T R U T H • L I B E R T Y • I N T E G R I T Y

Thursday, April 28, 2011 the

Chabot and the district keep up the fight against Calpine and the RCEC

By Ian WIllIams

Editor-in-chiEf

The people of California are highly energy depen-dent. That energy requires sources across the state in order to keep up with the demands of everyday life. The newest addition to those sources is a natural gas power plant, to be constructed near the Hayward shoreline, known as the Russell City Energy Center.

Calpine, a power provider based in Houston with 37 power plants located in California, is the owner and developer of the RCEC. Over the last decade, Calpine has faced much opposition to their proposed Hayward based power plant. As the years have trudged on, the only entity left standing in opposition seems to be the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District.

One reason for such little opposition is a vast willingness for Calpine to “generously” give back to the city of Hayward, including a $10 million donation for the construction of a new library. Also advertised as a positive, given the economic need in the community, is the providing of 650 jobs during its construction and increased tax revenue in the subsequent years.

Who can say no to a library? Hayward is in desper-ate need of a quality library within its borders. Dur-ing these tough economic times the need for library services is incredibly high, but the resources needed to provide such services is minimal, if not nonexistent.

According to the American Library Association, the data “… suggests a ‘perfect storm’ of growing

community demand for library services and shrinking resources to meet that demand.” What good is a brand new library if the city can’t afford to fund it?

In a letter to the editor responding to a recently published article titled “Chabot Alone in Fight Against Power Plant” Dr. Barbara F. Mertes, president of the Board of Trustees of CLPCCD, stated the following:

“Our Board, Chancellor, students, faculty, and staff remain resolute in our opposition to building a gas-fired power plant next door to Chabot. Our position is simple: any activity of this kind near the campus threatens the health of the people who go to Chabot to learn and work. This is not an appropriate site for this plant.”

Also included in the letter was a clear statement of unwillingness to accept any donations from Calpine in order to remain quiet. Dr. Mertes is not alone in this either. The chancellor of CLPCCD, Joel Kinnamon, expressed how a lot of influential players, including city council members and state senators, wanted them to sit down and settle.

“I am not inclined to sit down or accept hush money,” said Kinnamon.Along in the fight with CLPCCD and Chabot College is the Sierra Club, the California Pilots Asso-ciation, Citizens Against Pollu-

tion, SEIU Local 1021, the CLPFA Faculty Association and many Hayward residents.

In a bulletin regarding the RCEC, Calpine boasts how they are meeting the demand for renewable energy, including a geothermal operation at The Geysers. All well and good, but the RCEC is not a renewable energy power plant; it is a fossil fuel burning plant.

The RCEC will use combined-cycle technology. According to Westgov.org, “A combined-cycle gas turbine power plant consists of one or more gas turbine generators equipped with heat recovery steam genera-tors to capture heat from the gas turbine exhaust. Steam produced in the heat recovery steam generators powers a steam turbine generator to produce additional electric power. Use of the otherwise wasted heat in the turbine exhaust gas results in high thermal efficiency compared to other combustion- based technologies.”

The RCEC is being pushed as a cleaner, greener and safer energy source, especially over alternatives like coal or nuclear. Recent investigations, however, have found lax standards of government regulations on natu-ral gas drilling and waste. San Bruno also experienced the safety of natural gas when a gas pipeline exploded last year, killing seven people.

Perhaps a better question is why locate a power plant in Hayward when the majority of its power will be sent to the peninsula?

Alisa Klevens’ answer is affluence. “[It is] an act of environmental racism – exploiting and polluting a poorer community for no benefit to its residents.” Hay-ward is a large minority based population that, although it may not want the plant built, lacks the political power to change the status quo.

“Up and down the state of California power plants are built in significantly higher portions within minority and low income areas,” agreed Kinnamon.

Francisco Zermeno, a city council member and instructor at Chabot, was disappointed with the city’s inaccessibility to its community. “I am sure the com-munity is not in favor of it [the RCEC] and it [the community] never was allowed to vote on it, which is a mistake,” said Zermeno.

Both the local community and those at Chabot recognize the opportunities for Hayward with a power plant. The opposition is not in having something built

EnergySmokescreen

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Newsat the proposed location, but rather the type of production that will be undertaken.

The people of Chabot College are simply opposed to the use of natural gas as the power source, due to its destructive power both to the people of Hayward and its shoreline. They are however open and, in fact, encourage the use of renewable energy providers such as solar. Many in the faculty see that as a fair trade off and see Chabot College as a possible training center for a solar technician career field.“How about we suggest they build a solar photovoltaic or a solar-ther-mal plant there instead?” suggests Richard Simon, “It’s a perfect spot, with neither hills nor trees to shade it from pure golden California sunshine for 12 hours a day. And Chabot can start a solar technician program to keep the place maintained.”

Whether opposed to or supportive of the power plant, it is im-portant that students, faculty and residents make sure they educate themselves on the events that will soon take place.

Students who are opposed to the construction of the RCEC are encouraged to get involved. “This is a significant issue for Chabot and the local community,” Kinnamon stated, “We’ve got to fight! Stu-dents’ voices are loud and often carry more influence.”

For students interested in getting more information regarding this issue, there will be a teach-in May 3 in Chabot’s Grand Courtyard during the noon college hour.

There is also a planned march for May 5 at noon from Chabot to the Calpine site. Those who feel strongly about the RCEC not being built can stand one among many to display their opposition.To gather more information, visit the Power Plant Task Force’s Face-book page at www.facebook.com/ChabotPowerPlantTaskForce.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Focusthechabotspectator.com Thursday,April28,2010 3

Redwood Road Trail Lake Chabot

Come one, come all to the San Leandro Farmers’ Market every Wednes-day, from 4-8 p.m. starting April 20. The vibrant colors of the market and smell of the fresh produce will delight and persuade you to buy.

Apart from a wonderful variety of foods that are offered to the public, the market also supports local farmers. You will get the right-out-of-the garden taste from the freshness of local food that is absent in what’s shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties that are bred for taste and freshness rather

than for shipping and long shelf life.In addition to quality fruits and

vegetables, the market also offers instruc-tional classes and entertainment.

SCHEDULE: Wed. 4-8 p.m. April 20 - Oct.19First Wednesday: Cooking Demonstra-tionsSecond Wednesday: Green Market Days sponsored by San Leandro RecyclingThird Wednesday: Family EntertainmentFourth Wednesday: Wine Tasting spon-sored by San Leandro Downtown Busi-ness Association.

Programs also include Downtown San Leandro Farmers’ Market Recipe Contest.

A cookbook is being put together

to celebrate the wonderful produce from farms. The locals are in collaboration to create a cookbook which invites the members of the community to join in. Click on the link for the official recipe form. Everyone whose recipe is included in the cookbook is automatically entered into a drawing for great prizes. Show your community spirit and love for good food by being a part of the first-ever Downtown San Leandro Farmers’ Market cookbook.

EBT Rewards: The San Leandro Downtown Farmers’ Market is offering an incentive program that offers a $5 bonus when you purchase at least $10 in EBT/Cal Fresh tokens at the Farmers’ Market. If you receive Cal Fresh benefits (food stamps), bring your EBT card to

the farmers’ market every time you shop. See the market manager in the bright yellow shirt to purchase tokens to spend in the market and claim your bonus. The Extra Five program continues at the San Leandro Downtown Farmers’ Market until November 30, 2011.

The farmers’ market is made pos-sible through the support and partner-ship of the City of San Leandro. Check out the city’s website for connections to your local leaders, information and city services and neighborhood news.

Also you can follow the Farmers’ Market on Facebook at http://www.face-book.com/SanLeandroFarmers Market, and write your comments and ratings of the market.

San Leandro Farmers’ Market

Lake Chabot features many great hiking and biking trails that will bring both pleasant experiences to your eyes, and also experi-ences that’ll be strenuous to your legs.

There are well over 20 different hiking trails to choose from, some of which cross over to the Anthony Chabot Regional Park, stretching over 70 miles of possible hiking routes.

The Redwood Road trail of Lake Chabot Regional Park starts at the Police station at the top of the McGregor-George trail, where there is a parking lot as well as picnic tables and BBQ areas.

Heading north, the trail starts off downhill at a fast, exhilarating grade. Don’t be fooled, though; the workout soon begins after that opening speed and excitement with a gradual uphill climb as you hit Redwood Road.

The paved road makes the trail a bit easier to bike, but still burns your legs with the pumping required to travel up the hill. After the stress and uphill endurance test, you finally get to go back off-road when you get to the Brandon Trail, which starts off downhill and is a great payoff for the just-completed uphill climb; don’t be lulled into thinking you’re done riding uphill, though!

To get back to your car at the police station parking lot you will have to go on the Live Oaks trail, which is again completely uphill, only much steeper. Personally, I stepped off my bike and decided to hike the rest of the way up. “It’s exhausting. I’m so tired, glad to finish. Great workout though,” said trail goer Hector Miramontes, panting.

This trail will stretch over 20 miles and will surely kick your butt. The beauty and wildlife around Lake Chabot will hopefully make this experience a little less worrisome for you as great views from north of the lake are available, as well as an abundance of wild-life scurrying about, including turkeys, salamanders, lizards, a snake here and there as well as being a great place to go bird watching.

If you want some scenic beauty while getting your ‘bod’ ready for summer, Lake Chabot is the place to go. More info about Lake Chabot can be found at http://www.ebparks.org/parks/lake_chabot where you can also find a trail map of the Lake.

By Jon Commeaux

Staff Writer

By FranCine Baldwin

Staff Writer

Wednesdays springs back into action with lots of fresh flavor

Kassey Macababayao/stocK photo

Photos:Left: A produce vendor selling strawberries at Wednesdays market offers a woman a sample of his fresh fruit.Middle: View from the entrance of the farmers market on Parrott St. in downtown San Leandro where many people attend-ed its grand re-opening.Right: Customers waiting in line to order delicious African cuisine at Soleil’s African Kitchen in the food court of the market.

Nature walk shapes your ‘bod’ for summer

4 Thursday,APRIL28,2011 thechabotspectator.com

Life

Chabot’s Emerging Work course shines bright lights on aspiring writers, actors, and other facets of Theatre Arts. The course leads both novice and experienced theatre students right to the stage, director chair and management roles. The Emerging Work course is unique compared to other campuses in their development of student original plays. This semester’s experience will culminate in four student productions. “Rough me up”, by Maria Ritter, “7 for hope” by Jessica Caballero, “State of Mind”, by Kristi, and “Safe with me” by Alicia Nicole Moss.

Professor Rachel LaPell shares that this is a course with a strong “emphasis on the different

stages that a play goes through, on its way to full fruition”. At 3 units and approximately 52 hours, the class allows students to take on: theatre roles, production, management and even tickets sales. Students will get the opportunity to serve as actors, directors, stage managers and technical workers in a show. “Having actors breathe their own life into characters that came out of my head is so exciting”, said Jessica Caballero.

Caballero is a returning theatre student with a degree in writing who initially had no play writing experience. Caballero tells how some of her friends’ interest in theatre lead her to the class. Her writing abilities and enrollment in the Emerging Work class took her from stage management to her very own “Seven for Hope” being produced. Caballero says Seven for Hope is, “about what happens to people in extreme situations”. Caballero exposes, this “class runs like no other”. Caballero implies there is a lot of Saturday involvement, and many “extra rehearsals” are required. Caballero shared that Professor Rachel LePell not only oversees and gives notes on each show, but “talks to directors about how they can better manage the show”.

Caballero has learned that she “loves stage managing and plans to study theatre further”. In addition to allowing students to run their own performance, the course covers the methods of promoting, directing, actor coaching, rehearsal discipline and a host of other functions. This course was developed to “allow students to really see how theatre happens”, said LePell. The course “taps every theatre skill there is, from critical thinking to marketing,” shared Professor LePell. As the semester closes, Chabot Students stage their talents.

Check out the talent of your peers, become inspired, and consider your own possibilities in Theatre. “If you want to study how a play is put together and what it means, just try writing one, it’s the best teacher of all,” suggested Professor LePell.

Performances will take place in the Little Theatre from May 10-13 starting at 8 p.m.. There will be two shows on each night. On May 14, all four shows will be performed, show time starts at 7 p.m.

Chabot’s “The Grapes of Wrath” captures emotion of story

The Chabot College School of the Arts adapted John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath” into a play and performed in front of a live audience on six different showings in Chabot’s Little Theatre over the spring break.

“The turnout was great, we sold out on the first night and had a good number of people come out for the other showings,” said director and Chabot theatre arts instructor Dov Hassan. “The performance went well too, they did a great job acting out there and it was fun.” he further explained.

The Nobel Prize winning novel The Grapes of Wrath is a dramatic tale that takes place in the Great Depression that describes a poor family of sharecroppers that are driven out of their home in Oklahoma by the historic Dust Bowl in hopes to find prosperity by traveling

west to California, only to be met with complications along the way.

The family being in a near hopeless situation portrays specific emotions from the characters that were depicted excellently by the schools cast. “I loved it; I think they did a great job acting and telling the story. It was fun!” said audience member Tiffany O’Connor.

Lucinda Jackson who played Ma Joad, did an outstanding job illustrating the power behind her character. Ma Joad is the glue that holds the family together through the dark times that they are experiencing. Everyone looks to her for guidance and support as things seem to be falling apart around them. In numerous scenes she would be barking orders and instructing people on things that need to be done. In a scene where the family is traveling down Route 66 at night, Ma Joad says to herself “They are all depending on me”. Ma Joad is implying that without her, this family would be destroyed.

Another powerful performance was Alex Skinner’s presentation of Tom Joad; a man who was recently released

from prison, returning to his family to help them embark on their journey to the west. Tom is portrayed as a young man that is learning how to become a leader and a better person. His ‘do now’ attitude changes as you get deeper into the story into a person that plans for the future. He also signifies a revolutionary as he can no longer stand the injustices that occur to him and his family.

Pa Joad, played by Scott DeMerrit, was another strong performance that showed how these depressive times effect the growth of the person in a negative light. Pa Joad really symbolized the harsh times of the Great Depression as things progressively had gotten worse for him. Being the original leader of the family he felt it was up to him to bring his family out of that adversity, but with continual quandaries that role of leader gradually digressed as he couldn’t provide the means his family needed to prosper. Pa Joad shows his commitment to protecting his family all the way till the end of the story where he tries to build a dam to guard his family’s shelter from a rising flood, only for his attempt to once again

fail; showing his persistent plight. During the story Pa starts to follow his wife (Ma Joad) like a child, showing that difficult times do not always build character like what is seen in the other influential characters in this story.

The individual emotions that are honed by the characters of “The Grapes of Wrath” were represented wholly by the Chabot College cast. The epic story reveals much about the human condition and how people react during a crisis, and the cast brought John Steinbeck’s words truly to life. The challenging roles played by the cast shows their acting skills and how they stepped into the shoes of a struggling family. The cast accurately demonstrated the growth and degradation of people in unpleasant times.

Chabot’s School of the Arts also has four emerging student-written productions that will take place May 10-13 at 8p.m. with all four performances being shown on May 14 at 7 p.m, as well as Othello by William Shakespeare coming in the fall. To find more information go to www.chabotcollege.edu/theaterarts

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Focus Editor

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Chabot College Showcases Literary Work