LEMON GROVE COUNCIL CANDIDATES OFFER FRESH PERSPECTIVES
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery October 25, 2008 (Lemon Grove) – Who has the best fresh ideas for Lemon Grove? Which candidate can squeeze the most benefits out of shrinking tax dollars? What seeds of future development should be planted for the city’s future—and was the Council’s vote to raise its pay 40% a sweet or sour deal? These are among the pithy issues for voters to consider in the Lemon Grove City Council race on the November 4 ballot. Six candidates are running for two seats; the top two voter-getters win. East County Magazine contacted all candidates through their contact information at the Registrar of Voters site to help our readers pick the best of this year’s crop of candidates. Two (George Gastil, photo above, and incumbent Mary England) provided interviews and a third (Ranger Dick Whitmore) responded to questions via e-mail. The other three (incumbent Thomas Clabby, attorney/business owner Paul Fine, and businessman Michael Richards) did not respond. George Gastil’s fresh ideas “I bring fresh ideas and energy to our community,” said challenger George Gastil, a history professor at SDSU and Grossmont College. He believes his ten years on the Lemon Grove School Board demonstrates his commitment to the community years. His government experience also includes working for State Senator Denise Ducheny. “The City of Lemon Grove needs to be more in touch with the residents. We need to have neighborhood councils so that people in each section of the city can talk about priorities for their particular areas.” For instance, neighborhood groups could recommend whether or not sidewalks, speed bumps, or street repairs are needed in their area. Gastil believes residents should be consulted about the type of redevelopment they want to see in Lemon Grove. “What do we want downtown to look like? We need more trees and places to walk,” said Gastil, who also wants to ask residents what type of retail they want in hopes of encouraging residents to shop in Lemon Grove and also attract residents from neighboring communities to boost the local economy. A Lemon Grove resident for many years, he and his wife have raised their children here. “We also need to strengthen this community,” Gastil observed. “Our community needs some new energy. We used to do a parade. We don’t anymore. A multi-cultural festival is something that can pull this city together, show off one of our greatest attributes, which is our diversity, and make us more attractive to other communities.” The festival could also celebrate the city’s cultural and agricultural heritage, he added. Gastil also calls for creation of a farmer’s market as well as community gardens for residents to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables. Gastil criticized the current Council for voting to raise Councilmembers pay by 40%. The raise would take effect after the election. “If elected I will put a motion forward to cancel the pay increase,” he said, adding that a more modest raise could be considered later if the City has more money. “How could we raise the pay 40% when we have streets that are falling apart and we have a state budget crisis? If we’re asking our constituents to tighten their belts, we need to do the same.” “Crime is up in Lemon Grove,” said Gastil, who also reports a rise in graffiti, drug abuse and family violence. “I want to bring back community policing,” he said, adding that causes of crime also need to be addressed. Better lighting, help for the homeless and after-school programs for children can prevent these people from becoming victims of crime, he believes. “Why don’t we have a Boys and Girls Club?” asked Gastil, who said one of his first actions if elected would be to try and bring a Boys and Girls Club to Lemon Grove. “Everybody says where is the money going to come from, but there are people out there who care about kids. We need to get them involved.” Lemon Grove School District has solar energy collectors on five of its eight school. “I think we should be pushing solar. That’s indicative of the priorities I would seek for the City,” said Gastil, who also supports energy-efficiency retrofits for older buildings and improving energy efficiency for new buildings. “Also we need to be very aggressive about going after grants and special funds,” he noted. “For example, there are funds available through Senate Bill 375, the Smart Growth bill just signed. There is funding you can get for smart growth projects, like making sure there is housing close to public transportation.” He supports smart growth provided projects are attractive, include shade trees and pedestrian-friendly features, and are scaled appropriately for the community (“no skyscrapers”). Gastil also expressed concerned over the trend among cities to bring in big-box retail stores to boost the sales tax base. He suggests considering a pooled tax base with neighboring communities and regional planning. “What’s at stake is the energy level of the community,” said Gastil, noting that many civic volunteers are aging. “We need a new core of involved citizens to make it vibrant again…We need to get people of all ages and cultural backgrounds involved.” Gastil is endorsed by Congresswoman Susan Davis, Congressman Bob Filner State Senators Christine Kehoe and Denise Ducheny, the League of Conservation Voters of San Diego County, the San Diego County Democratic Party, Lemon Grove School Board member Timothy Shaw, community leader Dr. Abdussattar Shaikh, and Jim Duffy, candidate for Sheriff and past president, Deputy Sheriff’s Association of San Diego County. Mary England’s fruitful efforts Incumbent Mary England, owner of a public relations firm and chair of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, has served on Lemon Grove’s City Council for eight years. She has served on the redevelopment panel and helped shape the downtown specific plan for Lemon Grove. Redevelopment is a top priority for England, who notes that Citron Court, the city’s first mixed-use redevelopment project in nearly half a century recently broke ground on Broadway. It will include 2,500
LIBRARY FRIENDS ANNOUNCE ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS
Printer-friendly versionNovember 1, 2008 (San Diego) – The Library Friends of San Diego County (LFSDC) announced the winners of its annual essay contest, with this year’s theme, "Libraries, Loud or Quiet?" First, second and third place winners in the youth, teen and adult categories will be honored by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors at the Tuesday, November 18 meeting, at 9:00 a.m. The LFSDC is the umbrella group of all County Library Friends of the Library organizations. Winners in each category were awarded $100; those in second place received $50; and third place honorees won $25 from the LFSDC. “This was our sixth annual contest and had the most entries ever – 166 representing 28 library branches,” said president Dick Wayman. “Libraries used to be repositories for books, places of silent contemplation, but not these days. We wanted to hear how the public feels about libraries as community centers. We confirmed that there is a difference of opinion as to what goes on in a library but most indicated that we should try to accommodate both views.” The nine winners represented seven library branches (Campo-Morena, Julian, La Mesa, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Santa Fe and Vista). First-place winner, elementary school student Hanna Schuster of Campo, wrote, "I want it loud so I can read to my baby sister. It would be nice to be able to tell (people) about what you are reading. I think that talking in a library is awesome." Benet Landon of Ramona, who took second place in the teen group, countered with, "…I have always thought of a library as a quiet place filled with people who want to get a good grade or somebody who loves to read the sweet words of a book." Adult category winner, Laurie Alloway of Poway, wrote, "The rich variety of programs available for all ages has made the library a community oasis – a fun place to connect with others, or, if preferred, to disconnect and slink into comfy chairs next to sunny windows of solitude." Winning essays will be posted on the LFSDC Web site: www.lfsdc.org Winning writers are as follows: Youth: First: Hanna Shuster, Campo-Morena Library Second: Isaiah Brown, Ramona Library Third: Samuel Bennett, Julian Library Teen: First: Ariana Huzery, Rancho Santa Fe Library Second: Benet Landon, Ramona Library Third: Emma Rudolph, Vista Library Adult: First: Laurie Alloway, Poway Library Second: Elizabeth Dobbs, Vista Library Third: Miriam Raftery, La Mesa Library Printer-friendly version