Veterans Day Thank You
To the Editor:
We would like to thank the Santa Paula community for their outstanding support to the Mercer Prieto Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2043 of Santa Paula, the Korean War Veterans Chapter 56 of Ventura County, the 187th Airborne Regiment and to all Veterans as we held our 2015 Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday November 11, 2015 at the Veterans Park in Santa Paula.
Mr. William Melendez and Mr. Jerry Cruz directing the Santa Paula High School Band, with all the band members, came out in large numbers and provided excellent musical support ; Donna Nelson provided the Public Address system and music support for the Saint Sebastian American Heritage Girls with their Leader Serena Mowen. We really appreciate Mayor John Proctor, Vice Mayor Martin Hernandez, City Council members Ginger Gheradi and Jenny Crosswhite, along with Chief of Police Steve McLean and members of the Santa Paula Fire Department for attending.
This year we wanted to honor the service of our Combat Medics and Corpsman, presentations were provided by John Bailey a World War II U.S Marine Corpsman and Delton Lee Johnson, Korean War Naval Medic. We also honored several of our VFW Post 2043 Lifemembers, Henry Osuna a WWII Combat Medic, and Mike (Spike) Espinoza who passed away in 2004, he was also a WWII Corpsman. Santa Paula resident Max Vasquez III was Killed in Action on June 10, 1966 while serving as a Combat Medic with the 82nd Airborne Division in the Republic of Vietnam. Eddie Leighton with the 173rd Airborne Regiment was also a Combat Medic serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966.
The Veterans Day presentation by Michelle Roulston, Director of the California Veterans Home – Ventura was very well appreciated by all, and the special presentation “A Veterans Day Remembrance to My Father” by Doug Kadansky, was emotional and heartfelt by all of us.
The 3 Volley Rifle Salute by the Rifle Squad under the direction of David Garcia and final taps by Bugler Rudy Arellano once again signaled the end of our ceremony.
The Veterans Day Barbecue organized by Gibby Gomez, Jr., with the Motorcycle Riders of Ventura County and Steve Kiley with the Mountain View Golf Course was appreciated by everyone. The BBQ was very well attended and enjoyed by all Veterans, their Families and friends.
Every Veterans Day week we provide a Veterans Day presentation to area schools upon request and are amazed by the students and faculty reception to our presentation. We provide the presentation, but receive much more in return from all the students, the faculty and the parents in attendance. The handshakes with a thank you, the personalized Veterans Day thank you cards are greatly appreciated.
Our thanks to Olivelands School and Ms. Lindsay Winegar; Blanchard School and Miss Patti Fulbright; Santa Clara School and Ms. Kari Skidmore and, McKevett School and Ms. Lydia Olivo
Thank you all for a meaningful Veterans Day.
Jerry Olivas
Commander, VFW Post 2043
Thank You
To the Editor:
The Friends of the Blanchard Library thanks Limoneira and Bee Love Florist for their donations to honor our volunteers and members at our annual meeting. We really appreciate your support in our efforts to recognize the many people who give so generously of their time and/or resources.
The FFA students, under the direction of Alex Flores, were also there to take orders for their Poinsettia Fundraiser. They brought ten plants with them and offered them as door prizes for our event and that of the Chamber Mixer as well. What was really remarkable were the students who volunteered to help break down after the event. Mr. Flores and the parents of these wonderful students should be commended for instilling such willingness to help without being asked.
Mr. Flores and his students also joined America in Bloom to remove the “weed jungle”the library was growing in the north parking lot. The first Saturday Book Sale participants were greeted by a weed free entrance. The projects that America in Bloom takes on are completed because of the direct involvement of Mr. Flores and the FFA students. He teaches his students to have pride in the community and to be a part of the solution by himself being the hardest worker and the most determined at every project.
The Friends of the Library and America in Bloom are blessed to have the FFA and Alex Flores as our supporters.
Appreciatively,
Cathy Sorenson
Vice-President, FOL
AIB Board Member
Thank You
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Santa Paula Optimist Club, I would like to thank the following people for helping to make this year’s 66th Christmas Parade such a success: Limoneira Company and Gabriel Salazar, for the flatbed truck; the Santa Paula Fire Department for the engines and contacting Santa Claus; Santa Paula Police Department, CERT, and the Explorer Post for providing traffic control, the Santa Paula Times for advertising and support; Goodwill for providing electrical for the announcer, and Pepe Gonzalez for providing the doves.
KADY television filmed the parade and it will be available on their website, KADYTV.com.
A special thanks to Peggy Kelly for announcing the parade and all the stories in the Santa Paula Times. Peggy did a great job and she is very supportive of the Christmas Parade.
Thank you to the judges who had to make the hard decisions, Dr. Robin Binder-Gillette, Michelle Johns, and Marleen Canniff.
Thanks to George Gonzalez for providing a convertible for the Grand Marshal and Chuck Mullett for providing a convertible for the Christmas Parade poster contest winners..
To all those who took part in this year’s parade we thank you for all your time and effort which made the parade a great success. Without you our parade would not be possible.
To those that came out and watched the parade we appreciate your support. It made it worthwhile for us who put on the parade for you.
Very special thanks to everyone that donated money to cover the costs of the parade. Without your support the Optimist Club would not be able to continue with our other projects in the community. In the future, look for a complete listing of all the donors and follow-up stories.
The theme this year was ?A Christmas Dinner? and children of all ages enjoyed the parade. We all had a great time and this is what makes Santa Paula a great place.
The Santa Paula Optimist Club is ?The Friend of Youth.? If you are interested in getting involved in youth projects and possible membership in our club, please call me at 525-9439 or write me at P.O. Box 507, Santa Paula CA 93061-0507.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Ron Merson, Chairman
Santa Paula Christmas Parade
Good day
To the Editor:
Below note appeared at the end of Oct. in the Santa Paula Times I anxiously awaited a response.
If basic logic is applied to the text of that note we get:
A = abide by the law : remove salt/chloride based water softener; replace with non-salt/chloride based softener/conditioner.
B = do not abide by the law (break the law): do not remove salt/chloride based water softener ; do not install non-salt/chloride based water softener (conditioner).
C = receive nothing.
D = receive amnesty, monetary reward ($500/$300).
We get:
If A then C.
If B then D.
Conversely :
If A then not D.
If B then not C.
I would appreciate a logical explanation as to how a law can be overwritten, with a replacement law that rewards those individuals that refused to abide (broke the law) by the original law, and now penalizes those individuals that abided by the original law.
I look forward to your response.
Thank you
James Sharak
Resident of Santa Paula
Mariachi Festival Fundraiser
To the Editor:
We would like to thank all those who attended the 2nd Annual Mariachi Fundraiser, especially our sponsors: Santa Paula Superstore, Santa Paula Lions Club, Kiwanis Club of Santa Paula, Vista Cove Care Center at Santa Paula, Garden Market, Limoneira Company, Mission Produce, Patty Farms, Dan Robles and Steve Turchik for your generous donation, which went towards the City of Santa Paula’s 2015 Mariachi Fundraiser. It is donations like these that make it possible for events such as this one to take place. Thank you once again for your generous contribution to Santa Paula’s Senior Center.
Santa Paula Senior Center
RE: Police Chief Steve MacKinnon
To the Editor:
I imagine there are some Santa Paulans like myself who subscribe to the Times but not to the Star and as a result, we may miss things that are of interest or relevance to our small town. A good friend of mine recently gave me an article from the Star dated 11-4-2015 and I respectfully submit a summary. I have added nothing.
A state appellate court is giving former Police Chief Steve MacKinnon another chance to sue the city on allegations of wrongful termination.
MacKinnon claims he was actually fired for raising concerns about potentially unethical, illegal and questionable practices by city officials, such as the misuse or disappearance of public funds. The firing violated laws that protect whistle-blowers.
A Ventura County Superior judge threw out the suit because of several legal shortcomings. MacKinnon appealed to the state 2nd District Court of Appeals in Ventura which issued a ruling last week overturning the judges decision.
Sincerely
Barry Cooper
Santa Paula
