∙ On Oct.2, Ventura Port District’s Board of Port Commissioners voted to adopt Resolution No. 3379, a slip rate increase policy, which allows the marina master leases to govern the process for slip rate adjustments.
Ventura Port District General Manager Brian Pendleton said there will be no significant change that the policy just clarifies the procedures for slip rate increases.
Even though it was stated that “there will be no significant change,” the Board of Commissioners approved an average 5% increase for slip fees at Ventura Village Harbor Marina, which takes effect Jan.1, 2020.
The rate increase will apply to full-time, seasonal, weekly and daily rates, with the weekly rate going from $4 per foot to $4.30 per foot and daily rates increasing from $1.50 per foot to $1.65 per foot. Rates were last raised in 2015.
∙I think doctors should arrive 15 minutes early for appointments so that patients don’t need to arrive 15 minutes early (as directed) and sit for an hour.
∙ The reason I don’t get very excited when the US kills an Islamic State leader is that they have confirmed the death of its founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and announced a successor (the same as the drug cartels do).
In an audio message released through its central media operation, the group announced that Baghdadi’s successor is Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi. He is basically unknown outside of ISIS and is hailed in the message as “emir of the believers” and “caliph” of the group’s alleged caliphate. In the announcement, both Baghdadi and former ISIS spokesman Abu al-Hassan al-Muhajir were praised as “martyrs.”
Killing their leader makes great headlines but doesn’t real accomplish anything. In fact, it makes their hatred of America even stronger.
∙AEG has announced that they will put the Amgen Tour of California race on hiatus for the 2020 racing season. “This has been a very difficult decision to make, but the business fundamentals of the Amgen Tour of California have changed since we launched the race 14 years ago,” said Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and executive vice president of AEG Sports.
The race has become California’s largest annual sporting event, contributing more than $3.5 billion to the state’s economy over the years. Each year since 2006, the cycling road race has showcased some of today’s best known and most decorated international cyclists, including numerous World, Olympic and National Champions.
I real loss for Ventura as we are a tour stop and the race is viewed by a large amount of viewers (racers spend the night here at State Beach on their way to Los Angeles).
∙Washington (CNN): “The White House is urging all federal agencies to cancel their subscriptions to the New York Times and the Washington Post.”
It follows President Donald Trump’s recent statement that the White House would “terminate” its existing subscriptions with the two newspapers, which have been the frequent target of the administration’s criticism through Trump’s candidacy and presidency.
“The New York Times, which is a fake newspaper — we don’t even want it in the White House anymore. We’re going to probably terminate that and the Washington Post,” Trump said on Fox News’ “Hannity”.
“They’re fake,” the President added. “You take a look at the New York Times and you take a look at the kind of reporting they do, it was all — it turned out to be all wrong.”
He also went on to say, “We’re building a wall on the border of New Mexico. And we’re building a wall in Colorado,” Trump said. Colorado, located directly north of New Mexico, is not on the US-Mexico border.
Later, Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis responded to Trump’s remarks on Twitter.
“Well this is awkward …Colorado doesn’t border Mexico,” Polis wrote. “Good thing Colorado now offers free full-day kindergarten so our kids can learn basic geography.”
Not reading the New York Times and the Washington Post is fine with me as, long as they keep reading the Ventura Breeze which never has fake news. And building a wall in Colorado is okay if it keeps the illegal New Mexicans from going into Colorado.
∙ Proposition 47 was a referendum passed five years ago that critics say effectively gives shoplifters the green light to commit crimes as long as the merchandise they steal is less than $950 in value. The decision to downgrade theft of property valued below the arbitrary figure of $950 from felony to misdemeanor has resulted in thieves knowing they can shoplift and only be charged with a misdemeanor and not go to jail. Police seldom even bother dealing with them.
The referendum was passed by a wide margin in 2014. The idea behind it was to reduce certain non-violent felonies to misdemeanors in order to free up resources to focus on violent offenders. Perhaps a good idea but setting the limit at $950 is much too high.
∙As measles cases keep rising, scientists have discovered another danger of the disease. The measles virus can wipe out the immune system, making people more susceptible to other illnesses.
The phenomenon is called “immune amnesia,” and a new study shows how it works. The measles virus appears to erase the body’s immune memory, destroying an average of 40 of the antibodies against other viruses and bacteria. This means people who get measles are more susceptible to other illnesses such as pneumonia and flu.
Measles can also lead to serious complications and even death. In 2017, measles killed 110,000 people around the world and infected 6.7 million. The measles virus is one of the most infectious diseases that exists.
Measles vaccine rates are dropping worldwide, with measles cases tripling between 2018 and 2019, mostly because of problems with vaccine access or vaccine refusal.
