[House] Reminder: eNews from SF Recreation and Parks- May 25, 2022

[SF Recreation and Parks]

Updates, news and events in San Francisco parks Vis Valley Playground Renamed Yik Oi Huang Peace & Friendship Park San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioners last week voted unanimously to approve changing the name of Visitacion Valley Playground to Yik Oi Huang Peace & Friendship Park. The name honors the memory of a neighborhood grandmother and community advocate. Huang was assaulted while doing her daily exercises at the park in 2019 and died of her injuries a year later at age 89. Friends and family of the longtime Visitacion Valley resident led the effort to rename the site in memory of Huang’s compassion, friendship, and service to her community. For more than 17 years, Huang served as an ambassador for the Visitacion Valley Friendship Club, which offers senior services to the Chinese immigrant community and advocates for voting rights, AAPI issues and emergency preparedness. Affectionately called “Grandma Huang” and “Huang PoPo,” she was quick to form friendships with both English speaking and Chinese speaking neighbors through Sunnydale’s food assistance program. She collected recyclables and gave the proceeds to neighbors and friends. To learn more about Huang PoPo and her legacy in the community, click the link below.  (Photo Credit: Tribute to Huang PoPo showing her love for cooking, gardening, and sharing. Soul art collage by Rosanna Chang)  Yik Oi Huang Peace & Friendship Park Longtime Park Services Manager Robert Watkins Retires After 40 Years Robert Watkins, who oversaw tremendous park improvements and built deep community connections in the southeastern neighborhoods, has retired after 40 years of City service, 38 working for Rec and Park. He has managed Park Service Area (PSA) 3, which encompasses much of the southeast portions of the city including 25 parks from the Bayview to Excelsior, for nearly 10 years. This area includes a wide array of parks with some of the highest concentration of athletic and recreational facilities in the city including McLaren Park, Crocker Amazon, Hilltop, Bayview Playground, Palega Rec Center, Cayuga Playground, Excelsior Playground and many more. Robert has overseen tremendous positive change in his parks and facilities over his time as manager. He has worked with our capital division to implement a wide range of projects from Hilltop Park to McLaren Park, and has worked on the plans for key upcoming projects such as India Basin. He has been a great ambassador who built strong relationships with the community. For many years, Robert and his team have been leaders on the Parks and Open Space team in community collaboration and managing volunteer work events at PSA 3 parks. Their ongoing collaboration with Habitat for Humanity and hosting other large volunteer groups has been an important part of the development and improvement of his parks. For many years, the PSA 3 team hosted the most volunteer hours of any of the park service areas. Thank you Robert for all that you've done for our parks and city! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and look forward to seeing you back in our parks soon! Gerald Reader Wins Uncle Abe Award for His Work in Youth Baseball We're excited to share that our own Gerald Reader has won the Uncle Abe Award, which goes to a youth baseball coach who is an exceptional role model and coach for young baseball players. This award was created and given by Marty Lurie, the voice of the Giant’s Pre-Game Show, with this year's award being in partnership with the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation and Original Joe’s. Gerald has dedicated much of his life to youth baseball with several organizations, including as commissioner and volunteer coach for the Rec and Park's Junior Giants program which serves more than 1,500 players. Gerald has also served as commissioner, on the executive board, umpire director and coach for the San Francisco Youth Baseball League which serves more than 4,000 players. In addition, he coaches and helps manage the San Francisco Bay Sox girls baseball program, while also serving as the head baseball coach at Stuart Hall High School. Thank you Gerald for all that you do for San Francisco's youth and the game of baseball! We look forward to seeing you on the diamond with the Junior Giants this summer!  Golden Gate Park in the News  Golden Gate Park has had a big week in the news cycle, with San Francisco making the New York Times list of seven great biking cities in big part to the new JFK Promenade, as well as the return of "The Secret" and potential treasure buried in the park. Read this week's articles below:  7 Great Biking Cities (and Which Trails to Ride) I Dug for 'The Secret' Buried Treasure in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and it Broke My Heart  The JFK Closure Has Brought Some Zen to Golden Gate Park (Photo Credit: Douglas Zimmerman)  Muriel Leff Mini Park Jazz Thursdays on May 26 Join the San Francisco Parks Alliance and Bay Area Jazz Mobile for a series of free jazz shows at Muriel Leff Mini Park (420 7th Avenue) on Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Join them for the next one on May 26. These shows will run on Thursdays through June 23. Join your neighbors and take in the harmony and rhythms of these talented musicians. For more information, email MurielLeffPark at sfparksalliance.org.  (Photo Credit: Casey Whalen) Golden Gate Bandshell Shows on May 27, 29 & June 1 Join us for FREE shows at the Golden Gate Bandshell this week, including Soul/Jazz/R&B Happy Hour on Friday, May 27 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. with Radio Veloso. This weekend, we have Reggae Sundays on May 29 with DJs Guide8nce and special guests Bayonics from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.   Next week, we have a special Market to Bandshell show on June 1 beginning at 4 p.m. featuring Manos Lindas, Luke Doughty Quintet and the Quilters. The show is produced in association with Sunset Mercantile.   For more information, including the full concert schedule, click the link below. GGP Bandshell Concerts Tenderloin Teen Night on May 27 Are you a teen that's about to graduate? Swing by Tenderloin Recreation Center (570 Ellis Street) for Tenderloin Teen Night on Friday, May 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. that will celebrate our recent/upcoming graduates! Families are welcome to attend to celebrate their graduates. There will be games, snacks, fun and more! For more information, including if you would like to RSVP for a group table, email sondra.long at sfgov.org. Sundown Cinema Returns to Dolores Park on May 27 Sundown Cinema is returning to San Francisco's parks for its 2022 season from India Basin Shoreline Park to the Marina Green. Join the San Francisco Parks Alliance, DoTheBay, and the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department for the first free screening on Friday, May 27 at Dolores Park with a sing-along of Sister Act 2 beginning at 6:30 p.m.! For more information, click the link below. Sister Act 2 in Dolores Park Mobile Rec at St. Mary's Recreation Center on May 28 Mobile Rec wraps up the spring season at St. Mary's Recreation Center (95 Justin Drive) on Saturday, May 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy free BMX biking, skateboarding and more. Equipment will be provided. Note there will be no rock wall for the winter session. Grind rails and catch some air this Saturday! For more information, click the link below. Mobile Rec Tribute to Miles & Coltrane at Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre on May 28 We're excited to share a number of upcoming concerts and performances at the recently renovated Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre (40 John F. Shelley Drive) in McLaren Park. The next show takes place on Saturday, May 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. and will feature musicians paying tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. For more information, including the full concert calendar, click the link below.  Jerry Garcia Concert Calendar Largest Display of National AIDS Memorial Quilt June 11 & 12 Join the National AIDS Memorial in Golden Gate Park's Robin Williams Meadow on June 11 and 12 for the largest display of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt in San Francisco. See more than 3,000 quilt panels, hear personal stories of activism, love, and remembrance, and celebrate the lives lost to AIDS. Help honor this national treasure that continues to be an powerful teaching tool for justice, hope and remembrance. For more information, including how to make a panel or volunteer for this event, click the link below.  AIDS Memorial Quilt Installation of Pink Triangle Begins on Twin Peaks Our Video of Week comes courtesy of NBC Bay Area and highlights the installation of the Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks ahead of Pride Month. This symbol, which was used by the Nazis to label and shame homosexuals, has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community as a symbol of pride. San Francisco has showcased the Pink Triangle for 27 years. For more information about the Pink Triangle, click the link below.  The Pink Triangle San Francisco Recreation and Parks | sfrecpark.org         SF Recreation and Parks | McLaren Lodge-Golden Gate Park, 501 Stanyan Street, San Francisco , CA 94117 Unsubscribe house at digitalkingdom.org Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by rpdinfo at sfgov.org powered by Try email marketing for free today!
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