Story on Gangs a Success

My compliments on the exceptional Ventura County Life feature “Rescuing Rebels” that ran Sept. 3. Reporter Pat Kemper and photographers Carlos Chavez and Debra Myrent provided a well-researched, comprehensive piece on Ventura County’s youth-at-risk and local efforts to keep them out of gang activity.

While budget constraints have made the efforts more challenging, sometimes the greater battle fought by youth agencies is not for dollars but over attitudes--the attitude of “complacency” and “resignation” that violence and gang activity are acceptable or inevitable choices for our youth. Your article was a powerful reminder of the many success stories, programs and people that continue to prevail.

DEBBIE SOLOMON

Ventura Parks

and Recreation Department

Ventura