Merchants Host Luncheon

The Greater Geary Boulevard Merchants Association celebrated its 59th anniversary with its 13th annual luncheon Aug. 17 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel.

Association President David Heller called the well-attended event a great success toward bringing citywide attention to the Richmond District. Among the guests to address the gathering were SF Mayor Gavin Newsom, SF District Attorney Kamala Harris and other civic and community leaders. The event drew more than 500 people and featured an awards presentation for deserving business community members, a video presentation honoring members of the United States armed forces who also serve in the SF Police Department, several musical performances and a performance by flamenco dancers, which drew applause from the appreciative crowd.

Speaking to the association, Newsom congratulated Heller for his outstanding work on behalf of the city and the Geary commercial corridor, noting how important it is to the community at large.

After the luncheon, Heller announced the launch of the merchants' reformatted Web site. The newly-redesigned site features contact information for political, business, media and educational resources of importance to the residents of the Richmond District. Additionally, the site features contact information for the mayor's office, district supervisors and business and community leaders, and has links to their web pages. Among the notable features of the site are a series of statistical maps detailing crime rates in various areas and the locations for police and fire stations, complete with contact information.

According to Heller, utilizing the Web site enhances access to the community and its resources, including location and contact information for libraries, parks, theaters, restaurants and local businesses.

"We're open for business," Heller said.