I am writing to enthusiastically support Conna McCarthy in her candidacy for Piedmont City Council.  I have had the pleasure of working with Conna over the course of many years, from serving on Parent Boards, the Booster Board, and the Piedmont Education Foundation, to recent project collaborations in our respective roles on the City’s Recreation Commission and the City’s Park Commission.

Conna comes from a background steeped in public service and civic engagement.  She is caring, hardworking, and tenacious and will cut to the chase, but also maintains a healthy sense of humor.  Conna doesn’t shy away from asking the tough questions and will make decisions with the best interests of all community members in mind.  I know that she will govern with transparency and be accessible to the City’s residents and take heed of their concerns.  Conna will continue to make Piedmont proud.

Please join me in voting to elect Conna McCarthy to the Piedmont City Council.

Robin Wu, Piedmont Park Commissioner

The first time I met Veronica she was working at Piedmont’s annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration, calmly ensuring that Congresswoman Barbara Lee had a designated space to park and a committed escort to show her into the Veterans’ Hall for her speech. Veronica and her family had just moved to Piedmont from Chicago less than three months before, and here she was, diving headlong into a leadership role directing the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee’s (PADC) signature event. Moving boxes still waited to be unpacked in the Thigpen’s new home yet she was mediating, problem-solving and coordinating this huge organizational undertaking, functioning as if she’d been living in Piedmont for decades.

Pragmatic leadership and decision-making, I would come to understand, are Veronica’s strengths, along with a grand sense of humor and warm, genuine nature.

Over the next two years I got to learn who Veronica Thigpen is as she immersed herself in the work of PADC becoming its co-president the following year and overseeing the organization’s diversity grants, City Council consultations, engagements with the police and recreation departments and continuing PADC’s founding focus, insuring diversity and inclusion in Piedmont schools.

I have worked closely with Veronica as a member of PADC. Veronica’s expertise in organizing, her background in education, journalism and consulting, make her well suited for any leadership role.

Over those three years, I have also come to value Veronica as a real friend. We speak often, especially now at the confluence of a pandemic, a sudden social upheaval and the real tangible impact of climate change. Veronica and I also share the challenges and joys of raising young Black girls, helping them sprint toward and take it upon themselves to become fully engaged as social activist in our evolving Piedmont community. And, I can always rely on Veronica’s sense of humor to provide levity no matter the weight of the moment.

All of these things about Veronica make her the right choice, at this time, for the Piedmont School Board. She will bring a unique perspective that has long been missing from the school board, pushing toward a new Local Control and Accountability Plan crafted to carry out the board’s newly declared commitment to equity and social justice. I stand behind Veronica Thigpen for School Board.

Richard Turner, Piedmont Resident

Voters will select three from five candidates for the Piedmont Unified School District Board.

 All School Board candidates were asked to respond to the following questions in 60 words or less by September 15.

1. Which listed issue is your highest priority and why? –  Funding,  Teachers,  Facilities,  Transparency, Administration,  Achievement,  Equality,  Community Involvement,  Safety

2. What has the School Board done well during recent years?  

3. As a School Board member, what changes would you advocate? 

Candidate responses are listed in the order received.  There has been no editing of the responses.

Cory Smegal – School Board Candidate

1. My top priority is our students – both their learning and mental health.  This fall, distance learning has improved. There is a consistent schedule, clear assessments and accountability.  We must not lose sight of the fact that distance learning is very hard on students’ mental health. We need to create opportunities for our students to make safe in person connections. 

2. Recently, I’ve led our Board advocacy efforts.  Beyond this current pandemic, the biggest problem for California schools has been and will continue to be serious underfunding.  Piedmont has become active in raising awareness of this issue, meeting with state representatives, working with the Alameda County Coalition and hosting a week of events to get the state to fund education now.    

3. During my term, I’ve advocated for clear communication and improved public outreach.  It is critical that all stakeholders understand what is going on and how decisions are being made.  There is definitely more work to be done to enhance communication and promote participation in the process.  Cory Smegal 

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Hilary Cooper – School Board Candidate

1. Students and their safety is my highest priority.  When we think about returning to the classroom, we must prioritize safety and let science drive our decisions.  Some schools have already applied for a K-6 waiver and that will afford us the opportunity to learn from each other and implement best practices.

2. Our school board has a proven record of supporting innovation.  They voted to adopt a one-to-one connected learning program, providing Chromebooks for each student.  They have supported innovation through groups like Piedmont Makers and the Wellness Center.  Most importantly, they supported the STEAM building through Bond Measure H1.  Our district’s forward thinking mindset enables us to address challenges.

3. Our district needs to build on what we’ve learned during distance learning to advance our curriculum and instruction. Our teachers have learned to use technology more effectively during this time, and that should continue. While we work hard to get kids and teachers safely back in the classroom, we shouldn’t settle for “returning to normal,” but reach for better together.    Hilary Cooper

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Jason Kelley – School Board Candidate

1. Community involvement is my priority because it leads to excellence in all the other listed areas. Our community is filled with parents and residents who have expertise in each of these areas, and a school board that welcomes input from community stakeholders ensures the best possible outcomes.

2. The School Board and Piedmont’s amazing educators have done a good job during this most difficult time in pivoting school from in-person learning to distance learning. Changing conditions have required flexibility and hard work. There is always room for improvement, but Piedmont’s students have been provided with a more robust at-home program than many others in California.

3. I advocate greater transparency. Parents and other Piedmont residents should be able to understand how and why the School Board is making the decisions it does, especially as it grapples with how and when to re-open schools. The community needs to see that it is being protected, and parents should know how their children’s educational needs are being met.  Jason Kelley

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Voters will select two from four Piedmont City Council candidates.

City Council candidates were asked to respond to the following questions in 60 words or less by September 15. 

1. Which issue listed below is your highest priority and why? Services,  Recreation,   Transparency,   Planning, Equality, Infrastructure,  Administration, Environment,  Safety,  Funding,   Community Involvement

2. What are the most successful areas of Piedmont governance? 

3. What would you endeavor to improve if elected to the City Council?

Responses are listed in the order received.  Responses were not edited.

Connie Herrick –  City Council Candidate

(1.) Safety is always the highest priority for our citizens. Every City decision always factors in the safety of our person, homes, streets and schools. Our City is chartered to ensure our emergency preparedness and provide critical support services. Safety has to come first for the other listed priorities to function. We decide the ranking of other priorities through our vote.

(2.) It is impressive what we accomplish with a volunteer City Council and a small City staff. We are proactive, strategic in our vision and able to execute on complex issues. Our citizens receive a good return on their tax dollars and enjoy a high quality of life due to excellent City services. And we interface well with our neighboring cities. 

(3.) I would like to see more visually based ways of communicating to support public outreach about our City issues. An easy-to-understand chart with pros and cons or short 2 minute videos are more effective than reading through voluminous reports and meeting minutes. Offering our citizens interesting, visually based, executive level summaries will get them more engaged and better informed.     Connie Herrick

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Conna McCarthy – City Council Candidate

(1.) Public Safety services, including evaluation of existing infrastructure and emergency preparedness, are a primary concern. We rely on first responders to arrive quickly when we need them. Our emergency communications technology must meet new state and federal standards. In the event of an emergency, we need safe operating facilities. When a major seismic event occurs, we want to be ready.

(2.) Piedmont residents value Piedmont’s strong fiscal management. We must continue to exercise fiscal responsibility to maintain high quality services. We must continue long term financial planning that ensures current services are being paid for in the current year, and that funds for known future obligations, including retirement commitments and facilities maintenance are set aside on a current basis.

(3.) We are a built-out city. Space will always be a premium. City-school collaborations are necessary. For a community with limited recreational facilities, parks and open spaces we are at our best when we collaborate to bring services and programs to our residents. I favor city-school partnerships where feasible and when the partnership improves the quality of life for Piedmont residents.    Conna McCarthy 

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Jennifer Cavenaugh – City Council Candidate

Reopening of Witter Field September 16, 2020 –

Consistent with public health orders issued by Alameda County that are intended to slow the spread of Covid-19, the Piedmont Unified School District has reopened Witter Field for community use.

Individuals can access Witter Field from the Wildwood Avenue steps, Piedmont Middle School’s “PE Hill,” or the El Cerrito pedestrian gate. The Windsor Avenue gate, Wildwood Elementary School playground, baseball and softball fields, batting cages, and Witter Field House restrooms will remain closed.

Individuals must wear face coverings, maintain at least six-foot social distancing from others who are not part of the same household or living unit, and avoid all social interaction when sick with a fever, cough, or other COVID-19 symptoms.

The District previously closed Witter Field due to widespread and persistent lack of compliance with the Alameda County order at the Field, and similar issues led the City of Piedmont to close the Linda Beach Playfield, as noncompliance poses a serious public health risk.

Witter Field is an important community resource and the decision to reopen the facility was made based on supportive public input. The Field will remain open as long as users comply with the public health orders issued by Alameda County.

Questions or comments? Please contact Director of Facilities Pete Palmer at ppalmer@piedmont.k12.ca.us

Connie Herrick – City Council Candidate

Walk for Wellness: Connie Herrick Signs Up Today,

The sun was out and the smoke was better, so I opened my front door. On the porch was a cheerful little white bag with a red bow. My Walk for Wellness goodie bag had arrived! What an unexpected, lovely surprise.

The visor is really good looking and well-made with a cheerful embroidered design. There are Mulberry’s coupons good through 10/31/20 for a Harmless Harvest yogurt cup, Crystal Geyser bottle water and my choice of an apple, banana or orange.

I feel my wellness increasing already and the walk hasn’t started yet. I remember when Brooke Zimmerman started the Wellness Center. To this day, my 29 year old son Matt remembers her for her kindness and caring manner. She will always be one of his favorite high school people. Creating a center dedicated to supporting student mental health back then was such a new and almost radical idea. How wonderful to see it survive and thrive all these years.

Our family, including Kapo our retired search and rescue dog, is looking forward to the walks starting up next week. We hope to see lots of residents out walking with their visors (and masks) on. Fingers crossed the air quality clears in time so we can all get some exercise and support the Wellness Center. If you haven’t signed up, do it today: PiedmontWalkforWellness.org

Connie Herrick, City Council Candidate

www.voteherrick.com

Conna McCarthy Campaign

Click on image to enlarge.

Read list of endorsers by clicking link below.

https://www.connamccarthy.com/endorsements

We have known Cory since our kids began kindergarten at Wildwood over a dozen years ago. From the start it was obvious that she would do great things for our schools and our community.  Since then, she has done nearly every volunteer job in town: President of the Wildwood Parents Club, Chair of the Giving Campaign, softball coach, Scout leader, just to name a few.

Watching her serve as School Board vice-president, it is clear that Cory’s continued leadership is of great value to our town. She has been a consistent advocate for improved communication, for the mental health and well being of our students, and for the financial health of our public schools.

Cory has worked hard to improve communications in her role as the Board liaison.  She responded promptly and thoughtfully to hundreds of emails that were sent to the Board during this difficult time.  She answered numerous and emotional emails from us with understanding, grace, honesty and integrity. On Zoom and KCOM, we have watched Cory stand out as a critical thinker and clear communicator. She does her research, and she asks direct and transparent questions that are informed by science and best practices.

Cory has been steadfast in her efforts to help our students. She has advocated to bring students back to the classroom as soon as safely possible. She has also been working with students to create ways for them to make meaningful connections, even in a COVID-restricted world.

Cory has an MBA and her financial literacy is essential in times of increased budget challenges.  After four years of Board leadership, she also has a deep understanding of the District’s financials. Cory helped organize the Red for Ed Campaign and led efforts to lobby for increased education funding from the State so that our School District could give raises to our employees.

We are incredibly fortunate that Cory is running for a second term. Quite honestly, it’s hard to imagine the School Board without her!  Please join us in voting to re-elect Cory to the Piedmont School Board.

– Pam Schwartz & Eric Wolfers

– Taste and Productivity of Local Garden Produce Suffers in Our Wildfire Smoke –

“Once the air clears of smoke, spray the leaves and fruit gently with water and apply fertilizer to promote healthy roots and foliage.”

Commentary from Oregon:

“Similar to humans, plants are affected by fine particles in smoke that consist of ash, partially consumed fuel, water droplets and hundreds of chemical compounds, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, and small amounts of nitrogen oxide. These particles can clog the plant’s stomata, tiny pores that enable the plant to absorb carbon dioxide and other gases from the atmosphere and release oxygen. Prolonged blockage can suffocate the plant.

In addition, studies have shown that even short-term exposure to smoke destroys chlorophyll in plants and, thus, reduces their ability to carry out photosynthesis by as much as 50 percent. The result is oxygen-deprived plants that are stressed, weakened, and may look wilted and washed out. Once the plant has switched to survival mode, fruiting and ripening slows down, which may be why my friend said her corn crop yield was “puny” two years ago when smoke hung in the valley for several weeks. Prolonged exposure to smoke may also affect the taste of garden produce.”  The Mail Tribune, Oregon, Aug 9, 2015

Science News December 21, 2018 reported:

A pioneering new study by Professor Nadine Unger of the University of Exeter and Professor Xu Yue of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Beijing, has revealed that pollutants released by the devastating wildfires can affect crop and vegetation growth hundreds of kilometres from the fire impact zone.

The study examined how ozone and aerosols — two by-product pollutants of wildfires — influences healthy plant growth in areas that are seemingly unaffected by the destructive natural disasters.

It found that there was a significant reduction in plant productivity in areas far away from the fire’s borders. The study suggests that fire pollution could pose an increasing threat to regional, and even global, productivity in the warming future world.