Letters to the Editor for May 31, 2024

Veterans give thanks, celebrating a West Point grad, and a plea for civility at City Council meetings

^[1]

Thank You, Alameda Community Fund, for Your Generous Support

To the Editor:

We are deeply grateful to announce the receipt of a generous donation from the Alameda Community Fund to the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 400. This support significantly contributed to our annual Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony.

Their commitment to our cause exemplifies the spirit of community and generosity. With your help, we can continue to honor the memory of those men and women who fought for the great freedoms this country provides us.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Alameda Community Fund for this meaningful contribution. It is through the kindness and support of individuals and organizations like ACF that we are able to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve. As veterans, we were honored to serve our country, and now we are honored to serve our community.

Thank you once again for your outstanding support. Together, we are making a positive impact in our community.

With gratitude,
Joe LoParo
Chair, Memorial Day Ceremony Committee

---

Maxwell Onaga Maxes Out at West Point

To the Editor:

While some educators may be reluctant to acknowledge it, getting a graduating senior accepted to any U.S. Military Academy is undeniably a big deal. Getting accepted at West Point, established in 1802, America’s oldest military academy, is an even bigger deal.

Attending West Point is an honor that Alameda resident Maxwell Onaga responded to and has actively participated in and excelled at, while thriving during four arduous years of personal and professional growth at our nation’s most prestigious academy.

Max graduated from Encinal High ^[2] with top honors as an Advanced Placement student in 2020.

^[3]

Military academies are highly selective and attract daring, motivated applicants prepared to step out of their cozy comfort zones and into a no-nonsense, highly structured world of Spartan discipline, strict conformance to regulations and utmost respect for traditions, honor codes, and rank hierarchy.

West Point applicants don’t fit the stereotype of American youth; they voluntarily step out of the adolescent herd to become a part of the nation’s military elite. Making the cut requires more than good grades, test scores and solid extracurriculars. Those are just the minimums. Applicants must demonstrate above average physical fitness and exhibit strong leadership potential; Max did all of this.

An acceptance letter to West Point, the United States Military Academy (USMA), reflects highly on the student, his or her family, the community, the education district, and the high school. If “it takes a village to raise a child,” then the City of Alameda and AUSD, its school district, should be proud of raising Max Onaga.

Every West Point applicant must optimize the developmental experiences afforded by his or her community and be prepared and qualified to seize on the opportunities offered by the USMA. Such an applicant was Max Onaga. As his AP Statistics teacher can attest, Max attended Encinal for an education, not indoctrination. While never aloof, he remained sui generis and a rara avis amongst his peers. His time management skills were of the highest order.

West Point is renowned for producing exceptional leaders. The inclusion of Maxwell Onaga in this year’s graduating class will add credence to that vaulted tradition. With a sterling 4.05 GPA, Cadet Onaga graduated in the 98th percentile academically and stands in the very top quintile, ranking 191 of 1,076 graduates. As anyone with military experience will tell you, these kinds of numbers attained at West Point ultimately translate to an outstanding, high-ranking career in the Army.

Never one to shirk from academic rigor, Max majored in Chemical Engineering with a subspecialty of Combat Engineering. On May 25, Cadet Maxwell Onaga walked across the graduation stage to become Second Lieutenant Onaga, US Army Corps of Engineers. The US Army is an organization that provides little respite or down time; it has assigned Lieutenant Onaga to Camp Humphreys in Osan, South Korea after he completes additional training at Fort Leonard Wood in the Army’s Basic Officer Leader Course.

If you see a young Army Officer wearing bright new gold bars on his collar, that would be Second Lieutenant Max Onaga, home on leave before departing for new professional challenges in South Korea.

You might render Max a salute and a congratulatory handshake.

Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey R. Smith, USN-Retired
Alameda

---

City Meetings Lack Civility

To the Editor:

Everyone who watched the May 21 City Council ^[4] meeting, whether in person or on Zoom, had to be disappointed in the behavior of almost everyone at the meeting.

A sign with a disgusting obscenity was allowed to be displayed throughout the meeting. At least one speaker was cut off and told not to address individual Councilmembers while another speaker was allowed to do the same. One speaker questioned two Councilmembers about their possibly corrupted votes on an issue.

Even more startling, at the end of the meeting one Councilmember questioned another about her vote being influenced by contributions. The City Council, which is  composed of five people who donate hundreds of hours to the community, were clearly under duress that evening, although they are people who work hard for the good of the City.

All of us ought to look at ourselves and ask whether this is the Alameda we want. We need  everyone who attends these meetings to respect everyone else who attends, to treat everyone equally, and to act and speak with civility, and even graciousness.

For more detailed information on the May 21 meeting, see the online video ^[5]. (See 19:48 min/48 sec.; 2:54 hr/min.; 2:58 hr/min.; 3:24 hr/min. in; 3:35 hr/min.; 4:44 hr/min.)

Reyla Graber,
Alameda