S SENTRY The Tri County’s Only Multicultural Newspaper
The Tri County’s Only Multicultural Newspaper
Concerts by the Sea kicks off in bodacious fashion
TRI TRICOUNTY COUNTY
VOL. XXVII NO. 29
ENTRY
n See page 3
JULY 12, 2019
(Photo by Chris Frost) A youngster enjoys the slide on the Fourth of July.
Channel Islands Fourth of July parade is a patriotic spectacular
By Chris Frost chris@trycountysentry.com Oxnard—The Fourth of July Parade at Channel Islands Harbor was a pride-filled family event that got everyone into the act displaying their best red white and blue attire.
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HE kids got into the act; as a parade of bicycles, scooters, and big smiles made their way down the street. The event is an annual tradition for Channel Islands Harbor, and Public Information Officer Jed Chernabaeff said the community parade has been a tradition for more than two decades. "A lot of people show up for this event to kick off their Fourth of July," he said. "The best part of doing this is having the community come out and enjoy the marine environment at Channel Islands Harbor." The harbor department works around the clock on July 4, he said, as thousands of people come out to the park. "There are a variety of activities in the morning, we have the 5K fun run and walk," he said. "We're getting ready for the parade, and there are plenty of festivities going on in the harbor all day long." The day concluded with the fireworks show at 9 p.m., with the Oxnard Police
Department helping with traffic control for the vast crowd. "We know it's going to be busy after the show, so we ask that people be patient and enjoy the show at the harbor," he said. S h aw n Hollister, along with Jaclyn, Ace, Rebel, and Hudson said the family lives in the area, so they decided to take an hour and walk down to the parade. "We put it all together last night, and we are going to do it," Jaclyn said. "We brought our wagon, and we're walking." She is grateful for living close by and commends all the people who came out and set up camp for the day in the park. "It's going to be a long day, but it's going to be fun because we are patriotic," she said. Shawn has been in the military for 27 years, and he sent a text to his son, who serves, to thank him for his service. "Today is a reflection of how we got here, and it's a great honor to be part of n Channel Islands, see page 6
Family fun is a Channel Islands July 4 tradition By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard—The perfect follow up to the great Fourth of July Parade was all the activities at Harbor Park, that was a great party wellattended by families. Kids enjoyed inflatable activities like a rock wall and a trip on the Space Shuttle Enterprise and face-painting, while moms and dads enjoyed plenty of vendors and the Farmer’s Market opened up special for the fourth. The grills at the park were all active as families spent the day cooking and feeding their families. Connie Young brought her grandkids to the party and said the day, both the parade and party at the park afterward, is all about independence and fun. “They just got off the rock wall,” she said. “We love this every year.” Youngster Ethan Hall took a trip on the inflatable space shuttle which he described as excellent and high. “It was fast on the way, up,” he said. “I am going to go exploring. I am going to eat cheeseburgers tonight.” Joan Gojkovich and her granddaughter Kaiya Hall were enjoying the day, and Kaiya said she also went in the space shuttle, but she is braver than Ethan. “I like the fireworks, and I am going to watch them tonight,” she said. Dad Justin Hall said he plans to work the barbeque and cook lots of hamburgers and hot dogs with the family after the kids are done playing. “We’re hanging out down here, and I’m doing some barbecuing, some bounce houses, and we’ll probably go over and rent a fourwheel bike,” he said. Steve and Michelle Duddy are “big huge patriotic people,” and Michelle’s dad is in the Air Force, so they came to the park to join in the celebration. n Family fun, see page 6
Angry short-term rental owners’ express frustration at Housing & Economic Development meeting By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Oxnard—The fur flew during the Housing & Economic Development Committee meeting, July 9, as the committee reviewed the proposed short-term rental (STR) ordinance and offered direction to the staff. The committee advised staff to follow a 5 percent cap guideline for short-term rentals in the city, and two of three members supported a 180-day limit for the units. The city staff removed those limits.
The city council chambers were almost full as residents felt hoodwinked by the city over the way the report was released. Assistant City Manager Ashley Golden led off the comments, and she acknowledged the tension and frustration in the room because attendees felt the city didn’t provide enough advance notice for the meeting and manipulated the best practices. “First, I want the council to know that the report was published in accordance with
your Sunshine Ordinance,” she said. “Staff did indicate that we were going to be publishing ahead of schedule in accordance with the city council meetings and not with the committee meetings. That’s what led to the perception that there wasn’t advance notice.” Up until six months ago, Golden said the report would not have been published until July 5, but it was published a week in advance, which is the requirement for the Sunshine Ordinance. “It is the holiday weekend, and we know it is an important
topic to our community, so we accept the frustration that is there on behalf of the staff,” she said. "Many of you are aware that a report was released that included a 5 percent cap and 180-day regulations. However, that is not the report that was published on Tuesday and what is before you today to provide direction on.” Some of the feedback the staff received are comments that residents have no confidence in what the staff is doing and no confidence in the city. n Angry short-term, see page 6
A youngster enjoys the slide on the Fourth of July.
Photo by Chris Frost