Letters to the Editor
August 20, 2004
Opinion
Pet peeve
To the Editor:Shopping carts that are left in parking spaces at the Kmart and Vons Shopping Centers. People are disrespectful of others and lazy!! Especially when there is an area right beside their car to put the cart.Georgia JettSanta PaulaThe Boys Next DoorTo the Editor:I attended the performance of “The Boys Next Door” Sunday afternoon at the Santa Paula Theater.It was about four men who were mentally disturbed who lived in a home together. Each had their chores to do and a counselor would check on them.Parts of the play were hilarious. The men who portrayed the characters were outstanding.I was enjoying the play until God’s name was insulted; that’s when I got up and left.Why God’s name has to be insulted in plays, movies, television talk shows and people carrying on conversations is beyond me. It doesn’t make them better.It saddens God because his people that he created are so disrespectful. I’m not just talking about people who are believers in Jesus, I’m talking about the entire population of the world.God keeps records of everything we say and do. All of us will have to face God someday and he will be the final judge, so if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus you will face “hell.”My choice is “heaven.”Georgia JettSanta PaulaRecycle somewhere elseTo the Editor:What was initially described as an unpleasant odor that could periodically pervade our neighborhoods when the wind blows in a certain direction has come to be understood as a serious threat to our health and safety. What was thought to be a nuisance has escalated into frightening health concern.California Wood Recycling (Cal-Wood), a Ventura County based firm partially owned by Harrison Bros., operates a green waste processing facility at 3450 Ventura Road, Ventura (near Auto Center Drive). A court ruling against Cal-Wood and in favor of the ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION OF THE COUNTY OF VENTURA, recorded June 25, 2004, requires the company to discontinue its green waste recycling operations and move its facility because of the unpleasant odors it produces and other factors. The ruling states that other Ventura County operating venues that are reasonably distanced from residential areas are open to Cal-Wood for this type of agricultural recycling.While agreeing to comply with the court order to cease operations prior to September 30, 2004, Cal-Wood plans to disregard existing venues for its green waste processing. Instead, the company plans to initiate, without a permit, a new recycling facility between Santa Paula and East Ventura on land owned by Limoneira. This site is east of the Santa Clara River bridge, and dangerously close (less than two miles) to Saticoy and rapidly developing East Ventura residential neighborhoods that include senior mobile home parks, new and established homes, current and proposed senior housing, and a planned veterans housing facility.The area surrounding the proposed site is known for its relatively high water table and brisk breezes that routinely flow westward, every night and during Santa Ana conditions, toward the ocean. It is expected that pesticides and other poisonous chemicals contained on or in the green waste will seep into the earth at this location and contaminate the East Ventura water table. At the same time, every night, the wind, in its westward flow, is expected to carry from the processing location noxious odors and irritating or harmful spores and particulates to and through the East Ventura neighborhoods.In addition, the new facility would require scores of trucks laden with thousands of tons of waste material to continually transverse (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) the already heavily burdened infrastructure that includes Wells Road, the Santa Paula Freeway Wells Road overpass, and Telegraph Road.These detrimental effects are antithetical to responsible public policy and local government mandates to protect the health and safety of all citizens. Moreover, they frustrate the intent of the Superior Court order.We, the Chapel Lane Homeowners Association, while appreciative of the many agricultural contributions made in our area by Cal-Wood, Harrison Enterprises and Limoneira, hereby request that the Cal-Wood Recycling comply with the Ventura Superior Court order and the recommendations of the ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION OF THE COUNTY OF VENTURA. We urge the company to move its green waste recycling facility to one of the currently operative Ventura County recycling venues and refrain from initiating a new recycling operation at the proposed Santa Paula location.Donna GagliniSecretary, Chapel Lane Homeowners AssociationVenturaAnonymity rebukedTo the Editor:In your issue of August 18, 2004, an ad appeared on page 2 urging us to vote NO on the Santa Paula utility tax. The ad, however, is anonymous, no entity being identified as the sponsor.People who have a position make their point more strongly by identifying themselves, in my opinion.Yours for open discussions,Dora P. CrouchSanta Paula
Fagan concernsTo the Editor:Our City Council must be patient with those who use public commentary to express concerns regarding the plans for Fagan Canyon development. While the speakers are perhaps a little premature in addressing the issue, there is the uneasiness that the developer’s plan is gathering too much momentum before all the facts are in. True, the ball is not in the Council’s court yet, but it will be. Considering that noise and bluster have been the driving forces behind local politics in recent years, perhaps those inexperienced in such tactics should be allowed a little rehearsal in the arena to check out the acoustics and camera angles.There seems little actual opposition to at least some development in Fagan. Even though specific concerns vary, almost everyone sees the need for a measure of housing relief in Santa Paula. The unifying concern is apparently the effect development will have on the envisioned quaint character of our town. The prevailing dream has been one of booming economy, but without a lot of extra residents and traffic. Sort of like Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.My particular concern with the Fagan development – and this should concern all who live on or use Santa Paula Street – is traffic. Present plans would dump a major portion of Fagan traffic onto Santa Paula Street near the cemetery with additional traffic coursing down from the Glade/6th Street exit. (Take notice, hill dwellers.) If that happens, we can kiss the Santa Paula bike lanes, street parking and backing out of driveways goodbye forever.As for me, it really doesn’t matter if Emerald City springs up in Fagan Canyon, just so long as the developer is not allowed to run the Yellow Brick Road down Santa Paula Street. Surely there’s a more considerate alternative to that plan.Bill GlennSanta PaulaMore on Fagan CanyonTo the Editor:I attended the Santa Paula City Council Meeting August 2, 2004 and was very dismayed! During the open forum part of the meeting several people got up to express their feelings regarding traffic concerns that Fagan Canyon will put on our beautiful town of Santa Paula. This was my observation: Mr. Wally B. was disinterested and turned his head with a bored look several times. After everyone spoke and there was a break most of the people who spoke left, so they did not hear Mr. Cook’s statement which I cannot quote word for word because I was so caught off guard. The just of it was why are the Santa Paula people bothering the council at this time, regarding Fagan Canyon, as the council does not have its EIR report yet. Mr. Cook, we are concerned as to what is happening without the people’s true vote of feelings. We voted down Adams Canyon because of concerns about our growth. We voted for a general plan that was reasonable.Most of the people who are voting on the council have not lived in Santa Paula long enough to realize that when we had good business we prospered. Stores like Campus Shop, Wood’s Jewelry, Moore’s General Store and Furniture store, Irene’s Dress shop. People came from miles around to shop at these stores. The people of Santa Paula had good places to shop so our money did not go out of town. I suggest to you council members you look for a better business base, better affordable housing, not 2,500 homes.I agree with the letter to the editor . She gave of her time to be on the committee appointed by the City Council called “Santa Paula Visioning Committee.” What did you do with their ideas? Centex Homes has put their own group together from the charrettes. However, every time I brought up concerns about flooding, water supply, fire, and sewer, the Centex representative said the city of Santa Paula (council) assured them these items were not a concern.Someone is assuring Centex everything is OK for them, but what about our beautiful hometown atmosphere. We do need affordable housing, not 2,500 homes. We do need good business downtown. I have lived here for over 36 years and I do know what can be! The building of 2,500 homes, because that is the only way Centex can make a profit, is not to benefit Santa Paula’s tax base that much. It will not bring people down to the shopping that is available now. It will keep them out of town or shopping in their own little strip malls proposed in the development.People of Santa Paula WAKE UP, SPEAK UP, you need to make the council aware. If you like your town, you like to walk Santa Paula Street morning, noon and night. Our high school track team, and physical education classes run out Santa Paula Street. The local boxers use it as part of their training. Old and young walk this street. What will the traffic alone do to our town? It won’t bring in business; it will bring problems – water, sewer, traffic – and create more expense to YOU THE TAXPAYER. It is my opinion profits will be made by the wrong people at your expense. Don’t let a pretty picture cloud your future!I believe in what the “Santa Paula Visioning Committee” put together, not Centex Homes. I am not against Centex Homes; they have put a dream together for some other town. Santa Paula would not benefit from this in my opinion.Speak up Santa Paulans or the people who have not lived here to see the real Santa Paula will do what they please.Yvonne AitkenSanta PaulaEconomic development 50 years behind timesTo the Editor:As Santa Paula struggles with its civic dilemmas, and our empty coffers, we still must reckon with or “same ol’” problem: we need to attract business and industry to accommodate the thousands of available unemployed men and women who live in our community. We need jobs!I often wonder what efforts are being made to provide work for our unemployed. Are we trying? In recent years, how many new business ventures have we attracted?Thousands of idle, able Santa Paula hands await jobs. Even minimum wage jobs are welcome. Often, work opportunities elsewhere are the solution, however, so many have little or no transportation. What we do know is that these neighbors live and shop and spend every dollar they can afford in Santa Paula. Our downtown reflects that.Jobs are the answer to Santa Paula’s fiscal growth, and a renewed prosperity. Perhaps something like that which was manifested by a few of our oil and orchard families.John UrieSanta PaulaCalifornia Wood RecyclingI have just read Peggy Kelly’s 7/30/04 story regarding California Wood Recycling. I am one of the residents of the Southbank Neighborhood in North Oxnard who has fought for over 2 1/2 years to have Cal Wood play by the rules and control the foul, offensive, overwhelming odors which were emitted by their facility. These odors engulfed our homes forcing us to close our doors and windows, cancel barbecues and family events, and stay trapped in our homes. Many residents in this community of over 1400 residences complained of health problems. The City of Oxnard verified over 150 odor complaints directly linked to Cal Wood in the one year prior to Superior Court Judge Frederick Bysshe’s ruling that Cal Wood would vacate their premises on 9/30/04. There was overwhelming evidence presented during court proceedings that Cal Wood and not the waste treatment facility was the culprit. Contrary to what was said by Councilman Rick Cook, the majority of the odors occurred during the evening hours during warm or hot days, primarily in the summer and fall months. It is true that fog held the odors down over our area but the odors came all of the time. Vice Mayor Mary Ann Krause commented that women have more sensitive noses and she asked if female staff members had been to smell the odor. Trust me Ms. Krause there are any number of women in this area who will vehemently attest to the fact that Cal Wood stinks! People of Santa Paula please review all of the information regarding Cal Wood and their wood recycling facility so that you know what kind of business is coming to Santa Paula. If you are interested in reading the court documents and other information about Cal Wood please visit our neighborhood website at southbanknc.org. You may also call my husband and I at 988-6141.I also refer to you to Supervisors John Flynn and Steve Bennett, Oxnard City Councilmember John Zaragoza, Mark Norris and Jeff Miller at the City of Oxnard, and a myriad of other individuals who can attest to the fact that the neighborhood of Southbank knew exactly what it was smelling and it was not the waste treatment facilities, it was Cal Wood and only Cal Wood. Susan PerelloOxnard
