The Examiner reports today that city officials are considering “shutting down parks overnight and allowing cops to jail chronic trespassers.”

Unlike most major parks in metropolitan areas, Golden Gate Park does not close. It’s legal to be in the park at any hour, but you can’t sleep there. Despite it being illegal to camp in the park, it does little to deter homeless encampments. And police don’t have many options other than to issue citations to campers which are usually dismissed in traffic court. Mayor Newsom met a homeless man with 52 citations to his name who continues to call the park home.

A summer of violent incidents in the park has drawn attention, once again, to the homeless problem and potential safety issues for park patrons. On July 1, three people were attacked by dogs that belonged to homeless campers (who were never identified). A few days later on July 4th, a man was stabbed near the Conservatory of Flowers. And just this week, a homeless man was beaten to death near Kezar Stadium.

Most parks in other cities are closed from 10pm to 6am, which if applied to Golden Gate Park, would give police the authority to arrest campers for trespassing during overnight hours. So far the idea is just in the discussion phase, as are other ideas to beef up patrols overall during nighttime hours in the city.

What do you think? Is closing Golden Gate Park in the late night hours the right solution? Would it matter to you if it was technically off limits from 10pm until 6am?

Sarah B.

Calling all do-it-yourself publishers! This Saturday and Sunday from 11am until 6pm, the annual Zine Fest conference will be held at the County Fair Building in the park at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard.

San Francisco Zine Fest is a free, annual two-day show for independent and underground publishers. The festival is full of small press, zines, comics and other do-it-yourselfers who are passionate about their subjects. While the focus is on zines, all walks of DIY life are represented — comics, arts and crafts, literary presses, and more.

According to the Zine Fest website, there will be more than 100 small press and DIY exhibitors, special guests, hands-on workshops, and informative panels. So no matter what you’re into, you’re sure to find a zine creator at the show that feels your passion.

This year’s conference includes two new features – a dedicated Reading Room, with dozens of small-press titles from Zine Fest exhibitors and other creators, and the first ever on-site art show, Punk Tabloid, a retrospective of three seminal Bay Area publications: Search & Destroy, Damage and Another Room Magazine. These massive newsprint broadsheets – chronicles of the vibrant punk scene of the late 70s and early 80s – showcase the roots of the modern smallpress culture that the Zine Fest annually celebrates.

Sarah B.

Next Tuesday night, the SFPUC will host an open house meeting about the Westside Recycled Water Project.

More info about the project from their website:

The proposed Westside Recycled Water Project is part of the SFPUC’s Water System Improvement Program. Highly-treated recycled water would be delivered to a variety of customers through a system of pipelines, pump stations, storage tanks and reservoirs. The system would bring recycled water from the recycled water treatment facility in Golden Gate Park to Lincoln Park and Golf Course to be used for irrigation; additionally recycled water would be used for various non-potable uses in Golden Gate Park, including those at the California Academy of Sciences. The estimated construction cost of the proposed project is $109 million, with construction planned for completion in 2015.

Part of the project includes construction of a new recycled water treatment plant in the southwest corner of Golden Gate Park. The new facility would produce and deliver up to 2 million gallons of water per day.

New distribution pipelines will also need to be laid for the system, mostly under city streets and in limited sections of Golden Gate Park.

Officials at Tuesday night’s meeting will share the proposed designs of the project buildings and grounds and answer questions residents have about the project. The meeting will run from 6:30pm until 8pm at the Golden Gate Senior Park Center, 6101 Fulton at 36th Avenue.

For more information on the Westside Recycled Water Project, visit the SFPUC FAQ page or contact Suzanne Gautier, SFPUC Communications and Public Outreach at 554-3204 or at sgautier@sfwater.org.

Sarah B.

Every fountain in the concourse was running tonight in Golden Gate Park. A marvelous sight! The fencing should be coming down any day now; most of the construction equipment was gone too.

Sarah B.

I visited the Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay exhibition again tonight. These are the final few days of the show so if you haven’t seen these masterpieces up close, don’t miss the chance. The de Young has special extended hours this weekend.

During the exhibition, I came upon “Family Reunion” by Frederic Bazille (above), which reminded me a little of the vintage postcard I have of ladies watching the sunset from Adolph Sutro’s terrace above the Cliff House.

Sarah B.

Stop by the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on Sunday for a day of Seussian proportions. The one and only Cat in the Hat will be in attendance to celebrate his new TV show, “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!”, premiering on KQED on September 6th.

From 9:30am to 5pm enjoy storybook readings from local celebrities like Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik, Greg Sherwood from KQED, Academy scientists, and special guests from NASA and Beach Blanket Babylon.

There will also be special specimens and demonstrations from Academy staff, a scavenger hunt (with cat-tastic prizes of course!), sneak previews of the new television show, plus a chance to win a full set of Cat in the Hat Learning Library Books.

To participate, you’ll need to purchase an entry ticket to the Academy of Sciences. KQED/KTEH members can receive $5 off up to four general admission tickets when you show your KQED or KTEH member card.

I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am!

Sarah B.

If you’re a bush or tree in or near Golden Gate Park, you better watch your back.

After dozens of trees were cut down in Golden Gate Park and three beds in the park’s Rose Garden were nearly destroyed, another incident occurred close by last week.

The Chronicle reports that according to Recreation and Park Department spokesman Elton Pon, nine newly planted bushes on Park Presidio Boulevard near Fulton Street were severed at their base.

Whether these incidents are the work of one vandal or several different ones is unknown. But neighbors are understandably troubled by the senseless acts.

“So now, in stead of patrolling to protect ourselves from the people hiding in the bushes, we have to protect the bushes themselves!” wrote one neighbor in an online discussion group.

SFAppeal reports that police are staking out potential targets 24 hours a day with undercover and uniformed cops patrolling more than 40 hot spots in the park.

UPDATE (August 26, 2:38pm): The vandal strikes again? The Chronicle reports that three redwoods were found slashed in Doughboy Meadow earlier this week.

Sarah B.

Yesterday’s Sunday Streets, dubbed “Penguin to Penguin” because of its start at the Academy of Sciences and its end at the Zoo, brought out two great things in abundance – San Franciscans and sunshine.

Thousands came out to enjoy a car free Golden Gate Park and Great Highway, riding their bikes, rollerskating, skateboarding or just walking. At Lincoln and Great Highway there were dozens of vendors set up ranging from Clif Bar to Sports Basement to dog rescue organizations. There was plenty of live music, games for kids and cultural activities. Even a MUNI bus was parked for kids to explore and run around in.

Waiting at the end of the route at Sloat and Great Highway was another special surprise – a penguin mascot – who as you’ll see in the video, definitely had the moves.

Did you come out for Sunday Streets?

Sarah B.