2 Who Made a Difference

A lively if not always loving era in Thousand Oaks ended in a pageant of plaques, bouquets (both floral and verbal) and more than a few tears as residents filled City Hall last week to bid farewell to departing City Council members Judy Lazar and Elois Zeanah.

There were diplomatically few references to the deep and sometimes bitter differences between these two strong women. Far more significant, looking back over the eight years they served together, are their similarities.

Both came to the City Council with long records of civic activism--Lazar working with nonprofit groups and on the Planning Commission, Zeanah as leader of a network of homeowners associations.

Both brought abundant passion, color and genuine desire to contribute to their community.

Although they voted the same way more often than not, both sometimes took unpopular stands and refused to budge.

Both endured personal attacks from political opponents who lost sight of the difference between policy and personality--and both slipped into that trap themselves now and then.

Both 57, both enjoy the patient support of husbands and children who no doubt have had many occasions to wish that the family matriarch had chosen a different line of work.

And both have unquestionably had a lasting influence on Thousand Oaks.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter which of them better represents your notion of how government ought to work and what direction the city ought to take. Their importance goes far beyond the mere stuff of issues and style (about which we have disagreed with both on occasion). It goes beyond Thousand Oaks as well.

The greatest similarity between Judy Lazar and Elois Zeanah is one that should resonate among citizens of every community, at every level: Here are two people who didn’t just complain about local problems and wish their city were a better place. They jumped in, gave it their best effort and made a difference.

May all of us be inspired to do the same.