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| McLaren Park-
A Site for Sore Eyes
by Jeanne Alexander
It was a rancho in 1840. Today it's McLaren Park, whose sweeping views of the city and San Francisco Bay border 318 acres in Visitacion Valley. And whose development as both a neighborhood recreation facility and a wooded retreat has been making steady but piecemeal progress since the park was established in 1926. However, its history goes back almost 100 years before that. When California was declared "a free and sovereign state" within the Mexican republic, Governor Juan Batista Alvarado granted the rancho now known as McLaren Park to the local government in 1840. Subdivision plans for the land grant were drawn up between 1868 and 1904, and were given a boost in 1905 when Daniel Burnham, a renowned architect and city planner was brought in to work with the Association for the Improvement and Adornment of San Francisco. His Burnham Plan recommended that the hilltops where McLaren and Bayview Parks are now located, be reserved for parks. Although the fire and earthquake of 1906 postponed any action, the idea survived. The first proposal for the park came in 1926 when the Board of Supervisors voted to acquire 550 acres of the McLaren Park site for park use. A bond issue to fund the land acquisition was defeated in 1928, so the Board, undaunted, reduced the size of its proposed acquisition and began to purchase land. The first construction in the park was a view drive built by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) in the early '30s and it set the stage for John McLaren to dedicate his eponymous park in a flag-raising ceremony in 1934. Parks and planting were John McLaren's passion. Born in Scotland in 1846, he studied horticulture in Edinburgh's Royal Botanical Gardens and came to California in 1872 where he worked as a landscape gardener on George Howard's vast estate in San Mateo and Leland Stanford's ranch in Palo Alto. He lived by his father's admonition: "Me boy, if you have nothing to do, go plant a tree and it'll grow while ye sleep." McLaren loved trees and hated buildings, trolley cars, "keep off the grass" signs and statues. Some of his most beautiful groves were planted to hide the statues of famous men that the city fathers had placed in the park. In 1887, McLaren became superintendent of Golden Gate Park, the city's largest park and, nearly 50 years later, he dedicated McLaren Park, the city's second largest park. The legacy he left when he died in 1943 at age 97, will endure with the trees he planted. After its 318-acre boundary set by the Board of Supervisors in 1946, McLaren Park's building program got underway in 1958 with Coffman Pool, near the Herz Playground. A 1959 park master plan calling for additional recreational facilities showed the critical need for infrastructure and set the city's wheels turning. The 1960's saw the construction of park roads and playgrounds-- Mansell Street, Visitacion Avenue, Brazil and Persia Avenues, and John F.Shelley Drive; Louis Sutter and Herz Playgrounds. Drainage structures and a water distribution system were installed. The '70s and early '80s brought the tennis courts, the amphitheater, the Mansfield-Burrows Playground and the Wilde Overlook area and viewing tower. New trails, pathways, stairs, picnic areas, and community gardens enriched the landscape. Master planning for the park, begun in 1976, was followed by updates in 1983, 1988, and 1996. In March of 1997 Rec and Park adopted the final John McLaren Park Master Plan which calls for development, phased over five-to-ten years and aimed, initially, at providing "special interest" activities. A $2.4 million bond issue was passed by voters in 1987 for major improvements to McLaren Park. Working closely with Rec and Park staff on a list of park improvements are the Friends of McLaren Park. They are part of the Neighborhood Parks Council, a coalition of activist parks groups who work to rejuvenate their local parks. Friends' president Franco Mancini is pleased with his group's progress on a number of projects: Construction is currently underway on the long-awaited restoration of the amphitheater. The contract, awarded last November, stipulates that the work will be completed in four months, weather permitting. Construction of the new restrooms is "well along;" the foundation has been poured for disabled accessibility ramps, and a resurfaced lot provides handicapped parking space. The amphitheater's opening performance is tentatively scheduled for fall. The public restroom at Oxford and Bacon Streets is completely refurbished and has now reopened. The two- to- three-three acre fennel grove abutting the Crocker Amazon Playground will be bulldozed and the ground covered with redwood bark. Removing the aggressively growing fennel will protect the adjacent native plant areas from further erosion and will also give back to walkers the overgrown jogging trails that the fennel has blocked off. The Friends have reached an agreement
with Rec and Park to gate off and close, at night, a troublesome,
crime-ridden stretch of Brazil
Making judicious use of what Mancini calls "the nag tactic," the Friends have also prevailed on Rec and Park to drain and clean McNab Lake. "Deborah Lerner and her staff at Rec and Park, particularly Marvin Yee, have been very cooperative in helping us develop these projects," Mancini says. Another supportive Rec and Park staffer is Keith Grier, the park's talented recreation director. Grier, who is also a member of Friends of McLaren Park, is enthusiastic about the completed restoration of the Recreation Center Clubhouse at Mansell and Sunnydale Streets. It boasts a colorful new mural painted by neighborhood teens, depicting the park's flora and fauna, wildlife, and the area's diversity. The project was part of the imaginative "restoration as recreation" project that Grier has developed with Jane Ardito. From rancho to recreational retreat, McLaren Park is clearly coming closer to fulfilling John McLaren's dream that people have "unspoiled alpine joy, even in the city."
Taking Care of Our Children by Mayor Willie L. Brown The neighborhood newspapers have given me many opportunities to address the various youth programs offered through the City. I have written to you about the Youth Empowerment conference, the Youth Employment for the Summer program and Youthworks. All of these innovative programs have increased youth employment and involvement by securing relationships between city departments and community-wide nonprofits that continue to make San Francisco safer and more user-friendly. Just last week, yet another program was unveiled that promises to increase services for our youth. The Adopt-A-Child-Care-Center partnership joins the department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Christmas in April, and several construction companies who will work together to renovate more than 20 local nonprofit child-care centers. The availability of child-care slots in safe and healthy environments is a concern to every parent in the city, but it is also a pressingly important one to people who are moving from welfare to work. Funding sources for child-care generally fail to adequately meet the strict operating costs for high-quality care and there is often little to no funding for improving already existing facilities. By renovating existing child-care centers around the city, the Adopt-A-Child-Care-Center partnership will create more than 300 new slots and maintain nearly 1,000 already existing slots. Many of these child-care centers are located in historically under-served neighborhoods of San Francisco including Chinatown, Western Addition, Mission Dolores, Bayview-Hunters point, Visitacion Valley, Park Merced, and the Sunset district. Through this current child-care initiative, the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families has enlisted the help of several companies, all of who have agreed to generously donate labor and materials to complete the front-end technical work ranging from major construction to room expansions. Christmas in April, a nonprofit organization dedicated to renovating community facilities and low-income residential homes, will mobilize volunteers to complete selected projects such as painting, landscaping, constructing storage units, space planning, and mural designing and painting. Construction on various sites began in February and in some cases construction will continue through September 1999. The Adopt-A-Child-Care-Center program
is part of an ongoing effort by the Mayor's Starting Points Initiative
to increase high-quality child-care for working families. It is also part
of a multifaceted approach on the part of the City and its partners to
increase educational, recreational, safe-pace, and health programs for
the City's youth. Over the last year, San Francisco has dedicated $360
million in federal, state and local funds to children and youth programs.
The City's budget, for example, included the following monetary allocations:
These moneys manifest themselves in collaborative and inventive programs such as the Beacon Centers which are school-based extended-hour sites that offer year-round after-school youth programs in leadership, support learning, and arts and recreation. The five existing Beacon Centers present another example of a collaborative effort; Beacon sites work with 52 community-based organizations, six City departments, and 15 private foundations, as well as the Mayor's Office. Thanks to the 1998-99 fiscal year budget, three new Beacon Centers will soon open their doors. As parents, we all have a personal interest
in providing safe and nurturing spaces for our children. As a community,
we have a vested interest in providing stimulating and educational environments
for our youth--in them lies the future of our city. For the first time
ever, the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families has issued a
comprehensive budget publication that documents the many ways that the
Department implements children and youth-oriented programs across agencies,
departments, and traditional budget boundaries. The publication provides
details of specific neighborhoods as well as programs. For more information
n the Department and the publication, visit the DOCYF web site at www.mocyf.org.
A Final Installment
by Gerry L. Galvan When 45 Democratic Party senators voted on Feb. 12, 1999 to acquit William Jefferson Clinton of the two articles of impeachment, no one was surprised. Many, however, were disappointed. Millions felt betrayed and couldn't come to grips with the inability of politicians to put principle above partisan consideration. The 10 Republican senators who broke ranks and joined the Democrats in their choral chant to save Clinton weren't heroes. They were villains in a script which repeatedly chimed, "There's no way the House managers could corner 67 senators to cast a "Guilty" vote each. It was a pleasantly sweet option to jump into a winning bandwagon and be assured of a pat on the back by a grateful perjurer who had escaped the proverbial hangman's noose by a sheer trash of decency and moral values. Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine both offered lame excuses. Rhode Island's John Chafee, Vermont's James Jeffords, and Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, stuck their tongues by their cheeks in rationalizing their pro-Clinton stand of voting to acquit the President on Article I. Seemingly unprincipled were an additional five Republican senators: Washington's Slade Gorton, Alabama's Richard Shelby, Alaska's Ted Stevens, Tennessee's Fred Thompson and Virginia's John Warner who joined the first five in acquitting the President on Impeachment Article II. All 10 undoubtedly had their reasons. Maybe they didn't want to be caught hanging by the side of a wagon running full speed towards the cliff of by-the-Constitutional-two-thirds-vote-mandate. President Clinton was a sure winner, by virtue of the unshaken determination of 45 Democratic senators ignoring a cry for justice and rejecting both evidence and arguments offered by prosecutors. Perhaps, the American nation would be served better if Clinton was not convicted of his crimes. And perhaps professional politicians would settle down from their overly greed for power. Although the historic Feb. 12 vote should
have been the last chapter in the Clinton-Lewinsky saga, it didn't turn
out that way. Our world is still bombarded by political, ideological, psychological
and sociopathic cliches which only paid pundits would care to hear.
By and large, the American people have lost their confidence in President Clinton as a leader. By the same token, they have become less respectful of Hillary for looking the other way as the evidence unfolded. With the 2000 election still 20 months
away, both Democrats and Republicans have already commenced their campaigns.
And from the looks of things, the biggest chapter in the Clinton/Lewinsky
saga may yet unfold.
Moving Off the Curb: Beyond Bottles, Cans and Paper by David Assmann, Senior Administrator, San Francisco Recycling Program Do you think of recycling when you replace your flashlight batteries, paint your home, or change the oil in your car? There's much more to recycling than putting bottles, cans and paper in your curbside bins. You can take almost all of your household hazardous waste items to the facility near 3Com (see below). However, if you have only motor oil, latex paint or batteries, there are several locations in different neighborhoods where it is more convenient to drop them off than driving all the way across town. Used Motor Oil
Latex Paint
Oil Based Paint
Rechargeable Batteries
Car Batteries can be taken to several battery recycling companies in San Francisco; look in the Yellow Pages under "Batteries." Many of them will even pay you $1.00 for each car battery. You can also ask your local auto shops if they will take your used auto batteries. Most Household Chemicals from your home can be taken to the City's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility (located at Sanitary Fill Company on the other side of the freeway from 3Com Park). This includes oil based paint, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, etc. Most of the wastes received at the facility are recycled. Those that can't be recycled are sent to special hazardous waste treatment or disposal facilities. The household facility is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Before driving to the facility call 415-554-4333 for information on what materials are accepted, instructions on transportation, and directions. The City also offers a free pick up service for senior citizens and people who are disabled. To make an appointment to have your waste picked up, you can call Safety Kleen at 1-800-897-3088. Free Information
Five Years Ago in the Grapevine MARCH 1994 *S.F. police were forced to close Wilson High School after lunch break Feb. 22 when an argument between several students escalated into a fracas involving dozens. *Most respondents to the Grapevine's
January 1994 survey of Geneva Towers alternatives felt the existing structures
should be demolished to build three-story family housing of 150 to 330
units in a project taking up to six years for completion.
Historic Proportions Match clues to answers. 1977
A. New York
Answers: 1-J ; 2-N; 3-K; 4-M; 5-P; 6-O; 7-E; 8-B; 9-C; 10-Q; 11-G; 12-A; 13-D; 14-L; 15-H; 16-F; 17-R; 18-I. Sez Who? Match quotes with speakers.
A. Ernest Hemingway
Answers: 1-H; 2-D; 3-A; 4-E; 5-C; 6-B; 7-G; 8-I; 9-F. |