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DUBOCE PARK UPDATE – APRIL 6, 2017
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| 10TH ANNUAL DOGFEST APRIL 22TH
DogFest returns to Duboce Park on Saturday, April 22th from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. This annual event is a celebration of dogs and kids benefitting McKinley Elementary School, a K-5 public school at Castro and 14th Streets. The festival offers something for dogs, kids, and parents of both breeds.
There are lots of great competitions for dogs and their human owners. Celebrity judges will pick winners in eight categories: Best Costume, Best Tail, Best Trick, Best Coat, Best Mutt, Best Ears, and Best Lap Dog. Register your dog to be part of the contests at sfdogfest.com.
There’s also the Most Openly Corrupt Best-In-Show category. Here’s how that works: the winners of each of the main categories (bark, trick, etc.) and anyone who wants to buy their way in for $50 will be entered in the final contest of the day, the Openly Corrupt Best-In-Show contest. The audience will then vote for their favorite dog by putting donations into different buckets for the different dogs. At the end, the dog with the most donations will be crowned Best-In-Show. It really is corrupt, but it’s all in good fun with the goal of raising the most money possible for the school.
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| The very entertaining Daniel Handler, best known for his work under the pen name Lemony Snicket, will once again be the Master of Ceremonies for the Dog Show. The celebrity judges include: Leah Garchik, Chronicle columnist; the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Neal Gottleib, found of Three Twins Ice Cream, and Katy Wilcoxen.
There’s also a raffle, a silent auction, a Chow Zone, a Rescue Zone, and a Kid Carnival featuring carnival games, bouncy houses, balloon animals, face painting, children’s activities, baked goods, cotton candy, popcorn, and snow cones. Cheer SF will provide the intermission entertainment with some spectacular cheerleading routines.
All the proceeds from the event goes directly to support the academic and enrichment programs for more than 350 children at McKinley. For more information, the schedule of events, or to register your dog for a contest, visit www.mckinleyschool.org/dog-show/.
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Join the Friends of Duboce Park at our next volunteer day this Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m.-noon. We will be cleaning the equipment in preparation for repainting the play structures. The painting is a donation using funds from our last tag sale. We are always supervised by a Rec & Park gardener and all supplies, plants, tools, and gloves will be provided.
A special thanks to all of the volunteers who weeded and replanted the Pierce Street planting circle and removed a fallen bush from the planting triangle near the basketball courts. Check out the circle the next time you are walking through the park.
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 187,000 hours of their time and energy to improving our 225 parks and recreation facilities in 2016.
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| SUMMER DAY CAMPS AT REC CENTER
Rec and Park is offering more than 90 different camps this summer, including 12 art camps at the Harvey Milk Recreation Center for the Arts. There are two-week camps for each of four age groups (7-8, 9-10, and 11-12 years old) that offer intensive art making where campers can explore and develop their artistic abilities in art, dance, theater, and technology. The activities require the ability to follow multi-step processes and normal hand dexterity.
Drop off is no earlier than 9:30 a.m. and pickup is no later than 3:30 p.m. Extended care is available from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Details can be found in the 2017 Summer Day Camp Guide, which is available at the Rec Center or online at sfRecOnline.org. Summer Camps begin inJune and end in early August and are led by talented art specialists.
Registration began on March 18 and spots filled almost immediately, so sign up now to reserve a spot. The fee to participate is $430. Rec and Parks does offer Recreation Scholarships to eligible individuals and families. Ongoing eligibility is dependent on attendance record. Please call Lillian Bautista, Scholarship Coordinator, at (415) 831-2717 for information on how to qualify. Campers should arrive with a healthy lunch, snack, and water bottle daily.
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Most of the areas of the park that were fenced off during the recent rains are now open again, including the new grass laid near the Potomac Street benches and a huge section of the Dog Play Area. There are still a few areas that are still fenced off to allow them to recover from the recent winter rains: the southeast corner near Duboce and Steiner streets, an area near the house on Steiner Street that abuts the park, and a small area in the middle of the Dog Play Area. 23 athletic fields around the city remain closed due to wet conditions.
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| 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 the next month or two...The new drinking fountain that was installed near the Muni stop includes a water bottle refilling station and dog water bowl at the base...Graffiti remains a constant problem and Rec and Park does a good job of removing it within 24-48 hours of receiving a report.
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| The worn areas of the rubber surfaces of the playground and Youth Play Area have been filled but with colors that contrast with the original color. Further, the patches have a very irregular shape and we have requested more geometric repairs, e.g., all rectangles and/or cirlces.
According to Michelle Pallavicini, Park Section Supervisor, Rec and Park has “a severe shortage of the rubber product for about six months, so many of the safety priority repairs were dealt with first and with what product they had left in store. Many of the parks in the system are exhibiting the same wear patterns as Duboce…the (maintenance) yard has received a new supply of rubber product and they are making their way around to all the facilities to get these repairs accomplished. As for the irregular patterning...we are pushing along a more uniformed neutral aesthetic…I have work orders for repairs in process.”
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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| NINE TEXTILE CLASSES OFFERED
Introduction to Sewing is a wonderful opportunity for beginners and anyone who wants to polish their sewing skills. Students will complete multiple projects from beginning to end while exploring their creativity and learning concrete sewing skills and techniques that will last a lifetime. The class will also focus on re-purposing and re-imagining materials into amazing things that you’ll be proud to show off. Projects include reusable cloth napkins, a farmer’s market tote bag, hostess apron, and much more.
There are a total of nine individual textile classes currently being offered at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts: Introduction to Sewing (two classes) , Intermediate Sewing, Kids Knit and Crochet (two), Knitting: All Levels, Sewing Together (two), and Tween Fashion Star.
There are also courses for Adults & Teens: Art; Digital Arts & New Media; Dance; and Fitness/Yoga. Other classes for Tots & Youth include: Digital Sound Arts; Little People’s Art Studio; and Tot Space – Roly-Polys. The complete catalogue of classes and activities is available here.
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| SHUTTERSPEED SKATE + PHOTO EXHIBIT APRIL 22
ShutterSpeed is an international exhibition and event that invites you to open your mind and discover the intersection of photography, art, and the athleticism of skateboarding. Observe the raw fusion where the artist meets the landscape, creating a culture of street skating within the beautiful, picturesque city of San Francisco.
San Francisco boasts unparalleled geography, with its crooked streets and hills, creating a dream destination for skateboarders. ShutterSpeed celebrates skate culture with a gallery exhibition of art and photography by Bay Area locals and legends. A special thanks to Fred Montagne for use of his stunning image for Shutterspeed cover photo, shown above right. More information is available here.
San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department is celebrating the art of skate boarding with five public skate parks located at: Hilltop Park & Skate Park, located at La Salle & Whitney Young Circle; Balboa Skate Park, Ocean & San Jose; Crocker Amazon Skate Park, 1700 Geneva Ave; Potrero Del Sol Skate Park, Potrero & Army.; and, SOMA West Skate Park, under the Central Freeway at the corner of Duboce and Otis Street, right next to Mission Street.
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| FEATURED PHOTO CLASSES – INSTRUCTIONAL PHOTO WALKS
The Harvey Milk Photo Center offers numerous introductory photography courses as part of their Spring 2017 class schedule, including on location instructional photo walks. Two photo walks scheduled in the next week are featured below. The complete class schedule and
description of courses is available here.
Join fellow photographers on an instructional nature walk in Muir Woods on Tuesday April 11. You will learn to compose beautiful imagery of the redwood forest and weaving paths of Muir Woods Trail and to develop a personal narrative of your own creation.
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| Two days later, on Thursday April 13, a class will venture into the side alleys of the Mission District to capture the colorful murals and creative graffiti in the area and record art that may not be there tomorrow. Please note that the classes involve walking that may be moderately strenuous to some people.
The Photo Center is looking for volunteers to help run their wet darkroom and digital lab. Contact the Center at 415-554-9522 to sign up. Established volunteers are welcome to take a complimentary course of their choosing each season.
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Inclement weather has delayed many park renovation since the soil can’t dry fast enough to begin work. Work at a about eight park projects were temporarily stopped during the strong rains this winter, including Mountain Lake Park Playground, Alamo Square, 17th and Folsom (new park), Glen Canyon Recreation Center, Noe Courts, Balboa Pool, Randall Museum, and the Panhandle. There are still fences up in Duboce Park as a result of the rain.
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| After weekend revelers packed Dolores Park this past sunny weekend, Rec and Park employees spent 44 hours cleaning up the mess left behind, using “460 trash bags to collect litter that did not end up in trash cans on the perimeter of the Park,” according to Rec and Park spokesperson Sarah Madland. Recology did empty overflowing bins late Saturday afternoon but Sunday’s crowds created another mess. Madland told SFist that “Rec and Park spent millions of dollars upgrading Dolores Park (last year)…including increasing waste capacity by 20,000 gallons, and increasing the amount of toilers (from four) to 27.”
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| This year's Spring Eggstravaganza at Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate park on April 15 will feature egg hunts, carnival rides, games, live entertainment, food trucks and the highly anticipated annual Rib Cook-Off between SF Rec and Park, SF Fire, SF Police and other city departments...The Parks Alliance has named Drew Becher as its new chief executive officer. Becher’s experience includes more than 20 years in national and regional park planning, advocacy, and philanthropy. He most recently led the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as its president and CEO. The Parks Alliance is a leading advocate at City Hall for funding of the city’s numerous parks and recreation facilities.
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| San Francisco's newest sports team, the Deltas, a professional soccer team in the North American Soccer League, played their first home game at the historic Kezar Stadium on March 25, playing the Indy 11 to a 1-1 tie. Tickets are now available for single match tickets, season half-packs and season tickets, starting as low as $17 per match. The Deltas' next home game is this Saturday, April 8 at 7 p.m. versus North Carolina FC. The Deltas purchased and installed over 3,800 seats from Candlestick Park in 2016.
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| La Playa Park, located at the end of N Judah line at Judah and La Playa streets, is part of the Planning Department’s use of the Ground Play program, which aims to “build temporary installations that transform underused public spaces into community places.” Under the Ground Play program, City agencies collaborate with with non-profits and arts organizations to create temporary urban installations aimed at bringing communities together...the decline of paid parking at the Union Square Garage is projected to create a revenue shortfall of $1.3 million next year, according to Katie Petrucione, director of administration and finance at Rec and Park. There are many reasons: people are using public transportation or taking Lyft or Uber, Central Subway construction on Stockton Street, and more people using online shopping.
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| The Board of Supervisors voted in early last month to certify the final environmental report for a restoration plan of Sharp Park, which means the city will continue to operate the golf course located in Pacifica. The vote ended an eight-year legal and political fight between golf advocates and environmentalists, who wanted to protect the endangered San Francisco garter snake and California red-legged frog.
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| Rec and Park is thinking about lighting the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park in a similar fashion to the way the Bay Bridge and City Hall are lit. Supporters are in the process of raising $100,000 for the project. Ben Davis, the artist behind the Bay Lights on the bridge, is involved in the design.
The Planning Department finished a census of San Francisco’s trees, a process that took over a year. The results showed that we have 124,795 trees on our streets. The Open Tree Map allows residents to look up nearly any public tree in the city. Those nearly 125,000 trees sequester more than 19 million pounds of carbon dioxide every year, while filtering more than 100 million gallons of stormwater.
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."
Saturday, April 8, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.
Monday, April 10 7-9 p.m. Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association General Meeting. Gazebo on CPMC Davies Campus. Visit dtna.org.
Saturday, April 22, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 10th Annual DogFest. Duboce Park. Visit http://mckinleyschool.org/dogfest/.
Saturday, April 22, 5-8 p.m. Opening Reception of Shutterspeed: Skate + Photo Exhibit. Harvey Milk Photo Center. Visit harveymilkphotocenter.org.
Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.
Thursday, May 25, 6-8 p.m. Photo Lecture Series. Harvey Milk Photo Center. Visit harveymilkphotocenter.org.
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