Neighborhood Leaders Nurture Civic Engagement

BY JESSICA ZIMMER

The View canvassed its readers to identify residents who volunteer to improve their community. Below we describe the efforts of some of these individuals; the paper welcomes nominations of others.

Sue Bushnell, South Beach District 6 Democratic Club president, has been a San Franciscan for 54 years. Presently a Bryant Street resident, she’s previously lived in the Mission, Bernal Heights, and on Telegraph Hill.

Now retired, Bushnell coordinated student affirmative action programs at San Francisco State University (SFSU) for roughly 30 years.

Bushnell chartered the South Beach District 6 Democratic Club (SBD6DC) in 2015 to give a political voice to the neighborhood and the district. According to Bushnell, the 2020-mandated redistricting of supervisorial district boundaries changed the political landscape.

“The Tenderloin was moved out of

Handy Numbers

District 6, creating a much more residential profile,” said Bushnell.

District 6 now includes South-ofMarket, Mission Bay, and Treasure Island.

SBD6DC, which has 52 dues paying members, endorses and promotes candidates and ballot measures. This summer, it’ll hold informal meetings with elected officials, including District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. At last year’s holiday event guests and members met with Dorsey, District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, California State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and City Attorney David Chiu. “SBD6DC does not take donations from corporations or developers. We are and hope to remain a true voice of the residents of District 6,” said Bushnell.

Najuawanda “Naj” Daniels is on her second term serving as co-president of the Starr King Elementary School Parent Teachers Association (PTA). She’s inspired and motivated by her niece, Rain, a fourth grader at the school.

“She is my reason for pushing forward,” said Daniels.

Daniels grew up on Arkansas Street, across from the Potrero Hill Recreation Center. Recently, her family home was sold, prompting her to move to Hunters Point. She works as a union representative for the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents City and County of San Francisco staff.

“I also provide professional music entertainment. I am one of the District 10 community DJs,” said Daniels.

In 2022 Daniels performed on the kid’s stage at the Potrero Hill Festival, Potrero Hill Black History event at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center, Potrero Hill Family Day, and District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton’s reelection party.

Daniels’ volunteerism is motivated by the changes she wants to see, including creating connections across cultures and ethnicities, bridging the gap between legacy – long-term – Hill families and new neighbors, and nurturing spaces for Black residents.

“How to better effect change than to jump right in?” said Daniels.

Daniels is concerned about ongoing gentrification and its adverse effects on Black children. She said there’s always been an unspoken divide between Potrero Terrace and Annex residents and homeowners living elsewhere on the Hill. Daniels wants to connect all District 10 neighborhoods, including the Hill, and Bayview Hunters Point.

According to Daniels, the Starr King PTA has a committee of parent volunteers dedicated to communications and messaging. The PTA has created an equity group, which supports leadership development of parents across cultures and ethnicities as a means to increase engagement. One of the group’s goals is to more equitably serve Black families to improve their experiences and outcomes at Starr King Elementary.

The Starr King PTA provides money, volunteers, equipment, and supplies for special initiatives, such as the school’s gardening program, coding, mindfulness activities, and Kingmakers and Queenmakers, which focuses on uplifting Black students. This fall, the PTA will hold an ice cream social to welcome new and returning families.

The school will also participate in the Potrero Hill “Day on the Green” Family Day, a community celebration featuring field games, music, food, and raffles to be held in August at the Potrero Hill Recreation Center .

Daniels said new leaders are emerging in the southeastern neighborhoods. “These leaders are from the neigh-

Green Benefit District | GreenBenefit.org

The Dogpatch Music Series starts up again on Saturday afternoon, August 26, at Woods Yard Park, with following dates on September 9th and 23rd and October 7. More information on performers and vendors will be posted at GreenBenefit.org as available.

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association | potreroboosters.org

The Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association informs, empowers and represents the residents of the Potrero on issues impacting our community, in order to develop and maintain complete, vibrant neighborhoods. We’re continuing to meet via Zoom on the last Tuesday of each month. Go to www. potreroboosters.org to learn more about how to join us!

The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association | potrerodogpatch.com

The Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association promotes and advocates for independent, locally owned businesses while actively supporting our neighborhood and our wonderful communities.

PREFund | prefund.org

Potrero Residents Education Fund (PREFund) brings families together to support education and build community. Learn more prefund.org

Starr King Open Space | StarrKingOpenSpace.org

Please join our monthly volunteer days on the second Saturday of the month from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This month it is July 8th.

If you can, please donate to help keep Starr King Open Space open, accessible, and well-maintained for our neighbors. StarrKingOpenSpace.org

For a $200 annual fee your organization can be listed in Getting Involved. Contact borhood, went to local schools, and have ideas about what will work. They went out and earned degrees and came back. They have frequent contact with the community because they knock on doors and go to local events. They’re here to break the barriers and represent members of the community who are underserved. They may not fit the status quo. But they are armed with passion and have a community behind them. Their goal is to be heard, to be recognized, and to be supported as stakeholders of the Potrero Hill community,” said Daniels.

Daniels pointed to Shervon Hunter, founder of Stand In Peace International, a Hill-based nonprofit that focuses on holistic and community centered healing practices, and her older brother, Dr. Reggie Daniels, an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, team leader at San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, and founder of Hill-based nonprofit Transformational Miracles, Inc., which seeks to mitigate impacts on families affected by the criminal justice system.

Since 2013, J.R. Eppler has served as president of The Potrero Boosters, a neighborhood association that represents Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, and Showplace Square residents. Eppler lives on Connecticut near 19th Street. He first came to the City in 2007, initially landing on Folsom Street, moving to Utah near 17th Street in 2010. Eppler works as a corporate transactional attorney for small and mediumsized businesses and individuals.

The Potrero Boosters has about 100 active members. Eppler said the group flyers, cross-markets and cohosts events with other neighborhood groups, holding candidate debates and forums.

“We have a booth at the Potrero Festival in October and participate in neighborhood events throughout the year,” said Eppler.

Boosters’ meetings are held the last Tuesday of the month, presently over

Zoom, with an in-person social event scheduled for this fall.

Eppler said change has been the sole constant during his tenure as president. The group has effectively advocated for new and renovated parks and open spaces, safer roadways, and better transportation connections to the rest of the City. Recent successes include keeping Potrero Hill and Dogpatch in the same supervisorial district during the 2020 redistricting process, working with neighborhood groups to lobby for construction of the Mission Bay Elementary School, sharing input with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) on a new 55 Dogpatch Muni route, and advocating that SFMTA study 17th Street to identify ways to heighten safety. The Potrero Boosters also collaborated with the Dogpatch Neighborhood Association to lobby for SFMTA to make Minnesota Street a permanent slow street.

“Much of our work is to inform the community about what’s happening in the neighborhood and amplify the efforts of groups of neighbors attempting to effect positive change. So, a lot of what we do is in partnership with other groups,” said Eppler.

According to Eppler, over the past few years more parents of school-aged children and young professionals have attended meetings.

“This cohort has always led the PTAs, PREFund, and the other preschool boards… they’ve been much more involved in general neighborhood matters. Prior generations of leadership worked hard to develop a Potrero that would support families and long-term residents. (Parents) are paying that effort back by having an active voice in our community’s future,” said Eppler. “We’re a neighborhood association and neighbors don’t always agree. But we leverage areas of consensus for the community’s good, learn from each other’s points of view, and keep each other apprised of the many changes in our dynamic neighborhood. I hope you’ll come and check us out.”

Community: Thrive City Block Party

Featuring carnival-style attractions, local food and beverage vendors, roaming entertainers, a pet costume contest, live entertainment, Golden State Warriors shop sidewalk sale, and more! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Thrive City, 1 Warriors Way. For more information and to reserve your space: https://bit. ly/thrivecity-block-party

Art: Pay What You Can

Every Wednesday, visitors can pay what they wish for admission. “Fight and Flight: Crafting a Bay Area Life” examines the San Francisco Bay Area’s arts ecosystem. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum of Craft and Design (MCD), 2569 Third Street. For more information: https://sfmcd.org

Art: MakeArt with Museum of Craft and Design

Drop in to create artwork with MCD’s Mobile MakeArt inspired by Museum exhibitionsand local artists. Pickup a free take-home art kit to continue creating at home. 3 to 5 p.m. Free. Potrero Hill Branch, 1616 20th Street. For more information: https:// bit.ly/make-art-potrero

Comedy: Speakeasy Stand Up

Comedy Night

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers has been brewing small batches of beer in Bayview since 1997. Celebrate this legacy with amonth-long pop-up comedy festivalevery Friday night. Live comedy inside the taproom when it’s cold, outdoors when it’s awesome. Enjoy a70-to-90-minute show with four or five comicson the bill with credits likeCobbs, Punchline, SF Sketchfest, Clusterfest and Outside Lands. 21+ Only. $2 off tap list; regular priced at $7/$8; $5/$6 for Comedy Night. Event is dog-friendly. Seating is first come first served. 6 p.m. Free (donations accepted). Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, 1195 Evans Avenue. For more information: https://bit.ly/speakeasycomedy

Art: One Color Screenprinting Workshop

Learn to make a one color screen print using an original drawing. The workshop will introduce the basics of exposing a screen and printing screen prints. Participants will draw a design; digital plans can’t be accommodated. Prints will be on provided poster paper; participants can bring fabric items such as t-shirts to print on.6 to 9 p.m. $75.

Graphic Arts Workshop, 2565 Third Street, #305. For more information, contact instructor, Cass Macgowan at maemacgowan@gmail.com.

7/11 Tuesday and 7/18 Tuesday Bookbinding: Long and Link Stitch Bindings Online Workshop

Long and link stitch bindings were common from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Book sections are connected directly to the covering material, showing off the structure of the sewing. Students will make one of each structure. The workshop fee includes a mailed materials kit containing paper and thread needed to make two bindings. 4 to 7 p.m. To register and to see the list other tools and materials to be supplied students visit San Francisco Center for the Book at https://bit.ly/long-and-link

7/15 Saturday

Education: The Potrero Hill STEM Festival

An open-air, outdoor neighborhood festival committed to providing fun and hands on STE(A)M activities, inspiring young people to become tomorrow’s STEM leaders. Food and drink available for purchase. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro Street. For more information: https://bit.ly/stemfest2023

Dance: KOHAKU at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Founded in 2018 by Rieko Kotoku, who grew up in Japan’s southwestern Tottori prefecture, and Sawako Ama, born and raised in a Buddhist temple in southern Japan, KOHAKU is a singular collaboration steeped in traditional Japanese performing arts such as taiko drumming, kagura (a ritual dance associated with Shinto shrines) and other sacred performance practices. While these traditions date back many centuries, KOHAKU is deeply engaged with contemporary Japanese dance and world fusion. The creative offerings reveal the comical, poignant and spiritual aspects of Japanese culture and Shinto traditions with performances designed to leave audiences with new experiences of joy and happiness. For more information: https://bit.ly/kohaku2023

7/20 Thursday through 8/6 Sunday

Film: San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF), presented by the Jewish Film Institute (JFI), is the largest and longest-running of its kind and a leader in the curation and presentation of new film and media exploring the complexity of Jewish life and identity around the world. SFJFF43 will return to the historic Castro Theatre, while expanding its San Francisco footprint to the Vogue Theater, before a final week at Landmark’s Piedmont Theatre in Oakland. Opening night is Thursday, July 20, 2023 at 6:30pm with Remembering Gene Wilder, a new documentary directed by Ron Frank (MLK: The Assassination Tapes), which profiles the life and career of one of America’s most beloved actors. Tickets: from $15.For more information: https:// bit.ly/SFJFF2023

28 fri

Ecology: A Walk Through

Glen Canyon Park

Learn about native habitats and explore the ecological effects of nonnative species, as well as the ecology and restoration of Islais Creek, which

CALENDAR continues on next page runs through Glen Canyon, and larger efforts to conserve native habitats and the challenges of doing so. The walk involves unpaved, uneven trails with some steps and steeper trail portions. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. $35. Presented by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State University, celebrating its 25th year!

For more information about OLLI’s classes, free lectures, interest groups and how to register: https://olli.sfsu.edu/

Art: Graphic Arts Workshop Print Sale Purchase from a wide selection of fine art prints, including lithographs, etchings, letterpress prints, monoprints, and more. See artists in action demonstrating printmaking techniques. Learn more about this Dogpatch printmaking cooperative. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m Entry is free of charge. 2565 Third Street, #305. For more information: https://graphicartsworkshop.org/

Shipwrecked in San Francisco

held by this community, and also calling upon this majestic self through drag,” commented Kat Cole, who acted in the show.