Friends and neighbors,
These past few weeks have been a flurry of celebrations in the district. I was honored to attend the capital campaign kick-off to rehabilitate Kinmon Gakuen
, a Japanese language school and community center in the heart of Japantown. Kinmon Gakuen is a city landmark, a legacy business, and a cultural center that has served generations of Japanese Americans. I was honored to join Consul General Osumi, Assemblymember Ting, Supervisor Chan, Mayor Breed, city staff, and community leaders at the event. I’m proud of how our City and State governments have come together to invest in the renovation of this important community space.
The Legacy Business Program welcomed three more District 5 businesses nominated by our office to its registry: Everlasting Tattoo, a world-renowned custom tattoo studio; Progress Cleaners, a family-owned purveyor of laundry services in the Western Addition since 1975; and On the Bridge Restaurant, the cozy and colorful yōshoku-style Japanese restaurant that connects the Japan Center’s West Mall and Kinokuniya building.
I’d also like to welcome Jesus Guillen, Natalie Burdick, Madeline Howie, Nick Parker, and Andrew Seigner to the Market & Octavia Community Advisory Committee (MO-CAC). MO-CAC is a representative body that provides advice to the Planning Director, the Interagency Plan Implementation Committee, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors regarding implementation of the Market/Octavia Area Plan and the plan's community improvements. We were pleased to support their appointments and look forward to their work on the CAC.
In our continued support of the district’s neighborhood commercial corridors, I authored an ordinance to waive DPW banner fees so that small D5 neighborhood groups could afford to put banners in the neighborhood. The Ordinance passed unanimously. For many groups, the banner fees are cost-prohibitive - particularly for our local merchant and neighborhood groups - and too often the banners in our corridors are dominated by larger organizations and private entities. I look forward to seeing your banners color our district!
Stay in touch with the District 5 office by emailing us at PrestonStaff@sfgov.org, calling (415) 554-7630, or replying to this email. |
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Dean Preston,
District 5 Supervisor |
Arbor Day Fair 2024
March 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
New Traditions Elementary School (2050 Hayes)
You are invited to San Francisco Public Works’ Arbor Day Fair! Bring your friends and family for a few hours of fun, hands-on activities, and info booths on urban environmental education. This event is rain-or-shine.
Activities and Vendors:
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Info booths
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Bucket truck rides
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Kid-friendly games and activities
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Build your own planter box
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Street tree ID walk at 10 AM
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Go on a tour of the new tree nursery at 11 AM
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Get free compost (bring your own 5 gallon buckets)
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JBBP Rosa Parks Elementary School Matsuri Fundraiser
March 9 at 5:30 p.m.
St. Mary’s Event Center (1111 Gough Street)
Join the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program at Rosa Parks Elementary School for an evening with family, friends and alumni to celebrate 50 wonderful years of unique cultural programming and daily language curriculum. Provided to over 250 students per year in grades Kindergarten through 5th at Rosa Parks Elementary, this experience would not be possible today without years of community support.
The ticket includes dinner, dancing, and live music. Bring your cash for our JBBP JANKENPON GAME, Walt and Alex's homemade beer, and many CASH & CARRY items! The Event will include a short program and exciting Live Auction on Saturday, March 9th, starting at 6:00 p.m. The door opens at 5:30 p.m.
Kimono or Matsuri attire is welcome! Free parking is available at the Event Center. School-aged children attending the event need a ticket and must remain under the supervision of responsible parents/guardians during the event. More information here.
Kezar Pavilion Community Meeting
March 12, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Room Community – Station Police Park (1899 Waller Street)
The Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), will be hosting a community meeting regarding renovating Kezar Pavilion. The building will be renovated to accommodate enhanced recreational activities and to function as a disaster response facility in the event of a major emergency. Please join the meeting to discuss the vision and goals of this legendary facility and how to create a flexible and multi-purpose facility to meet the City’s needs. For more information, visit the project webpage: https://bit.ly/kezarpavilionproject
Safeway Town Hall Meeting sponsored by Fillmore United Alliance
March 15 at 5:30 p.m.
Hamilton Recreation Center (1900 Geary)
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KOHO Japantown Film Festival
March 16, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Japantown Peace Plaza
Three films, all produced by stakeholders in our the Japantown community, will focus on the Japanese American experience today: the influences of historical trauma, resilience and strength of generations, and the search for cultural identity in purpose, place and community. The festival will feature three film shorts with a discussion panel with the film-makers.
Reparations by Jon Osaki, Executive Director of the Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC), award-winning filmmaker and social justice activist. Black and Asian Americans reflect on the legacy of slavery, the inequities that persists, and the critical role that solidarity between communities has in acknowledging and addressing systemic racism in America.
Benkyodo, The Last Manju Shop in JTown, produced by eryn kimura. Rick and Bobby Okamura grapple with closing their beloved family-owned manju shop after serving the San Francisco Japantown community for 115 years.
Like the Cherry Blossoms, produced by Greg Viloria and Tucker Reiland, speaks to the feeling of belonging in an ever evolving cultural community. Self-imposed assimilation - the struggle and optimism of preserving culture in San Francisco Japantown.
The first 50 guests who RSVP will receive a gift at the festival. RSVP and find more information here: https://kohosf.org/events/koho-japantown-film-festival
RAWdance: the CONCEPT series
March 15 at 8pm
March 16 at 3pm & 7pm (*3pm performance includes ASL interpretation)
The Green Room (401 Van Ness)
RAWdance’s celebrated salon serves up a fresh dose of unique, high quality dance in a lavish setting, with a living room vibe. Learn more about the performance here.
Easter Carnival hosted by Redemption Church
March 23, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Golden Gate Park
D5’s Redemption Church is hosting their annual Easter Carnival on Saturday, March 23 at Golden Gate Park. There will be a bounce house, Easter egg hunt, carnival games, snacks, and so much more! Free and family-friendly. |
Celebrating JTown Peace Plaza
March 30 and 31, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Japantown Peace Plaza
Performance - SF Taiko Dojo, Sayonara Picnic Band + Jtown Hip Hop Experience @ Peace Plaza. Free. |
Scholarships for SFUSD Seniors
The Superintendent’s 21st Century Award will be granted to six graduating SFUSD seniors who exemplify a particular strength in one or more of the characteristics of the SFUSD Graduate Profile. All SFUSD seniors are eligible for this award regardless of citizenship status. Recipients of the Superintendent’s 21st Century will each receive a $2,000 scholarship, be honored at a ceremony on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, and will also be featured in a video. The application form can be found here.
SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT: $2,000 per student (6 scholarships available)
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Friday, March 15, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
For more information, please visit their website.
DreamSF Applications Now Open!
The DreamSF Fellowship is back for the 11th year connecting immigrant students and aspiring professionals with social justice change-makers in the Bay Area! With the DreamSF Fellowship, fellows gain hands-on experience in direct services, advocacy, content creation, immigration law careers, program management, paralegal work, healing creative expression, community organizing and much more.
Build community and shape your future with the DreamSF Fellowship. Applications are now open for 2024! Learn more and apply now: dreamsffellows.org
COVID-19 and Mpox Resources
Like everyone else, we are continuing to monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 and Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). Want to find resources? Click here to read about the latest on the City’s COVID-19 updates and resources, and here to read about the latest regarding Mpox
. Please note: the City’s COVID-19 health officer emergency order has expired.
Survey on LGBTQ+ Older Adults in California
A statewide coalition comprising organizations, service providers, aging agencies, and community stakeholders dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ seniors in California are actively promoting a survey targeting LGBTQIA+ older adults in California, with the aim of gathering essential baseline information pertaining to their health, economic status, and overall well-being.
The survey, available until March 31, 2024, requires approximately 20 minutes for completion and is accessible in four languages: English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Traditional Chinese. Take the survey here.
Need help with a mental health or substance use problem?
To get started with care, call or visit the San Francisco Department of Public Health Behavioral Health Access (BHAC):
1380 Howard Street
M-F 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
888-246-3333
Small Business Vandalism Relief Fund
This grant provides up to $2,000 for vandalism-related costs. Examples of damages include broken windows, broken doors, broken locks, etching on windows, graffiti, and more. Apply here: https://sf.gov/get-grant-vandalism-related-costs-your-small-business-storefront.
For businesses in District 5, we have our own victim assistance program for small businesses impacted by broken windows. Eligible businesses can be reimbursed up to $4,000 of the cost of replacing a storefront window with a maximum of two reimbursements per year.
Food resources: https://www.sfhsa.org/services/food/free-food-locations
For a list of District 5 resources, including Adult and Family Services, Neighborhood Associations, Parks, Schools, and much more, please visit: https://sfbos.org/supervisor-preston-district-information-and-resources |
Fellowship & Internship Opportunities
Are you interested in learning about city government while fighting to win real, transformative reforms for the working class? Volunteer with the District 5 office! If you’re in college, some credits may apply, depending on your school’s program. Send your resume to PrestonStaff@sfgov.org, and we’ll take it from there.
Learn More About DSA SF
The Democratic Socialists of America is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with over 92,000 members and chapters in all 50 states. DSA believes that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. Check out the San Francisco chapter’s upcoming events here to see how you can help make San Francisco a more equitable city using people power. |
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