Posts Tagged ‘ceremony’
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Here’s the scene this morning at the official ceremony kicking off all the Divisadero Streetscape Improvements and the Cafe Mojo Parklet at 639 Divisadero betwixt Hayes and Grove.
BIKE NOPA has all the deets for the new parklet in front of popular Mojo Bicycle Cafe, where you are beseeched to “ride in – hang out – get your fix – ride on.”
Of course District 5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimiwas there* – he was working the crowd and expressing his appreciation for improved bicycle and pedestrian safety on the Divisadero Corridor. He also pointed out the success of the nearby Divisadero Farmer’s Market, which is no longer seasonal. It’s open every Sunday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM year-round these days.
Mayor Gavin Newsom addressing a large crowd on the tiny parklet:
Click to expand
And all the while, the honking yellow Hummer of Main Contractor Synergy Project Management was discretely parked across the street, as discretely as possible given that it’s a honking yellow Hummer:
I’m on the record as not being a big fan of all the changes, but oh well.
SocketSite has more info about Divis and Curbed SF has all the history, as you’d expect.
Brand new median trees and old-school streetlamps for as far as the eye can see:
These days, it’s Mojo a gogo. A fixie bike mounted outdoors as art:
Welcome to the New Divisidero.
*Wearing the same drip-dry suit he was wearing at the recent opening of the Hamilton Recreation Center and Pool.
All the deets, after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 19th avenue, 2009, 2010, 24th street, 639, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, architecture, ARRA, Balboa Street, Berenio Lumber, bicycle, bike, Bison Innovative Products, board of supervisors, bulb out, cafe, cafe mojo, cars, ceremony, Cesar Chavez, cycklists, cyclists, debut, department of public works, director, district 5, district five, divisadero, Divisadero Great Streets Project, Divisadero Streetscape Improvement Project, dpw, Ed Reiskin, Feeney, Flora Grubb Nurseries, gavin newsom, geary, great streets, grove, hayes, hummer, Improvement, inc, kick off, kickoff, lamps, Leland Avenue, lights, Lower Polk Street, management, median, mojo, Mojo Bicycle Cafe, Muni, OEWD, Office of Economic and Workforce, park, parking, parklet, PAVEMENT TO PARKS, paving, program, project, refuge, repaved, repaving, Rg, RG-Architecture, ross mirkarimi, San Bruno Avenue, San Francisco, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, sewer, SFMTA, SFPUC, sidewalks, space, stimulus, street, streetlamps, streetlights, streetscape, Studio Upwell, Supervisor, synergy, Synergy Contractors, synergy project management, TLC, traffic, Transportation for Livable Communities, trees, valencia, van ness, Waller, wide, widen, widening
Posted in streets | 3 Comments »
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
At this point, you might consider three-term City Attorney Dennis J. Herrera the solid front-runner in the race to become mayor in 2011. He sure seemed to have a lot of well-wishers today, anyway, in City Hall, where hundreds were on hand to see him get sworn in by California Assemblyman ad Speaker-Elect John A. Pérez.
But eight-year-old Declan Herrera stole the show with his reading of New Year’s wishes in English and Mandarin Chinese:
It was standing room only in the North Light Court of City Hall this afternoon:
Congratulations to Dennis Jose Herrera!
City Attorney’s Swearing-in Ceremony
WHEN:
TODAY, Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.
WHERE:
City Hall’s North Light Court
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco
WHO:
* City Attorney Dennis Herrera and family
* California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer
* California Assemblymember John A. Pérez
* Elected officials and community leaders
Tags: 2010, 2011, 7, attorney, ceremony, chinese, City Hall, civic center, declan, dennis herrera, dennis j herrera, dennis jose, herrera, in, january, mandarin, Mayor, oath, office, swearing, sworn, term, third
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Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Our highly-rated Asian Art Museum on Larkin Street in Civic Center will welcome all to its 24th Annual Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony tomorrow, December 31st 2009
All the deets are below. Show up early (or better yet, become a member and show up earlier still) and maybe you and the fam will get a chance to ring the big bell yourself, thereby striking a blow against one of the 108 earthly desires.
This is how it’ll look:
(And then, on January 9th, it’ll be rice pounding time at the Mochisuki Mochi Pounding Ceremony.)
See you there!
24th Annual Japanese New Year
Bell Ringing Ceremony
A unique, fun, and family friendly way to ring in the new year!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
FREE with museum admission
Children 12 and under always admitted free!
9:30–11:00 am: Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
10:00 am–2:00 pm: Art Activities
11:00 am: Bell Ringing Ceremony
Say goodbye to 2009 with family and friends…by taking a swing at a giant temple bell!
Bring your loved ones to the Asian Art Museum and literally “ring in” the New Year, Japanese-style.
Everyone is invited to participate in the auspicious Japanese tradition of striking a temple bell. This popular event offers the community a memorable opportunity to reflect peacefully upon the passing year.
As in past observances, a 2100-lb., sixteenth-century Japanese bronze bell originally from a temple in Tajima Province in Japan and now part of the museum’s permanent collection will be struck 108 times with a large custom-hewn log. According to Japanese custom, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 bonno (mortal desires) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind.
It is hoped that with each reverberation the bad experiences, wrong deeds, and ill luck of the past year will be wiped away. Thus, tolling heralds the start of a joyous, fresh New Year.
There will be a short performance of Japanese folk songs preceding the ceremony. Then, Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi will conduct a blessing and begin the bell ringing. Akiba Roshi is director of the Soto Zen Buddhism North American office. He is also Zen teacher at Oakland’s Kojin-an Zendo.
Hands-on art activities are offered in the education studios to entertain families while waiting for their turn at the bell. Guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the special exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma.
Tickets
Numbered tickets to ring the bell are assigned to visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis in South Court beginning at 10:00 am, when the museum opens to the public. No advance reservations are accepted. 108 groups of four to six people will be assembled to strike the bell.
Bell Ringing for Asian Art Museum Members
Asian Art Museum members are invited to a special members-only bell-ringing ceremony at 9:30 am. Doors open at 9:00 am. Numbered tickets distributed at the Membership Desk. RSVP: members@asianart.org
Tags: asian art museum, bell, bell ringing, ceremony, civic center, day, eve, Family, japan, Japanese, kids, larkin, mochi, Mochisuki, new year, new year's, Ōmisoka, oomisoka, pound, Pounding, ring, Ringing
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Here’s the scene on freshly-paved Scott Street this afternoon. The greening of the “bike box” red light waiting area on Scott Street near Oak at the terminus of the famous Wiggle Bike Route has begun. At long last, it has begun.
For now, anyway. The partial lifting of the Bicycle Plan injunction isn’t a 100% thing, but the City is moving ahead anyway.
Supervisors Bevan Dufty and Ross Mirkarimi, MTA chief Nat Ford, and Mayor Gavin Newsom all got in on the fun. Click to expand:
As Our Mayor’s extended paint roller got closer to the throng of reporters Supervisor Dufty was all, ”Watch out media, Gavin’s coming your way!” And here’s the reaction – a that’s-right-laugh-it-up-funnyboy smirk and then a quick departure:
Gavin’s ill humor wasn’t helped later on when Emmy Award-winning CBS5 political editor Hank Plante started asking about Geo Fanelli wanting his recent $500 donation back. Akit’s suggestion about suing in small claims court is interesting, non? I mean, you can’t give everybody their money back, right? (After your campaign buys a copy of PhotoShop, you don’t get much change back from a $500 banknote.) However, Geo has a pretty sympathetic case to make. Mmmm.
Anyway, in all the excitement, Bevan started painted bike helmets green, making mementos to allow us to remember this Special Day. (Bro was on today with all his Ammiano-like bons mots.)
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition leader Leah Shahum and Nat Ford were all smiles today:
Supervisor Mirkarimi looked dashing on his Trek Ride+ electric-assist bike. It’s just like Board President David Chiu’s. Said one wag, “Ross, you have the right equipment.” The loud reply, from someone famous: “That’s what she said!”
All in all, it was quite a celebration.
But this isn’t all for today. San Francisco’s first protected bike lane is now on Market Street, as of this AM.
Tags: 30, alamo square, alamo square neighborhood association, bevan dufty, bicycle, bicycle coalition, bike, bikes, cancelled, ceremony, chief, cyclist, cyclists, EaPA, East of Panhandle Area, fell, gavin newsom, green, green paint, india, injunction, Judge, lane, leah shahum, Mayor, media, mta, Muni, nat ford, NOPA, oak, paint, path, photo op, photo opportunity, plan, postponed, protected, ross mirkarimi, route, San Francisco, scott, scott street, sfbc, SFMTA, street, transit, wiggle
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Saturday, November 28th, 2009
Tags: 17th, 2009, 31st, assasination, black friday, california, candle light, castro, ceremony, district, Gay, george moscone, Harvey Milk, Harvey Milk Club, lit, mandelman, march, market, Mayor, murder, murdered, plaza, president, rafael, San Francisco, street, vigil
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Friday, November 27th, 2009
There will be a ceremony and candlelight march to honor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone tonight at the intersection of 17th Street and Market. See the Harvey Milk Club’s website for the latest.
From club president Rafael Mandelman:
“Hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving. Just wanted to remind you that today is the 31st anniversary of the assassinations of Harvey Milk and George Moscone. Please join us tonight at 6 PM at the Castro Muni Stop for a ceremony to commemorate their lives and legacies, followed by a candlelit march.”
It’ll be ‘neath the largest gay pride flag in the world, right here:
Click to expand
See you there.
Tags: 17th, 31st, assasination, black friday, california, candle light, castro, ceremony, district, Gay, george moscone, Harvey Milk, Harvey Milk Club, lit, mandelman, march, market, Mayor, murder, murdered, plaza, president, rafael, San Francisco, street, vigivl
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Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Last Friday’s Winter Carnival and Lighting Ceremony at the Financial District’s Embarcadero Center certainly was well-attended – maybe it was all the free garage parking. There were so many kids around, it made San Francisco look like a regular town instead of haven for cranky empty-nester NIMBYs.
Anywho, Mayor Gavin Newsom was there with the swells, getting “back into the swing of things,” apparently. Per Willie Brown:
“He looked very relaxed and was having his picture taken with everyone. He said he was back in the swing of things and really looking forward to tackling the city’s $500 million budget deficit. This time, he said, he would be free to do what needed to be done because he won’t be beholden to anyone. It ought to be interesting. He also asked if The Chronicle had gone after me the way the paper has gone after him recently.”
Meanwhile, back on Earth, people enjoyed the ice skating:
Click to expand
(My submission to produce Soul on Ice on Ice at this rink was rejected once again this year. Oh well.)
The mise-en-scene, with the swells in the background and the norms in the foreground:
And this is how it should be looking these days from Treasure Island:
Have a Merry Holiday Shopping Season!
Tags: ceremony, christmas, Disney, Embarcadero, financial, gavin newsom, holiday, ICE, lighting, Mayor, parking, San Francisco, skating, union square, willie brown
Posted in Uncategorized, events, government, shopping | Comments Off
Friday, November 20th, 2009
He’s back, baby! San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom is back in town, both physically and mentally. So, he’ll (OMG, is Gavin channelling giddy, laughing Tom Cruise?) once again have to deal with the so-called “delusional” media, but that won’t stop him from continuing to Take It Directly to the People, GWB-style. As here, with last night’s lighting ceremony for the Market Street Snowflakes.
Our mayor with the Snowflake Girls near the Powell Street Cable Car Turnaround at the dramatic Moment of Lighting. Dixitque Gavin fiat lux, et facta est lux:
Click to expand
But let’s start earlier on in the evening. This was Market Street a little before the ceremony. It’s the darkest I’ve ever seen it, cause they turned off all the LED snowflakes (which have been burning the midnight oil quite a bit recently, as they were last summer, when they were being installed and tested) plus the streetlamps of the “Path of Gold” too.
Even a Toyota Prius driver would turn on the headlights with on a street this dark:
The streetlights and snowflakes are wired in together? That would make sense:
Anywho, back to the ceremony, apres-lux - can you see all them signs? Show Your Zip is the new “locals only” holiday shopping program. (It would appear that the San Francisco Ballet (nice new video they have on the homepage now) would have this program’s best discounts.) Scott Beale’s Laughing Squid is celebrating its 14th Anniversary as a local business with the help of famous Frank Chu. And The Jesus Loves You Guy was on the scene as well. Natch:
The mise-en-scene last night. Aside from almost always appearing bored while waiting for others to finish speaking (looking left, looking right, looking left, looking up….), Gavin Newsom always handles these kinds of public events very well, as you would expect a charismatic leader to do:
The Least-Yellowest Teeth in all Christendom. In fact, nowadays, they’re so white that they’re on the blue side, as if flourescent. Amazing:
President of the Board of Supervisors David Chiu, taking time out of his interview with KGO-TV’s Lilian Kim to greet Frank Chu in front of The Gap, which is doing better these days, don’t you know.
And this is how I left it, with the lights on ’til January 2010:
Enjoy.
Tags: 19, 19th, 2009, 7, ABC, association, bay area, black friday, board of supervisors, cable car, ceremony, christmas, county, David Chiu, delusional, discount, electricity, frank chu, gavin newsom, girls, holiday, jesus loves you, jesus loves you guy, kgo, led, light, lighting, lilian kim, locals, market, Mayor, media, Merchants, November, president, San Francisco, shopping, show your zip, sign, snowflake, snowflakes, street, streetlamps, streetlights, turnaround, TV, union square
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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Remember back in the day, back in the 90’s, when you could attend a University of California law school and pay for the three years’ tuition by working part-time as a law clerk for a couple semesters in the Financial? Well, part of that job entailed moving your yuppie supervisor’s yuppie Saab convertible out of and then right back into the garages at Embarcadero Center once or twice a day. Why? Cause of the sweet validation deal EC had where buying one cup of coffee for 25 cents (remember, it was the 90’s) at the 2 Embarcadero McDonalds (no longer there) would let you park for free for three hours. And sometimes, she’d even give you a quarter to pay for her coffee. Those were the days.
Well, they’re back baby. Sort of. Starting November 20th, 2009, you can park for free after 5:00 PM at the EC for four hours with validation and for free on the weekends. Of course you can park on the street during some of those hours but sometimes those free spaces can be hard to find, especially during the holidays.
Anyway, the validation program starts the same day as the Winter Carnival and Lighting Ceremony – and on that day only, the free garage parking starts at 4:00 PM. Deets below.
The lighted buildings of the EC in the back, 505 Monty up front – from a few years back. Click to expand:
The scariest “craigslist etc” job imaginable – replacing light bulbs high atop the former Equinox revolving restaurantat 5 Embarcadero Center, aka Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. Click to expand:
One down, 17,000 to go…
All the deets:
“We ain’t got snow, but we got lights…17,000 of them!
The ceremony takes place at the Holiday Ice Rink in Embarcadero Center, beginning at 6PM. This year’s theme is “Disney on Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy”. The event will include performances by local musicians and a spectacular fireworks finale over the skyline.
A Winter Carnival precedes the Ice Show and Building Lighting, featuring fun activities for the kids – carnival games, interactive arts and crafts making booths, face painters, balloon twisters, musical performances and more – from 4 to 6PM.
Needless to say, the highlight of the evening is the initial lighting of Embarcadero Center’s dramatic office towers which illuminate San Francisco’s skyline with 17,000 lights throughout the holiday season.
There will be four hours of free parking at Embarcadero Center from 4PM.
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Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy Kicks off the Holidays with Embarcadero Center!
Experience four magical worlds in one ice spectacular when Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy comes to the Bay Area! Enter the wondrous world of Pixie Hollow to meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, speed through Radiator Springs with Lightning McQueen, Mater and the crew, and relive classic Disney favorites The Lion King and The Little Mermaid.From wheels to waves, Pride Lands to pixie dust, Worlds of Fantasy offers excitement for everyone! Stop by Embarcadero Center’s 2009 Building Lighting Ceremony to get a sneak preview of this one-of-a-kind production prior to its stint in the Bay Area, February 24-March 7.
As San Francisco’s “Official Kick Off to the Holiday Season”, as declared by Mayoral Proclamation in 2002, Embarcadero Center is brightening the holidays this year on Friday, November 20th, with the Building Lighting Ceremony that we are so famous for. The Ceremony takes place at the Holiday Ice Rink in Embarcadero Center Presented by Hawaiian Airlines and will begin at 6:00 P.M. In addition to the ultimate mega mix of skating, dancing and the songs you love from Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy, the event will include performances by local musicians brought to you by KDFC and a spectacular pyrotechnic show finale which will dazzle the City’s skyline. All this exhilarating entertainment has been designed to complement the highlight of the evening, the initial lighting of Embarcadero Center’s dramatic office towers which illuminate San Francisco’s skyline with 17,000 lights throughout the holiday season.
Preceding the Ice Show and Building Lighting is the Winter Carnival; a perfect event to share with the family. It will feature a host of fun activities for the kids such as carnival games, interactive arts and crafts booths, card making, balloon twisters, musical performances and more! Come and visit with Santa to give him your holiday wish list!
For those wanting to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, Embarcadero Center retailers will offer holiday gift ideas and special discounts you will not want to miss, with four (4) hours of free parking from 4:00 PM.
Make it a date! Meet family and friends at Embarcadero Center for an evening of fun, entertainment, shopping and great food!
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Delighting families, couples and ice skating enthusiasts for over twenty years, the Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center presented by Hawaiian Airlines, the largest outdoor rink, will open to the public for nine magical fun-filled weeks beginning November 11 through January 3, 2010
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Boston Properties has made it easier to shop at Embarcadero Center this holiday season … Starting November 20th, shop and dine at any Embarcadero Center store or restaurant and we will give you free parking!
Share the excitement of the holiday season and explore the shops, skate at the Ice Rink and top off the day with free parking – all at Embarcadero Center! Our merchants will have stickers on hand to distribute to customers who shop at the Center.
Remember, holiday parking starts November 20th and continues through the end of day December 24 for all those last minute shoppers. Hours of validation are 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and four hours free on weekends. On Friday, November 20, validation will begin at 4:00 p.m. for those who attend the Winter Carnival and Building Lighting Ceremony.
Tags: Carnival, center, ceremony, craigslist, craigslist etc, Disney On Ice, Embarcadero, Embarcadero Center, etc, holidays, job, law school, lighting, Lighting Ceremony, university of california, validation, winter, Winter Carnival, Worlds of Fantasy
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Thursday, March 19th, 2009
There was a jubilant mood this morning at the California Academy of Sciences‘ Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) award ceremony this morn. Why’s that? Platinum, baby - that’s LEED’s highest possible rating. We knew about this last year - it’s never too late to celebrate, of course. But “Can Green Design be Good Design?” Hell yes, says the New Republic:
“Renzo Piano’s sublime California Academy of Sciences (CAS), one of last year’s most widely praised buildings and the winner of a platinum rating from the Leadership in Energy and Design standard system—the highest rating from the world’s leading eco-rating program. Piano is also, by the way, among the starriest of the starchitects.”
O.K. then. This morning’s mise-en-scene, the four-story rainforest dome to the left and the tower of the de Young Museum far off across the Music Concourse. Click to expand.
Jared Blumenfeld (not “Blumenthal“), Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment and interim General Manger of Recreation and Parks, explained the difficulty of attaining LEED Platinum status for those building large museums:
Mayor Gavin Newsom, don’t miss his bit today in the HuffPo: “Greening Buildings to Save Jobs“, pointing up to the famous Living Roof:
After Mayor Newsom briefly spoke of his grandfather, Arthur L. Menzies, former Supervisor of Plant Accessions at nearby Strybing Arboretum (aka San Francisco Botanical Garden), things got a little feisty. He emphatically stated that the CAS is the “envy of New York City.” O.K. then.
Comes now, Dr. Greg Farrington, Director of the Cal Academy:
He discussed a recent visit to Central Park, or as he called it, “Golden Gate Park East” and made reference to the American Museum of Natural History, which he envies for its subway access. (Dr. Farrington is actually “lusting after” the concept of a subway going to the CAS. Maybe someday…)
Dr. F went on to extol the Thursday evening nightLife program, which is targetted for those aged 21-35. He stated that Nightlife has won over fans on Facebook – for example, someone whose initial reaction was “how geeky can you get?” is now a huge fan.
He warned the audience members to be careful what they toss into the garbage at CAS. He jokingly suggested that former employees “now work at the de Young” after having gotten the boot for trash transgressions.
But he’s a big picture kind of guy, pointing out that CAS is attempting to answer two questions:
1. How did we get here?
2. How do we find a way to stay?
Fair enough.
We went from this, Renzo Piano’s original vision seven years ago…
…to this, the LEED platinum award (sadly comprised mostly of silicon and oxygen), one of just 119 in the world:
Look for it on display the next time you visit the CA Academy of Sciences.
See you there!
More deets after the jump. (more…)
Tags: academy, academy of science, academy of sciences, arboretum, architect, award, blumenfeld, building, calfiornia academy of science, california, California Academy of Sciences, central park, ceremony, council, counsel, de Young, dr., farrington, gavin newsom, gold, golden gate park, green, green building, greenest, greg, jared, leadership, Leadership in Energy and Design, LEED, Mayor, museum, music concourse, new york, nyc, phd, piano, platinum, renzo, rivalry, San Francisco, science, sciences, SF, silver, strybing, United States, world
Posted in architecture, environment | 1 Comment »
