Mailbag: Praising NMUSD’s summer program achievements

As the president of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Board, I am delighted to share the outstanding successes of our summer learning and enrichment programs. In addition to the variety of expanded learning opportunities we offer throughout the school year, our summer programs are designed to keep our students engaged and active when school is out of session. This year, more than 2,000 elementary students and more than 700 secondary students participated in NMUSD’s summer programs.

Our students have made remarkable academic strides, reinforcing their knowledge, and gaining new skills that will serve them well in the coming school year. Socially, these programs have provided a vibrant environment for learning, exploring, making new friends, and having fun. As I visited Lincoln Elementary and Mariners elementary last week, it was inspiring witnessing the level of engagement in every classroom.

As president, I am thankful for our partners in education, that include (and are not limited to) Active Learning, Beyond Athletics, Brainstorm STEM, Girls Inc., Inside the Outdoors and Strategic Kids, for their partnership and support.

Our focus on student success drives our efforts to create and sustain these valuable summer programs. We are continually working to innovate and improve our offerings to better serve our community. I have heard from so many parents that are grateful for this enriching summer opportunity. Many shared their kids’ eagerness and enthusiasm regarding their programs’ experience.

These summer programs are just one example that underscores our commitment to inspiring, educating and elevating our students. I am proud of their achievements and look forward to continued growth and success throughout the school year.

Carol Crane
President
Newport-Mesa school board

Consequences for air show deal?

In a year of consequential actions by the Huntington Beach City Council majority, the next council meeting on Aug. 6 may be among its most defining. These amateur authoritarians will have to explain and defend their Pacific Airshow settlement giveaway to partisan political pal Kevin Elliott and Code Four. It can’t be satisfactorily done. It is now clear to the Surf City citizenry why City Atty. Michael Gates and then-Mayor Tony Strickland tried to stonewall the public on the details recently released. The city’s residents and taxpayers were clearly ripped off. Even if the settlement is set aside, as it should be through legal action, all pretense of trust between the council majority and the community has been lost. While we won’t get fooled again, we also must not lose sight of the fact that their endorsed council candidates for November’s election (Chad Williams, Butch Twining and Don Kennedy) may be even worse. Electing them to join their comrades to rule our city would be a civic disaster of epic proportions. It would be our own Project 2025 put into action. Instead of being on the way to the promised land, we would be on the highway to hell.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach

Energized by OCPA’s benefits

As I read about Costa Mesa’s first steps toward investigating the feasibility of joining the Orange County Power Authority, I was both delighted and saddened. You see, just about four months ago, my city, Huntington Beach, blindly succumbed to the political nonsense surrounding the new agency and terminated its participation in the newly formed Community Choice Energy program. This purely political move cost my family money and eliminated consumer choice in our community. I would hate to see Costa Mesans held back by a similar brand of narrow-minded ignorance.

To be clear, OCPA got off to an extremely rocky start. While most of the agency’s early failings can be directly attributed to incompetent leadership courtesy of a back-room deal that installed an unqualified CEO, OCPA has still managed to provide a solid alternative for ratepayers. Although many of my fellow Huntington Beach residents chose to “opt out” of the program, our family stayed in and were impressed. Enrollment was seamless. Changing rate plans was simple, and the additional compensation for our surplus solar energy offered by OCPA was a bonus. Like so many millions of California ratepayers, we found Community Choice Energy a welcome relief from the world of for-profit investor-owned utilities.

I understand that change can be hard, and Community Choice Energy is new. However, OCPA is a viable option that provides residents with economic choice and an excellent way to invest in the promise of renewable energy. I strongly encourage the elected officials of Costa Mesa to set aside uninformed skepticism and consider the facts that back up the broad benefits of OCPA and Community Choice Energy.

Steve Shepherd
Huntington Beach