Saturday, December 14, 2024

Coronado Schools and Community Send 448 Stop The Sewage Letters to Governor Newsom

Source: Coronado Unified School District

Following a request to the Coronado Unified Governing Board from Coronado High School students to join their advocacy to stop the sewage pollution in local ocean water, the board members stepped up to lend their support to the cause. The school community collected 448 letters on CUSD letterhead which were delivered to Sacramento on May 17, 2024.

Trustees Whitney Antrim and Dr. Scot Youngblood accepted a stack of letters at the May 16, 2024 Board Meeting. A total of 448 letters from the CUSD and Coronado community were collected and delivered to Governor Newsom’s office in Sacramento. The letters asked for immediate attention from state and federal officials to the sewage pollution crisis in Coronado and San Diego.

“This issue directly affects the health and wellbeing of our student body and community. It is absolutely relevant for the elected trustees to support student efforts to address this man-made environmental problem. I am proud of our students and community for this strong advocacy effort,” said Trustee Dr. Scot Youngblood.

Trustee Whitney Antrim drafted the template letter which was widely circulated by members of CHS clubs including Emerald Keepers and Stop the Sewage, at local businesses, and in elementary school classrooms.

“It’s refreshing and inspiring to see our students and our broader community come together in this effort. I also like that we chose a different approach to advocacy – it’s important to show that civic engagement can take many different forms,” shared Antrim, referring to the board’s decision to actively engage in the process along with the community instead of simply signing a resolution.

The letter was addressed to President Biden and Governor Newsom, urging them to pay attention to the “pollution and environmental crisis plaguing the Tijuana River and its surrounding areas.” The letter asks the governor to proclaim a State of Emergency in San Diego County and the president to declare a Federal Emergency and allocate appropriate resources to address the public health crisis.

CUSD Trustee Whitney Antrim hand-delivered 448 letters to Governor Newsom’s office in Sacramento. The letters from the CUSD and Coronado community ask for immediate attention from state and federal officials to the sewage pollution crisis in our local ocean water.

Antrim, who hand-delivered the letters to Governor Newsom’s office in Sacramento, shared that she also visited Senator Vargas’ office while at the capitol. “I shared our request for action on the sewage problem with his staff. I was received warmly and learned that they are on top of this issue and have a couple bills making their way through the legislative process to try to address it from a policy perspective,” she said.



Managing Editor
Managing Editor
Originally from upstate New York, Dani Schwartz has lived in Coronado since 1996. She is happy to call Coronado home and to have raised her children here. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercising, trying new restaurants, and just walking her dog around the "island." Have news to share? Send tips or story ideas to: [email protected]

More Local News