By Joanie Juster

Spring has definitely sprung in San Francisco. The Sisters have blessed San Francisco again with their only-in-San Francisco Easter festivities in Dolores Park. A lucky few are now cherishing the fabulously wacky Easter bonnets they snagged at Joe Mac’s annual Easter Bonnet Sale at 440, and Alert Alley is graced with its new commemorative name, Sister Vish-Knew Way. There is hope in the air, and there are good people doing good work everywhere you look.

Save the Date: The Quilt Returns to San Francisco

I will be writing much more about this in future columns because it is extremely close to my heart, but in the meantime, save the dates June 11 and 12 for the largest outdoor San Francisco display in a decade of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, according to the National AIDS Memorial. The display in Golden Gate Park will mark the 35th anniversary of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and will feature nearly 3,000 panels of the quilt. The free public event will take place on the aforementioned dates from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at Robin Williams Meadow and in the National AIDS Memorial Grove.

An opening ceremony and traditional quilt unfolding will start at 9:30 am on June 11, followed by the continuous reading aloud by volunteers, dignitaries, and the public on both days of names of lives lost to AIDS.

The two-day 35th Anniversary event will be presented by Gilead Sciences. Stay tuned for my next column for details on how to attend, to volunteer, to submit a new panel, and to participate in the reading of names. Watch the press conference here: https://tinyurl.com/Quilt35PC

A New Look for the Castro Country Club

Have you walked down 18th Street recently? On April 14, Castro Country Club (CCC) hung their new sign, which is a rainbow-proud colorful addition to the street scene.

CCC has been an integral part of the Castro community for 39 years. Created in 1983 as a social alternative to the gay bars, the club had an initial role that expanded during the 1980s as AIDS devastated the neighborhood. Throughout the years, CCC has grown and changed to meet the needs of the community, providing a safe haven for countless LGBTQ+ people in recovery to help each other achieve and stay grounded in sobriety. Governed by an Advisory Board, the volunteer-based CCC is now self-supporting. It hosts over 40 meetings a week as well as a wide range of events and activities, and even partners with PRC to provide job training. Their building at 18th and Hartford operates a Peet’s café with free Wi-Fi, a welcoming meeting room, and a spacious back patio open to the public from early morning until late at night, 365 days a year.

I’ve known and admired CCC’s Executive Director Billy Lemon for a number of years, mostly through his extraordinary work in building CCC’s AIDS Walk team into a fundraising powerhouse to reckon with. When I saw him proudly displaying CCC’s new sign on social media on April 14, I asked him what prompted the change. He told me that many folks (myself included) had been “foggy” as to exactly what CCC is, and what services it provides. The colorful new branding created by the ABOARD Design team led by Mike Fung raises visibility by being more vibrant. Billy hopes it will help clarify CCC’s brand, and help the organization move forward at the same time.

In addition to café revenue, merchandise sales (including a classy hoodie that features the new rainbow logo), space rental revenues, grants, and, of course, their awesome AIDS Walk team, the Castro Country Club is largely supported by contributions from community donors. You could be one of them! Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/CastroCC

In Case You Missed It, Part 1: The Future of Trans Health Care

On April 8 the Commonwealth Club presented the first in a series looking at the latest in transgender health care. A panel of doctors and experts in the field of trans and nonbinary healthcare explored the latest developments in the field.

This first program in the series, sponsored by Gilead Sciences, addressed the future of trans health care, current advancements in care and accessibility, and best practices in serving trans and nonbinary community members today and in the future. Panelists included Dr. Alexis Petra, MD and Founder/CEO of TransClinique; dr Allie Zarah Ley, a leading plastic surgeon providing comprehensive surgical expertise in the field of gender-affirming healthcare; dr Christi Butler, Assistant Professor and Urologic Surgeon at UCSF; dr Heidi Wittenberg, Director of MoZaic Care Inc. and a Gender Affirmation Surgeon. The program was moderated by Michelle Meow of the Michelle Meow Show.

Future programs will cover a wide range of issues facing trans health care, including the ongoing attacks on trans children and families, policy advancements, mental health and wellness, and more. You can watch the April 8 program here: https://tinyurl.com/FTransHC

In Case You Missed It, Part 2: Trans Visibility in STEM

From a Gender Euphoria Wall where visitors were encouraged to “show the world what you love about yourself” to a custom pronoun button-making booth, on April 2, San Francisco’s Exploratorium went all-in on celebrating the Trans Day of Visibility.

The day featured music, art, panels, interactive exhibits, and films, including a set of short films that shared the wide range of transgender, non-binary, and Two Spirit Experiences, from the collection and work of the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP).

One of the highlights of the day was a timely collaboration with The Transgender District: a panel on Trans Visibility in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) that highlighted the importance of transgender representation in the sciences, inclusion and accountability, and a Discussion on how to build an equitable future in STEM academic scholarship.

Moderated by Honey Mahogany, co-founder of The Transgender District, the panel included three individuals blazing trails in trans representation in STEM: Kenya Boudreaux, a Software Engineer at Apple; Orion Lam, a professor at Solano Community College with a Ph.D. in Chemistry; and Terra Field, a Systems Engineer, formerly at Netflix and the organizer behind the #NetflixWalkout.

The conversation focused on the importance of trans inclusion in fields critical to social and technological advancement, what accountability and allyship looks like in such fields, and what trans visibility in STEM means for trans liberation. A recording of the event will be made available soon at https://tinyurl.com/TDOVSTEM

These kinds of creative collaborations are a major step toward opening up opportunities for those who have been excluded from such opportunities for too long. And speaking of opportunities…

Opportunities Ahead

Looking for a career change? On April 23, the City and County of San Francisco will host a large citywide Career Resource Fair for job seekers from all backgrounds who are interested in exploring a career with the city. The city has job opportunities in a wide range of areas, in health care, public safety, technology, construction, human services, and more.

Date/Time: April 23 from 10 am–2 pm
Location: Civic Center Plaza, 355 McAllister, San Francisco, CA., 94102
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/SFJobFair

National Poetry Month

As someone who is lucky enough to be married to a world-class poet, poetry is part of everyday life in our household. So, this is a reminder that April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is good for you. It opens our eyes and hearts, and feeds our souls. It is a refreshing form of self-care. Take a few minutes to read a poem each day. You’ll be glad you did.

Focusing on Hope

These past few months have been filled with a barrage of bad news. From the war crimes and devastation in Ukraine to an increasing number of state legislatures that seem hell bent on destroying the live of trans people and those who love them, the examples of hatred, fear, and inhumanity are rampant. It is tempting to give in to despair, and all too easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, depressed.

And yet, while there are too many out there sowing chaos and discord, there are also many, many more working to heal our world. One of my favorite writers (and human beings), Rebecca Denison, is an HIV+ writer, educator, and mother who lives in Berkeley. She posts Super Short Stories (exactly 100 words each!) on social media and her website that give me hope for the world. I leave you today with this one:

Braving the Thicket

Sometimes, when the world feels too heavy—prickly, erratic, unsafe, and infinitely inhumane—I retreat and hunker down in my cave, reading, writing, doomscrolling, and wishing things were different. Other times, I heed the call to venture out, to participate in the flow of life. That’s when I follow Mr. Rogers’ advice: “Look for the helpers.” Often, I discover that people I don’t even know have already scratched a passage through the thicket, so others can keep moving forward along their own, messy paths. I stop. looks breathe lists. There’s light up ahead, and all around are signs of spring.” https://www.rebeccadenison.net/

Look for the helpers, friends. Better yet: be a helper. And open your eyes and heart to the signs of spring.

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

Published on April 21, 2022

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Live music is definitely on rocky ground post-COVID. It often feels like two out of three tours are getting postponed before they even launch, with the third walking on eggshells and ready to be scuttled at a moment’s notice. But Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen thinks there’s no reason why this summer’s twice-rescheduled Stadium Tour won’t happen.

Speaking to Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM (transcribed by Blabbermouth), Allen said:

“For sure. I think now we’re getting to the point where people can be safe, people can be safe enough. I think the way concerts are being run these days, there’s no reason why we can’t go forward. But it’s a moving target. So let’s just hope we’re on track.”

While we agree that Def Leppard might not have to worry about COVID, we wonder if Rick has heard his tourmate-to-be Vince Neil perform lately. Vince’s ability to pull off a tour like this comes more and more into question with every one of his solo shows. And if Mötley Crüe, who reunited for this tour, can’t please the crowd, how many shows in will things start to get ugly?

Anyway, catch Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe at one of the following dates, we hope:

6/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Suntrust Park [tickets]
6/18 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium [tickets]
6/19 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium [tickets]
6/22 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park [tickets]
6/24 – Queens, NY @ Citi Field [tickets]
6/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park [tickets]
6/28 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank Of America Stadium [tickets]
6/30 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium [tickets]
7/2 – Jacksonville, FL @ TIAA Bank Field [tickets]
7/5 – St Louis, MO @ Busch Stadium [tickets]
7/8 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field [tickets]
7/10 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park [tickets]
7/12 – Hershey, PA @ Hershey Park Stadium [tickets]
7/14 – Cleveland, OH @ First Energy Stadium [tickets]
7/15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Great American Ballpark [tickets]
7/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Field [tickets]
7/19 – Kansas City, MO @ Kauffman Stadium [tickets]
7/21 – Denver, CO @ Coors Field [tickets]
8/5 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/6 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park [tickets]
8/10 – Buffalo, NY @ New Era Field [tickets]
8/12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park [tickets]
8/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ US Bank Stadium [tickets]
8/19 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park [tickets]
8/21 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome [tickets]
8/22 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Park [tickets]
8/27 – Inglewood, CA @ Sofi Stadium [tickets]
8/28 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park [tickets]
8/31 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park [tickets]
9/7 – San Francisco, CA @ Oracle Park [tickets]

The post Def Leppard’s Rick Allen On Upcoming Tour With Mötley Crüe: “It is A Shifting Goal…Let’s Simply Hope We’re On Monitor” appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Hope Plumbing co-owner Jack Hope and sewer specialist Ryan McCormack came to Indy Now to talk about plumbing and yo-yo tricks.

Jack talked about some of the services and opportunities the company offers while Ryan, the company’s MVP (Most Valuable Plumber) demonstrated some impressive yo-yo skills!

The company has a special offer for the holiday season. After someone buys a new water heater, Hope Plumbing donates $100 to the customer’s charity.

Learn more about Hope Plumbing by visiting their website or by calling (317) 641-HOPE (4513).

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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 7: Ambry Thomas # 20 of the San Francisco 49ers defends during the game … [+] against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on November 7, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images)

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The San Francisco 49ers face another high leverage game to secure a playoff spot and run low in a key group.

San Francisco faces a challenging street game in Week 14 with another playoff contender, the Cincinnati Bengals, in a match between two teams whose postseason hopes have been tarnished by post-season losses. The 49ers were stunned in a wild game by the Seattle Seahawks while the Bengals suffered a home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

It was a painful loss for the Niners, who sustained further injuries in Seattle. While rewinding, Elijah Mitchell suffered a concussion that ruled him out along with a knee problem against Cincinnati. Emmanuel Moseley suffered an ankle sprain while pressing the pause button on a stellar campaign for the cornerback.

Mitchell’s absence, which would be made worse if Deebo Samuel – listed as questionable – is unable to return from an Achilles tendon problem, is a blow to the running game. However, San Francisco managed 9.5 yards per passing game last week and managed to move the offensive even without an efficient rushing attack.

More worrisome is Moseley’s loss, compounded when backup Dontae Johnson was ruled out on Saturday on a personal matter.

The Niners have a choice of two rookies, Ambry Thomas for the third round and Deommodore Lenoir for the fifth round, to start opposite Josh Norman.

Thomas has played mostly on special teams this season while Lenoir, who impressed when he stepped into action earlier in the season, was on the bench after Week 3 and his lack of time on the field against Seattle was evident when he played DK Metcalf. gave up a downfield reception, was suspended for a pass disruption in the red zone and suffered a touchdown for D’Wayne Eskridge after filling the gap left by Moseley’s injury.

Choosing between Thomas and Lenoir is not an enviable task for the Niners as their defenses prepare to face one of the most talented receiving corps in the NFL.

The Bengals rank a disappointing 20th in expected points added per game in offense, according to rbsdm.com, but the effects of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd’s trident are bettered by Cincinnati’s 8th in the NFL in Explosive. illustrates pass rate, per Sharp Football Stats.

San Francisco is 19th allowed in the NFL in Explosive Pass Rate and now has razor-thin depth in an area of ​​the team that was already considered a weakness.

Either Thomas or Lenoir will be thrown into the fire and there isn’t much reason for the Niners to trust the man who starts on the other far corner. Norman has had significant reporting issues consistently since joining the team in September.

The 49ers’ defense has improved in the last four games and is now in seventh place in the DVOA, which is weighted by Football Outsiders. It is unclear whether this improvement can be sustained without Moseley, whose reliability in reporting contributed significantly to these positive steps.

Against a still extremely vulnerable offensive line of the Bengals, which ranks 27th in the adjusted sack rate of Football Outsiders, the 49ers can rely on the defensive front, the depth of which is in stark contrast to that of the defensive backcourt to their fragile secondary side to protect.

There is no doubt, however, that either Thomas or Lenoir will at some point receive a severe test from the fearsome reception trio of the Bengals. In a game that FiveThirtyEight ranks as the most important of Week 14 in the playoff race, whoever the Niners choose to start in Moseley’s place is imperative to take on the challenge.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) – For the first time since the pandemic began, a towering Majestic Princess cruise ship moored in San Francisco harbor. It was a hopeful sight and could signal a comeback for the competitive cruise industry.

In March 2020, a cruise ship with sick passengers and crew members landed in the bay. It was San Francisco’s first contact with the coronavirus and many people feared it. But on Monday another cruise ship docked and brought not illness, but optimism for the future.

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For city commuters, it was a place for sore eyes. The Majestic Princess docked there on Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. as the first cruise ship since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Oh, I’m so excited. It’s like the world is opening up for us again. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, ”said Sandy Lipkowitz, owner of a local travel agency called We Make Travel Easy.

Lipkowitz said it was unfortunate that another ship, the Grand Princess, became an early global symbol of the pandemic. They were stuck in Oakland with sick passengers and crew members and sat on a cargo berth and could not come ashore for fear of the new virus.

“You know, the princess had a hard time in the beginning,” said Lipkowitz. “It was really unfair, they were caught at sea when nobody knew what was going on.”

Now the precautionary measures are closely monitored. Without a proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test, nobody can get on the ship. Guests wear masks when moving around the boat, except in the dining areas. The protocols are so strict that what was once considered a super-spreader environment is now considered by many travel professionals to be the safest form of travel in the world.

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“It’s as safe as anything else,” said cruise fan Tom Barton. “You can go to a soccer field with 40,000 people and in my opinion it’s not as safe as coming here on a cruise ship.”

The city is also happy about the return of the ships. In the year before the pandemic, cruise lines brought 280,000 tourists to San Francisco and contributed $ 27 million to economic benefits for local businesses.

“So you can imagine that this cruise break definitely slowed economic activity,” said Andre Coleman, deputy director of SF Port Maritime. “But we look forward to the safe resumption of the cruise and look forward to a record year in 2022.”

Because 127 cruise stops are already planned in San Francisco for next year, more than ever before. These include 28 from a new ship that will make The City its home port, the Carnival Miracle.

But on Monday morning the Majestic Princess performed a little miracle, both on and off the boat.

“I think you are seeing the return of life,” said Richard Bullen as he photographed the huge ship from the dock. “The flow starts to happen in a way that it didn’t have before. That hadn’t happened before. “

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And now that the first cruise ship has arrived, there are many more to come. Assuming everything goes well, 21 stops are planned for the remaining three months of 2021.

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From Martin Rogers
FOX sports columnist

The playing field came with a sidearm – and no one recorded it on the speed gun. It was the slightest bit deep and gone. But it was perfect.

It was the first pitch of the first game on the San Francisco Giants’ home roster, but there won’t be a better, more miraculous, and more valued performance at Oracle Park all season long.

The man who tossed it, Bryan Stow, told me this week that the accuracy of his pitch “could have been better”. In truth, as with many things in Stow’s life, things could have been much worse.

Ten years have passed since Lifelong Giants Stow received a horrific attack from two Los Angeles Dodgers fans in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium. The beating put him in a coma, left the then 42-year-old fight for his life and shocked baseball.

Back then, it was unthinkable that he would ever have a moment like April 9 when he stood in front of the hill before the Giants took on the Colorado Rockies, holding up the ball to cheer the restricted crowd of 7,390 and sending it off towards Alyssa Nakken, who became the first full-time coach of Major League Baseball in 2020.

“It was a great, great time,” said Stow with a huge grin. “The Giants players all waved to me. It was amazing.”

Earlier this year, when members of the Giants workforce decided that resilience would be their cultural theme for the season, Stow’s name was immediately the perfect choice for the opening day ceremonial throw.

“Nobody is more resilient than Bryan,” said his mother Ann Stow. “Things are still very difficult. But he has done an amazing job over the last few years. He has made great strides in what he can and can’t do, although other people notice it more than we do because we do it every day see.” . “

I’ve known the Stow family for almost seven years since I wrote a feature on Bryan in 2014. Back then, he wanted the Giants to win the World Series that season, which they would eventually do. It was the team’s third triumph in five years, but he couldn’t remember the previous two because of the extent of his brain injuries.

“I know they won,” he said then. “But I don’t really remember it. I want it to happen again.” Thanks in large part to Madison Bumgarner’s epic short-term performance in Game 7, he did.

Getting to know the Stows means making friends with them. They are warm and welcoming and infallibly friendly, and Bryan’s infectious sense of humor lingers, despite the life-changing card he received on that fateful evening a decade ago. Bryan still lives with Ann and his father Dave in their home in Capitola, California, where they have looked after and supported him ever since.

There is still a long way to go after the severe physical and cognitive damage he has suffered, but things have turned out well and further improvements are hoped for.

When he knocked out first place, Stow used a walker, but he usually doesn’t need one anymore and moves steadily with crutches or a stick.

“The walker was mostly such that he had something to support his left side when he made the throw,” said Ann Stow. “He’s fine.”

Such things are relative, of course. Stow spent months in the hospital after the attack and was mostly in a wheelchair for several years. Now he gets into bed and makes short trips on site – his mother takes him to the shopping center or the picturesque Capitola Village, where everyone knows him.

He looks forward to resuming his weekly visits to the cinema, where action and horror are his favorite genres. He speaks with pride of his 22-year-old son, a personal trainer who is about to get married. He often visits a friend nearby to hang out and talk – and watch baseball. Does he still love baseball? “Duh,” smiled Stow.

There are many ways to tell your story. You can get the news and see the legalities and punishments of the perpetrators, as well as the lawsuit filed against the Dodgers. For me it will always be a human story about a man whose life has been irreparably changed but who continues to strive to get the most out of each day.

Stow makes great company always ready to talk about sports, movies, family, or yes you guessed it, baseball. Especially baseball. Always baseball.

The Giants organization looks very different these days, with a vastly different roster and front office than 2011. But Stow remains a valued and welcomed friend of the franchise, and CEO Larry Baer recently promised the team would make it in of the World Series, Stow will be back and knock out another first place.

With the team selected to finish behind the highest spending Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the National League West, such an outcome is unlikely (FOX Bet lists the Giants as the 26th favorites to win it all by +12,000 ).

But hey, when they went into Thursday’s games they were 8-4. And when the squad needed to be reminded on the opening day that anything is possible, they just had to look out for first place.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. Here you can subscribe to the newsletter.

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Six years ago, a neighbor popped five crisp $ 20 bills into Ral Lopshire’s hand, dropped them off at the airport, and put them on a plane to San Francisco.

It should be lunch. It was not.

Rather, it was a carefully planned escape organized by Lopshire’s brother to get her out of an abusive relationship, get her out of the state of Arizona, and send her west to San Francisco – the city she always wanted to be in.

“When I got to San Francisco, I felt like I had won it all, even though I was here with $ 100 and had nowhere to go,” she says. “And no food either. But I still felt like I had won something a lot more. ”

She is gone now. Like so many others today, Lopshire is a former Franciscan.

There is a tale that the pandemic will drive the disgusting, wealthy comers out of this city – a better tomorrow that, oddly enough, looks like yesterday.

Maybe. The search for a silver lining in these times is understandable. But Covid is not the fire that cleanses. Many people were burned.

Surely there are some loudmouth VCs decamping for Miami (a city with all the corruption and ineptitude of the San Francisco government, with the added bonuses of insane weather, flying cockroaches, an impending environmental disaster, and sock-less idlers). Surely there are some tobacco company bosses fleeing San Francisco for safety in Dallas (a city with a violent crime rate well above that of San Francisco).

Despite what you may have read or seen on television, California exodus has not increased significantly. But San Francisco has. And it’s certainly not all legitimate tech brothers trading with the agency.

You read trending stories of indignant industry captains leaving these parts out of state when there isn’t a trend to speak of here. However, you haven’t read anything about Lopshire – a 29-year-old artist and musician who lost her job in the services industry in a cosmetics store, lost her apartment, and was economically banned from that town.

Maybe we got involved with this story because it’s so commonplace. It did this every day, long before the pandemic, with retail workers and house cleaners, as well as cooks, servers and drivers. And now with the pandemic imminent, it’s hard to imagine that only the wealthy and well-placed will go – and choose to go. It’s hard to imagine that the only people who leave San Francisco are wealthy and have all options.

And it’s hard to imagine that in the years to come, the happier newcomers who move here won’t have much of an advantage over the less fortunate. San Francisco’s rents have come down, but they’re still the highest in the nation.

A news agency has to decide whose stories to tell.

March 17th marks the one year anniversary of the health order in several counties that changed life in this and so many cities as we know them. Mission Local has handled it from the start and bottom up, and in the days and weeks to come, you’ll be reading the stories learning about the people and companies we introduced to you over the past 12 painful months.

We begin today by not meeting the privileged who are leaving San Francisco because they no longer like it, but rather people who have faced real difficulties – and have fought successfully or not to stay.

We start with stories from real individuals. No false trend stories.

We’ll start with Ral Lopshire.

Ral Lopshire, in a recent photo taken downtown

There are “homeless”, explains Lopshire, and there are “homeless”.

The day after Thanksgiving, during the height of the pandemic, all the money was gone. There were no more cheap motels that no longer slept in the car or slept on the couch of a friend or friendly stranger from Craigslist at night. She was homeless and homeless.

There were sleepless nights sitting on the cold sidewalk next to a building – “and nobody understands how cold it really gets at 3:00 in the morning” – and hungry days when a loaf of bread was fetched from the store, a la Jean Valjean .

Lopshire lost her job in the cosmetics business in March. By May she had no more money. In November she left her apartment on Sunset near McCoppin Square. She claims her roommates had a carefree attitude towards socializing and partying during the pandemic.

In a series of unfortunate events, Lopshire said she moved half of her belongings to a new place where two middle-aged women lived – she planned to use unemployment benefits to pay rent – and then returned at sunset to find new locks Doors. Attempts to get her property back resulted in an ex-roommate’s friend threatening her from the premises with a knife.

This story, she says, unsettled her new roommates. They broke off the resulting life arrangement and Lopshire found herself with half of her property in one former house and half in another on the street.

After sleeping badly in nicer parts of the city – the Castro, Nob Hill – she finally found her way to a homeless shelter for women. It was a poignant moment. She had stayed at this shelter in her early days in San Francisco. When she found shelter and work, she returned here as a volunteer. And now she was back, sleeping on a mat on the floor during a 10-day quarantine.

She spent Christmas at the shelter. It was cold. It was rainy. She wore a mask 24 hours a day and even when she slept; The only time it was taken off was to eat or take a shower.

The staff did what they could to cheer up the few women who stood in the building on Christmas Day: “They did it really well. They made a nice dinner. But I just thought I’d never do that again. ”

That remains to be seen. But after so much went wrong in 2020, the current year has started well. West Side Tenants Association employees set up a Go Fund Me for Lopshire. It didn’t make $ 55,492 like the guy who wanted $ 10 on potato salad, but the $ 670 was a life changer. She found a room in West Oakland for $ 580. She moved in January.

The pros and cons of Lopshire’s story aren’t typical – but a 29-year-old San Franciscan evicted from the city and moving to Oakland is certain: this was common before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and anything but sure after that. Your humble narrator’s parents, aged 29, moved from San Francisco to Oakland in 1976 in search of more affordable housing.

Among the San Franciscans who filed a change of address form with the post office between March and November last year, a large number ended up in Alameda County.

Lopshire misses San Francisco. She still doesn’t know her way around Oakland. But to be honest, there are times when it isn’t that bad to get lost and find something new. She interviewed for Jobs again. She takes part in junior college classes. “Things,” she says, “are falling together.”

But in a different place.

Reina Tello as seen on Twin Peaks

It can take years for gentrification to take its course like the bite of a Komodo dragon.

It may take a while to fully appreciate the impact of the pandemic on San Francisco demographics after entire worker-employing industries either collapsed or became inactive. While pandemic tenant protection is strong in this city, many tenants simply leave when they can’t pay the rent.

So Ernest Hemingway’s description of bankruptcy – “gradually, then suddenly” – also works in relation to gentrification. Shifting often takes time. There’s no shortage of nasty landlords and calloused public housing associations. But much of this simply affects people who leave over the years: people leave for work and family reasons – the conditions that make a recession and pandemic accelerate and worsen. San Francisco is a damn good city, but not everyone wants to make life here the be-all and end-all, especially when work is tight, money is tight and opportunities arise elsewhere.

All of this is happening here. Gradually then suddenly.

Reina Tello has experience with both bankruptcy and gentrification. She has personally filed for bankruptcy six times. It was her father’s wish to die in his own house in Bayview. And for years the family fought the bank to keep him there.

In 2018 Jesse Tello died. Not long after, more than two dozen sheriff MPs showed up to evict the women and children he had left behind.

Tello, her mother, brother, sister, and two elementary school children moved into a room in a cousin’s house. They spread a pair of foam mattress pads on the floor and slept on a pile.

Sometimes 38-year-old Tello didn’t even come home. She worked as a church organizer at Poder and a grocery store, and instead of waking everyone up, she just slept in her car in a Safeway parking lot. In the morning she would start the car, pick up her daughters, take them to school, go to their jobs, and do it all over again.

Why this? Why sacrifice so much to stay in a city that is so hard to stay?

“You know,” says Tello with a laugh, “you’re not the first to ask me that. And my answer has changed over the years. At first I was angry. I have the right to be here. Just like everyone has the right to be here. But now – have you ever been on vacation but homesick? Do you enjoy where you are, but don’t feel at home? San Francisco is that to me. It’s a place where I can be myself. ”

Tello, lower right, is pictured in a March 2000 review article about the Mission High Mock Trial Team

However, San Francisco is a busy place to call home. Even if you don’t have six bankruptcies on your file. Like Tello. Yet, through alchemy, her family landed a rental home in the Visitacion Valley in January. Tello, her mother, brother, and daughters have a home in San Francisco. The rent is $ 3,200 per month. Only Tello and her mother are currently working and the house is eating up most of their money.

Almost as soon as they moved in, the entire family tested positive for Covid. Tello’s truck was confiscated while in isolation. And in the past few days, she has been shocked to find her hair is falling out in clumps – which can be a lingering symptom of the disease, a result of stress, or all of the above. It’s difficult to say.

And yet Tello remains. The statistics for the coming years are not exactly good for hard-working city dwellers like her. But Tello is not a statistic. She is a Franciscan.

And that is the case despite the increasing difficulties. Gradually then suddenly.

“I hope and pray every day that this is just a difficult situation,” she says, talking about her family – but when you think about it, so many families in San Francisco.

“And we will recover from it.”

Stories telling our pandemic year will appear in Mission Local throughout March.

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The post Our pandemic yr: As San Francisco recovers, hope for the perfect — anticipate the worst appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

N.Anfang eines Jahres verhängte die San Francisco Bay Area die erste Sperrung des Landes, eine frühe Reaktion, die während der gesamten Pandemie den Ton angab. Infolgedessen hatte San Francisco einige der niedrigsten Fall- und Sterblichkeitsraten im Land.

Aber heute rechnet die Stadt mit einem komplizierteren Verlust – den Unternehmen, die geschlossen und nie wieder eröffnet wurden, den Bewohnern, die geflohen sind, dem Verlust von Kulturinstitutionen, die als sichere Räume für marginalisierte Gemeinschaften dienten.

“Im Moment sehen wir aus wie ein einziges großes Kriegsgebiet”, sagte Betty Louie, Beraterin der San Francisco Chinatown Merchants Association, über die berühmte Nachbarschaft. „All diese vernetzten Geschäfte. Die Menschen haben seit einem Jahr kein Einkommen mehr. Wer kann so überleben? “

Eine fast leere Straße in San Franciscos Chinatown im März. Foto: John G. Mabanglo / EPA

Niemand kann mit Sicherheit sagen, wie San Francisco aussehen wird, wenn die Pandemie vorbei ist. Laut einem Bericht des Chefökonomen der Stadt sind zwischen März und November 2020 mehr als 80.000 Einwohner ausgezogen. Die notorisch himmelhohen Mieten der Stadt sind zum ersten Mal seit Jahren um fast 30% gesunken, und die neuen Büromietaktivitäten im Jahr 2020 gingen um 71% zurück.

Aber viele entscheiden sich auch dafür, optimistisch in die Zukunft der Stadt zu blicken, getragen von dem Einfallsreichtum und der Stärke, die sie brauchten, um an Ort und Stelle zu bleiben, als so viele abreisten.

“Wir waren gezwungen, über den Tellerrand hinaus zu denken”, sagte D’Arcy Drollinger, der Besitzer von Oasis, einem Nachtclub, der für seine Drag-Shows berühmt ist. “Es ist etwas Magisches, gezwungen zu sein, sich zu ändern und die Art und Weise zu ändern, wie Sie Ihr Geschäft betreiben oder Ihr Leben leben.”

“Die Show muss weitergehen”, fuhr er fort. “Es muss weitergehen.”

“Sie haben die Wahl – rennen Sie von der Bühne oder machen Sie weiter”

Drollinger begann das Jahr 2020 mit einem Wandel: Er übernahm das alleinige Eigentum des Clubs, als seine Geschäftspartner in den Ruhestand gingen. Dann schlug die Pandemie ein. Er konnte den Club nicht mehr eröffnen oder persönlich Drag Shows veranstalten.

“Es war verheerend, wenn man Karriere macht und sein Geld verdient, indem man Menschen zusammenbringt”, sagte er. “Plötzlich geht man vom Geldverdienen zum Nullgeldverdienen über, und die Rechnungen hören nicht auf.”

Er erkannte, dass er schwenken musste.

“Es ist wie eine Show”, sagte Drollinger. “Wenn die Lichter angehen und etwas passiert – wenn Ihr Reißverschluss kaputt geht, wenn der DJ Ihre Musik verliert – haben Sie die Wahl, von der Bühne zu rennen oder die Nummer zu halten und weiterzumachen.”

Von hier aus wurde Meals on Heels geboren. Im Juni begann Oasis, die Lieferung von Essen und Alkohol mit Drag-Performances zu kombinieren und bot eine schillernde, auffällige und dennoch sozial distanzierte Lippensynchronisation und Show. “Es war wirklich freudig, auf der Straße aufzutreten”, sagte Drollinger. „Es war fast in deinem Gesicht. Die Autos auf den Straßen konnten es vorbeifahren sehen. Jeder konnte es sehen. Die Leute würden anhalten und den Drag Queens ein Trinkgeld geben. “

Elsa Touche mit Meals on Heels verbeugt sich während einer Essenslieferung im September. Foto: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Meals on Heels war eine Lebensader für arbeitslose Drag-Performer, die nicht nur Geld, sondern auch ein kreatives Medium brauchten. „Wenn du ein Performer bist, liegt es dir im Blut. Du willst auftreten “, sagte Drollinger. “Wir haben ihnen die Möglichkeit gegeben, ihre Perücken abzuwischen, ihre Pumpen abzuwischen und dort rauszukommen.”

Die Notwendigkeit zwang andere Gemeinden in San Francisco, ebenfalls kreativ zu werden.

In Bayview, einem historisch schwarzen Viertel im Südosten von San Francisco, war Gwendolyn Westbrook buchstäblich vor ihrer Haustür mit einer Krise konfrontiert.

Das von ihr geleitete Obdachlosenheim in der Nachbarschaft, der United Council of Human Services, wurde von der Stadt zu Beginn der Pandemie angewiesen, ihre Kapazität von 53 auf 25 Betten zu reduzieren, um Ausbrüche von Covid zu verhindern. Aber weniger Betten bedeuteten nicht weniger Menschen, die eine Unterkunft brauchten. Kurz nach Erlass des Shelter-in-Place-Befehls erinnerte sich Westbrook daran, dass er zur Arbeit gegangen war und in einer Ecke vor dem Gebäude Menschenmassen gesehen hatte, die weder sozial distanziert noch geschützt waren. “Ich versuche nur, mich vor den Elementen zu schützen”, sagte sie.

Seien wir ehrlich, niemand kümmert sich um Obdachlose. Wir mussten etwas tunGwendolyn Westbrook

“In diesem Moment habe ich mich entschieden”, sagte Westbrook. Sie baute 65 sozial distanzierte Zelte in einem nahe gelegenen Park auf. Gemeindemitglieder spendeten Zelte, Decken und saubere Kleidung, und mit dem Personal des Tierheims gelang es ihnen, den Bewohnern des Lagers drei Mahlzeiten am Tag zu servieren.

Sie wusste es damals noch nicht, aber das Lager in diesem Bayview Park würde ein Vorbild für Beamte in San Francisco werden, die offiziell genehmigte sichere Schlafdörfer in der ganzen Stadt eröffnen würden.

“Sie war die Meistertaktikerin in dieser ganzen Situation”, sagte Jennifer Friedenbach, die Geschäftsführerin von San Franciscos Koalition für Obdachlosigkeit. der sagte, die Zelte seien zunächst nicht autorisiert, erhielten aber später den Segen der Stadt. „Sie sah nur, dass sie etwas für ihre Leute tun musste und dachte:‚ Scheiß drauf. Ich werde einen sicheren Schlafplatz für die Leute im Park einrichten. Sie musste es tun und ihnen zeigen, dass es auf liebevolle Weise getan werden konnte, bevor sie dazu bereit waren. ”

Felicia Senigar, links, verteilt im April in San Francisco Essen. Foto: Jeff Chiu / AP

Westbrook sagte, sie könne es kaum erwarten, um Erlaubnis zu bitten. Dies war eine Krise, und dies war ihre Gemeinde – in Bayview kam die überwiegende Mehrheit der Obdachlosen aus der Nachbarschaft und blieb dort.

“Es war Panik”, sagte Westbrook. „Diese Krankheit, sagten sie, war so ansteckend und so tödlich. Ich wollte nicht, dass die Leute das verstehen, nur weil sie arm sind. Wohin würden sie von dort gehen?

„Und seien wir ehrlich. Niemand kümmert sich um Obdachlose “, fügte sie hinzu. „Sie werden nicht zu ihrer Rettung kommen. Wir mussten etwas für unsere Gemeinde tun und das haben wir uns ausgedacht. “

“Die Leute haben erkannt, wie eng wir miteinander verbunden sind.”

Während der Pandemie war die unbewohnte Bevölkerung der Stadt ständigen Herausforderungen ausgesetzt. Die Kapazität in Notunterkünften wurde reduziert, und die verfügbaren Ressourcen und Zufluchtsorte wurden geschlossen.

„Die Bibliotheken haben geschlossen, die Cafés geschlossen, die Einkaufszentren. Niemand hatte einen Platz zum Anschließen seiner Telefone, es gab keine Möglichkeit, mit Menschen in Kontakt zu treten. Die Ernährungsprogramme werden eingestellt “, sagte Friedenbach. “Wir haben immer wieder gehört: ‘Ich habe das Gefühl, die Stadt hat mich hier gelassen, um zu sterben.'”

Die Zahl der Obdachlosen hat sich in den ersten Monaten der Pandemie verdreifacht, viele davon aufgrund von Überdosierungen, die Friedenbach als „Todesfälle der Verzweiflung“ bezeichnete. Zur gleichen Zeit, während sich viele auf der Straße einsamer fühlten als je zuvor, Friedenbach sagte, viele sahen auch ein beispielloses Maß an Unterstützung durch die Gemeinschaft.

Ein Buchladenbesitzer aus der Haight Street begann eine Fahrt, um Zelte und Schlafsäcke zu sammeln und zu verteilen. Andere verteilten Wasser, Essen und Händedesinfektionsmittel. “Alle diese Netzwerke für gegenseitige Hilfe tauchten auf”, sagte Friedenbach. „Plötzlich wurde den Menschen klar, wie eng wir miteinander verbunden waren, und die Andersartigkeit von Menschen ohne Wohnsitz schmolz für einige Momente in der Pandemie dahin. Es fühlte sich einfach so an, als gäbe es einen echten Aufstand von Empathie und Mitgefühl. “

Stuart Malcolm, Arzt der Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, spricht im März mit Obdachlosen über das Virus. Foto: Josh Edelson / AFP über Getty Images

Friedenbach blickt mit gemischten Gefühlen auf das vergangene Jahr zurück. Einerseits sind heute mehr Obdachlose in San Francisco untergebracht als jemals zuvor, dank der Bemühungen von Organisatoren und Programmen wie Project Roomkey, die vorübergehend ältere Obdachlose oder solche mit Bedingungen, die sie durch Covid einem hohen Risiko aussetzen, in Hotelzimmer bringen . “Aber es gab noch Tausende, die zurückgelassen wurden, die wir absolut gescheitert sind”, sagte sie.

Ich freue mich jedoch darauf, Eine Mischung aus Gemeinschaftsdynamik und neuen staatlichen Mitteln zur Bekämpfung der Obdachlosigkeit gibt ihr Hoffnung. „Wenn ich mit meinem Fahrrad durch die Mission fahre, sehe ich in den Fenstern Schilder zum Mieten. Ich habe das seit 20 Jahren nicht mehr gesehen. Es bedeutet, dass es jetzt Vermieter gibt, die jetzt bereit sind, an arme Leute zu vermieten, die sich einst für Techniker mit perfektem Kredit einsetzten. “ Sie sagte. „Wir haben jetzt große Möglichkeiten, Unterschiede zu korrigieren. Wir haben eine unvorhergesehene Gelegenheit, das Zifferblatt für Obdachlosigkeit auf eine Weise zu bewegen, von der ich nicht weiß, ob ich sie jemals gesehen habe, seit ich in den letzten 30 Jahren an Obdachlosenproblemen gearbeitet habe. “

Eine Stadt mit einer Geschichte der Wiedergeburt

Durch diese optimistische Linse sehen viele Franziskaner, was einige als das Jahr der Erholung angesehen haben. Sie nehmen die Lehren, die sie im Jahr 2020 gezogen haben, und nutzen sie für den Wiederaufbau.

Die Leute haben immer wieder gesagt, dass San Francisco tot ist, aber es erschafft sich immer wieder neu. Honigmahagoni

„Das hat uns alle näher zusammengebracht [community] Agenturen hier draußen “, sagte Westbrook und dachte über das vergangene Jahr nach. „Es hat uns gezeigt, wie viel Zusammengehörigkeit wir haben müssen, um erfolgreich zu sein. Wir werden kämpfen, um das zu behalten, was wir haben. Wir werden unsere Leute in dieser Nachbarschaft behalten, und es ist egal, wer es mögen wird. “

Ein Jahr später hat sich die finanzielle Situation für Oasis verschlechtert. Drollinger veranstaltete an diesem Wochenende ein Telethon und sammelte Geld in der Hoffnung, etwas länger durchzuhalten, bis die Clubs wieder vollständig geöffnet werden können. Er war fest entschlossen, den Club nicht schließen zu lassen, nachdem das Stud, San Franciscos älteste Schwulenbar, im Mai sein langjähriges Zuhause endgültig geschlossen hatte. “Es war mehr Motivation, keinen anderen seltsamen Raum loszulassen”, sagte Drollinger und bemerkte, dass Drag Clubs in der Stadt schnell verschwanden.

Die Stud Bar in San Francisco, gesehen im Jahr 2016. Foto: Jeff Chiu / AP

Einer der Darsteller, der sich Drollinger für das Telethon anschloss, war Honey Mahogany, ein Aktivist und einer der ehemaligen Besitzer des Gestüts. Es war eine herzzerreißende Entscheidung für sie und die anderen Eigentümer, einen Ort zu schließen, der „ein Symbol dafür war, was San Francisco war und was ich hoffe, dass es immer sein wird“, sagte sie.

Und während Mahogany feststellte, dass die Entscheidung zur Schließung lange auf sich warten ließ, hofft sie, dass der Club eines Tages wiedergeboren wird. “Auf lange Sicht haben wir gesehen, dass die Mieten in San Francisco gesunken sind”, sagte sie. “Ich hoffe, das bedeutet auch, dass die Veranstaltungsorte auch günstigere Mieten haben und wir in der Lage sein werden, in gewisser Weise wieder aufzubauen und Menschen zurück in die Stadt zu locken, die gezwungen waren, die Stadt zu verlassen.”

Eine Person, die eine Gesichtsmaske trägt, geht auf Tank Hill vor der Skyline von San Francisco im Dezember. Foto: Jeff Chiu / AP

San Francisco ist eine Stadt, die eine Geschichte der Wiedergeburt liebt. Die zentrale Figur in der Flagge der Stadt ist ein Phönix, ein Fabelwesen, das dafür bekannt ist, sich selbst zu verbrennen und sich dann aus der Asche zu erheben, und dessen Metapher nach einer Katastrophe nach der anderen, auch nach dem Erdbeben von 1906, aufgespürt wurde.

Mahagoni erinnert an das Bild, wenn es um die Zukunft von San Francisco geht. “Wenn Sie sich den größeren Bogen der Geschichte ansehen, können Sie sich darauf freuen, wenn wir diese großen Katastrophen erleben, dass wir aus der Asche aufsteigen”, sagte sie. „Wenn wir uns auf den Wiederaufbau freuen, haben wir die Möglichkeit, die Zukunft zu gestalten, die wir sehen möchten. Wenn sich die Dinge verbessern und wir wieder aufbauen, können wir dies auf eine Weise tun, die gerechter und integrativer ist. “

Mahagoni fuhr fort: „Die Leute haben immer wieder gesagt, dass San Francisco tot ist. Sie sagten es in den 60ern. Sie sagten es in den 70ern. Sie sagten es in den 80ern, als Aids traf, und sie sagten es in den 90ern, als der letzte Dotcom-Boom ging. Die Leute sagen es immer wieder und San Francisco erschafft sich immer wieder neu. “

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