The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), in San Francisco, could be about to take an historic step by giving a bid preference to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) contractors.

The public transport system’s board is set to vote on giving qualified LGBT contractors a five per cent bid preference on small business prime contractors on September 14, by making a change to its Small Business Programme.

BART said that LGBT businesses still face barriers in the marketplace – especially the construction industry – and hoped to welcome LGBT-owned business to be part of the effort to rebuild the system.

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BART board president Rebecca Saltzman said: “BART has established a track record of prioritising local, small, disadvantaged, and women-run businesses and this change will be a natural extension of those efforts.

“We want to do everything we can as an agency to make contracting more inclusive.”

To qualify under the proposed new policy, an LGBT contractor would have to be certified by either the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce or the California Public Utilities Commission as well as certified as a small business by California’s Department of General Services.

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Scottsdale Arts

GivingTuesday is a global celebration of generosity—a time to give, collaborate, and embrace the spirit of giving. This GivingTuesday, join Scottsdale Arts in making a difference as we aim to reach our $5,000 goal to create a significant impact on our educational programs, help to engage visual and performing artists, and expand Scottsdale’s cultural offerings. With your help, we can continue to shape a more vibrant and playful Scottsdale. I hope you’ll join us on GivingTuesday! More Information

Herberger Theater Center

Join the Herberger Theater Center on Giving Tuesday. Your support is more important than ever to help us continue our mission of engaging the community through diverse arts experiences that ignite emotion, stimulate conversation, and inspire connections with the arts. The arts can transport us to a different world, give us a new perspective on familiar issues, and help us empathize with others. Providing an inclusive experience is at the core of the Herberger Theater’s mission: giving every person access to the arts. We don’t want anyone to be excluded from the Herberger Theater community for financial or logistical reasons. That’s why our programs are designed to make live performances available at no cost or low cost to the community. Connect the Community with the Arts —With your support, the Herberger Theater will continue celebrating the diverse cultural heritage of our community, providing meaningful experiences and programs while making the arts accessible to all. More Information

www.phoenixtheatre.com

As a non-profit theatre, the commitment of donors like you has a tremendous impact on our ability to bring you the absolute highest caliber productions — from the artisans behind the scenes to the talent you see on stage. And off the stage, our community programming, like Partners that Heal and our Summer Camp, provide theatre in service to heal, train, and inspire. Together, let’s Share the Joy! More Information

FOCUSFISH, INC

FOCUSfish is proud to be in its 20th year of offering quality performing arts education to schools and communities in need in the Greater Los Angeles area. With such notable appearances with The FOCUSfish Flying Circus at The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, and continued community theatre productions in Topanga, FOCUSfish is making sure that local children of all ages are moving swimmingly through their school days, and after-school curricula. More Information

The Road Theatre Company

Support us to open The Road for our communities! Subtitle systems, railings, a new stage… Donate for the overhaul of our theatre to make the Road and our program more inclusive and accessible. Help us to reach our Giving Tuesday goal in 2023 and to raise $10,000. More Information

RimoVision Group

RimoVision Group is committed to providing a platform for emerging talents who have yet to experience the spotlight. We passionately believe in giving opportunities to aspiring artists, compensating them for their time and effort, and helping them shine on stage like never before. Diversity is at the heart of our organization. Our cast, crew, and board members come from diverse backgrounds, and we take immense pride in representing many underrepresented communities. By embracing this inclusive approach, we aim to create theatre that resonates with the richness of the world we live in. More Information

Towne Street Theatre

Celebrating 30 years of providing theatre to Los Angeles, the Towne Street Theatre, LA’s premiere African-American theatre company is the most diverse theatre company in LA! Fresh off the success of the 12th Annual Ten Minute Play Festival and our first film festival, we have a whole slate of great programming for 2024. Give $30 for Giving Tuesday and ensure this theatre makes it to another 30 years! More Information

Capital Stage

Donate to Capital Stage on Giving Tuesday to support your home for cutting-edge professional theatre in Sacramento. Visit capstage.org/play-a-part/donate More Information

Cygnet Theatre

The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center is an adaptive reuse and historic preservation project at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station that will become the future permanent home for Cygnet Theatre. With the public’s support, historic Building 178 will be reimagined as a contemporary home for Cygnet Theatre and will foster live performance, elevate the arts in San Diego and engage the broadest possible community in an unparalleled cultural experience for generations to come. In 2022, NTC Foundation and Cygnet Theatre announced their unique partnership in the renovation of historic Naval Building 178 at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, which will become The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center. The project will restore historic elements of the building, as well as integrate two state-of-the-art theatres and support spaces, among other enhancements. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center will become the first live performance venue at ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station and Cygnet Theatre’s permanent home, adding to the vibrant fabric of San Diego’s arts and culture landscape. To-date, this landmark project has received funding from the State of California, National Park Service and generous lead donors such as Joan and Irwin Jacobs for whom the center is named. The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center will rely on philanthropic community support to fulfill the remainder of funds needed to complete this project. Public Donation Opportunities: Donations can be made via: building178.org Contacting Campaign Manager Mindy DeDominicis at 619-574-0059 x 178 Mailing a check to: Building 178 c/o Cygnet Theatre 4891 Pacific Highway Ste 115 San Diego, CA 92110 Naming Opportunities Donor Wall Inclusion (min. $25K donation) More Information

Oceanside Theatre Company

An important part of OTC’s mission is to perform community outreach, inspiring and sharing the arts with our youth. Filling the gap left by the elimination of the study of the arts in local schools is critically important. To help accomplish our mission, OTC runs a four-week Summer Youth Camp and provides an after-school Youth Academy in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside to interested students and at-risk youth in Oceanside. This year, we hosted over 60 local youth in our production of Beauty and the Beast – beyond our public performances, we were able to host nearly 400 students from 6 local elementary schools for student matinees, many of whom experienced live theatre for the first time with us. Finally, OTC employs dozens of artists every year – actors, musicians, directors, designers, educators and more. With your support, we can continue to offer them fair compensation for sharing their time and talents with us. When artists are given the opportunity to work in a paid, professional environment, it allows us to hire the best local creatives and share more art experiences with our community. So please consider making a donation to support OTC today. Your gift goes a long way in bringing more arts and culture experiences to our community. And today, your gift is doubled! There is no better time to contribute to your local theatre. We appreciate your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the theatre again soon! More Information

San Francisco Symphony

Celebrate this Giving Tuesday by helping the San Francisco Symphony reach our Year-End Matching Gift campaign goal of $100,000 by December 31. The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation for the Arts will match your gift—increasing your support of our performances, free music education programs, and community outreach initiatives to share the magic of music with everyone in the San Francisco Bay Area. More Information

Theatre Rhinoceros

This Giving Tuesday, Theatre Rhinoceros is looking down a sold-out closing weekend for ‘Group Therapy’, a world premiere by Bay Area playwright Kheven LaGrone, hot off the heels of ‘Overlooked Latinas’ by local queer theatre icon Tina D’Elia and a Halloween collaboration with Palace of Trash, and also: WE GOT OUR PLUMBING FIXED! With your Giving Tuesday donation, you can: help us hire more artists, and help us pay them more! – help us stay at our new home in the Castro! – help us increase the accessibility of our performances! – and help us scout for a larger performance location in the Castro that we might move into in a few years, because our audience continues to grow! More Information

PlayGround

PlayGround is raising funds to directly support fair living wages for artists through the Monday Night PlayGround Membership. These memberships subsidize PlayGround’s commitment to free admission, and includes live and extended on-demand online access to all of the MNP performances across our 4 locations, plus guaranteed seat reservation for in-person performances, and it’s 100% tax-deductible. Help us raise $10,000 to directly support working artists this Giving Tuesday! More Information

Plethos Productions

As Plethos is fundraising for another year of local and diverse theatre productions, we are hosting our Giving Tuesday fundraiser as “pay what you can,” with all donors invited to give whatever is comfortable. Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 to support expansion in 2024 with the focus being the creation of more jobs, bringing on more staff, and expanding Plethos’ offerings. We want to support amazing people and artists so their voices can be heard across the Bay, so join us as we sing our hearts out this Giving Tuesday! More Information

Marin Theatre Company

We understand the incredible sense of responsibility owed to every artist and audience member who walks through our door and Marin Theatre Company is sustained by this drive to uplift and amplify our local artists, educators, and patrons. We are so honored to lead such an important cultural organization in Mill Valley, and we remain steadfast in our mission to bring high-caliber, innovative theatrical experiences that inspire conversation, learning, and ignite action for a more inclusive community. Now more than ever, we need our community to invest in us. The stories MTC tells on stage will continue to inspire not only the next generation of artists, but ensure the future and longevity of this cultural staple. Your generosity is crucial to keeping these programs alive and thriving. Please consider a gift today that provides year-round support for our ongoing new work development, education initiatives, and more. More Information

Young Actors’ Theatre Camp

Every year, CampYATC strives to raise $20,000 on Giving Tuesday to be able to send 20 Students to one of the Best Theatre Arts Camps in the world! We all know how important arts education is and YATC strives to give students a completely safe and supportive environment to develop and discover the artist within. YATC offers an all inclusive and non-competitive environment that will make all our campers feel, not just welcomed, but wanted! More Information

Marin Shakespeare Company

Thank you for supporting Marin Shakespeare Company, which is “Playing for Good.” Your support helps us provide a variety of award-winning Arts programming, Education classes for Youth, and Social Justice programs that provide theatre opportunities for people incarcerated and people who have survived prison. More Information

3Girls Theatre Company

3Girls Theatre develops, promotes, and presents new plays by San Francisco women+ playwrights. Our community, programming, and artist services provide playwrights with everything they need to develop and produce their scripts, nurturing women+ theatre artists ranging in age from 11-90+, and empowering BIPOC and LBTQI+ playwrights. We are kicking off our 2023-2024 Fundraising campaign with the goal to raise $40,000 to continue our mission to support and celebrate women+ playwrights! We even have an anonymous donor who will match up to $20,000! Potentially DOUBLING YOUR IMPACT on this small, but fierce organization! Donate now via GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/114285d8 More Information

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (ETC) is Santa Barbara’s sole professional Equity theater company. Producing five plays per season, it has been home to several World, American and West Coast premieres and has received recognition and accolades throughout its enduring history. Ensemble depends on gifts from the community all year long to help subsidize ticket prices, fund education outreach programs and support artistic freedom. Your tax-deductible donation makes a tremendous impact on the theater. Ticket Sales only account for only 40% of what it takes to create our productions. Your contributions are key to ensuring live theater will live on in Santa Barbara. More Information

Kingsmen Shakespeare Company

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to support the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, a non-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to bringing the magic of Shakespeare to our community. Why donate? Kingsmen Shakespeare relies heavily on the generosity of donors to continue providing professionally produced Shakespeare productions during their annual summer Festival. Your support also helps further their outreach to students in local school districts through the spring Shakespeare Educational Tour. These programs enrich our community, providing cultural experiences and educational opportunities for all. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Visit https://www.kingsmenshakespeare.org/festival/donate.html to make your donation today. More Information

Boise Contemporary Theater

BCT’s Theater Lab is a great opportunity for students to learn all the ins and outs of writing, producing and performing in their own, original play. However, the $475/student tuition can be prohibitive for some students. That’s why we’re focusing this year’s #givingtuesday fundraiser to provide scholarships to students who would otherwise not be able to afford Theater Lab. Your donation will help us provide scholarships to students who are passionate about sharing their stories through theater. With your help, we can make the Theater Lab accessible to all students, regardless of their financial situation. Please donate today and help us make a difference in the lives of students who want to pursue their dreams in theater and share their voice with the world! Thank you for your support! “When I started Theater Lab, I was barely able to talk to my classmates, let alone on stage in front of hundreds of people. Theater Lab forced me to speak my mind, and have confidence in my actions. This program has changed my life and made me into the person I am today.” ~Theater Lab Student “I used to think Theater Lab was about writing, performing, and having fun in the process. No, that’s what you do, part of what you do, but not what Theater Lab is about. Theater Lab is about growing as a person. Learning to think in new ways, experience new things, be with new people.” ~Theater Lab Student More Information

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Giving Tuesday is a day that provides each of us with an opportunity to remember our favorite charities with a special contribution. As you embark on your holiday giving, we ask you to consider supporting our non-profit, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Your generous contribution will play a vital role in our ability to continue enriching Southern Nevada with the finest in arts and culture. With ticket prices covering only 70 cents of every dollar needed, the support of our valued Members is absolutely essential to all that we aspire to achieve. We invite you to make Giving Tuesday a truly meaningful day by supporting The Smith Center More Information

Portland Opera

Your kind acts transform our kind of acts. Portland Opera is powered by the generosity of this community, and is made stronger by the partnerships and connections that we create together. More Information

Washington Pavilion

The Washington Pavilion is proud to participate in Giving Tuesday and South Dakota Gives to raise funds for youth programming. Our youth programs are made possible through the generosity of our community, and by supporting the Washington Pavilion on Giving Tuesday, you are cultivating a lifelong love for the arts and science. Donate the week of November 26 to maximize your impact! Thanks to the generosity of Bob and Lori Sutton, our youth programming will receive an additional $25 for every new donor that week, up to 100 donors. More Information

The Premiere Playhouse

For Giving Tuesday this year we hope to increase our 120 Club Members to 50 by donating $120 one time a year OR signing up to give $10 a month for the year. As a 120 Club Member, your monthly contribution helps to provide complimentary tickets to area non-profits and the underprivileged population allowing us to share the magic of live community theatre in the Sioux Empire! More Information

Harlequin Productions

Harlequin Productions produces theatrical works that evoke emotion and thought; while building and empowering its community. We seek to invigorate, educate, and empower our community and all people, to feel more, think more, play more, and judge less through the mirror of real live theatre. Through the continued support of donors like you we are able ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of live theatre. More Information Seattle Rep” src=”https://eventsimages.broadwayworld.com/research/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/01174515/SR_Vertical_Blackhighres.jpg” align=”right” width=”150″ />

Seattle Rep

This November, we invite you to support Seattle Rep as we celebrate our 60th birthday. Over the past six decades, Seattle Rep has brough powerful, life-changing theater to our city and region. From the amazing productions on stage to inspiring community programs and partnerships, none of our work would be possible without the support of theatergoers like you! One Giving Tuesday, your gift to Seattle Rep will enrich our entire community through extraordinary live theater. Celebrate our next 60 years with a donation of any size today! More Information

Mountain Movers Theatre Company

In this season of giving, please consider giving a gift that benefits our whole community and supports the arts! Your generosity could send a kid to one of our professionally-staffed kidcamps, or help fund tickets for school audiences, or provide maintenance on critical equipment! Click on our Giving Tuesday “donate now” button and follow the link to a place where you can help make theatre more available and accessible to everyone in our region! More Information

The post Assist West Coast Regional Theaters on Giving Tuesday appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — This holiday season is a time to give back and to help Build a Better Bay Area. Join ABC7’s Day of Giving on Tuesday. Give what you can and donate to your favorite local charities.

We are highlighting several Bay Area charities and food banks that are going above and beyond for their communities — you’ll find a list of them below:

Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley

DONATE HERE

In the South Bay one organization works tirelessly to provide safe homes for people in dire conditions. Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley has done that work for more than three decades and hopes this Giving Tuesday will be a step that helps it continue its mission. In just two days this year, 800 volunteers were able to refurbish over 40 homes fixing roofs, plumbing and providing wheelchair access. “We provide life-changing home repairs for low-income clients across the Valley,” said Alaina Purcell Schroeder, Development Director at Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley. This Day of Giving, the nonprofit hopes people will consider helping them continue their decades-long work.

Junior Achievement of Northern California

DONATE HERE

Meals on Wheels San Francisco

DONATE HERE

Oakland Interfaith Choir

DONATE HERE

Ruby’s Place

DONATE HERE

There With Care

DONATE HERE

Healthy Planet Project

DONATE HERE

SF-Marin Food Bank

DONATE HERE

Redwood Empire Food Bank

DONDATE HERE

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

DONATE HERE

Alameda County Community Food Bank

DONATE HERE

Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano

DONATE HERE

If you need ideas, we have created a short list of vetted local organizations that make a big impact in helping to build a better Bay Area. The list of community groups will be updated periodically.

GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE: Full list of organizations across San Francisco Bay Area to donate to

We have a full day of stories on ABC7 that highlight some of the groups that are doing great work across the region. Learn more about them below, and you can watch live on abc7news.com/live.

If you’d like to nominate a community group in your neighborhood that’s doing great work, please fill out the form below.

Click here for a look at other ways you can Take Action where you live.

If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live

The post ABC7’s Day of Giving Tuesday: Methods to assist in your group appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

San Francisco has an incredible sense of culture and the arts. We have world-class museums here. We have amazing food, bars and restaurants. We have colorful and unique neighborhoods, architecture, celebrations, life.

As a photographer, I love living in a more urban setting. There are so many more interesting things to photograph out on the street here than in more rural places. The people here are engaging and diverse and very photogenic. The random conversations you often have with people being out and about are priceless. I’ve walked thousands of miles of San Francisco Bay area streets taking photos with my camera over the past 33 years.

Most of my friends are still actually here. Going out to lunch at Sam’s downtown with a good friend or taking a walk with them down to the Ferry Building and along the Embarcadero are things I’d very much miss. I love living near the ocean and the water.

I just uploaded 30 full high resolution photos to my Flickr account in about 45 seconds with my high speed fiber to curb internet from Sonic. Most of my friends that move to rural areas don’t have anywhere near this sort of internet speed and service.

We’re near world class airports than can get you anywhere you want to get in the world. I’m trying to photograph the 100 largest American cities and our airports make that much easier to do. We have redwoods and parks and wine country all a short drive away, all more wonderfully photogenic places.

The post Why I’m not giving up on San Francisco | by The Daring Italic | Sep, 2023 appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

There have been so many reports of deserted downtown San Francisco lately that I almost expected, on my way to Heartwood, a cocktail bar created by the team behind the Treasury and the Beehive, that opened on Commercial Street last week, kicking tumbleweeds.

The streets are undeniably quieter now that around 150,000 workers have left the neighborhood, but in Heartwood it could have been happy hour on the second night of the service around 2019. Almost every table was packed with colleagues sharing bar snacks and sipping craft cocktails amidst exposed brick and murals depicting California poppies and trees, nodding to the neighborhood’s history.

The bar’s name refers to the innermost part of the tree trunk, which produces the toughest wood, and alludes to neighboring Transamerica Redwood Park, which is still closed for renovations. It could also be read as an indication of the core value required to open a new bar in America’s “emptiest inner city” amid a tenuous recovery from the pandemic, mass layoffs and warnings things could be getting worse.

Pedestrians cross Battery Street in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

But managing partner and operations manager Tristen Philippart de Foy reminds me that it’s spring, even if it’s been a long time coming this year.

“It’s fair to be critical. Yes, we were in a recession and it was a long winter. But whoever is here sees that we are at the beginning of an upswing,” he said.

Hope for downtown San Francisco

Heartwood isn’t the only company moving into the neighborhood. According to Robbie Silver, executive director of the nonprofit Community Benefit District Downtown SF Partnership (DSFP), 14 businesses in the hospitality and retail sectors have opened in the Financial District since 2021. The San Francisco Business Times reports that other hospitality giants such as Wayfare Tavern and House of An are on the horizon. And real estate investor Michael Shvo, who bought the Transamerica Pyramid in 2020, is investing $400 million to redesign the building and surrounding blocks. That’s a big bet for an inner city deemed dead.

Although the Heartwood team has toured many rooms across the city, they landed at the FiDi location in part because of the promising recovery that the Treasury, just a short walk away, has seen over the past year.

Heartwood CEO Tristen Philippart de Foy at his restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

“There was a revival and we’re miles ahead of that a year ago,” Philippart de Foy said. “There are smaller windows in which we’re employed, but those windows are promising.” The same can be said for the acquisitions of companies for conventions, which he says are even stronger than 2019, and the hybrid working models, the lunch and happy hour for Bring employees back at least a few days a week.

Of course, trying to get a business up and running with far fewer hours and customers is unsustainable. And, as the area has learned the hard way, it doesn’t rely on workers in any industry to keep businesses afloat, either.

For this reason, DSFP, Philippart de Foy and many other business owners are working on a public sector action plan aimed at reinventing FiDi as a cultural destination.

Customers enter Heartwood in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

A pilot of the program, funded by the city and provided by DSFP and Sitelab, an urban design studio, is slated to launch this summer right outside Heartwood’s doors at the intersection of Leidesdorff and Commercial Streets.

Bring pedestrians back to FiDi

In front of Heartwood, Philippart de Foy leads me around the block as if it were an extension of his bar. Where there are a few parked cars and a boarded-up storefront with someone camping at the entrance, he sees potential and paints a picture of a busy pedestrian street that you would find in most European cities. The projects promise murals and historical plaques here, a coffee cart there, health clubs to lure workers out of their offices, and cultural activities to lure families and visitors.

“The construction of these inner city hotspots of culture will be a crucial part of the recovery,” said Philippart de Foy.

Light displays will be projected onto the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange building as part of the “Let’s Glow SF” art installation on Tuesday, December 8, 2022 in San Francisco.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

There is already evidence that activities like this work in the neighborhood. In December, DSFP hosted Let’s Glow SF, a 10-day holiday celebration where 51,000 visitors and residents saw light shows projected onto four downtown buildings. According to Silver, most of the participants were families, and the project raised $3 million for the region and its businesses.

In addition to cultural activities, DSFP recently launched its first micro-grant program to provide up to $40,000 in funding to eligible restaurants to improve their sidewalk and curbside dining areas.

Peter Quartaroli, owner of the 150-year-old Sam’s Grill and DSFP board member, says beautifying downtown streets is an important part. “If we can make the curb in front of our store, in front of our neighbor’s store, a little better, it’s going to make a big difference,” he said.

Customers exit Sam’s Grill in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Grants like those from DSFP, along with Mayor London Breed’s recently announced plan to change the city’s tax structure to make it easier for businesses, aren’t the only signs of imminent change some businesses are optimistic about the city centre make.

Philippart de Foy said landlords are starting to work with business owners on unconventional deals to weather the slow recovery and inspire long-term leases, such as: B. Profit-sharing, where rents are based on the success of the company.

A “For Rent” sign hangs in a window in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

Mason Harrison, a representative of the Transamerica Pyramid, said there is promising leasing activity among creative agencies and design firms in the area. Silver hopes that bringing nightlife to the area will also help diversify the neighborhood’s economic core, noting that incubator programs could allow artists to establish a more permanent presence in the area, which would help Changing perceptions of what the neighborhood has to offer.

The road to recovery

San Francisco’s recovery from the pandemic is slowing compared to other cities, but the Bay Area still ranks among the top 10 fastest-growing metro areas in the United States, according to a study by LinkedIn. And although tourism spending in the city is about 77% of 2019 levels, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, it more than doubled in 2022, giving some hope that a full recovery is now on the horizon. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate editorial offices.)

There is still a long way to go. Heartwood’s closest neighbors are still a boarded-up storefront and construction zones. But in the bar, the focus on natural elements, from the exposed original wooden beams to the tiny pine cone adorning my cocktail, is more than just a gimmick. It’s a reminder that spring always returns.

Customers have lunch at Heartwood in San Francisco’s Financial District on April 25, 2023.

Douglas Zimmerman/SFGATE

A less tangible, but perhaps even stronger, element fuels business owners’ hope for downtown. And that’s the spirit of San Francisco itself.

The post Why these San Francisco companies aren’t giving up on troubled FiDi appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Dick Hafner died last week. The co-founder of the family-owned-and-operated Hafner Vineyard was a wise and ingenious man — and a friend.

He and his wife, Mary, who died in 2017, purchased their Alexander Valley ranch in 1967. In the late 20th century emergence of the Sonoma County wine industry, they qualify as pioneers, having removed prune trees to plant the vineyards that would produce their favorite wines.

Before the pandemic, we were lucky enough to spend time with Dick and Mary in a small group that met for lunch every couple of months.

In recent years, five members of our lunch group have died, including Dick and Mary, plus Pat and Ted Eliot, and Anne Teller.

All five were amazing people who believed that taking care of the land and looking out for each other should be everyone’s responsibility.

This Thanksgiving weekend becomes the right time to give thanks for the gifts they left for the rest of us.

All five seemed to live their lives in two acts, the second as compelling as the first. Their stories made for great conversations over lunch.

After time as a newspaperman in the East Bay and in Southeast Asia, Dick would become the chief spokesman for UC Berkeley during the student uprisings of the 1960s and 1970s. He had stories to tell.

Mary would join a UC student delegation to India and Pakistan and later give French cooking lessons from her Berkeley home while serving on the boards of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and KQED.

In time, she would find herself driving a tractor to clear the land for the grapes that would become the wine that bears the Hafner name.

Ted would become the US ambassador to Afghanistan after diplomatic postings all over the world. He and Pat would marry in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and one of their children would be born in Moscow. Later, he would serve as executive assistant to the US treasury secretary, executive secretary to the Department of State and dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Pat, who grew up in Marin County, remembered riding horses as a young girl on Jack London’s Sonoma Mountain ranch, and when her husband was the ambassador to Afghanistan, she remembered traveling with her kids to pick up a car in London and then driving it back to Kabul. Not many would attempt that drive today.

In the Sonoma Valley, Anne and her late husband, Otto Teller, would establish Oak Hill Farm and become trailblazers in the organic food and farm-to-table movements.

Later, all five would become leaders of community groups aiming to make Sonoma County a more sustainable place to live.

Dick was president of the Alexander Valley Association. Mary was a longtime member of the board of the Sonoma Land Trust and was involved in other philanthropies, including as a board member of Healdsburg Forever.

Ted served on the boards of Community Foundation Sonoma County and of the Sonoma Valley Fund. He was a leader in the campaign to pass and then the campaign to renew the Sonoma County open space tax. He led too many other conservation efforts to mention here.

Pat served on the board of the environmental stewardship group Land Paths and would lead the charge to save Sonoma Mountain from development.

Anne and her late husband were founding members of the Sonoma Land Trust, which has provided permanent protection for more than 58,000 acres of land since 1976.

Keep in mind: These are only the highlights.

In our lunches, it was a pleasure to listen to them talk about lifetimes of public service. They were older than we were, and that was OK. They had a lot to share. They were smart and funny and wise.

Sonoma County is a wonderful place to live. But it doesn’t happen by accident. It requires people to step up and set examples, while encouraging others to make smart choices.

In 2020, our lunches would be lost to the pandemic.

“This Shelter In Place is for the birds!” Dick told me in an email back then. “I prefer to be in the (Healdsburg) plaza but am stuck with this great view seen from my window seat (Mary’s favorite). What a strange feeling this all is!”

Mary’s favorite view takes in the sweep of the Alexander Valley and the mountains beyond.

Thanks to people like Dick and Mary, Pat and Ted, and Anne, we live in a place where successful agriculture and the beauty of our natural surroundings come together.

Dick wrote on the Hafner Vineyard website: “We have a deep sense of belonging to the land and a strong appreciation of those who tend the soil and bring forth its products.”

And so we give thanks for the friends who touched our lives, while we reflect upon how much we miss them.

Pete Golis is a columnist for The Press Democrat. Email him at golispd@gmail.com.

You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com.

The post Giving thanks for individuals who made our world higher appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A pilot program scheduled to begin in May will guarantee more than 100 San Francisco artists $ 1,000 per month for six months after Stockton, Oakland and Marin Counties made similar efforts to help struggling residents during the pandemic support.

The Guaranteed Income Program, announced by Mayor London Breed on Thursday March 25th, is accepting applications from now until April 15th through the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts website.

“This program is one of several guaranteed income pilots we’re developing in San Francisco,” Breed told The Chronicle Recovery.

YBCA will administer the program and use a partially computerized system to determine eligibility to select 130 local artists, with the process being randomized in the later stages, said Deborah Cullinan, CEO of YBCA.

Deborah Cullinan, director of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, will help manage the funds under the new pilot program. Photo: Michael Short / Die Chronik

Qualifications for the program include being a San Francisco resident and being an artist “whose artistic practice is rooted in a historically marginalized community” which, according to Cullinan, does not exclude anyone from any cultural or racial group, but rather underrepresented artists Encourage communities should apply.

Artists are defined as “someone who actively engages with the community through music, dance, creative writing, visual arts, performance art, installation, photography, theater or film,” according to the program’s website.

Teaching artists and art educators as well as “culturally influenced craftsmen and doers” can also apply.

Applicants must have income below certain income limits to qualify: For a single person household, the income limit is $ 60,900; for a two-person household, the combined limit is $ 69,600. These income limits were determined by researching the best practices of other guaranteed income programs across the country, including Stockton, where 125 residents were given $ 500 a month and showed improved quality of life, according to a study commissioned by the city.

“Ultimately, we want everyone in San Francisco to live healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives without worrying about how to pay rent or get food on the table,” said Breed. “I am committed to making San Francisco a fairer, more just, and prosperous city, and we are investigating this guaranteed income model to see if it can help us achieve these goals.”

The pilot program is led by the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Photo: Jessica Christian / Die Chronik

The pilot program is a collaboration between the Office of Racial Equity at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, YBCA, Grants for the Arts, and the San Francisco Arts Commission. The program is funded from the Arts Impact Endowment, established by Proposition E, an action reallocated in 2018 1.5% of the existing 8% hotel tax on art and cultural services, i.e. money jointly managed by the Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts.

In developing the program, YBCA worked with organizations such as SOMA Pilipinas, the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the Dance Mission Theater, the Galería de la Raza, the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company, the African American Art and Culture. together Complex and members of the Racial Equity in the Arts Working Group. Bay Area poets Tongo Eisen-Martin and Kim Shuck also worked closely with the groups involved for the pilot project.

“We talked about different ways we can reach BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), the disabled, LGBT, displaced and below the poverty line,” said Rodney Earl, co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Company Jackson Jr “Many artists fall into these categories.”

The San Francisco native Tongo Eisen-Martin helped develop the new pilot program. Photo: Jessica Christian / Die Chronik

The initiative is in line with the policy recommendations of the Economic Recovery Task Force of San Francisco, which the city issued in October 2020. The task force recommended identifying new sources of funding and revenue for the arts “to catalyze neighborhood recovery through the arts” and continue investing in color communities.

According to the San Francisco Arts Commission, the city’s creative sector generates $ 1.45 billion in economic activity annually and supports nearly 40,000 full-time jobs.

“COVID-19 has seriously threatened this important sector,” said Ralph Remington, the Commission’s director of cultural affairs, in a statement, “and the Guaranteed Income pilot is allowing artists to focus on their creative work through other programs like this one focus and support “the recovery of the industry as a whole.”

Cullinan said YBCA staff are prepared for a quick rollout despite an expected large influx of applications.

“We’ll be ready for direct deposits, writing checks to people, and working right away with people who don’t have a bank account,” she said.

After launching the pilot, YBCA plans to study the process and its impact on artists to see how the program can be better customized in the future.

“There are people living in difficult circumstances right now,” said Cullinan. “We want to act as quickly as possible to provide you with the resources you need.”

Apply: Visit www.ybca.org/guaranteed-income-pilot. The application deadline is April 15th.

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As a sister city Oakland pilots As the first guaranteed income program, San Francisco announced the launch of its own Universal Basic Income initiative. This one focuses on helping the city’s artists get to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor London Breed (D) confirmed the start of the pilot last night.

We are now accepting applications for our new pilot, guaranteed income program for artists in San Francisco!

$ 1,000 / month for six months for 100+ eligible artists.

Find out more about the program and apply by April 15: https://t.co/WgrFfdSX1y pic.twitter.com/MuVZoC45c4

– London Breed (@LondonBreed) March 25, 2021

Artists who work and live in San Francisco generated approximately $ 1.45 billion in economic activity per person prior to the COVID-19 pandemic City data.

The program is administered by the Office of Racial Equity at the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.

Applications for qualified candidates opened on March 25th and have until April 15th to apply. Under the program, 130 eligible adult artists will receive $ 1,000 after a review process. The exact amount of funds allocated to each applicant will depend on the family members who are filed on each tax return.

“The arts are really vital to our local economy and an integral part of our long-term recovery. If we help the arts recover, the arts will help San Francisco recover, ”said Breed. “This new program is an innovative effort to help our creative industry navigate this challenging time and come back stronger and more resilient than before.”

BLACK LIVES MATTER ANNOUNCES NEW SURVIVAL FUND IN WAITING FOR COVID-19 AID

MOST AMERICANS LISTEN TO THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE AT $ 15, THE SURVEY SAYS

THE ORDINARY PEOPLE WILL PAY FREEZING COSTS OF USD 50 BILLION IN TEXAS FOR DECADES

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ENID, OK – The Dense Cares HVAC Giveaway, which takes nominations and uses an independent committee to select the recipients, is looking for nominations for their next recipient.

Dense Cares will be giving away the HVAC giveaway to a family this summer. David Lawrence, president and owner of Dense Mechanical & Dense Comfort Solutions, said he wanted to help someone who may not have a working system to keep their home cool this summer.

Lawrence first started the HVAC giveaway when he bought Dense in 2019 to return some of the blessings he received. Lawrence asks the population for help by nominating families in need.

Email nominees and why they deserve a free HVAC system to densecomfortsolutions@densemechanical.com (subject: “DenseCares”) or email Dense Comfort Solutions, 409 E. Broadway, Enid, OK 73701. Deadline is June 15th.

Lawrence and Dense employees have no say in the selection of the candidate. An independent panel of local residents meets and decides which nomination the free HVAC system will receive.

TIGHT CARE PLATE

Jennifer Bauman is a small business owner in Enid (Harmon’s Electric, Inc.). She was born in Enid and moved away as a young child and raised in NW Arkansas. She received her BS in Organizational Management from John Brown University.

After a successful career in account management at Kellogg’s Company and VF Corporation (Walmart Accounts), Jennifer decided to return to Enid and join the family business. In 2017 Jennifer, her husband JJ and 2 daughters: KayLee (22) and Jaye Katherine (10) moved to Enid.

Jennifer serves on the board of directors for many different organizations in Enid, including YWCA Enid, Rotary of Enid, and Junior Welfare League of Enid. She is a former Class XXVII member of Leadership Greater Enid (aka Best Class Ever) and participates in the United Way Golf Tournament, Day of Kindness Committee, and Oakwood Country Club Finance Committee.

James W. Shepherd is an attorney for Enid. He moved to Enid as a child and is a product of Enid Public Schools. In 1994 he graduated from Enid High School; the University of Oklahoma, with a Bachelor of Arts in Letters, 1998; the University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price School of Business with a Masters of Business Administration in 2000; and Oklahoma City University, with a doctorate in law in 2003. That same year, he was admitted to the bar in the state of Oklahoma and admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th district and the United States district courts for the north and western counties of the United States Oklahoma.

After attending the bar, Mr. Shepherd worked in Oklahoma City for three years before returning to his hometown in 2006 to raise a family with his wife, Molly. Mr. Shepherd has practiced law for more than fifteen (15) years and his practice has been focused on facilitating solutions to a wide range of legal issues for businesses and employers. He represents corporations, including financial institutions and creditors, in transactional and legal disputes. He also represents employers on Title VII and ADA promotions, as well as before the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and the Oklahoma Department of Labor.

During his time in Enid, Mr. Shepherd has had the pleasure of serving on numerous boards of directors for local organizations, including the Board of Directors of the Enid Chamber of Commerce, the Hospice Circle of Love, the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center, the Grand National Quail Club, and Oakwood Country Club . Mr. Shepherd also serves on the Board of Directors of Soldier’s Wish, a national organization that serves the needs of active service members, veterans, and their families through private donations and corporate sponsorship.

Mrs. Denise Smith, is the youngest daughter of retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Dennis Davis and Mrs. Jennifer Davis. Born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, she moved frequently during childhood as a dependent military service during her father’s long and prestigious military service. Denise and Anthony met in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and were married on March 8, 1997. During Anthony’s military career, Denise has been very successful in making every move a smooth family transition. After two short years in Enid OK, Smith’s will move back to Scott AFB in Illinois. This move will make 12 moves in 24 years, including 4 in the last 6 years. A loving mother to two wonderful teenagers, Nathan 17 and Julian 13, Denise was a fantastic military spouse who supports military personnel and is especially passionate about helping other military spouses.

Kristen Johnson is the wife of Colonel Jay Johnson and the mother of three amazing children; Sydney, 22, Logan, 19, and Carter (. Kristen is a Registered Nurse and retired Air Force Nurse Corps Officer, where she spent 20 years in various clinical and managerial positions, including Nurse for the Critical Care Air Transport Team and Headquarters Air Staff Executive Nurse Fellow. She currently serves in several grassroots and community volunteer organizations and is a group fitness trainer with the local YMCA. She loves spending time with her family and being active in her community.

Colonel Anthony Smith is the commandant, 71st Mission Support Group, 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. As an installation manager, he is responsible for a base operating agreement of $ 470 million and all support for the Vance mission and community; including procurement, civil engineering, fire fighting, security and law enforcement, communications, personnel, utilities, transportation, housing, recreation and services. Prior to commanding the 71st Mission Support Group, Col Smith served as Head of Budget and Analysis for the Resource Directorate at the headquarters of the Air Force Installation and Missions Support Center, Air Force Material Command. In this role, he led a team of 96 financial managers and managed a budget of $ 6.9 billion. He was responsible for maximizing a limited budget to fund installation and mission support requirements for Air Force installations worldwide.

Col Smith joined the Air Force after serving with the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina in May 1997 at Levels. In 2006 he sent himself to support Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

Col Smith and his wife Denise have two children, Nathan, 15 and Julian, 11.

Colonel Jay A. Johnson is the commandant of the 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance Air Force Base, Okla. He heads a wing with over 2,700 employees that conducts specialized pilot training for more than 400 US Air Force and Allied student pilots each year. The wing operates a fleet of over 200 aircraft, flies more than 55,000 missions and records over 80,000 flight hours annually. He is also responsible for executing $ 550 million in flight and basic operating contracts.

Colonel Johnson graduated from San Francisco State University and received his 1999 Distinguished Graduate from the University of California at Berkeley. His service and leadership experience includes several key operational and staff positions at the squadron, wing and joint staff levels. He is a graduate of the Air Mobility Command’s Phoenix Mobility Program and the Defense Legislative Fellowship. He served as Joint Staff, J-5, Strategic Plans and Policy Action Officer, Executive Assistant to the Director, Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell and International Training, Education and Policy Division Chief, under the Director of Policy, Programs & Strategy, Office of the Undersecretary of the Air Force (International Affairs). Most recently he was Vice-Commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing.

His operational experience includes Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

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