Alameda’s sinking ship, AUSD’s new ELA curriculum, open board seats at Academy of Alameda, Alameda Education Foundation’s summer camps, Greenway Golf, and a poem
[1]
The sinking Kaisei
To the Editor:
On May 25, 2025, the cutter Kaisei slipped slowly beneath the waters of the Alameda Estuary [2]. As we approach the one year anniversary I was reminded of the sinking. The reminder was not from a news article, Facebook post, old photo, or any other sort of memory. No, the reminder came from the two masts still sticking out of the estuary waters, in the exact same place as they were a year ago.
The Kaisei is owned by the Ocean Voyages Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Sausalito that at one time was dedicated to cleaning up the ocean. Judging from the lack of progress on the cleanup of their own sunk vessel however, that no longer appears to be the case. It has been reported that removal of fuel in tanks onboard was performed shortly after the sinking, but that is not the only environmental issue. What else was onboard the Kaisei when she went down? Batteries, oil in jugs, hull and interior paint, fire extinguishers, the potential list is extensive and after a year in salt water things will be breaking down and leaching contaminants into San Francisco Bay.
The Ocean Voyages Institute needs to get their act together and complete the removal and disposal of the vessel. For an organization whose stated mission is “teaching maritime arts and sciences and preserving the world’s oceans” they have an odd way of showing it. The most recent available IRS Form 990 for 2024 [3] filed by OVI lists over $4.2M in assets (although this may include the Kaisei valued at $1.2M per the 2021 form 990 [4]) including $1.84M in cash. Utilizing some of these funds to address their own wreck might not be a bad idea.
It’s also worth noting that there are any number of other parties who could have, and have not at least publicly taken any action. Stone Boatyard LLC owns the property and docks where the vessel sank, as well as other moorings in the area, and have done nothing. A constellation of government entities have allowed this situation to fester: the City of Alameda, Bay Conservation & Development Commission, United States Coast Guard—have any of these entities taken any kind of action to force the owner to move the cleanup forward?
There has been speculation in some forums that there have been issues in obtaining a payout to cover salvage and cleanup from OVI’s insurers, and this is the main cause of the delays in starting salvage efforts. Whether or not this is true, it does not excuse an unending delay in the cleanup effort. This also can’t be confirmed in any way as there has been zero communication with the public from OVI, their directors, or any government entity about a salvage plan since the days immediately after the sinking. I empathize with the people who run OVI and believe deeply in the cause of the organization. But I also watched as the Kaisei was allowed to sit and deteriorate for years, not moving from the dock since at least 2018. Now I am wondering how many more years I will have to watch before the wreck is finally cleaned up.
Alex Burnson,
Alameda
New ELA curriculum at AUSD
To the Editor:
Regarding the adoption of a new ELA curriculum for AUSD [5], I applaud all involved for a thorough process that looked at three choices before deciding on the Benchmark program. Teachers and staff gave careful consideration and I’m assuming the board will accept the recommendation and approve the preferred instructional system.
Teaching kids to read is a massively complex process that has been the holy grail of education. When I was studying to be a reading specialist—45 years ago—we explored the topic looking at massive amounts of data from numerous studies. To oversimplify, it came down to phonics versus whole word instruction. We read Jeanne Chall and Frank Smith, learned about eye movement and the notion of bringing meaning to print. It was fascinating. And while I cannot comment thoughtfully on the merits of the Benchmark program, which I’m certain employed a team of experts, I can say this: It’s missing what is the absolute, indisputable core of reading—reading whole books. Not an excerpt, not a passage, not part of the whole, but the whole of the whole. A book, the kind you hold in your hands, open, turn the pages, or if you’re little, the kind someone holds for you, and lets you help read and turn the pages. If you’re unfamiliar, visit the library or a bookstore, they’re still out there.
Once upon a time, when I began teaching for AUSD, we had what I called the Alameda Canon, a list of books assigned to each grade level, K-12. It was a sacred collection of the best stories, and each year kids were eager to read them and we teachers were eager to explore with them. Also available were additional titles and over time we expanded the list to be more inclusive, keeping the classics, adding modern tales that spoke to our ever-evolving beautiful community.
The curriculum we used to teach those wonderful whole books was created by teachers, our own folks, and not some publishing firm from far away. The general concept was that each book should be the center of a process called “Into, Through and Beyond.” We did reading activities to prepare for the reading of the book, providing context, then read the book chapter by chapter, engaging with the text, practicing and improving comprehension, and then we celebrated the end of the book with a creative project to show what we learned. It was magnificent.
We live in a fragmented world. The most popular forms of media are those presented in short form—TikTok videos, Instagram stories, quick rants on X or Reddit. News and fashion mutate constantly. But reading should not be that way. Reading has to be separate from that, and has to combat the short-attention-span virus that has infected us all. We should not be feeding into that by offering kids excerpts from great stories, but the great stories themselves. No single chapter or subset of A Wrinkle in Time or To Kill a Mockingbird or Beloved can match the immeasurable power and beauty of the whole story.
Here is my plea. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that AUSD will use the Benchmark program. So be it. But for the sake of learning, for the kids, for the teachers, please require—not recommend, but require—that whole books be used at every grade in every class at every school across the island. And not as a supplemental component for kids who get their work done early (though that’s not a horrible thing), but as a partner element to the Benchmark program. Whole books, written by whole authors, that together represent the whole experience of being a whole human, are sacred and must not be marginalized.
Gene Kahane
Retired AUSD teacher with multiple literary tattoos
Academy of Alameda is seeking new board members
To the Editor:
The Academy of Alameda (AoA) is a free, TK-8 public charter school on Alameda’s West End, celebrating 15 years as a proud part of our community.
We are seeking new board members to help shape our direction and support our work on behalf of Alameda’s children.
AoA is a school where all students meet their full potential through rigorous academics, pathways to advanced math, and an inclusive, empowering curriculum that is age-appropriate and social-justice-focused—emphasizing community, advocacy, and multiple perspectives. This identity shapes every aspect of our work and contributes to strong academic outcomes.
AoA serves more than 650 students and sits at the 99th percentile of the most diverse student bodies in California while ranking in the top 25% of all public K-8 schools statewide.
We welcome community members seeking meaningful volunteer work that strengthens a vibrant, student-centered school community. Visit the AoA website [6] to learn more about our school and submit an interest form online [7] or email Board President Jen Laird at [email protected] [8] to find out more about Board Member roles and responsibilities and indicate your potential interest.
Christine Chilcott, Executive Director
Jennifer Laird, Board Chair
Academy of Alameda
Alameda Education Foundation’s summer sports camps
To the Editor:
This summer, the Alameda Education Foundation’s (AEF) NEW Sports Summer Camps [9] are giving student-athletes more than just a place to play; they’re providing an opportunity to grow both on and off the court and field. With offerings in Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, and Girls Soccer, AEF camps are designed to help middle school athletes sharpen their skills, build confidence, and prepare for school-year athletics in a supportive, high-energy environment.
What makes AEF Sports Summer Camps Different?
Program coaches are not only experienced athletes and competitors, they are educators who understand how to connect with students and support their development as people, teammates, and leaders. Every clinic is intentionally built to combine athletic training with mentorship, encouragement, and personal growth.
Even more importantly, AEF summer camp coaches are the same coaches leading school-year programs. This gives athletes a unique opportunity to build relationships, understand team expectations, and gain confidence before tryouts and competitive seasons begin. While AEF does not currently offer a school-year soccer program, the summer soccer camp is designed to give athletes the opportunity to develop and sharpen their skills, with the hope that AEF will eventually expand to include a school-year soccer program in the future.
Meet the Coaches
Coach Brittany Hayes (Girls Basketball) brings eight years of coaching experience and a powerful focus on confidence-building and mental resilience. Combining her basketball expertise with her background in mental health, she creates a supportive environment where young female athletes can develop both their game and their self-belief. Her teams have earned multiple championships, but her greatest success comes from helping players grow into confident, resilient young leaders.
Coach Lily Gates-Tilles (Girls Soccer) With more than 15 years of playing experience, Coach Lily brings enthusiasm, positivity, and inclusivity to every session. She is passionate about helping athletes of all levels feel welcomed and challenged while building their technical skills and love for the game. Her camps are known for being both highly instructional and genuinely fun. She is also the Sports Program Manager for AEF.
Coach Jon Gergen (Boys Basketball) is a middle school teacher, athletic director, and basketball coach who believes sports are one of the greatest tools for youth development. His coaching philosophy centers on teamwork, perseverance, leadership, and helping students navigate the challenges of adolescence with confidence and support. Through every practice and game, Coach Gergen creates a culture where athletes feel empowered to grow as players and people.
Coach Chris Lonsdale (Boys Soccer) An elementary school teacher and the Head Coach of Alameda High’s Men’s Soccer Team, Coach Chris emphasizes technical development, teamwork, conditioning, and game awareness while creating a positive and competitive environment for athletes to improve and thrive.
Aligned with AEF’s Middle School Sports program principles, AEF’s Sports Camps [9] are about more than competition. It’s about helping students discover confidence, build friendships, and develop the skills that will serve them for years to come.
Spots are limited, so families are encouraged to register early and secure their athlete’s place this summer [9]!
Jillian Saxty,
Alameda Education Foundation
Corica Park, Greenway Golf Associates, and the City
To the Editor:
Regarding the trial involving Corica Park’s management, Alameda residents deserve a clear-eyed look at what this litigation is actually risking.
History warns us. In City of Beverly v. Bass River Golf Management [10], a city sued its private golf operator over alleged contract breaches and the jury found that the city itself had violated the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This happened even though the operator was also found liable. The lesson isn’t that cities always lose. It’s that courts will hold a municipality accountable for how it wages its legal battles, and a pyrrhic victory that brands the city as a bad-faith actor helps no one.
This case echoes what is happening at Corica Park. Greenway has invested millions in private capital to transform a neglected asset into a nationally recognized facility. The South Course was named one of the top 15 municipal courses in the country by Golf Magazine. The North Course, which was at the heart of the City’s original complaint about construction delays, fully reopened in March 2025 after an extensive renovation by Robert Trent Jones II architects. It is fair to ask what exactly remains worth litigating.
Greenway’s cross-complaint alleges the City violated the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, made false accusations about the company’s finances, and interfered with its contractual right to manage the complex. These mirror the exact theories that have burned other cities in court. Beyond the legal risk, Corica Park’s community programs, including thousands of hours of free golf and free instruction for youth and underserved residents, do not survive a hostile management transition intact.
The City of Beverly spent a decade cycling through operators and courtrooms. Alameda still has the chance to choose a different path. A legal victory that costs this community Corica Park’s momentum, its programs, and its national reputation is not a victory at all. We urge the Mayor and City Council to resolve this dispute in the spirit of the partnership that built one of the Bay Area’s greatest public assets.
Mani Veluthakkal,
Walnut Creek
(Editor’s note: the author’s son is the founder of Kids4Good, which hosts community programs for veterans and children at Corica Park.)
Writing Pretty
The pretty things in life, for me,
Are what I can admire.
They catch my eye and turn my thoughts
Away from all the mire
That runs through every day we move
Just one more step away
From the peace we need to keep these things
That brighten up our day.
I find it hard to write of brooks
And Monarch butterflies
While watching worlds turned upside down
By fools who tell us lies,
Believed by people that you know
Could never think alone,
Who need a prompt to fill a mind
As hardened as a stone.
Forgive me, then, I’ll make my way
As quietly as night
To somewhere lives are loved again,
To somewhere clean and bright.
So birds and leaves and skies must wait
Until I feel some peace,
Til people learn to think again
And make these horrors cease.
Arthur Lenhardt, April 2026
Editorials and Letters to the Editor
All opinions expressed on this page are the author's alone and do not reflect those of the Alameda Post, nor does our organization endorse any views the author may present. Our objective as an independent news source is to fully reflect our community's varied opinions without giving preference to a particular viewpoint.
If you disagree with an opinion that we have published, please submit a rebuttal or differing opinion in a letter to the Editor [11] for publication. Review our policies page [12] for more information.