The Ojai Post

Thanks for covering this, evan.

interesting ! many emotions, the panel spoke too much;took too long and people seemed respectful. We needed this time to listen and hear the anger, fear and emotion in others . This is a great community and we will see who will work to address issues of evil and out of control youth. Parents need to parent.

This was a good beginning. In my opinion we should look at the issues as if there were no programs, funding or police. These three are useful but will not solve our problem here.
It is a personal responsibility issue. Be a role model. Fix yourself if you are not a good role model. It is an issue of picking up the slack when children are being raised by dysfunctional families. We, the individuals, must step up to bat here.
Love your kids well. Love others' kids well too. Love each other despite your differences.
BY love here, the agape version will do. Even if you don't like each other look out for each others' needs. We are all so connected, each interaction counts. We can help each other and the children heal!

I agree that this is a good beginning and I hope to see more meetings like tonights, with even a larger crowd! I thought Pastor Paul was excellent and had many good suggestions as well as several audience members.

I liked the idea of the Personal Growth Program (mandatory for high school students) and the Mentor Program for teachers but parents need to take responsibility and keep our children busy, involved, know where they are, what they're doing, who their friends are and guide them in the right direction. We need to introduce our kids and their friends to programs like Boys & Girls club, OVYF, Scouts, Drama Club, sports - keep them busy.

Join OJai City Watch, don't be afraid to get involve, report crime if you see it and make a difference in our little town.

If the OSL is not hiding why wasn't anyone there to represent them. What are their comments.

I was sooo disappointed in the audience's lack of diversity. Half of our community was virtually absent. Why? Was any outreach done to ensure their participation? With four biker gangs in attendance, perhaps it was too intimidating? Other than that I think it was a good first step. Next time, we need to see more diversity and all facets of our community represented.

It was interesting to sit and listen to the passion and the emotions in people's thoughts last night. I am a little confused though why people are just now having town halls about this. About trying to solve the gang(s) problems in Ojai. It's not like it happened over night, it's been in the valley for years.

I wonder if it's because the latest victim was a "white" kid ...I wonder if this town hall would have been put together if same the victim was a Latino or other "minority?" I'm just wondering, I mean there's been victims before, but why now?

I agree that we need to take back our community and make it more enjoyable for all our residence. I love the idea that the retired athletic director for Port Hueneme had, why don't we have these mentor programs in place for kids and teachers? Additionally, why aren't we reaching out to the families of high risk groups and why is it we can't take these gang recruiters away from our kids? How are they infiltrating our kids in Jr. High anyway? Maybe we should have closed campuses in OVSD...maybe that could be part of the solution.

All in all, I thought it was a productive evening and was encouraged by the turnout. To the soooooo disappointed, I assume you mean the Hispanic community? It was an open forum. If people didn't choose to be there, they didn't choose to be there. What exactly do you think should be done? Round them up in paddy wagons to force their attendance? Would you be happier about the qouta being met? As long as people check a box for ethnicity, there will be racism.

the originally published list of panelists had me feeling like the frame was one of law enforcement, and i began to fear that prevention and our individual and collective personal responsibility was going to be overlooked. i was happy to see the panel balanced between prevention and response.

though i was only present at the meeting for a short time, i had some thoughts and suggestions in my pocket that i'll share the essense of here:
* it's clear that we have programs galore for youth, but somewhere there remains a gap. what can we do to make them more accessible and responsive to our community's needs? do they need more funding, more publicity, more volunteering? what more can we do or implement as neighbors, as parents?
* let's decide what our education system is FOR. shall we create workers and test-passers, or ALSO compassionate and responsible Citizens? School is the only place our young people are required to be at a specific time, so let's make community and mindfulness part of their compulsory education.
* let's be mindful of ageism. NO proposals are going to work completely or long-term if we alienate the very youth we seek to assist or engage with.

THREE specific suggestions:
1. let's change our isolated and fearful culture by maintaining a regular schedule of block parties, as opportunities to connect to our neighbors in a casual, manageably-sized setting. i, under the auspices of the Ojai Peace Coalition, am willing to create and maintain a publicly-populated calendar of block parties, and gather resources for how to put one on.
2. let's walk our neighborhoods with some regularity. these patrols should be about awareness and connection, not surveillance or vigilanteism. walking groups could be formed at block parties.
3. let's put a mindfulness practice into our childrens' formal education, to give them specific tools for being present with their bodies and emotions, and to defuse volatile energies in a safe space. my research leads me to recommend InnerKids, which would put a program in place for one year for just $6,000.

surely our community can handle that modest investment, especially when compared to the cost of inaction.

Hi and thank you for all these wonderful and thoughtful comments. I covered the story for the OVN and have been delayed at getting an article on the web due to an important trip to visit / support my daughter in Northern California. Thank you for the links, Evan. I will check them out.

HI I JUST WISH THAT EVERYONE RESPONDING ON ANY POST ABOUT OUR RECENT EVNTS WOULD TAKE A MOMENT AND REALLY GET FACTS STRAIGHT. EVERY POST HAS SOME DIFFERENT NUBER OF HOW MANY GANGS THERE ARE, WHO THEY ARE, AND WHATS HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM. GANGS DONT SHOW UP TO MEETINGS CAUSE THERE NOT PUBLIC. YOU CANT POINT ONE OUT IN THE STREET OR EVERY KID WEARING BLUE WOULD BE OSL. THOSE " FOUR " MOTORCYCLE GANGS, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY MOTORCYCLE CLUBS "MC" NOT MG. I THINKS ONE WAS ACTUALLY ON THE PANNEL AND IS IN A CHRISTIAN CLUB. ANY WAY THEY CAN BE POINTED OUT VERY EASILY AND ARE PUBLIC WITH THEIR ACTIONS, RIDING, BAR-B-QIN, AND GANGS HIDE IT ALL EVEN THEIR IDENTITY... WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW AN OSL SHIRT. HOW MUCH MOTORCYCLE CLUB GRAFFITI DO YOU SEE?

PLEASE RESPECT FACTS WHOS IN A GANG, WHOS IN A CLUB, WHITE, BLACK, OR MEXICAN THERES NO DIFFERENCE IF IT WERE PRODOMINATELY MEXICAN OR BLACK IN THE MEETING AND OSL WAS A WHITE GANG WOULD THE BLACK AND MEXICAN HAVE BEEN CALLED RACIST?

ONE LOVE ONE OJAI

does anyone know if there's a centralized way to contact Heal the Community, or any contact info for any of the specific conveners?

evan, I'll email you offline with that info...

Wow, what a bunch of thought-provoking comments here. It is nice for a change rather than all the name calling.