Pa Ventura: More peanuts and less football, please
To kids
We learned last week that Acacia School in Thousand Oaks is part of a growing trend to give elementary school students less homework so they can instead pursue their passions after school. Pa agrees that too much homework can turn kids off to school but hopes they make productive use of the increased free time. He spent many hours on algebra equations instead of his after-school passion: "Gilligan's Island."
To legume lovers
New research suggests you can prevent peanut allergies by giving babies foods containing peanuts. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued new guidelines to health care providers and parents recommending introducing foods with peanuts during infancy. One study found it reduced the chance of allergies by 81 percent. Plus, it could reduce the incidence of crying babies on Southwest flights.
To football fans
The San Diego Chargers announced they are moving to Los Angeles, and Pa — a San Francisco 49ers fan — is kind of angry about it. Too cheap to buy any special cable TV package, Pa had to watch bad Rams football after their move to Los Angeles, and next season it will be bad Chargers football. It's not fair, because for really bad football, nobody beats the 49ers.
To cookie monsters
The annual Cookie University was held last week in Thousand Oaks, with 375 Girl Scouts tasting their new cookie lineup and trying out their sales skills. Sales here run from Feb. 4 through March 19, and being a camper, Pa is excited about the new S'mores cookie. But he's disappointed the lineup doesn't include his favorite, Samoas. Some say Caramel deLites are the same thing, but others say Samoas are sweeter and have a darker chocolate, less crunchy cookie and weaker coconut taste. As you can see from his research, Pa has too much time on his hands.
To Camarillo
Your fair city is again wrestling with a developer's plan to build scores of homes near the base of the Conejo Grade. Amid resident protests, your City Council in 2014 rejected the 2,500-home Conejo Creek development. Now, one of the landowners involved back then is proposing 1,593 housing units on agricultural land at Adohr Lane and Pleasant Valley Road. Considering Ventura County's severe housing shortage, we agree with Councilwoman Charlotte Craven that the city has an obligation to listen to the new proposal and keep an open mind.
To Port Hueneme
Speaking of open minds, your City Council is among the first in the county to consider allowing a marijuana dispensary after November's passage of Proposition 64. The council wants to look at how many, if any, dispensaries to allow; how much the pot should be taxed; and guidelines for indoor cultivation and manufacturing, among other things. City, county and state voters all spoke loudly in approving the legalization of marijuana, and we're glad at least one city here is listening.
To fairgoers:
"Rooted in Tradition" will be the new theme for this year's Ventura County Fair, which will run Aug. 2-13. It replaces "A Country Fair with Ocean Air," which fair officials used for three years because they liked it so much. Before that, we had "Boots, Barns and Banjos" and "Rides, Ribbons and Rodeos." Pa's no expert in promotions, but he thinks the fair should send him to the beer tent for a few hours to have a go at the 2018 theme.
To marchers
Organizers are expecting 1,500 people at Saturday's March for Justice in downtown Ventura. It will start at 10 a.m. in Plaza Park, 651 E. Thompson Blvd. The event coincides with the Women's March on Washington and other marches across the nation. Organizers are trying to spin a positive theme about justice and equality, but — nudge, nudge, wink, wink — supporters of our new president might want to stay home and watch "Apprentice" reruns.
To kite flyers
America's windiest city last year was Nashville, Tennessee, according to CoreLogic's annual analysis of weather. Music City USA had 21 wind-related events and a maximum wind speed of 72 mph, CoreLogic says. Reno, Nevada; Jackson, Mississippi; Cincinnati; and Columbia, South Carolina, were next on the list. What about Camarillo and its Santa Ana winds? Just another area where the city is underrated.
To Bellringers
The final tally for The Star's annual Julius Gius Bellringer holiday fundraising drive this winter was $49,491.34, about $5,740 more than a year earlier. As always, all contributions went to charity — the Salvation Army and Senior Concerns. Pa is proud of everyone who helped up the ante to assist the less fortunate in our community.