Did You Know?

Friends now meets on the last Sunday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. at the playground?

Sat
9a-4:30p

Cinco de Noe – a Five-Year Anniversary Party
Friends with Benefits
Electrified Tot Rock
Unlock Latchkey Enrollment
Drop-in Classes
Fall Programs at Upper Noe
Like Us on Facebook
Canine Corner
CRC Volunteer Kim Nguyen-Ehrenreich
Volunteer Opportunities

Celebrate the fifth anniversary of Upper Noe Rec Center’s remodel September 7, at Cinco de Noe, featuring a cultural mix of food and live music, children's art activities, special recreation opportunities, community organizations and, of course, neighbors. Think of it as a block party for the whole neighborhood!

What's to celebrate? Prior to its renovation, the center was run down, neglected, somewhat hazardous, and in many ways less than inviting. Improved access, appearance, seating, restrooms, playground and other amenities have made it a place neighbors now want to visit, gather or simply enjoy as they pass through on walks in the neighborhood.

The welcoming atmosphere didn’t come from construction alone. Friends of the Noe Valley Recreation Center involved the immediate community in the renovation process, helping transform the park into a vital and vibrant part of the neighborhood. This spirit of volunteerism continues as we work together to maintain the park as a centerpiece of the community.

So, celebrate our lovely park, our community, and the generous civic spirit that makes San Francisco great. You can help. To get involved, contact info@noevalleyreccenter.com.

Friends with Benefits
 
Friends of Noe Valley Recreation Center is now scheduling meetings on the last Sunday of the month from 1 to 2 p.m. at the rec center playground. This change was made to make it easier for parents—who may not have evenings free—to attend meetings and share their insight. The input of everyone who has a vital stake in the park is important.

Take Kim Nguyen-Ehrenreich: Recently, Friends voted in this neighborhood mom as Secretary. Some of her great ideas for children’s art activities will happen at our next event, Cinco de Noe, on September 7. What’s more, the children will likely paint, cut and paste on the new picnic table that Friends is purchasing for the west-side courtyard.

There’s a lot to do to keep Upper Noe vibrant and fun. Together we banish weeds and litter on Clean Up Days, organize parties, concerts and movie nights, and, as stewards of the park, just keep an eye on things and pitch in where we can. Our next meeting is July 28 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Be a Friend. Get the benefits. Get involved. Contact info@noevalleyreccenter.com.

Electrified Tot Rock
 
This month’s tot rock concert features electric guitarist Toku Woo—known as “the Rock & Roll Buddah” on his MySpace page.

(You can hear him serenade MUNI underground riders with a Jimi Hendrix cover here.)

Woo will be joined by a vocalist and a saxophonist to play for the tots on Saturday, July 20, from 10 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by Friends of Noe Valley Recreation Center, the Saturday tot concerts are free and held outside when weather permits.

Unlock Latchkey Enrollment
 
Registration for afterschool enrichment programs (formerly Latchkey) starts Saturday, July 13, at 10 a.m.

Afterschool programs fill quickly—last year some sites filled on the first day of registration—so sign up as soon as possible.

There are 12 sites across the city, each of which holds at least 30 children. The program costs $720 for the year, which can be paid once or quarterly.

For more information or to register, visit www.sfreconline.org. You can also register in person at Upper Noe Recreation Center, which is one of 11 neighborhood registration sites. Finally, you can register in person at Rec and Park Headquarters in Golden Gate Park: McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan Street (at Fell). Call (415) 831-6800 for help.

Drop-in Classes

Baby & Me is not available for drop-in this term because the class is full, says Facility Coordinator Cheryl Woltjen.

Adults, however, are in luck: Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp, and Core Balance and Stability are open to drop-in guests and costs $10 per class.

Fall Programs at Upper Noe
 
Registration for fall programming starts Saturday, August 3, at 10 a.m., and Upper Noe will host a new skateboard class on Fridays at 4:30 p.m. for children ages 6 to 13.

Tot tennis was such a hit—there were 15 children on the waitlist for the one course offered this summer—that the center will now offer three of the half-hour classes geared toward children ages 4 to 6.

The fall term happens in two sessions, and culinary enthusiasts will be happy to know that Food in Jars will happen in Fall I and Pastry Arts will happen in Fall II, just in time for some holiday baking.

Except for Express It!, all the usual favorites remain: Karate Kidz, Petite Bakers, Movin’ and Groovin’, Baby & Me, Simply Fun, tween acting and the adult fitness classes.

You can register for classes online at www.sfreconline.org, but you must have a Family Account to do so. Click here to create a Family Account.

To see course offerings at Upper Noe specifically (or any one recreation center), go to www.sfreconline.org and click the “Browse Programs” tab. Go to the bottom of the lefthand column and choose “Advanced Search.” Select all courses. When the listings pop up, a pull-down menu on the upper righthand side allows you to narrow choices by facility.

You can also register in person at Upper Noe Recreation Center, which is one of 11 neighborhood registration sites. Finally, you can register in person at Rec and Park Headquarters in Golden Gate Park: McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan Street (at Fell). Call (415) 831-6800 for help.

Scholarships are available to eligible San Francisco residents through the Recreation Scholarship Fund. To find out if you are eligible, please email the department at sfreconline@sfgov.org or call (415) 831-6800 during business hours. For more information, visit the scholarship page of the department’s website.

Like Us on Facebook
 
Upper Noe enters the modern age with a page on Facebook. You can “like” us and get updates on class openings and registration reminders. It’s a great way to easily stay in touch.

Canine Corner
 
The June 8 Clean Up Day was a success. The place looks tidier and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to pitch in and work together.

On a more solemn note, we lost an old friend this week. The broad, majestic Italian Stone Pine on the property neighboring Joby’s Run was cut down.

Previously, it hid the house in the background (see photo on the left). Part had fallen and the rest was in danger of falling. Another source of shade bites the dust.

Now these guys are left with just this tiny patch of comfort (see photo on the right). We need more trees, please!

-Chris Faust

CRC Volunteer Kim Nguyen-Ehrenreich
 
Kim Nguyen-Ehrenreich and her husband were involved with Upper Noe Recreation Center long before they had their son, now two. They donated to the Friends of Noe Valley Recreation Center during the center’s remodel; they visited the park often.

But it was only last fall that she ramped up her commitment, first joining the site’s Community Recreation Council, then signing on as Secretary for Friends. That was while she was working 14-hour days as a project manager for a medical device company in the South Bay and preparing to become a small business owner in San Francisco.

“This is a great neighborhood, and I wanted to be able to contribute more,” said Nguyen-Ehrenreich, who has lived in Noe Valley for seven years. “To continue the success of the society you need to be able to contribute to it.”

As part of her commitment, Nguyen-Ehrenreich attends the monthly meetings of the CRC, then spreads the news about the center’s activities through neighborhood listservs. She’s also a conduit for feedback to the rec center.

“You get to learn more about the neighbors and the community,” she said.

For Friends, she has offered to approach small business owners in Noe Valley to see if they are interesting in contributing to Cinco de Noe, the upcoming anniversary celebration of the center’s grand re-opening in 2008. (See story above.)

“We’ll have a lot of different events, but it will be nice to have some art activity for kids,” she said.

She herself may one day be one of those businesses. Nguyen-Ehrenreich is looking to start a franchise enrichment program for children ages 3 to 13 that uses Legos to teach mathematic, science, and engineering skills.

Her son will start taking classes at the center next fall, and Nguyen-Ehrenreich wants to sign up for the boot camp fitness class. We think she’s already kicking butt. Thanks, Kim!

Volunteers Needed

• Help advise the city on what classes should be offered at the Upper Noe Rec Center. Serve a term on the Upper Noe Recreation Center’s Community Recreation Council and help shape programming at the Center. A teen member is still needed! Please contact Cheryl Woltjen at 970-8061. The form is available on our website and at the center. Please either drop it off or mail it to: Cheryl Woltjen, UNRC, 295 Day Street, SF, 94131.

• Distribute our new Friends of NVRC postcard. This newsletter is distributed to nearly 1,000 “friends.” Make sure interested neighbors know about our group by helping distribute our informational postcard around the neighborhood. Please email molly (at) noevalleyreccenter.com if you know of a good shop or cafe to distribute the postcards. Or you could help put them somewhere frequented by park users.

• Lead a new event. Are you interested in organizing a new event at the Center? Maybe a game night or movie night? Please contact us at info (at) noevalleyreccenter.com.

• Garden at the Park. Help keep the park beautiful by volunteering with the Ladybug Gardeners on the second Saturday of each quarter. Upcoming dates in 2013 are September 14 and December 14. All ages welcome, no experience necessary, community service hours credited. Even an hour would be a big help! Please contact us at info (at) noevalleyreccenter.com.

Community Events

July 10
Upper Noe Neighbors
7:30 p.m.
Recreation Center auditorium

AT&T will give an update on the final locations of its U-Verse street-level boxes in Noe Valley;

Isabel Wade (formerly of Friends of the Urban Forest and the Neighborhood Parks Council) will discuss Just One Tree, a program of the non-profit Urban Resource Systems that seeks to promote the value of tree crops in cities worldwide.

July 17
Community Recreation Council
6:30 p.m.
Recreation Center kitchen

Help shape programming and priorities at Upper Noe.

July 28
Friends of Noe Valley Rec Center
1-2 p.m.
Playground

Watch your kids play and help Upper Noe Rec Center at the same time.

Outside the Center

July 17
Noe Valley Democratic Club
7 p.m.
St. Philip's Church
725 Diamond Street at Elizabath

The implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act begins in January 2014. We will be talking with a panel of three people involved in California’s implementation, followed by breakout sessions intended to guide those seeking to use the new system.

Thanks for your interest and support of your park! Please contact us with any questions or suggestions. Let us know about any community events you are planning at the park so we can promote them. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and neighbors who use the Noe Valley Recreation Center. We want this newsletter to help build the park community — please help us connect with members of the community.

Enjoy your Park!

Molly Sterkel (molly@noevalleyreccenter.com)
Friends of the Noe Valley Recreation Center
www.NoeValleyRecCenter.com