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CAPS Media records and airs Ventura Community Council Meetings

Community Council meetings are a great way to interact with City services.

by CAPS Media

CAPS Media has added coverage of the College Area Community Council meetings to the schedule on ongoing recordings. The College Area joins the East Ventura Community Council, MidTown Community Council and Westside Community Council, allowing community members throughout the city who are unable to attend the meetings, the opportunity to view the monthly meetings on CAPS channel 6 and streaming online at capsmedia.org. The individual meetings are broadcast the Thursday following the meeting at 8pm on channel 6. Some community council groups post the meetings on social media as well.

Local Community Council meetings are a great way for Ventura citizens to interact with and receive first-hand reports on City services and plans from City Councilmembers, Ventura Police Department officers, other officials and leaders in the community. In addition to getting the overall city perspective on important issues and events, the community meetings focus on neighborhood issues and information of interest and importance to the specific districts in Ventura.

The El Camino high school students continue to produce their award winning program at the CAPS Media Center and in the community. In October, ECTV crew members were on hand at the Va Por La Avenida event for a bilingual community event that celebrated the residents, artists and businesses that make up Ventura Avenue.

The award-winning ECTV media education internship program is designed for students who attend both El Camino High School and Ventura College. The ECTV crews produce engaging and award winning programs in the CAPS Media studio and in the community. Every episode is developed, written, produced, directed, hosted and edited by the students on topics of importance to the students.

ECTV is a career pathways education program developed by CAPS Media in collaboration with VC Innovates and the Ventura Unified School district. In the past three years the ECTV team has received local, regional and national awards for outstanding journalism. All of the ECTV programs are broadcast on CAPS Community Channel 6, stream on the CAPS Media website capsmedia.org and are archived at www.capsmedia.org/videos/

CAPS Media’s The Perfect Firestorm – The Thomas Fire Story was screened at the Ojai Film Festival Sunday November 3rd and again on Friday November 8th to standing room only crowds. On Sunday, Ventura City Mayor Matt LaVere introduced the film and on Friday, CAPS Media program director Elizabeth Rodeno, an Ojai resident, hosted the film to the sold-out crowd. The entire crew at CAPS Media thanks the Ojai Film Festival for giving us an opportunity to share the remarkable stories of heroism, sacrifice, tragedy and healing surrounding the Thomas Fire. For everyone at CAPS Media, the screening of The Perfect Firestorm at the prestigious Ojai Film Festival allowed us to again say thank you to all of those who contributed to the film and to give back to the community.

Join our growing community of CAPS Media Member/Producers. If you have an interest in community television or radio production, or are just curious, drop by the CAPS Media Center on the first Thursday of the month and learn how to become a member of CAPS and join our community of enthusiastic and engaged Member/Producers. Go to capsmedia.org for more information.

City of Ventura 14th annual Photo Contest

The City of Ventura has announced the winners of the 14th annual Photo Contest.  Each year the City receives spectacular images and this year was no exception with 82 photographers submitting 292 amazing images in four categories; Beach Life, Environment, Architecture, and City of Ventura Parks & Recreation. A set of judges, all visual arts professionals from the City of Ventura, awarded “Judges’ Choice Winners” and 366 members of the public voted online for the “People’s Choice” awards. To see all the winners go to Cityofventura.ca.gov/665/photo-contest.

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – Movie Review

by Cindy Summers

FORD v FERRARI

Breeze rating from 1 to 4 palm trees, 4 being best.

FORD v FERRARI is based on the amazing true story of pioneering car designer Carroll Shelby and fearless English born driver Ken Miles and their quest to build a race car for Ford motor company to beat Enzo Ferrari in the Le Mans in 1966. Shelby and Miles together overcome the challenging physics, corporate egos and seemingly unbeatable odds to build Fords first race car, the Ford GT40. Released by 20th Century Fox, Directed by James Mangold, Written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller and Starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles.

In the early 60’s, Ford Motor Company was suffering significant losses and Henry Ford II fired everyone and gave them the option to come back if they came up with an idea to turn things around. Ferrari was building the best cars that would win the Le Mans Grand Prix every year, but there was a high cost in building cars one at a time that had the company in financial troubles. Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) approached owner Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) with a proposal to merge and Ford and Ferrari, but Ferrari was so insulted he called all the Ford execs “sons of whores” and belittled Henry Ford II by calling him number 2.

This fueled Henry Ford II in an all out war against Ferrari to build a Ford race car that could win the Le Mans. Iacocca then contacted innovative auto designer Carroll Shelby, an ex race driver who previously won the Le Mans in 1959, who owned his own company building and racing Corbas with British driver and ace mechanic Ken Miles. Shelby was winning races, but Miles was known to be “difficult to work with” and often threw tantrums, fighting with race officials, etc.

The synergy between Carroll and Miles was pure brilliance together creating the Ford GT40, and set out to race it in the 1965 Grand Prix., and had a very close relationship like brothers, and even got into “brother like” physical fights but were together were a great team at building fast cars. There was just one problem, Ford corporate executive Le Beebe (Josh Lucas) did not like Miles, and convinced Ford to exclude him from the Le Mans racing team, which ended up losing.

Henry Ford II goes after Carroll for the loss, but Carroll argued it was due to Miles not racing, so Ford gives the team another year to engineer and race in the 1966 Le Mans. They face challenges and compromise of working with corporate execs and their underhanded ways of control, even tricking Miles into throwing the Le Mans by asking him to slow down and have all three Ford cars cross the finish at the same time, and though way ahead in the race placed 2nd due to a technicality.

Carroll and Miles brushed it off, and set out to better the engineering on the Ford GT, but the car malfunctioned during a test drive and Miles died in the crash. Ken Miles was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame and Ford won the Le Mans in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969 and was the only American car to ever win the Le Mans.

FORD v FERRARI is a thrilling story about people who love their life’s endeavors and live their lives pursuing excellence through gifted brilliance and perseverance. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were originally cast in the starring roles, and feel that the success of this movie comes primarily from the winning combination of Damon and Bale and their ability to immerse viewers in this inspiring true story of American ingenuity.

Rated: PG-13 (for some language and peril)
152 minutes

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – Ojai News & Events

Join Rev. Karen S. Wylie at The Ojai Retreat on Sunday, November 24, from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for her Mid-Month Devotional Retreat, which this month will explore “Gratitude as a way of life!”

Join her for a retreat devoted to meditation, sharing, wisdom talks, quiet walks in nature, and sacred music. People of all faiths and traditions, or no tradition, are welcome to attend. Randee Vasilakos, RScP, assists and anchors the morning in a consciousness of prayer and healing.

The Ojai Retreat is at 160 Besant Road, Ojai. The retreat is by donation; $20 is suggested. For more information, contact Rev. Karen at 310-968-8928, or register online at www.karenswylie.com. Rev. Karen is the author of Into Me See: A Book for Daily Inspiration, available on Amazon and her website.

Chamber On The Mountain is thrilled to present the dynamic and powerful combination of the internationally renowned Arianna String Quartet and the brilliant artistry of pianist, Michele Levin, on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:00 pm. The performance will take place at Logan House (at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts) in Upper Ojai. Audience members are invited to stay and meet the artists at a reception following the performance.

Hailed for their outstanding musicianship, the Arianna String Quartet has firmly established itself as one of America’s finest chamber ensembles. Formed in 1992, the Arianna String Quartet garnered national attention by winning the Grand Prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, First Prize in both the Coleman and Carmel Chamber Music Competitions and were Laureates in the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition.

Evan A. Graham Arango  will visit the Ojai Library at  3pm on Saturday, November 30, 2019, to speak about regenerative farming and his own garden project, called  “Ojai Roots.”

Evan’s passion for growing plants began through urban gardening in his small backyard in Los Angeles while attending law school. He learned how to utilize garden space by growing vertically, trellising plants, and maximizing square footage. In April 2019, Evan started Ojai Roots, a small no-till market garden, on his family’s property in Ojai. Many of the themes he learned through urban gardening remain present at Ojai Roots.

Through his work on the farm, Evan hopes to promote the goal of bringing food production back to a sustainable local scale while reconnecting people with the food they eat. Evan is also passionate about experimenting with different regenerative crop production techniques. Evan plans to grow Ojai Roots into a small regenerative farm while using his legal training to advocate for regulations and policies that promote sustainable food production on a local and global scale.

In addition to feeding friends and family, Ojai Roots sells produce to two chefs and a grocery store.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai, CA. Hours of service are 10am to 8pm Monday through Thursday and 12pm to 5pm Friday through Sunday.

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – Harbor Patrol Blotter

Wednes 10-23

 9:10pm, received a dispatch to a person who jumped off the Ventura Pier. Officers responded in Rescue Boat 19 and assisted VFD with the call. The individual jumped, swam to shore and left the area.

Thursday 10-24

 6:31am, received a report of a commercial fishing vessel listing heavily to port at the Fish off-loading pier. Officers responded and found the vessel as reported. Crew members were alerted, untied the vessel and resolved the issue

Friday 10-25

 8:33am, dispatched to a brush fire at Olivas / Harbor Blvd. Officers responded and assisted VFD with three small fires near Riverhaven.

Saturday 10-26

 7:15pm, received a report of a sailboat adrift near the #2 entrance buoy. Officers responded in Rescue boat 17, found the vessel and towed it to its slip.

Sunday 10-27

 12:45pm, received a report of a disabled vessel in the keys. Officers responding in Rescue boat 19 to assist. The vessel was located, then towed to their slip in the keys, safely.

3:01pm, received a report that a commercial fishing vessel was aground in its slip near Island Packers. Officers responded and found the vessel as reported. Eventually, when the tide rose, the vessel was moved to a slip with more depth

Tuesday 10-29

 1:55am, received a report of a boat fire, officers responded in Fireboat and found a 50ft vessel fully involved with fire at Ventura West Marina. Ventura fire responded and assisted with the fire-fight and moving adjacent vessels in danger of igniting. The vessel was eventually dewatered and towed to the boat yard for further investigation and because it was slowly sinking.

Wednes 10-30

 4:49am, dispatched to a sick person at Riverhaven camp. Officers responded and assisted the patient with a transport to Harbor blvd to AMR ambulance. The patient was transported to local hospital for further evaluation

Friday 11-1

 9:03am, while conducting pre-operations checks, officers observed heavy ash falling from the Maria Fire. All of the vehicles and vessels were washed thoroughly with high pressure washer. Officers also used N95 masks.

Saturday 11-2

 5:35am, dispatched to an assault victim at the Holiday Inn express. Officers responded and assisted VFD/AMR with a patient suffering from pepper spray.

8:28pm, dispatched to a fire Harbor Blvd/Olivas Park dr. Officers responded and assisted VFD with extinguishing a small campfire.

Friday 11-8

 4:10am, while manning the operations center, officers felt a series of earthquakes ranging from 3.2 to 3.6 magnitude. No damage reported.

Saturday 11-9

 8:31am, officers en route to assist The Surfrider Foundation with their beach clean up date at Harbor Beaches. Officers assisted with removing bags.

Sunday 11-10

 9:41am, received a report of a vessel disabled outside the harbor. Officers responded in RescueBoat 19 but were unable to locate the vessel. Quick thinking officers contacted CI Harbor Patrol and advised they might have a disabled vessel outside their harbor. CI patrol located the vessel and assisted.

7:05pm, received a complaint about an incident with a transient. The individual wanted to know how to handle encounters with transients in the future. Advised to get good descriptions of persons and illegal activities then contact Ventura PD either by phone or online report. If it is an emergency call 911.

Monday 11-11

 4:28pm, dispatched to a TC, vehicle into pole on Spinnaker near VIM. Officers responded, assisted VPD, VFD, AMR with the accident. The patient was ok.

 

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – The Pet Page

∙SPAN Thrift Store is providing $10 spays and neuters for low income households with cats and dogs.

Three upcoming clinics in December are:

Wednesday, December 4th at the Albert H. Soliz Library – El Rio, 2820 Jourdan St., Oxnard, 93036; Wednesday, December 11th at Shiells Park, in the parking lot, located at 649 C St., Fillmore, 93015; and lastly, Wednesday, December 18th at SPAN Thrift Store parking lot, 110 N. Olive St. (behind Vons on Main).

Please call to schedule an appointment (805) 584-3823.

∙Diabetes is a common disease that many people live with, but many may forget that our four-legged friends could be living with this as well.

Dakota Hills Veterinary Clinic, Vet technician, Michelle Lutheran says the staff has seen an increase in pet owners coming in and not knowing their furry friends had diabetes.

Lutheran says if your pet drinks a lot and loses weight quickly, this could be a sign they may have diabetes.

Any dog can get diabetes, but Lutheran says miniature poodles, huskies, and beagles are just a few of the breeds that are more prone to the diseases.

The best thing pet owners can do is to make sure they keep their pet on a healthy diet.

“But just like us, we have to cut the calories back just a little bit. And sometimes, it’s just convenient to fill the bowl you know for the dogs and cats. Now some dogs and cats have a fast metabolism, and they can really eat whatever they want. And then others don’t. So just watching their diet is pretty important for them too,” says Lutheran.

If you notice your pet is acting different or has a few of the symptoms, the best thing to do is head to the vet.

∙ Though some breed registries accept long and short haired varieties of the Weimaraner breed, other registries disallow longhaired Weimaraners. The new research, published in the journal PLOS One, revealed the longhaired allele to be present at a 4 percent frequency.

And while only 18 breeds are officially recognized as having the potential to be tailless, researchers found 48 breeds carry the tailless gene variant — including the Dachshund.

“A breeder would certainly be surprised to see a Dachshund born without a tail,” Dreger said. “The chances are low, but our research shows that the potential is there.”

The authors of the new study say they aren’t interested in creating new definitions for dog breeds, but they hope their findings will be utilized by dog breeders and others in the dog community to reconsider their expectations for purebred dogs.

“There’s an assumption that the standards for these different breeds of dogs are set in stone,” Dreger said. “People will often make assumptions that if it doesn’t match this, it’s not purebred. This data shows that there is a lot of variation in some of these breeds, and the standards are not as concrete as we expect them to be.”

∙Please look for dog food recalls of Hill’s Science diet.

The company’s recall of its Specialty Dog Foods canned food followed a slew of earlier recalls for dry dog having elevated levels of vitamin D that began in late December. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told CBS MoneyWatch in early February that nine companies that have issued recalls for dry food share a common contract manufacturer, and it noted that one brand had cited a “formulation error.” The FDA hasn’t identified that source, but several companies said the recalled dry food was produced by Sunshine Mills, which issued its own recall in late November. Sunshine Mills hasn’t immediately responded to a CBS MoneyWatch request for comment.

The FDA’s investigations of these two incidents — Hill’s canned-food recall and nine others involving dry food with excessive vitamin D — “revealed no connection between the firms’ sources of vitamin D,” the agency emailed Wednesday.

∙By Megan Maxwell, Ph.D. Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist

“Dogs and cats should have their teeth brushed once a day. All owners really need is an ADA-approved toothbrush and some water,” says Dr. Kling, “but the brushing needs to be consistent for it to be useful.

Dr. Kling says most do and cats won’t show signs of discomfort or pain in the mouth, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t something wrong.

“Pets aren’t complainers. They can have an advanced dental disease but continue to eat and play,” says Dr. Kling. Regular dental visits are critical for detecting as well as preventing problems in your pet’s mouth.

There are many signs that it’s time for your pet to come in for a checkup. These can include bad breath and red gums. The sign that can be one of the easiest to pick out for owners would be the notorious doggy breath. Smelly breath can be something that is very noticeable and a tell-tale sign that it’s time for your pet to get her teeth cleaned.

All of these signs can be symptoms of one of the most common problems that Dr. Kling sees at the hospital. “We see periodontal disease frequently overall and especially in small breed dogs like chihuahuas and dogs with crowded teeth like pugs,” she said.

Dr. Kling explained that even though periodontal disease is more common in small breed, there are many serious problems to look out for bigger dogs, as well. “Larger breed dogs are more prone to problems related to wear and crown fractures.”

Dental procedures are performed under a light stage of anesthesia with the airway protected. Although that worries some owners, she notes that the anesthesia for dental care is lighter than what is needed for invasive surgery. Anesthesia is necessary for patient safety so that the airway is protected from water used to ultrasonically scale the teeth.

She warns that human toothpaste should not be used on pets because of the ingredients used. Dr. Kling also cautions that brushing teeth is an activity that needs to be introduced slowly to a pet. “It’s similar to cutting nails; take it slowly and commit to doing it for the long run so that your pet doesn’t hate having his teeth cleaned,” she said.

∙ With their small size, stubby faces and wide-set eyes, bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers are among the most popular of domestic dog breeds. Now researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine have found the genetic basis for these dogs’ appearance and linked it to a rare inherited syndrome in humans.

Bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers aren’t the only dogs with short, wide heads, but they do share another feature not found in other breeds: a short, kinked tail or “screwtail,” said Professor Danika Bannasch, Department of Population Health and Reproduction in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. These three breeds all lack the vertebrae that make up the tail bone, she said.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Mutt

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – Police Reports

by Cindy Summers

Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura  Police Department and are not the opinions of  the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned  are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty  in a court of law.

Narcotics Arrest

On November 5 at 9am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call for assistance from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Civil Eviction Unit, who were conducting an eviction in the 200 block of S. Evergreen Dr.

While attempting to evict the illegal occupants, numerous subjects fled from the home, refusing to follow commands. Ventura police patrol officers arrived on the scene within minutes and detained several subjects. While attempting to identify the individuals involved, officers contacted 28 year old Chris Delapp, who was on probation for narcotics violations. Officers contacted Street Crimes Unit Narcotic Detectives, who responded to the residence.

Officers continued their investigation by conducting a probation search of Delapp’s vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, investigators located a large amount of methamphetamine, heroin, and Xanax. Delapp was also in possession of a large sum of money and items used for the sales of narcotics. Officers took him into custody without incident.

Delapp was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for possession of narcotics for sales.

A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows that Delapp has prior convictions of Possession for sale of a controlled substance and Resist, Obstruct, Delay of a Peace Officer.

Stolen Vehicle and Possession of Methamphetamine Arrest

On November 10 at 5pm, the victim parked and locked their vehicle in the 4600 block of Telegraph Rd. Later, when returning to the area, the car was gone. The victim reported their vehicle stolen to the Ventura Police Department.

On November 11, Ventura Police Patrol received a LoJack notification in the area of 1400 South Victoria Ave. The Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit responded and saw the vehicle, being driven by 36 year old Oxnard resident Jonnie Gagliardo, leaving the area. SCU, along with Ventura Patrol and K9, stopped the car on Mills Rd north of Main St. Gagliardo fled from the vehicle, and there was a short foot pursuit. Gagliardo was taken into custody without incident.

The passenger of the stolen vehicle, 35 year old Ventura resident Vanessa Carrillo, also fled and went into Lowe’s. SCU detectives located and detained her. She was taken into custody for possession of methamphetamine.

Gagliardo was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle. A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows that Gagliardo has prior convictions for possession of stolen property, identity theft, possession of narcotics, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Carrillo was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for possession of methamphetamines and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows Carrillo has prior convictions of possession of stolen property, identity theft, and possession of narcotics.

Residential Burglary Arrest

On November 11, at approximately 5:30pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a 911 call of a residential burglary in progress at a residence in the 6500 block of Crowley Ave. The homeowner was home at the time and heard noises coming from an upstairs office.

Officers responded to the call and during a search of the residence saw 22 year old vagrant Ador Bordallo, who when he saw officers fled into a bathroom. Bordolla refused orders to come out of the bathroom. A Ventura Police K-9 officer responded and after several minutes of negotiating with Bordolla, he was taken into custody without incident.

The investigation revealed Bordolla was not known to the homeowner and while inside the residence, ransacked the residence and consumed food items belonging to the homeowner. He was arrest for residential burglary and delaying arrest.

No one was injured as a result of this incident.

A review of the Ventura County Superior Court website shows that Bordallo has a prior conviction for petty theft.

Possession of Heroin for Sale, Possession of Methamphetamine for Sale and Possession of a Controlled Substance While in Possession of a Firearm

On November 5 at 3:30pm, Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s West County Narcotic Street Team concluded a month-long sale of narcotics investigation with the arrest of 29 year old Ventura resident Kyle Corbett.

During the month of September 2019, detectives from the West County Street Team received information that Kyle Corbett was selling large quantities of fentanyl laced heroin, methamphetamine and firearms to residents of Ventura County. Over the course of the next month, detectives gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant for Corbett’s residence, car and person.

On November 5, detectives detained Corbett as he drove away from his residence in the 2000 Block of Vista Del Mar in the City of Ventura. During the traffic stop, Corbett was found in possession of a loaded firearm. Detectives then searched Corbett’s home where they seized 21 ounces of suspected heroin, 3 ounces of methamphetamine, a second loaded firearm, and over $27,000 in cash. Additional evidence consistent with the sale of illegal narcotics was also located and seized.

Corbett was arrested and booked for a variety of narcotic and weapon related charges including possession of heroin for sale, possession of methamphetamine for sale and possession of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm. Corbett remains in custody at the Ventura County Main Jail with a bail of $320,000. His next scheduled court appearance is set for November 19, in Courtroom 12 at 1:30pm.

The West County Street Team is comprised of Narcotic Detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and the Oxnard Police Department.

Serious Injury Traffic Collision – Update

On November 4, at approximately 2:30am, Ventura Police and Ventura City Fire were dispatched to the 2100 block of Johnson Dr. in regards to a serious, single vehicle roll-over collision. At the time of the incident, witnesses at the scene believed the driver had walked away from the vehicle, leaving two occupants trapped inside the front passenger compartment of the overturned vehicle. Brianna Munoz was removed from the vehicle by Ventura City Fire personnel and taken by ambulance to VCMC for her injuries.

The driver, 44 year old Pedro Munoz, was found pinned inside the driver’s window of the vehicle as a result of the collision and had to be extricated with heavy equipment by fire personnel. Once removed from the vehicle, Pedro Munoz was transported by ambulance to VCMC for serious, life threatening injuries.

Based on the investigation, members of the Ventura Police Traffic Unit authored and served several search warrants related to this collision and ultimately identified 18 year old Brianna Munoz as the driver of the vehicle. On November 15 at approximately 4pm, Traffic Investigators arrested Brianna Munoz at her place of employment for Felony driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury.

Witnesses mistakenly said the driver had walked away from the collision. When shown a vehicle upside down, witnesses realized the subject that walked away on the morning of November 4, was from the passenger side door and not the driver’s door. The person that walked away has not yet been identified.

The Ventura Police Traffic Unit is asking for anyone with information about this male passenger to please call Collision Investigator Dave Curtis at 805-339-4437.

Vol. 13, No. 4 – Nov 20 – Dec 3, 2019 – Opinion/Editorial

∙In SmartAsset’s third annual study on America’s most livable mid-sized cities, San Buenaventura came in at number 22. The top five were all in Colorado. They assessed the affordability and livability of mid-sized cities in the U.S. “We looked at a variety of economic factors, such as income inequality, unemployment rate, home value and housing costs. Ventura cracks the top 25 in our study. Mid-sized cities can be great places to live, offering an urban feel without the congestion. With rising housing costs driving some residents out of big cities, smaller metropolises may provide a more affordable alternative.”

The full report on the study can be found at this URL if you want to read the report: https://smartasset.com/checking-account/most-livable-mid-sized-cities-2019.

∙Recently there were more than 65 quakes in Ventura, most of them likely too small to be felt by people other than those who were directly above the epicenters. According to experts, while this might be unnerving, earthquake swarms don’t necessarily signal that the “big one” is about to happen.

Lucy Jones, perhaps Southern California’s pre-eminent earthquake expert (TV star, and maybe future president) stated that Thursday’s quakes were “really, really normal. Most quakes don’t happen alone. Every quake has a few percentage chance of being followed by something bigger. That includes the M3.2 being followed by a M3.4. The chance of a M3 being followed by a M5 is less than 1 in 1000.”

∙Shareholders have approved New Media Investment Group and USA TODAY owner Gannett to join forces and create the largest U.S. media company by print circulation, and one that will also vie for the biggest online news audience nationwide.

In separate votes, shareholders of each company approved New Media’s $1.13 billion acquisition of Gannett. The combined company will be called Gannett and will own more than 260 daily publications, as well as hundreds of weeklies. I would think that they would have a few million laying around to buy the Breeze.

∙My heart goes out to the three teenagers killed in Santa Clarita. Yes, three because the shooter killed himself. His family and friends are just as devastated as those of the two that he killed. Luckily, he only had a simple pistol and not an automatic gun or there would have been many more deaths (who would have ever thought that anyone would ever say that was lucky).

The killer was on the track team, a Boy Scout, church goer, good student, had a girl friend. Not an evil bad kid. Our concerns should be why are young people killing?

Also, five members of a family, including three young boys, have died and another boy was hospitalized with injuries in an apparent murder-suicide in San Diego.

During a press conference, police said it appeared the couple was going through a divorce and a restraining order had previously been filed. I doubt if the family owned a gun for this purpose but, other than for the purpose of keeping the family safe from bad guys.

Ten people were shot, four fatally, in what police are calling a “mass casualty” shooting at a backyard football watch party in southeast Fresno, Fresno police said Sunday.

Three people were killed Monday in a shooting at a Walmart in Duncan, Oklahoma, police said.

I know that people kill people, but it sure is easier using guns.

∙The Sears at Pacific View mall in Ventura is among the latest closures announced by the company that owns the chain, an announcement that follows the decision to close the Camarillo Kmart.

I hate to see that happen. They were such a part of my (and other old folks) growing up. Reading the Sears catalog was a great pleasure.

∙The first time you picked up a ball-point pen (or finger paint) as a small child, you probably felt more comfortable and more natural drawing with one of your hands other than the other one. In my case the left hand.

Excluding the small number of truly ambidextrous people (those who can use their right and left hands with equal ease not somethings lefty and some righty) humans have a dominant hand.

About 85 to 90% are right-handed, and there’s no population on Earth where left-handers are in the majority (except at the Ventura Breeze).

There have been some downsides for us lefties. Until recently, we have had to use scissors, desks, knives and notebooks (still true) that were designed with righties in mind. Many lefties were forced, against their natural inclination, to write with their right hands (the devil is a lefty – maybe that is where this came from). We have been discriminated against and eyed with suspicion. “Right” in English also means “correct.” The etymology of the word “sinister” can be traced back to the Latin word for “left.”

A few famous lefties that you may have heard of are; Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon Bonaparte, Barack Obama, Charlie Chaplin, Rembrandt, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, Breezy Gledhill, John F. Kennedy Jr., Albert Einstein, Alfred J. Lewis, Isaac Newton, Ludwig van Beethoven, Paul McCartney and Mark Twain.

∙Washington (CNN): A federal judge assailed President Donald Trump for his repeated attacks on various legal decisions and judges, stating the President’s bombastic criticism is feeding into a “destructive narrative.”

US District Court Judge Paul Friedman said Trump’s personal attacks on judges are helping “undermine faith in the rule of law itself.”

“This obviously is a trend we’re seeing throughout public life, but I would suggest, the stakes in attacking the judiciary have graver implications,” Friedman said in remarks as part of a lecture series at a federal courthouse in Washington. “And regrettably, the current President of the United States is feeding right into this destructive narrative.”