Sandra Lyon and the Santa Monica School Board made a serious mistake when they hired their “expert” Mark Ketchum and his company to deal with carcinogenic soil findings at Malibu High. Instead of making the problem go away, Ketchum’s mismanagement has done nothing to help the children or school, and has only made matters worse.
Now, the EPA has had to step in and take charge. I truly hope that the school board and district show how poor a public relations job Ketchum and his task force committee have done. I always thought that the only thing that mattered was the health of the students and staff. Having just attended a school board meeting, I see that most members do not share my feeling.
To those people who were concerned that this matter would affect property values in Malibu, consider this: through Ketchum’s mismanagement, this issue is now getting national attention. This issue will go on for years. Malibu and the Santa Monica School District will be known for jeopardizing their own students’ health, deceit and cover-ups. Watch as that impacts property values and the area’s prestige.
I urge everyone to contact the school board and tell them that their job is to educate and protect our children. Enough money has been wasted on public relations “experts” and attorneys. They need to fire their experts, work with the EPA and fix the problems so that our children are safe.
Doug Wochna