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September 19, 2005
Melanie House
Staff writer Teresa Rochester tomorrow brings us the story of Melanie House, 27, of Simi Valley who ,in the past eight months, became a mother, a widow and a vocal opponent of the war that claimed her husband, John House.
Also tomorrow we'll bring you the news from Supervisor Kathy Long's press conference today where she's expected to announce the date for the reopening of the Santa Paula hospital.
Also for page one tomorrow, we'll be following on Katrina with the first people moving back nto parts of New Orleans; the fallout from the close election in Germany and possibly any decision by OPEC to produce 2 million more barrels of oil.
Posted by John Moore at 11:33 AM
September 16, 2005
Upscale fundraisers
Fundingraisers for schools, particularly in affluent neighborhoods, are going upscale and modern. Staff writer Jean Moore (jcmoore@venturacountystar.com) looks at the trend in tomorrow's Star. Schools are still doing the bake sales and magazine drives. But others are holding silent auctions and dinner dances where the take can exceed $100,000. And that, of course, is drawing a clearer line between schools that have that revenue stream ... and schools that make $3,000 a year from parents' groups.
Also for tomorrow, we're watching the surf to see if predictions of high surf today come true. And what it will mean for surfers and for beach homes.
We'll have another story in our coverage of Ventura County Seabees in the Gulf Coast. Plus more coverage off the wires of Katrina.
And Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected to announce today that he's running for re-election next year.
Posted by John Moore at 09:58 AM
September 15, 2005
Hispanic heritage
Hispanic Heritage month starts Friday. Staff writer Zeke Barlow explores the use of the term Hispanic and what it means to peple in Ventura County. Some believe it unites them; others say that it's a term that masks their true heritage and identity.
Also tomorrow, staff writer Charles Levin will be covering the fourth annual Ventura County Housing Conference. Charles wrote an advance on the conference today. It's an all-day session to talk about the area of "workforce housing" -- which is another way of saying that many people who work for a living can't afford to buy a house, or even rent a place, in Ventura County.
Tonight is the night that everything aligns itself at Yosemite National Park to recreate the famous Ansel Adams photo, "Autumn Moon." He took it Sept. 15, 1948, at 7:03 p.m. Everything aligns tonight to recreate the photo. If it works, you'll see it in tomorrow's paper. If you don't see it; then the clouds moved in or something else happened.
Also for tomorrow, we're looking into reports that the price of natural gas is going to go up. A lot. It may be up 33 percent by this winter for all of us. Makes you appreciate the fact that we don't have North Dakota winters.
Of course, we'll be covering President Bush's speech tonight from New Orleans and continuing to follow the confirmation hearings of Judge John Roberts.
Posted by John Moore at 10:46 AM
September 12, 2005
Up in smoke
California's efforts to get us to stop smoking is working. And that's becoming a bad thing.
A number of programs are built on the foundation of tobacco tax money. As folks stop smoking, that pot is shrinking. Also, those who still smoke are buying their cigs online or by mail order ... bypassing California taxes. Star county reporter Kathleen Wilson (kwilson@VenturaCountStar.com) takes a look at what our board of supervisors is going to do to deal with this reduction in funds for county sponsored or supported programs.
Our Hurricane Katrina team is still in New Orleans. Writer Marjorie Hernandez and photographer Joseph Garcia will follow local Seabees today as they are deployed to get a post office up and running. They are also following up with a Seabee whose father remains among the missing in New Orleans.
Off the wires, we'll cover Day 1 of the John Roberts confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee; follow President Bush as he tours New Orleans and Gulfport, Miss.,; and look for more out of the Gaza Strip.
Posted by John Moore at 11:20 AM
September 09, 2005
California's pending disaster
Staff writer John Krist tomorrow takes a look at California's version of a New Orleans catastrophe. The Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta is built on a system of ancient levees that could break and flood the "islands" of agricultural and residential land, which is sinking further below sea level. That could impact us here, because such a flood would prevent water from the delta being pumped to Southern California ... and us.
Also tomorrow, we will continue our reporting from the Gulf Coast. Staff writer Marjorie Hernandez reports on the scene in Gulfport, Mississippi, and staff photographer Joseph Sanchez shows what it looks like. They are onboard a convoy in mid-day headed to New Orleans and may report from there in time for tomorrow's editions.
We will also have stories related to the anniversary of 9-11.
Staff writer Tom Kisken talks to local family members who lost a loved one in 9-11 and whether or not they are pursuing more information on how they died. Some say they want to know as much as possible; others say they know too much.
Columnist Colleen Cason writes a related story about the fire tapes that were recently made available from the twin towers. She gets local firefighters to interpret the lingo so we better understand what they were doing and what happened.
And we will take a look at the adjournment of the state legislature and what they did ... and didn't do ... in the last day.
Posted by John Moore at 10:18 AM
September 08, 2005
With the Seabees
Tomorrow we will have our first reports from the Seabees in Gulfport, Miss. Staff writer Marjorie Hernandez and staff photographer Joseph Garcia flew to the Seabee base there yesterday with members of one of the battalions stationed at Naval Base Ventura County. There first reports will tell the reactions of our local Seabees to the scenes of the disaster ... reactions to places that many of them knew from being stationed there.
We also will have a story tomorrow from staff writer Jean Moore on what some area teachers are doing in tehc lassroom to help their children cope with the natural disaster ... including answering the question about whether it could happen here.
We're also following the California Legislature in its final hours today. As usual, the lawmakers will pass hundreds of bills before the clock strikes to end their year's session. Sacaramento bureau chief Timm Herdt will be on the watch, trying to help figure out what gets passed and what gets defeated ... and why.
Out of Washington, we'll have a story on the report from the base closing commission being sent to the President and Congress.
Posted by John Moore at 11:07 AM
September 07, 2005
Changing the guard
We're trading out Katrina coverage teams today.
Staff writer Tamara Koehler and staff photographer Dana Bowler are leaving Houston today after spending five days there covering the impact of the hurricane on the people and community. Just about the time they will be airborne, the Star will be shipping another writer and photographer to the scene. Staff writer Marjorie Hernandez and staff photographer Joseph Garcia are scheduled to jump on a flight with Seabees from Ventura County who are going to Gulfpoint, Miss., to assist in recovery and rebuilding. Look for their stories on the Seabees' work beginning Friday.
In tomorrow's Star, we will continue to have local Katrina stories. Rhiannon Potkey has the story on the former Buena High volleyball coach who now lives in Louisiana. And we'll also be covering the kickoff of a major food drive directed by Food Share .
In other stories for tomorrow's A1, Rhiannon has another story for us, this one on the continuing push by the NFL to market itself to Hispanics. The Cowboys, who practice in Oxnard, are leading the way.
Also for the page, we'll have the daily Katrina story and coverage from Washington on the funeral of William Rehnquist, chief justice of the United States.
And we will be looking for some explanation on the action late Tuesday by the Assembly passing a gay marriage bill.
Posted by John Moore at 10:42 AM
Changing the guard
We're trading out Katrina coverage teams today.
Staff writer Tamara Koehler and staff photographer Dana Bowler are leaving Houston today after spending five days there covering the impact of the hurricane on the people and community. Just about the time they will be airborne, the Star will be shipping another writer and photographer to the scene. Staff writer Marjorie Hernandez and staff photographer Joseph Garcia are scheduled to jump on a flight with Seabees from Ventura County who are going to Gulfpoint, Miss., to assist in recovery and rebuilding. Look for their stories on the Seabees' work beginning Friday.
In tomorrow's Star, we will continue to have local Katrina stories. Rhiannon Potkey has the story on the former Buena High volleyball coach who now lives in Louisiana. And we'll also be covering the kickoff of a major food drive directed by Food Share .
In other stories for tomorrow's A1, Rhiannon has another story for us, this one on the continuing push by the NFL to market itself to Hispanics. The Cowboys, who practice in Oxnard, are leading the way.
Also for the page, we'll have the daily Katrina story and coverage from Washington on the funeral of William Rehnquist, chief justice of the United States.
And we will be looking for some explanation on the action late Tuesday by the Assembly passing a gay marriage bill.
Posted by John Moore at 10:42 AM
September 06, 2005
More on Katrina
Star staff writer Tamara Koehler and staff photographer Dana Bowler continue their coverage in tomorrow's paper on evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. They're working on two stories for tomorrow. One is on the effort to move some of the folks out of the Astrodome to a cruise ship ... and their reluctance to go. They fear it will make it more difficult to reunite with family members. The Star team is also looking at a story on the Houston animal shelters housing lost and abadoned pets from Katrina.
In other Katrina coverage for tomorrow, we are chasing a tip that tlocal members of the Ventura Church of Religious Science have an interest in churches in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and are helping in recovery efforts.
Also, we may have available a story on Jimmy Miranda, a longtime Ventura resident and former Buena High School volleyball coach, who moved to Covington, La., outside of New Orleans a few years ago. Family members, including his daughter, Harmony, 25, a former Buena volleyball player, are back in Ventura working with local churches to get them involved in helping while Jimmy stays at the family home.
Also for tomorrow's front page, we'll have whatever breaking news there is study out of Katrina recovery.
We also will cover the ceremony today placing the casket of William H. Rehnquist in the Great Hall of the U.S. Supreme Court. The public viewing of the chief justice will continue through noon, eastern time, tomorrow, followed by the funeral.
Posted by John Moore at 10:08 AM
