Courtesy of Debi Newton, winter 2020
DON’T TREAD ON ME—At the top, just to the right of center, the dark profile of a woman’s head with chin, mouth, nose and forehead pointing skyward can be seen on Laydface Mountain in Agoura Hills. Her full body drapes down to the left. A flag, barely seen, is planted on her forehead. The flag has been put up and taken down several times as two sides do battle to see who’s king of the mountain.

OLD GLORY–The flag at the Ladyface summit.
                             Acorn file photo

It began following the great Woolsey fire of 2018.

One by one, American flags started appearing on top of local Santa Monica Mountain peaks. Large flags, planted on proud soil, splashes of red, white and blue propped up against open skies from the Simi Hills to Malibu. People saw the flags as a beacon of hope, and their pride swelled.

Almost 90% of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area burned in the Woolsey fire and, in the aftermath, many residents were eager to show their support for the rebuilding spirit that began when the final flames were extinguished. Out of the ashes came new homes and new lives—with Old Glory planted on high ground and keeping a careful eye out.

There’s never been an exact count of how many flags have been planted on the mountain tops since the fire and how many are still standing.

“I counted 14 flags at one time on peaks,” said Glen Peterson, a local historian whose own house was destroyed by the blaze. Today he lives in a trailer on the same Cornell, Agoura plot where his residence once stood.
“There was one above Peter Strauss Ranch, one at Sugarloaf, one at the top of Kanan. They were everywhere,” Peterson said.

“I saw it as a thing of pride. It was people being inspired, saying we’re going to rebuild.”

Other flags have been seen along the 23 Freeway, in Newbury Park and in Triunfo Canyon.

CONQUEST–A climber stands next to the American flag planted at the summit of Ladyface Mountain in Agoura Hills.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Acorn file photo

Today, almost two years after the fire, the flag residents talk about the most is the one frequently seen atop Ladyface Mountain just south of Agoura Hills. The 2,032-foot high ridge of volcanic rock has long been recognized as a gateway to the Santa Monicas, and it remains a topic of lore for thousands of Conejo Valley residents who feel the grand lady watching over them as they go about their daily lives.

“One day while pumping gas at the old Shell station near Dorothy Drive and the 101 freeway, I glanced toward the mountain and lo and behold, the Lady revealed herself,” said Margie Perez of Agoura Hills. “Now I can’t unsee her. On my daily drive home from work in Woodland Hills, as I approach Liberty Canyon, she appears and it makes my day.”

“It’s our most prominent peak and you can see it for miles in any direction,” said Fran Pavley, the city’s first mayor whose leadership helped protect the mountain from a group of developers that once floated plans to build an entertainment park all the way at the summit.
Today the mountain is a popular hiking venue offering stunning views from Calabasas to Newbury Park.

“Everyone who lives in Agoura Hills for a long length of time, it should be on their bucket list to climb,” Pavley said.
                                                                                                   Historical roots
The name Ladyface refers to an outline at the top of what appears to be a woman lying on her back with nose, mouth, chin and broad breast looking gracefully to the sky. The lady, some say, is a Chumash, a centuries-old Native American people that settled the region long before the Spanish invaders and American homesteaders came on the scene and took possession of the land for themselves.

There are local residents who feel an American  flag planted on top of a Chumash Indian shape is inappropriate and disrespectful. Statues of historical figures ranging from Confederate generals in the South to Father Junipero Serra, a Spanish priest enshrined in the City of Ventura, are being removed from America’s landscape as part of the fallout from Black Lives Matter.

Protectors of the Chumash heritage are telling the Ladyface flag planters: Don’t tread on me.

“I do wonder what is the purpose of the flag being placed there,” Perez said. “If it’s a ‘Gilroy was here’ type of thing, I don’t know if that’s appropriate. Is it a show of dominance? Is it a symbol of conquering? None of those sit well with me and are not in keeping with current values of unity, inclusion, respect for history. It quite likely shows disrespect to the indigenous citizens who lived on or around the mountain in the past and named it.”

Rebecca Arvizu of Agoura Hills is an Apache Indian descendant. Her great-grandmother worked the for U.S. Government in the early 20th century.
“She told stories of how she helped negotiate uprisings on the reservations and was involved in the relocation of Geronimo and others to Florida. She was not proud of being part of this,” Arvizu said.

The appropriation of Ladyface by patriotic flag-wavers upsets her.

“I can’t believe I have so many insensitive neighbors who refuse to acknowledge the brutal and savage treatment of Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government, which is what I am reminded of when I see Ladyface stabbed in the forehead with the U.S. flag,” she said.

“I don’t hold grudges against the U.S. government for any of this. I respect the flag, but I don’t worship it like some of my neighbors.”

Agoura Hills Mayor Illece Buckley Weber also weighed in.

“If the flag being up there causes discomfort to some people, then maybe it’s not the appropriate place.”

                                                                                                  Flag up or down?
The actual summit is property that belongs to Gateway Foursquare Church on Agoura Road in Agoura Hills. Much of the mountain is protected open space, and a public trail from Kanan Road leads to the top.

American flags have been seen on Ladyface for more than a decade, and just since last year the flag has been planted, taken down and replanted multiple times in a push-pull struggle between those who wish to pay homage to the Stars and Stripes and those who side with the Native Americans and their cause.

“I am in favor of flying the American flag on top of Ladyface Mountain,” said Agoura Hills resident Jack Gill. “What about the indigenous culture before the Chumash Indians? Would they be offended by the Chumash taking over their land, or the culture before them? You can go down that rabbit hole forever.”

The summit of the mountain is not a Chumash archaeological site, and who’s to say the lady in the outline is even an indigenous person, some ask.

“It’s not an Indian site,” Peterson said. “I don’t think it’s disrespectful.”

SUMMIT FLAG–Hikers reach the top of a local peak in Newbury Park where an American flag is planted.                                                        RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

“I come from a military family where my father was a two-star general,” said Jack Gill of Agoura Hills.

“Flying the flag and living in this country was taught to be an honor and a privilege, so argue all you want about what or who is right and wrong in this country, but don’t give up on the flag.”

The debate is as old as the country is wide: Manifest Destiny versus Native American rights. Respect for Old Glory versus the constitutional right to throw her a jaundiced eye.

“Our nation’s flag, or any nation’s flag, for that matter, is a symbol of everything that we stand for as a collective, unified body of individuals who strive to uphold the values upon which our nation was founded,” said Brenden Barth, a resident of Monte Nido mountain community.

“I’m all for Agoura Hills flying our flag as a show of patriotism,” said Perez.

“Just leave the Lady alone.”

FIERY WRECK—The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office closed a portion of Westlake Boulevard for most of the morning to allow investigators time to study the scene of a fatal car crash that happened around 1:30 a.m. near Skelton Canyon Circle in Thousand Oaks. Deputies and fire department personnel arriving to the scene found the Tesla the victims were driving in completely in flames after striking a tree in the center median. JOEL COUNCIL/Safety for Citizens

Two young men, both members of the Oaks Christian High School Class of 2019, died early Sunday after the Tesla they were in veered off Westlake Boulevard and into a tree, according to police.

Ventura County sheriff and fire department personnel arriving on scene around 1:40 a.m. found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames, the sheriff’s office said. The car was headed southbound just north of Skelton Canyon Circle approaching Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

Killed in the crash: Ryan Breaux, 18, and Ezekial (Zeek) Bishop, 20, the Acorn has learned. Breaux is the brother of Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Frank Ocean, whose birth name is Christopher Breaux. Bishop was a standout member of the OCHS football and track teams.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene. It’s unclear who was behind the wheel or what caused the crash but speed is believed to have been a factor, police said.

The sheriff’s initial investigation indicated the Tesla was approaching Skelton Canyon when the car left the road and collided with a tree in the center median, according to a statement released this morning. Westlake Boulevard makes a slight curve just before the intersection.

GONE TOO SOON—Ezekial Bishop, No. 3, center, celebrates one of his two interceptions with teammates during Oaks Christian’s 42-7 win against over rival Westlake on Nov. 3, 2017. Acorn file photo

Bishop was a dual-sport athlete exceeding in track and field as well as football.

Bishop lost his father, Diijon Bishop, in a car crash in January 2015. The elder Bishop and a passenger were killed when their car went over a guardrail on the eastbound 118 Freeway in Chatsworth and fell into a concrete riverbed.

Ezekial Bishop was a key contributor to Oaks Christian’s 2017 section-winning football team. After the team’s CIF-Southern Section Division 2 championship game victory over Valencia, he spoke to the Acorn about feeling his father’s presence.

Ezekial Bishop reacts with emotion following his team’s championship game victory over Valencia in 2017, his junior year. Bishop’s father was killed in a car crash in 2015 in Chatsworth. Acorn file photo

“I did it for my dad. I played my heart out,” said Bishop, who had five tackles and deflected a fourth-down pass in the end zone that stopped a third-quarter drive. “That’s exactly what he would have wanted me to do.”

“I know he was here the whole time.”

Our hearts and prayers are with Frank and his family. RIP @rryanbreaux pic.twitter.com/1F2bQY58qI

— Blonded. (@blondedocean) August 2, 2020

Friends and former classmates took to social media today to lament the loss of the two young men.

“The world lost two very bright souls today,” tweeted @destinyhardy_ “They could literally light up any room with their energy. Rest in peace Zeek and Ryan.” 

Oaks Christian is holding a drive-in graduation ceremony tonight at the Ventura County Fairgrounds for the Class of 2020.

This story will be updated. Reporter Jonathan Andrade contributed to this article.

 

HANDY HELPERS—Members of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise—Bill Klepper, Matt Rowe, John Bagnall, Ryan Valencia and Leigh Seaton— give Happy Face Hill a makeover on July 25. The simple-yet-happy symbol welcomes drivers arriving from the San Fernando Valley.

Courtesy photos

For most children, water means fun, playtime and adventure, in a refreshing pool, a quaint lake or the rolling ocean waves.

But it can also mean danger.

Following a drowning accident that took the life of his toddler son last month, Colin Comer of Simi Valley has spearheaded a foundation that will not only keep his son’s memory alive but also aims to ensure that a similar tragedy doesn’t happen to another family. (See story on Page 1.)

It took just minutes for Comer’s son, Benjamin, who would have turned 3 this month, to make his way to a pool that had no security gate.

Each year, more than 250 children under the age of 5 are drowning victims, often in their own backyards. For Comer, that number is not a statistic, it’s reality, one he’ll have to live with for the rest of his life.

In tribute to Benjamin, Comer is determined to make drowning prevention a priority in Simi Valley. He created Ben’s Scholarship Fund and is working in partnership with the Simi Valley YMCA to offer free, life-saving swim lessons and water safety classes for local children.

At public parks, there are fences, barriers and trained lifeguards on duty to keep swimmers safe. But many residential pools don’t have the same safety measures in place. What’s most troubling about drownings is that a child in trouble may not be able to alert anyone by splashing or yelling for help.

With the hot weather still coming, this is not the time to let down our guard.

The following tips are a good starting point:

• If you own a pool, consider installing a fence that is at least 4 feet high with a locking mechanism beyond a child’s reach.

• Remove any objects from the area that would allow children to climb over the fence surrounding the pool.

Consider adding a motion sensor and gate alarms to alert you to anyone approaching or jumping into the pool.

And never — even for a moment — leave small children alone or in the care of another child while in the pool or spa.

Children should always be closely supervised in and around water. An adult should always be focused on the children and not distracted by other activities.

Statistics show that drowning is the leading cause of preventable death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 in the U.S. And here in California, drowning is the leading cause of preventable death for children under 14.

Nothing can bring Benjamin back, but with the help of the YMCA and the support of the community, we can help Comer fulfill his goal to raise awareness about pool safety and make sure that every local family has access to life-saving swim lessons and water safety classes.

Benjamin Comer was a bright, happy child who enjoyed exploring the world around him.

He loved playing with dinosaurs and tractors. And he was particularly fond of feeding ducks and geese at the park, said his dad, Colin Comer.

But the 2-year-old Simi Valley resident’s life was tragically cut short June 10 when he drowned in a residential pool that didn’t have a safety gate, Comer said. The boy would have celebrated his third birthday July 19.

“He should be here with me right now (and) . . . it’s hard because (his death) is something that was 100% preventable,” Comer said.

Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind car accidents and is responsible for more deaths of children between 1 and 4 years old, according to the American Red Cross. Ten people die each day from unintentional drowning, and on average two of them are under the age of 14.

Comer, 34, is now on a mission to make sure that no other parent has to lose a child to drowning by ensuring that kids have access to water safety classes.

Benjamin Comer

The endeavor started when one of Comer’s buddies started a GoFundMe to help the grieving father. Comer said he didn’t want money because anything he bought would only remind him of the son he lost.

Instead, he decided to donate any money raised to the Simi Valley YMCA’s Safety Around Water program, which aims to reduce the risk of drowning by teaching basic water safety during eight lessons over two weeks.

Megan Glynn, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s chief development officer, said credentialed instructors teach participants what to do if they fall into the water, including turning over and floating or swimming to the side of the pool.

“It’s a really powerful program that we have and at our Conejo Valley site, we’ve even had parents ask for a course for adults. We did that and had more than 40 parents show up,” Glynn said.

In honor of his son, Comer and the YMCA created the Benjamin Comer scholarship fund to cover the cost for these classes so no family has to go through what he did, the father said.

“Drowning is preventable and that’s why these lessons are so important,” he said. “A child should never be left unsupervised by a body of water, but even if they are, they should have the ability to save themselves.”

Comer’s initial donation of $5,000 raised through the GoFundMe page was enough to cover 150 kids, which is the typical budget allocated to the water safety program annually, Glynn said.

An additional $7,750 collected directly through the Benjamin Comer scholarship fund at bit.ly/3jVwLNd, will cover another 250 kids.

Even though the YMCA’s pools are currently closed due to COVID, Glynn said having the funds ready to sustain the program is crucial.

“Just because we’re not open doesn’t mean that people aren’t around pools,” she said.

“Taking precautions, educating parents and kids, and giving them techniques on what to do for water safety is extremely important in preventing a potentially heartbreaking situation, like what happened with Benjamin.”

 

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved a measure to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot that would allow companies to grow, process, distribute and sell cannabis within unincorporated areas of the county.

The sale of cannabis, though, would only be wholesale between the grower and the buyer and doesn’t include retail shops.

The July 28 vote passed 4-1 with Supervisor Bob Huber casting the dissenting vote.

Supervisors, however, did ask county staff to return to the board by its Sept. 1 meeting with a report that will shed additional light on how the measure would impact the county fiscally, namely what it would do to property values, as well as how it would affect land use. The report will also seek comments from Sheriff Bill Ayub and Agricultural Commissioner Ed Williams.

Huber said he respects the wish of the people, but he wanted a more thorough analysis of impacts on county government, agriculture, public safety, property values and residents before the measure goes on the ballot.

“That would give voters more information so they can make more informed decisions,” Huber said.

The deadline to place the measure on the Nov. 3 ballot is Aug. 7.

Supervisor Linda Parks said the report requested by the board Tuesday will help officials understand how cannabis growth would impact government resources and abutting residential neighborhoods, and allow the county to share that information with the public before they vote.

“Our choices were limited. There was not time to do the study and get it back prior to approving it for the ballot,” Parks told the Acorn.

The ballot measure has been in the works for about a year and a half and has undergone revisions following hearings with the board and public comment sessions with residents to discuss the proposed law, according to Jared Ficker, a partner with Axiom Advisors, a Sacramento-based political consulting firm.

A petition for the measure, organized by the Ventura County Citizens for Responsible Cannabis Cultivation, garnered roughly 50,000 signatures to reach the Board of Supervisors.

Casey Houweling, the former owner of Camarillo-based Houweling’s Tomatoes, is the owner of Glass Investments Projects, the measure’s lead financial backer. The Malibu-based company is known for its greenhouse technology patents and as a consulting firm that has helped build greenhouses in the U.S. and worldwide.

Unlike industrial hemp, which was grown on farms in the county last year and frustrated residents with its pungent smell, the measure mandates that cannabis—grown for recreational and medical use—cannot be grown in an open field and must instead be grown in a greenhouse or a warehouse. Ficker said the pungent smell of hemp last year was a leading reason for the requirement.

More than helping to mitigate the smell of the cannabis, it could also provide a new client base for Houweling, whose pressurized greenhouses, which, according to him, “gives you a lot more control than a passive greenhouse,” would likely be used by cannabis growers in the county should the measure pass.

Ficker said cannabis can only be grown in pre-existing greenhouses or warehouses.

Though Houweling recently sold his tomato farm, it’s a possibility that some or all of the 125-acre facility would be converted to grow cannabis.

“That decision is for the owners,” Houweling said.

As for the measure, it further restricts growing cannabis to industrial zoning districts and mandates that all cannabis facilities would have to be 1,200 feet—or four football fields— from schools, daycare centers, drug rehab centers, parks and residential neighborhoods.

What’s more, the measure requires a tax on cannabis grown and sold within the unincorporated areas of the county. It would levy a 4% tax on the gross receipts on general cannabis cultivation and a 1% tax of gross receipts on cannabis nursery cultivation, according to the summary.

The number of cannabis facilities that would open in the county is unknown, which makes calculating the total possible income of the crop difficult to gauge.

Ficker said, however, that commercial facilities—used to grow cannabis—would be capped at 500 acres, while commercial cannabis nurseries— used to grow seeds and small plants—would be limited to 100 acres.

Ficker said at half capacity, the county could get between $5 to $10 million in taxes. But market forces would dictate how much cannabis is grown if voters pass the measure.

There would be further mandates on licensing of cannabis facilities.

“Applications would be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and must be granted if specified conditions are met and the total acreage amounts described above would not be exceeded,” according to the ballot summary. “Licenses would have to be renewed annually.”

Sylvie Belmond contributed to this story

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the removal of 50 acres of previously identified flood zones in western Simi Valley on June 25.

The change becomes effective Nov. 6 and will significantly reduce the cost of flood insurance for over 142 property owners and dozens of businesses, the city said.

The areas that will see the positive benefits are along the north side of the Arroyo Simi between Madera Road and Ward Avenue.

The mandatory flood insurance requirement for 30 structures housing dozens of businesses will be removed.

Along the south side of the Arroyo Simi in the area known as the “Greek Tract,” the requirement will be lifted for numerous homes and flood depths will be reduced for many others.

The revision was sponsored by Xebec Realty Partners to allow construction of a 35-acre industrial park on Chain Drive.

Huitt-Zollars lnc. was responsible for the modeling that resulted in the flood zone. The analysis showed that floodwaters are fully contained within the Arroyo Simi during a 100- year storm event. The analysis involved the development of a state-of-the-art floodplain model.

However, flooding often happens well outside of the identified Special Flood Hazard Area. Over the past 29 years that the city has been in the National Flood lnsurance Program, nearly 70% of all paid flood insurance claims have been for structures outside the hazard area.

For more information, contact an insurance agent or the city’s floodplain manager at (805) 583-6805.

For decades, voting by mail has become an increasingly common practice among Ventura County residents.

In the past two general elections, for example, more than 60% of registered voters countywide opted to vote by mail instead of heading to the polls, marking a 20 percentage point increase from 10 years earlier, according to data from the Ventura County Civic Alliance, a nonprofit group that evaluates the area’s economic, environmental and societal issues.

Despite its growing popularity, voting by mail has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, who called the process “corrupt” and said it will lead to “substantially fraudulent” election results.

Trump’s claims followed an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that required counties to send mail-in ballots to all California registered voters due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Election officials and experts anticipate a large turnout during the November election and believe large-scale, in-person voting could spread coronavirus due to the lack of social distancing and the high-touch surfaces, like tablets, used at polling places.

California, though, will not be the only state to offer mail-in ballots to all registered voters. Five states—Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington—have historically conducted elections where every registered voter is automatically sent a ballot.

Another 34 states offer no-excuse absentee voting to residents who do not need to provide a reason to be sent a mail-in ballot. Many of those states have also sent vote-by-mail applications to voters to encourage them to stay home during the pandemic.

Over the years, research has found that voting by mail is secure.

A five-year investigation by the George W. Bush Administration and an investigation by the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based research group, found very few instances of fraud in states that implemented vote-by-mail elections. Another study from Stanford University, which evaluated vote-by-mail from 1996 to 2018, found that the practice did not affect either party’s turnout or vote share, but did increase overall turnout rates.

“Claims that vote-by-mail fundamentally advantages one party over the other appear overblown. In normal times, based on our data at least, vote-by-mail modestly increases participation while not advantaging either party,” the April 2020 study read.

Locally, Ventura County Clerk-Recorder Mark Lunn said he disagrees with critics who say that increasing access to vote-by-mail ballots will increase voter fraud.

“I’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and I’m frustrated by the faulty premise and hypothesis surrounding vote-by-mail ballots that are perpetrated for political purposes,” Lunn said.

The vote-by-mail process, he argued, is actually viewed by many officials as more secure since the county is required to review and process each ballot’s signature before it is counted.

“From a practitioner’s point of view, vote-by-mail gives me a tool to combat voter fraud, which I don’t have under the other systems,” Lunn said. “It gives me a signature I can verify.”

If the clerk-recorder’s office finds a ballot that does not have a signature or that has a signature that doesn’t match the one on file, a representative will reach out to the voter to give them an opportunity to verify their signature and their votes, according to Miranda Nobriga, a public information officer for the Ventura County clerk-recorder’s office.

“The idea that people are handing in other people’s ballots isn’t happening on a rampant voter-fraud scale,” Nobriga said. “Anytime something happens on a national level or even in another city, in media and on social media, it’s assumed that it’s happening everywhere, and that’s just not the case for us.”

Oftentimes ballots are not counted if county officials cannot verify a voter’s signature or if the mail-in votes do not arrive on time.

“Yes, there are a lot of ballots that don’t get counted but that doesn’t tell the whole story,” Lunn said. “They don’t get counted because they aren’t legally able to be counted.”

If officials do suspect an instance of voter fraud, the case is investigated by the clerk-recorder’s voter fraud unit. Any legitimate cases are then passed on to the district attorney’s office.

November

Because of the pandemic and concerns about social distancing, the county is encouraging everyone to vote at home to keep themselves and their community safe.

Those who are uncomfortable voting by mail, or who need to be registered, will still be able to cast their ballots in person.

“There will be in-person locations but we are trying to stress to folks that those are for those who need that option,” Nobriga said.

In March, the county had 389 polling places set up throughout the county that were open for one day. In November, though, there will be 47 in-person locations that will be open for four days from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

“The downside is people can’t just go across the street to the elementary school like they’ve always done,” Nobriga said. “But the nice thing about these locations is you aren’t confined to one specific location based on where you live.”

This means that someone who lives in Simi Valley but is employed in Thousand Oaks, for example, could vote at a polling place near their workplace instead of the one assigned to them based on their home address.

Ballots will also be printed on-demand for those who choose to vote at a voting center.

“It’s not like the primary where there are different ballots for different parties. It will be a very straightforward ballot and probably a large ballot since many elections have gone to districts instead of at-large,” Nobriga said.

Those who prefer to hand-deliver their vote-by-mail ballots can drop them off at one of the county’s 47 polling places or at one of the county’s 30 ballot boxes.

“Not everybody is comfortable mailing their ballot through the postal service. Many people like to vote from home and turn in their ballot at the polling places, so they have that option,” Nobriga said.

Ventura County’s in-person voting locations will be open Sat., Oct. 31 to Mon., Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.