Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.
Cartoon by joel mielke
— Robert Frost
Bond Fiasco Editor: The recent “expose” of school bonds (“The Big Borrow,” Dec. 6) in quite a few local school districts begs a few questions. How is it that a school board composed of well-meaning community volunteers is given the responsibility to make such far-reaching financial decisions without any mandated oversight? Are there not any laws in place that govern the structuring of bonds and their repayment schedule? It appears that these recently issued bonds were brought to fruition by private entities that profited (some would say usuriously) in both the short and long-term at the expense of taxpayers and ultimately our school children. The bond industry sharks were kept at bay in Trinidad only to prey upon other districts that weren’t quite as street smart. This whole bond fiasco reeks of the same stench as the mortgage loan, real estate bubble and economic meltdown crises. Elliott Levin, Trinidad
Aboard the Stephanie Editor: Go Cody Hills! (“Backyard of Boats,” Dec. 6.) Not only are you honoring the Lazio and Alioto families’ legacies by restoring Stephanie, you are also carrying on for the Machis and Shelter Cove. My grandfather, Pop Machi (1877-1969) was
born and raised in St. Elia, Sicily, and as a young man emigrated to the U.S. to settle in San Francisco. In 1909 he formed the San Francisco International Fish Company along with Tony Trapani and cousin Joe Alioto. The company evolved over the years and the partnership eventually included the Lazios. Both the Lazio and Alioto families came from the same fishing village in Sicily that my grandfather did. The Fish Company bought property at Shelter Cove in 1928, developing commercial fishing, mostly shipping out salmon. Pop’s eldest son, my dad, Tony, first came to the cove from San Francisco aboard one of the Fish Company’s vessels at age of 16 in 1928. It’s highly possible it was the International #3. Pop’s two other sons, my uncles Babe and Mario, would soon follow. The brothers worked on the dock during the summer of the late ’20s and early ’30s. In 1946, just after World War II, the Machi brothers bought the 40 acres surrounding the cove and began reestablishing and creating businesses that remain today. They left a legacy of sport and commercial fishing, motels, a campground, restaurant and snack bar, bar, tackle shop, boat launching and some pretty daring rescues. I keep a fond eye on Stephanie knowing my dad, uncles and grandfather walked her decks many years ago. Mary Ann Machi, Cutten
Various Christians in Europe had predicted the end of the world on Jan. 1, 1000.
Early Letters Deadline It’s almost time for Christmas. And New Year’s. And all sorts of other holidays that keep editors and page designers out of offices and printers out of print shops. Whee! I mean, the Journal regrets to inform you that we will have early deadlines
for the next two weeks. Please email us your letters no later than 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, for our Dec. 27 edition and Friday, Dec. 28, for our Jan. 3 edition. As usual, please write no more than 300 words about something we’ve recently published, and include an address and a phone number where we can reach you that Friday morning. Happy holidays! l
northcoastjournal.com • North Coast Journal • Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012
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