Still supporting Mike

Editor: I first met with Mike McGuire at a community meeting at
the Flying Goat Café in Healdsburg when he was rallying support for
the Climate Protection Campaign’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
target. I am a dedicated environmentalist, and he immediately made
a positive impression as an enthusiastic young person engaged in
public service and fully aware of key environmental issues.
Our paths have continued to cross over the years. After a
meeting on North Sonoma County water issues a few years back, I
suggested that a few local groups might want to get together to
coordinate activities. Next thing I heard, Mike had pulled together
five local groups, including neighborhood groups, grapegrowers and
the Russian Riverkeeper.
This group, the Clean Water Coalition, has worked successfully
to protect our groundwater and to prevent pollutants from entering
the Russian River and Dry Creek.
It was amazing to watch Mike coordinate, bring together, and
find solutions for a group made up of such competing interests —
but he made it happen, as he so often does.
We have also worked together on other local projects, including
expansion of Healdsburg’s solar photovoltaic funding program, and
county-wide plastic bag recycling.
Finally, it was my pleasure while chair of the local Sierra Club
to interview Mike as a candidate for Healdsburg City Council. I’ll
note that in 2008 we did endorse Mike McGuire for that office.
And so I am glad to see that Mike is running for 4th District
County Supervisor, and happy to continue to support him.
Nabeel Al-Shamma
Healdsburg