Breeze:

First I would like to say how much I like the Breeze for local information. I moved to Ventura in 2005 and subscribed to the Star for local information and goings on until they kept cutting back on local info. I stopped my subscription when the Star had the same info as the LA Times. But then I found you. I retired here to be in a small town and was interested in everything Ventura. Keep up the good work!

In that vein I would like to offer two suggestions for improvement to your most recent Editorial.  The paragraph on Julia Brownley begs the question if she lost the cities of Ventura and Ojai who is going to represent them?  If it is still to be determined why not say so? And secondly in the paragraph on permits and approvals, if you do not like the huge amount of multi-unit projects on Thompson a sentence or two to say why would be informative.

Keep up your good work. I look forward to each informative edition.

Dennis Watson

Dennis: Regarding Julia Brownley her term here will end in January, 2023 so still with us for a year. At that time Salud Carbajal will take over.

Regarding the proliferation of very expensive condos ($800,000 and up) I’m concerned about the additional cars and the gentrification of Ventura to exclude folks that need to work here but can’t afford to live here and the diversity of our population.

Breeze:
This Covid sickness is like nothing I have ever had before. Lots of body pains (mostly lower back). Coughing and aches. Hard to sleep. I feel weak as a kitten. Last night was the worst. It keeps changing on you. But, I am going to rest as much as I can. Going to let it run its way though me.
Richard Senate

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.
~ John Barton

Dear Sheldon,

Thank you for publishing The Power of Kindness by Visit Ventura in the Dec 29 – Jan 11 issue of the Ventura Breeze. And thank you to the author for the extra light and joy your article brought to my day. It feels like an invitation to choose kindness, something we all can do.

Carrie Calvert

Breeze:

I posted on Next Door my praise for the intense rain we have had in our area after years of severe drought. We got close to 8 inches in two weeks in two bog storms. It has struck a chord with people who also feel elevated by the rain, though it will not end the drought. It has helped lift my mood, maybe yours too.

This rain and wind and cold may be the results of an erratic Atmospheric River streaming over our area. And others want to assure us it’s not a drought buster. OK, I get it.

But do we all get how wonderful this rain is, with gutters and curbs running with water, the barrancas roaring, creeks and rivers flowing, the slick weighted trees bending from the wet, the puddled lawns and gardens and the drenched hillsides and mud-covered roads through them, with the wild animals wet and happy?

This will perk up every living animal and plant, and it perks up me and I hope you too. We will get a spring wildflower bloom, new sprouts of everything, and revived trees and softer ground for the barrage of gophers.

It does not wash away the gloom of 2021, but this river of rain clouds lifted a mood cloud from me, and I am looking out our windows and not worrying that the dry hot winds may never stop.

They have for now, as this uplifting crescendo drowns out the drone of woes, at least for a spell. Hail glorious rain, we welcome you!

Robert Chianese, Ph.D., Emeritus Prof. English, CSU Northridge

website: https://islandviewmedia.net

New Year Reflection

Our coastal light that turns crescent,
Gestures, the clouds to daydream on the moon,
The tide gathers to push out the fog,
An evening drizzle leaves a mist on New Years.

Proceeds to create a lunar calendar,
The moon is overshadowed  with damp skies,
Our suns early douse of golden colors,
Rinses it clear on a Ventura Morning.

The ocean reflection is New Years best view.

by Jeff Russell

Are you an amateur cartoonist? Send your cartoon to
[email protected].

You can’t love your country only when you win.
~ President Joe Biden

Sheldon;

I would like to give a shout out to Standard Industries, a recycling center in Saticoy where I have frequented many times to drop off recyclables. As a volunteer for Canine Adoption and Rescue League in Santa Paula, I have started a recycling fundraiser and use the proceeds to do repairs to the kennel and add money to our winterizing fund to get dog heaters to the kennels.  Therefore, I am a frequent customer at this facility and on average go there with my recyclables three times a week.

Every time I am there all the employees are very courteous to all the customers and myself. This includes the employees who bring over the wagons with bins in the parking lot and assist you in unloading your car, the employees who weigh your recyclables, the fork lift operator who is always on the look out for customers coming and going in the parking lot and the cashiers.

Standard Industries has also donated money to CARL in the past as we are a non profit, no kill and all breed dog rescue. It is always a pleasure to interact with the employees and I can now tell you they are my friends as well.  By the way, in the six years I have been taking my recyclables to this facility, I see the same smiling faces so I know the employees are treated well. It is nice to see a company such as this in our community.

Marsha Moreland

Oooooops:

From last issue events:
The Poinsettia Pavilion proudly presents a musical evening of dancing to the Ralph Mathis band (brother of the late Johnny Mathis) from 7pm – 9:30pm. $10 at the door and refreshments will be served. The Poinsettia Pavilion is located at 3451 Foothill Rd. in Ventura. For more information call 805-648-1143 or visit www.poinsettiapavilion.org.

Johnny Mathis is alive and well. Born September 30, 1935 (age 86 years).
Thanks to Ivor Davis for pointing this out.

Nothing is really lost. It’s just where it doesn’t belong.
~ Suzanne Mueller

Sheldon:

Sticks+stones
Maybe we could tag team to raise funds. Take on any haters over 68.
Don’t always agree with you but keep up the good work. Beats the Star for me.
Thanks
Chris Reinhart

Chris: Sometimes I don’t even agree with me but we are having fun aren’t we?

 Breeze:

The Ventura City Council has an important vote on December 6^th that will affect development in our coastal city for years to come. They are set to approve a Streamlining Ordinance which strips power away from our land use boards and turns that power over to one person, the Community Development Director (CDD). The CDD and the City Attorney spent 2021 rewriting the Municipal Code to benefit out of town developers and the City Council appears willing to rubber stamp their proposals. 

Parking, traffic, density and water decisions, sign changes (like the Auto Center enlargement), Conditional Use Permits and building façade issues will be decided by the Development Director, who ironically doesn’t even live here. Projects are not being looked at collectively and therefore infrastructure improvements are not being addressed. Hundreds of units are being added in the downtown area and the city has not prepared an Environmental Impact Report. They closed one of the three main streets through the downtown area, eliminated parking spaces and are approving six story condo and apartment buildings? People still need cars to “live, work and play” in Ventura. 

If you look at the donors and contributors to the election campaigns of our City Council members you can see who is benefitting from all this construction. These new million-dollar condos going up all over town are not going to help current residents. I urge your readers to contact the City Council to stop this over-development and vote “no” on Streamlining. 

Eileen Shaw

Editor: See article on front cover. We received many similar emails.

Breeze:

I hear so many people call Camino Real Park El Camino Real Park. Even though we have a high school named El Camino there is no El in the park name. So get the el out.

Charles Goble

Children on a Beach

Oceans build their shores with stones,
And fortify its walls with children at play,
Control nature’s borders with a swift undertow.
A coastal defense hemmed in by the tide.

When uncertain waters crash onshore,
The storms will produce a sure foundation,
For we consider the night’s arduous horizon.
To reflect on the hope of peaceful seas.

As waters sift through our rocky shores,
They polish the surface to smooth their edges,
Returns in search of precious treasure.
For there made by the hands of little children.

By Jeff Russell

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs,
jolted by every pebble in the road.
~ Henry Ward Beecher

Letters to the Editor

Proposed Logging in the Los Padres Forest is Unacceptable.

As a life-long resident of Ventura County I realize how lucky I am to live between the ocean, two rivers and our majestic mountains in the Los Padres National Forest. Many local residents enjoy recreating in the Los Padres at Pine Mountain, Mount Pinos, and other wild areas.

The US Forest Service is currently proposing the removal of thousands of trees and old growth vegetation at four locations in our backcountry; an area that totals over eight square miles. The Forest Service argues that this project will improve wildland health and improve fire safety for forest-adjacent communities. I object because this plan goes far beyond those goals. 

Forest scientists tell us that removal of trees and native vegetation increases solar access to the forest floor creating drier conditions and increasing the presence of non-native grasses. These grasses dry out earlier in the year and are much more flammable than native chaparral.

We must reject ineffective forest vegetation removal projects that diminish critical carbon storage in our forest and instead invest resources into hardening wildland-adjacent homes to withstand ember casts. There are simple, inexpensive ways that homeowners can prepare their homes for wildfire: clearing combustibles within the first five feet of structures and native plantings. Advanced vent covers are more costly, but worth the investment to prevent embers from invading attics and crawl spaces, the main cause of losses during the Thomas Fire.

The Forest Service should focus their efforts near population centers, not in the middle of the wilderness. We need to work from the home out rather than from the forest in. This has proven to be the best strategy for protecting communities as well as our native ecosystems.

Kathy Bremer

Never try to tell everything you know. It may take too short a time.
~ Norman Ford

Breeze:

I was visiting from Las Vegas and parked in the parking structure by the beach. It is in deplorable condition. Needs painting, cleaning up and repair. This does not give a very good impression of your wonderful city.

Thanks
Larry Dote

Ventura Highway by Jeff Russell

A coastal Dawn is a Pacific view,
The morning breeze that leads home,
Where an ocean highway turns while it drops,
A 101 route is there to survey the tide.
As we cruise north in the right lane,
The charm of four wheels turns heads,
The only car with a nostalgic view,
Is my top-down Mustang ride with you.

A man must have a certain amount of intelligent ignorance to get anywhere.
~ Charles Kettering

Hi Sheldon, 

I would like to inform you that there is a human version of Ivermectin. (from one of Sheldon’s previous articles “Speaking of things funny, some folks who are against getting COVID vaccines, are attempting to obtain over-the-counter ivermectin to prevent COVID, which is used to de-worm horses and cows.”)

My brother came down with Covid and was prescribed Ivermectin by his medical doctor. He proceeded to follow all his doctor’s instructions and has thankfully fully recovered from Covid. I just didn’t want you to not have incomplete information and just go by what you are hearing that Ivermectin is just for animals.

Thank you for being a big supporter of women making their own person decisions, including what vaccinations to put into their bodies. 

And finally, thank you for the beautiful tribute to Suz Montgomery. Her passing has left a deep void in our community, and she will be greatly missed. 

Kathy Thomson

Note: Please do not take Ivermectin without first obtaining approval from a qualified medical professional.

Greetings

It was meant to be. Moved to Ventura in April but it was my first stop at Peet’s cafe today. I saw this paper (The Breeze), and the first time I heard about New West Symphony. 

Did some research and voila, I just got my subscription confirmed. 

Thanks for the article!

Best, Brigitte Zeilinger

Dear Sheldon

The article regarding the life of Suz Montgomery was outstanding. The contributors to the article did an amazing job of describing Suz. Some of the descriptions of her were so on point; passionate, force of nature, committed, fearless advocate, etc.
Suz was a friend and the loss of this remarkable woman will have a definite impact on our community. I had the great pleasure to appear several times on Schmooze With Suz. There were never any “gotcha  questions”, just an interviewer working to bring out important information regarding the role of the Ventura County Probation Agency as an element of the criminal justice system. It was always a joy to be around Suz.  Her honesty, integrity and service to our community were truly refreshing

Alan Hammerand

I got an A in philosophy because I proved that my professor didn’t exist.
~ Judy Tenuta

Editor:

Conserving water is not enough to fend off our impending crisis. You can empty a bucket with an eye-dropper or kick it over, either way, it will stay empty if there is no water to refill it and the County of Ventura is doing nothing to create a new supply of potable water. All they are doing is praying for rain.

As a boots-on-the-ground, lifelong, environmentalist, I never liked the idea of desalinating ocean water, but then, I never expected the Climate Crisis to grow as rapidly as it has, so I have changed my mind on the subject. Desalinization needs to start now. I know it can be expensive and can have negative impacts on the environment if not controlled but what is the expense and environmental impact if we run out of water? If you hated seeing people fighting over a roll of toilet paper, wait till you see what they will do over a bottle of water.

Ventura County could easily follow the lead of the plants in Carlsbad and soon-to-be Huntington Beach which are designed to produce over 50 million gallons of drinking water per day. Both projects were developed in partnership with Posiedon Water who are always looking for new projects to start. Posiedon works on a Public-Private Partnership model where they play a lead role in identifying and optimizing the allocation of risk among all parties, thus mitigating some of the county’s need for research while lowering the upfront cost of such a project.

Respectfully,
John Darling-Ventura

Advice is given freely because so much of it is worthless.
~ James Geary

Hello Sheldon,

I follow your column each week but was saddened to read your insensitivity when you commented on Phil Valentine’s death with ” At least he won’t have a heart attack or paralysis.” I thought we were above that, that’s what they do, put down others, not us. This saddened me.
Hope your day is better.
Each new day is an opportunity to think better.

H. Olson

Olson:
Looking back at it I completely agree with you it was insensitive. I’ll try to do better.
Sheldon

Breeze:

Just thinking about the two little ——— who burned up the school: I wonder if it would be possible to put them to work with the crew rebuilding it? Maybe a few months of slave labor would give them a fresh perspective (I believe they’d have to be paid, but the money could go into a victim’s relief fund). They’d actually learn a trade, too. Or they’d get hurt on the job and sue the city for millions. What do I know?

Alfred Lewis

Dear Ventura County Elections Division:

It is very frustrating to discover that the Mail-in Recall ballot for Governor is folded in half when you get it through the mail, and that the NO bubble is below the fold so you do not see it until you open the ballot all the way. This favors the YES bubble.

I have also been told by friends that when you order a replacement ballot, the YES and NO bubbles are both visible at the same time.

This puts the integrity of the election for me out of bounds. I call for a new statewide recall ballot with equal visibility and access to YES and NO positions.

Robert Chianese

Ventura, CA

Opinion:

While waiting in line at the pharmacy for my medications, a number of thoughts came to me. I wonder if others have had similar thoughts. As a Type II diabetic its hard for me to find things to eat on the menu of most restaurants. With more and more people coming down with Diabetes II Maybe someone should make a restaurant that deals with low or no sugar dishes–with disserts what our requirements permit. I must admit I get rather tired of salads all the time.

There are enough people with this condition to make it a going concern. Such a business my also cater to dieters as well as those of us with restrictions.

Richard Senate

Are you an amateur cartoonist? Send your cartoon to [email protected].

Anywhere is walking distance if you’ve got the time.
~ Steven Wright

Folks:

San Buenaventura could run out of water. Really. We have only local supplies to rely on and they are very low and dependent on fall and winter rains (in 2021-22) for real re-supply. We need lots of rain to fill our lake, river, streams and aquifers.Will they come? If you think this is just a severe drought, you might think so. If you think climate change has shifted water and air currents in new, possibly permanent directions, steering rain away from us, then no.

As we fret over the size and height and the number of new housing units in our city, we need to ask where will the water come from to supply these new residents? We are told the new buildings are more efficient users of water, but what water? Obviously water we existing residents depend on. We are soon going to feel the squeeze of new water restrictions, based on diminishing local supplies and the impact of thousands of new local residents in the new housing buildings.  

How do we get the public and our City Council and Planning Commission and staff members and local elected to stop developing new housing until we have adequate water to support it and keep existing residents supplied with what we need? Our slow or stubborn response to these environmental realities could hurt us locally and globally.

We must petition our local government to develop only what we have water to support, based not on historical models but new environmental realities facing us every day.

Bob Chianese

Editor:

On the topic of the feral cat problem throughout Ventura County: Over the past 20 years I have had many discussions with Ventura County Animal Regulation and yet the problem continues. I have written numerous letters to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on this issue, as have others that are very involved with this effort.

Most recently, I was informed that the feral cat problem was (finally) going to be discussed with the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and Animal Regulation on August 12, 2021. It has now been postponed until November 2021.

While I fully appreciate that there are many issues facing our civic leaders, the continued lack of discussion, engagement or acknowledgement to those who continue to express concern is troubling. We cannot, as good citizens, continue to ignore this massive problem with the hope that ‘someone else’ will take care of it or worse yet, that it will simply go away. We can no longer afford magical thinking. Solutions must be explored that enhance the ability of Animal Regulation to assist more broadly and actively where feral cats are concerned. Also with Animal Regulation, we must collaboratively increase opportunities for feral spay and neuter surgeries.

As responsible citizens, community members and human beings, we must be the voice, the caretakers, the stewards and the advocates for animal welfare.

My second issue is people come to the SPAN Thrift Store on weekends to find a place to euthanize an animal when it is an emergency situation, i.e., hit by car, seizures, etc. and so far the only answer I can help with is go to their vet or VSMG, which runs about $500. Ventura County Animal Regulation has licensed vet even in the daytime on weekends to do this. I feel this is wrong.

Valerie Bereman

SPAN Thrift Store

Dear Mr. Editor (Sheldon)

I agree the city parking lots can be a horrible filthy mess.  Maybe they could get the city owned Street Sweepers to brush by the parking lots once a week.

Which parking lot were you reviewing?  We have a lot along the shoreline. THE CONCRETE MULTI-STORY ONE NEXT TO ALOHA.

Along with Ancient Aliens and Spinach you could add Broccoli, Grits, Collard Greens, Mustard greens, Turnip greens, Poke Sallet, Corn Pone, and anything that crawls up out of the mud and looks like a tiny Lobster.  

I look at the Aliens from a different perspective.  They left thus junk here because they didn’t want in their world.  As for Popeye, he didn’t look much like an Earthling before or after Spinach.  Olive Oyl and Bluto could have been Disney character before Micky Mouse.

 Regarding newspapers, it went on to say; “Especially notable is a loss of reporting in smaller towns, suburbs and real areas. Leaving thousands of American Communities with no local coverage.”  A way that the government might help the failing news industry is by way of a bill that has bipartisan support in Congress.” 

This goes to show that once in a “Blue Moon” Congress can agree on some things.  (PS You’re right we don’t have a Blue Moon this month, but it’s coming someday!).

 “This country has, for whatever reason, also refused to produce the network routers.”

Donald J. Trump. I DIDN’T SAY TRUMP SAID THIS.

For a moment I thought you were going all the way back to Al Gore, but he was only a wannabe President.

Michael Gordon

He only is happy as well as great who needs neither to obey
nor command in order to be something.
~ Johann Goethe