>> 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. ♪ ♪ ♪

with its elegant rotunda, the reflecting waters of the sub rounding lagoon and fraying rant eucalyptus trees, special dates and memorable proposals. it is the perfect picnic spot to relax with that special someone by listening to water and fountain in the lagoon and gazing as the swans go

gracefully by. beautiful to view from many locations along the lagoon and inside the columns is an ideal place to walk around with your loved one. the palace of fine arts is the most popular location in the city arts system. reservations for weddings and other events a >> i understand the mayor is on a tight schedule. i would like mr. mayor to come up, please and say a few words. thank you. >> thank you. officer monroe. good evening, everyone. this is a really happy occasion, and i did when chief suhr notified me that this would be happ happening. i wanted to be sure i put in time to come before you for a brief moment and share my appreciation for the police force.

to the commissioners and president mazzucco and the commission, and to the staff and awardees tonight. i know there is 41 of you out there with family and friends. but i want to say to the 2,000 sworn men and women in the san francisco police force. i am very proud of you, and as hard as i work, i know there are people that work harder than i, and i don't put my life on the line every day when i go out there. but for a world-class city to have this status as one of the best cities to live in, and work in and visit. you have to have a police force that rises to world-class standards. and the san francisco police department is world-class standard. tonight with the recognition of

the medals of valor, we continue, i think, a very important culture. a culture that is measured by the performance of its officers and those who tonight exceed that standard in every way. and you know, it's kind of hard for me to get to know everyone up to 2,000 officers that work in our police department. i do see the results though. and i don't think we could have landed the bid for the super bowl hosting 50 without a world class department. we could not have landed the americus cup in san francisco, without the signaling of the best police department in the country. we could not have landed so many of these world-class events and continue the pride of being one of the fastest recovering cities in all of our country without a

good police force. and so i made it a point tonight to come here and to let you know, i may not know each of the officers allegiance to your favorite baseball team or favorite football team or favorite basketball team. but i will before i am done. because i do know that we share in common the success of this city. i know that on a daily basis, whether you are walking the neighborhoods of south of market or tenderloin and bay-view or any number of neighborhoods, you are doing the best you can. you are looking out for people. and i know that as the mayor of this city, we also got your back covered as well. because we don't have each other back's covered, we don't have the trust that we need to have to move forward in this city. i want to say thank you to each of the 2,000 men and women that

serve in this police department. the commission. the commanding staff. the police officer's association that works closely with all of us as well. and not only thank you to all of you, but tonight for those who have earned the medal of valor. you know it's important to have these events because the particular event that caused the bravery to occur, are no longer on the front pages of our newspapers. but they are in our memories. in the men and women, the people you work alongside. the family and friends and commissioners, they know who you are. and the rest of the city, 26,000 people that work for this city, we also know who has put themselves on the line to save others, to bring more efficiencies to the city, to bring pride and who you tutor,

the kids, the extra time it takes to get at-risk youth to turn their heads. and to make a pause and suggest a better life. the extra hours that the officers put in, all of you, i see that every day. and i know there is results. in fact if you look at the numbers today, knock on wood -- we are still at the historic time of low homicides in the city, we want to keep it that way, we want to keep the success going. thank you for your mayor, i want you to know that i am a grateful mayor to this police force and to all the people that serve it. and tonight i celebrate with you the recipients of the medals of valor to know that i appreciate the extra effort that its taken for you to get this award and recognition. i am proud of you, not only as officers and employees of the

city. but proud of you being our city's heroes tonight. congratulations and thank you very much. [applause]

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