Maintaining Meaning in Community

It was Aristotle who first defined the word "community" as a group established by men having shared values. That initial definition, though refined and expanded throughout the years, has aspects that still ring true today. In Brisbane, the community shares values which stem largely from the City's small population size. With less than 4,000 residents, the small-town atmosphere associated with Brisbane is the perfect environment for expressing care to one another and getting involved in civic and recreational activities.

Speaking of which, this coming Monday will afford the community an opportunity for just that. The City Council has chosen to have a group of panelists come and speak to the community about the possibilities of uses for the Baylands. Peter Dangermond, BSLA, FASLA and president of The Dangermond Group will be facilitating the conversation among the following panelists:

1. Michael Tymoff, MLA, Landscape Architecture/Urban Design, University of Georgia; current Project Manager at San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development


2. Dave Gould, BS, Natural Resources Management, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; current Diablo Vista District Superintendent for California State Parks
   
3. Michael Boland, A.B., Architecture, MLA, Masters in City and Regional Planning, UC Berkeley; current Chief Planning, Projects and Programs Officer for the Presidio Trust
   

Come on down to City Hall at 7:30pm this coming Monday (1/26) to hear from this distinguished group of panelists!

Participating in recreational activities not only benefits your physical health, but contributes to your emotional/psychological well-being as well. The Parks & Rec. Dept. is currently taking sign-up's for Baseball and Softball, but time is running out! Be sure to sign your child up by the registration deadline of Feb. 6th. Click here to view the flyer. Also, coaches are needed for the Bronco and Pony Leagues (ages 11 & 12 and ages 13 & 14) - call Steve Beaty at 508-2144 for more info!

Lastly, it's no secret that times are tough. But the impact to local non-profits may be less evident, with some non-profit organizations reporting giving to be down 75% compared to last year. Fortunately, there are organizations out there such as Community Wish List, which is a free service offered by the County. Started in 2004, Community Wish List encourages people to donate their discarded computers, furniture, and other goods to non-profits that need them. Non-profits do their own data entry on the Wish List via an open source management system. Check out their website, http://www.communitywishlist.org/ to see how you can help!