June 2013 Newsletter
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Newsletter | June 2013
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Did You Know? Rec centers are open Mondays during the summer? Rec center hours: Mon 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tue-Fri Saturday Auditorium: Mon Tue Wed Th Fr Sat Gym: Mon Tu, Wed, Th & Fr Sat |
The Joy of June
Lily Holbrook Serenades the Tots
Lily Holbrook plays for the little ones at our free Tot Rock concert on Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. to noon. A staple at the Noe Valley Farmer’s Market and a street musician sensation in Boston and Los Angeles, the singer-songwriter is described as a cross between Dar Williams and Tori Amos. Listen for yourself on her website. Tot Rock concerts will happen outside on the playground, weather permitting. Otherwise, they will be in the auditorium. The concerts are sponsored by Friends of the Noe Valley Recreation Center. Summer Classes Still Open Or grab a racket and join one of our adult tennis classes on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. or Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Both need students, which means small classes and lots of instruction. Finally, you don’t have to be a senior to enjoy Senior Tango: spry dancers ages 55 and older are welcome to join one of two classes on Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m.
Friends Meet in the Sunshine The daytime assembly accommodated parents who find it difficult to make time in the early evening. Friends is going all out to be more inclusive of those with children since they have the largest stake in the programs and facilities at Upper Noe. Their input is essential to bringing and creating classes here that serve our local community. Our Chair, Molly, related the history of the Friends and the importance of being the eyes and ears of the park to report when things are broken or otherwise need attention. New member, Paula, presented her Litter Me Not program of hand-painted signs, flyers, and bookmarks with anti-littering or other environmentally conscious messages created by children. We think that this is something we can bring to Upper Noe. Another idea was introduced of having older kids fulfill their community service obligations by helping the LadyBug Gardeners or by watching after younger kids while parents do volunteer work. The discussion kept emphasizing that Upper Noe is a family center and the importance of supporting community of all ages. That is why we are hosting a huge block party on September 7th. Dubbed Cinco de Noe, it will celebrate the five-year anniversary of the rec center’s reopening following the renovation. It is exciting to organize a day of merriment, food, music and social interaction. This is an event for everyone. You can help! Email chris@noevalleyreccenter.com. –Chris Faust
Joby’s Run is looking a little ruff ☺, so please join us on Saturday, June 8, as we tackle weeds, trim the trees, groom the gravel, and do various other little things that make Upper Noe a great place to hang out. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon but come for any portion of that. Bring the dogs along, too. They enjoy watching us work. Right, Annie?
Lead Ladybug Joan Lionberger said the focus of the day will be weeding, but she’s also hoping to put up some new birdhouses, too. (They're built by her husband Mike.) Kids are welcome, especially those with a broom and the energy to sweep. Lionberger said she will try to bring some birdseed so children can feed the birds. All the work will be done under the supervision of a city gardener, and volunteers from Joby’s Dog Run will be working, too. (See story.) “We have a really nice park, but the gardeners are spread thin, and they need help,” Lionberger said. “If we let it go, it’s going to turn into a slum.” Call of Duty: Liz Torres Joins the CRC Elizabeth Torres had been the parent liaison at Fairmount Elementary School for six and a half years when she got the call: could she join Upper Noe’s Community Recreation Council and link school parents with the rec center? “That really is needed because a lot of people who live in the area really don’t know all the things that are available,” said Torres, who was recently elected PTSA President at James Lick Middle School. Join she did, attending her first meeting in April. “I can tell a lot of my families here that there are these resources out there,” she said. “At the same time, I can let the board know what our families at Fairmount are looking for.” Torres is an old hand at connecting parents to community. At Fairmount, her job is to promote family involvement, especially for the many monolingual Spanish-speaking parents who don’t know how to get into the system, she said. She writes bilingual newsletters, runs the food bank, and gets parents to events like PTA meetings, kindergarten and back-to-school nights. She also coordinates the school’s two tutoring programs. “I really enjoy the families I work with,” she said. Torres has worked closely with Lillian Bautista, the Recreation and Park Department’s scholarship coordinator, who came to Fairmount before summer registration and helped a number of families with funding. Torres then accompanied the parents to the first day of summer program registration last month and translated for them when needed. That enthusiasm caught the attention of Upper Noe’s Facility Coordinator Cheryl Woltjen, who later called Torres and asked her to join the CRC. “We’re real lucky to have her,” said Woltjen. Thanks Liz!
Drop-in Classes at the Randall A one-hour ceramics class starts at 10:15 a.m. and is appropriate for ages 3 and older, though children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Themes vary weekly and include pinch pots, trivets and cups. Finished work is fired by the instructor and can be glazed or picked up unglazed. The cost is $6 per person. From 1 to 4 p.m. the museum offers afternoon art classes that costs $6 per child or $10 for an adult and child together. Children under 8 must be with a paying, participating adult. For more information visit www.randallmuseum.org and click on the “Saturdays” tab. The Randall Museum is located at 199 Museum Way. • 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 June 8, 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
June 8 Whack weeds and plant seeds with the Ladybug Gardeners.
June 15 Lily Holbrook plays for the little ones.
June 19 Help shape programming and priorities at Upper Noe
Outside the Center
June 15 Free hayrides, face painting, bouncy castle and petting zoo for the kids; sale specials for the adults. For more information, click here. 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 Noe Valley Recreation Center www.NoeValleyRecCenter.com | |