Saturday, May 19, 2007

Chapman election speech

here is my 3 minute election speech as read at the may 15 ATC meeting:

"For the past two years it has been an honor and a privilege to represent this beautiful and unique community. My name is Justin Chapman and I'm running for my second term on the Altadena Town Council. I want to continue to effectively represent the people of census tract 4602. They put their trust in me when they elected me two years ago, and everthing I've done on this council since then, all the hard work and volunteer time, has been entirely for their benefit.
I've been living in Altadena for 16 years and the Pasadena area my entire life. I've accomplished many things in my 21 years and have gained valuable life lessons through my various experiences, including student ambassadorship to four countries and two states. I've been published in many newspapers, school papers, magazines, online, and poetry books and have done travel writing and reporting in about 20 countries and many more states. Through my professional child acting career and many other endeavors, I learned early on how to work with people to get things done.
During my tenure on the town council, I have fought tirelessly for the community I love. My main focus has been and always will be education. That's the promise I made when I first ran for the council, and that's what I set out to do the past two years. I believe Altadena is underserved by the Pasadena Unified School District and have dedicated my volunteer time on the council to improve the relationship and communication between the district and the council by offering alternative and unconventional ideas to major problems and dilemmas facing our schools and community. Altadenans want to have an influential and respected voice when it comes to major issues and decisions that affect schools, education, and Altadena students. I restarted the Altadena Town Council's dormant Education Committee and began a virtually nonexistent dialogue with the district. That committee is still doing good work in terms of shaping district policy in favor of the Altadena community and I will continue to push in that direction.
I want the council to be a much more influential and active voice in our community, sharing ideas and working with residents, institutions, and businesses. I have established working relationships with important local community leaders such as congress members, state senators, assembly members, superintendents, various board trustees, mayors, city council members, activists, and county supervisors.
I have several initiatives in mind for my census tract which I will work hard to implement if reelected, such as bus service on Lake Avenue from Altadena Drive to the mountains, park and school safety, and trail and park enhancement and maintenance.
If you live in 4602, please vote for me, Justin Chapman, on Saturday, June 9, so I can continue to fight for positive change in our community. Thank you."

mahalo,
justin

ATC election heats up

well, the altadena town council 2007 election is gettin' hot after the 14 remaining candidates in all eight open census tract seats gave their speeches at the tuesday, may 15th town council meeting. the candidates are as follows in alphabetical and census tract # order (* indicates the candidate i am/will be supporting while + indicates incumbency):

4601
-tim kelly

4602
-justin chapman*+
-sarah fuller

4603.01
-keith gibbs
-alice wesson*

4603.02
-steve lamb*+
-matt littell

4610
-gene campbell*+

4611
-jerry rhoads
-michele zack+

4612
-ken balder+
-peter baumer
-laura graham*

4613
-lori judson+

in the coming weeks, as it gets closer to the SATURDAY, JUNE 9 election, i will be posting more info about the candidates, along with guaranteed polling places and other relevant campaign shiznit. if lamb and i maintain our two seats and win two seats (in 4603.02 and 4612), altadena will have the first liberal/progressive majority on the town council EVER, and the first majority to actually represent the people of altadena EVER. now that makes this one exciting election! i can't wait...
stay tuned to this blog for more info on my campaign.

mahalo,
justin

Crown City News interview

on monday, may 7, i was interviewed by tami kimball devine on crown city news, a local pasadena news show broadcast on KPAS 55/56, the same station that producer stuart johnson interviewed me on during the pasadena primary election night ballot counting at the convention center. ms. devine has an amazing story of survival. she was born on a mud floor in a mud hut during civil war in sierra leone. after her mother died when she was young, tami spent some time in a poor orphanage, where she was finally adopted by a white missionary family (the kimball's) who picked her out of a litter of young black girls because of her big bright smile. she is now the producer/anchor of crown city news in pasadena. i am just amazed and touched by her incredible life story, and it was a great honor to have been interviewed by her about my work on the altadena town council, my activism in local education issues in our school district, and my role in the whole AUSD proposal. info on how to see my episode follows:

crown city news airs at 2:30pm (newscast) and 6pm on charter cable channel 56, and 6:30pm on charter cable channel 3. if you can't watch it on TV, go to www.crowncitynews.com and click on the logo.

"we want to be your local TV news resource for the news and events happening in your San Gabriel Valley neighborhoods. so call us with calendar items, story ideas, or to advertise your business or service.
-tami devine
hens teeth square, los robles ave/woodbury dr on the pasa/altadena border
tami@crowncitynews.com/626-798-3288"

mahalo,
justin