>> experiencing technical difficulty; please stand by >> here is the other linda to accept the award on behalf of the group. (applause) >> thank you. my name is linda light haiser and i work with help mclaren park. alioto-pier here to accept the award on behalf of the founders of the organization, the real movers and shakers who couldn't be here tonight, chuck and [speaker not understood]. [cheering and applauding] >> their family is in peru, which is where [speaker not understood] hailses from. they're so disappointed they couldn't be here tonight. but the back story on this is chuck grew up in the portola. and next to mclaren park and he spent his whole childhood there.

and when he and she married, they wanted the same childhood experiences chuck had had, and even better ones. so, they have spent their time working on the play grounds and all the other aspects of the park. and they worked so well and collaboratively with all the other park groups that represent mclaren park. parks alliance and rec and park department. i know they want me to thank everybody who has been such an integral part of giving them this award and all the work we still have to do on mclaren park. so, thank you for chuck and trilsy. (applause) ♪ >> fantastic. easily one of the best views in san francisco, so, if you've never had the opportunity to

visit mclaren park, i highly recommend it. it's like finding a whole new part of san francisco. and now it's time for our last award, which is an award that we felt was an important element of our vision for the neighborhood empower. ment network and that was to takethe opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of folks while they're still with us. so, the lifetime achievement award is for someone we feel we should take this moment in time and thank in person for their contributions to the city. and i think we have this year's winner epitomizes the kind of person that we should take the time to acknowledge and to go further into that i'd like to actually take a moment and invite now our supervisor district 8 malia cohen who would like to share her opening thoughts on this award. (applause) >> can i just tell you how good it feels to be up here, to look out to see all the people that make everything possible, that really makes san francisco wonderful?

and i just have got to give a special shout out. you knew i grew up in the portola for those that don't know. [cheering and applauding] >> right there at the intersection of silly man and colby, my parents still live there. that's where it started for me. but tonight is a night that we have abopportunity * to up lift and support and say thank you to all the people that certainly provide me support and provide me the motivation to get up and come to work every single day. this is an opportunity to thank and praise the people that call me stop, that e-mail me, find me on facebook, send me a twitter and pick, found me on next door. i tell you, this is your day. put your hands together. hang in there, we're almost done. but this is the day that we get to celebrate -- (applause) >> i'm calling it the nen-ers. you know what's interesting? i've been around city hall long enough to watch the nen awards

grow and mature into what it is today. so, i also want to give a special shout out to daniel homesy who is the originator of this. thank you, daniel. (applause) >> also i want to acknowledge his right hand christina palone, the new director, mon, mayor's office neighborhood services over there in that corner. (applause) >> and for those of you that don't know, i represent district 10, that's the southeast neighborhoods. that's bayview, that's potrero hill, visitacion valley, it's a little hollywood, it's dogpatch. it used to be the portola, half of it. my heart is still with you, but i'm glad like the speaker said, it is whole. and that is what's important, is that that neighborhood remains whole so that our city will be whole. you agree? [cheering and applauding] cheers >> so, a few years back there was this little idea to take back the bayview and really

began to rewrite the history and the narrative that we often hear about in bayview. and it actually started, ironically, with a small little abandoned swath of land that has grown up to become the cuseda garden. and it's the thought child and the physical manifestation of hard work, of a few community leaders that got together and rolled up their sleeves and got to work. and tonight i have the honor to introduce one of the co-founders, his name is jeffery betcher. where are you? get up here. and jeff is going to introduce to you as he escorts ms. annette young smith to the stage. this lady, ladies and gentlemen, is a lifetime achievement award winner. please, please welcome her to the stage. (applause)

>> i can't think of a more deserving woman. thank you. come on in. jeffery, i love you. >> i love you, too. >> hello, neighbors. good evening. you know, first i have to say that i "heart" the portola, i really do. [laughter] >> this is an amazing win frankly for the whole southeast sector, from progress park down, and it's a wonderful night. great to be here with all of you. my name is jeffery betcher. i am the executive director of the organization that emerged 10 years ago from annette young smith and carl page's work on the block where i live. annette lived across the street from me and started planting

flowers here or there around the block. and that changed everything mysteriously. and we figured out over time what it was that really created the change, and it wasn't the garden. it wasn't the plants. it was that annette was unafraid to cross the street and give a hug to someone she didn't know, who was radically different from her, and she started to build a personal relationships that have become cusada gardens and now a network of people and places and projects that are really shaping the culture and life in bayview hunters point. it was -- it's been the distinct pleasure of my life, frankly, to careful where you move, it can change everything. but if you're going to move to a new place, annette young smith is the neighbor that you would pray to have. and i can tell you that she has been a terrific friend and mentor, too. she is still the chair of the

board of the cusada gardens. we know it's quesada. [laughter] >> she is still the board. she is still very much at the heart and soul of everything we do. she is our spiritual mentor, and we love her. we truly, truly adore this woman. and i'd like to introduce her to you and i think you'll understand why. congratulations, annette young smith. (applause) >> first of all, i thank god for being here and i thank god for all of you being here. >> amen. >> and i'd like to thank jeffery for nominating me and i accept the award. thank you. that's all. [laughter] (applause)

♪ ♪ (applause) >> what a fantastic way to end this evening. a standing o. that's fantastic. (applause) >> and a woman who obviously practices actions speak louder than words we need here in city hall. without further a do, we conclude this year's nen awards. i want to acknowledge my partner michael pollack back there. (applause)

>> not only does he make me look old and fat, but he's an incredibly talented young man. these amazing videos, we'll get all this up on the web for you to share with your friends in the years to come. look forward to future announcements. with that i'd like to conclude the fifth annual nen awards. we'll see you next year. and now we invite you to join us in north light park for a fantastic of food and wine for you to enjoy. thank you all very much. ♪ ♪ ♪

. >> the project all started from the brain child over here, noelexsavio of the city of san francisco code enforcement department. (applause). >> early 2007 gave me a call, he said, hey, i got this funding for a really cool project, can you help me out, i don't do theater. so we got together, we put together a script and we've been touring every since. we hope it's doing some good. we hope it's changing some lives. i could go on and on and on about this but i'm not. we'll have a little q and a session after this. can you hear me? i'm an actor, i don't need this. we'll answer questions about

how it got going and what it's about. the way we start this out at the schools is i come out and introduce myself, introduce the guys a little bit, these are my students at sacramento city college then kick it off, hello, local celebrity, a guy from sacramento who does performances in poetry, he's an actor, he does rap music, all kinds of stuff, he doesn't juggle but he has a lot of talent and i'm sure he could. now we'll go to the spoken word with lsg >> wow, once you learn something, you own it. you can share it, no one can take it from you. i want you to leave here with something today. i want you to leave here with some of our knowledge. we are

a group of actors, rappers, dancers and poets and if they will allow them to, all of them will sing you a chorus. this is based on true, real life stories, stories about kids just like you. kids have to make decisions every day like who are you going to be friends with, paying attention in class or even showing up are all choices you have to make every day. so i want you to pay attention to the choices that are made in this play so that later, when we come talk to you, you can tell us how you would handle these situations. so it's time for you to use your mind and listen so you can learn how to make the wise choice, the right choice, to be leaders instead of followers.

did i forget to mention? the name of this play is the fall of (inaudible). drop dead. >> what's up, what's up. >> welcome to the prologue. how are you doing out there? >> great. >> i said, how are you doing out there? all right, all right, now be quiet. we are here today to save your lives. maybe, it can happen, just listen. we're just like you, we're students. we got

some students from john f. kennedy high school, and here we got some students from martin luther king junior high school out there. and we'd like to give a special shout out to assistant principal braxton. we'd like to present something for you to think about and then come to your groups and talk about it and hopefully we end something and hopefully we don't end our lives in tragedy. this isn't tragedy like the ancient greeks used to do like sophocles and euripides. we have our principal characters and a greek chorus (music).

>> i'm an ares, i'll be playing the role of the prince. that's it for costumes, guys, we're on a tight budget. what makes a tragedy a tragedy? the ancient greeks would say it's from a king falls from grace. he was once a great king but a few scenes later he was blind and starving. it's the choices you make that determine your

outcomes. now, before we begin i want you to guys to remember this story is based on true events. this is fictionalized. >> we didn't paint that on that wall. >> look at my store. every time someone paints on my wall, you show up. >> i'm sorry, but according to the city's ordinance. >> according to the ordinance, it costs over $200. you know who is doing it, what are you going to do to stop them. >> are you the police? >> code enforcement. >> code enforcement, the garbage man, i don't care. i called over an hour ago. just because my door faces the boulevard these kids treat it like it's their own personal billboard or something. i mean, look at that. >> probably have to come down --. >> you going to write a citation. i can't believe

this. i been victimized twice, first by the kids and then by code enforcement. >> please, can't you do something about it? this is the fifth time. we pay our taxes. >> yes, ma'am. you see, this is a bad situation. when private property is vandalized innocent people are stuck with the expense of fixing it and when public property is fixed, tax dollars are spent cleaning it up instead of providing other services to the public. you want to know who's doing it? >> yes.

>> (music). >> hey, check this out. i think that's ed. >> what you got? let me see. that you? >> what have you got? >> no way, man. >> no way, man. >> don't nobody believe you. if you are x, prove it. >> hey, sure looks like it to me . >> oh, man, he's x >> let me see. well, well, well, can this be true. little danny plimpton is the infamous x how can they be, danny boy? why x, you trying to be malcolm

x or dmx or racer x or something. >> my first name is xavier daniel plimpton. >> how did you get to the walking bridge on i-5. >> and the fire station over on 14th, how did you get all the way up there. >> didn't i tell y'all? spiderman is my cousin. >> man, i don't believe you. >> so the infamous x, serious, i don't know x, i seen that tag before. seems to have a bad vibe. >> you mean like x marks the spot? >> no, like x finds the buried treasure. >> no, like x is a marked man. >> chill out, man, we just

playing. >> i'm not lying, though, i think it means you are claiming something. >> you mean like some kind of gang? i'm not some kind of gangster. i don't want nothing from those gangsters. >> if tivo is right, you better be careful. >> some of your best art work is being crossed out. >> that's cool, i'll move on and do another. the q's, quality and quantity is my game. >> you better quit, spiderman. guys like you, they got no back-up. >> true. i'll run with you guys. >> look, you can't decide you are kicking with us, we don't bang, we don't want nothing from your gang. >> you mean to tell me if a gang crossed you out, you do nothing. >> i do this for the fun, the

thrill. you start banging, i'm quiting. >> the gang, x1, city-wide damage. i don't want any of that. >> we'll see, man, we'll see. (music). >> (inaudible) dangerous element but it's all about fun, right? until. >> hey, mr. torrez, are you all right? >> they ran in, they grabbed all the money out of the register, they even grabbed a case of beer. >> i'll call the police. >> what is that going to do? that's it. you know they are coming back and next time i'm

going to be ready. >> i'm worried about him. he can't sleep. he keeps hoping -- hopping out of bed every time he hears a sound. >> i know what you're going through. my boy would have graduated high school this year. >> i remember him. he was such a polite boy. just in the wrong place at the wrong time. another innocent victim of random violence. >> why do so many children have guns anyway. isn't there anything we can do to stop it? >> i don't know. i just don't know. i guess all we can do is hope and pray. >> what is the value of a human life? maybe that's what we need to think about. the

ancient greeks had a word for it i think may be part of the problem today, hubris they called it, excessive pride. it's what they called a character flaw, the kind of flaw that can bring down kings. (music). >> man, nice, nice, you do nice work, man. so what's up? cleanest tag ever, man, what you planning. >> i'm not planning a thing. i'm trying to express myself. >> (inaudible). >> no, man, must be a misunderstanding. >> come on, we know they make all the new recruits do all the tagging, it's part of your initiation. >> i'm not planning anything. >> you know i'm really tired

of your disrespect. >> you're x1? >> no one man is x1. >> this is a big mistake. >> shut up. (shouting) what's up, that part of your work? >> of course i am. i don't belong to x2, i'm x xavier. >> looks like x to me. >> your pride is what's going to bring you down. now we got to do something. now we have to make an example out of you.

>> help! help! help!. (music). >> so what's up, man? i was asleep when you called. >> there it is, what do you think. >> talking about the freeway. >> yeah, if we tag up there we're going to get a lot of respect. >> i don't know, man, sure you're going to have enough room. >> look at the outline. >> you are not doing --. >> shut up. >> yeah, i am, he said i could. >> i ain't acting stupid. >> shut up, stupid. >> start right here and flow down the side down here. >> what's it going to be? going to be a masterpiece.

>> check it out. after the outline going to do this area right here light blue and then put bill in big bold letters right there. >> oh, man, that's going to be tight. >> here comes crass with more paint. >> crass, i want you to do the top. >> this all the paint you brought, two cans of powder blue. >> this is ridiculous. >> what was that about x >> i was just asking if you guys seen him lately. >> this isn't fair. i need more paint. >> where? >> no, wait, i think torrez is closed. you're going to have to go all the way to broadway. >> torrez is closed? no problem. i know another way in. >> why do you bother with him, man? he's dumb.

>> we got to bring on the dumb ones, right? what were you saying about x >> have you guys seen him lately? >> no, man, why. >> i saw his mom talking to the police. said he hasn't been seen in two days. >> maybe he went to disneyland. >> his mom was crying. he looked in the alley and then on the way over here, a car pulled up on me, i'm carrying ought all this paint but all he did was ask a bunch of questions about x >> we gonna do this or not? >> chill out, we got all night. >> what are you doing out so late. >> does your mother know you're not in school. >> school? >> come on, boys, let's go. >> all right, just be careful.

>> all right, who's gonna go first. >> i'll go first then you, hey --. >> no, i got it. (music) (screaming) (sound of police sirens). .

>> the question has come up, choices have to be made. >> mrs. torrez >> i'm sorry, i have to go. >> mrs. torrez, how are you holding up? >> i'm fine, thank you. >> how's mr. torrez >> he's doing his best, still trying to raise bail. >> first they murder and then on the very same day. >> that was no accident. my husband shot that poor boy down in cold blood when he bought that gun he carried it with him everywhere hoping something would happen. he had so much rage. now he just sits there and barely speaks. he knew that boy. the one they call ill, he knew him since he was a small boy. but it was dark and