UPCOMING EVENTS

Sat Feb 7, 10am-12pm:  Membership Drive - Envelope Stuffing Party, at Zephyr Realty, 215 West Portal Ave. Please help us by stuffing envelopes as part of our annual membership drive. The letters talk about our work in 2014, including playground renovation, traffic & safety and West Portal Ave improvements. We'll have food and drinks, and kids can run the folding machine.

West Portal, San Francisco

The West Portal neighborhood includes over 2,200 homes and a thriving three-block commercial district with a first-run movie theater, retail shops, services and top restaurants. The Greater West Portal Neighborhood Association (GWPNA) has represented West Portal since 1974 and led and assisted with many neighborhood improvements. We welcome new members who are interested in the vibrant community life in the "Western Heart" of San Francisco.

Join us by clicking on the Membership link (to the left).

Upcoming Meetings

GWPNA meetings are open to all members and to the public, and are held on the first Wednesday of the Month (though there are no meetings during July and August).
 
   Where: 131 Lenox Way, 
West Portal Playground Clubhouse, San Francisco [Map]
 When:  6:30pm - 8:30pm
Next Meeting:
Wed, Mar 4, 2015

Wed, Apr 1, 2015
Wed, May 6, 2015
Wed, June 10, 2015


Wed, Feb 4, 2015, 6:30pm-8:30pm: February meeting, 131 Lenox Way (West Portal Playground Clubhouse)
- Twin Peaks Tunnel Trackway Improvements, presentation by Cristina Padilla and Kelley McCoy, SFMTA
- County Transportation Authority updates, Tilly Chang, ED of SF CTA
- Updates on senior programs in West Portal and other topics by Jen Lowe from Supervisor Yee's office

Wed, Jan 7, 2015, 6:30pm-8:30pm: January meeting, 131 Lenox Way (West Portal Playground Clubhouse).
- NERT presentation
- Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program ($3K rebate for seismic upgrades)
- Priorities for 2015
- D7 Participatory Budgeting: proposals for West Portal area
Wed, Dec 3, 2014: GWPNA Monthly Meeting and Holiday Party, 6:30pm to 8:30pm, 131 Lenox Way.
- Supervisor Scott Wiener:  restoring city responsibility and liability for street trees
- Friends of West Portal Playground:  holiday event on Sat 12/13, 10am-1pm (open to public)
- District 7 Participatory Budgeting (get up to $25K for a neighborhood improvement project you'd like to see)
- Holiday Party with pizza, snacks and sweets (kid friendly)
- Minutes from last meeting

Thursday, April 10, 7pm-9pm:  Fred Martin, Jr at BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal Avenue.
Martin discusses the debut of his much-anticipated account of the most consequential election in American history: Abraham Lincoln’s Path to Reelection in 1864: Our Greatest Victory. After the presentation, Martin will be available for Q&A and book signing. For more information please visit: http://www.bookshopwestportal.com or http://fredmartinjr.com

Saturday, February 22, 2014, 10:30am to noon:  Participatory Budget Community Meeting with Supervisor Yee.

Supervisor Norman Yee will hold a Participatory Budget Community Meeting this Saturday, February 22, 10:30am to noon at West Portal Playground Clubhouse, 139 Lenox Way.  Neighborhood groups and community members can suggest project ideas for $350,000 that has been set aside for pedestrian safety and quality-of-life improvements.  Fore more information, contact Matthias.Mormino@sfgov.org.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014:  GWPNA Monthly Meeting, 6:30pm-8:30pm, 139 Lenox Way.  Agenda will include:

- Daniel Homsey from the San Francisco Neighborhood Empowerment Network (http://empowersf.org/) will speak about organizing our community for disaster preparedness both within Greater West Portal and working together with adjacent neighborhoods.  It's an important topic since residents of all ages ought to know what resources we have (local doctors, emergency service professionals, able-bodied youth), where to go (clubhouse, library, or fire station?), as well as who would need the most help whether kids, seniors, or people who need language assistance.

- Supervisor Scott Wiener and a representative from the Coalition for An Affordable City will present both sides on the proposed sugary beverage tax that you've probably heard of by now.  GWPNA member Joel Engardio's column in today's SF Examiner is a debate between Supervisor Wiener and he that offers a quick rundown of the key points both ways.  http://www.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/sf-soda-tax-debate-with-supervisor-scott-wiener/Content?oid=2692711

Time permitting, we're also hoping to review the latest developments on trees in Mt. Sutro and Mt. Davidson (please feel free to add links to recent articles on both sides for members to review in advance).

Wednesday, December 4, 2013:  GWPNA Monthly Meeting & Holiday Party, 6:30pm-8:30pm, 139 Lenox Way.  Key highlights:  Presentation from Olivia Scanlon, Supervisor Yee's office; Drew Sechrist, Koozoo (networked security cams for crime and safety); Ben and Anne (prospective traditional French bakery on WP Ave); Howard Strassner (proposal for raising height limits on WP Ave to accommodate new senior housing); Friends of WP Playground (plans for passing around survey and seeking community for playground improvements); Economic Development Committee (proposal seeking $20K grant from Invest In Neighborhoods for improving signage and awnings on WP Ave).

Wednesday, November 6, 2013:  GWPNA Monthly Meeting, 7pm, 139 Lenox Way.  Guest speakers will include Supervisor Katy Tang, representatives from DPW and MTA on the Curb Ramp Program in West Portal, and Jorge Rivas from Invest In Neighborhoods on an RFP opportunity for seeking economic grants for West Portal Ave.  The West Portal Playground Committee will also discuss plans for renovating the playground and hosting events to bring neighbors together and share ideas.

Thursday, October 31, 2013:  Halloween Trick or Treating in West Portal!  GWPNA is happy to be contributing funds for permits and closure of Wawona Street so that residents can continue their long tradition of providing a wonderful Halloween evening.  Please drop off candy donations at Zephyr Real Estate, 215 West Portal Ave, between now and October 30 to help Wawona St. residents who will eagerly receive the largest volume of trick or treaters.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013:  San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year Oct. 16 at 6pm at the St. Francisco Yacht Club.  A special invitation from Fred J. Martin, Jr.:  "In October, we will acknowledge the program, 'Celebrating A Decade of Behavioral Health Court.' During this special evening event we will recognize the accomplishments of the program; raise awareness about the reality of mental health issues in our community; and identify future goals for the broad based collaboration that created the program.  As an outcome of this event, we hope to launch a citywide initiative to provide guidance to decision makers about important developments at the intersection of mental health and law.  The San Francisco Leadership Forum on Law and Mental Health will focus attention on three areas:  educating the community about mental health and legal involvement; maximizing resources through the use of evidence based treatment modalities; and, restoring dignity through appropriate care and treatment.  As a vice chair of the committee, I call this event to your attention and invite your participation."  

For a recent op-ed piece by Fred:  http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/S-F-court-offers-path-to-treatment-instead-of-4828381.php

Wednesday, October 7, 2013:  Town Hall with State Senator Leno and Supervisors Yee and Wiener, 6:30pm-9:00pm at the West Portal Playground Clubhouse, 139 Lenox Way.  Free and open to all.  Co-hosted by the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, Golden Gate Heights Neighborhood Association, GWPNA, Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, Sunset Community Democratic Club, and the Sunset Heights Association of Responsible People (SHARP).

Wednesday, October 2, 2013:  Monthly Meeting, 7-9pm, West Portal Playground Clubhouse.  GWPNA's October meeting will include a Community Meeting with Supervisor Norman Yee covering various topics including the West Portal Playground (shared dog use modification and ideas for funding improvements), progress in bringing back a beat cop to West Portal, and a proposal for hanging flower baskets for West Portal Ave.  Even if you can't come for the full meeting, please join us for the 7:00-7:30pm Meet & Greet time if you just want to meet some neighbors and say hello.

Thursday August 12th, 2013: The Lakeshore Acres Improvement Club will host a Sloat Blvd. traffic safety forum at the Scottish Rite Auditorium. Guests will include District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee, SFPD Capt. Curtis Lum and staff from the DPW responsible for the traffic improvements on Sloat Blvd. Read their flyer here.

August 2013: Neighborhood Traffic Calming Moves Forward. On August 21st, GWPNA received confirmation that two of the three applications we submitted to the SFMTA Neighborhood Traffic Calming program were accepted into the evaluation phase for the 2014 program. The MTA will evaluate all applications between now and January 2014 and select the top 25 applications for traffic calming in 2014. Read More.
 
August 2013: Pedestrian Safety. Our applications to the MTA Neighborhood Traffic Calming programs have been submitted. Only one was accepted immediately (Vicente St. between West Portal and Madrone). Our Ulloa St. application didn't have enough signatures, but they gave us an extension until 8/14, and our application for West Portal Ave. at 14th Ave. was rejected because it's not a residential intersection. Read More.
 
July 2013: GWPNA Applies for SF MTA Neighborhood Traffic Calming Measures. See the attached proposal for traffic calming measures at three critical locations in West Portal. GWPNA continues working the work it began back in 2002 to make it safer to live and walk in the neighborhood. Application, Appendix: 2002 Study.
 
June 2013: GWPNA moves meeting date to first Wednesday of the month. Traditionally GWPNA has met on Wednesday nights, but that can conflict with SF Board of Supervisors meetings on some evenings, so starting in the Fall of 2013, the monthly GWPNA meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of the month instead.
 
October 2012: SFMTA Safe Routes to School Project. On Thursday 10/4, Nick Carr from SF MTA presented an update on the progress of the Safe Routes to School Project and the traffic and safety improvements planned for Dewey Circle and Claremont Blvd. View the slides from that meeting here.
 
June 2012: Traffic and Safety Committee DRAFT report. The GWPNA Traffic and Safety Committee is attempting to identify pedestrian safety issues in the neighborhood as part of a coordinated plan to work with SF MTA to improve safety in our area. You can read the draft report here. If you have suggestions or comments please email the committee at info@gwpna.org.