Hello Friend,

It's picnic week! Join us for an afternoon of community building, good convos, and sunshine. We'll also be planning our booth set up for 🏳️‍🌈 PRIDE BY THE BEACH 🏳️‍🌈 with our buddy Heather Conklin, candidate for Mira Coasta board of trustees. Let us know you're coming to the picnic by rsvp-ing at this link:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” This Margaret Mead quote has been a beacon for me ever since I was an undergrad and I'm a big believer that each of us, doing what we are able to, can change the fabric of a neighborhood which in turn can positively impact the entire community.

This litte garden "Free Market" started out as a native seed library. We now share seedlings, plants, produce, books, art supplies and more.There is also a little guest book for messages from visitiors and the messages never cease to delight. Neighbors also share their extra produce when they've got some! For the upcyclers among you, we saved a kitchen window from the dump by poppping it on wheels and refashioning it into the market.

"Community Care" isn't just a campaign slogan for me. It is a way to inspire my neighbors to remember that each of us has care to share. I firmly believe that when this care is woven together, we can make sure people feel seen and that no-one falls through the cracks. I'd love to hear how you are providing community care in your neighborhood. If you need help to get started, please reach out!

Last week, I was the lone "no" vote on the General Plan. Not because I'm not a supporter of the plan, but because of procedural reasons. During the course of the hearing, because of the public comment and conversations among the commissioners, we learned that there were a few tweaks and omissions that needed to be addressed in the general plan before it gets approved by council in the coming weeks.

We heard from staff that they noticed the same things, and unfortunately, we weren't able to articulate all of those in the motion that we were considering. So for procedural reasons, I was a "no" vote because I really wanted to make sure that we had articulated all of the items that we had spoken about with staff. 
I trust staff to make these changes, but because this is such an impactful document and so important, it was really important that we fully articulated and memorialized all of what we spoke about in the transmission to council.

I am drafting a letter to council itemizing all of the items that were ommitted from the motion and will be attending the hearing to contribute public comment on these items. One of the most important to me because of my relentles advocacy for community engagement, is the open process by which the plan (described as a "living document") will be updated and improved over time. I want to see clearly articulated means of reporting progress towards goals and actions taken over time. I'm excited about the future of Oceanside and want to make sure the public is involved every step of the way! I go into further detail in this video.

This week I learned that I received the endorsement of the Blue Dream Democratic Club. Blue Dream dems are advocates for sensible cannabis reform and I'm proud to be recognized by them for my support of the same.

🛎️ Items with the bell 🛎️ are informational. I cant be at all of them, but do my best to attend as many community events as I can.

MONDAY

• Memorial Day - We remember the fallen, those who gave all. May we collectively discover a future without wars.

TUESDAY

• 🚲 Bike About Lunch Outing - NOON
• 🛎️Melba Bishop Food Distribution - 11am
• Libby Lake Community Meeting - 6pm
• 🛎️Housing Commission - 6pm

WEDNESDAY

• 🛎️ Humanity Showers
• Yoga en español - 9am Libby Lake Community Center
• Volunteer Meeting Online 6pm - reply to this email to get the invite! (new day this week)

THURSDAY

• 🚲 Bike About Lunch Outing - NOON

FRIDAY

• Community Meetings

SATURDAY

• Oceanside Manufactured Homeowners Alliance Presentation - 10am
• ☀️VOLUNTEER POTLUCK PICNIC☀️ NOON @ our place.

SUNDAY

• Bike About the District - I'll be checking out the bikeability in the Libby Lake neighborhoods. (reply to this email if you want to ride along!)

This campaign is powered by neighbors working together to strengthen our community. Whether you have one hour or several, your help makes a difference.

Our volunteer team is planning events, contributing to strategy, building community, and powering this campaign. If you are interested in learning about campaigns, have some special skills to share, or are simply looking for a community of value aligned neighbors with whom to do good work, join us!

👉 Sign up to volunteer:

Running a strong grassroots campaign takes resources, and every contribution helps us reach more neighbors and share our message.

Whether it’s $10, $25, or $50, your support makes a real difference.

👉 Donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/eg4d2oside

Please reach out if you have ideas or feedback about our campaign. I'm standing by to listen. In community,

You are receiving this email because I've added you to a list of folks who've expressed interest in staying in touch regarding this campaign. If I've screwed that up, I am so sorry. I don't mean to spam - I'm just a regular human trying to stay connected to a growing community of awesome people I am meeting.

GONZALES FOR OCEANSIDE COUNCIL D2 2026, FPPC #1485330, Oceanside, CA 92057, United States, (760) 385-8275