PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY OF EAST PALO ALTO
IN HONOR OF A. PETER EVANS
WHEREAS, The City of East Palo Alto is deeply saddened by the loss of one of the most distinguished and influential members of our community, former Councilmember, community leader and visionary, A. Peter Evans, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans, husband to Keisha Azibo , father to three sons, Shelby, Rod, and Troy, and grandfather to Kamilah, Bryce, Tehan, Isaiah, and Tarnia, found the time to serve his East Palo Alto community in various capacities, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans was very active in coaching and promoting healthy habits and recreational sports, after playing semi-pro baseball in 1964 he joined the Ravenswood Little League to serve as manager and coach, thereafter, becoming president of the Little League until 1989. He also coached the Nabata Yero Football Program, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans continued his pursuit in serving the community when he was elected to the Ravenswood Recreation and Park District Board, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District Board, and the East Palo Alto City Council where he faithfully served and contributed his independent thinking, and WHEREAS, one of the many notable successes of Mr. Evans’ role as Councilmember was his support for the development of Youth United Community Action (YUCA) organization’s social and environmental justice initiatives. His leadership in this role in 2007 led to the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s shut down of Romic Environmental Technologies, a Hazardous Waste Management Facility located in East Palo Alto that created soil and ground contamination as a result of its and predecessor operations dating back to the 1950s, posing great environmental risks to the residents, and
WHEREAS, Although Mr. Evans contributions to the growth and development of the City of East Palo Alto were many, several were especially noteworthy. Along with his wife, Keisha and Norman Fontaine, Mr. Evans was directly responsible for saving the Ravenswood High School site for the City by filing and winning a lawsuit against Sequoia Union High School district for illegally selling the site. The Ravenswood Shopping Center is presently located on that site, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans and his wife became proficient at correcting several municipal errors through the use of the courts by writing, filing and winning several lawsuits to force the city to comply with the law and his legal successes were done without him possessing a law degree, and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of East Palo Alto hereby offers its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the late A. Peter Evans.
Dated: February 21, 2023
Lisa Gauthier, Mayor