Upon the death of our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, at age 100, the airwaves and press are full of first-person stories about the Georgian. Here’s my one interaction with Carter.

In late 1975, Georgia’s governor was traveling about the county introducing himself in preparation for his ultimately successful 1976 presidential campaign. At the time I was active in San Francisco Democratic politics.

I received a call from a friend who made a promise to host an event for Carter if he’d come to the City. My friend was embarrassed that he had an unbreakable obligation on the day Carter planned to be there. He asked if my wife Joanne and I would host the free wine and cheese event at our small apartment at Green and Pierce streets. We agreed and invited a flock of our political and social friends to attend.

At the appointed time, the doorbell rang. At the door were Jimmy, his wife Rosalynn and his security detail, a lone uniformed Georgia state trooper. Carter stood by our fireplace and gave his visions for America. He was asked why he was crisscrossing the country. “I’m running for president,” the governor replied, a fact that then wasn’t common knowledge.

Despite being offered a seat multiple times, Rosalynn stood by the doorway. She eventually asked Joanne if she could take off her shoes.

Our supposedly sophisticated youngish 20-something attendees were skeptical. One was Bruce Raful, who went on to become president of the San Rafael school district Board of Trustees. He asked Carter if he really was using a longshot presidential run as a strategy to become Secretary of Agriculture — not odd given Carter’s peanut farming.

Carter smiled and said, “No, my sole goal is being president.” The attendees were impressed but remained skeptical. Little did we know that an obscure southern governor would rise to the top job.

The experience was fleeting. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that’s a benefit for being involved in politics even at a low level.

Carter’s one-term presidency had its highs and lows. In foreign policy, the bottom was the Iran hostage crisis, when Islamic revolutionaries took prisoners at the American Embassy in Tehran. The pinnacle was Carter’s personal facilitation of the Camp David Accords, the breakthrough Israel-Egypt peace treaty.

What wasn’t foreseeable was that Carter’s post-presidency would become the ideal for which other world leaders, not just in America, are compared.

Some politicians along with regular folks who loudly profess their Christianity are frauds. There are a lot of fakers out there. Carter, a man of character and integrity, was the real thing.

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A student in middle school isn’t too young to make contributions toward creating a better community. Our example occurred in the western Sacramento Valley town of Winters in Yolo County.

Kailey Jacobsen, a Winters Middle School student, was aware of a hazard that was dangerous to her fellow students when crossing a busy street. She concluded that pedestrian safety would be increased if pedestrian-activated beacon lights were put in place.

These LED lights are identical to those near Marin schools and parks where stop signs or four-way traffic lights aren’t appropriate.

On her grandfather’s advice, she contacted Winters’ police chief and city manager. They agreed that Kailey’s idea would enhance safety and then installed the lights.

The local newspaper, the Winters Express, wrote, “The flashing beacons cost approximately $8,000 to $10,000, providing a safer crossing opportunity for students and all pedestrians by alerting drivers when the lights are activated.”

If a middle school kid can precipitate positive change, with a little of Kailey’s initiative, any of us can do the same.

The upshot is that Jacobsen is a “chip off the old block.” Her grandfather is past San Rafael mayor Gary Phillips.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.