Volley girls return with gratitude

11-20
To the editor:
On behalf of the NHS Girl's Tennis Team, I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported us through this past season and through our CIF finals of this year. We'd like to give a big thank-you to all of the Nordhoff staff that came to watch and support us during our matches. Also, to the parents that have brought food, drove us to matches, made our phone calls and supported us throughout the season. We'd also like to give a big thank-you to the Ojai Valley Athletic Club and Thacher for allowing us to use their facilities and courts during our play-off matches.
The seniors would also like to thank all the players for making our last year very memorable and, of course, entertaining. It was nice to have our season finish in the quarterfinals and we wish you all good luck next year and the years to come.
There are many people that have made this past season possible. However, the most important would be our coaches, Rebecca Cook and Jerod Wallace. Thank you very much to both of you for believing in us and leading us through this past season. Your support is endless and has been greatly appreciated. We do take you seriously! Thanks again for everyone's support and generosity.

Co-Captain Danica Day
Nordhoff High School

History may be repeating itself

11-24
To the editor:
The excuses are made for the occurrence of the daily battles in Iraq and now spreading throughout the Middle East and far parts of Asia. The generals and Washington types tell us that its Hussein's leftovers, bitter enders, crooks, traitors, enemy combatants and bandits, etc.
I note that the terminology of the Washington boys is that of King George the III of England and others in London during the American Revolution. Prime Minister North tried and failed to change their minds and provide democracy to the colonies. The Revolution started. Washington lost just about every battle, but the war was won by those bitter enders of Morgan's Raiders, Green Mountain Boys, Rodger's Commandoes and many other guerilla outfits. They were outgunned in every way, but at the end the British were boxed into Yorktown and, with the French at their back and Washington's army in front, gave it up.
This was accomplished with only 25 to 30 percent of the residents of the colonies in support of the Revolution, 30 to 40 percent were neutral and 25 to 30 percent of the residents supported the British. In Vietnam we faced this same thing, we lost. Recent polls by the U.S. authorities give these numbers to the Iraqis.
You who have supported this adventure in the past consider that those going after our occupation forces also may be patriotic Iraqis fighting to get rid of us as imperial forces not liberators. For us to continue only gives substance to the arguments of the Bin Laden-type radicals that we are, in fact, an imperial colonial force.

Gary Orthuber
Ojai

More to park story than meets eye

11-26
To the editor:
Seeing the headline, "Club plans new park" (Nov. 21), readers might have thought the Ojai Valley News was reprinting a press release the Ojai Rotary Club-West submitted in October. Reading the article, however, put that notion to rest, tout de suite.
Reflecting back on the original "Club Plans " release, the club planned to construct a simple park that would enhance the entrance to the city, a notion seemingly not lost on the Planning Commission at the beginning of its deliberations. But it seems something had gotten lost in the translation once landscape architect Tom Bostrom completed his presentation.
What started out as an idea for creating a visually pleasing "drive-by" park with a few amenities for cyclists, hikers and equestrians quickly turned into a how-high-the-wall scramble to keep vehicles out of a full-fledged family gathering place. And it seemed everyone involved had something to say about the wall, even the members of the Rotary Club, whose plan evidently called for encasing the park with pole-and-rail fencing matching the existing fencing along the bicycle-pedestrian trail. Speakers for the club wondered what the point was to throw so much into a park for the intended enjoyment of motorists passing by, only to hide it from their view with a 4-foot wall. They were politely thanked for their input, then largely ignored as the focus quickly shifted back to how to spend the grant money the Planning Commission had found, bringing back the original "Club Plans " release.
Nearly six months ago, the Ojai Rotary Club-West proposed a park that was not supposed to cost taxpayers any money. But by the time the proposal finally found its way to the Recreation and Planning commissions' docket, the development of the final leg of the "Y" intersection had amassed a price tag of $450,000 to $500,000. And, judging by the comments by Rotary Club members in attendance, it evidently didn't much resemble the club's original plan. Instead, to the naked eye it resembled a scaled-down version of a nearly $900,000 plan the city couldn't afford in 2000.
Having been approached by a group that evidently has money to burn, it seems that the city plans to use the club's fiscal and physical resources to supplement a dream it has had instead of offering its services to help a community group do something nice for the city.
To read the OVN article, it is hard to not come away feeling that there's more to this story than meets the eye.

Bruce Roland
Ojai

Time to look again at school hours

12-01
To the editor:
This is a copy of a letter sent to Superintendent Timothy B. Baird, Ed.D., Ojai Unified School District.
Dr. Baird:
As you will recall, this past summer I corresponded with you and the School Board concerning the issue of the morning start time for high school and middle school students. I cited studies on the deleterious effects of having teenagers start too early in the morning. I suggested an alternative schedule which would allow the students to commence an hour later than presently.
Your reply noted "logistical problems" with the "certificated union" and "elective teachers" and "staff" and "facilities." You concluded by stating that the school day would be lengthened, but not start later.
I enclose for your review a recent editorial and article from the Los Angeles Times. The conclusions to be drawn are inescapable. Teenagers do better if they start school later. It is a proven scientific fact. Do we want our children to do better, or not?
Perhaps it is time for Ojai to seriously re-examine its school hours. Perhaps it is time for our children to be given the wherewithal to do better. Perhaps it could be done now, before my daughter, a Nordhoff sophomore, succumbs to exhaustion. Our children deserve the best chance to succeed. That's all we, as parents, can ask for.

Philip I. Moncharsh
Ojai

Rewards of giving seen directly

12-02
To the editor:
It's the season of giving. Who are you going to give to? If you're one of the majority of Americans who includes charitable giving in your year-end plans, you make the world go 'round. You clothe the needy and feed the hungry, bring us art and music, safeguard our environment, and support families and children.
As the director of one of these nonprofit organizations, I often wish I didn't have to constantly go to you, my fellow citizens of Ojai, to ask you for a financial contribution. Fund raising is hard work. With so many competing needs for our hard-earned dollars, I know that giving is difficult, too.
But there is a flip side to this. Think how wonderful it is that we everyday citizens have the power to influence our world in this way. We can truly do good through our investment of our charitable dollars. Especially in a small place like Ojai, where we can often directly see and experience the rewards.
Ojai is a treasure trove of charitable opportunities. We are a valley of dreamers and chock-full of creative organizations. Because we are somewhat isolated from the centralized services of greater Ventura County, we sometimes need to (and always like to) create our own.
We support social services, the arts, the environment and health in our own way, from the Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation, to Help of Ojai, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, the Ojai Shakespeare Festival, Theater 150, the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, the Ojai Valley Community Hospital, the Ojai Education Foundation, the Ojai Festival, the Ojai Valley Museum, the CREW, the Art Center, and private schools, among others.
These are worthy nonprofit organizations for your investment. In fact, their future is literally in your hands. This year, with the partial closing of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, accompanied by the state budget crisis, the city of Ojai and the county of Ventura cannot contribute as they have in the past.
The people of Ojai have a serious responsibility to take care of their own quality-of-life services. Even if you give to regional and national groups, I urge you to make local, in-your-backyard charitable giving your highest priority this year.
As a sign in the Youth Foundation office says, the 10 most important words in the English language are, "If it is to be, it is up to me."
What's your payoff? Healthy, smiling faces of all ages surrounding you in your daily life in Ojai. Open space, good books, theater, art and music, and an educated community to appreciate them. Oh, and higher property values, not to mention a tax write-off!
Season's greetings and won't you please give generously?

Caryn Bosson
Executive Director
Ojai Valley Youth Foundation

Moose have many to thank

12-3
To the editor:
A big thank-you to the merchants of Oak View and Mira Monte. The Moose Lodge of Oak View held its annual Halloween Adventure on Oct. 31. Our goal is to provide a safe place for the local children to play games, win prizes, trick-or-treat, eat hot dogs and have fun with their families. Despite the rain we had over 100 kids and their families attend the party and adult costume contest. We were so happy to see all of you come and enjoy the spirit of the event. On behalf of the Women of the Moose #1775 and the Loyal Order of the Moose #1417, we thank you all. We would also like to thank the Ojai Optimist Club for sponsoring our event this year.
Also, thanks to: American Hay & Grain, Atlas & Brakebill Bookkeeping, Body Essentials, Builders Mart, Boccali's Pizza House, Camp Dusty Childcare, Casa de Lago of Oak View, Dahl's Market, David Jury Automotive, Donuts & More, Elba Sanchez Realty, Frontier Paint, Farmer's Insurance Group-Vicky Boverson, Greg Rents, Headin' West Motorcycles, Hill Top Tavern, Hair's To You Too, K & C Automotive, Longhorn Supply Co., Morgan Carriage Works, McDonald's, Oak View Auto Center, Oak View Shell Station, Ojai Valley Glass, The Oak Pit, Ojai Valley Nursery, Rock Long Automotive & Chevron, Shanda's Place Cafe, Scotty's Liquor Store, Stir Crazy Coffee House, Terry Goodson Pool Service, Kenny Hiskett, Jeremy Reed, Ghouls of the Haunted House and Ventura Rentals.

Dusty Fernandez
Halloween Committee
Loyal Order of the Moose

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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