Kathleen Anne Hughes Anderson. Photo courtesy of Diantha Stensrud.

BY EMILY MIBACH
Editor of the Daily Post

Atherton's former arborist has been identified as the woman found stabbed to death in her Menlo Park home.

Kathleen Anne Hughes Anderson, 62, was the arborist for the City of Atherton for 22 years, from November 1989 until her retirement in November 2011. She was the widow of Billy “Andy” Anderson, who owned Dahl Plumbing on Alma Street in Palo Alto. Andy Anderson died in 2007.

Before his death, the two were married for about 30 years and had no children.

Anderson was from Decatur, Illinois, and came to California to attend school in the 1980s, said her brother-in-law, Barry Anderson, who also works for the post office. The couple were regulars at the Alpine Beer Garden in Portola Valley.

Anderson was known for her green thumb at work and at home. Barry Anderson said her garden at her home at 925 Valparaiso Ave. was “amazing.”

Atherton Town Clerk Theresa DellaSanta said Anderson “was very passionate about her work as an arborist.”

Franz Wolke

“She had a deep passion for landscaping and trees, and she shared that love with many of our town residents by spending time with them in their gardens and giving them insight into tree pruning and planting,” DellaSanta wrote. “It was the little things Kathy did around town that residents remember and came to love about her. Kathy was a beacon of positivity to all who came into contact with her, and her impact on the trees in Atherton will last for many generations to come.”

Police found Anderson stabbed to death in her home on Wednesday (Dec. 12) after receiving a 911 call from Daniel Baggett, a former tenant of Anderson's. Baggett told police to The Post he stopped by at 5 p.m. on Wednesday after driving by and noticing her garbage cans were still on the side of the road a day after garbage collection. He also saw that her bedroom window, which was normally open, was closed, he said.

Baggett said he saw the back door was open and went into the house. He spotted Francis Wolke, 36, of Cincinnati, Ohio, at the top of the stairs. Baggett called 911. Police arrested Wolke on suspicion of first-degree murder.

Was there a connection between the three people?

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Friday that his office and Menlo Park police are still investigating the connection between Wolke, Baggett and Anderson, if there is one. Wagstaffe said the relationship between Anderson and Baggett was not rosy and that investigators are “digging” into the pasts of the three people to find a connection.

Wolke had an arrest warrant issued by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office for prowling and drug possession from a 2014 case.

While police believe Wolke's current address is in Cincinnati, records indicate he was living in San Francisco in 2014. Wagstaffe said Wolke has not made any statement about why he allegedly murdered Anderson.

Wagstaffe said Anderson died as a result of being stabbed in the head with a “sharp object,” but because the investigation is ongoing, he could not yet identify the object.

Wolke is in prison without bail.

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• The owner of a $11million mansion in Russian Hill, San Francisco hung up posters of an unknown trespasser along their property
• A $10,000 reward was offered ‘for successful arrest or prosecution’ of the intruder
• Neighbors said that they have seen the posters up for around two weeks

The owner of an $11million San Francisco mansion hung up posters on their property offering a $10,000 reward for a trespasser who was caught ‘jumping the gate.’ 

The single-family home built in 1853 is situated on a private lot in Russian Hill, a neighborhood of San Francisco. 

Laminated posters were seen along the property’s large white fence and next to the house number with a picture of the unknown intruder. 

The poster also displayed text that said: ‘Have you seen this person? Call 911 if you see him or ANYONE jumping the gate or fence.’ 

‘Man, I want to bring him the guy. I could use $10,000,’ Arthur Vela Boas, a resident of Russian Hill told The San Francisco Standard. 

The owner of an $11 million San Francisco mansion has erected this poster appealing for information about a man seen jumping the property’s gate

It went on to say that the hefty reward would be gifted to someone ‘for successful arrest or prosecution.’ 

DailyMail.com attempted to locate the current owner of the house and contacted neighbors for further information, but it is unclear who the resident is. 

Neighbors said that they have seen the posters displayed for approximately two weeks, but don’t think that they are meant to actually catch the suspect. 

Daniel Detorie, a neighbor who has lived on the same block as the mansion for 32 years said: ‘I think it’s just to scare him away.’ 

The 3,890 square foot mansion with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms was first listed at $12million in 2019 but was then brought down to $11million. 

It was originally built by Joseph H. Atkinson and is a registered San Francisco Historic Landmark, known as the Atkinson-Escher House. 

The breathtaking mansion is pictured center frame. It sits on one of the city’s famed steep hills The Atkinson-Escher House was built in 1853 by Joseph H. Atkinson and is a registered San Francisco Historic Landmark

According to the Pacific Coast Architecture Database, the house was known as a meeting place for occult seances- paranormal spirit activity- and local high society.

Though it looks as though the owner was trying to pinpoint a specific person, neighbors have said they have a hard time making out the pictures on the poster. 

‘The photo’s really bad. You can’t recognize the guy,’ Vela Boas said. 

The home itself has been updated with an elevator, a two-car garage and excellent views of the Bay Area as its located near North Beach and Nob Hill, California.

Homes in Russian Hill have averaged at $1,452,925, according to Zillow. 

In recent times, San Francisco has been known as one of the county’s most crime-ridden cities and has been filled with excessive drug use and homelessness.

Residents have to pick their way through streets full of unconscious and semi-conscious people in the Tenderloin district of the city as drug and homelessness rates have soared

The city’s overdose deaths soared in August with an additional 84 deaths, 66 involving fentanyl, the deadliest month since 2021.

Many businesses have also shut down in the area due to the unsafe nature of the city and high living costs. 

Photos of an IKEA store that opened its doors in August revealed the now deserted business, as customers said that persistent construction, lack of parking and constant crime has kept them from shopping there. 

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — Padres owner Peter Seidler, who spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to bring a long-elusive World Series championship to San Diego, died on Tuesday, the team announced. He was 63.

A cause of death wasn’t disclosed. Seidler, a third-generation member of the O’Malley family that used to own the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, was a two-time cancer survivor. The team announced in mid-September that Seidler had an unspecified medical procedure in August and wouldn’t be back at the ballpark the rest of the year.

The Padres planned to open Petco Park on Tuesday afternoon for fans who wished to gather to pay respects.

“Today, our love and prayers encircle Peter’s family as they grieve the loss of an extraordinary husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. “Peter was a kind and generous man who was devoted to his wife, children and extended family. He also consistently exhibited heartfelt compassion for others, especially those less fortunate.

“His impact on the city of San Diego and the baseball world will be felt for generations,” Greupner said. “His generous spirit is now firmly embedded in the fabric of the Padres. Although he was our Chairman and owner, Peter was at his core a Padres fan. He will be dearly missed.”

Seidler was part of a group that purchased the Padres in 2012, and he bought out Ron Fowler’s majority stake in November 2020. Seidler also bought Rawlings Sporting Goods Company Inc. in conjunction with MLB in 2018.

It was with Seidler’s blessing that the Padres boosted their payroll to about $258 million on opening day, third-highest in the majors, after making a stirring run to the NL Championship Series the previous fall. The Padres underwhelmed most of the season despite having a star-studded lineup and missed the playoffs.

Seidler shrugged off questions about whether the Padres’ big spending on players like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts was sustainable and mentioned how badly he wanted a championship parade for a city that has never had one.

“Do I believe our parade is going to be on land or on water or on both?” he said. “Putting a great and winning team on the field in San Diego year after year is sustainable.”

Seidler scoffed at the notion that San Diego was a small market. He viewed it as a unique city where the Padres were the only major pro sports franchise after the Chargers left for Los Angeles in 2017. Fans packed Petco Park last year, where the Padres set a franchise attendance record of 3,232,310 in 79 games, including 59 sellouts. The Padres were the home team in two games against San Francisco in Mexico City.

“I am deeply saddened by the news of Peter’s passing,” Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement from Arlington, Texas, where Major League Baseball owners are holding league meetings this week. “Peter grew up in a baseball family, and his love of the game was evident throughout his life. He was passionate about owning the Padres and bringing the fans of San Diego a team in which they could always take pride.”

Machado was a personal favorite of Seidler, and the slugger received a new $350 million, 11-year deal last spring training despite saying he would opt out of the original $300 million deal he signed in 2019.

The Padres gave Bogaerts a $280 million, 11-year deal last December. In 2021, the Padres signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to a $340 million, 14-year deal. They traded for young star Juan Soto at the deadline in 2022.

Seidler’s death comes at a critical time for the franchise. The Padres are closing in on hiring a manager to replace Bob Melvin, who left for San Francisco last month after clashing with general manager A.J. Preller. The Padres also are debating whether to keep or trade Soto, who is under control for just one more season.

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San Francisco Giants owner Greg Johnson wants to keep the Gabe Kapler-Farhan Zaidi duo intact for the foreseeable future.

Johnson made good on his promise last month to keep Kapler and Zaidi in the Bay Area. The Giants owner is standing behind Zaidi after his opt-out clause expired several months ago, per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser.

On the other hand, Gabe Kapler’s tenure as Giants manager became tenuous during the team’s recent six-game slide. Greg Johnson brushed off the rumors and also stood behind Kapler. The former emphasized both Kapler and Zaidi will be around for the 2024 MLB season.

San Francisco Giants owner Greg Johnson reiterated what he’d told the Chronicle last month: President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler aren’t going anywhere. https://t.co/HJcte3jom4

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) September 15, 2023

The Giants (75-71) are currently second behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. San Francisco is fighting for a slot in the best-of-three Wild Card series in the posttseason.

Despite the Giants’ up-and-down season, Johnson feels Kapler is still his manager moving forward.

“Gabe’s done a great job navigating us through some challenges this season. We rank third in MLB in playing time allocated to rookies, and Gabe and his staff continue to do outstanding work supporting and developing those young players,” Greg Johnson said.

For his part, Farhan Zaidi confirmed San Francisco was in hot pursuit of New York Yankees slugger Aaron Juge in the offseason. Although the Giants missed out on signing Judge and Carlos Correa, Kapler felt San Francisco’s opening day roster was formidable. Unfortunately, it hasn’t turned out that way. The Giants had an 81-81 win-loss record in 2022 and they’re teetering on the brink of mediocrity again.

To make matters worse, the Giants are currently 13.5 games behind their long-time nemesis, the Dodgers. With Zaidi and Kapler coming back, the Giants hope to make significant progress in the 2024 MLB season.

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Westfield San Francisco Center in 2022 in San Francisco. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Westfield San Francisco Center mall owners are giving up the land to lenders, adding to real estate woes in a city struggling to bring workers and tourists back in the wake of the pandemic.

The mall, jointly owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Brookfield Corp., has $558 million in outstanding mortgage debt. Management is delegated to a bankruptcy trustee.

The move comes a month after Nordstrom Inc. announced it was closing its store at the site, citing a drop in customer traffic and the city’s changing dynamics. The mall is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood, one of downtown’s premier shopping and tourist districts.

“Given the difficult operating conditions in downtown San Francisco that have resulted in declines in revenue, occupancy and footfall, we have made the difficult decision to initiate the process of transferring management of the mall to our lender so they can appoint one” The trustee will operate the property going forward,” Molly Morse, a spokeswoman for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said in the statement.

San Francisco has been among the hardest-hit cities since the pandemic as office vacancies soar, retail vacancies rise and security concerns deter visitors. Last week, Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. announced it was halting payments on loans to two downtown hotels with $725 million in outstanding debt.

Revenue at the Westfield San Francisco Center fell to $298 million last year from $455 million in 2019, while foot traffic fell 43%, Morse said. Traffic and sales at other Westfield properties increased during the same period.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on Westfield’s decision to default on his debts.

In a statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the move “will take some time,” citing Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s plans to exit the US market entirely. The Paris-based company planned to “radically reduce our financial exposure to the US over the course of 2022 and 2023,” said CEO Jean-Marie Tritant.

“With new leadership, we have the opportunity to pursue a new vision for this space that focuses on the future of downtown San Francisco,” said Breed. “Whether it’s attracting new types of businesses or educational institutions, or creating a completely different experience, we need to be open to what’s possible.”

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Fortunately for Bill Graham, flames from the November fire that swept through 7609 Raytown Road didn’t reach the 6,500-square-foot space he leases on the west side of the building. A little smoke damage is all Graham Plumbing Supply has suffered.

But it took several months to get power back after the fire, and the whole ordeal has caused 71-year-old Graham to think a little more deeply about retirement lately.

“I’m looking for a successor,” Graham said recently, leaning back in a low chair behind the store’s long wooden counter.

Graham is Kansas City’s go-to source for antique toilets, pedestal sinks, and the thousands of obscure (in some cases obsolete) repair parts that help funnel water in and out of these fixtures. He’s the guy plumbers could call when they need a specific brass valve for a 100-year-old sink. He’s something homeowners could call upon when remodeling a bathroom and want a toilet with a little vintage character.

“I would say I’m probably the only company in town that has the parts, inventory and knowledge that I have,” Graham said. “At least I don’t know any others.”

Bill Graham recreated this pedestal sink and antique soap dish manufactured by Crane Company in 1914.

Two men have owned Graham Plumbing Supply for the nine decades the company has been in business. Graham’s father, LA, founded the company in 1932 and ran it for the next 50 years. Graham bought it in LA and has been at the helm ever since.

Graham Plumbing Supply has always sold spare parts but used to specialize in general plumbing repairs including boiler and water heater maintenance. Back then it was based in Midtown. From 1940 to 1980, LA owned a 20,000 square foot lot at 3122 Main St.

“Then the city gave Wendy’s Hamburgers the right to the property,” Graham said. “We ended up at 3833 Broadway. That was in 1980. I ransomed my father in 1982. Then, in 1999, comes Walgreens.”

The pharmacy chain wanted half a lot on the corner of 39th Street and Broadway Boulevard. Graham eventually sold out. (Like Wendy’s on Main, Walgreens is still in that location today.) He packed up his antique toilet bowls and gas caps, along with his brass pipes and old galvanized fixtures, and took it all to Raytown Road.

Graham reviews some notes while helping a client. His plumbing supply business moved to Raytown from Midtown Kansas City in 1999.

In Raytown, progress was slow at first. Downtown has had steady business from property management companies who needed hard-to-find parts for the maintenance of all the old homes in the area. Raytown wasn’t quite that old-fashioned in that regard. “Also, they immediately tore down our old building and no one knew how to find us,” Graham said.

Then, around 2001, Graham made a smart move. He bought a 1-800 number from Westburne, a large nationwide plumbing supplies distributor that was going out of the parts business.

“They had vendors across the country selling this catalog called Star Plumbing and Maintenance Parts,” Graham said. “I asked to buy the number and they said yes. There was no copyright on it.”

Soon customers were calling Graham Plumbing Supplies, thinking it was the line for Star.

“We told them Star was out of business, but we probably had what they were looking for — faucet parts or cabinet screws or something,” Graham said. “What we did. At that time, however, we also started to buy more in bulk. So this was a whole new game for us.”

Graham said he still has several hundred customers across the country calling and placing orders based on that old catalog: large plumbing companies, general contractors, local governments. If he doesn’t have the part, he will order it.

Nowadays, Graham is more interested in the ancient side of his business. He loves to buy things, fix them and sell them.

Graham owns a couple of vintage toilets that say “Kansas City, Mo.” They are stamped to indicate that they were made in the greater metropolitan area.

“Come back this way,” Graham said. He rounded the corner to a cluttered back closet and pulled a small box from a shelf. Inside was a shiny faucet.

“This is a Chicago Faucet, one of the finest faucets ever made,” he said. “I had it re-chromed and put in new parts – state-of-the-art quarter-turn ceramic cartridges. This would fit in an antique pedestal sink, that’s where I’ll put it.”

Sometimes plumbers come to Graham with discarded pre-war toilets that they can’t stand being towed to the landfill. He once bought 83 Kohler toilets from a St. Louis hotel, all from 1930, which came with their original fittings. He has two left: a purple one and a yellow one.

Graham’s showroom floor, if you can call it that, is a sea of ​​dozens of white and pastel colored sinks and toilet bowls that sit on the carpet with no price tags. Some are for sale, others are waiting to be picked up, others are ongoing projects. Most are kind of vintage. They are arranged in a long rectangle that gives a walkway from the door to the counter.

Graham’s showroom floor is a sea of ​​dozens of white and pastel colored sinks and toilet bowls that sit on the carpet with no price tags. Some are for sale, others are waiting to be picked up, others are ongoing projects.

A customer came, an elderly man in a blue and yellow Navy veteran cap. He cautiously approached the counter and Graham met him on the other side. Graham had sold the gentleman a brass fill valve for his 1955 American Standard toilet a week earlier. Now he wanted a brass ball valve for it.

Graham tried to talk him out of it.

“If it was my toilet, I’d put new guts in it,” Graham said. “I just completed a toilet this morning roughly the same year as your vintage and I installed a Fluidmaster flush valve and a Fluidmaster fill valve. You can’t beat these Fluidmasters. They eliminate the need for your rod and float ball. They are easy to insert and replace, and cost $12.”

The old man wasn’t ready to make that decision. He said he would think about it and come back. He went.

“I would say I’m probably the only company in town that has the parts, inventory and knowledge that I have,” Graham said. “At least I don’t know any others.”

Graham returned to the subject of his retirement. He and his wife would love to spend more time with their three children and one grandson, and he wouldn’t mind spending a little more time golfing and fishing. But first he needs someone to do his one-man business for him.

“I think people see all this, and maybe it puts them off,” Graham said, gesturing vaguely at the mountain of inventory surrounding him. “It’s true that few people have the expertise I have. But damn, I’m ready to train. And I’m not asking a ton of money for it.” He reckons $100,000 should seal the deal.

“I don’t know when my number will be available,” Graham continued. “Something happens to me, there’s probably going to be an auction of all this stuff and that’s it.”

He shook his head and seemed to think about it for a moment. A large industrial fan gave out a steady roar. Country music was playing softly on an old radio behind the counter. A customer came in. Graham stood up.

“Hello,” he said.

Originally published June 6, 2023 at 5:30 am

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Der Besitzer des Oasis-Nachtclubs D’Arcy Drollinger wird San Franciscos erster Drag-Preisträger sein. Ihre Amtszeit in der ersten Position der Welt fällt mit ihrer Arbeit an der Eröffnung eines Filmproduktionsstudios in der Stadt zusammen, in der sie ihren neuen Spielfilm drehen will.

Bürgermeister London Breed wird Drollinger am Donnerstagnachmittag im LGBT Community Centre offiziell als ersten Drag-Preisträger der Stadt vorstellen. Als Botschafter der Drag-Community und des LGBTQ-Nachtlebens wird Drollinger für die nächsten 18 Monate tätig sein.

„Es ist ziemlich großartig. Ich bin super stolz und aufgeregt, sozusagen mitzugestalten, was diese Rolle ist und was sie tut“, sagte Drollinger dem Bay Area Reporter während eines Telefoninterviews am 15. Mai, in dem er über seine Auswahl sprach. „Es weckt in mir einfach den Wunsch, noch fabelhafter zu sein und noch mehr zu glänzen.“

Vor zwei Wochen, bevor sie zu einer Reise nach Israel aufbrach, rief Breed Drollinger an, um ihr ihre Entscheidung mitzuteilen.

„Ich weiß, es ist ziemlich cool, einen Anruf vom Handy des Bürgermeisters zu bekommen“, sagte Drollinger, 54, der in San Francisco geboren wurde und sich im Alter von drei Jahren zum ersten Mal als die beliebte Nanny-Figur Mary Poppins verkleidete.

Es sei „sehr schwierig“ gewesen, sich seitdem gegenüber ihrer Familie und ihren Freunden, die sie um Updates darüber gebeten hätten, wer ausgewählt worden sei, „dumm stellen“ zu müssen, bemerkte Drollinger. Es war ihr verboten, öffentlich darüber zu sprechen, bis das Büro des Bürgermeisters die Nachricht am 18. Mai offiziell bekannt gab.

„Ich schwöre, es ist noch strenger, wer die neuen Teilnehmer bei ‚RuPaul’s Drag Race‘ sind“, scherzte Drollinger und bezog sich dabei auf den weltweit beliebten, im Fernsehen übertragenen Drag-Wettbewerb, der mittlerweile in zahlreichen Ländern ausgetragen wird.

Als Drag-Laureat erhält sie ein Honorar in Höhe von 55.000 US-Dollar, um die Kosten für Drollingers Ausübung ihrer Pflichten zu decken. Es ist der Rolle des Stadtdichters nachempfunden.

Breed hatte sich letztes Jahr die Finanzierung gesichert, und die Stadtbibliothek verwaltet sie, da sie auch das Poet-Laureate-Programm betreut. Das Büro des Bürgermeisters stellte Breed nicht für ein Interview mit der BAR zur Verfügung, in dem es um ihre Wahl von Drollinger ging.

In einer Erklärung sagte Breed: „Während die Drag-Kultur in anderen Teilen des Landes angegriffen wird, begrüßen und fördern wir in San Francisco die großartigen Drag-Darsteller, die durch ihre Kunst und ihr Engagement zur Geschichte unserer Stadt rund um Bürgerrechte und Gleichberechtigung beigetragen haben.“ Ich bin stolz darauf, in Programme zu investieren, die eine Plattform für Einzelpersonen schaffen, die wie D’Arcy der Nation und der Welt die Botschaft senden, dass unsere großartige Stadt ein Leuchtturm für Akzeptanz und Chancen für alle ist.“

Drollinger war einer von fünf Bewerbern für die Stelle, die dem Bürgermeister von einer Auswahlkommission empfohlen wurden, deren Aufgabe es war, alle 16 Bewerber zu prüfen. Sie mussten Vollzeitbewohner von San Francisco sein und mindestens 21 Jahre alt sein.

„Ich denke, es ist eine erstaunliche Wahl. D’Arcy ist ein Anführer unserer Drag-Community“, sagte Michael Nguyen, Mitglied des Auswahlkomitees, ein schwuler Anwalt, der unter seiner Drag-Persönlichkeit Juicy Liu auftritt. „Ich bin sehr gespannt, was als nächstes mit diesem neuen Drag-Preisträger passiert.“

San Francisco war die zweite Stadt in Kalifornien, die einen offiziellen Drag-Botschafter einführte. Im Jahr 2020 war West Hollywood die erste bekannte Stadt der Welt, die die Gründung eines Drag-Laureats genehmigte.

Der Auswahlprozess verzögerte sich jedoch, da die Stadtverwaltung ihre Position umgestaltete und mehr Mittel dafür beantragte. Es beinhaltet nun ein jährliches Honorar von 15.000 US-Dollar für Auftritte und eine jährliche Veranstaltung, die der Drag-Preisträger während seiner zweijährigen Amtszeit voraussichtlich ausrichten wird.

Die Kunst- und Kulturkommission der Stadt wird auf ihrer Sitzung am 25. Mai eine Person für die Position vorschlagen. Der Stadtrat von West Hollywood wird die Auswahl dann voraussichtlich auf seiner Sitzung am 26. Juni abschließen, wobei der erste Drag-Laureat vom 1. Juli bis 30. Juni 2025 im Amt sein wird.

„Wir planen immer noch eine persönliche Installationsveranstaltung für den ersten Drag Laureate am 16. Juli, dem Internationalen Drag Day“, sagte West Hollywood Arts Managerin Rebecca Ehemann diese Woche gegenüber der BAR.

Auf die Frage nach der Zusammenarbeit mit ihrem südkalifornischen Amtskollegen sagte Drollinger gegenüber der BAR, dass dies „eine Menge Spaß“ machen würde.

„Ich würde uns gerne einladen, vielleicht etwas für Kalifornien, wenn nicht sogar für die Nation, zu schaffen“, sagte Drollinger. „Aber wir könnten durchaus darüber nachdenken, größere Veranstaltungen zu organisieren, die über unsere Städte hinausgehen.“

Kulturelles Erbe

Wie die BAR bereits berichtet hat, wurde in San Franciscos bahnbrechender LGBTQ+-Kulturerbe-Strategie, die erstmals 2018 veröffentlicht wurde, vorgeschlagen, einen Botschafter für die örtliche Drag-Community zu haben. Aufgrund der COVID-Pandemie wird dies nun als eine Möglichkeit gesehen, das lokale Nachtleben und die Drag-Community anzukurbeln Künstler, deren Einnahmen in den letzten drei Jahren durch die globale Gesundheitskrise beeinträchtigt wurden.

Drollinger bemühte sich darum, sicherzustellen, dass ihr Club die erzwungenen Schließungen der Nachtclubs überstanden hatte, ebenso wie ihre Angestellten und die Drag-Künstler, die die Bühne von Oasis beehrten, und motivierte Drollinger, sich als Drag-Preisträgerin zu bewerben. Im Jahr 2020 begannen sie und ihr Team schnell damit, aufgezeichnete Shows online zu stellen und auch Möglichkeiten für Spenden anzubieten.

Dies führte dazu, dass sie den Abonnementdienst OasisTV einführten, um sich finanzielle Unterstützung zu sichern. Drollinger startete auch den Essenslieferdienst „Meals on Heels“, der Drag-Darsteller beschäftigte, die vor der Haustür der Leute ein Lied lippensynchron spielten.

„Es fühlte sich wirklich so an, als wäre mein Leben in den letzten drei Jahren sehr gewachsen, da ich die Pandemie überstanden habe und aus der Pandemie herausgekommen bin und so hart mit meiner Gemeinde und der Gemeinde von San Francisco insgesamt gearbeitet habe, dass es sich anfühlte, als hätte es etwas gebracht.“ “Für mich ist es sinnvoll, so etwas in Angriff zu nehmen”, sagte Drollinger. „Wissen Sie, als ich die Beschreibung dessen, wonach sie suchten und die Qualifikationen las, fühlte es sich in vielerlei Hinsicht so an, als würde es mich ansprechen. Das hätte ich vor der Pandemie vielleicht nicht gesagt.“

D’Arcy Drollinger tritt 2015 im Oasis auf. Foto: Steven Underhill

Botschafter des Nachtlebens
Als Drag-Preisträgerin von San Francisco wird von Drollinger erwartet, dass er an Gemeinschaftsveranstaltungen teilnimmt und diese moderiert und gleichzeitig als Botschafter für die LGBTQ-, Kunst-, Nachtleben- und Unterhaltungsgemeinschaften der Stadt fungiert. Eine ihrer ersten öffentlichen Veranstaltungen in dieser Rolle wird die Leitung des öffentlichen Gedenkens am 23. Mai für Heklina, ihre enge Freundin und ursprüngliche Miteigentümerin von Oasis bei der Eröffnung im Jahr 2015, als Co-Moderatorin sein.

Heklina, die Drag-Persönlichkeit von Stefan Grygelko, starb letzten Monat unerwartet, als sie mit ihrem Freund Peaches Christ (Joshua Grannell) auf Tournee in England war. Zusammen mit Schwester Roma von der philanthropischen Drag-Gruppe Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence werden Peaches Christ und Drollinger die Redner und Künstler vorstellen, die während der Abendveranstaltung im Castro Theatre auf der Bühne stehen.

Drollinger sagte der BAR, dass sie nicht mit Heklina über ihre Bewerbung als Drag Laureate gesprochen habe. Sie konzentrierten sich bei ihren Gesprächen mehr auf die Projekte, an denen jeder arbeitete, da Heklina nach Palm Springs gezogen war und ihre Anteile an Oasis verkauft hatte.

„Ich bin sicher, sie wäre sehr eifersüchtig“, witzelte Drollinger, als Heklina erfuhr, dass sie für die Stelle ausgewählt worden war. „Wissen Sie, die letzten sechs Wochen waren natürlich wirklich überwältigend, sowohl wegen des Verlusts von Heklina als auch wegen der Folgen, die das für die Gemeinschaft hinterlassen hat. Und es war auch intensiv, da ich gleichzeitig in diesen wunderschönen Raum einziehe, für den ich das Stipendium bekommen habe, und ich.“ Ich bekomme die Drag-Laureate-Position. Das ist alles fabelhaft, aber in gewissem Sinne bittersüß, und auch eine wirklich, wirklich, wirklich wichtige Erinnerung, den Menschen, die man liebt, Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken und jeden Tag in vollen Zügen zu leben und den Menschen um einen herum zu sagen, dass man sie liebt ihnen.”

Was den Zuschuss angeht, bezog sich Drollinger auf etwa 300.000 US-Dollar, die an die von ihr letztes Jahr gegründete gemeinnützige Kunstorganisation Oasis Arts gespendet wurden, um lokale LGBTQ-Künstler, Drag-Darsteller, Filmemacher und andere zu unterstützen. Der größte Teil der Finanzierung kam von der San Francisco Film Commission und der Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

Der Großteil des Geldes floss in die Renovierung einer großen Gewerbefläche im Viertel South of Market in der Fourth Street in Bryant. Es wird eine 5.000 Quadratmeter große Klangbühne haben, die lokale queere Filmemacher nutzen können.

Dort will Drollinger die Fortsetzung ihres Films „Shit & Champagne“ aus dem Jahr 2020 mit ihrer Stripper-Figur Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White drehen. Der Bau der Fläche soll im Juli abgeschlossen sein.

„Wir schaffen ein voll funktionsfähiges Filmproduktionsstudio“, sagte Drollinger. „Da diese beiden erstaunlichen Organisationen an das glauben, was wir zu schaffen versuchen, konnten wir alles möglich machen und schnell etwas auf diesem tiefgreifenden Niveau schaffen.“

Nach Hause kommen nach SF
Es wird ein weiteres bleibendes Vermächtnis für Drollinger in der Stadt sein, in der sie bis zu ihrem siebten Lebensjahr zu Hause war, als ihre Familie nach Stockton, Kalifornien, zog. Anschließend zogen sie nach Apia, der Hauptstadt Samoas, weil ihre Mutter, eine Anthropologin, für einen Job in dem polynesischen Inselstaat eingestellt wurde.

1980, im Alter von 17 Jahren, zog Drollinger erneut nach Nevada City, Kalifornien, wo ihre Eltern an einem Quäker-Internat unterrichteten. Anfang der 1990er Jahre lebte sie wieder in San Francisco und arbeitete im Nachtclub 1015 Folsom.

Als RuPaul dort ihren Dance-Hit „Super Model“ aufführte, verkleidete sich Drollinger zu Ehren des besonderen Gastes erstmals als Drag Queen. Während ihr Aussehen eher an ein Clubkind erinnerte, erinnerte sich Drollinger, habe sie „so viel Spaß“ gehabt, dass sie sich immer wieder in Tracht gekleidet habe.

Sie schrieb und produzierte ihre eigenen vier Musicals in San Francisco. Drollinger wollte eine Karriere am Broadway anstreben und zog 1998 nach New York City.

Sie bekam einen Job bei der Produktionsfirma hinter „Hairspray“ und arbeitete an den Probeaufnahmen außerhalb der Stadt in Seattle. Nach der Premiere am Broadway bekam Drollinger einen Job als Assistent des Produktionsteams hinter dem Musical „The Producers“.

Über gemeinsame Freunde beauftragte RuPaul Drollinger mit der Choreografie für ihr Diva-Konzert im Jahr 2000 im Madison Square Garden. Drollingers letzter Broadway-Job war die Arbeit für den Kostümbildner William Ivey Long.

„Das war mein Auftritt am Broadway. Es war aufregend und sehr aufschlussreich“, erinnert sich Drollinger, der 2011 nach San Francisco zurückkehrte.

Ihr Drag-Name ist der Name, den ihre Eltern ihr gegeben haben. Da D’Arcy als geschlechtsneutraler Name fungiert, entschied sie sich, ihn sowohl privat als auch beruflich zu verwenden, obwohl sie zugab, dass „es etwas verwirrend wird“.

„Ich stehe jemandem wie Charles Busch näher, der auch Schriftsteller und Performer ist“, sagte Drollinger und bezog sich dabei auf die gefeierte Drag Queen und Dramatikerin, deren „The Confession of Lily Dare“ diesen Monat im New San Francisco seine regionale Premiere feiert Theaterzentrum des Konservatoriums.

Am 2. Juni wird Drollinger zusammen mit Breed auf dem Balkon des Bürgermeisters im Rathaus an der alljährlichen Hissung der Pride-Flagge anlässlich des Pride-Monats teilnehmen. Sie wird voraussichtlich auch am 13. SF Nightlife and Entertainment Summit teilnehmen, der am Montag, dem 5. Juni, stattfindet, und bereitet den ganzen Monat über bereits eine ganze Reihe von Partys und Auftritten im Oasis vor.

„Ich werde bei dieser Pride sehr beschäftigt sein“, sagte Drollinger und scherzte: „Ich werde mein Leben rund um die Uhr in Drag leben.“

Ihre Ernennung zur Drag-Preisträgerin erfolgt zu einer Zeit, in der republikanische Gesetzgeber in Bundesstaaten im ganzen Land die Durchführung von Drag-Veranstaltungen an öffentlichen Orten verbieten und Eltern dafür kritisieren, dass sie ihre Kinder zum Drag-Brunch mitnehmen oder Drag-Story-Stunden in Buchhandlungen und öffentlichen Bibliotheken besuchen. Auch Unternehmen, die Drag-Shows veranstalten, geraten in die Kritik und drohen mit dem Verlust ihrer Spirituosenlizenzen.

Drollinger sagte gegenüber der BAR, dass sie es „ziemlich tiefgreifend“ finde, zu wissen, dass die Beamten von San Francisco die Schaffung der Stelle nicht als Reaktion auf die gesetzgeberischen Angriffe auf Drag-Darsteller beschlossen hätten. Vielmehr betrachten sie die Drag-Community seit langem als einen wichtigen Teil der Kultur der Stadt, für dessen Schutz und Unterstützung es sich zu kämpfen lohnt.

„Das ist keine Reaktion darauf, sondern zeigt wirklich, wie sehr San Francisco die Drag-Community schätzt und sich um sie kümmert“, sagte Drollinger, dessen Motto „Drag rettet den Tag“ lautet.

Über den Grund, warum sie die zusätzliche Verantwortung als Drag-Preisträgerin übernehmen wollte, scherzte Drollinger: „Weil ich verrückt bin und ein Vielfraß nach Bestrafung.“

Helfen Sie mit, den Bay Area Reporter in diesen schwierigen Zeiten am Laufen zu halten. Um lokalen, unabhängigen LGBTQ-Journalismus zu unterstützen, sollten Sie darüber nachdenken, Mitglied der BAR zu werden.

The post Nightclub proprietor Drollinger is 1st San Francisco drag laureate :: Bay Space Reporter appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Business: GM Dance & Fitness

Address: 631 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville

Phone/Website: 331-226-6905, www.gvdancefit.com

Owner: Genevieve Garcia, 35, of Downers Grove

Years in business: Three months

What does your company do? “We offer dance and fitness courses for young people and adults. We’re more like a traditional dance studio. We have ballet, jazz, hip hop. We will be offering Irish dancing soon. … The goal is to get great teachers and keep kids moving. Our focus is definitely on youth. The adult side of it will grow,” Garcia said.

Where does fitness come into play? “On the adult side, fitness and wellness is a great passion of mine. I previously ran the fitness program and dance program simultaneously in Oak Park’s Park District. There’s so much overlap. It’s mostly about moving your body and caring for your mental, emotional well-being around the music. With that in the center I wanted to offer fitness classes for adults. I have an adult hip hop class running. Ballet for adults. We have pilates, yoga.”

How many teachers work here? “Right now it’s just me. I’m talking to Irish dance teachers and a ballet teacher about when they will start.”

Dancing is a lifelong passion for Genevieve Garcia, whose new dance studio, GV Dance & Fitness, opened in Naperville in March. (Steve Metsch / Naperville Sun)

what is your background “I grew up dancing. I worked in studios. I grew up with a single mother, not much money. I love dancing, obviously. The only way to get into dance classes was to work in the studio. So I did that as a kid. Attended Northwestern College of Dance. I graduated in Dance with a minor in Global Health in 2009. … After college, I performed with a student group called Boomshaka. … I had three jobs. I fought my way through college. The Northwest is not cheap.”

What did you do after college? “I had my own dance company. Performed in Mexico City, New York, Chicago, San Francisco. I knew I liked organizing things. I would direct shows.”

Is dancing worth it? “Dance professionally? Usually not, no. It’s rare to finance your whole life with it. You walk in and you think, “What else am I supposed to do?” It wasn’t a lesson for me at the time. So I did other things. Discovered that I like running companies and learned a lot from them. As soon as I had a daughter, I wanted to do something more. I want to give more to the world. That’s when I started working in the Park District in Oak Park. …I was running the programs there and I was like, ‘Wait, I’m good at this. Why don’t I try it for myself?’”

Why are you in Naperville? “I wanted to be in a church that has a broad spectrum of socioeconomic families so I can minister to a broad spectrum. … They support local businesses. That’s important to me.”

What is special about dancing? “I love to move. I think that all people need physical activity to keep their lives balanced in order to live happily. And i love music. If I can share that with others, especially with children, that’s the best I can give them.”

What about pricing? “The more you buy, the less. It’s usually around $16 per class. I want it to be sensible.”

What is your goal? “Creating artists and athletes because I think you can really have both. Create a community of connections within which children and families can connect and grow together. The ‘dance mom atmosphere’ is not necessary. We want. ‘Hey, your kid did great.’”

When children come, what happens? “They’re usually running around all the time, so they’re pretty athletic when they’re a kid. My 5 year old can outrun me. … It’s about teaching them technique, using their bodies, letting them be creative and having teachers show them things about posture, alignment and coordination. That can serve you forever.”

What do you like the most? “Having a positive presence in the community, especially for the youth.”

Any negatives? “We are at the beginning, the hardest chapter.”

What prejudices do people have? “They think it’s all ballet or it’s just something for girls, which isn’t the case.”

Any challenges? “Spread the word.”

Any favorite stories? “One mom reached out and said, ‘(My daughter) literally loves your classes so much she talks about them all week.’ It feels like I’m covered in gold.”

What is your advice to someone starting a business? “Do you know exactly why you want to start the company. It can’t just be about money. The money will come when the value is there.”

If you know of a company that you would like to see featured in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.

Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.

The post Sharing the love of transferring the important thing to happiness for Naperville dance studio proprietor – Chicago Tribune appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Hose

Earlier this month, a video went viral on social media showing a white man aggressively using a hose on a homeless woman sitting on a public sidewalk. After the clip was shared, the man was identified as San Francisco art gallery owner Collier Gwin.

According to San Francisco District Attorney Brook Jenkins, Gwin was arrested on Wednesday (January 18) on a misdemeanor charge. “The alleged battery of an unaccommodated member of our community is totally unacceptable. Mr Gwin will face appropriate consequences for his actions,” the prosecutor said. Footage of the arrest of the gallery owner in police custody also circulated on the Internet. The original video was recorded on January 9 and showed Gwin repeatedly demanding that the woman “move around” in front of his shop. He casually crossed his legs while leaning against a railing while directing the pressurized jet of water at the woman’s torso.

Last week, Gwin, owner of the Foster Gwin Gallery in San Francisco’s Financial District, sat on CBS News trying to apologize and clear his name. “What they saw is very unfortunate,” he shared during the interview. “I feel terrible, not just because I want to get out of trouble or something, but because I tried so hard to help this woman,” he added. Since the video went viral, many in the community have been calling for the gallery owner to be punished. In a clip posted to Twitter, an angry citizen went to Gwin’s gallery and demanded that the businessman hose him down to see what action would follow.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed compared Gwin’s use of the hose to what protesters experienced in the 1960s. “When I saw it, all me [could] think about [was] what happened during the civil rights movement,” Breed told reporters last week. “Unfortunately, this comes at a time when African Americans were fighting for our rights to be seen as equal in this country. Even then, law enforcement and others used water hoses to stop protesters. And it kind of takes us back to that time. And no other human should be able to do that to another human, period. As far as I’m concerned, it’s assault.”

The story goes on

See related posts below.

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Tori Gaines and Ella Sogomonian

2 months ago

SAN FRANCISCO (CRON) — A San Francisco business is experiencing misplaced hatred after a man was filmed spraying water at what appeared to be a homeless woman outside the store. The problem is that although the man is the owner of a nearby business, he has nothing to do with them.

A video captured by another business owner shows a man using a hose to spray a powerful jet of water at a woman sitting on the sidewalk. The woman appears to be homeless, and as she screams, he continues spraying her.

The man then points down the street and commands “move” several times. Then he asks: “Do you want to move?” before the video ends.

The San Francisco Police Department says officers were called to the site just after noon Monday after receiving reports of a possible attack. Officers met a man they identified as a suspect in an altercation with a woman. Both parties reportedly refused police action as a result.

SFPD says the San Francisco Street Crisis Response Team was also called to the scene to provide support services to the woman. The officers filed a complaint with the police to document the incident.

The San Francisco Chronicle identified the man with the hose as Collier Gwin, owner of the Foster Gwin Art Gallery in San Francisco. He said he called police and social services and told the woman to move before allegedly throwing trash cans and yelling back.

Gwin stands by his actions, telling the Chronicle, “She starts screaming warlike things, spitting, yelling at me… at that point she was so out of control… I hose her down and say move, move.” . I’ll help you.”

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Social media users have criticized Gwin for what he has done, particularly against a woman who appears to be homeless. Someone shattered the glass on his front door on Tuesday. Many users also took to social media to criticize local business Barbarossa Lounge, seen behind Gwin in the video.

The owners of the Barbarossa Lounge made it clear in a statement that they do not condone Gwin’s behavior. “Barbarossa is not connected to the inhuman acts depicted in the video,” the statement said.

The video was captured by Edson Garcia, an employee at the coffee shop next door, who said he started recording when he heard the woman scream as he was stuck in traffic on his way to work.

Garcia and others in the area said they had seen the woman sit in the spot for the past few weeks, refusing help and asking to be left alone. Barbarossa’s owners called San Francisco Social Services to help the woman.

The Homelessness and Housing Department says business owners should call 3-1-1 if the homeless might be blocking the entrance. The Street Crisis Response Team (SCRT) will then contact and offer the person information about available services.

Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, explains that the process requires more resources to work as intended.

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“Ideally they would be assigned an intensive case manager. Unfortunately there are thousands of people on the waiting list. The other thing that needs to happen is that we need to make sure that once people are in treatment, they are stabilized in accommodation that suits their needs,” she said.

Friedenbach confirms that this woman in the video was offered to go to congregation accommodation, but says it is not appropriate for a person who could be seriously ill and disruptive. San Francisco Chief Executive Aaron Peskin tweeted, “My office is well acquainted with the victim and has been attempting to enlist her support from (the San Francisco Department of Public Health) for many months.”

DPH has not commented on this story.

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