Given the news today and that many recent federal actions, including by ICE this year, have made members of our community feel unsafe, let me be clear.....I support our entire community. This isn't a bandwagon I just jumped on. This is a long-standing value.  We are stronger when we work together.

So far while doorknocking this campaign I've navigated hot & cold weather (and hot again!), rain, fog, dogs, cats (❤️animals), and even a giant spider sitting right on a doorbell staring at me.  But the current swarms of box elder bugs, including covering doorbells, are something else! 😄

I doorknock every day and few people I talk to have heard about the constitutional amendment on this year's MN ballot. So, I crunched the numbers, and this is what its passage would means for the three public school districts that serve Woodbury students. (the formula is per-pupil)

These are only a few issues that cities have to respond to as our climate changes. As a meteorologist with a track record of educating on climate issues and working on policy to support our environment, I know that is a needed perspective I can bring to the Woodbury Council!

As a meteorologist I worry about how the heat accelerates dry conditions, impacting our current severe drought & thus water conservation. How warmer falls/milder winters mean invasive plants, like buckthorn, become more widespread + fewer pests such as mosquitoes & ticks die off during the winter.

This is the Woodbury forecast for this weekend (NWS). Fall is my favorite season, and I've been grateful for weather that lets my family enjoy the outdoors. But this is also ununusually warm (normal high today is 61), and we've been exceptionally dry.

Elected officials should be there for their community.  Show up, listen, collaborate, and find ways to make the lives of residents better. Not simply as an election promise. It should be a core value.

From my service in the military to three sessions in the MN Legislature, I know  that working hard every day, showing up for people, and helping your community is what counts. Campaign promises are easy. I do the work.

Best of all, it cuts congestion & emissions around schools, brings families & students together, and aims to make active commuting possible for students of all abilities. With many Woodbury schools participating, be extra mindful watching for children if you're driving near schools this morning!

Today is National Walk & Roll to school day! The event encourages kids to get exercise by walking, biking, or using adaptive rolling equipment while highlighting pedestrian and bike safety.

It's been an "interesting" year for signs. I'm grateful for those who do them (thank you!), but a lot of supporters who've had them in the past don't want mine or any. And so many people don't follow politics, especially down-ballot, when I knock, many have never heard of ANY council candidates.

This drawing is mine...you can find it by the Colby Lake Trail, with chalk to add your own designs! The others were on the way to school this morning (many Woodbury schools are participating!).💕

Today is Kindness in Chalk Day! It's a national movement to write positive messages, uplifting quotes, and create colorful drawings on school sidewalks, playgrounds, and paths with the goal to combat bullying and promote mental well-being.

And going WAY back, when my sisters attended MSA when the school was relatively new, they had no gym, & my step-dad was one of the parents that would help take the kids to the YMCA for gym….so evidently showing up for the community, especially our schools, is a family thing!

Because being part of your community isn’t simply showing up during election season. It’s getting to know administrators, meeting with students, even driving to Burnsville because the robotics team invited you to watch a tournament.

What a delightful Grand Opening Celebration at Woodbury's Math & Science Academy today to showcase their new building that opened to students this fall. Not only were there fun activities for the kids, but I loved connecting with both students and staff I’ve known for years.

For Woodbury, we should partner with schools and other groups to provide education to children—including on safety, enforce trail speed limits, & I believe we need to start ticketing unauthorized vehicles on our trails. What are your thoughts?