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The Hueneme Pilot
Serving Port Hueneme, Oxnard, and the World!
Vol V, No. 18 November 2019
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High Tea Kicks off PH Social Season
Best Hat Winners: 1st Dorothy Roger, 2nd Patti B Finie, 3rd Charity Winiarski
The 18th annual Victorian High Tea raised over $5000 for the Friends of the Ray D. Preuter Library. New librarian Dolly Knight marveled over the "peanut butter, jelly, and bacon sandwiches". "The Friends are so pivotal in helping the library function," she said.
The Friends of the Libarary newsletter online:
Your prize winning table!
Best table winners were 1st, Jackie Braxton; 2nd, Beverly Rollins; 3rd, Colleen McCarthy.
County Supervisor Kelly Long wins a door prize!
At City Hall
PH Crime Rate Drops
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Port Hueneme Police Chief Andrew Salinas reports that the City's crime rate has continued to decline. Led by a 47% drop in violent crime and a 1% drop in property crime, the overall rate is down by 7%.
Chief Salinas recalled the dire predictions of the impacts of the cannabis industry, "your crime will spike" he was told. "I have the numbers to prove that is not the case," he asserted.
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OHD Talks Safety
Michael Morrison, Operations and Security Manager of the Oxnard Harbor District, reported to the City Council about the District's efforts to promote safety in the wake of a spectacular crash of a Port-bound heavy truck.
The Harbor District has engaged in a safety information campaign with the haulers who use the Port. "We at the Port are sensitive to the community," Mr. Morrison said. "We are working with the Chief of Police to get the message out."
Councilmember Sylvia Muñoz-Schnopp told Mr. Morrison, "The traffic going eastbound is absurd, you are going to have to do something about it. We don't want [the crash] to be repeated."
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City Enters Into Energy Contract
Port Hueneme has entered into a contract with Engie Services U.S. that could potentially save as much as $260,000 over the next seventeen years. Engie is a general contractor that specializes in projects that result in increased energy efficiency.
The City contract will cost $3.7 million, comprised of an $840,000 1% loan from the California Energy Commission, a $1.2 million 2.59% private equity loan, and $1.6 million in city investment.
Engie spokesman Tony Lumino explained that savings are guaranteed, and any shortfalls will be paid by Engie. The contract is a "firm fixed price," Mr. Lumino said, "If we blow it, we eat it."
The project will include new lighting and ventilation systems, a new roof for City Hall, new lighting in Moranda Park, and electric vehicle chargers on city property.
City Manager Rod Butler asserted "We'll be budgeting less money for utilities in future years."
In addition to the physical improvements, Engie will be working with the Boys' and Girls' Club to provide US Green Building Council (USGBC) paid internships for junior and senior high school students leading to a Green Associate Certification from USGBC.
"This is what green jobs are all about," said Mr. Lumino. "This is where it starts, right here."
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New Deputy City Manager Signs On
Charles Peretz has taken up the vacant Deputy City Manager position after 17 years with the City of Pasadena, most recently as the Public Works Manager.
"He has a lot of experience dealing with active, engaged, very vocal residents," said City Manager Rod Butler.
Mr. Peretz is expected to focus on human resources, information technology, recreation and community services, and special projects.
—Ed.
State Auditor Rates PH as "Low Risk"
The California State Auditor has issued rankings for fiscal risk for all California cities. Port Hueneme rates among the lowest for "overall risk" achieving top scores for liquidity, debt burden, and general fund reserves. Pension obligations rank in the mid-range for all cities.
See the rankings here
"Take It and Use It"
“We’ve trained an entire culture to stop asking because we always say no” Paul Mann, Technical director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center discussed the Navy’s new approach to In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) in a presentation to the Regional Defense Parnership for the 21st Century (RDP-21). ISEA of the Future is an effort to share
and develop technologies across the service by using by using both military and private capabilities.
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ISEA is a plan to streamline processes through engaging the private sector. “When I got here we were in a disaster state,” Mr. Mann said. “We were not contracting with local businesses. Now we’re sharing investment with our industry partners.”
In contrast to hide-bound military process, Mr. Mann redefined R&D (Research and Development) as “Ripoff and Deploy”. “If someone’s done it, just take it and use it.”
Mr. Mann recognizes a sense of urgency. “We’re no longer so far advanced that nobody will mess with us,” he said. “We’re partnering with everybody and anybody to provide readiness for the Navy.”
The ISEA program has grown from 200 employees to over 2700. Mr. Mann is eager to recruit new graduates. “The grads have talent. The senior workers have experience,” he said.
Harnessing the agility of the private sector is an important part of ISEA. “We’ll never be successful without the engagement of industry,” Mr. Mann explained. The value of private contracts has risen from $190 million to $270 million.
Mr. Mann is on the lookout for a wide variety of talent. “We need business professionals. We don’t just need engineers,” he said.
Unmanned systems are another area of opportunity. With a $7 billion budget, “They want our services in Ventura County,” Mr. Mann said.
—Ed.
Duct Tape
Gary Johnson fashions a rope from duct tape.
According to retired Los Angeles firefighter Gary Johnson, fires have three major causes, “men, women, and children.”
Mr. Johnson came to the Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum to discuss the many uses of duct tape, but he made sure to talk about fire safety. He pointed out the importance of a working smoke detector, reporting that the fatality rate in Los Angeles was cut in half the first year smoke detectors were required. Most importantly he said “Have a plan.”
It was duct tape that was the topic of the day. Duct tape was originally conceived as a sealer for ammunition boxes. It’s flexibility has been demonstrated since then. Mr. Johnson provided a lengthy, but by no means exhaustive, list of potential uses: Wart removal, blisters, splints, bandages, removing splinters, training tape, suture (“A bandage not a dressing,” Mr. Johnson cautioned.), sealing a bite, removing ticks, reducing scars and stretch marks, and making waterproof boots with a plastic bag and, of course, duct tape.
Mr. Johnson demonstrated folding a roll of duct tape into a sturdy rope. “The only limitation is your imagination,” he said.
—Ed.
Cleanup Continues
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Oxnard Public Works in co-operation with the City of Port Hueneme is engaged in a "phased clean-up" along Ormond Beach.
"Anywhere You Go You Take Your Genes."
Dr. Mark Fleischman discusses Human Variation at the Historical Society Museum.
“I want everyone to stand next to the person just like them.” Dr. Mark Fleischman discussed “Human variation” at the Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum. “Everyone’s unique,” he went on, “Even identical twins are not identical.”
Mytosis — cells splitting in two — “Was reproduction before sexual reproduction came along,” Dr. Fleishman explained. “Variation is extremely important for survival of the population over time,” he said. Yet, such a simple population is susceptible to boom and bust cycles. “The environment changes, the population either burgeons or busts.”
On the other hand, sexual reproduction spreads the variations over the entire population, making for more resiliency through environmental changes.
Dr. Fleischman describes natural selection as the “interaction between the environment and your genes." He points out that the well-known doctrine of “survival of the fittest” is "not what Charles Darwin said."
Rather it was formulated by social philosopher Herbert Spencer who applied Darwin’s findings to society at large. Darwin spoke of differential reproduction — successful populations will reproduce at a higher rate.
Migration also has an effect on human evolution. “Anywhere you go you take your genes,” said Dr. Fleischman. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. The descendants of British prisoners are not well adapted to life under the antipodeal sun.
Yet with all the conveniences of the modern world, Dr. Fleischman worries that “Technology is stepping between us and selection.”
Dr. Fleischman also pointed out the importance of non-Darwinian evolution. Originally “mammals were not as well adapted as dinosaurs”, yet when an asteroid wiped out the great lizards, it induced a ten year winter, giving the mammals an advantage they did not have before.
Although variation and evolution will continue, “If another asteroid hit, all that adaptation wouldn’t do you any good anyway,” Dr. Fleichman noted cheerfully.
—Ed.
End of the Road?
Amgen Tour of California "Put on Hiatus"
Jonathan Vaughters: "Racing has to be reinvented."
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jonathan-vaughters-the-tour-of-california-can-come-back-but-racing-in-the-us-has-to-be-re-invented/
Anna van der Breggen: "Cancellation is a big loss".
Tour of California Stories and Gallery here
Fall Ball
Fall baseball has begun in Port Hueneme. The Port Hueneme Little League has been raising funds for a new scoreboard.
Washington, DC – Today, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee approved the Deborah Sampson Act, legislation authored by Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Julia Brownley (D-Westlake Village), which will address inequities and barriers that women veterans face when accessing VA care and benefits. The bill is named after a Revolutionary War veteran, Deborah Sampson Gannett, who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and who was awarded a full military pension for her military service.
“Currently, women veterans comprise the fastest growing demographic within the veteran community, yet their invaluable service is often overlooked and forgotten, leading these women to feel invisible. The Deborah Sampson Act recognizes and honors women veterans by ensuring inclusivity and equitable access to resources, benefits, and services,” said Congresswoman Brownley.
“This bill is a result of several roundtables, site visits, and meetings with women veterans across the country to identify issues and barriers they face, and will address many of the inequities and barriers that the Women Veterans Task Force has identified. The Deborah Sampson Act will build on the work that Congress has done since our nation’s founding to recognize women in the military. Our women veterans deserve nothing less.
“By moving this bill forward, we can send the message to America’s women veterans that ‘we see you, and we thank you for your selfless service.’ I am pleased that the full committee approved this critically important bill today, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this legislation forward. Together, we will continue working to ensure that we are supporting and honoring women veterans and transforming VA so that all veterans receive the benefits and services they have earned and deserve.”
“I fully support Congresswoman Brownley’s bill- a culmination of her work and leadership under this Committee’s Women Veterans Task Force,” said House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mark Takano. “Deborah Sampson was one of the first women to earn a full military pension after she disguised herself as a man and served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The Deborah Sampson Act honors the tradition of women’s military service by expanding and improving VA’s healthcare and benefits specifically for women veterans.”
History by the Minute
Beverly Merrill Kelley
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Let’s face it, we’re all busy people. We’d love to learn more about our hometown but who has the time? This column will feature highlights that can be read in a minute or two. And rest assured, the information comes from the considerable resources of the Port Hueneme Historical Society. If your interest is piqued to learn more, visit the museum on Market Street or send your questions via email to Kelley@callutheran.edu. We will be exploring the Fabulous Fifties in Port Hueneme during this segment of History by the Minute.
Oxnard Sewage Outfall
Another casualty of the sand erosion problem was the Oxnard sewage outfall, which extended into the ocean at the foot of Fourth St. (Ventura Road). The pipe (which was no longer protected by sand) failed twice (1951 and 1953) and dumped sewage into the ocean, subsequently contaminating Hueneme Beach.
The second time, when Hueneme Beach had to be quarantined for some time, the City Council was understandably upset.
The only response by the city of Oxnard to Port Hueneme’s complaints was to keep touting its future plan to divert sewage into a brand new sewage plant.
Remaining steel skeleton of the barrier protecting the sewage outfall.
Brick Wahl
Now the Chinese will steal it.
A guy asked how many of you have dropped an ice cube on the kitchen floor, only to kick it under the refrigerator instead of picking it up?
Let’s see those hands.
I had to be honest.
Me, I said, where it melts, and in our tilty kitchen the water trickles out from beneath the fridge and winds up in the middle of our kitchen floor and my wife asks where the water on the floor came from and I say I dunno and wipe it up.
My Rube Goldberg ice cube picker upper technique.
You get very inventive in a thirty nine year marriage.
Steve Provizer Revues
Nat King Cole — The Early Years (1936-1943)
http://artsfuse.org/190406/jazz-cd-review-nat-king-cole-hittin-the-ramp-the-early-years-1936-1943/
Briefs
70 Mayors Lambaste Publishers Over e-Book Access
Publishers are raising prices and limiting access for e-books at local libraries.
https://www.routefifty.com/management/2019/11/elected-officials-access-e-books/161135/
Russia Launches Weaponized Icebreaker
Latest move in the Arctic leaves US in the wake.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-arctic-ivan-papanin-icebreaker-1468057?utm_source=GoogleNewsstandWorld&utm_medium=Feed&utm_campaign=Partnerships
Vintage Cutter at Auction for Unpaid Bills
USCGC Bramble , built during WW II, took part in many historic missions, but maintaining a ship is not cheap, even though it's now a museum.
https://www.portandterminal.com/u-s-coast-guard-cutter-bramble/
At the Museum
NOV9
Mayor Will Berg Chinese Characters
Sat 11:00 AM PST
NOV11
Fourth Annual Veterans Day
Mon 8:30 AM PST at City Hall
NOV16
Joy Todd “Pleasant Valley and Hueneme: A Shared History”
Sat 11:00 AM PST
NOV23
HOLIDAY WREATH-MAKING
Sat 11:00 AM PST
Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum
220 Market St, Port Hueneme, CA 93041
+1 805 488 0585
To all our Clients and Stakeholders, Our hearts and thoughts are with all impacted by the recent wildfires. A State of Emergency has been declared by Governor Gavin Newsom due to the recent fire and wind events beginning on October 26, 2019. The state is in the process of working within its emergency response networks to bring relief to individuals and businesses that have been directly affected.
Need Immediate Assistance? If your business is facing crisis or has been impacted by disruption, EDC SBDC offers immediate turnaround assistance through free, confidential consultations on topics ranging from business resiliency, operations, staff management, debt reduction and more. To sign up and learn more visit our center in person, call (805) 409-9159 or click here to enroll as a new client. If you are a current client please do not hesitate to reach out to your primary advisor if you are seeking assistance.
Need More Help? In an effort to assist you in preparing your business for the unexpected, EDC has compiled a list of resources currently available.
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Be Informed- Visit our website for the latest in disaster preparedness and recovery resources.
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Be Prepared- Use our Disaster Preparedness & Resiliency Toolkit for Business to asses your business's level of preparedness.
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Stay Connected-Register with your local alert system. Residents of Ventura and Santa Barbara County should visit the following websites to sign up for local alerts and recovery resources:
Santa Barbara County www.readysbc.org
Ventura County www.readyventuracounty.org
Hidden Track: The Nat Cole Trio — F.D.R. Jones
Copyright 2019 The Hueneme Pilot All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
editor@huenemepilot.org
516 Island View Circle
Port Hueneme, California 93041
J. Sharkey, Editor and Publisher