2. Say goodbye to Stow Lake Boathouse and staff
3. More opposition to Central Subway
4. Mayoral candidates forum for park and open space issues Sept 12
5. Full Moon walk in Martinez Sept 12
6. Mystery of Bird Song Sept 15 in Berkeley
7. Where are all the birds? - responses
8. Sunday Streets in Western Addition Sept 11/Grant Av-North Beach walk Sept 18
9. Women's Earth & Climate Caucus Sept 30-Oct 1
10. With few exceptions, America is no place for bicyclists
11. Contracting or expanding? Cartoons from The Economist, Guardian Weekly
12. Today's Word a Day: cowabunga
13. Feedback
14. Telegraph Hill honey on sale Sept 10
15. Light cannot see inside things. That is what the dark is for
1. Recreation & Park Commissioners
Director Phil Ginsburg:
Is it true that tours using motorized Segway equipment are permitted use of sidewalks and paths in Golden Gate Park?
Within the last three days I walked in Golden Gate Park twice on different routes and both times I encountered a Segway tour of about 10 people on sidewalks and paths -- paved and unpaved. I questioned the tour leader on why he wasn’t on the street -- he told me that his tour company obtained permits from RPD to lead their tours on sidewalks and paths. I encountered them on the sidewalks on Middle Drive; the paved path connecting MLK and JFK between the Tea Garden and Stow Lake; and on the unpaved paths west of the museum between JFK and Stow Lake. They made these paths impassable for pedestrians because their machines caused deeps ruts in the muddy path.
If they do not have the permit to use sidewalks and paths, they should be banned from running any tours in Golden Gate Park since they are not following the rules.
If they do have a permit to run these tours(say it isn’t so), I request that you rescind the permit at the earliest possible time. If you don’t allow bicycles to ride on the sidewalks and some paths, why would motorized equipment be allowed? Many of the sidewalks and paths I encountered them on were less that 6’ wide – not enough room for a Segway and a pedestrian. The Segways are dangerous and should not be in the mix with pedestrians. Check out some of these links:
Segway scooters can lead to serious injuries, experts warn http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39382682/ns/health-health_care/t/segway-scooters-can-lead-serious-injuries-experts-warn/;
Segway Crashes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmLLGYn9Fo8
With few exception Segways are off limits in Ontario!!!! http://www.segwaycaveats.blogspot.com/
The SegwayTM Is a Vehicle http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/segway/Segway.htm
I look forward to a quick response.
Regards,
Joan Downey
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2. Help Bid Farewell to Our Beloved Boathouse and Staff:
There is an outpouring of love and support for our historic boathouse, the devoted staff and the local concessioner who has run the boathouse for 68 years.
Please join us on Saturday, September 10th at Noon, at the boathouse, as we mark the end of seven decades of boathouse fun and friendship.
If you would like, please bring an appetizer and/or special memories to share.
We look forward to seeing you.
Best,
Suzanne R. Dumont
Sandy Weil
Save the Stow Lake Boathouse Coalition
In case you aren't aware, the local, longtime concessionaire is being evicted by SF Recreation & Park, in a retaliatory move after a civil lawsuit was filed protesting multiple irregularities in the bid process.
Please stay informed about what Rec and Park is doing to our parks!
Visit: www.takebackourparks.org
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3. RE: MORE OPPOSITION TO THE CENTRAL SUBWAY
CHRONICLE: “Diaz: SF plans a subway to….somewhere”
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/02/INLN1KU8H8.DTL
BAY CITIZEN: “Top Central Subway Executive Resigns”
http://www.baycitizen.org/transportation/story/top-central-subway-executive-resigns/
As mayoral candidates debate the Central Subway, other issues need to be raised:
CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ON BUSINESS
After years of misinformation that all subway work will be underground, the Civil Grand Jury Report reveals (Page 16): "The SFMTA states.....the management of the vertical structure within these enclosed sites [subway stations] is based on a conventional vertical structure construction methodology.” In other words, streets will be dug up and excavated for station construction---in addition to disruptive staging of building materials, supplies, equipment and personnel. Station construction will severely hurt Chinatown’s and Downtown’s already fragile businesses.
LAND-USE THREATS TO CHINATOWN
Large transportation projects bring rezoning and gentrification. In 2008, there were already discussions about a rezoning study and higher densities for Chinatown. Historic neighborhoods are already threatened, even with existing zoning capacities. The Central Subway is an unnecessary environmental disaster, a form of “On-Shore Drilling”, through densely-populated urban housing and fragile low-income commercial cores.
NEED TO INFLUENCE POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS
The Federal Transit Administration will be evaluating the Central Subway application for federal funds in the next three months. Congress’ Appropriations Committee and Transportation & Infrastructure Committee will be reviewing applications. Communicate with them and your own representatives---especially if you know them well.
Peter Rogoff, Administrator
Federal Transportation Administration, East Bldg.
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington DC 20590
Hal Rogers, Chair
House Appropriations Committee
2406 Rayburn House Office Bldg
Washington DC 20515
John Mica, Chair
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
2313 Rayburn H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
The Central Subway disconnects the Market Street transit spine, Muni Metro, BART, ferries, Transbay Terminal and the future High Speed Rail hub. The Subway increases transfers and travel times for tens of thousands of Muni riders. Greater transit inconvenience will increase automobile usage, congestion and pollution. The Subway’s EIR and Reports forecast few new riders and more cutbacks in surface buses on the Stockton/ Columbus Corridor---decreasing transit to Caltrain, High Speed Rail, Downtown, Chinatown, North Beach, Russian Hill, Waterfront, Marina…...
(Emphasis mine, JS)
Regards,
Howard Wong, AIA
www.SaveMuni.com
(Are the Republicans good for anything? Here's their chance to prove it. JS)
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4. Mayoral candidate forum that focuses specifically on park, recreation, and open space issues
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.
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5. Full moon walk: A chance for an easy saunter under a full moon is scheduled for the night of Sept. 12, up Mount Wanda at the John Muir Historic Site in Martinez. Best part: the magic glow on Mount Diablo. Reservations required. (925) 228-8192, nps.gov/jomu.
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6.
"The language of birds is very ancient, and, like other ancient modes of speech, very elliptical: little is said, but much is meant and understood." Gilbert White, English clergyman
Golden Gate Audubon Society
"Mystery of Bird Song" with David Lukas
Thursday, Sept. 15—7 p.m. refreshments, 7:30 program (free for GGAS members, $5 nonmembers)
Berkeley programs are at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda (between Solano and Marin)
Have you ever wondered how birds learn to sing such beautiful songs? And why they produce so many different types of vocalizations? David Lukas will help answer some of these questions and share his insights into the magical world of birdsong. We’ll learn about how birds produce sounds and the ways that scientists study the vocalizations of birds as diverse as Marsh Wrens and thrushes. Then, with these tools, we can explore the variety of social behaviors that explain common bird vocalizations, including how adult birds teach their chicks to sing and how birds divide up their territories with different kinds of songs. This program will forever change the way you think about birdsong.
David Lukas is a freelance naturalist and the author of five books, including Sierra Nevada Natural History and Wild Birds of California. Born in Oregon, he has been living in the Sierra Nevada and leading bird programs in California for nearly 20 years. His newest book, Sierra Nevada Birds, is the first comprehensive guide to the status, life history, and distribution of all the birds that occur in the Sierra Nevada
Signed copies of David Lukas’ book will be available for sale at this event!
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7. Where are all the birds?
From Noreen Weeden:
Hi Jake, Responding to the note from Gray Brechin on missing birds in a garden where there are cats, this is information from the American Bird Conservancy: “There is no question that birds are better off when cats stay indoors. Exact numbers are unknown, but scientists estimate that every year in the United States alone, cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. Feline predators include both domestic cats that spend time outdoors and stray cats that live in the wild, sometimes as part of a colony.
See http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html
A recent Florida study “Population demography of Gray Catbirds in the suburban matrix: sources, sinks and domestic cats” See http://fulltextreports.com/category/resources/scholarly-publishing/journal-of-ornithology/
The Department of Fish & Game has posted information http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/dom_cat/urbanrural.html but many links have not been maintained, here is the PRBO link http://www.prbo.org/cms/185
Doug Allshouse:
Jake: In response to Gray's query.
I experienced a similar phenomenon along the hill below my house during spring. For a few weeks no birds were seen. Well, the birds came back so all is right again.
Sometimes we tend to view our immediate environment as being static. In some Bay Area locations the weather is pretty much the same each day, vegetation looks normal, no new predators appear, so what gives? If you think about it, and I've preached this for many years, birds are naturally the most highly mobile creatures on Earth. They simply cover more territory in a short amount of time than any other animal. When something is missing within the immediate area or a more abundant food source is available elsewhere, birds will move, and often it's a combination of both. Also keep in mind that birds are migrating at this time of year which may be partly responsible for the dearth of Gray's birds. He mentioned no new cats being around, but perhaps he hasn't noticed the presence of a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawk, both Accipitors--hence bird-eating hawks. Nothing kills a good day of birding quicker than one of those hawks flying nearby. Birds just hunker down. So there's a lot going on right now and patience is advised because, after all, what else do we have?
Doug Allshouse, San Bruno Mountain
“Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.” David Letterman
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8.
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
September 11: 2nd 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
Volunteers needed! This signature San Francisco event draws thousands into the streets for car-free recreation depends on the help of our volunteers! Go tohttp://www.sundaystreetssf.com/volunteer to sign up for a shift. Volunteers get a t-shirt, lunch, and that warm fuzzy feeling of helping your community. Sign up today!
NEW Grant Ave ‘Walking Street’ in Chinatown & North Beach Sunday, September 18, 2011
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
More info: www.SundayStreetsSF.com; www.facebook.com/sundaystreets
Contact: sundaystreets@gmail.com
NEW Sunday Streets event!
Grant Ave from the Chinatown Gates at Bush to Coit Tower in North Beach
Activities include:
· Ping Pong Tournament in Chinatown (9 to 11:30 am)
· Art in the Alley Kerouac Alley (11-6)
· Activities for kids by Chinatown YMCA
· Freedom from Training Wheels and free Valet Bike parking by SFBC
· Live entertainment in Pioneer Park at the top of Coit Tower, presented by North Beach Merchants
· Kids arts and crafts in Fresno Alley by Emerald Tablet & North Beach Merchants
· Art, craft and cultural activities presented by Chinatown Community Development Corp, Chinatown Youth Development and Chinatown Merchants
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9. The Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus welcomes you to an exciting Rights of Nature seminar, our first of six seminars and trainings in building Resilient Community.
September 30th - October 1st. In Corte Madera, CA.
We would love to have you join us. Men are also welcome. Several scholarships may be available and course sizes purposefully will be kept small, so we encourage you to sign up early.
Please register here.
Special Bonus: Please sign up for a one-hour free telecourse offered by the instructors. The telecourse on September 7th at 5:00 will provide an overview of the upcoming seminar and will be hosted by the Executive Director of Transition US, Carolyne Stayton
register here .
For more information about the Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus, click here.
For more information about the seminar contact June Timberlake at jtimberlake@worldforum.org
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10. Bike safety
Calm down
With a very few exceptions, America is no place for cyclists
Sep 3rd 2011 | SEATTLE | from The Economist
DYING while cycling is three to five times more likely in America than in Denmark, Germany or the Netherlands. To understand why, consider the death of Michael Wang. He was pedalling home from work in Seattle on a sunny weekday afternoon in late July when, witnesses say, a brown SUV made a left turn, crunched into Wang and sped away.
The road where the 44-year-old father of two was hit is the busiest cycling corridor in Seattle, and it has clearly marked bicycle lanes. But the lanes are protected from motor vehicles by a line of white paint—a largely metaphorical barrier that many drivers ignore and police do not vigorously enforce. A few feet from the cycling lane traffic moves at speeds of between 30 miles per hour, the speed limit for arterials in Seattle, and 40 miles per hour, the speed at which many cars actually travel. This kind of speed kills. A pedestrian hit by a car moving at 30mph has a 45% chance of dying; at 40mph, the chance of death is 85%, according to Britain’s Department of Transport.
Had Mr Wang been commuting on a busy bike route in Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Berlin, his unprotected exposure to instruments of death—namely, any vehicle moving at 20mph or more—would be nearly nil. These cities have knitted together networks for everyday travel by bike. To start with, motor vehicles allowed near cyclists are subject to “traffic calming”. They must slow down to about 19mph, a speed that, in case of collision, kills less than 5%. Police strictly enforce these speed limits with hefty fines. Repeat offenders lose their licences.
Calmer traffic is just the beginning. In much of northern Europe, cyclists commute on lanes that are protected from cars by concrete buffers, rows of trees or parked cars. At busy crossroads, bicycle-activated traffic lights let cyclists cross first. Traffic laws discriminate in favour of people on bikes. A few American cities have taken European-style steps to make streets safer for cycling, most notably Portland, Oregon, which has used most of the above ideas. The result: more bikes and fewer deaths. Nearly 6% of commuters bike to work in Portland, the highest proportion in America. But in five out of the past ten years there have been no cycling deaths there. In the nearby Seattle area, where cycling is popular but traffic calming is not, three cyclists, have been killed in the past few weeks.
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11.
ARE WE CONTRACTING.....
The Economist
Patient still in critical condition
Guardian Weekly ...OR EXPANDING?
Study warns that 26 million Britons could be obese by 2030
Guardian WeeklyGOLDDIGGA
_______________________________
King sends out scouts to foretell the kingdom's future. Scouts return, with Good News and Bad News: Good News: "In 50 years there'll be nothing to eat but cow patties." Bad News: "There ain't gonna be enough to go around."
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12. A word a day: (wordsmith.org)
cowabunga
PRONUNCIATION:
(kou-uh-BUHNG-guh)
MEANING:
interjection: An expression of surprise, joy, or enthusiasm.
ETYMOLOGY:
The word was the cry of Chief Thunderthud, a character in the children's television program Howdy Doody. The word was later adopted by surfers. It was popularized by its use on the animated show Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Earliest documented use: 1954.
USAGE:
"Malaysia reported its first case of a cow giving birth to triplets last week."
Alina Simon; Cowabunga! It's Triplets; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Oct 24, 2010.
____________________
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (1917-1986)
___________________________
From Word a Day website:
Subject: recondite
Def: 1. Concerned with a profound, esoteric, or difficult subject. 2. Little known; obscure.
Many years ago my friend Henry Troup said that he'd always thought of recondite as a metal smelted from the ore erudite, to which I added, "In a retort, of course!"
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13. Feedback
Louise Lacey:
Jake, There is an evolutionary purpose in this. (There is one for smart people, too.) We are making the species better.
The word "fair" doesn't pay off here. We don't get to choose how beautiful or smart we are. But better looking and sharper generations will mean that we have a better chance in the future.
Physically attractive women and men earn more than average-looking ones, and very plain people earn less. In the labour market as a whole (though not, for example, in astrophysics), looks have a bigger impact on earnings than education, though intelligence—mercifully enough— is valued more highly still.
Beauty is naturally rewarded in jobs where physical attractiveness would seem to matter, such as prostitution, entertainment, customer service and so on. But it also yields rewards in unexpected fields. Homely NFL quarterbacks earn less than their comelier counterparts, despite identical yards passed and years in the league. Not everything comes easier: good-looking women seeking high-flying jobs in particularly male fields may be stymied by the “bimbo effect” until they prove their competence and commitment. But the importance of beauty in the labour market is far more pervasive than one might think.
On Sep 3, 2011, at 8:44 PM, Philip Batchelder wrote:
Hi, Jake, How do you prepare kohlrabi?
Peel it and eat it like an apple.
You can chop and put in salads; also cook, like sometimes in beef stew. Really good kohlrabi never makes it into my pot; never gets that far. The organically-grown stuff gets cooked. You know what the pith of broccoli stems is like? Same thing; Brassica oleracea: cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi, and, and.... Has any species given us so much? And the crucifers are famous for their health effects--loaded with antioxidants and other goodies.
On Aug 30, 2011, at 7:36 PM, annamariebb@earthlink.net wrote:
On the subject of the success of the restoration of Pier 98 into Heron Head's Park: There are two glaring omissions of organizations that played important parts in getting the project underway. First, the Golden Gate Audubon Society was the first group to bring up the possibility of the restoration with the Port. Second, The Center for Habitat Restoration which is part of the Biology Department at City College of San Francisco started working with the SF Port. LEJ was brought in to the planning and the physical restoration and at one point took it over the stewardship. It was Biology Department students, faculty, and staff (I was one of the staff
members) who set up to first work days. A program was set up so students in many of the departments classes could earn extra credit by volunteering with the invasive removal. On one Saturday, I, by myself, filled about 8 large bags with Russian Thistle. There was a part-time biology instructor and the company he worked for that was involved in the analysis and capping of the hazardous materials in the area. Biology students working with GGAS did a bird survey and published a book of the birds of Heron's Head. Later a book of the plants of HHP was published. There is a ecology instructor who still takes her classes on field trips to the area. HHP is a great success story in what a community can do and I'm glad that you are including information in your newsletter, but be aware that you do not have to whole story.
I'm not telling the whole story? Have I ever told the whole story about anything? Ha. Impossible.
On Sep 6, 2011, at 8:51 AM, Casey Allen wrote:
Hi Jake, On sunlight/sunscreen. Don't forget about all the toxic stuff that goes into sunscreens. That stuff will give you cancer. I don't use sunscreen unless I can eat it, yes non-toxic and safe to eat. Aubrey organics is one such brand. The sun is good for you.
Yes, the sun is good for you, Casey. However, excessive exposure to UV can age the skin and can cause skin cancers, which are now being taken more seriously. It's confusing; you want enough UV but not too much, and no one knows how much is enough. What to believe? Most just believe whatever makes them feel comfortable. Is that reliable?
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14. Judy Irving:
“Heslet Honey” has been harvested, hand-crushed, and is ready to sell! Beekeeper Kate McGee and her two boys will have a honey stand in front of their place at 218 Filbert Steps this Saturday Sept. 10th from 9 to noon. Meet the beekeeper and buy some first-time-ever-produced-on-Telegraph-Hill honey. Or, you can order from Kate’s newly launched web site: http://heslethoney.com
4 oz: $5; 7.75 oz: $10; 9 oz: $12
Cash preferred; all honey money goes directly back into hive maintenance and beekeeping equipment. Neighbors, “hurry while supplies last.” A perfect gift! (Sent by honey enthusiast Judy Irving, who, with Mark Bittner, just bought 8 jars.)
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15.
For Light
Light cannot see inside things.
That is what the dark is for:
Minding the interior,
Nurturing the draw of growth
Through places where death
In its own way turns into life.
In the glare of neon times,
Let our eyes not be worn
By surfaces that shine
With hunger made attractive.
That our thoughts may be true light,
Finding their way into words
Which have the weight of shadow
To hold the layers of truth.
That we never place our trust
In minds claimed by empty light,
Where one-sided certainties
Are driven by false desire.
When we look into the heart,
May our eyes have the kindness
And reverence of candlelight.
That the searching of our minds
Be equal to the oblique
Crevices and corners where
The mystery continues to dwell,
Glimmering in fugitive light.
When we are confined inside
The dark house of suffering
That moonlight might find a window.
When we become false and lost
That the severe noon-light
Would cast our shadow clear.
When we love, that dawn-light
Would lighten our feet
Upon the waters.
As we grow old, that twilight
Would illuminate treasure
In the fields of memory.
And when we come to search for God,
Let us first be robed in night,
Put on the mind of morning
To feel the rush of light
Spread slowly inside
The color and stillness
Of a found word.
~ John O'Donohue ~
(To Bless the Space Between Us)
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