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Presidio Trust Public Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, May 22

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PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE

Presidio Trust Public Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, May 22, 6 pm to 8 pm

WHAT                  This is an opportunity to learn park updates and offer public comments on matters within the jurisdiction of the Presidio Trust.

WHEN                 Thursday, May 22, 6 pm to 8 pm

WHERE              Golden Gate Club, 135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA 94129

REGISTRATION

This is an in-person meeting with no virtual option. No registration is required.

MEETING AGENDA     

  • Presidio Forward Update
  • Wildfire Risk Mitigation
  • Preview of Summer Events
  • Updates from the National Park Service and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
  • Public Comment on Matters Under the Jurisdiction of the Presidio Trust (2 minutes per person)

INFORMATION              
ThePresidio Trust board hosts public meetings two times a year. See this webpage for information on the Presidio Trust Board of Directors, including minutes from past meetings. View the calendar listing here. If you have questions or need sign language interpretation, please reach out to presidio@presidiotrust.gov.

About the Presidio Trust and Board of Directors
The Presidio is one of America’s most visited national park sites, located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is the ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone. Spanning 1,500 acres next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Presidio is among the most biologically diverse parks in America. It became a military post under three flags, and subsequently a national park site in 1994. Today, its facilities have been reinvented as museums, restaurants, hotels, homes, and offices. The Presidio Trust is the federal agency that stewards the Presidio, in partnership with the National Park Service and with support from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The Trust sustains the Presidio by leasing homes and workplaces and offering visitor amenities. Learn more at presidio.gov and @presidiosf.

ThePresidio Trust is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Six members are appointed by the President of the United States. The seventh is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior or her designee. Board terms are four years and may be renewed once.

Media Contact: 
Lisa Petrie, Presidio Trust
M (415) 264-7787;  lpetrie@presidiotrust.gov

Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival Announces Director and Casts

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Media Contact:
David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival Announces Director and Casts

www.psypf.org

Winning Plays to Be Performed June 8 at Palm Springs Cultural Center

20 May 2025 – Palm Springs, CA: “Casting is everything,” said legendary director Martin Scorsese. “If you get the right people, they make you look good as a director.”  That philosophy is on full display at this year’s Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival, where two outstanding student-written plays will be brought to life by an all-star lineup of actors and directors from stage and screen. From Tony Award-winner Gregory Jbara (Blue Bloods, Billy Elliot) to fan-favorites David Lambert (The Fosters) and Laura Marano (Austin & Ally), this year’s casts are a masterclass in bringing fresh stories to vibrant life.

“The selected plays reflect remarkable talent and originality,” said Festival Founder and Executive Director David Youse. “It’s thrilling to see these young voices lifted by such an extraordinary group of artists. It’s going to be a wonderful afternoon.”

This year’s festival features two award-winning plays written by local high school students: The Kellogg Murders by Peyton Taylor of Valley View High School and Seven by Kayla McCarty of Ramona High School. Both plays will be presented as staged readings at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on Sunday, June 8 at 12pm. Tickets are $10 general admission, with free admission for students. Ticket link

The Kellogg Murders
Written by Peyton Taylor | Directed by Desiree Clarke Miller

A dark comedy where Corn Flakes and Wheaties—jealous cereal mascots—embark on a revenge-fueled spree against their sugary competitors. With a satirical edge and outrageous characters, the play skewers nostalgia and brand culture with wit and flair.

Cast:

  • Raul Valenzuela – Kellogg Corn Flakes
  • Lou DiMaggio – General Mills Wheaties
  • Noah Bentley – Tony the Tiger (Frosted Flakes)
  • Cullen McCarthy – Toucan Sam (Froot Loops)
  • Michael Shaw – Lucky the Leprechaun (Lucky Charms)
  • Daniel DiMaggio – Count Chocula
  • Chuma Gault – Bad Apple & CinnaMon (Apple Jacks)

Creative Team:

  • Playwright: Peyton Taylor
  • Director: Desiree Clarke Miller

SevenWritten by Kayla McCarty | Directed by Craig Wells

Set in purgatory, seven souls must confront the sins that define them. With only one destined for grace, this powerful drama navigates themes of redemption, judgment, and human nature.

Cast:

  • John Corr – Envy
  • Chuck Yates – Gluttony
  • Keith Hoffman – Greed
  • Laura Marano – Lust
  • Anne Etue – Pride
  • Lizzie Schmelling – Sloth
  • David Lambert – Wrath
  • Gregory Jbara – Judgement

Creative Team:

  • Playwright: Kayla McCarty
  • Director: Craig Wells

As usual, the “dynamic duo” of David Youse and Jack Kenny are keeping the Festival on track.

Youse is a veteran actor and producer whose extensive TV credits include Chicago Hope, The Young and the Restless, Criminal Minds, and Torchwood. Through his company Four Things Productions, Youse has raised significant funds for nonprofit organizations with high-profile staged readings such as The Normal Heart (directed by Joel Grey) and Steel Magnolias (directed by Judith Ivey).

Kenny, returning this year as a mentor, is the creator of The Book of Daniel and Titus, and was showrunner of Warehouse 13. He has written for Jessica Jones, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and starred on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof. A Juilliard-trained actor, Kenny bridges television, theatre, and education.

The festival will be co-hosted by three past winners: Abigail Alldredge, Anthony Banuelos, and Erik Evans, continuing the festival’s tradition of fostering alumni engagement and mentorship.

The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival is dedicated to promoting creative writing in the theatrical form among elementary, middle, and high school students in Riverside County, CA. By offering mentorship, scholarships, and the opportunity for public staged readings, PSYPF invests in the next generation of storytellers, ensuring that diverse and fresh perspectives continue to enrich the world of theatre. For more information, submissions, and tickets, visit: www.psypf.org

The 2025 Premier Sponsor of PSYPF is The Cherry Lane Alternative. Leading sponsors include:

  • Rowan Kimpton Hotel, Palm Springs – Peggy Trott, General Manager
  • The Palm Springs Cultural Center
  • City of Palm Springs
  • The Riverside County Office of Education
  • Paul Reid and Tom Hartnett
  • Scott Poland and Eddie Nestlebush
  • Jason Smith and Tom Valach



The 2025 Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival takes place Sunday, June 8, at 12:00 PM at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (2300 East Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, CA 92262). Tickets are $10 for general admission. Students admitted free. Tickets available at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/6581051 

Instagram: @PSYPF

18 May 2025: Bay to Breakers Winners

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18 May 2025: Bay to Breakers Winners

Oscar Medina
age 32 from San Francisco 
Time 37.08

Julia Vasquez
age 29 from San Francisco 
Time 42.27

Cal Calamia 
age 28 from San Francisco 
time 43:21

——————- 

Top three men: 

Oscar Medina 
age 32 from San Francisco 
time 37:08

Christopher Oley 
age 29 from San Francisco 
time 37:19 

Connor Clark 
age 30 from San Francisco 

time 37:28

————

Top three women: 

Julia Vasquez Giguere 
age 29 from San Francisco 
time 42:27 

Maya Weigel 
age 29 from Los Altos 
time 42:49 

Bridget Blum 
age 30 from San Francisco 
time 43:37

———-

Non Binary Winners:

Cal Calamia 
age 28 from San Francisco 
time 43:21

JL Odom 
age 46 from San Francisco 
time 49:02 

Ben Wilson 
age 38 San Francisco 
time 51:55

Oscar Medina
(Photo by Andres Acosta/ DP&A)
Julia Vasquez Giguere 
(Photo by Andres Acosta / DP&A)
Cal Calamia.
(Courtesy Cal Calamia)

Plato’s Circle of Government 

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Plato’s Circle of Government 

Plato’s “circle of government” or cycle of regimes is a political theory he presents in The Republic and further elaborates in The Statesman and The Laws. It describes a cyclical degeneration of governments from best to worst. Plato believed that governments—and the souls of individuals—tend to decline over time. Here’s his sequence:

1. Aristocracy (Rule by the best)

• Ideal regime, led by philosopher-kings guided by wisdom and reason.

• Just, orderly, and rational society.

But aristocracy eventually decays because the rulers fail to maintain purity in education or heredity.

2. Timocracy (Rule by the honorable/military)

• A warrior class takes over; they value honor and ambition over wisdom.

• This form resembles Spartan government.

Timocracy declines as rulers become obsessed with power and wealth.

3. Oligarchy (Rule by the few wealthy)

• Power shifts to the rich, who rule for their own benefit.

• The poor are excluded, creating class conflict.

Oligarchy leads to corruption and vast inequality.

4. Democracy (Rule by the people)

• Masses overthrow the oligarchs, establishing freedom and equality.

• Everyone can rule; excessive freedom becomes chaotic.

Plato criticizes democracy for leading to disorder and a lack of discipline.

5. Tyranny (Rule by one despot)

• From the chaos of democracy, a charismatic leader arises.

• Promises order but becomes a tyrant who rules by fear and violence.

This is the worst regime, where reason is entirely absent.

⸻

Cycle Summary (best to worst):

Aristocracy → Timocracy → Oligarchy → Democracy → Tyranny

Plato believed that without philosophical wisdom, societies inevitably fall into this decline. His solution was rule by philosopher-kings—those who love truth and justice.