Join me in voting for Shirley Gonzales, who shines among this year’s crop of City Council candidates for three open seats.
Ms. Gonzales, and her husband Kevin, have three kids in Park Elementary and own Pedal the Peaks bike shop in downtown Durango.
She expresses her love for our gem of a village, saying that everyone here is friendly – part of what drew the family here, along with opportunities for her son Ian to pursue his passion for biking.
During eight years as city councilor in San Antonio, TX, she rode her bike and advocated for alternative and multimodal transportation. Here, too, she is an ardent biker, using her 2-wheeler whenever she can to get around our fair city, so she notices first-hand where safety and accessibility could be improved.
Another issue she would like to work on, talking to other parents at Park Elementary, is the lack of childcare options. Shirley has suggested a new approach – creating and funding a stipend parents could use to pay for childcare services. This direct approach removes start-up and overhead costs for building new facilities, putting funds directly into a trusted relative - or friend-provider’s pocket. That’s sensible and effective!
Shirley researches what other cities are up to, so offers new ideas for the problems we face including lack of affordable housing, and wages that do not sustain life in a gentrifying city. We can use her gentle, deeply thoughtful approach to spur new directions for Durango.
Deen Leonard
Durango
