Filling in the history of retreat at old mill site

I’m writing in response to your Oct. 19 article, “Retreat at Old Lumber Mill Site for Sale.” The article fails to mention a significant part of the site’s history.

My parents, Pat and Alan Medlen, purchased the property in the 1940s and ran a children’s summer camp there through the fifties and sixties. The camp closed in 1971. Thousands of campers attended over the years, and the camp was a friendly competitor to Kennolyn Camp in Soquel.

My dad constructed the cabins and A-frames himself, and actually dug the first pool there by hand, with the help of a neighbor. There were horse stables and riding arenas above where the current property is. In addition, there was a rifle range, a craft hut, archery, and many other facilities all constructed by my dad.

The current owner has invited our family to come visit the camp soon, which we look forward to.

— Lori Medlen, Santa Cruz

Support for restoring liberated ethnic studies

In its recommendations titled “Our vote recommendations for your Nov. 5 local ballots”, published on October 15th, the editorial board endorsed Georgia Acosta and Oscar Soto for the PVUSD school board because of their decision not to bring back a consultant group that the editorial board labeled as “divisive”.

The Editorial Board should watch a board meeting. Scores of intersectional, empowered, and united teachers, students, parents, professors, and nonprofit organizations have been coming out in support of the consultant group Community Responsive Education (CRE) and its founder Allyson Tintiango-Cubales.

In response to this public outcry of support, board incumbents Georgia Acosta and Oscar Soto repeatedly abused their powers to ignore, silence, and block community demands for the return of the CRE organization. That is what divisive looks like.

If the editorial board is so concerned with promoting understanding and tolerance, it should not endorse candidates who do not embody those values.

PVUSD needs new leadership.

— Bobby Pelz, teacher, Watsonville High School

PVUSD board candidate responds to Editorial

The Sentinel Editorial Board stated that I am “vowing to bring it (Community Responsive Education CRE) back.” Not true. I have promised to listen to parents, students, staff, and community members to understand all perspectives on all issues. I have stated that I would support holding a meeting or series of meetings to allow all interested parties to share perspectives, and learn about the curriculum used for staff training. The CRE curriculum is not my fight. My fight is for good governance, transparency, and compliance with the Open Meeting Act, i.e. The Brown Act.

An elected official has the obligation to listen to those they represent prior to making decisions. The current board has not allowed parents, students, and staff members to speak, possibly creating a civil rights violation. Frustration continues to build. Those in favor of Community Responsive Education ask only to be heard and to be allowed to explain their perspective.

— Carol Turley, Watsonville

Measure Q: Consider Arana Gulch’s improvements

One’s vote on Measure Q should depend on one’s taste for environmental improvements versus taste for government’s funding of nebulously administered, competing interest groups. Considering the environment’s needs, a tough call.

In her anti-Q letter of Oct. 15, the writer argues that “where humans go, wildlife is disrupted and diminished — an undeniable fact.”

I remember that she opposed any development in Arana Gulch. Whenever I walk or bike through Arana Gulch , I smile at other walkers, bikers, at families strolling, at couples of all ages sauntering, sitting, embracing. At cows lowing. I feel the development is a success.

What would success be to this writer? Would it be encouraging the tangled brush, weedy meadows and haphazard trails, hoping for woolly mammoth habitat to reappear? Much better, as I see it, are the trails and bridges and meadows among where humans can undeniably “go.” And enjoy.

— Bruce Holgers, Santa Cruz