those who were less fortunate, better. and following the election, i have been blessed to have the opportunity to get to know him even more. i can honestly say that there is no one in the community, no offense to anyone else in the community, that i trusted more in terms of really understanding what was happening on the ground and really knowing in a very genuine way what the right thing to do was. their respective of the issue. -- irrespective of the issue. there will never be another eric assada. if there was one thing that defined him, it was this constant drive to make the world a better place, and i think that

is something that he demonstrated throughout his life and especially in the last few months of his life. the fact is that even as eric was going through what he was going through, i would still get the calls, what are the issue was. we as elected officials, we need that perspective, we need that voice of someone who can shed light on the very important issues that come our way. because it is easy sometimes for those issues to get lost here in city hall. i could always trust that there could tell me -- eric could tell me in a simple way what was right and what was wrong. that is something i am going to mess and that is something that i feel very honored that i had the opportunity to get to know him that way. i also know that the kind of person he was, that kind of person he remains in our hearts, it is not something that

happened because of who eric was, it is also the people around him and you can see the amazing people in this room, each one of them has accomplished amazing things and i want to single out his mom who is here. there is nothing more formative then the example that your parents give you. i know that eric was an amazing person who was because of the example of his parents. as supervisor for district 9, it has been such an honor for me to get thito know this family. he will live in our hearts forever. and i think that i hope you understand how much he was loved, not only by his neighbor neighbors and community, i am also very proud of his -- the fact he was proud of his culture, his heritage.

i cannot say enough about an amazing human being. i am very proud that we as an institution took the time to acknowledge what eric has meant to our community. president chiu: supervisor kim. supervisor kim: i am a co- sponsor and i want to thank the family for being here. we actually more the loss of several activists and leaders. as we mourn their absence, is it -- it is important we celebrate their work and their accomplishments. eric has been a tremendously important voice in a movement that has pushed neighborhoods and low-income communities directly central in our land use and planning process, processes that had eluded our average citizens for so long. we continue in our discussion

about the use of our land and who are city is for. eric has been one of the central voices in all that. i am proud to be in a movement in which deryk calls his family. i wanted to speak on behalf of my office. there has been entered -- eric has mentored several. i celebrate his life and his work, and we have to honor that by continuing this year. i think we can all say that his impact is felt and we see it everyday in our city. thank you. president chiu: supervisor avalos. supervisor avalos: i have a

voicemail message from eric from february of this year. to the very end, even in the amount of pain he was living in, he had such a coat and such drive -- had such hope and such drive. there was a community of powerful women, powerful man, people committed to social justice. that belief in a better world i think is what drove him and made him just incredible person he was. i cannot think of a more fitting partner for eric than lorena. what an amazing woman she is.

i met her at the janitor's union in 2004. what a spirit that he has. what -- she has. what an amazing woman who is carrying on his family and legacy. we all have that wonderful relationship and we will be with her and have her back in years to come. i do not think i have had the ability to come to terms with his passing just that. it is going to hit all of us, it will be like a ton of bricks as the days go on. i am looking forward to being with community on sunday. eric has been so much to me. he has met so much to me, i have learned so much from him. i agree with supervisor campos's earmark. he had the ability to cut through all this static and get

to the core of what was going on. if i was ever in a room where we are all confused, having eric in the room was always something i welcome to get our thoughts and thinking in a more clear direction. there is amazing things i have done with eric over the years. the thing i am most proud of is the creation of the immigrant legalization network. that has done amazing work in bringing a lot of different communities from all over the city together and organizing for the rights of young people, the rights of families, the rights of workers. that is something i am so proud of and has left a lasting mark on the work he has brought. i wanted to congratulate all of us on the wonderful relationship we have had with eric and

lorena. good to see you. my heart is broken, but my will is strong. president chiu: supervisor mar. supervisor mar: i want to say so much has already been said and so much will be set over the years. we all know that his spirit will live on with all of us. there are so many corners he has touched, so many people, so many communities. he will always be a part of us for as long as we are doing activist work we need to do. i want to thank his family, not just his direct family, but his family of supporters for all that you have done. we all continue together.

supervisor mirkarimi: i look forward to sunday. he had a common touch and he was a great teacher. >> thank you for being here, lorena and wendy, and so many family and friends. if you like to make some brief remarks. -- would like to make some brief remarks. >> i wanted to thank you both as eric's wife and partner in crime. also, thank you as an organizer because i am also an organizer and he makes me proud to live in the city, that our city will give recognition to an organizer, that does not happen very often, especially an organizer that gave this city hell. so, it is a real honor, not only

for eric but all the people that came before him and also that mentored him. the people that worked alongside him for all these years, and for all of us who continue to do the work. i wanted to say thank you. i look forward to seeing you on sunday. also, i look forward to seeing you in the continued fight to make sure our city continues to be for families and we do the right thing so thank you. i am proud to be a san franciscan. i live here. so, thank you very much. >> i wanted to also thank you. wendy and some of the others who worked with him. thank you. [applause]

president chiu: madame clerk. >> today's memory -- meeting will be adjourned on behalf of mr. arthur evans and shawn wilson. and mr. anthony [unintelligible] and mr. eric quesada. president chiu: is there any more business in front of the board? >> that includes business. president chiu: ladies and gentlemen, we are adjourned.

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>> ♪ o! say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ♪

>> please be seated. no sleep president of the san francisco police officers association, and we thank you all, police services,

firefighters, dignitaries, elected officials, for joining us today on this solemn occasion in this very solemn weekend of remembrance of one of the worst and tragic events in the history of our country. so we wanted to make this quick. we wanted to make it respectful, and we wanted to make it a very solemn occasion, which i think is the way it should be treated. the first thing that we're going to do here today, i know i asked everybody to sit down, but i will ask you to stand up again to observe a moment of silence for all of those that lost their lives on 9/11. >> thank you. years ago, in the san francisco

fire department, when a firefighter was killed in the line of duty, bells are rung nine times at each fire house throughout the city. this was known as the chaplains call. in honor of this tradition, firefighter gregory ginatti will now ring the bell nine times for the firefighters and police officers who gave their lives on 9/11. [bell rings nine times] >> thank you, greg. now for the invocation. i would like to introduce father

john green, chaplain of the san francisco firefighters, and the chaplain for the san francisco police department for the invocation. >> we live among heroes, the heroes of the past, those firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, and civilians who gave their lives on 9/11. we live among heroes today as we remember tony and vinnie, firefighters who gave their lives for our city this past june. we remember all of us who have served the city daily, giving our lives in service to our fellow citizens and giving of ourselves in many different ways. we live among heroes. today, we do not assemble so

much with a sense of grief for those who have given their lives as much as with a sense of pride that they did their jobs well and they gave their all. as we gather together in this city, we ask almighty god to remember us and bless those who have been heroic in the past, those who are heroic today, and in a real sense, to give us the strength, the honor, the dignity, the pride, and the courage of the san francisco police officers and firefighters. it is a great pleasure now for me to introduce my friend and fellow priest, father michael healy, who will lead you in prayer.

>> i would like to share with you this morning the beautiful prayer that was composed for the holy father the pope benedict when he visited the site in new york on 9/11. and so in this prayer, we are asked also to look at ourselves and the way in which we treat this tragic situation. i was very much impressed by one of the firefighters who said about her colleagues that she had a hole in her heart, but that it was important for her to fill that with all of the great memories of the wonderful people

who served with her and also the sacrifice that they made. the holy father in going to 9/11 came with this prayer. we can all join in it. we have to use our imagination a little bit because i am going to mention places where the tragedy took place. god of peace, bring your peace to the vile world, the hearts of men and women, and to all nations. god of love, compassion, and healing, look upon us who gather here today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. we ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who have died, the first

responders, the firefighters, the police officers, emergency service workers, and port authority personnel. along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work of service brought them here on september 11. we ask you in your compassion to bring healing to those who because of their presence here today suffere from injuries and illness. heal the pain of those still grieving families and all of those who lost loved ones in this tragedy. give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. we're mindful of those who suffered death, injury, and loss. on the same day in the pentagon and in shanksville,

pennsylvania. our hearts are one with theirs. bring your peace to our by low world, to the hearts of all men and women, and among the nations of this earth. turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. god of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events. grant that those whose lives worse. it may live so that the lives lost year may not have been lost in vain -- whose lives were lost may lives of the allies lost -- the lives lost may not have been lost in vain. let true peace and love rain in

the hearts of all. amen. >> thank you, father. we're honored today to have dignitaries with us that i would like to acknowledge. i would like to knowledge congresswoman nancy pelosi. she has joined us. she is needed back in d.c. for the 9/11 celebration. she wanted to take time today to be with us to share in this day and remember this with her city. remember this -- she wanted to take time to share in this day of remembering with her city. mayor lee is with us today. we would be remiss in not giving a special in allahu -- acknowledgment to former mayor

willie brown whose strong and steady leadership, the strong leadership of the mayors of the city's got us through a difficult time. we thank you very much for that, mr. brown. we also have with us today district attorney george gascon. we appreciate your being with us. we have supervisor emeritus sean elsbernd. the treasurer of the city and county of san francisco is here today. we also have my predecessor at the poa, chris cuddy.