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CAPS Chat – Generosity and Spirit

Monique Limon visits ECTV’s Punto de Interes

by Elizabeth Rodeno

The holiday season is here. Sharing food with friends and family is an important community event and Ventura proved how important it is. Endless food, essentials and support have been generously provided to all in need this past year.

A One Year Thomas Fire Remembrance Event will be held Dec. 1st at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai. The event hosted by Totally Local VC will have 4 bands, food trucks and a artist’s market. There will be service organizations from around the county providing information and aid to continue to help those are recovering from the fires. It’s a good place to find resources in one place and support the community. We look forward to seeing you there. CAPS Media will continue to share our The Thomas Fire Stories with the community via video and radio in honor of those affected by the fire.

The Poinsettia Awards hosted by the Chamber honor local individuals and organizations for their service to the community and will be held December 6th at the Four Points Sheraton. These awards recognize the outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals who make a difference in our community. The Mayor’s Art Awards recently held at the Museum featured local artists and supporters of the arts. CAPS is proud to count many Mayor’s Art Award recipients over the years as members.

The events over the past several weeks have been trying for many throughout the state of California and in our backyard. Many of our close neighbors and friends experienced horrors none of us could ever comprehend. The many community groups and organizations who rose up after the Thomas Fire have mobilized to assist those in need elsewhere. The generosity of these individuals and groups is inspiring and proves that everyday people can make a difference.

We welcome the Ventura City Council that convened with the new members elected from the first district wide elections in Ventura. Our coverage on channel 15 continues as we broadcast live the City Council, Planning Commission and Design Review Committee meetings. We also rebroadcast the County of Board of Supervisors meeting.

Don’t forget we continue to air Thomas Fire Stories project every Friday at 6 and 6:30pm on CAPS Channel 6. CAPS Radio – KPPQ-LP is broadcasting them regularly on 104.1fm and on the myTuner app available on your phone and smart speaker. Tune in Thursdays at 5:30pm on KCSB 91.1fm in Santa Barbara to hear them too. These stories are informative, honest and uplifting.

KPPQ continues to educate and inform listeners everywhere. Tune in and be surprised by your community programming. Support community radio by becoming a producer, engineer or programmer. Training classes will get you on your way. You can tell your friends that you have your own radio show.

Community Member engagement is CAPS Media Center mission. We are here to support members in creating an informed and educated community through electronic media. Become a member, take the Orientation, enroll in classes and create powerful and entertaining media to share with us. Orientation classes for media makers are held the first Thursday of every month. Go to capsmedia.org for more information.

Vol. 12, No. 4 – Nov 21 – Dec 4, 2018 – Opinion/Editorial

•I think selecting city council members by district for the first time was a huge success and accomplished exactly what was intended. Ventura moved to district elections in response to threatened litigation that the current at-large voting system disenfranchised minority voters. The new council will have 4 four female members (out of seven) – two of which are minorities. Lorrie Brown is African American and Sofia Rubalcava is Mexican They will be sworn in on Dec. 10.

Congratulations to the new and returning city council and school board members. I think all of the candidates ran professional campaigns and explained their positions very well.

We also have a new City Manager. Hopefully, the new leaders will bring some interesting ideas and new creative thinking to address some of the challenges facing Ventura. I hope that opening of marijuana businesses is addressed because Ventura is losing a large amount of tax dollars, and Venturan’s who use medical marijuana are still buying it in adjacent cities.

The homeless situation in Ventura (and every other city) remains an on-going problem. A lot of progress is being made to address this issue, and I hope the new City Council continues on this path. Neal Andrews was a big advocate for the homeless, so I hope another council member continues what he has started.

I want to personally thank the exiting City Council members Neal Andrews, Jim Monahan and Mike Tracy for their contributions to Ventura and the many hours (for perhaps $2-3 dollars per hour) that they gave serving Ventura. A rather thankless job for the pay and abuse that they endure at times.. I’ll miss Mike’s sense of humor that he brought to the council. Who would have thought that an ex police chief could be so funny?

These are the email addresses of the new City Council members. All city employee emails include their first initials and last names @cityofventura.net.

[email protected];

[email protected];

[email protected];

[email protected];

[email protected];

[email protected];

[email protected];

•When the Thomas Fire started in Santa Paula (it should have been called the Santa Fire, but that might have upset little kids) we couldn’t imagine that it might end up here. And, when people living in Malibu heard of a fire starting in Oak Park, they thought that was in another country way on the other side of the freeway.

But with the combination of very dry conditions and high winds, fires, as we now know, can spread very quickly. Many people, including me, were upset because there was not enough water to fight the Thomas Fire. But, watching the recent fires convinced me that even with adequate water Ventura would still have lost hundreds of homes.

There was adequate water to fight the recent fires, but thousands of homes were lost and perhaps hundreds of folks lost their lives.

Another huge concern is what will happen to Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison as they face billions of dollars in potential law suits. What if they declare bankruptcy and there is no power. Could that happen?

Our Dec.6 issue will focus on the Thomas Fire. If you have anything that you would like to share after a year has passed, I would love to hear from you. Please send to [email protected].

• There seems to be a lot of angry people these days. Maybe there always have been, but social media is allowing them to display their anger to large audiences. Much of the commentary is based upon misinformation that soon becomes the truth.

•The new $2 million+ McLaren Speedtail auto isn’t street legal in California. This is okay with me, because I just plan to keep the one I just bought parked in my living room (might just make it into a bar).

•If you thought that California didn’t have enough laws, our State Legislature agrees with you. They passed 1,016 new laws in 2018 – some of which are so innocuous, they are funny and useless.

•I won’t be commenting (much) further on national politics. I will just quote from other sources, like the following.

“Top White House adviser Kellyanne Conway on Sunday said President Donald Trump has met several times over the last year with Matt Whitaker, contradicting the president’s claim last week that he “didn’t know” the newly appointed acting attorney general.

“I don’t know Matt Whitaker,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn Friday. “Matt Whitaker worked for Jeff Sessions and he was extremely highly thought of and he still is. But I didn’t know Matt Whitaker.”

But that’s not what Trump told “Fox & Friends” last month.

“I can tell you Matt Whitaker’s a great guy,” the President told the hosts of his favorite cable news program. “I mean, I know Matt Whitaker.”

As always, if you disagree or want to add comments, the Breeze welcomes (and encourages) you to submit these to [email protected].

•On the 2006 SAT test, only 15% of the students wrote their essay answers in cursive.

A 2008 nationwide survey found elementary school teachers lacking formal training in teaching handwriting to students. Only 12% of teachers reported having taken a course in how to teach it.

In 2012, Indiana and Hawaii announced that their schools will no longer be required to teach cursive (but will still be permitted to), and instead will be required to teach “keyboard proficiency”.

In a recent study which compared scores of students who took notes by hand compared to laptop computers, it showed that students who took notes by hand showed advantages in both factual and conceptual learning. Another study showed that children showed an acceleration in learning new words when they wrote them by hand rather than on a computer screen

“Mom; “Grandma sent me a letter could you read it to me?”

“Dad; I need to study the Constitution will you read it to me.”

Celebrating the holidays in Downtown Ventura

Downtown Ventura celebrates the Holiday Season with over 100 fresh-cut, decorated trees and multiple events in historic Plaza Park.

Holidays at the Plaza, one of Downtown Ventura’s signature holiday events, returns to Plaza Park from Dec. 7, 2018 to Jan. 2, 2019. The event is marked by the Candy Cane Forest, which is made up of rows upon rows of freshly cut Christmas trees lined up in the park, each decorated by a different local organization, family, or individual.

Groups and individuals who are interested in sponsoring a tree can do so for $300. The online form to sign up for tree sponsorship is available at HolidaysAtThePlaza.com.

In addition to the Candy Cane Forest, Holidays at the Plaza hosts events through the month of December:

Outdoor Movie Pajama Party: Dec. 7 – Holidays at the Plaza will be screening two classic holiday films for free, starting with the 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 6 p.m., followed by the 2004 The Polar Express. Food trucks will be available and Santa will make an appearance. The event is presented by Pacific Western Bank.

Holiday Boutique: Dec. 8 – From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Plaza Park will host vendors offering handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gifts. There will also be live entertainment and Santa will be available from noon to 2 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring a toy for Toys for Tots or a coat for Coats for Kids, in exchange for which they will receive a raffle ticket for available prizes.

Rock ‘N Roll Breakfast with Santa: Dec. 15 – Busy Bee Cafe, Live 105.5, Ventura Rental Party & Events, and Montecito Bank & Trust are hosting this casual breakfast with Santa from 8 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $10.

Yoga with Santa: Dec. 16 – Grassroots Yoga will be leading this donation-based yoga class, which Santa will join, starting at 10 a.m. All ages are invited.

Silent Night Disco: Dec. 22 – At a silent disco, there is no traditional sound system. Instead, every attendee gets a pair of wireless headphones, so they can tune into the DJ’s music. The Silent Night Disco will run from 6 to 10 p.m. and is open to all ages. Tickets are $20 and include one pair of headphones and a Ventura Coast Brewing Co. beer or non-alcoholic beverage.

The Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony returns to Ventura this month with the largest light display in city history. The yearly celebration of the season will begin at 6:00 pm at Mission Park on Friday, November 30. This year’s event will include live entertainment from several local choirs and dance groups, bounce houses for the kids, and vendors offering food and drinks.

At 7:00 pm, Santa will be arriving by Fire truck, and will join the Mayor and Mission San Buenaventura’s Father Tom Elewaut to lead a countdown to light the trees.

Once the trees are lit, the evening will continue with dancing under faux snowfall in the park and opportunities to mingle with the gathered community.

Other ways to celebrate the season include Small Business Saturday on November 24. Shop local for your holiday gifts and get great deals.

Additionally, FOOD Share’s 7th annual CAN-tree Drive runs from November 30 to December 2 at Figueroa Plaza. Individuals, families, and groups can bring cans to donate to FOOD Share, Ventura County’s Food Bank.

Vol. 12, No. 4 – Nov 21 – Dec 4, 2018 – The Pet Page

•Bio-Detection by Victoria Usher

At the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in New Orleans, double-blind lab tests have shown how two canines can correctly pick out the scent of children infected with malaria parasites seventy percent of the time. While all the schoolchildren appeared healthy, blood tests administered on-site discovered that thirty children were actually carrying the disease. This work is just a proof of concept, but the hope is that one day bio-detection dogs could be deployed at airports, ports of entry, or other border crossings, in order to prevent asymptomatic carriers of the parasite that causes malaria from bringing it back into areas where the disease has been eradicated.

The work was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has made malaria a priority in recent years. In their facilities an hour outside of London, human trainers place a few drops of a standard training liquid into small glass jars. The dogs are instructed to walk down the line, pausing to sniff each one. If they stop at the new smell a trainer croons, “That’s it, good dog.” The dogs eventually learn that if they stop, sit, and point at the right jar, they will get a treat.

• Some specialist toothpastes for human-use contain ingredients which are unsafe for pets, for example xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is very poisonous to dogs. Chewable treats and bespoke dental diets aimed at preventing plaque hardening are recommended as alternatives.

More than half of the dog owners surveyed by OnePoll said they thought bad breath was normal, rather than a symptom of poor dental health.  Some admitted giving their dog chewing gum when bad breath struck, while others thought a haircut would purify the scent.

There were also respondents who thought their dog’s unsavory habits might be the root cause – and sought to keep toilet lids firmly shut to stop them drinking the water.

Only a fifth of dog owners worried about bad dog breath being a sign of a serious health problem, the survey found.

Rodney Zasman, a leading London veterinary surgeon, said: “A lot of dog owners aren’t aware of how important it is to look after their dog’s dental health.”Poor care of dogs’ dental hygiene can result in complications such as dental plaque, gum disease, tooth abscesses and difficulty eating.

”Bacteria can spread from the teeth and gums causing damage to the kidneys, liver and the heart. Painful and extensive dental surgery and treatment may be needed to cure this.”

•Recently a group of Illinois veterinary students went on an unusual field trip. The board of the Human Animal Bond Association student chapter organized a trip to tour the new dog training program located at Shawnee Correctional Center (SCC) in the small town of Vienna, Ill.

SCC houses about 1800 inmates and is a medium to maximum security prison. The program called SWATT, or Shawnee Wellness Assistance Therapy Training, was started in March, 2018 and is run by Angela Galbraith in conjunction with Project Hope Humane Society of Metropolis, Ill., which supplies the dogs and the funding for their care.

A unique feature of SWATT is that, while the program helps both the inmates and the dogs, it also helps our U.S. veterans. When the dogs graduate the training program at the correctional center, they are given, free of charge, to veterans who have applied to adopt them.

The dogs receive basic obedience training from the inmates with the assistance of a professional dog trainer, who donates her services to the prison. The dogs receive their Canine Good Citizen Ready certificate and then are ready for advanced training, which involves more specialized skills and varies according to the needs of their future owners.

The dogs are taught about wheelchairs and how to properly approach people in them. They are taught about navigating stairs and elevators or retrieving items. Also, during their stay in the prison, the dogs are brought out to local veterans’ events to help acclimate them to different social situations. They visit the VA homes and attend local parades. Angela said the veterans just love when the dogs visit; the visits really brighten their day.

•A woman who bred and sold sick puppies from her Plainfield home to people across New Jersey will never own a pet in the state again, under a sentence handed down.

Suzie Bourdouvales, 38, pled guilty to two counts of third-degree animal cruelty and was sentenced to probation. She was barred for life from owning, breeding, or selling pets in New Jersey.

The New Jersey SPCA and the prosecutor’s office searched her home after a yearlong investigation and seized 19 puppies of “varying ages and medical states” that were living in “unsafe and unsanitary conditions,” Union County Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Cronin said in the release.

Authorities said Bourdouvales had hoarded dozens of sick puppies, many of which died under her care.

Many of the dogs she sold died despite their new owners’ desperate attempts to save them, officials said.

This was not her first time selling sick animals. She previously pled guilty to selling them out of her car in Plainfield in 2015, and she was ordered to pay nearly $20,000 in restitution, the prosecutor’s office said.

The dogs seized from her home were placed into the care of the Cranford-based Best Friend Dog and Animal Adoption and Traveling Paws Animal Rescue, as well as Brendan’s Meadows Rescue in Mountainside.

Bourdouvales must also pay over $30,000 in restitution to her customers, undergo a psychological evaluation, comply with all ordered treatment, and submit to periodic monitoring.

R.I.P. Ethel
2002-2018

Ethel was half of a pair of Siamese sisters – her twin being Lucy (of course).  Ethel was a cross-eyed little bundle of fun and the loved and loving companion of Jane Van Note for all of her sixteen years.  She will be deeply missed by Jane, Lucy, Copper, Jack, Charlie, Princess, Orange, Alice, Taz and Cappi

I hope that I can help the district address the issues

Dannenberg has held many school positions.

by Jerry Dannenberg

I am Jerry Dannenberg and I have recently been elected to the Ventura Unified Board of Education, Area 4.

First and foremost I would like to thank my family, friends and supporters who made it possible for me to run for the Ventura Unified Board of Education. I would also like to thank all those who helped me with my campaign. Finally thank you to those of you who voted for me. My commitment to all the voters and parents in the district is that I will be an advocate for all children.

This year marks a major transition for the district with the retirement of several district key leaders. The board has hired a very well-grounded Superintendent in Mr. David Creswell. Mr. Creswell has in turn hired a great administrative team in the district office to move the district forward in the years to come. It is my hope that I will be able to help the Board, Mr. Creswell and his team with some of the district history and with my 41 years of experience as an educator.

For those in the community that don’t know me, I have been a teacher, teacher’s union president, principal, district office administrator, Superintendent, and Adjunct Professor of Education for the three local universities. Sixteen of my 41 years in public education were spent in the Ventura Unified School District. I served as principal of Juanamaria Elementary School, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Assistant Superintendent of the Educational Services division of the School District.

My wife, Melinda, and our two children moved to Ventura 32 years ago. Both my children graduated from Ventura Schools and went on to graduate from the state university system. We have five grandchildren. One has graduated from Ventura and is presently attending college. The other four are presently attending Ventura Schools.

I hope that I can help the district address the following issues in my first four years on the Board:

  1. An aggressive approach for dealing with problematic bullying and racism in our schools.
  2. Equitable learning opportunities for all students including making sure that all high school students have the same number of class periods available to them. We also need to make sure they have the same opportunity for Advanced Placement Classes at all high schools.
  3. Safe schools for all students.
  4. Proactive fiscal management of district resources that insure balanced budgets that provide the best learning opportunities we afford.
  5. A focus on academic rigor to help all students. I would also like us to work towards an International Baccalaureate Program in one or more of our high schools.
  6. We need to make our employee salaries more competitive so that we are not losing our teachers and employees to other school districts or different careers.
  7. We need to fully staff all of schools with counselors who can help our students deal with the pressures of today’s world.
  8. We need to look at the feasibility of putting air conditioning in our classrooms to make them the best learning environment for our students and the best work environment for our employees. We also need to look into renewable energy source success solar energy to help reduce our future energy costs.

I am looking forward to being a member of the Governing Board and I can’t wait to get started. Once again I would like to thank everyone that supports me and voted for me. Thank you.

Casa de Soria

by Jennifer Tipton

Located at 1961 East Thompson Blvd., Casa de Soria has been spicing up Ventura since 1958, that’s 60 years of traditional Mexican cuisine! Originally owned by the Soria family, the restaurant has since changed hands, but the location remains the same. Until four years ago, the restaurant was quite small, but likely because the place was always packed with hungry patrons waiting to be seated, they expanded. The restaurant’s new addition joins the original and the décor is festive, complete with pinatas and sombreros. A large dining area holding many booths and tables covered with brightly colored tablecloths joins the original part of Casa that also got a facelift with all new booths and tables. A large enclosed patio seating about 100 hosts an open bar on Friday and Saturday nights and is available for private parties. The outside patio welcomes dog friendly diners and there’s now an adjoining parking area.

Our server, Roberto started us off with homemade tortilla chips, served warm along with fresh sweet and spicy salsa. The menu begins with a full page of Cantina selections offering a variety of margaritas. I had the Skinny Margarita made with Patron Tequila, Agave Nectar, fresh limes and oranges, so tasty, you would never guess it’s less than 125 calories! Imported beer and wine selections offered as well.

Menu specialties include a Taco Salad with choice of chicken, beef or shrimp, served with the house creamy cilantro dressing made with ranch, guacamole, cilantro and squeeze of an orange, or chicken enchiladas with a homemade mole sauce. All served with rice and beans. $9.95 – $14.95

Selections such as Carne Jalisco, a grilled steak with grilled tomato, onion, bell pepper and topped with jack cheese, or the Pollo De Baja, a half marinated grilled chicken are served with rice and beans and soup or salad for $11.95 – $17.95.

Seafood selections include Salmon topped with mango or pineapple salsa, served with rice, sliced avocado and sautéed veggies and with choices like Lobster and Crab Enchiladas or Ceviche tostadas, it’s every pescatarian’s dream at $13.95 – $16.95.

Traditional side orders such as Albondiga Soup and Menudo with homemade tortillas are $6.50 – $11.50.

Combination Dinners present selections such as a chile relleno (allowing you to choose from a pasilla chile stuffed with cotija cheese or an Ortega chile stuffed with jack cheese) and of course, crispy tacos, tamales, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos and taquitos – all served with rice and beans, add soup or salad for $1.99.

One item combo $10.95 Two item combo $12.95

Three item combo $14.95

The Enchiladas Suizas did not disappoint, the sweet and smoky flavor was as remarkable as the presentation!

Be sure to save room for desserts like Deep Fried Ice Cream, Gourmet Flan or Churros for $3 – $4.95.

Casa De Soria is open 11am to 9pm daily. Reservations not required and although there are no deliveries, orders can be placed to go. Lunch Specials are quite a deal at $10.95 (dine in only).

For more information visit: casadesoria.com

If You Like The Beatles—You Will Love The Penguins!

Ventura Penguin fan; Ezra Lee Davis, peruses new children’s satire book.

What does Ventura County author Ivor Davis and ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney have in common?

1. They are both worth $1.2 billon?

2. They both like baked beans on toast?

Or,

3. They both have written children’s books?

If you chose answer number three you are right.

Although Davis does like baked beans on toast, and Sir Paul prefers scrambled eggs on toast.

The good news, however, is that Davis will beat his Beatle mate to the punch. Paul’s children’s book is due out next year.

Ivor’s very first children’s book, “Ladies and Gentlemen…The Penguins!” will be published Dec. 1—just in time for holiday reading.

“Ladies and Gentlemen…The Penguins!” tells the fanciful fable about a Penguin rock group from the British Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic who grew up to become one of the most famous pop groups in the world. Even bigger—well, almost bigger—than the Beatles.

The critics are raving. “You’ll definitely want to hold their flippers” sang world renowned Penguin critic and musician Ringo Starfish.

You can pre-order the book on www.ivordavisbooks.com or on Amazon.

The book will be launched at a party, Dec. 1, at 3 pm. at the Pierpont Racquet Club, 500 Sanjon Road, Ventura. The public–particularly children–are invited to enjoy a book reading, nibbles, fun, prizes and music and songs by guitarist Alan Shapiro.

Vol. 12, No. 4 – Nov 21 – Dec 4, 2018 – Mailbox

Dear Councilmember:

Those of us that are residents in the Pierpont area are most impacted by STVRs. We were given our chance to voice our position during the STVR working group. I know because I was a participant. The survey that the city is disseminating on STVRs does not in any way shape or form represent what was presented to you as a result of the working group. We clearly and unanimously in writing and discussions voiced our position. We do not want more regulations or enforcement on STVR nuisance. We want an end to STVRs in our neighborhood. We simply want the city of Ventura to strictly enforce the zoning codes as written. That’s it. If there is an R in the zoning then business is prohibited.

The multi- billion dollar vacation rental industry is clearly behind the writing of this sham survey. It doesn’t come close to asking the right questions. I would answer none of the above to virtually every question on it as would a vast majority of residents in the Pierpont neighborhood. Where are the real questions? Like: Do you think grey market, unregulated hotels should be allowed in a residential area despite public opinion. Or how about: Should out of town STVR investors be able to gobble up the available ” executive housing” the city so desperately craves? Or how about: Do you think there should be a nightly rate for the view overlooking the Pierpont Elementary school playground?

We want and will eventually get what Santa Barbara got. An end to the destruction of our coastal neighborhoods and a restoration of true zoning enforcement. Give them a couple of years to unwind. And then give us back our neighborhood!

Thanks

Tim Colavito and family

Breeze:

I decided to run for the Ventura School Board for a few reasons which I was able to bring light to and talk about in open public forums and hopefully get the attention of those parents and elected officials to act on them.

I ran because of social justice issues which affect our community, explicitly kids who are falling under the radar. There is a lack of communication between teachers, school counselors and school psychologists. Part of this missing communication is our staff is overworked to actually identify issues and give attention needed to our students. I also, ran to ensure that the after school program ASES continues to be funded and open to all students who may need the after school help. I know that most of our community are working families and the ASES program is such an asset to our community. I wanted to see our students be encouraged to become engaged in civics at the local level during election time and education of on the importance.

I ran on environmental justice issues that must to be addressed at our schools. Some of our schools are lacking proper recycling programs on campus. All of our schools are utilizing single use plastics and Styrofoam containers, which are either being littered or going straight to the landfill. I wanted to see a city bus voucher program to cut down on pollution and the amount of cars coming on and off campuses. I wanted to see Green Technologies offered at the High School level with a new Green focused vocational and trade school in the future. The Farm to School Program is a great mechanism that we have going at some of our local schools, but I wanted to see that expanded upon; as well as, offering plant based vegetarian options in the cafeterias.

Lastly, it was a non-partisan race, but I let people know that the ideas and principles I was running on were part of the Green Party’s platform. I hope I encouraged others to look into joining the Green party and being part of the true political revolution!

Keep being the change that you want to see

Anthony Krzywicki

ear Editor:

Who likes the Ventura River interface with the city?  Imposing walls of rip rap and long lengths of barren dirt keep people strictly apart from a natural River experience.

Up until now, the Santa Clara River has avoided the same fate.  Its north bank is not artificially channelized, and hundreds of acres have been acquired in anticipation of a future nature and recreation corridor.

Not for long.  The city plans to channelize the Santa Clara River with a levee made of boulders and barren dirt to expand the auto center.  Nevermind that levees as flood protection are a losing battle, the city proposes to make this ill-conceived project part of the Olivas Park Drive Extension and Olivas Park Specific Plan (OPSP).  Heard about it?  Unlikely.   Ventura community development manager has kept public engagement on this project extremely minimal.  Even more disturbing is that, if approved, an OPSP revision will give the community development manager authority to make final project approvals and take away that authority from Planning Commissioners and Design Review Committee members.

On 10/17/18 the project was on the joint planning commission – design review committee agenda.  Panelists expressed a great deal of concern to the community development staff about the levee.  They pointed out the short sightedness of ignoring the River value and the failure to provide public access with just even a bike path along the crest!  Among other things, the commissioners instructed staff to get the word out to the public about the Olivas Park Drive project.

Time to stop repeating history destroying our last natural resources for development!  Sierra Club and Friends of the Santa Clara River want a living Santa Clara River and are working with National Parks Service to produce a concept for a Santa Clara River Loop trail.  Join us.

Thank you,
Nina Danza, PE

Dear Sheldon,

Are playing you devil’s advocate by placing those pro-Trump letters in the Breeze today? I’ll only refute one point in Ms Smith’s letter; the one about Trump not needing money. He’s raking in the dough at his properties, including Mar-a-Lago, which Trump calls the “Winter White House,” (which has doubled its membership fee to $200,000), and Trump International Hotel, (whose managers market it as a destination for diplomats, has raised room rates almost 60 percent).

In amounts large and small, Trump takes in money from political allies, and from the government he leads.

The Republican National Committee rents space in Trump Tower. So does the Pentagon. So does China’s largest bank.

The government of Qatar this spring paid $6.5 million for an apartment in Trump World Tower — joining the governments of Saudi Arabia, India and Afghanistan there.

Trump businesses overseas have gotten foreign government help, too.

China’s government is reportedly lending $500 million for a Trump-linked development project in Indonesia. China has also approved dozens of trademarks for Trump family businesses since he won the presidency.

In two “emoluments clauses,” the Constitution forbids the president from taking money from individual states or from foreign governments

Responding to those restrictions, the Trump organization has pledged to donate profits derived from foreign entities to the U.S. Treasury. In 2017, that donation was $151,000 — less than one-half of 1 percent of the $40 million in hotel income the president reported.

A federal lawsuit filed by Democratic members of Congress and one filed by the governments of Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia accuse the president of violating the emoluments clauses.

While those cases await trial, the power of the presidency remains a major financial asset for Trump.

“The stars have all aligned,” Eric Trump said last year. “I think our brand is hotter than it’s ever been.”

Much of this was lifted from an article that I read on CNBC.

Carol Spector

Carol:

Not playing devil’s advocate. Our readers have the same right to express their views as I have. Some folks don’t think that I should have the right.

Sheldon

Greek philosophers’ liar’s paradox “I always tell lies,” a man says. Is he lying or telling the truth?