Issue 23: December, 2008

Written by students. Read by all. Free to kids

Help Needed in SF Bay: Pollution Crisis! by Laila Zaidi, age 9

they leave pollutants there. Over the summer, had a very low amount of rainfall. Maybe the pollutants don’t increase with the rain, but maybe they do. As I said earlier, rain does make the bay higher and maybe that makes dredging necessary and so the cycle of pollution continues. It is my hope that this ter- rible pollution will end soon and that you will help to keep the bay clean.

School Garden Loved By All by Georgia Brady-Tompt, age 8 Courtesy of: http://www.boatingsf.com/photos/031106/IMG_4645_edited-1.jpg Our Sherman Elementary School gar- There are now lots of things going on that rain makes the bay higher, and it den is my favorite place in the school, with our bay, including mercury dredg- is also possible that rain decreases the but it could be even better. ing and too little rainfall. Mercury is amount of mercury. Even though we Garden Coordinator Linda Mey- the first enemy on the list, according have the biggest estuary in California, ers explained the process of building to the San Francisco Estuary Institute it doesn’t mean that people don’t pol- the garden. First, a committee met to and the regional monitoring program. lute it. come up with greening ideas. Then, Dredging here in San Francisco is cra- I think we are trying to make our asphalt on the grounds was excavated. zy! It has been said that the long-term bay a better place and that most people Next, soil was brought in. Pathways management strategy is to prevent respect that, especially fishermen. In were created, and after that a waterfall dredging and coordinate dumping. my opinion, nobody over-fishes in pond was created. Dredging is a very bad thing, but how San Francisco, but in other areas this Continued on page 4 can we get cargo ships in if the bay is may not be the case. I also think that not that deep? We don’t know, but we the people who sail every Sunday, or are trying to stop dredging. just people who really care, will help. INSIDE: Now let’s talk about mercury. I agree One way to start helping would be to News & Politics...... 2 with my Mom that mining started the clean up a local beach. Sometimes, like The Environment...... 4 mercury problem, but what I want to when there was a large oil spill in the Arts & Entertainment...... 7 know is how it got way worse. I think bay, people clean it up. Other times news and politics Page 2 Civil Rights Endangered by Ailish Burden, age 11

made towards acceptance it was sad to get a window into how the majority really feels. It appears that the majority were not able to see this as a civil rights issue, but one of religious beliefs. I believe that this is at the core of Prop 8.” The constitution is supposed to protect people from prejudice, the opposite from what is currently happening with Proposition 8. There have been other constitu- tional civil rights issues, such as women getting the right to vote. It may seem obvious now that Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/antinous/3032897712/sizes/o/ women deserve the same rights as On November 4, 2008, 52% of ployer would no longer pay medi- men, but back then people didn’t Californians voted to change the cal/ dental benefits for my wife. think that way. Another example California constitution by adding This amounts to approximately is when blacks and whites were the words “only marriage between $6,000 per year.” legally prevented from marrying. a man and a woman is valid or Maria Pease, a therapist at The California Supreme Court recognized in California.” Propo- UCSF and mother of two, says she abolished that law in the 1940s. sition 8 eliminated the right of “has some sadness that narrow- If that had been put to a popular same sex couples to marry in Cali- minded people felt they needed to vote it may not have passed. fornia. exclude my family or pretend we The California Supreme Court In May 2008, the California are somehow less than them.” agreed to listen to arguments to Supreme court decided that mar- Attorney Scott Wilkinson feels strike down Proposition 8. I hope riage is a fundamental right under that “there is no small irony that that the Supreme Court gives back the California state constitution. in the same election we also passed gays and lesbians their civil right Proposition 8 changed that by Prop 2, that extended protections to marry. preventing gays and lesbians from to farm animals by giving them marrying. It could possibly affect larger cages, Californians voted gay and lesbian marriages that in favor of chickens over human Bay-Farer ADVISORs have already occurred. rights by something in the neigh- When asked how this proposi- borhood of 16% of the raw vote.” Cameron Clark Kevin Feeney tion would affect her, Lori Amato Although I see “No on 8” signs Ryan Browne Herman Wong said, “It would put me back at do- everywhere, there is still a huge Daniel Brownstein Carmel Wroth mestic partner status. This would and obvious prejudice against gays Tracy Clark-Flory Elliott Gluck mean eliminating over 1000 rights and lesbians. When asked how Kathryn Olney Jen Snyder married people have. As an exam- she felt about Californians, Amato ple, should this happen, my em- said, “After all the strides we have Katherine Roberts Logan Shedd NEWS AND POLITICS Page 3

Bloody Tug-of-War in Georgia with South Ossetia as Rope by Albert Liu, age 9

Is South Ossetia going to be pulled apart by war? By bombs, grenades, and submachine guns? In April of 2008, NATO invited Georgia, for- merly part of the Soviet Union, to join the alliance. This angered the Russian Federation. As a result, the Russians joined the Courtesy of: http://www.colorado.edu/ibs/waroutcomes/pics/ethnicMap.jpg cause of South Ossetians wishing for bers of irregulars and mercenaries. ish and makes dumb choices,” Rus- independence. The Russian airforce They go around drunk, aggressive, sian president Dmitry Medvedev is started bombing raids while Rus- and armed and do all these atroci- thought to have said. He may have sian troops poured over the border. ties,” announced Georgian president said this because the U.S. invited Terrified Georgian citizens testified Mikhail Saakashvilli on August 17, Georgia to join NATO when Russia that Russian fighter jets flew past the 2008. Russia blames the U.S. for is right across the border. The Geor- borders. Georgia had previously car- inviting Georgia into NATO since gian president said he believed 500 ried several ground attacks on South Russia opposes NATO, which they tanks and 25,000 troops belonging Ossetia on August 7, 2008. see as part of the Cold War between to the Russians were in Georgia. It Is the U.S. somehow responsible? the U.S. and the old U.S.S.R. was a loss for Georgia, but still some “Russia’s army brought large num- “U.S. administration policy is self- Georgians blame U.S. foreign policy.

called “bunny suits” because they Mission Mars: don’t want to contaminate Mars “Toxic” Rover to Roam with anything. You are probably wondering the Red Planet what the MSL is made of. The by Luis Arriaga, age 10 metals used are titanium, alumi- num and lighter metals. The toxic The Jet Propulsion laboratory in substance used in making MSL Pasadena, California is working on is plutonium, which is poison- a new rover. It is called the Mars ous. The vehicle uses hydrogen Courtesy of: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa. Science Laboratory, otherwise gov/planetary/image/msl.jpg and oxygen for the take off from knows as MSL. The supervisor is earth. During the cruise of the Randy G. Herrea. Herrea says that Mars is stable enough for life. ship it uses hydrazine. When “the team is made up of more than The MSL will cost more than $1.8 it reaches the surface of Mars it six hundred people, including sci- million. The MSL is being built will use plutonium to land. The entists who are currently work- in the jet propulsion laboratory, MSL is a rover, so it will analyze ing on the project, engineers, and but some smaller parts are being rocks and look for sign of present other workers.” built elsewhere. While working on or past habitability. It also has a NASA wants to learn whether the spacecraft, workers wear gear Continued on page 7 SPECIAL FEATURE: THE ENVIRONMEN T Page 4

“School Garden”—continued from page 1

Courtesy of Sherman Elementary School

Trees and vegetables were planted, plants in the garden. Some of the the pond and rocks. One second- a cob bench was built, and finally, plants include lettuce, tomatoes, grader said that he doesn’t like the a solar water fountain was in- gourds, zucchini, strawberries, flowers and the benches, but he stalled. broccoli, tot soy, bok choy and likes the ponds. My friend, third- The garden is used as a meeting fruit trees such as fig, pear, apple, grader Dashiell Meyers-Holmes place for morning assembly, and plum, lemon, lime and persim- said he didn’t like the asphalt and Meyers teaches all 20 classes how mon. Not all the plants are edible he wishes it were grass. He does to garden. Parties are also held because some are poisonous. like the nature. Fourth-grader there. There are animals in the garden Cole Fellers likes everything about The front part of it is asphalt as well. There was one fish named the garden. One fifth-grader said but I think it should be grass. The “Hillary,” one fish named “John she liked the flowers, bench, ponds upper part of it is a veggie garden. McCain,” and a turtle named and trees. She also does not like Next to it, in the upper-middle, “Obama.” The fish died and the the hay and dirt. are trash cans. In the upper-right turtle escaped. The garden also Some kids agree that they want corner there is a pond with bird- has hummingbirds, mice, pigeons to rip up the asphalt and make it bath basalt around it. To the left and many insects. into grass, and some other kids of that is the butterfly garden. The I like the garden and so do other don’t. Meyers thinks the asphalt herb garden is in the lower left kids. Someone from kindergarten should be ripped up and turned corner and right below the trash said there was nothing that they into grass. She wants to make the cans is a flower garden. One more didn’t like, and that person espe- garden greener because she says thing, there is a waterfall pond in cially liked the pond. Another per- San Francisco has very little green the lower right corner. son from first grade said that they space, and children need a place to There are about 200 types of hate the hay and dirt, but they like play in or grow food. SPECIAL FEATURE: THE ENVIRONMENT Page 5

Where Are: The City by Liam Burden, age 11

An endangered Brown Pelican plunges Another good place into the ocean in the distance. A Presi- to observe wildlife is dio Clarkia flower sways in the coastal Heron’s Head Park. breeze on a bluff. A Peregrine Falcon It is at the end of swoops after a plump lazy pigeon on Cargo Way, off of a street. At the edge of a parking lot Third Street. There there is a willow thicket in which war- you can see many blers dart about in a feeding frenzy— species of shorebirds, you may think wildlife needs vast wil- including the Spot- derness expanses to thrive, but in fact ted Sandpiper, Kill- many native plants and animals flour- deer, Least Sand- ish here in San Francisco. piper, Willet, and On a recent walk through Glen Greater Yellowlegs. Courtesy of the author Canyon Park, I was lucky enough to The good (and bad) see a Coyote hunting, catching, and thing about Heron’s Head is that it is mals are those that went from com- eating a gopher. You can also see Bur- not well known by the general public. mon to uncommon to rare (or gone) rowing Owls, cozy in between the So you will not usually see other peo- within my lifetime. In this category I rocks underneath the parking lot at ple there. The Sutro Baths and Lands’ can say that I have observed Califor- Lands’ End. Or you can watch a Great End is also very productive for observ- nia Quail, Wrentit, California Red Blue Heron hunt gophers in a soc- ing wildlife. There you can see the resi- Sided Garter Snakes…” In fact, there cer field. There is also a pair of Great dent Burrowing Owl beneath Luis’s are more endangered species (33) in Horned Owls that live in Glen Park Restaurant, Pigeon Guillemonts in the the Golden Gate National Recre- that many people were able to watch ocean, and Western Gulls everywhere. ation Area (GGNRA) than any other raise their young. Depending on where If you are lucky, Wandering Tattler and national park in continental North you live, you can even step outside to Tunstone can be seen on the rocks near America. Though the GGNRA is not see a Brown Pelican gulping down the baths, and various songbirds can be just San Francisco and not all of San its catch. seen on Lands’ End trail. In Golden Francisco is included in the GGNRA, When I asked Matt Zlatunich— Gate Park you can see various species San Francisco still makes home for an expert birdwatcher and all-around of Warblers. In fact, recently a Black many endangered species. naturalist— where some of his favor- Throated Green Warbler was spotted Aside from endangered species and ite places to observe wildlife are, he at Stow Lake. A Hooded Merganser native birds, there are many acciden- answered, “The western portion of has been hanging out in Lloyd Lake tal or migratory birds that land in San the Presidio. I’ve had many sublime in The Chain of Lakes. Coyotes have Francisco because San Francisco is po- wildlife experiences here, including been seen there as well. Ocean Beach, sitioned in the middle of a major mi- encounters with Coyote, Southern Sea Lake Merced and Fort Funston are ex- gration route. The wind blows the birds Otter, Bottlenose Dolphin and Law- cellent for wildlife observation too. off-course during migration and so rence’s Goldfinch.” In the Presidio, you I asked Zlatunich what were some they land in unlikely places. Recently, can also see the endangered Western of the rarest species he has observed a Red Throated Pipit from Alaska was Snowy Plover, Townsend’s Warbler, in San Francisco. He replied, “I’ve had sighted at Crissy Field. Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Coyote, Cab- many great wildlife experiences in the So wildlife is out there, you just need bage White butterfly, and much, much City spanning over several decades. to tune your senses and look around. more. Unfortunately, some of the rarest ani- SPECIAL FEATURE: THE ENVIRONMENT Page 6 Ruins Might Be Ruined in Machu Picchu by Marco Ponce, age 9 Machu Picchu was built around 1460. If the Ministry of Industry puts a cable It was abandoned less than 100 years car in, there will be more landslides, later. Machu Picchu is a city built of but in my opinion there is another stones and rocks. It was a king’s city. way. If we use chair lifts, there will be The people had to work. Some gathered fewer landslides and less of an impact. food, some had to train to be warriors, More people will travel from all over and some sat and watched. the world to Machu Picchu to see the People go there now because it is re- ruins of South America’s Aztec Incas in ally famous. In fact, “more than 300,000 a way that is safe for the land. people a year make the trek to Machu On July 7th 2007, Machu Picchu Picchu,” according to John Roach. It was voted one of the seven wonders is good that people get to recognize of the world. When they said Machu Machu Picchu’s ruins because it has a Picchu was one of the wonders of the beautiful, rich history. world, everyone got excited. People However, geologists at Kyoto Uni- were screaming so hard that they al- Courtesy of: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2208/25175 versity have discovered that Machu Pic- most cried. 47287_99d15258ca_b.jpg chu is going to have landslides. Because Since then, people really recognize It’s sad and strange that people have of tourism, Machu Picchu is at risk of Machu Picchu. People go there to see been destroying Machu Picchu. In the falling into the Aguas Calientes, a river what the Incas left behind and people past, people who were not from there at the bottom of Machu Picchu. also see the ruins and artifacts. People (the Spanish) destroyed it. Today, peo- People cause landslides by walk- go there because of the customs and the ple who are not from Machu Picchu ing up the Inca Trail, littering as they rich history of the Incas. They also go are again destroying it. I feel sad and at pass by, according to John Roach. He there because it’s a beautiful place. Ve- the same time mad because people are also says that if the Peruvian Ministry ronica, a tutor at 826 Valencia, told me destroying the hard work of the Incas. of Industry puts a cable car that runs to that she loves it. According to Veronica, I hope that people don’t cause damage the top of the mountain, the number the ruins were one of the most incred- and that tourists can visit Machu Pic- of visitors will go up to 400,000 a year! ible sites she has ever seen. chu without destroying it.

sive. You should probably watch People go crazy for out for them when you go to bed, because they like to hide under Chi-WOW-huas covers. by Anna Barbas, age 8 The average height of Chihua- huas is 6 to 10 inches. The big- Chihuahuas are being adopted gest would be 12 to 15 inches tall. and loved by more families be- Some Chihuahuas have long coats cause of the movie Beverly Hills and others have smooth coats. Chihuahua. There are some special Chihuahuas come in many differ- things about Chichuahuas. They ent colors: golden, brown, black, have whiskers on their chin and white and blue. Some are even snout, a thin tail, small nose, and spotted. So, consider going out and buy- big, pointy ears. They are loyal, http://www.lulubellechihuahua.com/chihuahuas- courageous, curious and aggres- images/lulubelle-long-haired-chihuahua.jpg ing yourself a Chihuahua! arts and entertainment Page 7

Mission Music Lover Unveils All Bay-Farer Contributors by Emma S. Sanford, age 9

music coming out of Great Britain: Luis Arriaga Albert Liu Sinead O’Connor, Pacific Fuze, and Anna Barbas Kacey Medina Peréz the Cocteau Twins. “It’s like I was Ailish Burden Marco Ponce waiting for that music to come,” Lee Liam Burden Emma S. Sanford said. Current bands she enjoys are Georgia Brady- Laila Zaidi Coldplay and Houdini. Tompt Sinclair is not only a passive listener but also a former band EDITORS member. Lee was in a band for 12 Led Zeppelin years. It was called Her Majesty the Baby. She was the lead singer and Eugenie Howard-Johnston Ryan Browne Do you remember closing yourself in bass player. The band produced one Adrianna Ely your room and rocking out to awe- bluesy jazz album. Artifacts of this some oldies? I don’t. I’m only nine. time in her life can be found in her But Lee Paiva Sinclair does (Sinclair apartment. Sinclair’s apartment has tutors is my upstairs neighbor and landlady, an instruments room with a guitar, and I have known her forever.) This saxophone, and trumpet. She also Cameron Clark Kevin Feeney Mission resident is both a lover of has a Her Majesty the Baby poster, Ryan Browne Herman Wong music and a musician. and in it Sinclair is wearing a black Now in her 60s, Sinclair, who has beanie with her shoulders slumped, Daniel Brownstein Carmel Wroth dyed blond hair and hazel-brown her face looking tired and bored, Tracy Clark-Flory Elliott Gluck eyes, took an early interest in music. surrounded by her band members Kathryn Olney Jen Snyder When she was a teenager she en- with their arms crossed, and in the Katherine Roberts Logan Shedd joyed the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led top left corner a baby like Maggie Zeppelin, Almond Brothers, and Simpson (sorta). It’s kind of funny. ABOUT 826 . Sinclair liked hippie music Every time I see it I laugh. too, but she didn’t love punk rock. “I Lee said she’d like to be in a like the idea of punk rock but it gives famous band, depending on how 826 is a non-profit organization me a headache,” she told me. I agree. much power she had. I would too. dedicated to supporting students Would you? Later on, she listened to a lot of ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and “Mission Mars”—continued from page 1 charge of instruments. The teams to helping teachers inspire their chemical laboratory to do experi- will look at data daily. Each day ments with. A computer on earth they will decide what do in the students to write. Our services are will direct the experiments. MSL next day’s session. The Rover has structured around the understand- will do atmospheric, soil and a radio on it, so it can transmit ing that great leaps in learning can chemical composition tests. data to earth or to the orbiting The MSL will depart for Mars spacecraft that will then send it happen with one-on-one atten- in October 2009 and will take ten to earth. tion and that strong writing skills to eleven months to get there. It The Rover will stay on Mars are fundamental to future success. will travel at an average of 25,000 forever. mph. There are twelve teams in ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Page 8 DVD Review: The Twilight Zone by Kacey Medina Peréz, age 10

The Twilight Zone is a television series from the 1950s and 60s that is now available on VHS and DVD. It usually features people, animals, or war and other dimen- sions. To me, it is the top, num- ber one TV show of all the scary shows I know. The Twilight Zone is a fa- mous show that has been copied by newer shows like Family Guy and The Simpsons. Unlike modern shows like Family Guy, there are very few bad words used in The Twilight Zone. The show begins with Rod Serling, the creator of the show, talking. I usually skip this part because I want to see the episode. http://www.freewebs.com/two-tv/twilight_zone1.jpg One of my favorite episodes begins with a woman who is lost. ging the woman in the poster. He (she also got a gun from a skel- She is in another dimension and tells her that she and him were eton). He breaks the glass from there is no one else around. Then never meant to be together. Still, another store with the gun and she finds a man. The man is un- she doesn’t say anything. He starts steals a dress, then tells her to put happy because he thought that following her, and she screams in it on. She says that it isn’t going the woman was his wife, and the his face, “Stop following me!” to fit. He tells her to try it on. So woman is unhappy because she The woman finally starts talk- she takes the dress and tries it on thought that the man was her hus- ing and tells him that she came and he says, “See, it does fit you.” band. But they are just strangers. out of the forest. Then he says, And she tells him that she won’t They start fighting because “Well, go find someone else to just be lying around there with they don’t want to be together. help you go home.” She says, “I him because she doesn’t want to They go to this movie theater and can’t because you’re the only one.” him that much. And he says “Well, they see posters there. Then he He replies, “There’s nobody else I don’t know what to do, but you drops her onto the ground and he in this place.” And she says, “Yes, have to find somebody else in an- puts his hand on her mouth and there’s nobody else.” And he says other place.” starts attacking her and then she that he is going to help her and I recommend that you rent The says, “Let me go, let me go!” that if his wife has died, he will Twilight Zone, because it’s kind The man takes his hand off her marry the woman. And then they of interesting. It’s not as good as mouth and asks, “Who are you?” start helping each other. Family Guy or The Simpsons, but it She doesn’t want to speak. She They go to a store and break the is much scarier. If you’re afraid of doesn’t say anything. Then, he glass with a gun that the man got the dark, this show will scare you looks at the poster in the movie from a skeleton, and then he and if you are alone. theater and sees that he is hug- she start shooting at each other