HARVEY MILK HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR DECEMBER 11

The Harvey Milk Center for the Arts (50 Scott Street) is hosting its annual Holiday Craft Fair this Sunday, December 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event showcases 32 local artists offering their unique handmade holiday gifts for sale in the Recreation Center Ballroom and the Photo Center Exhibition Room.

There will be family friendly craft activities for kids in the Photo Center and the always popular free Photo Booth with lots of great props in the lobby. The photos will be uploaded to the Photo

Center website after the event. Free hot apple cider will be served; popcorn and pastries will be available for purchase. . For more information, contact Kristin Borup at 415-554-8742 or hmcaevents@sfgov.org.

WINTER CLASS REGISTRATION DECEMBER 17

Registration for Winter activities, programs, and classes begins on December 17 at 10 a.m., offering courses for all ages: tots; youth; tweens & teens; adults; and, adults 55 and older.

A complete listing of all courses, with descriptions, times, and costs is available online at sfreconline.org or in the 64-page catalogue available at the Rec Center or Photo Center. You can register online at sfrecpark.org/register or call the registration hotline at (628) 652-2900. Rec and Park offer annual Recreation Scholarships to eligible, low-income individuals and families. Call Lillian Bautista, Scholarship Coordinator, at (415) 831-2717 for information on how to qualify.

Classes available at Harvey Milk Recreation Center include: Ballet (for ages 5-7); Beginning Ukulele; BollyX; Chinese Folk Dance; Dance/Exercise; Healing Yoga; International Folk Dance; Little People’s Art Studio (for ages 2.5-5); Portfolio Development Workshop; Synthesizer; Textiles; Watercolor & Narrative for Seniors (55 and older); and, Virtual Creative Art Exploration (for ages 10-13). Courses at the Harvey Milk Photo Center are listed in the Photo Center article below.

CAMP MATHER LOTTERY BEGINS

The Camp Mather lottery opened on Monday, December 5 and continues through January 6, 2023. Family Camp will run in weeklong sessions from June 4 through August 19. Camp Mather has been used by San Francisco families since the 1920’s.

There’s swimming, recreation activities, hiking and biking, games, horseback riding, fishing, young children’s programs, arts and crafts, and it’s the perfect center for sightseeing in the area. To register for the lottery, you will need a Rec and Park account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one at here or call (628) 652-2900 for assistance. Registrants will need to upload a verification of San Francisco residency after a lottery application has been submitted, with the deadline for this on January 6, 2023. For more information, including rule and regulations, as well as fees, click this link.

MAINTENANCE UPDATE

Much of the Dog Play Area was fenced off on December for three months to allow turf restoration. The closed off area measures 60 feet wide by 216 feet long (that’s 12,960 square feet or 1440 square yards or almost 0.3 acres) and will reopen on February 28. After the area is aerated and seed added, it needs time to recover and grow. The most damaged zones are being prepped for new sod to be laid.

There have been more brown spots in the park than usual, which typically turn to mud during heavy rain. Michelle Pallavicini, Park Services Manager, explained in a September email, “The Irrigation lines and valves feeding east from the Recreation Center down through the People Only lawn have been breaking one right after the other. We are having a difficult time getting the plumbers to make the repairs. This has caused the issues of inconsistent watering patterns.” Irrigation repairs are mostly done but some work remains.

The bollard and cable fencing around Dog Play Area has been replaced. The original fence rotted out and was posing a safety hazard and could no longer be patched up. The drinking fountains in the DPA are both now working.

Rec and Park has ordered a new slide to replace the missing slide in the Children’s Playground and it is supposed to arrive this month and be installed in January. Rec and Park also ordered a new crawl tube in the tot section to replace the current one, which has a crack.

PHOTO CENTER: PHOTO SHOW, CLASSES

Nomadic Lives, the current show at the Harvey Milk Photo Center, features photographers Jamie Johnson and Norma I. Quintana, who chronicle the everyday lives of Irish Travellers and an American one-ring circus. As documentarians, both photographers capture their subjects by embedding themselves in the community. The show continues through January 23.

Jamie Johnson has traveled to Ireland several times to understand the customs of a people who live on the margins of mainstream society. Norma I. Quintana spent a decade following the same circus troop, observing artistic roles and relationships evolve.

Registration for Winter Classes at the Photo Center begins on December 17.More information and details are available here. The Photo Center is closed on Monday, Friday, and Sunday. It is open from 3 p.m.-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will closed from December 23 to January 2. The next one-hour Photo Center Orientations will be offered from 11 a.m.-noon on the following Saturdays: January 14 and 28 and February 11 and 25.

PARKS IN THE NEWS

Voters have ensured the car-free JFK Promenade is here to stay. What was once a dangerous street has been transformed into a place for recreation, art, music, and human connection. The feedback from this long public process has been invaluable.

Check out the San Francisco Chronicle’s recent article on the best new parks that opened in San Francisco during the COVID-era. The article highlights the variation and vibrancy of San Francisco’s parks amid the many grim things going on in the world. From Shoreview Park to Willie ‘Woo Woo’ Wong Playground (picture at right), check out the full list at this link.

San Francisco has been honored by National Geographic in its Best of the World list – Family category. Our city is one of the 25 destinations and travel experiences that showcase our beautiful world and diverse community. Highlighted within this piece is San Francisco’s parks, which includes Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, Lands End and more! Read about them here.

Skateboarders and neighbors celebrated recent improvements to the Waller Street Skate Park at the eastern edge of Golden Gate Park on October 25, a project spearheaded by local skaters who helped shape its inclusive design that honors its street skateboarding roots. The improvements aren’t just a makeover but a transformation of the area from informal gathering spot to officially sanctioned skate park. It’s the first time in the nation that a city has transformed a decommissioned street into a permitted skate park.

The Corona Heights trails reopened to the public in early October. Those trails were proactively closed to help reduce the potential for coyote conflict with the public during the pupping season.

The Japanese Tea Garden’s towering pagoda, one of the few surviving structures from the 1915 world’s fair, has been revived to its former glory following a meticulous restoration. The pagoda was built as temporary indoor display in the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition’s Palace of Food Products and was relocated to the Japanese Tea Garden in 1916.

MOVIE NIGHT APRIL 29 – TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Save the date. Movie Night returns to Duboce Park on Saturday, April 29 with Top Gun: Maverick. The 2022 action film is a sequel to the 1986 Top Gun with Tom Cruise reprising his starring role as the naval aviator Maverick. Top Gun was the highest-grossing film of 2022, grossing $1.487 billion, the highest grossing film of Cruise’s career.

In the film, Maverick confronts his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his deceased best friend, for a dangerous mission.

The movie will start around 8 p.m. when it gets dark. Friends of Duboce Park will once again have a refreshment stand with popcorn, healthy snacks, and cocoa.

COYOTE TIPS

Coyotes have been spotted in our parks and on our streets. They are naturally wary of people but can habituate to our presence and the reliable food sources that we provide. San Francisco Animal Care and Control has these tips if you encounter a coyote:

• Walk away. Keep moving away from the coyote. Don’t run.
• Pick up small dogs and carry them if you see a coyote.
• Do not let your dog interact with a coyote. Do not allow dogs to chase coyotes.
• Keep your dog on leash – even in designated off leash areas – if coyotes are present.
• If a coyote approaches you – shout, wave your arms, stomp your feet. The goal is to startle the coyote and encourage them to move away. It is unlawful to harass or injure coyotes.
• Carry a cane/stick, an air horn or a whistle with you on walks.
• Never let a coyote come between you and your child or pet.

Janet Kessler, an Upper Noe Valley resident, shared her excellent presentation on San Francisco coyotes to the Telegraph Hill Neighbors on Next Door: https://youtu.be/I1EWHOimG0c. More information is available at project coyote.org.

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, 71 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.

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.”

DECEMBER-JANUARY CALENDAR

Sunday, December 11, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Holiday Craft Fair. Harvey Milk Center for the Arts.

Tuesday, December 13, 6:30-8 p.m. Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association General Meeting and Holiday Celebration. Harvey Milk Recreation Center for the Arts, 50 Scott St. and via Zoom. Visit dtna.org.

Saturday, December 17, 10 a.m. Winter Class Registration. Visit sfrecpark.org/regioster or call (628) 652-2900.

Wednesday, December 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Park Station Community Meeting via Zoom. RSVP to community@sfsafesafe.org.

Saturday, January 14, 10 a.m.-noon. Friends of Duboce Park Volunteer Day. Contact rose@friendsofdubocepark.org.

Wednesday, January 28, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Park Station Community Meeting via Zoom. RSVP to community@sfsafesafe.org.