Hi this is Chris Dudley and the Ridgefield News and Views Podcast.
With this podcast I hope to create a regular forum for news, opinion, and interviews about the people, happenings, and other important goings on in Ridgefield Washington.
I’ll also be discussing topics that we will be showing as part of my wife and my regular documentary series at the Old Liberty Theater in downtown Ridgefield. Find us on facebook at Meaningful Movies in Ridgefield (We show films every fourth Wednesday of the month excepting December--though I’m trying to secure right to the film Idiocracy for this coming December).
Please find links to these and my other podcast, Crisis Cycling, which deals with issues less specific to Ridgefield but still important to our citizens, at Crisis cycling dot com.
On Wednesday night, October 16th, 2019, I attended the candidate forum hosted by the League of Women voters held at the Clark County Fire Station at Dollar’s Corner in Battle Ground.
This first discussion is between incumbent Sandra Day and challenger Ronald Rowan for the Ridgefield City Council race, position number 7.
After the recorded forum I will add more information and my opinions and recommendations, so stick around if you’re interested and or go to crisiscycling.com if you’d like to comment. You can also find my podcast facebook page, crisis cycling, or, and these are all on facebook as well, The Ridgefield Community Group, and as I mentioned Meaningful Movies in Ridgefield.
The first voice you will hear is that of the moderator.
During the presentation Rowan mentions the Ridgefield Multicultural Festival. I really wanted to thank him for that. He volunteered at the festival this year. That’s dear to my heart, personally, because my wife Megan Dudley was the progenitor of the idea of having a multicultural festival, and she’s the main driver behind it. I can’t tell you how many hours she puts into the festival every year. So, thank you to Mr Rowan.
But, my endorsement goes to Sandra Day. I’ve spoken with her many times, she’s come to our community group meeting and made a presentation on growth, she’s always been willing to stop and talk or answer an email.
Also, I’ve found that she has an open mind to ideas that I’ve brought up in my quest to help make Ridgefield a resilient community. I should probably do a whole podcast on that, but suffice to say, I believe we should be working as a community to prepare for an uncertain future by learning to provide for ourselves in every way, food and energy production, what we do with our waste, and just generally connecting here for goods and services rather then looking over there somewhere.
I’m a firm believer in the social philosophy of degrowth, which advocates for conserving what we already have, and making our communities livable the way they are as opposed to being in a state of always begging for constant growth.
I’m a firm believer in the social philosophy of degrowth, which advocates for conserving what we already have, and making our communities livable the way they are as opposed to being in a state of always begging for constant growth.
When I brought this idea to Sandra Day she listened and seemed engaged with the underlying hopes inherent in that philosophy despite she and I landing on the opposite sides of the binary political divide we’re currently stuck in.
As another indicator, a couple of years ago I asked the Port of Ridgefield’s Executive Director Brent Grening if he knew of any properties that might be used for a permaculture showcase. Permaculture is an agro ecological approach to sustainable, real organic food production. Grening was interested, knew of a small location and put me in touch with Sandray Day.
Sandra Day liked the idea and brought me to a couple of meetings with other interested parties. Nothing came of it mostly because I began to realize the actual work was going to be too much for me to do on my own--but that opportunity is still out there and I’m sure Sandra Day would pick it up right where we left if off.
She works tirelessly for Ridgefield.
Ronald Rowan is prone to posting memes on his facebook page decrying the rise of Sharia Law in the US, which is just not actually happening from any objective standpoint.
Rowan does talk about the need for affordable housing here, but didn’t offer any concrete plans.
Of course, that’s a whole ‘nother massive issue. Other than as a band aid here and there, I see houselessness and poverty as being more functions of Federal policies than ones that can be meaningfully addressed by individual communities. For his part, Rowan appears to be of the political persuasion that is currently dismantling what few Federal programs remain that help marginalized people.
Of course, that’s a whole ‘nother massive issue. Other than as a band aid here and there, I see houselessness and poverty as being more functions of Federal policies than ones that can be meaningfully addressed by individual communities. For his part, Rowan appears to be of the political persuasion that is currently dismantling what few Federal programs remain that help marginalized people.
But, I really appreciate Rowan’s advocacy for affordable housing, his volunteer work in the community, and his willingness to stand up and serve his community.
I’m sure he’ll be around and I look forward to talking to him about community resilience, but I endorse Sandra Day. She’s the most prepared, has the most experience, and has worked tirelessly for Ridgefield.
Let me know what you think. You can join the conversation on my web page at crisis cycling dot com, or for that matter, join us at one of our monthly documentary screenings at the Old Liberty Theater downtown, every fourth Wednesday of the month, excluding Decembers, doors at 630, films at 7, always free to the public, snacks, wine, and coffee available at the counter. Thank youj.
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