“The holiday shopping, dining and self-care season is a critical time for the viability of small businesses. It was wonderful to work with (former) Mayor Schaaf and the Oakland Police Department in receiving a grant to fund the full-time, on-street safety ambassadors,” Swafford said. “The hope is that the public saw the broad effort to make commercial districts, and in this case the Montclair Village shopping area, places we can come to with a sense of safety.”

Safety ambassadors during the 30-day trial period that ended Saturday were on the streets eight hours a day, seven days a week except for Christmas and New Year’s days. Direct mobile phone numbers were made available to the public for requesting assistance, and flyers explaining safety ambassador services were delivered to merchants. Kevin Gilmore, of Oakland, served as one of the ambassadors. In an interview Jan. 13, the second-to-last-day of the program, he reflected on the experience.

“I come from the inner city, so coming up here was entering a different walk of life,” Gilmore said. “At first, it was touch-and-go if I was going to do it. But once I was up here and felt welcome, it made me want to do it and to live up to their expectations.”

Gilmore downplays his skills when asked what he brought to the position, mentioning only that he has experience in security work.

“To be honest, it was just me being me. It’s not one set skill; I just take my job seriously,” he said. “I know not to judge but to observe and not act on impulse. Like with certain style cars, a person can be judgmental. But coming from the inner-city, I can feel a person out, and 95% of the time, I can use instinct.”

Gilmore’s interactions ran a gamut, from escorting people to vehicles and reminding shoppers to place purchases in trunks instead of on car seats to providing directions to parking locations to reporting suspicious or actual criminal action to Swafford, who then communicated the information to Oakland police.

“I approached one circumstance in a way so the police could get there,” he said. “I can’t say the specifics, but let’s just say security isn’t about putting your hands on people. If you talk to people, if you tell them you don’t have to do this or that, once you make them feel you’re not judging them, it makes a situation way better. There’s no violence.”

Asked if he will participate if the program receives more funding and continues, Gilmore responded in the affirmative.

“Yes, hands down. Why? Because not only from the good business perspective but in the way the community and Dan have welcomed me, I feel comfortable. People in the community say they see a difference. Merchants thank me, and there are even people who come check on me and bring me coffee when I’m working. Just making a little difference along the line, we might make a bigger difference to keep people from hitting on the elderly or other people or doing crimes.”

Swafford said Gilmore was an ideal candidate for a position that required people who are outgoing, able to communicate effectively and quick to establish and reliably maintain relationships with local merchants.

“We leaned on Bay Alarm Company supervisors who knew the people best suited for these posts. We had to move quickly, and so we relied on their partnerships for referrals.”

Montclair Village regularly engages with Bay Alarm for safety patrols in the district. Limor Margalit, Bay Alarm’s director of sales and security agent services, said that in setting up safety ambassador service for Montclair, one of three districts covered by the company, his role centered on working closely with merchants. By addressing their concerns with the on-street presence of a uniformed ambassador during the holiday season, Gilmore said residents and visitors also benefited.

“Long-term merchants told us having a guard trained to help in different situations was important,” Gilmore said. “For people shopping, the guards made them feel safe by walking with them. Escorting someone to a car is just one example of something they did that the police cannot do.”

Swafford walked the shopping district;s streets during the holidays, introducing the ambassadors to owners and staff at key businesses. He held briefings and relied on digital reporting from the ambassadors to receive updates and provide feedback.

“There was an auto burglary and we advised (that) they connect with a neighboring business and relay that to me so I could get any camera images to pull and relay that to OPD,” Swafford said. “That happened on multiple occasions, unfortunately. We also saw shoplifting and theft that spills beyond store security.

“In one case our ambassador provided information that led to an arrest. Proactively, we consulted on casing the neighborhood. Kevin just being present on the street led to deterring crimes and also he reminded people to put items in secure places out of sight.”

Swafford hopes the program will continue.

“I’d love to take the feedback and report what the ambassadors were able to do to the mayor,” he said. “We had boots on the ground, investment in crime reduction and a good partnership with OPD that allowed them to be more efficient. These are the obvious gains. We don’t have the budget for it, so we’ll look to funding from the city of Oakland and put whatever resources we have in the (Montclair) Village toward continuing it.

“Merchants in the area are still struggling, and, to be honest, some might not make it, so we don’t want to see people taking their money out of the area because they don’t feel safe. An investment in this type of program in Oakland’s General Fund will pay for itself with increased economic activity throughout the city. If given the opportunity, that’s how I will present it to city officials.”

Lou Fancher is a freelance writer. Contact her at lou@johnsonandfancher.com.

Giuseppe Pennisi and the small crew of the 76-foot trawler “Pioneer” haven’t been out at sea in months after Pennisi was diagnosed with a hernia in January and underwent a difficult and intensive surgery that sent him down a months-long spiral of complications, waking up in pools of blood and seemingly endless hospital visits that continue today.

As an integral part of the trawler’s crew, Pennisi’s absence means the “Pioneer” can’t go to its usual stomping grounds near the Farallon islands to catch the rock fish, black cod and other fish that keep bread on the table. Now the Port of Redwood City has had enough. On Oct. 10, officials sent a 30-day notice to vacate, once again throwing the small fishing company’s future into uncertainty.

“I’m just sick of all this,” a visibly upset Pennisi said in an interview. “Trying to keep this fishing thing going has been nothing but disastrous for me because I put so much into it. Whether it’s Moss Landing, Monterey, San Francisco and now Redwood City. The trawler’s in Richmond now and I can’t even fish. It’s just a catastrophe.”

In the letter Pennisi received, Port of Redwood City Business Development Manager Trish Wagner said the port would be terminating its month-to-month agreement based on the lack of fish sales.

“We have valued our relationship with Pioneer Seafoods over the years and thank you for your business,” Wagner writes in the letter. “However, we cannot allow Pioneer Seafoods to continue storing vessels and equipment without providinga public benefit or having an active maritime use.”

That letter reads in stark contrast to the jubilation and open arms that the Pioneer found when it first came to the Port of Redwood City, which at the time was undergoing a cultural transformation. When Pennisi lost the spot where he used to dock in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, he turned to the Port of Redwood City, a mainly commercial port dealing in materials for making concrete and sheetrock.

In 2021, Port of Redwood City Executive Director Kristine Zortman had a plan to turn the port into a destination for Peninsula families that could be a mini-Fisherman’s Wharf, complete with a real fishing boat and crew. Pennisi quickly invested in getting a food truck up and running that would sell calamari, fish and chips on top of the fresh fish he was selling from the trawler, usually at about $4 to $6 a pound. And Pennisi coaxed live music to the area too, making the area a destination for fresh seafood, music and fun by the water’s edge.

“We were really excited and we’re still really excited,” Zortman said in an interview this week. “What happened is he hasn’t sold fish at the port since February of this year and we were realizing that there’s still a need for people that like to come and get fresh fish. It was definitely successful, and that’s why we want to be able to open it up to other fishermen and even if Pioneer goes back out and wants to reopen selling we’d love to continue having fresh fish sales.”

For Pennisi, getting kicked out of Redwood City after previous stints at other ports in Northern California was a nightmare scenario, especially while going through surgery after surgery. During the interview, Pennisi was clearly upset and questioned his future in the fishing industry.

With the razor margins of the fishing world, nowhere to dock and sell fish, and the likelihood that he still needs months to recover from a year of health issues, Pennisi is throwing in the towel. He’s put the Pioneer up for sale and has had it with “all this government regulations.”

To leave the ocean, which has been his backyard his entire life, Pennisi is giving up a multi-generational trade that was once the backbone of the Bay Area economy, when small fishing boats dotted the Bay and Golden Gate and Fisherman’s Wharf actually meant real fish and real fishermen.

The Pennisi family has a long tradition of sustainable fishing in California and has been trawling in the waters off of California since the early 1900s. Pennisi started fishing in California when he was just seven years old. Beginning his career working on his father’s boats, he has made a career fishing everywhere from Monterey to the Bering Sea despite the decline of the industry and tougher regulations than ever before.

In 2000, he purchased his boat the “Pioneer” and launched Pioneer Seafoods, working alongside federal observes and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration on each fishing trip. Their motto is simple: “strive to provide our customers with fresh, quality fish at an affordable price while keeping our oceans healthy.”

But now that dream of continuing on the legacy of his family is all but gone.

“If I don’t find a place here within a reasonable amount of time, then what am I doing this for?” Pennisi said. “Why am I trying to keep things alive? I mean it’s three generations. I don’t want my kids to go through this kind of hardship.”

Pennisi said the Bay Area “is all about its heritage, and part of that is fishing,” so what he doesn’t understand is “why isn’t this appreciated more?”

“I’ve been doing it my whole life because I know I’m one of the only people that has driven to help bring fresh local fish from own backyard instead of having to get frozen fish from other countries,” Pennisi said. “I’m angry that it’s so easy for them to throw all this away. All these ports are the same, they want their shiny signs but really don’t want to deal with fishing boats. It’s frustrating as hell.”

Think of them as a stage of growth between sprouts and standard baby greens. This stage of growth could hold more nutrient value than their grown-up counterparts, according to recent research (“Journal of Food Chemistry,” 2012, 60 [31], pp. 7644-7651). Looking at various nutrients, researchers found that microgreens have four to six times the nutrient value of mature plants!

“They are the perfect food, full of minerals and vitamins,” says Hercules farmer Oliver Gayo, who owns Super Duper Microgreens. “And they all have different tastes and textures.”

Watch “Inside a Backyard Microgreens Farm” (bayareane.ws/pcfmamicrogreens) on the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association’s website for the full interview with Gayo. Microgreens can also offer additional flavor and texture to your everyday meals. Pick up some fresh microgreens at your local farmers’ market and try their intense wonderful flavor. Use microgreens in salads and sandwiches. Sprinkle on seafood or meat. Garnish deviled eggs and appetizers. Add them as a topping to pizza or egg dishes.

Why buy them at your farmers’ market? Firstly, selection! Most grocery stores only stock a few varieties, if any, while the farmers’ market has many different varieties and flavors.

Secondly, freshness. You can be assured that the farmers picked their microgreens just before coming to the market. Some farmers even allow customers to select and harvest this delightfully tiny row crop right at the market!

The third reason is purity. Best of all, you know where they’re from — your farmer brings them directly from the farm to you! Meet the farmers and talk to them about the blends they offer. They can suggest how to best incorporate them into your meals and recipes.

“Growing locally is important to me,” Gayo says, “and when you buy them at the farmers’ market you know they’ll last longer when you get them home because I pick my microgreens the day before bringing them to the market.”

Microgreens are very delicate. After all, they’re baby shoots! Because of their small size and water content, cooking them is not recommended. Use them fresh to retain their tender texture. Buy microgreens just a few days before using them — due to their delicate nature, they don’t stay fresh long. Be sure to gently wash them right before eating and no earlier. Remove any roots, eat only the stem and leaves.

Find fresh and healthy microgreens at your farmers’ market from Super Duper Microgreens in Hercules, where Gayo grows a wide variety of greens. He also sells containers of mixed microgreens. You can also have special greens grown to order.

Rapha Farms from Campbell sells hydroponically-grown microgreens and offers several condiments and pesto made with them. Lake Family Forest Farms in Carmel Valley also grows a nice variety of hand-harvested microgreens.

Be sure to try some of these delightful little greens next time you shop at your farmers’ market. They’re a new crop sure to gain a foothold in the farmers’ market world with their amazing flavor and nutrition.

Debra Morris is a promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. Contact her at debramorris@pcfma.com.

Pittsburg officials celebrated the planned Sprouts with an “unveiling celebration” for the organic food market last week at the site next to Ray Giacomelli Park on San Marco Boulevard and West Leland Road. It will be the sixth grocery store – along with some smaller markets – in this city of some 79,000 residents and one of just a few to focus on organics.

The Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market, which operates more than a dozen other stores in the Bay Area, including ones in Brentwood, San Ramon and Walnut Creek, offers a wide variety of natural and organic foods, selling fresh produce, bulk foods, vitamins and some international cuisine. The 23,204-square-foot store will be centrally located near the Vista del Mar, Oak Hills and San Marco housing developments where it’s not unusual to find homes selling for nearly $1 million.

An estimated 12,500 people live within a mile of the future grocery store and another 18,000 north of nearby Highway 4 in Bay Point. But other than a gas station on the northwest corner of West Leland Road and San Marco Boulevard, there’s not been any commercial development in the area since 1990 when the Oak Hills Shopping Center, which has a grocery, was built some five miles away, according to Jordan Davis, the city’s director of community and economic development.

The City Council began working with developer Sierra Pacific Properties to plant the seed for a grocery store in 2020, rezoning the land to allow commercial development. That same year the council approved $850,000 for a new traffic signal along West Leland Road at the entrance to the project site to both improve vehicle and pedestrian safety and make the site more economically viable.

While grocery businesses were struggling pre-pandemic, sales skyrocketed during it as people focused on cooking and eating at home, said Doug Messner, president of Sierra Pacific Properties, said. Meanwhile, western Pittsburg grew as people began working from home and new housing developments sprung up to accommodate those who could afford to live farther from work for less expensive — often larger — homes, he said.

To fill the need, his company is developing the 3.69-acre site, which it will call San Marco Commercial Center, with Sprouts as its anchor. The development also will feature a new yet-to-be-named fast-food drive-through and full-service restaurant along with space for several other small retail businesses.

“When I was growing up in Pittsburg, never would I have imagined that in this area, west of Bailey Road, homes would regularly sell for $1 million, that there would be high-end apartments complexes with state-of-the-art amenities, that we would have incredible community parks, new schools, and trails connecting it all,” Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston said.

Chamber of Commerce CEO Wolfgang Croskey and others have worked hard to try to bring a new grocery store or begin a co-op after the last store left in 2019. They even set up a Project Grocery Store Facebook page and held festive events to drum up interest and regularly encourage the community to take part in their efforts to entice a grocery store to the area.

Croskey said he looks forward to Sprouts becoming part of the city’s business community.

“We hope that the addition of Sprouts will be a catalyst for commercial in the western portion of Pittsburg,” he said. “The residents of that section of town are in need of services and retailers to serve their needs.”

Some commissioners, though, balked at the idea of another fast-food drive-through – there are ones at every exit off Highway 4 in Pittsburg – and noted they increase greenhouse gas emissions because of idling vehicles. Other commissioners, however, noted COVID is still with us, late-night commuters might appreciate a late bite to eat, and the site will be landscaped with more than 100 trees and bushes that will help reduce the effects of the emissions.

The project is expected to break ground in the spring and be completed within 18 months.

“Even more than the tax dollars (the store will bring), it is creating more of a sense of community as well, so that you feel like you know, you don’t have to go outside your community to shop,” Scales-Preston said. “You can do it right there.”

Parkin is a former paramedic who graduated from Northeastern University’s Physician Assistant program in 2006 and went on to start two health care businesses that were later bought by Carbon Health. He started CityHealth in 2015.

“I wanted to create a home for health — where everyone could get consistent world-class healthcare in an accessible, respectful, and caring way,” says Parkin. “Our locations are designed to feel like relaxed and inviting spaces that you actually want to visit.”

Celebrated book: Montclarion Roy Clay, 93, is the subject of a book picked for NBA star Stephen Curry’s “Underrated Book Club.” Each month, Curry picks stories that highlight “diverse protagonists and social justice issues to inspire his readers to push boundaries.”

Clay’s memoir, “Unstoppable,” tells the amazing life story of the mathematician referred to by many as “the Godfather of Silicon Valley.” Clay, with the assistance of co-writer M.H. Jackson, takes readers on a historical and entertaining journey from his time as a teen in the 1940s (where his uncanny math skills were used to run the backroom craps game at a pool hall in segregated rural Missouri) to his rise to Silicon Valley computer technology pioneer and entrepreneur.

Clay and Curry are separated by roughly 60 years of age, but both are fierce community advocates and both were underrated and overlooked early in their chosen careers but succeeded in becoming American heroes due to their unstoppable drive.

Park priorities: A new survey is highlighting the list of things folks would like to see improved in Montclair Park. Here are the top five, in order of votes:

1. Build a paved path around the back of the pond so strollers, bikes, wheelchairs, roller skates, etc. can make loops around the pond. It’s been submitted to the city for a capital improvement request.
2. Clean up the pond (in progress).
3. Rebuild the amphitheater’s stone steps and regrade its concrete to reduce flooding. Friends of Montclair Park is working on this with Oakland Public Works.
4. Improve access to Montclair Park via Mountain Boulevard between the old Montclair firehouse and Thornhill Drive so that it is compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (being explored as part of Safe Routes to School initiative).
5. Rebuild or replace Western Town (this issue was archived — the play structure has not been fixed).

Ginny Prior can be followed on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and at ginnyprior.com. Email her at ginnyprior@hotmail.com.

State should relenton catalytic converters

Many lives have been disrupted by catalytic converter theft, and the damage is worse in California, where a special, expensive, California-only replacement unit is required.

The wait time for replacement units is growing. It appears that this is a crime that the police cannot control. The replacement cost and wait time would be reduced by more than half if a generic replacement could be used.

It is time for the state Air Resources Board to issue an emergency ruling that a generic catalytic converter can be used to replace a stolen unit.

Dave ArmstrongSan Jose

Calls for more housing,but where are workers?

The build it and they will come slogan may be false optimism. As Dan Walters reports in “California’s job numbers are more complex than Newsom is saying,” Nov. 27 (Page A17), there is a labor force crisis. Labor force participation has shrunk.

With the aging of the population, there is a continuing decline in able workers. Immigration has declined. Employers are finding it difficult to find workers. Restaurants and small retailers have closed because they couldn’t find staff. The sheriff of Tehama County has cut day patrols because of a shortage of deputies. Many of the state’s police and sheriff’s departments cannot fill their empty positions.

Every day I read about construction projects to build more retail and offices. I wonder who will come to work. I think either we start to think small or start to import service workers like Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Ken ColsonSan Jose

Support bill to helpfarms cut emissions

Many thanks for publishing John Hartnett’s Nov. 29 op-ed, “Agriculture and food industries face tyranny of numbers.” (Page A6) I agree that innovation is an important way to tackle climate change causes, including agricultural emissions. Just as vital are policies that support farmers’ efforts to reduce and offset emissions.

The Growing Climate Solutions Act (GCSA) passed the Senate in June 2021 with overwhelming bipartisan support. It will help farmers, ranchers, and foresters understand and access lucrative carbon markets to reduce emissions and boost farm income. Climate change is already impacting California farmers, and the GCSA would help them benefit financially as they become part of the solution.

I appreciate the support of the 19 California members of Congress who have co-sponsored the bill, and I urge all House representatives to vote yes to pass the bill.

Sarah HubbardSan Mateo

CPUC must grow spineon NEM 3.0 update

The California Public Utilities Commission is legally obligated to reduce the compensation paid to rooftop solar owners for the excess electricity they export to the grid. The NEM 2.0 rate structure is simply too generous, and utility costs are being shifted to ratepayers who do not enjoy the economic benefits of solar panels.

It is a fair, overdue reform. Solar installations will continue to pay for themselves in about nine years; if you demand a faster payback period than that, you don’t get to claim that you care about climate change.

Cynical rooftop solar advocates believe that the CPUC is controlled by the wicked utilities and that the reform is a diabolical plot to “kill rooftop solar.” The CPUC has already moderated NEM 3.0 in response to their hysterical protests, and now it’s time for the agency to show political courage and finalize its sensible proposal.

Doug PetersonSan Jose

Urge Congressto update SBA

As the owner of Andytown Coffee Roasters, a small business in San Francisco, I recently joined thousands of small business owners from across the United States calling on Congress to modernize the Small Business Administration to reflect today’s economy.

Congress last reauthorized the SBA in 2004 before small business operations were revolutionized by the internet, smartphones and online retail. We need an SBA that reflects those changes and helps small businesses survive and thrive by equipping us with tools to succeed — from improving entrepreneurial development and access to capital programs to upgrading outdated technologies to allow expanded online offerings and efficient communication with small business owners. The potential upside of SBA reauthorization is huge, benefitting Bay Area and California communities and the country.

Please support small businesses this holiday season by joining me and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices community in calling on Congress to modernize the SBA.

Lauren CrabbeSan Francisco

Include more conservativevoices on Opinion pages

I’ve been reading the Mercury News for 45 years. I especially like reading the opinion pages and comics. I especially leanuts, Doonesbury, Millard Fillmore, Pearls, Pickles and Wallace. I find them always funny, and often the humor is based on everyday situations.

I am a bit disappointed because The Mercury News has reduced the frequency of publishing Hanson and Thiessen. Ignore your “book burner” subscribers who only want to see opinions and comics that reflect their views. You’ll be surprised by how many readers are more conservative and open-minded.

Brian McCormickSan Jose

Sam’s Downtown Feed on 759 W. San Carlos St. — famous for its life-sized horse statue in the parking lot — has served as a bedrock for the region’s farmers and pet owners for over three decades. Located in a 100-plus-year-old warehouse, the large brick building’s basement is also rumored to have been a speakeasy during Prohibition times.

“It makes me melancholy,” said Lisa Blackford, who co-owns the business with her husband, Sam, about the closure. “But you can’t expect things to last forever.”

Blackford said a multitude of factors have contributed to the closure, including Sam’s health and the challenges that the pandemic is posing to small businesses.

With its interior walls draped with old grain sacks and art handed down from longtime customers, the store is an emporium for those who have a cat all the way up to a stable of horses. Myriad grains, farming equipment and even animal-themed sympathy cards are for sale.

Walking in feels like stepping back in time — there’s not a single computer in the whole store, even behind the register.

Established in 1986, the Blackford family name and legacy in what is now Silicon Valley go back even further, when Sam’s family came to the region in 1860 to grow prunes and apricots. Blackford Avenue and Lane, Blackford Elementary and the shuttered high school, are all named after the family.

Though he started in radio, Sam eventually left the industry and was influenced by his family’s agricultural history to start the feed store with Lisa. At first, the store strictly sold products for farmers, but slowly began offering items for more urban-friendly pets like cats and dogs.

Sam, who was the subject of a February profile in The Mercury News’ business section, spoke fondly of the customers who graced the store’s doors.

“(They’re a) broad spectrum (of people),” he said in the February interview. “They’re original folks who are twice my age. There are people who have just moved here to the area. There are second- and third-generation people. We now have people whose parents brought them in here when they were kids and they’re now adults.”

For Lee Cox, a longtime customer of the store, its closure is a punch to the gut.

“I’m very sad,” said Cox. She remembers around a decade ago getting a cancer diagnosis and Sam personally delivered chicken coop supplies to her front door. “It’s going to be the loss of an iconic store. Where everything is so modern, it is just one more thing to go.”

The property, which has a separate owner, is currently on the market for $5.2 million.

An Oakland Fire Department parade rig promotes the “Random Acts Toy Drive,” and an invitation to join the Montclair Cares Club in support of the Holiday Stroll and other civic projects or programming extend gift giving opportunities beyond the moment and the Village’s geographical borders. The Stroll is free for all ages.

“Twenty is a nice round number, and it’s a testament to what a special event this Stroll is,” said Daniel Swafford, the Montclair Village Association’s executive director. “It’s framed as a way to kick off the holiday shopping season and for people to catch up with friends. It’s vibrant, and it answers why mom-and-pop businesses and making a pledge to shop local are so important.”

Swafford said merchants are excited after the last few years of pandemic-related restrictions to open up in significant ways.

“The public may not realize how much more the businesses still have to do to recover; we’re not out of the woods yet. I like to remind people that shopping local matters because these businesses donate to school auctions and raffles and other events. Also, the owners miss seeing customers who may have changed their patterns while working remotely. During the Stroll they get to catch up; show off new menu items or chefs; and introduce new product lines.”

One establishment that manages to embrace old and new customs, is Five Spice Kitchen, a pan-Asian restaurant owned by Shirleen Auyoung.

“My parents for 28 years owned the Silver Palace, which they opened when I was 13,” Auyoung said. “Prior to that, my dad had worked at Trader Vic’s and my mom owned a go-to restaurant near downtown Oakland. Ever since I was a young child, I grew up in the restaurant business in this area, loving making food, watching people cook, feeding happy customers, participating in the Stroll.”

Recently launching her own restaurant, Five Spice takes Chinese classic cuisine and updates it with Auyoung’s personal flair for seasoning with a nuanced sensibility for high flavor achieved with healthy ingredients and contemporary cooking techniques. The power of the wok with its high heat churns out flavor and keeps meat tender through flash frying.

“It’s different than working in a pan,” she said. “You have to have fast churning and quick reactions, or it will just burn. I like that cooking and the entire industry is hard, fast-driven. I like jumping to solve problems, the constant reactionary aspect and also making things from raw ingredients, kneading the dough and grinding the meat … and ending up with a surprise because each day and each dish is different.”

Auyoung said customers’ perspectives on dining are also different; changed irrevocably by the pandemic.

“Social distancing continues. People call to make sure we’re well-ventilated and take precautions like being masked with tables spaced out and hand sanitizer available. Gloves for staff are optional now because they can be cumbersome. We still do more takeout than dine-in.”

She recalls being saddened during quarantines by the sight of large, empty restaurant dining rooms.

Although brisk pickup and delivery and strict procedures that kept everyone safe allowed them to survive the slowdown, Auyoung said that “We are a people business and with pickup only, you don’t make a connection with customers. It was depressing to stand at the door and hand out food and maintain distance. It seemed robotic. I also had a restaurant on Grand Avenue and Bamboo on Piedmont Avenue, and it was sad to see empty dining rooms.”

Eager for the friendly, family-oriented atmosphere of the Holiday Stroll to return full force this year, Auyoung said she will treasure the opportunity to see adult customers, many of whom were her friends or are customers’ children whom she’s watched — and fed — while they grew up. Five Spice will offer a Chinese cookies and tea station available for free to anyone stopping by to say hello.

Swafford said the nearby Montclair Parking Garage that uses the ParkMobile app and self-service kiosks for cash or credit always has “ambassadors” on hand to assist vehicle owners with the system. Oakland city funding that was announced Nov. 23 at a conference with Mayor Libby Schaaf will add two safety ambassadors in the Village during the holidays.

“It will put more eyes on the streets,” Swafford said. “We’re hiring two people who will be in the Village five to seven days a week during after-work and early evening shopping hours. They’ll offer extra help and security for people who might want someone to walk them to their car or assist them to shop safe.”

Lou Fancher is a freelance writer. Contact her at lou@johnsonandfancher.com.

Of course, in California they can be grown almost year-round, but most are at their peak of flavor during the winter months and are a hardy, prolific crop. They’re a popular row crop for farmers to grow because the same plant can produce multiple bunches and it continues to produce leaves even after several cuttings. The fresher the greens, the better their flavor. When you buy winter greens at your local farmers’ market their just-picked flavor is intense, well-rounded and ready for any recipes you want.

Their hearty flavors can range from lemony sorrel and mild chard to peppery turnip greens and strong collards. Purchase them as baby greens for milder flavor or fully mature for a more robust taste in your recipes.

Winter greens are highly nutritious and flavorful ingredients to supplement your recipes with during the winter months when other vegetables might not be in season. Mix them with winter root vegetables like roasted carrots and beets, tuck the leaves into a sandwich, add them to soups and stews, combine them into casseroles, mix them in pasta dishes or make a leafy winter salad with winter squash and pomegranate seeds. Here are some tips before cooking with winter greens:

• Most winter greens have thick, fibrous stems that are not inedible but tough and should be removed. Use your hands or a sharp knife to remove them. Tear with your hands or cut the leaves away from the stems. Don’t throw away the stems but blanch them and use in stir-fry dishes, pesto and salads.
• With their hearty flavors and thicker textures, it’s best to pair them with vigorous companion ingredients. Mix them with bacon or sausage, dried fruit, acidic liquids like vinegar or citrus juice and hefty winter vegetables like winter squash.
• Use collard green leaves or chard leaves in place of tortillas or bread if you are avoiding carbs. They don’t need to be cooked and can be rolled around your favorite filling like chicken or tuna salad.
• Have an overabundance of greens? Freeze them for later. Prep and blanch the leaves and then freeze them on a baking sheet before storing them in a freezer bag for up to a few months. Use them later for soups, stews, salads, smoothies, braises and stir-fries.
• To tame the bitterness associated with winter greens, blanch them before using in dishes like pastas and casseroles. Most tender greens, such as spinach can simply be sautéed. Salt and acid can both lessen the bitterness.

Enjoy winter greens direct from the farm at your East Bay farmers’ market this winter. Most farmers’ market vegetable vendors offer a variety of delicious winter greens!

Debra Morris is a promotions coordinator for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and writes the Time Is Ripe column. Contact her at debramorris@pcfma.com.

The top spot for massive spending ahead of the holidays now goes to Cyber Monday, a virtual shopping spree dominated by Amazon, Apple and other online retail giants. But again this year, small businesses are pushing back with a buy-local campaign dubbed Small Business Saturday.

Across the Bay Area, mom-and-pop shops that have struggled to stay in business amid pandemic closures and inventory supply-chain woes — and the continued shift to online retailing — are asking folks to save some of their holiday shopping dollars for them this season.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and supporting them is investing in your local communities,” said Cynthia Bonior, president of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. “In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical now, more than ever, that all of us be champions for small business.”

From Oakland to Los Altos, Bay Area businesses are offering discounts, promotions and free gifts to shoppers who support them instead of their big corporate counterparts this weekend.

Most longtime Fremont residents would recognize florist Dirk Lorenz, who has been serving the community for over four decades through his business, Fremont Flowers. Lorenz was even part of the Fremont Flowers family before he called the store his own, working under original owner Mildred Iverson before her retirement in 1983.

“Mildred came from the Midwest and opened Fremont Flowers in 1959, and I’ve had it for the last 40 years. The city has seen a lot of changes over the years but there are a few constants,” Lorenz said. “When we have community events, like the Fourth of July and Christmas parades, small business people are often involved. Small businesses are the heart and soul of our community; they help our community bloom.”

Fremont Flowers will be offering a 50% discount on Black Friday and Lorenz wants to remind local shoppers that many other small businesses in the area will be holding similar weekend sales, with added advantages.

“Everything is online now but we can offer the same goods and services for the same prices, or even less,” he says. “Oftentimes you can even get your items quicker because we’re right here in your hometown.”

In Oakland, many local businesses have come to rely on residents who are committed to spending their money at neighborhood stores instead of filling the pockets of national chains. The city is getting behind it by offering free parking on Saturdays during the holiday season.

Still, the anticipation of citywide shopping sprees this weekend prompted Walden Pond Books to offer free shipping on all online sales and set up storefront advertisements for Small Business Saturday.

“Other than that, we participate simply by existing — we’re a small business, we’re open on Saturday and we’d love to see our customers,” said Bob Fisher, the store’s sales manager.

“We don’t really have to encourage much of the neighborhood to shop locally, because they already do,” Fisher said. “But it always helps to reinforce the message.”

Saratoga, with its cozy downtown area lined with small businesses, is lighting its holiday tree on Friday and kicking off a small business day before the national event. Businesses will offer extended hours during the holiday celebration to take advantage of the large crowds drawn to the tree-lighting festivities.

Echo Shop, a small, volunteer-run consignment store that donates its profits to local Bay Area nonprofit organizations will be open 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Manager Bruce Friesen said.

“The more we get now, the more we have to give back to the community in a time of need,” Friesen said.

In Pleasanton, a number of locally-owned boutiques on Main Street are offering deals. Marissa Ringman’s Prim Boutique, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in January, will have store-wide promotions and a buy more, save more discount.

“It’s a scary time for small businesses. The numbers are frightening right now. Every day I’m getting emails from large chains with massive 40% off sales,” Ringman’s assistant Stevi Bair says. “It’s a little discouraging but we’re trying to stay positive.”

For Los Altos Village Association Executive Director Scott Hunter, small business Saturday is about getting lost in your community, discovering something new and connecting one-on-one with the business community.

The village is promoting giveaways at its downtown plaza, a perfect place to go hang out if family is in town, Hunter said.

“Brick-and-mortar retail is still here, certainly in Los Altos,” Hunter said. “That’s what this is all about. It’s about wandering around, enjoying the day, and not having to worry about when your item is going to get shipped to you. There are so many small business retailers that rely on people coming to their shops. Online has the ease-of-use going for it, but there’s nothing like that one-on-one connection with a retailer.”

Reporters Shomik Mukherjee, Hannah Kanik and Martha Brennan contributed to this story.