February 27, 2004
Dean's Deli
The story of Dean's Deli:
I own Klein's Deli on Potrero Hill in San Francisco where I began posting information about Governor Dean in March 2003. I was thrilled to find a candidate I could believe in from the first time I saw the video of him speaking at the California Democratic convention in Sacramento. My belief in him never wavered; it deepened and grew with time and exposure and the building of a San Francisco for Dean organization composed of smart, energetic, hopeful and creative people devoted to changing the course of our great country. The good governor inspired my sense of hope and optimism about what we could and might accomplish with his leadership and our grassroots organizing. I still get chills remembering how I felt then and the feeling hasn't changed.
Governor Dean quite simply has been a stunning and remarkable gift to the Democratic Party and the country. I underestimated the fear of the media and of the party about their control of the agenda and their grip on power. I thought the Republicans were all we had to worry about and that if we could just get people to hear the governor we would succeed. I was naïve but I was also right.
My goal was to help the governor to be seen and heard. That goal has taken many forms, from waving banners, letter writing and donating money to posting flyers at Klein's, hosting meetings and MeetUps and working with and creating a new community of activists. And finally, adding Dean’s name to the name of my deli. This last action was the result of a comment by a customer and a Dean supporter who in May of last year asked me when I was going to change the name from Klein's to Dean's Deli. The seed was planted and I knew that a banner would go up prior to our primary in March.
During the course of the past year my life has, at its core, been centered on Governor Howard Dean who was on the rise, and on my mother, Lillie Avery McGinn, who was in decline. My partner willingly, graciously and with deep respect for these priorities played "third fiddle" to my two passionate involvements.
On February 8th, Lillie's absentee ballot voting for Governor Dean went in the mail. On February 9th, Lillie passed away peacefully in her sleep. On February 13th, "Dean's Deli" banner went up at Klein's. On February 18th, we celebrated and memorialized Lillie's life on what would have been her 99th birthday. On that same day the governor reluctantly ended his campaign for the presidency.
Lillie and Howard will always be linked in my heart and in my personal history. They leave me with a remarkable legacy of principled and heartfelt values, including honesty, integrity, forthrightness and hard work, due diligence, passion, and hope.
Lillie flies with the angels while Howard is here on earth with us, continuing to build on his and our legacies.
I will forever be grateful for their gifts.
Avery McGinn
San Francisco, California