As we make our way down the year’s homestretch I’m not reflecting on the impending holiday blitz—the onslaught of messages to buy things, visit people, mend fences and give thanks.
My thoughts return again and again to people who have left an indelible, positive mark on their community.
There are undoubtedly a myriad of individuals who make this corner of the world a better place for their families and neighbors. Some of them paid, some not.
Most recently Emerald Randolph and her phalanx of volunteers who spruce up homes in need of repair embodies the spirit of Good Samaritan. Her Christmas in October program is an annual testament to the spirit of volunteerism.
Another individual who comes to mind, Tino Martinez, is new on the scene in that this year is the one in which he seems to be gaining traction and making his mark.
Recently recognized by County Supervisor Greg Cox for his work in fighting graffiti through his Adopt A Wall program, Martinez took it upon himself to mix a paint brush and his elbow grease to eradicate tags and other unsightly paint jobs from public and private property.
Martinez also has taken it upon himself to provide outreach to the city’s homeless population. and has said he’s working on a documentary of sorts to give the issue context and, presumably, a human face.
One more person who, in my mind, is working to make this city a better place is Chris Shilling.
Shilling is the resident behind a lawsuit against the city of Chula Vista, a lawsuit stemming from the appointment of Steve Miesen to the city council at the beginning of this year.
Shilling’s problem isn’t with Miesen, it’s with the way the city appointed him to be a representative. It’s the same process the city has used to fill vacancies on other entities conducting the city’s business. A process, Shilling contends, that is not done with 100 percent transparency.
In Miesen’s case the lawsuit asserts council members violated the Brown Act when they shared their choice of finalists with the city clerk but not the public—well, at least not until lawyers representing Shilling threatened legal action on that matter.
One of the city’s positions has been that the process of pairing down a list applicants to a list of final candidates has always been done that way. Reasonable people would tell you that just because an improper method is used time after time its persistence does noes not make it right. Or legal.
Shilling’s lawsuit against the city is clarifying a murky issue in city politics. It’s not glamorous or scandalous but it’s an important issue that must be resolved, one way or the other. And for that Shilling and company should be commended.
