Author: Alfredo Casuso

Supervisor Peskin                                                             June 29, 2020

Supervisor Safai

Supervisor Walton 

City Hall

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place Room 244

San Francisco, Ca. 94102-4689

Dear Supervisors 

On behalf of the more than 200 hotels in San Francisco and 6,000 statewide, we, respectfully, fail to understand the need for the proposed Cleaning and Disease Prevention Standards in Tourist Hotels and Large Commercial Office Buildings. 

San Francisco hotels have worked closely with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gov. Newsom, the California Department of Public Health and your own county’s public health officer to develop the Hotel Council’s Prevention & Enhanced Cleaning Guidelines that exceed, short of hospitals, the standards of any other industry. On April 30 – almost two months ago – the California Hotel and Lodging Association issued its 10-page Clean + Safe certification guide with customized plans for employee trainings, appropriate signage, regulatory forms and updates. In May, the American Hotel and Lodging Association released its comprehensive Stay Safe program aligning with CDC recommendations and AHLA’s authoritative Advisory Council. 

We adhered strictly to the governor’s guidelines on June 12, when 51 of 58 California counties reopened for tourism. San Francisco, painfully, has not reopened nor does it have immediate plans to do so. We also partnered with Gov. Newsom’s Office of Emergency Service to supply personal protective equipment to San Francisco hotels and those throughout the state. 

We employ tens of thousands of people directly and support hundreds of thousands of other businesses. Because of the San Francisco’s shelter-in-place mandate – now the longest in the state – our hotels and small businesses have had to lay off thousands of workers. This legislation will stop hotels from reopening and keep these hard-working employees unemployed. 

Your so-called Healthy Buildings Ordinance has nothing to do with health or business. It’s a sell-out to politically connected union leadership. The ordinance is not based on CDC recommendations, but on the self-interests of the largest hotel union in the country. It puts labor protections ahead of proven health protections. There is nothing progressive about it. 

The ordinance, drafted by the labor union, is designed to add new positions at every hotel while also supporting the hotel union bosses to legislate the end of incentive programs that allow guests to opt-out of daily cleaning. This is unsafe and harms the environment. The legislation, selfishly, exempts all City, State and Federal buildings. Why are these standards targeting specific industries and not the public buildings where the legislation is being heard? 

San Francisco’s hotel community has been in the forefront of stepping up to respond to the pandemic, housing first responders and our most vulnerable populations. No industry was safer, cleaner or more committed to the health and welfare of visitors and employees. 

Once again, the Board of Supervisors is out-of-touch with the reality hotels and our employees face. Once again, the hotels were not invited to participate in the legislation. And, once again, San Francisco’s over-regulation puts hotels closure to the brink of not surviving. 

This ordinance does little to serve the public good, harms the No. 1 industry in San Francisco, pollutes the environment and further delays the return of more than 25,000 San Francisco hotel employees to work. Please stop this ordinance now and let science, not politics, guide our public health decisions.  

Kevin Carroll

President & CEO

Hotel Council of San Francisco

Lynn S. Mohrfeld

President & CEO

California Hotel and Lodging Association

Chip Rodgers

President & CEO

American Hotel and Lodging Association

Cc:  Board of Supervisors, Mayor London Breed 

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

“Manny’s LIVE” Debuts Tuesday, June 16 at 6pm
with SFPD Chief Bill Scott & District Attorney Chesa Boudin

New Interactive Series Airs Every Tuesday & Thursday
bringing together civic and political leaders
Episodes will air on the Manny’s Facebook and YouTube Pages

Manny’s Restarts Onsite Service with Curbside Dining June 16.
Manny’s Marketplace begins June 20 & Manny’s Musical Sundays starts June 21

www.welcometomannys.com

15 June 2020 – San Francisco, CA:  After three COVID-19 enforced months of virtual program, Manny’s at 3092 16^th  Street at Valencia (www.welcometomannys.com) returns to live, in-person service this week with outdoor curbside dining and three new initiatives: Manny’s LIVE, Manny’s Marketplace and Manny’s Musical Sundays. 

Manny’s LIVE, modeled after an in-studio television show, will bring together political and thought leaders for provocative discussions including audience participation. The program will run every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm, and debut Tuesday, June 16 with a discussion between San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott and District Attorney Chesa Boudin about the path forward on police reform. 

Manny’s Marketplace, beginning June 20, will run every Saturday from 12pm – 5pm and will involve the transformation of the space into a marketplace where will be able to shop fora variety of goods ranging from arts and crafts, clothing and accessories, plants and books, and other products created by local Bay Area merchants. 

Manny’s Musical Sundays will be broadcast from every Sunday at 5pm starting June 21 on Instagram and Facebook Live with 100% of proceeds going to participating local musical artists.

“Manny’s was created to be a space for political discourse, activism and advocacy for social justice,” says Manny Yekutiel, 30, who founded and runs the eponymous community engagement space and café dubbed “the New Hampshire of California” (KCBS Radio) for its hosting of myriad political events including hosting 17 Democratic presidential candidates. “For three months, we’ve been in the understandable COVID cocoon.  Now, we’re ready to fly again and welcome people back to our space at 16^th and Valencia.”

Manny’s LIVE will bring together civic and political leaders from all over the country and engage with them on the tough questions of the moment. Episodes will air on the Manny’s Facebook and YouTube Pages. After each live show there will be a post-show event called “The Break Room” where a set of professional activist facilitators will lead small group discussions in zoom breakout rooms with viewers to take what they just heard and turn it into action.  

“The purpose of Manny’s LIVE will be to continue our work to civically engage the community and to humanize politics,” says Yekutiel. “The series will focus on current events and issues, winning the 2020 presidential election, flipping the Senate, and rebuilding the country after November.”

As a reaction and aide to retail spaces that have been shuttered all over the Bay Area and artists suddenly with no paying gigs or audience, leaving both groups n a limb of economic uncertainty, Yekutiel has developed the Manny’s Marketplace and Manny’s Musical Sundays concepts.

“We will be supporting local and diverse vendors to sell out of our beautiful space. No fee for them, just respect and community. Also, music is vital to the Manny’s experience. Manny’s Musical Sundays is how we are lending a hand to musicians who have been affected by the cancellation of events and the closure of venues following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a community space in the Mission, Manny’s would like to provide a physical space for local artists to showcase their talents and an opportunity to resume their work.”

Musicians interested in participating and showcasing their musical talent as part of Manny’s Musical Sundays should email jupiter@welcometomannys.com.

Also beginning this week, outdoor dining opens at Manny’s with fresh produce provided by the nonprofit Farming Hope.

“Every dollar you spend on food goes to support Farming Hope’s non-profit kitchen at Manny’s which hires and trains formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals and places them into full time jobs when they graduate,” says Yekutiel.  “Support Farming Hope at https://farminghope.org/donate/ and order ahead if you’d like at www.mannysmoment.com.”

Since opening its doors on Election Night 2018, Manny’s has become an epicenter of community involvement, dialogue and civic engagement having served over 50,000 people, staged over 400 events, donated space to more than 150 area nonprofits and charities by hosting 17 presidential candidates. Also, besides receiving copious media and public attention, Manny’s was recognized for his above-and-beyond achievements by the California State Senate as “Small Business of the Year.” 

Manny’s is a people powered, community focused meeting and learning place in the heart of San Francisco that combines a restaurant, political bookshop, and civic events space. Manny’s goal: to create a central and affordable place to become a better informed and more involved citizen. Manny’s offers its events space to nonprofits, activists and civic organizations to spread their message and do their work as well as hosting its own civic and arts related programming. Manny’s kitchen is run by the non-profit, Farming Hope, which hires formerly homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and trains them in the food skills needed to work in the restaurant industry.

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

SS United States Gala 68 Variety Show — Friday, July 3 (4pm Pacific / 7pm East Coast)

In celebration of the 68^th anniversary of the SS United States’ maiden voyage on July 3, 1952

First Ever “Virtual Gala” for SS United States Conservancy  recreates style of 1950s-era “Colgate Comedy Hour” as filmed aboard SS United States

Celebrity Video Salutes from Dolly Parton, Kate Burton, and Mercedes Ellington

Special Guest Performances feature Klea Blackhurst and a Rendition of
the SS United States theme song: “First Lady of the Sea”
Featured Guests include Glenn Farrington from The Magic Castle,
Akira Sky singer-songwriter & star of DreamWorksTV’s “Junk Drawer Magic” and Nita Whitaker and her daughters Skye & Liisi LaFontaine

Conservancy West Coast Chapter Co-Chairs Mark Perry & David Perry Host with Susan Gibbs, Conservancy President and Granddaughter of
SS United States designer William Francis Gibbs

Beyond Pix Studios of San Francisco Produces Online Event

www.ssusc.org 

9 June 2020 — Hollywood, CA: The Coronavirus won’t stop the effort to save an enduring symbol of America’s spirit and resilience. On the anniversary of her record-breaking maiden voyage, “America’s Flagship” the SS United States will again serve as a powerful, unifying symbol of American triumph over adversity. On July 3, 2020 (4pm PST / 7pm EST), the nonprofit SS United StatesConservancy’sWest Coast Chapter(www.ssusc.org) willhost its first “virtual gala” in the style of the 1950s classic “Colgate Comedy Hour” variety show, once filmed aboard SS United States.  The online gala will be available on the Conservancy’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/VideoSSUSC . 

This exciting digital event will feature celebrity appearances by country music legend Dolly Parton and actress Kate Burton (daughter of SS United States one-time passenger Richard Burton), Mercedes Ellington (granddaughter of jazz icon Duke Ellington who once performed aboard the ship), singer-songwriter Akira Sky, singers Nita Whitaker and her daughters Skye and Liisi LaFontaine, a performance of the ship’s rarely performed theme song “First Lady of the Sea” by cabaret sensation Klea Blackhurst accompanied by pianist Michael Tekulsky, and feats of magic from Glenn Farrington of Magic Castle fame. Donating technical support and sponsorship for the event is Beyond Pix Studios, an internationally recognized leader in broadcast services, headquartered in San Francisco.

“This is what happens when a ship geek with Hollywood connections gets an idea,” said Mark Perry, an Emmy and Golden Globe award winning writer-producer, Conservancy Board Member and founder of the Conservancy’s West Coast Chapter. “The Colgate Comedy Hour of the 1950s was quintessential must-see TV of the era, and once filmed aboard the SS United States. We want to add a little of that mid-century modern sparkle to our preservation and fundraising efforts.”

“Mark and I aren’t related by family, but rather by something much stronger: the family of ship lovers around the world,” said maritime historian and author David Perry, who is co-hosting the gala.“The SS United States is much more than a ship. She is an irreplaceable part of American history and an era when that history represented the very best of human achievement.”

The largest and last remaining ocean liner  built  in America, “The Big U” shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions on her maiden voyage in 1952.  No passenger vessel has ever broken it. She played host to presidents, Hollywood stars and celebrities, tourists, and immigrants in the days before jet air travel, serving as a global ambassador of American promise. The ship was the height of American post-war innovation, technology, and design. Withdrawn from service in 1969, the SS United States has been berthed in Philadelphia since 1996 awaiting renewal.

The SS United States Conservancy prevented the ship from being scrapped in 2011, and today leads a global campaign to save and revitalize the vessel. Raising funds through donations and working to attract private investment, the Conservancy aims to redevelop her into a mixed-use destination and world-class museum.  In December of 2019, the Conservancy entered into an agreement with a prominent commercial real estate development firm, RXR Realty, which has been exploring a range of options for the SS United States’ redevelopment.

In addition to live commentary, rare film clips, and interaction with virtual audience members, the online gala will feature an auction of rare items related to the famed ocean liner, including a stunning painting by maritime artist Robert Lloyd and original sketches by famed author-illustrator David Macaulay.

“At this challenging time when our nation needs unifying symbols more than ever, the SS United States endures as a pinnacle of technological and artistic achievement. She’s a monument to the American can-do spirit,” says Susan Gibbs, President of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs.

“As our nation contends with COVID-19 and other challenges, ‘America’s Flagship’ once again conveys a message of hope and resilience,” Gibbs adds. “Through the miracle of digital technology and allure of Hollywood glamour, this event will introduce the soaring story of the SS United States to a wider audience.”

In the coming days, further details about the online event will be forthcoming. Updates will also be posted on SS United States Conservancy’s website at www.ssusc.org. 

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

(Updated 5/22/20 – 5pm)

WHAT: Palm Springs “Retail Shop Local” Campaign

10% of proceeds benefit the Palm Springs Animal Shelter

Promoted by Main Street Palm Springs & Palm Springs Retailers 

WHEN: Saturday, Sunday, Monday: May 23 – 25, 2020, Times: Various

WHERE: Downtown & Uptown Palm Springs participating retailers

WHO: (Participants alphabetically as of 5/22/20 — 5pm) 

Retail:
Andecor
Baby La La
British Invasion Clothing
Christopher Kennedy
Crystal Fantasy
Destination PSP
Havianas
Kimbals
Marianne of Palm Springs
Michael Weems Gallery
Mitchells Palm Springs
Modern Travel of Palm Springs 
Oooh La La
Peepa’s
Puppy La La
Running Wild
PS212 HOME
SHAG Store Palm Spring
Shoe La LaWil Stiles Palm Springs
Wabi Sabi Japan Living 

Restaurants:
Il Giardino

WEB: www.palmcanyondrive.org 

www.psanimalshelter.org

www.palmspringsca.gov/government/covid-19-updates

SOCIAL: #SafeInPalmSprings

WHY:  This is an opportunity for the Palm Springs community to come together again (via physical distance from their car) and support struggling small businesses that have been compliant with the Shelter-In-Place over the past two months and can now engage in Curbside Pick-Up. Additionally, retailers are delighted to support the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and provide a 10% donation of the weekend’s sales to assist such a great local organization.

QUOTE: “The retail community in Palm Springs, and country-wide, has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and also by the understandable business shut-down. While we are totally supportive of our state, county and local government and health officials, we look forward to the day when we can once again welcome customers back fully into our stores. Until that day, we’re grateful for this opportunity to highlight our curbside retail options. We want to remind shoppers that we’ll soon be back in business as a vital part of the Palm Springs community.” 

– Joy Meredith, President, Main Street Palm Springs

“The State of California has allowed non-essential retail to do curbside delivery and the City of Palm Springs advocated for and fully supports that decision.  Per State rules, please order by phone or online and then you can have your items delivered to your car curbside or pick them up at the store’s door.  If you are picking something up, you need to wear a mask and practice six-foot social distancing from others waiting to pick up their items pursuant to City rules to protect the public health.   We look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when all of our retail and small businesses will fully open for business. This effort helps us get there.” 

– Geoff Kors, Mayor of the City of  Palm Springs

Palm Springs COVID-19 Protocols and Resources:
The City of Palm Springs recently amended several emergency City orders related to COVID-19 as a way to fill gaps left by the County of Riverside’s rescission of its orders. Here is an update (links to orders in orange below and item and page number if required).

NOTE: In store shopping is allowed only for businesses that the State of California State has designated as essential such as groceries, doctors officers and pharmacies.  No in-store shopping is yet allowed for non essential retail at this time by order of the Governor.

Face CoveringsMUST be worn at all open businesses and in all other public settings when 6 feet distancing is not possible.

Examples include:

• Waiting in line to go inside a store

• Shopping at a store

• Picking up food at a restaurant

• Picking up retail goods at a retail store that is allowed to be open

• On public transportation (or waiting for it)

• In a taxi or rideshare vehicle

• Seeking healthcare

• Going into facilities allowed to stay open

• Working an essential job that interacts with the public

Face coverings are no longer required to be worn by people who are outside walking, golfing, playing tennis, pickleball, hiking, bicycling or running. However, people must comply with social distancing during these activities, including maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from other people. People should also have a face covering readily accessible.