pulpit, i have to of knowledge the fact that there is a missing group from the state here. redevelopment, you may have heard, is in peril. as was recognized, redevelopment contributes significantly to the san francisco community. we have phenomenal projects all over the place, this being just one of them. you have dedicated commissioners. you have dedicated staff, dedicated executive director who spends 24/7 making san francisco a better place, and the results are in place. i do not see our state senator here. i do not see representatives from the assembly. jerry brown is a good friend of mine, but in this case, i respectfully disagree with the direction he has taken, by trying to dismiss redevelopment. [applause]

with the incentive that you can look around today, go upstairs and see the magnificent health center where i wish my dentist's office was as nice as that dennis office. i would encourage you all please contact your local assemblyman, to contact state senator leno, to contact the governor and just tell him it is wrong. and for san francisco to move forward, we need to continue redevelopment and continue their great work. congratulations. thank you. [applause] >> just a quick minute. it is nice to be in charge of the podium because you can do a lot of things independently. [laughter] i would like for the westbrook family to stand out. would you please stand up? [applause] fantastic.

thank you. i also would like for the board of directors as the south of market health center to stand up. [applause] let me just say that i could not do my job without the board of directors, and i really appreciate the board. they are community people. they have the trust and confidence in the staff, in their administration, and gave us the full authority to work towards developing this project. it is not like i had to run back to them every time and say, "would you approve this? would you approve this?" it is the trust in the relationship that is important to make something like this work, and i really appreciate that from my board of directors. thank you very much. [applause]

i would like to bring you back to the podium, val. >> i was thinking the same thing about the dental clinic. i was thinking i wish my dental office was as nice as this. i, too, am going to speak about redevelopment, but i do not want to be too repetitive. we have talked about the importance of the financial investment that the redevelopment agency has in this community facility. what i want to talk about a little bit is what great staff partners we have in the redevelopment office. it is not that often high in many other cities where we have collegial and mind-expanding teammates in this office. in the case of the redevelopment agency, and i am likely to forget somebody, so to all of you for the agency sitting over

there, i apologize ahead of time here ultimately, the deputy director who is a longtime partner of ours and with and we do some of our best thinking and best work, but this advantage to work on this project for many years, phil o'brien, chris harris, derek smith, the asset manager, mike rizzo -- did i forget anybody? you guys are just awesome. we love working with you. i suppose a big part of you is so often because you have a great leader. i would like to invite fred blackwell up to the podium.

>> usually, i thank the staff, and the mayor has already done that. but this is a project that is so overwhelming that i am still not at a loss for words. [laughter] you know, if there is a project that better exemplifies what redevelopment should and can do, i would like to see it. if there is a set of partners that would be better to work with, i would like to see them. and if there's a more a corporate woman building in a project like this to be named after, and i would like to meet her. in terms of the redevelopment agency's role in this, agency funds were used to acquire the site, to provide the financing for the affordable housing. grant funds were used for the clinic. in terms of the use of tax

increment and agency funds, again, i think this is a shining example of what redevelopment can do and the reason why it should sit around. the partnership on this has been remarkable, though. at this point, to say a couple of things about mercy housing and the south of market health center -- mercy housing is probably one of our most outstanding partners. we have literally worked on probably thousands the project, and mercy housing's commitment is this. no matter what your income, even if you may not even have an income, you deserve the highest quality that well-designed housing that we can make. [applause] and you can see that here. 49 units, a wonderful play ground here, a computer center, you name it, it is here for a

range of incomes. just like mercy, though, the south of market health center is, i think, kind of comparable to few. just like mercy housing was a commitment on the housing side, charlie range pose a commitment says no matter what kind of health insurance plan you have, even if you may not have one, no matter what your income is, you deserve the highest quality best services, state of the arts center in order to meet your health needs. and if you have not looked at the center, you have to check it out. the dental facilities are amazing. matter of fact, i think i have some work that needs to get done. [laughter] the exam rooms are state of the art. even the storage facility -- there's a button you can press in the storage facility.

this is what low-income folks deserve in terms of access to services, and i am glad it is available to them. finally, you know, people have talked about 35 and 50 and 20 years -- all of that work that preceded me. i have only heard about that work through people liked doris ward, people like espanola jackson, but it is very clear to me that if people like me are only able to sit in and do the kinds of things we're able to do because of people like mrs. westbrook, i would like to thank her family for sharing her with us and allowing her to do the kind of worked that should be

done. let me close by saying there are a couple of staff members at the redevelopment agency who have worked very hard. in addition to the money that has been put on the table, staff have worked tirelessly with partners to find funds to turn over every rock that was needed in order to make sure that the money was available to turn this out the way it was. this has been a project that has been near and dear to his heart. and as a dangerous, bill o'brien, sally forth, chris harris, mike rizzo, angela , heidi, kimberly, al, ricky -- these people represent about every aspect of the agency's work from finance to real-estate to housing and everything. they along with the commission, along with the pac, along with mercy and the south of market health center, always it -- deserve a resounding round of applause.

>> it takes a lot of people to make this work. a lot of people to make it work. i would like to ask if someone from mrs. westbrook's family would like to come up and say a few words. [applause] >> don't worry. we are not all going to say a few words. as you can see, or if you have not met mrs. weber, you know that she is not a small woman. very tall. so you see why we all came out like that. everybody here -- i believe you have worked with her, or as we call her, madear.

inside, it is a different story. where we came from, we did not have a lot of males around, but as you can see, she has raised a whole lot of them, and everybody is doing good, and everybody would like to thank you all for everything you have done and for allowing the name to continue on like that. so thank you very much. [applause] >> i am just going to pick it up. in the great-grandson of always westbrook. -- i and the great-grandson of -- i am the great-grandson of eloise westbrook. she has created a great lineage. for the people who have not had somebody to fight for them, she was the voice of reason for

people who did not have a voice, and i say today, to everyone who made this possible, the fight is not over. we still have to continue the good fight. i am an iraqi veteran. a couple of years ago, myself, i was homeless. now, i am getting help. we have an issue going on in the city dealing with mental health. we have to address this. if each and every person -- yes, ma'am? >> madea is my grandmother. >> yes, so we have to deal with this, this mental health. so it is good to see you. we talked before, but everybody here that made this project happen, let's continue to do the good work and keep up the good fight. thank you. [applause]

>> i'm eloise's granddaughter. i want to say thank you. my grandmother is not able to make it, i guess you all know, but she said her best wishes. thank you. [applause] >> i would just like to thank you for coming out to the celebration. a lot of people ask me when i am working -- i do work on the san francisco cable cars. come out and ride if you have time. anyway, they always ask me if i like my job. so i am going back to her. she really did like her job. she liked her job. it helps to like your job, you know? i sat with her a few times, and she really did care about the people, and she tried to help

the people. was not talking down to them. she actually cared to help them get their services. another thing that comes to mind is in the scriptures, it says when you give something, do not get it grudgingly. they do not want it if you are giving it grudgingly. did it with love. so she gave it with love. when you do something, do it with love. i was on my way here, listening to a song called "stepping in the name oof love -- of love" by r. kelly. he says if they ask why you did it, say you did it for love. i think that is why she did it. [applause] >> i am also one of the great- grandchildren of miss was sparked -- miss westbrook.

i am very thankful, also, in light of the contribution you have blessed my grandmother with. she is very happy for this project here when you were about 97% finished, and you allow me to come video tape these things for her, she was really happy at what she had seen, and i wanted to thank you for that. anything we can do to put a smile on faces of folks who have sacrificed so much on behalf of us, you know, is a good thing. for those of us, you know, who are in member growing up, who have to look out for me while grandma was dealing in some of these meetings, you know, i want to thank you for your help and those of you who helped her, because when your honor, you also honored those who contributed -- when you honor

her, you also honor those who contributed, those who helped her along the way. though she may be the one out front, she is always backed up by good health, and that is what made her and pushed her to be who and what she is. without some of your help, they could have chosen a different name, but i'm glad you chose to honor her in this way because if you had given another plaque and award, she would have just waited until you left and then told me to go put it in the closet with the rest. [laughter] so, of course, she is very thankful. very thankful. let us not forget about those who sacrificed so much on behalf of us. for a lot of them, it is on, you know, their shoulders many of us stand. because we stand on their

shoulders, we get benefits, but it is based of somebody else's sacrifice, work, bloodshed, tears, and everything else. so i stand here grateful to be a great grandson of ms. westbrook. may god bless me to be worthy of such. thank you all. [applause] >> we have just a couple more people. let me just say, it is not in what order you come to the podium. it is the fact that we are here to recognize something that is outstanding and good for our community and good for the citizens of san francisco. i'm sure nancy would have taken that position at any meeting or any public presentation she made. i have been to a lot of her -- i have even visited her in

washington, d.c. she is a sincere person that is concerned about what happens to people. especially dealing with people in the health field. dealing with people in housing. dealing with those that cannot reach out and do the things they need to do and need that additional help. so there is a representative from her office, and i am so proud that she is here. so i would like to bring her up to the podium. would you please come up, nicole rivera? [applause] >> thank you, charles. i know it is hot, so i'm going to make this break. the leader would have loved to be here. she is currently traveling, but she did send a letter greeting she asked for me to read to all of you today. "dear friends, congratulations on the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new west park plaza, which includes the new south of market hulbert -- the

new west block plaza, which includes the new south of market health center. i had the pleasure of touring this beautiful new facility and meeting so many of you. san francisco is fortunate to have a new state-of-the-art medical facility that is fully equipped to respond to the increasing an urgent health care needs of the south of market neighborhood. together, we will witness a significant increase in the success of managing ellis, maintaining health, and improving the quality of life for the south of market seniors, children, and family spirit it was fitting that the first anniversary of the passage in congress of the affordable care act was celebrated here. without community-based clinics, thousands of men, women, and children would be without access to health care. thank you to charlie range, you're devoted staff, and medical and health-care providers for your leadership and work on the front lines to make this day possible. best wishes for a wonderful ribbon cutting celebration here

ribbon cutting celebration here with my one -- with my regards,

>> is housed in a spectacular building described by the world renowned architect. it is the san francisco destination for provocative expositions and programs that explore culture, history, art, and ideas. the director of cultural affairs told us more about the mission and to give us a tour of the latest exposition. ♪ >> today we find ourselves of the contemporary jewish museum. with me is the director of the museum.

>> i am so happy you are here today. >> we're getting close to a milestone for the museum. it is your third anniversary coming up. >> it is. you were here to help cut the ribbon. it has been an extraordinary journey ever since. we welcome hundreds of thousands of people into the building. we welcome school groups, interests -- tourists. >> the addition of the museum to the cultural pantheons of san francisco has been phenomenon. you have fabulous exhibits. there is one i want to talk about, "seeing gertrude stein." >> gertrude stein is a local woman. she was raised in oakland. she was an extraordinary individual who helped create -- many people call for the mother of modernism. years ago, i was introduced to

someone doing research on her. i thought it would be an extraordinary exposition to take her and understand her at all for complexity. that is what we have on view during the summer of 2011. >> it is full of wonderful drawings, paintings, and sculpture. >> there is incredible art on view. we have photographs. we have sculpture. we have a lot of different things. we have a little something made for her by picasso. there are five different ways of looking at her life. it is not in chronological installation. it is looking at how she is portrayed in help artists, painters, and photographers

presented her and how she thought about her own style and presentation. many people think she always had short hair. it was not until she was 52 that she cut off all of her hair. the second element is called "domestic stein." alice b. toklas was her lifelong partner. they had several different homes. we know about their home in paris, the famous salon. you get a taste of what their domestic life was like. >> one thing recreated is the fabulous wallpaper. the black-and-white photos do not convey the color. >> in doing a lot of research, you discover a little tidbits. with an exhibition, at the find ways to make it come together. we found beautiful photographs of the interior of their home. then we found a tiny scrap of

the wallpaper. we saw how blue and vibrant it was. we had a designer recreate the image of the wallpaper. we had it made into wallpaper so we could all experience what it would have been like to be in their home. it is dynamic and fantastic. they seem very monochromatic because you only know them through black-and-white photographs, but they had such a vibrant life. that is what the exhibition is also trying to show. the third one is the art of friendship. picasso and matisse were part of their second family. there were people she admired and worked with. we introduced the visitors to her second family in a sense. the fourth story is called celebrity stein. what a lot of people do not know

is when she left united states in the early 1900's, she only came back once in 1934. we also have a section of every single first edition book she ever published. >> it is incredible to see all the first edition books. >> it is really impressive to realize not only was she a grand dame of paris, but she had an incredible writing practice. she was a prolific writer. the fifth level really looks at her legacy and how artists continue to be inspired by her image, work, and concept. >> this is a compelling reason for people to visit the jewish museum. you also have life and theater.

>> we are a non-collecting museum. any time you walk in the building, you will always be treated to a range of very different and wonderful exhibitions. in our first floor exhibition space, we have an exhibition on the work of charlotte sullivan. she was a young artist in berlin. the nazis came into power. her parents sent her to the south of france to live with her grandparents. she put herself in a room for about 18 months and created 1200 small paintings telling her life story through a kind of reflection. it is another example of the way we try to bring a wide range of art and experiences to our public. we want them to find something meaningful to them. >> your institution has been in this neighborhood for three years. how do you like the

neighborhood? >> this is the best neighborhood. we are the luckiest city in the world to have this kind of cultural district, to have so many museums and cultural institutions. the center of our tourist life is here because this is where the convention center is. people from near and far can be introduced to the richness of the bay area. it is so wonderful and unique. >> the city thanks you for providing such wonderful leadership and vision. >> we're so happy to be part of the city and so honored to be part of "culture wire." >> to learn more about the exhibition and other upcoming events, visit the website. thank you for watching "culture