"With gratitude and humble heart..."

Well, as I write this, votes from 10 of the 12 precincts on the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters Web site have been posted. While we wait for the final count, we'll reflect. At least, I will.

For me, there is an overwhelming sense of how much I owe the many old and new friends who helped this campaign. Some took precinct lists and phoned their neighbors. Others went door to door talking to people and leaving bookmarks. A few opened their homes and gave me a chance to talk to neighbors they'd invited. A few arranged for me to talk to groups such as Rotary and Kiwanis. Others made it possible for me to speak to groups that gave money to the campaign. Finally, my wife, Monica, has served tirelessly and brilliantly as my campaign manager and Margaret De Beixedon is keeping the accounts straight and reports to the California Fair Political Practices Commission accurate, as Treasurer. I owe all of you a great deal.

It used to seem odd to me when a successful political candidate professed humility after being elected to an office. I could understand 'pride.' I had trouble with 'humility.' But not any more.

So many people offered encouragement. Friends lent their considerable talents to the various campaign tasks. Some assisted in meeting the expenses of the campaign. Some offered valuable advice on how to go about organizing things. Others quietly commended me to their friends and distributed my literature. One designed my bookmark and another the graphic on this page. I realize now that when a candidate says, "I could not have done it alone," that is the truth.

So as I look forward to how things will turn out, I realize how very grateful I am to many, many people. I promise to do my best to justify the trust you have afforded me.

In the lap of the gods?

What an interesting expression! "It's in the lap of the gods." I understand the point but I don't see the picture. I don't think of gods sitting down. Gods do things. That's why people have to take them seriously. They don't just sit. And, then, when they rise to swing into action, does what is in their laps simply fall to the ground? If so, why would anyone put anything of value in their laps in the first place? I just don't see it.

Anyway, that's where my campaign is right now.

Several of my friends walked precincts for me on Saturday, for which I am grateful. Others have been 'passing the word' on my behalf to their friends. And, very happily, others have helped underwrite some of the costs of the campaign. To all of them and you, I say a hearty "Thanks!" This has been one of the most interesting experiences of my life. And that's a fact!

So, it's in the lap of the gods. Tomorrow we vote. If we stay up late enough, we probably will know how it turned out. I am "cautiously optimistic," as they say.

The next step is for the County Supervisors to validate the outcome of the election. Then, on December 10, there will be a ceremony at the Library at which the newly-elected trustees will be sworn in and officially begin their four-year terms of office.

That same evening, from 5:30 to 7:30, Thomas and Richard will be hosting a reception for all the friends who have helped in this campaign. We will gather at 1720 Braeburn Road, and celebrate. We look forward to hearing that you can come and to seeing you on December 10th.

Then the work begins on a new Strategic Plan for the Altadena Library District and that is squarely in our laps.

The final week

At this stage of the campaign and with a blog to write, what should be its theme? There will be a final push this weekend to get out the vote on November 6. Is it too soon to take a short look back?

Last June the Library Board was seeking a candidate to finish an unfilled term. Monica wondered if I was interested.

For me, it was an idea that's time had come. I have signed petitions, sent letters, marched, carried signs, stood on corners and written checks for all kinds of causes and issues. And I have been left with a vague sense of doing something good. But I have also had a nagging question whether my efforts were really having any kind of impact. This past summer I was looking for a place where I could make a difference. We all want that, don’t we? We want to know that we are engaged in meaningful activity that will have positive outcomes.

Previous experience as a librarian, a life-long love of books and learning, experience as an administrator and board member, retired with time to spend on things I want to do – serving on the Altadena Library Board seemed a natural fit.

This fall, when the election was announced, I filed to run. That announcement had re-energized me. I wanted to work on behalf of our community and the Altadena Library District. It is an excellent resource for our community. It merits our deepest respect and most active support. It also is faced with challenges for which it needs a broader financial base. I want to help the Board meet these challenges. I also want to help it expand its life-enhancing literacy services.

So I am running and the race is in the final phase. It has been a real pleasure to advocate for the Library to numerous individuals and groups. It has also been satisfying to know that there have been issues raised and discussed on e-mails through the community. It has been exciting to find so many people interested in the Library's well-being, especially after learning that the Library is under our community’s control. People are talking about the Library. There has actually been an election campaign taking place and I am not the only candidate campaigning. That is very exciting. I sense this effort is a worthy one, and that it will make a difference. My efforts will have an impact. Wow!

Be sure to vote next Tuesday!

A new endorsement

The Democratic Club of the Pasadena Foothills invited me to speak at their meeting last Thursday night. David Datz and Mark Mariscal were also there. We are three of the four candidates for the Altadena Library Board. Before the meeting started, we had a chance to get to know each other a bit. It was immediately obvious that we were running for the Board and not against each other.

Each of us had three minutes. Basically, we all said the same thing. We need to explore new sources of funds and to update the 1998 Strategic Plan as the first step. I emphasized the need for expanding our Literacy Program. Each of us praised the quality of the Library and its staff. We were clearly on the same wavelength.

I was especially pleased by something Mark said. He was the last to speak. He ended his talk by saying that he originally planned to vote only for himself and David. Now he was going to vote for the three of us. That was nice to hear.

And I was happy to learn later that the Democratic Club of Pasadena Foothills has endorsed me, along with the two incumbents. For a full list of my endorsements, visit the Smart Voter Web site at http://www.smartvoter.org/2007/11/06/ca/la/vote/hubbard_t/endorse.html

I think the next four years are going to be especially good for the Altadena Library. Let me count on your endorsement by your vote on November 6!

Getting an A in Citizenship

Ray Cortines, what a wonderful man! He guided Pasadena Unified School District through the difficult days of school integration and budget cutbacks. He was back in town recently for a speech at a fundraising evening for El Centro de Acción Social. It was the first time I had heard him speak.

He held us spellbound, speaking softly with only a rare downward look at his notes. He told how, as a child, his report card showed all but one A. He had a B in Citizenship. "You know how we used to get grades in Citizenship." And we all smiled and nodded. His parents were not pleased with the B.

Our parents looked at that Citizenship grade even before they looked at the rest of the report card. They were concerned about how we related to the other students and our teachers -- did we show respect, were we courteous, did we accept responsibility. When they were satisfied that we were behaving ourselves properly, they went on to how we were doing with our school subjects. How we behaved was every bit as important as how well we were doing with our studies. And they were right!

Ray Cortines was asking us, in his gentle way, to think back to what our teachers were looking for in us when they graded us in Citizenship. He was urging us to apply those same standards today, and to not to be content with anything less than an A. He knew, and we know, that our communities and our nation deserve nothing less.

We have an election coming up next month. I am told, by people who know about elections, that we can expect a 5% turnout of voters. At that rate, 95% of us would get an F in Citizenship. Any democracy needs its citizens to vote and that includes Altadena. You know that!

So go for an A in Citizenship. Vote on November 6.

Why is Tom Hubbard running?

Why am I running for a seat on the Library Board?

Good question. It's a fine library. It's doing a great job. The community supports it. It has a very competent and helpful staff. What difference would my presence on the Board make?

Recently my wife Monica and I were watching Bill Moyers on KCET as he interviewed Grace Lee Boggs. Boggs is 92 years old. She and her husband have been involved in every social movement in this country over the last 70 years. The Labor Union Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, The Women's Movement - all of them.

After interviewing her Moyers said, “So it is that this woman who marched and agitated and argued in mass movements and social protests for over 70 years...has come full circle...to find seeds of hope in small places where people work quietly and patiently on every imaginable front.”

That got to me. I asked myself, "What do I have to help my community of Altadena? How do I use it to make a difference?"

Well, I have a vision of this Library as a vital educational center of our entire community's life. I have experience and understanding of how libraries must serve in this computer age. And I have a commitment to do the work that will ensure the Library’s health for our children and grandchildren.

That's why I ask for your vote on November 6.

Saturday musings

I love books. Like many of you, I suspect, there are piles of books on my nightstand and beside my favorite chair. Some I’m reading for the first time. Others are old favorites that I’m returning to. One of my earliest memories is sitting on my mother's lap with her arms around me while she read to me. The circle in which I was enfolded was completed by the book she was holding. I have loved books ever since.

And, since libraries are where we find books, I love them, too.

We know that today libraries are much more than book repositories. They have become information hubs for the entire community. Computers and the Internet have provided us with additional resources for learning that are enriching our lives in ways we never dreamed of. Libraries have become important gathering places for people and civic organizations doing the good work that is so vital to the health and well-being of our cities and towns.

If I am elected to the Board, I will work to expand our Library’s wonderful services – services that connect us to information, to ideas, and to each other.

What is your vision for our Altadena Library? I’d love to hear from you. Just click on "Send an e-mail to Tom" on the right to send me your thoughts. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Introducing Tom

As a resident for 24 years, and a former Town Council member, I know how important our Library is to Altadena. My goals are to strengthen the Library’s outstanding service, broaden its operations and keep it fiscally sound.

I bring two decades of county-level administrative experience and eleven years of service as a school librarian. I believe I have the background to help protect local taxpayers by improving strategic planning.

For example, library buildings are required to be accessible to all citizens. Meeting that obligation is a major undertaking. Careful planning and budgeting will be required to avoid costly lawsuits and federal intervention.

We are justifiably proud of our Library, but there is always room for improvement. I’ll propose a review of how the community utilizes our facilities and seek guidance from library patrons on how best to expand technological resources.

I will also work to expand the outstanding literacy programs at the Bob Lucas Branch.

Our Library delivers services and economic value far beyond merely circulating books. I’ll work hard to spread that message throughout the community.

I’d be honored to have your vote. In return, I promise consistent and persistent advocacy for Altadena’s jewel: our outstanding Library.