Newly elected Supervisor Jackie Fielder was up early Wednesday morning to take a ride on her blue scooter, meeting some 13 businesses across District 9.
The Mission, 7 a.m.
It was still dark when Fielder introduced herself and her campaign-manager-turned-legislative-aide Sasha Gaona, who will be in charge of the Mission District, to employees of Grand Coffee Too at 2544 Mission St.
Don’t hesitate to reach out, Fielder advised as she handed employees a card. The supervisor posed for photos before heading to Breakfast Little around the corner.
The breakfast spot is a favorite of Gaona’s, who enjoyed a few burritos during the campaign: “So good, and the portions are big,” said Gaona.
Next up: Cafe La Boheme at 3318 24th St., where Fielder spoke to owner Awad Faddoul, who complained about trash on the sidewalk and around the corner on Osage Street. Plus, he said, street vendors have become competitors, offering cheaper coffee and other breakfast options just down the street.
“I appreciate [Faddoul] being honest,” said Fielder as she walked back to her scooter. “It’s very important for me to be here at the plaza, seeing the conditions.”
The supervisor said she has already met with Public Works leadership to inquire about more services to keep the corridor cleaner. Funding remains an issue to secure the frequency of cleanings needed, she said.
Bernal Heights, 8 a.m.
When Fielder arrived in Bernal Heights, Jennifer Ferrigno, one of the legislative aides Fielder is keeping on from Hillary Ronen, was already there, outside Pinhole Coffee at 231 Cortland Ave. She stood alongside Laurie Kanes from the Bernal Business Arts Alliance as the supervisor parked her scooter down the street and walked up to greet them.
Fielder greeted staff and constituents. Across the street at Progressive Grounds, jazz played as Fielder studied the menu and chose a kale-and-peanut-butter smoothie with almond milk.
Marco Boujebha, the cafe’s owner, appreciated the new supervisor’s visit. “It feels very nice, and it’s also nice to be connected.”
His worries? “Help with safety, as burglaries and break-ins are a constant worry. … Small businesses are suffering.”
At her next stop, at Good Life Grocery at 448 Cortland Ave., owner Kayren Hudiburgh welcomed Fielder with a bag full of red tulips. “Congratulations,” she said, as the supervisor walked in. Two employees working the register stood behind the pair, smiling.
Hudiburgh said shoplifters often get out quickly and jump on the bus. Recently, someone broke in and stole beer and $2,000 worth of prime rib.
The senior added that parking is another big concern for her, and other businesses.
An electric bike station has taken away two spots just feet from the store, and the possible construction of a four-unit building at 434 Cortland Ave. could take a couple more.
“I’m 80 years old, and I can’t even park in front of my house,” said Hudiburgh, who also signaled the losses caused by the state’s new daylighting mandate, which prohibits parking 20 feet from a corner.
Fielder nodded and told Hudiburgh she is going to keep open communication with officials at the Municipal Transportation Agency.
At Martha & Bros. Coffee Co. at 745 Cortland Ave., lost parking was also top of mind. Customers, the owner said, have a difficult time finding a spot.
Fielder listened carefully, introduced her aide, Ferrigno, and waved to some constituents.
“I am excited, and I feel ready,” said Fielder, before driving off to Portola.
Portola, 9 a.m.
The neighborhood’s first stop was Hey Neighbor Cafe at 2 Burrows St. Feng Han, an aide who speaks Cantonese, joined the supervisor while they awaited neighborhood leaders.
Within a few minutes, the executive director for Family Connections Center, Yensing Sihapanya; the Portola corridor manager, Jennifer Li, who served as translator; and the chair of the Portola neighborhood association, Maggie Weis, had joined.
The supervisor introduced herself to the cafe’s staff and spoke to a couple of constituents, who offered congratulations.
“You were the only candidate who knocked on my door,” said a woman leaving the cafe. Fielder smiled and shook her hand, turning back to Han, who oversaw the campaign’s field operation.
“She said that we were the only ones who knocked on her door.” Han smiled.
Fielder and her entourage proceeded to visit another five businesses, most of them buzzing with customers putting in their breakfast orders. The supervisor had time for a quick introduction and little else.
After Fielder left, Li and Weis said that the neighborhood needs a stronger police presence, especially catered towards those who speak Cantonese. And, they said, they need support to reopen the Avenue Theatre, which closed in 1984.
Weis pointed to the need for more vibrancy. “Live performances, movies or anything that can spice up the nightlife in the neighborhood and support local businesses,” she said.
The first steps have been takenm as the theater’s marquee lights came back to life in 2017, thanks to the support of those who raised $10,000.
As for street safety, Weis and Li said people do not feel safe, and that the citywide decrease in crime — murders are down to their lowest levels since the 1960s — does not represent those who fail to report incidents.
Li said she helped a woman who got mugged and punched in the face file a police report, and experienced firsthand how difficult it was.
“You can’t do it online. We tried calling and they’re like, ‘Just wait there,’” she said. “Sometimes I’ve heard the officer arrives, like, eight hours later. It’s a big hassle, and then when I file the report, nothing happens.”
For her part, Fielder was already on her way to City Hall where, she said, her mom and younger sister would be in attendance to watch her inauguration. “My sister is my rock, and my mom? … I just wouldn’t be here without my mom.”
You may have just been using some shorthand, but the new state daylighting law does not “prohibit parking 20 feet from a corner.”
First, the law only applies to the side of the street where traffic is flowing – generally the right side, but both sides on a one-way street (from the direction approaching an intersection). It does not apply at all on the other side. Second, it bans parking within 20 feet of the crosswalk, not of the corner – a significant distinction. Don’t mean to nitpick, but this is a new law and there is a lot of incorrect information out there about it.
For most drivers, I think your caveats will only add more confusion, which raises the question for me of how enforcement will be handled. Is the MTA going to paint the curb red in all parts of San Francisco where the new daylighting law applies? Or are they just going to leave it to drivers to figure out how far back 20 feet is from a crosswalk (not the corner as you point out) as they try and look for parking and get on with their day. If the latter, then I predict a backlash sparked by mass confusion and outrage over claims of arbitrary enforcement. This will only undermine future efforts to make our streets safer for people who aren’t driving. Don’t get me wrong, I think the goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities is laudable. But unless the MTA just paints the damn curbs red to make things obvious for everyone where they can’t park, then I think daylighting will follow the same pathway as the center bike lane on Valencia – that is to say another laudable project that was doomed to failure from a botched roll out.
Crime and trash seem to be some universal and unaddressed concerns in D9.
“Fielder nodded and told Hudiburgh she is going to keep open communication with officials at the Municipal Transportation Agency.” – And then keep doing whatever ridiculous waste of millions they arbitrarily decide on, resident feedback be damned.
It will be interesting to see if Fielder puts any time into trying to solve these local problems of crime, garbage and lack of parking.
If she does, it would be a nice change of pace.
Another Dean Preston?
Another democratic socialist?
Has she ever been to China?
Glad I don’t live in her district.
Dean already destroyed ours.
why ask for more money to clean the streets? Where are the volunteer events? You can do three a week, Manny already does one and another one is done at Sister’s on Valencia on Saturday. All those people you met on your scooter tour, put on a orange vest, pickup stick and orange bag and get to work. Money ain’t always going to be there.
Manny doesn’t do anything except for PR.
Interesting choice to focus on the merchants. Let’s hope she’s not swayed by their typical parking-over-safety talk.
I’m somewhat reassured by the fact that she personally rides a scooter around, and, unlike most supervisors, should actually understand the perspective of residents who don’t drive everywhere for everything.
Cars are vital to the 50% or so of her constituents who live south of Army Street. And both 101 and 280 go thru her district. So she’d be will advised not to go too far off the wall with her “war on cars” shtick.
“Army Street”? lol, ok. Sorry, but the Mission is the vast majority of the district and one of the most cyclist/pedestrian heavy parts of SF, hate to break it to ya. There are thousands of us, and we’re not going away, as hard as you may all try to run us and our kids over on our way to work and school every morning.
Cyclists and pedestrians aren’t the solution to goods and services getting where they need to go, sorry MTA spokesnozzle. Business actually requires cars and trucks and there’s nothing your rhetoric can do to make that not the case.
Spoken like a true gentrifier.
Cool, Jackie,
Did you know there are more people living in District 9 then live in all of Greenland ?
Less than 60,000 people in the entire country.
Just a passing thought and, Maggie Weis rocks !
go Niners !
h.