The Week That Was: October 13 -18, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009Posted by
Reflindo
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Tuesday October 13, 2009
This morning I attended a Parks Trust Board Meeting in which the Board voted to move forward on a Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) campaign for our Rec Centers. While San Franciscans have generously approved two bond measures this decade to rebuild rec centers, parks and playgrounds, remarkably, neither measure provided any funding to actually put new stuff in our rec centers. Kudos to the Parks Trust for taking on this badly needed philanthropic initiative. Wanna help? Visit http://www.sfpt.org/.
Wednesday October 14, 2009
I flew out to Salt Lake City for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA)'s Urban Park Summit, which highlighted the importance of urban parks in national urban policy and federal legislation.
The conference brought together federal agency officials, mayors and directors of park departments from across the country for a roundtable discussion on the needs of urban parks and some of the exciting opportunities that are available to help park districts meet the needs of their communities.
It was an honor to be a part of such a distinguished group of "park" people-- people who understand the challenges we face as park professionals and who also believe in the valuable role parks play in enriching our citizens' quality of life. Getting the White House on board and included in the discussion is a key step in advancing our collective agenda.
Thursday October 15, 2009
Most of us remember where we were when we felt or heard news of the big Loma Prieta earthquake that rocked the Bay Area 20 years ago. With the 1989 World Series about to start, the nation had a glimpse into our world as news of the quake was broadcast across the nation. No one can forget the images of houses in the Marina on fire or the devastating collapse of the Cypress Freeway.
Since then, communities up and down the state have participated in emergency preparedness drills to better prepare themselves if and when The Big One hits.
At Rec and Park today, our Department took part in The Big Rumble and Great California ShakeOut drill, a statewide emergency preparedness drill that was part of a weeklong series of events recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta.
At 10:15 a.m. (on 10/15) we opened our Department Emergency Operations Center, which mirrors the City’s emergency operations center and allows for communication with other city agencies and within our own department. We received site reports from 75 facilities which significantly exceeded our expectations for the event. Our participation also enabled the Department to verify basic site and staff preparedness. The drill results showed that 99% of sites had an up-to-date Site Emergency Action Plan and that staff training was completed to help ensure we know what to do. By all reports, this exercise went better than expected.
Disaster preparedness is highly important for San Francisco and the Department. Like schools and libraries, Recreation and Parks is in every community and will be turned to for assistance and leadership in the event of a disaster. Obviously, we need to be prepared. To help ensure we fulfill those roles, it is my goal that we demonstrate to the people in our community, through at least two Department-wide drills per year, the proficiency and services they can expect from us in a disaster.
I was invigorated by our success today and look forward to our next opportunity, in Spring 2010, to further demonstrate our abilities.
Saturday October 17, 2009
Our Volunteer Program oversees more than 88,000 volunteer hours in our parks each year, whether it’s for park beautification, habitat restoration or recreation programs. In its 30th year, the Volunteer Program is an essential cog in our Department, offering the public opportunities to get involved with their parks on a number of levels.
The Natural Areas Program, in its 12th year, looks to restore and enhance remnant natural areas in the city. Some of the natural areas that you may be familiar with are Twin Peaks, Lake Merced, and Glen Canyon Park. Natural areas contain rich, diverse plant and animal communities such as oak woodlands, creeks, lakes, grasslands, sand dunes, scrub, and rock outcrops. In many cases these nature preserves are the only places where wildlife such as the red-tailed hawk, gray fox, great horned owl, and endangered mission blue butterfly still live and thrive in the city.
The Natural Areas Program, in its 12th year, looks to restore and enhance remnant natural areas in the city. Some of the natural areas that you may be familiar with are Twin Peaks, Lake Merced, and Glen Canyon Park. Natural areas contain rich, diverse plant and animal communities such as oak woodlands, creeks, lakes, grasslands, sand dunes, scrub, and rock outcrops. In many cases these nature preserves are the only places where wildlife such as the red-tailed hawk, gray fox, great horned owl, and endangered mission blue butterfly still live and thrive in the city.
On Saturday, the Volunteer Program and Natural Areas Program hosted a BBQ and Open House event at their headquarters near Kezar Pavilion. Unfortunately, I had a schedule conflict and wasn’t able to attend, but I really wish I had the opportunity to thank again some of the men and women (and even kids) who regularly dedicate their time and energy towards improving 
and enhancing our park spaces. We truly value their spirit and energy.A special thanks goes to all of the event organizers, as well as to the program directors, Kristin Bowman (Volunteers) and Lisa Wayne (NAP). To find out more about how you can get involved with your local park, call (415) 831-6325 or email Kristin at Kristin.bowman@sfgov.org.
Sunday October 18, 2009
On Sunday, the Nike Women’s Marathon kicked off and ended at Union Square. This popular annual race benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and if you’ve ever been by the Square in the days leading up to the big race, you know that the place is full of energy and excitement. Each year, we at Rec and Park are honored to work with Nike and event organizers to help facilitate such an important and noteworthy cause.
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