Cancel, cancel, cancel. Stay at home. Don’t hug when we need them most. What awful tough times for us all.

∙This is a very different issue of the Breeze than usual. Almost no events (including art) as Ventura shuts down. Several Coronavirus articles as well – not our usual Ventura news, but important for our readers.

If you are reading this, you were obviously able to find a copy of the Breeze. Many of the businesses that carry the Breeze are closed.

First, I want to thank and compliment the amazing Ventura Breeze staff for getting this issue out and still managing to get it into racks and businesses that are still open.

I hear so much about government taking care of hourly workers that need financial help, but it goes way beyond hourly workers. There are so many small businesses that were just managing to stay open as it is, especially mom and pop restaurants, that will probably never open again. And they employ people.

Even the Ventura Breeze is struggling. This issue has a very small amount of ads. Many of our advertisers are holding off right now until they can evaluate what the future holds for their businesses, or they are closed right now. If they are open, and you can afford to do so, please continue to buy from them.

Many newspapers, large and small, are struggling and suspending their print editions. The economic forecast for local papers was not very strong even before this pandemic so it has just been exacerbated by this. Even a London-based newspaper is shutting down its print edition.

Many small local papers have asked their readers for donations to keep printing (kind of like art patrons). So, let me ask you, our readers, would you be willing to contribute financially to the Ventura Breeze in order for us to keep printing? Let me know your thoughts and suggestions at [email protected].

During these stressful times we all need to take care of our mental health also. We all have feelings of depression and anxiety. Some finding working at home, and the feeling of isolation, very alarming. So, take some very deep breaths and try to relax. Maybe it’s time to take care of all the little jobs that need doing around the house. Marking off your “to do” list can be very satisfying.

∙ The LA Time’s coverage is 95% about Coronavirus. I wonder what happens to all of the other events making news that we know nothing about except, perhaps, online?

∙ While a national emergency like this brings out the best in people who are doing wonderful things for each other, it also brings out the very worse in some. The most terrible being scammers taking advantage of seniors. Even a leading TV televangelist recently promoted his “Silver Solution” suggesting the formula could boost the immune system and kill the virus withing 12 hours. Thankfully the government shut that down.

Phony products are being sold on Facebook and Craigslist. There is no pill, or supplement that can prevent or cure the virus.

∙The Ventura Unified School District closed all schools on Monday, March 16 through Friday, April 10 due to coronavirus concerns. There is the strong possibility that schools will not open again until after summer. So tough on families that need to go to work while their kids are in school.

∙My condolences, pain and thoughts go out to the family, friends and school mates of 16-year-old Austin Gambill who died from injuries he suffered after he was hit by a truck along Seaward Avenue last week. Gambill was a sophomore at Ventura High School where he was a member of the school’s cross-country team. The driver of the truck remained on the scene and cooperated with the police. Apparently, drugs and alcohol were not a factor in the crash just one of those awful things that can happen in life. I also feel for the truck driver who will live with that image for the rest of his life.

And Mother’s Day is not that far way. It will be a lonesome one for most people being isolated from each other.

Really odd to me we are told to keep social distancing and at the White House Coronavirus Task Force meeting speakers stand shoulder to shoulder.

∙Some desperate people have resorted to using other papers and cloth in the absence of toilet paper which is resulting in the stoppage of sewer lines. So, please don’t use the Ventura Breeze as toilet paper. Besides being too rough, we don’t want to be the cause of clogging up your sewer lines.

∙It is beyond my belief but there are still some Americans that believe that the virus is the Democrat’s way of getting rid of Trump. Italians ignored all the recommendations to prevent the virus spread and their death toll is more than the Chinese, over 4,000. We must do what we are being told to stop this awful virus from spreading. The number of deaths caused by the coronavirus worldwide has reached at least 13,000, including almost 400 in the U.S.

∙ Ralph Charette, 71, said he bought a rifle and ammunition on Saturday to protect himself and his family as a wave of coronavirus panic sweeps across the country. Charette, a military veteran, spent $1,500 at a gun shop in Germantown, Wisconsin, after encountering aggressive shoppers and empty shelves at local grocery stores. Now, if looters come knocking, he’ll be ready, he said.

As hysteria surrounding the illness drives some to stockpile groceries and toilet paper it’s also causing many to worry about a shortage of gun supplies, which is driving up demand and leading to long lines. I find this to be very disturbing. Especially in times like this when people are anxious and very up tight. Some are even suicidal. Some of these guns will be used for that purpose.

For instance, seven members of the same family were fatally shot recently in North Carolina. The suspect is among the dead. The incident is a suspected murder-suicide.

Take care of each other, and be kind.

∙The Breeze has never received as many negative emails and phone calls regarding any subject (even Trump) as has been sent to us regarding Scientology. Emails that I won’t even print. I have been accused of awful things because of the article and my comments regarding Scientology.

Please understand that I (and the Breeze) are not supporting or recommending Scientology or any other religion. Personally, I will wait to evaluate what type of neighbors they are and not because people tell me how awful they are. Lots of people think all religions are bad, and there are books condemning all religions.

Let’s say I have a new neighbor, let’s call him Charlie, and people tell me that he is an awful person. I won’t pre-judge Charlie, I will evaluate him after a few months and see how he is. If he is a bad neighbor, I will condemn him, if a good neighbor I will be his friend if he brings no harm to me or the community.

As you know, they released hundreds of balloons at their grand opening ceremony. I was there and said to myself, “Holy s—, that was a big mistake.” It was stupid but not the incredible crime that so many are accusing them of.

They don’t advocate the death of the first born (Exodus 12:29 as called for in the Bible), and I have never heard folks getting upset with that.

I know, and have now met, a few Scientologists, and they seem to be very fine people.

Some say that Scientology isn’t a “true” religion, as they are deemed, so they shouldn’t have tax exempt status. I don’t think any religion should be tax exempt, especially the TV preachers who make millions of dollars.

Readers have asked why the city would allow them here?  The city can’t just arbitrarily decide which legal entity can occupy a building if it is zoned for that use. This might work in a dictatorial country, but certainly not in the U.S. (or at least not yet).

They say that they will clean up our beaches and welcome us to use their facilities. Let’s wait to see if that is true, and that they aren’t just going to try to proselytize us.

It was also suggested that a petition be started to require them to remove their signs. They submitted sign designs to the city and complied with the necessary requirements.

Debbie Cregan, the president of the Church of Scientology in Ventura, did apologize to the City Council for the balloon mix-up. “This is not the way we wanted to introduce ourselves to the community,” Cregan said. “We are here to apologize.…we have been doing beach cleanups and starting tomorrow we will be doing daily beach cleanups.”

∙Congratulations to Ventura Assistant Police Chief Darin Schindler who was selected to lead the department as the new chief following the retirement of Chief Ken Corney. I like the fact that a member of the Ventura Police Department was selected. He will do an outstanding job.

∙Congratulations also to Mayor Matt LaVere who has been elected to serve on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. Sorry to see him leave Ventura City Council – he followed in the footsteps of Steve Bennett. District 1 Ventura, the Ojai Valley and northern Oxnard.

Regarding Bennett, who ran for the 37th Assembly District there will two candidates, one Republican from Santa Barbara and one Democrat from Ventura, there will be a November runoff. According to results from the Secretary of State, Cole had 28,234 votes or 32.1% while Bennett had 21,004 votes or 23.9%, neither achieved a required majority to win.

∙The City Council hasn’t decided whether to eliminate the Design Review Committee but voted last year to eliminate the Historic Preservation Committee.

The two committees are each filled by five volunteer members appointed by the City Council. They hold public hearings on some (not all) development proposals. To replace them the city would hire outside firms to help evaluate development projects and many of the decisions would be performed by the Planning Commission, and in some cases the City Council.

Director of Community Development Peter Gilli stated that eliminating the two committees could make the process of approving or denying development proposals more efficient and shorter.

After decades of complaints from business owners and developers about how hard and time-consuming it is to get anything built in Ventura, streamlining the process has always been a top priority of the City Council.

Also, the city plans to consolidate its permit operations into a “one-stop shop”, so a property owner or developer will no longer have to wait sometimes up to 10-15 years to have a project approved. The approval process should not be a way of discouraging construction and development. I am all for simplifying and speeding up the permit process.

∙I’m sorry I just can’t control myself. Making a speech regarding the terrible virus that is killing people everywhere in the world including in the U.S., Trump was wearing his “Keep America Great” re-election red campaign hat. Good grief, what do people throughout the world think? I am, personally very embarrassed.

President Donald Trump sought to lay blame on the Obama administration for slowing down new diagnostic testing, but a Republican senator’s office and a lab association said this is not correct.

An aide to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, said the Obama administration made no such rule change.

Trump used a freewheeling press conference, intended to provide updates on the coronavirus, as an opportunity to attack Democrats, praise his own intelligence, lash out at CNN and spread false and misleading information about the status of the outbreak.

The president went on a rant criticizing Washington state’s governor, Jay Inslee, as a “snake” and saying he disagreed with his vice-president’s complimentary remarks toward the Democrat.

In a moment that some commentators have called one of the most “disturbing” and “frightening” remarks of Trump’s response to the public health crisis, he said he would prefer that cruise ship passengers exposed to the virus be left aboard so that they don’t add to the number of total infections in the US.

“I like the numbers being where they are,” said Trump, who appeared to be explicitly acknowledging his political concerns about the outbreak: “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”

∙As reported in this issue, Ben Bunji Namba passed away on February 26. He is just another wonderful supporter of the arts in Ventura to pass away in the last few years. Hopefully others will pick up where he, and the other great benefactors, left off.

∙A reader sent me an article regarding carbon dioxide disputing the CNN statement that I quoted in the last issue(Among greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is the most significant contributor to global warming). The information he sent came from Range Magazine, Spring 2020, page 57. If you would like to read it http://rangemagazine.com. It is an excerpt from Jim Hollingworth’s new book “Climate Change: A Convenient Truth.”

∙Watching the first of the Las Vegas Democratic Townhall presentations made me very proud to be an American. A Jew, a gay person and a woman were being interviewed as potential presidential candidates. This is what will make America great again, and me proud again.

∙The Church of Scientology has moved into their new facility located on Alessandro (right off the 101 freeway between Seaward and San Jon). Some folks have been expressing words like “anger” and “being scared” that they are located there. I think that is nonsense.

Revelations of the sexual abuse of children by priests continue to rock the Catholic Church in the United States more than 15 years after clerical abuse and its cover-up became a national scandal. The recent Boy Scouts of America’s bankruptcy filing puts it into similar company as almost two dozen US Catholic dioceses and USA Gymnastics.

Would neighbors be upset if the Boy Scouts or a Catholic Church opened there? I don’t think so.

People who don’t like Scientology say that they are science-fiction based. Isn’t the following from the bible science fiction?

Jonah was swallowed by a fish and yet remained alive in its belly for three days. A 640-year old man built a 400 ft. long 3-story boat and then had all animal species get onboard – lions standing next to animals that they typically eat for.

People who convert to Scientology aren’t hypnotized or have guns held to their heads. They study it and decide this is what they want to follow. Few people ever actually do that. Most are born into a religion and that determines their religious beliefs. They don’t study all available religions and decide which to follow (except in some rare occasions).

Of course, there are some things about Scientology that many people would disagree with, but these things exist in all religions so just relax and let them be. They are not hurting you or me.

Doesn’t your religion preach tolerance? Religious tolerance assumes that a person does not discriminate against another person’s religious beliefs, even if they think that the person’s beliefs are wrong.

I was invited to the grand opening of the new church and was very impressed with the speakers. Five who spoke about thangs such as saving the environment, a drug free world and peace. Nothing about the super-natural. If a person just listened would not even know that it was the dedication of a church. The interior of the building was just as impressive (no, I’m not becoming a Scientology).

∙Sorry to see the passing of one of the greatest jazz fans there ever was, Ventura local, Ken Winter (Old Man Jazz).  I considered him a friend, even though I only saw him at jazz events. Our love of jazz was enough to consider him to be a friend.

∙After months of uncertainty, the Oxnard City Council has approved a new contract which means the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center is open for business.

Once scheduled to close due to budget cuts, the Center will now be operated by Sterling Venue Ventures. Sterling owns or operates eight concert venues in Southern California, including The Canyon in Agoura Hills and Libbey Bowl in Ojai. Under the agreement, the city will not subsidize the center.

Happy to say the new operator plans to book 52 events in the first year. Always fun to go there and enjoy the events.

∙ (CNN) Among greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide is the most significant contributor to global warming and therefore, public enemy No. 1 when it comes to stopping the climate crisis. Methane is a close second. Scientists say that atmospheric methane is now responsible for about 25% of the human-caused warming. A new study finds that methane emissions from fossil fuels are between 25% and 40% larger than past research had estimated, revealing that oil and gas production is contributing far more to warming the planet than previously thought.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, sheds new light on just how much fossil fuel production and use is changing the atmosphere and is warming the planet. Of course, we all know it is a hoax, right?

∙Maybe folks who want to sneak into the U.S. are smarter than us. Smugglers in Juárez, Mexico have been using ladders made from rebar to scale President Donald Trump’s border wall and enter the U.S. according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Because their color scheme matches the wall, the ladders are difficult to detect. Border patrol agents have found a number of them in the El Paso,Texas portion of the border. Perhaps the walls could be painted pink so that the rebar stands out. $50 worth of rebar to scale multimillion-dollar walls.

And U.S. authorities discovered the longest smuggling tunnel ever found along the southwest border. The tunnel originates in Tijuana and extends a total of 4,309 feet – more than three-quarters of a mile. The next longest tunnel in the U.S., discovered in San Diego in 2014, was 2,966 feet long.

∙Very unfortunate that another Proposition 13 is going to be on the ballot, and it has nothing to do with the original Prop. 13 from 1978. This one is all about bond money for schools. Couldn’t they have named it something else?

∙NASA is planning a Mars landing, and research, that will cost billions of dollars. At its closest, Mars is 35 million miles away from Earth and would take nine months (time to have a baby) to get there, and then we can’t even breath the air there. Hope when we finally settle, there will be apartments to rent and not just condos. Would children born there automatically be Mar’s citizens?

∙The public is invited to provide input for the oil and gas industry at a series of workshops around the state, including one in Oxnard, as the Department of Conservation develops new health and safety regulations.  In November, California announced several oil and gas initiatives to safeguard public health and the environment, advance California’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2045 and manage the decline of oil production and consumption in the state. Among those initiatives are new regulations to strengthen protections for public health and safety. The first step in this process is pre-rulemaking workshops to receive input from interested parties including residents, industry groups, environmental and public health advocates, and public health authorities.

The meeting will be held on March 18, from 6-8 p.m. in the Pacifica High School Cafeteria, 600 East Gonzales Road, Oxnard.

∙ I am supporting Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere for the Ventura County Board of Supervisors in the March 3 elections. I would love to see him follow in the footsteps of Steve Bennett (who also started out as a Ventura city council member) prior to becoming a supervisor.

Matt is young (but not too young), intelligent, a Venturan and has 2 small children which will ensure that he continues to care for Ventura. Having 2 very locals on the Board can only help Ventura.

Also, speaking about Steve Bennett, he is running for Ventura County Supervisor in the March primary. He is seeking the seat that incumbent Monique Limón is vacating in the 37th District seat that Limón, D-Santa Barbara, is leaving to run for the state Senate, which is currently held by Hannah-Beth Jackson in the state Assembly – can you follow that?

∙ There are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Ventura County (rumor has said differently). There have been reports of two possible cases in the County, but both have been negative. Samples were taken from both patients and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Stated Doctor Robert Levin, Ventura County Public Health Medical Director, “At this time the chances that someone will encounter a person infected with this new coronavirus in Ventura County are very small. Public Health monitoring is ongoing and thorough. We will inform the public if the situation changes.”

Certainly, a major concern. We can only hope it doesn’t show up here.

∙What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot. I had an NFL championship football party, and no one showed up. A friend had a Superbowl Party and 50 people showed up. And I had better food.

∙Ventura’s voters will decide in November if Ventura’s City Council will consider allowing marijuana stores and other cannabis businesses by voting to allow the city to tax these type businesses when they do open.

The City Council voted unanimously to put a measure on the November ballot that will establish city-based taxes on cannabis businesses. And, on a 5-2 vote, the council decided that if the tax measure passes, the city will issue permits for business that could include retail sales, distribution and testing, but not commercial growing in Ventura. Members Christy Weir and Cheryl Heitman were the two no votes.

If Ventura does decide to allow cannabis businesses, it would be the fifth city in Ventura County to allow them. Both Ojai and Port Hueneme have storefront dispensaries for recreational sales. Until now, the Ventura City Council has declined to allow any cannabis businesses to operate in the city.

The vote won’t by itself permit any stores or other businesses but would tell the Council what Venturan’s think about these businesses and guide their future thinking and approvals.

Cannabis taxes in other cities in Ventura County have easily passed. In Thousand Oaks with 76% of the vote, and one in Oxnard, with 80% of the vote.

Cities in the county with legal marijuana sales have put limits on how many stores they allow and where they can be located, with buffers required around schools and parks. They also require security on the premises, and no one under the age of 21 may enter the stores.

While the City Council was unanimous in its support for putting cannabis taxes on the ballot, there was still some debate about whether to permit cannabis businesses if the tax passes.

So, if we approve taxes but not allow the businesses, we tax nothing and get nothing! I don’t think that legal marijuana stores in Ventura will be detrimental in any way and we are losing lots of tax money. Why should Venturan’s need to leave the city in order to buy cannabis and just bring it back here to use?

∙Utah is now the 19th state to outlaw conversion therapy for minors after a new rule from its governor went into effect. The ban issued by Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, comes a year after an effort to end conversion therapy which is an attempt to forcibly change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It does not work and puts them at a greater risk of depression and suicide. Just let people be what the choose to be as long as it doesn’t harm others.

∙Newly installed walls on the US border wall recently fell over in high winds landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border. The sections that gave way had recently been set in a new concrete foundation in Calexico, California. The concrete had not yet cured so the wall panels were unable to withstand the windy conditions. They were obviously built poorly on purpose and meant to fall into Mexico so that Mexico would need to build them correctly. I would say very clever.

∙The LA Times had an article (“To be lonely no more”) suggesting several ways for people to actually do things together in person.

Eventually it won’t be necessary to leave our homes for anything or speak to anyone. Maybe that time has arrived.

These are a few of them:

HIT THE TRAILS (see events for Ventura hiking group)

HOST A POTLUCK OR DINNER PARTY (and invite me)

EVERYBODY DANCE NOW

VOLUNTEER

HOST A BACKYARD MOVIE NIGHT

TRIVIA AND GAME NIGHTS

GET INVOLVED IN THE 2020 ELECTION (no comment)

Reminds me of a grandson saying, “I just spoke with grandma.”

“How did she sound, asked dad?” “I don’t know I texted her.”

∙A Public Policy Institute of California poll found that homelessness is one of Californian’s biggest concerns with over 80% seeing it as a problem. Concerns include compassion for the homeless and revulsion that they are living on our sidewalks and parks (which they can legally do in most cases).

The solutions are so very complicated. Some major companies, Microsoft, for example, has pledged over $800 million toward affordable housing in Seattle. Alphabet, Facebook and Apple have also pledged billions of dollars toward easing the situation in California.

∙Aren’t you proud of me a whole article and I didn’t mention Trump? Oops, I just did. You can make up what I would have said (and send it to me).

∙We have a cover article about the new wonderful homeless facility called the ARCH. I attended the ribbon cutting and was impressed with the very large gathering, which included many Ventura city and county dignitaries. It is a joint venture between the city and county. I love the fact that residents can bring their dogs – there is a nice fenced dog area. The facility houses only 55 people, but a suggestion was made to set up tents in the large parking area when it’s raining so more people can at least keep dry during bad weather.

Mention was made of council member Neal Andrews who passed away before he could see his dream of a shelter come to fruition. He was constantly trying to provide for the homeless.

I have heard some say, “Why should I work to live inside, and they don’t need to?” These are the same people that say, “Get those bums off of our sidewalks and parks.” We can’t have it both ways. A country like this shouldn’t have people sleeping like dogs.

∙I’m certainly sorry to see our first murder in Ventura. The alleged murderer was from Santa Paula. Certainly not happy to see gang members coming here, as has been stated.

What I don’t understand is that I thought that there was a three-time strike rule that kept people in prison who commit many crimes.

The Ventura County Superior Court records shows that the murder suspect, Raymond Bolanos has prior convictions for carrying a concealed firearm, gang enhancement and a hit and run.

I thought that there was a three-time strike rule that kept people in prison who commit many crimes.

Another suspect, Julian Nunez, was arrested for a parole violation warrant and has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon and battery with serious injury. And a third suspect, Stephanie Sanchez, has a prior conviction for possession of a loaded firearm.

And in another case (see police reports), suspect Flores was arrested for burglary, possession of stolen property, and felon in possession of ammunition. Flores has been convicted of narcotics offenses, theft, forgery, burglary, vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, and felony resisting arrest.

∙Freelance writers and newspaper carriers (that might be me) would be exempted from a broad new California labor law that aims to give wage and benefit protections to people who work as independent contractors (the law requires that many workers be treated as employees rather than independent contractors).

The measures face an uphill battle in part because they were introduced by a Republican, Sen. Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel, in a legislature dominated by Democrats who support the labor law, and because the law’s author opposes at least one of the rollbacks.

∙Per the CAPS Media Center’s article in this issue, the local community radio station KPPQ-LP is celebrating its third birthday. I previously hosted a program on the station, but time would not allow me to continue with it in a manner that I wished. It was great fun, and I recommend you should consider pursuing your own show. On Sunday, February 9, the station they will have an Open House where you can tour the facility and learn more about starting a show (along with saying hi to me).

∙According to a report presented to the City Council, the city is expecting a surplus of about $200,000 in its $120 million general fund for the 2019-20 fiscal year. This isn’t much surplus so the city must balance its budget. The council will have to decide on some combination of spending cuts, revenue increases and money out of reserves before the new fiscal year starts on July 1.

City Manager Alex McIntyre told the council, “Some level of cuts to city spending and services seems likely. The city’s ability to raise revenue quickly is limited, and spending from reserves should be a last resort, undertaken only when there’s a clear path out of using reserves.”

∙The world experienced near-record global temperatures in 2019, federal climate scientists said. The year capped what the scientists said was the warmest decade in modern times.

∙How ironic – a 4-year-old Indiana boy died after he was accidentally shot with his father’s gun while the two were play wrestling. The child, Tripp Shaw, and his father were playing on a bed. The handgun, which had been concealed on the small of the father’s back, fell and discharged one bullet.

∙Just imagine that you have a 16-year daughter who is so amazing that Time magazine named her (Greta Thunberg) their “Person of the Year.” And then, your president, a climate change skeptic who has claimed it is a “hoax,” texted it was “so ridiculous” that Time named Thunberg their “Person of the Year.” Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend. “Chill Greta, Chill!” I think that he is the one that should chill since a 16-year old can disturb him this much.

Trump also said to cheers from the crowd, “I’m also approving new dishwashers that give you more water so you can actually wash and rinse your dishes without having to do it 10 times — five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10. Anybody have a new dishwasher? I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for that, it’s worthless. They give you so little water. You ever see it? Air comes out. So little water.” He claimed that people are forced to take plates out and wash them “the old-fashioned way.”

Good grief. Is this really an issue that the President of the United States should be concerned with. Wonder when the last time was that he actually ran a dishwasher?

∙Interesting facts about Ventura from the 2019 State Of The Region Report by Ventura County Civic Alliance (comparing Ventura County cities).

Ventura is third in annual per pupil spending ($10,967). Fillmore number one at $12,146.

Number eight in owner-occupied homes (46%).

Number five in average monthly apartment rent ($1,823). TO is number one.

Number one in miles of bike lanes.

Not a desired number but has the highest homeless count. Just a little above Oxnard.

Also, not a desired number one – has highest crime rates per 1,000 population. Oxnard is number two.

∙Happy to say (because Venturan’s enjoy the venue) that Oxnard’s City Manager Alexander Nguyen has announced the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (PACC) has concluded negotiations with the City of Oxnard to keep part of the facility open through March 1.

Negotiations are also being finalized between Oxnard and nonprofit OPACC for long-term management and the possible new operator of the center, Sterling Venue Ventures. Sterling Venue is the owner of multiple entertainment venues including The Canyon in Agoura Hills and Libbey Bowl in Ojai. The main 1,600-seat auditorium is closed right now.

∙A retiree, 71-year old Carl Butz, has canceled an around-the-world trip to save California’s oldest weekly newspaper, the Mountain Messenger, which was set to shut down when its publisher/editor, Don Russell, 70, retires this month. The paper began in 1853 as a twice-per- month publication. Carl is taking over the Mountain Messenger, which is based out of his hometown of Downieville and covers two rural counties northeast of Sacramento.

If any retiree’s wants to cancel their vacation and take over the Ventura Breeze maybe it is time for me to take up skydiving and relax.

∙The low-flying helicopters that have been flying over Ventura are not a government conspiracy, as I’m sure some think (like contrails). It is Southern California Edison inspecting its equipment. During the last few months Edison crews have inspected more than 30,500 lines, poles, transformers, cross-arms, insulators and other equipment.

∙I feel so lucky. I was in my car and heard an ad for a product that I wanted to purchase. But in order to get the super deal, I had to call within 10 minutes. Unfortunately, it took me an hour to get home. When I did get home, they still let me spend my money and buy it. Isn’t life wonderful?

∙Between mandatory lessons being dropped from Common Core in 2010 and the continued advancement (if this is what this really is) of technology, cursive writing being used in our day-to-day lives is dying. Apparently, the signing of checks will be a thing of the past. As will most human contact.

A bill proposed by Assemblywoman Angela McKnight, D-Hudson New Jersey, is hoping to guarantee students still learn how to write and read in cursive by requiring that schools add it back to the elementary school curriculum.

McKnight stated there is research that supports that learning cursive can help children across the board with their “cognitive, motor and literacy skills, and may help students with learning disabilities like dyslexia read and write with greater ease.” She said cursive is practical, calling it “a vital skill children will need for the rest of their lives.”

∙ By not acting on it, the Supreme Court has agreed that unless cities have a place for the homeless to live they must allow them to sleep on city property (don’t worry, not on your property) ,which I certainly agree with.

From an article in the LA Times: “In any case we’re heartened the message has been sent that homelessness is not a crime and that solutions to the problem must be found that do not violate the rights and most basic needs of the homeless. We hope the Boise decision will move the conversation and the planning away from enforcing ordinances to getting more shelter and housing online quickly.”

The Ventura shelter is having a grand-opening on January 23, from 11am-2:30pm. 2323 Knoll Dr.

∙Before entering the realm of politics, who do you think said this? I won’t give any hints.

“In order to get elected, President Obama will start a war with Iran.”

“A 22-year-old man faces several charges after police say an assault-style rifle he had possession of went off in the back seat of a car, killing the driver. Loved ones are mourning the loss of Annalysa McMillan, who was shot and killed five days after she turned 19. Police say McMillan was driving her car Tuesday afternoon in Marion, Indiana, when she was shot in the back. She later died from her injuries.”

Hopefully this year the government will underwrite research (it is in the works) on firearm violence. If approved, it would set aside $25 million for the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to fund research on safer gun ownership, violence and suicide prevention.

Regardless of how one feels about gun ownership we cannot continue to have so many gun deaths – the majority of which are committed by people who know each other. The constitution “may” guarantee gun ownership, but it doesn’t guarantee people killing each other with guns for no good reason. Some understanding of gun killings might help prevent so many senseless killings. They must stop.

∙Even though it is for the entire county, you might want to read the Draft Environmental Impact Report (general plan) available and submit any thoughts/concerns that you have about its recommendations that might impact our region. You can view it at https://vc2040.org.

∙ Per our cover article, the County of Ventura has selected Ashley Bautista as their new Public Information Officer following the retirement of Bill Nash. She will report to County Executive Officer Mike Powers. I’m happy for her, but sad at the same time. Ashley was great at keeping the media informed about news and events in Ventura – will miss her, but it’s wonderful that she has this new position.

∙ Hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and anything else that you might celebrate.

A different Happy Hanukkah came from astronaut Jessica Meir. The daughter of an Israeli doctor who moved to Sweden and later to the US, she joined the International Space Station crew in September. Two weeks later, she participated in the first all-female spacewalk.

∙ Reader Clyde questioned me calling some famous artists lefties. Even though some of the artists I mentioned (Michelangelo for instance) sometimes painted with their right hands, they were left-handed. In those days, some lefties did some things right-handed (maybe the nuns wacked their left hands with a ruler). One reason was the amount of time that it took for oil paint to dry which would be smeared when painting with just one hand. Us old lefties had this problem with ink pens.

By the way, if a person does some things right-handed and some left-handed that is not being ambidextrous. Ambidextrous means doing everything equally well with both hands and is very rare. A person who does some things with one hand and the other is called “mixed-handed” or “cross-dominant”.

A few more famous lefties: Vincent Van Gogh, Julius Caesar, Babe Ruth, Mozart, Oprah, Bonaparte, Bill Gates, Joan of Arc and Bart Simpson (maybe the most important one).

∙ Venturans for Responsible and Efficient Government (VREG) has excellent (and sometimes controversial) opinions regarding Ventura politics and city council. Always worth reading and deciding for yourself. www.vregventura.org click on “READ MORE”.

∙ Ventura County’s first permanent, year-round homeless shelter opening has been delayed and is scheduled now to open in late January instead of late December, as originally hoped. They had some construction and inspection delays.

Still only a 55-bed facility but at least some homeless will have a warm place to go to during winter (and other times). Too bad not open during this very cold and wet winter we are having so far.

Regarding the homeless, the Supreme Court has refused to consider whether state and local governments can make it a crime for homeless people to sleep outside. The justices won’t hear a case from Boise, Idaho which basically says homeless people can live on the street if they have nowhere else to live.

The question was whether the homeless can be prosecuted using laws designed to regulate public camping and sleeping. The court’s refusal to take up the issue is a setback to states and cities with a growing homeless population (about 40,000 in LA). Boise wanted a federal appeals court ruling overturned allowing them to prosecute people who sleep on streets when they claim shelter beds are unavailable.

This means that our police department must allow people to sleep on city property, so don’t blame them for this situation. Obviously, if they are committing crimes the same rules apply to them but being homeless and sleeping on the sidewalk are not crimes. We are, I hope, still a country of laws and this is now one of them.

∙ Regarding wind turbines, Trump had this to say. “I’m sure it makes sense to some but not to me. But they’re manufactured tremendous — if you’re into this — tremendous fumes. Gases are spewing into the atmosphere. You know we have a world, right? So the world is tiny compared to the universe. So tremendous, tremendous amount of fumes and everything. You talk about the carbon footprint — fumes are spewing into the air. Right? Spewing. Whether it’s in China, Germany, it’s going into the air. It’s our air, their air, everything — right?”

Can’t argue with that, or understand it.

The president also claimed in April that noise from turbines causes cancer, a claim that has no scientific research behind it. Republican Sen. Charles E. Grassley called Trump’s statement “idiotic.”

∙ It was a violent year in the United States. In total, there were 41 mass killings, which are defined as instances when four or more people are killed, excluding the perpetrator. More than 210 people were left dead in the mass killings, 33 of which were mass shootings, according to a database compiled by the Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University.

The highest profile shootings usually involve a gunman opening fire in a crowded place, but that is not a reflection of mass killings as a whole. The majority of the killings involved people who knew each other.

For instance, a 66-year-old man living at an apartment complex in Westerly, Rhode Island shot two employees and another resident before apparently killing himself. Hardly the reason why he purchased a gun, I would assume. Babcock Village apartments is an affordable housing complex for elderly and disabled people in the beachside town.

∙At a meeting in December, the City Council agreed to extend CAPS’ contract for one month, until the end of January.  I thank the council members for the extensive discussion and decision that they had and for not closing CAPS’ doors on December 31.  But, obviously the future of CAPS is still in question. So please let your council members know of your support for CAPS and for any of your city concerns. They are there to represent you. A few members are still “at large” but eventually all members will represent specific districts.

Erik Nasarenko, Councilmember – District 4 – [email protected];

Cheryl Heitmann, Councilmember – at large – [email protected];

Matt LaVere, Mayor – at large – [email protected];

Christy Weir, Councilmember – at large – [email protected];

Sofia Rubalcava, Deputy Mayor – District 1 – [email protected];

Jim Friedman, Councilmember – District 5 – [email protected]

Lorrie Brown, Councilmember – District 6 – [email protected]

∙ Happy holidays and new year to our wonderful readers and advertisers.

∙In our last issue, I made what I thought was a tongue-in-cheek comment about doctor’s visits, which prompted this response from an “Anonymous Family Doctor.” I understand why he/she wants to remain anonymous and I do appreciate the fact that he/she took time out of their busy schedule to send this. I certainly understand how crazy a doctor’s day can be and that they don’t know if a patient will come in with a cold or pneumonia (or if patients run late).

Dear Editor,

As a family physician in Ventura seeing up to 23 patients per day, with 20 minute appointment slots per patient regardless of the reason for their appointment, I was a bit offended by your insensitive comment “I think doctors should arrive 15 minutes early for appointments so that patients don’t need to arrive 15 minutes early (as directed) and sit for an hour.” In the Vol. 13, No. 3 – Nov 6 – Nov 19, 2019 – Opinion/Editorial.

These 20-minute appointments include the time it takes the nurse to take vital signs, make sure the patient is up to date with all necessary vaccines, preventative health measures, write down the reason for the patient visit, and make any small talk. This may allow me 10 minutes to get a history, do a physical exam, perform any necessary procedures, counsel and educate patients on necessary or unnecessary labs, vaccines, or preventative tests they may or may not need.

I hate running late and always apologize to patients when I do. No matter how late I’m running, I never rush patients, give them my full attention and provide them the care they need and deserve. I went into medicine because I truly care about people.

Out of respect to the patient in front of me, all the other patients I have to see, and myself, I make a huge effort to stay on time. Patients are technically allowed 3 concerns per visit. Patients often have more concerns and need more than the allotted time, which can make time management difficult. It is also not uncommon for patients to show up late and the policy where I work is that no matter how late a patient arrives for their appointment, I still have to see them. In the past, doctors would not only NOT see patients who arrived late, but they would fine them. There is nothing more frustrating than the first scheduled patients in the morning or afternoon to show up late, which will throw off the morning or afternoon.

We are now in a patient-centered era, focused on customer service with direct access meaning patients can e-mail me at any time and expect to hear back within 24 hours. These e-mails are usually answered in the early morning, between patients, during lunch breaks, or in the evenings. With just over 2,000 patients, this makes for a lot of e-mails and long days.

This is just a glimpse into the life of a primary care doctor, which is why burnout is so common.

With the advances in the health care system, a solution albeit imperfect, may be to create access to a doctor’s schedule for patients see if the doctor is on time or running late with the understanding that all it takes is one patient to show up late or need a little extra TLC to delay the doctor’s schedule.

A tip for the editor and breeze readers is to schedule their doctor appointment first thing in the morning or right after lunch. Plus, studies have shown that doctors don’t perform as well later in the day, so it behooves the patient to make an earlier appointment. Also, always bring a book, magazine or smart device (or the Ventura Breeze, editor comment) so you have something to do while waiting.

I would like nothing more than to be on time for all of my patients, but with the current healthcare system, it’s a challenge.

Anonymous Family Doctor

∙People in Ventura have noticed a helicopter flying around the community lately. No, not looking for a crook, it is Edison conducting aerial inspections. They are also doing these with drones.

∙Sales of flavored vaping products have been banned in Ventura. Tobacco-flavored vaping products – which are used by some adults to break (supposedly) their cigarette use – were exempted. The city (and county) bans affect retail outlets, and Ventura has taken the additional step of banning online sales within city limits (which of course can’t really be controlled but it sounds nice). I am all for this.

∙The number of journalists imprisoned globally for their work in 2019 remained near record highs, as China tightened its iron grip on the press and Turkey, has stamped out virtually all independent reporting. Protests in the Middle East has led to a rise in the number of journalists locked up in the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This is why I never send a journalist further then Ojai. All jokes aside, this is a terrible trend.

∙The Ventura City Council unanimously passed an emergency eviction ordinance to halt “no-cause” evictions until Jan. 1, when a new statewide tenant protection law takes effect. There has been a rise in evictions ahead of the law, which will ban evictions without a “just cause” and caps annual rent increases.

City Attorney Gregory Diaz explained that the ordinance is not a criminal law. If a landlord violates the ordinance, the city attorney won’t file a criminal complaint and the city won’t file a civil complaint. The ordinance can be used as a defense for tenants who bring a landlord to court.

The council also approved a name for the new city/county year-round homeless shelter, which will be opening soon. The shelter is named The ARCH, which stands for “All Roads Connect to Housing.”

I think this name will be confused with The ARC of Ventura County, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

∙Regarding possible impeachment, what I find sad (regardless of one’s political affiliation) is that voting is completely along party lines. Not sure if this serves our country well. Lindsey Graham said it better than me; “I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind. I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here,” Graham said, adding, “What I see coming, happening today is just partisan nonsense.”

∙ The Harbor is accepting proposals from business owners who want to lease part, or all, of the Village Carousel and Arcade space at the Harbor. That includes the arcade’s current owner who could move into a smaller space. Todd Mitchell, the harbor’s Business Operations Manager, said he would like to see some type of “family entertainment” remain.

By a 5-0 vote, the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners has approved a “request for proposals” for the building that houses the business. The Ventura Harbor will move ahead with plans to remodel the building and split it into as many as four rental units.The District plans to spend more than $600,000 renovating the building.

I understand that there is opposition to this, but the Harbor must be run like a business and be as profitable as possible.

∙Marijuana retail shops will soon open in Oxnard, but the question their city council must answer is where? I know—– they could be opened in Ventura. Oh wait, not approved here. Too bad.

∙I hate to see businesses close that I grew up with. The Catalina Casino (Avalon Theater) will stop showing movies. Commissioned by William Wrigley Jr., Catalina Casino opened in 1929, marking the 10-year anniversary of Wrigley’s 1919 purchase of Catalina Island. Beginning in 1934, the casino hosted big bands which were broadcast by CBS continually until the war. At its peak, Kay Kyser and his band had over 6,200 people dancing to his music there. Many other big bands appeared there.

It was even the first theatre built for “Talkies”. No, I didn’t see talkies there.

∙The City of Ventura has been collecting more than it spends under Measure O, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2016. The half-cent sales tax brings in about $13 million per year, and in three years, it has collected about $11 million in unspent funds.

The city is in the early stages of drafting a five-year plan for Measure O spending. The City Council has approved “strategic principles” for that plan. Those principles will be focused on projects that were specifically mentioned in the text of Measure O.

Measure O was passed as a general sales tax, which means the city has broad discretion to spend it on almost anything. This was not what most of us thought when we voted for it.

“Everything qualifies” as potential Measure O spending, stated Ventura City Manager Alex McIntyre.

Part of the money is being spent on the city’s share (with the County) of the homeless shelter that’s set to open very soon. I believe this to be money very well spent.

There is a citizen’s oversight committee for Measure O, which makes recommendations to the City Council.

∙I thought that you should know about this finding. A pair of physicists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Russia recently proposed an entirely new view of the cosmos. Their research takes the strange idea that we’re living in a computer simulation and our entire universe is part of an immeasurably large quantum system spanning “uncountable” multiverses. I always thought that earth was part of a ball and earthquakes happened when aliens played catch with us. Maybe I’m wrong and they are correct.

∙Gangs in Mexico have repeatedly sawed through new sections of President Trump’s border wall in recent months by using commercially available power tools, opening gaps large enough for people and drug loads to pass through.

After years of touting the impenetrability of a border wall, President Donald Trump stated that, “We have a very powerful wall. But no matter how powerful, you can cut through anything, in all fairness. But we have a lot of people watching. You know cutting, cutting is one thing, but it’s easily fixed. One of the reasons we did it the way we did it, it’s very easily fixed.”

I get it. We built a real crummy wall so that it is easy to repair. BRILLIANT.

∙Here’s a look at the top 10 fattest states in the U.S. (actually the states aren’t fat, the people who live in them are):

Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Delaware and Ohio.

∙A new report by 11,258 scientists in 153 countries from a broad range of disciplines warns that the planet “clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency,” and provides six broad policy goals that must be met to address it.

The study, called the “World scientists’ warning of a climate emergency,” marks the first time a large group of scientists has formally come out in favor of labeling climate change an “emergency,” which the study notes is caused by many human trends that are together increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

∙ Scientists claim they have traced the homeland for all modern humans to a region of northern Botswana, south of the Zambesi River. Funny you don’t look Botswanian.

∙Former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake has urged Republicans in Congress to not support President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection bid, saying they have a moral obligation to put their principles first even if it means risking their careers.

Flake, a longtime Trump critic who has before argued that the Republican Party should not support the President in 2020, made his case in an op-ed published in The Washington Post titled “Fellow Republicans, there’s still time to save your souls.”

Also, Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) criticized President Trump for quoting a pastor saying impeachment could trigger a “Civil War like fracture” in the country.

“I have visited nations ravaged by civil war,” Kinzinger tweeted. “I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant.”

Former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that House Republicans are “absolutely disgusted and exhausted by the President’s behavior.”

∙ No, this is not a Woody Allan movie A Maine man was killed after being shot by a device he had installed on the front door to protect his home from intruders. He forgot to protect his home from himself. Van Buren Officer Chandler Madore and the Van Buren Ambulance Service arrived to provide medical assistance to Cyr and discovered that the front door of Cyr’s home had been “outfitted with a device designed to fire a handgun should anyone attempt to enter the door.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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