my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening.of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not used to it so forgive me. one thing the pandemic has taught us is how essential and open spaces and parks have been to our physical and mental health and well being. let's be honest, this project took a number of years in the making. wasn't fully funded. we had design changes and wonderful advocacy of support and then there was that pandemic that got in the way for about a year. so to be here today is really wonderful. today, we have our mayor, we have supervisor mandelman. we have commissioner mcdonald and some community champions to help us celebrate. so i will be brief. this is a $5.3 million effort. the scope of the work includes a lot of the stuff you can see. but i'm going to highlight two things. one are the original playground elements that you see out to your left, to my right which really happened because of community advocacy and a really important desire and as we know, and than

since both maria and phil were on, director sue, director ginsburg. i know i feel like a broken record, but i just want to thank both of you for everything you've done as your department said before, so nimble and able to move so well. i think the hungry departments are the ones that do their best. actually produced better when they start to get so top heavy and bureaucratic and i wouldn't be dealing with you anymore, phil, or you, maria. so we're going to keep you hungry, but we're going to get the money to the people you provide services through. >> supervisor safai, i'm not sure you can quench our hunger for resources rest assured. >> i just had to say that. we don't want you turning into i'm not going to call the department out, but we don't want you to be super top heavy that the money doesn't get to the program and services that are needed. but all jokes aside, thank you very much, of course, we want to give you more resources to provide more slots. the only frustration i heard and i think chair ronen said this was the kind of signing up i think

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening.en't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of

today, my guest is phil ginsburg.e's the director of the san francisco rec and parks, and he's a national rec and park ranger. thank you for being here. >> hi, chris. thank you for having me. >> i've heard you have an exciting new exhibit that features social distancing and is outside, so it's safer. can you tell us a little bit about it? >> the golden gate 50 anniversary wasn't the celebration that we hoped for, but when life deals you lemons, you hope to make lemonade, and we tried to engage people in the park in different ways. behind me is what we did. it's a public exhibit which has transformed peacock meadows into an enchanted forest of other worldly shapes and lights. it's to close out golden gate park's 150 years and to allow people to have outdoors socially distant fun. >> great. and what are the hours, and when can people go see it, and are there access for wheelchairs and strollers? >> well, it will run until february 27, and the ways are wheelchair accessible. it will close in time to make the city's curfe

my name is phil ginsburg and, yes, this is an actual and not a virtual opening. i haven't -- i haven't seen -- we vnt done one of these and i haven't seen this many people in one place so i'm kind of nervous and shy and not u t

and i'm so grateful to phil ginsburg and rec and park because rec and park added much more funding beyond the $2.8 million that was in the park bond. some examples are the new fencing around the ball diamond. the pave, the resurfaced path from duncan street. path in the community garden and then down to the park and also which is going to happen soon are the new lights for the tennis courts and resurfacing the tennis courts. so it was just wonderful to have all these additional things that the neighborhood had been advocating for. i'm just immensely grateful to the rec and park staff and everyone here who works so hard to make this happen today. it's a great day. thank you, very much. >> hello, i'm brenna mcnulty and i'm delighted to be here. this is so exciting and so much has been said and it's hot so i'm going to trim down my acknowledgements. but i want to emphasize that this really is a beautiful example of community driven design and that our district eight offices and supervisors through the years and their staff and the rec and park project management staff consistently showed up

since both maria and phil were on, director sue, director ginsburg. i know i feel like a broken record, but i just want to thank both of you for everything you've done as your department said before, so nimble and able to move so well. i think the hungry departments are the ones that do their best. actually produced better when they start to get so top heavy and bureaucratic and i wouldn't be dealing with you anymore, phil, or you, maria. so we're going to keep you hungry, but we're going to get the money to the people you provide services through. >> supervisor safai, i'm not sure you can quench our hunger for resources rest assured. >> i just had to say that. we don't want you turning into i'm not going to call the department out, but we don't want you to be super top heavy that the money doesn't get to the program and services that are needed. but all jokes aside, thank you very much, of course, we want to give you more resources to provide more slots. the only frustration i heard and i think chair ronen said this was the kind of signing up i think