By Megan Robertson

It’s hard to believe that it’s already August. As we inch closer to the fall season, there is a lot of activity happening in the Sunset District. Students will soon return to classrooms, thousands of tourists will visit our neighborhoods as they attend concerts in Golden Gate Park – and we all find ourselves on the precipice of a divisive election cycle.

As we enter this busy season, our team here at the Sunset Beacon is committed to continuing to be a home for thoughtful reporting and equitable debate. On that note, I am pleased to continue to share some updates with you all.

Barry Hermanson

I am quite excited to introduce our newest columnist, someone who many of you already know: Barry Hermanson. Barry has been a prominent figure in both the political and business communities here on the west side. As a member of the San Francisco Green Party County Council, former congressional candidate, long time small business owner and frequent contributor to other outlets around the City, I am glad to have his monthly, political insight in the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers.

Expanded Sports Coverage

In an effort to share more of the excellence occuring on the west side, I am happy to announce that our team is expanding its editorial coverage surrounding sports in the Sunset District. This month, we covered San Francisco City Football Club, the oldest communtiy-owned soccer club in the nation, which is housed at Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park.

As Asa Vaziri, a student leader with Kezar Union speaks on in the article, “There is a strong spirit of community (at SF City FC), just like the City itself.”

As we expand our sports coverage, we planning to prioritize stories like these – looking beyond wins and losses, instead sharing stories that reflect the spirit and community these games create.

We will be putting out a formal call for more sports writers online soon, but if you are a west-side-writer interested in sports reporting – or know of someone who is – email Editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com.

Social Media Expansion

As I mentioned in my column last month, I am also pleased to be expanding our presence on social media and our website. I am happy to have our intern, Melissa Garcia, step into the role of social media manager. You’ll be seeing more of Melissa in our videos online and noticing more of her handiwork throughout our social presence. We are so grateful to have Melissa on the team!

Celebration of Life for Michael Durand

The passing of former Sunset Beacon Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Michael Durand is felt by our team daily. He is greatly missed.

This month, our youngest writer, George Brown V, wrote about Michael’s impact as a mentor to the young journalists who have worked with the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers.

There will be a community-wide celebration of Michael’s life at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22 at the United Irish Cultural Center (2700 45th Ave., near Sloat Boulevard). We’d be honored if you would join us there.

Please confirm your attendance by RSVPing at the following link: tinyurl.com/mdurandcelebration.

Thank you all for your support throughout the last few months. It truly means so much. Wishing you all the best. Please reach out with any concerns.

Megan Robertson is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Richmond Review and Sunset Beacon newspapers, and RichmondSunsetNews.com. She can be reached at Editor@RichmondSunsetNews.com and at 415-212-8934.