Letters to the editor: Golf courses not up to par; wolves are cold-blooded killers

Ventura must sustain golf courses

Re: your April 12 story, “Golfers teed off at Ventura’s handling of city courses”:

I missed the April 9 city hall meeting attended by concerned golfers and others. As a 30-year tax-paying resident and golfer I am witness to the abhorrent golf cart, bathroom and lack of food and beverage amenities at our only operating city golf course, Olivas Links. Compared to the Oxnard/River Ridge GC and Ojai/Soule Park GC, and Camarillo/ Sterling Hills, our two golf course facilities are either nonexistent and/or below second class compared to other city courses, to put it mildly.

Obviously, Mother Nature took away our popular revenue-generating Buenaventura GC over a year ago. Everyone wants to know why and when the city will get the course back into operation. The impression our city government gives those concerned is no priority to the major golf attractions of our city.

Out-of-town visitors ask why one course is not open yet and why the poor golf cart conditions and the lack of usual golf course amenities, a clubhouse, are not available at Olivas Links. Can’t our city be as good or better than our surrounding neighbors in golf course sustainability?

Ely Enriquez, Ventura

Wolves don’t need protection

I applaud U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario, Oregon) for pursuing the end of the protective status of gray wolves. Wolves are cold-blooded killers who have no place around livestock, or toddlers (but I’ll get to that). Their mere presence, not discounting their killing, jeopardizes ranching.

A handful of years ago a couple of ranchers I met in Wheeler County (Oregon) directed me to infrared videos that showed how cattle grouped tightly together when a wolf was in the area — and stopped eating, thus impairing their ability to gain weight, reproduce, and survive. Calves were the first to perish.

A couple of my “environmentalist” friends, naive as all get out, have told me that “wolves have a right to live too.” First, they don’t; they’re not human beings and don’t have human rights. Second, I agreed —that they can live in the Arctic, Yukon, Yellowstone, and so on, where there isn’t livestock ranching and that’s a vast territory. Third, I asked: “Can I drop one off to play with your pets and children?”

Returning to the wolves and toddlers comment. My sister once had a wolf-dog to virtue signal. She wanted to take my toddler twin boys to a park so they could play with her beast. I said, “That’s not going to happen.” She dared to argue with me, which didn’t end well for her. She didn’t think things through, and she’s not alone.

Keith Gallagher, Santa Paula

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Golf courses not up to par; wolves are cold-blooded killers