By Daily Press staff
There’s four new faces on the Pico Neighborhood Association’s board.
At its annual organization meeting Saturday, more than 200 PNA members gathered in the Virginia Avenue Park recreation building to elect four new board members and listen to debate over a controversial ballot initiative that would divide the city into voting districts.
Savalas Colbert, Susanne Griffin, Wes Terry and Rev. Ronald Williams will replace George George, Tarik Ricard and fill two vacant positions on the PNA board.
Williams is the new pastor at the First AME Church by the Sea and has quickly become heavily involved in the neighborhood’s affairs.
But he didn’t intend on being elected to the PNA board.
“When I sat down, the woman next to me asked if she could nominate me, and all of a sudden another woman seconded that,” he said. “And before I knew it they had elected me.”
Santa Monica’s AME church has a long tradition of being involved in the PNA, Williams said. According to him, past AME Rev. Ellis Cassoen helped found the organization in 1979.
“It’s where I live and I want to be involved,” Williams said. “I like it — I’m really enjoying living in Santa Monica.”
After the elections, Mayor Mike Feinstein debated Paul DeSantis, author of the Voter Election Reform Initiative for a True Accountability System — which proposes dividing the city into voting districts with council representation and for the direct election of the mayor who would have veto power. The initiative also proposes term limits for the council. The measure will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The PNA has not taken a formal position on VERITAS and Chairman Peter Tigler said the organization is still deciding whether it will take a stance either way on the issue.
The eight-square block Pico neighborhood — which runs north of the Santa Monica Freeway to Santa Monica Boulevard, south to Pico Boulevard and east from Lincoln Boulevard to Centinela Boulevard — has historically been the center of Santa Monica’s violent crime, drug dealing and gang activity.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 3, 2002. Read the original PDF.