Carole Beswick: Our First Woman Mayor March, 23, 7:00PM
March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate the month dedicated to women’s history than have Carole Beswick, Redlands’ first female mayor to present “her history” to the Redlands Area Historical Society March 23rd.
Beswick a previous “Woman of the year” of Redlands has many accomplishments in her long civic history. She epitomizes the creative spirit of Redlands with her early involvement in the Redlands Bicycle Classic. (This March marks the events’ 25th year.)
Carole Beswick was especially concerned about saving historic downtown Redlands. Under her leadership the Redevelopment Agency tackled the refurbishing of infrastructure on State Street and Orange Street. Sewer and water connections had not been replaced since 1888, when the city first incorporated.
Challenged by critics that the paving of downtown with bricks in the 1980’s would be unwise, Beswick’s leadership brought a new renaissance to downtown Redlands. New shops, revised business block facades and streets ornamented with red bricks soon appeared. Redlanders happily purchased $25 bricks to record their family names and become part of the revival of downtown. Market night and strolling the downtown became a Thursday event in Redlands.
The City Counsel hired a historic planner and then hired a firm, Aegis, from Claremont to research the downtown history and formulate a tour guidebook. The tour guide-book has been sold out for years. Some businesses restored their 1890 facades and placed historic markers to indicate proudly their construction dates.
Controversy was ever on the heels of Carole Beswick and the City Counsel in the 1980’s. Her efforts revised the downtown and left Redlands with the ever-popular Redlands Bicycle Classic. She is identified as a “mover and shaker” within the community. Her singing talents match the previous mayor, Chuck DeMirjyn’s band performances.
Carole Beswick left Redlands with improved architecture and landscape design guidelines. Under her leadership the first “Historic Districts” passed.
Her presentation for the Historical Society will be recorded for posterity.