Candidate wants to carry tradition of his father
By Nancy Needham nancy@acorn.com

Louis Masry

When Louis Edward Masry goes door to door campaigning to become a city council member, he encounters many residents who loved and respected his father, late City Councilmember Ed Masry.

That's when the former campaign manager and political chief of staff for Ed Masry promises to reflect the character traits that made his father great.

"My father was my best friend and mentor-he was a rock with his honesty and integrity-and we stood side by-side protecting the residents of Thousand Oaks," Masry said.

The Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce president hopes to bring the small business and slow-growth communities of the city together to keep Thousand Oaks the great city its residents envisioned when they moved here.

That means he'll never vote that the former Kmart property on Hampshire Road become a Home Depot when there are already several Home Depots in the area, Masry said.

"There is no way I will approve a Home Depot. I don't want Thousand Oaks to turn into the big-box capital corridor of the United States," Masry said. "They can put money against my campaign--I don't care. I won't vote for a Home Depot."

With more Home Depots comes more traffic, increased day laborer problems and a cannibalization of small businesses already thriving and serving Thousand Oaks, he said.

Masry would much rather see the Kmart property turned into something useful that would serve the community, such as a miniature golf course, a bowling alley or an ice skating rink, which would provide an environment for the city's children to enjoy, he said.

"Our children shouldn't have to be playing in parking lots," said Masry.

A community-oriented buiness would produce fewer traffic problems because customers spend more time there, unlike a store where many people constantly run in and out, he said.

There's been a precedent for the city buying property to improve the quality of life for residents, he pointed out.

"The city owns Los Robles Golf Course."

Masry is part owner of Cisco's restaurant and a vice president for an investment services company. When he was 21 he worked on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. He and his wife, Dianne, have two sons, Edward, 7, and Nicholas, 4, who attend local schools. The Little League coach has contributed to more than 100 local charities, he said.

Masry would like the city in which his children live to be a place of safety, and he's supportive of the Thousand Oaks Police Department, he said. As a board member of the Thousand Oaks Police Charitable Foundation, he's raised funds for community programs such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), which helps teach kids how to avoid drugs, and a community volunteer group that provides extra eyes and ears for the police.

He also supports efforts to raise money and awareness for schools, Masry said.

A state law that was used to raise speed limits from 45 mph to 50 mph on both Westlake Boulevard and Lynn Road has made the city more dangerous, he said.

"We need to lower speed limits and promote safe and responsible driving," said Masry.

Keeping the police department funded and cops on the streets is important to him. Also, traffic signals that incorporate a flashing light warning "emergency vehicle approaching" can help improve emergency response times to hospitals, he said.

"I'll tackle the issues and people will know where I stand," Masry said.