if you would like to make general public comment on an item that is not on calendar, that is item four and continued again on item 15. last, please address your comments to the commission during comment on public comment.

neither commission or staff will respond to public questions but will respond after public comment is closed. with that, i think there was announcements about items. >> yes. the basketball court renovations will be removed from the consent calendar and be heard on the general calendar. items, 10, 11, and 12, have been removed from the calendar and will not be heard today. if anyone is here on those items, they have been taken off the calendar. we are now on item number two, the president's report. >commissioner buell: i will be brief. that is the general manager and i and abroad committee and community work with a spur for the last six months on a report on the funding of the public

parts and challenging financial climate, and i want to acknowledge the work they did and think them for taking the initiative on it, and managing the process. i think the record they came out with is a good one and will inform the public on where we would like to go, because as many of you know over the past five years, $41 million has been cut from the general fund, and it has been challenging to say the least. this was an effort, and will be an ongoing effort to try to find solutions to that problem -- term. i want to acknowledge spur. the chinatown resolution -- recognition center, we had a ceremony, which was really quite nice. in the process of preparing for that, i concluded that i think that is the largest expenditure for recreation center in the

department's history in terms of the amount of money that is being put into that beautiful facility, and it is very appropriate. a very nice day and event, and more to come on that subject in the next couple commission meetings. with that, i would like to ask commissioner lee to give us a report on the ping-pong tournament. commissioner lee: we have two tournaments to talk about. i have the ping-pong tournament organizers on their way up. i was wondering if i could indulge the commission to wait until -- call this side of back up later when they come up. they have photographs of things of that nature. commissioner buell: may be under public comment we will call them up and give them a reprieve under the chair if it takes for prevent three minutes.

-- takes longer than three minutes. commissioner lee: we had a terrific event at the richmond center three weeks ago. it was really well attended with i believe that some of the most amazing pingpong players this side of china. it is a testament to the department that we were able to pull it off, and that we were able to partner with a great organization to get it off the ground. it was the united states table ping-pong association with the judge and cash prices -- prizes. the top prize was $500, and there was quite a battle to win

the $500 check. we had players come from all over the bay area and internationally. i hope that this is just the beginning of what will be a tradition here at the department for hosting professional level for amateur level -- or amateur level tournaments because there is so much interest in table tennis. with that, i think i will ask the organizers to come back when they arrived and show you pictures from the event. i think you will be amazed at how well organized it was and how a large part of a set up it was. thank you. >> any public comment under the president's report?

being done, item number two is closed. item number three, general managers report. >> good morning, commissioners. a number of announcements today. california coastal cleanup day is saturday, september 17. help take part in california's largest volunteer event. it is an annual event that focuses on the much-needed beaches and waterways. last year more than 82,500 volunteers removed more than 1.2 million pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways statewide. to register for this event, please visit our web site and visit the high light section and click and get you registered to participate. the song is the sport of the month. on sunday there will be a city- wide ping pong event.

-- ping pont is thng is the spot of the omonth. mike savear and the stock for their participation. i did go, and it was amazing to see -- i have never played on a professional table, and there were at least 40 of them in the gym. the pingpong was incredible, including kids that were younkers thger than my own chiln that were fantastic. thank you for bringing attention to the sport in bringing such positive attention over labor day weekend. party for the parks. next friday, september 23, there

will be a party for the parks, a special event celebrating our beloved parks. on october 3, the san francisco park trust officially become the san francisco park alliance. this is one of their last big parties. last year's event raised over $400,000. it even had a very world renown silent auction near participated in the event. a world renowned not socinus auctioneer, mark buelle. there are still tickets available for all of you partygoers. this year's event will be at the beautiful parasol plaza. they do for involvement as a bishop of the event. -- thank you for involvement

in the event. harley strickley event taking off september 30. on the afternoon on the 30th, the event is visited by numerous public schools who send all their kids for a special noontime concert and presentation out in golden gate park. this year's concert is chris christophersen, merle haggard, chris i sit, jimmie dale gilmore, and the famous [inaudible] . hope to see everyone out at golden gate park. also in the way of upcoming announcements, scare growgrove. it is an annual halloween family event.

also for information on that, log on your web site. -- on our website. i would now like to call a commissioners for release short presentation for short program i mentioned in august. working with the mayor, the school district, dcwy and the san francisco police department, for the first time ever brought up to 37 at risk youth to spend four days with us in the high sierras. i had the pleasure of being there for a part of that trip, and honestly it was one of the most special, fabulous things i have ever participated in and city government. with that i will turn it over to

bob to give you more detail. >> good morning. superintendent of community services. as phil stated, this math -- past june the mayor was walking through the mission district in response to a shooting that had happened the day before. he was walking with community members, and through those discussions he had with those folks he determined that the city really needed to provide some alternatives and new experiences for our most vulnerable youth. from those discussions he asked that city agencies convene a meeting to figure out how we could potentially do that. juvenile probation, d.c. white up, the school district, mayor's office, and the number of city cbo's partner together to plan and implement a very special program. three weeks ago, august 25

through 28, our department in the above-mentioned partners, a team together to make 37 our risk youth, ages 14 to 17 to the camp. campers participated in activities such as interpreter of heights, the navigation classis, fishing, sports and athletics come early morning runs and hikes, archery, aquatics, conflict resolution. the producer did it in a talent show, and a very memorable trip to hit tetchtch hetchy. we hope to identify teenagers that could move into the department work -- recreation program, use leadership program, and potentially to become leaders to keep some of our outdoor courses in extreme forces its sports. thi10 of those students are beig

selected immediately to begin work this october. they will put throughout the city in different competencies' to start providing some of those services. that is a really great thing. i would like to recognize some of our staff that planned this for weeks and weeks. we of leery because be -- larry mcnesby from the feeder services division. they did a great job. i have provided bill with a list of people but i will put a letter of accommodation into their files for the leaders that did a terrific job. you would all be so proud of them for what they did and how the venture their children. it was remarkable. what i would like to do now is before i play a video, i would like to bring up chief semermen

and chief nash were instrumental in the process. they were instrumental in our ability to pull this off, so i would like to bring them up. >> thank you. i am chief william zimmerman from that recreation department here in san francisco. i am here this morning primarily to present to you our deep, heartfelt gratitude for the support of rec and park in the creation of a magnificent event that is more than just the feel good activity, that was set up for kids to we have the greatest amount of faith in their ability to transform behavior based on the guidance of leadership

provided by positive adult role models. i am here to express the gratitude. anything that has happened in the past 6.5 years since i have arrived here that involves juvenile's always winds up, and we're very appreciative of digital probation department to produce a rate in discussions. with this was first presented to us, we were extremely appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the creation and delivery of the significant experience. i have been a probation officer for 41 years, and this is one of the most positive experiences that i can recall in my entire career working with juveniles. it really has a destination in mind, a destination that leads youngsters on a pathway towards the development of

competencies' that will enable them to make positive contributions to the community as they approach adulthood. i cannot say enough about the work that the assistant chief completed in his participation in this event. he would be here to extend his appreciation as well, but he is traveling to los angeles on department business. i especially want to thank bill ginsberg and bob for their participation, their vision and leadership and a partnership with all of the other entities, but most primarily the partnership with the juvenile the patient -- probation department. we are very excited about the next that we're quantitate, and follow up, in particular, with the 10 youth that we're hoping will reach the point of

employment and can generate other opportunities for other kids along the way. thank you very much for your support. >> think you. -- thank you. >> thank you, cheap. i do want to acknowledge really quickly, and not because he is sitting here and my boss, but still was instrumental in this. i know a lot of times he sits up there and is a target for a lot of criticism, but a lot of the great things we been able to do our because of his willingness to get his hands dirty and allow us to make tough decisions and spend money where maybe it was spend money where maybe it was not originally thought that it