by Sheldon Brown

A Chappy Chanukah, Kool Kwanza and Xcellent Xmas to all of our wonderful readers.

Hard to believe it’s been 5-years since the Thomas Fire broke out near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula on December 4, 2017. At the time, the Thomas Fire was the largest wildfire in California history. Still, only slightly over half of the homes have been rebuilt. Owners of 25% of the homes lost in the fire have yet to submit an application for building permits.

Where have all the crooks gone? Second issue without police activity.

I saw a TV ad for socks that stated “Easy on easy off socks.” What a great idea, some days it takes me up to 4 seconds to get my socks off.

The Ventura County Continuum of Care is looking for volunteers to assist with the 2023 Homeless Point In Time Count on Tuesday, January 24, 2023. This count is required for our state and federal grants that fund local homeless shelters, permanent supportive housing, rental assistance programs, street outreach and more! Volunteers can register online at www.volunteerventuracounty.org

Two Trump Organization companies were found guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud in a case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney. A jury deliberated for two days and found two of their corporate entities guilty on all 17 counts, including conspiracy charges and falsifying business records.

The verdict followed a trial in which the Trump Organization was accused of being complicit in a scheme by top executives to avoid paying personal income taxes on job perks such as rent-free apartments and luxury cars. Obviously fake news.

Downtown Fox Fine Jewelry will close on Sundays beginning in 2023. Owner Debbie Fox stated “Our team is an exceptional group and we care deeply about them. Closing our family business on Sundays was a soul-searching decision. But in the end, we decided to prioritize quality of life over profits.”

I’m sorry to say that after much thought this will be my last editorial. I’ve enjoyed this very much but time for my old brain to relax a little. I thank those who loved reading me and even those who hated it.

∙ I wrote this prior to making my decision. Now there is no reason to not read the Breeze.

I think this is the definition of a dichotomy. A reader emailed me that the reason he doesn’t read the Ventura Breeze is because he doesn’t like what he reads in my column. Does that mean he just reads my column?

Perhaps what he meant to say is he no longer reads the Breeze because of my column.

On occasion, I may say some things that are deemed controversial.

The Breeze contains about 40,000 words in total, so why deprive yourself of all the good news about Ventura because of 300, or so, words I might write – that leaves 39,700 words that aren’t controversial.

∙The Veterans Affairs Clinic that opened last month in Ventura has been named for Capt. Rosemary Bryant Mariner. She was one of the first six women to earn wings as a Naval aviator in 1974. She had a 24-year Navy career. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation authored by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) to name the new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Ventura after Captain Mariner.

President Joe Biden signed the legislation on Oct. 11 authorizing the clinic’s naming.

∙Albuquerque Cosper Head (that’s his name) has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for assaulting former Metro police officer Michael Fanone during the January 6 Capitol riot. I’m very glad those responsible are getting what they deserve but most are not receiving long enough sentences.

∙Steve Bannon, a former adviser to former President Trump, has been sentenced to four months in prison and fined $6,500 for contempt of Congress charges after he declined to hand over documents and appear before the January 6 committee. What will happen if Trump refuses to appear?

∙There is no evidence of widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Exhaustive reviews in key states upheld Democrat Joe Biden’s win, while judges – including some appointed by Trump – dismissed numerous lawsuits challenging the outcome. Trump’s own attorney general, William Barr, called the claims bogus.

∙ President Joe Biden is pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law, as his administration takes a dramatic step toward decriminalizing the drug and addressing charging practices that disproportionately impact people of color. It’s about time a president did this. Folks spent years in prison for possessing what you will soon be able to purchase at a shop in Ventura.

∙The pastor of Mission Basilica San Buenaventura, Fr. Tom Elewaut, voiced his concerns to Ventura County officials about “inaccurate, inflammatory testimony” targeting the legacy of St. Junípero Serra that led to the removal of the Franciscan missionary’s likeness from the county seal earlier this year (and removal of his statue across from city hall).

∙I keep seeing antifa capitalized as if it is an organization. It is a political movement not an organization (a way of thinking). A person can’t join antifa and become a card carrying antifaite.

∙Ventura’s own Supervisor Matt LaVere will provide oversight for the Oxnard-based Fifth District pending the governor’s appointment of a successor of the late Carmen Ramirez.

The remaining four members of the county Board of Supervisors, including LaVere, approved the oversight duties along with giving him authority to be a steward for concerns of the district’s constituents.

It’s not clear how long it will take Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a new supervisor with key decisions on oil and gas issues and litigation pending before the board. County officials say it could take months.

∙Even in a rough year for just about every US tech titan (and others), the wealth erased from the chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc. Mark Zuckerberg’s stands out. His fortune has been cut in half and then some, dropping by $71 billion so far this year, the most among the ultra-rich tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. At $55.9 billion, his net worth ranks 20th among global billionaires.

I feel sorry for him – it’s tough to live on $55.9 billion. He might need to get a side job to keep food on his table at his 40,000 square foot home.

∙This would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. A state corrections officer who works at the California youth correction facility accidentally shot himself in the leg in the fairgrounds parking lot after attending a gun show there. The man’s job meant he was authorized to carry a weapon at the show.

A new law prohibiting firearm sales at the Ventura County Fairgrounds takes effect in a few months.

∙San Francisco police witnessed Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and an intruder struggling over a hammer before he was attacked, officials said. Responding to an emergency call at the couple’s home officers saw the attacker and Pelosi both holding the hammer when they entered the room.

The man, who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband early Friday, posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about Covid vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. An acquaintance told CNN that he seemed “out of touch with reality.” Perhaps his reality is becoming that of many Americans who are attempting to destroy our democracy.

David DePape, 42, was identified by police Friday as the suspect in the assault on Paul Pelosi at the speaker’s San Francisco home. Paul is expected to have a full recovery

∙ A 12-year-old girl from Texas shot her father as part of a plot with her friend to murder their families and run away from home.

The girl and her friend had planned the murder plot for weeks, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office said. They had allegedly plotted to kill their families and their pets before fleeing together to Georgia. But the girl’s friend never went through with the plan. Some friend.

Gun violence isn’t just happening in America. At least 17 people are dead and 24 others are injured after a gunman opened fire at a school in central Russia. It happened at a school in Izhevsk. The shooter killed a guard and multiple children. Russia’s Investigative Committee said the shooter was wearing a t-shirt with “Nazi symbols” during the attack.

∙ Wow, this is the 15th anniversary of the Ventra Breeze. Very hard to believe that it’s our 15th year. A big thank you to our dedicated staff, wonderful readers, much needed advertisers and donors who keep us going.

∙ The Ventura Christian School is getting closer to final eviction. It has leased the MacMilllan Avenue building from Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) for the last 20 years. The district has filed court documents for its removal. The building is over 100 years old.

The VUSD stated that the school’s lease was never renewed after expiring in June. The building has been determined to be of a “potentially unsafe condition” by a building inspection, which is being disputed by the school along with religious discrimination.

∙ Controversy over how rent increases are determined for Ventura mobile home parks has always been very controversial. Residents of mobile home parks are upset they can’t challenge the costs of capital improvements that could increase their rent.

Under the current ordinance, when a capital improvement is made rent can be increased based on the cost of the improvements.

The city council is concerned that if it allows for challenges to proceed it could put the entire existing mobile home park ordinance at risk of a lawsuit if it was amended.

Councilmember Jim Friedman said, “I’m fearful that what we do may cause you to lose something that is extremely important, which is rent control.”

This is a tough one. If improvements are really necessary to maintain a park in a proper living condition the owners might not make necessary improvements if they can’t increase rent to cover their costs. In this case, residents might then complain about the conditions at the facilities.

∙ Mayor Sofia Rubalcava delivered the annual State of the City Address at the City Council Meeting on October 10, as well as at an event hosted by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on September 22. A recording of the event, including presentation slides in English and Spanish are available at https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/2126/State-of-the-City.

Topics highlighted during the 2022 State of the City presentation included:

• Overview of the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget.
• Community Survey 2022 Results.
• Overview of the seven-member City Council.
• Overview of the City’s team of department directors.
• Highlights of recent City and partnership successes
• Economic Development updates.
• Encouragement to get involved in the City’s General Plan Update and background on the process.

∙ The U.S. House Jan. 6 committee has voted to subpoena former President Donald Trump to testify. It presented interviews with his aides and new documents detailing his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

The vote seeking Trump’s testimony comes as the panel produced many new details and evidence of Trump’s state of mind as he refused to concede his election loss to Joe Biden, resulting in the 2021 attack at the Capitol.

Trump did not say whether he would comply with the subpoena. Instead, he repeated various long-debunked election claims that he makes in public that he won while privately admitting that he lost the election.

If he has indeed broken the laws of this country, he must be held accountable, just as you and I would be (maybe I could plead freedom of the press).

∙ Most American’s are disturbed that some countries have morality police that arrest women for how they dress. Doesn’t this country also have morality police?

It wasn’t that long ago that police raided “gay” bars and arrested men who were present even though they did not create any crimes or harm anyone. They have the same rights to be happy that we all have.

And, today doctors who provide abortions and recipients of abortions are being (or will be) arrested for what some perceive as immoral acts.

∙ Scores on the ACT college admissions test by this year’s high school graduates hit their lowest point in more than 30 years, the latest evidence of the enormity of learning disruption during the COVID pandemic.

The class of 2022’s average ACT composite score was 19.8 out of 36, marking the first time since 1991 the average score was below 20. And an increasing number of high school students have failed to meet any of the subject-area benchmarks set by the ACT, showing a decline in preparedness for college-level work.

This could set back our education system for many years because it will be very difficult for students to catch up.

According to a 2017 UNESCO report, the number of students worldwide attending higher education institutions increased from 100 million in 2000 to 207 million in 2014. But which countries are the most educated? This is not as easy a question to answer.

Despite the vagueness of the concept, multiple surveys and studies have done their best to determine which countries have the most-educated population. One of the most highly regarded analyses comes from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, which released its list of the world’s most educated countries in 2018.

The Top 10 Most-Educated Countries does not even include the U.S. so we are behind to begin with. The top 3 are Canada, Japan and Israel.

∙ Saw an ad on TV for pants that have “a hidden phone pocket.” What if you need your phone and you can’t find it?

∙ Saw an ad “Express Hand Wax” $120. Seems like a lot to have your hand waxed. Maybe 2 would only be $200?

∙ I have consistently asked readers to send comments explaining why they don’t agree with my comments in my pub letter. An exchange of ideas is the backbone of a democracy. It seems lately that an intellectual, logical discussion can’t be held between those who have different opinions. This is bad for our democracy and country and is slowly (maybe not so slowly) tearing us apart.

There was a time when we could all express ourselves and disagree in a mature adult manner. But, that started changing with social media because we can insult people we don’t even know with no repercussions. That has been greatly exacerbated because of Donald Trump (my opinion, let me hear yours). Just too much anger to have a civil conversation.

I do receive emails disagreeing with me, but they usually start out by stating, “You’re an idiot”, so I never publish them. I’m not an idiot for having my opinions and readers who have different opinion are certainly not idiots. Again, I’m happy to publish reader’s opinions that express ideas without name calling.

Rodney King said, “Can’t we all get along?” Can we… can we all get along – do you think it’s possible?

On September 24, a memorial service was held at Surfers Knoll for the most wonderful Breezy Gledhill. It was attended by family and few of the many people that loved this amazing lady. She will always be in our hearts.

∙ Incumbent City Council members Mayor Sofia Rubalcava and Jim Friedman have chosen not to run for another term. That means Districts 1 and 5 will have new representation. Two other current council members are also running in their districts which means we could potentially have 4 new members if they are not re-elected.

∙ After months of public demand for transparency, the Ventura City Council will consider a review of city officials’ travel and credit card expenditures.

The review and audit came after a City Council trip to Washington D.C. last year when 5 council members traveled to the National League of Cities Conference. The trip was not properly placed on an agenda and included discussions about city issues which was a violation of a state’s open meeting law (the open meeting law is the Ralph M. Brown Act, which requires legislative entities of local governments and agencies—for example, city councils and school boards— to conduct business in a way that enables the public to scrutinize government decision-making when there is a quorum present).

A majority, Mayor Sofia Rubalcava and Councilmembers Joe Schroeder, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, Lorrie Brown and Doug Halter attended the conference with City Manager Alex McIntyre.

City Manager Alex McIntyre has apologized for giving the council bad advice about the trip (and its expenses) that led to the violation.

The Ventura City Council unanimously decided to hire an independent auditing firm to review meal and travel reimbursements, city credit card usage and other spending. The Finance Audit and Budget committee, which has three council members, will request proposals from auditing firms and return to the council within 60 days with options and a recommendation.

Mayor Sofia Rubalcava stated, “Public trust and fiscal responsibility are crucial to effective government and the goals of this audit. Policies are created to ensure that the use of public funds is transparent and appropriate. This audit is a citywide review of how we are doing at following safeguards, policies, and procedures.”

Some are calling for the resignation (or firing) of City Manager Alex D. McIntyre. I feel it is much too early to even discuss this. Let’s wait until the results of the report from the outside consultants. The city council hires and fires our city manager and city attorney.

∙ The City Council unanimously approved a new six-month program that will help Spanish–speaking residents better understand city council meetings. Kristian Nunez, a policy advocate for Central Coast Alliance Unified for a Sustainable Economy said the program will help Spanish speakers in places like the Westside or Montalvo who are left out because of language issues. “Even if families or individuals do not speak or give public comment, when they attend, they need to know and understand what’s going on and what’s talked about in their respective communities.”

∙ Apple Senior executive Tony Blevins has been fired after saying he fondles big xxxxxxxxxxxx women for a living (he thought he was being funny). Trump basically said the same thing and he was elected president. Does this mean being an Apple executive is more important than being president?

∙ Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws that would open up much of the state’s commercial land for residential development. It’s a long-sought victory for affordable housing advocates, who say such sites are ready-made for apartments because they are often near populated areas and come with ample parking.

Newsom stated, “This is a moment on a journey to reconcile the original sin of the state of California, and that’s the issue of housing and affordability. We need to all be a little bit more accountable to this crisis of affordability.”

Many local government officials say the laws (and other new state mandates regarding housing) undermine local authority and planning that better reflect community needs. Does this mean general plans need to be revised? Will there be new zone designations that allow residential living in commercial zones? Look forward to hearing from Ventura planning about this issue.

∙ The newly built veteran’s clinic has opened at 5250 Ralston Street. It has 50,000 square feet and is run and staffed by the VA, which is preferred by veterans. The Ventura facility will have services including dental care, physical therapy, rehabilitation, eye treatment and audiology. Veterans say the new care will mean fewer long trips out of the county to other VA facilities.

This is really wonderful.

∙ Go to www.PlanVentura.com to complete the City’s General Plan’s Land Use Alternatives survey, open now through late October to help plan Ventura’s future.

This is a critical part of the General Plan update process, since the land use map directs the future pattern of development in the City. The land use alternatives are being developed to implement the Vision endorsed by the City Council and address issues of concern in the community, particularly affordable housing and economic growth.

I encourage all of you to take the survey and attend upcoming workshops or meetings to learn more about the General Plan (see Gov. Gavin Newsom above).

∙ Motivated to provide better homeless services, the Ventura City Council amended its 2022-23 budget by adding 2 new police officer positions. The positions for the department’s patrol task force will cost $409,000 annually. The City Council held a lengthy debate on this subject and voted 5-1-1 to approve the positions.

∙ Artists at Ventura’s Art City studios received a final notice ending the lease on the property located at 197 Dubbers St. Art City has been there for over 37 years. The amazing outdoor property features stone and wood sculptures and an array of other art forms. They were instructed to vacate their studios by Sept. 30. This will not be an easy task as much of the artwork there weighs hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds and finding another location will be extremely difficult.

The reason for this is quite simple – this property is worth millions of dollars, and the owner certainly has the right to evict them. It’s a sad loss for Ventura (if they can’t relocate).

∙ Another staple of Ventura, the Ford of Ventura dealership is closing in October. A reason has not been given. It is located at 3440 Main St. across from the Pacific View Mall.

The original dealership, R.E. Barber Ford, was owned by the Barber family until 1960 when Larry Meister purchased the dealership. When Meister died in 2005 his wife Barbara continued running it, along with several other dealerships. She slowly sold her dealerships and sold the Ford dealership to Sil Gonzales in March 2014, when it was renamed Ford of Ventura.

Barbara Meister has remained a great contributor to the arts and non-profits in Ventura.

∙ Ventura’s own Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard (and family) is giving his company away. They have transferred their voting stock, valued at $3 billion, to the new Patagonia Purpose Trust. The remaining 98% shares of the company was donated to the Holdfast Collective, a non-profit that will receive all of the company’s profits, close to $100 million a year to fight climate change and organizations that will protect wild land and fight the climate crisis.

Yvon started manufacturing in 1957 when he created a line of reusable climbing spikes, and from that it grew into a world-wide clothing manufacturer all motivated by his love of the outdoors.

Patagonia has always been selected as one of the best places to work in the country.

This is where it all began. Great Pacific Iron Works was Patagonia’s very first store. They opened their doors in 1972 in the old Hobson meat packing plant a short drive to Yvon Chouinard’s Tin Shed blacksmith shop. The store carries an assortment of quality Patagonia outdoor clothing and gear for the whole family. Located as part of their company “campus” at 235 W Santa Clara St.

∙ California has launched a publicly funded website to promote the state’s abortion services, listing clinics, linking to financial help for travel and lodging and letting teenagers in other states know they don’t need their parents’ permission to get an abortion in the state.

The website is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to make California a sanctuary for women seeking abortions now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade – the landmark 1973 decision that said states could not ban abortion.

The state budget includes $200 million to strengthen access to abortion services in California, including $1 million to build a website promoting the state’s abortion services.

On the other hand, the West Virginia Legislature (and other states) has passed a bill that will prohibit nearly all abortions except to save a pregnant person’s life or in certain cases that involve rape or incest (very nice of them).

According to the draft of the bill, any physician or other licensed medical practitioner who intentionally or recklessly performs or induces an abortion in violation of the law could be subject to discipline, including losing their medical license.

∙ Governor Gavin Newsom also signed legislation authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D – Woodland Hills) to help California better address the global climate crisis. Assembly Bill (AB) 1384 will empower California’s state agencies and departments to implement comprehensive climate adaptation strategies that outline governance, goals, and metrics to ensure the state meets its climate adaptation goals.

“Climate change is real and is impacting communities throughout California on a daily basis,” said Assemblymember Gabriel. Could that be why it was 100 degrees here a few weeks ago?

∙ What heat wave? As I sit here listening to the sea lions bark their heads off it is 111 in Ojai and 72 here (wow we had a 97 day).

∙A Ronald McDonald Family Room is set to open at the Ventura County Medical Center on Sept. 12. Thanks to Amy Towner, Dr. Fankhauser, Christine Petti, the amazing women of NCL Juniors Ventura County, Supervisor Matt LaVere, and the many others who worked for years to bring this vision to reality. This room will provide much-needed resources for families in the midst of their darkest hours. And thanks to the hard work and generosity of so many, it will be the first Ronald McDonald Family Room in Ventura County.

∙Recently the Ventura Police held a DUI checkpoint. 1,152 cars passed through the checkpoint with the following results.

12 drivers cited for VC12500(a), Unlicensed Driver

2 drivers cited for VC14601.1(a), Suspended Driver

1 driver cited and released on scene for a Suspended Driver’s License Misdemeanor Warrant

1 driver cited for 23222(b)(1), Open Container Marijuana

Even though they don’t usually result in many DUI arrests, I think the checkpoints serve a good purpose to get drivers thinking about not driving after drinking. And, the checkpoints are funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, so they don’t cost Ventura anything.

∙I have great respect for Liz Cheney, and it has nothing to do with Trump. She is very conservative so I don’t agree with her policies, but I respect her for doing what she feels is best for the country knowing that she will never get elected again.

We have a serious problem in this country with politicians voting strictly on being re-elected to their positions and not what they feel is necessarily best for the country. The political system in this country is a mess and something needs to be done to straighten it out.

If Democrats sponsor a bill, Republicans oppose it. If Republicans sponsor the same bill Democrats oppose it. Not based upon what is best for the country but what will get them re-elected.

Perhaps we shouldn’t have professional politicians and their term should be a one time for six years, so they don’t need to be concerned with elections and will do what they think is best for the country. Then go back to a real job.

Also, something needs to be done about the Supreme Court which is out of touch with even the will of the people. They should not serve for a lifetime and perhaps should be selected by a general election and not appointed. Maybe serving only one time for eight years.

And using the constitution as a basis for their decisions probably doesn’t make a lot of sense. For instance this is from the Bill of Rights, “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

∙A U.S. Marines veteran, and former NYPD officer has received the longest sentence yet in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. Thomas Webster was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Not sure why he received the longest sentence but glad that those that participated in this insurrection are going to prison.

∙So happy that New Mexico’s governor has signed an executive order pledging $10 million to build a clinic that will provide abortions and other pregnancy care. I certainly hope other states follow suit. Sixty percent of the nation think Congress should pass a law guaranteeing access to legal abortion nationwide.

∙Guns in The News

One person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting on the Coney Island boardwalk the NYPD said. While officers investigated the scene, a witness walked up and told them about a second scene at 7 Mile and Wyoming. Police said a 28-year-old man was fatally shot at that location.

A gunman carrying an assault rifle entered a Safeway in Bend, Ore., killing two people and sending terrified shoppers running.

A poll by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 71% of Americans say gun laws should be stricter, including about half of Republicans, the vast majority of Democrats and a majority of those in gun-owning households.

Eight in 10 Americans perceive gun violence is increasing around the U.S., and about two-thirds say it’s increasing in their state.

∙When Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) made the following ignorant statement, I thought it would be hard to top but it wasn’t.

“Unattractive women who “look like a thumb” shouldn’t complain about losing abortion rights because they’re the least likely to get pregnant” he said in a speech to college students at a conservative conference in Florida.

“Have you watched these pro-abortion, pro-murder rallies,” Gaetz asked the crowd at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa. “The people are just disgusting. Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions?”

“Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb. These people are odious from the inside out,” the congressman continued. “They’re like 5′2″, 350 pounds, and they’re like, ‘Give me my abortions or I’ll get up and march and protest.”

As amazingly ignorant as that was, perhaps what Lindsey Graham said was even worse because it could result in deaths. Following the FBI’s retrieval of at least 184 classified documents from former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) appeared on Fox, claiming there would be “riots in the streets” if Trump is prosecuted.

∙ The average low temperature in July was 63.6 degrees, which beat the previous record set in 2011 by a few hundredths of a degree. The mark is not only the hottest nightly average for July, but for any month in 128 years of record keeping, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climatologist Karin Gleason. July’s nighttime low was more than 3 degrees warmer than the 20th century average.

∙Quick help for suicidal thoughts and other mental health emergencies are now easily accessible as 9-8-8. It’s designed to be as easy to remember and use as 911, but instead of a dispatcher sending police, firefighters or paramedics, 988 will connect callers with trained mental health counselors.

∙ The nomination period for submitting candidacy documents for the City Council seats in Districts 1, 4, 5, and 6 is now open through August 12.

There is only one seat per district. Candidacy documents must be filed with the City Clerk’s Office during office hours. For more information please contact them at (805) 658-4787 or [email protected].

∙The U.S. Postal Service has commemorated a piece of the Ventura Channel Islands on a new stamp. The image of California sea lions crowded onto a sandy beach was taken on San Miguel, one of five islands surrounded by the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary and home to one of the largest pinniped rookeries in the world. This might inspire you to visit the islands, which is one of our great treasures.

∙Four months after the closing of the arcade containing the carousel in Ventura Harbor Village it will be returning to Ventura with a new owner at the Pacific View Mall.

It is scheduled to open in mid-August near the food court upstairs.

The Village Carousel & Arcade officially closed on April 10 to make way for Aarmark Beer Gardens, Inc. – an entertainment and food venue, which is far from being open at this time.

∙Energy giant BP has reported its biggest quarterly profit in 14 years after oil and gas prices soared. The energy giant saw underlying profits hit $8.45 billion between April and June – more than triple the amount it made in the same period last year.

And Exxon Mobil booked an unprecedented $17.85 billion profit for the second quarter and Chevron reported a record $11.62 billion. We need to stop blaming politicians and blame greed.

What will probably happen is gas will decrease to $5.00 per gallon one day and we will all be thrilled to be only be paying that amount.

∙A federal judge has sentenced Guy Reffitt, the Texas man convicted of bringing a handgun to the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack, to 87 months in prison. That is the longest sentence so far related to the 2021 assault.

A member of the far-right militia group the Texas Three Percenters, Reffitt was the first defendant to stand trial on charges stemming from the attack. He was found guilty in March of five criminal counts, including obstructing Congress’ certification of President Biden’s Electoral College win. The 7.25-year sentence was far shorter than the 15 years sought by prosecutors.