A Chance for More Progress

We congratulate Linda Parks for her successful year as mayor of Thousand Oaks, and we anticipate further progress and harmony now that the gavel has passed to Dennis Gillette.

Parks’ term well displayed the combination of strengths she brings to her City Council work: training and experience as an urban planner, passion for environmental protection, willingness to study hard to be fully prepared, and a significantly greater gift for diplomacy than demonstrated by her former colleague Elois Zeanah or most of the city’s highly vocal growth opponents.

Her leadership was evident in the grass-roots campaign to preserve Hill Canyon as open space, and she invited broader participation in city government by hosting several “residents round-table” discussions--a practice her council colleagues regrettably voted to discontinue.

Thousand Oaks has no shortage of outspoken advocates for slow growth but effectively championing that--or any--cause requires more than enthusiasm and glibness. It remains to be seen whether any slow-growth candidate will emerge in the next round of elections who can equal Parks’ understanding, preparation and diplomacy.

Dennis Gillette has served as peacemaker more than once in his first year on the council and we expect continued improvement in the board members’ spirit of teamwork and ability to disagree without being disagreeable.

One example of his leadership: During a forum during the last campaign, someone in the audience began beaming a laser pointer at one of the candidates as he gave his opening remarks. Of the dozen candidates present, it was Gillette who took charge and instructed the wise guy to stop the potentially dangerous prank.

His background in law enforcement and university administration have well prepared him for the task of keeping the peace at council meetings and, as he puts it, “helping to run this multimillion-dollar municipal corporation.”

Thousand Oaks is fortunate to have leaders like Linda Parks and Dennis Gillette. We wish the City Council continued success.