2013. on this has got the support of the board of supervisors but also the people of the city and county of san francisco. we are at a point where we need to call into question on december 13th, we will have clarity on the final vote of the issue and that will allow us to move forward. shortly thereafter, the america's cup and their representatives will make a decision. we would like to think the entire team for support.

many have done a magnificent job in my office. many that are in our advisory committee, doing all the hard work and heavy lifting to get us to that point. nothing is more important than the people of san francisco. they have stood with us side-by- side through all of our incarnations as we made this a stronger and stronger and we maintained our fiduciary responsibility for not only the support but also to make sure that the legacy is felt for generations of citizens of san francisco and it will have the benefit of all of the tangible spending that will be invested. all of those thousands and

thousands of jobs that even our worst critics must acknowledge will be created because of this. really close, and good progress made in our committee hearing. one more committee hearing, the question will finally be called. we will have our best foot forward and then we hope to find out shortly after whether or not we need to get to work and make that plan wheel in this sense of the america's cup. the second thing that i am very appreciative for is the 37th anniversary -- that we enjoyed on december 8th. we started this in 2004 with just a couple of hundred volunteers.

they were not really volunteers, we some -- we coerced some of our department heads and staff to be introduced themselves to the concept of homelessness. we started in the tenderloin south of market and there were many cynics out there who did not think that it would be possible. we celebrated with some of the milestones on our tenure plan. -- our 10-year plan. this is a certificate recognizing -- for her life and work. thank you very much on behalf of all of us for everything. we also marked another milestone which was 30,000 clients that

happened served. this is 31,911 clients. this does not include the homeless connection. we have over 20,000 volunteers. this is a really special and remarkable thing. once again, the experience last week was as magical as ever. people come from all over the region for help and support and not just the people of san francisco, but even a young lady from los angeles actually made her way up to san francisco

because she heard about project connect and the homeless project. she got relief on the spot. it is those types of interactions where people's lives make all of that effort that has gone into making that worth it. our hats off to all of the people that made homeless connect what it is today. we have created a permanent site for almost connect the -- for homeless connect. this will be a bridge to the larger events which will allow us to connect on much more

comprehensive manners. 12,210 people, a 39% reduction in the population. a 40% reduction of the people out on the streets and sidewalks. this is still not good enough. i think that we have laid a very solid foundation. this project is part of that foundation and part of that legacy really connecting people with their passion and solutions not just to the problems of homelessness and poverty. 221 cities. over 220 cities have replicated the project. we have three countries that have replicated this model as well and we recognize the diverse states and the diverse

cities and counties as a true best practice so i hope that this continues. i would like to thank everyone at the public utilities commission. the solar project allows us to triple the amount of solar that we have which makes it the largest municipal project in the state of california. this is the size of roughly 12 football fields. but we have someone flip the switch down the road to turn this on. this marks one of the most exciting solar initiatives of its type in our country and it

proves that we can get in the short and mary amount of work done when we were to get there. i would like to think carmen chu and eric mar for their leadership. the entire crew at the department. those people that never got the recognition. thank you for making this real. thank you for making this happen. take a look down, i think that everyone would like to put down of the coast but if you make your way down south towards los angeles, look down and you will see this betsy of solar panels and that is what you'll are the kidnapped. this will continue to be replicated and shine light on

the example of what can be achieved not just in the city but across the state and the nation. we created local jobs on the program and we made people accountable as far as our outreach efforts and targeting those people have been locked out of the old economy. i am proud that we have organized what is a fun and exciting event on sunday, december 12th between 10 and 6:00 p.m.. people are able to take advantage of the snow. we raised a lot of money for snow to be delivered out here at

the civic center and people will be able to go down a disk. we will have all kinds of activities, there will be jumping houses for kids. we will have city hall, the mayor's office, the board of supervisors' offices open. there will be live music. there will be cocoa, cookies, you name it. there will be rain gear walking around. -- reindeer walking around. the zoo will be bringing down a bunch of animals as well. this is a way of opening up city hall. this is the first of what i hope will be an annual advent to all the people of san francisco.

-- an annual event for all the people of san francisco. i think that this now will be a lot of fun. if you're wondering what to do on sunday, come by in the afternoon and enjoy the snow and the festivities. but then check out york city hall and walk into some of those office where you always wonder what is happening behind closed doors. -- then check out your city hall. there are debates and the stuff that you don't usually see. thank you for your consideration. thank you for making this week another special week in san francisco. i look forward to my final weekly review on the budget. we will have budget instructions

in the next few weeks to deal with a $380 million budget deficit which sounds high but that is the lowest it has been in the past few years. we will put together a detailed plan on how the mayor can address this issue and make sure that we present ourselves in a way to protect and preserve the value of our city but also deals with our fiscal challenges.

>> good morning. welcome to st. francis memorial hospital. note welcome -- welcome to the fifth annual tree lighting. we are recognizing the role that the burn center played to us in the community of st. francis and the whole region and wished to demonstrate for you today the risk of christmas trees -- the danger that they present to us. we have a couple of guests to speak to us on behalf of the burn center. i wanted first introduced the centers assemblywoman. >> thank you. growing up, show and tell was one of my favorite things, and this is the ultimate show and

tell. this is the fifth annual tree lighting, burning ceremony. and i want to thank the san francisco fire department for keeping us safer. also, st. francis memorial hospital. and they are the only burn center here in the bay area counties. we want to thank them for all the work they are doing. they have many patients that they see every day. all of the doctors as well. all the staff here at the hospital, thank you for what you do everyday. for the holidays, do not overload extension cords, turn off holiday lights before you go to bed. never leave candles unattended,

especially around the christmas tree. water trees daily so that they do not dry out. recycle your tree. do not put them in the fireplace. keep charged fire extinguishers in central locations. thank you all very much. we hope everybody has a safe holiday season. [applause] >> thank you. next, i would like to induce a woman that really needs no introduction, our own fire chief, joanne. >> thank you for being here, everyone. this is the fifth annual christmas tree lighting, different from other lighting, but just as important. we want to show you that holidays can be safe for us all, however, a tree can quickly

go up in flames and cause damage to property and lives. i want to thank st. francis medical center for partner with us every year. the care that they have for each and every patient walking through the door is amazing. the burn center does great work for people who are burned, either through fire or scald injuries. it is the holiday season and we want to ensure a happy holiday season, so we have this demonstration for you. we want to make sure during the holidays you do not leave those candles unattended. certainly, you want to keep those trees hydrated, as they can cause great damage. i want to thank engine company 38 for coming out to provide the vigil. we have the fire chief battalion here with us. once again, have a healthy and happy christmas, holiday

season, and 2011. thank you very much. >> next from st. francis memorial hospital burns center, we have our medical doctor. >> thank you everyone for coming here this morning. i also want to thank assemblywoman mauck for being here this morning. i also want to thank the wonderful firefighters that keep our city safe. as we celebrate this holiday season come as a reminder from the st. francis memorial hospital burn center, we would like you to keep your family's safe and free from fire. take a moment to think about the safety warnings and please take care of your family. this time of year, we see

increases in the incidence of structural fires, especially in spalding's. make sure you check your christmas trees, that they are well hydrated, and with the kids, make sure that they are well guarded from dangers, including candles. we want to wish you a very safe holiday season from here at st. francis. thank you very much. [applause] >> okay, we are going to let the burning begin. our fire department personnel will keep us safe. they will be letting the tree as well. -- lighting the tree as well.

>> now we are going to show you just how quickly this tree can be engulfed in flames. you can imagine most of these trees are placed in areas with lots of furniture. you can see how quickly it can like anything that is combustible around it, such as drapery, furniture, and other things.

so within 90 seconds, the tree is entirely burned. as i said before, a lot of times, it will catch furniture, clothing, draperies, so we want to make sure that you keep your tree watered daily. that tree was fully engulfed within 30 seconds. you can see the kind of damage that that can cause to property. just a reminder -- visuals are good -- that we need to keep ourselves safe over the holiday season. thank you again to engine 38.

[applause] >> thank you to all of you for coming. we will be back again next year. if any of the news media has questions for any of the individuals, they are available for comment. thank you.

>> i have been a cable car grip for 21 years. i am a third generation. my grand farther and my dad worked over in green division for 27. i guess you could say it's blood. >> come on in. have a seat. hold on. i like it because i am standing up. i am outside without a roof over my head and i see all kinds of people. >> you catch up to people you know from the past. you know. went to school with.

people that you work with at other jobs. military or something. kind of weird. it's a small word, you be. like i said, what do people do when they come to san francisco? they ride a cable car. >> california line starts in the financial district. people are coming down knobbhill. the cable car picks people up. takes them to work. >> there still is no other device to conquer these hills better than a cable car. nobody wanted to live up here because you had to climb up here. with the invention of the cable car, these hills became

accessible. he watched horses be dragged to death. cable cars were invent in san francisco to solve the problem with it's unique, vertically challenged terrain. we are still using cars a century old >> the old cable car is the most unique thing, it's still going. it was a good design by then and is still now. if we don't do something now. it's going to be worse later. >> the cable cars are built the same as they were in the late 1800's. we use a modern machinery. we haven't changed a thing. it's just how we get there. >> it's a time consuming job. we go for the quality rather

than the production. we take pride in our work and it shows in the end product. >> the california line is mostly locals. the commuters in the morning, i see a lot of the same people. we don't have as tourists. we are coming up to street to chinatown. since 1957, we are the only city in the world that runs cable cars.

these cars right here are part of national parks system. in the early 1960's, they became the first roles monument. the way city spread changed with the invention of the cable car. >> people know in san francisco, first thing they think about is, let's go >> welcome to "culturewire." for the past year, the arts commission has been participating in the city's effort to revitalize the central market street corridor. in addition to the thursday arts

market and are in store front, the art commission recently launched the artery project. for the next year, the artery project will bring energy and excitement to market street, recalling the st.'s heyday as san francisco's vibrant and bustling theater district. >> un.n plaza during business hours seize hundreds of passing office workers and students, but the activity winds down at 5:00 every day. theater productions bring some but traffic, but central market is more of a thoroughfare than a destination after the sun goes down. on december 9, the artery project's launch brought a party atmosphere to market street, led by mayor gavin newsom, city

officials flipped the switch on three new art installations that light up the st.'s architecture. a looping a video at 1119 market street was the first words to be some -- the first work to be seen that evening. before the unveiling, the director of cultural affairs spoke to artist jim campbell about the concepts behind bourbon reflection and how he created the work. >> i'm really excited to have your installation on public view starting today here on market street. you created a site-specific work. can you talk about that? >> yes, i looked at two or three different locations, and this one seemed the best. i work with customer electronics, so indoors seemed the best for the work. i also like how close it was 2 market street itself. it is only about 10 feet away, so i