>> without firth r ado, we l begin with the anthems of e united states of america, the s the united stes territory of american samoa. thank you.

thank london breed. appreciate having us and hostg our great city. we'll begin with the united anthem and ask everyone to please rise. [playing united states national

>> please remain andg for the anthem of ameran samoa. thank you.

[playing anthem of american samoa] ■seremain standing for

anthem of the independent state of samoa.

[singing anthem of the independent state of samoa]

>> respectfully ask to please be seat ed. like to call pastor ray, for g prayer.

>> bow your heads with me. fa, are grateful today. we acknowledge your goodness, your mercy for this brand new morning. we want to acknowledge many of those that have labored to make this day possible. we also want to thank the honorable mayor london breed and the san francisco officials that have make this day possible. we are people of faith. we are a at are proud of our heritage and our traditions.

but we also acknowledge lord, t without you, none of this would be possible. we begin today, we begin with you, but we also end with you.s giving you all the glory and all the praise that alone deserve. bless this day is done and we pray all this in s name, amen. >> want to thank pastor ray for the word of to begin our ceremony. just remarks and introductions. the national samoan chief council was

founded in 1972 here in san francisco by high chief-- we have some of his descendants to myt. would you please stand? [applause] thank you. visions organize the chiefs of samoa residing here in san francisco anthe bay area. they also formed samo flag day, which is what we are celebrating this weeken from what i recall, the last im independent state of samoa flag and samoa flag flags were raised in city hall was mayor willie brown. a30 years later, the honorable london breed has to do the same, to raise our flags here

and we thank you. thank you honorable mayor. [applause] your time is brief, so i will do best to consolidate our r i want to start with some introduction s of faith leaders. to my left we have reverend--please stand. [applause] also, advocate for the samoan community many years. we also want to recognize pastor ray. [apse pastor lemu of the first god faith and pastthe faith of san francisco. [applause]

to my right, we have--i will introduce our mayor of san francisco when she comes up, but before that, we have just mayor of daly city, justin and we have a special guest from our ine kingdom of toma. the in pacific of the polynesian islands. we have conslet, please stand. thank you. we also have to my right, --sorry--

maybe she should hadid this. [laughter] the non-samoan part. . [applause] mandy, can you help me here, please? i apologize. okay. okay. thank you. introducing our community leaders of san francisco the bay area, we like to samoan community development center, ob the longest standing samoan

profit serving our community and also employing the most pacific islanders in the country. we like to introduce dr. patsy of the an community development center. [applau we also introduce another leader of our community that has been involved in many things. she has organized an organization in communities, jt, they formed h means, all my brothers and all my sisters. ladies angentlemen, please welcome, e,executive director of all my brothers and all my sisters. also, we have anot that has been serving san y

for many years. she's organized rving thousands and thousands of our community through the food bank harvest. she's organized one the large est festivals in our community and san irrounds, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome for the patogether, executive director rayna. al, we have the only one of the largest platforms the pacific islander community and they do a great job in reporting and updating our community and ladies and gentlemen, from the pacific by design, please welcome, my sister [indiscernible] please rise. [applause] and we also have our sister

has been leading on the grounds here in san francisco-- [au we like to recognize reverend-- [applause] i apologize if i forget name, but please know that we have you in ortmayor's time is very limited, so we also want to recognize our family conslets that have supported us, ouitie all over the south pacific and in the san francisco bay area. please rise, our counslet, please. thank you.

we would like to at this without further ado and with all the respect from the samoan un like to introduce the honorable ma london breed for her remarks. [applause] i apologize, alwant to introduce our mrs. samoan golden gate, karina >> you everyone, and good afternoon and welcome to city ll i am so honored and blessed to have each and every one of you joini here today. you can take as long as yo want to celebrate especially

because it has been a long time coming. and it isg, because it is full circle and i want to acknowledge all the work she does and also her very very talented son who was on amer. idle. i'm sure we all and we are all very proud of him and he just lifted our spirits today with voe that he inherited from his mom. i' grateful. bo and i worked together for san francisco mayor willie brown and he was instrumental bringing the celebration to city then and instrumental bringing it to us today so it is great to be here in e this historic milestone with each and ever. but, i also want to just acknowledge loss of someone who is a

part of the samoanco unity, a police officer who comes from a family of police officers, luciano. some might ved,he served on the force for 9 ars and unexpectedly passed away yesterday. his mom, rely many of you might have known jackie, also served as currently as lieutena the department and i would like to thake th moment to just recogni him and his tremendous workreally lift up his family in prayer and with a moment of silence, please. [moment y■h thank you.

and i appreciate again, just e connection to spiritually the connection to family and the trust and respthmmunity has always been about in san francisco and throughout the bay area. so, it is of course fitting to take this moment to recognize rich history and culture of the samoan community as it relates to franci■8o, and how it has been a critical part of what makes anc vibrant and very diverse pla i appreciate the work of so many of the ganitions and the r institutions that held this mmuny together, despite the lack of recognition and the lack of support that this community deserves. it is why i apprecmy relationship so much in terms of being able to finally make thkinds of investments

difference for make a community. in fact, visiting the samoan community center and having a chance to tour and to see the work first-hand with young otrs, it is inspiring, and it is something that we need more of t i patsy for all the amazing work she does, well as christine and all you incredible leaders who hold ty together and how you come together today to ize the significance of the samoan heritage here in san franci so, i want to also really appreciate that we in san franisare an international city, and when we talk about the relationships between so many countries and places, the reason aroften times very impactful has everything to do ancisco and the people who helped us really

coordinate this evenanbring these kinds of activations to our city, involve no other en chief of protocol, marion and the co cower joining from tango, australia, israel, singapore, italy, pursue and norway. thank yo much for being here today and sharing this and recognizing the important work of the national chief council, and appreciate the opportunity to do somet special to recognize this milestone, because even though it has a long time since the last celebration has happened, this celebratto hahappen every single year and we want to make sure that we e vehicle through our chief of protocol to insure ccess and an opportunity to bring community together in a pl longs to you too. í2 [applause]

so, tonight on behalf of e city and county of san francisco, we will be in red and blue in honor of the flag of samoa, and we will officially declare it samoan heritage week, not day, week in the city and [applause] so, since the high chief is not here with us today, i'm looking at you fo. istrying to run away from it. who ever you designate and wa to present this proclamation in honor-- you are the high chief today. but thyofor being here and celebrating with us. we are honored to declare it samoan heritage week in san francisco so that we can elevate story and culture in your community as well as throughout thand county of san francisco.

mistone here with each and his every one of you and thank you so much for all you do to san francisco a better place. [applause] >> mayor london breed, is surprising that i was given this opportuni prfor me to accept on behalf of all the mo leaders, community leaders, all the people of samoa who accept this-thank you so much. i dont know what i ve done to deserve this, but other then the 32 years i served as probation officer for city and county of san francisco,

just officially received my retirement e asweek, so e and join mein sharing this. [applause] >> thank you for your service to the city. >> london breed, i have--we were celebrating the flag raising in daly city and my testimony was the mstorat bib luical proportions. i liken to history of israelite, when we enter the promise land--joshua sent spies to check in came back and say, we have a lady in

the city, for us and then joshua say, take this red flag. when we come to destroy the city, raise the reg flag a memorial for us. we have in our life in the midst of enemies. yo. 46 years ago, mayor feinstein was our ally. 40 years ago the mayor s our ally. i the ceremony with the mayor. when you heard you promise a million dollars to samoan development last year, we are waiting for that $1 million and you continue and you will continue to be our ally. thank you very much.

god bless. >> how about another d applause for honorable, london breed? [applause] and those beautiful remarks. before i introduce the next ite apologize, but i like to introduce a few more of our chiefs residing here. please help me welcome, chief--of viala samoa. please stand. [applause] we also have san francisco former president neal ofuetopia. a lot ofuetopias across city mimics san francisco as flag day. a lohave been founded and started in san francisco. we also want introduce a

high talking chief from american samoa, please welcome-- please stand. [applause] and now i like to introduce poetry reading by theresa-- se] >> i am not theresa. i have been waitingti to do that. my name is dr. b and it is definitely full circle to stand onts of you to introduce my sister.

ago when my grandfather started this samoan heritage is only fitting that i serve the city and county of francisco, his granddaughter, he told us to give back so i want to thank mayor london breed for her service and honoring this because a lot of you see my work as a black pein community and not as a samoan in colot of work being seen, so thank you for seeing us, thank seeing pacific islanders. it gives me pleasure to introduce my sister in this work. we used to clean crocker amazon. for samoan flag day. we were the kids picking up the trash, but globally recognize my

sister-- [applause] ■a■jafternoon and happy samoan heritage week family. can you please give your love to my sister, myusin dr. birch one more time? [applause] first foremost and like to say to the national samoan chief council l revitalize samoan heritage week leading up to fl day festival. to the mayor office us to r in-not just inviting--we can give her . [applause] not just inviting me d

cousin to share some words today to kick off this week on behalf of grand father but faily and nking about ou legacy of our grand father, the high chief--a man that devoted so much of his life■+to the prosperity of the samoan community san francisco he established numerous programs and initiatives that left a legacy all samoans in the bay area live in whe it is or not, whether they know him or not. our grandpa loved him deeply and i know he were alive todwant would you by his side toimplement this weeks programming, so thank you. [applause] as a poet and ert two times i shared a poem at city hall was women march mayor breed lead in

and isceible] fitting the committee ask i share a poem to commemorate a time of the samoan people especially. a man who wrote every book men and journals from the bedroom office in w hunter points, to n beef project to the fillmore he his last breath in 2018. make noise you heard poetry at a open mic t. [applause] you know you dont have to clap in your heart. it doesn't have to be a quite endeavor, we are not a quite people you hear anything you resonate with, you can snap your fingers and pretend you are taking a big bite. you can repeat after me, you say, okay,po et..

that's right poet. if you likear.wh if you don't like what you hear, we can talk ab this is to us, this is always . samoans believe when made our islands [naming islands] and beyond, he also made 9 heavens, but the truth if you learn our story deeper there are 10 heaven the 10th le] if you me, samoans belong to 11 heavens and the is san francisco. but hey, dont take my word it, just read any of the 7 books our grand father otabout the

our our people and legacy. i'm not a samoan god, a child born one february even 1988 at presidio pitamy father stationed as upon immigrating frthe city and meeting my mother over the use number in north beach projects of his cousin. the love story of my parents stretched anthat is the 11th heaven too. my mother is not a samoan god either, just a galileo school graduate raised in bayview hunter point . 11 heaven was the chinatown trips for m buns. it was the freddy sandwis

and pizza bred in wax paper. the pocket change our grandpa gave u to purchase his daily sf chronicle newspaper. our grandpas camcorder and tripod. it was the type it desk top and lap top he document every bit of our story on the camcorder stopped filming. crocker amazon park every august where the san francisco samoan flag a place since the year our grand father founded it in 1973. it was the trash bag my cousin and i carried around the park clean up crew and the secret bbq mare nade our fam lay makes r the food plates they sold as vendors for the festivals. our grandpa us sing on and cleaup once the festival was done.225 my cousins and

attended saturday school in our grandpa's office hawse he wanted to makesure his sacrifice come with one or two ph.d. the man promised if we graduated from he would buy us a rolex. family, no rolex have been purchased. [indiscernible] to get her doctor degree and lex is. he was just the samoan who loved us so much he had no other choice but to devote his enrelife to the preservation of our culture, our sour truth, the 11th heaven was the 30 years grdpa spend holding the chairman position for 25 different committees, councils and task forces dedicated to our samoan community between 1963 and 1993.

it was the nationasamoan chief council he cofounded june 2, 1972. the san francisco samoan flag day founded in 1973. office of samoan affairs he helped establish in san ci. the 11th heaven was the committee for the u.s. census bureau that coined term, asian pacific islander in 1978. struggled to affirm their lives in this country made it possiblr our saanhere with dignity. the 11th heaven is the fact it is 2024 and how even though we still hvout for us, we can still celebrate all that has been an all that continues to be. e e 11th heaven has always been sunnydale projeths. the communityvelopment center generation long legacy of

service. the mission service og to samoan grandmas headed to church. good times at the bbq at yeoman park. the prek dual language program. the one th the largest enrollment number of dual language program in sa francisco public schools. the 11th heaven has always been pacific islander community partnership in all the youth centered empowering to polynesian heritage award from ms. samoa golden gate to cultural arts, the th heaven is everywhere and everything my ■ people are. from heritage week to climate a protests, from culture being rich and entertaining to culture being re of our resistance. the core of our manna. from poems about my samoan pride how my

favorite thing being samoan everything, to what my demands of me once the poem is done. welcome to the 11th heaven family. thanu to our ancestors for making it so. for loving us being so extra made 10 heavens before this one so we never question how [indiscernible] ocean deep we belong to each other we leave this world for the next, we can intime samoan life we will return to every samoan heaven atmade us and praise all of our samoan gods for that. [applause] >> how about another round of

applause for the queen of-family. thank you so much. i also want to mention on behalf of the president of the natio samoan chief council, high chief-- and our vice president, high chief--their apologies r able to attend this ceremony today, but do have our faith leaders, we do have our our high talking chiefs and we do have our beautiful community leaders and their staff and

also our mayor, london breed. mayor justin malao, conslet and public officials, i apologize--i hope we dont cross paths on a difft you remember i didn't remember your names. the conslet of the countries that are supporting our samoan community, ank you

before i also failed to mention, we do have commissioner delafsi, please stand. i apologize. i'm not only short withour public officials, about with our own community, so i apologize. going to have a closing prayer.

thank you. >> let us pray. my most ar gracious heavenly father, we come before you at this time with humble and humility. we come before all that thou has done for our ity throughout these years. we are grateful and we are thulfor thy continuous mercy. we thank you who have together to stand side by side so we are able to have this day to recognize ouan community. we are grateful and

for leaders in the public figures and leaders ofthe samoan community, as well as faith leaders, to unit gether to continue to stand for our community an d allow our community to be recognized. father, this cannot be possible without thy. lessing continue to be upon us as we continue to move forward and continue to prepare our youth of may be future leaders to continue the legacy of our samoan community here in san francisco. father, ask this prayer humbly in na of our beloved so jesus isthe christ, amen.

>> thank you pastor for the closing prayer. n, want to ask ms. samoa gate to please come to my side. how about a round of for this courageous young lady other courageous ladies. ms. samoa golden gate, 2025. i apologize, i just asked the mayor's staff if there is a rt for the mayor to have a photo us, because i think it is fitting to have a document of our owith her, so if that's not able to happen, i e. it was probably due to introduction. as we close, we have

refreshments provided by the mayor's office. how about a round of applause for the mayor's staff, and they will keep me informed if it is a go with the photo have others from the community and from thnsl so feel free to mingle and network. god bless on way home. [applause] 'm eric tanaka.

fourth ger japanese american born and raised in san francisco i work for the san francisco fire department station 10, truck 10 as a firefighter. i think about my journey i think about myfamily. father came to san francisco in we have been here for over 100 years. grand mother they were in the japanese prior he was a successful business ownern he started to e was murdered.

and i never met my grandfather. my grand mother and my mother were left to rme brother and sister my father was around but work. it was very challenging for me growing up as young kid in the city. trying to findy identity. and so i got myself in a lot of trying to defend myself and my he was -- raised to be proud ofhere was a time i was ashamed. you know, about and understanding my family's strug and he will had m grand mother and grandfather went through i was ignited a fire to keep moving forward. i decided to dedicate my life to servicing my family and community and the city. o goal in life is to reach out to community youth

and support them so they mack myself the potent to finds careers they never thought they were capable of. when i want my tg of me i want to be proud. whenever career i cs is not about the money it is providing wó thoughtful. so that -- the generations behind us hard my family worked make sure weave en able to sustain and thrive in n community is huge t me. it helped me become the person am today. and our department. we got one of theusiet stations in the in addition, station 3. we have a surf rescue program program cliff rescue program. we havey things to be proud of as a department. i can't s enough, there is honestly noor how

proud i am to work for the department and serve the community that i grew up in. [music]

>> my name is julie maw. am a captain in the san francisco fire department. i didn't grow up thinking i uld a firefighter. i didn't realize it was an option. i didn't see other people who looks like me in the fire service, so i didn't have an idea that this was a possibility for me. what inspired me is i had a few friends from the hip -- hawaiian community who were applying for jobt the time and they encouraged me to apply as well. we arere community. we are like a family, fir service is like a family. food is essential -- is central to our gatherings in the fire service as well. and teamwork and being of something bigger than yourself

and really having community. that is what inspired me to be part of the fire depart. applyib and i was going down route of the hiring process, i looked around and i started looking at the different engines and the rigs driving around the street and i snowaid, what, there is somebody that looks like me. there is somebody that looks me. to me, that was really important. and that representation, what i saw, the light bulbs went on and i could see myself in th job. for me, being in this position as a capin, and being on the track and going around to her neighborhood, even when we are doing the most mundane of tasks, it is important that they see me in r asian pacific islander woman in a leadership position,at and even ringing the bell for the kids in the neighborhood,

they see me, cs, they see my crew and it is huge. that lightbulbso off for them as well like it went on for it truly is important to me to be part of an that supports diversity and representation. being in a job where we serve the community is really important that represent the community. i think visibility, representation is key to openinr people in the asian pacific islander comty hey,, that could be need too. i could be here serving the community and being a firefighter. [♪♪♪] [chain saw whirring] listen, you are extremely terrifying-- just the scariest undead thing on tv,

and i really mean that. i am worried that nightmares if they see you, so i'm gonna have to block you. [sighs] so, that's it. oh, and tell the zombies they're blocked, too. great wall hardware, 3500 square feet of retail space. we carry about 22 thousand items in here and counnever stops because i have a thing. when a customer says, do you av and i don't have it, it bothers me. i w so, it is just one of those things owning hardware store, people expect you to have everything and you try to if full thill 5 fulfill that need. native san franciscan. born in chinatown, same as bruce lee, chinatown hospital. my family moved to the sunset in the late 70's, so my mom and thought, we are already doing construction, why don't we open a hardware store? other, so

that is how that got started. we started this store in 1983, and we have been going every since, so now it is 40 years. i serving my neighborhood. i fealt a hardware store is different busisses. most businesses you want to buy this or than orthat. a hardware store is different. people come in and usy a problem and need a solution and looking for you to navigate them through that lemand offer them that help them get to where they need to go. the people are great. i love this neighborhood. there is different etnisties and cultures here. together and get along fine and i like about this neighborhood t. is nice place to be. it is near the beach and beautiful and near the zoom and park and stern gre. great schools and parks. what's twl not to like? i am always looks around the corner the

next thing to and crank it up more and make it safer and more enjoyable. bringing in new businesses. great wall hardware, open 7 days a ndayriday 8 to 6, saturday is 10 to 6 and un 10 to 3. >> ever wonder about programs city it working think to make san francco place to work and will we bring shine torograms and the people making them happen join us inside that edition of what's next sf sprech of marke 6th is having a cinderella

movemeit the office of economic workforce development is it's fairy godmother telegraph hilled in the program and providing the reason to pass throughdor and better reason to stay office of economic workforce development work to support the san francisco we have distinctions workforce and neighborhoodnt i tenderloin that has been the focusltg in t roup totally around 2 hundred thousand square feet of office space as fits great as it's moved forward some of the place businesses engaged for the people that have there for a long time and people

that are coming into to work in the the item you have before you companies the affordable housing in general people want a safe and clean community they see did changed coming is excited for every. >> oewd proits provides permits progress resulting in the growth of businesses hocking beggar has doubled in ze. >> when we were just getting started we were a newbusiness people never saturday a small business owner and been in the p in finding at and sxug the that is a oewd and others agencies were a hugepe walked us through the process we couldn't have done it without you this is sloped to be your

grand b if so typically a way to get one way to the other it is supposed to be a beautiful boulevard and fellowship it is look like that. >> we have one goal at was the night to the neighborhood while the pject of developments as underway and also to bring bri a sense of community back to the neighborhood. >> we wanted to use the says that a a gathering space f people to have experience whether watching movies or a yoga or coming to lecture. >> that sb caliber shift on the street is awarding walking down street and seeing people sitting outside address this building has been vacate and seeing change is

inspiringing. c>> wated a space where people walk in and have fun and it is great that asha the neighborhood. san francisco. on aortas a >> we've got to 23ri7b9 m and sun setting piano and it was on the street we'ven companie we say used to have to accompanying come o recruit now they're coming to us. >> today, we learned a the office of economic workforce development and it's effort to foster community and the buyer market street corridor something that be proud of thanks to much for watching and tune in next for024 regular

meeting of the municipal transportation agency board of coission. to order secretary silva, please call the roll. director heminger here. heminger present. director henderson here. henderson. present. director. kinsey present. kinsey. present director. tarloff. present. present. chair ekin. here. eken. present. director. kahina is nottoday's r the record, i note that director kinsey is attending kinsey is reminded that she must appear on camera throughout the meeting and in order to speak or vote on any items, places you in. item nuthe nging and use of cell phones and similar sound producing electronic devices are prohibited at thi te removal from the meeting room. any person responsible for the ringing use of a cell phone or other similar sound, producing electronic device places you on. item number four. approval of minutes for the july 16th regular meeti.