tv Mayors Press Conference SFGTV February 4, 2025 11:00am-12:00pm PST
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my name is joe halsey 30 year member of the san francisco fire department and happy to be your emcee for today. >> are there any fans of dean crisp in here this morning? i count myself among that group. my family has a lot of history with dean. i work with dean on rescue to in the ninety's my son sean who was nine years and the department has worked with dean a few times and my wife claudine was dean's fifth grade teacher at holy name elementary school1v.
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>> now those of you who have done a deep dive into san francisco fire department history know that from 8050 to 1863 the fire fighters chose the chief by popular vote. >> now if that practice was still in play today and we did not need a mayoral appointment, dean would still be sworn in here today. that is how respected and well-liked he has been and his fire department career. >> now we have a number of special guests with us today
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and always number one on the guest list are the active and retired members of this great san francisco fire department. >> we have some members of the board of supervisors with us today. we have connie chen representing district one, one of our newer supervisors danny sauder, district three jewel lynn gaudio from district four, matt dorsey from district six, myrna melgar from district seven and the president of the board of supervisors and also representing district eight rafael mandel. >> matt, a number of other city
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officers are with us today as well as cesar walking torres also i see supervisor sherman walton came in from district ten and also another new supervisor there from district 11. >> shyanne chen is here with us today. it's assessor walking tourists here. >> district attorney brooke jenkins is here. treasurer jose cisneros is here . the city administrator carmen chu, police chief bill scott right down here in front of us ,deputy police chief david lazar right here. also fire commissioners with us
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today president marcy frazier is here. vice president paula collins is here. commissioner steven kodjoe is here and commissioner ami morgan is here. you know we have some former fire chiefs with us today as well. >> and i want to give them a special shout out. >> paul tobacco is here with us today. welcome back, paul. >> we're hoping to have fred post still with us today as well. i guess he didn't make it but he was a chief here in the city from 1988 to 1992. >> also sandy tong predecessor is here today.
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janine nicholson is here today and the longest tenured chief in the history of the san francisco fire department. >> joanne hayes. >> why and i have the honor to emcee her swearing in january 16th, 2000 four. >> welcome back, joanne. and now, ladies and gentlemen, would you please rise for the presentation of colors by the san francisco firefighter veterans association on the drums today firefighter ben o'leary from station two and on the pipes sergeant alexander lentz from the san francisco police department investigations unit
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held at the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the parallels fire made for the ramparts we watched were so down only streaming and rockets red glare the bombs bursting in them gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. >> oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave wave
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be seated. once again, the san francisco firefighter veterans association firefighter ben o'leary on the drums and sergeant alexander lentz on the pipes. >> and how about that rendition of our national anthem by gerald kohlberg? now everyone knows that dean is a proud graduate of st ignatius high school. >> and when do you get to be chief dean? you get some priest put on your security detail.
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that's just the way it is. and we have one of the best here today. >> he is the president of st ignatius college prep. >> he has great fundraising ability with your personality and his way to make money. >> i see this as a great team going forward. let's give a warm city hall welcome to father edward reese . >> and no worries, dean i'm not here to collect the library fines that you oh yeah. let's pray gracious and almighty god we come before you today with hearts full of
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gratitude and hope as we gather to witness the swearing in of a new fire chief, we thank you that you have called to leadership and service and you have placed in his heart. >> we also thank you for our first response orders and for all committed to the act of courage, integrity and wisdom. >> lord we ask your blessing on dean as he steps into this vital role. grant him the strength to lead with clarity and compassion the humility to serve selflessly and the resilience to face the challenges that lie ahead may be a source of inspiration. a union and unity for his team fostering a spirit of trust,
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respect and shared purpose. >> protect him. oh god. and all those who serve alongside him the brave men and women who answer the call to safeguard lives and property. surround them with your shield of protection as they confront danger and guide them with your steady hand in moments of uncertainty. we pray for the families as well as they may feel your peace and support as they stand alongside their loved ones in this noble calling of service to the people of san francisco. >> lord. may this ceremony remind us all of the sacredness of leadership and service. let us honor and support dean and all those who dedicate
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their lives to protecting others. >> may this new season of leadership be marked by wisdom, strength and abiding commitment to your well-being and the well-being of the community. >> and we ask this in your name amen. thank you, father reese. by the way, i also want to give a big shout out to the two new deputies cd two pat rabbit and cd3 siamese brenna. >> next we will hear from a long time friend and colleague of dean's. he is the retired deputy chief
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of operations. >> let's give a warm city hall welcome to vic wershe. >> hello. my name is victor wershe recently retired from the san francisco fire department with 31 years of service and finishing as a deputy chief of operations. together we gather to celebrate the introduction and the penning of a native san franciscan as a chief of the san francisco fire department, this is a momentous occasion that run that honors both a personal achievement and deep community ties. as a lifelong resident, dean chrisman carries a unique connection to the city understanding its history, its people and the challenges. firefighting of firefighting and san francisco's diverse neighborhoods. his journey from firefighter to
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the 27th fire chief reflects dedication, resilience and a commitment to service. during this ceremony, city officials fellow firefighters and loved ones gather to recognize this achievement. the pending itself is a symbolic moment marking the transition into leadership and the responsibility of guiding the department forward. it is a proud and emotional event not just for dean chrisman and his family but for the entire sfd family and the residents they serve. my bond with her new chief runs deep not just through friendship but through life's most defining moments. i have fought many greater alarm fires with dean. side by side sharing the same hose line at many of my most memorable fires. chief chrisman and i responded with the first team of 11 to ground zero searching through the devastation, the rubble and the destruction with little
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more than a flashlight and our turnouts. i was in one of the most life changing moments of my life in alaska where i almost lost my leg. my dear friend dean and eric stivers and flew to anchorage to retrieve me after three operations and many plate screws and an external fixator from hip to toe. dean, who has a horrible foot phobia flew holding my leg with six rods in my bare feet in his lap for the entire flight home. on a personal note, one of my proudest moments was when dean asked me to be the godfather to his son dash. as a best friend for 34 years this is more than just a professional milestone. it is a personal one. we have all heard about chief crispin's remarkable career in those 34 years of service. he has spent a majority at stations one, three and 36 the busiest companies in the city and in some cases the entire nation. this is by choice the desire to
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have the largest chances to be in the most dangerous and productive situations, to be of service. dean has done this from firefighter to lieutenant to captain and through the rank of chief. so dean crispin's leadership isn't just about the title but about the kind of person that he hlwayseen. @jsomeone who steps up in crisis whether it's for the city or for thee i would like to thank mayor lurie and the fire commission for the wise decision in selecting our new chief. today we recognize and honor a leader whose heart beats with unwavering dedication to san francisco. the s.f. show and its people. congratulations to chief dean chrisman, the 27th fire chief of the san francisco fire department. thank you, vic. next we'll hear from dean's
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brother randy crispin. >> thank you, joe. and good morning everyone. i had the great fortune to be born 11 years before dean and so i got to watch him grow up and develop into the man that he is today. >> and i did i was able to do that with the maturity of being quite a bit older than he was. >> and so now when people ask me if i'm surprised that dean has been selected to lead this great department, i have to say i'm not surprised at all. >> because dean has been doing great things his entire life. >> now i think all of you know about at least some of dean's accomplishments as a firefighter. vic alluded to some of them. >> i'd be remiss if i didn't
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mention at least a few three commendations for rescuing fire victims, elderly fire victims in the tenderloin meeting the city's response to more than 50 major incidents. and as vic also alluded to organizing a group of firefighters to go to new york city as soon as they could after 911 to work on the pit and to be there to support their fellow firefighter ears and the grieving families. >> now there are a lot of other things about dean that most of you probably don't know. and i want to spend a little time talking about that dean. don't worry. it's not the stories you're worried about. we don't want you to be the shortest tenured chief in the history of the san francisco fire department. >> you may not know that dean is an outstanding athlete and competitor. dean has won the national
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championship in handball not once but twice. he won the open national championship in 2000. and then in 2004 he won the 35 and over title. >> coming back from the brink of defeat in the third and final game when it looked like he had no chance to win. >> you may not know that dean has been acquiring started acquiring properties in san francisco in his 20s, renovating and then managing them himself while also excelling as a firefighter and then an officer and helping kelly at the same time to raise their two amazing boys. >> you may not know that dean has an uncanny ability to be where he's needed when there's a medical emergency even when he's not at work. we were at the nfc championship
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game a few years ago and so fly stadium we're sitting there during a time out. and dean started telling me about all the times that he'd been called upon to render assistance to people when he wasn't even on the clock. and sure enough just he was telling me that story. >> somebody collapsed a couple of sections over. and even though it was a tight game, the niners were still in the game. he got up and he did what dean always does. he went over. he did what he could and stabilize the person until the very medics could arrive and take over from there. >> you may not know how incredibly loyal and generous dean has been with this family over the years. >> dean is a person in the family that people go to when they have a problem because they trust his good judgment and his common sense and usually takes a little money to get them out of the problem.
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he takes care of that too and is just. >> that same loyalty has also been shown to the city of san francisco. he's been a lifelong resident here as you heard. in fact, he's lived in san francisco his entire life except for one last year at chico state that we really don't talk about. >> so i've been thinking about all these things and what they say about dean. and obviously he's very talented dean smart. he has good judgment. he's come under fire. he has his brother's good looks . >> but i think that dean's real superpower is not his talent. it's his character. dean has incredible integrity. >> dean is unfailingly honest. >> dean is incredibly diligent, which is why during the press
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conference announcing his appointment when dean said i'm going to work tirelessly on behalf of this city and its residents, you should believe him because he always does what he says he's going to do. and in fact, when i flew in last night i called him to see what he was up to if we get together and he said i can't randy. i'm working. and that's just dean. >> so dean all i can say is you've been the best little brother that anybody could ever hope for. i'll always cherish our ski trips that we've taken together starting when i was old enough to drive us to tahoe like our dad had done so many times before. i miss the epic ping pong battles that we had in the garage on 43rd avenue at least until you started beating me when you were about 12. >> we're just so, so proud to see you ascend to the pinnacle of your profession. but we're not surprised.
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>> thank you, randy. by the way, one of our other new supervisors has arrived. i'd like to give a warm welcome. he represents district five bilal mahmood right here. >> and now, ladies and gentlemen, it's my great pleasure to introduce the 46th mayor of the city of san francisco. the honorable daniel lurie. >> all right, i have a speech all written out, but i first
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i said this to our new chief and i said this for months leading up when you all are called you come running. you don't ask. you don't ask who you're going to you just go. and i did not know this about the chief and his trip to new york city on 911 but i was there that morning and i remember a moment where i was up in central park and it was about six weeks seven weeks after. and i think new yorkers were taken a breath and i was with some friends and we were all hanging out at the park and a fire truck came along the outskirts of it and there was a few thousand people in that park and we all got up and gave
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them a standing ovation for what they did on september 11th. and i'll just never forget it. i'll never forget that moment. i'll never forget obviously 911 and the fact that we have an incredible fire department, an incredible police department. just know that my fellow colleagues on the board of supervisors and myself you have our back and we'll have your backs alongside your new chief dean crispin. >> so let me do the speech part now. it's an honor to welcome you all to city hall to celebrate a momentous occasion for someone who has dedicated over 30 years to service and the safety of
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others. >> in the past month since i've taken office i've had the pleasure of working alongside you, chief and the talented team of professionals across the fire department. >> and it is clear from the devastation we have witnessed recently in los angeles that the strength of any community is measured not only by its infrastructure or policies but by the dedication of its people those who work tirelessly to safeguard, uplift and empower the lives of others. together and today we celebrate one such individual and his appointment to a crucial role in our city. and it is my great honor to formally swear in chief dean crisp and today this is a role that carries immense responsibility and requires a unique combination of vision, leadership and a profound connection to the people that
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we serve. as you've heard, chief chris christman has built a remarkable legacy defined by unwavering dedication whether as a first responder, an advocate for underserved populations or a leader fostering collaboration. he has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to meet challenges with both strength and empathy. chief christman as we swear you and we celebrate not only your past achievements but also look forward to your future leadership. as you take on this new challenge, know that you carry with you the trust and confidence of every person in this room and of the community that will grow stronger because of your work. i'd like to now ask you to come up and take this oath of office. >> and while you do that i also want to shout out our former chiefs. thank you for your service to our city. it is truly, truly an honor to
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be with all of you here today. >> thank you. this is one of my first and most nervous. >> i'm probably more nervous than dean is. all right, here we go. all right. repeat after me and going to keep the first part short. >> i i dean crispin, do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic. >> against all enemies. foreign and domestic. that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the united states. >> that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the united states.
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>> and the constitution of california and the constitution of california. >> that i take this obligation freely without mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> and i take this obligation freely with mental purpose and without the remainder without mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. i will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which i am about to enter. >> the duties upon which i am now about to enter. during such time as i hold the office as chief of the fire department for the city and county of san francisco and during such time that i hold the office of chief of the fire department of the city and county of san francisco congratulations
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. >> be seated. please be seated. honored, elected and appointed officials. distinguished guests. fellow firefighters. paramedics. emts, family ola mama okamoto or more. friends and community members. good morning. it is truly an honor to stand before you today as i take the oath of office as chief of the san francisco fire department. i'm humbled by the trust placed in me to lead this incredible department and do not take this responsibility lightly. much focus has been placed on
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the loss of life and property in the recent tragicires in los angeles. today i would like to focus on the incredible preservation of life and property that took place. the bravery and commitment demonstrate aided by the members of the los angeles fire department produced one of the most valiant firefighting and rescue operations in the history of our country. we are fortunate to be graced with the presence of five active and retired members of the lapd who with their colleagues responded to these fires and risked their lives to protect our city. please welcome my dear friends captain frank lima. firefighter john levy. retired captain chr hart. refighter billy barrera. captain john jacobson. we are honored by your attendance. please step forward and be acknowledged. .
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san francisco has given me so much. this opportunity is truly a chance for me to repay this amazing gift that i've been awarded. being a san franciscan means the world to me. i've knoothing else. in fact, my closest friends tell me that i'm scared of bridges and that'shy i never leave the city. the truth is and i'm afraid of bridge tolls. since you don't pay them to leave this great city you paid first and foremos i want to express my deep gratitude to the men and women of this department the fire services, the family built on teamwork,
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dedication and a shared commitment to serving others. to my fellow firefighters day. >> and i'm proud to stand alongside you in this mission to our elected officials. thank you for your continued support of public safety. your leadership ensures that we have the resources, training and tools necessary to do our job effectively and to protect the people of our community. public safety is a shared responsibility and your commitment to our department allows us to meet the challenges we face head on. mayor lori happy birthday. >> your commitment to public safety is unwavering and inspiring.
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in the two weeks i've been in this position the tone has changed dramatically in the meetings i have attended. words are being used such as solve now enough commitment priority. i reported to the mayor this last weekend that i visit fire station 36. and the member said to me market street was as clean as they had seen it in their careers. i reported that to the mayor and his response was that's good. but we still have a long way to go. incremental change while something is not the goal, the overarching directive is complete and total success no excuses, no settling, no mediocrity. we stand with our city family to accomplish this vision. to my family thank you for your unwavering support, patience and sacrifice. this profession demands long hours, holidays, missed holidays and time away by your
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love and understanding. make it possible for me to serve. kelly i could not do this without you. i must mention my two boys the loves of my life true sons of the city. shane, my oldest, is currently studying abroad in barcelona and unfortunately couldn't make it today. >> poor guy. times have changed. studying abroad when i was a young man consisted of two choices russian river and kanak di. thank you mr. mazola. while sharad is studying finance and learning the beauties of european architecture my friends and i learn how to use a bicycle inner tube to float the river and also how to design swim trunks using a pair of ben davies pants and a butter knife. times have changed. dashiell named after the famous
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san francisco author dashiell hammt. i'm so proud of you. yo d to continue the family tradition and seek a career in the fire service warms my hea. s in you tha inspires me every day. leadership in the fire service not aout one person. it's about the team. it'sut fostering a culture of excellence, trust and accountability. as chief. my commitment is to uphold the tradions of this great department while ensuring we continue to grow, adapt and innovate to meet the needs of the future. we'll focus on training, safety and disaster preparedness will strengthen our community relationshs because trust between the fire department and the people we serve is essential. and above all we will remain committed to our mission protecting the lives and property with honor, courage and dedication. care for our underserved is at the core of the values we hold
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dear in san francisco. we commit to continue our provision of quality compassionate services for those who need it most. i'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity and i look forward to working with all of you. our firefighters are leaders in our community to ensure that the san francisco fire department continues to be a source of strength, safety and pride. let's get to work
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. >> has a nice ring to it. the 27th fire chief of the city and county of san francisco, dean crispin. i wou if i did not give another shout out to another new supervisor who has arrived at city hall. he represents district two. >> stephen cheryl. thank you, stephen. >> everybody this this is amazing. i knew when they moved this event to this space in city hall that we still wouldn't have enough room. that's what people think and
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feel about dean crispin. this was great today. terrific turnout by the the the fire department, the retired members, the active members, all the special guests and all of the friends of dean of which there are many. so again, congratulations to dean and thanks to all of you for being here today. >> really appreciate it. thank you
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itself people. we been here we grow here and take a a chap here we have roots here. we found ourselves here. and we are the small businesses. >> with 2040 opened in san francisco where we met supportive people to help every step and stage and breaking. >> to welcoming the first encumbers and from idea to opening san francisco listened to our dreams and made them real. start your legacies >> here is great wall hardware, 3500 square feet of retail space. we carry about 22 thousand items in here and countingfelt it never
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stops because i have a thing. when a customer says, do you have this and i don't have it, it bothers me. i won't have it. so, it is just one of those things owning a hardware store, people expect you to have everything and you try to if full thill fulfill that need. native san franciscan. born in chinatown, same as bruce lee, chinatown hospital. my family moved to the sunset in the late 70's, so my mom and dad thought, we are already doing construction, why don't we open a hardware store? it is nice dove tail to each other, so that is how that got started. we started this store in 1983, and we have been going every since, so now it is 40 years. i like serving my neighborhood. i fealt a hardware store is different from other businesses. most businesses you want to buy this or that and eat this or that. a hardware store is different. people come in and usually have
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a problem and need a solution and looking for you to navigate them through that problem and offer them products that help them get to where they need to go. the people are great. i love this neighborhood. there is different etnisties and cultures here. we all intermingle and mix together and get along fine and i like that about this neighborhood t. is nice place to be. it is near the beach and beautiful and near the zoom and park and stern grove. great schools and parks. what's twl not to like? i am always looks around the corner the nextg to and cnk it up more and make it safer and more enjoyable. bringing in new businesses. support them. great wall hardware, open 7 days a week, monday-friday 8 to 6, saturday is 10 to 6 and sunday is 10 to 3.
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>> [indiscernible] it was something i remembered learning in middle school, but it was a far away concept. >> i go to the beach a lot. a lot of plastic on the shoreline and it made be sad to see what is going on and wanted to make a change. >> i have many [indiscernible] and i would say it is hard to change the mind. especially of those who do not believe in climate change. >> i feel learning about the environment through my a p science courses and i thk atmade me to not only have the ■i help the community. >> hello everybody. >> many interested in the
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climate action fellowship, i care for the environment and want to make a difference. >> when i had the opportunity joining the climate action fellowship, what made the program special is i could collaborate work with a small group of high schoolers and on sfusd and they are all passionate about certain topics. >> i decided to join the clime fellowship. i wanted tobuild my project on my own and contribute to the environment. >> a project is called reducing food waste and school cafeterias, accept not only focusing on foodwate, we are focus on the package the food come in and what makes it appealing to students and what doesn't and why kids are throwing it out. so, we are trying to figure out a way to number one, reduce food waste, and figure out ways to reduce plastic
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coming in, so it doesn't end up in landfills and the ocean which again is very harmful to the environment. >> my project focuses on water conversation. in the design i'll introduce about water resources in san francisco ■úbay area. also suggest ways to protect our ter resoce but outside the house and with our community. >> our project called the bridging cultural generational divides and this refers to sort of the knowledge gap between the asian american community and the environmentalism movement. >> what made we want to work on the ojectis our personal experiences household and m a chinese d it deaf cult to talk about--i felt relatable what we are
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trying to do with this project. >> uld li to see reasonable materials, like a set of plastic forks, forks you can bring back and they wash it and you can use it again, and food that hopefully isn't moldy and soggy. something fresh and vegetables for sure, because a lot of food is very uealthy, which is bad students. >> i would say we should [indiscernible] edioraise public awareness. >> i want people to know maybe your actions can have a impact on those not interested and help get interested in the topic. >> i think we should use a more ands on approach when we want to draw in youth. >> if we bring it to their attention and show the enre picture, maybe they'll start to figure t are doing is wrong and one less person is already a change, so maybe everyone will follow them, which is what
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we hope would happen. >> we have certificates for everyone. >> my favorite part about the program is making a change in the world. i am saying to others and doing something out it. >> i think i was surprised the connection after the program. i have to realize that i actually can have a impact. >> we really do bring perspective this group. >> my parents they would like--i feel happy because they are adopting sustainable lifestyle with me. yes! ■'
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[cheers] e2■d . welcome everyone to the our city our home oversight committee. it's january 23rd, 2025 and we're going to start with a call we're going to call this meeting to order so we'll start with roll call. >> thank you chair williams vice chair de antonio member friedman here member haddix hear member jackson. >> absent member preston here
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