adult life, so it's been eye opening and a wonderful learning morning. we're going to go ahead and get started. hi, everyone. welcome welcome.

my name is tamika moss and i have the pleasure of serving as your emc for today's program. thank you. it's such a pleasure to see so many familiar faces, and only a special person like joaquin torres would bring us out in the rain to celebrate your inauguration. i'm so excited to welcome you all to today's ceremony, actually reflecting the assessor recorders first full term. um and so we're so excited to have you all with us, um i had started all home and organization that's working on homelessness and housing, security and economic security for our regions, most vulnerable neighbors and one of the reasons that i started. that organization was the belief that the status quo was not okay.

that it was going to take everyone in our community to double down and figure out how to solve our region's most complex problems that it's gonna take innovation. it's going to take breaking down silos building across sectors. and that is what we have an assessor torres. here's someone who has always been in his public service, someone who is not okay with the status quo who is really about building up community, figuring out how to do that creatively and innovatively and bringing our entire community along and so it is such a great honor for me to be here with you today and support my friend. alright. so with that. i would like to bring up our first two speakers. daniel torres, sister of assessor torres, to provide a land acknowledgment and following the landing knowledge

mint, the reverend canon deborah low skinner of the episcopal diocese of california will lead us in an invocation to center and unite us in thought and prayer. for the success of assessor torres in this essential role that provides financial stability for our city and county of san francisco. thank you. good morning. thank you, tamika. uh today, i'm going to read the land acknowledgment , and this was written by jonathan cordero, who is the founder and executive director of the association of the rama to chalone latouche, the chair of the rama touche aloni people. the city of san francisco, is located in the unseated ancestral homeland of the runway to chalone, who are the original peoples of the san francisco peninsula. we wish to pay our respects to the ancestors,

relatives and present members of the roma jewish community and we affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples. we honor the rama to chalone for their enduring commitment to care for the lands in which we now live and work. and we commit to continue the process of dismantling the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism. we pray to creator god. as we are gathered here with joyful anticipation. what for what the new year will bring. as we turn the pages of our calendars this past weekend on january the first many of us hope that we can get start a new chapter of our lives. get a do over. and

with that new opportunities to grow in heart, mind, soul and strength. and to expand the ways we can improve our lives. improve the lives of our loved ones and improve the lives of everyone who lives and works in the city that we love. merciful god, we pray we are filled with gratitude for your help in seeing us through all the challenges the city faced this past year. by your grace and help we continued to meet the ongoing challenges of the pandemic by providing public healthcare and distributing vaccines and boosters for covid , 19 and monkey pox. we continued to address ongoing racial tensions and discourage hate crimes. we continue to navigate through the uncertain economic ups and downs in city financial resources due to the

war in ukraine and the inflation we continue to compassionately try to find supportive housing and offer care for the many homeless in our midst. and we can congratulate ourselves. yes congratulate ourselves for carrying out successful midterm election despite many divisive political rhetoric and false accusations of possible voter fraud. gracious god, we pray we are very glad and blessed by the gifts, experience, passion and vision of elected public servants such as joaquin torres are accessory recorder who is being sworn today. his resume is impressive, as are his contributions towards making this city a place that that serves the public good for both businesses and workers for people of income levels, both

high and low and for people who have been historically marginalized by social institutions and systems. he has served as director of the san francisco office of economic and workforce development. as president of the san francisco housing authority. as director of the san francisco invest in neighborhoods initiative. and has participated in the first corps cohort as the city's government alliance for racial equity. he has shown and continues to embody someone who can be a leader. a facilitator and a bridge to enable diverse peoples to come together and work for the common good and create the kind of beloved community that dr martin luther king jr talked about, which is a place where everyone is cared for, and the social ills of racial discrimination, poverty. hunger. and hatred can be

overcome by loving our neighbor and by working together in community. almighty god, we pray but still upon working taurus mayor london breed and all elected. public. uh city officials. still upon them. your spirit of wisdom, charity and justice. remind them to rely on your strength and courage when they are tired and discouraged and downhearted. help them to bear their responsibilities to their fellow san franciscans. such that they may continue to be trustworthy leaders and compassionate service servants who seek to protect the rights and to promote the well being of all persons. dearest god. we are reminded that tomorrow is the 12th night of christmas. feast of the epiphany. when according to the gospel of matthew, the wise men from the east, sought

out and followed a star. and they finally arrived and saw the baby jesus christ! who is god incarnate, who was asleep in a lonely manger in bethlehem. let us ever be guided by your light and your wisdom. may we always go out of our way to follow where you lead. may we never be so jaded by the cares and concerns of our world that we failed to appreciate the laughter of children and the miracles that you make appear when we least expected. may our offerings which you yourself has given us be acceptable in your sight. that is the gold of our faith. the incense of our prayers and the mirror of our contract hearts. whenever the occasion arises. may we lovingly offer our god given gifts to bless and bring goodwill into

any situation. and made the sacrificial love of jesus christ remind us to give up the destructive ways of selfishness and wielding unjust power and by your holy spirit. dear god, may you ever lead us in the waste of peace and in the paths of righteousness by becoming a beloved community. amen. thank you, reverend and danielle for those amazing remarks. now i consider it a privilege and an honor to introduce a san francisco native. my birthday twin and california controller elect the honorable malia cohen.

happy new year. listen up people. this is a celebration. i'm so excited. that was a heck of an invocation. um reverend lowe skinner. i thought i was in the baptist church for a moment. how you guys doing? it feels good to be here. i'm honored to be able to say a few remarks from my good friend joaquin torres, particularly because i'm probably the only person in this room that knows exactly what the assessor's role is. there is responsibilities, so i'm glad to see sherman. i'm glad to see other members of the board of supervisors here because it is an important function that the assessor serves the entire city and county. you see he and his staff, they will all around and they assess property. whether it's a cork whether it's a the microphones, whether they're physical spaces and this assessment brings in revenue and that then goes into your fund when it comes into the budget, so you need these assessor to

have all the skills all the resources that he or she may need in order to fully execute their jobs so that you all may be able to deliver. um your promises to this to the constituents of san francisco. so you heard in the remarks. it said elect, uh, control. i'm actually the controller now. thank you. just a little bit of history being made here. and when i was getting dressed to come in here this morning, i was so excited because it's like home. it's like coming back home, coming back home to celebrate my own friend and i want to share some thoughts about walking torres because when the appointment was made, um i was halfway consult because i feel like decision was already made. and they just kinda we're checking the box, but it was a phenomenal phenomenal appointment because i could not think of a more dedicated heartfelt man. who is committed to the culture. to the vision of

san francisco and, most importantly to her people. joaquin this is not an easy job and you're getting ready to stand up here and take the oath and pledge your commitment to the city and county of san francisco. congratulations on taking that big step. and i'd like to recognize your lovely wife. it's wonderful to see you this morning. thank you for being here and thank you for sharing joaquin with us. assessor torres is a gym. we recognize that we affirm that and we love you for it. um, mr torres. sir i have to go to the beginning. it is so good to see you this morning. and to the entire tourist family. thank you for being here and thank you. also for extending, um, this wonderful servant to us as we continue to move forward, one of the things that strikes me the most about mr torres is his love . oftentimes we have a conversation about a

conversation a conversation that we had during the budget process. mr torres shows up and he's present. he's done his homework. he knows the ins the outs. he walks the streets. he has the he uses them. he utilizes the services and he partakes in the businesses. and that is what city life and city services about and so it is an extreme honor to be here doing this momentous moment to celebrate you. being re elected as the assessor for the city and county of san francisco. so today, ladies and gentlemen, why don't you stand up and just give him a little bit of love? just give them a little bit of love. an assessor torres, i want you to take in this magical moment. ladies and gentlemen, thank you. my name is malia cohen. thank

you, controller malia cohen. um it is now my honor to introduce the san francisco bay area theater company led by rodney earl jackson jr to perform home from the wiz. hello? hello. hello. yes we are . san francisco bay area theater company s a back. oh i'm rodney earl jackson jr this is jocelyn thompson, jordans and andrew jamieson. and we're going to, um, you know, bless this space. everyone take a deep breath for me real quick. inside out. um we're theater people, so we like to get a little more into it. one more for me all i want to

hear you, though. one more time for the for the wedding's happening outside one more time. yes so i saw mr joaquin in the restroom, and i was gonna make a joke, but it feels a little crash. i was gonna call him hocking because of what's going on in the world right now, but we were so happy that you're getting sworn in right now. so blessed to have you with us. he he and i serve on the a. c t board of directors american american conservatory theater, his commitment to every system in this community is so apparent so he told me he wanted us to sing something about this great city. so i thought, what better than the song home from the ways like you already said this is our great city. right, miss malia, so let's do it.

yeah. and i think of home, i think of a place where they love overflowing. i wish i was home. i wish i was back there with things have been nowhere. that makes the tall grass me leaning. suddenly the raindrops that fall have a meaning. sprinkling makes it all. clean. maybe there's a chance for me to go back. now

that. some direction. sure would be nice to be back home. love and affection. just maybe i can convince time to slow up. giving me enough time in my life to grow up. find me, my friend. let me start kid. suddenly my world's gone in changed his face, but i still know where i'm going away. i have had my mind spun around in space and yet watched grow hard. always you're

listening. god don't make it hard to believe the things that we see. tell us should we try to stay? should we run away? be better just to let things be living here is spread. might be fantasy. but it's taught me to love. oh, it's real real real to me. and i have learned we must look inside. yeah. world of love. not like you. yours like. pain like. so. thank you. thank

you. y'all didn't know you were coming to church today, did you? okay? let's just take a pause and let all that in. alright, i'm back. well, now it is my great pleasure. to introduce our hometown. mayor of this incredible city. the honorable london breed.

oh, it feels so good to be here right now. thank you so much, tamika for being here to this extraordinary event. thank you to my baby rodney and jasmine. rodney is a product born and raised in san francisco and the fillmore community. i've known him. since he was a kid, and i am so proud of him and the work he's doing in theater in san francisco, and it just goes to show you the people that are being highlighted in addition to the first black woman to become the state comptroller for california, malia cohen, it goes to show you that joaquin is the kind of person who loves to recognize and highlight other people and their extraordinary accomplishments. um he's so well

rounded, and many of you didn't know he was an actor. in fact, um, although his wife has taken act into the next level, aquinas decided well. i'll go into politics instead. um, but we're so honored to have him here today. and as malia cohen mentioned before she felt like i was checking a box and usually when you have to make really hard decisions about people to appoint, um there are a lot of stakeholders a lot of people who you seek out for input to make these very hard decisions because at the end of the day. it's not just about me making the decisions or the people that i talked to. it's about the person who is capable of serving the people of this great city and the reason why it wasn't hard when it came down to that decision to select joaquin torres because of his consistent track record. of serving the city with such. such kindness,

such humility and such love you hear it over and over in the themes of what people are saying here today, um joaquin has been really an extraordinary leader in san francisco. um during times when no one was even paying attention. he at one point was just really known as senator art torres aside. oh, yeah, i know him. um but then slowly but surely as he worked his way through various mayors, he developed a reputation for going out into the community and really doing extraordinary things. i couldn't believe it when he decided when he had worked for ed lee, and we had to do some reconstruction of the housing us already. and i thought to myself who would ever want to be on that commission in light of the challenges that we're dealing with? and joaquin raised his hand and said, i want to do this work and under his leadership. under his leadership

, many of you know the history of the san francisco housing authority. i lived in public housing full of dysfunction, full of challenges and what we were able to do because joaquin , in addition to his full time job with the city and county of san francisco, the work that he did to help us get out of debt and to move forward and to make sure people weren't displaced and to help us. get homeless families into empty units. i mean, his work was extraordinary on the ground and as the director of the office of economic and workforce development, he didn't just send his staff out into the community . he went out into the community , especially when it came to some of the hard decisions that constantly had to be made. i remember that very contentious meeting in the fillmore and i couldn't believe that joaquin through it all after being called names and after being, you know, almost chased out of the room. he stayed strong, and

he kept a smile on his face, and he stood strong and focused on the fact that it was important that we serve the people of san francisco and when the covid pandemic hit he was a really instrumental leader in helping us focus our resources on small businesses in san francisco, knowing that they would be hard hit, working with business leaders and the commission and other folks to provide resources and when this city made a tremendous era and providing the kinds of resources necessary to deal disproportionately with the people impacted the latino community who is impacted. fiercely by the coronavirus. he stepped up and helped us with the programs and the implementation of those programs when he was at office of economic and workforce development. there is a laundry list of things that i can talk about, and why someone like joaquin is so perfect for a role

like this. i mean, i shouldn't even have to tell you the fact that we have two former mayors here. frank jordan and art agnes the fact that we have. former fire chief joanne hayes, white and our senator. i mean, i know you're his dad and you have to be here but the fact is he's here and so many elected leaders across the aisles here in san francisco community leaders, people from all stretches of life here to support. joaquin has everything to do with the fact that we all understand. that the role of assessor recorder is critical to not just squeezing out every dollar from every property owner in san francisco, but it's also looking at providing a balance and dealing with equity for those families who inherit their homes and don't know what they can do to deal with the city and the

challenging tax structure and choosing the cell rather than invest in and provide the support necessary to make sure that they develop generational wealth so that they are able to stay and protect their homes and pass them on from generation to generation. he understands that historic challenges of what existed in the film, war and people who lost their homes because of the challenges of dealing with the bureaucracy of this city and the assessed values that oftentimes left some families in a situation where they were forced to sell the first thing that joaquin torres has done has provided classes and outreach and the work that he's done to ensure that the families who own their homes who may not be able to afford these expensive taxes in san francisco , get the support and the resources they need so that their homes are protected just like anyone else in san francisco, the work that joaquin has done and will continue to do as assessor recorder in san francisco. has been transformative will lead to

better, more productive lives. and as we come out of this economic recovery his office and the work they're going to need to do to re assess taxes in san francisco is going to be critical because we need our businesses to thrive. we need our city to thrive. we just went through a global pandemic. we're not going to be able to snap our fingers and come out of that. it's going to take hard work. it's going to take making hard decisions. it's going to take collaboration, and it's gonna take really strong, talented leadership. of people who genuinely care about focusing on the best interests of the people of this city, and that is no other than joaquin torres, who gives me now the great pleasure to swearing at this moment.

all right. ready. the third time. alright so please repeat after me. i state your name. joaquin torres, i joaquin torres do solemnly swear, solemnly swear that i will support and defend that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of california and the constitution of the state of california against all enemies against all enemies, foreign and domestic, foreign and domestic that i bear true faith and allegiance, but i bear true faith. and allegiance to the same. same that i take this obligation freely, but i take this obligation freely

without any mental reservation without any mental reservation. or purpose of evasion or purpose of evasion, and that i will well and faithfully discharge will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which i'm about to enter duties upon which i'm about to enter. and during such time during such time as i serve as serve as the assessor recorder recorder for the city and county of san francisco city and county of san francisco, congratulations. thank you. thank you. mayor breed. thank you to my family who are here with me today. to

my mom who's listening from down south. to my two dads. my sister and my aunt. my uncle, my cousin. all of you joining us here and online. thank you to my team at kmm celeste walter, the presenters today esteemed elected servants of our city and elected officials. to the presenters, my friends. thank you. the constitutions that i've sworn to god my work. i prepared some remarks. in new ways recently established and in practice, his long held in the fair assessment and collection of billions in property tax dollars that are essential to san francisco. security. it's stability, its solvency and its recovery. i lend myself to its demands. tempered by the lessons

we've learned from this pandemic. it's ebbs and flows. disciplined by the hard fought openings and reopenings of our economy. most sensitive to the pain it's caused in our diverse communities. and i'm honored. mayor breed. for the confidence you placed in me from the start. for the opportunity to serve side by side with you. and with so many in this room in the thick of this pandemic. i'm humbled by you. the voters of this city. for the opportunity. you've given me to continue my responsibilities as assessor recorder of san francisco. because the fundamentals of our government rely on the service we provide. assessing property. assigning value. that value comes to life in the daily work of our city. the emergency services we've seen delivered on our streets just these past few days. homelessness, affordable housing. shelter beds. schools

are economic recovery efforts. public and mental health needs are sanitation flows. firefighters. and the wages and benefits that lift up livelihoods. support families sustained dreams that for so many of us we still reach for all of them depend on the financial foundation built through the hard work of this office, and that's a responsibility i take seriously. that sense of responsibility is made of many parts. some come from those i've served. some come from those whose footsteps i followed him. from all the mayors. those with us here today , those tending to matters of state and those up above. you're legacies and generosity is have helped form the political character of this still young man who stands before you here today. part comes from the weight of those principles of

service that i've sworn to which for the people we serve. has not always seemed to be the concern of government. what is just what is fair? what is equitable? what do we do? when we see that opportunity has been designed for some but not for others. in this country. but also in this city that we call home. and quite often in both cases for reasons based on the color of one's skin. as my favorite city profit would say it ain't no mystery when you know your history. and, thankfully, finally more is being done today federally locally at the state. to consistently and publicly revealed this history of discrimination. specifically as relates to my work. the property. and value. and hard and homes hard fought for. holmes kept homes lost. each

family has its own stories. immigrant families. indigenous families. black and brown families. more certainly. so for the women who live within them. families like yours. families. like mine. a mexican american family. my people. my grandparents when they came, were greeted by sound by signs with post pounded into land whose messages were pretty clear. no mexicans or dogs allowed. the practice of history. perverse exclusive, deeply embedded not only in the private fields of industry but in our own government. for my family. there was no time to dwell on these injustices. not then not now. not from my grandfather, who raised a family on butcher's wages. not from my grandmother. whose home was but with her own seamstress wages.

not for my father who could not and would not wait for the arc of justice to reach its final destination of representation in elected politics. not from my mother and broadcasting not from my sister in legal practice, not from my aunt as an educator, a bilingual teacher in calistoga, one of the first of her kind and not from my wife. rebo. whose perseverance, passion performance art. continues to realize her success. not only for her but for the community. and the representation it gives to them in the arts. the agency was most important for themselves for their families for their communities for others. it is that reach for representation and opportunity that i bear witness to it's what i carry with me in my quiet place. and something i respect. and for our communities. it is

their agency their reach their struggle that they seek for us in government to respect as well. for it has and does make our city strong. as does our care. the bible that i laid my hand to belong to my nana. homemaker. one time restaurant tour. and the best maker of flour tortillas that i know. her care came in the form of chorizo burrito. wrapped warm and foil. to sue the chubby young boy. shuttled between two parents. two homes to cities. didn't cost much that care. but a decision made such a difference on me. that simple act told me that i was seen but i was valued. that i was worthy to be served and that memory that feeling and how to pass it on. i carry with me too. i'm very grateful for those

lessons from my family, my mexican american family. proud and grateful for them, raising me in an environment defined by resiliency, tenacity possibility. and public service. but i also know that these are the products of luck and the products of privilege. but not all of us are born with it. but all of us can close our eyes at night and know that the love and care we know is so important to succeed. will be there for us when we need it. most. it's just awareness together with those values, principles and ethics and still that me that carry me through. it was hardest times. but i speak to bring every day into my practice of public service. i believe people need our care now, more than ever. i believe they need to feel or understanding more than ever. to know that we've contemplated the lives around us. like the faces in the photos that surround us. their dreams. their lived

experiences. because it hasn't always been the case that government showed up to care. red lines to prevent the purchase of homes, restrictive covenants to seal the deal, even if those resources could be found. their messages were pretty clear. no blacks, no mongrels. no chinese, no mexicans. these are the words not only of the jim crow south, but of a not that long ago san francisco. even today in private practice, we've seen the story in our local news. black communities have found that to seek the wealth that their homes would finally provide. could only be so if they were willing to erase their race. to be bleached to be blended and whitewash their homes. but their ticket to finally realizing their upward mobility would be to give up drops of the milito

nin from their skin. to claim it. so i'm proud that we've been able to raise awareness of these issues since i started this work. highlight this history. and change the faces of those who tell it help prevent it. secure that wealth of home can bring for the next generation. because our challenges these days are not only economic, they're cultural, too. and so i'm bound to this work. now sworn to it. and the principles of the greatest actors of our time who believe like dr king but i can never be what i ought to be until you are what you ought to be. this principle. of the inescapable network of mutuality. is where the answers for the future of our cities live. for the future of our communities, our families, those chosen those were born into. for us to live up to our greatest potential. these are unsettling

times. actuals are unknown. the forecasts are not certain. and when the ground is unsteady, you need a helping hand. and i'm so lucky to have that in the people. i have the privilege of working with in the office of the assessor recorder. people who believe in good government. people who get a plus ratings from the board of equalization and our audits. people who believe like i do that those we serve need our care now, more than ever. from each and every act from every corner of our office. that there is matter inaccessibility to records that there is pride in excellent service. that we are to the city as a metronome is to the musician. providing a steady, stable beat that allows our city to invest and do its work. but even with a heavy load, we carry the rising appeals the values to assign and defend fairly and

accurately as the law provides. the roles that still must be closed. we conduct our work with integrity. respect for each other and care. i want to thank carmen chu again. for leaving me with such a strong foundation to stand on. for my deputies, juan carlos and simone. my front office. holly, tina, abby and karen. megan and every division lead and staff member for joining in service to the communities that have forged my character who have challenged my beliefs and for joining me and my purpose to deliver the best for san francisco. in our care for service liza face. most precious for the trust that we need to serve. that our government and those that lead it here. you that we see you. that the opportunities you seek closed elsewhere or open when

you knock at our doors. surprise for many when they receive it. simple acts. and these acts delivered from a goodness people can feel in addition to yes, efficient, effective, transparent, accessible accountable. that is what good government is. we need this awareness and these acts, especially today, when frustration and anger and apathy about government reflects the pain that people feel in these challenging times these unsettling times in these sometimes discouraging times. how will we make it? will we make it? have we seen the best of our times? i find inspiration in many places. art. and cedar. and the principles of government that seek such precious states is states of being as liberty freedom. happiness. but most,

especially because his answers for these questions cannot be found in the stars. i find inspiration and courage and hope. in all of you. community. because you are the actors of our time. you are the stewards of the future of our city. and it's your success that i want to see reflected in the mirrors of our tallest buildings, those symbols of opportunity and possibility and reach. i see my responsibility together with all of you to answer that reach to see your needs and meet them. from the bay view to the sunset. from the film or to the mission. the tenderloin to the excelsior. on our central subway from downtown to chinatown to union square. to see you reflected in the future of our shining city. because i find my courage and you san francisco. in your moral authority. and your formal

authority and your real struggles and your deepest dreams. in the fullness of your expressions, your art, your commerce, your politics and love your trades. i always have. we always have found our faith in you. the neighborhood and merchant leaders, the coalitions of parody and equity, the trade associations, the public housing, resident councils and cultural districts, because you have always had the courage to care. because when we as a city are at our best when it seems that the center will not hold when the storms hover above us in the sky, we march together. who knowing hand in hand that the sun will set again upon our bay. we are, as a poet say. one equal temper of hawar richart. tested by time and fate and plagues. driving seeking finding

never yielding that which we are one place. one home. one san francisco full of heart and it is an honor to serve you. thank you. television.

>> in 1948 swensen's ice cream used to make ice cream in the navy and decided to open up an ice cream shop it it takes time for the parent to put money down

and diane one of the managers at zen citizen in arena hills open and serve old-fashioned ice cream. >> over 20 years. >> yeah. >> had my own business i was a firefighter and came in- in 1969 her dad had ice cream and left here still the owner but shortly after um, in here became the inc. maker the manager and lead and branded the store from day to day and in the late 90s- was obvious choice he sold it to him and he called us up one

night and said i'm going to sell the ice cream store what you you talking about diane came and looked at the store and something we want to do and had a history of her dad here and growing up here at the ice cream store we decided to take that business on. >> and have it in the family i didn't want to sell it. >> to keep it here in san francisco. >> and (unintelligible). >> share worked there and worked with all the people and a lot of customers come in. >> a round hill in the adjoining areas loved neither ice cream shop in this area and support russia hills and have clean up day and give them free ice cream because that is those are the people that keep us the

opportunity to stick around here four so many years next generations have been coming her 20 er thirty or 40 years and we have the ingredients something it sold and, you know, her dad said to treat the customers right and people will keep on coming back and 75 or 74 years, you know, that is quite an accomplishment i think of it as our first 75 years and like to see that, you know, going into the future um, that ice cream shop will be around used to be 4 hundred in the united states and all gone equipment for that one that is the first and last we're proud of that we're still

standing and people people are you tell people it's been around in 50 years and don't plan on >> this is one place you can always count on to give you what you had before and remind you of what your san francisco history used to be.

>> we hear that all the time, people bring their kids here and their grandparents brought them here and down the line. >> even though people move away, whenever they come back to the city, they make it here. and they tell us that. >> you're going to get something made fresh, made by hand and made with quality products and something that's very, very good. ♪♪ >> the legacy bars and restaurants was something that was begun by san francisco simply to recognize and draw attention to the establishments. it really provides for san francisco's unique character. ♪♪ >> and that morphed into a request that we work with the city to develop a legacy business registration.

>> i'm michael cirocco and the owner of an area bakery. ♪♪ the bakery started in 191. my grandfather came over from italy and opened it up then. it is a small operation. it's not big. so everything is kind of quality that way. so i see every piece and cut every piece that comes in and out of that oven. >> i'm leslie cirocco-mitchell, a fourth generation baker here with my family. ♪♪ so we get up pretty early in the morning. i usually start baking around 5:00. and then you just start doing rounds of dough. loaves. >> my mom and sister basically handle the front and then i have my nephew james helps and then my two daughters and my wife come in and we actually do the baking.

after that, my mom and my sister stay and sell the product, retail it. ♪♪ you know, i don't really think about it. but then when i -- sometimes when i go places and i look and see places put up, oh this is our 50th anniversary and everything and we've been over 100 and that is when it kind of hits me. you know, that geez, we've been here a long time. [applause] ♪♪ >> a lot of people might ask why our legacy business is important. we all have our own stories to tell about our ancestry. our lineage and i'll use one example of tommy's joint. tommy's joint is a place that my husband went to as a child and he's a fourth generation san franciscan. it's a place we can still go to

today with our children or grandchildren and share the stories of what was san francisco like back in the 1950s. >> i'm the general manager at tommy's joint. people mostly recognize tommy's joint for its murals on the outside of the building. very bright blue. you drive down and see what it is. they know the building. tommy's is a san francisco hoffa, which is a german-style presenting food. we have five different carved meats and we carve it by hand at the station. you prefer it to be carved whether you like your brisket fatty or want it lean. you want your pastrami to be very lean. you can say i want that piece of corn beef and want it cut, you know, very thick and i want

it with some sauerkraut. tell the guys how you want to prepare it and they will do it right in front of you. san francisco's a place that's changing restaurants, except for tommy's joint. tommy's joint has been the same since it opened and that is important. san francisco in general that we don't lose a grip of what san francisco's came from. tommy's is a place that you'll always recognize whenever you lock in the door. you'll see the same staff, the same bartender and have the same meal and that is great. that's important. ♪♪ >> the service that san francisco heritage offers to the legacy businesses is to help them with that application

process, to make sure that they really recognize about them what it is that makes them so special here in san francisco. ♪♪ so we'll help them with that application process if, in fact, the board of supervisors does recognize them as a legacy business, then that does entitle them to certain financial benefits from the city of san francisco. but i say really, more importantly, it really brings them public recognition that this is a business in san francisco that has history and that is unique to san francisco. >> it started in june of 1953. ♪♪ and we make everything from scratch. everything. we started a you -- we started

a off with 12 flavors and mango fruits from the philippines and then started trying them one by one and the family had a whole new clientele. the business really boomed after that. >> i think that the flavors we make reflect the diversity of san francisco. we were really surprised about the legacy project but we were thrilled to be a part of it. businesses come and go in the city. pretty tough for businesss to stay here because it is so expensive and there's so much competition. so for us who have been here all these years and still be popular and to be recognized by the city has been really a huge honor. >> we got a phone call from a

woman who was 91 and she wanted to know if the mitchells still owned it and she was so happy that we were still involved, still the owners. she was our customer in 1953. and she still comes in. but she was just making sure that we were still around and it just makes us feel, you know, very proud that we're carrying on our father's legacy. and that we mean so much to so many people. ♪♪ >> it provides a perspective. and i think if you only looked at it in the here and now, you're missing the context. for me, legacy businesses, legacy bars and restaurants are really about setting the context for how we come to be where we are today. >> i just think it's part of san francisco. people like to see familiar stuff. at least i know i do. >> in the 1950s, you could see

a picture of tommy's joint and looks exactly the same. we haven't change add thing. >> i remember one lady saying, you know, i've been eating this ice cream since before i was born. and i thought, wow! we have, too. ♪♪ >> good morning and welcome to the ground breaking celebration of the hub. [applause] my name is axly hurst director of community life here at mercy housing california and the honor of leading the resident service team that provide program and support to