For now, beach renourishment is still effective | Letters to the editor

While every project must be carefully reviewed with a cost-benefit analysis, beach renourishment is one area where we do see significant benefits, especially in resiliency.

Many homes and condos line our beaches, and renourishment is an important if not absolutely critical step in making sure the ocean and salt water don’t reach those concrete structures — which they could if the beach were washed away. I’ve learned from coastal engineers that it achieves its best outcomes if done regionally, rather than city by city. The best outcomes occur when cities and counties work together. To my knowledge, in South Florida, they mostly are.

Wider beaches also minimize potential of flooding in major storms. In Daytona Beach, during a recent tropical storm, many homes were washed into the ocean because they were too close to an eroded beach.

We must respect Mother Nature’s impact on our built environment, advocate for building more resilient structures and keep future density away from flood-prone areas. For the foreseeable future, beach renourishment is an important tool for resiliency and a wise investment to protect property values.

Marc Wigder, Boca Raton

The writer is a member of the Boca Raton City Council.

Engage the full community

Broward School Board member Allen Zeman recently updated Fort Lauderdale commissioners on the Redefining Our Schools initiative. I was in attendance and spoke on this issue as a parent, resident and supporter of Fort Lauderdale public schools for more than 30 years.

Following trailblazers such as Mary Fertig, many parents and community supporters have invested enormous amounts of time protecting and improving the city schools, including rebuilding Harbordale Elementary, Sunrise Middle and Fort Lauderdale High, ensuring that appropriate academic programs were in place for all students in Innovation Zones and continuously supporting parent and community involvement.

Acknowledging this difficult situation, I urge the school district to vigorously involve parents and school staff in addressing underenrollment. They know best how to attract and keep families with children. Parents are your customers; school staff create the product. They have great insight and ideas and may also know how to consolidate facilities for economic benefit. I gladly volunteer to participate in this important process.

Nancy Thomas, Fort Lauderdale

Keep guns off campus

In Luis Valdes’ Another Viewpoint essay advocating a “campus carry” law on Florida colleges and universities, he argues that it would improve student safety, particularly in view of pro-Palestinian protests, sit-ins and illegal occupations of campus buildings.

To my knowledge, there has been little physical violence in the U.S. There has been much nasty, intimidating and far too often antisemitic rhetoric, but thankfully, nobody has yet shot or stabbed anyone.

While Valdes’ motivation seems clear, to allow guns everywhere for any reason, his examples of past incidents of violence are fortunately rare, suggesting that his solution is in search of a problem. His notion that armed citizens can stop violence is contrary to what every police officer has told me: Nothing is more dangerous than a shootout. As well-trained professionals, police know these dangers.

One of the bravest, toughest cops I ever knew told me that every morning as he left home, he prayed he would return safely to his family and that he would not be a coward. A concealed carry law on campuses is far more likely to mean that police can’t be sure who is the bad guy than to solve the problem. Valdes’ recommendation would likely make police officers’ jobs harder and multiply the dangers for bystanders and police.

John Countryman, Plantation

The Rick Scott record

As John O’Brien noted in his Another Viewpoint essay, Rick Scott began to dismantle our Florida Retirement System as governor in 2011. The damage done to librarians, (I am a retired librarian), teachers, police and firefighters is still being felt. I was in my 20th year of dedicated service when it happened. Scott forced us to reexamine our dedication — and worse, to question our worth.

Stacie M. Kiner, Hypoluxo