The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Photograph by Skye Dunlap Students at Columbia Middle School got a chance to see what it's like to participate in government when they held a mock city council meeting on how to deal with water contamination in their make-believe city of Fruitvale. Here Jason Esse, 14, presents the council with his plan--to shock the contamination out of the water with electric currents. Kid mayor calls for shocking treatment Exercise prepares students to partake in government By Justin Berton At a mock council meeting Dec. 7, the co-mayor of the imaginary Fruitvale community said one of the best ways to treat contaminated ground water in the city would be to shock it out with high amounts of electricity. The newly developed electric shock treatment--which has only been tested inside the laboratory of the crazed Dr. Jason Esse at Columbia Middle School--was booed harshly by more than 90 young citizens who attended the meeting. "But it's the least expensive," reasoned frugal co-mayor Nikki Moctezuma. Fellow co-mayor and eighth-grader Sarah Orr agreed. The meeting was attended by community activists, concerned parents, and representatives from the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park. Residents in attendance will cast votes to determine the best solution to the problem of the toxic plume that has plagued the quaint community since its discovery in the school year. The community was presented with four alternatives to rid the area of contamination: excavation by large vacuums, incineration, containment by an underground clay barrier, and, of course, Dr. Esse's electric shock treatment. Residents in the audience were not ignorant of the issues at hand. For weeks, they have studied the details of water contamination under the tutelage of science teacher Nancy Baugher. Baugher, who also served as a mediator at the meeting, warned the residents not to reach conclusions until they heard all sides of the argument. She added that they could be removed from the proceedings if attention spans waned and unruliness prevailed. "These really are good kids who have worked really hard on this," a proud Baugher whispered during the meeting. The tight-knit community, also known as the No Limit group within the confines of Columbia Middle School, has come together before to reach solutions to complex problems. In a recent donation drive, the group raised more than $200 for the Wish Book Foundation. But the larger issue at hand, for the moment, was ridding Fruitvale of contaminated ground water. Though Esse was roundly criticized by concerned residents for his belief that evacuating residents and pulsing electricity into the ground was a safe idea, he proved convincing to the council. Compared with the excavation project, which would cost taxpayers $60,000, the high voltage treatment would only cost $1,000. "I think it will work," Esse said with much conviction. "I think people and plants will survive." In the back row of the council chambers, one resident, Melissa Canizales, said she knew the risks involved of not speaking up during a town meeting. "I know it's my fault if I don't say anything," she said. "But I'm willing to take that risk." Sai Dharmaraj, who spoke on behalf of angry mobile home residents who were affected by the transportation of tainted soil, said she learned a lesson in the mock city council meeting. "This helps me get an idea of what it would really be like," Dharmaraji, 13, said. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, December 16, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.