Fog City Guide » San Francisco Projects

Bella Vista Garden Project July Work Day

Jed — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:29:54 +0000

We had a sunny day and we accomplished much. It is very visible now that we pulled weeds and raked the hillside.

Robert Gee, Bella Vista neighbor and board member came for the first time and joined Sean Elsbernd, Hilary Reichart and myself. Peter Zepponi was there but he waited till he saw us stop working before he came over. Daniel Homsey came by but his back is out of whack so he could only offer moral support.

I had a conversation with Marianne Bertolucci, of Rec & Park. The citizens of the City and County will not pay what it takes to maintain our parks. We don’t like to pay taxes and I know that we don’t really trust the bureaucrats to handle the money, but a park as large as Miraloma Park needs money and she is only given 30% of the needed funds by a national measure.

It is important for me to understand that when I ask for a gardener to supervise a work day it is taking away from other duties that they would be doing. The upshot of this is I will be forming a “Friends of Miraloma Park” group. We will organize volunteers to keep this jewel of a playground in good shape.

When I started this project it was to clean up and plant the hillside that runs along Bella Vista. It is clear that we need to work on the whole park not just a part of it. If we can provide additional work hours to Rec and Park we will get more beautification. The hillside on Bella Vista had been last prioity for years and it still is. If we can help them on the top, front, sides etc. they will have the time and resources to help us make that stretch of hill really wonderful. I hope to work with the administration of Miraloma School. Please join with me in this effort.

San Francisco Supervisor volunteers and works hard in garden project

Jed — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:59:07 +0000

Before the start of the work day on my Bella Vista garden project our district 7 Supervisor Sean Elsbernd e-mailed me that he was looking forward to the physical activity after spending the past two weeks working on the San Francisco city budget. Here he takeas a powerfull swing on a very tenacious ivy root. Budget cuts to ivy cuts the man works hard for the district.

We had good food from Noah’s and everyone worked and had some fun too. But the pile shows we got some ground cleared too.

San Francisco Bella Vista Garden Project

Jed — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:52:39 +0000

We accomplished a good deal of weed and ivy clearing along the steps to Miraloma Park baseball field from Bella Vista Way. San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Department volunteer office coordinated our effort and provided the tools and supervision as the eight of us worked on the project. They also will haul away the product of our labor.

Our Superviser from District 7 Sean Elsbernd worked right along with us. He said he had extra vigor having been locked in budget committee meetings for the past two weeks. I believed it when I saw him swinging a pick and working up a good sweat.

I’d like to thank Michael Johengen, Hillary Richert, David Saslov, Connie Freeman, Peter Zepponi, Peter’s friend and Andrea O’Leary for their help on the hill Saturday.

Our next scheduled work day is July 26th. From 9 till noon.