>> class actress was great. we have been having so much fun. i did not realize how beautiful the cal academy looks than that. what other events take place here? >> we do corporate events that night on a regular basis. but nightlife is your best bet to come in as a regular person pharmacy the academy at night, and visit with friends. calacademy.org/nightlife. we have details for the next few weeks. you can get tickets online in advance or at the door. >> thank you so much. thank you for watching culturewire on sf gov tv.

>> hello, i am with the recreation and parks department. we are featuring the romantic park location in your backyard. this is your chance to find your heart in santa and cisco with someone special. -- san francisco with someone special. our first look out is here at

buena vista park, a favorite with couples and dog walkers. both have a significant force. a refreshing retreat from urban life. the romantic past that meander up and down the park under pines and eucalyptus. hang out in this environment and you might see butterflies it, fennel, and then the lines. -- dandelions. is ada accessible. public transit is plentiful. we have conquered the steps, we have watched the dogs, and we have enjoyed a beautiful view. this is a place to take someone

special on a romantic stroll and enjoyed a beautiful look out. welcome to corona heights located in the heart of this district. it offers a view of the downtown skyline, the bay bridge, and the east bay. it is one of the best kept secrets in the city. it is hardly ever crowded. on any given day, you will run into a few locals. , bought a 37 bus to get there without any parking worries. for legged friends can run freely. there is also a patch of grass for the small box. >> it is a great place. it is a wonderful place to have these kinds of parks. that dog owners appreciate it. >> take time to notice of the wildfires that are on the

grassland and keep your head out on the lookout for hawks and other bird life. be sure to take your camera and be prepared to take a view of the city will not forget. it has a beautiful red rock formations. you could watch the sunrise over the bay. this is another one of our great lookouts. we are at mount davidson. 928 feet. this is the place for you to bring someone special. to not forget that dogs and enjoy all of the pathways and greenery that surrounds you. it provides a peaceful oasis of open space and great hiking trails. the spectacular view offers a perfect place to watch the

sunrise or sunset with someone you love. >> it is a good place to get away from the hectic life of the city. come up here and listen to nature, i get some fresh air. that view is fantastic. >> where sturdy shoes. hikers get the feeling of being in a rain forest. mount davidson is also a great place to escape the noise and the bustle of the city. take the 36 bus and it will drop you at the entrance. it is quite a hike to the top but the view is worth every step. this is the place to bring that someone special. golden gate park's largest body

of water is an enchanting place. is a popular spot for paddling around in boats, which can be rented. created in 1893, it was designed for these your boating -- for leisure boating. it is named for the wild strawberries that once flourished. there is also a waterfall, two bridges, and trails the climb to the summit, the highest point at more than four hundred feet. you can catch glimpses of the western side of the city that make this hilltop a romantic look out. for public transit, i take the n train. the lad the ad -- lake is ada

accessible. watch many ducks, swans, and siegel's. -- seagulls. it is a great place to stroll and sail away. many couples come here to take a ride around a lake, going under the bridges, passing the chinese pavilion and the waterfall. for a quiet getaway, making for a memorable and magical experience. located on 19th avenue, this growth is the place to where you're hiking boots, bring the family and the dog because it has so much to offer you and your loved ones. it is a truly hidden gem in the city. the park is rich with eucalyptus

trees. long paths allow you to meander, perfect for a dog walking in a wooded environment. >> i enjoy the history. the diversity of nature that exists in such an urban city, concrete streets, cars, we have this oasis of the natural environment. it reminds us of what the history was. >> there is a section for dogs and plenty of parking. transit is available on the 28 bus to get you very easily. the part is ada -- park is ada accessible. it is also a natural lake. this is your chance to stroll around the lake and let the kids run free. it also has many birds to watch. it is a place to find and

appreciate what you -- a wonderful breath of fresh air. come and experience in this park and enjoy the people, picnics, and sunshine. this is a lovely place to take a stroll with your loved ones. in the middle of pacific heights, on top of these hills, it offers a great square, a peaceful beauty, large trees and grass and greenery. it features tables and benches, a playground, restaurants, and tennis courts. there are plenty of areas for football and picnics. it is very much a couple's park. there are many activities you can experience together. stroll on the pathways, bring

your dog, or just picnic at one of the many tables and enjoy all that it has to offer together. many couples find this is a perfect park to throw down a blanket and soak up the sun. it is a majestic place that you can share with someone you chairs. lafayette park is also easily accessed from the 47, 49, and 90 buses. it is ada accessible. we are here at the historic palace of fine art in the marina district. originally built for the 1950's exposition, the palace is situated on san francisco's number waterfront.

it is ada accessible and is reached by the 28, 30, and 91 bus lines. set against the reflecting waters of the lagoon and eucalyptus trees, the palace is one of san francisco post most -- san francisco's most romantic spots to relax with that special someone while listening to the water and gazing at the swans. a beautiful to view from many locations along the mattoon, an ideal place to -- all -- lagoon, an ideal place to walk with a loved one. reservations for weddings are available at sfrecpark.org.

discarding contains plants referred to by william shakespeare's plays and poems. welcome to the shakespeare garden here in the famous golden gate park. located near the museum and the california academy of sciences, the garden was designed by the california spring blossom and wildfilower association. here is a truly enchanting and tranquil garden along a path behind a charming gate. this garden is the spot to woo your date. stroll around and appreciate its unique setting. the gorgeous brick walkway and a brick wall, the stone benches, the rustic sundial. chaired the part -- share the

bard's word hundred famous verses from a shakespearean plays. this is a gem to share with someone special. pack a picnic, find a bench, and enjoy the sunshine, and let the whimsical words of william shakespeare and floats you and your loved one away. this is one of the most popular wedding locations and is available for reservations. take a bus and have no parking worries. shakespeares' garden is ada accessible. located at the bottom of this hill, it is a secret garden with an infinite in captivating appeal. carefully tucked away, it makes the top of our list for most intimate pyknic setting. avoid all taurus cars and

hassles by taking a cable car. or the 30, 45, or 91 bus. the garden was designed by thomas church in 1957. grow old with me, the best is yet to be is inscribed on a sundial. it is anchored by twin white gazebos and flowers that bloom year-round. this is the place to tell someone special or the place to declare the commitment you two share. weddings and the event reservations are available for this adorable hidden gem. we know there are many other romantic parks in san francisco. we hope you have enjoyed this

torre of lookouts, picnics, and strolls that are available every day. until next time, do not forget to get out and play. for more information about reserving one of these romantic locations or any other location, call 831-5500. this number is best for special events, weddings, picnics, and the county fair buildings. or for any athletic field, call 831-5510. you can write us at -- or walk in and say hello. and of course you can find more information moresfrecpark.org.

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>> (roll call) a> item 4, moved to approve the minutes. all those in favor? aye.

>> two is a go we lost john baker, i highly regarded 28-year employee. in 1984 he started as a track worker, became finally track superintendent. he will be greatly missed and i would like to ask the board's consent to adjourn in his memory. >> one more communication, no close session. item 6. >> new or unfinished business. being none, thank you. >> item 7, directors report. >> good afternoon mr. chairman members of the board, , public, staff.

at the last meeting i provided a reminder that upcoming was the 49th annual cable car bellringing competition. i asked that the competition be in mr. baker's honor, a tremendous loss. we had a great event. on september 6. we had strong sponsorship from girardelli chocolate, uncle vitto's pizza, the chancellor hotel, again the comedian debbie durst, acted as the mc. it was big time to get debbie durst.>>

>> >> can you tell a few jokes for us? >> i was commenting to my staff that mta and -- figure prominently. i will leave it at that. we did have for amateur bellringers, competing for various charities, went before the professional competition. the winner was scottie -- from cbs local media. the proceeds for the amateurs go to a charity of their choosing. and then we moved onto the professional round. we had seven competitors for the title of world champion bellringer, jorge -- cindy -- all vying to top the reigning

world champion. the first time in 49 years in the competition that after the first round we had a tie, between leonard oates and an upstart, with a cable car division only 10 years after a ring off, the two of them came back to compete mr. whitaker took the title and the bragging rights to be the world champion bellringer for the next year we are honored to have him here today with his wife. maybe he can give us a display of his award-winning talent. >> mr. whitaker? [applause] >> [ off mic ]

[ laughter ] [ off mic ] >> it is an honor and privilege -- [ off mic ]. thank you all. my beautiful wife, she was -- [ off mic ]

[bell ringing] [bell ringing] [applause] [applause] >> congratulations on behalf of the board of directors. it was great. did not seem nervous to me. >> you can see why he won the

award. you can see why with his personality he and his cable car colleagues make such great ambassadors. a few quick things. missing street repaving project, soon to be completed. this is a project i had the pleasure of starting in my previous job before coming to the mta. in the process, a lot of work got done from 16th st. down to cesar chavez. in the interim, we have upgraded our mission street buses on -- working with ppw construction team, the work is coming to a close. mission paving will be finished this week. final touchup and restriping will be done next weekend muni will move its buses back to mission st., on saturday, september 29.

other work that will go back. temporary configurations will revert back to pre-existing conditions by the end of october and in addition to getting the street date all the way from cesar chavez and 16th, which will give muni riders a smoother ride we added bus bowls at 24th to help the boarding process in an area that could be congested. a good project for the city, the impact for us and big benefit for us and looking forward to getting back to mission street at the end of the month. we do have upcoming in a couple of weeks our next and last really big special event we can of the year. weekend of october 6-7, an incredible list

of events all coincide on that week. the next round of the americas cup world series, coincides with fleet week in the same area, also the harley -- bluegrass festival, castro st. parade, the cruise ship unloading and loading on that saturday. we have the grand opening of the -- in union square. we have football game, 49ers against the bills. a white likely be giants will be in town with a playoff. an incredible amount. >> [ off mic ] >> absolutely. there's a map that shows some of the special event and you can see there is a significant

concentration in the northeast quadrant of the city. we will be once again testing some of the people-planned concerts for the america's plan, also supporting the fleet events. also converting the embarcadero, operating 47 limited and providing other enhanced services to support these events. it will be a strong drain on our resources but as we did during the last weekend we will manage to make sure the vents are successful and everybody relying on muni can still get around town even if not going to the event. agencywide, we have an operations plan to serve these

events. we had feedback from the board within the last year following certain special events and feedback that we got in terms of not doing as well as we could have, or coordinating as well as we could, we pulled together under ms. -- coordinating activity plugging in to the city's overall planning activity to make us all more successful. the last thing i wanted to announce, to really let you know that we are putting together a group of folks to look at accessible, on street parking. everyone knows that it has come up here before, that the current approach that we use here in the city throughout california and really throughout the country to manage on street parking for people who need access, really is not working well. our existing policies do not

create access for people with disabilities, and effectively reduces parking availability which impacts everybody in terms of transportation particularly those really need access to those preferred spaces. we are very committed to working with stakeholders to develop recommendations. what we will do is convene a group of stakeholders next month to analyze and understand the issue and develop recommendations bringing back those to you in the spring. when we launched that, i may bring you more information in october when we put it together. it is a challenge that has bedeviled us here in san francisco and across the country for a long time and it is frustrating to see