God Bless,Lynda LloydSanta PaulaMiracles happenTo the Editor:The girls of Cadette Girl Scout Troop #653 would like to personally thank the Santa Paula Times for taking care of our “Miracles for Moms” donation box. We would also like to thank the wonderful citizens who donated toiletries. Our donation box was so overflowing we couldn’t lift it!“Miracles for Moms” is an outpatient program designed to meet the needs of women with children in the community. Donations will still be accepted by our Troop. If you would like to make a donation please contact one of our Troop leaders, Suzi Skutley at 525-2751 or Sandy Easley at 525-5142.Our sincere gratitude,The Girl Scouts of Cadette Troop 653Santa PaulaJust to say thanksTo the Editor:I just want to say thanks to all my neighbors on Walden Street who took time on Sunday 12-9-01 to give me a Bar-B-Que at the home of Ron and Carol Manzer to say goodbye to me all at once. I’ve sold my home and I’m moving to Indiana after 37 years at home on Walden Street, the best street in the world.Also to say especially thanks to Ron Manzer, Ralph Rich and to Jack Skousen for helping me with my home after my husband died on January 24, 2000. Thank you.Many thanks for the Bar-B-Que. Ron and Carol Manzer, Ralph and Charlene Rich, Daryll and Jennifer Loungridge, Richard and Marie Bonds, Jack and Rowe Skousen, Elaine Duncan, God bless you. And also for the retirement dinner on Wednesday night from the Santa Paula Food Services women of all the Elementary School District. Thank you.Vi CurtisSanta PaulaA feelingof sadnessTo the Editor:It was with a feeling of sadness rather than resentment that I left the December 3 Council meeting after the mayoral election. Sadness because I knew the kind of reaction Santa Paula would receive in the Star and the L.A. Times. Sadness because our new mayor said it all in his quote in the Star, “It was a very lousy way to get the mayorship.” Finally, sadness on behalf of all the people who twice voted for Laura Espinosa. Surely they expected that she deserved a turn as mayor. I hold no ill will toward Mayor Luna, on the contrary, I wish him all the best. I hope that he will receive all the help and support that he needs. I also am quite sure, from what I know of her character, that in spite of the disappointment she may feel, Laura Espinosa will continue to serve the city with honor and integrity.In the spirit of the season, I quote the first few lines of the Prayer of St. Francis: “Lord, make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred may I bring love. Where there is wrong, may I bring the spirit of forgiveness. Where there is discord, may I bring harmony....”Joanne WrightSanta PaulaDisappointedTo the Editor:To the citizens of Santa Paula,I’m disappointed with the actions of the persons who chose to take their personal opinions on who they favored for Mayor in front of the Santa Paula City Council. I understand that Mrs. Laura Flores-Espinosa arranged to have those speakers there. Why? What was gained by having leaders from the past speaking in front of the council? These former leaders need to let go and let others lead us into new horizons. These former leaders had their opportunities to lead but continue with personal attacks on Mr. Luna. Why? We have found that Mr. Luna is a care giving person who helps others seek employment. Mr. Luna on many occasions has provided clothing and food for those who can’t afford those items. My family and other families have benefited by his and his wife’s generosity. Mr. Luna has also been a lifesaver - I understand many years ago he jumped into a fast moving river to save the life of a person who was drowning. Through his employment Mr. Luna has also enjoyed that lifesaving benefit of helping others.He is unselfish by his actions. Mr. Procter had an opportunity to nominate Mrs. Espinosa for vice-mayor last year but he chose to nominate her for mayor. This mistake has cost Mrs. Espinosa the position of mayor. If she was vice-mayor she would be mayor today. Mr. Johnson has said that he would promote from the vice-mayor position and Mr. Luna has said that he would promote from the vice-mayor position.What is the problem? Where is the problem? Who brings these problems forward? Why do these problems continue to exist?Why can’t we be happy to have a Latino Mayor and a Latina Vice-Mayor? I’m sure that Mr. Luna will represent the community and represent Santa Paula just fine. Mr. Luna and his family are well known and respected here in Santa Paula.I’m trying to be fair and I just can’t see why in a political atmosphere things that are good need to be dragged through the mud. Let’s look and write about the positives... a Latino and Latina leading the City of Santa Paula - somebody had to make this possible. I see a council that is currently working together for all our citizens here in Santa Paula. Keep up the good work!Porfirio TobiasSanta PaulaSoroptimist thanksTo the Editor:On behalf of Soroptimist International of Santa Paula I would like to say thank you to all the wonderful and generous supporters who made our Annual Holiday Fashion Show such a huge success! We would like to acknowledge our faithful sponsors, Cal West Real Estate; Century 21 Buena Vista; D. W. Burhoe Construction, Inc.; Edward D. Jones - Mike Kelley, Investment Representative; Santa Paula Times; First Western Bank; Skillin-Carroll Mortuary; McCoy’s Automotive; and Santa Paula Travel.A grateful thank you to the merchants who donated all the beautiful auction items. We appreciate your continued support! This year our auction was the best ever!We want to thank our fashion providers, SP Fashions, K-Mart, Factory 2U, Mirage, and Draper’s and Damon’s. A special thank you to all the models who looked so great in everything! We appreciate how much work goes into making things go so smoothly!Peggy Kelly, Kelly McKeever, David Garrison, Debbie Johnson, Marie McCoy, S.P. Cheerleaders, The City of Santa Paula Fire Department, Kay Wilson-Bolton, The City of Santa Paula Community Center staff, we thank each and everyone for your time and effort in making this event one to remember.This year, in the shadow of the events of September 11th, our club decided we wanted to honor and thank our own Local Heroes. In doing so, we chose to assist our City of Santa Paula Firefighters. In talking with the Fire Department, we soon found out that there was a great need for additional fire fighting air tanks. We learned that the existing ones were seven years old, some older. Perhaps the most astounding fact was, this specialized breathing apparatus was not available to every firefighter, there was a limited number of tanks. We heard how the firemen would have to transfer tanks from one engine to another, depending on which engine they would be using for the particular call, a firefighter cannot go into a burning structure without one of these tanks on. Precious time could be lost in getting to an emergency. Needless to say, this became our mission. Thanks to our wonderful community we were able to raise the needed funds to assist in the purchase of one much needed air tank for our Fire Department. Of course, many more are needed, however it is a start! Our firefighters risk their lives for all of us each and every day; it was an honor and a privilege to assist them in any way we could. I might add, the Firemen donated one of their priceless Firehouse Dinners for our auction. It was purchased for a whooping $400! Obviously, the word is out that they can cook too!We also achieved the necessary funds to continue our College Scholarship Program. Each year we are very proud to honor two seniors from Santa Paula High School for their achievements throughout their four years of high school. Again, thanks to the response from our wonderful community, we will honor two more students this year!If someone would like to have more information about the specialized firefighting equipment project or the Soroptimist International of Santa Paula Scholarship Fund, please contact Marie McCoy or Cynthia Dunbar. Together we can make a difference!We thank everyone for their help, support and generosity in making our event so memorable!Cynthia DunbarFashion Show Chair 2001Congratulations to Ray LunaCongratulations to Ray Luna on his selection as the new mayor of Santa Paula.Ray will serve all the citizens of Santa Paula with honor and integrity and continue to seek out all points of view as he has done this past year on the council.He isn’t obligated to any special interest groups and makes a point of talking with constituents throughout the city to get their views and opinions on how to make Santa Paula a better place to live for all.Ray deserves our support and I wish him nothing but the best for Santa Paula’s centennial year.Also, a tip of the hat to Councilman John Proctor for showing a touch of class by voting for Ray when his name came up.Craig MaillouxSanta PaulaGive LocallyLast week I heard an ad on the radio by the Salvation Army telling about its efforts to help people in New York and Washington following the September 11 terrorist mass murders in those cities. The message was inspiring and included a reminder to make donations to local charities and associations, so they are not forgotten.I hope everyone will think about our wonderful local organizations that provide food, faith, shelter, healthcare, youth sports, education, recreation, civic involvement, help to seniors, help to children, counseling, or values-building of any kind. We read about these groups in our local newspaper every week. Not only do they provide something good to those they serve, they foster camaraderie among their volunteers and build community values for all. They can’t continue without our involvement.This giving season, please write a couple of checks, or donate a few dollars, to some Santa Paula-based organizations you’ve been involved with or know something about. You’ll do good, foster friendship, and build community values right here, in this community. Happy holidays to everyone.Rita GrahamSanta PaulaSpecial ThanksTo 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 Christmas Parade such a success: the Police Department and the Santa Paula Public Works for the traffic control; A.W. Coulter Trucking for the flatbed trailer used for the judges stand; the Santa Paula Fire Department for the fire engines; the Santa Paula Times for their news coverage; Henry Martinez for contacting Santa Claus; the Chamber of Commerce for providing the judges, and H. Bolton Co. for the car signs.Special thanks go to the following for providing convertibles, Maggie Garcia, Alex Frutos, Chuck Watson, and Todey Chevrolet.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.This year a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to everyone involved, even though it was raining. This is what makes Santa Paula a great place.Merry Christmas and Happy New YearRon Merson, Chairman2001 Santa PaulaChristmas ParadeStudentsappreciateveteransTo the Editor:The students of Bedell School would like to thank Mr. Barringer, Mr. Solis, Mr. Arellano, and Mr. Campos for coming to our school and leading our Flag Raising Ceremony on November 9. We enjoyed hearing about their experiences in two different wars. We liked hearing them tell us about our flag as it was being raised. Hearing the bugle playing as the flag was raised was nice. We appreciate these veterans taking time off from work to lead our assembly.Sincerely,Mrs. Mead’s Third Grade ClassThanksfor the flagTo the Editor:We are students in Mrs. Helen Gibson’s third grade class at Thelma Bedell School. We want everyone to know how much we like the American Flags that you presented to us in honor of Veteran’s Day.Following are some of our comments:It is a very special and nice flag.I like having my own flag in my room.The flag represents the veterans.The flag represents our country.Our country had never lost a war.We want to thank you for the flags.I like to watch the flag wave in the wind.The flag is beautiful.The stars represent the states, the fifty states.We say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing patriotic songs every morning in our class.The strips are for thirteen original states.Thank you for the flags, I really like them.Sincerely,Proud Third Graders
Letters to the Editor
December 14, 2001
Opinion
Skill and
dedicationTo the Editor:Not too long ago I met a few people in Santa Paula working on a project that could provide a significant amount of federal funding for increased policing, revitalization and community services in economically depressed areas of the City.These folks worked hard and were unwavering in their commitment to getting the job done. They pulled in people from other agencies, performed research for the project and went out of their way to ensure the job was done right. When the task needed an extra boost, they devoted personal time. When the task demanded technical skills, they learned them. It soon became apparent that their work was not just the service du jour of City government, but a genuine and personal effort to improve the quality of life for people in our community.As a resident of Santa Paula, I’m proud of the fact that we have such hard-working, skilled and dedicated people working for us.If it surprises anyone that the city employees I’m speaking of are our own Community Services Officers, here’s a suggestion...take the time to really learn what they can do. I have, and it is surprisingly progressive.I hope that our City Council realizes the full value of these Officers and invests in them, as they have invested in our community.Michael R. JumpSanta PaulaTheatrical ThanksTo the Editor:The S.P.H.S. Theater Team would like to thank the Santa Paula Times for their generous help and contributions in advertising for our fall production of “You Can’t Take It With You.” Your unwavering support and charitable donations were greatly appreciated. Without your extremely helpful and dedicated time, our production would have never met its full potential. Throughout the years, the Santa Paula Times has continually helped publicize our Theater productions and as a result our audiences have been growing. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.Santa Paula High School Theater TeamFallen herohonoredTo the Editor:During this time of honoring heroes, we nurses at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital wish to honor a fallen hero from among our ranks. On Saturday morning, November 24th, Donna Popular died after working a 12-hour Friday night shift in the ER. She was a dedicated nurse who had made a difference in many lives; she was respected and loved. For every one of us who has ever worked the night shift, we know how dangerous it can be to get home in one piece after working all night. Donna’s car veered off the road that rainy morning and crashed into a tree. She never made it home.I believe all nurses are heroes, but none more so than our dedicated night nurses. They sacrifice their own needs for the sake of others, often skipping meals and breaks to care for patients. They give up weekends and holidays, and are often awakened from a deep sleep by the phone and asked to come back to the hospital on their day off to assist their co-workers n desperate need of more helping hands.The nurses I work with are courageous. They are willing to face the unknown every day. They encounter unspeakable pain and suffering in patients, yet find the strength to comfort the brokenhearted while controlling their own fears and emotions. Nurses may not be running into burning buildings, but they run into rooms with bleeding patients, exposing themselves to incurable diseases. It takes a special person to handle the demands of nursing; someone who is unafraid of blood and needles, able to think clearly and quickly in stressful situations, remains calm in a crisis, shows compassion without judgment, and is willing to put the needs of others above her own.For those of us who knew and worked with Donna at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, she died a hero. We will remember her as one.A Memorial Service was held for Donna Popular on Saturday, December 8th at the United Methodist Church on Church Road in Ojai.Ann Thompson, RNChristmas thoughtsTo the Editor:Christmas, With a PrayerRelatives all merrily rushing in,Pine logs are crackling on the fire.Cedars are laden down with snow.Down the road, I hear a Christmas choir!The turkey’s roasting in the oven,And stuffing, too - just smell the sage.The pumpkin pie is almost done.Oh, the lovely smell of the holidays!Most of all, I love the soundOf the family singing carols together.Where warmth and laughter fill the air,Despite the cold and icy weather.We pray for those in foreign landsWhere pain and hunger reign supreme.Give them newfound buds of hopeFrom which tomorrow’s blossoms spring.Lord, bring us back again next year,And leave no empty chairs, we pray -Like the star that led to Bethlehem,Please be the Light that leads our way!“...And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:9At Christmas TimeWhen Christmas comes I always thinkOf friends that I have known,Whose kindnesses have touch my lifeIn ways that are their own.Whose caring and whose lovingCan drive the cold awayAnd always bring me happinessOn every Christmas day.When Christmas comes I always takeA walk down Memory Lane,And all the joys I used to knowStill warm my heart again.And it is time like this I feelGod’s blessings through and through,Not just because it’s Christmas,But because of friends like you!Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Birthday Jesus.Lynda LloydSanta PaulaA Christmas taleTo the Editor:A Gift for Santa ClausIt was the day before Christmas, and Micky, Nicky and Dicky, the three fat elves, were writing letters to Santa Claus.“How do you spell ‘ball’,” asked Micky.“Everyone knows that,” said Nicky. “It’s b-a-l-l, of course.”Scritch, scritch, scritch went three little pencils. Rustle, rustle, rustle went the letters to Santa Claus.“I’m not writing a regular letter,” said Dicky, “for there are things I want Santa to leave in my stocking.”“My list is as long as my stocking,” said Micky. “Do you suppose Santa Claus will mind?”“Of course not,” cried Nicky. “Santa loves to fill stockings for everyone.”“Oh, I say!” he cried. “I’ve just thought of something. Who fills Santa’s stocking? Who trims Santa’s tree? Who cooks his Christmas dinner?”The three elves looked at one another in astonishment. “Well,” said Micky as he pinned his Christmas list to his stocking, “perhaps Santa has never had a Christmas dinner. I’m going right into the kitchen and cook one and pack it in a basket. I’ll leave it here for him to take with him when he comes tonight.” He went to the clothes closet and put on a cook’s tall white cap and a clean white apron.“Well,” said Nicky as he pinned his list to his stocking, “perhaps Santa Claus has never had a Christmas tree. I’m going right out to the green woodlands and hunt for a Christmas tree. I’ll trim it and leave it here for Santa!” He went to the clothes closet and began putting on his outdoor things - two sweaters and a leather jacket, a red wool stocking cap and muffler, a pair of gloves and a pair of mittens, and a pair of four-buckled galoshes!“Well,” said Dicky as he pinned his list to his stocking, “perhaps Santa never hangs up his stocking. I’m going to take our red pocketbook and buy some presents at the store. I’ll put them in a stocking for him.” He went to the clothes closet and put his very best clothes - his sky-blue slipover sweater, muffler with red pinstripes, green overcoat with black velvet lapels, high silk hat with fur earmuffs, brown gloves and his shiny black rubbers.Bang! went the kitchen door, and Micky began murmuring to himself as he stirred up the fire. “I’ll roast a goose and stuff some celery and bake some cookies, and....”Bang! Went the side door, and Nicky began murmuring to himself as he went through the green woodland’s store. “I’ll buy some books and necktie and shirts and....” “Woo-oo-oo!” shrieked the North Wind as it chased the snowflakes across the fields. “Woo-oo-oo!”It was much later, and way past the little elves’ bedtime when they came again to the big living room.“Well, well,” cried a deep voice. “I thought you were in bed and fast asleep.”The elves turned quickly from the fire, and there at the door was Santa himself! “Oh dear! Oh dear!” cried the three little elves. “How can we ever explain to Santa Claus!”“Go ahead and explain,” said Santa. “I promise not to be cross.”Micky began bravely. “Today we just happened to think that there was no one to cook your Christmas dinner, trim your Christmas tree, or fill your stocking. So we decided to do it. I went into the kitchen and cooked a very good dinner. Then a man came along and said his family would have no Christmas dinner, so I gave him yours!”Nicky spoke up. “I found a Christmas tree for you, Santa, but as I was bringing it home to trim, the little birds told me that the snow had covered their food. So I trimmed the tree with popcorn, suet, corn and nuts, and left it in the forest for the birds’ Christmas tree!”Dicky’s story was much like that of his brothers. He said, “I went to the store to buy presents to put in your stocking, Santa, but I bought toys for a family of children who had none.”The elves sat down and began to cry. “Come! Come!” cried Santa. “I want to thank you for the dinner and tree and other gifts.”“But we gave them away!” cried the elves, wiping their eyes vigorously.“Surely,” said Santa, “you’ve heard this rhyme:‘To make a gift for Santa ClausIs plain as one and one;You make a gift for someoneWho’d otherwise have none.’”“Do you really mean it?” cried the elves.“Certainly I do,” Santa replied. “Now skip off to bed and don’t peep to see what I’m putting in your stockings!”The three elves squinched their eyes tight shut and skipped off to bed.Merry Christmas -Be a good elf and give a gift to somebody that’s not having a Christmas - and don’t forget our military.
