HEROES OF THE CENTRAL COAST

 

LOCAL HEROS

DICK KREJSA for his decades-long work for peace and the environment. His local environmental advocacy includes 2 terms as Supervisor when this County was in the dark ages in environmental consciousness. He knows how to complain effectively! I met him in 1990 when he was organizing Create Peace Week, culminating in a protest against Diablo. He also organized antiwar campaigns in SLO.

KATHY DiPERI working for a nuclear-free SLO. She lost her job rather than take school children on field trips to Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. She is tirelessly campaigning against Diablo, nuclear waste dumps, nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

BRUCE MILLER Sr., for his decades of walking his talk. I can't name all the things he's done in his 75 or so years, but I do know he's been a Unitarian Universalist for most of his adult life, and he came out of the Deep South and a Baptist background where he didn’t learn the kind of tolerance and justice for all and pacifism he has dedicated his life to.... And I know that in WWII, he was a conscientious objector, and went to prison for it, and that took some real courage to face the flood of patriotism expressed by being willing to die for your country and against Hitler that most Americans felt...or said they felt. Later, he spent years counseling other young men who wanted to conscientiously object to the Vietnam and Korean wars. And his wife, Pat Miller, was one of the original Mothers For Peace in this county, and both of them dedicated long hours to organizing and fighting against Diablo, the old devil power plant. They lived through the McCarthy days, and did their time in the civil rights movement, and in the recent years, as old as they are, and after heart attack and bypass surgery, they traveled to Washington to participate in recent anti-gun and pro-gay rights rallies... If you want to learn more about Bruce and Pat, meet them at the UU Fellowship one Sunday, or at the next Peace and Environmental Council meeting, which they also helped start.

ORVAL OSBORNE: A ubiquitous, indefatiguable and learned Green Party activist and local businessman, Orval can be found expounding progressive politics from HopeDance and Caucus listserves to forums to Linnaea's Cafe to the Unitarian church, where he's a member, to the Green Party booth at Farmer's Market. Currently a SLO City Planning Commissioner grooming himself for a run for City Council in 2002 or 2004, where, if elected, he will be as lucid a voice for social justice and environmentalism as this community has ever produced.

MIKE BLANK and GERRY CAMACHO of California Rural Legal Assistance, for eschewing the lucrative potential of their law degrees and serving with irrefutable power and exhaustive devotion the poorest and most neglected of people. (also their staff, SUSAN MEIGGS, MYRNA BROWN and RUTH & PEDRO ANGULO).

LINNAEA PHILLIPS for her many gifts. She provides a wonderful community meeting place all the time, and donates the space for almost any good cause for a small fund-raiser or meeting. Her smart, calm, sweet spirit pervades her place of business. She has also been in the middle of so many good ideas that you would need a book to chronicle them.

ALAN and DIA McAFEE for risking their own peace and security to passionately and scientifically and relentlessly question the drug war.

DAVE CONGALTON for giving almost anyone who has something to say time on his radio show. We are so damn lucky to have real live local talk radio in all its quirkiness. Sometimes when people are on talking about their stamp collection I just sigh, but then he gives an hour to someone talking about an issue you would never hear about any other place, and tears of gladness fill my eyes. We need more of this. Dave's gentle respect for his guests and his love for animals and his parents always make me glad we have a guy like him.

MINDY LORENZ and GORDON HENSLEY of the Environmental Defense Center. This organization alone stopped the conversion of the Dalidio Farm to shopping mall. It is currently servicing some 17 cases and looking into some 25 others. The amount of time and energy they save for the activist community is barely calculable. We are lucky past dreams to have people of Mindy's and Gordon's capabilities, good-humor, presence and stature afoot in our community.

CHRISTINE MULHOLLAND who stepped up to the plate for us by running for SLO City Council. Christine, a longtime activist but a novice politician, has, with the help of her outstanding campaign committee, mounted a suprisingly effective campaign and may very well become the missing environmentalist vote on the City Council, thereby assuring that the landmark view of the Morros across the verdant Dalidio Farm remains for at least two more years. She recently won a lawsuit that she personally launched along with Mike Sullivan (before the EDC hit town) challenging a sprawl community near LOVR and Foothill and was the creator of "Let It Be" Nature Preserve.

DEE TORRES & CONNIE AHNER: from environmental to social: Dee Torres is the manager at the Prado day center; Connie Ahner is the manager at the Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter on Orcutt Road. These individuals bring such levels of love and caring to difficult jobs that I am in awe of both of them. Their work is not appreciated often enough — stop in and say thank you.

AMY SHORE and ALLYSON NAKASONE, because directors come and directors go, but the environmental movement has always been able to lean on these calm and steady and charming and industrious pillars of ECOSLO.

ERIC GREENING: "Eric the Green" is a regular attendee of Board of Supervisors meetings, and when he speaks it is always a pleasure to hear him — he is respectful, yet firm, well-informed, and always on target. Eric knows the issues well and represents the environmental community well. He is also a respected musicologist, and a man who commits himself in his lifestyle and his daily choices to the principles of reducing his impact on the Earth. By his words and his actions, though, he has a big impact on the rest of us.

PILULAW KHUS, a spirtual leader of the Chumash Nation, for being the bright vessel of an ancient power that we would not know without her.

YOLANDA WADDELL has tirelessly worked to save, and now manage, the Elfin Forest in Los Osos. She co-founded the Los Osos/Morro Bay chapter of Small Wilderness Area Preservation in 1985, and has been on the SWAP board since then, holding positions from president to secretary, and everything in between. Right now she chairs the walks committee, editor of the SWAP newsletter, is active with Elfin Forest re-vegetation, recovery, and planning for interpretive signs, and sacrifices many a Saturday morning pulling weeds (like that noxious veldt grass). Now everyone on the Central Coast can enjoy this jewel of a piece of land on Morro Bay without hundreds of houses thanks, in large part, to my mom!

CAROLYN MOFFAT As an elected member of the Port San Luis Harbor Commission, Carolyn has learned to work with the system to get things done. She studies the issues, finds areas of agreement, and is always prepared to work out some effective results. I am so glad she is on our side!

PEGGY KOTEEN for her tireless crusade on behalf of the most voiceless of voiceless beings — animals (not to minimize her other causes).

GEORGE LUNA is the one and only voice out of five council members that's always voting for the good of the whole community. A minority of one who stands up against the sprawl warlords of our city who would sell out our pleasant countryfied way of life for MORE and BIGGER, $$$ at every turn.

DAVID CHIPPING: I try my best to emulate him. He's a great geologist and has become an excellent botanist. He leads the conservation division of CNPS (local and state), has a great sense of humor, knows his rocks, and attends endless meetings. He is rich, not with ‘gold’ but with what is really important in life: doing what one enjoys doing... having a loving mate, participating in enviro-activism and trying to change the direction in which our culture is headed.

RICHARD KRANZDORF for personally representing a disproportionately large percentage of the conscience of Cal Poly, and for being dizzyingly active and effective on uncountable vital fronts while elevating discussion with his wisdom, his reason and his respect for fellow humans of every stripe.

CYNTHIA BOCHE She is 'our' Cathy Freeman — wonderwoman. She runs half marathons in 100 minutes, maintains our unruly e-list, quiet, competent, beautiful, and an eco-activist. A great role model for all young women (as Cathy Freeman is) and makes me wish I were 30 years younger — my heroine.

TARREN COLLINS: I think she has been pretty selfless in her work to support the Chumash, not to mention her chairing the Sierra Club.

BILL DENNEEN for being the archetypal grandaddy eco-hooligan of them all, for being a warrior for the earth before some of us were born, and ever since, for living his word.

ANGIE KING: One of my favorite local sheroes. She is coordinator of the local chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She has been doing this for years, whether people turn out or not, speaking up on behalf of women everywhere attending monthly meetings, local events, advocating for women who have been discriminated against in court cases, boycotting, picketing, and whatever is called for in defense of women. She also is an advocate for seniors.

ANNIE STEELE: a disabled, chemically-injured person, who has had her own radio show, the Toxic Avenger. She never compromises on children's environmental health issues. She is constantly researching and bringing things to my attention. She is the catalyst that sparks the rest of us to act. In spite of her devastating illness, she cares more for others than herself. She asks not for herself and her own preservation of life, but fights for the sick kids, the cancer victims, the asthmatic children, the brain-damaged children and the chemically intolerant. She is quick to lend a hand and earns no money for her decade of work. Now she is working hard to film and research the Grassy-Winged Sharpshooter (GWSS) material. I know I haven't done her justice. You can't know how much she suffers, and I always think that if she can continue to fight, I can too. I am blessed to call her friend.

LOCAL HERO ORGANIZATIONS

SOUTH COUNTY SOAR: Jan Scott, Tom Murray, Nancy Parker

GUADALUPE CATHOLIC WORKER- After spending a few days with the fantastic Toni Flynn of the High Desert Catholic Worker, I vote for the Guadalupe Catholic Worker. This tiny group of Dennis Apel, Tensie Hernandez, Baby Rosella, Betty McElhil and Frank Nolan have really worked hard to create peace. They have been quietly holding vigils at Vandenberg for the last few years and played an important part in making the Vandenberg action happen!! Betty attended planning meetings, helping to tie loose ends together, Dennis put together the fantastic stage from a flatbed truck, and Frank has been great with getting students involved! Tensie and Baby Rosella have added support to all the actions, including at the very first test launch of the BMD!

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE I'm a fan of the American Friends Service Committee and really admire the work that Nancy Ferraro, Henriette Groot, and Terry Mackenzie have done. The intelligence that this group has shown in organizing peace actions amazes me. Nancy brings so much information to the Central Coast Peace and Environmental Council meetings. Henrtiette has been a great source of support and intelligence for the thermal effect of Diablo and other issues and Friends are the heart of the Abolition 2000 movement!

EDC: The EDC has fought valiantly and as effectively as could be against the gentrification of the Santa Margarita Ranch, the mallification of the Dalidio farm, the suburbanization of the Nipomo Mesa and at least another couple of dozen crucial issues. As an environmental legal aid organization, they are the very best hope for SLO County over the next four years. Best of all, they mostly WIN. Give generously to them so they can continue to add staff lawyers.

The Direct Action Network of the Vandenberg Action Coalition (and Bruce Gagnon) who have put their lives on the line to stop the missile launches at Diablo. My heart and gratitude to them!

MEGA, the Morro Estuary Greenbelt Alliance, is an unbelievably effective award-winning supra-organization that week-by-week accomplishes land acquisitions, protections, restorations, easements and whatever. If we had an environmentalist church, we would have to proclaim Marla Morrissey, MEGA's leader, an instant saint.

MEDIA HEROES

BOB BANNER of HopeDance, without whom these lists probably wouldn't be here.

SANDRA MARSHALL of Info Press, and TERRI DUNIVANT of Earth Journal, for you newcomers, an incredibly wonderful alternative news magazine that published for about three years on the environment and eco-spirituality. She published a neat directory of political and non-profit groups in the area.

Contributed by various authors