Surprises in Trash and Spam

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The unburied Sioux after the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1891.

CTN received a note today from a reader who tried to comment, but his statement was rejected.

He followed up with an email and asked if he had offended me. He was commenting on the great piece about the Wounded Knee Massacre by Reece Pascoe.

I am not easily offended, because I did standup comedy on the road for many years. I responded that if something is vulgar, I generally don’t post that comment, but even if I disagree with someone, I will post the person’s viewpoint.

I looked through spam and couldn’t find his post. Next, I went to trash and found all sorts of wonderful comments that I had never seen before.  I have now gone back and added the comments after the articles, which hopefully people can read. My apologies to everyone who commented, but whose thoughts were not posted. It was not intentional. I still don’t understand how comments went directly to trash, but I’m trying to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

One reader posted November 16 – and I’m not sure you’ll go back that far to read comments, but valid criticisms were made regarding a Proposed Electric Distribution Station at Marquez.

The reader wrote:

Hi Sue—While you are filling in readers on the history of the situation, you may want to include the following critical information as background for your readers:
After months of study, DWP’s own environmental consultants concluded that the site next to Marquez Charter was fatally flawed with “Grade F” for geology, for being on an “existing landslide” and “regarded as likely unstable,” resulting in “a likely significant and unavoidable [environmental] impact.” Just a few years ago (around 2014), Marquez Charter had to move all students out of ten classrooms that were adjacent to the canyon behind the school after geologists hired by LAUSD determined that the entire building was unsafe for continued use. The entire building holding those classrooms was demolished and not replaced. Besides the fatally flawed geology, a host of other environmental and safety factors were considered and deemed unacceptable by the LADWP’s own experts.

In addition, LADWP has an extensive record of fires/explosions at various distributing stations. This is precisely why the LAUSD School Board adopted policy in 2005 that prohibits siting of any new schools next to such high-risk facilities. In 2013, the LAUSD School Board adopted a further resolution pledging to oppose any proposed distributing station next to Marquez Charter. Such an accident at the Marquez site, next to hundreds of elementary school children, atop a canyon of dry brush in a Red High Risk Fire Hazard zone would be nothing short of catastrophic. In fact, last year’s fire season proved just how high risk this area is when a brush fire erupted causing the evacuation of Marquez Charter Elementary and 200+ homes in the Marquez area.

Indeed, based on its own evaluation and expert reports, LADWP’s preferred site was a 1.17-acre site close to Los Liones Fire Station 23. This was the preferred choice by LADWP due to its geologic stability and low cost of construction. However, after a private meeting with a few vocal opponents, DWP turned its attention away from that site and shifted focus to the Marquez location.

(Editor’s note: The Los Liones site is state parkland and the state would not cede the site.)

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