Donation drops are a discouraging experience Late last year, I delivered a complete, reliable and working computer to Goodwill. It consisted of a monitor, legal-size scanner, keyboard, mouse, computer and printer. In short, it was fully functioning and complete. The young man who helped me unload the computer from my car seemed indifferent and not quite aware of how to handle it. Most items at Goodwill are placed in large blue containers that rest on the ground. So did my computer. The young man dropped it into the container, rendering it useless. The crunching sound was its death throes. For my next donation, I went to the Salvation Army this week to deliver a working microwave, VCR and several sets of cooking ware which were new and in their original boxes. (We’re downsizing.) The man who was sitting at the end of the trailer made no effort to help me off-load my contributions. I asked for his help to lift the microwave from the car trunk. He said he wasn’t allowed to help! I hefted the microwave onto the chair that was located near the truck. He had to move to make way. I placed all my other donations on the ground and left. From now on, I think my blue recycle bin will be more accommodating and certainly more convenient. – Al Strohlein, Pacific Beach What’s wrong with the ‘schoolbrary?’ After a meeting with the SDUSD Capital Improvement Department it became clear: Why is the SDUSD Board of Trustees allowing 20 million of Prop S dollars to be diverted to a downtown “new” charter school in a proposed, and not yet funded, downtown library? Prop S required a long and detailed account of how the funds would be used should the voters approve the bond sale. A team was formed, existing schools in SDUSD were visited and a detailed list of improvements were identified. The voters were presented with this and the people spoke — fix the existing schools. Now we find out that $20 million is being “held back” to fund a new charter school downtown. We didn’t vote for that. Where’s PE going to take place downtown? Are the students going to run in the streets? Will the homeless population be asked to leave the library because there are students about?Where are we getting these students? Are we going to bring 30 buses in and out of downtown every day? If the SDUSD Board of Trustees releases the $20 million back into the Prop S improvement fund, many projects that are currently on hold will be able to move forward and our schools will receive the badly-needed improvements they asked us to vote for. I, as a voter, am not willing to wait one more day for this. Please write SDUSD and let them know how you feel about your vote: [email protected]. – Pat Hom, Pacific Beach Good city employees I would like to recognize the good services of two employees of the San Diego City Beaches and Shoreline Department, and the neighborly watchfulness of a “regular” at Tourmaline Surf Park. Their names are Gayle, Kirk and Steve, and they were helpful to me on the morning of Feb. 4 when a surfboard dolly I had placed on the grass disappeared while I was out surfing. When I came out of the water, Steve, who had been watching the surfers from his VW bus because his leg was injured, told me that someone in a San Diego city white truck had taken my dolly and driven south along the beach. I immediately ran down the beach in pursuit. South of Law Street, four white city trucks were piling kelp back toward the cliffs. I asked the drivers if they had seen my “wheels” but they just looked puzzled — except for one, Gayle, who leaned out her window and asked for a fuller description. Then she got on her cell phone and contacted her supervisor, Kirk. He, in turn, contacted the driver of the city truck that had left Tourmaline during the time I was out surfing and found out that he had picked up my dolly thinking it was abandoned property (even though it had on it my name and address, a note “Please leave on the grass,” and a bungee cord tying it to the fence). Gayle and (within 20 minutes) Kirk met me back at Tourmaline. When Kirk got out of his truck, he smiled, and courteously said, “Here is your property. I apologize.” What a good morning! I have back my means of walking to the beach with my board. I met Gayle, who showed interest, initiative and follow-through in solving my problem. I met Kirk, who assumed responsibility for his crew’s actions and was courteous to a lone beachgoer. And I found out that Steve keeps a watchful eye out at Tourmaline. These people demonstrate the spirit of the message carved into the Tourmaline memorial, “Spread Aloha.” – Joan Vesper, La Jolla