logo
San Francisco park-naming contest goes hilariously wrong

San Francisco park-naming contest goes hilariously wrong

Independent04-04-2025

A plan to ask the public name a park controversially created from the partial closure of a highway has backfired with suggestions including 'This is stupid. Let's not do it' and 'Really stupid park'.
Nearly 4,300 suggestions were submitted to San Francisco Recreation and Parks' 'Great Park Naming Contest' after two miles of the Great Highway was permanently closed to create a new park, KRON4 reported.
With the project receiving 54 percent support through a ballot, many have used the naming project to vent their frustration.
District 4 supervisor Joel Engardio played a major role in the 'Proposition K' public park, which will officially open on April 12.
'Many of them have told me they didn't feel heard in their objection to it being on the ballot,' Engardio said. 'I take this feedback to heart because it's important to me that everyone is heard.'
Now the citizens' frustration has spread to the list of names submitted.
Funny submissions

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

San Francisco park-naming contest goes hilariously wrong
San Francisco park-naming contest goes hilariously wrong

The Independent

time04-04-2025

  • The Independent

San Francisco park-naming contest goes hilariously wrong

A plan to ask the public name a park controversially created from the partial closure of a highway has backfired with suggestions including 'This is stupid. Let's not do it' and 'Really stupid park'. Nearly 4,300 suggestions were submitted to San Francisco Recreation and Parks' 'Great Park Naming Contest' after two miles of the Great Highway was permanently closed to create a new park, KRON4 reported. With the project receiving 54 percent support through a ballot, many have used the naming project to vent their frustration. District 4 supervisor Joel Engardio played a major role in the 'Proposition K' public park, which will officially open on April 12. 'Many of them have told me they didn't feel heard in their objection to it being on the ballot,' Engardio said. 'I take this feedback to heart because it's important to me that everyone is heard.' Now the citizens' frustration has spread to the list of names submitted. Funny submissions

Two large conglomerates pull San Francisco Pride sponsorship
Two large conglomerates pull San Francisco Pride sponsorship

The Guardian

time18-03-2025

  • The Guardian

Two large conglomerates pull San Francisco Pride sponsorship

San Francisco Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ+ celebrations in the world, has reportedly lost significant funding as major corporate sponsors – some who supported the festivities for years – have pulled out of the event. Four companies, which include Comcast and Anheuser-Busch, among others, and provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding, told the organization that they could no longer afford to offer financial support, Suzanne Ford, the executive director of San Francisco Pride, told KRON4. Ford believes the sudden departure of longterm sponsors is the result of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community. 'The backtracking on rights for the LGBTQ community certainly have to be part of any cooperation's calculus on whether they give us money so I can't pinpoint the exact reason, but, as we all know now, it's more difficult than ever to stand up and say you support rights of LGBTQ people,' Ford told KRON4. Since taking office, Donald Trump's administration has attacked LGBTQ+ people and diversity efforts with a barrage of executive orders. Trump has ordered that the US only recognize two sexes, sought to ban trans people from the military, and repealed policies promoting racial equity and protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. Major US companies from Amazon to Google have announced they will end their diversity, equity and inclusion programs. SF Pride recently announced it would end a longtime partnership with Meta after the company terminated its DEI programs shortly before Trump took office. Organizers are now seeking new funding sources for the event, including to cover greater security costs. Ford has said Pride organizers anticipate more threats this year and planned to increase security. 'I expect people are going to be emboldened and we are going to encounter more threats this year,' Ford told KGO.

Backlash as San Francisco votes to transform stretch of highway into park
Backlash as San Francisco votes to transform stretch of highway into park

The Guardian

time12-11-2024

  • The Guardian

Backlash as San Francisco votes to transform stretch of highway into park

Californians have voted to close part of a nearly century-old highway in San Francisco to cars, transforming a two-mile section into a park for pedestrians and cyclists. On election day, city residents voted to approve Proposition K, extending the ban on vehicles on a portion of the Upper Great Highway along the coastline. The measure has sparked intense debate over whether cars should have regular access to the area. Opponents argue that shutting down the highway will increase traffic congestion and impose high costs on the city, while supporters believe the closure will help mitigate coastal erosion and create a safe pedestrian space for the community. The roots of the Prop K debate trace back to the Covid-19 pandemic, when the city's board of supervisors closed the Upper Great Highway to vehicles, allowing residents to walk and bike there while social distancing to reduce virus transmission. The decision's popularity led to a pilot program in 2022 that closed the road to cars on weekends but allowed weekday access. The pilot concludes at the end of 2025. With the measure's approval, the city can now begin the process of permanently closing the section after the pilot ends. As of Monday afternoon, the vote stood at more than 54% in favor of Prop K, according to San Francisco's department of elections. The measure needs 50% or more to be approved. Critics argued that redirecting traffic from the Upper Great Highway to inland routes could add up to three minutes to commutes for drivers and create safety risks for pedestrians at intersections. 'Many of us on the west side feel unheard and overlooked,' said Vin Budhai, founder of the Open the Great Highway/No on K Campaign. 'Families, seniors and workers who rely on this road will now have to spend more time in traffic.' Jared Lozano, a resident, told CBS News Bay Area: 'I've already had a friend who's been T-boned at [a nearby] intersection,' adding: 'I was almost run over at that intersection today. This is just going to create so many safety problems for the city.' While the city has installed speed bumps in some areas to reduce speeding, opponents contend that the existing weekend-only closure was already a fair compromise for weekday commuters and recreational users. Supporters of the park conversion say it will enable public agencies to restore dunes and coastal habitats, strengthening them to withstand rising sea levels. They also argue that limiting vehicle access will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in this sensitive coastal ecosystem, making the coast safer and more accessible for people using wheelchairs, roller skates and bikes. Supporters also point to the high costs of maintaining the highway, which is closed up to 65 days per year – 18% of the time – due to sand accumulation. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Keeping the highway accessible to cars costs the city between $350,000 and $700,000 annually for sand removal, with an additional $1.5m in one-time capital costs, according to the San Francisco controller's office. Proponents argue that converting the stretch to a park could save these funds for other uses. Prop K received notable endorsements from former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, the state senator Scott Wiener, and the incumbent San Francisco mayor, London Breed. Organizations and groups including the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Parks Alliance, and Sierra Club also extended their support. Opponents included Aaron Peskin, president of the board of supervisors; Daniel Lurie, the city's newly elected mayor and Mark Farrell, former interim mayor. The city supervisor, Joel Engardio, who supported the measure, expressed on Sunday his commitment to listening to residents who voted against Prop K. 'I understand and respect the views of voters who said no to Prop K,' he said in a statement. 'I will work with residents to ensure that they have a voice in decisions about how to keep traffic moving quickly while minimizing the impacts on neighborhood streets.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store