5th District Supervisors discuss community partnership at Grange "Beyond the Vote"

[Barry]

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I went to the "Beyond the Vote" event last night at the Sebastopol Grange where 3 candidates for 5th District Supervisor (Noreen Evans, Lynda Hopkins, and Tim Sergent) did not discuss issues, or even background and financial supporters (which is shaping up to be the biggest issue), but rather how can the county and the residents work better together.

In the end, it was a worthwhile discussion with a few interesting ideas being tossed out.

This was the first time I saw Tim. He seems like a good guy, but a bit outclassed by the two ladies. He did mention that he speaks spanish, which is a significant asset in the 5th district.

While there were clearly supporters of both Noreen and Lynda (and I presume Tim), I noticed that it was Lynda who got pretty much all of the evening's spontaneous applause.

Here's a full 56 minute video of the candidate's portion of the event.

[Shepherd]

My appreciations to Barry for this video. I am glad that he will also be videoing the April 28, Thurs., Candidates' Forum, to which all 5 candidates have been invited. It will be at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts at the Veterans Building on High Street, sponsored by KOWS-FM and Preserve Rural Sonoma County. It starts at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6:30. It is good to have so many opportunities to participate in a democratic process, especially at a time that democracy and free speech are being threatened here in the U.S.

I also attended an earlier candidates forum on the same day as the Grange event at the elders' Fircrest Mobile Home, which featured Noreen, Lynda, and Marion Chase. In contrast to some of the unnecessary attacks on some candidates here on Wacco, the three women were very cordial with each other, and there was lots of laughter and love for Sonoma County expressed. It seems as if all five candidates could be described as "progressive" and "environmentalists," though one has more experience as an elected official than the others.

What I noticed at the Grange event was the many farmers and food activists who appeared to be in favor of Lynda, given that she is an organic farmer with service as the former Executive Director of Farm Trails. It is a benefit to our community that so many candidates are willing to serve. Whomever wins the vote this year, I hope that the campaign is waged with civil discourse in such a way that in the next four or eight years, some of the candidates who do not win this time will be willing to run again, having learned a lot this year. We need to be thinking now about our future, especially in terms of food security, which is threatened as the U.S. Empire continues escalating its war-making and seems to be on the wane.

[luke32]

Shepherd -

My understanding would be helped if you if you could elaborate on two points you raise: 1) "...at a time that democracy and free speech are being threatened here in the the U.S.", and 2) "...food security, which is threatened as the U.S. Empire continues escalating its war-making and seems to be on the wane."

Thanks in advance. Luke32

....It is good to have so many opportunities to participate in a democratic process, especially at a time that democracy and free speech are being threatened here in the U.S.

... We need to be thinking now about our future, especially in terms of food security, which is threatened as the U.S. Empire continues escalating its war-making and seems to be on the wane.