Newsletter, Recruiting, Social

2019 Fall Events

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Hey, Neighbors!
There's lots happening at EVNA this fall, and you'll want to mark these important events and dates now for maximum fun and engagement.
It's Movie Night Again!

Our 2nd annual Neighborhood Movie Night- Saturday 9/28,

6:45pm - 10:00pm, Rikki Streicher Baseball Field at the Eureka Valley Rec Center (corner of Diamond and 19th

Streets). We're showing "E.T!" a sci-fi classic that will warm your heart as you enjoy a flashback from your childhood. Bring the kids! Admission is free. Bring blankets, warm clothes, and lawn chairs. Concessions will be available.

November Public Meeting Date Rescheduled
November's public meeting is moved to Wednesday, Nov 20th at 7:00pm at the Rec Center. (The original date was going to be 11/27, the eve of Thanksgiving, but we're moving it a week ahead so you

can spend the time with family). Join us for elections, enjoy cider and donuts while we change up the meeting format to enjoy each other's company before Thanksgiving!

Changes to the ByLaws
There's a proposed amendment to the ByLaws which the board voted on this month and now brings to the September public meeting for member approval. The amendment includes discussion regarding a code of conduct by members and a process to rescind membership under certain extreme situations. You can view the proposed language by clicking this link. You'll not want to miss this meeting.
EVNA Board Elections in November
November is election month, and it's fast approaching. We have half the board up for election, and there are leadership positions open. I invite everyone who lives in the EVNA footprint over 18 to consider running. Hone your leadership skills, accomplish great things for your fellow humans, work with your neighbors to make a better community- you can achieve these laudable goals and more just by serving on the board for a two year stint! Contact Mark D McHale for more details. Get your name in before 10/31/19 to be on the ballot for November's public meeting.
Castro Welcome Packets
You've probably heard about the 2019 Welcome Packets campaign. Our association volunteers have been delivering these packets to new residents moving into the neighborhood each quarter: as a welcome and an invitation to join the EVNA... the next list we get will be in January 2020, so stay tuned. We'll schedule the assembly and delivery dates in February 2020 soon and let you know when you can help.
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Proposed ByLaw Revision

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At the September 10 EVNA Board meeting, the directors voted unanimously to approve a revision to Article III, Section 2 of the EVNA ByLaws.  Per the ByLaws, this proposed change will be presented to the Members at  our next public meeting on September 25th in the upstairs meeting room at the EV Rec Center.

The proposed revision is in RED:

Section 2. General Membership

General Membership shall be open to persons who live, work at or own a business, or own real property within the boundaries of the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association as described in Article II, Section 1 of these Bylaws. General Members shall be the only voting members of the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association. There shall be two subclasses of General Members: Individual Members and Household Members. Individual Members shall have one vote if that member is present at the meeting. Household Members shall have two votes, but only if both members are present to vote. Under no circumstance will one person have two votes. Proxy votes are not permitted, including between the two members of a Household membership.

All members must abide by the Code of Conduct of members. The Code of Conduct is a separate document hereby incorporated in full by reference. Any member who seriously or repeatedly breaches the Code of Conduct is subject to cancellation of his or her membership, without prorated refund of membership dues. Such a member who breaches the Code of Conduct shall be notified in writing by the President of the Board of Directors, citing specific breaches of the Code of Conduct and any proposed action.

Members who were previously classified as “Business Members” as of the ratification date of these amended Bylaws shall continue their membership through the end of the one-year membership period as Individual Members. After the business membership expires, the membership eligibility requirements in this section apply to those members. They may remain members in their individual or household capacity if they otherwise qualify.

 

Elections, Governance

Opinion: What is the Future of the EVNA?

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In 2019, there is no blueprint for what a neighborhood association is or should be. And I doubt someone will write the preeminent guide to this question in the next few months. So where should the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association head in 2020?

For an organization founded in 1881, it is easy to fall into old habits. There are many things the EVNA does well: our public meetings are rousing successes and enjoyed by many. We provide a forum for valuable information to be conveyed to local residents. We’ve dabbled in social events—all of which have been fun, but not all well-attended. We provide a place, in our Planning and Land Use Committee, for residents and business owners to seek approval and support of home and business improvements.

The times, they are a-changing. The population of Eureka Valley and the Castro is growing, changing, shifting. While our neighborhood is still seen internationally as the Gay Mecca, fewer gay men are moving to the Castro and our community is becoming more diverse. Our vibrant shopping corridor and access to public transportation are making the Castro more of a hot commodity than ever before. And, frankly, our membership has not grown accordingly. We enjoy a level of support from our long-time members but have struggled to engage newer residents.

My vision is simple: an organization committed to community improvement. The Castro is filled with some of the smartest, most creative, interesting people around. While we represent a wide range of opinions and ideas, finding consensus among us is usually simple. For example, everyone agrees that we need to help our homeless population out of living on the street. We all want to see the Castro and Upper Market commercial district thrive and grow. We all crave beautiful and usable green spaces. Traffic and public safety and transportation improvements benefit all of us.

This amazing group of people, the Castro community, has the ability to make all these changes. But implementing this plan takes more than just a group of smart, creative, interesting people. It requires sweat equity, passion, and commitment.

I have two simple asks:

  • Make a commitment to taking on one project in 2020 that will help our community to improve.
  • Consider taking an even larger step to join the EVNA board.

In the upcoming year, I want the EVNA to focus on fewer, but more impactful projects. What those projects are is entirely up to our community—you. Think about what change you want to see the most, and, right now, commit to it. Write a SMART goal, set a New Year’s resolution, edit your vision board. Join me, and together we can make Eureka Valley an even better place to live.

Elections, Newsletter, President's Update

President’s Update September 2019

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President's Update; September 2019

Building community has been one of EVNA’s primary goals since our founding in 1881. In the last two years, since I’ve assumed the post of president, we’ve been busy bringing people together around different interests and causes: whether its mayoral debates or movie nights, I’ve been happy to see our neighbors and members joining in the action. The Castro and Eureka Valley is (by a long shot) one of the most community focused and engaged neighborhoods in the city.

There have been plenty of activities to get engaged in over the summer and more planned for this fall. If you’ve got an interest, please reach out and help in any way you’re able, we’d love to have you.

The 2nd round of the Castro Welcome Pack has been assembled and delivered by an army of volunteers in August. We received a list of over 300 new names and addresses this past quarter of those  moving into the neighborhood, and managed to pack and distribute welcome packets to most of those. A big thank you to all the board members and volunteers who gave their time and effort, especially to Barrie Simpson, who went above and beyond in making deliveries and getting the word out about EVNA.

As a follow on to the Welcome Packet was the Neighbors Mixer- we sent postcards to those on the Welcome Packet list, as well as sent an email out to member’s inviting everyone to the mixer on August 10th at the Spark Arts Gallery on 18th Street. This is such a cool space to meet up for tasty coffee and baked goods from Spike’s Coffee on 19th, check out the current art on display, and sit around the comfy living room furniture and catch up with each other for an hour or two. I have to say this is one of my favorite spaces and definitely my favorite EVNA event. We’ll have the next mixer in November sometime.

Looking forward on the calendar is the upcoming EVNA movie night on Saturday September 28 at 7pm! Mark your calendars and tell your neighbors. This is our second annual event sponsored by Vanguard Properties on Castro Street. The board is busy finishing up the planning and details. It will be held again on the Rikki Streicher Field at the EV Rec Center, corner of Diamond and 19th Street. The movie title will be announced as soon as we have it. This will be a great family event, free to all but donations welcome.

 

And most importantly, we are gearing up for elections at our November 25th public meeting. Nearly h

alf of the current board is up for election, and new board members are welcomed and encouraged to run. If you live in the EVNA footprint, are a dues paying member, and would like to throw your hat in the ring, please email me with a headshot and a brief statement about you and your aspirations as a leader in the community. Women, persons of color, people of all persuasions, ethnicities and orientations are welcomed and supported.

Please plan to join us at our next public meeting on September 25th in the upstairs meeting room at the EV Rec Center. Meeting starts at 7pm, doors open at 6:45pm. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood.

Elections, Events, Meetings

Next General Meeting is Here!

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President’s Update: July 2019

Mark D McHale

What’s Shaking These Days in the Valley?

 

It’s summer, and school is out- and Karl is making the days chilly and windy this year! We’ve had a few of those perfect days though, you know, the ones where the breeze is warm and promising, the trees are sporting their new leaves, and the sidewalks are clear and clean… those days that remind my of why I moved here in the first place!

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our general meeting location is changed this time to the upstairs multi-purpose room at the Eureka Valley Rec Center...100 Collingwood Street on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019, doors open at 6:45pm and meeting goes till 8:30pm.

We’ve got some good stuff to cover in the meeting- Our D-8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will update us on the latest SF Budget which passed earlier this month, and includes extra funding for some issues that are very important to EVNA. You can get his latest newsletter by clicking here for a sneak peak. Find out if funds were approved for additional beds, mental illness and rehab services that have been on everyone’s list of high-priority demands this year.

As you know, we are featuring one new candidate for District Attorney each meeting. Last meeting, we heard from Lief Dautch, and this month we’ll hear from Suzy Loftus. Ms. Loftus will introduce herself and tell us a little about her career experience and her aspirations if elected to the post. 

Hats off to our board members and volunteer crew for assembling this quarter’s Castro Welcome Packets for delivery to all our new neighbors moving into the Eureka Valley since April. The crew prepped almost 400 bags, and we’ve got teams signing up to make the deliveries. If you haven’t helped yet, just know this is absolutely fun. Welcoming new folks is central to our core values as a welcoming community. Deliveries are scheduled to go on from July 20th to August 10th...when we have a party to meet everyone face to face!

 

Our second new neighbor’s mixer is coming up and also being combined with our member’s mixer- save the date! Saturday, August 10, 2019 from 10:00am to 11:30am...located again at the Spark Arts Gallery at 4229 18th Street. Join us for coffee and pastries, see a cool art exhibit, and meet some old and new friends!

Elections for the Board are Coming up in November- we’ve got a great group, and we’ve got room for more good souls to share the fun and work with us- we keep EVNA running and relevant! Of particular interest are candidates who can bring new voices to the conversation: if you’re  non-male, of any age but certainly between 21-50, and any non-white ethnicity, let’s talk. This year we’ll be focusing more on community events, and would appreciate skills in marketing, PR/Events, communications, advertising and social media.

Hope you’ll make it to the general meeting on Wednesday, July 24 starting at 7pm and going till 8:30pm. Doors open at 6:45, come early!

Eureka Valley Rec Center (100 Collingwood Street x 18th), Upstairs

In the meantime, I hope to see you around the neighborhood!

Governance, Transit

Transit and the J-Church Improvement Project

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Our Own Supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, is hard at work. He's launched the J Church Improvement Project and writes: Muni’s J Church line serves nearly 17,000 riders each weekday in Noe Valley, the Castro, the Mission, Glen Park and Mission Terrace. Our office has been working with the SFMTA to create a plan to better serve those riders, and starting in May we launched the J Church Improvement Project. The first step in the process is a Listening Tour, where the SFMTA is asking riders about their top concerns and what improvements you would like to see. The SFMTA will be putting together proposals over the summer to address these issues based on what we hear. ​​​​Check out the upcoming schedule by visiting the J Church Improvement Project page, and visiting these upcoming neighborhood meetings:

  • Mission Dolores Neighborhood Assn, 6/11, 6:30pm
  • Upper Noe Neighbors, 7/17, 7pm
  • Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association, 7/24, 7:00 pm

In addition, you can tell the SFMTA what improvements you would like to see on the J Church by emailing JChurchProject@sfmta.com.

Governance

A Small Step Forward to Help Some of Those Struggling on Our Streets

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There's a glimmer of hope from the Board of Supervisors, who struck a deal to pass SB-1045 after all.

For all the hand-ringing and political posturing it took to arrive at even this meager solution to get the absolute worst cases of mentally ill off the street and into some modicum of care, it's no surprise why we can't seem to solve this huge problem given the huge amounts of energy, money and social cohesiveness  it's been sucking from our community and city budget. This bill will purportedly apply only to 2-5 people across the entire city.

Thanks to our own D-8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Carolyn Thomas and Jared Goldfine (Ford Street Action Group), and all our neighbors who got involved, showed up at City Hall, and made their support known to our Supervisor and the Board.

Read this write up in the Chronicle for more details.

Working to Improve Life in Eureka Valley Since 1881