In an obvious response to a prior flyer mailed by Newberry CSD candidates Robert Shaw and Ted Stimpfel, incumbent Victoria Paulsen has mailed out her own flyer, touting her own qualifications.

    While Paulsen's full-color flyer looks visually impressive, the reading does not.

    The flyer prides Paulsen's accomplishments as working with others to have a couple of signs erected in Newberry.  Nice, and appreciated, but they were done through NSEDA and not the CSD.  Certainly, the signs do not make the lives better for anyone living in Newberry.

    Paulsen's flyer states, "When I see a need.  I find ways to take care of it.  I spearheaded the drive to improve our community park.  The first step was new wood chips, but a lot more is coming next year."

    Horray, for a two year period on the CSD board, Paulsen has provided some playground wood chips.

    Paulsen also takes a snipe at her rival candidates in the flyer claiming that she knows CSD law and implying that her competition wants to use the CSD funds illegally.  Actually, the CSD funds cannot be used illegally as they are closely scrutinized.  Paulsen's problem is that she doesn't understand the practices of law (as she claims) as she has no legal background and she can not think outside-the-box.

    During the October board meeting, as if to prove her limited vision, Paulsen bored nearly everyone by a lengthy reading of the principle categories of powers that a CSD can choose to undertake from the county.  After reading each category, asking if the other directors held any interest?  Due to illness, Robert Shaw was not in attendance.  The other directors showed little enthusiasm but supported Paulsen by placing an agenda item for a possible ad hoc committee for their next meeting.

    Paulsen's review failed to comprehend that there might be other beneficial subcategories that the Newberry CSD might open and explore.

    For instance, the CSD board has never explored with LAFCO whether the CSD could acquire jurisdiction over water conservation within the CSD's boundary.  This could possibly be in the form of a Newberry conservation overlay of the Mojave Water Agency that has refused the responsibility of conservation that would limit outside farmers from starting new alfalfa farms outside of the Adjudication which is currently legal.

    While on the board, Paulsen has supported the board's seizure of the community's Kiewit Pacific funds that were given to an earlier board to manage outside of the powers of LAFCO.  Paulsen and the current board have absorbed the community's separate funds into their general management.

    By their seizure, both candidates Paulsen and Springer have refused to allow a small portion of the Kiewit Pacific funds to be used to defend against the proposed Silver Valley solar projects.  The projects, if allowed, will greatly harm Newberry citizens' health and local property values.

    Yep, Paulsen voted for a recent CSD budget that has money set aside for a stipend increase.

    The Newberry CSD has historically existed on the principle of exclusion of vision.  It has been easier for the directors to do a limited amount of work for their stipend for which the current directors have budgeted a possible doubling.

    As stated in the flyer, Paulsen has spoken before the Planning Commission (3 minutes) and the Board of Supervisors (3 minutes).  In front of the Board of Supervisors, she spoke, "Now in Newberry, we are not opposed to solar energy, we've got plenty of sun and land to spare."  Shockingly, she welcomed responsible utility-scale solar development in Newberry.  With the Planning Commission, she wasn't as irresponsible.

    This has been an interesting CSD campaign with all of the mailers and community postings.  Paulsen and Springer are attempting to maintain their status-quo grip on the community while Shaw and Stimpfel are fighting for a progressive Change.  The voters will have the final word of what they want.