October 18, 2021
A Message From The Supervisor:
Happy Monday District 11! This past weekend was jam packed with events throughout the District. Phoenix Day was a huge success. Livable Cities collaborated with a number of community members to create outdoor block parties throughout the District. The OMI hosted a STEM Frenzy event and highlighted the importance of science in our communities in collaboration with OMI Community Collaborative, SF African American Early Childhood Educators, Dream Keepers Initiative, Children's Council, The Good Rural, Beep's Burgers, Livable City and OMI Invest Black. The Excelsior celebrated Phoenix Day by hosting bands who performed great music while inviting a number of agencies to table with resources. I was lucky enough to be able to attend both events and it was great to see people outside enjoying time with each other.
As many of you may have heard, the City has eased some of the mask mandates that have been in place for months. You can find the updated mask mandate by clicking HERE.
Autumn is upon us. This means Halloween is right around the corner. As we prepare for Halloween this year, I would like to encourage families to remain safe while trick or treating. I would like to draw special attention to two upcoming events. On this Friday, 10/22, there will be a special 5PM screening of the movie “E.T.” at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. Please join neighbors as they watch the movie and host a fun costume contest.
On Saturday, 10/23 there will be a costume contest and Halloween Block Party celebration in the OMI on Faxon Avenue (between Ocean and Demonfort Ave). The event will take place from 12PM to 3PM. There will be arts and crafts, a bounce house, mini pumpkins, and candy bags for the kids. Click HERE and HERE for helpful links to stay safe this Halloween.
October is also Filipino Heritage Month. As a community, we celebrate the achievements and the contributions that our Filipino community has made to our city and our world. District 11 is home to the highest population of Filipino Americans that reside in San Francisco. As District 11 Supervisor, I am honored to celebrate this month with our Filipino brothers and sisters. Click HERE for more information on Filipino Heritage Month.
Our office remains accessible to the public through telephone, email, virtual meeting or in person via appointment. We are available by email: safaistaff@sfgov.org or by phone 415-554-6976 (leave a message and we will call you back). You can also check for updates on my Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook. Stay safe and healthy.
Please note - if you miss my weekly newsletter, you may find it later on the Board of Supervisor’s website. Click HERE to read past newsletters.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to my staff at Safaistaff@sfgov.org
Sincerely,
Supervisor Ahsha Safai
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San Francisco State, San Francisco Department of Public Health and San Francisco Unified School District Collaborate to Offer Scholarships for San Francisco Youth Who Get COVID-19 Vaccine
San Francisco State University (SF State), the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) announced today a new scholarship program for San Francisco residents ages 12 to 17 who received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Through a drawing, SF State is offering 10 scholarships to fully fund four years of undergraduate tuition to the University for eligible youth who register at participating vaccination locations in the City, which include:
- Monday, Oct. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. — Visitation Valley Neighborhood Vaccination Site, 1099 Sunnydale Ave., San Francisco, CA 94134
- Tuesday, Oct. 26, 3:30 to 6 p.m. — Malcolm X Academy School, 350 Harbor Rd., San Francisco, CA 94124
- Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2:30 pm to 5 p.m. — Balboa High School, 1000 Cayuga Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112
- Friday, Oct. 29, 4 to 6 p.m. — Ella Hill Hutch Community Center, 1050 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94115
- Tuesday, Nov. 2, noon to 4 p.m. — Mission District Neighborhood Vaccination Site, 24th St. and Capp St., San Francisco, CA 94110
- Saturday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. — McCoppin Elementary School, 651 6th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94118
Scholarships will be awarded in the amount of the difference between qualifying expenses for in-state tuition and fees and other federal and/or state financial aid awarded to the winner. In the event a winner’s federal and/or state financial aid awards fully cover the cost of in-state tuition and fees, the student will be awarded $2,000 per academic year. All scholarships will be credited to the individual’s student account for each semester of enrollment.
Residents are eligible to enter the drawing if they meet all the following requirements:
- Permanently resides in San Francisco (including people living in San Francisco who meet AB 540 eligibility)
- Received at least the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine two-shot series prior to entry. Must be age 12 to 17 when this occurs
- Currently not enrolled at a college or university nor have been previously been enrolled in college or university
- Not an employee or immediate family of an employee of SF State living as a member of the employee’s household. Consistent with California Government Code section 82029, “immediate family” means spouse and dependent children
Residents can receive the vaccine from the participating sites to become eligible, but it is not required. Residents who receive the vaccine elsewhere or are already vaccinated are eligible to register for the drawing.
How to enter
Eligible residents will have the opportunity at the participating sites to complete a form that enters them in the drawing. SF State staff will be there to verify that registrants qualify and to help residents enter the drawing. The last day to enter the drawing is Nov. 13.
Selecting the winners
The winners will be randomly selected from among all eligible entries received. A minimum of one and a maximum of two winners will be selected from each participating vaccination locations.
The official announcement of the winners will publish the week of Nov. 22. Winners will be notified prior to announcement.
For more information regarding the official rules, FAQs and health privacy, visit together.sfsu.edu/vaccinescholarship or email enrollment@sfsu.edu.
San Francisans Urged To Get Flu Vaccines Ahead of Holiday Season
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) strongly recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu vaccine to safeguard their health, as November brings the start of flu season that will overlap with COVID-19 this year.
Last year’s flu season was relatively mild, as people significantly reduced contact with each other and masked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it’s still unknown how severe this year’s flu season will be, people are returning to many social activities. With increased contact during the holiday season, people could easily spread influenza. San Franciscans can prepare for the combined circulation of flu and COVID-19, which have many of the same symptoms, by vaccinating against both.
More information about the flu vaccine can be found here. More information about COVID-19 primary dose vaccine series can be found here as well as a list of vaccination sites in the City. Information about COVID-19 boosters can be found here .
Bay Area Health Officers Issue Criteria for Lifting COVID-19 Indoor Masking Requirements
As decisions to vaccinate and wear face coverings indoors drive down COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations, health officers for the nine Bay Area jurisdictions that require face coverings in most indoor public spaces today reached consensus on criteria to lift those health orders.
These health officers continue to work together across the Bay Area to protect public health with a consistent regional approach, and to plan for the next phase of response to COVID-19 as this wave of the pandemic ebbs.
The counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley will lift the indoor masking requirement in public spaces not subject to state and federal masking rules when all the following occur:
- The jurisdiction reaches the moderate (yellow) COVID-19 transmission tier, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and remains there for at least three weeks; AND
- COVID-19 hospitalizations in the jurisdiction are low and stable, in the judgment of the health officer; AND
- 80% of the jurisdiction’s total population is fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of Johnson & Johnson (booster doses not considered) OR Eight weeks have passed since a COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by federal and state authorities for 5- to 11-year-olds
Most Bay Area health departments issued the masking requirements for their respective jurisdictions on August 3, following a summer surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
But with regional data showing that the surge is now receding, and with the Bay Area one of the most vaccinated regions in the country, the Bay Area health officers agree it is time to plan for a transition.
Lifting a local indoor mask mandate would not prevent businesses, nonprofits, churches or others with public indoor spaces from imposing their own requirements. As COVID-19 easily spreads through airborne droplets, face coverings remain highly powerful in preventing its spread.
Each jurisdiction will rescind its order when criteria are met in that respective county or city. The criteria were developed to assist in determining the safest time to lift the indoor masking orders, based on regional scientific and medical consensus. The criteria also provide safety for school children, ages 5-11, who need the added protection of masks in the community to keep case rates low so they can remain in school until they can be vaccinated.
Separately from the other Bay Area jurisdictions, San Francisco announced today a more immediate easing of masking requirements beginning on October 15th in certain, select indoor settings where stable groups of fully vaccinated people gather. San Francisco has a proof of vaccination requirement to enter many indoor businesses, which is helping to slow the spread of the virus. More information about San Francisco’s planned changes to its health order, to be issued later next week, can be found at: https://sfmayor.org/news
As part of its criteria for universally lifting masks requirements, San Francisco will also consider the equitable distribution of the vaccine among children of vulnerable and highly impacted communities when reaching the 80% vaccination threshold.
“Indoor masking has been an important part of our defense against the virus and helped us get through the most recent surge while keeping businesses open and bringing children back to school,” said San Francisco’s Health Officer, Dr. Susan Philip. “We recognize that now is the time to begin taking steps toward easing some of the masking requirements in safer settings and planning for when we can safely lift them more broadly.”
California’s health guidance for the use of face coverings will remain in effect after local masking requirements are lifted, meaning that people who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 must continue to wear masks in businesses and indoor public spaces.
The state also requires face coverings for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in healthcare facilities, public transit and adult and senior care facilities. California’s masking guidelines in K-12 schools would also not be affected by changes to local health orders.
An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to consider an application from Pfizer-BioNTech to grant emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds on October 26.
For more information about San Francisco’s COVID-19 emergency response and how to get vaccinated and other services, visit: sf.gov/covid
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How would you spend San Francisco’s transportation sales tax dollars?
Take our survey or come to a virtual town hall.
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority is preparing to ask voters in June 2022 to continue the existing half-cent transportation sales tax and approve a new 30-year investment plan, also known as the Expenditure Plan. This new Expenditure Plan will determine how the city invests about $100 million per year in sales tax dollars to improve transportation across the city.
The current half-cent sales tax helps fund transportation projects and programs, large and small, and each dollar of the sales tax combines with $4-$7 in other federal, state and local funds on average. Major capital investments have included the purchase of new Muni buses and light rail vehicles, Salesforce Transit Center, the electrification of Caltrain, Muni Central Subway, and the new Presidio Parkway. It also pays for smaller projects like traffic calming, street repaving projects, paratransit service for seniors and persons with disabilities, protected bike lanes, new and upgraded signals, Safe Routes to School and taxi rides home for essential workers.
TAKE THE SURVEY AT sfcta.org/ExpenditurePlan (Survey available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Filipino)
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL INFORMATION:
Participants can enter a raffle for a $25 gift card.
(The same information will be presented at both events.)
Date: Saturday, November 6, 2021
Time: 11:00 am - noon
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86859639404
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
833 548 0276 US Toll-free
833 548 0282 US Toll-free
877 853 5247 US Toll-free
888 788 0099 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 868 5963 9404
Date: Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86161074490
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
877 853 5247 US Toll-free
888 788 0099 US Toll-free
833 548 0276 US Toll-free
833 548 0282 US Toll-free
Meeting ID: 861 6107 4490
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First Year Free - New Program to Support San Francisco Small Businesses
What is First Year Free?
First Year Free offers relief to qualifying new businesses and new locations of existing businesses by waiving their initial registration, initial license, first-year permit and other applicable fees. The program will be available to qualified new businesses and existing businesses with new locations who commence business between November 1, 2021 and October 31, 2022.
What Do I Need to Know?
TTX is currently working with partner departments to implement the First Year Free program. On November 1, 2021, TTX will begin to enroll qualifying businesses in the program, and then departments with fees covered by First Year Free will waive those fees and bill TTX. TTX will provide more information and verification tools to all impacted departments and business owners will be instructed to alert departments about their inclusion in the program.
How Can I Help?
Spread the word! If you interact with small businesses or people who are planning to start a new business, please let them know about First Year Free:
- Direct them to the program webpage at sftreasurer.org/FirstYearFree, which will be updated with the latest information.
- Distribute information about the program to relevant contacts or via departmental social media.
- Share ideas for how to publicize the program (for example, through merchant groups, neighborhood listservs, etc.).
What If I Have More Questions or Ideas?
If you have any questions about the program or outreach ideas, feel free to reach out to Molly Cohen (molly.cohen@sfgov.org) at TTX. |
New Grant to Support Storefronts Impacted by Vandalism
The Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant program provides up to $2,000 in financial relief to restore and repair damages from vandalism at neighborhood storefronts. The program launches during a time when many small businesses are recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant provides financial relief to restore small businesses impacted by deliberate actions that result in the destruction or damages of storefronts. This program will offer either $1,000 or $2,000, depending on the total cost incurred to repair physical damages. The $1 million program is designed to serve more than 500 small businesses with gross revenue of less than $8 million that can provide proof of damages from vandalism incurred since July 1, 2020.
The Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant is one tool in preventing crime and improving safety in neighborhood commercial corridors. The Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) also funds programs to help small businesses and neighborhood organizations improve safety through ambassadors and activations to increase foot traffic and community patrols. The fund is not meant to replace the loss of stolen goods and does not include damage to shared spaces.
To apply, eligible businesses are asked to provide receipts, photos of damages and furnish a report from the San Francisco Police Department or from 311 in the case of graffiti. Applications can be found by visiting oewd.org/VandalismRelief. |
ArtSpan presents SF Wide-Open Studios (SFOS)
This fall, ArtSpan’s SF Wide-Open Studios invites you to discover, explore, and be inspired by the creative power of SF Bay Area artists! From September 16 through November 21, 2021, experience a festival season of free artful happenings across the San Francisco Bay Area with opportunities to build your collection while supporting local artists.
From receptions and exhibitions, to happy hours and virtual happenings, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
- Visit artist-hosted open studio events 09/16-10/17; then the SFOS Exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center from 10/21-11/21
- Discover unique artful events while out and about during the SFOS season by using the SFOS web app to “see art near you”
- Purchase art directly from open studio artists knowing that you’re investing in their livelihood⠀
- Begin or build your art collection while supporting active artists⠀
Visit artspan.org/sfos to learn more.
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| Last week, I joined the Recreation and Parks Department, the Low Income Investment Fund, First Five SF and the Office of Early Childhood and Education as they launched the 2021 Connecting Children with Nature Program that greened outdoor spaces at five Family Child Care Homes and four Early Childhood Education centers. |
| I was honored to present Certificates of Honor at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent (CCBA) and the Chinese Consolidated Women’s Association (CCWA) are proud to announce our 68th and 69th Annual Overseas Chinese Day Celebration Event. |
| Great visit to the STEM Frenzy event sponsored by the AAECE. Thanks to Galileo High’s Robotics Team for coming out! |
| Sunday Streets in the Excelsior at London and Geneva was great today. Mel and Maribel along with neighbors and the Dark Horse Inn provided a lively event for the community! I’m happy to see in person events resume in the Excelsior! |
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