How to resolve AdBlock issue? OP-ED by Ojai Councilman William Weirick on Feb. 7 OVN OPINION PAGE: Watershed adjudication is an existential threat to the Ojai Valley
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- Published: Thursday, 06 February 2020 19:42
By William Weirick, Ojai council member
After decades of acting like an environmental outlaw, the city of Ventura has decided it will be able to grab more water out of the Ventura River watershed through lawyers and judges than from an agreement among neighbors consistent with the principles of true sustainability embedded in emerging state laws and regulations. That is the backstory.
OP-ED by Stephen E. Frank ON OPINION PAGE Jan. 31: Ojai Valley Community Hospital enhances services despite trend of rural hospital closures: 2019 set a record for rural hospital closures
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- Published: Friday, 31 January 2020 11:24
Submitted photoStephen E. Frank, president of the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation
By Stephen E. Frank
The city of Ojai and the Ojai Valley are known for their quaint rural charm and beautiful scenery. The valley is a unique place, cherished by residents and tourists alike.
Water adjuducation -- the nuclear option
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- Published: Friday, 31 January 2020 10:58
By Alasdair Coyne
Thousands of residents of the Ventura River Basin had recently to sign for a package in the mail regarding the commencement of adjudication proceedings on their groundwater supplies.
This all began in 2014 when Santa Barbara Channelkeeper (an environmental organization long involved in water-quality issues in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties), sued the city of Ventura to prevent the city’s over-pumping of water near Foster Park by Casitas Springs. The lawsuit’s goal is to ensure that enough water remains in the lower Ventura River for riparian and aquatic species, including the federally designated endangered Southern California steelhead.
Ojai water wars: The battle is launched
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- Published: Friday, 24 January 2020 11:34
By Lindsay Nielson
Did you get one? No, not the Publishers Clearing House notice, but it came in a large white certified mail envelope. It was addressed to more than 10,000 Ojai area property owners. It was a 75-page lawsuit and summons to join the city of Ventura’s water war party. You’ve been served!
Adjudication is not sustainability and does not serve the public good
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- Published: Friday, 24 January 2020 11:27
WILLIAM WEIRICK, Ojai City Council
As a community, we need to cut through the fog of Orwellian doublespeak being used by the city of Ventura, some water agency elected and appointed officials, and other assorted advocates or apologists for Ventura River Watershed adjudication. Adjudication is not sustainability. Adjudication does not serve the public good. It only serves the interests of lawyers and others benefitting from strife, conflict and a “slice the pie” mentality. It drains resources instead of attracting them.
We elect politicians to deliver solutions, not lawsuits
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- Published: Friday, 24 January 2020 10:54
By Trevor Quirk
If you are like me, you are troubled by the water lawsuit for several reasons.
You are troubled because the city of Ventura chose to sue you.
Ventura mayor cannot sue Ojai Valley and run to represent us as supervisor
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- Published: Friday, 17 January 2020 09:44
By Jeffrey Starkweather
On Jan. 12, I attended the Democratic Club of Ventura meeting at which Matt LaVere (Ventura mayor and candidate for Ventura County Supervisor, District 1 which encompasses the entire Ojai Valley) spoke and answered questions about Ventura’s recent legal actions against virtually all Ojai Valley water users. Ojai City Council member Bill Weirick asked LaVere why it was necessary to spend millions of dollars to take legal action against thousands of Ojai Valley water users to resolve the complaint by the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper that Ventura was endangering steel head trout and the ecology of the Ventura River by taking too much water from the river in the summer months.
Ventura tries to Mulholland theft of water
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- Published: Friday, 17 January 2020 09:42
By Jerry George
Let’s get this straight, you pinhead mayor of Ventura! Ventura has been so wrong in past planning decisions for what could have been a beautiful city! Adjacent to the ocean, you had an opportunity to have a waterfront mecca! You see yourself as a Los Angeles of the early 1900s and your mayor is trying to pull off a sequel to “Chinatown”! You want to pull a Mulholland theft of water from all areas that feed down to Ventura!
County supervisors support greater autopsy privacy
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- Published: Thursday, 16 January 2020 22:30
By Steve Bennett, Ventura County supervisor
Regarding your Jan. 3 editorial, “Prevent death of the public’s right to know”:
For the Ojai Valley News to suggest that the county medical examiner and the five supervisors took the position to preserve medical record privacy in order to enable concealment of incriminating information is a disservice to these public officials and the citizens of our community.
A collaborative path forward to protect our water resources
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- Published: Thursday, 09 January 2020 20:04
By Matt LaVere, Ventura mayor
The future of the Ventura River Watershed is in our hands.
A vital water resource, the watershed serves many diverse interests in the region including agricultural users, businesses, individuals, water districts and cities that depend on it each day. Right now, this essential water supply is at risk, consistently being stretched to capacity as a result of changing climate conditions and prolonged periods of drought. It’s a serious challenge that requires timely action. That’s why the city is committed to establishing a balanced solution that protects this precious water resource now and moving forward.
Feel like a kid again — ride your bike!
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- Published: Friday, 03 January 2020 11:09
By Suza Francina, Ojai City Council member
Recent letters to the editor on bicycling in Ojai brought up many important points. Ojai has the potential to be the Copenhagen of California, a bicycle-friendly city where students can safely ride to school and visitors come to our beautiful valley for a car-free vacation.