• Who I Am.
• My View of St. Louis County
• Rights of the People
• Labor vs Business
• Economic Diversity
• Environmental Issues
• Welfare Reform
• Foster Care Reform
• Juvenile Reform
• Elderly Issues
• College Students in our area
• Emergency Services
• My volunteer work and advocacy

• Map of District 1

• Home page

Who I am and why I would make a good County Commissioner.

I was raised here in St. Louis County, in the Cotton area north of Duluth. I have been a resident of Duluth for the past 22-plus years. I am now a mother of two daughters, Cassandra and Clarissa, and the grandmother of one grandson, Ryan. Charles (Chuck) Kelly and I have been together for almost 17 years and live on North 10th Ave. East.

I chose Duluth after living for awhile in the Los Angeles area of California. I decided I didn't want anything quite as big as L.A. nor as small as Cotton, and Duluth fit my needs. I could not see myself raising children in the environment that I was living in out west and that was my main reason why I came back here. I liked the small town atmosphere of Duluth, the low crime rates and the friendly people.

My oldest daughter and I first settled on East 13th Street, in what was the old Harbor View housing district. I met some of my dearest friends there and it felt like home to me.

After a couple of years we moved to the 1900 block of East 3rd Street. It was while living there that I first saw a problem and decided to do something about it. At the time, 4th Street was undergoing some major re-construction. The buses from 4th Street were re-routed to Superior Street as a result. I understood this but then when the construction was complete the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) was going to leave the bus route on Superior Street. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I saw elderly people and people with disabilities struggling to walk up and down the hills with their groceries. It was a problem that needed attention. I put a petition together to get the buses put back on 4th Street, gathered approximately 500 signatures and headed for City Hall.

Like many people I was scared to death to speak at a public meeting but I thought the issue was important so I did it. The City Council was very nice, but informed me that they weren't involved in making those decisions. They did, however, tell me who to contact at the DTA, so off to the DTA board I went. Within a very short time the buses were once again running on 4th Street.

So started my speaking out and getting things done when I feel changes need to be made. Since that time I have spoken out on many different issues, advocated for change, and lost the fear of speaking in public.

I don't jump on every bandwagon that comes along because first of all I don't have the time and second it has to mean something to me. I was told by my grandmother years ago, "Pick your fights carefully and be willing to give it all you have." I have tried to do just that when deciding on what action to take.

Also there are many sides to an issue and it is important to look at all viewpoints before deciding what to do. I prefer to do my own research and not take one story as the only available one. In time people have tried to do this to me and have found out that I am very capable of checking out things on my own and not taking things for granted. I have also been known to let people know when I think they have given me the wrong information whether it be accidental or on purpose.

I feel I have acquired very good negotiating skills as well as being open to new ideas. I am also willing to acknowledge if I have been wrong and apologize if it is warranted.

I see problems now that I want to change but without a little more power and influence I don't know that I can really get these things done. I want to leave this area better for my children and my grandchildren, like my ancestors did for me.