The Castro Community Benefit District is settling in at its new office on Castro Street, the executive director told the Bay Area Reporter.
The CBD quietly leased the new office at 549A Castro Street in April, Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who leads the improvement organization for the city's LGBTQ neighborhood, said in a phone interview.
Aiello said September 4 that the office is administration only, and members of the public will be able to visit with an appointment.
"We don't have set office hours because I'm the only person," Aiello said, adding there are two part-time CBD employees (a bookkeeper and a social media coordinator) but that they work remotely.
That said, the new location of the office on the main drag of the Castro LGBTQ neighborhood makes it much easier for the CBD's contractors.
"It's wonderful being on Castro Street," Aiello said. "The team is with me, and it makes it easier for them to be able to get onto Castro Street really quickly, because we were all the way out by Church [Street]. We can start cleaning right away, so everything's so much better."
There are 12 cleaning ambassadors, in addition to community ambassadors, according to Aiello.
Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who is president of the Castro Merchants Association and proprietor of Cliff's Variety at 479 Castro Street, stated to the B.A.R. that she agrees.
"I think it is great to have them back in the heart of the Castro," she stated. "If it makes it easier for them to do their job then I am supportive of it."
The old office had been at 693 14th Street. This functioned as an operations center, Aiello stated in an email. Meanwhile, the CBD leased space from Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union No. 104 at the rate of $1 per year starting in January 2019 for storage purposes, Aiello explained.
"But it was sold and the building is going to be torn down," Aiello said, referring to the plans to build a 187-unit affordable housing project geared toward LGBTQ seniors at the site. The CBD's lease there ended in May.
The city acquired the triangular 7,840 square foot lot at Market and Duboce Avenue in 2020 for $12 million from the labor union. Openhouse, the LGBTQ senior agency, is partnering with Mercy Housing to develop the site into a $117 million affordable senior housing development, but both agencies are awaiting word on whether the project will receive state funding. The union plans to vacate the property nearer to when construction of the new building will begin.
Without the sharing arrangement, "we needed more space," Aiello said. Everything in need of being stored now fits in the new 1,615 square foot space on Castro Street, except for a truck, which is in a garage the CBD rents separately.
The new office is adjacent to Aegean Delights and a location of Philz Coffee, accessible via an alley between them.
A "for lease" sign last month went up at the CBD's former office space, which had been adjacent to a Woodhouse Fish Co. location. The seafood restaurant closed in the winter.
Bustos elevated to Episcopal archdeacon
Miguel Bustos, a gay San Francisco native who was appointed a deacon at Grace Cathedral, the Episcopal church atop Nob Hill two years ago, has been elevated to archdeacon of the Diocese of California. He was also named director of the School of Deacons.
Bustos will be installed during a ceremony Sunday, September 29, at 11 a.m. at Grace Cathedral, 1100 California Street, in San Francisco.
In a Facebook post, Bustos stated he was "honored and humbled" by the appointment.
The appointment was made by the Rt. Rev. Austin Keith Rios, ninth bishop of the Diocese of California, a news release stated.
Bustos will continue to serve as cathedral deacon at Grace Cathedral and manager for racial justice and reconciliation for the Episcopal Church, the release stated. Bustos, along with the Venerable Canon Nina Pickerrell, will serve as one of the diocese's two archdeacons.
In a 2022 interview with the B.A.R., Bustos talked about his life in public service.
"I have always felt God in my life, and growing up as a Latino in the Mission, the church played an intricate role in our community, giving our people hope," he said.
The archdeacons coordinate the work of the diocese's deacons, help active and retired deacons stay connected, and serve as chaplains for the Bishop of California.
Bustos was ordained a deacon in the Diocese of California on December 4, 2021, at Grace Cathedral, the release noted. Born and raised in San Francisco's Mission District, he continues to live there with his fiancé, Alexander Rivera, in the house he grew up in.
SF holds Autumn Moon Festival
Friends of Great Highway Park, the Sunset Chinese Cultural District, and other groups will hold an Autumn Moon Festival Saturday, September 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Great Highway Park at Judah Street.
According to a news release, the evening celebrates the traditional mid-Autumn festival holiday. Family-friendly activities include those from the Dear Asian Youth Club, a dog light parade with SFDOG, black light chalk art, a lion dancing performance, and free mooncakes. The night will end with a lantern parade. Attendees should bring their own LED lights and glow sticks to add to an LED light installation, organizers noted.
This will be the third annual twilight Autumn Moon Festival celebration at the park.
In November, voters will decide on Proposition K, which would permanently close the upper Great Highway to vehicle traffic. In response to the COVID pandemic, a portion of the Great Highway was closed to vehicles between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard (upper Great Highway), adjacent to Ocean Beach. In May 2022, the city replaced the pandemic restrictions on the upper Great Highway with a pilot program closing the upper Great Highway to private motor vehicles on Friday afternoons, weekends, and holidays.
Prop K would make the closures permanent seven days a week, with limited exceptions such as for emergency vehicles.
For more information on the Autumn Moon Festival and to RSVP, click here.
Gay Lutheran bishop to deliver sermon at MCC-SF
The Reverend Jeff Johnson, a gay man who is bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will be the guest preacher at Metropolitan community Church-San Francisco Sunday, September 15, at 9 a.m. This hybrid worship service will be held at MCC San Francisco, located in St. Mary's Chapel at Trinity-St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 1620 Gough Street (at Bush). Zoom details are available on the church's website at mccsf.org.
A news release stated that Johnson's pioneering work in advocating for LGBTQIA+ inclusion within the Lutheran Church has made significant strides toward equality and acceptance. Ordained in 1990 alongside Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart, Johnson's ordination was a historic act of resistance against the ELCA's discriminatory policies. This stance ultimately led to the expulsion of First United and St. Francis Lutheran churches from the denomination in 1996. (St. Francis was welcomed back into the ELCA in 2011.)
Johnson's remarkable journey continued when he was elected bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on September 17, 2023, becoming the first openly gay man to hold this position, as the B.A.R. reported at the time. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering a more inclusive environment within the church, the release noted.
MCC San Francisco is a vibrant, inclusive community that is a home for queer spirituality and welcomes individuals from all walks of life, the release stated.
For more information, please visit the abovementioned website.
John Ferrannini contributed reporting.
Never miss a story! Keep up to date on the latest news, arts, politics, entertainment, and nightlife.
Sign up for the Bay Area Reporter's free weekday email newsletter. You'll receive our newsletters and special offers from our community partners.
Support California's largest LGBTQ newsroom. Your one-time, monthly, or annual contribution advocates for LGBTQ communities. Amplify a trusted voice providing news, information, and cultural coverage to all members of our community, regardless of their ability to pay -- Donate today!