ribbon. but they're playing anyway so it doesn't -- we're good. all right. so, this is a team effort, right. it's the community, it's government, it's park avenue katz, it's everyone. but our capital bond program is a success because of our partnership with the department of public works, plain and simple. we have a really, really super partnership. we work together on improving our communities and improving our neighborhoods. and we have a man at the top right now, we call him mr. clean, mohammed nuru, mr. park. he's mr. clean, that's our road show, who is so, so, so committed to making this city park sparkle. i want to bring him up so he can say thank you and let him say a few words. talk a little about our joint giants sweet program. once this event is over we're going to work together to keep this place sparkling. so, mr. clean, come on up. (applause) >> thank you, mr. parks. what a beautiful day. (applause) >> so, i'm very happy on the

partnership that we have with the recreation and parks department, from the department of public works, all these bond projects. thanks to the voters, thanks to the community. we've been all working together and this is the result, what you see is a beautiful park. from dpw, lizy hirsch, our project manager making sure all the details, all the visions of the community had when the park was being built, the benches, all the nice stone work, all the plants, that they all came together to make this beautiful space. a big hand for lizy, please, and her leadership. (applause) >> on the construction side, i was making sure we met all the goals that were set by the board of supervisors. one of the things that the bond has done for san francisco is it's allowed local residents to actually get jobs and work. and that is the leadership of the board and the mayor and we made sure that we fulfilled and exceeded all those goals. and, so, i'm very happy to report that we are having a good day today and as we go on

to further parks, we'll continue to do our best to make sure it's great. phil talked about the giant sweep. you might have seen some of these ads on some of the buses or billboards. it's our latest campaign to instill pride back into our city. we're going into our schools, working with neighborhood groups -- there you go, phil. we're working together to make sure that san francisco continue to be clean and green. we have the park it in, park it out campaign in the parks. we have the pick it up on the street. and next week we'll be bringing in new buses into san francisco and we're working with the mta to make sure that when you ride the bus that the buses are clean. so, we have a booth over there. please visit our booth. we have lots of information, a bare minimum, sign the pledge that you want to see san francisco be a cleaner city. thank you for this event. congratulations, and i know we're all going to see many more of these parks all across san francisco as nice and beautiful as this one. thank you. (applause) >> thank you.

when i say pack it in, you say... pack it in. pack it in. >> pack it in. >> if you pack it in >> pack it out. >> thank you. all right. our final speaker before we cut the ribbon is matt o'grady, the parks alliance. it is our nonprofit partner. they are with us every step of the way advocating for better open space, for more funding for open space, for better play grounds, for more parks, and we can't do it without them. so, i want to welcome matt. i also want to call out kelly knight who is a vice president of the parks alliance board who has joined us today. i don't know if there are any other park board members here. thank you for being here. matt come on up and say a few words. >> thank you, phil. (applause) >> bear with me a second. if you're sitting, stand up. everybody do a quick 360. turn around very quickly and just look at the view from this

park. just walk around and look at this view. we live in the most beautiful city in the world. today this city becomes just a little bit more beautiful. thanks to the incredible hard work that has made this new renovation a reality. the parks alliance is the independent partner to the entire city for everything having to do with parks, recreation, and open space. we have more than 100 different community groups called park partners all across the city. each of them working in their own way to make our park system a little better, a little more beautiful, a little more usable. today this is the day for one of those groups, the friends of lafayette park. this is a shining example of how a few neighbors can come together, bring together their friends, and make an incredibly beautiful thing happen in a public open space.

this park was renovated with bond dollars, but friends of lafayette park brought in hours and hours of hard work over four years to do visioning and imagining what this park could really look like. they raised over half a million dollars of private fund to augment the bond dollars so that this kind of a playground could be added to this park. it's been that kind of selfless generosity, and hours of giving to the city that is just an incredible humbling experience for us at the parks alliance. let's have another round of applause for carina and lynn and all of the volunteers who have made such an incredible contribution to this effort. (applause) >> and now i think phil, ready to go ahead and do the ribbon cutting. >> thank you, matt. all right, we're getting there. so, a couple things. i want to give a big shout out, ron davis is here, the founder of the lafayette park or san

francisco mime troop, right, ron? give a big shout out for ron. [cheering and applauding] >> that's for you. >> i have the honor of being arrested in this park in 1965. [laughter] cheer cheers >> under different management, i can say, had we performed for this guy we would not have been arrested. >> i'd be in it. >> he'd be in it, right. he's almost as good as we were. 1965, it was a very different commission and they took away our permit. we had done three shows. they didn't like the play. it was an aclu issue, it was called free speech. so, we've declared that the little park over there where i was arrested is going to be a free speech area called the mime troop area. (applause) >> free speech, you can come and do anything you want. >> awesome. >> no fees. >> thank you, ron. the interesting thing about a free speech area for mime, it's pretty quiet.

[laughter] >> all right. hey, a big shout out, one last shout out to the rec and park staff that really pulled this together. (applause) >> i want to start with the people that organized the event, jamie hopper, alex randolph, [speaker not understood], they worked hours and hours to make this event today very, very special. but one big final shout out and thank you to our project manager, mary hobson who worked tirelessly to pull this off. [cheering and applauding] >> and, mary, you get your very own lafayette park sign. congratulations. (applause) >> all right. now it is time to cut the ribbon. if you are a kid, come on up. and if you are -- had a hand in this park, come on up and we're going to be right here behind the ribbon right here. and do we have our big scissors.

electeds, join me. if you are a kid, come on up. and what i will do with the kids is together we will use the big scissors. why don't you guys come on in here. all right, hold on, we're not there yet. let's not do it yet. be careful. all children with scissors, please be careful. all right. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. yeah! ladies and gentlemen, lafayette park is officially open! >> yea!

>> this lodge is home to some of the best fly casting pools in the world. these shallow concrete pools don't have fish. this is just a place where people come to practice their fly casting technique. ith was built in the 1930's and ever since, people have been coming here to get back to nature. every year, the world championship of fly casting is held in san francisco and

visitors from all over the globe travel to be here. >> we are here with phil, general manage of san francisco rec and parks department at the anglers lodge. what do you think about this? >> it is spectacular, travis from oregon, taught me a snake roll and a space cast. >> there are people from all over the world come to san francisco and say this is the place to be. >> yeah. it's amazing, we have teams from all over the world here today and they are thrilled. >> i flew from ireland to be here. and been practicing since for the competition. all the best casters in the world come here. my fellow countryman came in first place and james is on the current team and he is the head man. >> it's unique. will not see anything like it

where you go to compete in the world. competitions in ireland, scotland, norway, japan, russia each year, the facilities here in the park are second to none. there is no complex in the world that can touch it. >> i'm here with bob, and he has kindly agreed to tell me everything i need to know about casting. i'm going to suit up and next, we're in the water. >> what any gentleman should do. golden gate angling has free lessons the second saturday of every month. we have equipment show up on the 9:30 on the second saturday of every month and we'll teach them to fly cast. >> ok. we are in the water. >> let me acquaint you with the fly rod. >> nice to meet you.

>> this is the lower grip and the upper grip. this is a reel and a fly line. we are going to use the flex of this rod to fling away. exactly as you moved your hands. >> that's it? >> that's it. >> i'm a natural. >> push both arms forward and snap the lower hand into your tummy. push forward. >> i did gave it a try and had great time but i might need some more practice. i met someone else with real fly casting skills. her name is donna and she is an international fly casting champion. >> i have competed in the casting ponds in golden gate park in san francisco. i have been to japan and norway for fly casting competition. i spend my weekends here at the club and at the casting pond.

it's a great place to learn and have fun. on a season day like this, it was the perfect spot to be. i find fly casting very relaxing and also at the same time very challenging sport. takes me out into the nature. almost like drawing art in the air. and then i can make these beautiful loops out there. >> even though people from across the globe come here to compete, it's still a place where locals in the know relax and enjoy some rely unique scenery. until next time, get out and play!

>> there are kids and families ever were. it is really an extraordinary playground. it has got a little something for everyone. it is aesthetically billion. it is completely accessible. you can see how excited people are for this playground. it is very special. >> on opening day in the brand- new helen diller playground at north park, children can be seen swinging, gliding, swinging, exploring, digging, hanging, jumping, and even making drumming sounds.

this major renovation was possible with the generous donation of more than $1.5 million from the mercer fund in honor of san francisco bay area philanthropist helen diller. together with the clean and safe neighborhood parks fund and the city's general fund. >> 4. 3. 2. 1. [applause] >> the playground is broken into three general areas. one for the preschool set, another for older children, and a sand area designed for kids of all ages. unlike the old playground, the new one is accessible to people with disabilities. this brand-new playground has several unique and exciting features. two slides, including one 45- foot super slide with an elevation change of nearly 30 feet. climbing ropes and walls, including one made of granite.

88 suspension bridge. recycling, traditional swing, plus a therapeutics win for children with disabilities, and even a sand garden with chines and drums. >> it is a visionary $3.5 million world class playground in the heart of san francisco. this is just really a big, community win and a celebration for us all. >> to learn more about the helen diller playground in dolores park, go to sfrecpark.org.

>> 7 and a half million renovation is part of the clean and safe neighbor's park fund which was on the ballot four years ago and look at how that public investment has transformed our neighborhood. >> the playground is unique in that it serves a number of age groups, unlike many of the other properties, it serves small children with the children's play grounds and clubhouses that has basketball courts, it has an outdoor soccer field and so there were a lot of people that came to the table that had their wish list and we did our best to make sure that we kind of divided up spaces and made sure that we kept the old features of the playground but we were able to enhance all of those

features. >> the playground and the soccer field and the tennis fields and it is such a key part of this neighborhood. >> we want kids to be here. we want families to be here and we want people to have athletic opportunities. >> we are given a real responsibility to insure that the public's money is used appropriately and that something really special comes of these projects. we generally have about an opportunity every 50 years to redo these spaces. and it is really, really

rewarding to see children and families benefit, you know, from the change of culture, at each one of these properties >> and as a result of, what you see behind us, more kids are playing on our soccer fields than ever before. we have more girls playing sports than we have ever had before. [ applause ] fp >> and we are sending a strong message that san francisco families are welcome and we want you to stay. >> this park is open. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ >> the san francisco playground's history dates back to 1927 when the area where the present playground and center is today was purchased by the city for $27,000. in the 1950s, the center was expanded by then mayor robinson and the old gym was built. thanks to the passage of the 2008 clean and safe neighborhood parks bond, the

sunset playground has undergone extensive renovation to its four acres of fields, courts, play grounds, community rooms, and historic gymnasium. >> here we are. 60 years and $14 million later, and we have got this beautiful, brand-new rec center completely accessible to the entire neighborhood. >> the new rec center houses multi-purpose rooms for all kinds of activities, including basketball, line dancing, playing ping-pong, and arts and crafts. >> use it for whatever you want to do, you can do it here. >> on friday, november 16th, the dedication and ribbon cutting took place at the sunset playground and recreation center celebrating its renovation. it was raining, but the rain clearly did not dampen the spirits of the dignitaries, community members, and children in attendance. [cheering and applauding]

♪ ♪ take pictures of the view of the city that you soon went forgot. our first look out and at buena vista park san francisco heavily forested hill with couples and doing walkers it's as old as the near neighbor golden gate park and both have a coast live oak forest and fresh in retreat from urban life and meanders under a canopy of oaks yup lipid u.s. and chill out in this pleasant and quiet environment and you might see butter nice, and dandelion and is squirrels hundred dollaring for their next

meal and buena vista park is 88 >> just a little pack of pad located at the bottom of russian hill, the secret garden with an intimate and captivating appeal. carefully tucked away, at the bottom of lumbar street, the park makes the top of our list for the most intimate picnic setting. avoid all tourist cars by hopping on the cable car. or the 30, 45, 41 or 91 bus. this is the place to tell someone something special or the place to declare to friends and family the commitment you two share. reservations are available with rec and park for this adorable >> the garden contains plants

referred to by william shakespeare's plays and poems. located near the academy of sciences, shakespeare's garden was designed in 1928 by the california spring and wild flower association. here is a truly enchanting and tranquil little garden tucked behind the path of a charming rot iron gate with romantic magic. the overarching cherry trees, the gorgeous big walkway and brick wall, the benches, the rustic sun dial. the pack picnic, lovely bench, enjoy the sunshine and soft breeze and let the with its elegant rotunda, the reflecting waters of the sub rounding lagoon and fraying

rant eucalyptus trees, special dates and memorable proposals. it is the perfect picnic spot to relax with that special someone by listening to water and fountain in the lagoon and gazing as the swans go gracefully by. beautiful to view from many locations along the lagoon and inside the columns is an ideal place to walk around with your loved one. the palace of fine arts is the most popular location in the city arts system. reservations for weddings and other events a come and experience lafayette park and enjoy the people, picnic and sunshine. this is a lovely place to take an afternoon stroll with your loved one hand in hand. located at got and sacramento street in the middle of pacific heights on top of the city's steep rolling hills, lafayette park offers a great place, peaceful beauty. comfo