Well, my story about the fortieth birthday of Earth Day for the Ventura County Reporter is a few days early, but what the heck — the occasion does deserve celebrating, and a few questions for local enviros. Let me recommend it to you. My favorite quote, from Paul Jenkin, of the Ventura County chapter ofContinue reading “Happy Fortieth, Earth Day”
Category Archives: Ventura County
I’m a member of an endangered species — a journalist
It's a small story, as mine often are, but I'm not going to apologize for making a living reporting and writing. Here's a heartwarming local story, thanks to the Star, with nice pics by Joe Garcia. A quote from Maria: “Oh man, I wish I could hug all the people who helped me that aren’tContinue reading “I’m a member of an endangered species — a journalist”
Accuweather: Storm is “war on the Southwest”
Oh, c'mon. Now Accuweather is just getting silly: The last and strongest in the train of Pacific storms will unleash a new round of flooding rain, mudslides, feet of mountain snow, damaging winds and severe thunderstorms on California and the Southwest into Friday. Is is an all out weather war being waged by the atmosphereContinue reading “Accuweather: Storm is “war on the Southwest””
El Nino 2010: Small, medium, large…or wanna-be?
The infamous El Niño, bringer of warm winters and rain to Southern California, is back, NOAA says, and thanks to a surprisingly wet November, we're still ahead of normal in our total rainfall for this water year. Wouldn't you like to know what that really means? The truth is, no one knows. But for theContinue reading “El Nino 2010: Small, medium, large…or wanna-be?”
Joosed: Ventura County takes on caffeinated alcohol
From my cover story this week in the Ventura County Reporter: In his presentations on the hazards of alcoholic energy drinks around Ventura County, administrator of the Behavioral Health Department Dan Hicks likes to show a photograph of the aftermath of a horrific accident in 2007. A car driven by a young man hit aContinue reading “Joosed: Ventura County takes on caffeinated alcohol”
Tracking Stimulus Funds in Ventura County
Here's my cover story on the stimulus package here and its work in Ventura County in the Reporter… "If you ask county administrator Sue Hughes how much money from the massive economic recovery bill, passed in Washington in February of this year, is going to Ventura County, she will direct you to the county website,Continue reading “Tracking Stimulus Funds in Ventura County”
Ojai Mourns Bear Shot, Killed Downtown
Over the weekend a large, peaceful bear wandered into downtown Ojai, ended up in a tree, and after much human hubbub and confusion, was tranquilized and killed. Published reports conflict as to what happened. A story in the Ventura County Star, quoting state fish and game officials, reported: At about 10 p.m. Saturday, a wardenContinue reading “Ojai Mourns Bear Shot, Killed Downtown”
DDT: The Chemical Disaster That Won’t Go Away
Not all herbicides and pesticides concentrate in the ecosystem, but some do, and among the prime offenders is DDT, which (contrary to right-wing propaganda) is still a problem in the United States today, decades after the corporation that made it in Southern California stopped manufacturing it. In a first-rate story from a week ago inContinue reading “DDT: The Chemical Disaster That Won’t Go Away”
Ojai Activists to Launch Local Currency (maybe)
Don't often get to announce that a newspaper story I wrote for the Ventura County Star made the front page of the Sunday edition. Pretty thrilling for a late-blooming ink-stained wretch. Here's the lede: Ojai activists are hoping to launch a new form of local money as soon as this year, but no one knowsContinue reading “Ojai Activists to Launch Local Currency (maybe)”
The Danger of Using Checks
My piece on being hugely ripped off by check fraud from last week's Ventura County Reporter…I'm still dealing with the mess, and the creditors. The alarming truth: According to the accounting firm Ernst & Young, more than 500 million fraudulent checks are written every year in the U.S., out of a total of approximately 60Continue reading “The Danger of Using Checks”
Kit Stolz 