Geary Merchants' bestow honors

The Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants and Property Owners Association honored five community leaders at one of the city's premiere luncheons July 23.

About 350 merchants and community and political leaders were at the event, which was held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel. As diners ate Caprice Salad, Halibut and Chocolate Torte, there were special presentations by the Richmond District YMCA (with a group of gyrating hula dancers) and the SF Police Officers Association, which made a video presentation of a film created by officers Andrew Cohen and Bob Mammone.

The five honorees recognized for their service to the community and business community were: Virginia Hobbs, who started Tia Margarita on Clement Street in 1963; Tommy and Elmay Bermejo, founders of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant on Geary (1965), Tom Dolan, the graphic arts wizard at Type and Graphics/Fast Stats (1978); Paul Kozakiewicz, editor of the Richmond Review (1988); and David Hirtz, the district's disaster expert and member of the district's chapter of the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT).

On hand for the luncheon were most of the members of the SF Board of Supervisors, new SF Police Chief Earl Sanders and SF Mayor Willie Brown, Jr., who gave a short speech. Representatives of politicians, including Brown, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Assemblyman Kevin Shelley, state senators Jackie Speier and John Burton and state Board of Equalization Chair John Chiang were present to give plaques to the merchant association's honorees.