Santa Paula Blog

From Supervisor Kathy Long.......

This is to give you a "heads-up" if you haven't already heard of the
AMGEN Tour of California, Stage 6, which will impact portions of our
County on Saturday, February 25, 2006. It is a MAJOR bicycle event
traversing the state. Stage 6 will traverse from Santa Barbara to
Thousand Oaks on February 25.

The CHP is coordinating the traffic control for the event, with Sheriff
and municpal agency support. The Transportation Department is
participating in the unincorporated area.

The portion of the route that is within the unincorporated area includes
primarily the portion from Santa Paula to Thousand Oaks. This includes
South Mountain Road, Balcom Canyon Road, Bradley Road, State Route 118
to State Route 34 (Somis/Lewis Road), to Upland Road in the City of
Camarillo, thence down Santa Rosa Road to Moorpark Road (Norwegian Grade
in the City of Thousand Oaks). The run terminates in Ventua Park Road in
Thousand Oaks. The run estimates to be traversing these areas about
mid-day.

They will require two full traffic lanes to accomodate the volume of
cycylists participating. The event organizers seem to be fairly well
organized and are getting permits to post warning and informational
signs prior to the event. We provided them a list of affected
homeowners, and the event organizers intend to mail out informational
flyers, and arrange for volunteers to help man driveways and cross
streets, while the hoard pedals through. These roads will; however, be
closed during the time the cyclists are coming through - in case you get
any complaints.

People have been asking about the Chili Hut being closed. They are
putting in a new gas line and soda machine. It sounded like they may be
doing some other upgrades in the kitchen. They plan reopen next Monday.
I suggested that they put a sign in the window stating when they'll
reopen. They are also changing the menu again with a wider selection of
hamburgers and Chinese food.

From Santa Paula Fire Department: The Air Pollution Control District has approved a burn day for Tuesday, January 31. We are lining up multi-agency staff to conduct this season's final controlled burn of the remaining piles of cut vegetation on the hillside below the hospital. Assuming it's a "go", the main burning will be from approximately 0830 to 1430.

A part of the City's Vision Plan was to assist community organizations
communicate with one another. At a meeting several months ago of
community organizations, it was suggested to start a listserv that
organizations (and interested individuals) could use to share
information. So I have created a "Google Group" to do just that:
http://groups.google.com/group/SantaPaula. While this group will not be
sponsored or endorsed formally by the City, I will keep an eye on it. The purpose is to help exchange information using the Internet. Lets see what happens.....

The Police Department held an open house today to meet the community and introduce new Chief Steve MacKinnon.

Adelphia Cable has informed us that they plan to raise rates in March
$1.00 per month on all tiers of service. In addition, they will begin
offering a new HD tier that will include two channels of ESPN, two in
demand movie channels, a general interest HD channel and an HD movie
channel for $5.00/month.

Linda Kelly, the Town Manager of Fairfax up in Marin County has started a blog. I have known Linda for years, back to when we both worked together in the City of Long Beach in the early 1990's.

The Santa Paula City Council will have a special meeting on Monday,
January 30 at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting will be a closed
session only to discuss pending litigation against the Ventura County
Community College District, one case of potential litigation, discuss
on-going labor negotiations and to continue its annual evaluation of the
City Manager.

City Clerk Josie Herrera has certified the petition seeking a referendum
on the City Council's amendment to the City's General Plan on the number
of housing units in the Fagan Canyon project. This certification now
goes to the City Council at their next regular meeting, Monday February
6, for action to rescind their previous approval or set a date to place
referendum before the voters.

Mayor Cook's State of the City Address presented last Saturday night at
the Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner will be rebroadcast each day at
9:30 AM and 6:30 PM beginning Sunday January 30 through Saturday
February 4 on Channel 10. The frequency of broadcast is our first use
of an automated playback system for Channel 10. This system will allow
us to more regularly show programming on Channel 10 since staff will no
longer be required for playback.

The Santa Paula Police Department will be hosting an open house on
Saturday, January 28 from 1 PM to 4 PM at the Department, 210 S. 10th
Street. The open house will allow the community to meet our new Police
Chief, Steve MacKinnon as well as to meet all the men and women of the
Santa Paula Police Department. There will be tours of the facility and
displays of various aspects of the Department. For further information,
contact the Police Department at 525-4474.

The annual listing of the City's accomplishments for the year just ended
is now available on our website.

Mayor Rick Cook presented his State of the City address Saturday night
at the annual meeting of the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce. The
speech can be found here.

The East Area One Master Plan Oversight Committee will be meeting
Wednesday evening, January 25 at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers to
receive an update report from the Limoneira Company on their planning
efforts. The Committee will also select a date for a third large scale
public meeting to receive community input on the draft plan in late
February or early March. Limoneira plans to submit their plan to the
City in April for review. If approved by the City Council, then
Limoneira and the City would go to the voters next year with an
initiative to move the property within the City's Urban Restriction
Boundary.

The initiative on the special election Tuesday April 18, 2006 regarding
Adams Canyon will be known as Measure Y.

NBC announced this afternoon that "The West Wing" has been cancelled.
The last episode of the show will be on Sunday, May 14. This may be
good news for Santa Paula since Alan Alda's character, Senator Arnold
Vinick, may be elected President after all if Alda does not have to
continue in the role after this season. Stay tuned....

Over 300 teens and 25 adults participated in our Teen Center Master Plan Visioning Workshop. It was an excellent event thanks to the help of staff from Isbell Middle School and the City.

The group consumed 63 large pizzas at lunch and over 100 bottles of water in addition to salad and soft drinks. The results of today's event will be the basis for the development of a teen center in Santa Paula.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will close State Route 150 (SR-150) in both directions, between Thomas Aquinas College and Osborn Road Friday, January 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to bring in heavy equipment for repair work.

Caltrans will also close SR-150 from Thomas Aquinas College to Camp Bartlett, beginning Wednesday night, January 25 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning, for the relocation of utility poles.

These closures are necessary for storm damage repairs. Motorists are advised to seek an alternate route through the area during these closures.

The City has started a project to plant 155 new Queen Palm trees on Harvard Blvd. between Peck and 12th Streets and on Palm Avenue between Highway 126 to Harvard. Some existing trees will be removed in the process, primarily those which have been damaging the adjacent sidewalk. Most of the $123,000 project is being paid through Federal and State transportation grants.

The City of Santa Paula is hosting a meeting to plan a new Teen Center
for the community on Saturday, January 21 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the
Isbell Middle School Cafeteria. All interested teens and adults are
invited to attend. This meeting will help determine where a center
would be located, what kind of activities and services will be available
at the center and what age groups the center will be geared toward. For
further information, please contact the City of Santa Paula at 933-4200.

Santa Paula City Clerk Josie Herrera today received word from the County Elections Division that there are sufficient signatures on the referendum petition that was circulated challenging the City Council's approval of the Fagan Canyon project. There were 1,649 signatures, of which 1,143 were found to be sufficient. A total of approximately 1,080 signatures were needed. The City Clerk will now verify that the referendum is in compliance with the Elections Code. If it is, then the City Clerk would likely present the referendum to the City Council at their next meeting February 6, 2006.

The Skate Park was closed today through Monday, January 23,
2006 for rules violations. The Police Department has experienced
significant resistence by skaters in enforcement of the park rules,
especially the requirement to wear helmets. Skaters have been
uncooperative with officers issuing citations giving false names and
destroying citations in front of the officers once the citation is
issued. The City Attorney is reviewing current penalities for
violations of the skate park rules to consider more appropriate
penalities for non-compliance.

The Santa Paula Ministerial Association is sponsoring a celebration of
Saint Paula's Feast Day on Thursday, January 26 at 7 PM at St. Paul's
and Emmanuel Churches, 117 N. 7th Street. This non-denominational
service in honor of Saint Paula, the namesake of the City of Santa Paula
is for the community to recognize Saint Paula (the patron saint of
widows) and reflect on the strengths and challenges facing our city.
The principal speaker at the service will be Dr. Michael McLean, Dean of
Thomas Aquinas College. Members of several Santa Paula church choirs
will also come together as the Santa Paula Ecumenical Choir to perform.
For further information, contact the Ministerial Association at
805-525-3811.

1. Authorized City Attorney to file writ against the Ventura County
Community College District for their failure to provide requested
documents to the City under the California Public Records Act regarding
spending of their facility bond funds.

2. Heard update from Dr. Sam Edwards on reopening of Santa Paula
Hospital. County now plans to reopen hospital in April, 2006 after
dealing with several unexpected facility maintenance issues.

3. Continued hearing on proposed development at 720 E. Main Street
until March 6, 2006.

4. Set April 18, 2006 as a special election to consider moving
Adams Canyon into the City's Urban Restriction Boundary.

5. Directed staff to move forward with partnership with Homeboys
Inc. for the construction of a community center at Las Piedras Park at
no cost to the City.

Below is a press release about an upcoming concert by the Unicorn Recorder Consort. They will be performing "The Santa Paula Tango." I discovered the sheet music for this tango on Ebay in December, 2004 and purchased it from a man in Argentina. Buenos Aires has a district known as "Santa Paula." Should be fun!
------
The first concert of the third season of the Santa Paula Concert Series will be held on Saturday, February 11th at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Universalist Unitarian Church, a Ventura County landmark, located at 740 E. Main Street, Santa Paula.

The Unicorn Recorder Consort and friends will perform pieces from the Renaissance to the 20th Century including a premier of the Santa Paula Tango, originally produced in Argentina in the 1930s. Composers include Meech, Webster, Holborn, Davenport, Britten, Byrd and Carey.
Under the music direction of Mariana Franco-Sommer, players are Bruce Walker, Teresa Dye, Reed Smith and Ollie Powers.

The Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula has been home to a number of musical events throughout its 113 year old history. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the church’s Stained Glass Window Restoration Project. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased at the John Nichols Gallery at 916 E. Main Street, Santa Paula or by calling 805-525-7804.

Meeting on Tuesday because of Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday:

1. Council meeting in closed session to discuss legal issues
regarding the Ventura County Community College District.

2. Presentation by Dr. Sam Edwards on status of the reopening of
Santa Paula Hospital. They have encountered more structural/property
issues with the building than they anticipated. He will report on that
on their current estimate for opening hospital.

3. Consideration of eight unit apartment complex at 720 E. Main
Street.

4. Update on construction of new $65 million water recycling
facility (sewer plant). City has decided on membrane filter process for
treatment at the new plant. Council will get update on design of plant
which is now well underway.

5. Consideration of special election for initiative to move Adams
Canyon into the City's Urban Restriction Boundary. City Clerk is
proposing an April 18, 2006 special election.

6. Update on project to construct community center at Las Piedras
Park.

Fillmore & Western Railway reports they will be working late hours in order to open Peck Road by this  Saturday morning.  The bedding, ties, and dry utilities have been placed.  The concrete panels will be placed by tomorrow night, and asphalt paving is scheduled for Friday.

The Santa Paula Kiwanis Club and the City of Santa Paula are sponsoring
a contest for the design of the poster for this year's annual Santa
Paula Citrus Festival, America's largest celebration of oranges, lemons
and avocados.

This year's 39th annual festival will be held July 14-16, 2006 at Santa
Paula's Harding Park.

Artists, young and old, are invited to submit entries. The winning entry
will receive $500.00. The deadline for submitting entries is Friday,
February 24, 2006.

For further information, please call 805-933-4200 or check the
festival's website at www.santapaulafestival.org

The City of Santa Paula and the Limoneira Company have partnered
together on the refurbishment of Teague Park, a primary soccer field for
use by youth and adults in Santa Paula. The park has recently re-opened
after being closed for several months for a complete replanting of the
turf and repair of the irregation system.

Harold Edwards, CEO of Limoneira stated "This was a fun project and it
should really help put smiles on the faces of Santa Paula's young
people. We worked with the City of Santa Paula and Associates Insectary
and Agromin to get the field reconditioned".

Gus Gunderson of Limoneira said "we did the work with the understanding
that there would be a lot of use on the field. We re-seeded with a
special "Sports Field Mixture of Rye and Bermuda grasses to get it done.
You could say that it was a team effort".

"A soccer clinic will be held on Saturday, Jan 14th from 12-2:00 p.m. at
Teague park with Chives USA champions Armando Bejines and Juan Pablo
Garcia", says Tomas Gonzalez, one of Limoneira's management team. We
really want everybody to come out to the event and we will have a
special autograph signing with the players at Bob's Big Boy Express at
Limoneira Mercantile from 2:00-3:00 p.m. following the clinic.

Harold Edwards also said that we have plans to partner with the City of
Santa Paula to help with other area parks. We're committed to helping
with community development, and glad we can have an opportunity to pitch
in."

For more information please contact John Chamberlain of the Limoneira
Company at 805 525-5541 ext 256.

The Hallmark Channel is shooting a movie on Main Street today (Monday) and at the Depot on Tuesday. The movies stars Cheryl Ladd of Charlie's Angels fame (and now on NBC's "Vegas"), but it is unclear if Miss Ladd will be making an appearance in Santa Paula.

The next controlled burn of the cut piles of vegetation on the NE mid-slope of Hospital Hill is now scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, January 10 from approximately 8 AM to 5 PM, weather conditions permitting.  This fire hazard reduction program is a joint effort conducted by the Santa Paula Fire Department, the Ventura County Fire Protection District, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and it is subject to the approval of the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. 

Frank joined the Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter in the 1950s and served as Fire Chief for two terms, from March 1, 1971 to February 20, 1974 and then again from February 20, 1982 to March 31, 1984.  Frank also served as the City's full time Fire Inspector and later as full time Fire Marshal prior to his retirement in 1984.

Frank and his wife, Betty, were owners of Frank Cleaners on Main Street for many years.  They retired to the Paso Robles area.

 

1. Consider next steps with initiative petition to include Adams
Canyon within the City's Urban Restriction Boundary. The City received
confirmation from the County that sufficient signatures had been
received. If all else is determined to be in order by the City Clerk,
then the City Council is expected on January 17 to consider calling a
special election for the initiative.

2. Consider donation of 77 acres of Santa Clara River from the City
to the Nature Conservancy for future wetlands protection.

A second controlled burn for fire hazard reduction near the hospital is scheduled for Thursday, January 5, 2006, weather permitting.  The Fire Department will be burning several piles of cut vegetation along the mid-slope of the hillside west of Ojai Rd from approximately Mill Park to Woodland Drive. There will be two engine companies from Santa Paula Fire Department and 3 hand crews from the California Division of Forestry (CDF) and Ventura County Fire Departments assigned to the project. Project will start at 8:00 AM and hope to have it completed by 5:00 PM.  Smoke will be visible in the area of the hospital throughout the day. For further information, please call the Fire Department at 933-4265.

A reader asked what is going on at 10th and Santa Barbara Streets. It is the installation of a new community park. Peggy Kelly wrote an article detailing all this in the Santa Paula Times a few months ago.

The Ventura County Star normally publishes New Year wishes from each
county Mayor. They did not this year, but I thought you would be
interested in Mayor Cook's thoughts he prepared anyway. Happy New Year!
--------------------
"Santa Paula has been moving forward over the last several years to
enhance what makes our community great and to bring new opportunities to
our city. 2006 will mark the return of an important community resource
as we build on new successes for a better Santa Paula. The County of
Ventura is poised to reopen Santa Paula Hospital early in the year,
which will return to the Santa Clara Valley a full-service hospital for
the first time in two years. Re-opening a hospital is a major
achievement in today's health care business and the return of Santa
Paula Hospital will once again give our residents nearby medical
services for all their needs.

Santa Paulans will continue to scrutinize new development in 2006 as an
initiative to move forward with development of Adams Canyon will likely
be before voters early in the year and the Limoneira Company continues
its planning of their properties on the eastern boundary of the city.
Santa Paula needs the benefits of new development, but only on Santa
Paula's terms. No one project or development is a "quick fix" for Santa
Paula. Issues of traffic, available water and larger community benefits
must be weighed before any further development is approved. I am
confident that after the broad community discussion of the approved
Fagan Canyon project, that Santa Paulans are up for the challenge.

Santa Paula is working hard to invest in the economic vitality of our
community. Main Street has new energy with the resurgence of existing
businesses, the success of new businesses and the investment by the City
in important infrastructure projects. Our agricultural and industrial
businesses are also thriving with new investments in Santa Paula being
made by Calavo Growers Inc., Limoneira Company, Automotive Racing
Products, Bend Pak and Abrisa Glass that are creating more new good
paying jobs for Santa Paulans. These investments must be leveraged by
more education and training opportunities for our residents. That is
one reason why the City will continue its discussions with the Ventura
County Community College District to urge them to accept our offer of
property to move forward with construction of a new facility here.

As we move forward into 2006, the success of Santa Paula is tied to the
hard work and dedication of our City Council, our city employees and
members of our community who work together to ensure that Santa Paula
will remain the jewel of Ventura County.

Richard C. Cook
Mayor
City of Santa Paula"