YOUR VOICE: Celebrate Los Osos With Sincerity, Not Press Releases

By Aaron, on May 17th, 2010

This is the first Razor Online guest column. If you want to write a column for us, please send us an e-mail. We accept all viewpoints.

By Julie Tacker

The recent hullabaloo around “Celebrate Los Osos,” the newly reinvented Bear Committee/Los Osos Community Organization and its search for “positive,” “visible projects” has many of us scratching our heads. Celebrating Los Osos occurs on a regular basis. It doesn’t take a marketing campaign or slick tricks to ask for and receive a helpful hand. Volunteer jobs are being done all around this great community with no fanfare, kudos, banners, websites, press releases, photo ops or slick material promoting the good works of many citizens who pitch in however and wherever they can. Whether its muscle or money, Los Ososan’s historically come to the aid of others to fundraise, lift their hammers, shovels or paint brushes to spruce up, repair or build whatever, whenever. The best example is the Annual Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter Fundraiser (held each December at the South Bay Community Center), organized by Jerri Walsh and Richard Margetson year after year with no self promoting brouhaha.

A year or more ago, the Celebrate Los Osos team of unsuspecting volunteers – spearheaded by public relations firm owner, former LOCSD Director, District 2 Parks Commissioner, Pandora Nash-Karner – built a new fence (materials paid for by the County), amended the soil and planted new oak trees (soil and trees donated by local businesses) at the community park. Nash-Karner knew these improvements should have been done by the County as part of the skateboard park project’s Conditions of Approval. Nash-Karner also knew the new fence would have to come down as part of the Palisades traffic signal and drainage improvement project. In true Nash-Karner form, she pressed on due to its highly visible “sign worthy” nature. The County Public Works Department staff (paid by taxpayers) took the new fence down, but will not put it back up. Nash-Karner will have to use her “magical coercion” to re-enlist volunteers to double-do what should have been done by the County in the first place. The fate of the new plantings is unknown, certainly trampled, and likely killed. The Palisades signal has been complete for months now, the fence is still down, and the landscape is barren.

Admittedly, Los Osos is a divided community. The endless sewer saga has fractured this great community. Nash-Karner was quoted in a recent newspaper article promoting Celebrate Los Osos, saying “Good friends were not talking,” and “We’re better than that” juxtaposed to her own late night email to the Regional Water Quality Control Board asking that the community be “fined out of existence.”

The most recent efforts of Celebrate Los Osos to refurbish the Ralphs median – soliciting donations and unsuspecting volunteers – stinks to high heaven. No one ever asked citizen volunteer, Jeff Edwards, if he needed any help with the median over the 15 years he quietly cared for it out of his own pocket. It wasn’t until the County informed Edwards that they would replace the irrigation system. This prompted Edwards to suspend his maintenance efforts. Golden State Water Company was prompted to turn off the water. People only took interest when the plants began to die.

Celebrate Los Osos had a booth at the Oktoberfest and at local grocery stores soliciting donations and volunteers. Their goal was to reach $4,000 to pay for new plants along the Los Osos Valley Road thoroughfare. Who is paying for Nash-Karner’s marketing efforts? How much do the “in your face” banners and pamphlets cost and who is paying for them? It is in the public record that Ms. Nash-Karner paid herself handsomely from citizen donations to manage the failed Save the Dream campaign in 2005.

Nash-Karner isn’t really interested in Celebrating Los Osos. She’s interested in lining her pocket. Los Osos, don’t be duped again. Volunteer where you are appreciated for your sincere effort. A smile and a handshake is all the recognition you’ll get and it will feel like a million bucks just knowing you did something good for someone else.

Julie Tacker is a former Los Osos Community Services District director and 39-year resident of Los Osos.

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Richard LeGros

Julie,

The ML Homeless Shelter…….Celebrate Los Osos…; both are contributing to Los Osos in their own way; and should be acknowledged that their contributions are meaningful.

Let us applaude all good work regardless of the who performed the work.
Richard LeGros

Julie,

The ML Homeless Shelter…….Celebrate Los Osos…; both are contributing to Los Osos in their own way; and should be acknowledged that their contributions are meaningful.

Let us applaude all good work regardless of the who performed the work.
Julie

Yes Richard, we should celebrate all volunteer efforts no matter how big or how small.

In this case it’s the principal, Pandora has made it very clear that CLO will ONLY do highly “visible projects”. This is where the real “turn off” just begins.

Since I wrote this “guest column” it has been brought to my attention that ALL the plants and soil graciously donated to the fence project were destroyed as part of the Palisades signal work and the fence remains stacked in a corner of the Red Barn area. How does that get fixed? What message does that send to the mechants who gave?

BTW, I would like to applaude the person who is caring for the median at 11th and Santa Ynez….lovely, no banners, no press releases, just someone’s hard work and no recognition! Kudos to whoever you are!
http://xxx Julie

Yes Richard, we should celebrate all volunteer efforts no matter how big or how small.

In this case it’s the principal, Pandora has made it very clear that CLO will ONLY do highly “visible projects”. This is where the real “turn off” just begins.

Since I wrote this “guest column” it has been brought to my attention that ALL the plants and soil graciously donated to the fence project were destroyed as part of the Palisades signal work and the fence remains stacked in a corner of the Red Barn area. How does that get fixed? What message does that send to the mechants who gave?

BTW, I would like to applaude the person who is caring for the median at 11th and Santa Ynez….lovely, no banners, no press releases, just someone’s hard work and no recognition! Kudos to whoever you are!
Richard LeGros

Julie,

Who care how ‘big or small’ a vounteer effort is? All efforts are appreciated.

What matters is that voluneteers volunteered to perform a community service at no effort or cost to you. Additionally, such efforts are to be applauded regardless of who performed the work; and regardless of what ‘principals’ you opine guide volunteers to begin with.
Richard LeGros

Julie,

Who care how ‘big or small’ a vounteer effort is? All efforts are appreciated.

What matters is that voluneteers volunteered to perform a community service at no effort or cost to you. Additionally, such efforts are to be applauded regardless of who performed the work; and regardless of what ‘principals’ you opine guide volunteers to begin with.
julie

Richard you say “no cost to you”, in the instant case you are correct. But our neighbors donated to the park fence and now their plants and top soil are gone. Pandora knew that fence would have to come out, she’s pretty in-the-know on such things and the email record shows the Parks Dept. knew, too. Nevertheless, she pressed on, just to have the publicity. The silly sign hung on the fence so long that that section is permantly faded showing where it once was. The project should have waited a year or more. Where is her influence on volunteers for that project now? The fence that was removed is stacked up in the coner of the Red Barn area, the County PW Dept. has refused to pay staff to put it back up. County Parks had best find the money and their staff should since it was a condition of their project in the first place. They should pay for the top soil and tree replacement too.
Do you think the same proprietors will donate again for the same project? I have heard from some, they will never do anything for Pandora again.
Volunteers are a gift, you can’t disrespect their gift/s, which is what happened at the Red Barn fence.

I haven’t heard if the music festival raised all the money needed to pay back Bill Lee for the Ralphs island. I do hope the community came out and enjoyed themselves despite the wind. I was out of town and couldn’t make it.
http://xxx julie

Richard you say “no cost to you”, in the instant case you are correct. But our neighbors donated to the park fence and now their plants and top soil are gone. Pandora knew that fence would have to come out, she’s pretty in-the-know on such things and the email record shows the Parks Dept. knew, too. Nevertheless, she pressed on, just to have the publicity. The silly sign hung on the fence so long that that section is permantly faded showing where it once was. The project should have waited a year or more. Where is her influence on volunteers for that project now? The fence that was removed is stacked up in the coner of the Red Barn area, the County PW Dept. has refused to pay staff to put it back up. County Parks had best find the money and their staff should since it was a condition of their project in the first place. They should pay for the top soil and tree replacement too.
Do you think the same proprietors will donate again for the same project? I have heard from some, they will never do anything for Pandora again.
Volunteers are a gift, you can’t disrespect their gift/s, which is what happened at the Red Barn fence.

I haven’t heard if the music festival raised all the money needed to pay back Bill Lee for the Ralphs island. I do hope the community came out and enjoyed themselves despite the wind. I was out of town and couldn’t make it.
Richard LeGros

Julie,

CLO is doing great work regardless of whether you appreciate it or not.

Expressing your assumptions, pet peeves and opinions about the ‘principles’ you can only guess are driving Pandora and the CLO obviously make you feel better. However, your insistent bad-mouthing of a sincere and productive community volunteer organization just makes you look petty.
Richard LeGros

Julie,

CLO is doing great work regardless of whether you appreciate it or not.

Expressing your assumptions, pet peeves and opinions about the ‘principles’ you can only guess are driving Pandora and the CLO obviously make you feel better. However, your insistent bad-mouthing of a sincere and productive community volunteer organization just makes you look petty.
Aaron

Richard, I’m starting to realize that you know exactly what she’s referring to but you don’t want to admit it publicly.

On the surface, you have a group of volunteers who are doing something positive. On the surface, they’re doing good things — and Richard, that’s the extent of your opinion. But there’s more to it.

The people behind Celebrate Los Osos, the organizers behind CLO, the people pulling the strings are socially and politically destructive figures who feel the need to sweep their actions under the table by flooding the airwaves and presses with press releases about how charitable and wonderful they are.

I don’t see the thousands of volunteers who work at soup kitchens across the country craving attention, sending out press releases and trying to convince everyone that they’re doing something positive. Many of them simply show up, put on an apron, cook and serve food to the homeless. They’re not so petty (let’s use your word, Richard) that they feel the need to heavily publicize what they’re doing. They just do it.

The problem I have with the CLO organizers is that they have blood on their hands. They’ve never admitted to wrongdoing, they’ve never tried to reverse the damage that they’ve caused — and they expect the people of Los Osos to observe and admire all the hard work they’ve done. Richard, let’s rewind the tape to April 2009 when we spoke to each other and you said to me, “It’s not how hard people work. It’s the results. Look at the results,” and tell me Richard, what is the result? A boardwalk? A torn down fence? A few trees? Thousands of residents who are facing once unfathomable consequences for living in paradise?

Let me know if you — or Pandora or anyone else who’s involved — have an answer besides the one you’ve been giving: “CLO is doing great work regardless of whether you appreciate it or not.”
Aaron

Richard, I’m starting to realize that you know exactly what she’s referring to but you don’t want to admit it publicly.

On the surface, you have a group of volunteers who are doing something positive. On the surface, they’re doing good things — and Richard, that’s the extent of your opinion. But there’s more to it.

The people behind Celebrate Los Osos, the organizers behind CLO, the people pulling the strings are socially and politically destructive figures who feel the need to sweep their actions under the table by flooding the airwaves and presses with press releases about how charitable and wonderful they are.

I don’t see the thousands of volunteers who work at soup kitchens across the country craving attention, sending out press releases and trying to convince everyone that they’re doing something positive. Many of them simply show up, put on an apron, cook and serve food to the homeless. They’re not so petty (let’s use your word, Richard) that they feel the need to heavily publicize what they’re doing. They just do it.

The problem I have with the CLO organizers is that they have blood on their hands. They’ve never admitted to wrongdoing, they’ve never tried to reverse the damage that they’ve caused — and they expect the people of Los Osos to observe and admire all the hard work they’ve done. Richard, let’s rewind the tape to April 2009 when we spoke to each other and you said to me, “It’s not how hard people work. It’s the results. Look at the results,” and tell me Richard, what is the result? A boardwalk? A torn down fence? A few trees? Thousands of residents who are facing once unfathomable consequences for living in paradise?

Let me know if you — or Pandora or anyone else who’s involved — have an answer besides the one you’ve been giving: “CLO is doing great work regardless of whether you appreciate it or not.”
Richard LeGros

Aaron and Julie

I had no idea you are the self-anointed-all-knowing -righteous-police; and as such you intuitively possess a complete God-like understanding of the morals, character and sins/damnable acts of the CLO folks!

It is your duty; Yeah verily your crusade; to warn us all as to the abomination that is CLO!

I quiver, cower and acquiesce to your superior, true and undeniable understanding of what drives the souls (or is it soullessness?) of the legions of community volunteers/mindless automatons as they commit rampant acts kindness while kowtowing to the evil tyrants lording over Celebrate Los Osos.

It is shamefully my sin to question your commandment that CLO be shunned.

CLO be damned! Out CLO! Out!

I am saved!
- Aaron
  
  Me? Self-anointed, all-knowing, God-like righteous police? Even though I’m not any of those things, I am humbled by your comments. No, really. I am. Thank you.
  
  I see you’re ignoring my points, Richard. That’s fine. I’m just educating the readers at this point.
  
  This is cause and effect in action. This isn’t about morals or the imposition of morals on a group of volunteers who are doing “rampant acts of kindness.” It’s about what some of the organizers — clearly not all of them — have done and what they are doing to sweep their previous actions under the rug.
  
  Judges often sentence criminals to several hours of community service. Sure, they’re doing their part in cleaning litter off our highways, but they’re still criminals. For me to bring up the fact that they’re criminals is not some wishy-washy attempt to vilify them for performing community service, which is what you’re claiming, Richard — and that’s just wrong. You know it’s wrong.
  
  It’s very convenient for you to dismiss us as being a bunch of ungrateful, Scrooge-like “obstructionist” curmudgeons who don’t help the community. In reality, that’s just a hyperbolic vilification of people who simply disagree with you. That’s okay, but the facts are facts and that’s not going to change.
Richard LeGros

Aaron and Julie

I had no idea you are the self-anointed-all-knowing -righteous-police; and as such you intuitively possess a complete God-like understanding of the morals, character and sins/damnable acts of the CLO folks!

It is your duty; Yeah verily your crusade; to warn us all as to the abomination that is CLO!

I quiver, cower and acquiesce to your superior, true and undeniable understanding of what drives the souls (or is it soullessness?) of the legions of community volunteers/mindless automatons as they commit rampant acts kindness while kowtowing to the evil tyrants lording over Celebrate Los Osos.

It is shamefully my sin to question your commandment that CLO be shunned.

CLO be damned! Out CLO! Out!

I am saved!
- Aaron
  
  Me? Self-anointed, all-knowing, God-like righteous police? Even though I’m not any of those things, I am humbled by your comments. No, really. I am. Thank you.
  
  I see you’re ignoring my points, Richard. That’s fine. I’m just educating the readers at this point.
  
  This is cause and effect in action. This isn’t about morals or the imposition of morals on a group of volunteers who are doing “rampant acts of kindness.” It’s about what some of the organizers — clearly not all of them — have done and what they are doing to sweep their previous actions under the rug.
  
  Judges often sentence criminals to several hours of community service. Sure, they’re doing their part in cleaning litter off our highways, but they’re still criminals. For me to bring up the fact that they’re criminals is not some wishy-washy attempt to vilify them for performing community service, which is what you’re claiming, Richard — and that’s just wrong. You know it’s wrong.
  
  It’s very convenient for you to dismiss us as being a bunch of ungrateful, Scrooge-like “obstructionist” curmudgeons who don’t help the community. In reality, that’s just a hyperbolic vilification of people who simply disagree with you. That’s okay, but the facts are facts and that’s not going to change.
julie

Very simply Richard, I don’t like seeing vonlunteers pissed on. the fence project is an example of abusing volunteer work/donations in the name of self promotion. Period. Believe me, I have done my share of volunteer coordinating. The first rule of coordinating volunteers is let the volunteer do what they do and like best or donate what they can.
For example, if one approaches a local merchant to ask for free supplies, I would never have knowingly set those supplies up for destruction — may has well have thrown them in the trash. As was done in the CLO fence project. I don’t know how many baby oak trees were killed (15-20), but I can assure you, had they been mature Eucalyptus cut down by (say, hmmm) Jeff Edwards, the screaming would have very loud. Instead and hipocrytically, they were young native oak sapplings, bulldozed over by heavy equipment in the business of putting in a signal that Pandora knew was coming.
It’s an observation Richard. Just an observation.
http://xxx julie

Very simply Richard, I don’t like seeing vonlunteers pissed on. the fence project is an example of abusing volunteer work/donations in the name of self promotion. Period. Believe me, I have done my share of volunteer coordinating. The first rule of coordinating volunteers is let the volunteer do what they do and like best or donate what they can.
For example, if one approaches a local merchant to ask for free supplies, I would never have knowingly set those supplies up for destruction — may has well have thrown them in the trash. As was done in the CLO fence project. I don’t know how many baby oak trees were killed (15-20), but I can assure you, had they been mature Eucalyptus cut down by (say, hmmm) Jeff Edwards, the screaming would have very loud. Instead and hipocrytically, they were young native oak sapplings, bulldozed over by heavy equipment in the business of putting in a signal that Pandora knew was coming.
It’s an observation Richard. Just an observation.
Richard LeGros

Julie,

Regarding your ‘observation’:

1. You make the claim to know that CLO volunteers have been ‘abused’.

Name one CLO volunteer that you know that believes (and publically acknowledges) that they have been ‘pissed on’ and believe that their ‘work & donations’ have been ‘abused’…………….
You cannot!
No such ‘abused’ volunteer exists!

Seems to me that all you are doing is expressing your own petty emotions and negative opinion about CLO; and further expressing your emotions/opinion through your incredible fantasy about nonexistent ‘abused CLO volunteers’.
Really petty!

2. Regardless of ‘JT’s personal rules about volunteers’, you seem to forget that you (and your ‘rules’) did not bother to volunteer your ‘expertise’ to assist CLO’ community efforts to begin with.
You willfully did not participate in the conceiving, organizing, promoting, material and fund raising, or executing of any CLO project………..yet you unjustifiably insist you have the right to criticize CLO efforts just because you fel entitled.

Again, your comments are petty as you criticize your hardworking CLO neighbors for the good community work they have done (and which CLO realized without your assistance and ‘rules’ either!…how dare they!)
Really petty!

3. What the heck does the fate of trees (mature or otherwise) have to do with anything CLOish?

Your tree complaint is not grounded in any ’concern’ about the fate of the trees caused by CLO activities.

Your concern is grounded in yours and Jeff’s petty perception that you feel ‘unjustly’ hounded by all the negative public opinion regarding your own treeish activities. What is really getting your goat is that you want CLO to be publically crucified for their treeish activities just like you and Jeff; but that is not happening.

Your complaint is really about your petty lamenting about ‘double standards’ in public opinion…..which has nothing to do with CLO.
Really petty!
Richard LeGros

Julie,

Regarding your ‘observation’:

1. You make the claim to know that CLO volunteers have been ‘abused’.

Name one CLO volunteer that you know that believes (and publically acknowledges) that they have been ‘pissed on’ and believe that their ‘work & donations’ have been ‘abused’…………….
You cannot!
No such ‘abused’ volunteer exists!

Seems to me that all you are doing is expressing your own petty emotions and negative opinion about CLO; and further expressing your emotions/opinion through your incredible fantasy about nonexistent ‘abused CLO volunteers’.
Really petty!

2. Regardless of ‘JT’s personal rules about volunteers’, you seem to forget that you (and your ‘rules’) did not bother to volunteer your ‘expertise’ to assist CLO’ community efforts to begin with.
You willfully did not participate in the conceiving, organizing, promoting, material and fund raising, or executing of any CLO project………..yet you unjustifiably insist you have the right to criticize CLO efforts just because you fel entitled.

Again, your comments are petty as you criticize your hardworking CLO neighbors for the good community work they have done (and which CLO realized without your assistance and ‘rules’ either!…how dare they!)
Really petty!

3. What the heck does the fate of trees (mature or otherwise) have to do with anything CLOish?

Your tree complaint is not grounded in any ’concern’ about the fate of the trees caused by CLO activities.

Your concern is grounded in yours and Jeff’s petty perception that you feel ‘unjustly’ hounded by all the negative public opinion regarding your own treeish activities. What is really getting your goat is that you want CLO to be publically crucified for their treeish activities just like you and Jeff; but that is not happening.

Your complaint is really about your petty lamenting about ‘double standards’ in public opinion…..which has nothing to do with CLO.
Really petty!
Richard LeGros

Gee Julie,

You wrote: “The County Public Works Department staff (paid by taxpayers) took the new fence down, but will not put it back up. Nash-Karner will have to use her “magical coercion” to re-enlist volunteers to double-do what should have been done by the County in the first place. ”

Have you noticed that the Red Barn fence is back up?
It looks great too!
As it was replaced at no cost or effort by you by other volunteers, no doubt you will B&M about that too

Julie………your constant mindless lamenting and badmouthing of CLO is PETTY!
Richard LeGros

Gee Julie,

You wrote: “The County Public Works Department staff (paid by taxpayers) took the new fence down, but will not put it back up. Nash-Karner will have to use her “magical coercion” to re-enlist volunteers to double-do what should have been done by the County in the first place. ”

Have you noticed that the Red Barn fence is back up?
It looks great too!
As it was replaced at no cost or effort by you by other volunteers, no doubt you will B&M about that too

Julie………your constant mindless lamenting and badmouthing of CLO is PETTY!

YOUR VOICE: Celebrate Los Osos With Sincerity, Not Press Releases

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