Life in the Later Lane
Playwright Lynne Kaufman, the author of two dozen plays and five novels, is still going strong, despite some hiccups
The day after Lynne Kaufman retired in 2005, she woke up in tears. “What had I done?”...
A win for people power: Supervisors and mayor restore millions of dollars in cut to services for city’s most vulnerable
A months-long campaign by advocates for seniors, the disabled and other vulnerable populations has convinced San Francisco's...
Following in the footsteps of heroes: My visit to the cradles of Civil Rights
SF SENIORBEAT COLUMN – March 17, 1886. A date you probably never considered. Carroll County, Mississippi. A...
Couple’s script for their own movie? Shared creative passions and a bent for banter
“I'm Chiquita Banana, and I'm here to say, bananas have to ripen in a certain way,” Margot...
Social justice lawyer and activist infusing others with her love of SF’s Great Blue Herons and dedication to conservation
One day in 1993, on her daily walk from her Richmond District home to Golden Gate Park’s...
Nonprofit director is happy to bug you, whether you’re 2 or 92, about saving the wild
If you grow up in Los Angeles, where do you find the wild? Norm Gershenz is not...
Bass playing lawyer takes on the landlords when seniors call for help
During the day, you’ll find Thomas Drohan in court or at his law office on Mission Street....
Former SFSU teacher shifts to helping union workers build leadership abilities
Like some people need coffee, Joan Wong needs to walk – and talk. Mornings, she puts in...
Joe Edley, a three-time national champion, has been racking up great Scrabble scores for decades
Joe Edley tucks his co-authored book, “Everything Scrabble,” under his arm and surveys the room. Around him,...
Robert Wachter, the doctor who is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to treat patients
Robert Wachter is the doctor who oversees all the other doctors at the University of California, San...
Couple beat ‘fast furniture,’ pandemic and other challenges to keep upholstery shop going for nearly 50 years
J & G Upholstery stretches back farther than it looks from the sidewalk on Balboa Street. Stacks...
As the city’s older population swells, seniors who can no longer live at home face high costs, limited choices
EDITOR'S NOTE: See full profiles of the seniors interviewed by clicking links within the story. A panoply...
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On the road again: Singer on search for last traditional piano bars for documentary
From the time she was a little girl, Kathy Holly’s mother would take her to piano bars to join in the singing in its convivial atmosphere. As a child and performer still going in her 7th decade, she has lived through the piano bar’s heyday as well as its decline. Her career has taken her ...
Coffee shop regular never fails to sport carefully selected attire and adorable dachshund
Wilma Winston visits Farley’s coffee shop on Potrero Hill several times a week, enjoying a cup and conversation with her neighbors. SENIOR FASHIONISTA – The 25-year resident of Potrero Hill, known at Farley’s for her elegant style and devoted dachshund Hexley, is a native of Germany. Now retired, she was the West Coast representative for ...
Artists’ community working and aging together in shared space – for now
Residents of artists's community for quarter to nearly half a century have eight years left on their live-work lease.
Keeping the city clean, one candy wrapper, cigarette butt and newspaper flyer at a time
Melanie Grossman regularly picks up litter on the streets of Russian Hill. But when she does, she said, “people look at me like I’m insane.” That baffles her: “Don’t people care about their neighborhood, about making San Francisco a more livable city?” When Grossman and her family moved to the neighborhood about 20 years ago, ...
Lonely or troubled seniors find support, companionship on the Friendship Line
Society – and seniors themselves – view sadness and depression as a normal aspect of aging. Not wanting to be a burden on friends or family, they are often reluctant to reach out for emotional support. The Friendship Line is there to help. Read More...
Meals on Wheels a force against senior isolation, not just a food provider, CEO says
Ashley McCumber is on a mission to make San Francisco an age- and disability-friendly city. “It’s hard to grow old in San Francisco,” said the Meals on Wheels CEO and executive director, noting “the breakdown of neighborhoods, declining community participation in clubs, low voter turnout, all the way down to the way we treat others ...
