The very first “The Lay of the Land” column in 2013 discussed the expression “You can’t fight City Hall.” It asked: who exactly is city hall? It noted that we and our neighbors, along with all the other residents of the city, create government. We control it. It answers to nobody but us. It is us. We set up government to do what we want it to do. But we have to tell it clearly what exactly that is. So, can you fight city hall? Since city hall is “us,” the answer is no.

In the ten years since then, this column has discussed a variety of topics including the local planning process, the environment, quality of life, neighborliness and community. But throughout, the goal has been to motivate action and public involvement in community decision-making.

A later column noted that a surprising number of visitors refer to Carpinteria as their beach town, and they care about preserving what is special about it. They mention the same things we as locals value: the family-friendly beach, clean air, small town charm, unique stores and shops, the relaxed feel and how so much is easily accessible by walking or bicycling. The visitors leave after their short visit, but we are lucky enough to stay.

It is up to us to continue actively working to protect what we value by keeping informed about what is happening in town, but even more importantly, what is proposed to happen. If an oversized building is already being built or if ocean or mountain views are already blocked, it is too late. The time for action is before things go wrong.

Another column asked if the Carpinteria of today is the result of an inevitable sequence of events that brought us to the current moment, or if things might have turned out differently.

If the past decades had taken the “more likely” route, we might have a marina instead of a Salt Marsh Reserve and Nature Park. Rather than the Carpinteria Bluffs as we know them today, there would be

The more likely course of history would have given us multi-story hotels and high-end condos lining Sandyland Road and sprawling along much of our coast. Our air quality, traffic congestion and general noise level would be like many other urban coastal areas.

Quite simply, the default path of history would have resulted in something other than a small beach town. Longtimers would comment that Carpinteria used to be a great place. Fortunately, an unlikely level of community involvement and action over many decades changed the course of history to put us where we are today.

In yet another column, I shared an experience where I was at an event at a home near the train tracks when a noisy train went by. Longtime Carpinterians showed an example of neighborliness when they stopped what they were doing and waved at the passengers on the train. Lesson learned. Now I make a point to wave when a passenger train goes by, and I love seeing the surprised and smiling faces in the train windows; I occasionally get a friendly wave back.

So, what is the lesson for us? Yes, it is fun to wave at passing trains. But being a neighbor is also fun. It can be challeng-

TED RHODES FILE PHOTO ing to listen to someone you completely disagree with. But if we really listen, we might learn something about each other’s viewpoints. Being neighbors does not mean we agree on everything. It means we respect each other as people and want to find common ground. residential neighborhoods, its unique visual and natural resources and its open, rural surroundings while enhancing recreational, cultural and economic opportunities for our citizens.”

Our common ground is to preserve the essence of our small beach town. We may have different ideas about how to achieve that. But if we remember we are all neighbors with the same goal, we can focus on our shared goal, and not our differences.

Achieving that goal requires paying attention and continuing our history of an unlikely level of community involvement and action so our future is what we dream of, not what we fear.

You have to stay wide awake to keep a sleepy little town. As this column continues into its second decade, I hope it can help all of us stay wide awake.

Mike Wondolowski is president of the Carpinteria Valley Association facebook. com/carpinteriavalleyassociation), a local organization dedicated to maintaining the small beach town nature of our community. In over 30 years of involvement in planning issues, he has witnessed visionary successes, as well as decisions that were later widely regretted. When not stuck indoors, he can often be found enjoying Carpinteria’s treasures including kayaking and snorkeling along the coast, running or hiking on the bluffs or the Franklin Trail, or “vacationing” as a tent camper at the State Beach.

KARLSSON FILE PHOTO

Cathy