SPEY-O-RAMA
If you need additional evidence to demonstrate that Golden Gate Park is the most unique and urban park in America, I have one word for you (sort of). SPEY-O-RAMA. This past weekend, the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club hosted the Jimmy Green SPEY-O-RAMA in Golden Gate Park, a three-day international competition featuring some of the world’s best fly fishermen and –women. I had the honor of stopping by the event on Friday to meet some of the participants and to participate in the free clinics being offered to beginners. Into the casting pools I waded to learn and practice a few different casts. 10-2. 10-2. A quirky and truly awesome sight, right here in the middle of our beloved Golden Gate Park
Community Clean Team Event at VMD
On Saturday morning, I joined our friends at DPW for the kickoff of another Community Clean Team event. This week, we met at Victoria Manalo Draves Park, a park that was built in 2006 on top of the old Bessie Carmichael School in District 6 and named in honor of a very special San Franciscan. Volunteers took on a number of projects including one at VMD, one at the newly renovated Gene Friend Rec Center, and one at South Park a few blocks away.
The importance of these Community Clean Team events can not be overstated. They bring our city agencies, our volunteers and our communities together to clean our streets, clean our parks and build a sense of pride in our city. The event included volunteers from a number of different community organizations including United Playaz, Recology and the Office of City Attorney Dennis Hererra. Also at the kick-off was Supervisor Jane Kim and Mayoral candidate Joanna Rees.
Who is Victoria Manalo Draves, anyway? In fact she was a gold-medal winning Olympic diver and the first woman to win platform and springboard titles in the same Olympics in 1948. And like many of our nation’s star athletes, she got her start at a public park facility--- the city’s old Fleishacker Pool. Her story serves as an inspiration to all of our kids -- in District 6 and in the entire city--- that greatness can start from humble beginnings. Just over a year ago (April 12, 2010), Mrs. Draves passed away, but her legacy as a pioneer athlete and as a native San Franciscan will live on. And because of that, this weekend’s Community Clean Team event at Victoria Manalo Draves Park meant just a little bit more.
Great Compost Giveaway
Also taking place this weekend was the Great Compost Giveaway, a joint effort by Recology, Rec and Park, the Department of the Environment and DPW to offer up to five gallons of free compost to individuals wielding their own buckets. This was not just any old compost either, but a premium, custom blend that has proven to be a great planting mix for home gardens.
Compost was given away at four sites throughout the city, including Golden Gate Park, Alemany Farm and McLaren Park.
Spring Eggstravaganza
Our Spring Eggstravaganza event is coming this Saturday, April 23, and I encourage all of you parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties out there to bring the little ones to Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park. Our staff has been working hard during the past few weeks to ensure a great time for all of you, including egg hunts, carnival rides, jumpy houses, live entertainment and a special rib cook-off competition between members of our beloved police and fire departments.
The cost is $5 per person, which includes access to all of the day’s attractions and activities. Food will be available for purchase and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is helping to provide bike valet services throughout the day.
Proceeds from the event go directly toward supporting our parks and programs citywide.
Randall Museum Receives $5.47M Grant
Some great news came our way last week. The California Department of Parks and Recreation has awarded a Nature Education Facilities grant in the amount of $5,477,194 to the Randall Museum to increase its nature education programming.
The Randall Museum, located in the Corona Heights neighborhood, offers an array of interactive programs emphasizing science, the natural environment, and San Francisco history for toddlers, children, teens and adults. The museum is operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and receives additional support from Randall Museum Friends, a private, non-profit organization.
The Prop. 84 monies will allow the Recreation and Park Department, in partnership
with the Randall Museum Friends, to make major site improvements including:
- Redesign of the live animal exhibit to portray native animal species in their natural habitats.
- Addition of dedicated study stations to the animal exhibit for deeper exploration of topics such as migration, invasive species and pollination
- Construction of a new exhibit lobby on the lower floor that will allow the museum to display their extensive Geological and Zoological collections for the first time
- Construction of a hands-on science laboratory open to museum visitors
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