Reminder: eNews from SF Recreation and Parks- January 24, 2024

[SF Recreation and Parks]

Updates, news and events in San Francisco parks   Highlights, News & Announcements   Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake Renamed Blue Heron Lake San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioners last week approved changing the name of Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park to Blue Heron Lake. William W. Stow, the lake’s original namesake, was a State Assembly Member between 1854 and 1857 and served on the City’s park commission in the 1890s. He was also an antisemite who openly wished to rid California of its Jewish population, and attempted to tax Jews in order to discourage them from opening businesses. District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar spearheaded the community effort to rename the lake starting last year, conducting outreach and polling residents on their preferred new name. Among the suggestions: names honoring civil rights leaders, writers, politicians, philanthropists, early park employees, local indigenous communities and native wildlife. Recreation and Park commissioners, who had the final say on the official name, voted 4 to 3 to approve Blue Heron Lake, the public’s most-suggested name. Blue Herons nest on Stow Lake’s Strawberry Hill in April and May, and are a symbol of resilience, progress and evolution for the indigenous community. Commissioners also replaced the names of Stow Lake Drive and Stow Lake Boathouse with Blue Heron Lake Drive and Blue Heron Lake Boathouse. The new names took effect immediately. For more information, click the link below. Stow Lake Renamed Blue Heron Lake   Portsmouth Square Community Meeting on January 30 Join the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Arts Commission, Planning Department, and community stakeholders for a meeting on the Portsmouth Square arts and interpretative program. It will take place on Tuesday, January 30 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the City College of San Francisco's Chinatown/North Beach Campus (808 Kearny Street) in room 402. We will review interpretive and art themes, analyze existing plaques and monuments, and identify potential opportunities at Portsmouth Square. For translation, interpretation, or other language services, as well as accessibility requests, contact Pete Moore at pete.j.moore at sfgov.org or by phone at (415) 496-6204. Providing at least 72 hours advance notice will help to ensure availability. For more information, contact Noah Levy or visit the project page at the link below. Portsmouth Square Project   Gene Friend Recreation Center Project Groundbreaking on February 5 Join us for a special groundbreaking ceremony for the Gene Friend Recreation Center (270 6th Street) project on Monday, February 5 beginning at 1 p.m. The event will take place at the Harriet Street entrance and will feature community remarks and a ceremony. The project will create a completely new modern building that will be significantly larger than the previous facility. It will feature a two-court gymnasium, exercise facilities, and two multipurpose rooms. Outdoor improvements will include a new playground, multi-court, plantings, and lighting. Learn more about the project at the link below. Gene Friend Rec Center Project   NRPA's Economic Impact of Local Parks Report Parks are more than just places that promote health and wellness, social connection, education, and natural discovery! According to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), they are also significant sources of economic activity for their communities. NRPA's recently released Economic Impact of Local Parks Report finds that local public park and recreation agencies in the United States generated nearly $201 billion in economic activity, supporting more than 1.1 million jobs in 2021. Notably, the highest economic impact by state was California at $21 billion. Read the full report and learn more about the benefits that parks offer to their communities at the link below. NRPA Economic Impact Report   Magnificent Magnolias Return to the San Francisco Botanical Garden Magnificent Magnolias is back at the San Francisco Botanical Garden (1199 9th Avenue) this winter! Experience one of the most significant conservation collections of Magnolias in the United States in bloom mid-January through March. Admire the sights and scents on the branches of more than 200 elegant trees, as velvety silver buds and saucer-sized pink, white, and magenta flowers make an appearance in this spectacular annual bloom. For more information, click the link below. Magnificent Magnolias   Recreation Centers Complete Floor Refinishing With the recent wet winter weather, we're ensuring our recreation centers are in peak condition for you to enjoy indoor activities! We've recently completed the biennial floor refinishing at Sunset, Hamilton, Joe Lee, Eureka Valley, and St. Mary's recreation centers to elevate your play experience. Explore our complete list of centers and discover a variety of spaces to engage in physical activities and leisure at the link below. Recreation Facilities   Civic Center Plazas' Free Classes & Activities Be sure to check out all of the amazing drop-in activities and scheduled classes available at the newly renovated UN Plaza and surrounding Civic Center area plazas. From free exercise classes including Rec and Park yoga and Zumba, to getting a mental workout with free chess lessons from the Mechanics' Institute and San Francisco Parks Alliance, we have something for everyone to get active! For more information, including the full amenity list and schedule, click the link below. Civic Center Plazas   Register for a Play Pass to Enhance Your Recreational Experience Sign up for Rec and Park’s free Play Pass, a card that allows for easier access to drop-in programming and equipment at our recreation facilities. Registration is open and pass users will be entered into monthly raffle drawings to win gift cards, Rec and Park swag and program discounts, event tickets, and more. If you haven’t taken any programs with us, you will need to set up a free account at sfrecpark.org/register to get a Play Pass. Once an account is made, you can sign up for the Play Pass online under “Passes and Memberships” or at any of our recreation centers. For more information, click the link below. Passes & Membership   Park Padel at Embarcadero Plaza Check out Park Padel's new one-year pop-up courts located in Embarcadero Plaza! Padel, frequently described as a cross between tennis and squash, is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Like pickleball, padel is easy to learn, social, and usually played as a doubles game on a court about a third of the size of a tennis court. However, padel courts are bounded by glass walls, allowing players to hit the ball off multiple surfaces, much like squash. Free play with advanced reservation takes place Monday through Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information and to make a reservation, click the link below. Park Padel   Upcoming Events   Party at the Bench on the Great Highway on January 26 Join the Friends of Great Highway Park for a community celebration to commemorate a new bench, uniquely made from repurposed wood from our parks, coming to the Great Highway. It will take place on Friday, January 26 from 4 to 5 p.m. at Noriega Street and the Great Highway and will feature live jazz and more! For more information, click the link below. Great Highway Park   YPTMTC's "The Prom" Opens at the Randall Museum on January 26 Join the Young People's Teen Musical Theatre Company (YPTMTC) for its musical production of "The Prom." It focuses on four eccentric Broadway stars that are in desperate need of a new stage. When they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue, as well as themselves. The show will run at the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way) on the weekends of January 26 and February 2 with Friday and Saturday shows beginning at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday shows beginning at 2 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. The Prom   City Job Fair at Hamilton Recreation Center on January 27 Looking for a career change? San Francisco Recreation and Parks, along with other government agencies and community organizations are hosting a series of four Saturday job fairs in 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The second will be on Saturday, January 27 at Hamilton Recreation Center (1900 Geary Boulevard). Swing by and find the right job for you! For more information, email rpd_recruitment at sfgov.org. Rec and Park Jobs   Winter Fruit Tree Workshop at Alemany Farm on January 27 Swing by Alemany Farm (700 Alemany Boulevard) for its Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop on Saturday, January 27 from 10 a.m. to noon. It will focus on the basics of tree biology and care to encourage a healthy and productive fruit tree. You will also learn how to prune apple and plum trees with hands-on practice at the farm! For more information and to register, click the link below. Alemany Farm Workshops   SFMTA Photo Archive Tour at Harvey Milk Photo Center on January 27 Swing by the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) for a tour of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's (SFMTA) photo exhibit on Saturday, January 27 at 11 a.m. Additionally, SFMTA's vintage Muni bus will be on display from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Duboce Avenue and Noe Street next to the park. Curated by Jeremy Menzies and Melissa Castro Keesor, this exhibit draws on the 120-year-old collections of photographs in the SFMTA photo department and archive. Capturing everything from buses and streetcars to major historical events, the images inadvertently document the growth of San Francisco from a sandy backwater into a major metropolis. For more information about the exhibit and tour, click the link below. SFMTA Photo Exhibit Tour   Light Up the Night Bike Parade in Golden Gate Park on January 27 Join the San Francisco Parks Alliance and San Francisco Bike Coalition for their rescheduled Light Up the Night Bike Parade in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, January 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bring your best set of lit wheels for an illuminated ride through the park. The starting point will be in front of the Conservatory of Flowers on the JFK Promenade. For more information, click the link below. Light Up the Night Bike Parade   Programming   Sign Up for Bayview United Soccer Club Bayview United is San Francisco's first primarily Black youth soccer team for boys and girls, grades K-5. Since 2019, this free equity-driven program aims to increase access in the Bayview-Hunters Point (BVHP) community to the world’s game. It has set out to create a top tier soccer program with its home field at Youngblood Coleman Playground (1398 Hudson Avenue), and is open to players of all backgrounds and experience levels in the BVHP community. If interested, contact Fulton Mitchell at (415) 361-2872.   Senior Programming at Joe Lee Recreation Center Join our staff at Joseph Lee Recreation Center (1598 Oakdale Avenue) for senior programming in 2024. Classes include beginning line dance and nutrition (#37589) and bingo (#37588). For more information and to sign up, visit sfrecpark.org/register and search for the class number. Additional questions? Call (415) 970-9202.   Mobile Rec at Cayuga Playground on January 27 Mobile Rec comes to Cayuga Playground (301 Naglee Avenue) on Saturday, January 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy free BMX biking, skateboarding and more. Equipment will be provided. Grind rails and catch some air! For more information, click the link below. Mobile Rec   Sundays at the Beach on the Great Highway: Mat Yoga on January 28 Join the Friends of Great Highway Park for its Sundays at the Beach programming. These free activities from Tai Chi to live music, will be hosted four times a month. The next program will be Mat Yoga on Sunday, January 28, at Judah Street and the Great Highway at noon. For more information, click the link below. Great Highway Park   Movie Night at Glen Park Recreation Center on January 30 Join our staff at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) for classic movie nights! The next one will take place on Tuesday, January 30, beginning at 6 p.m. featuring the 1926 film "The General." Come out to meet your neighbors and to enjoy these vintage films. For more information, contact the center at (415) 239-4007.   Professional Skateboarder Dan Mancina Shreds UN Skate Plaza In spite of the rain, we held a casual skate jam and release event with Adidas at UN Skate Plaza last Friday for Dan Mancina, a professional skateboarder who is visually impaired. Our Video of the Week comes from Dan, and is a highlight video from that day. Learn more about his amazing story, as well as about how the new skate plaza is perfect for adaptive skaters via KQED at the link below. Dan Mancina at UN Skate Plaza   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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