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More than 100 people attend ‘Back the Blue’ rally and march in Thousand Oaks

More than 100 people attend ‘Back the Blue’ rally and march in Thousand
Oaks
Mike Harris Ventura County Star
Published 4:30 p.m. PT Aug. 29, 2020 Updated 8:15 p.m. PT Aug. 30, 2020

More than 100 people demonstrated in support of law enforcement at a “Back the Blue” rally and march in Thousand Oaks on Saturday.

“We’re here to protest the villainization of our courageous men and women in blue and the effort across the nation to defund their departments,” Gina Libby, one of the organizers of the event at Oakbrook Neighborhood Park, told the crowd.

“We’re demonstrating our gratitude and support for law enforcement,” she said.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, a Black man, while in custody of Minneapolis police in May, Black Lives Matter and other activist groups have pushed to defund police departments across the nation.

None of Ventura County’s police agencies, however, including the Thousand Oaks Police Department, have had any such funding reductions.

Attendees at Saturday’s rally held “Blue Lives Matter” and “Back the Blue” signs, waved American flags and displayed “Trump 2020” banners as they listened to speakers. “God Bless America” played in the background at one point.

Many cars honked their horns in support of the demonstrators. Most attendees didn’t wear masks.

Matthew Wiers, 59, came to the rally from Simi Valley.

“I want to support the police,” he said, holding a sign that read “Honk Support for Law Enforcement.”

“Defunding the police is a ludicrous idea,” said Wiers, a statistics lecturer. “There’s a lot of crime out there and the police are the ones who protect us from that crime
and keep us safe. How can you be against that?”

Nancy Van Dolkinburg, 59, of Thousand Oaks, also thinks cuts to police budgets isn’t the right approach.

“I’m not in favor of defunding them,” said Van Dolkinburg, who works part time in real estate. “If anything, I think they need more money.”

“I believe there are bad apples in every profession,” she added. “So yes, we do need to do something about reform. But defunding the police is not the solution.”

A number of candidates for office in November’s election also addressed the crowd, including Kevin McNamee, who is running for the Thousand Oaks City Council, and Conejo Valley Unified School District Trustee Sandee Everett, who is running for re-election.

The demonstrators later marched a short distance from the park to the corner of Erbes Road and Avenida de Los Arboles, where they waved pro-law enforcement signs and American flags at passing cars.

“Honk support for law enforcement,” Libby yelled.

Many cars did.

Mike Harris covers the East County cities of Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, as well as
transportation countywide. You can contact him at mike.harris@vcstar.com or 805-437-0323.
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https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2020/08/29/back-blue-rally-law-enforcement-support-march-thousand-oaks-california/5651538002/

McNamee Can Get The Job Done

McNamee can get the job done
September 03, 2020

As the years go by and the older we get, God and our church become more central in our lives. We seek comfort from the words in the “Good Book” and the support from our fellow parishioners who are available in a time of need.

It’s people helping people get through this thing we call life.

At times, during church services, some need emergency medical care where the paramedics are called to action.
Recognizing the need to be prepared for such emergencies until the paramedics arrive, an usher at our church, Kevin McNamee, suggested that all the ushers be trained in CPR. People came together, using their talents and resources, to make it happen.

One person coordinated with Los Robles hospital for their Sidewalk CPR team to provide instruction. Another coordinated with scheduling and location. Another made posters and Flyers announcing the class, which was expanded to all parishioners and the local community.
The First CPR class became popular, with it growing into several events. Young to old, 12 to 80, have learned the lifesaving gift of CPR through the efforts of many good people volunteering their time and energy.

The CPR class was an idea to meet a need in our church and community.

Mr. McNamee saw the need and asked for help developing it. The parish community responded.

He is running for Thousand Oaks City Council. I hope he is elected so he can do the same for the city as he did for our parish and community: identify a need and 􀂦nd a way to solve it by bringing talented people together to make it happen.

Please consider voting Kevin McNamee for City Council.

Dennis Hayes
Thousand Oaks

McNamee can get the job done _ Thousand Oaks Acorn

McNamee can get the job done

Water Sustainability – Reduce Dependency on LA and Water Rates

By Dr Kevin McNamee

A recent report from the Ventura County grand jury says that “without major, immediate changes, Ventura’s water shortages will be at a scary level within five years.” The report concluded that cities must address water needs. “Ventura County may have survived the worst of the state’s drought but . . . several cities rely too much on imported water and haven’t developed plans for an emergency water shortage.”

It’s clear that our cities need to address the issue because Sacramento legislature is not. Ventura County cities are on their own to solve this one.

Doing back-of-envelope calculations reveal a creative, economically viable solution including a continuous infrastructure revenue stream:

Calleguas Municipal Water District, which supplies the drinking water for Thousand Oaks and most of Ventura County, purchases annually 87,541 acrefeet of water, costing $82.5 million, from the Metropolitan Water District. After conventional water treatment, Calleguas distributes the drinking water to the city and county.

An innovative solution to consider, making the county less dependent on imported water, is to redirect the ultra-pure effluent back to Calleguas for reuse. It would save $11.4 million dollars for the Thousand Oaks resident which will lower the average homeowner $600 annually.

The result is for Thousand Oaks to become less dependent on imported water in Los Angeles, for Central Valley farmers to have more water, and having a continual revenue stream to maintain water and wastewater systems without raising rates or floating construction bonds.