Yews Get Whacked

Over the last couple of days, the Japanese Yews located along the north path at Clayton have been pruned back drastically. The pruning may be a last-ditch attempt to take care of an eyesore. These two plants have been poorly managed over the years, perhaps due to their location on opposite sides of a path used by vehicles. The result has been a really unnatural and lopsided form (the third Japanese yew, visible at the left in the photo, is not too great, either). The plant shown at right is also host to an aggressive English Ivy. Not sure what will happen next to these plants. Yews are tolerant of severe pruning, and when grown in a garden, they're typically cultivated as hedges or topiary, not as trees.

September workday report

Community work crew at the Panhandle

September's workday brought the park stewards to the far east end of the park, where we worked in the shade of the redwood grove at the northeast corner of the park. Previous workdays have improved the soil and removed weeds at the base of these trees, and when the rains come we will be ready for planting. We hope to diversify the park by bringing in understory plants that you might typically find beneath sequoia sempervirens, thus beautifying the eastern entrance to Golden Gate Park and giving our community a way to experience a habitat that's representative of coastal California. 

Cobbling together a fix at Ashbury

Also in the park this month, we got to see the work done by our Rec and Park crews to address a persistent problem with standing water where Ashbury meets the Panhandle. The work definitely showed a dedicated attempt to fix the problem, and I'm glad for the effort, but would also like to see work proceed for our approved capital improvement project, which includes regrading and path repair in this spot.  

Panhandle reminder for Saturday 9/10; upcoming events

Reminder: This Saturday, Sept 10 is our next Panhandle work day for volunteers from the community. We'll be working with Guillermo and Zack on our ongoing effort to beautify the park, improve conditions along the pathways, and protect the historic trees. 

Panhandle work day
Sat, Sept 10
9am-11:30 am
Meet at the Panhandle bulletin board (near Ashbury) 

At the blog for this Panhandle Park project, I recently shared some information about potential developments affecting the McKinley Monument. Please check out the post and let me know what you think by replying to me or posting comments on the blog.  

This is an important time to be involved in the local community! Here are a few more events to know about happening on Sept 11 , 12 and 13.

-Dale 

Sunday Streets Western Addition 

Sunday, September 11, 2011  

11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

More info: www.SundayStreetsSF.com; www.facebook.com/sundaystreets

Contact: sundaystreets@gmail.com

>If you park a vehicle on the streets that will be closed to cars, please note the signs which tell you that you have to move your car by 11 pm Saturday. Otherwise your car might get towed! 

September 11: 2^nd Annual Western Addition Sunday Streets

North Panhandle, Alamo Square and Fillmore neighborhoods

Activities include:

·      Fillmore Community Benefit District entertainment and activities along Fillmore Street

·      Independent Artists' Week celebration of community artists in the Western Addition

·      Donna Hunter Fitness line dance and healthy living inspiration

·      Funky Town Roller Disco, by D Miles and CORA, free skates

·      YBike Youth Bike Safety Rodeo

·      Interactive Environmental projects by Climate Change Education

·      Activities for kids North Panhandle –St. Cyprian's Church, Little Ones Co-op, Clif Kid

·      Activities for kids Fillmore -Buchanan YMCA, Junior League SF,

·      Freedom from Training Wheels, presented by SFBC

·      Free Bike Rentals provided by Bike & Roll and Bay City Bikes

·      Free Bike Repairs on Fillmore provided by REI, Mikes Bikes

MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM: 

Monday, September 12th 2011 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM at 455 Golden Gate (Milton Marks Auditorium)

Partnering with Walk San Francisco, San Francisco Parks Trust and Friends of the Urban Forest, NPC will host a mayoral candidate forum that focuses 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.  The following candidates will be participating in the forum:

• Michela Alioto-Pier
• John Avalos
• David Chiu
• Bevan Dufty
• Tony Hall (pending)
• Dennis Herrera
• Ed Lee (pending)
• Joanna Rees
• Phil Ting
• Leland Yee

To RSVP for this event, please go here.

Fell and Oak Streets Separated Bikeway Community Meeting*

 Tue., Sep. 13 | 6:30-8pm | San Francisco Day School, 350 Masonic Avenue (at Golden Gate)

After years of community action to make the three blocks of Fell and Oak Street, the SFMTA is holding a community meeting to discuss options for separated bikeways on three blocks of Fell and Oak Street between Scott Street and Baker Street. If you want a safer connection between the Panhandle and the Wiggle, if you live in this area and want a safer street, or if you use this route to bike to local shops and restaurants, come to this meeting and speak up.