The Coast News, Nov. 9, 2012

OPINION&EDITORIAL
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THE COAST NEWS
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NOV. 9, 2012
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Treading lightly for planet Earth
By Celia Kiewit
Why is the Encinitas Public Works
Department systematically spraying the
cracks in the sidewalks on Encinitas Blvd.
with Monsanto’s Round-Up? The employee
was nonchalant, “The company assures us
there is no harm to humans.” Why would anyone
trust a chemical conglomerate while this
crap, along with our tax dollars, infects our
food supply and flows down the storm drains
to the ocean?
During these days of “global-weirding,”
while we debate energy policy and face looming
water wars, poorly-timed sprinkler systems
commonly spray the air, sending water
flooding down the street for miles! Precious
water.
Underneath all those enlightening campaign
signs, most properties are still surrounded
by expensive green grass. A welltrimmed
lawn is lovely, but the plastic variety
is not. So-called dashboard groups like
Equinox do research, but does anyone listen?
Beware of the mulch from The Greenery in
Mira Mesa — it stinks of plastic.
Noise and fuel from lawnmowers and
blowers is obnoxious and wasteful. Some gardening
services wisely make use of burlap
instead of plastic bagging and rakes instead
of leaf blowers. Some of us actually pull
weeds.
I installed a rock garden and allowed the
backyard to go natural, making good sense
environmentally, monetarily, and spiritually,
as I much prefer peace and quiet. My raised
vegetable planters, flowerbeds, and fruit
orchard are all on a drip system reducing my
water bill to $30/month for a half acre.
Homemade cisterns catc h rainwater,
which I distribute the old-fashioned way — by
bucket brigade. I compost with two Biostacks
reaching 150+ degrees, and I vermicompost as
well. No herbicides or pesticides, and of
course all bunnies are welcome!
Plastic bags are not allowed in my house
or yard and my kitchen is almost completely
plastic-free. I accept no Styrofoam, straws, or
disposable silverware, no clam boxes, lids, or
any other single-use packaging if I can avoid
it. Zero waste, or darn near — nothing
extreme, just common sense.
Restaurateurs have thanked me f or
bringing my own container for take-out.
Health consequences associated with
most plastics are real, and so far the claims of
biodegradable plastics are misleading. It’s
shocking to see plastic water bottles in every
hand and car, heating to poisonous levels. A
canary in a coalmine?
I predict plastic-free zones will be the
next trend for home, business, church, and
how about the beach?
It was encouraging that a y oungster,
Evan Lewis of La Jolla, led the latest effort to
ban the bag and that 50 cities in our state
have already done so, phasing them out gradually
with no consequences. Expensive antilitter
campaigns continue to avoid the reality
of the huge volume of garbage littering
beaches and bays, choking storm drains,
killing wildlife, landfilled, or shipped to
China. EDCO promises to open Gregory
Canyon near Fallbrook.
Many homes are in disrepair with weeds,
cigarette butts, trash, rodents, and junk cars
all too common. There is a serious drainage
problem between a new housing development
and an Encinitas church unaddressed
for the past two years resulting in a breeding
ground for mosquitoes.
The French philosopher Voltaire opined
that we should, after all is said and done,
TURN TO EARTH ON A20
Thanking heroes past and
present for our freedom
ANDREW
AUDET
Life, Liberty and Leadership
This Veterans Day I am reminded of
one of m y favorite Revolutionary War
heroes and his leadership.
The American cause f or liberty
could not ha ve been a success without
the contributions of many willing to give
all so we might be free.
Meet Henry Knox who was all of 25
when he joined Washington’s army outside
of Boston, Mass. in 1775.
Knox was born in Boston wher e he
lost his father as a young boy.
A self-educated man he opened a
bookstore offering the latest books that
was frequented by British soldier s.
There he fell in lo ve with the daughter
of a pr ominent Tory named Luc y
Flucker.
Lucy’s father attempted to gi ve
Knox added respectability with a commission
in the British arm y but Kno x
declined.
In the tense da ys after Le xington
and Concord Lucy and Knox slipped out
of town with what the y could carry and
Lucy never saw her mother or f ather
again.
Knox suffered a hunting accident
when his “fowling” piece exploded,
destroying a few fingers; he would soon
after meet General George Washington,
who was inspecting the defenses of his
rag-tag army at Roxbury.
At that time Gener al Washington
and General Howe of the British army
had battled to a standstill.
Howe and the British controlled
Boston and the harbor and Washington
lacked the weaponry to dislodge them.
It was Knox who suggested a solution.
Earlier Ethan Allen and the Gr een
Mountain Boys from Vermont had
defeated the British at Fort Ticonderoga
and the captur ed artillery had been
abandoned. Knox suggested to
Washington that he could get the cannons
and dr ag them o verland back to
Boston where they could be used to
defeat the British.
Washington agreed and put Kno x
who stood 6-feet, weighed 250 pounds
and was missing a few fingers, in charge
of the expedition.
Knox and his expedition left Boston
on Nov. 16 traveling up the Hudson
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Valley at times making 45 miles a da y.
On Dec. 5 he arrived at Ticonderoga at
the southern end of Lake Champlain.
There he selected 58 cannons
including three that weighed more than
a ton, and the 24-pound cannon that
weighed 5,000 pounds.The whole lot was
reported to w eigh more than 120,000
pounds.
Knox moved the guns by boat down
Lake George and when one of the boats
sank they fished the cannons out of the
nearly frozen lake.
The route took them overland to
Albany where they had four crossings of
the Hudson River again losing, and then
retrieving, more cannons that sank.
On Christmas Da y, 3 feet of sno w
fell and Kno x nearly froze to death
struggling through the sno w until the y
found fresh horses.
The party moved on to Albany turning
east to the Ber kshires and on Jan. 9
the guns and Knox arrived 20 miles west
of Boston at Framingham.
The trip was 300 miles and not a gun
had been lost.
Knox had pr oven a r emarkable
leader who worked with urgency.
Washington promptly put him in
command of the artillery.
The status in Boston w as about to
make a dramatic change and the cause
for American independence was to take
a huge step forward.
Rising above Boston was Dorchester
Heights.
From these heights the British lines
at Boston w ere 1 1/2 half miles a way,
well within r ange of the F ort
Ticonderoga cannons; the British ships
in Boston harbor were within range, too.
The plan was to occupy the heights
in one night before Howe knew what was
happening.
More than 3,000 men took part in
the preparations.
On March 4, Washington, Knox and
the men sprung into action and on the
morning of Mar ch 5 Gener al Howe
awoke to find that more than 20 cannons
were pointed at them from above.
They had been out-foxed.
On the morning of Mar ch 6 Ho we
gave the order for the British to e vacuate
Boston.
The most po werful army in the
world had been defeated due to ingen uity,
perseverance and leadership.
Knox and other s moved 120,000
pounds of cannons o ver 300 miles o ver
frozen lakes and rivers and defeated the
British at Boston.
For all of the v eterans of yesterday
and today, thank you for my freedom.
Contributing writers
CHRISTINA MACONE-GREENE
cmaconegrenne@coastnewsgroup.com
BIANCA KAPLANEK
bkaplanek@coastnewsgroup.com
WEHTAHNAH TUCKER
wtucker@coastnewsgroup.com
PROMISE YEE
pyee@coastnewsgroup.com
PATTY MCCORMAC
pmccormac@coastnewsgroup.com
PHOTOGRAPHER
DANIEL KNIGHTON
dan@pixelperfectimages.net
PHOTOGRAPHER
BILL REILLY
info@billreillyphotography.com
Contact the Editor
TONY CAGALA
tcagala@coastnewsgroup.com