 |
|
WATERCOLOR CLASS WITH CHERRY ART STUDIO
JANUARY DISCOVER YOUR DISTRICT (DYD) EVENT
There is an artist inside every one of us. Bring out your inner artist by learning the fundamentals of watercolor with Cherry Art Studio! Cherry Chou has created an introductory watercolor class, using traditional methods of art instruction. You will learn the basic techniques of the art of watercolor. Mix yellow, red and blue to make all the colors you need. This simple concept, using a limited palette of colors, guarantees color harmony in your paintings and introduces you to color.
The watercolor workshop will be held on Friday, January 20 from 6:00pm – 7:15pm at Cherry Art Studio, located at 1444 Taraval Street (between 24th and 25th Ave). This event is free and open to the public. Please register here, and for more information, please call our office at 415-554-7460 or email ray.law@sfgov.org. MERCHANT SPOTLIGHT: CHERRY ART STUDIO
Cherry Art Studio has been educating young artists since its opening in 2000. The owner, Miss Cherry, is deeply influenced by her father Chou Zu Xian, who was the last disciple of the famous contemporary Chinese painter, Xu Beihong. Art classes include: watercolor, Chinese painting, sketching, cartoon, sculpture and hand crafts.Progressing from simple to complex concepts, Miss Cherry teaches students fundamental elements of art and design: the composition of lines, shapes, textures and colors. They will also learn how to manage exposure, contrast and shadows. Students from Cherry Art Studio constantly win many prizes and awards in national art competitions, including student Brandon Wu who had his artwork hung in the White House for exhibition.Cherry Art Studio offers children and adult classes. Feel free to drop by for a free trial class. You and your loved ones will have a great time making art!
Cherry Art Studio
1444 Taraval Street
Business Hours: Please call (415) 661-1104
|
|
|
Legislation Banning the Sale of Non-Rescue Dogs & Cats
|
|
Last month Supervisor Tang introduced legislation at the Board of Supervisors in partnership with San Francisco Animal Care & Control (SF ACC) and the San Francisco SPCA that would ban the sale of domestic dogs and cats not obtained from rescue organizations and also those under eight weeks old. The law would not impact a person’s capacity to obtain a dog or cat from a breed-specific organization or shelter, or directly from a breeder following humane guidelines. This legislation addresses a problem that is not adequately covered by state or federal law. SF ACC experiences overpopulation which is a burden on taxpayers, and The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 10,000 puppy mills produce more than 2,300,000 puppies a year in the U.S. that are a large portion of those found in pet stores. The good news? There are no known pet stores in San Francisco that are currently selling cats or dogs, and many of our pet stores already partner with rescue organizations to adopt out animals. We’d like to keep it this way.The legislation will be making its way through the Board of Supervisors over the next couple of months. Please contact our office with any questions at (415) 554-7460. |
|
|
Fire Safety Legislation Takes Effect in January and March 2017
|
|
In August, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed two new fire safety policies meant to promote fire and life safety, reduce the risk of fire, and prevent property damage from fire. These amendments to the San Francisco Fire Code establish new requirements for the owners of residential buildings.Building owners will now need to provide their tenants with updated information on fire safety and smoke alarm requirements, post fire safety related information in common areas of their buildings, file and post a Statement of Compliance form for annual fire alarm testing, and post the building manager contact information at the building entry. The requirements and effective dates vary based on the total number of building residential units and when the legislation was approved. Here are the compliance dates for different requirements:
- By January 31, 2017: Smoke Alarm Information Disclosure
- By January 31, 2017 (9 or more units) and by January 31, 2018 (3-8 units): Fire Alarm Maintenance, Inspection and Testing Form
- By March 10, 2017: Fire Safety Information Disclosure
The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) provides necessary forms, examples of signs, sample letters, and other helpful code information to assist residents with compliance. For more information or questions, you can visit the SFFD website, or call SFFD Bureau of Fire Prevention at (415) 558-3300.
|
|
|
Expanding Availability of Diaper-Changing Accommodations
|
|
Inspired by the federal BABIES (Bathrooms Accessible In Every Situation) Act which requires diaper-changing stations in female AND male restrooms in federal buildings, our office introduced legislation to expand the requirement. The San Francisco BABIES Ordinance will require diaper-changing accommodations in all City buildings and in male or all-gender restrooms if the business only offers changing stations in women’s restrooms. San Francisco has required diaper-changing accommodations in all new and substantially renovated buildings since 2005. However, the legislation will move regulatory jurisdiction of this component of the law from the Planning Department to the Department of Building Inspection.Our office has heard numerous stories of partners having to change their babies in between sinks, on a chair in the men’s restroom, and the desk of their General Counsel. This legislation is not just intended to provide a convenient and sanitary place for parents to change diapers — we hope it causes people to question and break down gender-based stereotypes regarding childcare. For more information on the legislation, you can view the legislation here and the press release here. |
|
|
Front Yard Ambassadors
Applications Now Open through February 28th
Our Front Yard Ambassadors program helps Sunset residents remove concrete and install landscaping in their front yards with the assistance of experts and volunteers. Through the Front Yard Ambassadors Program, we have installed 62 gardens on 14 blocks and removed 8,053 square feet of concrete in the Sunset District thus far, which will divert 96,636 (and counting) gallons of water from our combined sewer system. Each square foot of concrete removed is equivalent to 12 gallons of storm water diverted annually. All gardens are planted with drought tolerant and low maintenance landscaping that grows well in the Outer Sunset.Participants receive roughly $1,500 of improvements and are only required to pay a nominal $100 fee to participate. Applicants must partner with a minimum of four houses on their block (five total). Applications for the Front Yard Ambassadors Program will be open through February 28, 2017 and can be found online at www.sfbos.org/FrontYardAmbassadors. If you have questions about this program, please contact ashley.summers@sfgov.org or call our office at (415) 554-7460. |
|
|
CHILD TRANSPORTATION STUDY
OVERVIEW & NEXT STEPS
By: Stephanie Chan, District 4 Intern
Last year, Supervisor Tang initiated the Child Transportation Study in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office and the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA). The goal of the study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the various transportation challenges San Francisco families and caregivers with children grades K- 5 face every day, and to identify potential solutions to help mitigate school commute difficulties. The survey was conducted last year and was developed by outside consultant Fall Line Analytics.Key findings from the study reveal:
- Most parents (especially those that live far) drive their children to school and afterschool programs.
- Parents driving their children to school cause localized congestion issues.
- The majority of parents reported that schools were out of the way when trying to get to work. The lack of transportation options limits the choices for aftercare and enrichment programs.
- Parents preferred alternative mode of transportation, including shuttles and carpooling.
- Scope a program or public-private partnership to offer shuttle service in a select geographic area on a pilot basis.
- Consider selection of preferred mobile application to support carpooling to school.
- Continue investment in programs that encourage bicycling and walking to school.
- Improve and expand transit options to improve transit competitiveness with driving and reduce barriers to transit.
Moving forward, our office will be working with our partners to develop a pilot program based on the study recommendations. We will continue to provide updates on this effort. For questions, please contact our office at (415) 554-7460. |
|
|
IRVING STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE
The Irving Streetscape Improvement Project is slated to be complete by mid-2017. Work on the streetscape project between 19 th and 27 th Avenues was on hiatus for the City’s holiday moratorium, and work will be complete at the end of January, including planting Tristania trees, installing the Irving Street gateway elements at 22 nd Avenue, and installing the decorative crosswalks at the intersections of 20 th, 22 nd, and 27 th Avenues. City crews have also been working to reinstall parking meters, trash receptacles, and newspaper racks along the corridor. The project spanning the merchant corridor between 19th and 27th Ave will be complete at the end of January, while the remaining work through 48th Ave will be completed by mid-2017.In addition to the merchant corridor, work is currently being completed as part of the contract, including new curb ramps and road repaving from 27 th Avenue to the Lower Great Hwy, as well as sewer replacement, new curb ramps, and road repaving on 45 th Avenue between Irving and Lawton streets. This work will be finished by June 2017. We have heard a lot of feedback about the boulders that are part of the Streetscape Improvement Project. This is the design Public Works developed with the intention of providing resting areas to residents without attracting overnight stays. If you have any questions or want to know more about this project, please contact Michael Rieger of San Francisco Public Works at Michael.Rieger@sfdpw.org. |
|
OCEAN BEACH SAND REMOVAL PROJECT UPDATE
In the 1980s and 1990s, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) built the Oceanside Treatment Plant (OSP) and associated infrastructure to protect coastal water quality from pollution. However, chronic erosion problems at south Ocean Beach threatens the Lake Merced Tunnel (LMT), one of SFPUC’s critical wastewater conveyance and storage facilities located under the Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard.The Ocean Beach Master Plan (OBMP), led by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), was an interagency effort to develop a sustainable long-term vision for Ocean Beach, addressing public access, environmental protection and infrastructure needs in the context of erosion and climate-related sea level rise. SFPUC has been working to develop short and long-term coastal protection measures and a management strategy that protects critical wastewater infrastructure and promotes environmental stewardship. These short and long-term measures would be implemented as a two-phased approach.Currently, the Phase I approach (Short-term strategies; 2015 – 2021) is being completed under a multi-year Coastal Commission permit and is a continuation of sand management activities conducted in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS). This year’s project includes the following components:
- Sand Backpass – Excavate approximately 70,000 cubic yards of sand from north Ocean Beach along the O’Shaughnessy Sea Wall and place it in two erosion hot spots south of Sloat Boulevard.
- Wind-Erosion Control Measures – Natural brush fencing and/or other measures will be installed to reduce windblown sand from being transported onto the parking lots and Great Highway south of Sloat Boulevard.
SFPUC has finished the short-term project to transport excess sand via dump truck from north Ocean Beach along the O’Shaughnessy Sea Wall and place it in two erosion hot spots south of Sloat Boulevard. Although the major work of the Sand Backpass has finished, there will still be ongoing construction activities. There will be periodic minor construction impacts in that area, but not full road closures. For more information, please visit http://sfwater.org/oceanbeach.
|
|
|
SUNSET DISTRICT SINGER/SONGWRITER
FRANCES ENGLAND NOMINATED FOR GRAMMY AWARD
|
|
Sunset District resident and children’s musician Frances England was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Children’s Album category with her most recent and sixth album “Explorer of the World.” We are so happy for the recognition this talented, creative, local, independent artist has received. Frances’ first foray into recorded music was in 2007 when she recorded “Fascinating Creatures” as a fundraiser for her son’s preschool. Since then, she has performed at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Be sure to tune into the Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 12 to cheer Frances on, and check out her website for more music! |
|
|
|
LIBRARY AMNESTY PROGRAM
JANUARY 3 – FEBRUARY 14
|
|
Reconnect with the Library by returning all overdue items, fine-free. For six weeks, “We Want You Back!” a San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) fine-forgiveness program, will waive the late fees on all returned books, CDs, DVDs and other materials, regardless of how long overdue. Return your overdue items, clear your record and begin enjoying all of the fabulous resources that SFPL has to offer.Drop-off your items in person to enter a raffle to win a special fine forgiveness prize, and share your #fineforgiveness experience with the SFPL on social media. For more information about the program, visit SFPL’s website or contact SFPL at (415) 577-4400. Many happy returns! |
|
|
|
Muni Fare Changes Starting January 1st
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will be changing passenger fares starting January 1, 2017, which are all outlined in the chart below. All fare changes can be found on the Fares and Passes page. Please note that single-ride adult Limited Use tickets paid with a Clipper® Card or the MuniMobile app (via a ticket vending machine or farebox) cost 25 cents less than fares paid with cash. The SFMTA will also be extending the youth fare discount to everyone 18 years or younger (previously set at 17 years old). |
|
Sunset Music and Arts is heading into its 3rd season for 2017, and they are more ambitious than ever with performances by several returning artists and new artists! In addition to their strong vocal and chamber music recital series, they are especially proud to add a piano recital series and a choral series to their programming in 2017. They are also proud to announce a 3-part ‘East meets West’ series that feature musicians who uniquely meld music from Western and Eastern classical traditions to produce unique new compositions. In addition to concerts they also continue with their community events with travelogues, student recitals, and workshops.You can preview the season on this website or download their color brochure. All events are held at Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1750 29th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122 (between Noriega and Moraga Street). |
|
|
VOLUNTEER TO BE A SAN FRANCISCO ZOO DOCENT
|
|
Become a San Francisco Zoo docent and inspire future conservationists. Docents support the Zoo’s mission by connecting guests to wildlife through informative talks, biofact presentations, and school tours. You can be a part of a vibrant community of volunteers who care about conserving wildlife. You’ll meet new friends and learn all about animals from Zoo staff. There will be a 2017 Docent Orientation on Saturday, January 14 from 10:00am – 12:00pm in the San Francisco Zoo’s Education Building, Classroom 1. Email docent@sfzoo.org to confirm your attendance and visit the San Francisco Zoo’s Volunteer webpage to find out more information. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Saturday, April 28, 2018
