Letters to the editor: The value of Buenaventura course; keep away from eggs
Golf course is an asset to city
Regarding the recent flooding of Buenaventura Golf Course and the importance of it to the community: Over the years it has been used for thousands of people — men, women and kids for golf, recreation, exercising, socializing, weddings, etc. Reasonably priced with men’s and women’s golf clubs who play there regularly on a weekly basis, it is a real asset to the city of Ventura in many different ways even if you do not play golf.
And of importance, as the mayor stated to The Star, the golf course was doing well financially, which in turn is bringing in a much-needed revenue source to the city of Ventura — which, in the city’s discretion, can fund any other programs as it deems necessary and important to the city.
Ken Boyd, Oxnard
Buenaventura course is a priority
Re: Ziphora Wheeler’s Jan. 23 letter, “Golf course isn’t a priority”:
Not thinking the Buenaventura Golf Course is a priority compared to the other priorities mentioned in the letter is understandable if you are not a golfer. The fact is the two city-owned golf courses are a source of revenue and profit seven days a week in full operation. Unlike the priorities mentioned that cost taxpayer money to fund, the course will be restored with insurance aid. It is a priority to city revenue, employees’ income, residents, visitors from the surrounding counties and cities and tourists that enjoy the recreation provided by the two courses. Most hope a restoral to full operation is sooner than expected.
Ely Enriquez, Ventura
Avoid eggs for chicken’s sake
With all of the discussion about how expensive eggs have become, it’s worth reflecting on whether consuming them is worth the cruelty involved in producing them. While all of the reporting has focused on the increased prices due largely to avian flu, little attention has been brought to the suffering of these animals.
When chicken, turkey, and egg companies detect one infected bird, they kill the whole flock in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. The most common method of killing the chickens is by closing off barn vents to raise temperatures so the birds die by heat stroke/suffocation, a practice called ventilation shutdown, which can take 1.5 to 3.75 hours to kill them.
We don’t like to think about these things because they are too horrible, and we are helpless to stop them but there is yet another reason to avoid eggs. The entire egg industry has a practice of sexing newly hatched chicks in order to separate the males from the females. The females are raised for laying eggs, while the male chicks are entirely useless to the egg industry so they cull them by “macerating” them while they are still alive using a high-speed grinder. Maceration is the primary method in the United States. This is something the egg industry doesn't like people to know about but it's standard practice.
People often assume that consuming eggs is harmless because no animals die in the process of egg laying, especially when chickens are raised in cage-free conditions. But the fact is, there is no way to avoid endorsing these horrific practices other than by simply avoiding eggs altogether. There are commercial plant-based alternatives available for both baking and cooking. So next time you consider paying extra for eggs, consider avoiding them altogether.
Kayla Capper, Ojai
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: The value of Buenaventura course; keep away from eggs
