Managed retreat ‘a smart decision’ for our coast

Mayor Fred Keeley mentioned “a sober conversation about what happens when” ... “on a jurisdiction on the edge of the continent in a world of climate change.”

We have always been on such a place; the climate has always changed. “The only constant in life is change” (Heraclitus, 500 BC). We sit on exposed land of a huge continent. In the 1960s we learned we had built our community on a tectonic plate of the earth that has moved for 470 million years and will move for another 470 million years.

In early days of Santa Cruz urban history (1860s to 1955) we had winter flood events. I experienced 1982-83, witnessing energetic destruction of water and the detritus it carried out to sea.

Meteorologist Chandler Price (NWS) explains “these extreme weather events are both typical and unusual for a La Niña winter,” which he calls “a natural climate cycle that can cause extreme weather across the planet.”

We’re heading north to wetter winters.

For a community on the not-so-pacific coastline, managed retreat is a smart decision.

— Jean Brocklebank, Live Oak

Severed wharf restroom bearing up amid battering

I think kudos must be extended to the carpenters who built that restroom on the wharf. After falling into the ocean and being battered by waves as it made its way to land, it survived. It landed on the beach pretty much intact and continued to bear up under the battering of waves.

Certainly a fine example of excellent carpentry.

— Deborah Taylor, Santa Cruz

Christmas dinner reflected many ‘better angels’

Many thanks to the Sentinel and Aric Sleeper for the wonderful article about the Santa Cruz Community Christmas Dinner. Once again, our community showed that even in dark times it continues to reflect the better angels of our natures. And a special shout out to Mayor Keeley, who while weathering a stormy time for our city, still found a moment to provide encouragement and logistic support for our event.

— Steve Pleich, Santa Cruz

Get ready for chaos under Trump administration

Back in 2016, President Trump’s strategic advisor, Steve Bannon, outlined their political strategy when he said, “We will destroy the administrative state,” by which he meant the federal government. Most of us did not understand at the time, but sure enough that is what our incoming president is going to do.

Most of his Cabinet picks have little experience in their respective fields and are either indifferent to, or hostile to, the mission of their respective agencies. Some examples are the Environmental Protection Agency (that we can thank for our relatively clean air and water), Health and Human Services (which regulates our health care system), the Federal Deposit and Insurance agency (which guarantees that if a bank fails, you will not lose money), the Department of Justice (which is constantly striving for equal justice for all), the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (I guess we can drink bleach when we have another epidemic) and the Consumer Finance Protection Agency (that protects us from fraudulent companies), to name a few.

Donald Trump creates chaos.

— Don Eggleston, Aptos

Headline on baby’s death ‘Hamas propaganda’

I don’t understand why the Sentinel reserves a front-page spot for a daily dose of Hamas propaganda. Today’s “a baby froze to death” headline (Dec. 26) was particularly grating. No baby “froze” in that Mediterranean winter low of 48 degrees. If the story is true at all, she died of neglect.

A cuddle with her father (who was allegedly there) would have kept her warm.

— Michael Sherman, Capitola

Survival instinct behind pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago

It’s amazing the number of people who bad mouthed Trump for months are now making the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago to do homage before him and posing for smiling photos. They know Trump will be going after his enemies and they want to assure themselves of their survival from the coming juggernaut.

— Martha Dolciamore, Soquel