ONLY THE BEGINNING

I want to thank Kera Abraham for her beautiful story, “End of the Road for Jensen Camp” [May 1-7]. It is rare these days to find good writing combined with thinking and heart – and this powerful story has them all. I hope Supervisor [Dave] Potter and others who have now read the story will see to it that action is taken by the county, as well as by others in a position to ensure that the Jensen camp community must no longer put up with polluted water, lack of maintenance, and all the other hazards they have so long endured. Please let us have periodic follow-ups on the situation.

HE’S NOT IN NEBRASKA ANY MORE

I recently moved to the Monterey Peninsula from Lincoln, Neb., and I’ve been blown away by what’s going on in the community of Pacific Grove. Where I’m from it is not abnormal to have environmental issues completely left off of ballots and out of newspapers. In P.G,, however, I’ve learned that Mayor Dan Cort has taken the lead on greening and sustainability issues, making them central to his tenure! This is what I would call a breath of fresh air for a Nebraska boy who came expecting smog.

What I’m most excited about is the future. Cort is preaching community living – meaning a city run by citizens and volunteers – and that sentiment carries much weight in a time when people have been hasty to shrug off personal responsibility. 

Color me impressed. When I moved here I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I see that some on the Monterey Peninsula are truly on the cutting edge, and I am happy to count myself as a new member of the community and citizenry.

MORE TO COME

Too often the landscape of public schools in Greenfield is painted in the media as not possessing the educational caliber capable of producing top students who can compete on the national and international stage and have success. We would like to illustrate a fine example that contradicts that perception: Daniel Limon, a graduating senior from Greenfield High School, and a product of our elementary and middle school district in Greenfield, has been offered admission to Stanford University for fall 2008 enrollment. Daniel was one of more than 25,000 applicants – the largest pool of applicants in the school’s history. Daniel has always had an impeccable work ethic, strong support from his loving family, and high ambitions.

We remain hopeful that many more students like Daniel sit in our classrooms; children who can compete, not only with those from more affluent areas in our county, but with the best minds the world has to offer.

Cindy Berg, speech therapist, and Mark Berg, teacher | Greenfield Union School District

CORRECTION

As part of last week’s cover story detailing the crises plaguing Jensen Camp in Carmel Valley [“End of the Road,” May 1-7], a home with an overflowing dumpster was incorrectly identified in the caption as the Cachagua General Store. As noted in the piece, restaurant-store owner Mike Jones runs an exceedingly clean shop. To see what the store looks like, go to www.montereycountyweekly.com.