Mary Elizabeth

The City of Stockton is a historically redlined community which unfortunately continues systemic environmental unjust practices by means of zoning practices involving commercial development of industrial warehouses, high income housing subsidies, alcohol land use zoning, and tobacco retail licensing.

Public Noticing and Information

A new practice that is increasingly observed: whether occurring more frequently or having more time during the day to attend meetings and bearing witness is unknown. This practice is like keeping the cards in your hand to yourself but we are not playing to win we are playing to have a seat at the table and to be heard so that full disclosure of the practice is understood by our city leaders.

What is this practice - not providing the City' staff's position in advance of meetings, not providing around the bench information, and not providing the written presentations after the meeting. Four Cease and Desist letters have been written on these issues to three City Departments: Community Development Department (2), Parks, Community Services Department, and Economic Development Department and Recreation. After noticing the extent of this practice I made the facebook page Stockton Transparency to publish the CA Public Record Act (PRA) response I have received. I had to organize myself better to separate these ASK Stockton requests from all the graffiti and code enforcement requests which is now underway and I have begun publishing.

**Alcohol Zoning City of Stockton Appeal December 3, 2024. Information for Advocacy

I was asked to consider running for elected office in the City of Stockton in District 5 (the Greater Downtown mostly and East Stockton) and after shifting my working environment to have more flexibility, the possibility grew. I have been active in my community since moving back to Stockton in 2014. First on overconcentration of alcohol and tobacco retailers, then with the Sierra Club, Delta-Sierra Group where I serve as Conservation Chair. I walk a lot to get downtown through neighborhoods that need more than the 300+ ASK Stockton requests I have put in within the last year. One day while walking I started hearing the call until I said YES but NO Money. I am running for District 5 to serve as our Council Member and doing no fund raising to put out advertising because I have a record of advocacy for my community - in writing and with verbal comments.

Regardless of whether or not the voters select me to represent I will continue my good environmental justice work because my family's slogan is what do workers do? WORK. When do we stop working? When we are dead:)

Resume with background - Thank you James Dunn for getting my dipolma released so I could apply to become a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and Doris Marks for supporting my efforts to become a school teacher.

Statement of Qualifications 2.26.2026

Mary Elizabeth 3.23.2026

Live in the present.
Do the things you know need to be done.
Do all the good you can each day.

The future will unfold.

-Peace Pilgram

Proverbs 3:5-6

As we go about our day, we notice many things and I would like to challenge you to start noticing factor s that affect climate and your environment and consider what you can do to make improvements.

Conservation News - updated letters and actions

Leave No Trace

Plastics come from fossil fuels that trapped carbon from the atmosphere millions of years ago. We extract fossil fuels - your teacher says "Keep it in the ground". Consider ways that you could reduce plastic use.
Plastics video whole world
Plastics video global treaty plea
Plastics action
SB54 Towards a Circular Economy 2025 Report
All SB54 Resources Folder
Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act - CalRecycle

Biomass combustion involves cutting down trees that store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using PHOTOSYNTHESIS POWER, pelletizing which is polluting, and then combustion which is polluting before creating electricity.

Work continues to understand renewable contracts and to monitor biomass combustion emissions in San Joaquin County.

While we successfully fought off GSNR exporting highly combustible pellets from the Port of Stockton - the scheme to extract wood products from our forests for electricity production in the name of forest health continues. See resources and partners working on Sierra Club Grassroot Stop Clear Cutting webpage.

I was lucky to have a backpacking class in Summer School from Mr. Lathrop back in the late 1970s in Manteca with a trip to Yosemite at the end so I loved nature early, in awe. I went on to earn a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Indiana, Bloomington when I was amazed at metabolic activity of microorganisms.

I was finishing up a Master's of Science in Stockton and on a break went to work for McCormick and Baxter Creosoting Company as a quality control chemist and learned about industrial pollution. After turning myself in to the authorities for having once participated I became a Registered Environmental Health Specialist in California and worked for many years regulating the clean up of contaminated sites.

I move from Stockton to Sacramento to learn more about water, earning a Master of Science in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of California, Davis.

I continue to work in environmental science, commenting on environmental projects which continue to put profits over people. The residents of Stockton continue to be harmed from new and legacy sources of pollution.