Author: Alfredo Casuso

 CONTACT: 

Jeffrey Norman (760) 776-6192 /   jnorman@mccallum-theatre.org

David Perry (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

Note: Photos available at https://mccallumtheatre.com/index.php/media

INTERMISSION IS ALMOST OVER!

McCALLUM THEATRE ANNOUNCES EXCITING 2021-2022 SEASON

Tickets are available by phone and online at www.mccallumtheatre.com beginning

Thursday, May 13 at 6pm

McCALLUM TO WELCOME AUDIENCES BACK IN DECEMBER WITH A SEASON FULL OF FAVORITES!

BEST OF BROADWAY BRINGS BACK-BY-POPULAR-DEMAND ENGAGEMENTS OF HAIRSPRAY, JERSEY BOYS, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF AND BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE RETURNS WITH A SERIES FOCUSED ON BEARS, VIEWS FROM THE SPACE STATION, THE REBIRTH OF A LOST EDEN AND THE BOLDEST SKI RUN OF ALL TIME

MULTI-PERFORMANCE RUNS FROM MCCALLUM FAVORITES THE TEN TENORS AND PINK MARTINI, FEATURING SINGERS CHINA FORBES AND STORM LARGE

SUPERSTAR PERFORMANCES BY LEANN RIMES, THE LETTERMEN, PATTI LUPONE, VANESSA WILLIAMS, JACKIE EVANCHO, JUDY COLLINS, KRISTIN CHENOWETH, LINDA EDER, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER CELEBRATING THEIR 50^TH ANNIVERSARY, AND MARILYN MCCOO & BILLY DAVIS, JR.

LONG-AWAITED SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO CHERISHED McCALLUM FRIENDS STEVE LAWRENCE AND EYDIE GORMÉ BY THEIR SON DAVID LAWRENCE AND BROADWAY STAR DEBBIE GRAVITTE 

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN CELEBRATES THE JUDY GARLAND CENTENNIAL

16-TIME GRAMMY AWARD-WINNER DAVID FOSTER RETURNS TO THE DESERT FOR THREE PERFORMANCES

RETURN OF FULL OPERA TO THE VALLEY WITH TEATRO LIRICO D’EUROPA’S THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

ADDITIONAL EXCITING TRIBUTES TO RAY CHARLES, THE HIGHWAYMEN AND QUEEN

RETURN OF JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS, ALONG WITH PERFORMANCES BY McCALLUM JAZZ FAVORITES STEVE TYRELL AND CHRIS BOTTI

McCALLUM DEBUT OF CELEBRATED SINGER-SONGWRITER ROSANNE CASH WITH COLLABORATOR JOHN LEVENTHAL

VALLEY FAVORITE HERSHEY FELDER BRINGS AN ILLUMINATING TRIBUTE TO CHOPIN TO THE McCALLUM

JEFFREY SIEGEL’S 19^TH SEASON AT THE McCALLUM CELEBRATES BEETHOVEN AND CHOPIN 

FUNNY BONE TICKLERS JEANNE ROBERTSON, JAY LENO AND STEVE SOLOMON’S MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH AND I’M STILL IN THERAPY!

POPULAR PRODUCER NEIL BERG RETURNS WITH TWO MUSICAL CAVALCADES: 

102 YEARS OF BROADWAY AND 50 YEARS OF ROCK-N-ROLL, PART 2

GREAT INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCES BY LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO AND MEOW MEOW

PLUS, STORM LARGE WITH LE BONHEUR, A CAPPELLA SENSATIONS VOCTAVE AND STRAIGHT NO CHASER, NEW EDITIONS OF IT’S MAGIC AND PALM SPRINGS LEGENDS AND THE UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN

9 May 2021 – PALM DESERT, CA: The McCallum Theatre announced today its new lineup for the 2021-2022 season, which will bring audiences and artists back together to the Palm Desert venue beginning on December 3, 2021: six hundred and thirty-two days after its last pre-COVID-19 performance.

The new season includes an assortment of McCallum “greatest hits,” including iconic superstars, long-awaited return visits from show business royalty, plus a robust music and variety lineup and an impressive array of Broadway’s most cherished, long-running shows.

Tickets are available by phone or online at www.McCallumTheatre.combeginning on Thursday, May 13 at 6pm.  There are no walk-up orders. The Box Office located at the McCallum Theatre is open solely for ticket information and order support. The only way to purchase tickets is through the Theatre’s official website.

“It’s virtually impossible to think about the Theatre being empty for over a year, and closer to two years by the time the curtain rises again,” said McCallum Theatre President & CEO Jamie Grant.  “We have lived through the most challenging period in most of our lifetimes, but through the generosity of so many people who genuinely care about the Theatre, the McCallum will emerge from this horrific pandemic stronger than ever.  We have been working hard to put together a season that is all at once exciting, familiar, and celebratory.  We believe we are finally at a place where we can imagine the safe return to live performance in a full audience chamber.  We are thrilled to share our new season (a little bit later than normal) with our Coachella Valley neighbors who are eager to return to the Theatre.  We can’t wait to do what we do again.”

“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our Board of Trustees, Founders, Annual Fund donors, members of our Legacy, President’s and Friends Circles, The Muses & Patroness Circle of McCallum Theatre, along with our staff, volunteers and ticket buyers for supporting the McCallum Theatre continually and generously,” said Grant.  “We are so heartened by the outpouring of good wishes, philanthropy and general concern for the future of the Theatre.  As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, we are deeply grateful to everyone who continues to make the McCallum an important part of their social and charitable lives.  It is more important now than ever before.”

“It is also important for the community to know that the McCallum leadership team has spent months and months working closely with public health officials, as well as our friends at Eisenhower Health to ensure that not only will you be safe when you return to the McCallum, but you will feel safe,” Grant continued.  “Safety of audiences, artists, staff and volunteers is our top priority.  All appropriate safety protocols will be well in place (and adjusted as necessary) by the time audiences return including new air filtration systems, touchless technology throughout the facility and state-of-the-art cleaning and protection procedures.”

“Additionally, ticket-buyers need not be concerned about receiving a refund should performances get canceled,” said Grant.  “The McCallum was one of few theaters in the nation to refund every penny for all of the canceled shows in the 2020-21 season, and we are committed to continuing that policy should events preclude a show to be presented.”

“We know that when life returns to normal, The McCallum Theatre will be here doing what we have done for over 30 years – providing the best in world-class performances to our community and life-changing arts education for our children throughout Riverside County,” added Grant.  “As the new guy in town, I can’t wait to meet our audiences and welcome them back personally to their McCallum Theatre.”

The official start of the 2021-2022 McCallum Theatre season will be from December 3-5 when the hit musical, Hairspray comes to town with the joyous story of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad’s goal to dance her way onto TV in the 1960s.  The new touring production reunites the original creative team of Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell to prove to a new generation that “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”  A special returning December highlight will be Barry Manilow’s A Gift of Love V, the hottest holiday show in the Valley, with all proceeds going to support 25 local charities.  Tickets for Mr. Manilow’s performances are not available through the McCallum Theatre website.  They must be purchased online only at www.AGOL5.com. 

The 2021-2022 McCallum Theatre Broadway season continues with one of the most beloved shows in musical theater history, Fiddler on the Roof (January 28-30, 2022 for five performances).  This masterpiece which beautifully depicts the story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and lives threatened by unthinkable turmoil features an unforgettable score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.  To life!  From February 25-27, 2022, for five performances, the most successful musical theater show in McCallum history returns as Jersey Boys retells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their successes and struggles onstage and off as they attained international stardom.  Finally, desert audiences will have another chance to enjoy the sellout sensation, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, when this exuberant tribute to the soundtrack of a generation returns to the McCallum for five performances from April 1-3, 2022.

An additional theater event is the zaniness of longtime McCallum friend Steve Solomon who returns to the desert with an all-new version of his show, My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m Still in Therapy for three performances, January 25 and 26, 2022.  And two of the most delicious divas of the Great White Way will delight McCallum audiences when Patti LuPone (Don’t Monkey with Broadway) and Kristin Chenoweth (For the Girls) take to the McCallum stage on January 18, 2022 and February 18 & 19, respectively.  For good measure, add in two other leading ladies who have won legions of fans from their appearances on Broadway and television:  Vanessa Williams (January 22, 2022) and Linda Eder (March 18, 2022).

The glory of the female voice is celebrated several more times this season with an extraordinary lineup of some of the most talented ladies of song including LeAnn Rimes (January 8, 2022); the McCallum debut of Rosanne Cash, along with her husband John Leventhal (February 17, 2022); the deliciously playful Storm Large, with her band Le Bonheur (February 21, 2022); Jackie Evancho (March 4, 2022); andthe luminous and legendary Judy Collins (March 11, 2022).

The new McCallum season is a big year for major tribute shows including two first timers at the Theatre and two blockbuster favorites.  Presented through the generosity of the City of Rancho Mirage, Ray on My Mind is a concert/theater piece that brings the story of the great Ray Charles to vivid life.  With an eleven-piece orchestra and three sultry singers (a la The Raylettes), the show depicts Ray’s struggles and successes through interweaving his memorable songs with monologues (January 20, 2022).  McCallum royalty are honored in A Tribute to Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé, a loving look at two legends who considered the McCallum their home away from home.  The show is created by and stars their son, composer David Lawrence and Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte, along with a 32-piece orchestra, original orchestrations and classic, exclusive video (January 21, 2022). The greatest supergroup in country music history is saluted with The Highwaymen LIVE, a musical tribute to Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings on February 2, 2022.  And One Night of Queen brings back Gary Mullen & The Works (March 1, 2022) in a spectacular live concert recreating the look, sound, pomp and showmanship of arguably the greatest rock band of all time.  

Coming out of a pandemic, one of our most basic collective needs will be pure, unadulterated laughter.  Two of the finest and funniest practitioners of the comic arts return to the McCallum to help us get our silly on this season.  The fun gets underway on January 7, 2022 with the six-foot-two charmer and humorist, Jeanne Robertson, a YouTube sensation whose videos include “Don’t Bungee Jump Naked” and “Don’t Send a Man to the Grocery Store.”  Former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno, who gave a shout out to the McCallum in its free Ghostlight virtual series earlier this year, brings his unique charm, comedy and charisma back to the McCallum for two shows on February 20, 2022.  

The enormously successful National Geographic LIVE series returns for another season in 2021-2022 with a fourth program added to the roster.  This engaging series brings to the McCallum thought-provoking presentations by today’s leading explorers, scientists and photographers.  The new season includes:  Secret Lives of Bears, featuring Carnivore Ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant who works in the expansive American Prairie Reserve to protect and restore iconic wildlife populations (January 24, 2022); A View from Above, with former International Space Station Commander Terry Virts, who took hours of video and hundreds of thousands of still images from the station’s 360-degree viewing module (February 28, 2022); Nature Roars Back, with wildlife filmmaker Bob Poole, who documents the rebirth of a lost Eden: Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, a jewel of Africa’s parks system until civil war almost destroyed it (March 14, 2022); and Skiing the Dream Line, with mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurer of the Year, one of the first people to complete the epic descent of the “Dream Line,” considered to be one of the boldest ski runs of all time (April 4, 2022).

Now in his 19^th McCallum season, Jeffrey Siegel’s Keyboard Conversations® continues to delight audiences with its insider look at classical composers and compositions and their intriguing history.  For 2021-2022, Siegel is back with two programs including:  Celebrating Beethoven (February 7, 2022) and The Glorious Music of Chopin (March 7, 2022).  Additionally, McCallum favorite Hershey Felder will bring his one-man show, Monsieur Chopin to the McCallum for two performances on February 15 and 16, 2022.  The San Diego Tribune praised the “delicate beauty and dynamic range” of his performance in this show, adding that Felder plays with “supreme confidence and brio.”

In celebrating our collective return to live performance after the long, mandated hiatus, things will be gloriously back to normal on the McCallum stage as the world’s finest and most popular artists come back to the Valley.  A number of the artists in the 2021-2022 season appeared in the McCallum’s free virtual Ghostlight Series during the pandemic, each sharing a personal message to McCallum audiences expressing their delight to return to a place where they feel so warmly welcomed by ticket buyers and the McCallum staff. The new season’s roster represents the best of the best and includes performers that span the spectrum of the performing arts from country to jazz to R&B to Broadway/cabaret with a little “Pandemonium” thrown in for good measure.

The New Year brings An Intimate Evening with David Foster HITMAN TOUR back to the McCallum for three performances.  On his last visit to the Theatre, the 16-time Grammy Award winner sold out very quickly and he is expected to do the same this season as he is joined by special guest artists singing songs from his unparalleled catalogue of popular hits (January 14 & 15, 2022).  For pure, joyful nostalgia, nothing beats The Lettermen whose harmonies have garnered 18 Gold albums worldwide and a popularity that has endured generations.  Their performance on January 16, 2022 is made possible through the generosity of The City of Rancho Mirage. 

For the first time since 2013, the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis returns to the McCallum on January 23, 2022.  Comprised of fifteen of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs a vast repertoire ranging from original compositions to commissioned works to masterworks.  Keeping in the jazz realm, McCallum perennials Steve Tyrell and Chris Botti will return on February 24 and April 9, respectively. The latest edition of Palm Springs Legends (January 27, 2022) will feature some of the best tribute artists honoring the Desert’s most famous stars including Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Keely Smith, Jack Benny, Elvis Presley, and more.  Closing out January is the long-awaited return of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (January 31, 2022). Audiences across the globe have been entranced by the troupe’s technical mastery, impeccable comic approach, and the astounding fact that men can, indeed, dance en pointe without falling flat on their faces.

In February, McCallum audiences can look forward to their favorite Aussies when The TEN Tenors come “home” to Palm Desert just in time for Valentine’s Day with a show featuring their greatest hits from the past 25 years, from “Waltzing Matilda” to “Nessun Dorma and much, much more.” (Seven performances beginning from February 9-14, 2022).  With one less singer, but no less talent, the amazing a cappella group, Straight No Chaser visits the McCallum on February 23, 2022.  The group has a massive international fanbase, numerous national TV appearances and proven success with CD releases. Straight No Chaser is the real deal, the captivating sound of nine unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music.  One other a cappella phenom hits the McCallum stage on March 10, 2022 when Voctave, an eleven-member group hailing from Central Florida, brings their extraordinary harmonies to the desert.  The group has over 150 million views on YouTube and has toured with some of the top stars in the business.

Early March also brings the return of opera to the McCallum Theatre as Teatro Lirico d’ Europa brings its celebrated production of The Barber of Seville to the desert. Gioachino Rossini’s comic masterpiece will fill the stage (and the orchestra pit) with beautiful sets, costumes and superb internationally-acclaimed voices (March 3, 2022).  The legendary Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. bring their Up, Up & Away show to the McCallum on March 5, 2022.  The undisputed “First Couple of Pop and Soul” will sing all of the songs they made popular with The Fifth Dimension in the 1960s and 1970s including “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In,” “One Less Bell to Answer,” “Sweet Blindness,” and “Stone Soul Picnic,” along with their own top selling hit, “You Don’t Have to be a Star (to be in my Show).”  They will be followed by another McCallum superstar paying tribute to one of the most iconic performers in history when Get Happy: Michael Feinstein Celebrates the Judy Garland Centennial comes to town in a memorable pairing of one exceptional artist sharing the legacy of another (March 12, 2022).

Variety is definitely the buzzword for the remaining performances in March which include:  the smoldering international dance sensation, Luis Bravo’s Forever Tango (March 13, 2022); one of the most innovative vocal groups of all time, The Manhattan Transfer, celebrating their 50^th anniversary (March 19, 2022); the 64^th edition of It’s Magic!, presented through the generosity of the City of Rancho Mirage (March 20, 2022); and a McCallum sellout in 2019, Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns with an eclectic virtuosic repertoire that ranges from Lady Gaga to “The Ride of Valkyries” (March 21, 2022).

Producer Neil Berg has entertained McCallum audiences over the years with his fast-paced, entertaining salutes to both Broadway and rock-n-roll.  In the 2021-2022 season, he’ll offer tributes to both with Neil Berg’s 102 Years of Broadway (March 22 and 23, 2022) and Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock-N-Roll, Part 2 (March 23 and 24, 2022).  Both shows have been hailed as “hypnotic and historical.”  

Finally, McCallum audiences can look forward to return visits by favorites Pink Martini with singers China Forbes and Storm Large (five performances from March 25-28, 2022).  As bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale likes to say, “If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, Pink Martini would be that band.”  And McCallum audiences absolutely adore them.  And the indescribably, irresistibly, incandescent Meow Meow makes her triumphant diva return to the McCallum on April 5, 2022 with her show, Pandemonium, an evening of pure chaos, with crowd surfing, gloriously subversive and exquisite music, and much mayhem, as seen on the stages of Lincoln Center, London’s West End, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Sydney Opera House.

Performances are subject to change.  Once again, tickets are available by phone or online at www.McCallumTheatre.com.  There are no walk-up orders. The Box Office located at the McCallum Theatre is closed. The only way to purchase tickets is through the McCallum Theatre official website, which is the ONLY safe and secure place to purchase tickets for all performances.

-end-

May 9, 2021

Media contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company Announces Promotion and Succession Advancement of Key Team Members

John Cowles Named Chief Operating Officer
Arthur Kozinski Promoted to Executive VP & Regional Manager SoCal

7 May 2021–San Francisco, CA: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction (www.hathawaydinwiddie.com), celebrating 110 years of industry leadership and quality construction, today announced strategic transitions within its senior ranks. John Cowles has been named Chief Operating Officer and Arthur Kozinski has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Regional Manager of Southern California. David Lee, current COO, will continue his leadership with the Company’s Board of Directors working on long term financial strategies.  Steve Smith, Southern California Regional Manager for the last 23 years, will shift into more substantive support of ongoing major projects.

“Hathaway Dinwiddie has a culture of promoting from within, and fostering opportunity throughout the Company,” said Greg Cosko, President & CEO of Hathaway Dinwiddie,” and these promotions are good examples of that.”

“Hathaway Dinwiddie has always been like a family,” said Kozinski and Cowles in a statement.“Having seasoned veterans like Steve Smith and David Lee as mentors, during the transition of responsibilities, is key to how our company builds and fosters generational wisdom.”

John Cowles career with Hathaway Dinwiddie started nearly 35 years ago when he started work part time in the field while attending college. Throughout his career John has been a leader in the planning, development, and implementation of many of the company’s most complex projects and is an avid believer of using technology to increase the productivity, quality and safety of our Projects. Cowles is also an adjunct professor at USC having taught there for over a decade. It is currently contemplated that Cowles will conduct his duties from Los Angeles, with regular trips to the Bay Area.

Arthur Kozinski has been with Hathaway Dinwiddie for over 35 years.  He has overseen, led and supported the growth of the office and many significant projects including the Getty Center, 2000 Ave of the Stars, Tishman Speyer’s work in Playa Vista, and more recently the USC Village, the Coliseum, Vermont Corridor and Lumen West, to name a few. 

Hathaway Dinwiddie celebrates its 110th year of business in California in 2021. The company focuses on the California market and is known for constructing many of the state’s iconic buildings. Consistently ranked in the ENR Top 100 General Contractors in the United States, Hathaway Dinwiddie provides General Contracting, Project Planning and Management services in California’s most dynamic markets.  The company has helped the nation’s premier companies and institutions develop landmark structures and quality interior spaces throughout Southern California, San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. 

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Media Contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

Vacation Rental Owners & Neighbors of Palm Springs (VRON-PS) Commissions Landmark Study

72% of Palm Springs voters say homeowners renting to visitors and tourists is good for Palm Springs

www.vronps.org 

5 May 2021 – Palm Springs, CA: As Palm Springs continues to recover from the COVID pandemic and its subsequent economic downturn, more-and-more people see the benefits of vacation home rentals. A recent study commissioned by the nonprofit Vacation Rental Owners & Neighbors of Palm Springs finds that 72% of voters say Palm Springs homeowners renting to visitors and tourists is good for Palm Springs, up from 63% in just over two years.

“Vacation rentals have been a positive part of Palm Springs since the 1950s,” says David Feltman, one of the founders of VRON-PS, “Palm Springs got it right with smart, enforceable rules that balances the needs of visitors with the economic impact on the City and with the necessary security and safety concerns of those who live, work and own homes here in Palm Springs.”

The survey, conducted in early April 2021 by the nationally known firm David Binder Research (www.db-research.com), polled over 325 respondents, all Palm Springs voters. The toplines show current comparisons to results from a previous Binder survey with identical questions in January 2018.

• 72% say Palm Springs homeowners renting short term to visitors and tourists is good for Palm Springs, up from 63%
• 61% say Palm Springs homeowners renting to visitors is good for their neighborhood, up from 53%
• Fewer respondents today say short-term rentals should be prohibited: 11% today, 20% in 2018
• Respondents saying current regulation of short-term rentals is not strict enough has dropped from 35% to 21%
• 87% want the same or more tourists coming to Palm Springs compared to 81% in 2018

“A rising tide lifts all boats,” said Aftab Dada, President Palm Springs Hospitality Association and Vice President, Hilton Palm Springs. “Tourism leaders in Palm Springs consider vacation rentals to be a complementary industry to the hotel industry due to the huge demand, year round on weekends and for special events. There is a myth that the hotel and hospitality community do not support homeowner managed vacation rentals. Nothing could be further from the truth. A well balanced tourism economy demands just that: a balance of accommodations. The more options provided to our visitors, the more attractive Palm Springs is as a destination and the more people will eat in our restaurants, enjoy our recreational activities, and stay in our hotels. I salute VRON for their work and advocacy.”

Vacation Rental Owners & Neighbors of Palm Springs is dedicated to preserving Palm Springs’ vibrant history of vacation rentals and home-sharing through education, awareness, and the promotion of responsible vacation rental ownership and management. 

“Tourism, including vacation rentals, are a vital part of our economy, especially as we recover from COVID. This survey is a great way to understand the community support for the work we’ve done to make Palm Springs a fantastic place to live, work, and visit,” said Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege. “VRON Palm Springs is exactly the sort of fact based, grassroots, community engagement that is key to what makes Palm Springs so special and attractive to visitors and residents alike.”

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About VRON Palm Springs:
VRON-PS’ guiding principle is that tourism and residents in Palm Springs can co-exist through smart policies and best practices. Through research, open data, community involvement, collaboration, transparency and ethics, effective policies can be developed that create a win-win for neighbors, renters, businesses, property owners, and the community at large. VRON-PS represents both VR homeowners (whether they self manage or have a property management company), vacation rental property management companies, supportive non-VR homeowners, citizens who live and work in Palm Springs, and visitors to Palm Springs that share a common vision of responsible tourism and compliant vacation rentals and home-sharing.

VRON-PS exists to:

• Educate and communicate on ordinance requirements and best practices
• Represent VRON homeowners in meetings and negotiations with the City
• Manage media relations as it pertains to VRON-PS mission and objectives
• Facilitate factual reports and studies around VR data, impact and economics
• Build strategic partnerships with Coachella Valley tourism organizations in support of responsible VR ownership
• Provide funding for potential legal representation

Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

“Valencia Lights” Official Lighting Ceremony: Friday, May 7 at 8pm

Over 35 Merchants and More than 500 Community Members Raised Money
to Light Valencia Street from 14^th to 24^th Street

5 May 2021 – San Francisco, CA:  If you light it, they will come. Such was the successful reasoning of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association as they sought to beautify and promote the Mission District avenue that has become a symbol of the area’s resilience during COVID and its recovery as we move beyond it. On Friday, May 7 at 8pm, a ceremony between 16^th & 17^th  on Valencia Street will officially launch the project that has electrified community support – and the neighborhood – with LED ambient string lights stretching all the way to 24^th Street. Registration for the lighting ceremony is at the link below:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valencia-street-lights-lighting-ceremony-tickets-152750225035

“Lighting up Valencia from end to end, from 14th to 24th street, will bring a sense of community and warmth we all need as we re-emerge as a City and come back swinging. It’s a project built by the community and we should all be so proud of that fact. We did this together.” said Jonah Buffa, co-owner of Fellow Barber and President of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association.  “TheVCMA as the group, in service of the merchants, the corridor, residents and neighborhood, really made this happen.”

The lighting of Valencia Street for a ten-block stretch is the first such initiative in the history of the neighborhood, and a direct outgrowth of the COVID-induced Shared Spaces Program – of which the Valencia Street Corridor was the first — which continues on weekends through June 27 when three blocks of Valencia becomes a pedestrian and cyclist only area to encourage retail and outdoor socially distant dining options.  Cars are prohibited during this period in the following blocks of Valencia: 16^th to 17^th; 18^th to 19^th; 20^th to 21^st during the following times: Fridays 5pm to 9pm and Saturdays 12pm – 9pm. Vehicular traffic on the cross streets will not be impacted.

To pay for the project, a GoFundMe campaign was launched by the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association and $40,020 was raised to pay for the lights. The campaign link continues at: https://www.tinyurl.com/valencialights

“This project was made possible thanks to the generosity of the whole community, with over 500 businesses and individuals coming together to raise the funds for lights and over 35 merchants coming together to power them,” said Manny Yekutiel, owner of Mannys and Valencia Corridor Merchants Association Board Member. “It is our hope and intention that they serve as a beautiful little beacon to bring back our precious customers and neighbors.”

The ceremony will begin at 557 Valencia street, between 16^th-17^th streets on the closed portion of the street. The program will include a live Mariachi band (Mariachi Puro Jalisco), a community blessing led by Sister Roma and the Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, and remarks by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and small business leaders. Light refreshments will be provided. 

The Valencia Corridor Merchants Association is a member-operated neighborhood association including merchants in and around the Valencia Corridor. Its mission is to cultivate and beautify the corridor for the benefit of visitors, residents and merchants. Additionally, it endeavors to combine its members voices and views toward the goal of maintaining the unique identity and independent spirit of the neighborhood.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, April 30, 2021

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

*** PRESS RELEASE ***

SAN FRANCISCO LAUNCHES SMALL BUSINESS WEEK 

Starting May 1, a weeklong series of events will highlight recovery and celebrate the resiliency and vibrancy of San Francisco’s small businesses 

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced the launch of San Francisco’s Small Business Week, which will take place from Saturday, May 1 to Friday, May 7, 2021. This year’s small business week will include resources and information that will support small businesses and entrepreneurs as San Francisco gets on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

San Francisco’s 94,000 small businesses make up over 93% of total businesses in the city and support more than 364,000 jobs. As cornerstones of San Francisco’s neighborhoods and communities, the small business sector will be central to the city’s economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated many of our small businesses. Throughout it all, business owners and their employees have shown tremendous resilience and strength, with many adapting their business models and implementing public health guidelines,” said Mayor Breed. “With more businesses and activities reopening and more people getting vaccinated each day, the future for our City is bright. We all need to do our part to ensure our small businesses can recover and keep moving forward. This Small Business Week will provide San Francisco’s small businesses with resources and support to help them stay open and come back even stronger than before.” 

The theme for the 17^th Annual San Francisco Small Business Week is Roots of Recovery, and the week will include resources and information for small business owners at every point in their small business journey. The City has partnered with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to host a series of informational events, networking opportunities, and business-building workshops to highlight available resources and best practices for businesses as the city builds towards recovery.

“This Small Business Week is a great opportunity for San Franciscans to celebrate the incredible resilience of our small businesses and support our neighborhood merchants as they reopen after a year of unprecedented challenges,” said Anne Taupier, Acting Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “Small businesses are the economic and cultural cornerstones of our communities, and right now they are relying on all of us to shop small, protect local jobs, and work together to support a stronger and more vibrant San Francisco.” 

“Our San Francisco small business community has faced true hardships over this last year, but we have proven how resilient and vibrant our small businesses can be,” said Rodney Fong, President and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “Our residents have stepped up throughout the pandemic to support their beloved neighborhood businesses – that sentiment should be celebrated during Small Business Week and throughout the year. I look forward to this year’s San Francisco Small Business Week as an opportunity to help our small businesses as we look towards a recovery.” 

This Saturday, May 1, Small Business Week will kick-off with the installation of 13 floral butterflies placed throughout San Francisco’s merchant corridors. The butterfly wings, built by local artists and designers, are six to nine feet in diameter and constructed of natural materials and fresh flowers. The wings are a partnership with the San Francisco Flower Mart, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and Kilroy Realty and are designed to attract shoppers to San Francisco’s merchant corridors. A map of the wings can be found on Shop and Dine in the 49.  

May 1 also marks the start of the Small Business 30-day Challenge. Organized by Small Business Commission President Sharky Laguana and small business owner and SFMTA Board Director Manny Yekutiel, the challenge will begin on May 1 and go through May 31, with the goal of encouraging individuals to shop at local businesses for the entire month and for all of their shopping needs as much as they can. Individuals who choose to participate are encouraged to post on social media using the hashtag #SmallBizChallenge. More information is available here. 

“It is so exciting to start to see the City opening up again, and the Small Business 30 day Challenge is a great way to help our small businesses recover,” said Small Business Commission President Sharky Laguana. “We all use online stores and services, so it is going to be an interesting challenge to see if we can get by for the month of May by shopping and dining only at our local small businesses. We hope everyone will tag their favorite small businesses with the #SmallBizChallenge hashtag, and visit our website at SmallBiz30.com to take our pledge challenge and find interesting places to shop!”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the City of San Francisco has provided immediate and ongoing support for small businesses, including directing more than $50 million in grants and loans to more than 3,500 small businesses, tens of millions of dollars in fee and tax deferrals, and assistance applying for state and federal funding. This includes legislation introduced and signed by Mayor Breed to waive $5 million in fees and taxes for entertainment and nightlife venues and small restaurants, meaning that businesses that receive a waiver do not have to pay back the fees at a later date. 

In addition to creating and supporting programs that respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of COVID-19, Mayor Breed has continued to invest in programs that regularly support small businesses in San Francisco, including the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative and Grants for the Arts. Lastly, the City has advanced numerous initiatives to make it easier to operate and open businesses during COVID-19 and beyond, such as the Shared Spaces program and the Small Business Recovery Act legislation, which is currently before the Board of Supervisors.  

Small business owners and employees looking for assistance should go to oewd.org/covid19. Businesses can also call the hotline at 415-554-6134, and employees can call the hotline at 415-701-4817. Assistance is available in multiple languages. 

More information about San Francisco’s support for small businesses is available here.

About Small Business Week 
This year’s San Francisco Small Business Week will take place from May 1-7 and is partnership between business and government organizations to honor and support the thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs that call San Francisco home. As part of National Small Business Week, it celebrates the contributions and achievements of small business owners by offering a series of educational and networking events designed to inspire, empower, and connect the members of our business community. For more information on San Francisco Small Business Week, go to sfsmallbusinessweek.com. 

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