Go Regina Wallace-Jones!!!

Go Ruben Abrica! Go HH!

"Gentrification is violence": are you frickin serious?!! While I empathize with folks who are driven out of the area due to rising rents, the issue is not unique to EPA. I think attitude like this is what'd kept EPA in the dump for so long. As a long time resident of EPA, I welcome the gentrification that brought us a vibrant shopping center, a world-class hotel and business parks that has helped EPA shed (albeit slowly) the "Murder Capital" reputation of its past.

As a voter, I'd like to know more about the sneaky, secret meeting only African American candidates in EPA were invited to. I believe one of the organizers was a former councilman who was both divisive and ineffective. Can The Weekly look into that?

@Hmmmm:

Please elaborate further!

How do you know this? What information do you have?

I wonder the type of reaction the "African American candidates" would
have if there was Hispanics only meeting.

Inquiring - that really is all I know. I don't know if the meeting violated election rules or not. Was the mysterious candidate Mr. Fields at the meeting? I hope The Weekly investigates and reports about it. I'd also like to know if there were any poll violations committed by candidates or their representatives, since there are some rumors about that.

> As a long time resident of EPA, I welcome the gentrification that brought us a vibrant shopping center, a world-class hotel and business parks that has helped EPA shed (albeit slowly) the "Murder Capital" reputation of its past.

I concur. I would like to see the further gentrification of EPA myself as it would increase my property value after decades of stagnation.

Redevelopment of EPA is paramount to increasing the city's tax revenue base. Though some lower-income individuals and families may get displaced in the process, it is a natural occurrence whenever neighborhood upgrades are in progress. It would also be prudent to gradually eliminate most of the welfare-recipient residents as they contribute very little to the improvement or upkeep of the city.

Rezoning should also be a priority. Mixed residential-commercial streets cheapen the overall appearance of a community and keep property values down. A visionary developer would be welcomed...one with the means to purchase and tear down all of the older dwellings, replacing them with modern tract homes, apartments and condos.

In time, EPA could raise the bar and finally become a city its residents can be proud to call their own. Cities like Palo Alto are good role models to emulate.

@willie sutton
BRAVO!!!! My hat is off to your opinion!
Let us see how long it will take the editor to "remove portions" of your comment. I have in the past made
comments very similar to yours to see them get removed.
People today cannot accept that gentrification is not a bad thing. Google it...
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
/ˌjentrəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/
noun
-the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.
"an area undergoing rapid gentrification"
-the process of making a person or activity more refined or polite.
"soccer has undergone gentrification"

> gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
/ˌjentrəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/

@Bravo
I am in favor of redevelopment in various parts of EPA and quite often, gentrification is a natural extension of the process as the intent is to rejuvenate the local economy by attracting new businesses and residents.

This often involves the construction of new buildings and residences. And to do so, usually requires the demolition of older buildings. The preservation and restoration of historically relevant buildings/homes should always be taken into consideration and if there are any in EPA worthy of note, they should be saved.
To date, I cannot think of any but those decisions will rest with local government leaders, city historians and city planners.

Is Wallace-Jones even the right person to be part of city council. Does she relate with the people of East Palo Alto. I think not, she works for a tech company and do most residents of East Palo Work for Tech Companies... I don't think so. To me it idiotic that we have someone in charge of a town when she cannot relate with any of the residents.

>> Does she relate with the people of East Palo Alto. I think not, she works for a tech company and do most residents of East Palo Work for Tech Companies... I don't think so. To me it idiotic that we have someone in charge of a town when she cannot relate with any of the residents.

Interesting point. Should an EPACC member ideally come from a working-class background in order to better understand the needs of its residents and the community?

The % of highly-educated professional tech employees in EPA is relatively low compared to other cities in the SF Bay Area and those that do reside in EPA probably have little interest in running for local government elected office.
For the majority of them, EPA is a residential stopgap.

A city cannot be run like a corporation and vice versa. On the other hand, R. Wallace-Jones could bring some valuable insights to the council table...ones which could improve EPA as a whole.

For EPA to shed its less than stellar image (to outsiders), further residential and commercial development will be requisite. Until then, it will remain a city where few wish to live or visit.

The majority of the current council members are professionals, not working class. Some of them may not be highly compensated compared to other professions, but they are classified as professionals. Our city has had a number of residents who work in tech, but the overall employment categories are more diverse than in other local SV cities. The difference with Wallace-Jones isn't that she's a professional, it's that she's a gentrifier. It remains to be seen if she has the knowledge and ability to help run a city, and the clout, as Skinner said, to do so. So far she comes across as too defensive and reactive, using trendy verbiage and not offering concrete solutions. She also seems to be all about herself, with a pretense of harmony and community. Remember that she aims for higher office and East Palo Alto is a stepping stone.

Leaving EPA - property in East Palo Alto is selling like hotcakes. It remains to be seen how long new residents will stay.

> It remains to be seen how long new residents will stay.

It also remains to be seen how long OLD residents will stay.

If I can get $1M for a house I once paid $8K... I'm seriously out of here and headed back to Tennessee. For the last 50 years, I couldn't even get a junkyard dog interested in it. The new owners can have the place...barred windows and all.
I'll even throw-in a roll of chain link fencing I haven't got around to installing.

> As a long time resident of EPA, I welcome the gentrification...
>> For EPA to shed its less than stellar image (to outsiders), further residential and commercial development will be requisite. Until then, it will remain a city where few wish to live or visit.

True. An EPA upgrade would do wonders for the community and improves its poor image.
Nobody wants to venture into EPA unless they absolutely have to.

QUOTE: Nobody wants to venture into EPA unless they absolutely have to.

Once knew a guy who would motor over to the Whiskey Gulch area for barbecue take-out on a semi-regular basis. I think it was a place called Goldies...really good Q.

One day while waiting for his order to be filled, his car got stolen. Now he goes to Armadillo Willy's.

R. David Goldie's has been closed for DECADES. People "venture" safely into EPA all the time. My family and I do it every day.

QUOTE: David Goldie's has been closed for DECADES.

Yes. And the aforementioned individual has been going to Armadillo Willy's (in Los Altos) for decades now as well. To date, his car is still in the parking lot when he gets back to it.

Then again and in retrospect, he probably shouldn't have driven one of his better cars to EPA when he went to Goldies.

It's disgusting how discussions about EPA descend into insulting hyperbole and old news. I could whinge away about the bad stuff I experienced when I lived in PA. I've had friends sexually assaulted in PA, I was stalked, and I won't even go into detail about how many kids I knew killed themselves. None of that is relevant to this article, and neither are the suspicious comments from supposed residents and snotty outsiders. We all know property values have skyrocketed and most long time owners who want to get out of here has a good opportunity to do so now.

I'd still like to know about the secret meeting with black candidates and I also wish an updated vote count was available.

> We all know property values have skyrocketed and most long time owners who want to get out of here has a good opportunity to do so now.

CSNY's 'Wooden Ships' was playing in the background and the lyrics, "We are leaving now. You don't need us." just came on a moment ago.

That about sums up the sentiments among some of the older and current EPA residents. Sell and exit 'stage left' as the residential properties are finally appreciating in value.

Make way for the new as the further development of EPA will provide additional options towards assisting in the current housing issues now plaguing Palo Alto and other adjacent communities.

We'll stop by and visit occasionally...just to see how much EPA has changed.

Assisting Palo Alto? LOL! We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing. Our purpose is not to to help Palo Alto. It'll be great to have Mayor Abrica continue with this, and help from Measure HH.

> Assisting Palo Alto? LOL! We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing.

Larger salaries always trump lower income capabilities. The overflowing housing needs from PA will eventually shift to EPA once the city has rebuilt itself to certain acceptable standards...upwardly mobile expectations with a certain air of sophistication and good taste.

The lower income EPA residents will gradually be forced out making way for a more affluent population. That's how it works in Silicon Valley.

Again, it has *nothing* to do with Palo Alto. These market forces are greater than PA (although probably but grater than its collective ego). The entire state's metro regions are experiencing a sustained housing crisis.

QUOTE: Assisting Palo Alto? LOL! We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing. Our purpose is not to to help Palo Alto.
QUOTE: Again, it has *nothing* to do with Palo Alto. These market forces are greater than PA (although probably but grater than its collective ego).

As much as I admire and respect your sense of civic pride and 'protectionist' nature, even you are aware of the eventual consequences as EPA further redevelops and becomes a community and neighborhood that outsiders begin to take even more notice of.

Your city will then become deluged with countless opportunistic carpetbaggers (i.e. developers, investment property speculators and RE agents) + people from 'out of town' seeking attractive housing opportunities in the newer tracts and multi-use dwellings. And as a result, a number of existing EPA residents will gradually be forced out due to supply/demand criteria and the subsequent increases in rental costs and home ownership.

Though the city coffers will increase due to the added tax revenues, EPA will eventually be facing the same kind of crap Palo Alto is always dealing with. Welcome to the new world that community enhancement brings...it's a natural progression and one that will probably aggravate the old time EPA residents who wanted to see some local improvements initiated but are now having to deal with the inevitable changes in neighborhood demographics and socio-economics.

> We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing. Our purpose is not to help Palo Alto.

And along the same lines, Palo Altans really shouldn't be all that concerned or bothered about EPA's issues and problems unless they affect PA residents and businesses directly. Fair enough.

Reminds me of that old Dylan song, "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine".

Two cities...two different worlds.

" We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing. Our purpose is not to help Palo Alto."

So much for communities working together in a concerted effort to solve their shared problems and issues.

[Portion removed.]

"We're thinking of our own people and other county residents when it comes to housing. Our purpose is not to help Palo Alto."

>>A reflection of the EPA Way?

"And along the same lines, Palo Altans really shouldn't be all that concerned or bothered about EPA's issues and problems unless they affect PA residents and businesses directly. Fair enough."

>> And rightly so. I try not to concern myself to much with EPA let alone traveling there.

"So much for communities working together in a concerted effort to solve their shared problems and issues."

"Two cities...two different worlds."

>>This apparently sums things up. Besides, EPA is in an entirely different county. The only thing in common between EPA and PA is the 101 and perhaps Woodland Drive.

LOL, you can't even get the street name correct. It's Woodland Avenue, and it's not between the two cities.

All of you PA-centric commenters are laughably narcissistic. This article, once again, is about our city, not yours. You - the collective you - can't stand it when the focus isn't on you, which is sad, so you try to relate it to you. Meanwhile, speaking of the self-involved...when the gentrifying and appeasing candidate, Regina Wallace-Jones, spends many thousands of dollars on her campaign, she's not even half a point ahead of Mayor Abrica at this juncture. She'll continue to be controversial, and not in a good way.

>> All of you PA-centric commenters are laughably narcissistic. This article, once again, is about our city, not yours. You - the collective you - can't stand it when the focus isn't on you, which is sad, so you try to relate it to you.

I seriously doubt your over-generalized assessment. If anything and based on your current sentiments, there will probably be some PA residents further distancing themselves from EPA...with the possible exception of neighborhood concerns regarding residential burlglary and street assaults emanating from other areas.

The 'gentrification' of EPA will be a step in the right direction as your city has a lot of potential to grow (in terms of residency opportunities and office developments) with the rest of Silicon Valley.

"...you can't even get the street name correct. It's Woodland Avenue, and it's not between the two cities."

Not a big deal as to whether Woodland is a designated street or avenue. The zip code is all that matters. We never cross the small Newell Road bridge as there's no reason for us to do so.

>> "Two cities...two different worlds."

I can't think of anything that East Palo Alto and Palo Alto have in common. I've driven through both cities (EPA by accident) and they are as different as night and day.

There are so many houses in East Palo Alto with metal bars across the windows and heavy steel screen doors with locks and it kind of reminded me of Richmond. You just don't see that in Palo Alto for some reason.

The previous poster Hmmm seemed to be conveying that East Palo Alto has an identity all its own, far removed from that of Palo Alto and it would certainly appear that way. I guess some folks are used to a certain way of life and it suits them well. So be it.

>...metal bars across the windows and heavy steel screen doors with locks and it kind of reminded me of Richmond. You just don't see that in Palo Alto for some reason.

Or as many pit bulls roaming around.

> Go Regina Wallace-Jones!!!

Congratulations Regina...you will help EPA emerge from its past.

>> speaking of the self-involved...when the gentrifying and appeasing candidate, Regina Wallace-Jones, spends many thousands of dollars on her campaign,

Campaigns can be expensive and Ms. Jones dedicated herself to the task at hand.
Gentrification and redevelopment will finally put EPA on the map to further success.

Mayor Abrica almost got the same votes without having to waste that much money on his campaign, in fact, he did not even got 2,000 dollars. When you are good you do not need the throwaway money the way Regina did. This clearly speaks how hard she had to work in order to win. No, she does not represent our community. Mayor Abrica does. She is the only one in the city council who has stood up to improve our students' education when Ms. Hernandez and the majority of the board members wasted the 8 million dollars and took us into financial crisis. Is Regina going to do that? So far she just made promises that she will show up at the school board meeting, but so far nothing, only Mayor Abrica was there to protest for the renewal of Bonilla's contract which is a waste of money, but Pulido renewed it because thanks to him she won. She is the one who orchestrated the donations from the construction companies and the contract. He even encouraged Ravenswood School employees to go canvassing in favor of Pulido, Knight and Lopes would get more votes.
Of course, he paid them for their services with a gift card. I wonder where did they get the money to pay for the cards. Pulido owes him big times. Congratulations Mayor Abrica, you have been there for us residents even before the City of East Palo Alto was born (1983) or so.

> Gentrification and redevelopment will finally put EPA on the map to further success.

VS

> There are so many houses in East Palo Alto with metal bars across the windows and heavy steel screen doors with locks and it kind of reminded me of Richmond. You just don't see that in Palo Alto for some reason.
> Or as many pit bulls roaming around.

This is a key consideration. The kind of EPA its residents want for the future.

"There are so many houses in East Palo Alto with metal bars across the windows and heavy steel screen doors with locks and it kind of reminded me of Richmond. You just don't see that in Palo Alto for some reason."

"Or as many pit bulls roaming around."

^^^^Why would anyone want to live like this? Redevelopment should eventually eliminate the need for such measures.

Just revisiting these provincial, nasty comments about EPA. Very sad and pathetic that residents of PA are so provincial. Oh well. It'll be entertaining to watch Wallace-Jones screw up and try to cultivate her image.

> Just revisiting these provincial, nasty comments about EPA. Very sad and pathetic that residents of PA are so provincial.

Some people just want the best for EPA...It's the neighborly thing to do.

East Palo Alto is gradually making some headway and kudos to the city visionaries who are striving to make EPA a city that all of its residents can be proud of.

Gentrification and redevelopment measures will have its casualties but in the long run, increased tax revenues from new businesses and residencies will assist in the city's emergence as a key player in Silicon Valley.

Your naïveté is sort of touching. Thanks for trying to explain gentrification to me

^^^^ Mock if you will but with gentrification and further redevelopment, EPA may someday provide a locale where visitors actually feel safe shopping, dining and walking about.

The EPA Chamber of Commerce might even embark on a 'Spend the Day in EPA' marketing/sales campaign to encourage travelers to enjoy the various venues your city has to offer.

Though this vision is far removed from the present, the opportunities are limitless...in the future.

> Your naïveté is sort of touching. Thanks for trying to explain gentrification to me.

Why would anyone wish to keep certain parts of EPA the way they are?

Wouldn't the influx of investor money and development improve its overall surroundings?

> Why would anyone wish to keep certain parts of EPA the way they are?

Just guessing...civic pride, resistance to change, comfort zone, low maintenance requirements etc.

East Palo Alto has local proximity in its favor. Why some residents are against it becoming a more upscale and properous community is beyond me.

> Why would anyone want to live like this?
> Why would anyone wish to keep certain parts of EPA the way they are?

It's like me trying to get my youngsters to pick-up and clean their bedrooms. Sometimes there's a resistance to having things looking presentable.

"Why would anyone wish to keep certain parts of EPA the way they are?"

**Because it's home and a way of life that others may not understand or even appreciate.

"There are so many houses in East Palo Alto with metal bars across the windows and heavy steel screen doors with locks and it kind of reminded me of Richmond. You just don't see that in Palo Alto for some reason."

**I grew up in a house that had em instead of a costly burglar alarm. It works. The only safety issue is with the barred windows. In the event of a fire, you gotta have an escape route pre-planned.

"Or as many pit bulls roaming around."

**Palo Altans love their Labradoodles and other fake breeds. We happen to love our pit bulls.

A lotta folks here don't want no gentrification. That's for other people.

> A lotta folks here don't want no gentrification.

^^^ This will be the primary obstacle for EPA progressives.