kids in the neighborhood. it is my honor to give you this commendation today and i would thank you for being a hero and believing in and serving other people. i will now turn this over. >> thank you very much. i wanted to take a moment to show our appreciation. we're all committed to making certain that the city remains safe. when we have residence like you, it fills our heart and makes what we do very worthwhile. and we will continue to partner in the effort and makes certain that the streets are safe. i want to encourage you to remain strong and tell you that you have our support.

thank you very much. >> i want task to the residents that are here, if you are here to honor him, you can see that many residents and neighbors are here to give you their thanks as well. if you would like to say a few words -- thank you. i was finished with class, and i felt i was able to control the situation. i did this because he is a human being. and everyone deserves this. i think the main thing over here is that everyone should respect each other. and everyone should do the right thing for everybody.

thank you so much. [applause] >> thank you, and you have a great day. >> i have the honor of making the next presentation for someone who is a true legend in the san francisco community. if you can please step up to the microphone.

>> i would like to thank all the members of the veterans community and those who have served our country, thank you on behalf of the board for everything that you do. it is my pleasure to recognize commander more, who is one of the last surviving buffalo soldiers. he has honorably served our

country during world war two and during the korean war, including service in the philippines and north africa. he dedicated his life to make certain that the contributions of african-american soldiers and the buffalo soldiers to our country, continuing today are never forgotten. among his accomplishments, he is happy to be another part of the city's history, the owner of the first african-american taxi company. in 1948 he wrote about african- americans in the horse cavalry. we wanted to invite him here today, because very shortly he will be celebrating his 94th birthday and we want to honor

you on behalf of the board of supervisors. is there anything that you would like to add? >> thank you for joining us this afternoon. it is a pleasure to stand before you in this great chamber. if it was not for your dedication and your commitment to serving, i may not have been able to be here today to serve. and i would like to thank all the veterans and soldiers for their dedication and commitment to the country. i also have a certificate of honor to present to him. thank you.

>> good afternoon. the great san francisco supervisors. the knowledge and the physical capacity to speak to you, i have lived in this city, one of the greatest cities in america for 60 years. i have never been as honored as i am are today. i have lived long enough to be here and i will not give you the age. i will let someone else give

this to you. you have made my hair rise in my head. therefore, i want to thank you, for inviting me and honoring me. i will never forget. i have tried to do my best and i have lived here over 63 years. not counting the time i was out serving our great nation. i did my best and i am still doing my best. and doing whatever i can to make this one of the great cities in america and especially on the west coast. i will say this very briefly. i have lived in many cities in this great nation.

i came here years ago, and i am is still here. i know that someday i will say goodbye. i am getting up in age but i have tried to do my best, and i will continue to do my best. this is one of the greatest cities i have lived in. my life span has been very long. and i have lived so many years in this great city among these great people. i have served our nation very well. and i will do so until i leave

this world. i was honored when i have the invitation to be here tonight, and this is one of my highest honors. and i will never forget. this has been great. i have tried to do my best. and i hope to live long enough to continue my up till climb to help the youth. we live in a time when they need this very badly. and for 10 years, -- we have

been trying to do this with recorded history, and -- we have a bright young man and young ladies, and i think that they need our help. in my age, with the time i have left, plot -- on this planet, i will try to get them to stay away from the things that will destroy them. i will get the city behind me, and in a few more days we will have about 100.

and this may destroy human beings. therefore, i want for you to get behind me. i thank you again for inviting me, and taking your time and i will never forget this. thank you very much. and in a few more days i will be a young man. and you can be present when i become a young man again. [applause]

>> congratulations, commander. we look forward to celebrating or 45th birthday, next year. -- your 45th birthday, next year. i understand that the department of public works has resolved the issues they have been available to finish at this time. i would like to ask the representatives to return to finish this off. >> we're working with the property owners on some of the outstanding issues, we are excluding the properties, and i asked that we proceed with

excepting for the -- accepting for these fefees and we will wok to resolve any outstanding issues. >> unless there is anything else, this hearing was in closed. and our staffer has a revised report of the assessment costs. unless there are any questions, first of all, if we can adopt the amendments to report without objection? this is without objection. the last item having been unanimous, we will adopt the resolution. without objection, the resolution -- now we will go

back to the other 3:00 special order about lombard street. is there any other member of the public who wishes to speak on this item? we have the measure in front of us. please step up to the microphone. >> this remained after the boom years because of it. -- a regular shape and remained a parking lot for the same reason in the 1980's. in the 1980's, the property owner, -- the city was surprised

in 1999 when they attempted to contact the owner to find out that the property had been sold. the permits for building were filed at that site. and there are 30,000 people within a half mile of joe dimaggio playground. we have urban areas that are as dense as 76,000 people for square miles -- for each square mile. there was ever a situation for the need of many over one, this is the place. preventing the destruction of the library will not give him back his property. and this will not restore the money that the city has built -- has spent on this property so far, but it will affect the quality of life in this neighborhood. the needs of the neighborhood are clear.

and i hope that the board will support this project and get us closer to a new library. thank you. >> i am mark, a north beach parent and property owner. the last time i came here, i was disappointed that this continued to this day, because when this conversation started, my daughter was in preschool, and now she is a junior at lowell high school. at a certain time, this is just kind of done. maybe you don't shake hands, but this is just done. let's get this project going. >> if there are members of the public who wish to speak on this item, please line up. >> good afternoon, fellow supervisors.

i thought of writing a letter on friday. i am the presence of russian hill neighbors. i was thinking of writing a letter on saturday, on behalf of the organization, but at least nine letters have been written in support of moving forward with the library, and we have a board of 27. and the land-use attorney architect, people in the know. i am an artist, and a jewelry designer, but i hear this from the heart. i was going to bring in my tap shoes and all kinds of games,

things that could be used with a larger part. but then i thought my best thing is the perception. i have started a new line of antique jewelry this morning. this shows how long that the library has been fought over. these bonds have been around -- we're down to paper. this shows the time and place, and i feel like reading is the key to knowledge, and kids and adults need a community outside. we don't have backyards.

meeting to please move forward, and do the right thing. thank you. >> i entertain 40 kids. i don't know about the library project. were the main library. i have an awful lot of trouble with a lot of things. i have a lot of trouble with this anyway. with regard to the open space -- my friends have been involved with the grass-roots organizations, and these have been phenomenal. there are some opportunities to

participate. we have to take away the rights of the individual. a week ago monday, i sell on the sidewalk because i was left stranded by a bus driver who decided that hate crimes are appropriate. because of my damaged vehicle, i was sent away. yes, we need the open space and the garden. where does this come from? do we do this correctly? let's ask these questions. these policies -- the police wanted to tell me that would be taken away and i cannot make a

citizen's arrest. where does this stop? is this the institutions or the responsibility of the government to say -- thank you very much. >> man have the overhead? sfc tv? thank you. in 2003 and 2004, i first became involved with trying to lott, when the neighbors started the discussion about a seizure with eminent domain, of the private property owners, or open space. the issue was very

controversial. and we see this with groups and individuals who were split on this issue. i was very torn between individual property rights, and the need for open space. but like many of my neighbors, and many of your predecessors on the board, this particular site was appealing not only because of the need for open space but because of the crossroads location and the spectacular view that was offered by this one location with a very significant landmark assemble that marked north beach as one of the great neighborhoods of the world. with much hesitation and out, i also supported eminent domain seizure, and i follow the

hearing, listening to the general managers and the library general manager as the talk about the need for open space, that this would be a good fit for the renovation. and three ballot measures of the library -- >> thank you very much. >> the next speaker? once i live in north beach, and i have lived here for 46 years,

continuously. i have written to use several times about the legal aspects of eminent domain, and all of the situations -- with the purpose of taking a lot for open space. eminent domain is a serious matter. i have not spoken about this before. they were talking about how much that they would pay him and his partner. i have 17 pages of this, and this is california law. i offer this to you if you wanted. i am waiting for what was promised in 2004. i understand that because of improper notice on this lot, no

decision has been very inadequate. these are on polls and that the library, and only four of them have dates on them, and this is not really a notice at all. two of them talk about april 23, two of them talk about june 7. that is everything, when it comes to the public. most of the north beach public does not know that mason street is being closed, and the businesses are very against the closing. they have not been properly notified. >> thank you.

>> good afternoon. i have lived one block from the library for 46 years. the last time the group address you, we were asking you not to build a two-story library in the open space. and this clearly fell on deaf ears. in fact, one supervisor said he was happy that the long battle was over, and now the>> imagineg to save the city-owned open space and a library that just

means expansion, updating, and renovation. having to keep coming back to study a that is a big mistake you are making by ignoring the great alterative to that destructive master plan appear in if the well-designed alternative was adopted, to have a new small car and a renewed library sooner, for less community disruption and considerably less cost. we persevere and not to win, but rather, not to lose open space, and glorious trees, and opportunity for a new small part, a famous softball playground, news of our icons,

and confidence in our elected officials. who doe>> this is the third pare seen us lose. the third part has less open space than any other district in the city as far as i know. when i was the organizer, we have an open space funds committed for the proposition at the time. and the city delayed buying it until it went up and out it is a condo. there is a place dedicated on top of the broadway tunnel. that we supported.