Plus Letters to the Good Times Editor…
Good Grub
Quick On Her Feet
I had to chuckle when I read something from local Jim Rosenstein, who is part of a fascinating venture surrounding Climate Action Day. At the bottom of one of his notes was this tagline: “The planet doesn’t give a damn about politics.” Gotta love that. On the flipside, do we give a damn about the planet? Now that we’ve endured the political and economic roller coasters of the past year, are we giving enough attention to more pressing concerns … as in the health of the planet? That’s where Rosenstein and others who are part of the Climate Action Team come in. Mark Saturday Oct. 24 on your calendars. That’s the day that you, and others in the area, can take part in a global campaign to raise the level of awareness on just how dire our state of enivironmental circumstances are—and will continue to be—if action isn’t taken right now.
The predicted rise in the Earth’s temperature over the next decade is alarming; and over the next 50 years, even more so. (It’s expected to leap 6 degrees by the end of the century.) We’ll be reporting more about this at GT in the coming weeks, but for Climate Action Day, here’s what you can do: discuss climate change with your community, group or family and/or host an event for Oct. 24 at 350.org and facebook “350 Santa Cruz” (facebook.com/pages/350-Santa-Cruz/144995913483); sign the UN Petition, “Seal the Deal!” at sealthedeal2009.org; take advantage of the social networking going on by logging onto facebook.com/pages/350-Santa or at LinkedIn at linkedin.com/groups?gid=23463 or (OK, here’s where Twitter comes in handy) at (twitter.com/scgreenwatch)
And what kind of events can you plan for Oct. 24? Take a peek at what’s happening in Denver (350denver.org/actions.asp). Be inventive—anything from potlucks, garden walks, religious/spiritual services, a teach-in, musical events, etc. More on this soon. One thing I do know: Santa Cruz seems to have a knack for bringing people together to fight for a good cause. Loma Prieta anyone?
In the meantime, this week’s cover story is all about change, too—the changes happening at Cabrillo College. Learn more about that dramatic shift on page 14. Have an inventive week. Greg Archer, Editor
Letters to Good Times Editor
Good Grub
I read with interest your Sept. 17 cover story “What’s For Lunch?”. As a public high school educator for more than 20 years (and a current Santa Cruz middle school parent), I share a deep passion for the “battle” to get real foods back into school lunches. I have been mightily dismayed over the last couple of years to not see the quality of lunch food improve as the state regulations became stricter. I sincerely applaud Santa Cruz City Schools for taking on the complicated task of bringing more nutritious lunches to all students, and I recognize that this is just the first year of the enormous overhaul. However, I take umbrage with the photographs in the article (including the cover); a reader might conclude that this is indeed what a lunch purchased in a Santa Cruz public school might look like. In fact, the lunches look like airline food at this point (covered in foil), and middle school students are at this point, not quite as enthusiastic as the board president appears to be in the article. Don’t get me wrong. I applaud the efforts and I know that some calibration and surveying of students can work out the kinks. And I undertsand the enormity of the positve ramifications of this overhaul to the goal of equity in our schools.
I want to point this out because two thing about the article bothered me. 1. The misrepresentation of what Revolution Foods’ lunches look like and the missing middle school students’ perspective, and 2. The comparison that followed with Pajaro Valley’s lunch situation. When comparisons are being made, details need to be a bit more accurate.
That said, I would encourage you to branch out just a teeny bit further, too, into San Benito County. The location of the “real revolution” with school lunches began in Anzar High School, in San Juan Bautista. By the end of this school year, they will have accomplished what Cynthia Hawthorne hoped for in the future in the interview—daily freshly prepared lunches available to all students.
Charlene McKowen
Principle, Anzar High School
Quick On Her Feet
What a refreshing surprise to find Ruby Vasquez on the cover of paper last week. As a south county resident, I have been aware of her contribution to dance and keeping Mexican folk dance alive and well. She’s a great inspiration for younger people her. Thank you for featuring people like her in the publication.
John Lopez
Watsonville
