originally constructed as an artery for a never-completed freeway. McLaren Park is San Francisco's second largest park. JOIN FRIENDS OF DUBOCE PARK
Annual Membership dues for a Supporting Member are $25 per person and entitle you to voting privileges and participation in the governance of the organization. Your dues help cover the few costs we have, such as our website, newsletter, movie nights, and insurance.
Your tax deductible membership is gratefully accepted and should be sent to Friends of Duboce Park, 79 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA 94117. Friends of Duboce Park are a 501(c)(3) organization. General Membership is still available at no cost but does not carry any voting privileges. Another way to show your support is by getting involved. If you are interested, please contact President Doug Woo at doug@friendsofdubocepark.org.
Our Mission Statement includes the following: "to organize and represent the collective interests regarding Duboce Park; to beautify and promote safety within Duboce Park; and, to initiate and/or support beneficial neighborhood projects on behalf of Duboce Park."
Thursday, February 9, 6-8 p.m. Photo Lecture Series. Harvey Milk Photo Center. Visit harveymilkphotocenter.org.
Saturday, February 11, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.
Saturday, February 11, 5:30-8 p.m. Opening Reception: Nocturnes & Noir – A Juried Night Photography Exhibit. Harvey Milk Photo Center. Visit harveymilkphotocenter.org.
Monday, February 13, 7-9 p.m. Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association General Meeting. Gazebo on CPMC Davies Campus. Visit dtna.org.
Saturday, March 11, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.
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