• In this issue we have an article which states, “The California Office of Traffic Safety is again announcing that September is “California Pedestrian Safety Month.” This campaign began last year in response to the rising number of pedestrians being killed and injured on California roadways.”
It is amazing watching people (not just teenagers) cross the street in a crosswalk while looking down at their cell phones while never making sure that cars are actually stopping for them. It is if they are saying, “If you kill me while I’m in the crosswalk, you are in big trouble because I will sue you.” Sometimes I have the urge to get close and blow my horn except they might throw their phones in the air and break my windshield.
To me, the red-hands that display on some of our stoplights (downtown mostly) telling pedestrians that they have a red light and shouldn’t cross the street, are a joke. As soon as the light turns green pedestrians walk across the street even if the red-hand is shown. And, cars making turns can’t assume that the person will not be crossing, which makes it even more dangerous. How many times have pedestrians given you a dirty look (and other things) even though you have the right of way?
The police could just write tickets for those crossing against the red-hand for a week and Ventura would have lots of extra money. I’m for removing them completely.
• In one of our police reports in this issue, we have the following information regarding a person who had stolen a car. “During the last month, Marrufo has been arrested on three different occasions by the Ventura Police Department. He was previously arrested on 08/19/17 for a residential burglary in the 100 block of Brent St. and on 09/07/17 for prowling a residence in the 2000 block of Pierpont Blvd.”
I don’t get it – I thought that the three-strike law was supposed to prevent this scenario (though I know judges have a little discretion). Do we need to wait until a person commits murder or some other serious crime to keep criminals in prison?
• McGrath State Beach Park just re-opened after being closed for about 3 years. The berm that keeps water from running out of the Park needs to break naturally when the estuary floods. The problem is that it doesn’t break naturally when we are in a drought.
Most years, winter rain and snowmelt force enough water down the river to break through the berm. It can’t be broken manually because of protected species and other state regulations. So the camp ends up under many feet of water.
When the berm breaks, the water drains out to the ocean, floodwaters recede and campsites dry out but are not usable and the bathrooms are destroyed.
There are long-term plans for moving the campground to higher ground farther up the beach and restoring more of this area to wetlands but with all of the environmental reviews and approvals this will take many years.
I certainly hope that the weather cooperates and McGrath can stay open until it can be moved. But it might just be a waste of time, money and effort if it just keeps flooding depending on father nature.
• Upcoming guests on my Face of Ventura radio show (on KPPQLP Ventura – 104.1fm) include Cathy Puccetti discussing Storyfest, Julianna Fjeld, Regional Director Tri County GLAD( Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness), Mark Robinson, who interpreted with sign language for Julianna and Jeffrey Lambert, Community Development Director City of Ventura. The shows air Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10 am, and some other surprise times.
• If you were wondering why the dirt lot across from the WAV is now fenced off, this property has been sold by the city to a developer who’s looking to develop the entire block. The WAV has never had adequate parking and now have lost some of it (something to do with Ventura becoming a bicycle city, so we don’t need cars).
•If you don’t know who Roger Federer is, he is a great tennis player (maybe best ever) but as a gentleman and roll model he is even greater. After losing in the US Open, he said, ”Of course it is a pity, but Juan Martin deserves it more. I feel I have no place in the finals. The way I played or am playing right now it is not good enough, in my opinion, to win this tournament. It’s better I’m out and somebody else gets a chance to do better than me.”
I wonder why TV networks show the crowd as often as the players at tennis matches? Do they think tennis is boring?
• Music Under The Stars presented its final concert of the season last Saturday. My, time goes fast when you are old. If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to attend a concert next year. One of our “funnest” events.
•Amazon is looking for a city to build another headquarters (HQ2). It will bring billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to the area that they select. Amazon said it would give priority to areas with more than 1 million people that are within 45 minutes of an international airport, which means that we will probably not be considered.
•The reason that your computer doesn’t get hacked much is that real hackers don’t want to bother with you, but still be cautious. Hackers just breached credit monitoring company Equifax obtaining personal data of 143 million consumers including names, social security numbers, birth dates and driver’s license numbers. If you are exposed, I would recommend monitoring your bank accounts, credit cards and credit reports for suspicious activity.
