Politics & Government
VIDEO: Mowing with the Mayor
Even if you don't see eye to eye with Half Moon Bay Mayor Naomi Patridge's POV on all matters, you'll see it here.
For Half Moon Bay Mayor , mowing is a way of life.
The 71-year-old has been mowing 's two softball fields and the adjacent practice areas a few times a week for the past three years. During the summer, Patridge mows three times a week; in the fall, she mows two times a week. Because of the wet weather, she mows once a week during the winter season.
Starting in 1986, Patridge coached Half Moon Bay High School softball until her retirement last year. She also started running the city's softball recreation league in 1973. Next year, she says, the league will celebrate its 40th season.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Patridge is religious about making sure that the grass is kept manicured for team performance, not just for aesthetics.
"The mower doesn't have a place to catch the cut grass, so if it's mowed when it's too high, the grass clumps on the field, where players can slip on it," she says.
Find out what's happening in Half Moon Baywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"It also kills off patches of grass and creates bald spots," she adds.
Patridge estimates that the area she covers with her John Deere mower is about six to eight acres, and that it takes her two and a half hours to complete.
"If I cross-mow, then it takes me four hours," she says.
To give readers the experience of "mowing with the mayor," Half Moon Bay Patch outfitted Patridge with a GoPro helmet camera during a session last week.
In this video, you'll see the mayor's POV from the camera she's wearing on her forehead. Come back to see a second video on Half Moon Bay Patch to see Mayor Patridge circling the fields on her mower.
