by Richard Lieberman

Mothers Against Drunk Driving sponsored an officer appreciation event to present officers from the Tri-Counties area with awards for the most drunk driving arrests in their individual departments. The event drew Law Enforcement from Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Ventura, Santa Maria CHP and Port Hueneme, among others. A lunch sponsored by Dukes Griddle and Grill restaurant in Ventura was offered to the gathered representatives. It was held on Thursday, August 26, at the Museum of Ventura County in Downtown Ventura.

Opening remarks at the event were given by Georgina Avilez, Program Manager for MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). She thanked the officers for their diligence and commitment to get impaired drivers off the road. She emphasized MADD’s commitment to its mission “A nation without drunk and drugged driving.” She also talked about MADD’s mission “to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking.”

Following opening remarks by Avilez, Staci Brown, Program Specialist of MADD Tri-Counties, remarked to the gathered attendees, “I want to thank all of the law enforcement attendees for coming to receive awards for the most DUI arrests”. She added “Congratulations and good work to all the award recipients.” Brown also remarked to the attendees “We appreciate all that you do to keep our streets safe.” Brown went on to offer a special thanks to the Museum of Ventura County for hosting the event.

Over forty-five law enforcement officers representing eighteen departments were honored at the event. Each recipient received a certificate and had their photos taken with Staci Brown of MADD.

Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler also attended the event along with three members of the Ventura Police Department. “I think the MADD event is great, they do this every year; they recognize the public safety officials that are out there taking drunk drivers off the roadway whether it be alcohol impairment, drug impairment and or some other impairment.” Stated Chief Schindler.

“No one knows how many lives are saved by taking these impaired drivers off the road,” It’s great to recognize the officers who are doing this job,” he added. When asked about solutions and police enforcement approaches to solving the dilemma of impaired driving he offered several approaches that are being undertaken now to help get some of these drivers off the road. Drunk driving checkpoints are one approach regularly used by police. “It’s a deterrent in the scope of being proactive about it,”. Another approach Ventura police utilize is a partnership between police and the OTS (California Office of Traffic Safety). They supply police with equipment and additional funding. Another approach is police visiting bars and restaurants on weekend nights and approaching people as they are leaving and asking “how much they have had to drink” “We ask them if they are OK to drive and if they volunteer, we have them blow into a portable breathalyzer to show them their current blood alcohol level,” added Schindler.

Police agencies and MADD agree that one effective solution to the impaired driving epidemic is Sobriety Checkpoints. Checkpoints have reduced fatalities by 20 percent. Checkpoints are mandated to be publicized in advance and signs are posted at the approach to the checkpoints. Another law enforcement approach MADD supports is “Saturation Saturday” which designates the Saturday before Labor Day weekend a day to team up with law enforcement agencies nationwide to amplify the message that if you choose to drive impaired, you will get caught. Yet another method MADD supports comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”. Law enforcement departments have picked dangerous parts of the year, and keep a special eye out for drunk drivers on those days, letting potential impaired drivers know that law enforcement is out there looking for and pulling over impaired drivers.

“But officer I started out in the crosswalk.”

As part of Pedestrian Safety Month, the Ventura Police Department will have additional officers on patrol throughout September specifically looking for California Vehicle Code violations pertaining to drivers and pedestrians.

These violations include right-of-way at crosswalks, illegal turns, and not properly stopping for signs or signals, and speeding.

“A simple safety step can make a big difference. Look out for one another by slowing down when driving and stopping for pedestrians,” said Ventura Police Traffic Sergeant Mike Brown. “If you’re walking, be mindful of vehicle traffic, be predictable, and do not leave a curb or place of safety carelessly.”

Based on data from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 2020 had the largest ever annual increase, 21 percent, in the rate at which drivers struck and killed pedestrians. In California, pedestrian deaths accounted for 27 percent of all traffic-related deaths in 2019.

The Ventura Police Department offers steps community members can take to reduce the risk of vehicle-pedestrian collisions:

Pedestrians

Be predictable and use crosswalks.

Do not walk or run into the path of a vehicle. No vehicle can stop instantly. At 30 m.p.h., a driver needs at least 108 feet to make a complete stop.

Be visible. Make it easy for drivers to see you by wearing light colors and reflective material, and using flashlights for added visibility at dawn, dusk, or night.

Be extra careful crossing streets or entering crosswalks at night when it is harder to see, or when crossing busier streets with higher speed limits.

Always use the sidewalk when available and avoid walking in the street alongside traffic, especially during morning and evening hours.

Drivers

Do not drive distracted and never drive impaired.

Drive defensively, follow the speed limit, and slow down at intersections.

Avoid blocking crosswalks while waiting to make a right-hand turn.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. To learn more about the Office of Traffic Safety grant at ots.ca.gov.

Deborah Jordan Ph.D. EPA Deputy Regional Administrator, City Manager Alex McIntyre, Councilman Joe Schroeder, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-26^th District), EPA Administrator Michael Regan and Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava, and were part of the treatment facility presentation

by Sheli Ellsworth

The Sons of the Pioneers recorded the melodic song “Cool Water” in 1962: All day I face the barren waste without the taste of water, cool water . . . . Seventy-five years later, Ventura will face the same challenge. With the current system, demand will outpace the city’s water supply by 30% as early as 2035.

A recent press conference and tour of the Ventura Water Treatment Facility with Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-26^th District) and EPA Administrator Michael Regan introduced Ventura Water’s plan for avoiding the upcoming water shortage. “It’s important to get out from behind the desk in Washington, D.C., and see what’s happening on the ground,” Regan said. “And looking at the innovation and the creativity it takes to develop these aged facilities in a way that can withstand some of the pressures we’re facing today.” Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava, City Councilman Joe Schroeder and City Manager Alex McIntyre also attended the event.

The two-part plan includes: tapping into state water and recovering, treating and reusing water that is currently discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary.

Sound simple? Ventura Water has been planning and researching for over a decade to make the city’s future water usage sustainable, environmentally friendly and regulatory compliant. They have met with over 25 legislators and lobbyist looking for funding. They have operated a demonstration facility for nine months and have made four annual trips to Washington, DC to meet with Congress members and Senators. They have reached out to the community through facility tours, open house events and received national EPA recognition for their efforts.

Climate change and the worsening drought bode poorly for the future of Ventura County. Ventura County is the “fastest-warming county” in the lower 48 states, Brownley said, referring to a 2019 survey by the Washington Post. August 19 maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor show most of Ventura County in exceptional drought—the most severe category.

Since 1971, the city of Ventura has owned the rights to a 10,000 acre foot a year of water (3.259 x10⁹ gallons) via the California State Water Project. The proposed State Water Interconnection Project would improve the movement water from rainfall-rich Northern California to drier local areas. The seven-mile pipeline to deliver water from Calleguas Municipal Water District systems in Camarillo to the City of Ventura will cost approximately $50 million.

Judge water by its quality, not by its history—Ventura Water

he process of recovery, treatment and reusing water is a complex series of filtration. From sewage to potable water is forward-thinking leap of technology known as VenturaWaterPure. The proposed advanced water purification facility (AWPF) would: biofiltrate, ultrafiltrate, reverse osmose, UV and oxidate treat our wastewater then inject it into groundwater basins like the Oxnard Basin. Extractions would occur as needed and extracted water is “conditioned” before being released to the community at drinking water quality standards. Reuse at its best. The advanced water purification facility needs to be implemented in the next six years to meet water supply needs.

The current plant on Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor, which treats eight to nine million gallons of wastewater per day, was built in 1955 and had has undergone several improvements through the decades. Ventura Water General Manager Susan Rungren said construction on the new facility will begin in November 2023 at a price tag of about $260 million. The Senate-approved trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, which includes funding for water projects, may help fund the project if the House of Representatives passes the legislation.

According to a CNN article by Kieron Monks in 2015, toilet-to-tap is not new although the thought might disgust some. Orange County Water District (OCWD) recycles used water and returns it to the drinking supply and is expanding production to 100 million gallons per day, enough for a third of the population or 850,000 people.

The website southeastasiaglobe.com wrote in 2014 that Singapore began working on recycling water in 2003 and now a third of the waste water produced by its 5.7 million inhabitants is treated. Thirty miles of tunnels transports the sewage from residential areas to huge treatment facilities where about 72,345,000 gallons of “new water” is produced each day.

What about the taste? Researchers at the University of California, Riverside published a study of recycled wastewater in 2018 that focused on the taste. The UCR study asked 143 people to compare treated tap water (IDR) with conventional tap water and commercially bottled water. The waters were presented in similar cups and were unlabeled. After tasting the water, participants ranked the taste, texture, temperature and smell. Mary Gauvain, a professor of psychology at UC Riverside and co-author of the study reported that groundwater-based water was not as well liked as the indirect potable reuse (IDR) or bottled water. “We think that happened because IDR and bottled water go through remarkably similar treatment processes, so they have low levels of the types of tastes people tend to dislike.”

Water is essential for life on earth. Whether or not Ventura is blessed by rain, a sustainable, environmentally friendly way of reclaiming quality water is imperative for each and every citizen.

The time is now.

Fire season is here and if you have not yet completed your brush clearance do it now.

During its regular meeting on May 24, 2021, the Ventura City Council approved the City’s adopted fee schedule and authorized the Ventura Fire Department to begin billing for defensible space and other fire inspections.

Earlier this year Ventura Fire mailed 6,500 notices to city property owners reminding community members to perform fire hazard reduction clearance by May 18, 2021. Beginning August 23, 2021, defensible space inspections and associated activities will be billable according to the City’s adopted fee schedule, effective July 23, 2021.

“Fire season is here and if you have not yet completed your brush clearance to create 100 feet of defensible space, act now for the safety of your community,” said Ventura Fire Marshal Joe Morelli. “Properties with good defensible space stand a better chance of survival during a wildfire.”

Defensible space is the area around a structure, free of flammable plants and objects, that creates a zone in which firefighters can operate safely in order to help protect a home during a wildfire. This space is wide enough to prevent direct flame impingement and reduce the amount of radiant heat reaching the structure. The defensible space for each structure varies and depends on the type of vegetation and topography. Maintaining this defensible space is critical.

In 2021, Ventura Fire’s goal is to inspect 6,500 properties in very high, high, and moderate fire hazard areas of the City of Ventura. This is a 900% increase from the 580 annual inspections previously performed.

The City of Ventura has contracted with Fire Recovery USA, LLC, a third party billing service, to administer billing on behalf of the Ventura Fire Department.

First inspections are billable at $21.00 per inspection, plus associated fees totaling $38.97, per the City’s fee schedule. To avoid additional inspections and subsequent fees, residents can correct violations and email pictures showing compliance to [email protected] before re-inspection.

To find out if a parcel has been approved, please call (805) 658-4709, or send an email to [email protected]. For questions regarding a bill or the billing process, please call (888)-650-5320, or send an email to [email protected].

For additional information on the Fire Hazard Reduction Program, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/FHRP.

Due to the current surge, Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) is urging all Ventura County residents that are eligible but have not yet been fully vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible. In alignment with state and federal health authorities, VCPH officials also continue to strongly recommend mask wearing indoors in public places regardless of vaccination status. While Ventura County continues to be aligned with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on masking, which recommends that everyone regardless of vaccination status wear masks indoors, and that requires those that are not fully vaccinated to mask indoors, officials are closely monitoring the current surge in case additional mitigation measures are needed.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising due to the increased circulation of the highly transmissible Delta variant. The latest local case rate has reached 15.5 cases per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate of 6%. With these metrics, Ventura County would be in the purple tier in the now retired color tiered framework.

Vaccines remain the most powerful tool against COVID-19 and its variants, including the Delta variant. Nonetheless, the Delta variant is infecting a small percentage of vaccinated people in Ventura County but such vaccinated people remain strongly protected against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. State data reported on August 4, 2021 shows that there have been 688 total cases among fully vaccinated people, a “breakthrough” or infection rate of 0.14%.

Cases in the past month have trended younger with persons 18-29 years of age making up the majority of cases. It is important for all eligible people to get vaccinated especially as school resumes in person and youth under 12 years of age are not eligible to receive the vaccines.

Mask wearing prevents transmission of the virus especially to those most at risk and people who cannot get vaccinated yet for eligibility and other health reasons. People are strongly recommended to wear masks indoors in settings like grocery or retail stores, theaters, and family entertainment centers, even if they are fully vaccinated as an added layer of protection for both themselves and unvaccinated residents. Businesses are asked to expect masking for customers entering indoor areas of their businesses to provide better protection to their employees and customers. Workplaces must comply with Cal/OSHA requirements and fully vaccinated employees are encouraged to wear masks indoors even though no longer required for fully vaccinated employees by the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards. For masks to work properly, they need to completely cover your nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of your face and around your nose.

People with only one vaccine dose of Pfizer or Moderna are not fully protected. Completion of the vaccine series is necessary to provide full protection. People are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Public Health continues to monitor transmission rates, hospitalizations, deaths and increasing vaccination rates throughout the County and will reevaluate the recommendation as needed in the coming weeks. COVID-19 data can be monitored at www.vcrecovers.org.

COVID-19 vaccines are free for all community members 12 or older.

Vaccination locations can be found at www.vaccines.gov or by calling 800-232-0233.

Appointments can be made at MyTurn.CA.gov or by calling 833-422-4255.

Visit www.vcrecovers.org for more information.