Prompted by what started off as a typically VioPac rant on the old site, which you can read here, VioPac's irb met with Dennis Kavanaugh to discuss issues relating to District 3 and the Southern and Alma School area. The meeting lasted an hour and a half and was largely successful.

When entering the Mesa municipal building, the first thing you're greeted by is the security desk. They take your ID and scan it in some sinister, nefarious device and then ask for your phone number. They aren't unfriendly at least, but the badge I was issued was number 001-07. That's Visitor #1 to the 7th Floor. I'm a little dismayed that, at 1600 hours, I was the first person that day to visit any of the council members or the Mayor's staff. The guards seemed a little wary, as if the 7th Floor wasn't a common destination.

After waiting in reception for a few minutes I was ushered in to Mr. Kavanaugh's office. I started off by asking Council Member Dennis Kavanaugh what he thought were the issues facing Disctrict 3 in Mesa. His initial answer, colored no doubt by not quite knowing whether this bearded tattooed anarchist in front of him was sincere or just looking to make trouble, was to speak to the problems government faces in communicating with the disparate langauge groups he represents. We have English speakers, Spanish, and a growing Asian speaking [sic] population, by which I presume he means the burgreoning Viet Namese community in West Mesa, Cantonese, and Mandarin speakers.

He then spoke to how he sees his responsibility as geographically split into three sections: the University Ave and Main St. neighborhoods at the North, representing relatively wealthy areas (compared at least to my neighborhood) and Light Rail, then the middle area I'm from, with aging infrastructure and transitional housing causing a great number of public service calls (read police); and then the Southern Avenue to the Canal area, which represents Fiesta Mall, the reasonably well-off low-crime Southwestern Mesa area.

As my neighborhood (to the North of Fiesta Mall) was the focus of our talk, he spoke at some length about aging infrastructure, streets, lights, and a paucity of economic development. This led to the interest Mesa Community College has expressed in some of the local properties.

I had learned earlier from the East Valley Tribune that MCC had bought the Harkins Theater and Fuddruckers properties with the intention of expanding their West Mesa campus. What I didn't know is that they're also interested in purchasing the plaza where Essenza used to be, at Longmore and Southern. That would be pretty awesome, I think. I mentioned at this point that it would be a better deal than a bunch of new payday loan stores, and Mr. Kavanaugh said, "I will never vote for one of those places."

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