Letters

Happy Earth Day. Way back in Jurassic times, we dinosaurs wrote here—about respected, got-no-dog-in-this-fight scientists’ findings that high-pressure disturbance of Mother Earth’s crust triggers earthquakes —“And this is California. Who needs more fracking quakes here?” That Southern California oil company just dropped its billion-dollar lawsuit against the good citizens of San Benito County for passing Measure J. A judge had already stopped their drilling.

Cigarettes are gross

In the interest of public commentary, it is worth noting that a dozen parents at a microphone does not a jury make. The teacher in question for a single slap to a child’s arm while not causing injury was labelled incapable , bully and mean and has been replaced by a substitute as per Superintendent Ruben Zepeda. Other parents expressed concern over the quality of their children’s education, and I believe they should be. Last spring I arrived at my granddaughter’s open house to find her classroom locked up. I ducked into the classroom next door and listened. There were appeals for supply donations, and a shocker, parents were told they needed to teach grammar to their children. The main topic of discussion was problem children who regularly disrupt class.

I am sorry to read that Anzar High School students may be offered a way to avoid a “more math-intensive science course” by skipping chemistry. One has to wonder how students who are also completing the A-G Mathematics requirement can possibly be floundering in the elementary mathematics/arithmetic contained in a high school chemistry course. The opportunity provided in a chemistry course to solidify basic skills such as handling fractions should not be avoided by students who will be seeking employment in a 21st century which increasingly values numerical facility. One can also ask how post-secondary admissions personnel will view “integrated science courses” sold to students as a way to avoid mathematics. Students should stick with chemistry and deal with any course problems by seeking the free tutoring available to them in the local area.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution at the March 17 meeting reducing the stipend to grand jury members to the lowest amount of any county in California, effective with the 2015-16 term. The board had previously restored the 20 percent “administrative fee” to the grand jury 2014-2015 budget. For the last several meetings, board members had admonished the grand jury for not being frugal.

No doubt that this letter will generate responses, but just remember that the letter came first. Think about this: Can you explain, exactly, why the Sierra Club and a small number of people in the county oppose the Panoche Valley Solar Project, PV2?