Sheldon,

You gave an example of the seemingly backwards (my words ) custom experienced by a Saudi woman. In that editorial you said you found it hard to comprehend that kind of thinking.

Woman wearing pants, 2 piece bathing suits, smoking, buying birth contro products , are among a few of the things this very country made illegal at one time. Death threats as well, over the moral breakdown of society were common.

In 1973 I remember girls being sent home for wearing pants to school. Until the 1960s it was still illegal to marry interracially in some US states. Surely you remember that.

Customs change as society and rulers dictate. Religious beliefs play a large part of that. Change is inevitable. Even religious customs change as society dictates. Again change is inevitable.

To some , the US customs we follow seem just as perplexing…. Our obsession with Hollywood stars, our overeating, our superiority complex just to mention a few. These have me just as perplexed as you seem to be.

Mike Art

Editor, Ventura Breeze,
Reference December 21, 2016 issue,
Letters to the Editor: Mr. W. Dunlap & MS M. Wells

We have had a long-standing debate over the Electoral College for several decades.  The debate will continue until the day it is abolished, but that day should not come to pass for as long as we live in the United States.  The Electoral College is not perfect, it can be modified and kept to the original concepts it was created to assure.

Units of the Electoral College are established by each individual state, members of those units are governed by each state, and the rules under which members can vote are governed by each state.  If a change is to be made, then each state must agree to have their college members vote in accordance to the local population they represent.  Voting by personal feelings would not be permitted.

The original intent of our country’s founding fathers was to prevent large population centers from overpowering rural population areas.   Yes, Ventura County is still considered Rural area.  It might be okay for the County of Los Angeles to allow the County of San Francisco to dictate how LA will be operated, where money comes from, and how to police its citizens.  But, would the citizens of Ventura County allow the City of New York to tell them how they must live and conduct their lives?

If a change to the Electoral College were to be accomplished (abolished, or greatly modified), it would require another amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and several State Constitutions.  A feat nearly impossible.  We would have a better chance of dividing California into two independent states.

Michael Gordon

Dear Sheldon

Thanks again for all you do in support of the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group…and the people who you help find us; may you be abundantly blessed for all the great work you do for our community – we are certainly blessed to have you! 🙂

Yours Truly,
Patty Jenkins – Volunteer Coordinator
Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group

Sheldon,
In your December/January issue, you displayed your “Christmas present . . . a 50 dollar bill bearing your picture and the words “in DOG we TRUST.”  I, and I am sure the majority of folks in Ventura, are deeply offended by your substitution of the word “DOG” for “GOD, our Lord and Savior.  Freedom of expression is a two-way street, so please express your appreciation of same by publishing this letter.
Dan Scully, SR

Dan: So published as requested but I don’t think that the words In God We Trust even belong on our currency. Money is not the proper place to make a religious statement. Nor does Under God belong in our Pledge of Allegiance which was added in  1954 to show the commies that we are a God loving country.
Sheldon

“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
~ Mark Twain

Mr. Brown,

I read your December 7 Ventura Breeze editorial with great interest today.  Thank you for taking such a reasoned and important position in opposition to the electoral college.  After seeing the electoral results on November 8 I felt deeply disenfranchised as a voting citizen.  I guess I feel like a black citizen denied the right to vote by Jim Crow laws in the 1800’s or like a woman voter before the passage of the 19th amendment.  Following the election, I have become active in supporting Senator Barbara Boxer’s proposed constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college.  I have great concerns about our diminishing democracy.  So much so that I went to Sacramento to participate in a protest to took place on Monday, December 19 at the Capitol addressing the electoral college.

I’m hoping that this might be of interest to your readers to see what a local resident, and retired high school government teacher and educational administrator is doing in response to the challenges we face.

My position is not “Stop Trump” though I didn’t vote for him.  My position is simply that for Americans to realize a true democracy we need to elect the president the same way we elect our governors or congressional leaders, by a simple majority of the popular vote.  One citizen, one vote, one USA!

Walt Dunlop-Ventura

Dear Sheldon,

I just wanted to thank you for attempting to unravel the intricacies of “The Electoral College.” I read the Time magazine account several times and over the years I have tried to figure out exactly what it is all about, but it is still totally confusing to me. What is wrong with one person one vote? How could it be simpler? It seems to work well in every other country and it seems democratic to me.

Just look at the problems this “electoral college” is causing. How can it be right that the candidate with over two million votes over her rival loses? Seems like some kind of odd mathematics to me!

Maggie Wells

With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?
~ Oscar Wilde

Dear Sheldon and the Breeze

From a letter from the founder of Buddy Nation, one of the recipients of the Bowl of Thanks. “Thanks to your help in getting the word out, we were able to reach my goal of writing 2 checks for just over $2000 for both Buddy Nation and The Rescue Mission/Lighthouse for Women and Children! Hoping to send another thank you from the Rescue Mission, but we are presenting that check tomorrow, Monday.”

Thanking you again and always for your support with Potters’ Guild events and all the animal nonprofits..now I’m involved with Buddy Nation as well as All for Love….where we got our little Topa..not so little anymore!

Sincerely,
Cecile Gurrola Faulconer-Potters’ Guild

Sheldon:

The reason Turner received such a minor sentence (Stanford swimmer), compared to what you or I would have gotten, is because he is a jock at a big time school. Was justice served?

Of course not, but in the USA “thems that gots, is thems that gets”. And that is why it is relevant.

A cello player from Stanford would also get a minor sentence, especially if he is a good cello player. After all, we need good cello players more than we need good swimmers.

Charles Miller

Dear Sheldon Brown

We would like to thank you for supporting the 2016 Fun and Fitness 5K by donating an ad in the Ventura Breeze.

When you give to the Y you strengthen our community.  As the nation’s leading nonprofit for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility the Y uses your gift to make a meaningful. enduring impact right in your own neighborhood.

On behalf of the children, families and individuals that helped with your gift.  I thank you once again.  We appreciate your support.

Sincerely
Amy Bailey Jurewicz

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple,
awesomely simple, that’s creativity
~ Charles Mingus

Ventura Breeze:

I’m very unhappy with the passing of some of the measures.

We shouldn’t have term limits. If people from Ventura are unhappy with a certain city council member they don’t need to vote for them. I think a lot of this had to do with Jim Monahan having been in the council for over 30-years.

I also don’t think that we should need to pay additional sales tax. I don’t think that the city does a good job spending our money now so why should they get more?

Thanks
Sarah Blum-Ventura

Dear Ventura Breeze,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of all the volunteers of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Upper Ojai Search and Rescue team for your generosity on the occasion of our annual fundraiser on October 2, 2016.

The Sheriff’s Department provides our vehicles and a number of basic items for the volunteers, but our organization has relied on the fundraisers to allow us to purchase specialized equipment and certain items that the county is unable to provide.

In these times of budget cutting by government departments, we are forced to be more self-reliant and therefore we would like to say once again, “Thank you for your generous support.”

Most Sincerely,
Captain Bill Slaughter  Lieutenant Kevin Hatigan

Breeze:

I compiled this list for myself but thought that your readers might also want it for reference.

• Ventura Police Department public safety information ,alerts, etc.
• Venturapd.org
• facebook.com/venturapd
• nextdoor.com
• vcalert.org (an emergency notification system- register at www.vcalert.org or 805-648-9283)
• 911 emergency
• 24 hour non-emergency 805-650-8010
• general information 805-339-4400
• abandoned vehicles 805-339-4432

general helpful numbers

• city hall 805-654-7800
• code enforcement 805-658-4711
• graffiti hotline 805-654-7805
• pothole hotline 805-652-4590
• street light out SCE  800-655-4555

Laurence Boldt

Laurence:

Thanks, good stuff. If any reader wants this sent to them directly let us know at [email protected]. Also the email address of any city employee is very simple. Their first initial, last name at cityofventura.net. For example if you want to reach City Manager Mark Watkins [email protected].

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness.
~ James Thurber

Breeze:

When I finished reading the article on Farber-Tauber MD Awards in your Oct.12 issue I was left wondering who the honorees were for 2016.

Sincerely

Yvonne Elizondo

Very good point Yvonne, here they are:

Hospital Physician -Gail Simpson, MD
Community Physician – John Walters, MD
Hospital Nurse- Diana Jaquez, RN, MSN, OCN, ACHPN
Community Nurse – Rosemary Libman, RN
Oral Health Specialist – Scott Packham, DDS
Vision Care Specialist – Paul J. Dougherty, MD
Behavioral/Mental Health Professional – Deborah Thurber, MD
Allied Health Professional – Camarillo Health Care District
Trailblazer Award – Assisted Home Health & Hospice – Elaine Donley

Meet up to clean it up

Just in case you have not noticed our highways and country roads are a mess. So, how about a meet up to clean it up every Saturday? In just the past few days I have removed over 100 lbs. of trash each day for a week. I simply cannot do this my- self. This needs to be a committed effort of folks just like you that want to see Earth Day happen every day, and our home kept pristine. This should not be looked as a party but as a celebration to our home-planet earth.

Or, just work it on your own and make it a family outing.

Bring a trash picker to avoid too much bending and watch your step if you plan to clean the streams-wear good walking or hiking shoes. Best to wear bright colors so that you are easily visible on the highways and twisty roads. Since we have been in a drought for a long time, wild life such as Bears and Mountain Lions have been spotted in the low country, carry a whistle and pepper spray. And beware of poison oak.

Now is a good time for all environmentalists and wanna be trash collectors to get out, get some exercise and sunshine and most importantly clean up our home. This is a free activity no fees no sign ups and no bosses. If you need to contact me I welcome hearing from you. Jay North at [email protected]. See ya on the road-hopefully-weekly.

Peace for now, Jay

Dear Sheldon:

Among the pearls making up the substance of your editorial in the October 26 to November 8 edition of the Breeze was your outline of what is going on in the Ventura County Museum.  Your mention of the Museum reminds me of my recent visit to the WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Aside from the comprehensive portrayals of the battles which led to our victory in WWII, what really got my attention was the emphasis throughout on the prodigious and unified effort of the entire United States, once it became clear that we were in grave danger, to win the war.  I should point out that such an effort was badly needed, as in 1940 our Army consisted of a relatively small number of men mounted on horseback with not a tank in sight.

By mid-WWII nearly everyone, men and women of all descriptions, was either fighting or supporting the road to victory in some way, a display of unity not seen since and quite in contrast to our present condition.  World War Two, as made clear in the WWII Museum, was a cataclysm which brought the entire country together, probably never to be experienced again.  I think of this current state of paralysis nearly every day since my visit.

Sincerely,

Art  Spaulding
Ojai

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist
is that the taxidermist leaves the skin.
~ Mark Twain

Sheldon:

Once again Sheldon you got a smile out of me instead of a groan with your comment concerning your dislike of the initiative process. Involved voters causing a vote to go to the people ? An abuse of power ? Hardly.

Sometimes politicians are not able to put one foot in front of the other without tripping , because they overlook little things like….. logic for instance. The public then has to pick up the slack. Costly yes. Necessary most of the times, yes. Unnecessary sometimes , yes, but can you imagine what would happen otherwise ?

That’s one good reason to install term limits. Career politicians ( including ventura politicians) , get bad eyesight the longer they are in office. They keep tripping on logic.

Mike Art

Sheldon
I read the current issue and thought you did a great job on the Susan Laby article. I hope you write as nice a one when I go.
John Ferritto

Who is this again?

Dear Sheldon:

Thanks so much  for supporting A Whirl Of Merriment (FOTM fundraiser)! I’m pleased that you and Diane could join us.

Your ongoing reporting on the Brooks incident is very much appreciated. You have a nose for news and I know that your interest in covering the truth about this poorly executed plan has helped to bring the public’s attention to it. Keep up the good work!

Your ongoing support of Focus on the Masters is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Donna Granata
Founder & Executive Director

Dear Editor,

I attended the Scamp for President Rally with glee.  There I found a tidy crowd consisting of Scamp’s campaign manager (in a Hawaiian shirt!), his Pawblic Relations committee, loyal sign twirlers heralding oncoming traffic to vote and “bark” their support, confounded furry companions, and the candidate himself sporting a giant red bow tie.

Missing of course was the running mate, “Savana the Cat”, or is it asleep-on-the-job mate?

Lyn Fairly
KVTA News Talk Radio 1590 AM

Sheldon

My wife Barbara is forcing me to write you again,  despite my writing you already with my opinion. Now she wants me to give you her opinion . Ain’t love grand !

She has a beef with the downtown parking situation and the news racks. Priority goes to the parking situation.  Years ago the city council convinced the public that all those free parking lots down town were adequate,  but as we all found out , a very valuable one was fenced off and kept from the publics use under the guise of getting the lot ready to sell.

The old Top Hat lot was a very needed parking lot. It is now an eye sore that is not utilized. The property is still vacant and still badly needed.  Hopefully some new council blood will help us out here with more free parking downtown.

Now second on my wife’s survival of the planet list (joke ) , is the condition of the news racks. The city forced news owners to get rid of those old eye sores. They were replaced with clean iron ones which blended with the Spanish 1920s look of the area.

One look at the racks in front of the post office on Santa Clara and some on main street , would have some people wondering what has happened to those clean racks. Many are now in need of repair. They are as shabby as the ones they replaced. items of use require maintenance. A fact of life.

My deed is done
Mike Art (Husband of Barbara Art)

Mike: I certainly hope that Barbara really asked you to write this for her so that I don’t get in trouble with her. Regarding the newspaper racks I, and the City are in complete agreement with her. Something will be done soon to correct this situation. There was no thought given as to who would maintain these. The racks are owned by the City and the inserts by the publishers.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
~ Noel Coward

Editor:

I quickly ran the Short Term Rental Figures this morning based on the Nuisance Response Plans at the City’s website.

There 117 Short Term Rentals Registered with the City as of 9-12-16.

There are 77 in the Pierpont Community.  Of these 21 of the owners live in Ventura (27%). Only 11 live in our Pierpont Community (14%).  Pierpont has approximately 1200 residences.

There are 6 Short Term Rentals in the Keys

There are 34 Short Term Rentals in the rest of Ventura.

66% of the Short Term Rentals are in Pierpont, however, Pierpont only represents 3% of the Housing Units.  Consequently, the vast majority of Short Term Rentals are heavily concentrated here in our Pierpont Community.

To put it another way 86% of the owners of the Pierpont Community’s Short Term Rentals don’t even live in our Pierpont Community and 73% don’t even live in Ventura.  These owners should not be deciding the quality of life for our community.  Those not living in Ventura can’t even vote for our City Council.   Our community residences should not be used as a hotel alternative.  Hotels at least have someone on premises to monitor their guests.  This, for some reason, is now the Pierpont residents responsibility pitting neighbor against neighbor.

Robert George

A vote to protect our citizens and our city

Public safety and security is key to a more thriving city and business community. Measure O will bring additional local resources to keep Ventura neighborhoods safe.

For starters, your Yes vote will allow all fire stations in the City to stay open and fully operational, ensuring every Ventura neighborhood has life-saving emergency response times. Maintaining fire, police and paramedic emergency response is paramount to protecting the residents of Ventura.

Our city also needs protecting. Ventura is 150 years old and showing its age, including deteriorating streets, sidewalks and storm drains. Voting Yes on O will repair streets, fix potholes and make repairs to bridges and overpasses in the case of an earthquake. Thanks to Measure O, the Ventura Pier, Promenade and citywide bike paths will remain accessible for everyone.

If we wait, it will only get more expensive to protect our quality of life. And, with a local sales tax, the millions of tourists who spend money on lodging and other taxable items will contribute to the cost of maintaining our City.

Despite what some may say, Ventura has no budget surpluses. Costs have gone up, while State and federal funding cuts have jeopardized Ventura’s ability to address its urgent needs. Measure O helps to replace those lost funds with new locally controlled funding that cannot be raided by Sacramento politicians.

Measure O makes Ventura a safer, cleaner and better maintained city, which in turn will make it a more in-demand place to live and work. For all these reasons and more, we are strong supporters of Measure O and in fact are serving as Co-Chairs of the Yes on Measure O Committee, which is spearheading the campaign to pass this critical measure for the City we love.

Ed Wehan, Kevin Clerici and Jim Duran
Co-Chairs of Committee for a Better Ventura – Yes on Measure O

Breeze:

Our Park Ambassadors are doing a great job of keeping Downtown Ventura ‎safe and clean. I am so grateful that they check in frequently with my staff and are only a phone call away if we need back up in a potentially unsafe situation. They are breaking down barriers with those who are chronically homeless and are available to connect them with services to get them off the streets. As a merchant (Spice-Topia), I couldn’t be more pleased with the services that the Park Ambassadors are providing. What a fantastic use of parking meter funds!

Ashley Pope

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
~ Isaac Asimov

Two or Five Trees
by Jeffrey Russell

The two trees are timely rooted
Once five now two they are saluted,
Bark on a tree and branches that grow,
My heart races as I hike to them, tally ho..

Sitting under them I reflect on site,
I look to the ocean that gives a Pacific light,
You might call them a token of mystery,
As they were grown for their views of inquiry…

Over the years the trees were toppled and planted,
History for this story may always be slanted,
Grown by its roots they became Fishermen’s Sight,
Pranksters chopped down 3 on Halloween night..

They have a marriage with Ventura once a secret vow,
Never spoken over years of a faithful service until now,
Today they rage with a celebration voice,
Making Ventura the two tree tourist choice…..

Dear Editor,

Rental Rules can’t ignore property rights, and Rental Rules can’t ignore zoning ordinances either, and they also can’t ignore State laws requiring new taxes being voted by the residents affected by a new tax per State Proposition 218.

Mr. Chacon attempts to come to common ground regarding the dynamics of this controversial issue. Short-term vacation rentals (STVRS) are a business. Business licenses are issued, business license fees are collected, certain rules are applied, and taxes are collected in behalf of the city. People rent homes to provide housing for their family that otherwise they may not be able to afford by conventional purchases. If that is the “rental right” Mr. Chacon refers, I agree.

However, paramount to the structure of any city is its zoning codes. All cities have these codes. They define what “uses” are permitted in those zones, and the zoning codes are “dominant” over any other actions by the city. With few exceptions, businesses are not allowed in residential zones. This is especially true of zones that may be under greater pressure to violate those codes.

The framers of the zoning codes in Ventura realized this and put greater use restrictions on the beach residential zone. Now, with the short-term ordinance in Ventura, that is subordinate to the zoning codes, some street lanes are impacted by up to 30% STVRS.

Most people choose to live in residential areas and not be interfered with by businesses to a residential life style. STVRS interfere with that “right”. Many would agree that the Coastal Commission has overreached its original intent, and it certainly is now. There is no violation of the “Act” by enforcing zoning codes. Yes, access by citizens to the coast should be protected, but not at the expense of deteriorating homeowners rights or the zoning codes.

John Whitman-Ventura

Breeze: John was referring to an article that Mr. Chacon wrote in the VC Star.

This signage or something like it should be used in the Ventura Riverbed also and at the end of Seaward.  I am happy to see it on the promenade.

Robert George-Ventura

Most of us have jobs that are too small for our spirits.
~ Studs Terkel

Editor:

Past Ventura City Councils decisions have cost the Ventura citizens millions. Measure O is a question of trusting this City Council and future City Councils with another $270,000,000 in new tax money.

Brooks Institute closed its school, leaving students, contractors and landlords high and dry.  While the City hopes someone will step up, the schools liabilities exceed its assets. The fact remains that besides students, instructors and vendors, there are unpaid rents, deposits and subcontractors left out in the cold. The loss is likely over $1.0 million.

That brings up some major questions. Who approved this move without collecting all funds required? Were there any guarantees for payment in the event of default? Who did the due diligence of understanding the schools financial capability to enter into a lease? Was the City Council just “starry eyed” at the thought of bringing in a tenant that they didn’t ask the hard questions? Will other creditors see the City of Ventura as a ‘deep pocket’ resource for payment? When hundreds of thousands of tax payers dollars are lost, does the City see these funds as ‘their own budgetary funds’ or as tax payer’s funds, meaning that they have lost your money? Does the City Council just feel this is the risk of doing business or does the City Council just see this as another reason to ask the citizens for more taxes? What will the legal costs be?

Now this City Council has the nerve to ask for more tax money and wants the citizens of Ventura to trust them. They have just answered that question for themselves. They do not operate with the due diligence required for making fiscally responsible decisions.

As a call to action, resignations should start at the City Council level, along with a citizen’s investigation committee.

Robert Alviani
VREG Chair

Dear Sheldon,

Thank you for your in-kind donation to the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s Motion by the Ocean.  Through the generosity of donors like you, we are able to support the building of the new Community Memorial Hospital.  Our hospital’s future is enriched by your generosity, and helps us address the needs of families, friends and neighbors throughout Ventura County.

Thank you for your support of Motion by the Ocean, Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation.

With gratitude,
Debbie Golden and Carolyn Tedesco

Breeze:

The Marina Park bathrooms were tagged between 10am Saturday and 9am Sunday when I cycled by.  Given that the tagging was done within about 10 feet of both video surveillance cameras, I would hope that the police could pull the footage to determine who the culprits were.  It would be great if photos could be posted on Pierpont’s and the Keys Nextdoor.com sites so that we could assist in identifying/catching these individuals.

George Robertson

Sheldon,

Thank you so much for the nice photos of the Faulkner House and the Dudley House. You went above and beyond what I expected. To receive these photos of Victorian houses, which are of interest to me, was a special gift to me and very much appreciated.

Yolanda Soto

What this country needs are  more unemployed politicians
~ Edward Langley

Hi Sheldon

Thought this might interest you.  This is an 1881 obituary from the NY Times. Scott was a family forebear and once purchased much of downtown Ventura and all of the Ojai Valley, purchased  from the original Spanish land grant person Federico Tico. His geologist friends at Yale told him there was oil.  He sent nephew Tom Bard to oversee things.

Tom Scott was referenced by our late Aunt Marge Tingue, a wonderful,  caring person in our family,  as someone with whom we should become familiar.  He was a remarkable person, born the 7th of eleven children to a tavern owner who did not attend school beyond age ten.  He rose to become president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, other railroads and developed the nationwide railroad network. He is said to have given Andrew Carnegie his first position as a railroad employee when Carnegie was 14.

The attached is from a lengthy 1881 New York Times piece.

A plaque on Hwy. 150  located on a very large stone several miles from Santa Paula indicates the first oil well in California with the names of Tom Scott and Thomas Bard.

Regards –
John H. Stewart

A few facts from “A Railroad Prince Dead “New York Times, May 22, 1881

Col. Thomas A. Scott’s Life and Last Illness

His death at 9:00 last evening  (Dec. 28, 1823 – May 21, 1881) – His life as a canal driver, merchant, station agent, superintendent and president – his great services during the warCol. Thomas A. Scott suffered a relapse of his illness on Thursday night, and after sinking slowly during Friday  and yesterday he died at 9:00 last evening.

Thomas Alexander Scott and the railroad system of the United States were identified in the youth of both, and grew up together. He was born at Loudon, an old settlement  of the great Appalachian Valley, in Franklin County, Penn.

The boy started in practical life early. Almost all of his education was received at the village school before he was 10 years old.

Scott went into business for himself. westward shipper in the great transportation house of Leech & Co., and here, as elsewhere, he soon made himself conspicuous by his energy and activity. He slept little and worked a great deal, but his hours at home were hours of relaxation.

Scott purchased all of the Ojai Valley and most of downtown Ventura in Southern California from its original Spanish land grantee Fernando Tico. He sent nephew Thomas Bard to oversee his California operations. Scott and Bard found the first California oil well as well as Union Oil Co. Bard was the U.S. Senator from California from 1900 – 1905.

Jill Forman

I was blown away by the terrific article on my “Acting for Amateurs” class and me, which you wrote for The Breeze.

Thanks to your vivacious style, the piece was great fun to read.  You put in all relevant information, but made it light-hearted and interesting.

I appreciate it so much, Jill–you’re a gem!

Best,
Rosemary Molloy

Worry pretends to be necessary, but serves no useful purpose.
~ Eckhart Tolle