2021-12-17
’Twas the breakfast before Christmas
GATHER AROUND—Above, Santa reads a book to children during Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 11 at Arroyo Vista Recreation Center. Below, Santa visits with Savannah Peck, 9 months old. The City of Moorpark sponsored the event that included a pancake breakfast, a holiday craft project, a free present for the kids and photo ops with everyone’s favorite rosy-cheeked gift giver.
HOLIDAY SURGE
Omicron COVID variantconfirmed in Ventura County
As Ventura County health officials predicted, cases of COVID-19 are again on the rise. The county entered the holiday season with an average daily case rate of 7.19 per 100,000 residents. Less than three weeks later, that figure has nearly doubled to 13. Such a rise was largely expected due to holiday gatherings and more people staying indoors as the […]
Balancing commerce and character
City invites comments on chain store debateCactus Patch owner Joan Martinez watched the chairs and bar stools of her High Street restaurant fill up, but the customers didn’t come for their morning coffee. They came to have their voices heard. The City of Moorpark is considering whether the future of High Street includes chain stores, and the Dec. 9 workshop provided the community with the opportunity […]
Supervisors finalize district map
‘It was a balancing act,’ Supervisor LongAn 11th- hour motion by Supervisor Carmen Ramirez at the Dec. 7 Board of Supervisors meeting to reconsider proposed voting boundaries was unsuccessful. A previous map, given a tentative okay in November, was approved by a 4-1 vote. Only Supervisor Linda Parks joined Ramirez in voting to consider Ramirez’s preferred map, which would make one district border follow the Camarillo […]
Film brings fresh eyes to field lab cleanup
A recently released documentary is bringing a surge of new attention to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former rocket engine and nuclear testing facility in the hills above Simi Valley, and the 40-year-old battle over the chemical and radioactive contamination there. “In the Dark of the Valley,” which debuted Nov. 14 on MSNBC, features two local women and their […]
EDITORIAL: Settlement should remind us not to repeat deadly mistakes
EDITORIALThere’s a well-trod narrative which maps the nation’s opioid crisis. It began in the late 1990s as drugmakers flooded the U.S. healthcare system with painkillers, assuring prescribers that, though powerful, the drugs weren’t highly addictive. That was a lie. Before long, millions of Americans from all walks of life were becoming addicted to the very medications they’d been told were […]
Share food, donations to express gratitude
COMMENTARY /// Eye on the EnvironmentIf you are enjoying meals with family during the holiday season, you may want to express gratitude by avoiding waste and sharing with those who are less fortunate. Unfortunately, sharing prepared food is not easy. Food Share of Ventura County, a nonprofit regional food bank, feeds about 140,000 people per month but is unable to accept prepared food. “Food safety […]
Unique program serves veteran inmates
Before he joined the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Cmdr. Mike Hartmann spent nearly nine years in the United States Navy. It was his military experience that prompted him to advocate for the creation of a veteran’s housing unit. Hartmann wanted incarcerated veterans to be housed together while being overseen by deputies and other jail staff members who’ve also served in […]