The Signal from Santa Clarita, California • 14

B2 SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014 THE SIGNAL Voice Stories Photos Our Community Social Causes Brave Shaving To Support History The Worst Marine Disaster in the World Cancer Research For Kids Courtesy photo Sarah Cooper and her mom prior to shaving their heads in a cancer fundraiser. Submitted by Sarah Cooper I'm a local 7th grader who attends Rio Norte junior high school and I am 13 years old. I participated in a program St. Baldrick's Foundation to raise money for cancer research for children. Helping meant raising money, but also shaving my head.

I was very nervous and excited. My initial goal was to raise $1,000. After some assistance from some family members, I reached my goal within 20 hours through social media. My mom then upped the ante by telling me if I could reach a new goal of $3,000 she would shave her hair as well. Well, I reached it.

Every penny goes to cancer research and by shaving my head I showed awareness. I shaved my head on March 15 at Fire station 89 in North Hollywood in the St. Baldrick's fundraiser. Many people said I was crazy for shaving my head, that I don't know anybody with cancer. But, my grandpa had lung cancer which is now in remission.

Hair is hair and it grows back. All of a sudden just because I have a bald head doesn't make me different. I'm a simple girl, who just wants people to be aware that cancer affects everyone at some point in their lives yes, even innocent children. This could have been me fighting this disease. I will take the teasing and name the closeness of unwashed, weary people, the fetid odors were too much to endure.

Visibility was nil as fog enveloped the ship, ice floes surrounded it and temperatures dipped below freezing. It would be a very long night. To ease the distress of his passengers and anticipating no danger, the Captain had turned on the lights. It still bore its Red Cross markings from its wartime use as a hospital ship. Although no submarine activity was expected, they had been warned of Allied aircraft activity.

A Russian submarine, newly released from Leningrad's blockaded port when Hitler had ruled the Baltic, had surfaced during darkness, as was customary to conserve fuel and to freshen the inside air. The fog had lifted quite suddenly. The sub's Commander was astounded to see a ship on the horizon lit up like a beacon. Suspecting that it held German combatants who would fight another day, he easily got the ship in his cross hairs. Discharging three torpedoes, the Wilhelm Gustloff was doomed.

Within 55 minutes, the decks tilted badly and the ship capsized and sank amid mass hysteria, screaming and scrambling. As a shore-bound, hospital ship there had been no need of maintenance: lifeboats malfunctioned and there were insufficient lifebelts. A Nazi officer with a pistol in his hand had jumped into a lifeboat only half filled with women and children and ordered it lowered. As it hung from its davits, it tipped out all its occupants. One woman wearing a thick fur coat against the cold had slipped through her rescuers hands when the wet fur became too slick.

An SOS went out as nearby ships came swiftly to the rescue. The captain of one, learning of Russian presence and realizing that he too could become a target, wished them luck as he sailed away. To the few still struggling in the frigid waters it must have been horrifying. This event goes down in history as the worst maritime disaster in the world and one the world at large never heard about. A British journalist in Berlin in 1948, at the time of the Blockade, had met with one of the survivors.

Why was it not reported at the time? The fighting in Europe was at its most desperate stage: the loss of an enemy ship in the Russian war zone had it been known to the Allies most probably would have been: they were Germans; they brought it on themselves. Now seven decades later and all passions spent, we can surely spare sympathy for over the thousands oi souls who had perished on the Wilhelm Gustloff. To put this disaster in perspective: 1,500 people died on the Titanic; 1,200 on the Lusitania. Add them together, double that figure, and that's not even how many children drowned that night in the cold Baltic Sea 4,500 were children. In the words of Jesus, "Suffer the Little Children "Upon a watery grave no roses bloom." Editor's Note: Veronica Pinckard, a professed history lover, was researching another story when she ran across this one.

She said she was "absolutely floored" to learn that thousands more people died on this ship, than on the Titanic -yet it was a little known story. The story attracted Veronica because she was age 17 at the time of the disaster, her father had served in World War I and she had seven brothers serve in World War II. She found the story so gripping, she tracked down a 153 page book by A.V. Sellwood's titled "The Damned Don't Drown." This story is Veronica's retelling of the story. By Veronica Pinckard Valencia Community Contributor It was the worst marine disaster in the world.

Yet the world never heard about it. Hundreds of distraught women with very young babies, children of all ages, even grandmothers, waited in long lines pleading to board the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German ship. All had fled the oncoming Russian Army making a mad dash to grab as much of Europe as possible, but whose soldiers still found time for unspeakable cruelty. It happened on January 30, 1945, just months before the end of World War II, near Konigsberg, the once proud capital of Prussia (East Germany, as it became known, was brutally suppressed by the Russians for the next 50 years). Hitler had ordered the evacuation to rescue troops needed to fight on the Western Front.

He was convinced that he could still win the war despite advancing Allied armies and saturation bombing of his major cities. The Wilhelm Gustloff, a 26,000 ton pleasure ship, had been launched in 1937 for Mediterranean cruises that rewarded hard-working German munitions workers. Designed for a maximum of 2,000 people, three times that number had already been crammed aboard, and still she remained in harbor. The longer the delay, the greater number of panic-stricken refugees arrived at the dock pleading to be allowed on board. Finally, the anchors were hauled in and the ship moved out into the frozen Baltic Sea.

By then, her Captain had taken on as many as 10,600 more than five times its intended capacity. People were jammed into every inch of deck space and even into the empty swimming pool with its deeply sloping bottom. Packed together, the human misery was indescribable, Courtesy photo Sarah Cooper after she raised $3,000 by shaving her head for cancer research for children. calling for having a bald head, but that's nothing compared to what these kids who really have cancer go through on a daily basis. Editor's Note: An employee of the school tipped us off to Sarah's brave efforts on behalf of kids with cancer.

Sarah gladly shared the information with us and even sent us before and after photos of herself. Arts Education Students Celebrate' Seuss Step On A Cloud Submitted by Robert McMeekin Newhall Community Contributor r' i i i n-m 1 i-ahi. i 11 Jul, iji jiggpgggwwwwr follow your star no matter how far turn left east of anywhere turn right west of nowhere turn north of anywhere follow your heart and she'll be there be together til the twelfth of never hold her tightly now and forever give her your love show her you care hope for her love hold her hand everywhere walk with her whenever you can join as one as wife and man step on a cloud get off on the moon hold that thought from july thru june Author Carole Cliffe with children from Skyblue Mesa Elementary students. with geometric shapes. Good character traits such as honesty, kindness, gratitude, and respect, are paired with math standards.

Rita Rectangle teaches four ways to be respectful. Haley Hexagon teaches six ways to be helpful. This book compliments the Character Counts program which is being taught on school sites throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. Mrs. Cliffe explained to the upper graders about the writing process, and encouraged students to not give up on their dreams.

Written in autographed copies to students, Mrs. Cliffe wrote, "You read, you achieve, you succeed." Her children's books are available at characterbuildingconcepts.com. Submitted by Carole Cliffe Local author Carole Cliffe, in conjunction with the Parent Teachers Organization at Sky-blue Mesa in Canyon Country, kicked off the Read Across America week in early March with kindergarten through sixth grade students. Dressed in full Dr. Seuss attire, Mrs.

Cliffe read to students her creative rhyming book, "Alowishes Unusual Birthday," which teaches kids responsibility. In addition, she introduced her new book "Shaping Up Your Character A-Z Mathematically." Moral and math literacy is the goal of the unique book, which combines good character traits good-bye to conflict, pain and isolation, we are able to hold the fond memories of loved ones forever. Editor's Note: Jeff Zhorne, MA, CGC, made his research formal, earning a Master's in Clinical Psychology and becoming a Certified Grief Recovery Counselor. He went on to form The Grief Recovery Program, an organization dedicated to guiding grieving people step-by-step to a richer quality of life. He is giving a free presentation on the tools and skills needed for working through any significant emotional loss at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 27, at The Education Center, Christ Lutheran Church, 25816 N.

Tournament Road in Valencia. For more information call 661-733-0692. LOSS OF CHILD from B1 dreams and expectations. Grief recovery provided me with the correct tools. At last I'm happy to be reminded of them.

Not that I somehow 'got over that event is still very much a part of me. But I've learned to incorporate that loss and my enduring love for them into my life. I needed to enjoy the fend memories of Jeremy and Amelia. I needed to remember them not only for the way they died, but especially for the way they lived. Grief recovery is a step-by-step method to help those stuck in confusion and loneliness move beyond loss by completing emotional relationships.

The program provides the correct skills we were never taught. By saying Carole Cliffe, right, and Linda Potter, a retired teacher who has been recovering from cancer. Potter formerly taught kindergarten and came out and helped with the Read Across America day. Clarita Service on Sundays at 10 a.m. Rancho Pico Junior High 26250 W.

Valencia Boulevard Valencia, CA 91381 Children's Ministry Provided www.scvcoc.com Church of 'Christ The Unitarian Universalists of Santa Clarita Valley held a chili-cook off fundraiser with several members of the Santa Clarita Foodies Facebook group. 1.