I know I’m not the only one amazed at the video of the tornado devastation in Kentucky. The pictures show whole towns flattened. How anyone survives this kind of natural disaster is a miracle to me. But, of course, people do survive thanks to storm shelters and early warning systems.
If you’re looking for a way to help, here’s a couple of ideas (other than the venerable standbys of the Red Cross and the Salvation Army).
– Gov. Andy Beshear has established a fund to assist tornado victims and begin rebuilding. Donate at secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief or by sending a check to Public Protection Cabinet, 500 Mero St., 218 NC, Frankfort, KY 40601.
– Global Empowerment Mission. The disaster relief nonprofit based in Miami is sending trucks of supplies to western Kentucky, in partnership with Racing Louisville and Louisville City Football Club. Donate funds at globalempowermentmission.org/mission/kentucky-tornadoes/.
– Mercy Chefs. This nonprofit serves meals following natural disasters and has set up at His House Ministries, 1250 KY-303, Mayfield, Kentucky, and will distribute food over the next few days. Donate funds at https://mercychefs.com/donation.
TENT CITY BAD BEHAVIOR
The homeless community in Sausalito and the city seem perpetually in conflict. The city recently contracted with Urban Alchemy to manage the Tent City in Marinship Park. The cost is just under $500k for six months.
Jason Sarris, a homeless activist in Marin criticized Urban Alchemy for being too expensive. But he’s not talking about why Sausalito had to switch from using Marin County services to manage the encampment.
Jahmeer Reynolds, executive director of MCCT, was quoted in the Independent Journal as saying they pulled out because of racial slurs hurled against Reynolds, who is Black, by the homeless in Sausalito.
“It’s something we didn’t want to be a part of,” he told the IJ.
I think it best to keep that racism charge – and the silence of homeless leaders about it – in mind when evaluating what’s going on in Sausalito.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In announcing the return to indoor masks for everybody in California, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s health and human services secretary, put his finger on everyone’s angst:
“We know people are tired and hungry for normalcy. Frankly, I am, too. … That said … we are proactively putting this tool of universal indoor masking in public settings in place to ensure we get through a time of joy and hope without a darker cloud of concern and despair.”
‘DEFUND POLICE’ SLOGAN LOST BLM THE PR BATTLE
Justin Phillips, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle had some good advice for politicos who keep using the phrase “defund the police” to mean equity in policing.
“So here’s where we stand: ‘Defund the police’ has become a tool of the right to undermine our pursuit for equity in policing. The phrase also doesn’t reflect the opinion of all Black folks. And when local electeds invoke it, the blowback undermines their work to create a better future. We lost the PR battle over ‘defund the police’ in 2020. Fooling ourselves into thinking we didn’t will make us lose the war over police reform.”
NOT DEAD YET OBITUARIES
Newspaper editors get a lot of unusual calls. I had an unusual one last week. A reader wanted to know if she could turn in her obituary in advance of her death. She’s not sick, she said, but she’s getting older and wanted to make sure her hometown newspaper had all the information needed for when her time comes.
Hmmm.
I’m going to have to give this some thought. There may be something to it.
ONE MORE THING
– What do Santa’s elves learn in school? The elf-abet.
– What did the gingerbread man put on his bed? A cookie sheet.
– How do you wash your hands over the COVID holiday? With Santa-tizer.
– Why is it so difficult to buy Advent calendars? Their days are numbered.
– Why did Santa get a parking ticket on Christmas? He left his sleigh in a snow parking zone.
We wish all the best this season. Avoid soreheads as best you can. Be kind to everyone, laugh a little and always question authority.
(Sherman Frederick is an award-winning journalist and publisher of Marin’s community newspapers — the Novato Advance, San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Ross Valley Reporter, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. He is co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
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