Everyone who shops locally works off one of these lists. Maybe yours is unwritten but something like it lurks in the recesses of your mind. I decided to put my lurking list into print and see where it led me. So here's where I am on this issue: I'll be back to Wright's Tire Shop, Sun Waelty Auto Repair, The Thai Restaurant, Lighthouse Deli, Kathy's Cleaners, WalMart, CVS, Save Mart, Safeway, Staples, Camacho's, Studio 280, and Simply Delish. Compiling the list was hard because l'll bet I left someone out.
Under analysis: All of the businesses on my list walk the walk when it comes to customer service. All of them have owners and/or employees who take time to either talk to me or help me out with a purchase. All of them have services or products I want.
The fact is that I love to shop so I get around to lots of places all over the County. Another fact is that I want to be treated well. I don't want to feel dismissed or patronized. If I do wind up feeling like that, I don't go back no matter what's for sale.
I got to thinking this way when I visited Simply Delish, a new cupcake shop at 365 S. Washington Street in Sonora. It is close to Day-O drive-through coffee shop. The owner and producer of the products in the shop is Vonnie Hilton. A nice lady with a great product! As I left with my purchase this past Saturday, I said to her that "I'll be back soon." That comment became the basis of this blog, and that only means that you never know where you will be or what you will be doing when an inspiration visits you.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Busy April Weekend
It all started Saturday morning (April 21) when Jonah and his grandmother came by for our final meeting on his senior project. Even though I was a late choice for his community mentor, I was glad to help when I heard that the project involved Jonah's exploration of services for our elders. As part of my responsibility, I introduced Jonah to Mike Ruggles out at the Senior Center and sat in on their initial interview. After that, Jonah became a lunchtime volunteer at the Center, and included in that experience was the chance to ride along and help out on the Meals on Wheels route. Sitting across from me at my kitchen table this past Saturday, Jonah described some of his feelings about helping out people who lived in isolated circumstances. After our interview was over, Jonah's grandmother took a picture of the two of us on my front porch. He said he wanted to put the picture in his report.
Later that day, I attended the Tuolumne County Historical Society's annual Lamplight Dinner at the Fairgrounds. I go every year because I am a member of the group, and I like to be around people who have an interest in history. I love reading history for pleasure and have been doing that since I was quite young. At the dinner, I sat with Susan Thompson and her relatives. Susan is past president of the Society. Also at the dinner were Craig and Ruth Pedro; Joe and Betty Sparagna; John Gray and Eleda Carlson; Donald Segerstrom and his mother, Marietta Segerstrom; Winnie LoVine, Dave and Imelda Sheppard, Sherrin Grout and many more. The food was outstanding. The speaker was brief and interesting. She told of the women's sufferage movement in San Francisco during the 19th and 20th centuries.
When Sunday at 2:00 PM rolled around, I went over to the Elks Lodge for "A Taste of Mentoring." I go to this event each year because I like its "home-made" quality. Guests can sample desserts from many of Tuolumne County's fine restaurants while watching periodic cake walks and listening to the Ukulele Orchestra from Columbia. There is a silent auction for those who enjoy them. I met up again with Sherrin Grout and Donald Segerstrom. Also talked with Gary Linehan, Elena Linehan (the organizer), April Robles and her Mom, and Shelly Hance. And others! Oh yes, in the parking lot was a display of antique cars, thanks to the Mother Lode Region Antique Car Club.
Good "home town" activities!
Later that day, I attended the Tuolumne County Historical Society's annual Lamplight Dinner at the Fairgrounds. I go every year because I am a member of the group, and I like to be around people who have an interest in history. I love reading history for pleasure and have been doing that since I was quite young. At the dinner, I sat with Susan Thompson and her relatives. Susan is past president of the Society. Also at the dinner were Craig and Ruth Pedro; Joe and Betty Sparagna; John Gray and Eleda Carlson; Donald Segerstrom and his mother, Marietta Segerstrom; Winnie LoVine, Dave and Imelda Sheppard, Sherrin Grout and many more. The food was outstanding. The speaker was brief and interesting. She told of the women's sufferage movement in San Francisco during the 19th and 20th centuries.
When Sunday at 2:00 PM rolled around, I went over to the Elks Lodge for "A Taste of Mentoring." I go to this event each year because I like its "home-made" quality. Guests can sample desserts from many of Tuolumne County's fine restaurants while watching periodic cake walks and listening to the Ukulele Orchestra from Columbia. There is a silent auction for those who enjoy them. I met up again with Sherrin Grout and Donald Segerstrom. Also talked with Gary Linehan, Elena Linehan (the organizer), April Robles and her Mom, and Shelly Hance. And others! Oh yes, in the parking lot was a display of antique cars, thanks to the Mother Lode Region Antique Car Club.
Good "home town" activities!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Report from Area 12 Meeting in Calaveras County on March 1, 2012
For those of you who don't know about Area 12 on Aging, here's a quick rundown. It is an agency that helps senior citizens improve their quality of life when it comes to housing, preventative health care, advice on Medicare, nutrition services, and opportunities for the companionship of others. In Tuolumne County, Area 12 contracts with Senior Providers to run the lunch program at the Senior Center, and in other counties, Area 12 does the same thing with other contractors. You will find Area 12 services in Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, and Mariposa counties. This agency has been around for quite a while and is the product of the Federal Older Americans Act of 1965, just the same as Medicare. For the past six years, I have been the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors' representative on the agency board. Joining me are Richard Forster from Amador County, Merita Callaway from Calaveras County, and Jim Allen from Mariposa County. We met today in the Calaveras Library. We were joined by two senior citizens who had traveled from Amador for the meeting. We learned from the Executive Director (Pauline White) about the financial status of the agency, and also learned from her staff members about some new programs that will be offered in the various counties. I'm proud to be a part of this group. It has a purpose I believe in and it makes good use of tax dollars. I feel right at home at the meetings and think of them as a place where my thoughts and ideas are welcome. I wish there were more places like that. If you are a senior or know someone who is, be sure to give Area 12 a call. They are set up to help people out. Their number is 532-6272. Tell them Liz sent you.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Reports
At every Board of Supervisors meeting, we are allowed time to report on our public activities such as committee work in which we participate or constituent meetings which we attend during the weeks between the full Board meetings. I decided to start a Reports blog to keep people updated on this part of the Supervisor's job.
I'll begin the new Reports blog with some of my observations about the Housing Policy Committee meeting I attended on February 15, 2012: Two years ago, the Board formed a Housing Policy Committee. We did this because of all the unresolved problems that surfaced during the lengthy discussions associated with the Tuolumne County Inclusionary Ordinance hearings. It was clear that people had more to say on this subject than time had permitted. There were hard feelings all around, and even though the ordinance passed by a 4-1 vote (I voted against it), the County was making slow progress in implementing the new rules. People didn't seem to want to work with each other, and economic realities in the housing market were part of the problem that we could not solve with local remedies because they originated in places other than Tuolumne County. It was clear that we had to keep talking to each other about these problems, so the Committee was formed. Randy Hanvelt joined me as the second Supervisor on the group. Bev Shane, Mike Laird, and Sheila Shanahan were there to give us staff assistance. Rounding out the group, we had Karen Burkhardt from the Realtors Association, Beetle Barbour from ATCAA, Mark Banks from the Builders' Association, and others from the community who have a particular interest or knowledge in the field of housing. At the February 15 meeting, we heard from two representatives of an out-of-county organization which specializes in remodeling group housing units that rent for below the market rate. The reps explained the services they offer and the benefits (such as new jobs in the trades) that the County would gain if we were to contract with them. They were asking for our consideration to approve a project in our county which they are planning to develop. We will be hearing from this group in the near future, and when we do, I'll report it out in this column.
On another subject, here are some observations I recorded at a town hall meeting I attended on February 16, 2012: The Sheriff's Department held a town hall meeting at the Sonora Opera Hall and pulled a pretty good crowd. Present were members of the Sheriff's Department (including Sheriff Mele) in addition to members of the Sheriff's Community Services Department and administrative staff. Also present was Mark Stinson, Chief of Police in the City of Sonora, and members of the California Highway Patrol. Seated in the audience were some local politicians beside myself, including Connie Williams (who is running for Sonora City Council) and Matt Hawkins (who is already on the Council). The law enforcement people who were there were quite impressive. They were attentive listeners, obviously engaged in the ebb and flow of the meeting, and able to answer questions in an informed and civil manner. I walked away from there thinking that the public was in good hands when it came to the law enforcement professionals' ability to take action and keep the peace. I've been to a number of these kind of meetings over the years and the one change I am seeing is this: The public (audience members) seems more ready to get involved in law enforcement matters than in the past. More questions came up that had to do with practical matters the public now has to deal with due to the release of prisoners into the community. This issue is probably going to move rapidly to the top of the list of public concerns now that AB109 has been activated. The feeling I got from the town hall meeting was that people in the community want to get up to speed on this new reality in public life, but don't know quite where to start. I know we will be hearing more about this as time moves forward. I'll keep the topic alive in my Reports blog.
For now, enjoy life in Tuolumne County! Liz
I'll begin the new Reports blog with some of my observations about the Housing Policy Committee meeting I attended on February 15, 2012: Two years ago, the Board formed a Housing Policy Committee. We did this because of all the unresolved problems that surfaced during the lengthy discussions associated with the Tuolumne County Inclusionary Ordinance hearings. It was clear that people had more to say on this subject than time had permitted. There were hard feelings all around, and even though the ordinance passed by a 4-1 vote (I voted against it), the County was making slow progress in implementing the new rules. People didn't seem to want to work with each other, and economic realities in the housing market were part of the problem that we could not solve with local remedies because they originated in places other than Tuolumne County. It was clear that we had to keep talking to each other about these problems, so the Committee was formed. Randy Hanvelt joined me as the second Supervisor on the group. Bev Shane, Mike Laird, and Sheila Shanahan were there to give us staff assistance. Rounding out the group, we had Karen Burkhardt from the Realtors Association, Beetle Barbour from ATCAA, Mark Banks from the Builders' Association, and others from the community who have a particular interest or knowledge in the field of housing. At the February 15 meeting, we heard from two representatives of an out-of-county organization which specializes in remodeling group housing units that rent for below the market rate. The reps explained the services they offer and the benefits (such as new jobs in the trades) that the County would gain if we were to contract with them. They were asking for our consideration to approve a project in our county which they are planning to develop. We will be hearing from this group in the near future, and when we do, I'll report it out in this column.
On another subject, here are some observations I recorded at a town hall meeting I attended on February 16, 2012: The Sheriff's Department held a town hall meeting at the Sonora Opera Hall and pulled a pretty good crowd. Present were members of the Sheriff's Department (including Sheriff Mele) in addition to members of the Sheriff's Community Services Department and administrative staff. Also present was Mark Stinson, Chief of Police in the City of Sonora, and members of the California Highway Patrol. Seated in the audience were some local politicians beside myself, including Connie Williams (who is running for Sonora City Council) and Matt Hawkins (who is already on the Council). The law enforcement people who were there were quite impressive. They were attentive listeners, obviously engaged in the ebb and flow of the meeting, and able to answer questions in an informed and civil manner. I walked away from there thinking that the public was in good hands when it came to the law enforcement professionals' ability to take action and keep the peace. I've been to a number of these kind of meetings over the years and the one change I am seeing is this: The public (audience members) seems more ready to get involved in law enforcement matters than in the past. More questions came up that had to do with practical matters the public now has to deal with due to the release of prisoners into the community. This issue is probably going to move rapidly to the top of the list of public concerns now that AB109 has been activated. The feeling I got from the town hall meeting was that people in the community want to get up to speed on this new reality in public life, but don't know quite where to start. I know we will be hearing more about this as time moves forward. I'll keep the topic alive in my Reports blog.
For now, enjoy life in Tuolumne County! Liz
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Candidate's Statement of Qualifications
I am running for re-election to the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors. My background includes school teaching and administration. I also worked as a talk show host for a local radio station. From this work I honed skills which serve me well as a Supervisor. One such skill is active listening. Another is getting quickly to the task at hand. My experience as an elected official in Tuolumne County goes back seventeen years, ten of which were served on the Sonora City Council. From City government, I learned how to keep an open mind so as to gather the wisdom of different points of view. The last seven years on the Board of Supervisors have taught me to consider the bigger picture when I cast my vote. I believe my education, experience, and temperament qualify me to ably hold the job of District 1 Supervisor.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Job That Opens Up Every Four Years
I've been an elected official for over 16 years, and there have been times when I wished there was a job description to guide me. The fact is that no such thing exists in politics -- whether at the national or local level. Basic information about jobs like President, Senator, Governor, and Supervisor pop up in sections of our Federal and State Constitutions, but there is nothing all in one place that an elected official can refer to. Come to think of it, voters have nothing to go on either.
The main activity of a County Supervisor is decision-making. Some people call it "policy making," but that isn't accurate. Majority decisions make policy. Those voting in the minority make a decision, but not policy. In order to make decisions, a series of other skills are helpful. For example, a Supervisor should enjoy reading because that's a big part of the job. He or she has to be able to think critically, separating the essential from the non-essential sometimes in a matter of minutes. It helps to be confident enough to reason with other people without rancor. A Supervisor has to be able to make a decision -- even if it is to abstain. Probably the most important thing a Supervisor has to be able to do is vote, and not just when the coast is clear. A big part of the job is voting under pressure.
That's my take on what County Supervisors do. The voters have to decide if a candidate will meet their expectations. I hope they will look for someone who likes to read and is able to deliberate with others. I hope they think about whether their candidate can make decisions under pressure, and then, of course, follow through by voting under even more pressure.
If so, we'll all be better for it.
The main activity of a County Supervisor is decision-making. Some people call it "policy making," but that isn't accurate. Majority decisions make policy. Those voting in the minority make a decision, but not policy. In order to make decisions, a series of other skills are helpful. For example, a Supervisor should enjoy reading because that's a big part of the job. He or she has to be able to think critically, separating the essential from the non-essential sometimes in a matter of minutes. It helps to be confident enough to reason with other people without rancor. A Supervisor has to be able to make a decision -- even if it is to abstain. Probably the most important thing a Supervisor has to be able to do is vote, and not just when the coast is clear. A big part of the job is voting under pressure.
That's my take on what County Supervisors do. The voters have to decide if a candidate will meet their expectations. I hope they will look for someone who likes to read and is able to deliberate with others. I hope they think about whether their candidate can make decisions under pressure, and then, of course, follow through by voting under even more pressure.
If so, we'll all be better for it.
Friday, January 13, 2012
What the World Needs Now
When I first got to know Dario Cassina, I was a new teacher at Sonora High's Continuation program, which was called "Opportunity School." The year was 1972. I noticed immediately how well he worked with the students, many of whom were troubled. He was able to cope with whatever they said or did with equanimity. Instead of rising to their bait, he tried to get the best out of them by teaching better ways to communicate. He was not a punisher. He smiled and laughed a lot, and mostly had a good time. Many of the students had never met anyone like him. What an inspiration he was!
He insisted that there was no secret to his success. He talked to the students about the routines of their daily lives. His conversations with them were friendly and he paid strict and respectful attention to what they had to say. He made his classroom into a bright light in their lives.
When people talk about what is needed in Tuolumne County, they often say things like "better jobs," "better housing," or even "a Trader Joe's." I would like to add to that list. I say we need more teachers like Dario Cassina whose influence on community life is immeasurable. We need more people we can look up to. We need people who can do what Dario did at Opportunity School, which is to work effectively with young people who feel that life is hopeless. He talked to those young people in the same way he talked with anyone else, and they, in turn, came to experience themselves as valuable in his eyes. That feeling changed them, and those changes had a ripple effect in the wider community. Over the years, we all benefitted. Dario Cassina was one of a kind, and we owe him a great deal. His passing reminds me of how much more work there is to do in strengthening our community.
He insisted that there was no secret to his success. He talked to the students about the routines of their daily lives. His conversations with them were friendly and he paid strict and respectful attention to what they had to say. He made his classroom into a bright light in their lives.
When people talk about what is needed in Tuolumne County, they often say things like "better jobs," "better housing," or even "a Trader Joe's." I would like to add to that list. I say we need more teachers like Dario Cassina whose influence on community life is immeasurable. We need more people we can look up to. We need people who can do what Dario did at Opportunity School, which is to work effectively with young people who feel that life is hopeless. He talked to those young people in the same way he talked with anyone else, and they, in turn, came to experience themselves as valuable in his eyes. That feeling changed them, and those changes had a ripple effect in the wider community. Over the years, we all benefitted. Dario Cassina was one of a kind, and we owe him a great deal. His passing reminds me of how much more work there is to do in strengthening our community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)