I’m excited to send out our fall 2011 newsletter. At this time of year, campaign season is in full swing in City Hall, with highly contested races for Mayor, District Attorney and Sheriff dominating most of the dialogue. These races are extremely important to the future of , and above all else, I hope everyone gets out there and votes on November 8th.

While the Board of Supervisors was in recess during most of August, the months of July and September were extremely busy in City Hall. We’ve had a number of heated debates about healthcare and public financing (just to name a few), and my office has spent a ton of time working on events inside and outside City Hall – in particular the Marina Family Festival and my inaugural Fleet Week fundraiser at Fort Mason to benefit our public schools’ Safe Playgrounds Project. This winter promises to be very busy, with obvious interest in the November elections, and all of us in City Hall looking to squeeze in as much as possible before the end of the year.

In addition, many of our great neighborhood organizations have held their annual meetings in the last few weeks, and it has been an honor to speak at these events and continue to meet new neighbors. In District 2, we are all very lucky to have a number of very active and well-informed neighborhood organizations with great leaders, and it is one of the best parts of my job as Supervisor to interact and work with these organizations on neighborhood issues.

As always, it is an honor serving the residents of San Francisco and District 2 – please reach out if there is ever anything I or my office can do for you.

Office of Supervisor Mark Farrell 1 Dr. CarltonLEGISLATION B. Goodlett Place, AND Room POLICY 244, San Francisco,UPATE CA 94102 Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843 Legislative Aides: [email protected] & [email protected]

Film Rebate Legislation

Our City’s Film Rebate Program, also known as ―Scene in San Francisco,‖ has been extremely popular and has attracted feature films such as The Pursuit of Happyness, Milk and La Mission. I wrote legislation to bolster our rebate program by including documentary films, docudrama films and ―reality‖ programs in the rebate program. My legislation passed unanimously at the Board of Supervisors meeting in October. In the past, reality shows used to be fairly low budgeted productions - now, we are seeing more with substantial budgets to work with, and we would like to attract them here in order to have them spend their production dollars in San Francisco and hire local crews. We have also had requests lately from large documentary productions interested in our rebate program.

My legislation also decreases film use fees to $100 a day for productions with budgets less than $500,000 for the filming of any commercial, corporate media, industrial media, video, short subject or web video. As a comparison, has a permit fee of $300 for the whole production, no matter how many days they film – for all size budgets. In Vancouver, permits cost $100 per day. In New Mexico, they are $25 per day. In Louisiana, they are free. This legislation will make our permits more affordable and will continue to make our rebate program as attractive as possible – already my office has received calls from major reality programs and documentary film companies wanting to do business in San Francisco.

Public Financing Legislation

The United States Supreme Court recently held in McComish v. Bennet that Arizona’s public financing system was unconstitutional because it chilled political speech when public funds were doled out to publicly financed candidates under certain circumstances. The Supreme Court opinion is extremely important and relevant to San Francisco because our public financing law also provides candidates additional public funding in response to spending by other candidates or third parties.

Thus, I introduced legislation to reform our public financing system to comply with the Supreme Court decision. My legislation would have avoided a potential lawsuit putting taxpayer dollars at risk while preserving the constitutional aspects of our public financing system. This ordinance required 8 votes for passage instead of 6 because changes made to the Campaign and Government Conduct Code requires a supermajority for passage both by the Ethics Commission and the Board of Supervisors. The ordinance passed out of the Ethics Commission but only received 6 votes at the Board of Supervisors, with Supervisors Avalos, Campos, Kim, Mar and Mirkarimi voting no. I will continue to push this issue forward to avoid costly lawsuits to the City.

The Aftermath of the King Edward II Debate: Noticing Legislation

At the October 4th meeting of the Board of Supervisors, the King Edward II project was approved with a 10-1 vote. Despite my opposition to the project, moving forward I am committed to making the King Edward II a development we can all be proud of. To prevent another similar development debacle in our City, I introduced legislation to increase noticing requirements to neighbors on City projects. It establishes minimum public notice requirements for certain projects funded directly by the City or administered by the City through the use of federal, state or other funding sources. As I said during my campaign, and have continued to practice now in City Hall, bringing the neighborhood into the conversation and getting their input on these neighborhood projects is extremely important. Current noticing provisions on City-funded projects come too late to allow the public to provide meaningful input to City decision makers.

As many of you are very aware, neighborhood notice and input was lacking in two major transitional aged youth projects proposed in District 2 – the Booker T. Washington project and King Edward II. The proposal to convert the former bed and breakfast at 3155 Scott Street (King Edward II) into transitional youth housing for at-risk youth and to increase the number of allowable units from 16 to 25 suffered greatly from a lack of neighborhood notice from the start. The City and County of San Francisco entered in a purchase and sale agreement to purchase the building before members of the surrounding neighborhoods were ever notified, communicated with, or given a chance to provide input on the proposed project.

My legislation will require the Mayor’s Office of Housing to post on its official website an updated list of all proposed projects and provide email notice to those who sign up for such notice about those projects that apply for funding in response to a Notice of Funding Availability, when a department decides to fund a pre- development study, or when a department takes any step towards potentially funding or administering a proposed project.

I don’t believe any development, specifically in the middle of our neighborhoods (whether affordable or market rate housing), should be constructed or approved that is not responsive to the concerns of the neighborhoods in which they are placed. We cannot lose sight of the fact that engaging the neighborhood earlier in the process will best benefit the youth that will ultimately reside in the neighborhood.

Non-voter Approved Debt (Certificates of Participation)

This past April I held a hearing to discuss San Francisco’s use of Certificates of Participation (COPs), a mechanism for issuing non-voter approved debt. The City currently has nearly $1 billion in COPs on its books. After the hearing I worked with our City Controller to come up with effective policies to restrict the use of COPs. Thus, I recently introduced legislation stating that COPs may not be used to finance ongoing operating costs for the City, that realistic repayment burdens must be placed on the General Fund for such debt, and that the City may only use COPs to fund capital projects only if the cost of servicing all such debt does not exceed 3.25% of General Fund discretionary revenues. City Hall should not be financing operating costs and creating unseen debt without voter approval. This legislation will provide us with the flexibility to use COPs where necessary and curb fiscally irresponsible behavior in City Hall. This legislation is scheduled for a hearing in the Budget and Finance committee on October 26, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

Special Sign District Legislation – Target

Target is coming to District 2! I’m pleased to report that my legislation to establish the ―City Center Special Sign District‖ to help Target redesign and reinvigorate the signage at the old Sears store at Masonic Avenue and Geary Boulevard passed unanimously at the full Board this month. The Target team has put much thought into producing signs and improving the property so that people will be easily directed into the right parking lot and business. This legislation will help Target meet the deadline for its planned opening in spring of 2013.

Police in the Community Housing Program

My hearing on the status of San Francisco’s Police in the Community Program (PIC) and workforce housing issues will be heard on November 10th in the Government Audit and Oversight Committee. We expect speakers from the Mayor’s Office of Housing, the Department of Human Resources and the Police Officers’ Association. The PIC Program has been in existence for close to a decade and provides down payment assistance loans to police officers purchasing their first home in the City and County of San Francisco to encourage them to live in San Francisco. I do believe that having police officers live in our City makes our neighborhoods safer, yet despite this program’s existence the vast majority of our first responders live outside the City.

We will explore how we can make our current PIC Program more effective and whether we can expand it to include other first responder departments in San Francisco. This is about workforce housing making our neighborhoods safer and being prepared with people on the ground in the case of emergencies.

KEEPING FAMILIES IN SAN FRANCISCO

Inaugural Fleet Week Fundraiser Benefitting SFUSD’s Safe Playground Project

As a native San Franciscan, I grew up playing sports at parks and playgrounds throughout the City. One of the fondest memories from my childhood in the Marina was playing basketball at the local schoolyard with my father and, as I grew older, playing strikeout at the same schoolyard with my friends. Unfortunately, due to significant budget constraints, today most of our schoolyards in San Francisco are closed on the weekends. I tried to use the schoolyard by our house a few months ago to allow my children to ride their bikes, and I could not believe the gates were chained. This year, in cooperation with the San Francisco Unified School District and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, I hosted a fundraiser to raise money to open the City’s schoolyards on weekends once again for children, families and all residents of San Francisco. With the money we raised we are going to be able to open approximately 25 schoolyards next year every weekend, and I will continue to hold this fundraiser each year until our Board of Education resumes funding for these schoolyards – I simply believe it is a core part of City living.

Family Flight

Family flight continues to be a huge problem for San Francisco. I am conducting a hearing on this issue on December 8, 2011 in the Government Audit & Oversight Committee to examine and discuss real, concrete measures we can take here at City Hall to address the major causes contributing to the problem. The hearing will ask representatives from a number of different City agencies which house data on this issue to come together and collectively address the topic. Specifically, representatives from the Department of Children, Youth and Families, the San Francisco Unified School District, Mayor’s Office of Housing, Recreation and Park Department, and the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs will be asked to speak.

Inaugural Marina Family Festival

On September 24, 2011, we held the Inaugural Marina Family Festival at the Little Marina Green. I was proud to help organize the event in conjunction with the Marina Community Association. The event was huge hit and a chance for families in the Bay Area to enjoy a variety of entertainment including bounce houses, a petting zoo, music, gourmet food trucks, a beer & wine garden and booths sponsored by local merchants. A big thanks to the Marina Community Association, and Don Carmignani (MCA board member) in particular, for putting the event together and for their continued commitment to create a thriving family- friendly city.

COMMUNITY UPDATE

King Edward II

On October 7, 2011 three neighborhood and two merchant associations appealed the conditional use permit and the CEQA determination for the King Edward II to the Board of Supervisors. Although I voted against the project for a myriad of reasons, I am committed to making certain that neighborhood and merchant associations are involved from the beginning of each project. Moving forward, I am fully committed to working with the Community Housing Partnership, Larkin Street Youth Services and the surrounding neighborhood groups to foster a deeper dialogue and to build a long-term relationship as this project is implemented and completed.

CPMC Development Agreement Update

Negotiations between the Mayor’s Office and CPMC are continuing to take place regarding provisions for workforce housing, health benefits for the poor (―charity care‖) and community improvements, among others. CPMC has agreed to make design changes to their proposed Medical Office Building to make it more compatible with historic buildings along Van Ness Avenue. The new design will be ―more contextual‖ and related architecturally to nearby buildings and smaller in scale. Hearings for the final adoption of the Draft Environmental Impact Report have been pushed back and are expected to take place in early 2012. The Planning Department has dedicated a special webpage for the CPMC project and will be updating it whenever changes are made to the project schedule. This site also includes all CPMC staff reports and presentations, along with several other documents that may be of interest. See cpmc.sfplanning.org. CPMC’s website is www.rebuildcpmc.org.

America’s Cup and the People Plan On October 3, 2011, the America’s Cup Event Authority officially accepted the ―People Plan,‖ a transportation plan that leverages the entire Bay Area’s transportation resources in order to deliver an incredible experience for visitors and residents during the 34th America’s Cup events in San Francisco. The People Plan was developed by City agencies, including the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) with input from key stakeholders, and I had several meetings with City staff to discuss areas of concern in District 2.

The City will now consider the People Plan for adoption as part of the project approvals once the environmental review (DEIR) is complete. OEWD received nearly 2,000 pages of comments which the City is now currently completing formal responses to. They expect to publish comments and responses to the DEIR before the Thanksgiving weekend, and the certification hearing on the America’s Cup DEIR is tentatively scheduled for December 8, 2011 at the Planning Commission. The People Plan is included as part of the project review in the DEIR and may be further revised as a result of additional recommendations resulting from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analysis and as project details are refined.

In addition to accepting the People Plan, the Event Authority also accepted the Security Plan as called for under the Host and Venue Agreement. The non-confidential aspects of the Security Plan and the revised People Plan are available on the Office of Economic & Workforce Development website (www.oewd.org) for public review. As always, please let me office know if you have any questions, concerns or comments.

Mountain Lake Restoration

The Presidio Trust is currently preparing a draft Feasibility Study/Remedial Action Plan (FS/RAP) for remediation of contaminated sediments from Mountain Lake at the Presidio. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), which oversees the cleanup at the Presidio, will soon be reviewing the draft FS/RAP. Before selecting the proposed cleanup method to address contamination in Mountain Lake, DTSC and the Presidio Trust are looking to bring leaders of interested community organizations together to discuss the cleanup options and gather initial community input. This will help us better understand community and regulatory concerns.

My office attended the first workshop on Monday, September 26, 2011, for a briefing on the Mountain Lake Remediation Project. DTSC anticipates holding additional public workshops in November. For more information on the clean-up efforts and the Mountain Lake Enhancement Plan, visit http://library.presidio.gov/archive/documents/mountain_lake.pdf.

On-Street Car-sharing pilot project – SFMTA

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) will implement a pilot for on-street car sharing parking spaces in the fall. These will be spaces where members of car sharing organizations can pick up and return car sharing vehicles. The pilot program will include 11 spaces throughout the City, including spaces at Polk/Greenwich and Clay/Fillmore in District 2. The SFMTA has been working to implement this pilot under an agreement with the City Administrator’s Office and City CarShare. The pilot will test the feasibility and effectiveness of on-street car sharing pods. If successful, the SFMTA will develop a program to make more on-street spaces available to all car share organizations that wish to participate. If you have any questions, comments or would like to suggest a location for an on-street car sharing parking space contact [email protected]

SFUSD Enrollment Fair

SFUSD has already begun preparation for the 2012-13 school year for those considering enrolling their children in our city’s public schools for that school year. They would like to extend an open invitation to the Annual SFUSD Enrollment Fair being held on Saturday, November 5th from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Concourse Exhibition Center (635 8th Street). Every SF public school will be represented at this event and it is an excellent opportunity to meet and speak with principals, teachers and parents about school programs and offerings. More information can also be found on their website at: http://www.sfusd.edu/en/enroll-in-sfusd-schools/enrollment-fair-for-2012-13-school-year.html.

Tour Bus and Shuttle Bus Issues

We have heard from many of our constituents that the proliferation of shuttle buses on the streets and the number of tour buses that continue to drive down restricted streets is making our neighborhoods more congested than normal. When SFMTA staff briefed my office on legislation they planned to introduce to ease congestion and make it easier for tour buses to operate, I asked them to also address the fact that many of these tour bus and shuttle bus operators are not abiding by the existing restricted streets ordinance spelled out in Sections 501 and 503 of the Transportation Code.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) agreed to partner with the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), who is responsible for enforcing moving violations, and to educate tour bus and shuttle bus operators on restricted streets to prevent congestion in our neighborhoods. SFMTA immediately reached out to the SFPD and they are already working to develop a long-term plan to address our concerns. We are extremely pleased in their collaboration and expect to see results, not only from the enforcement aspect but from the educational aspect that SFMTA will provide to tour bus and shuttle bus companies and their drivers. Please let us know if you notice any improvement.

TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT

Blockboard

Blockboard is a new app for your phone and was designed from the ground-up as a neighborhood app through which neighbors can interact with one another. They can report potholes and graffiti directly to the City, alert each other about crime and vandalism through a Blockwatch, post general observations about the neighborhood, ask their neighbors questions, and post pictures of lost and found items. The app is more about creating a community, but one that is grounded in your real neighborhood. You pick your neighborhood, which limits the posts and other neighbors you see in the app to that micro-community. In a day and age when people no longer talk to their neighbors, much less know who they are, maybe it will take a mobile app to make people good neighbors again.

TaskRabbit

Think of TaskRabbit as a marketplace where busy professionals, families and companies can easily outsource and manage any kind of task to a community of enthusiastic and fully-vetted people in their neighborhood called TaskRabbits. The concept resonates strongly with TaskRabbits, who have the attitude and (oftentimes) financial incentive to help others in their community. TaskPosters - the demand side of the TaskRabbit marketplace - also benefit immensely by farming out needed tasks they either cannot or do not want to do. The overall goal is to be a new kind of labor marketplace where anybody can live a smarter and more fulfilling life by once again relying on their neighbors and community. http://www.taskrabbit.com/

IN THE COMMUNITY

Coca-Cola Get Out and Shred Event

On July 5, 2011, at a presentation at the Rochambeau Clubhouse, Coca-Cola made a $250,000 donation to the San Francisco Parks Trust as a part of its commitment to healthy communities. I was happy to attend the event with California Lt. Governor , former Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and members of the community. The donation will support programs that will help fund a new trail in Golden Gate Park, The GearUp Fund, a mobile sports/recreation van that will travel around the City with equipment for new recreation programs such as mountain biking, kayaking, skateboarding and climbing. The donation will also help fund restoration of the horseshoe pits in the northeast portion of Golden Gate Park, restoration of the Oak Woodlands natural area, and the Innovator Awards, a long-term granting program of San Francisco Parks Trust, which give seed funds to community groups to encourage stewardship and park activation.

Year Up

On July 8, 2011, I had the opportunity to speak to approximately 70 students and a handful of staff members at Year Up’s headquarters. Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. It is a one-year, intensive training program that provides urban young adults 18-24 with a unique combination of technical and professional skills, college credits, an educational stipend and a corporate internship. I shared my experience in City Hall and my career path that led me to public service as a San Francisco County Supervisor. I was extremely impressed by the potential of the youth in that room and thank Year Up for investing in our youth to empower them and help them reach their potential.

League of California Cities

In May 2011, Mayor appointed me to serve on the Board of Directors of the California League of Cities and I attended two meetings in both July and September. The mission of the League of California Cities is to expand and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians. The League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities.

San Francisco Towers

On July 25, 2011, I spoke to the residents of San Francisco Towers on Pine Street between Van Ness and Franklin – a premiere retirement community in District 2. It was a pleasure speaking to the residents about immediate neighborhood concerns such as the rebuild of CPMC and potential traffic issues, the proposed Bus Rapid Transit on Van Ness Avenue, neighborhood safety issues, as well as city-wide issues being discussed at City Hall.

Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth - Mayor Candidate Debate (emailed for image 9/27)

On August 16, 2011, I hosted the Mayoral Candidate Debate VIP reception for The Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth, a collaboration of business and labor organizations. Phil Matier moderated the debate, held at the UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center. Candidates on hand included Michela Alioto-Pier, Jeff Adachi, Tony Hall, Dennis Herera, David Chiu, Joanna Rees, John Avalos, Bevan Dufty, Leland Yee, Phil Ting and Mayor Edwin Lee.

143rd Annual Italian Heritage Parade

My family and I were thrilled to ride in this year’s Italian Heritage Parade. San Francisco’s Annual Italian Heritage Parade is the City's oldest civic event and the nation's oldest Italian-American parade and community celebration. A San Francisco institution since it was established in 1868, the 2011 Parade was bigger, better and more colorful than ever. Highlights included dozens of handcrafted parade floats featuring Bay Area businesses, community groups, and Italian organizations; local high school Italian clubs and marching bands; special appearances by "Christopher Columbus" and Queen Isabella and Her Court; festive open-air dining and Italian wine and food specials at North Beach restaurants lining the Parade route; performances by a variety of traditional Italian musicians and performance artists; and special appearances by Bay Area and Italian-American celebrities.

Golden Gate Valley Library Opening

On October 15, 2011, I was honored to participate in the reopening of the historic Golden Gate Valley Branch Library with Mayor Ed Lee, City Librarian Luis Herrera, DPW Director Mohammed Nuru and other city and state officials. The renovation of this 93-year old building was nothing short of amazing. For operating hours visit www.sfpl.org.

Loma Prieta Memorial

I was honored to attend the 22nd anniversary ceremony of the Loma Prieta earthquake at the San Francisco Fire Museum. We will never forget those that we lost on that day and will continue to honor our Fire, Police, Sheriff, Emergency Medical Services and other first responders who keep San Francisco safe. The event also highlighted the Guardians of the City (GOTC) – a new nonprofit organization whose primary purpose is to provide stewardship and conservation of a collection of irreplaceable artifacts that celebrate the heritage and history of the City and County of San Francisco departments of first responders: Fire, Police, Sheriff, and Emergency Medical Services. For more information on the Guardians of the City and how you can get involved visit www.guardiansofthecity.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show Thursday, October 27 to Saturday, October 30, 2011, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, October 31, 2011, Noon to 5 p.m. Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center As the oldest continuously operating international antiques show on the West Coast, the Show features approximately seventy dealers from across the United States and Europe, offering for sale an extraordinary range of fine and decorative arts representing all styles and periods including American, English, Continental, and Asian furniture, silver, ceramics, glass, jewelry, rugs, textiles, paintings, prints, and photographs. http://www.sffas.org/

Scaregrove Friday, October 28, 2011; 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. @ Sigmund Stern Grove 19th Avenue and Sloat Join San Francisco Recreation and Parks and the San Francisco Parks Trust for a spooky good time at Scaregrove, Friday, October 28, 2011, featuring a haunted house, carnival rides, games, giant inflatables, hay rides, live entertainment and food for sale. Cost is $8 per person for an all-access pass. Fun for the entire family. Log onto www.sfrecpark.org for more information.

Halloween Haunts and Happenings Sunday, October 30, 2011 from 12 – 4 pm This Halloween, you can enjoy some creepy crawlers – human and non-human – at the Exploratorium’s Halloween Haunts and Happenings! Come see giant insects, tarantulas, blood-sucking leeches, maggots and much more. Dress up in your Halloween costume and join us in a variety of spine-tingling activities. Try your hand at making and decorating sugar skulls, creep through our Graveyard of Dead Science Ideas and admire the trappings of predatory plants in the Garden of Carnivorous Plants. Creep into the McBean Theater to see some of the spookiest, and silliest animations of from the 1930s to the 1950s. There is small fee for the sugar skull making, but otherwise all Halloween Haunts and Happenings activities are included in admission to the Exploratorium. http://press.exploratorium.edu/halloween-at-the-exploratorium-creature-features-october-2011/

Halloween Parade on Chestnut Street Monday, October 31, 2011; 10:00 a.m., beginning at Moscone Recreation Center The annual Halloween parade on Chestnut Street will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Moscone Recreation Center. Trick-or-treaters will march down Chestnut Street as local merchants hand out treats.

The Art of Financial Well-Being Resource Fair Thursday, November 3, 2011, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Jewish Community Center Achieve well-being – the state of being healthy, happy and prosperous. Take advantage of valuable resources to help you save money at any age. Learn financial responsibility through engagement with local businesses and organizations. This event is free. Advance registration is requested, call 415-292-1200. For more information visit www.jccsf.org/fwb.

Pier 39 Tree Lighting Celebration Sunday, November 20, 2011, 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pier 39, two-blocks east of Fisherman’s Wharf at Beach Street and The Embarcadero Pier 39’s Tree Lighting Celebration, a holiday tradition, will feature entertainment performing seasonal favorites. Bring the whole family to sing, shop and swoon at the 60’ tree. Pier 39’s majestic tree, adorned with glistening ornaments, bows and twinkling lights will be lit at 5:30 pm in the Entrance Plaza. http://www.pier39.com/Events/events.htm

Turkey Trail Trot IX Thanksgiving, November 24, 2011; 8:00 a.m. Kids Gobbler Chase; 8:30 a.m. Turkey Trot (RUN) and Pilgrim Promenade (WALK) Golden Gate Park, Middle Dr at Metson Rd, Polo Field Come kick off a great Thanksgiving with an invigorating fun run or walk at the park—before the parades, football games, and feasting commence! http://www.turkeytrailtrot.com/2011/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turkey-Trail-Trot/130027467043659

Macy's Union Square Tree Lighting Ceremony Frdayi, November 28, 6pm. Union Square (at Geary & Powell Streets) San Francisco CA Macy's Union Square hosts its annual the "Day After Thanksgiving" holiday season kick-off with all-day festivities beginning at noon. The Square will feature artisans displaying their holiday crafts as well vendors selling their San Francisco souvenirs. There will be free entertainment throughout the day to entice shoppers and tourists to take a break from their Macy's shopping marathon. San Francisco shoppers and visitors can relax and over cappuccinos from Emporio Rulli Il Cafe atop Union Square. The day culminates with a spectacular tree lighting ceremony in the evening. Tel. 415.781.7880. Free. http://www.sanfrancisco.com/festivals/

2nd Annual Sip Snack & Shop on Chestnut presented by the Marina Merchants Association Thursday December 1, 2011 from 6-9pm Start your holiday shopping this season in your neighborhood! Evening includes raffles & discounts of 15% or more at all participating businesses, Food & Beverage Tastings and Live entertainment.

Volunteers Needed – Experience Corps. Experience Corps, an award-winning intergenerational tutoring and mentoring program, is currently seeking volunteers ages 55 and older to support students in literacy in grades K-3 at 13 San Francisco public schools. The program has a track record of not only boosting students’ academic performance, but also of improving the health and well-being of older adults in the process. ―There’s no shortage of older adults – nearly 10,000 Americans turn 60 every day – and no shortage of kids who need help. We’re working to put these two generations together,‖ says Lester Strong, the program’s CEO. Volunteers are asked to commit for one full school year for a minimum of four hours per week. No tutoring experience is needed, and training is provided. If you are interested in this fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity, email: [email protected] or call (415) 759-4223.

In The Media

July 2011 – Present

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/columnists/2011/07/social-experiments-driving-sf-families-away- droves#ixzz1SaVKerLV SF Supe Proposes Hearing On Why Families Leave SF June 30, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/columnists/2011/07/social-experiments-driving-sf-families-away- droves#ixzz1ZAuwk9x6 Social experiments driving SF families away in droves July 2, 2011

The Bay Area Reporter http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=onthetown&article=181 It's a gay, gay world! July 7, 2011 sfist.com http://sfist.com/2011/07/11/whats_on_the_agenda_board_of_superv_14.php What's on the Agenda? Board of Supervisors Items of Interest for July 12th, 2011 July 11, 2011

SFGate.com http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011/07/19/glendon-hyde-aka-anna-conda-picked-for-entertainment- commission/ Glendon Hyde aka Anna Conda picked for Entertainment Commission July 19, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/under-dome/2011/08/san-francisco-may-extend-film-rebate-reality- shows#ixzz1ZAyqvtSQ San Francisco may extend film rebate to reality shows August 2, 2011

SFGate.com http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/02/BAK81KII5R.DTL#ixzz1ZAzNLYtt Grace Crunican in line for post of BART manager August 3, 2011

NBC Bay Area http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/politics/SF-Opening-the-Door-to-Reality-Shows-126777498.html SF Opening the Door to Reality Shows August 4, 2011

Curbed SF http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2011/08/08/reality_tv_in_sf.php Reality TV in SF August 8, 2011

SFGate.com http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011/08/08/supervisor-mark-farrell-woos-reality-tv-productions/ Supervisor Mark Farrell woos reality TV productions August 8, 2011

SFGate.com http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/07/MNQ61KKC5Q.DTL S.F. Mayor Ed Lee's move rankles some candidates August 8, 2011

SF Bay Guardian Online http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/08/24/sf-sued-approving-atts-sidewalk-boxes-without-eir SF sued for approving AT&T's sidewalk boxes without an EIR August 24, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/09/filming-movies-tv-series-26-percent-san- francisco#ixzz1ZB3DRmy1 Filming of movies, TV series up 26 percent in San Francisco September 12, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/09/sf-supervisor-takes-costly-stand-public- financing#ixzz1ZB42qgVT SF supervisor takes a costly stand on public financing September 20, 2011

San Francisco Chronicle http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011/09/28/swing-vote-swinging-toward-amending-public-financing- campaign-law/ Swing vote swinging toward amending public financing campaign law September 28, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-area/2011/10/san-francisco-supervisors-refusal-cap-campaign-cash- opens-door-lawsuits San Francisco supervisors' refusal to cap campaign cash opens door to lawsuits October 5, 2011

SF Gate http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsider/2011/10/05/amendment-to-public-financing-campaign-law-fails-new- plan-proposed/?gta=commentlistpos#commentlistpos Amendment to public financing campaign law fails; new plan proposed October 5, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/10/sf-school-politics-keeping-kids-having-any-fun SF school politics keeping kids from having any fun October 8, 2011

San Francisco Examiner http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/10/campaign-cash-vote-legally-dumb SF supes' rejection of campaign-cash bill legally dumb October 10, 2011

Office of Supervisor Mark Farrell 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244, San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843 Legislative Aides: [email protected] & [email protected]