Unveiling of the firstever Lunar New Year took place in this entire country. And since 11992, we have Many National first days and national ceremonies. But whether we get the first day or not, we always have an unveiling as part of our Lunar New Year celebration. Its very excited. Last week i was very comfort to join seattle to join the postal state for the unveiling of the lunar new stamp. It was attended by 300 people by eduardo who is the president of the retail of the Postal Service. Vod me and the public that Lunar New Year is the most Successful Program in the commemorative stamps. We are very happy to keep up with the tra kissing. Tradition. Today were gathered today, although the stamp is already out there, but its our tradition in our city to unveil the stamp for every one in the San Francisco bay area. So without further ado, i would like to introduce our mayor, maryland on our mayor, london breed who has unveiled a lot of stapp p. Mayor breed hello welcome and welcome to unveil this stamp. Its an exciting time filled with so much joy and excitement, especially after coming out of this global pandemic. It has been very difficult and for whatever reason, i feel like even though, we have the worse of it behind us, this is the one of the first years that i feel like people are actually coming out and coming together differently than they ever have before to celebrate Lunar New Year. I was at events in china town, in the richmond and in the bay point where they were celebrating Lunar New Year in a joint celebration together. And its been great to see and these places have been packed with people. So the excitement is in the air and i could not be more excited and proud to be here today to celebrate a time honor tradition for the past 30 years here in San Francisco, thanks to the leadership of cludine chang and the organization that has been doing a lot of work during the month of may and Lunar New Year to bring communities together. Thank you for all your amazing work. We have a number of other special guest from across the api spectrum from japan town to tenderloin, to the various groups who will have activities and events all over San Francisco including our city liberian, Michael Lambert which will be a number of great events so make sure you check out the San FranciscoLibrary System and look at all the activities and events and things that are going on in our libraries and in our park. Its going to be a good time in San Francisco. And lion dance, mean, man these folks know how to put on a performance. Right now this is a relaxing moment, even though it takes a lot of strength to hold this dragon up, theyre going to be performing all over the city and doing all the exciting things that they do. And clearly theyre a lot younger than the rest us, because they have the energy and strength to do it. Were joined by a couple of people, and i want to again recognize clawdene more being here and post master, im so happy to get hor land, hes behind the most exciting parade, the Lunar New Year parade that will be happening in San Francisco on february 24. Book up all the hotel rooms and come to eat and enjoy china town and all during the month of may. There is something for every one. So were excited to have you here, as well as our City Attorney and thank you to our Police Commissioner larry yee representativing chinese consolidated benevolent association. So were happy to kickoff the year of the dragon which represents, strength, courage, and it represents progress. And i must say that this city has made significant progress. We know that this pandemic is not complete xlaoe behind us, but during the piem we experienced challenges in our api community with a rise of api hate and making an effort in our program, ambassadors protecting our communities, coming together to do what is necessary to keep people safe with our police officers, as a result since 2021, we have seen a 90 decline in api hate crimes in the city of San Francisco thanks to the work who are here today. [applause] because we want people to come out to all the neighborhoods of San Francisco, our seniors and our grandmas who we love so much, they have to feel safe in the city and the work that were doing together is ensuring that, especially during the Lunar New Year. Were cleaning up the streets even more. Were puting out all the various activities and food and fun and festivities, youre going to see smiles all over the city and county of San Francisco because of everything that we have done and well continue to do to ensure the success of Lunar New Year of San Francisco and the unveiling of this stamp really kicks it off to full gear. Thank you all for being here. With that, i would like to introduce our City Attorney, david chu. [applause] thank you, madam mayor for your leadership and for being our chief cheerleader when it comes to the Lunar New Year. Let me start to the api federation, andclaudiaeven year after yae, you work. And we celebrate Lunar New Year the right way with the postal. And the line dance meet troop the access or and i were talking how we would like to dawn those polls poles, but well be doing some arm curls with our law books to be ready, is that right, walkine . When i was little, i collected stamps but when i was growing up, there were not stamped that reflected our culture, our api heritage, our inclusive diverse beautiful culture that is the Asian Pacific community here in the United States. And when i think about how different it has been over the years that generations of kids get to be reflected in something as common as the stamps that we put in the letters. My son who is p, is slightly obsessed with stamps because of course hes my son. And for me to share the year of the dragon stamps is going to be excited to him, but it means that just as i learned about black history and womens history and other aspects of American History from the stamps that i observed in the 70s and 80s, he will learn that and more. I want to thank the post master and the leadership of the Postal Service for uplifting who we are as americans, uplift who we are as Asian Pacific americans and uplift who we are as san franciscans. With that, thank you so much and do i bring you back claudiadine or madam mayor . Come on back madam mayor. Mayor breed thank you so much for your leadership. And i want to recognize some of the leaders here, nelson lum is with us as well as steven lee our port commissioner and night life champion, lions deny will be packed all throughout Lunar New Year. Grace herothi thank you from jam an town, ron lee, good to see you, i saw the hawaiian shirt is always good for any occasion. Elvin louie and al perez, thank you for being with us commissioner perez and so many of our wonderful leaders as well as our commissioner a raoen lee rylee, we appreciate what you do on boards and commissioners and activities all around the city. And with that, i want to introduce the post master, i was going to say post master general but just post master from the United StatesPostal Service to help introduce and talk about this stamp douglas smith. Good morning, every one. Thank you mayor breed for the kind words, claudine, i dont think there is any place in this country that represents what we provide with the stamp and in this city, although we were not first, i think were always going to be the most important so thank you for the words. Its an honor to be here as we celebrate the year of the dragon. I would like to thank the speakers for your support. As a post master of San Francisco, im proud to recognize this meaningful stamp that is val owed by those who celebrate the Lunar New Year as well. Its a time when families get together as you have done today to celebrate the celebrating of our stamp. As one of americas oldest public institutions, the Postal Service is proud to celebrate through our commemorative stamp program. Likewise, im proud to say that the workforce is one of the most diverse in america. Sxl thats appropriate since we serve the most diverse customers on the face of the earth. Ours is a world culture, which is why its so important that our stamps reflect the rich multi cultural traditions. For more than three decades, they celebrate the Lunar New Year. In fact the Lunar New Year are the collection right side the most exciting releases the Postal Service has had. Thats no surprise that more than 1. 5 billion mark the event. The success of the series is a wonderful reminder to bring friends and family together in the spirit of celebration, a tradition of course is what Lunar New Year is all about. This years stamp showcases the only mythical creature in the chinese zodiac, dragons are considered by many to be welcome harolded of hope for the future. Its also been said that people mourn during the Lunar New Year tend to have the features. Enterprising, wise and powerful, are the traits. Im proud to say that i was born in the year of the dragon in 1964. I hope you know that we have quality, wisdom in our judgment and good luck and good fortune. The stamp, the 5th in the Lunar New Year series, created by camille chu, sevensers the beautifully adorn mask used in Lunar New Year parades, on the long tradition of paper cut folk art cuts created during this yaefrment the mask was constructed out of hand painted paper and and used flowers and tassle. Gold and red, gold representing prosperity and red good fortune. You can purchase this stamp in our places, and from the convenience of your home at u. S. Ps. Com. As you add the stamp to your collection, or use it to mail your Lunar New Year greetings, its our hope that the year of the dragon brings peace, and comfort to you and your families. Thank you again for the opportunity to be with you today and i would now like to ask mayor breed and our participants to come up and help me unveil the 2024, year of the dragon forever stamp. [applause] mayor breed all right, join us in the count, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 [cheers and applause] thank you, everybody. Hello. [music] hi. Im San Francisco mayor london breed i want to congratulate sfgovtv on 30 years of dedicated service as a broadcast channel for our vibrant city. You played a Critical Role during the pan dem and i can worked keep residents informed. Adapted to changing situations that allowed our residents to engage and participate in government. Thank you for 3 decades of informing and inspiring and connect the people of San Francisco as the voice thatoffe congratulations on thirty years sfgovtv. Your that excellence awardwinning programming be shines the light would people need to know about the city thank you for your all you do to show the heritage and Bright Future more importantly and thank you for your thirty years it is great to be many here are the owner and the supervisor for this district Hillary Roman our treasurer jose and hiding on the side is the executive director of the Small Business commission katie tang and im glad to be here this is an example of what happened when we as a city come together. When we Work Together to make magic happen up for Small Businesses in San Francisco im glad to be partnering with supervisor ron on an, an incredible endeavor free that is the first year fry first year free is an opportunity had people are oh my god, brickandmortar businesses in San Francisco we wave city fees so permitting fees those business license fees those things that add to the cost of doing business in San Francisco why that important . This going back when a way a long time we we were trying to open an ice cream shop owe not only did they try to open you pay rent on the lease and the various fees not just for the city but water water and two years paying the bills to get on was excruciating we have been making this easy instead saying no and a. D. Layers of policy it is wanted to say yes for affordable unit dwrae and the home team did an extraordinary job i want to shout out supervisor former supervisor but currently director of the Small Business administration katie tang because katie has been personnel them helping us speed up this we introduced overwhelmed things for Small Businesses to get you cant tell you the changes off the top of my head but lets say andrea can have music and other entertainment and sell goods and she can diversify the use of business easier if she it had been opened in the past . What it is about proposition 8 with 3000 businesses conservative from one thing to another and in fact, first floor free helped over 6 thousand people create new buzzing more importantly led to 3. 58 million in savings to Small Businesses thats why youre starting to say is pop up over the neighborhood in San Francisco and really have to thank not only supervisor ronan for her leadership an first year year free and this is what working together is about and government is doing things right and willing to come together to make magazine be ifc happy for opportunity like this and thank from your Jose Cisneros did the legwork with all the things that need help and rachel over here with the whole permitting process with a number of other businesses this didnt happen because we want it to happen by people believe it in and willing to get together to make sure that andrea what open her business and hire people in the mission thank you, thank you for being here. And any im going to turn it over to supervisor Hillary Ronan clapping. thank you so much maim mayor and my first year is i believe was 2022 coming of the pandemic 2021 and years are metaling together and the legislation we adopted the mayor isnt willing to direct the department to implement it and more importantly it is willing to put the funds behind it is just a piece of paper about i went to london breed asked me for more money i come every year and have a new program that costs money and beg her to implement with mow but like she said shes willing to alone and sit to recognize a good idea and an idea that truly helps our Business Owners like andrea here in San Francisco so i want to say thank you for your partnership and many things and couldnt agree with you more that wouldnt have happened. I want to say aside under the majority of seeing a new bishop and i didnt hear like who uses it as an office but unintelligible the food is the best in the mission i want to put that out there but not only im excited for you and this correctly resource and exciting madam chair, or place to bring to the mission this ordinance and this program it helps to revise the coordinator we know we have a lot of vacancies in the city right now and what happens when an vacancies . Means urn more graffiti we have programs like this it can you remember the businesses to take over the space, aye. Have the buildings open up not only a benefit to the Business Owner who, you know, starting a new business expensive but people benefit in the entire neighborhood this legislation that was in partnerships with the board and departments and mayor and treasurer that, you know, has multiplying effects beyond when you see. And with that, im going to turn it over to our incredible treasurer jose seis in charge clapping. hello everyone im jose the treasurer and thrilled to be here and standing next to the mayor and supervisor and talking about the incredible work weve been able to do to help the most visibility important Small Businesses here in San Francisco as you heard the First Year Program removes the chaivenlg but that something crippling didnt even costs that brand new Small Businesses have to foreclose over in terms of permits and approvals and other types of things the millions that those leaders have removed is a burden from those new businesses has helped thousand of new businesses to start in San Francisco so what is the Treasurers Office do . Normally