We are gratified that the plight of the City of Needles was featured yesterday on the front page of the Los Angeles Times. This article, written by veteran Times reporter Ralph Vartebedian, covers the dire situation that the City of Needles currently faces.
The article highlights the prevalence of water problems not only in Needles, but throughout the state of California. Water is at the heart of equity and is a basic human right.
From the article:
A nonprofit coalition of labor unions and contractors, known as Rebuild SoCal Partnership, has taken up the city’s cause. It has helped contact state officials and prepare grant requests. Marci Stanage, the group’s director for water and environmental relations, said she is surprised that nobody has responded to the city’s problems or her group’s efforts.
After visiting Needles to advise them on a new well, Dave Sorem, an engineer on the group’s board and vice president of a Baldwin Park construction firm, said: “The city is in more trouble than it realizes. California has a $76-billion budget surplus, but it can’t help out for a million-and-a-half-dollar well? Come on.”
We would like to thank our Trustee, Dave Sorem, who provided Vartebedian with much needed engineering expertise and context for this article. We appreciate his assistance in making this piece a reality and for bringing awareness to this issue.
Rebuild Socal’s goal is to secure funding from Federal and State officials that will provide the residents of Needles a new well, free from Manganese as well as clean, pure water which will see them through this long hot summer and into the future.
Rest assured that Rebuild SoCal Partnership will be doing everything we can to bring awareness to these injustices and will keep fighting for the City of Needles.
Best Regards,
Jon Switalski
Executive Director, Rebuild SoCal Partnership
You can read the full e-newspaper at LA Times
