Candidate for
Midcoast Community Council

For most of my 14 years on the Coastside I have been deeply involved in organizing and advocating for my community of Pillar Ridge, the only developed affordable housing site on the Midcoast. I was a founding member of our Homeowners Association in 2000 in response to an upwelling of discontent with oppressive management, poor maintenance, and rapidly rising space rent. As manufactured homeowners on rented land, we were trapped, unable to move in a free-market rental environment, and facing the loss of our investment in our homes as they became very difficult to sell.

I spearheaded what turned out to be a 4-year grassroots effort to obtain help from county government, culminating in the passage of a mobilehome-only rent control ordinance and facilitating the purchase of our community in 2004 by a non-profit housing corporation of our choosing with residents having a say in how the community is run. This effort involved going door to door getting to know my neighbors, communicating in English and Spanish, holding monthly meetings, editing a bi-lingual newsletter for which we obtained Neighborhood Grants, and reaching out and networking county-wide with agencies and individuals willing to support and mentor us. Our success in influencing County policy depended on our reaching consensus on what we wanted and showing a groundswell of polite support at public hearings.

During this time La Raza Centro Legal recognized us for our commitment to social justice. Our grassroots involvement helped influence the awarding of Community Development Block Grant funds to address long-neglected community maintenance at the time of the non-profit park purchase. To date, I have continued to be involved in advocating for my community as President of our Homeowners Association.

I have a deep attachment to the natural environment of the Coastside and enjoy being out on trails and beaches, previously on horseback, now on foot. I have a desire to protect this place and improve it, which on a day-to-day basis translates into picking up trash and pulling invasive weeds. I have volunteered my time and experience planting community gardens with appropriate water-conserving plants for our area, hoping the results would be enjoyed by others and inspire them in their own yards.

I've attended County Weed Management Area meetings to network on Coastside invasive weed issues. I've facilitated use of the Pillar Ridge clubhouse for polling place, and Resource Conservation District public workshops, as well as use of one of our wells in ongoing county groundwater studies. I want Pillar Ridge to be a good neighbor in the Coastside community.

In 2009 I joined the Midcoast Parks & Recreation Committee working towards completion of the CA Coastal Trail through the Midcoast, and was principal author and presenter of the report on the segment from Mirada Surf to Pillar Point. I participated in the County Hwy 1 Traffic & Trails Workshops held in 2010 and 2011. I'm currently taking the County's 10-week Civics 101 course.

I would bring to the Midcoast Council this experience and my demonstrated willingness to work hard for my community, and listen to, learn from, and get along with many kinds of people.