The customers really liked the food! There was good variety, the helpings were generous and the meals were nutritionally balanced, which is very important to people who are trying to keep or regain their strength. I had more than one customer who made two meals out of one delivery (a little something left over for supper from the main hot meal at lunchtime). Ever try to cook for just one? Or cook when you don’t feel well? Being a Meals On Wheels driver was enjoyable because at every door you knocked upon, you were received with enthusiastic gratitude!I could only help out with Meals On Wheels for six months but they had drivers who had actually been volunteering with the program for years and years, if not decades! A lot of tremendous dedication there.And talk about dedication! Talk about stepping up to the plate! Rafael Martin of Harvard Café deserves a medal! How can one selfless man keep a whole program going? Maybe we could show him some support by frequenting his restaurant and shaking his hand. The address for Harvard Café is 650 West Harvard Boulevard, near the Santa Paula Shopping Center, and the phone number is 921-0400. Tell him, “thank you!” It’s entirely possible that the next person needing the assistance of Meals On Wheels could be someone you know. It could even be you.Vicki EntrekinSanta PaulaHospital milestoneTo the Editor:Friday marks an important milestone in the history of the City of Santa Paula. It was one year ago that Santa Paula’s hospital reopened. After being closed more than two years, the County of Ventura reopened Santa Paula Hospital on July 13, 2006 and returned around the clock emergency and other critical medical services to the residents of Santa Paula and the entire Santa Clara Valley.Looking back on this past year, it is difficult to measure the importance of the reopened hospital in specific terms to the community.But it is easy to measure the more intangible aspects of once again having a full service hospital in Santa Paula. No longer do people live in fear of needing emergency medical assistance and wondering their fate as they travel the 10 to 25 miles from Santa Paula, Fillmore or Piru to a hospital in Ventura. No longer do families have to hesitate in the middle of the night when a sick child or elderly parent complains of discomfort or pain when they now can make a quick trip to the hospital to ensure that everything is all right. And the ability today of families to enjoy being together at the birth of new babies not far away from home, but at a hospital in their neighborhood, is certainly an important part of what makes Santa Paula the family centered community that it is.The statistics of Santa Paula Hospital’s accomplishments are impressive.As of the end of June, 290 babies were born in the hospital, 1,348 individuals have been admitted to the hospital for care and there have been over 7,800 emergency room visits. Throughout this first year, the hospital has added new services including outpatient physical and occupational therapy, orthopedics and upgraded cardiac monitoring capabilities. In the next several months, the hospital will be increasing its OB capacity and adding additional technology to continue to assure residents of the Santa Clara Valley that they have a state of the art hospital.While the successes of Santa Paula Hospital this past year (and the long work that went into reopening the hospital) have been impressive, the harder issue is maintaining this excellent health care resource.Hospitals of all kinds face pressures on increasing costs, diminishing insurance reimbursement rates and the challenge of serving patients who are uninsured or underinsured. Santa Paula Hospital will only remain open with the support of the residents of the Valley communities. The best way that residents can support the hospital is to use it when medical testing procedures or hospitalization are needed. When residents are discussing with their doctors their hospital options, individuals need to express a preference to use the outstanding medical facility in their own neighborhood rather than going elsewhere in the county to receive treatment.The reopening of hospitals in California is a rare occasion. The reopening of Santa Paula Hospital a year ago was a triumph for the County of Ventura, the Cities of Santa Paula and Fillmore and the local healthcare community. While it is appropriate to honor this important milestone today, it is also important to remember that in order to keep this important resource it must be used and supported. With the support of the community, the residents of Santa Paula will never have to worry again about the safety of our families when they need urgent medical care.Ray C. LunaMayorCity of Santa Paula
Letters to the Editor
July 13, 2007
Opinion
Hazardous Fourth
To the Editor:It is the eve of July 4, and the neighborhood called the Oaks is alive with illegal fireworks, some rocketing above the dry oak and pine trees. Looking ahead to 2008, can we begin a dialogue about eliminating fireworks altogether --beginning with the City of Fillmore?There is more noise than any of us needs and the hazards are obvious. With the world situation what it is, it doesn’t make sense to celebrate our independence with the sounds and sights of bombs at home.Kay Wilson-BoltonNetwork for Neighborhood SafetySanta PaulaDon’t panicTo the Editor:I want to tell you about the arid summer precautions that could be serious if you are not careful outdoors, and especially keep an eye on the little kids. Especially to those that live on the edges of our perimeter.I lived a part of my life near the forest boundary where the wildlife animals come out looking for water and food. Just leave them be. Just watch and they will move on.Don’t panic. BUT, if you do ever see a lion, don’t panic; call the police or animal control after your hair settles down. They know what to do. Other animals will run away. But a lion will study the situation and is a sneak for anything that will be its food.Just be observant, and also watch the kids near or in your pool. My grandkids are excellent swimmers, but I take great caution always. No accidents please.Watch the area and especially when gardening for snakes (buzztails especially) and the black widow spider. Don’t panic.Ken ZimmetSanta PaulaP.S. Again, watch the little ones. There are two-legged snakes, also called scumbag snakes and other names, out there also.Meals On WheelsTo the Editor:I can’t stop thinking about the article by Peggy Kelly on July 11 regarding the discontinuation of Meals On Wheels. I hope it’s temporary. Meals On Wheels is a wonderful, necessary program. People depend on it.In 1999, I was a volunteer driver for MOW Santa Paula. I had their midtown route, delivering food and collecting payments. Everyone receiving a meal was nice to me. Some lived in their own homes, others had apartments or rooms, the ages varied as did the income level. I got to know my customers, and I worried about them. At first, I was overwhelmed by the varying degrees of need I saw, but the people I served were upbeat and kind, grateful for a little assistance. Actually, what I really saw was great dignity and courage. I learned a lot. While most of the customers were retirees, a few were not, merely finding themselves homebound due to recent surgery or illness.In a society where the major emphasis is on families and togetherness, it is sometimes forgotten that there are many people in the world who are alone, and lonely. Old friends pass away or move to another place. Being homebound can take away the opportunity to meet new people. And, although it is sometimes hard for others to grasp, many folks simply do not have any family, near or far. Although every story is different, there are definitely home-confined people who live in isolation, not of their choosing. I know with certainty that I was often the only human being they interacted with in a day. Meals On Wheels definitely helps in more than one way. It’s a vital service.
