I am excited to have secured the MROSD board director position for Ward 6 (running uncontested.) Thank you to my friends and neighbors who so graciously stepped up to offer me support by signing my qualifying ballot.
Kudos and a huge shoutout to Larry Hassett who decided to step down from this position that he has held for the past 22 years. We all took his calm and steadfast leadership for granted, and are just so grateful for all the work he has done to preserve these beautiful open spaces for all. I have big shoes to fill.
I have lived west of South Skyline in Ward 6 for 45 years and have always been grateful for the gift Peninsula residents gave themselves back in 1972 when they voted to pass Measure R, the Room to Breathe initiative. That special assessment funds an open space district, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, that today protects over 65,000 acres of public lands on the Peninsula for the primary goal of preserving and conserving the natural environment, while allowing limited, yet appropriate, recreational uses.
My husband, Jamis, and I moved to California 45 years ago. In 1977 we bought our property on Long Ridge. We raised three sons, all of whom still live in the Bay Area, two in the Skyline area. We owned and managed Buck's Restaurant in Woodside for 29 years. It became a Silicon Valley icon. When Covid shut us down my sons rose to the challenge and Buck's reopened as a 2.0 version.
The exciting challenge of living off the grid, in a barn, and very close to nature had a profound effect on my view of the natural world. For many years I was busy with my children, but all that driving up and down the hill gave us great opportunities to observe its specialness, and in all seasons.
I began to hike and explore local trails, and reveled in the nature surrounding us. I joined the boards of environmental non profit groups including Green Foothills, Pie Ranch in Pescadero and Living Classroom in Los Altos. I feel honored to live surrounded by open spaces, and am well versed in what it takes to protect them. I'm really looking forward to being your Midpen representative for our cherished open spaces in San Mateo County. I love our regional open spaces and over the years have learned firsthand what it takes to protect them.
I relish the idea that future generations (my grandchildren included) will be able to enjoy these open spaces, nature and fresh air in perpetuity. I am honored to serve as a voice for the continued careful stewardship of these precious lands and the diverse communities of Ward 6.
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