June a time for elections and retirement parties

Sad to hear that Kevin Skelly will be retiring as superintendent of the San Mateo Union High School District. He came from Palo Alto Unified, a district where parents often have unrealistic expectations for their children and put pressure on them for often unrealistic goals. He will be honored at a retirement party June 1. He has been recognized nationally as an outstanding superintendent. He was and will be sorely missed.

When asked, Skelly wrote the following: “I have so loved working here and can’t think of a better place to have finished my career. I wish I’d come sooner!”

Skelly is a student-oriented superintendent. From an interview five years ago when he came to the district, “He seems the perfect match for the challenges and diversity of the high school district. He’s well aware of what youth face today as a parent and as an administrator. High school years seem so much more difficult today than faced by previous generations. Young people are smarter but there are so many with so many talents, it’s hard to stand out. The competition is intense to get good grades and get into the ‘right’ school. For many, college has become unaffordable unless they can obtain an athletic or some other scholarship. There are fears of going into debt and asking the family to sacrifice too much. Students are expected to get top grades, excel in sports and do community service with a passion. What they give up is peace of mind and sleep. Some students get as little as three hours a night.”

Also retiring is longtime and amazing Park and Recreation Director for the city of San Mateo, Sheila Canzian. She will be honored at a dinner in Central Park June 3. She has served the city for over 46 years, is the best-dressed department head in San Mateo County.

Canzian was hired as a playground leader in 1970. She became a full-time employee of Parks and Recreation in 1976. Before her, Jim Nantell had the job before he was appointed assistant to then city manager Dick de Long. And before that it was Bill Shumard who was responsible for building the city’s recreation facilities at Beresford Park, Beresford Senior Center, King Center, Shoreview and Central Park. The recreation facility in Central Park has been operated by Self-Help for the Elderly since 1990. Since 1969, the city has added parks at Shoreline (the former dump), Los Prados, Laurelwood and Bay Meadows. The department has 68 full-time employees. Canzian is pleased if not relieved that the Central Park Master Plan has been approved. Three of the tennis courts will be removed to make way for an attractive entrance to the park from Fifth Avenue. The city has started a search for her replacement, but many feel she is irreplaceable.

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Here’s a message from Patrick Constantino, son of Paul Constantino: “yesterday I returned from a three-day trip driving from Paris to Bastogne as an early Memorial Day trip in honor of my Great Uncle Thomas Butcher, who died there in 1944. “this was my Grandma Claire’s only brother, and namesake of my Uncle Tom. Like many young men of his generation, my great uncle died at a very young 20 years old while serving his country — we shouldn’t forget these stories. Grandma Claire indeed talked about him a lot.”

The Constantino twins served in the Vietnam War and Paul’s children carried on the tradition with two of serving in the military including a daughter who is a West Point graduate. Patrick is still in the service. I miss Paul’s voice over the phone telling me ridiculous jokes. He loved Burlingame, his hometown. Tom Constantino served on the CSM school board. Much later we served on the Civil Grand Jury together. His Parkinson’s disease was advanced by then. He needed crutches to walk but nothing held him back. What an amazing family!

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Nasty word wars exchanged between Rick Bonilla defending Giselle Hale from an independent expenditure ad for Diane Papan paid for by the California Apartment Association. Hale and Papan are competing for Kevin Mullin’s seat in the state Assembly. The attacks: Hale is too close to Mark Zuckerberg and Papan is too close to the Realtors.

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.