“Cuts Threaten the Mission of Community Colleges,” Raising the Bar,
9/23
Not Just a College
My name is Jennifer Wood, and I am a student at Berkeley City
College. I read your article a couple of weeks ago about cuts to
communitycolleges. I think it’s vital for people to understand the
importance of community colleges in the lives of women, minorities,
older students, and workers. In addition to this, many students have
families and also us the community college as a place people pass
through on their way to university. It’s important for people to think
of the community college as a hub which so many other parts of the
community are involved in. This being understood, I and some fellow
students from the Global Studies Club at my school have begun
organizing Bay Area community colleges to act against these cuts. We
have been coordinating efforts to make cuts information easy to
understand, and plan on having a Bay-wide community college teach-in on
Nov. 7 at BCC. If you would be interested in hearing more about this I
will happily keep you posted. I hope you continue writing about budget
cuts on community colleges. Your story almost lacked hope in the end,
and I think we really need to give people a way to fight back. The
community colleges are a beautiful thing, and now more than ever we
need to band together with all forms of public education and fight
back.
Jennifer Wood, Berkeley
“The Lost Runner,” Feature, 10/7
Tips for the Lost
In the closing paragraph of your story, “The Lost Runner,” John
Mintz confirmed what was going through my mind during the article: he’s
either arrogant or an idiot, or both. Following his rescue after a
harrowing week spent lost while running in the wilderness, he heads out
for another run into the woods as darkness approaches, saying, “some
people just like to play with fire a little bit.” Just so your readers
don’t confuse this guy’s actions with heroics, allow me to share a few
basic tips about what to do when lost — things Mr. Mintz either
ignores or hasn’t bothered to learn:
1) To begin with, always let
someone know when and where you are going.
2) Always carry a basic
(fanny-pack size will do) emergency survival kit including a portable
water filter or purification tablets, a water container, a map and
compass (GPS batteries do die!), a waterproof space blanket, waterproof
matches, a knife, fifty feet of nylon cord, a small flashlight, some
trail snacks, and a whistle.
3) If you become lost, start by
calming yourself, see if you can get your bearings or retrace your
route. Stay put if you’re still lost and wait for help. (Moving can
make you even more lost and be exhausting.)
Anyone can become lost at any time for a variety of reasons. I’m an
experienced outdoorsman, and I’ve been lost several times. Luck had
very little to do with becoming “found” again. It’s easy for anyone to
take a class about basic survival skills or at least read a book about
it. Not making simple preparations when entering remote or
unfamiliar areas can lead to a serious dose of fear and discomfort,
injury, exposure, or much worse. Along with the personal dangers of
being lost, there are the financial costs and dangers of mounting a
search and rescue party to consider, as well as the emotional costs
endured by loved ones. I think basic emergency survival should be a
part of every kid’s education, regardless of where they live.
If Mr. Mintz wants to “play with fire” again, let him do it at
his own expense, or let him stay lost.
Eric Burkhart, Berkeley
“The Legal Battle Against the Dam,” Eco Watch, 10/21
I Was Exasperated
Director Katz is a really good friend of the environment, and of the
EBMUD rate payers. His efforts to improve the Water Supply Management
Plan came at the end of a very long day and at the end of a very
complicated and frustrating board discussion.
The bottom line is that a bare majority of the board voted to
continue a destructive plan to kill a living river. Andy Katz, Doug
Linney, and Lesa McIntosh deserve our gratitude for their efforts to
reverse that direction.
My comment to Director Katz was out of line, and born of
exasperation with the board majority’s stubborn adherence to 19th
century solutions for 21st century challenges.
David Nesmith, Sierra Club and the Environmental Water
Caucus
Correction
In our October 28 article “Manipulating the Vote,” we stated that
Steven Hill of the New America Foundation said his organization would
sue if the Oakland City Council tried to delay implementation of
ranked-choice voting or if California Secretary of State Debra Bowen
denies certification of Alameda County’s software and hardware system.
But in a follow-up interview, Hill said he was merely predicting that
lawsuits would be filed, not that his organization would file them.
