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I'm so glad that you are proactive on this kenley.

One of the problems I had in Ojai when I returned is the after school activities. Though their were tons of things to do, they all were must pay programs. Great programs at that. Including a summer program at the Boyd Center. But you and your friends could not just drop in and get a basket ball game going, walk in the weight room and lift or box. When I was a boy, we need only walk over to the Boyd Center, sign our name on a check out list for various equipment, such as pool sticks, ping pong paddles, basket balls and all sorts of sport stuff and get on with the fun.

I can't tell how many times I and my kids would be at Sarzoty Park and no activity in the original building. I asked about it to some of the personnel, They were less than caring about there lack of programming.

John Martin was the top guy there in those days and made things work. He was one of those kind of guys who, by a look, let you know you let him down or made him proud, and that mattered to me and my friends.

It was the older high school kids that worked there, some paid, some, probably most were volunteers.

I would like to see Ojai go back in time a little rethink how they run the boyd center. I have no complaints about the paid activities, but I can't help feel it is exclusionary.

Typically the kids you're are going to have problems with are the same ones with out the means to pay for diversions that were available to all of Ojai's youth when I was one, at the Boyd Center. Not everyone skates at the skate park.

Another program for afternoon and for the weekend, that would be good is to set up a trolley service to and from Lake Casitas. I'm sure there are grownups that would like to show these boys and girls how to fish. There is a nice basketball court up there as well.

I accidentally hit the post button before I was done, so forgive my uncorrected grammar above.

At the lake there are trails to be hiked, bike riding, canoing, fishing, basketball and a restaurant.

Kids could simply get there and relax, talk, dare I say, do some homework.

I think there is an untapped demand for locals, young and old that would take advantage of a regular Trolley service to the Lake.

Keep the fare cheap if not free, the kids would have a choice of free activities or pay activities.

I don't know what affect these ideas will have on gang activity, but I think it can't be anything but another facet of what makes Ojai a special place to grow up in.

Kids left to their own devices will find nothing but vices.

Thanks for the info Kenley. I love your ideas Dana. Yes - more free activities. And more places where youth can be free to just hang out. If youth in Ojai aren't athletic or into the arts (dance, fine art, theater) there are precious few places they can spend their time. The skate park is pretty much it. I don't know how valuable a "Teen Center" is, since I think once kids are past 12 or 13, that type of place is no longer cool. How about a cafe run by adults who like youth and welcome them? How about a dance club on weekends - no alcohol but fabulous djs and a lack of parents. How about a bowling alley? How about a second movie later at night? I know these are all big ideas, but I think our youth need to have places to be that are fun.

We discussed this during city council campaign. Local police efforts are retroactive, and Bruce Norris admits to being overwhelmed and needing community solutions. A multi-million dollar sherrif's budget, yet only two patrol cars on duty in valley all night? I see tags on affluent buildings- stating youth feels disenfranchised, and observe sherrif patrol cars hurrying past but never stopping to interact with community and understand issues on the streets. It seems that continuing denial of problems, appeasing public safety
image of community is counter-productive and retroative. Statistics indicate growing problem
and putting it off doesn't deny this. Solutions? Community based, looking at socio-economic causes. Soline from Ojai Organic Hemp clothing has Latino and post-gang perspective. Too bad the network from Topa Topa school has stopped. PL

I was thinking about Heather's comment, particularly of the "teen center'. Essentially the Boyd center was that. But you had kids in elementary on up to adults in there 20s and 30s, using the facilities. Usually the adults came at early evening into the night playing their pick up games. We as kids would get in the game as well. There was some positive mentoring in that format to be sure.

In Oak View, There is an active group of parents and simply volunteers who have been creating after school programs. They might have some practical ideas on getting started-They are doing this without a city council to the best of my knowledge. That is not to say for our council should want to ignore their responsibility.

My teenage daughter would go to some of the dances at the Boyd held once a month I believe-the dances may be still going on. Another venue for dances was my old elementary cafeteria, now known as the new Chaparral. Dances were put on there as well, usually a highly mixed crowd of the public.But could be geared to just the young folk.

Places to eat. Follow me again down memory row one more time here. In the Valley, in my youth, we had The Burger House near the High school. There was the Hitching Post where Jim & Rob's is now. The Frosty. The Jolly Cone in M.O.(I wish they would use real ice cream in their Shakes) and A & W in Oak View. Now we're down to one, The Jolly Cone, (and they don't use real ice cream). Sure you can count McDs, Windy's, and Taco Bell, but who wants to. Jersy Mikes is there-?Is it being used as the Frosty was?

The restaurant out at the lake would be a good place. So long the kids behaved, they would love the business, the kids could buy there sodas and walk along the lake, watch the pick up game, find a table on the grass and talk,(homework).In that venue, they would feel more independent, away from downtown where their guard is up.Listen folks, you can buy A yearly pass for $80.00 good for unlimited day use.The first thing I do when I get to Ojai is buy that pass. use.http://www.lakecasitas.info/index.html

Let's not forget our older folks. I can see a Trolley picking up folks at various retirement homes, taking them to the Lake for a lunch. That would be a big deal for them and there family and give more incentive for the restaurant to be supportive of such a service for the kids.There is just so much one can do out there, or nothing at all, and watch others and contemplate.

Smoke weed everyday.

I think that the gang has gone to far to far and it needs to stop imediately!
i bet those kids don't even know what there're getting into.The need to stop all that foolishness.
one of them is going to get hurt and not one of them is going to help each other out.They need to have some kind of instuction in their lives ,like a councilor or afather figure in their lives.

I am a student of yours at SBCC and have had my vehicle damaged a number of times with gang graffiti. When I’ve called the local police to inform them, they told me they would know which gang was mostly likely responsible but that they only take statistics on the incidents. Tagging baffles me. What is the purpose of the tagging? If you look closely, you can find it almost everywhere now. Does it denote a particular gang’s turf?
If so, isn’t this a problem that the town should be addressing? And by addressing, I don’t mean that they continue to just paint over it. The amount of graffiti I have seen over the past five years has grown exponentially. We know in most cases that this comes from children of immigrants. The police often know who is behind the graffiti. What is being taught to these children in their homes about respecting another citizens’ property?
Simply trying to keep kids “busy” with after school programs is not the answer. Will these after school programs teach children of illegal immigrants to respect the laws and rights of citizens? Why are the parents of young gang members not held accountable for their actions? As with many crimes, there is a lack or respect and morals. Who should be instilling these principles of behavior upon our youth?