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McClymonds High School Champions Thirst for Clean Water

Published

7 years ago

August 18, 2017

McClymonds student athletes wheel a hydration system to the football field. The water is retrieved from the mother of the coach across the street from the school. Photo courtesy of Pat Patterson.

McClymonds High School Coach Mike Peters, like any other football coach, understands the need for clean water for his team’s hydration. And his story is quite unique at the West Oakland high school – the first in Oakland to earn State Football Championship status in January 2017.

Each day, to provide clean water, he gets it from his mother’s home, across the street from the school. He has two volunteers tote a 40-gallon portable water tank/hydration system on wheels to and from that house.

Peters has not been able to get clean water for the student athlete’s drinking or showering in the school’s gymnasium for over a year and a half. Peters came up with the creative solution to manage the immediate issue, until the water situation is handled.

“It’s a disgrace that the students have not had clean, safe water to drink”, cites Coach Ben Tapscott, Chair of the New McClymonds Committee. “We are proud that McClymond’s is the only high school in Oakland history to achieve the State Football Championship, and it’s unthinkable that Coach Peters has had to take these steps daily to provide for his students.”
Tapscott wants the situation cleared up immediately before the new school year begins. “They have tested the water for four or five months now, but the water runs with iron rust,” said Tapscott.

In seeking permanent solutions to provide fresh clean and safe water to McClymonds students before the new school year starts, Tapscott met with the new Oakland school superintendent.

“In talking to the Oakland school superintendent, I was assured that the water project is going out to bid, and construction will start as soon as that is complete.”

Construction proposals include an above ground pipe system and an underground pipe system. Tapscott has also arranged for the daily deliveries of Alhambra Drinking water until the piping system is updated and flows with clear water.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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April 26, 2024

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April 19, 2024

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”