I know this looks newsy, but feel free to pay attention anyway. Reader A. tonight forwarded along an internal email memo circulated by the group SafeCleanGreen Mission Dolores. The memo, titled “Dolores Park Progress Report,” updates members on progress made on each of a number of concerns and initiatives.
Most of what they’re talking about here sounds entirely positive: improved safety, improved sanitation and irrigation, improved signage.
The thing is, with improvement comes sacrifice apparently. They are down on dogs, big events, drinking and drugs — things that absolutely make Dolores Park the bastion of freedom and fun so many of us know and love. And maybe that’s fine. Change can be good.
But when a group angling for change lauds increased police presence for its ability to “dampen the spirits of those who are inclined to come to DP for unfettered drinking and carousing,” it gives us pause. We are wary of any organization so giddy about dampening the spirits of others.
The memo says, “Rec&Park recognizes the need to set a new tone in the park.” And maybe that’s true. Maybe somebody needs to remind people more forcefully to pick up their god damn trash.
But should that job be entrusted to a closed organization? The group’s website explains:
“SafeCleanGreen membership is by invitation or referral only. To join, please email and tell us a little bit about yourself and how you found out about us. Be sure to include your address and contact information. You’ll hear back shortly from our Yahoo Group Moderator.”
In any case, maybe it is the end of an era. Maybe it’s time for dogs to be on leashes and community events to be denied permits. Maybe this group is on the right track. Or, maybe they’re a mobilized minority trying to flip the script on a beloved national treasure behind everyone’s back. This is not for us to say. And this is not a call to action, as this is not a call-to-action type blog. But if citizens outside this closed organization have an opinion to voice too, the memo name drops Dolores Park Park Manager Bob Palacio ( bob.palacio@sfgov.org ) and Supervisor Bevan Dufty ( Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.org ).
Full memo after the jump.
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:17:25 -0700
Subject: Dolores Park progress report
DOLORES PARK PROGRESS REPORT
Many of you attended our Friday, August 7th meeting in Sup. Bevan Dufty’s office. I’ve already sent a synopsis of the meeting, but want to give you an update on a number of developments and commitments that Rec&Park and others have made since then:
1. Police presence in the park. You may have noticed a substantial increase in police presence in the park. Last weekend, SFPD had a van parked in the middle of the park and 3 bicycle officers riding around the park. There had also been press coverage talking of a “crackdown” at DP. While this is overstated (it’s more presence than enforcement of park codes, but it’s a great start), the combined effect has been to dampen the spirits of those who are inclined to come to DP for unfettered drinking and carousing. We have a long way to go, but I hope this is the beginning of setting a new climate. Thank you, Captain Tacchini!
2. Amplified sound events with a permit. Rec&Park has promised that once the current permits issued last year are fulfilled, it is greatly reducing the number of permits issued for future large events in DP.
Thank you, Bob Palacio!
3. Amplified sound events WITHOUT a permit. We have agreement from Capt. Tacchini of Mission Police Station that all officers working in or around DP will have a list of all permitted events in the park. Rec&Park has agreed to provide this info on a regular basis to SFPD. The idea ultimately, is for officers to take a proactive approach: if they hear amped sound, they simply consult their list, and if not on the list, they can take action, thus eliminating the need for residents to always complain before a loud unpermitted event is shut down. We’re far from having this new policy solidly in place, but it’s a start, and in the meantime, I encourage you to always call the non-emerg. number 553-0123 whenever you hear amplified sound that is going on without a permit. Contact Bob Palacio, DP manager, at bob.palacio@sfgov.org and he can supply you with a current list of permitted events (i.e., if it’s on the list, it ain’t legal!). It’s really important that we keep SFPD informed of what’s going on in the park, and don’t allow things to return to the way they were before. Let’s keep the momentum going.
4. New and improved signage (see example att’d): Rec&Park will soon install large park rules signs at each corner of the park (similar to ones in Duboce Park), reminding people that there are in fact regulations regarding permits, amplified sound, alcohol, drugs, trash and litter, etc. It is also working on other signs as well, (hopefully ones like “LEAVE NO TRACE” , ‘PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT!”) Rec&Park recognizes the need to set a new tone in the park. Signage is a basic component of the public education and consciousness-raising campaign we are advocating.
5. Trash receptacles: Clearly, there are not enough trash bins in the park, and nobody really likes the ugly graffiti-laden black and blue toters. In the near future, RPD will install 4 new 4×8′ concrete foundation pads on the side strip of Dolores from 18th to 20th, each holding 4 concrete trash receptacles (total 16 bins). The black and blue toters now chained to the regular receptacles will be removed. In addition, each concrete pad on which the bins will sit will be accompanied by an 8′ red no parking strip on the adjoining curb to enable Sunset Scavenger to easily access the bins, something that has heretofore been a real problem. RPD is still mulling over how to deal with recyclables. We are lobbying for theft (bear)-proof bins, but due to cost that may have to wait for the renovation. Theft of recyclables and the mess created by dumpster divers is a serious problem begging for a solution.
6 Broken irrigation: Everyone agrees: the grass throughout the park looks really bad. By October, all the irrigation in the park will be fixed so that the turf throughout the park can start turning green again. Let’s hope this comes to fruition.
7. 18th and Dolores gateway: This abused corner where the grass has been worn bare, will very soon be landscaped with drought-tolerant ornamentals, bordered by a low (not for sitting) retaining wall of pressure-treated timber. The area around the sidewalk corner will be decomposed granite, anticipating that people will still want to round out the corner by taking a shortcut.
8. Gardeners/laborers in the park: During the next 6 weeks, Rec&Park will deploy work crews in the park M-F from 9-11 am fixing the irrigation system, weeding the planter beds and dealing with other issues that need attention.
9. Embracing park volunteers: At our August 7 meeting, we made it clear that we wanted RPD to take a new attitude about volunteers and embrace their role in keeping the park clean. We are planning a meeting on Wed., Sept. 16, 7pm at Dolores Park Church Community Building, 65 Dorland, to talk about the formation of a new group (working tltle “Dolores Park Stewards.”) Forming this group is in recognition of the fact that RPD simply cannot do the job alone, and if we as citizens want real and sustainable improvement, we’re going to have to get personally involved.
10. The BIG DP renovation: Of course, the most important change we anticipate is the bond measure renovation of Dolores Park—over $15 million including the renovation of the children’s playground. Fundamental issues like the disgusting bathrooms, the turf, recycle bins, the soccer field, designated off-leash areas for dogs, etc. will have to wait until then, but we will all want to give our feedback in neighborhood meetings when they start.
11. Our next meeting with Bevan et al. Supervisor Dufty rightly commented at our last meeting that we don’t meet with him and other city officials often enough, and tend to wait until we’re in “crisis mode”. Fair enough. So, we are having another meeting with him in October (not yet scheduled) and will continue to do so on some regular basis. This future meeting will follow up on some of the promised improvements in the park and will report on our own Sept. 16 meeting to discuss formation of the volunteer group. That about sums in up for now. Any comments you might have are most welcome. And anyone who wishes to be part of our new group, Dolores Park Stewards, and is willing to come to meetings and or volunteer toward this effort, please let me know and you’re invited to our Sept. 16 meeting.
Gideon Kramer
SafeCleanGreen Mission Dolores
Steering Group
www.safecleangreen.com
gykramer@earthlink.net
I wonder if these are open meetings, or is Dufty meeting with these folks behind closed doors?
If they’re open meetings, I’d love to go and raise hell.
When I think “fun,” “Bevan Dufty” is not the first name to pop into my head. :/
Without this groups dedication to the park over many years, it would not be the park it is — the one that so many douche people seem to enjoy trashing and thrashing. My only issue? That they can’t pass a law stated thusly: *All “Mime” Troups must actually consist of Mimes, as defined by people that don’t open their mouths and spout bad theater.” And all Mime’s of any type must be kept on a leash.”
This is an outrage! I just moved to SF for school and live next to the park. Its my means for social interaction. I also cant afford to go to a bar for happy hour. The park could be cleaner. I just think this is a public space and should be governed accordingly. OPEN MEETINGS!
“I just moved to SF for school”
its the people who say this sentence who have made SF 100x cornier than it should be, go back to the midwest quit ruining our great city, idiots.
I moved to San Francisco “for school” in 1975 and I’m still here….and I came from New York City…so Dave, go find some corn and smoke it.
Dave, I just moved here for school. I live on Mission. Flex on me at the park sometime.
OR CONTINUE TO CRY ABOUT IT ON THE INTERNET, BITCH
I have NO problem with anyone or anything be ‘corny.’ This is a complaint? Seriously? I LOVE corny. Among other things, ‘corny’ doesn’t hurt or bully anyone in the name of ‘cool’ ‘freedom’ ‘creativity’ or meh, ‘straight edge.’
Devote yourself to a real problem – which is rad shredders and white ‘hipsters’ acting no differently than the vatos in bullying the rest of us away from ‘their’ park.
you just don’t get it. you want to do whatever you want without consequences, and when you’re called on it, you claim ‘nimby.’ thing is, when it gets down to it, you are, in fact, the bourgeois fucks you complain about. look in the mirror.
Alcohol enforcement in San Francisco parks is a park by park policy. As far as I understand, we can change this enforcement priority in Delores Park, if we want to, OLLY with enough community support. The way to fight SafeCleanGreen Mission Dolores is with a better organized group. Delighted to advise. I like my picnics with wine, yo. (And tealights, which I’m not as willing to fight for. Very kind officers made me extinguish those at Delores Park too.)
you were told to extinguish tea lights? Was he/she a mission or a ranger? The rangers are brown or green.
Yes, but you will not get Bevin to back you (see my posting below) and you need the supervisor.
It doesn’t matter if it’s drunk hipsters trashing DP or drunk latinos from el trebol pissing up your street. When you’re invested in your neighborhood it gets a little tiring seeing people trash it and the city not doing anything about it. I think their concerns are reasonable.
What about restricting events? Or dogs on leashes? How is that reasonable? It’s just NIMBYism
I don’t think that qualifies as NIMBYism in any way whatsoever.
But it’s certainly another symptom of the anti-fun crusaders. They tried to kill Bay to Breakers, they shut out Halloween in the Castro, they’re currently trying to shut down Bottom of the Hill.
We need to organize a pro-fun crusade and tell the anti-fun people where to stick it.
i don’t find this a particularly constructive comment. we are all part of this community (hipster, NIMBY or otherwise) and we can figure out a way to better share the tremendous resource that is dolores park without resorting to name calling and juvenile temper tantrums. its going to require a lot of hard work & dialog to improve this situation and the snarky rhetoric is not going to help.
I absolutely love dogs but dogs chasing each other around and running through your blanket (knocking over drinks and sniffing your food) is a little much. There is a huge area to run your dogs off lease. I don’t think having to keep your dogs on a leash (in areas with lots of people) is too much to ask.
TOTALLY! When did it become OK for people who trash things and burn others’ eardrums to do their thing while at the same time folks that like peace and quiet and clean public spaces with no drugs, boozers or dog poo are somehow turned into nazis? WHEN did the revolution become about making things ugly? Don’t the proletariat deserve cleanliness and beauty?
I love how the most “progressive” city in the country is so fascist.
Yeah, it’s getting pretty bad. I’ve got a family of jews sleeping in my attic now.
Eric-
That shit was funny!
Eric…LOL!
Progressive is not the same as “do whatever you want”.
thank you.
Those damn fascists! First they came for the flyers, and I was silent because I posted no bills. Then they came for the litterbugs, and I was silent because I pick up my trash. Then they came for the unleashed dogs, and I was silent because I always leashed my dog. Then they came for my PBR and the drugs, and there was no one left to speak for me.
okay that is fucking funny
This is some sad ass shit. I can understand wanting to keep shit clean but damn. It sounds like they dont want anyone even hanging out in the park. Next thing you know they’re gonna start complaining that little kids are having fun on the playgrounds and that they’ll need to reign in the free play and sounds of children being happy.
It makes you wonder why these people even choose to live in a city. Half the things they are trying to fight are just fact of life shit in a city, especially in a low lying neighborhood like the mission. Vagrancy is just something this neighborhood will always deal with, as long as there are vagrants, and there will always be vagrants.
I was talking with my dad about this. Seems like everyone today is a hater. They see something, and instead of being contsructive and trying to build something they just hate and want to tear it all down. It’s like there no chance for progression or nuance. It’s either we’re having bay to breakers with no drinking or we’re not having it. I mean sure there are some lame aspects to the current scene but it doesn’t mean the whole enterprise is fucked.
Actually, I’m fairly certain City leaders are laboring under the suburban impression that parks ARE for children. And just children.
I mean I totally get it, the people enjoying the park fuck up the view that the park’s neighbors think they’re entitled to because they pay entirely too much in rent. Offa my lawn!
sure you do.
fail
I think it’s lame that people leave their shit in the park, and I often pick up other people’s trash because it’s disgraceful. Last night, for instance, douchebags couldn’t seem to pick up their crap. But it’s about a balance. Why not have cops enforce drinking and littering laws only when people leave a pile of shit behind? This would let those of us capable of cleaning up after ourselves continue to enjoy the space as we have been, and those unwilling to clean up after themselves would learn a nice expensive lesson from the city.
It has nothing to do with the view, its the garbage, the noise late at night and the people who don’t give a damn about the neighborhood they are trashing. I’m all about enjoying the park, I just want people to RESPECT it as the amazing place it is for all of us to enjoy.
But most of the crackdown is during the day. I have organized several clean up days and respect the park, How fair is it to harm the masses because of the faults of the few????
I say hold a drink in surrounding the park. Everyone stand on the edge of the grass and get sauced. Oh, and perhaps we could do something about all the trash ALL OVER THE MISSION, before we complain about the moderate amount of trash in two square blocks.
right, so that justifies your trashing of the public space.
no, but it puts the whole situation in perspective.
Just an FYI, these people are free to argue for whatever they want, that’s what the whole freedom of association thing was about. If you don’t agree, you need to organize and present your case to the city and the cops. Complaining and calling people NIMBYs won’t make a difference. By the way, it is always illegal to buy/sell/use drugs. Even in the park. Just like its always illegal to consume alcohol in public places, even dolores park. Don’t like that? Get a referendum on the ballot to change the law, don’t get pissed at the cops.
It’s perfectly legal to drink beer and wine in Stern Grove during the festivals.
If you ask me, we should be making a push to legalize public alcohol consumption. It’s ridiculous that it’s illegal.
permitted BBQs in most other SF city parks allow beer and wine.
I agree. Public drinking laws need to be rescinded, at the very least in parks.
Who’da thunk the stuffy NIMBYs would be reading Burning Man propaganda? (LEAVE NO TRACE-PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT)
They just better not shake their dusty-ass tents out at the top of 20th when they get home.
Hey! Slightly unrelated, but can we have our own acronym? If so, I suggest NIMPA! (not in my park, asshole!)
burning man did NOT invent the concept of personal responsibility. no one had to read burning man “propaganda” to school you on basic courtesy.
try this acronym: SHITTY RUDE ASSHOLES.
you are a vigilante on a mission
SafeCleanGreen is responsible for cleaning up the park in the 1990′s, to a large extent. Most of you won’t remember anything about that, though. That said, the group has no claim over the park itself, just an interest in keeping it, well, safe, clean and green.
The group consists of mainly one person, Gideon Kramer, and bunch of older neighbors, who can be very stuffy indeed. The group is not really even a group — Gideon even screens messages posted by “approved” members so there is no dissent, no discussion. I would not be surprised if members are booted for expressing dissent, actually.
As the memo/email says, the next meeting with Bevan Dufty will be in October (apparently), and that meeting is absolutely open to the public (I assume). The last meeting was attended by local business owners and other bloggists, as well as other concerned neighbors who try to hedge against Gideon’s tendency to be so strident.
So, if you’d like to make a case for open drinking and drug use in the park, by all means call Bevan Dufty and ask to be informed of when the next neighborhood meeting will be. It’ll be nice to hear both sides.
Strident? No one in their right mind would consider the neighbors of that park strident. They are so laid back that the situation has gotten totally out of control. If you want strident, go try that shit in Pac Heights.
it’s true.
I’m all for drinking and carousing in the park if people can follow three simple rules.
1.) Pick up your fucking trash (and no, putting it in a bag next to the trashcans doesn’t count)
2.) Stop pissing on people’s houses and bushes that live around the park.
3.) Don’t park your car in someone’s driveway
Are there NIMBY’s that want no one in the park, sure. But there are more neighbors that fought to clean up the park back in the 90′s and would like to use it without worrying about stepping on broken glass and seeing it trashed. Douchebag Hipsters, you come and go, some of us live here.
Keep it up trashbags, and the locals will have to go Santa Cruz surfer-style on you.
That’s why THEY HAD TO PUT UP THE FUCKING SIGNS – why can’t you people get a FUkkin CLUE?
Of course you realize that was directed to the lazy whiners who expect mommy to pick up after them.
The problem is that it’s much easier for the SFPD to harass locals who are innocently enjoying an afternoon beer in the park (as I regularly do, and have done for about a decade) than it is for them to go after the douchebags who drive into the neighborhood and fuck shit up.
I’m all for going after the littering douchebags, but I suspect that’s not what’s going to happen…
I’d also add that people with unleashed dogs were the primary ones that turned the park from a warzone to the destination it is today.
I just spoke with captain Stephen Tacchini at Mission Station by phone. He says he was misquoted by the officers who started writing citations for public drinking in the park a few weeks back. “They were not told by me to start issuing citations for drinking in the park. “He says the policy is to “advise people about the City park alcohol policy.” Some of the Motor bike patrols were misinformed, he said.
Yes they are patrolling the park more often lately, but his concern is curbing drug sales. And yes, his officers are enforcing the 10 pm curfew.
He said nothing about dampening spirits.
Captain Tacchini is a nice guy, and also a tough-ass cop. Bottom line, they are cracking down on people who behave like asses. Wanna be an ass? Move back to Jersey.
Wait…have any of these people ever been to 16th and Mission? It’s less than 10 blocks from the park and has more crimes an hour than Sodom and Gomorra combined. Why don’t the cops focus on that?
Or the pimps and underage prostitutes on Capp Street?
Or the all day borrachos on my corner who harrass every single woman who walks by?
B.A.S. I read your book. Because I like your blog.
But the book. Oy vey. It missed 95% of what is actually current and in any way actually meaningful or cool. The section on the Mission was like “Hi! My husband and I took a party bus in from Palo Alto, where he’s an investment banker and I’m a mom of three great kids: Heather, Seth and our youngest, Test Tube. We saw great stuff and barely made it back to the bus in time to get the baby sitter out before she charged us for another hour. You know you gotta watch those illegals!”
And you used a lot of cuss words to try to make your unknowingness sound more credible.
Mission Mistaken-
I appreciate the props on the site. Thanks!
As for the book you must realize that there are space constrictions when dealing with print media. My Mission chapter is probably twice as big as whatever the 2nd biggest chapter in the book is. It’s got a lot of info, but it in no way covers every single cheap place in the neighborhood. That would be called BAS’s guide to the Mission instead of SF. It’s a 300 page book that includes 13 other neighborhoods.
Despite what you may think, there’s more to this city than what’s contained in the Mission, and the book is FULL of interesting and quirky things in ALL of SF. Try using it in North Beach, The Richmond, or even the Marina. You might be surprised at what you find.
As for the cursing, that’s just the way I talk. Who gives a shit?
so, what are you saying? you’re an asshole, but you’re not as big an asshole as the assholes at ground zero for assholes, 16th and Mission, but Dolores Park instead? this is your reasoning to justify treating the park as your private property that not only ruins it for everyone else, but we get to pay to clean up too, just so you, asshole, can fuck it up again? Nice!
man it breaks my heart – it used to be a beautiful place until a bunch of douches loved it to death – and now you call people calling you on your bullshit “fascists?” unfuckingbelievable.
chuckleheaded complainers fail to recognize that if you want to have “cool” events like it “used” to be, then take responsibility for the garbage you create. jesus what do you expect when you act like a bunch of preschoolers?
you don’t like the goddam signs that remind you to act like a freakin adult with some responsibility to your “community” then start acting like one.
You don’t like the signs, well, YOU put them there!
we didn’t need the fucking signs until YOU showed up with your shit. go ahead have fun, smoke a doobie, walk your dog. For one nanosecond, try to align your proclaimed values with your actions.
You think that nice park got there just by itself?
As far as 16th and Mission is concerned: what are YOU doing about it? didn’t think so.
“it used to be a beautiful place until a bunch of douches loved it to death”
I presume that despite your strident NIMBYism you haven’t been in the neighborhood very long.
Dolores park, even with the hipster-doofus infestation, is infinitely better than it was a decade ago when I had to worry about sitting on a hypodermic needle whenever I sat down on the grass to knock back an afternoon beer (something that’s probably been going on since the park was a Jewish cemetery back before the earthquake).
This improvement is largely a result of the gentrification brought about by the very same obnoxious hipsters that you’re hating on right now.
I’m glad that the park is being used for festivities. I wish folk would clean up after themselves a bit more, and would be fine with a few more anti-littering citations being issued, but police officers in the mission have MUCH more important things to be spending their time on than harassing obnoxious hipsters and placating equally obnoxious NIMBY neighbors.
Why can’t we just put some fucking trash and recycling bins on the grass where me and my “chuckleheaded,”SHITTY RUDE ASSHOLE,” Asses,” hang out.
I mean we’ve pretty much claimed that area. You know which part I’m talking about. With all the doobie smoking and dogged leashlessness.
I promise we wont care if there’s a few new obstacles in our way. Shit, given our transient nature, our collective intelligence will soon enough presume that these bins have always been.
thugs, basically.
right on.
then get some trash cans if it’s so “yours” and you care so fucking much.
As a ‘neighbor of the park’, I have no issues with the current use pattern except for the trash situation – and that is exacerbated by the lack of garbage cans, which seems to be in the process of being addressed.
Mike
I too live across the street and noticed a ton of new garbage bins just this week, If this doesn’t help, there is a HUGE problem. I got all excited when I saw them!
The main reasons I decided to live in SF were 1) it’s not crazy hot, and 2) you can pretty much drink wherever. So now I think I’m moving…
good call, i think ill do the same. the city wasnt ever cool enough to survive a NYC/Guliani style takeover and now its happening, SF is doomed to become the most boring city in the world made up entirely of tourists.
anyone remember those hardcore punk shows at the 16th St BART summer of 99? things sure were cooler then…
No, but i remember the young guy killed at the Wells Fargo ATM, which was the reason it closed early for years.
It wasn’t ever very cool.
Moving?
GOOD.
You just don’t like being called on yo shit yo.
Call the WHAAAmbulance.
Gimme a break! “pretty much drink wherever” How old are you?
Juvenile jackasses drunk on self-aggrandizing post-collegiate autonomy.
“outrage”
“claim”
“nimby”
“stuffy”
Sense of entitlement in line with the usual, ie oxygen sucking hot air. No surprise. Yawn.
Its just people pushing the boundaries of good taste. People in the park arent even being decent enough to brown bag anymore. That, and the trash-leaving drunken morons are who’s to blame for the po presence.
It’s people from boring, gentrified places who wouldn’t and couldn’t dare act like irresponsible brats at their “home”…then they cry that SF is turning boring, gentrified?
yeah, pretty much.
[...] Popo End Happy Hour Early for Dolores Park In Mission Dolores on August 20, 2009 at 5:57 pm Update- August 28, 2009 at 5:54 pm [...]
[...] Park the bastion of freedom and fun so many of us know and love,” the Mission Mission blog wrote this weekend about SafeCleanGreen, a neighborhood advocacy group that wants to change the “anything goes” [...]
[...] pm I am posting a copy of the SafeCleanGreen Mission Dolores progress report that was published by MissionMission almost as soon as Gideon Kramer, sent it out to the group on August 28. Within a week, the on-line [...]
I did not know this was going on but I bet Bevin did. I contacted him earlier this week. Please note that all spelling errors and references to things are are totally not related are Bevin’s own. Here are the emails:
Denise
Thanks for your message.
Dolores Park has become a premiere destination for people in our City, which is great.
Unfortunately there has developed an anything goes attitude on the part of some that degrades the Park’s already stretched conditions and creates an untenable level of noise and criminal conduct late at night.
Two weeks ago there were three unpermitted events happenin simultaneously — an amped up DJ, Rock Band and a loudspeaker with speeches.
My Blackberry was exploding with e-mails and I spent two hours corraling SFPD and Park Rangers to address things.
Just two years ago, a young musician had her hand permanently damaged by a thrown bottle rocket on 4th of July. I visited Roisin in the hospital and you can appreciate why I take this seriously.
Frankly a recreational glass of wine or an Old English 800 is not my big priority.
As to the comment about police, I’m srry if they were not forthcoming but I know many officers who live in the City and over generalizing is no more legit for Cops than it is for someone having a splash of beer as an indicator that they’re making trouble.
I’m copying colleagues from SFPD and Rec Park for their input. Keep me posted.
B
—– Original Message —–
From: [XXXXXXXX@hotmail.com]
Sent: 08/31/2009 01:22 PM MST
To: Bevan Dufty
Subject: ,Dolores Park
Submitted on: 8/31/2009 1:22:07 PM
Name: Denise
Phone: 415.378.7738
Email: XXXXXXXX@@hotmail.com
Comments: Greetings Bevan-
I am contacting you to talk about Dolores Park. This past week there were many police officers starting to crack down on the drinking in the park. When we had noticed this we kindly went up to the police officers to ask them more about what they were doing.
The police officers we not kind and really did not want to answer any questions but what I did learn from them is that the drinking is a “public safety issue” and that the people drinking in the park was hindering “elderly and children from being able to use the park safely”. I asked them more about the types of problems they were seeing in the park and their only answer was that they had complaints. I also asked if any of them lived in the city, and of course none of them did. They also stated that drinking was for bars and homes…do they really believe that drinking should only take place behind closed doors? It seems so non-community like so that is what prompted my question about where they lived.
This brings me to why I am writing to you. I feel that Dolores Park has become a wonderful place to meet up with friends after work or on the weekends for a carefree, low cost activity and I have found that it is a great way to meet more neighbors. I would estimate that there are thousands of local people now using the park on a regular basis as opposed to 2 years ago when it seemed that there were only a handful of people taking advantage of this wonderful park.
I love what has become of the park and would hate if this scene was squashed by a bunch of outsiders making sure that the city occupants follow the rules even if no harm is being done. I would like to know if you think there is a possibility to get an exemption from the no public drinking for Dolores Park. I am currently not working and would like to see if I can make this happen for everyone. Please help me to understand what I would need to do to help make this a reality.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to consider this.
Thank you,
Denise
I used to use the park. I am NOT an “outsider,” and I did not just fall off the taco truck yesterday. The claim that “no one used the park two years ago” IS A JOKE. I doubt you were even here two years ago. So what? The salient point is, two years ago, no one YOU knew used the park, is more like it. Territorial young white dickhead douches drove me out of the park completely.
“NIMBY this and that” from y’all is also laughable. Sorry, honey, but from where I sit – well, whatever. You’re here, and you’re very groovy. No argument from me. However.
“It’s a city-there are lots of people in a city.” Yeah, ya THINK??? “Get used to it.” YOU get used to it, because you’re no longer in college and Dolores is not your quad. You rationalize your boorish behaviour with “if it’s trashed, that’s ok, because the rest of the Mission is a shithole” (thanks alot for THAT one). Oh no, someone wants us to do our fair share in caring for our town? Why, that’s fascism!!! Meh.
You love the park so much, but you won’t pick up your own garbage. Yeah, you’re so concerned about the earth ‘n everything. But, y’know, cause it’s a city, you must make sure every part of it is made filthy and nasty, because that’s your vision of city life. Keepin’ it real, yo. And since Dolores Park -at least ONE place where MOST of us agreed and paid to keep relatively maintained – wasn’t like “the rest of the Mission” you decided it’s ok to bring the bar way way down to the lowest common denominator so you can justify your shitty behavior and ‘tude. How are you different from the gangs you believe you displaced? It’s incredible to think the gangs have more respect for the park, and if not, not by much.
YES, it’s a city! Why can’t you get through your heads that it’s not all about you and your hep existence here? Another great source of yucks are the complaints that SF is not New York or some other place. WHAtevAH. The last I checked, no one I know gives a fuck about SF not being NYC. If we did, we’d be THERE, instead of whining about it HERE. SF turning into the ‘burbs? I wouldn’t know, but obviously, YOU do.
The rationalizations of those defending bad, anti-social, anti-anyonenotintheingroup behaviour who are soooo radical “fight the power” are thoroughly in line with the obliviousness and – as RICHLY illustrated by this blog – the appalling mockery, ignorance and lack of compassion for the poor and mentally ill corralled in our neighborhood. In my book, your credibility approaches zero.
So I don’t think much of the comment where someone called me a vigilante. This is hysterical. Girlfriend needs a dictionary. Seriously? It’s more the other way round.
“The rationalizations of those defending bad, anti-social, anti-anyonenotintheingroup behaviour who are soooo radical “fight the power” are thoroughly in line with the obliviousness and – as RICHLY illustrated by this blog – the appalling mockery, ignorance and lack of compassion for the poor and mentally ill corralled in our neighborhood. In my book, your credibility approaches zero.”
which is why you want to kick the homeless out of your neighborhood?
way to get trolled into epic self ruin there, chief.
“Girlfriend needs a dictionary.”
“Alot” is two words.
I’ve lived right on Dolores Park since 1991. The big problems today are noise, trash, illegal overnight use, and urination/defecation by people and dogs. It’s great to see people using the Park (unlike its early 1990s days when mostly drug dealers used it and gunfire from their turf wars was not uncommon), but the 2 am loud drunken parties have got to stop. If people want to get wasted in the park I don’t care except when they shout at the top of their lungs and leave their trash and human waste. Most of those people just seem to want to party with no consideration for the park environment or the fact that many residences border the park and can hear everything they say. And folks, the park is NOT open all night; it’s closed after 11 pm.
And to all those who think this is a NIMBY, anti-fun, rich folks crusade: What have YOU done to improve Dolores Park? Everyone wants to TAKE their supposed right to party irresponsibly in the park, I see very few who are GIVING something back.
[...] blogger Kevin Montgomery appeared at the meeting to respond to criticism about a Mission Mission blog post he wrote in late August in which he called SafeCleanGreen a “mobilized minority trying to flip [...]
[...] Well, here we go again. SafeCleanGreen, consists of some very well organized neighbors. They are upset at about the stabbing and the “rowdy behavior,” after curfew noise, non-permitted amplified sound, public urination and litter. They decided to do something about it. [...]
it’s really upsetting to know that my old web graphics guy gideon is behind this. http://www.gykramer.com/contact/
[...] Leaked Memo Reveals Effort to “Improve” Dolores Park [...]
Open container tickets are over $100 on the street. I get them. We need to be more European – that is to say, have places to pee. And drink. People are not going to stop doing either NO MATTER WHAT THE SIGN SAYS. Accept that. Have places to recycle the cans for the aluminum collectors to get them without making a big mess. Ban glass – it breaks, cuts, and fucks people up. If you want to drink wine, get a hippy bag or a box. If you want to drink glass botles of Kombucha, you suck. People change their behavior when locals make them. Look at the Pleasure Point Night Fighters ‘Pack Your Trash’ campaign. Kids don’t act like kooks because a salty, leathery OG will slap them down and they know it. Gideon Kramer is an asshole – a career public worker just looking to keep himself employed while bouncing from Abatement to Abatement. Bevan Dufty left the E off Olde English – lost my vote.
“March 28, 2009|C.W. Nevius
Five years ago, Gideon Kramer was thrilled to be appointed to San Francisco’s graffiti advisory board.
“I really thought I could make a difference,” the graphic designer and 30-year city resident said Friday.
Three years into it, he resigned in disgust. He said he’d rather spend his time volunteering to help landscape local schools, as he does now. It wasn’t just that graffiti was popping up faster than it could be painted over – it was that people had given up.”
OK – I got Gideon confused with someone else. I admit that.
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