[applause] [applause]. Thank you everyone. [applause] good evening. [off mic] dragon. Thats why we have special and the dragon theyre always great. [applause] [off mic] lets give a round of applause. [applause] [off mic] and welcome to this years new year celebration. I am Claudine Cheng from the the San FranciscoGeneral Hospital foundation and [off mic]. [off mic]. Particular celebration because this is the first, the first of many, many of Asian Pacific cultural celebration in the new year and family and friends getting together and wishing each other a happy and healthy new year with lots of good fortune and thats what were doing here looking out at the rotundra today. This is Diverse Communities coming together and celebrating as San Francisco family and wishing all the goodness that the year can bring, hopes, optimism, all the good things so we want to thank you for being here and i would like to say a few words in chinese. [speaking foreign language] so i justin tsai to mention and the new year is celebrated in communities and the ask pacifics and this evening we prepared a number of performances celebrating the culture of a number of ache pacific count reese and china, indonesian and the philippines and celebrations like what we have here now doesnt happen in every city in the country or in the state of california. This has become kind of a tradition for our city and because we are very lucky to have so many mayors through the years and our city officials who took every opportunity to bring communities together. We have very fortunate we have a city that embrace diversitys in the manner that we do and please welcome the host of this years celebration, mayor london breed. [applause] thank you. Lets hear it for commissioner Claudine Cheng. [applause] well first of all welcome to city hall everybody. Happy Lunar New Year. You dont seem that enthusiastic. Its the year of the dragon, progress, prosperity, courage. So many things represent the year of the dragon and what i am so excited about here in San Francisco is what this means for the future of our city. This is going to be a great year, 2024 in our city, and it has everything to do with each and every one of you joining us here tonight to kick off Lunar New Year in San Francisco. [applause] now, i wrote a new names down that i want to identify and i want to make sure they get this right, but first i want to start with my cohost tonight. You will from them in a little bit but i want to thank carmen chu, city administrator. [applause] sheriff paul mijamoto. Public defender mano raju. And our other cohost david chiu couldnt be with us here tonight but as many of you know hes everywhere so if hes want here tonight he couldnt really be here tonight and i want to thank the committee for all the work and the apa Heritage FoundationClaudine Cheng who does amazing work. Thomas lee, al perez and grace. Almost grace, almost. I want to also thank our chief of protocol marian and some of our amazing leaders, president of the chinese console baited Benevolent Association. Thank you for being here today and our pair port commissioner representing the San FranciscoChinese Chamber of commerce malcolm young. [applause] and congratulations to kevin chang who is the new chaplain for the San Francisco sheriff. [applause] and i know mary young is also here somewhere. Now we have a number of new Council Generals and i want mention the countries joining us here today, korea singapore, mongoala. Welcome to San Francisco. We also have the consul general of japan as well as other places and can they please stand up. [applause] thank you to those who are joining us here today and welcome to the new Council Generals. We look forward to welcome and you celebrating at the Lunar New Year parade this saturday as well, and we have some special guests visiting us from the district of West Vancouver including the mayor, mayor mark saiger who is joining us today. Welcome mayor. As well as your delegation from the meto vancouver transportation agency. Can you all please stand. [applause] i want to acknowledge some of the elected leaders who are joining us here today starting with supervisor rafael mandelman, matt dorsey and joel engardio. [applause]. Our assessor recorder jaking torres. Our School Board Members please stand. Our treasurer jose cisneros. [applause] and jenny lam are you still president or okay. Lanie is the president of the school board. All right. I am getting all my name exercise thingsed up but i think i took care of everything and we have some amazing Department Heads joining us here today and can you please stand, Michael Lambert from the library. Greg colfax and mary and joe and thank you all for being here. If i didnt call your name raise your hand. Just kidding. Anyway again thank you so much for joining us and as i said were kicking off the year of the dragon and prosperity, abundance, intelligence and honor. So many things represent San Francisco as a whole and when i think how amazing it is to celebrate Lunar New Year i think about the resiliency of the Asian Community, so many people immigrated here to San Francisco and made it what it is today whether its folks from the Filipino Community who immigrated to the south of market neighborhoods or japantown which is one of the best japantowns anywhere and chinatown which is one of the first and oldest anywhere in this country. We have so much incredible history with so many different communities that celebrate Lunar New Year and it is what makes San Francisco unique. When we hosted the Asian PacificEconomic Corporation what i said during that time to so many of those visiting us from 21 economies is that San Francisco is a gate way to the Asian Pacific. We represent diversity of cultures in so many ways and when you think about it people travel to different places all over the world to experience different cultures but when you come to San Francisco you can experience it all right here in our city whether its different foods or different neighborhoods or different people. We all have a unique fabric that makes San Francisco what it is today, and i appreciate being here celebrating on this momentous occasion, joy, excitement and happiness. After everything that we have been through the challenges of the pandemic, the challenges around antiasian hate were finally starting to see the representation of what the dragon means around progress with the 90 reduction in antiasian hate crimes in San Francisco and it is everything to do with all the work that we have been doing together. [applause] so again i want to welcome you to San Francisco city hall for this great celebration and really appreciate you all for coming together because after such a hard time, after so many challenges it is time to start rooting for San Francisco. It is time to start rooting for what makes us so unique and special. It is time to start celebrating and experiencing joy and happiness and excitement. Yes, San Francisco has its challenges because were a major city, but we need to start focusing on what makes us great, what makes us special, what makes us unique . And Lunar New Year with our diverse Asian Community is really an important part of what makes us special and what makes us unique. Thats the celebration that were hosting here tonight and we appreciate each and every one of you for joining us on this auspicious occasion and we hope to see you saturday at the Lunar New Year parade as well. Thank you all so much. [applause] i knew i was going to forget something so at this time i want to ask the counsel generals who are joining us today to come to the stairs so we can take a picture. Right claudine . Okay. [applause] thank you everyone and next in the program we have another treat for you. Lets welcome the gordon j. Lau Elementary School students. These students have been sacrificing all lunch breaks to practice for today so lets give them a big round of applause. Gordon lau. [applause] music [applause] i could dance by dua lipa watch me dance the night away. My heart but you wont see it. Watch me dance the night away. I still keep the party still running and when my heart breaks, when my world shakes i dont play. Dont you know about me . I could dance, i could dance. I could dance. Dance away. [applause] thank you students. I think the mayor was going to thank the students. [applause] all right everybody. Big smiles. Theyre looking great. What do you say everybody; right . [applause] i mean i wish i could dance moves like that. All right. One, two, three. You got your pictures . We want to make sure we see all these wonderful students faces in the picture. [applause] all right. Here we go. Big, big round of applause. [applause] dragon pose. Dragon pose. Serious, brave and courageous. There you go. All right. Thank you very much. Big round of applause for gordon j. Lau Elementary School performers. [applause] and of course our wonderful brian here from lion dance. Thank you. [off mic] [applause] thank you. Good job. [applause] all right. Another big round of applause. [applause] im going to invite my cohost to come up, our chair will be joining me on the stage. Good evening. My name is carmen chu and one of the cohosts today i want to welcome you all to city hall. I know many of you come from far and wide and busy schedules to join us with this wonderful celebration. As we go in the city and celebrate the Lunar New Year its important to know what the Lunar New Year celebrates. [off mic] with our family to watch all the Previous Year and celebrate and un unity and coming together and we welcome to you city hall and hope you have a wonderful time in todays performance. [speaking foreign language] and with that let me turn it over with comments from my do host. First i will start off with the sheriff. Thank you carmen. [applause] applause happy new year everyone. Its always difficult to follow carmen and dragons and Little Dragons and lions and the wonderful culture represented here tonight. Im very happy to see you here and as the mayor mentioned always welcoming people to city hall is a wonderful thing. We will have more fun on saturday at the parade and not like the one earlier but i will be under a dragon head in the parade and i look forward to that every year and i want you to be there as well because we feed off the energy of the audience and the community as we celebrate the Lunar New Year together so i will do my best right now. [speaking foreign language] wow big round of applause. Good job. [applause] its wonderful to be here today on Lunar New Year. I am the public defender and you know as a son of indian immigrants its special to see the wonderful diversity and how everyone shows their full potential. I was able to fortunately go home over the winter break and go to india and went to japan and back here in San Francisco is really beautiful. I am in a jury trial seeing the wonderful diversity on the jury and i always want to sayad public defenders and San Franciscos public defender i believe what is truly the power and potential of every individual and wonderful to see it come together here and when i need inspiration i will go to the youth here and the dragons and theyre amazing and Lunar New Year and happy new year and hope everyone enjoys the enjoy festivities. Im going to invite others up here and after the speaking the mayor to come up with a photo with the elected officials and Department Heads so come on up. Our assessor torres. I want to go before him because hes going to wow everyone with his cantonese and im going to wish everyone a happy new year and thank you so much for pulling this together. This is always an amazing amaze maze event. Claudine you do so much for the city and so much for these celebrations in city hall and to everyone that made this happen thank you and happy year dragon everybody. [applause] so did you think ho ychoy and the extend of the chinese i know and this what i look forward to every 12 years and im a baby of the dragon and along with supervisor peskin who couldnt be here and my legislative aide is also year of the dragon so were excited in the district six office. [applause] [speaking foreign language] i want to wish everyone a very happy, happy year of the dragon, auspicious, prosperous, healthy, joyful extraordinary times for all of you and your families and see you in chinatown on saturday. Thank you. [applause] all right. Hey everybody. Nobody celebrates Lunar New Year and the culture and the diversity of our Community Better than the city and county of San Francisco in the entire country. I want to wish everyone a happy Lunar New Year and look forward to see you at at parade facultysh saturday. Look forward for the book mobile. Thank you. I want to recognize my Department Heads. Michael you werent supposed to Say Something but glad you did and i want to welcome all of the Department Heads here and and mayor would you please come on up to take a photo with Department Head and other elected official and i will ask my folks to come up and stand loser closer to the lion. And please stand closer to the lion. All right. [applause] and now of course for the performances. I think as most folks know we have so many different cultures represented in San Francisco. Many folks who all celebrate the Lunar New Year so of course we want to welcome and show case some of the amazing talent here in San Francisco and so i will be introducing two dance performers that we will be starting. First is a dance performance by Parangal Dance Company a filipino and folk dance and nonprofit based here in San Francisco. We will be having two dances from them and one is sohten and thalek and see a performance from the korean culture andept representing and honoring peace and harmony. Please welcome both of these performances. [applause] dance performances [applause] beautiful. Lets give our two performances a big round of applause again. Thank you. [applause] before our third and last performance i would like to introduce two Community Speakers to the stage. We have the presiding president of the chinese consolidated console Benevolent Association and they have sponsored so many events celebrating the Chinese New Year and as well as the chamber of commerce. Welcome to both of you. [applause] honorable mayor lee, city officials, honorable guests and friends, happy new year. [applause] i am the presiding president of the chinese consolidated Benevolent Association. On behalf of the association its my honor to wish everybody a happy healthy pro perrous year of the dragon. Lunar new year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year on the hundredar solar calendar. Its the most important holiday in china and celebrated for every 3,000 years. It is the time of the year to reunify the immediate and extended family. On september 29, 2022 Governor Newsom proclaimed this day as california holiday. At the end of last year the United Nations also made it a holiday. Thats big. This meaningful Celebration World wide event. Im grateful to have the opportunity to represent the chinese consul benevolent celebration to attend this celebration and continue the good working relationship with city hall. To promote the Chinese Culture and freedom and tradition. [speaking foreign language] [applause] all right good evening everybody. Im malconyoung representing the Chinese Chamber of commerce. Our president wade apologizes he couldnt be here this evening. Hes taking care of some important details. I want to everyone to give a big round of applause to all of the performers and especially the young people from gordon lau and dance team. I can tell you the lunchtime was well spent; right . And in really in all honesty because its the young people that carry on our traditions that are really the next generation that make sure we have the cultural identity so thank you very much. Second repeat after me. [speaking foreign language] okay now you can all speak chinese as well as as joaquin. You know every year the Chamber Helps to organize the Lunar New Year parade and madam mayor you mentioned earlier theres so many things that make San Francisco unique and special and the Lunar New Year parade is one of those things. Its the only night time Lunar New Year in the country, the largest one in the country and for those that have been in person you know its a spectacle. You cant feel the magic. You cant feel the power of it unless youre standing on the ground with the performers and its going to be a beautiful, beautiful year. I want just to make sure to highlight some of the special things were doing in this year of the dragon. We are introducing were debuting a new green wood dragon so look out for that. Thats going to be incredible. We have an amazing grand marshal this year, the hollywood actress aqua finna. But we want to show her that we do Lunar New Year way better than l. A. So all the hollywood people need to come up here to get the real thing and also i really want to say that we have an incredible number of performers and units this year, 122 to be expect. The number keeps going up and up and up and i mention this because the time and energy and dedication it takes to get ready for the parade is something that folks do all year around so its an incredible special moment and please Pay Attention to all of the units because they spend so much time on tnow the chamber organizes this thing but we dont put it o its a community and city effort and first of all i want to thank the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers that come out to support the parade and you know its a production. Its incredible. It takes a lot of person power and the volunteers make it happen. Secondly i want to thank our citys leaders maam mayor, london breed for the support year in and year out. The city contributes funding to make it happen. Thats really critical but the work of the Department Heads keeping us safe and clean and everything orderly. Thats so important so thank you especially to the sheriffs, the firefighters, San FranciscoPolice Department and i know theyre in commission right now. Thank you to dpw for cleaning up afterwards. Its a big task and thank you for the transportation. For those going to the parade theres go through the New Chinatown rose pac station and via that instead of driving and i want to invite everyone to the parade and its going to be amazing and madam mayor we hope that you can call the Weather Service to make it a beautiful evening and we know you will help with that. Thank you. Thank you and now i would like to invite back up Claudine Cheng and the apa Heritage Foundation representatives for a special presentation to the mayor, mayor breed please join us on stage. Yes, you mayor. We only have one mayor here. All right. So this is the year of the green wood dragon. I think we all know by now so were very pleased we have many versions of the dragon and around town but we saw a very, very special and unique one. I would like to introduce our San Franciscos own artist. Her piece was really stunning and i think this year the community has chosen for commissioner to present this plaque to you mayor. It would look great in the mayors office. [applause] and maybe the commissioner would like to explain a little bit about this. Maybe the artist would like to say a few words about this special piece. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. Im so excited here to present the year of the dragon art. This is a special piece because this is not generated by ai. I actually generate this i create this at work by hand on Apple Computer using adobe software. It symbolizes the innovation spirit of San Francisco bay area where Technology Meets humanity and liberal art and the east meets west and the tradition meets contemporary. Im incredibly honor toed here and i echo every previous speaker and performers and i wish you all a happy Lunar New Year of the dragon. Thank you so much. Cheers. Thank you. Another round of applause. [applause] it certainly takes a village to create the celebrations across the city whether in the San Francisco chinatown, in visitacion valley, sunset, excelsior, or ocean avenue and we see celebrations and thank all the Committee Members for the help, Claudine Cheng in particular for all of the work, some of the folks at city hall and rob and others who did an amazing job to support this event. Were going to have our final Performance Today and this is a real treat. This is a dance from you know no nishia and will be performed by monali varaiya and this is performed for celebratory occasions in the temple. performance [applause] i want to take a name to thank all the wonderful performers today. Lets give them another big round of applause. [applause] thank you mayor breed for your tireless support of events like this that celebrate the richness of our community. I know events like this couldnt happen without your support and strong advocacy and thank you for your support. I to thank all the Community Partners to make this event possible and of course think Claudine Cheng and the people that do this on a yearly basis. A big round of applause. Thank you. As malcolm said early year were looking to see everyone at the Lunar New Year parade this year. Its going to be a big fun parade. Come out and celebrate the city we all love. For more information on events in the city go to our website. This concludes tonights program. Happy new year. Thank you so much for joining us. [applause] hello, i am with the recreation and parks department. We are featuring the romantic park location in your backyard. This is your chance to find your heart in santa and cisco with someone special. San francisco with someone special. Our first look out is here at buena vista park, a favorite with couples and dog walkers. Both have a significant force. A refreshing retreat from urban life. The romantic past that meander up and down the park under pines and eucalyptus. Hang out in this environment and you might see butterflies it, fennel, and then the lines. Dandelions. Is ada accessible. Public transit is plentiful. We have conquered the steps, we have watched the dogs, and we have enjoyed a beautiful view. This is a place to take someone special on a romantic stroll and enjoyed a beautiful look out. Welcome to Corona Heights located in the heart of this district. It offers a view of the downtown skyline, the bay bridge, and the east bay. It is one of the best kept secrets in the city. It is hardly ever crowded. On any given day, you will run into a few locals. , bought a 37 bus to get there without any parking worries. For legged friends can run freely. There is also a patch of grass for the small box. It is a great place. It is a wonderful place to have these kinds of parks. That dog owners appreciate it. Take time to notice of the wildfires that are on the grassland and keep your head out on the lookout for hawks and other bird life. Be sure to take your camera and be prepared to take a view of the city will not forget. It has a beautiful red rock formations. You could watch the sunrise over the bay. This is another one of our great lookouts. We are at mount davidson. 928 feet. This is the place for you to bring someone special. To not forget that dogs and enjoy all of the pathways and greenery that surrounds you. It provides a peaceful oasis of open space and great hiking trails. The spectacular view offers a Perfect Place to watch the sunrise or sunset with someone you love. It is a good place to get away from the hectic life of the city. Come up here and listen to nature, i get some fresh air. That view is fantastic. Where sturdy shoes. Hikers get the feeling of being in a rain forest. Mount davidson is also a great place to escape the noise and the bustle of the city. Take the 36 bus and it will drop you at the entrance. It is quite a hike to the top but the view is worth every step. This is the place to bring that someone special. Golden gate parks largest body of water is an enchanting place. Is a popular spot for paddling around in boats, which can be rented. Created in 1893, it was designed for these your boating for leisure boating. It is named for the wild strawberries that once flourished. There is also a waterfall, two bridges, and trails the climb to the summit, the highest point at more than four hundred feet. You can catch glimpses of the western side of the city that make this hilltop a romantic look out. For public transit, i take the n train. The lad the ad lake is ada accessible. Watch many ducks, swans, and siegels. Seagulls. It is a great place to stroll and sail away. Many couples come here to take a ride around a lake, going under the bridges, passing the chinese pavilion and the waterfall. For a quiet getaway, making for a memorable and magical experience. Located on 19th avenue, this growth is the place to where youre hiking boots, bring the family and the dog because it has so much to offer you and your loved ones. It is a truly hidden gem in the city. The park is rich with eucalyptus trees. Long paths allow you to meander, perfect for a dog walking in a wooded environment. I enjoy the history. The diversity of nature that exists in such an urban city, concrete streets, cars, we have this oasis of the natural environment. It reminds us of what the history was. There is a section for dogs and plenty of parking. Transit is available on the 28 bus to get you very easily. The part is ada park is ada accessible. It is also a natural lake. This is your chance to stroll around the lake and let the kids run free. It also has many birds to watch. It is a place to find and appreciate what you a wonderful breath of fresh air. Come and experience in this park and enjoy the people, picnics, and sunshine. This is a lovely place to take a stroll with your loved ones. In the middle of pacific heights, on top of these hills, it offers a great square, a peaceful beauty, large trees and grass and greenery. It features tables and benches, a playground, restaurants, and tennis courts. There are plenty of areas for football and picnics. It is very much a couples park. There are many activities you can experience together. Stroll on the pathways, bring your dog, or just picnic at one of the many tables and enjoy all that it has to offer together. Many couples find this is a perfect park to throw down a blanket and soak up the sun. It is a majestic place that you can share with someone you chairs. Lafayette park is also easily accessed from the 47, 49, and 90 buses. It is ada accessible. We are here at the historic palace of fine art in the marina district. Originally built for the 1950s exposition, the palace is situated on San Franciscos number waterfront. It is ada accessible and is reached by the 28, 30, and 91 bus lines. Set against the reflecting waters of the lagoon and eucalyptus trees, the palace is one of San Francisco post most San Franciscos most romantic spots to relax with that special someone while listening to the water and gazing at the swans. A beautiful to view from many locations along the mattoon, an ideal place to all lagoon, an ideal place to walk with a loved one. Reservations for weddings are available at sfrecpark. Org. Discarding contains plants referred to by William Shakespeares plays and poems. Welcome to the Shakespeare Garden here in the famous golden gate park. Located near the museum and the California Academy of sciences, the garden was designed by the California Spring blossom and wildflower association. Here is a truly enchanting and tranquil garden along a path behind a charming gate. This garden is the spot to woo your date. Stroll around and appreciate its unique setting. The gorgeous brick walkway and a brick wall, the stone benches, the rustic sundial. Chaired the part share the bards word hundred famous verses from a shakespearean plays. This is a gem to share with someone special. Pack a picnic, find a bench, and enjoy the sunshine, and let the whimsical words of William Shakespeare and floats you and your loved one away. This is one of the most popular wedding locations and is available for reservations. Take a bus and have no parking worries. Shakespeares garden is ada accessible. Located at the bottom of this hill, it is a secret garden with an infinite in captivating appeal. Carefully tucked away, it makes the top of our list for most intimate pyknic setting. Avoid all taurus cars and hassles by taking a cable car. Or the 30, 45, or 91 bus. The garden was designed by Thomas Church in 1957. Grow old with me, the best is yet to be is inscribed on a sundial. It is anchored by twin white gazebos and flowers that bloom yearround. This is the place to tell someone special or the place to declare the commitment you two share. Weddings and the event reservations are available for this adorable hidden gem. We know there are many other romantic parks in San Francisco. We hope you have enjoyed this torre of lookouts, picnics, and strolls that are available every day. Until next time, do not forget to get out and play. For more information about reserving one of these romantic locations or any other location, call 8315500. This number is best for special events, weddings, picnics, and the county fair buildings. Or for any athletic field, call 8315510. You can write us at or walk in and say hello. And of course you can find more information moresfrecpark. Org. Shop and dine on the 49 promotes local businesses and challenges residents to do shopping and dining within the 49 square miles of San Francisco by supporting local Services Within neighborhood. We help San Francisco remain unique, successful and vibrant. Where will you shop and dine in the 49 . San francisco owes the charm to the unique character of the neighborhood comer hall district. Each corridor has its own personality. Our neighborhoods are the engine of the city. You are putting money and support back to the community you live in and you are helping Small Businesses grow. It is more environmentally friendly. Shopping local is very important. I have had relationships with my local growers for 30 years. By shopping here and supporting us locally, you are also supporting the growers of the flowers, they are fresh and they have a price point that is not imported. It is really good for everybody. Shopping locally is crucial. Without that support, Small Business cant survive, and if we lose Small Business, that diversity goes away, and, you know, it would be a shame to see that become a thing of the past. It is important to dine and shop locally. It allows us to maintain traditions. It makes the neighborhood. I think San Francisco should shop local as much as they can. The retail marketplace is changes. We are trying to have people on the floor who can talk to you and help you with products you are interested in buying, and help you with exploration to try things you have never had before. The fish business, you think it is a piece of fish and fisherman. There are a lot of people working in the fish business, between wholesalers and fishermen and bait and tackle. At the retail end, we about a lot of people and it is good for everybody. Shopping and dining locally is so important to the community because it brings a tighter fabric to the community and allows the Business Owners to thrive in the community. We see more Small Businesses going away. We need to shop locally to keep the Small Business alive in San Francisco. Shop and dine in the 49 is a cool initiative. You can see the banners in the streets around town. It is great. Anything that can showcase and legitimize Small Businesses is a wonderful thing. You are watching San Francisco rising with chris manor. Todays special guest is Sarah Phillips. Hi, im chris manors and you are watching San Francisco rising the show about restarting rebuilding and eare imagineing the city. The guest today is Sarah Phillips the executive director of economic workforce development. Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. Lets talk about the city economic plan and specifically the citys road map to San Francisco future. Can you give a brief overview and update on progress . Absolute e