Parks and Rec.

My community partner is the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Department of Parks interacts with a variety of citizens from various segments of society within San Mateo County. The Department of Parks is tasked with creating new public spaces as well as to maintain existing ones. One way the San Mateo  County Department of Parks interacts with the citizens they serve is through citizen volunteers. The Department of Parks relies on citizens for a variety of tasks, including acting as trail guides, maintaining trails and pathways, and cleaning up parks. In addition, the Department of Parks works with a variety of private sector organizations to help fund raise for the creation of new parks. These interactions all happen at the local level, throughout San Mateo County. The Department of Parks works with a variety of other local agencies to facilitate their mission. Citizen participation effects my community partner drastically. If no one used the parks, the county would likely shut them down. While using the parks might not be contributing to the betterment of the park, it is a way the public participates with the Department of Parks.

The Legacy of Dr. King and Voting Rights

The most enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, with regards to voting rights, would be the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These two pieces of legislation allowed for greater equality and allowed more minority groups to enter local elected offices. It also called for local elections to be monitored at the federal levels in areas that had a past of discriminatory conduct. Unfortunately the United States of America has a long and ugly past of discriminating against minority groups, and the right to vote should never be taken for granted. Even today, cases involving discriminatory re-redistricting practices make headlines. After the 2000 Presidential Election and with recent trends like voter ID cards it is clear that fair and equal elections must still be fought for, and not assumed to be in practice. Dr. King did a tremendous amount to help achieve great equality and inclusion in the political process for all minority groups in America. The things that MLK fought for effect everyone, and not just African Americans. Anyone who is a member of a group that is different, either in appearance or in their thinking, from the majority can be construed as a threat to those in power. Dr. King was subjected to government surveillance and intimidation, due to his political-economic vision and his rejection of the War in Vietnam.  Especially with the recent revelations of Edward Snowden ensuring fair elections is even more important.

CP: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District/San Mateo County Department of Parks

I am exploring the option of working with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the San Mateo County Department of Parks. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District operates 26 open space preserves which are open to the public, year round and free of charge. They create projects designed to ensure that the lands are properly maintained and provide public access without damaging the local ecosystems. In many ways the Midpeninsula Open Space District fulfills the same role a city's parks and recreation program would if these spaces fell in city jurisdiction. The San Mateo County Department of Parks fulfils a similar role: monitoring, maintaining and promoting open space parks and trails throughout San Mateo County. These parks include some Redwood Forests and Coastal areas. As an avid outdoorsmen myself I find it extremely important to preserve the unique ecosystems found in the Bay Area. I feel that nature is truly a "voiceless" entity and since everyone is a stakeholder in our environments stability and health the government should do as much as possible to protect our environment from further development and pollution. Hopefully I can learn more about what our government does to protect these areas and how they can expand their efforts.

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