Volunteers deliver big effort at Coastal Cleanup

Editor: Thank you to all the Lodi, Stockton, Ceres, Woodbridge, Lockeford and Acampo volunteers who helped make the 16th Lodi Lake Mokelumne River Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 15, a success. Lodi’s cleanup efforts collaborated with San Joaquin County Public Works and the California Coastal Commission, who helped provide support and supplies for the event.

The cleanup targeted sixteen sites in San Joaquin County, removing 23,125 pounds of trash from 33 miles of inland waterways, including Lodi Lake. Head count at all SJC events totaled 605 volunteers, which included 246 participants at Lodi Lake. The most unusual item found in Stockton was an ATM machine. Lodi’s most unusual item found was the recently stolen Lodi Lake Beach House cash register, found dumped in the cattails along the lake.

Items of concern sorted and counted at Lodi Lake included 1327 cigarette butts (down from 2017: 1498); 914 small plastic pieces, 191 pieces of foam, 156 balloon pieces, and 29 yards of fishing line. In all, 48 bags of trash, weighing 300 pounds, were removed from Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River.

Thank you to Lodi Ace Hardware for 50 new buckets; Starbucks for coffee and cleanup support; Walmart for snacks; Rubio’s for taco gift cards; and to the many generous donors whose financial support helped provide free T-shirts for volunteers.

Finally, special thanks to the many Lodi teachers and parents who made the day possible by encouraging their students to attend the event, especially teachers Jud Atwater, Todd Oesterman, Pam Marshall, Janine Jacinto, Mel Martinez and others, who worked alongside their students.

Lodi Girl Scouts and their parents also had an awesome showing, helping clean several areas of the park.

Thank you, Lodi, for striving to help reduce trash from local waterways, parks and streets. We can do this together!

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Why can’t special ed students get diplomas?

Editor: For years special education students have been a special interest of mine. Through my organization Children’s Dreams Works we have supplied iPads, apps, and a variety of other items to support the educational needs of these students.

I applaud the new R.S.T program to assist special needs students to enter the workforce.

But what I am appalled at is these students after spending four years in high school are not allowed to graduate with a diploma. They only get a “certificate of completion” without a diploma. Many doors, including some student loans and job opportunities are closed to them.

I have brought this to the attention of district employees and have not received any specific answers as to why. This is clearly discrimination against our special needs students. Something clearly needs to be done. Where do our special education children fit in? I would like to know.

City of Lodi could be more cost efficient

Editor: In response to Richard Prima’s letter Tuesday, Sept. 18, Richard Prima said, “sourcing out work not always the best option.”

There are always pros and cons to change, it is correct we would not want to outsource police, fire, sewer, and finance. Over the last couple of decades the city has created new job descriptions and hired new employees for those positions. Some of those newly created position were for middle management. Some were in various departments to fill a need.

At a council meeting several years ago, Rad Bartlam was city manager. On the agenda there was a recommendation to approve the creation and approval of two new middle managers. I asked city leaders why create new positions when money is in short supply. Rad Bartlam replied, “The city will actually save money by creating these two new positions which will replace two other positions.”

At that time I was naïve and believed everything city leaders said. I since have come to realize that when a person questions a controversial issue, city leaders will respond with an answer that best supports the position they have taken on that issue.

Looking at the city’s various department listings of positions, one would have to ask what do some of these people do? The city has created positions where there is not a need for a person eight hours a day. Once a person hired for a position, they cannot be asked to help, or fill in for another position.

In government there are many departments where employees could be better utilized and made more cost efficient.

A sales tax increase will only fix the problem temporary, and will effect the lives if those who are less fortunate.