By Emily Wilson
April Vargas hasn't had any sleep for over 24 hours.
"I didn't go to bed last night," the Montara interior designer
said Monday afternoon. "I had a big project and I needed to finish
it. I have the ability to do that without drinking coffee, but I try not
to abuse it."
Vargas was recently named the 2002 Woman of the Year for the 19th Assembly
District by Assemblyman Lou Papan, in recognition of her local activism.
The California State Assembly will honor Vargas in Sacramento on March
18.
Vargas is involved in so many political organizations that it's a wonder
she ever gets any rest.
She is a secretary of the Midcoast Community Council, a board member
for the Committee for Green Foothills, the president of the Green Foothill
Foundation, an alternate member of the San Mateo County Democratic Central
Committee and sits on the board of the Chicano/Latino Democratic Club
of San Mateo County.
Vargas, who has lived in the area for nearly 30 years, said growing up
in a rural part of Connecticut had a big impact on her.
"It had an influence on where I chose to live and my involvement
in maintaining rural amenities like the beauty of this place, the open
space (and ensuring) that there are still rugged and wild areas near developed
housing" she said.
Vargas' family moved to the East Bay when she was still a child and she
went to high school in Hayward. While she was in college at San Francisco
State, Vargas moved to Moss Beach with some friends. Within three years,
all her friends had moved back to San Francisco, but Vargas said she enjoyed
living in a small town and didn't want to leave.
"There's a lack of anonymity that some people may not appreciate,
but I like to be part of a community," she said. "Being in a
small town has been a good intro for political life. When I became a public
figure it carries more responsibility of how I conduct myself in public,
and I think that's good. People should be respectful and considerate of
others."
Vargas' first project on the coast was in 1994, working on street standards
for Montara. It was satisfying, Vargas recalled, that when her street
was paved it had the standards she had worked for, including adequate
gutters, but no sidewalks, which residents felt were too suburban and
unnecessary in the neighborhood. Vargas found this experience typical
of others on the coast.
"A situation comes up, people want to work toward certain goals
and we're successful."
An example was Measure T, the 1996 campaign for the Devil's Slide tunnel,
in which Vargas was involved. Zoe Kersteen-Tucker, spokeswoman for the
Measure T campaign, and executive director of Committee for Green Foothills,
continues to work with Vargas on Devil's Slide and a variety of other
coastal protection issues. Vargas' dedication and professionalism is extraordinary,
Kersteen-Tucker said.
"The woman is absolutely tireless. I've seen her work around the
clock for days on end when an important issue is involved."
Kersteen-Tucker said that Vargas has strengthened the voice of the coast
and brought political clout to the Coastside by serving on the Midcoast
Community Council (MCC).
"She has taken it from a little-known entity to one that is now
serious and significant voice in county politics and brought a level of
professionalism that increases its credibility and stature in eyes of
the supervisors," Kersteen-Tucker said.
San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon's district includes the Coastside,
so he works with Vargas frequently.
"What I particularly like about April is that she has a passion
for coastal protection issues and she's a consensus builder," Gordon
said.
It is Vargas' ability to listen and her efforts to understand different
points of view that give her the capacity represent the community, the
supervisor added.
Vargas is particularly proud of three things she has worked on at the
MCC: standards on house sizes on the unincorporated Mid-Coast; the upcoming
Local Coastal Plan review, and the needs assessment for parks and recreation
areas in unincorporated areas that should be completed in March. These
were all issues the community felt strongly about and galvanized lots
of public support, Vargas said.
Kersteen-Tucker said Vargas' has a rare ability to find common ground
with nearly everyone she meets.
"One of things I've seen her do is talk with developers and forge
working relationships that have been productive," Kersteen-Tucker
said. "That's so important because we environmentalists tend to have
an us against them mentality.
"April's able to build bridges and that takes courage to reach out
to adversarial constituencies."
Forming personal relationships with people is the most effective way
to do this type of work, Vargas said. She finds lots of similarities between
her political work and her work as a interior designer.
"They're both collaborative efforts with a goal in mind that isn't
apparent at the beginning of the process and by the time we're finished
we're looking for a something that's pleasing to everybody."
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