Untitled Document

August 2010
In This Issue Ode to Our Playgrounds RPD Restructuring South Sunset Park Meeting Community Opportunity Fund Supervisor Candidate Forums Summer Social Outdoor Cinema Jerry Day Shakespeare in Parks Donate now to support our Playground Initiative! By donating today to our Playground Match Campaign the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund will generously match your gift dollar-for-dollar. Send a ParkScan today! August Events See NPC's Calendar Featured Photo from NPC's Flickr page Follow us on... Share This Email Forward this message	Ode to Our Playgrounds Every morning, kids on summer vacation arise Looking forward to a day to romp and catch butterflies A day at the playground is what's in store Sunny days in San Francisco are never a bore Monkey bars, slides, sand pits and swings... My how all the children and parents love those things Imagine your day without the park We would feel like we're all in the dark Thanks to NPC, playgrounds are clean, safe and fun The Playground Initiative is sure to get the job done Nearly 46 playgrounds are in need So, do us the deed and donate to our match Your gift will be doubled within a flash! Did you know there are more than 130 playgrounds in San Francisco? Your support, doubled by the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, can galvanize civic and community support and stewardship for our neediest playgrounds. You can ensure that all children have access to a safe and engaging play space in their neighborhood. To give online, please visit http://www.sfnpc.org/playgrounddonate. Please send your most generous contribution today. We’ll put it—and its match—right to work! RPD Restructuring Will Be Implemented by 8/16 "In order to preserve public recreation given the cuts we have suffered, the department has adopted a new, more efficient recreation model that is a high-performing industry best practice." -- Phil Ginsburg Click here to read a letter from the RPD General Manager regarding the recreation restructuring. NPC knows that many of you have felt deep frustration with the waves of recreation changes that have occurred in your communities over the last several years. We believe that this new structure will help stabilize staffing and programming so that you can once again rely on rec centers and clubhouses. On a daily basis, our organization is helping Rec and Park address recreation challenges in creative ways. As this process moves forward, we will also work to ensure that Rec and Park follows through on the recreation promises it has made. As the new rec model is implemented and the community recreation councils are formed, NPC will be connecting with your park group to ensure that programming and access to your rec center responds to neighborhood need. As always, we look forward advocating together for a community-serving park and recreation system. Community Opportunity Fund: Last Workshop on 8/3 The deadline to apply for the first round of the Community Opportunity Fund (COF) is September 24, 2010. Join us on August 3rd from 6-7:30pm at the Main Library to learn more about this grant program that was created as part of the 2008 Parks Bond. Join Us at South Sunset Park for a Community Meeting Want to help give kids a fun and safe place to play & exercise? Do you like planning events? How about meeting neighbors and building community? If the answer is yes, please join Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) and Supervisor Carmen Chu on Wednesday, August 25th from 6:00-7:30pm at the South Sunset Clubhouse (on the corner of 40th and Vicente) to learn more about organizing a friend group for the South Sunset Park. Friends of South Sunset Park could join over 100 other park friends groups in San Francisco in hosting community-building events, park cleanups, and meetings about park concerns. Join us to learn more! Click here to view the event flyer. Supervisorial Candidate Forums Coming in September Each election year, NPC hosts supervisorial candidate forums that focus specifically on park, recreation, and open space issues. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to learn more about each candidate's knowledge of and positions on these subjects. While we do not endorse candidates, we do give them "park-friendly" ratings based on a questionnaire that we ask them to complete. Candidate responses will be posted on our website. Stay tuned for the date and time of your district forum! All forums will be held in September and October 2010. Volunteer Opportunity: Want to help us conduct outreach for your District's meeting by distributing flyers or forwarding email announcement to your networks? Email council@sfnpc.org or call 621-3260 to volunteer. Yet Another Wonderful Summer Social On July 14, 2010, NPC held our annual Summer Social at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley. Park advocates gathered together at the base of the Green's "woman of chains" Ecstasy statue, to enjoy live Spanish guitar and delicious food and drinks donated by local vendors: Marino Restaurant, La Boulange de Hayes, Mercury Café, Bi-Rite Market, Philz Coffee, and Cupcakes by Jasmine Rae Bakery. NPC would like to again thank all who attended our Summer Social. We has a great time and can't wait to see you all again soon. Enjoy you Prizes park lovers! See if you got snapped in a photo, check out Summer Social Photos here! Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema September 2-5 & October 4, 2010 NPC partner group, Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema™, presents the seventh annual season with free screenings of Bernal Heights and local filmmakers’ works in neighborhood parks and open spaces to increase the exposure and recognition of local artists, to heighten appreciation by neighborhood and citywide residents and to bring community together for the enjoyment of our parks and neighborhood resources. Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema (BHOC) is fiscally sponsored by NPC. Click here to support the BHOC. Jerry Day is August 1st Jerry Day is an event that celebrates one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time and San Francisco native son - Jerry Garcia. This event captures the true spirit of Jerry Garcia as we celebrate his legacy, the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, and recognize his Excelsior roots. By uniting the diverse communities of San Francisco through Jerry's music, we are creating something extraordinary for Jerry's childhood neighborhood - the Excelsior District, McLaren Park, and the City and County of San Francisco. Visit http://www.jerryday.org for info. Shakespeare in Dolores & McLaren This Month Women's Will Theater Company, an all-women Shakespeare company will be performing Much Ado About Nothing in August at Dolores Park and at McLaren Park's Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. These performances are free. Click here for details.

Every morning, kids on summer vacation arise
Looking forward to a day to romp and catch butterflies

A day at the playground is what's in store
Sunny days in San Francisco are never a bore

Monkey bars, slides, sand pits and swings...
My how all the children and parents love those things

Imagine your day without the park
We would feel like we're all in the dark

Thanks to NPC, playgrounds are clean, safe and fun
The Playground Initiative is sure to get the job done

Nearly 46 playgrounds are in need
So, do us the deed and donate to our match
Your gift will be doubled within a flash!

Did you know there are more than 130 playgrounds in San Francisco? Your support, doubled by the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, can galvanize civic and community support and stewardship for our neediest playgrounds. You can ensure that all children have access to a safe and engaging play space in their neighborhood. To give online, please visit http://www.sfnpc.org/playgrounddonate. Please send your most generous contribution today. We’ll put it—and its match—right to work!

In order to preserve public recreation given the cuts we have suffered, the department has adopted a new, more efficient recreation model that is a high-performing industry best practice." -- Phil Ginsburg

Click here to read a letter from the RPD General Manager regarding the recreation restructuring.

NPC knows that many of you have felt deep frustration with the waves of recreation changes that have occurred in your communities over the last several years. We believe that this new structure will help stabilize staffing and programming so that you can once again rely on rec centers and clubhouses. On a daily basis, our organization is helping Rec and Park address recreation challenges in creative ways. As this process moves forward, we will also work to ensure that Rec and Park follows through on the recreation promises it has made.

As the new rec model is implemented and the community recreation councils are formed, NPC will be connecting with your park group to ensure that programming and access to your rec center responds to neighborhood need. As always, we look forward advocating together for a community-serving park and recreation system.

The deadline to apply for the first round of the Community Opportunity Fund (COF) is September 24, 2010. Join us on August 3rd from 6-7:30pm at the Main Library to learn more about this grant program that was created as part of the 2008 Parks Bond.

Want to help give kids a fun and safe place to play & exercise? Do you like planning events? How about meeting neighbors and building community?

If the answer is yes, please join Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) and Supervisor Carmen Chu on Wednesday, August 25th from 6:00-7:30pm at the South Sunset Clubhouse (on the corner of 40th and Vicente) to learn more about organizing a friend group for the South Sunset Park. Friends of South Sunset Park could join over 100 other park friends groups in San Francisco in hosting community-building events, park cleanups, and meetings about park concerns.

City Hall Each election year, NPC hosts supervisorial candidate forums that focus specifically on park, recreation, and open space issues. Our goal is to give you the opportunity to learn more about each candidate's knowledge of and positions on these subjects.

While we do not endorse candidates, we do give them "park-friendly" ratings based on a questionnaire that we ask them to complete. Candidate responses will be posted on our website. Stay tuned for the date and time of your district forum! All forums will be held in September and October 2010.

Volunteer Opportunity: Want to help us conduct outreach for your District's meeting by distributing flyers or forwarding email announcement to your networks? Email council@sfnpc.org or call 621-3260 to volunteer.

On July 14, 2010, NPC held our annual Summer Social at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley. Park advocates gathered together at the base of the Green's "woman of chains" Ecstasy statue, to enjoy live Spanish guitar and delicious food and drinks donated by local vendors: Marino Restaurant, La Boulange de Hayes, Mercury Café, Bi-Rite Market, Philz Coffee, and Cupcakes by Jasmine Rae Bakery.

NPC would like to again thank all who attended our Summer Social. We has a great time and can't wait to see you all again soon. Enjoy you Prizes park lovers!

NPC partner group, Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema™, presents the seventh annual season with free screenings of Bernal Heights and local filmmakers’ works in neighborhood parks and open spaces to increase the exposure and recognition of local artists, to heighten appreciation by neighborhood and citywide residents and to bring community together for the enjoyment of our parks and neighborhood resources.

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema (BHOC) is fiscally sponsored by NPC. Click here to support the BHOC.

Jerry Day is an event that celebrates one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time and San Francisco native son - Jerry Garcia. This event captures the true spirit of Jerry Garcia as we celebrate his legacy, the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, and recognize his Excelsior roots. By uniting the diverse communities of San Francisco through Jerry's music, we are creating something extraordinary for Jerry's childhood neighborhood - the Excelsior District, McLaren Park, and the City and County of San Francisco. Visit http://www.jerryday.org for info.

Women's Will Theater Company, an all-women Shakespeare company will be performing Much Ado About Nothing in August at Dolores Park and at McLaren Park's Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. These performances are free. Click here for details.