All Peoples Church

Re: “New church proposed for College Avenue property” [Volume 25, Issue 5 or bit.ly/2vXPq33]

I live on Marne Avenue. I oppose this project.

In my opinion, your article is lacking in many respects. An affinity for the church is the reason ColRich pulled out — this is nonsensical. You then quote the representative saying if the church isn’t built, homes will be built. By whom? I asked at the first meeting about the budget. The preacher said $13 million. Why wasn’t this mentioned in your piece?

I hear the Navajo Board precluded any further inquiry regarding the budget. This same board/council voted against ColRich, but the city unanimously reversed based on the supposed need for housing.

The plans to date don’t show a parking garage. Why? Now homeowners on Marne will face a parking lot. Nothing to see here.

The gym and classrooms obviously won’t be restricted to use on Sundays. Yet the traffic study allegedly being done is restricted to weekends. No one has approved a traffic light or another entrance. Given the traffic that already exists and the topography, adding a light or intersection will likely lead to serious accidents.

For 65 years this parcel has been a gulch. There is good reason for that. The builders and planners knew what they were doing.

—Larry Dawson, Del Cerro.

First, let me say that I am no critic and really not qualified to judge someone else’s writing. I just wanted to say I read the article that you wrote on the All Peoples Church, and in my opinion you did an excellent job, thank you.

— Joe Ney, Del Cerro.

More can be done

Re: “Program fights food insecurity with SDUSD unused lunches” [Volume 25, Issue 5 or bit.ly/2HmFnK3]

I recently read your article about addressing food insecurity through the reclaiming and redistribution of school lunches. I am a teacher at one of the schools mentioned in your reporting. For my non-instructional 30-minute responsibility during the school day, I am assigned supervision in the cafeteria during lunchtime.

I think the food redistribution program is an important and valuable service, however, what the article does not address is the amount of food that is wasted once the students leave the serving line.

On a daily basis, I witness pounds and pounds of uneaten food being thrown away. My understanding is that under federal law, students who are on free or reduced lunch must take complete servings of every food group and cannot leave the student serving line until they do so. What I see happening is too much of this food being immediately thrown away in the garbage cans inside the cafeteria.

I don’t know the legalities, but it must not be lawful for that food to be saved once it’s landed on a tray and left the serving area. So while I applaud the efforts to recover unused or unserved food from the cafeteria kitchen, it’s still just a fraction of what could be redistributed under more relaxed federal or state requirements that saves unused food before it is thrown away.

— Ken Hughes.