Candidate for
Director; Manila Community Services District; 4 Year Term

My Early Involvement with the Community Center

I was on the community center acquisition committee back in the early 90's. A small group of us knew the old school was up for sale so we worked on a plan for it and procured funding through the Coastal Conservancy. So many years later I look at the place with disappointment. Sure there a lot of good things there - it's nice to see a place where people can park so they can walk their dogs or children to the beach. I had hopes that the center would be the hub of our community. So many people have become alienated from there though. There is a very, very small group that uses the center; practically "owns" the center - and this precludes most other uses and possibilities for the space. I saw the center as a place to "build" community rather than a vehicle for dividing community.

All of that aside - as a condition of the acquisition, a promise was made to the community (ratepayers) that the center would never receive any revenue from water and sewer funds. Unfortunately that promise has been broken and we need to work together to repair the damage that has been done and to restore trust in the management.

Traffic Safety

I have always been concerned about the dangerous highway bisecting Manila. Long ago at a board meeting a man from Cal-Trans came and in so many words said "more people would have to die out there in order for any changes to be made." I helped write a grant back around 2001 which was used to create a plan for highway improvements. The plan is what will be used if and when any changes are ever made. I am personally afraid for myself or my son to walk along the highway or ride my bike there, or cross the highway to go to the park. In 2002 I painted some signs including "please slow down in our town" and "voluntary 45 m.p.h. zone", which a few wonderful community members assisted in hanging from some trees on the North side of town near the railroad tracks. Unfortunately those signs have disappeared. We also put up signs on the south side along the tracks but they disappeared right away. My feeling now is that a group of us with weedeaters, machetes, rakes, etc. should walk along the cal-trans easement between Lupin and Pacific and forge an off-highway trail ourselves.

My Experience with the Parks Commission:

This was a disaster for all sorts of reasons. I became interested in helping out when I enrolled my son in the after-school program at the center. The first thing that disturbed me and still does is that the children were driven around by assorted people with questionably safe automobiles and undisclosed driving records and other problematic details. I tried to see a clear transportation policy implemented and was unable. I also suggested that the center contract with Redwood Transit bus service for specific needs - as I had noticed that Arcata Parks and Recreation does for all their child transportation needs. Needless to say, my son only spent about a week in Manila Parks and Recreation, and my service on the Parks and Recreation commission was short.

My Enthusiasm for Technology as a Vehicle for Public Discussion

I have been the administrator of manila@coastcleaners.com listserv for the past 2 years. If you would like to view the archives or subscribe you can go to:

I have also started a free website at neighborhoodlink.com. I called it Peninsula Community Association because I think all peninsula residents share similar concerns. Somewhat complicating the issue is that, even though we live on a small peninsula, we have two different county supervisors representing us.

http://coastcleaners.com/mailman/listinfo/manila_coastcleaners.com

Stop by here too:

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/humboldt/peninsula/

The other things that take up most of my time are my son, my garden, and my art, which you can see at:

http://www.artstreetgallery.com