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From Randy Olson: Write a Letter (about Imperial Beach), Win a Free Hep A Shot!

By jjacquet on July 6, 2007.

Wildcoast asks its readers to write letters of concern about beach closures to the new Imperial Beach mayor -- best letter wins a free Hepatitis A vaccination...

What do you do when your favorite beach (Imperial Beach, on the California border with Mexico) ends up being called a "Death Beach" by Forbes magazine? As Wildcoast's Benjamin Winkler-McCue writes, "To regular ocean users in Imperial Beach this came as no surprise. To put it bluntly, they are used to surfing, swimming, and fishing in sh*t."

And what he's talking about with this is exactly "shifting baselines"-- the idea that the baseline at Imperial Beach is so shifted, nobody even remembers any more the idea of clean, healthy seawater. Which is why Ben wrote this powerful essay, and has invited readers to write to Imperial Beach's new mayor, Jim Janney, and tell him about "your good days of beach closures and sewage contamination." The writer of the best letter wins a surfboard, Hepatitis A vaccination, and eardrops.

All of which feels like a scene straight out of the new HBO series John From Cincinnati, which I am definitely hooked on (hint: I had to watch the first episode twice--the first time through it was nonsensical, but the second time it all begins to make some sense--a story of a big dysfunctional group into which are introduced a couple of unusual elements). You can see that David Milch is creating a series that has the same dirty, gritty, messed up, but lovable feel as Imperial Beach. Which is where it is filmed. Right in front of the Wildcoast offices.

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John from Cincinnati shows Butchie Yost he can shred a few himself.

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After rolling on the floor, laughing my *** off at the idea of "winning" a Hep A vaccination, I realize that's a pretty odd baseline, too. Winning some sort of medical treatment. What an idea!

Just think, in 10+ years, people will forget about winning something fun and will look forward to winning their medical treatments.

I'll go back to eating my peanut butter & jellyfish sandwich now...