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

MEDIA ADVISORY / REQUEST FOR ONSITE COVERAGE: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 – 11AM    

WHO:

Market Street Railway in partnership with
the Union Square Alliance, Fisherman’s Wharf CBD,
and San Francisco Beautiful present
“Empowering Women who Empowered San Francisco,”
The 75^th Anniversary of Saving the Cable Cars.

WHAT:

The 75^th Anniversary of Saving the Cable Cars

WHEN / WHERE:

Wednesday, October 26: 11am – 1pm 

11am: Remarks at Powell & Market Cable Car Turnaround and display of newly restored 1947 Muni bus that was supposed to replace the Powell cable cars

Speakers:

• Emcee, Marisa Rodriguez, Union Square Alliance
• Mayor London N. Breed
• Gwyneth Borden, SFMTA
• Tilly Chang, SFCTA
  

11:25am: Cable Car Ride to Friedel Klussmann Memorial Turnaround in Aquatic Park 

11:50am: Remarks, Rededication of the Klussmann turnaround, and official launching of San Francisco’s newest Cable Car # 8. Speakers:

• Emcee: Carmen Clark, Market Street Railway 
• Darcy Brown, San Francisco Beautiful
• Sina von Reitzenstein, Fisherman’s Wharf CBD
• Melita Issa, Ghirardelli Square

WEB:

www.visitunionsquaresf.com

www.streetcar.org

WHY:

Friedel Klussmann was a pioneering civic activist, a woman taking on a male-dominated government and business community to save what we now understand to be our most precious civic asset, the SF Cable Car. In 1947, Klussmann led the way in establishing the cable cars as the rumbling heart of San Francisco. Years later, this resulted in her founding of the esteemed San Francisco nonprofit San Francisco Beautiful.

Klussmann’s campaign took off, gaining international publicity and swelling support for the Cable Cars, now the first National Historic Monument that moves and carries passengers. The measure they got on the November 1947 ballot to save the Powell cables passed better than 3-1, a stunning result. The momentum from this led to the City buying the California and Hyde lines when the private company that owned them went broke in 1951. By 1957, the system was consolidated into what we enjoy today. Just a few years after her campaign, the iconic ballad “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written that talked of “little Cable Cars that climb halfway to the stars.”

In recent years, SFMTA has significantly improved the appearance and maintenance of the Cable Car fleet and machinery. Cable Car 8 (behind Cable Car 1 in the setup) is their latest triumph, rebuilt from the frame up and painted in Muni’s 1947 cable car colors. Had Friedel Klussmann’s campaign not succeeded, Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf would likely not be the vital areas they are today. The Cable Cars continue to play a critical role in connecting key destinations in San Francisco, for All to enjoy.

Today’s event serves to remind San Franciscans of the importance of continuing to make excellent operation and maintenance of this priceless civic asset a top priority. On the same 1947 ballot as the Save the Cable Cars measure was a bond issue to rebuild Muni, which heavy use during World War II had left worn out. That measure passed and created the zero-emission trolley bus network Muni enjoys today, with many other benefits. Voter support for transit funded projects is critical to San Francisco’s recovery, starting with renewal of the half-cent transportation sales tax, Prop. L, on the ballot this coming November 8. Please vote “yes” on Prop L.

About Market Street Railway
Market Street Railway is a nonprofit advocate for preserving historic transit in San Francisco. In its 45-year history, it was the driving force behind the return of vintage streetcars to Market Street and their extension to Fisherman’s Wharf: the F-line, which is today America’s most popular traditional streetcar line. It has helped Muni acquire more than two dozen vintage streetcars, cable cars, and buses for the City’s heritage transit fleet and undertaken many collaborative projects with SFMTA, which it serves as nonprofit preservation partner. Named for a series of past transit companies that served generations of San Franciscans, today’s Market Street Railway also operates the free San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street, across from the Ferry Building, and offers access to hundreds of stories and thousands of photographs about transit history in San Francisco on its website, www.streetcar.org

About the Union Square Alliance:
The Union Square Alliance serves members and creates a high-quality visitor experience by managing and activating public spaces, attracting new investment, and advocating for the district’s future success. Union Square is the vibrant heart of San Francisco and an international destination where visitors come to enjoy exceptional retail experiences, luxury hotels, world-class cultural institutions, and great public spaces found only in the City by the Bay. A lively 27-block community surrounding Union Square Park in the heart of San Francisco makes up the Union Square Alliance. It is bordered on the north by Bush Street, on the east by Kearny Street, on the south by Market Street and on the west Taylor Street. For more information on the Alliance, go to www.visitunionsquaresf.com

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

Hotel Council of San Francisco Announces New Board Members:
Franco Finn, Gail Isono, Sheena Way

19 October 2022— San Francisco, CA: The Hotel Council of San Francisco (www.hotelcouncilsf.org) today announced three new board members: Franco Finn (Alaska Airlines), Gail Isono (Harbor Court Hotel), Sheena Way (Golden State Warriors)

“These three new additions to our Board expand our reach and our expertise,” said Terry Lewis, Board Chair for the Council. “These professionals are well known in their respective fields and know how vital tourism is for our economic recovery.”

“I’m excited to announce our newest additions to the Hotel Council’s Board of Directors: Franco Finn, Gail Isono and Sheena Way,” said Alex Bastian, President & CEO of the Council. “This pivotal moment in our city’s history highlights the importance of creating partnerships that benefit our industry, its workforce, and the city of San Francisco. Our collaboration with our Allied Partners, the world champion Golden State Warriors and Alaska Airlines, is incredibly valuable because it is representative of San Francisco’s tourism industry. We will be working collectively to fast-track our city’s recovery by doubling down on tourism in 2023.” 

The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit membership-based organization advocating for the economic and social vitality of the hospitality industry in San Francisco. With a membership roster of over 200 hotels, allied members, and partner organizations, the Council is dedicated to protecting the San Francisco hospitality industry and connecting its members to support its growth and success.

Franco Finn is a first-generation San Francisco native. Born and raised in the Mission & Excelsior districts in Francisco and eventually settled in the Sunset District.  Franco attended French American International School (FAIS) in grade school, then Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep for High School, and then received his B.A. in Communications at Santa Clara University.  For nearly a decade, Franco has been an aviation professional, working in many capacities within the airline industry from Brand Marketing, Communications, External Relations & Employee Engagement. Currently, Franco manages the Community Relations & Engagement for the state of California at Alaska Airlines.

Franco is an active member in the San Francisco community where he also serves on the Executive Board of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.  When he’s not working his full time job, many people may also recognize him and his voice over the last 20 years as the in-arena MC/Host and TV Personality for the NBA World Champion Golden State Warriors. Now in his 20^th season, many fans of the beloved sports franchise, fittingly know him as the “Hypeman” at the new Chase Center in San Francisco, where he energizes and entertains the sold out crowd of 18,000+ fans each and every night.  You’ll hear him introducing the team’s starting lineup, hosting the pre-game show “Warriors TV” and conducting all the contests and promos at the arena.  

Franco Finn is also a well-known professional auctioneer, the “Hypeman Auctioneer”, where he shares his voice and influence at many charity benefits, galas, and fundraiser events all around the San Francisco Bay Area & beyond.  He’s a graduate of the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering in North Carolina, a member of the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) with a Benefit Auction Specialist (B.A.S.) designation. Franco has been involved in a multitude of fundraising events for many years, working with some of the most recognizable non-profit charities and organizations from the American Red Cross, March of Dimes, The Ronald McDonald House, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, just to name a handful, helping to raise millions of dollars and counting, in his career! 

His media background and experience includes being a segment host on KRON 4 TV and freelancing as an MC/host for the San Francisco Giants’ special events for the past 13 seasons. He is a local and national MC, hosting a variety of sporting events from NASCAR to Red Bull’s extreme sports events.  His previous stints include being an on-air personality and host for TV and Radio for CBS, Comcast SportsNet, the Oakland Raiders (NFL Network), KOFY-TV, Radio Disney, KGO AM 810, and guest appearances on ESPN Radio.  

Gail Isono is the General Manager for the Harbor Court Hotel. Prior to joining the Harbor Court Hotel, Gail was the General Manager for the Hotel Abri, and previously, the Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa for over 16 years, her pride in working in San Francisco has been a focal point in the guest and employee experience. She has been a member of the Hotel Council and was previously involved in the Union Square Business Improvement District, Nob Hill Association and Vistage. Gail attended the University of Hawaii, majoring in Travel industry Management and worked in the hotel industry i n Hawaii before moving to San Francisco. Her upbringing i n Hawaii has been a strong influence for the importance of “ohana” (family) that we share in our industry.

Sheena Way joined the Golden State Warriors organization during the 2020-21 NBA season as Vice President, Content and Programming, and is now in her second season.  In her current role, Way’s primary responsibilities include oversight over Chase Center and Thrive City programming opportunities, as well as concerts, sporting events, premium live events, special events, and outdoor plaza activations. Way has focused on new ways to bring the different communities of the Bay Area together through unique specialty events such as Lunar New Year Celebration, Black History Month Celebrations, Women Small Business Market, and Hanukkah Celebrations. Under her direction, Chase Center and Thrive City have welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests for live entertainment of all kinds. When Chase Center reopened for fans coming out of the pandemic in 2021, she orchestrated the bookings of the rescheduled and new concerts and performances highlighted by Tame Impala, The Eagles, Dave Chappelle, Luke Combs, Metallica and back-to-back sold-out Trevor Noah shows. Prior to joining the Warriors, Way served as Vice President, Live Entertainment for the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG), where she oversaw the bookings for Rogers Place—home to the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers—the Downtown Community Arena, ICE District, and all Premium rental spaces within OEG. There she managed the grand opening of Rogers Place, including the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and public house, along with 11 shows in its first 60 days.  Way’s experience expands over 25 years in Talent Management and Live Entertainment Programming; previously she served as Director of Live Entertainment for Canucks Sports and Entertainment. She was responsible for all bookings at Rogers Arena, home to the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. She spent additional time in the Vancouver market in positions with Live Nation Entertainment, House of Blue Concerts, and the Sam Feldman Agency. A native of Vancouver, Canada, Way spent her childhood in the British Columbia Province, where she started in the entertainment industry as an artist manager at 16 years old. In her free time, Sheena is an avid skier and cyclist and enjoys Bay area adventures with her husband, Mike.

media contact: David Perry / (415) 676-7007 / news@acasusodavidperry-com

Dezart Performs Wins 8 Desert Stars Awards
for landmark productions The Mountaintop and Every Brilliant Thing
www.dezartperforms.org 

19 October 2022 – Palm Springs, CA: The Desert Theatre League has honored the critically-acclaimed 14^th season for Dezart Performs (www.dezartperforms.org)  of Palm Springs with Eight Desert Star Awards in the 35th annual occurrence in honoring outstanding performances and productions. The emotionally-charged The Mountaintop exploring the final night of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took home six awards including Outstanding Props and Special Effects, Greg Thorneycroft;  Outstanding Sound Design – Professional, Clark Dugger; Outstanding Set Design – Professional, Thomas L. Valach; The Michael Cruickshank Award for Outstanding Director of a Drama, Professional, Michael Shaw; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, Shante Deloach; and Outstanding Production of a Drama – Professional.  The one-person dramatic comedy performed in the round, Every Brilliant Thing, garnered two awards: Outstanding Director of a Comedy – Professional, Deborah Hamon and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy – Professional for Joel Bryant.

“The evening of awards was a long-overdue gathering of all of our friends in the theatre community,” said Dezart Performs Founding Artistic Director Michael Shaw. “The joy of seeing everybody in one room after three long years of separation, and basking in the glow of the night was magical and so missed! Receiving the recognition from the Desert Theatre League was the icing on the cake.”

Below is the full schedule for the upcoming 15^th Season for Dezart Performs, beginning on October 28.

15th Dezart Performs’ Season Listing

CHOIR BOY

October 28 – November 6, 2022

Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Drama with music

2019 Tony nominee for Best Play 

2019 Drama Desk winner for Outstanding Music in a Play

“… the choral music is rich and rousing.” – New York Stage Review

“[CHOIR BOY] registers with potency, examining its themes with a mixture of poignancy and humor…it soars.” – The New York Post

“CHOIR BOY is a drama so infused with emotion that it can’t help breaking into song.” 

– Hartford Courant

—————

A BRIGHT NEW BOISE

 January 13 – 22, 2023

Written by Samuel D. Hunter

Dark comedy

2011 Obie Award winner for Playwriting

2011 Drama Desk nominee for Outstanding Play

“[Samuel D. Hunter] is one of the finest playwrights at work today.” – The Wall Street Journal 

“… the playwright brings humanity and humility to his repressed characters as they struggle to connect and find a means of self-expression.” – Theatermania

“Hunter’s sense of place is richer and more peculiar than any other American playwright working today.” – The New York Times

—————

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY UNIT AT THE MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER OF NEW YORK CITY

March 3 – 12, 2023

Written by Halley Feiffer

Comedy 

“[A FUNNY THING HAPPENED…is] a play that is as deeply felt as its name is long. – The New York Times 

“The play is as defiantly unconventional as its title, but it is also satisfying in traditional ways.” – The Los Angeles Times

“Feiffer again demonstrates a talent for crafting caustically sharp comic dialogue.” – The Hollywood Reporter

—————

THE GARBOLOGISTS

April 14 – 23, 2023

Written by Lindsay Joelle

New comedy/drama

“THE GARBOLOGISTS takes us on a ride of sadness, joy, anger, disbelief, and understanding.” –Grid Magazine

“Lindsay Joelle’s finely crafted play is laced with wit and wisdom.” – Broadway World

“[THE GARBOLOGISTS] is delightfully intimate, surprising, and profound, filled with sometimes unexpected laughter and even tears..” – onStage Pittsburgh

Dezart Performs, one of the Coachella Valley’s preeminent theatre companies, recognizes that the performing arts enrich the life and culture of a community, promote greater understanding and provoke insightful discussion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, its mission is to provide an artistic home for bold and cutting–edge plays, creating an atmosphere of artistic growth for actors, writers, and directors who uniquely contribute to the diverse theatrical environment in the Coachella Valley.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Wednesday, October 5, 2022 

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

***PRESS RELEASE***  

CITY OFFICIALS DETAIL EFFORTS TO TARGET OPEN-AIR DRUG DEALING  

Prioritization of narcotics arrests and prosecutions in addition to work to expand services and treatment   

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and Police Chief William Scott today provided an update on the City’s strategies to confront open-air drug dealing in San Francisco. In a briefing at Police Headquarters, the City’s top public safety officials provided details on strategies and data, as well as examples of partnerships to improve outcomes. Supervisor Matt Dorsey joined the briefing to detail work being done at the Board of Supervisors to support these efforts, as well as to expand access to treatment.    

At the briefing, Officials detailed new approaches they’ve undertaken in recent months to arrest and prosecute drug dealers. For example, in the last three months:  

• SFPD officers have made over 260 felony arrests for narcotics sales and seized over 28 kilograms of narcotics, including 18 kilograms of Fentanyl alone.  
• The District Attorney’s Office has increased felony narcotics charges filed by 95% over the same time period from the previous year.  

Officials also discussed efforts to intervene with those using drugs on the street to better compel them to seek treatment. Over the last year, 4,500 people have been connected to specialty services for substance use in San Francisco. To expand on this, the Department of Public Health (SFDPH) recently launched a new Overdose Prevention Plan with targeted goals that include increasing the number of people in services and on medication to treat addiction. The Board of Supervisors is also considering a wide range of solutions to expand services and treatment under Supervisor Dorsey’s SF Recovers.   

“The sale of drugs on our street is killing people and open-air drug markets are disrupting neighborhoods for our residents,” said Mayor Breed. “We need to be more aggressive with our arrests and prosecution for those dealing these drugs, while balancing that with an expansion of services and treatment for those struggling with addiction, so that people have an option to get the help they need. The flood of Fentanyl into our City is going to require all levels of government working together, including enforcement against those dealing drugs in our City.”  

Since taking office, District Attorney Jenkins has implemented new policies to hold drug dealers accountable and disrupt open-air drug markets including revoking over 30 lenient plea deals, prohibiting drug dealers arrested with more than five grams of drugs from being referred to the Community Justice Center, and adding school enhancements for drug dealers accused of selling deadly drugs near schools. Additionally, the District Attorney has sought pre-trial detention for serious drug dealers, with a focus to admonish suspected drug dealers to warn them in open court that if found to have sold a drug that results in a death, they may face murder charges. 

Between July 1 and September 25, the District Attorney’s Office was presented 214 cases with felony narcotics charges as the most serious charge. Of those cases:  

• 183 cases were filed, compared to 90 for the same time period last year, representing a 95% increase.   
• The filing rate which represents the number of cases filed over the number of cases presented for this time period is 86% compared to 69% for last year.  
• 157 individuals were arraigned this year during this time period as compared to 78 last year, representing a 101% increase.   
• The District Attorney has also filed nine motions to detain serious drug dealers and is advancing new legal theories and arguments to keep drug dealers off our streets. 

The District Attorney also announced a new policy to help those struggling with addiction get connected to services and treatment through the Community Justice Center by bundling misdemeanor public drug use citations and requiring any individual with five citations be referred to the Community Justice Center to be able to access treatment.  

“Since taking office, one of my primary focuses has been holding drug dealers accountable and disrupting open-air drug markets,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I have worked to rebuild our partnership with the San Francisco Police Department and to do everything in my power to address the drug dealing and overdose crisis on our streets with every legal means available to us. We are starting to get dangerous drug dealers off our streets while restoring public safety and accountability. We are also taking important steps to help those struggling with addiction get the services and treatment they need.”  

At the press conference, Chief Scott described the San Francisco Police Department’s(SFPD) role and responsibility in enforcing the law and disrupting open-air drug dealing and drug use. Enforcement operations are driven by a multitude of factors, including community input, data analysis, calls for service, uniformed presence, observed street conditions, and plainclothes operations. In the downtown and Tenderloin neighborhood, which is the most heavily impacted by the drug crisis, SFPD has supplemented uniformed patrol officers with members from its Narcotics Unit, Traffic Company, and civilian ambassadors.   

“Our officers are working hard every day to stem the rising tide of illegal drug sales, open-air drug use, and overdose deaths in San Francisco. I recognize that disrupting the open-air drug use and sales in our City is a complex enforcement challenge. I believe we can get to a much better place when we work together, and that is why we are here today. It is partnerships with other City leaders and agencies that are vital to our success. Our goal is simple: identify the dealers based on observed activity, make arrests, build strong cases, and save lives,” said Police Chief Scott. “This is about helping those who are suffering from addiction. It is about reducing harm to our communities and saving our children from bearing witness the toll on human life the drug trade is taking. This is about the people feeling safe in their communities. This is about holding those responsible for this crisis accountable for their actions.”  

While enforcement operations vary, the goal remains the same: identify the dealers based on observed activity, make arrests, build strong cases, and save lives. So far in 2022 the SFPD has: 

• Made over 600 arrests for narcotics sales and possession for sales citywide. 
• And in the Tenderloin alone, seized over 68 kilograms of narcotics, 42 kilograms of which was Fentanyl.  

Supervisor Dorsey highlighted his work around San Francisco Recovers, a first step toward a comprehensive citywide strategy to reduce drug overdose deaths, incentivize recovery for those struggling with substance-use disorders, and end street-level drug dealing and open-air drug scenes.  

“Since January 2020, drug overdoses have claimed the lives of more than 1,700 San Franciscans, surpassing nearly twice over COVID-19’s lethality during the same time period,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “San Franciscans are demanding solutions as big as our problems, and none of the problems facing our City right now are more visible, more destructive or more deadly than rampant street-level drug dealing, open-air drug scenes and overdoses. We need to implement real solutions to get people into treatment while holding drug dealers accountable for their crimes. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the Board, as well as the San Francisco Police Department and District Attorney’s office to make the progress San Franciscans deserve.”  

The scoping resolution calls more than two dozen city departments and commissions to report to the Board of Supervisors to identify existing and needed resources, current policies and practices, and barriers to progress. It will be heard at the Oct. 13 Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee meeting, in a process that will enable the Board to begin forging consensus on evidence-based solutions.   
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