For some, being down in the dumps wasn’t bad at all
It’s not something we’re especially proud of; we didn’t really know what we were doing at the time. But we enjoyed our trips to the city dump immensely as kids.
Things were different along the Peninsula generations ago. Environmental awareness was not omnipresent as it is today. We did not worship at a green altar. Our idea of an endangered species was the demise of the 5- cent bottle of Coke. We later learned the hard facts about messing with Mother Nature.
Unwanted stuff was routinely discarded at selected dump sites throughout San Mateo County, many of them on the bayfront where, over time, the debris was added to an expanding shoreline.
It was common for dads and kids to haul trash over to a local city dump, pay a fee upon entering and unload it onto an existing pile of detritus. We were allowed to frolic in the dust and dirt, a quasiplayground, as we worked to get rid of whatever was deemed irrelevant at the moment.
It was a sort of suburban adventure, strange though it may seem now. Dump sites grew to be imposing sights, massive piles of ever-rising mounds of tree limbs, concrete, household goods, newspapers, magazines, boxes, toys, bicycle and auto parts, you name it.
Finally, as the decades advanced, it became apparent that those decaying locations had to be shut down, secured and capped. And so they were, all at considerable expense.
You can still see evidence of them today along the bayfront. The old dumps have been converted, mainly into recreation areas available to the public. The mystique about them is long gone.
Some enlightened critics would say, “Good riddance.” Others might gently point out that even the gritty dumps had a certain allure about themat one time — at least for kids.
A telling comparison
The Redwood City Elementary School District is in fiscal trouble. Enrollment is down and the budget is running a deficit. More of the same is predicted down the line.
In stark contrast, the neighboring Woodside Elementary School District is happily living high on the hog, courtesy of rapidly escalating property values, a healthy foundation-based donation setup and gobs of extra local tax revenues courtesy of the generous voters.
According to 201617 data from the state, Woodside last year spent $25,901 on each of its 409 students; Redwood City, on the other hand, spent just $11,543 on each of its 8,059 pupils. The onesided difference was a whopping $14,348 per youngster.
Now here’s the kicker: Woodside has only one school and this single operation has its own superintendent and not one but two principals, one for the younger grades and one for middle-schoolers.
Stressed officials in Redwood City can only look at this telling comparison next door and grit their incisors with weary envy.
Mobile shopaholic
Spotted this rather worrisome vanity license plate on a new, luxury sedan motoring in the direction of Foster City recently: IM SHOPN. Couldn’t tell if a man or woman was behind the wheel. Doesn’t matter. Somebody’s credit card seems to be getting a regular workout.