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Letters to the Editor:

October 05, 2007
Opinion
Being prepared To the Editor:Santa Paula’s second annual Emergency Preparedness Event was held at Harding Park on September 8, 2007. It was a great success. An estimated 500 visitors took advantage of the information and displays that were provided to help them prepare for emergencies and disasters.The event was planned, organized and conducted by the Santa Paula Citizen Corps. The Citizen Corps is an organization of public and private people, businesses and groups whose mission is to improve emergency preparedness in Santa Paula. Special thanks go to Tom Busk of the American Red Cross and to Diane Torrence of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce. Tom served as the Chairperson of the Citizen Corps and Diane was instrumental in making the event such a great success.The participants provided information, displays and demonstrations to everyone that attended the event. Thank you to all that devoted so much time, resources and energy to make Santa Paula safer and better prepared. Thanks to the following groups, departments and individuals: Ventura County Copter 8, Limoneira, Fillmore Prudential California Realty, Ventura County Public Health Department, Santa Paula Elementary School District, Fillmore Volunteer Fire Department and their “Learn Not to Burn” trailer, Santa Paula Vons, Santa Paula Soroptimist International, Matilija Water, Quake Kare, American Medical Response, Santa Paula Building and Safety, Susan and Kiely Lazenby, Santa Paula Fire Department, Santa Paula Police Department, American Red Cross, Santa Paula Hospital, The United States Army, The United States Marines, The United States Forest Service and Smokey the Bear, Ford of Santa Paula, State Farm Insurance, Santa Paula CERT, Ventura County Sheriffs Upper Ojai Rescue Unit, Kmart, Auxiliary Communications Service/ACS (Formerly RACES/ARES).In addition to the participants at the event, many others provided support with supplies, materials to distribute and money to provide support. The supporters of the event were Cumulus Broadcasting 100.7 KHAY and 103.3 the Vibe, Santa Clara Valley Bank, Santa Paula Chevrolet, McCoy’s Towing, Kiwanis International, LandAmerica Lawyers Title, Patty Fallini, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, Congressman Elton Gallegly’s office, Ventura County Star and the Santa Paula Times.Plan to attend next year’s Ready Santa Paula event that is already in planning.Captain Steve LazenbySanta Paula Emergency Preparedness CoordinatorMoonlight at the Ranch a great successTo the Editor:I would like to thank Police Chief MacKinnon and the Chamber of Commerce on inviting the Sheriff’s Mounted Unit and the Sheriff’s Posse to help out on what was a very great night of fun for everyone who attended, and I am sorry for the ones who were turned away at the gate. Having the best view of everything from horseback, everyone was having a great time and had many things to see and of course we had many fine foods to sample from some of our local restaurants and, I heard, some good wine tasting also.I also want to thank the Limoneira Company on hosting this event for our Police and Fire Departments. Having been with Santa Paula Fire Paid-Call for ten years, I know firsthand on the equipment needed to keep this department and the firefighters up to date to meet their challenges. And knowing and working with the Police Officers while with the Fire Department, I also know what the Police Officers deal with on a daily basis and the challenges they too have to meet. So the money raised will not only help both departments, but also be of great help to all the citizens of Santa Paula.The last time I saw this many people having this much fun was the New Year’s Eve party a couple of years ago, another Moonlight event; maybe we found a new place to hold another New Year’s Moonlight at the Ranch.Thanks again everyone involved.Mike LambertSheriff’s Posse MemberSanta PaulaMore ‘Moonlight’ praiseTo the Editor:CONGRATULATIONS to the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce and the Limoneira Ranch Company for hitting one out of the park with their Moonlight at the Ranch event. I cannot recall any event on behalf of Santa Paula that pumped more energy, good will and funding into our public safety services or highlighted the positive aspects of living in Santa Paula more effectively. Talk about putting our best foot forward!This didn’t happen by accident. The hard work of Connie Tushla, with the support of her family and the members of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, coupled with the community-minded Limoneira Ranch, produced an evening to be remembered. Clearly many hands make quick work as local merchants, local officials and individuals came together to produce something both enjoyable and meaningful. The Limoneira Ranch Company has been active in Santa Paula for over 100 years, first providing jobs and taxes. Recently, under the leadership of Harold Edwards, Limoneira has added educational and recreational opportunities for our community.The demonstrations by the Santa Paula Fire and Police Department prove that the members of our police and fire departments are the best to be found. They are a source of community pride and deserve our support. No one can do it better than we can ourselves.Again, CONGRATULATIONS to all involved.Walt & Linda AdairSanta PaulaA fine musical afternoon
To the Editor:Congratulations and thanks are in order for Music Director Mariana Franco-Sommer and the Fine Arts Committee at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula for bringing continuously fine musical programs to our community. Sunday afternoon, those in attendance were treated to Elizabethan love songs and more, accompanied by Renaissance lute and guitar, and mellow melodies from the Unicorn Recorder Consort.This is the fourth season of this excellent series, offering great variety in musicians and instrumentation. Compositions range from classical to contemporary, and represent musical styles from around the world.If you missed Sunday’s concert, you can look forward to an evening presentation on Saturday, November 3, the third “Tree of Strings” harp concert. If it’s anything like previous offerings (and I’m sure it will be), it will be an evening to remember.Thanks again to the organizers and planners of Sunday’s concert, as well as all the talented performers. I look forward to November.Suzi SkutleySanta PaulaSay NO to horse slaughterTo the Editor:A little filly, probably going to grow big and strong. Sadly, she won’t get that chance. Because of the laws people have made, she’ll probably be sent to the slaughterhouse. Why kill an innocent filly just because you or your dog is hungry?Well, if you feel fine by it, then let me tell you. That horses are a part of life and you know, you might not think so, but horses are just like you and me. Sure they can’t talk or walk like we do but they still have kids, eat, live, and hope for a better tomorrow just like we do.So why would you kill them? To me and many other people who actually care about our animals and our planet, we wouldn’t judge, we would try to imagine that they were like us, human, hoping, caring, wishing for a better day, for a better world. And if you really think about it, you will see that killing them is like killing your child, your own family and it would even be like cutting off your own hand.So why take their lives while you live? Why kill your own purpose, your own dreams. Why take your own life? So please join the fight to stop horse slaughter and make a better planet, a better future, for all living things. Please donate money to any Humane Society or any center that stops horse or any other animal slaughter. Trust me, after you’ve done this you will see that you’re doing your part and that you’re making the world a better place; besides, no one else will do it for you.We thank you and the horses thank you, for doing your part in saving our world and our animals’ world. We appreciate your choice.Dedicated to all the horses and the people who have tried so hard to save them.Alyssa SmithSanta PaulaWhat is the premise for the grandiose and costly farm worker monument?To the Editor:What is the premise for the grandiose and costly farm worker monument? What exactly is it supposed to celebrate? The starry-eyed county newspaper gushed that it is “to honor the work and legacy of the agricultural workers who created the first citrus groves that brought wealth to the Santa Clara River Valley.” That statement is historical nonsense. Brave visionary farmers who risked virtually everything they owned created the agricultural prosperity, which then provided jobs for itinerant farm workers from many different places.Certainly farm work is now picnic. It’s hard labor for scant wages, as many of us who grew up in Santa Paula learned early on. There is nothing noble about it and contrary to the oft-stated myth, farm workers do not labor to put food on our tables. They labor to put food on their own tables. Theirs is not some altruistic endeavor in the service of humanity, deserving of sainthood. They simply do the best they can with the cards they’ve been dealt, just like the rest of us.If we wish to commemorate the heroes of our agricultural heritage, we might better honor the early farmers who risked everything to make Santa Paula an agricultural center and, in doing so, provided livelihood for many generations of farm workers and the opportunity for the farm workers’ children to achieve better lives.Bill GlennSanta Paula