PRIME PROPERTY: Aware of Moorpark’s status as...
PRIME PROPERTY: Aware of Moorpark’s status as Ventura County’s most expensive spot for rental housing, city officials are considering the creation of a program to require developers to set aside part of their housing projects for the poor. . . . “Unfortunately we haven’t been able to attract that type of development, probably due to the high cost of land,” Community Development Director Jim Aguilera said. “But there’s definitely a need and we plan to fill it.”
GRAFFITI CLEANUP: Joining a countywide movement, Simi Valley officials are pledging to wipe out graffiti (B6) by offering rewards for those who identify vandals and stiffening penalties for offenders. But in Oxnard, which has the county’s worst graffiti problem, such tough tactics have barely slowed the spread. . . . “We’ll spend over $500,000 this year,” said Manny Vega, who heads Oxnard’s anti-graffiti program. “We’ve even tried to restrict the sale of articles used for graffiti, but some of these kids will even use shoe polish.”
SITTER SOLUTION: Two moms have developed a program to check the criminal histories of potential baby-sitters (E1). Trustline is a registry that combs the state’s criminal history system to check the backgrounds of unlicensed care givers. . . . “I think it’s a great idea,” said Mary James, founder of the Simi Valley-based MOMS Club, a nationwide group born out of the same concerns. “Our children are the most special people in our lives and a lot of mothers have a hard time trusting anyone.”
WRIGHT ON: Port Hueneme Councilman Dorill B. Wright returned to the dais earlier this month following a spill in the cultural center bearing his name (B1). “I’m back in the saddle,” said the 72-year-old councilman, who cracked six ribs and punctured a lung when he slipped off the auditorium stage last month. . . . “I’m moving cautiously,” Wright said, “but I’m coming along quite well.”
Paying the Landlord
Median rents in Ventura County cities: Ventura County median: $695 Moorpark: $866 Simi Valley: $844 Thousand Oaks: $840 Camarillo: $765 Ventura: $671 Port Hueneme: $655 Oxnard: $634 Ojai: $622 Fillmore: $561 Santa Paula: $552 Source: California Cities, Towns & Counties, 1992
