Recreation & Fun

This week feels like the calm before the storm.

This morning I attended a morning meeting of the Golden Gate Park Cultural Collaborative at the Japanese Tea Garden. This group meets about once every two months and includes representatives from all of the cultural institutions in and around the Music Concourse area (Botanical Garden, de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Japanese Tea Garden) and the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Garden, by the way, is looking great. The men and women who work here everyday are a dedicated bunch who obviously take great pride in their work. The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest of its kind in the United States, having been created from a temporary exhibit for the 1894 World’s Fair. Generations of San Franciscans and visitors have enjoyed the garden, and today, the garden remains one of the park’s most popular attractions.

Tuesday September 22

Today, I spent much of my day meeting with staff on performance plans for Fiscal Year 09-10. I also spent time preparing for a series of staff town hall meetings later this week. In the afternoon I was briefed about Rec and Park's role on the Capital Planning Committee, which includes the president of the Board of Supervisors, the Mayor’s Finance Director, the Controller, the City Planning Director, the Director of Public Works, the Airport Director, the Executive Director of the Municipal Transportation Agency, the General Manager of the Public Utilities system, the Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco, and me. Through a series of meetings, the Capital Planning Committee reviews proposals, staff recommendation and documents toward the development of a citywide capital plan and annual capital budget. Furthermore, the Committee establishes prioritization and assessment criteria to assist the City Administrator and staff in developing the capital plan. Not sexy stuff, but definitely critical to the City as a whole.

Wednesday September 23

This morning, I spoke to 450 teenagers at Lick-Wilmerding High School on the importance of public service and why working and volunteering for our parks might be meaningful to them. If you've ever spoken in front of 450 teenagers, you'll know that it's a little intimidating wondering if you'll be hip enough to relate to them. You either got it or you don't. Luckily for me, I think I pulled it off. Lick-Wilmerding is an independent high school on Ocean Avenue and one of the best schools in the nation. Students are exposed to a curriculum of “rigorous academics, technical arts, visual arts, performing arts and athletics” to produce well-rounded young men and women. School head Al Adams has been a longtime parks supporter and was an early advocate for more athletic fields in the city, which eventually evolved into the City Fields project. Almost all of the students I met have spent time in our city parks, rec centers and swimming pools, and on our tennis courts, golf courses and ball fields. It was truly refreshing to speak to these bright, young students and hear that our parks have influenced them in such a positive way.

From there, I attended the Botanical Garden Society's annual fundraiser, where Mayor Newsom was to be honored for his green initiatives. The Botanical Garden is a living, breathing outdoor museum that showcases some of the rarest and finest flora in the world, and it’s in all of our best interests to see that it’s around for generations to come.

Then, I facilitated a town hall meeting with about 90 of my rec directors, gardeners, maintenance crew and line staff at the Randall Museum. I discussed my vision for the department and answered lots of questions from staff.

Thursday September 24

I led another town hall meeting this morning -- this one at the County Fair building with about 200 staff. Town hall meetings are an invaluable way for me to meet face-to-face and hear what my staff has to say about the issues that are important to them, and for staff members to hear what some of their colleagues have to say. Things are not always feel-good at town hall meetings, nor do I expect them to be. I consider myself a straight shooter and I appreciate and respect that from my staff as well.

In the afternoon I met with SPUR executive director Gabe Metcalf to discuss ways in which SPUR could best support our department. SPUR, or the San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association, is a research, education and advocacy group that unites citizens on issues related to city planning.

Friday September 25

It was a fun day today. In the morning, I visited the Geneva Car Barn, a historic building built in 1901 that, for many years, served as the depot for the San Mateo Railroad and then all city rail lines. In 2004, ownership of the building was transferred to our department. Currently, there are long-term plans to restore the building and house youth fine art programs there. There will be studios, classrooms, event space, theatres and a cafe. An exciting vision....

From there, I visited the students and teachers of Argonne Elementary School who were hosting a field day in Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park. Truth be told, two of Argonne's students are my own daughters -- so on this day, my duties as GM and as a dad blissfully merged in one of Golden Gate Park's great meadows.

In the afternoon, I participated in a horticulture tour of the AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park with several members of my staff, including gardener Ray Goodenough. The Grove is actually the National AIDS Memorial Grove, a dedicated space in the park that is a living tribute to all of those whose lives have been affected by the deadly disease. The space is a beautiful, serene place where visitors and friends and family of those who lost their lives to AIDS can reflect and enjoy the surroundings.