To whom it may concern, I'm sending this e-mail in
support of Vanessa Carlise who has been a leader in
the Belle Haven Community for over 20 years.My name is
Curtis Haggins and I was in attendance at the last
City Council meeting at the Senior Center and I was
really touched when I saw the amount of people who
came out in support of Vanessa on such a late last
minute notice...That makes me wonder how many people
will actually come out if we print flyer's and post
them at all the local stores, barbershops and light
poles letting the people of the community know that
you guys plan to move someone who has been a
''STAPLE'' in our ''COMMUNITY'' for so long.I can say
through personal experience that Vanessa goes beyond
her call of duty for kids and families in ''OUR''
community...her job description doesn't describe what
she is to the people of our community.I attended the
programs at the Onetta Harris Community Center since I
was 6 years old and the staff especially Vanessa went
out of their way to make sure I knew how to be proud,
how to make good decision, how to be a student, how to
a leader, how to decipher right from wrong, they talk
me along with hundreds of other children over the past
20 years how to be 'WINNERS''...I personally know of
at least 25 guys who I grew up with in the Belle Haven
Community that Vanessa has influenced and continues to
influence them to this day.We all are College
Graduates from various colleges across the country
some of us have Bachelors, Masters and Law Degrees
from prestigious Universities.I'm 30 years old and I
still have a relationship with Vanessa today.I'm sure
her job description doesn't include her monitoring our
progress as high school students, college students and
now as adults and members of the community. My point
is that Vanessa is a wonderful woman who has paid her
dues and put in a lot of work in the Belle Haven
Community and throughout the years has earned the
Trust, Respect, and Love of the Community and to
remove her from the Belle Haven after school program
would be an injustice to Vanessa and the kids of our
''Community''....I left that City Council meeting
feeling like we got our point across and it sounds
like you guys made a decision to slow down the process
and look for other alternative ways to appease both
programs without taking Vanessa out of our community
and the program at Onetta Harris.But now I'm hearing
some few weeks later that this is a done deal and that
Vanessa will be moved immediately!!My questions is
what was the process? Was the process to tell our
community that you would work hard to find
ALTERNATIVES to shut us up and then move Vanessa as
soon as the uproar was over well it's not over and it
will only get louder and the support will only grow
for Vanessa as the community and surrounding
communities of East Palo Alto and Palo Alto begin to
hear what's going on because Vanessa's reach reaches
well BEYOND the Belle Haven Community she has affected
many peoples lives from all other.The Onetta Harris
Community has been the MECCA for sports programs and I
tell you many different people from all walks of life
have been a part of their programs and over the past
20 years Vanessa has been a mainstay that has
connected with all of those people. Thank you all for
taking time out your day to hear my truths, thoughts
and support of Vanessa Carlise.
Curtis Haggins

 
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Received on Fri Feb 23 10:56:05 2007