Bike Education Part of Livability Programs at St. Cyprian's

SFBC Bike Ed instructor Bert Hill and community meet at St. Cyprian's

35 people introduced to urban bicycling strategies

St. Cyprian's - 50 years on Turk and Lyon

Photo: Nathan Frankel

Take the lane and Avoid the door zone. According to Bert Hill, bicycle education instructor for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, these are two of the most important lessons to learn for new cyclists in San Francisco. He shared these and other tips-of-the-road with 35 people -- many of them new to bicycling -- during a four-hour classroom session last Saturday at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church.

St. Cyprian's isn’t new to livability programs. Last year the congregation hosted a similar bike ed class and participated in Sunday Streets in the North Panhandle. In 2009 St. Cyprian’s pastor Rev. Will Scott and associated clergy Rev. Dr. Susanna Singer offered a popular bike blessing during the neighborhood’s BIKE THE BLOCK party. Long before that the church hosted the after-party for a neighborhood tree planting effort. This spring, however, St. Cyprian’s will pick up the livability pace with a set of programs and initiatives.

A new series -- Dinner & Conversation at Cyprian's* -- continues this week when Elizabeth Stampe, Executive Director of Walk SF, joins community members for a simple meal followed by an interview and discussion of pedestrian safety concerns in San Francisco. In the following weeks, other neighborhood groups will discuss their projects for a better, more sustainable city:

• March 30, Dale Danley, leader of the award-winning Panhandle Park Stewards
• April 13, University of San Francisco students on permeable, landscaped sidewalks for St. Cyprian's along Turk and Lyon streets
• April 20, Lenore McDonald and Michael Helquist on "Bicycling for Community" featuring the NOPA VELO biking group and BIKE NOPA

In the realm of safer, friendlier streets, St. Cyprian's has applied to the Municipal Transportation Agency for installation of bike parking. The congregation hopes to get crosswalks re-striped and better lighting at Turk and Lyon streets, and the church plans to undertake sidewalk improvements. The latest features are sidewalk benches along Turk – built, of course, from recycled scrap wood.

Dinner & Conversation at Cyprian's
2097 Turk at Lyon
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
For information and reservation: Will Scott, turkandlyon@gmail.com
Accessible via Muni #31, #24, #5, #43
Donations for dinners appreciated

Note: I serve as coordinator of special events at St. Cyprian's, including the new music venue Cyprian's

Panhandle Park: New Video Shows How Good It Will Get This Year

The Panhandle Park keeps grabbing attention and for good reason. The block-wide green expanse is a city treasure and a neighborhood delight. It calms edgy urban folks, muffles the roar of Fell and Oak traffic, cleans the air, offers great picnic and frisbee grounds, and features a prime path for strollers and bicyclists. And then there's the kids' playground, the basketball court, and everyone's meeting place, the McKinley Monument.

Now the Panhandle Park Stewards has released a new YouTube video to tout the capital improvements coming to the park later this year. Written, narrated and produced by Dale Danley, leader of the park group, the video describes the new features expected in the central area of the park, specifically between Ashbury and Clayton Streets. Last year Danley's group was awarded a Community Opportunity Fund grant to upgrade paths, install new irrigation, re-design entries and exits, and include new landscaping and bike racks.

"I hope this video helps improve perceptions about the Panhandle Park by people across San Francisco," Danley commented with the launch of the video. The Neighborhood Parks Council ("Revitalizing Communities, Park by Park") likes the new video so much that it features the production on its site as well.

Every month the Panhandle Park Stewards welcomes neighbors and friends to join them for a morning of park-care. Next workday: this Saturday, March 12th, 9-11:30 a.m. See the group's site for more details.

Panhandle Upgrade In Early 2011; City Chooses Proposal From Panhandle Park Stewards

Three of the turf mounds to be replanted and upgraded

Central area in the west-end of the Panhandle to be focus of improvements

Modernizing irrigation and drainage systems will help prevent frequent path flooding

The Panhandle Park will see new turf, new pathways, more native plants, and upgraded irrigation and drainage early in 2011 as part of a capital improvement proposal selected in a competition conducted by the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD). During a December 2 meeting, RPD commissioners approved the funding of several proposals, including one submitted by the Panhandle Park Stewards, a group of volunteers who live around the Panhandle and participate in monthly work days caring for the park. RPD agreed to finance the $89,000 proposal, and staff have indicated that they expect the implementation to begin early in the new year.

Dale Danley, leader of the Panhandle Park Stewards, said the proposal focused on the area near the basketball court, restroom, and children's playground to get the most impact from funds available. "Improving the central area is the best way to make the park a gathering place for neighbors, and will further improve people's perceptions of our neighborhood park," said Danley. (See this previous post for an aerial view of the project area). Danley said the work will also include a seating wall situated near the basketball courts, bike racks, and a new wood chip path leading to the Kevin Collins' Children's Garden and playground.

Park regulars know that the turf along several pathways frequently has deep ruts caused by service vehicles too large for the paths or operators not careful enough to stay on them. A key repair aspect of the project will be to re-route the trucks onto other, wider paths. The south side walking and jogging path requires upgrades along much of its length from Baker to Masonic streets, but Danley explained the funds available for the projects were insufficient for such a large undertaking. The multi-use path along the Fell street side of the Panhandle has become overwhelmed with users, both walkers and bicyclists. With a continuing surge in bicycling in the city, the most likely solution for the over-crowded multi-use path is an on-street, separated track for people on bikes.

Danley envisions greater community involvement for the betterment of the neighborhood park. On his website, Panhandle Park Stewards, he encourages more neighbors to join the monthly workdays and for the group to conduct more outreach to neighbors and park users. He also hopes to engage neighbors in the implementation phases of the upgrades by documenting the work, identifying the plants selected, and proposing re-use of materials removed from the park. The Panhandle Park Stewards received an award last month as the outstanding park volunteer group of the year.

Panhandle Path Notes: Hazard Repaired, Trouble Remains

For months Panhandle Path has bulged here close to Cole Street

When a driver blocks the crosswalk before stopping, it's never a good sign

Ignoring the red turn light and prompting the driver behind to follow

Not to be deterred no matter how many cyclists and pedestrians are in the crosswalk

And the license plate: CA 6LRE494

This afternoon was a good time to get away from the office for a quick bike ride. One of BIKE NOPA's "eyes-on-the-street"* alerted me earlier in the day that a tall pole was being installed on Masonic at Hayes and that a patch of the Panhandle Path was being repaired. Holiday lights were going up on the giant Monterey cypress outside McLaren Lodge too. All good reasons for an outing. Here's what I found.

A new, tall utility pole was already in place when I arrived. The towering tree nearby had been trimmed for the arcing mast over the travel lane, and a new and larger set of signal lights had been installed. The signal light replacements, reported going up at other locations here, are intended as another safety improvement along the Masonic corridor.

Tree roots had buckled the pavement of the Panhandle Path in the west end of the park just east of Cole Street for several months. Perhaps the Recreation and Parks Department delayed this repair given its slashed budget. Crews started the job a few weeks ago but then the work stalled. With the friendly prodding of the Panhandle Park Stewards (coincidental or not), work resumed and today the pathway is flat and smooth.

I decided to save the city's holiday tree for a night-time visit and chose instead to stake out the Fell/Masonic intersection. I hoped to report that the new shield on the bike light was working as intended and that people driving west on Fell and wanting to turn left on Masonic no longer confused the red stoplight and the green bike light for crosswalk users. I stood through two full signal changes, and all went smooth and safely although one cyclist cut the digital countdown for the crossing pretty short. Not the third time though. A clear sign of trouble ahead is when a motorist rolls into and then completely blocks the crosswalk on Fell before stopping for the light. When the Panhandle light turned green for people on bikes and on foot, the driver ignored the red and edged into the intersection ready to push right through the flow of crosswalk users. Which he did. The driver behind him followed suit. Both traveled slowly through their infractions of the traffic code. (Do take note of the license plate number).

This isn't a bicyclist / motorist conflict, in my mind. The situation seen all over the city is simply too many motorists not respecting the rights and vulnerability of someone using the crosswalk. The intrusions happen every day in all parts of the city, sometimes with people getting hit and occasionally killed. One driver nearly hit me this week on a clear, sunny morning. I was crossing Golden Gate Avenue at Lyon street in the crosswalk. Her excuse after slamming on the brakes,"I didn't see you!" My reply, "Then you weren't looking." Before peeling around me and driving on, she shouted, "Get out of the road." When do we -- walkers, drivers, bicyclists, San Franciscans -- say "Enough" and then do something about it?

*Thanks again, SN. Now I wish I had added the Holiday Tree to my ride.

Panhandle Park Stewards Honored As "Outstanding Park Volunteer Group"

Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of SF Recreation & Parks Dept. (l), and Dale Danley,

Leader of Panhandle Park Stewards

Morgan Fitzgibbons (l) of Wigg Party nominated Panhandle Park Stewards for Award

Dale Danley with NEN Award, interviewed for NEN broadcast

August 2010 Workgroup, Panhandle Park Stewards

Volunteer groups help care for nearly 225 neighborhood parks in San Francisco, and last night one of them was honored for its exemplary work. The Panhandle Park Stewards received the 2010 Outstanding Park Volunteer Group award from the citywide Neighborhood Empowerment Network (NEN). Dale Danley, leader of the Panhandle volunteers, accepted the award during a City Hall ceremony that also honored eleven other community projects and recognized individual achievements.

Earlier this year Danley reinvigorated a lagging volunteer effort to care for the Panhandle. He organized monthly outings that now attract up to 20 neighborhood volunteers to work in the Panhandle with the park's city gardener. Accepting the award for his group, Danley said, "We want a park that's clean, green, safe and cool, but we're not there yet. We'll keep working until it is." Morgan Fitzgibbons, leader of the Wigg Party, nominated the Panhandle group for the NEN award. Last night Fitzgibbons applauded Danley's leadership with the work crews, his Panhandle web site, and his appreciation for the history and care of the Panhandle trees.

Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of the Recreation and Parks Department, hailed the work of the Panhandle Park Stewards and the efforts of all volunteers who help care for San Francisco's parks and recreation facilities. "We simply cannot do it alone anymore," Ginsburg told the audience of more than 200 community activists and city officials. "We need neighborhood volunteers." Last year volunteers citywide logged more than 129,000 hours working with the department.

The North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA) continues to be a primary supporter of efforts to improve its "neighborhood park." Last month Danley worked with NOPNA and several other neighborhood groups adjacent to the park on a proposal to upgrade the central area of the Panhandle. The Recreation and Parks Department is currently reviewing the application. The next work day for the Panhandle Park Stewards is scheduled for Saturday, January 8th.

Neighbors Seek Makeover for Panhandle Park, Request Community Input

Red shows areas of standing water; yellow indicates paths considered for improvement

Panhandle Park Stewards recently pushed back the mud, filled edge with turf strips

Worn out "grassy" mounds in the central area of Panhandle near playground, restrooms

Path at Stanyan not wide enough for restroom maintenance vehicles

Neighbors around the Panhandle have drafted an ambitious proposal for capital improvements to the central area of Panhandle Park and will submit it to the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) on September 24th. Primary components of the plan are rebuilding the walking paths, improving the children's playground, adding bicycle parking, and upgrading benches and plantings. The proposal will focus on the central area of the park close to the playground, basketball court, and restrooms. Organizers invite comments on the plan and especially seek collaborations for the upgrades. The neighbors hope their plan will be selected for implementation through the Community Opportunity Fund, a new program of RPD intended to finance a few capital improvement projects developed by community groups.

Dale Danley, one of the key organizers of the proposal, explained that the scope of the project is to revitalize and create a more vibrant park environment. "We respect the history of the park and its 100-year-old trees and we don't recommend a change to the overall design of the pathways and plantings," he said. Instead, the group focuses on the area most visited in the Park.

A draft of the Panhandle neighbor's proposal highlights priorities and improvements.

Panhandle Paths

• rebuild and raise the walking paths above the landscape to prevent erosion
• redesign the troubled irrigation system that leaves paths muddy with puddles
• reroute service vehicles to specific routes to reduce ruts and turf damage
• retain the south path for pedestrians and improve a long section of it
• repaving the entire south path is beyond the scope of the funding program

Playground

• the 10-year-old playground recently received a "D" grade in a citywide playground review
• convert large areas of the play area to rubber instead of the current sand to reduce maintenance costs and enhance running and playing
• long-term plans include replacing the play structures overall for more modern equipment

Bike Parking and Safety Info Stop

• the Panhandle currently has no bike racks and secure parking is needed
• with the surge in bicycling in the city, the multi-use path is heavily used now leading to friction between people walking, jogging, and biking
• construct a modern bike parking and bike safety station for residents and tourists
• information would help bikers navigate the city's expanding network of bikeways, encourage courtesy on the multi-use path, and promote safe biking

Benches and Planting

• the area near the playground and basketball courts now features three small grassy mounds with turf in poor condition
• the benches are old and worn and do not invite people from the neighborhood
• with new landscaping and seating, the area could become an attractive centerpiece

Resurfacing Basketball Court

• the proposal targets this area for improvement, but cost constraints may require it be addressed in later phases

Danley said the group has been advised that the strongest proposals will include collaborations with landscaper architects and donations of materials and time of skilled professionals and community members. He noted that one opportunity for local firms is the design of high-quality and original bike racks that add to the character of the park.

To send feedback or volunteer to help with the project, contact Dale Danley, Panhandle Park Stewards: dale987@gmail.com or Leela Gill, North of the Panhandle Neighborhood Association, leelagill@yahoo.com

Outdoors in NOPA: Weekend Events

Panhandle work day with Dale, Jarie, and Doug on the path

Meet the Ice Cream Bike Tour at BIKE NOPA's favorite

OK, maybe not grilled cherries but see what else the chefs prepare

This morning I stopped along the Wiggle bike route and spoke with two biking tourists from Chicago, Tom and Kelly. They wanted to get to the Haight by way of Page or the Wiggle. I asked what they thought of our summer weather. "We love it," Tom said, "It's 100 degrees and humid back home." They decided to take the Wiggle with its recently-drawn colored chalk welcome heralding the Wigg Party. They passed right through the North Panhandle, but those of us in the neighborhood have some special events this weekend right here.

Get Close to the Trees

Saturday morning offers another chance to work with the Panhandle Park Stewards as they care for our favorite neighborhood park. Clear the trails, tend to the eucalyptus trees, shovel mulch around the trees, and there's always weeding for anyone so inclined.

Saturday, 9 am to Noon

Meet at the bulletin board near the playground

(West of Masonic Avenue)

Gloves and Tools provided, wear sturdy shoes

Information: Dale at dale987@gmail.com

SFBC Ice Cream Bike Tour Stops at Chile Pies & Ice Cream

Start in the Mission for some sunshine and then bring it along with you in this ever-sweet ride. Last year's ride was a huge hit. Plan on five stops to return to your favorite ice creameries or try a few new ones. The tour ends at NOPA's own Chile Pies & Ice Cream. If you can't make the ride, stop by Chile Pies and welcome the riders to the neighborhood.

Saturday, 12 noon

Meet at Xanath, 951 Valencia

Bring a lock, cash for ice cream, and appetite.

Ride is free for SFBC members, $5 donation from non-members appreciated

Last stop: Chile Pies & Ice Cream, Baker and Fulton

Farmers' Market Goes Grill Crazy

Chefs at the Divisadero Farmers' Market will be grilling up all kinds of fresh local produce on Sunday. Market manager Dmitrius Spartos welcomes all neighbors and friends to stop by, watch the cooking demos, and sample the fine grilled treats.

Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm

Divisadero at Grove

Appetites required

Three great events for a summer weekend in the neighborhood. See you at all three. And say hello to the tourists-on-bikes passing through NOPA.

Here's the ice cream route:

Panhandle Park Stewards: Clearing Paths, Building Community

Wading boots required to take this corner an hour earlier

Stewards cleared paths of mud and replanted sod

8 inches of muddy sod cleared from walkway

Great turnout of neighbors, volunteers from Asian American Recovery Services

and park gardener, Charlie (seated, far left)

The North Panhandle's neighborhood park is cleaner with less mud and wider paths after the two-hour stint Saturday morning by a dozen volunteers. The Asian American Recovery Services joined the Panhandle Park Stewards to shovel mud off the Panhandle paths in the western end of the park. Dale Danley, leader of the park stewards, said he felt encouraged after the accomplishments of the day. "After taking on these big mud puddles, I'm beginning to think we can actually do something about these muddy pathways. We still need to work with the city to get a long-term solution."

The Panhandle becomes a better public space after each outing of the park stewards, and, as importantly, the community grows with stronger bonds as neighbors and friends work together. This Saturday one new NOPA neighbor, Jared, helped with the work along with his friend, Aaron. Regulars included Doug, Dawn, and her dogs, Frankie and Smokey.

Panhandle: The Neighborhood Park Needs Some Help

Panhandle draws neighbors from north and south of the park

Panhandle Park Stewards earlier this year

Dale Danley (far left), Guillermo, park gardener, )second from left)

Over the long July 4th holiday weekend the Panhandle Park became a neighborhood magnet for picnickers, sun-seekers, and people walking, biking, and watching. Several large groups of fifty or more sprawled on the grass appreciating one of NOPA's greatest assets. Dale Danley, leader of the local Panhandle Park Stewards, has noticed a continuing increase in Panhandle users. "Our neighborhood park is thriving this summer, more popular than we have seen in years," he recently wrote to the other volunteers.

Danley also noted that basic maintenance and improvements become even more important with the surge in visitors. BIKE NOPA reader Nick observes, as many others have, that the Panhandle multi-use path on the north side gets very crowded and more difficult to negotiate for people walking or on bikes or pushing strollers. One thing he'd like to see is a fresh coat of yellow reflective paint -- or thermoplast -- for the divider. He also suggests new directional arrows on either side of the lane. "They might be helpful to prevent the problems of peds and bikes acting like salmon." Although the Recreation and Parks Department (RPD) faces huge cuts in its operating budget, Nick wrote that the pedestrian path on the south side of the Panhandle was recently painted.

The Municipal Transportation Agency has been installing bike racks and larger bike corrals in neighborhoods around the city. Now RPD needs to take its turn and add more bike parking. Commenter Nick suggests bike racks at the relatively new restroom located in the western half of the Panhandle would be especially welcome.

Nowhere to park and lock a bike near Panhandle's restroom

This upcoming Saturday the Panhandle Park Stewards will host another workday to help the park's gardening staff keep the paths, flower beds, and open areas in good shape. Stewards leader Danley welcomes neighbors and all park enthusiasts to help provide TLC to the park beginning at 9am. Meet at the bulletin board near the playground. Tools and gloves are provided, but he suggests volunteers might want to bring their own gloves and wear sturdy shoes.

One more Panhandle news note: the Neighborhood Park Council (NPC) will recognize Danley and other local park leaders next week in a celebration at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley.

Racing Cyclist Smacks Against Baby Stroller on Panhandle Path; Skirmish Follows

Sometimes the Panhandle Path works well for everyone.

The Panhandle is thriving as a neighborhood park

Walkers, joggers, and parents with kids in strollers sometimes choose the southern path instead.

Ongoing tensions between people walking and bicycling on the multiple-use Panhandle Path erupted into a skirmish Sunday morning, June 6th, after a racing cyclist smacked against a baby stroller. The father pushing the carriage and the cyclist started yelling at each other. Pushing and swinging blows followed until others on the path pulled the two men apart.

North Panhandle neighbor Jim Allen told BIKE NOPA Monday morning about the incident he witnessed the day before. "I was walking westbound about 30 yards behind the father and his infant in the stroller who were about 40 yards from Stanyan Street. There was another couple walking past the stroller and they may have temporarily crossed into the eastbound lane. Right then a biker swooped onto the Path after crossing the street (Stanyan) and tried to squeeze between the walkers and the dad with a stroller. He whacked the stroller pretty hard and then cursed the dad for blocking the path."

Allen said the skirmish lasted only for a minute before he and others on the path pulled the two men apart. The father was shaken by the experience, although the stroller was not overturned, and no one was injured. The bicyclist mounted his bike and rode off.

Allen and several other neighbors have complained about the hazards of the multi-use path, especially as the good weather brings out more people walking and biking. He noted that the situation is particularly hazardous for parents with strollers and for elderly people from Mercy Terrace (located at Baker and Fell Street) who use the path daily.

Several observers have called for posting signs to "Share the Path" and "Slow Down for Walkers." That strategy might influence some bicyclists to reduce their speed, but it is unlikely to have the hoped-for impact on those who already ride too fast.

Others have proposed a bike lane along Fell Street from Baker to Stanyan Streets, situated between the parked cars and the park. That option might offer riders a place to travel at higher speeds and a more predictable cross-town commute, while improving safety and comfort for people walking on the path and getting a casual bike ride.

Dale Danley, neighborhood organizer of the Panhandle Park Stewards, agrees the Panhandle Path has become a real problem. "With more people cycling and walking on the path, we've reached a tipping point, so the path is no longer pleasant or safe," he said. Danley added that he will be meeting later this month with Recreation and Parks Department officials, and he will make the case for a more comprehensive plan for upgrading both the north and south side paths in the Panhandle.

Panhandle Access Riles NOPA Neighbors

Panhandle Park access at Central Avenue and Fell Street: a chronic condition

Panhandle Park Stewards scraped wide swath of mud of the sidewalk earlier this month

Unnecessary eyesore and maintenance expense goes untended by Rec & Park

The deep, swampy ruts and muddy mess at the Central Avenue entry to the Panhandle have long annoyed NOPA residents and other park users whether on foot or spinning on two wheels. Neighbors complain that repeated requests for maintenance and long-term solutions go unanswered by Recreation and Parks Department administrators. What gripes many people the most is that Rec & Park cause the problems.

Michael Varner is a long-time NOPA resident who lives a half block from park entrance. He recently described in an email his frustration with the chronic conditions. "The main problem is Rec & Park. Their own vehicles continually drive off the paved walking/biking paths when working in the area, chewing up the soil on the verge, generating mounds of mud." Varner believes Rec & Park could address the problem by simply making sure department employees only use paths that are wide enough for their vehicles. He also suggests not transporting materials in such large trucks to the park.

Varner notes that the Central Avenue access is much more than just one of several entrances to the Panhandle. "It's a major crossing point for lots of people coming down from the Haight as well as those going to the shops and restaurants in NOPA. Given the amount of foot traffic on Central, it should be considered an entrance to Golden Gate Park itself. Also tourists frequently use this route coming from downtown and going to the park and museums."

The much-loved and greatly used Panhandle presents any number of problems for visitors. Most of them are due to delayed maintenance or inadequate planning. The south-side pedestrian-only path has not been fully repaved for years, although several stretches were recently patched.* The north-south cross paths feature similar deep ruts and muddy stretches as along the Central entry. Overall, the Panhandle gives every indication of needing a reconsideration of the pathways, the widths of each of them, and the uses. Without such a plan, repair work becomes more expensive through repetition, when it comes.

NOPA residents recognize that the city's dire fiscal situation prevents an overhaul of the park, one that might include a widened multi-use path on the north side and a more expansive, level and smooth surface on the south with cross paths wide enough for necessary vehicles. But being understanding only goes so far when the city is unresponsive about many reports of problems. Michael Varner notes that he has tried to deal with the Manager of Golden Gate Park for years with little or no response. Earlier this month I registered a 311 request about the muddy overflow on the Central Avenue entry and checked the box for wanting a reply. So far, no reply and no fix.

The Panhandle Park Stewards, a revitalized community group devoted to park improvements, recently shoveled back the mud flow from many of the paths as part of its monthly workday. NOPA neighbor Dale Danley leads the Stewards, and he offered suggestions for how to deal with the park access issue. "I think this problem can be solved, and it may be by reducing the number of vehicles that enter the park or by changing which paths are used for park entry or by fortifying the soil and surface next to the paths."

The Central Avenue entry will play a significant role in upcoming events planned for the Panhandle or along Fell Street including Bay to Breakers, the Tour of California, the April 11th Sunday Streets through the park to the Great Highway, and the September 19th Sunday Streets when thousands of people are expected to start the open-street route from the Panhandle and head north on Central Avenue.

Currently North Panhandle neighbors are discussing how to improve the Panhandle for all users, from parents with kids in strollers or on Skuut bikes to commuting bicyclists. They're committed enough to the effort to also seek funding for needed projects. The irony is that these willing and energetic park advocates have not yet been able to forge a partnership with Rec and Park itself.

* Dale Danley confirmed with Rec & Park that the south patch paving resulted from a 311 request. In a different area of Golden Gate Park -- the JFK repaving now underway -- I have found the Park and Rec Project Manager to be consistently responsive to inquiries.

Park Stewards Widen Panhandle Path, Increase Space to Share

Reclaimed entry space at Central Avenue

Doug Diboll shoveling back attractive bed that covered too much of the path

Jignesh Desai: heavy lifting

Dale Danley (l), Larkin Street Services youth, and Panhandle gardener (front, right)

The path must be shared even with these?

The newly-formed Panhandle Park Stewards cleared mud and weeds from the Panhandle Path on Saturday as part of the group's monthly workday. Their efforts widened the popular park route by two feet in several sections. The all-volunteer crew worked mostly in the two-block stretch between Masonic Avenue and Lyon Street; that area alone required the efforts of four neighbors over a two-hour period. The group also cleared the Central Avenue and Lyon Street entries to the Park on the north side. Several neighbors have recently requested that the Recreation and Parks Department improve its maintenance of the Central Avenue entry, especially since department vehicles frequently leave deep muddy ruts there.

The Panhandle Park Stewards joined with volunteers from Larkin Street Services and Asian American Recovery Services. NOPA neighbors Doug Diboll and Jignesh Desai joined me and stewards' leader, Dale Danley for the sunny morning in the park. We had the chance for quick breaks with NOPNA President Jarie Bolander in his gorilla feet running gear and neighbor Marc Caswell strolling along without his bike.

To learn more about today's workday and the future plans for the Panhandle, check out Panhandle Park Stewards blog.

For 100-Year-Old Trees and Months-Old Mud: Panhandle Park Stewards Want You

Photo: Dale Danley

Encroaching mud on Panhandle's mixed-use path

The Panhandle Park Stewards invite NOPA neighbors and park lovers to help reclaim parts of the multi-use path sludged over with mud and sprouting with weeds this Saturday, March 13th. "With a little maintenance work, we can get back parts of the path that have disappeared," said Dale Danley, a NOPA resident who leads the neighborhood efforts to care for the park. "With all the use the path is getting - and with even more expected this summer - we can use every inch of it for more cyclists, runners, and walkers."

Photo: Dale Danley

Winter rains and saturated soil topple one big eucalyptus in the Panhandle

In addition to the busy Panhandle Path, the Park Stewards will also work with the gardener assigned to the eastern half of Panhandle Park to care for the historic trees in the area. Danley notes that California celebrates Arbor Day this week, and the Panhandle is a prime location for caring for and learning about a large variety of trees. "The big, old trees in the Panhandle, several more than a hundred years old, need some care to stay healthy," he said. "A lot of people come out to the monthly work parties to do just that - work - but this month, for Arbor Day, we'll take some time and learn something about the trees."

Danley urges volunteers to bring a tree book or a phone with Internet to help the group identify some of the trees. "We'll focus on the area between Lyon Street and Central Avenue and compare what we find with a tree survey* of the Panhandle completed 40 years ago." And, he advises, wear sturdy shoes and clothes and expect to get a bit muddy. "The rains of the past month have saturated the soil, and a few trees have fallen as a result." But don't let the muddy paths stop you, Danley is sure everyone will have an experience in the park they won't forget.

The Panhandle Park Stewards gather the second Saturday of every month. For more information on the volunteer effort, check the blog that Danley started in January to document the neighborhood's involvement with park issues.

* Trees of the Panhandle, Elizabeth McClintock and Virginia Moore. Published by the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; Miscellaneous Paper No. 1, 1965.

Check today's post at Panhandle Park Stewards for history of neighborhood involvement with a safe and clean park, provided by Mary Helen Briscoe, a long-time community activist and Panhandle advocate. (Thank you, Mary Helen, for your years of dedication and service).

Saturday, March 13th

Meet at 9 am @ the playground/bulletin board (where Ashbury intersects)

Work till noon, snack provided.

More information: dale987@gmail.com