Arts & Culture

Asian Americans Have Made Little of Chinatown’s Art. A New Tool Could Change That

08.22.2024
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When you think about San Francisco’s Chinatown, the first thing that comes to mind might be its art: pagoda-style architecture and dragon-decorated street lamps that showcase the ancient, exotic culture of a civilization half the globe away. 

It might surprise you to learn that Asian artists created little of that art, and the works have seldom told the stories of the local community that has lived there for over a century. Local groups are trying to change that with the Chinatown Artist Registry.

Elections
市參事殷嘉立（Joel Engardio）同當地商戶與市民會面。

三藩民選官員遭反對，因其提案關閉海洋公路

07.19.2024
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居住在舊金山西側，由市參事殷嘉立（Joel Engardio）代表的市民表示，他們對他於其他市參事共同發起一項投票提案感到措手不及。該措施旨在永久關閉海洋公路，禁止汽車通行，並將其改造為海濱公園。

民眾說，殷嘉立在支持這項措施之前應該先諮詢他們的意見。一部分正在敦促他修改這項提案或將其從投票中撤回。

(This story also available in English. Click to find it.)

Elections

SF Lawmaker Faces Growing Backlash for Supporting Great Highway Closure

07.17.2024
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Many of Supervisor Joel Engardio’s constituents, who live on San Francisco’s west side, said they felt caught off guard by his move to co-sponsor a ballot measure to permanently close the Great Highway to car traffic and turn it into a park.

They said he should have consulted them before backing the measure, and some are pushing him to alter or withdraw it from the ballot.

Community
从蘇特羅高地（Sutro Heights ）方向看過去的海洋公路，拍攝與2019年9月

商戶們反對將海洋公路改建公園的提案

07.03.2024
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一個代表日落區數十名商戶的團體公開反對一個投票提案。該提案將讓選民決定是否禁止車輛通行三藩市海洋公路（Great Highway）禁車，並將其改造為海濱公園。

該商戶團體表示，關閉公路可能會減慢城市西側的交通，以至於損害該市西側的商業。這可能會減少顧客人流量並延遲待售商品的交付。

(This story also available in English. Click to find it.)

Community

Merchants Oppose Ballot Measure to Turn Great Highway Into Park

06.28.2024
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A group representing dozens of merchants in the Sunset District is objecting to a ballot measure that would close San Francisco’s Great Highway to cars and transform it into a park. 

The closure could hurt businesses on the west side of the city, the group said, by slowing car traffic to them. That might reduce clientele foot traffic and delay the delivery of merchandise for sale.

Government & Politics

SF Lawmaker Pitches Pay Cuts for Top Officials to Ease Budget Woes

06.18.2024
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In an effort to help fill budget gaps and bolster some essential city services, one San Francisco lawmaker is proposing pay cuts at the highest levels of government.

City Hall has faced increasing budget shortfalls since the COVID-19 pandemic, which hobbled the downtown office real estate market, disrupting a major source of tax revenue. Mayor London Breed’s latest proposal to close the budget deficit, projected at $790 million over the next two fiscal years, has met objection from some officials and local social service providers.

Bay Area
At a City Hall meeting in San Francisco, an interpreter helps a resident make a public comment.

As Bay Area Cities Adopt Real-Time AI Translation for Public Meetings, SF Abstains

06.12.2024
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Cities in Northern California are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence-powered translation tools in an effort to make public meetings more accessible to residents who are not proficient in English. The technology could address obstacles to access in San Francisco, where people can struggle to obtain city-provided interpreters.

Should San Francisco consider following San Jose, Modesto and others in adopting AI translation? City officials say no, and some community groups are wary but open to the possibility.

City Hall
An interpreter speaks Cantonese into a device that transmits to listeners, with headsets, during a public meeting held in English.

Inadequate Language Services Leave Immigrants in the Dark at SF Public Meetings

05.30.2024
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For immigrants and other San Francisco residents who speak little English, accessible and robust interpretation services are essential in order to understand what’s said at public meetings and communicate with officials.

The city claims to have the strongest language-access policies in the nation, and a new proposal is on the way to strengthen them further. But, in practice, those policies leave a communication gap between lawmakers and those affected by their laws, community groups say.

Community
People standing in line at a public meeting at San Francisco City Hall.

Cannabis Dispensary and Lounge to Open in SF Bayview, Despite Residents’ Objections

05.03.2024
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The dispensary will be on one of the Bayview’s less developed streets, near low-income and senior housing. Over a dozen cannabis facilities already operate in the neighborhood, nearly all of which are used only to grow the plant.

Many residents, especially Chinese Americans, have opposed the new facility, which will sell cannabis products, out of fear that it will encourage drug use and make the area less safe. Despite their objections, the city’s Planning Commission approved the project Thursday because it did not violate city laws.

Community

In SF’s Chinatown, Conflict Over Outdoor Events Resolved — for Now 

04.18.2024
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A dispute among Chinatown businesses appears to be temporarily quelled, following a decision by San Francisco’s Board of Appeals to limit amplified sound at outdoor events along a major tourist artery for the next two months. 

Merchants had objected after a local dance company obtained the amplified-sound permit. It was the latest point of friction resulting from a gradual uptick in events, which have disrupted some businesses in the neighborhood.