Current Newsletter

DUBOCE PARK UPDATE – JULY 6, 2017

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT AUGUST 19

20TH ANNUAL TAG SALE SEPT 9

VOLUNTEER DAY JULY 8

NEIGHBORS MEET POLICE IN PARK

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AUGUST 1

MAINTENANCE UPDATE

SUMMER MUSIC IN PARKS

JULY PHOTO CLASSES
TEXTILE, YOGA CLASSES START

PARKS IN THE NEWS

JOIN FRIENDS OF DUBOCE PARK

SUMMER CALENDAR

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT AUGUST 19 – “GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER” (1967)

Outdoor Movie Night returns to Duboce Park on Saturday, August 19, with the 1967 comedy-drama “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” starring Spencer Tracey, Sidney Poitier, and Katherine Hepburn, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Stanley Kramer), Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score.

The film contains a (then rare) positive representation of the controversial subject of interracial marriage. The film is notable for being the ninth and final on-screen pairing of Tracy and Hepburn, which filming ending just 17 days before Tracy’s death.

2011, and “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 2012, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in 2013, “So I Married an Axe Murderer” in 2014, and “Milk” in 2015, and “Inside Out” last year. The event is free and is sponsored by Friends of Duboce Park and San Francisco Recreation & Parks.

The movie begins around 8 p.m. Movies with a San Francisco theme have been shown at all of our previous Movie Nights: “Pursuit of Happyness” in 2010, “The Rock” in 2011, “The Incredibles” in 2011, and “Mrs. Doubtfire” in 2012, “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” in 2013, “So I Married an Axe Murderer” in 2014, and “Milk” in 2015, and “Inside Out” last year. The event is free and is sponsored by Friends of Duboce Park and San Francisco Recreation & Parks.

20TH ANNUAL TAG SALE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9

Start gathering your donations, our 20th Annual Tag Sale is Saturday, September 9, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Join the fun, socialize with your neighbors, and find a bargain that you just can’t resist. The proceeds of this year’s tag sale will pay for lighting fixtures for the dark alley on the west side of the Center, between Carmelita and Scott streets. Last year, the Tag Sale paid for a fresh coat of paint for the equipment in the playground and replacing two rusting slides in the playground.

We will start collecting donations on Tuesday, September 5, the day after Labor Day. Here’s a short list of items that can be donated: books, videos, clothes, linens, furniture, kitchen items, baskets, decorative, seasonal, sporting goods, toys, collectibles, and more.

Unfortunately, there are items that we cannot accept because Goodwill will not accept them (we take our leftover items there) and no one else wants them: items that are stained, torn, or broken; large appliances (washers, dishwashers, refrigerators); small non-working appliances (microwaves, toasters); non-working electronics; non-digital TVs, non-flat screen TVs; baby cribs; bed pillows, mattresses and water beds; snow skis; oil-based cleaning supplies, paints and thinners; computers, peripherals, and manuals; auto parts and tires; sinks and showers; piping; water heaters; bath tubs; stained carpets; and, infant and baby car seats.

Volunteers are always needed on the day of the Tag Sale: to help set up at 7 a.m.; salespeople for either the 9-11:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. shifts; and, a recycle and breakdown crew from 1-2:30 p.m. This event is always fun for the whole family and there are always irresistible bargains. Save the date and plan on participating in the fun! If you have any questions, would like to volunteer, or need help getting your donations to the Tag Sale, please e-mail Rosie at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or at Doug at doug@friendsofdubocepark.org.

NEXT VOLUNTEER DAY SATURDAY JULY 8

Join the Friends of Duboce Park at our next volunteer day this Saturday, July 8, from 10 a.m.-noon. Last month we planted a tree on the west hill and refreshed the little kids’ flower bed in Children’s Playground this month. In May, we weeded and pruned the planting beds on the east side of the Harvey Milk Center near the basketball courts.

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.

NEIGHBORS MEET POLICE IN PARK

About 30 Duboce Triangle neighbors attended Meet the Beat, held outside at the Scott Street Labyrinth on June 29 from 6-7:30 p.m.

Park Station Officers Sung, Whitfield, Ng, and Prillinger were on hand to discuss public safety in the Duboce Triangle, address continuing problems and issues, listen to resident complaints, and answer questions. All four officers were very familiar with the Duboce Triangle and Duboce Park and Officer Whitefield was raised on the 400 block of Duboce and played in Duboce Park as a child.

The format was very casual and neighbors were encouraged to talk about whatever was of interest to them. The flyer advertised that Park Station wanted to know our perspectives on crime, community policing, and the collaboration between the police and the Duboce Triangle.

A few neighbors complained, include one person who was frustrated after having her car window broken twice recently and another person who complained about homeless encampments, including one at 15th and Noe. But many people also complimented Park Station on the job they have been doing in the Triangle and many said they feel safer since Capt. Sanford became commander at Park Station in April 2015 and when all of the Triangle became served by one police station instead of three in July 2015.

The event was sponsored by Park Station and their Community Police Advisory Board, which is comprised of neighborhood leaders from the Park Station district.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT – AUGUST 1, 5-7:30 P.M.

SFPD will again sponsor the annual National Night Out Against Crime (NNO) events in San Francisco on Tuesday, August 1, from 5-7:30 p.m. with all San Francisco police stations participating. National Night Out is the country’s united effort to promote neighborhood involvement to help stem crime and create safer neighborhoods. This is accomplished through strengthening police-community relations and encouraging neighborhood camaraderie by hosting neighborhood events such as NNO. This community event is free and everyone is welcome.

For the second year in a row, Park Station is hosting the event for the Duboce Triangle and the Park District in the Harvey Milk Photo Center Exhibition Room and the upper lawn area and patio just outside the room. NNO was a huge success last year, judging by the number of people attending. Kids especially liked climbing on the police motorcycle and police car, interacting with the police horse, and doing arts and crafts. They will all be there again, along with dance performances and dance lessons, hula hoop lessons and demonstrations, basketball, and more. Park Station will be bringing a motorcycle, a police car, a police horse, and a police dog. SAFE and other safety organizations will also be there to provide information and tips on health and safety.

This is a great chance to meet and interact with Capt. Sanford and other officers from Park Station who patrol the Duboce Triangle and Duboce Park. They have been very responsive to our concerns and we now have a dedicated foot patrol that goes through the park on a regular basis. Light snacks will be served.

MAINTENANCE UPDATE

Two huge trees fell on the Scott Street side of Duboce Park on June 22. Both trees were located on the lawn near the passageway next to the Harvey Milk Center. The tree right behind the fence of the last house on Carmelita fell in a southeast direction, taking out a second tree nearby. No one was hurt but there was damage to the fence and backyard of the Carmelita residence as well as gouges and scratches in the alleyway and building and on the north side of the Rec Center. There was no damage to the mosaic base of the light pole.

Worn areas of the rubber surfaces of the Playground and Youth Play Area were filled again using colors that contrast with the original colors and have a very irregular shape. We have requested more geometrically-shaped repairs, e.g., all rectangles and/or circles, and colors that match.

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… yes, we are pushing along a more uniformed neutral aesthetic…I have work orders for repairs in process.”

The rainy season rejuvenated the lawns and they all looked green and lush for a few weeks, but many areas have turned brown again since they haven’t gotten enough water to keep them green. Part of the southeast corner of the Dog Play Area is still fenced off to allow that area to fully recover from the rains.

We are waiting for a new park bulletin board insert after our last one was vandalized again for the fourth time, including three times in the 18 months. In the most recent incident on May 7, the lock was broken and the plastic door was smashed beyond repair. The lock was also broken last December and all of the posted content was removed but only the lock was damaged and Rec and Park replaced the lock a few days later. We are hoping to get one that is more durable than the previous ones.

Friends of Duboce Park purchased a second new bulletin board at a cost of $450 last October to replace one that was damaged in January 2016 when someone punched a hole in the plastic door and bent its aluminum frame, allowing moisture to get inside. One was also replaced in April 2015.

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.

SUMMER MUSIC IN PARKS

There’s a lot of free music in our parks this summer. Some concerts happening in July are listed below.

Stern Grove’s 80th Seasoncontinues this month with free concerts on Sundays at 2 p.m. The July lineup: July 9, San Francisco Symphony; July 16, Eric Burdon & The Animals with The Stone Foxes; July 23, Cumbia in the Grove with Los Angeles Azules; and, June 30, San Francisco Ballet. Sigmund Stern Grove is located at 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. Click herefor more information.

Flower Piano returns to the SF Botanical Garden from July 13-24. Music, community, and nature join forces once again in the heart of the city during the twelve-day, outdoor extravaganza known as Flower Piano, which transforms Botanical Garden into the city’s own alfresco concert hall, and everyone is invited to play and listen. Visitors will find twelve pianos tucked among the many flower-filled gardens within SFBG’s 55 acres and are encouraged to play what they like, from chopsticks to Tchaikovsky. On weekend days, event partner Sunset Piano has invited professional pianists and a whole host of other musicians to perform throughout the Garden as well, and the public is welcome to pack a picnic and enjoy the shows.

The 135th season of the Golden Gate Park Band continues through October 8. Concerts are held on Sundays, beginning at 1 p.m., in the Spreckels Temple of Music (aka The Bandshell) at the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park. The GGP Band has been performing free public concerts in GGP since 1882. Upcoming shows this month: July 9, Great Concert Band Music; July 16, Music for Youth!; July 23, Featured Composer: Antonin Dvorak; and, July 30, The World and Times of Gilbert and Sulllivan. More information is available here.

NEW PHOTO CLASSES

Sixteen Summer 2017 photography classes begin in July at the Harvey Milk Photo Center. This month we are featuring two introductory classes on style.

Developing Your Personal Vision, on Saturdays starting July 8, is designed for the intermediate photographer who wants to take their technical proficiency to the next level exploring concept, subject matter and self-expression. Emphasis is placed on developing a personal vision and approach to picture making. The class work can be done in any format — digital, film, black & white, or color. Solid basic photographic knowledge is required. The instructor will lead insightful, engaging critiques of student work, assign a theme and give individual feedback on the progress of the work.

In Create a Photostyle, on Sundays starting July 16, students will learn to enhance their personal photographic approach, vision, and style. The instructor will emphasize the importance of the frame and how to be selective when photographing. Students can shoot digital or analog cameras but should have an understanding of manual functions. Course time will be spent discussing contemporary photography, critiquing students work, and photographing on location.

The complete class schedule and description of all of the courses is listed online or you pick up the full catalogue of courses at the Center.

TEXTILE, YOGA CLASSES START IN JULY

Three textile classes begin this month at the Rec Center, including Creative Embroidery on Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m. starting July 12. Using the traditional sampler as a point of departure, students will learn several classic and artistic hand embroidery stitches, including drawing and writing with thread, embellishing garments, and creating original works of art. You will learn to add new technical skills to samplers each week, explore text and shading, and build your embroidery skills. The other textiles classes are: Intermediate Sewing, starting July 11 and Introduction to Sewing, July 13. Details on both can be found online.

Healing Yoga will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-2:30 p.m., starting on August 8 and 10, respectively. Yoga is an ancient practice used for developing strength and balance between mind and body. These classes will build your knowledge and skill in addition to teaching fundamental poses which will increase your flexibility, enhance muscle tone, and improve coordination. We provide a certain number of mats but encourage you to bring your own.

Not as many classes are offered during the summer months but Rec & Park still offers some great activities and classes. The complete catalogue of classes is available online or pickup the 82-page catalogue at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts.

PARKS IN THE NEWS

If you missed theSurrealistic Summer Solstice Concert and the lighting of theConservatory of Flowersin Golden Gate Park on June 21, the light art installation will continue to be on view through October 21, nightly from sundown until 10 p.m. The all-white landmark transforms into a series of exquisite scenes inspired by the rare tropical flowers within and the legacy of San Francisco’s flower children. The series of images includes spinning flower mandalas, animated butterflies, and much, much more!

Before Summer of Love Light Installation started that night, an estimated 15,000 people listened to the Surrealistic Summer Solstice concert that was held in front of theConservatory. The concert featured members of the Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the Chambers Brothers and over 40 legendary musicians who revisited the iconic songs of the late 1960s.

Starting on July 1, the city will for the first time take full responsibility for the care and maintenance of the nearly 124,800 street trees in the city’s right of way, ending the unpopular practice of making property owners care for most of the trees. Voters passed Prop E last November, which sets aside $19 million annually from the city’s general fund for Public Works to maintain the trees and the sidewalks surrounding them.

Mountain Lake Park Playgroundreopened on June 8 after a $3.15 million renovation project. Located in the Inner Richmond District, Mountain Lake Park is a 15.2-acre park situated on a band of land bordered by the Presidio to the north and Lake Street to the south. Park amenities include a lakeside beach area, fully-accessible children’s play area, freestanding restroom, sport courts, an off-leash dog play area, and large natural lawn areas. The initial project was inspired by a group of mothers who created Friends of Mountain Lake Playground in 2010.

Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblyman David Chiu joined community members and city officials for the grand opening of San Francisco’s newest park, In Chan Kaajal Park, on June 23. The new park at 17th and Folsom streets was transformed from a parking lot into a community park space complete with a central lawn area, outdoor stage area, children’s play area, adult fitness equipment, a community garden and an interactive water feature in tribute to the Mission Creek that once ran through the site. The park’s name, In Chan Kaajal, is Mayan, meaning “little town,” and was selected after a robust community process. Funding for this new $5.2 million park comes primarily from California Department of Parks and Recreation Statewide Park and Community Revitalization Grant monies.

Sections of Koret Children’s Playgroundnear the carousel in Golden Gate Park were closed as of June 25 after vandals torched the play structure, melting plastic on the slides and burning platforms. The fire caused major damage to the larger playground build for older children and destroyed much of the bouncy surface that the playground sits on. The swings, climbing wall, concrete slides and a smaller play structure remain open. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department estimates the damage could total up to $1 million.

Improvements to the northern pedestrian path in thePanhandle were completed after being temporary delayed during the past winter wet season. New LED lighting was completed in August 2015 and the installation of new trash cans, bicycle racks, and benches on the northern path have been finished last week. Portions of the pathway on the south sides of the Panhandle along Oak Street and between Oak and Fell streets will be closed for repaving.

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.”

SUMMER CALENDAR

Saturday, August 12, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.

Monday, August 14, 7-9 p.m. Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association General Meeting.Gazebo on CPMC Davies Campus. Visit dtna.org.

Saturday, August 19, 8-10 p.m. Outdoor Movie Night in Duboce Park. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

Saturday, September 9, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 20th Annual Friends of Duboce Park Tag Sale.

Saturday, September 16, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact Rose at rose@friendsofdubocepark.org or 415-255-8370.

Friends of Duboce Park