Enough, Already

Sometimes it seems like every government agency is trying to slap a muzzle on the public, passing limits on how long citizens can speak at meetings. Now, the Ventura City Council is wondering about restricting the most long-winded speakers of all: the council members (B1). . . . “I think the way to run a meeting more efficiently is for everybody to do their homework and talk a lot less at the meetings,” Councilman Jim Monahan said.

Reprieve

So this is it. After nearly three years of long weekends, county employees return today to a five-day workweek. . . . “Personally, I’m kind of ambivalent,” says County Clerk Richard Dean. “I enjoyed having Fridays off, but on the other hand I don’t think I’ll be quite as tired now when Friday comes.” . . . Especially this week. Thursday, July 4, is a holiday.

Suitboarding

Barry Couture is a 34-year-old businessman. He usually wears a suit. Today at 5:30 p.m., he’ll lead a march on Ventura City Hall with all the other dudes who like to hop on a board and carve pavement. . . . Couture wants the City Council to delay enforcing the downtown skateboard ban until it chooses a site for a skateboard park. It’s not fair, he says, to outlaw his gnarliest pastime without providing an alternative. . . . Even if he’s slowing down. “I don’t do stunts or anything like that anymore,” he admits.

Simply Grand

If you think about it, the two areas the Ventura County Fair Board cited when they picked Ed Lyon as grand marshal for this year’s parade pretty well cover the gamut in Ventura: He has served the community’s kids and the oil industry. . . . Owner of an oil engineering business--the kind that got this town kicking in the ‘50s--Lyon has spent innumerable hours shaping the future as a foster parent and volunteer for youth-related groups. And he has one more qualification: His father, Harry Lyon, was grand marshal in 1983.