VENTURA : Poli Street Closure Near School OKd

Following up on their decision earlier this week, Ventura city officials have announced that a section of Poli Street near the Ventura High School campus will be closed to traffic during school hours beginning Feb. 22.

The area of Poli Street will be barricaded from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on days school is in session, officials said. The street closure will be implemented for 30 days, after which time the city will decide whether to make it a permanent measure.

In response to concern following the recent stabbing death of a high school student, the City Council decided Monday to close Poli to lessen the chance of drive-by shootings at the school.

Ventura High student Jesse Strobel, 17, was stabbed to death on the night of Jan. 29 in Ventura’s Pierpont area.

In a statement, Mayor Gregory L. Carson said: “This measure is being taken in response to the requests of parents and the Ventura Unified School District. This temporary measure will give us an opportunity to evaluate the impact of closing Poli Street on the school and the community at large.”