Edwin M. Lee, Mayor Recreation and Park Commission Minutes November 16, 2017

Edwin M. Lee, Mayor Recreation and Park Commission Minutes November 16, 2017 Commission President Mark Buell called the Recreation and Park Commission meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. on Thursday, November 16, 2017. ROLL CALL Present Mark Buell Allan Low Kat Anderson Gloria Bonilla Tom Harrison Eric McDonnell Absent Larry Mazzola, Jr. PRESIDENT’S REPORT Commissioner Buell: Let me make two observations and these have to do with the request that we adjourn today’s meeting in the memory of two distinguished park advocates. Former Commissioner Larry Martin was a dedicated city employee whose career began at MUNI in 1966. He served not only on the Recreation and Park Commission but also on the Planning Commission and the Human Rights Commission. Larry was a respected leader of the Transport Workers Union Local 250A and at the same time worked hard on behalf of the people of San Francisco who benefitted from his dedication to the city. Sadly, as well advocate May Wong was one of the city’s most dedicated park advocates. She not only showed up at our Commission meetings but also at the Board of Supervisors and worked hard on behalf of her neighborhood causes. She was one of the founders of Sunday in the Park McLaren free concert series at Jerry Garcia amphitheater, was active in park philanthropy and in volunteering. May was a strong advocate and also a kind, affable person who helped to instill an atmosphere of respect. That concludes my report. GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT Phil Ginsburg: Good morning Commissioners, a few different announcements. So, it is a month of giving thanks and last Sunday nearly 10,000 soccer fans were very grateful to see the San Francisco Deltas win the North American Soccer League Championship at Kezar against the New York Cosmos. In their inaugural season the Deltas accomplished what very few professional teams have done in any sport on any level and I really want to thank the entire Deltas organization for their efforts and inspiring a new generation of soccer fans in San Francisco, for their commitment to providing affordable family friendly entertainment, for their organizational values and their investment in Kezar stadium. It’s been well reported that the state of US soccer is in a bit of turmoil and the North American Soccer League may or may not survive. They didn’t just play with grace and class, they ran their organization well and we’re grateful. Later this afternoon at 3:30 I will be joining Supervisor Katy Tang and hopefully some of you and several others in reopening the athletic fields at West Sunset Playground after a $13.6 million project funded by the 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond for which we have San Francisco voters to thank. The project has resulted in what is arguably the city’s finest baseball complex including two new batting cages courtesy of a $40,000 donation from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund which is supported by Major Leagues Baseball and our San Francisco Giants. In addition to the baseball field upgrades the park sport courts were resurfaced, renovations for the park soccer fields and the stadium bleachers were also upgraded. Join us today for the grand opening. Thanks to Dan Mauer. It’s November but it is time to think about baseball. This Saturday November 18 is the start of the registration period of the 2018 San Francisco Youth Baseball League Season. Each spring SFYBL served approximately 4,000 youth baseball players, girls and boys, ages four to fourteen from tee ball to competitive Pony League levels. SFYBL includes an all-girls Division featuring our amazing San Francisco Bay Socks. Individual and team signups are available. Also, this Saturday November 18 please join us at Shoreview Park for a community fun day and planning workshop at one of our newest parks in the Bayview neighborhood. Shoreview is a nearly one-acre site originally owned by the Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure, formerly the Redevelopment Agency and was acquired in June with the goal of renovating the site. The planning phase started in July and will continue through next spring with an anticipated reopening in 2019. The renovated park will include a new children’s play area, picnic area, irrigation upgrades, landscape areas, lighting and a new accessible pathway. Next week as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday San Francisco Unified School District students will find themselves with an entire week off from school and that includes one of my own. It’s a first for San Francisco families. I’m very proud to announce that Recreation and Park is helping to provide city kids with fun programs by offering seven Thanksgiving week camps from basketball and tennis to eco-camp and rock climbing. The camps will be Monday through Wednesday of next week. We still have a few openings. I’m very pleased to report that most camps are already close to capacity but if you are looking for something for your kids next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday please check out our availability. On Thursday December 7, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. we want to invite everyone to join us at an extremely special holiday event in Golden Gate Park from McLaren to Conservatory Valley we’ll kick off the holiday season in style with toboggan rides, a snow play area, live entertainment, carnival rides, and visits from Santa maybe his elves. At 6:00 p.m. we’ll be lighting we are calling this Golden Gate Park Winter Lights. We are expanding our normal program this year. At 6:00 p.m. we’ll light San Francisco’s official holiday tree for the 88th time and at 7:00 p.m. we’ll light the Conservatory of Flowers in an amazing illuminated art show the sequel to this summer’s Summer of Love light show. Of course, we have many partners and friends that help us put on these events including the San Francisco Parks Alliance, Kaiser Permanente, Sports Basement, our Conservatory of Flowers, and others. I have two special recognitions to offer and one is for Lisa Branston. Last Friday November 10 the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals held its annual national philanthropy day luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel. The San Francisco Parks Alliance which is a sponsoring member of the event nominated our own Lisa Branston with the Spirit of Philanthropy award for her commitment to Let’sPlaySF! not to mention her leadership and work on numerous other projects in our Department including Crab Fest, our scholarship program, our bench program, Party for the Parks, her team’s work on the Golden Gate Park tennis projects and many others. I am please to present a small token of our nursery’s handiwork. Lisa Branston: It’s an honor to come to work every day in Golden Gate Park. I joke that I have the best title in city government, Director of Partnerships, because I am out every day with amazing partners from community groups to big nonprofits. Thank you. Phil Ginsburg: Last month I had the honor of attending the retirement party for Barbara Wenger and I wanted to take the opportunity to invite her here today to bid her an official commission congratulations. It’s a bittersweet moment for us at Recreation and Park as I noted at Barbara’s event. It’s an opportunity to thank and recognize her amazing contributions as one of our most valued park advocates but she is moving on after 23 years. In 1994 Barbara sowed the idea of activating Koshland Park and creating a park space where neighbors could meet, building community and plant something together. Today the fruits of her labor are evident. Community Grows, previously known at the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group, manages or is active at eight gardens in the Western Addition and beyond including a garden at the African-American art and culture complex, the Koshland Park community learning garden, the Hayward playground garden and kitchen, Alemany Farm. But more than that is the effect Barbara has had on our communities. As we look to do at Recreation and Park and model a lot of her amazing leadership Community Grows activates our parks, teaches our kids how to care for our resources, cultivates the next generation of park stewards, and kindness. As Barbara retires we want to thank her for her tireless efforts in the Western Addition as we look forward to continuing our partnership with Community Grows and in a role to be developed our partnership with Barbara. But I wanted to give her some special recognition today too. Barbara Wenger: In 1973 I was involved in the demolishing of a park that the community got together to go to the Trust for Public Land to ask them if they could turn this fire ravaged area into a park so in 1973 I was involved in the beginning of Koshland Park and I went through two renovations of it. My first experience with the Commission was going before you in 1994 when Mary Burns was the General Manager and bringing the community - big huge pumpkins that we had grown - asking for set-aside money for that park and also because it was involved with Hayes Valley north and south development. We took on Hayes Valley Playground and Clubhouse. When we got them renovated everybody said you should work with the kids in the housing development and do programs for them, so that’s how we started Community Grows and we did a program for teenagers called The Beats, we’ve had that program going since 2008 and they get a stipend to work and learn how to be stewards for the environment and do job youth development.

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