Mirador 2/5/10 News 5

Caldecott Tunnel Project Underway

Bill Allows for Privatization of Water

Cheerleaders to “Bring It On” at Nationals National competition in March will put Miramonte cheer team to the test

by Sophia Bollag

In a bond proposal that attempts to provide solutions to numerous water-related issues in California, there is a clause which would potentially allow private investors to “own, govern, manage and operate a surface storage project,” such as a reservoir. Californians will vote on the bond in November 2010 and if it passes, private investors would be able to profit from the sale of water, which could cause the price of water to increase.

According to The San Francisco Chronicle “lawmakers barely discussed the provision while considering the bond, and water experts… said they knew little about it or why it was a necessary part of the [bond].”

The bond proposal, the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act of 2010, claims it would “provide funding for California’s aging water infrastructure and for projects and programs to address the ecosystem and water supply issues in California.”

“This bond provides that new surface water reservoirs built under this program may be operated by a Joint Powers Authority, which would be a nongovernmental entity,” said Jennifer Clary from the California branch of Clean Water Watch, a nonprofit organization.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that supporters of the provision argue that allowing private investors to help fund the creation and upkeep of surface storage projects would make these projects easier to finance.

Those who oppose the privatization of water, however, argue that it is dangerous to allow a private investor, whose primary concern is personal profit,

to gain control over a public resource, such as water. According to a statement issued by the Food and Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter, “Around the U.S. and abroad, private utility companies routinely take over struggling public water systems, only to jack up rates while service suffers.”

Opponents of the bill point out other flaws with its provisions. “This bond contains $1 billion to clean up groundwater,” said Clary. “However, that groundwater cleanup isn’t tied to a reduction in water supplies taken from elsewhere, for instance from the Delta. A key reason for the catastrophic species decline in the Delta is poor water quality due to polluted discharges upstream and the high rate of pumping out of the Delta. This bond does nothing to change the practices that have led to the degradation of the Delta.”

This provision creates controversy over who controls the price and distribution of a public resource and adds to California’s long list of water-related problems.

by Caroline Golden

On Friday Jan. 22, the official groundbreaking for construction of a fourth bore to the Caldecott Tunnel occurred.

About 250 people gathered for the occasion, and Caltrans officials made speeches and ceremoniously shoveled dirt.

Frozen funds from transportation infrastructure bonds nearly jeopardized construction. Despite the unpromising current budget crisis of the state, federal stimulus funds have secured the project, and the construction is underway, approximated to take four years to complete.

The construction is estimated to require $420 million, with around $270 million allocated for the actual boring of the tunnel.

On the border of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the Caldecott Tunnel serves as a major commuter route for State Route 24 traffic with 160,000 motorists daily.

“This project will reduce local traffic congestion while creating nearly 6,000 jobs for California – and is a solid investment in the future of the Bay Area’s transportation infrastructure,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Department of Transportation, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and the Alameda Congestion Management Agency are cooperating on this project.

The fourth bore will be constructed north of the existing three tunnel bores and will eliminate the daily reversal of traffic direction for the center tunnel, designating the northernmost bore in addition to the new bore to permanently stand for westbound traffic and the two southernmost bores for eastbound traffic.

In addition, the current maintenance building will be torn down and workers will construct a new two-story building for tunnel operations and maintenance.

Not only will this new building reduce local traffic congestion and create thousands of jobs but will improve safety for the travelling public as well as Caltrans maintenance workers.

The new tunnel bore will be 3,389 feet long and 41.25 feet wide. Several cross-passages will connect the new bore to the existing bores as emergency exits.

by Katherine Doyle

“We’re doing super cool stunts that we’ve never shown anyone before,” said senior Maddy Karol, a member of the Miramonte Cheer team.

She’s talking about the routine the team is working on for their NCA National competition fast approaching on March 20 in Knott’s Berry Farm, Buena Park.

Miramonte Cheer has never participated in any competitions, let alone Nationals, until this year, and the girls owe these new competitive opportunities to their coach, Rebecca George.

“She realizes how much we’re capable of,” said senior cheer captain Laura Weston. “She’s really supportive, but pushes us to do our best.”

In fact, Nationals is nothing new for George, also known to the girls as “Big G”: the last cheer team she coached took first at nationals, and the Miramonte squad looks forward

to fulfilling her expectations.

“We’re hoping she can do the same with us,” said Weston.

To advance to the National stage, the team either had to qualify during a four-day summer camp in Davis or enter a regional competition. They received their bid for Nationals during the camp, out of about 20 p a r t i c i p a t i n g teams.

The instructors e v a l u a t e d the teams’ p e r f o r m a n c e s throughout the week to determine if they would contend yet again on the big stage.

The team is excited for the challenge ahead, but it’s a long haul.

“We have the lowest priority [for the gym] because we’re not a sport, so we can get kicked out at anytime,” said Karol.

Without the practice space, the team is hard pressed to perform their routines, so they resort to grueling five-hour Sunday practices to make up for the lost time.

Because they have never competed at Nationals, the girls expect bias from the judges because the have evaluated other teams but don’t know what to expect from

Miramonte.A lot of teams qualify from across the country, but,

luckily, teams are broken up into divisions of high school size and whether or not they are coed. Ultimately, the team’s expectations for performance and results will be high.

“We have a lot more stunts, two dance sections, and a cheer,” said Weston. “Our routine is 2 ½ minutes long, and there’s lots of sound effects.”

There’s only one other difference between Nationals and the typical Miramonte rally:

“We have to wear our hair on the top of our heads. It’s really scary,” said Karol.

Photo: L. Sterling/MCT Campus

Water winds through a canyon at Cache Creek Canyon Regional Park in Capay Valley, California.

Miramonte cheerleaders fire up the crowd with enthusiasm at the Homecoming game, but their choreographed routine will take them to Nationals.

Photos: C. Golden