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Coverly Professional Services, Inc. CEO Lynnette Coverly, is honored with three awards

Coverly Professional Services (CoverlyPro) CEO, Lynnette Coverly and her company are having a banner year. In the first six months of 2021 Coverly has been awarded the 2021 BRAVA Adaptability Award by the National Association of Women Business Owner Ventura County (NAWBO-VC), is the Women’s Economic Venture’s 2021 Media and Communications Spirit of Entrepreneurship award winner and was named as a state NAWBO finalist for the Women Business Owner of the Year. These honors come as CoverlyPro celebrates its 11th year in business as a full-service marketing project management firm bringing creative ideas to implementation that continually exceed client expectations.

Part of the firm’s recent successes is a result of Coverly’s leadership and ability to pivot and adapt during the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, from a business standpoint, there was an opportunity to be flexible and adapt. The way we adapted at CoverlyPro was to begin offering virtual event productions. We literally became overnight Zoom and Live Stream experts and have produced 18 virtual events, including a 3-full day conference, in the last year and a half,” commented Coverly. With this adaptation to the firm’s service offerings, 2020 became a stellar year for Coverly Pro. She continued, “Now we’re transitioning from virtual productions to producing hybrid events that include both virtual and in-person elements.”

A result of the company’s achievements, is its growth. CoverlyPro has expanded its team from two to six employees. With over 30 years of marketing leadership, project management and communications experience, Coverly is building her diverse team with advanced subject matter experts who are creating and implementing branding, marketing, and communications strategies across a variety of business sectors for local, regional, and statewide clients.

Coverly credits her firm’s favorable results from her established philosophy of giving back. “What I love most about being a woman business owner, is that I can support other women business owners. It’s so important to me to provide services and help women business owners tell their stories,” states Coverly. Translating her giving spirit directly into her business, Coverly has been an integral volunteer and board member of community projects and events including VEP’s Summerfest, Women Economic Ventures, FOOD Share’s Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat, Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation, Ventura County 4-H youth development program, and National Kidney Foundation. She is currently on the Executive Board for NAWBO California and is a past president for NAWBO Ventura County.

Learn more about Coverly Professional Services at www.CoverlyPro.com or by contacting [email protected].

Coverly Professional Services, Inc. – Founded in 2010 by Lynnette Coverly, Coverly Professional Services (CoverlyPro) is a full-service marketing and public relations project management firm based in Ventura, California. With a varied portfolio of clients, CoverlyPro’s focus is creating and implementing branding and marketing strategies for the “service” industry from veterinary practices to in-home service companies, professional services, non-profits, and more. Leveraging its Three-Tiered Approach, the firm’s turnkey services include brand and marketing development, social media strategic management, media/public relations, SEO copywriting, development of all client-facing communications, graphic design, website content management and user experience (UX) direction, and media placement. www.CoverlyPro.com, 805-642-1301.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – Opinion/Editorial

∙ Recently, I was at the city parking garage at the beach. It is disgraceful. Filthy, (cigarette butts everywhere) and is in dire need of much painting. Hardly an introduction to Ventura that we want tourists to see.

∙ There is as show on TV called Ancient Aliens that constantly asks” could (fill in anything ancient) this perhaps be the work of ancient aliens?” I have concluded that spinach might be the work of ancient aliens. No one on earth likers spinach so perhaps spinach is what aliens eat, and they have planted it here so that when they take over the earth they have something to eat. Take a close look at Popeye, does he look he came from earth?

∙ Recently, a group of Venturan’s appealed the 72-unit Haley townhouse project that has been approved by the city. Their appeal cited several decisions that they believe were made by the city, but, in reality the State is slowly taking away cities zoning and planning regulations and allowing developers to be given variances that those appealing thought the city had given.

California lawmakers have been pushing for legislation to override locally approved zoning rules in order to permit denser developments in residential neighborhoods by rewriting city land use rules in California. It would effectively eliminate single family zoning in California. A residential lot currently zoned for one single family residence could soon have four residences on the property. This is to expand the State’s housing supply and increase the construction of badly needed housing.

There has, of course, been strong opposition by many cities fearing that it would destroy quiet neighborhoods with large scale projects and many cars brought into the neighborhood. Very high current construction costs will probably prevent most homeowners from building more units on their properties, but some certainly will.

∙ From the LA Times.

“Only one private institution is mentioned in the Constitution. The press. Our nations founders recognized that a press free to criticize those in power and spread information across society is essential in the democracy. The Constitution not only allows but requires the government to take steps to keep the press viable. In fact, the government has done this since the beginning of the Republic.”

Regarding newspapers, it went on to say; “Especially notable is a loss of reporting in smaller towns, suburbs and real areas. Leaving thousands of American Communities with no local coverage.”

A way that the government might help the failing news industry is by way of a bill that has bipartisan support in Congress. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act creates tax incentives to encourage readers to subscribe and even donate to local newspapers. It would also provide tax incentives to businesses that advertise in local newspapers. Long live the Ventura Breeze.

∙ Guess which ex-president made this articulate statement?

“This country has, for whatever reason, also refused to produce the network routers. We want the routers, Sonny, Wendy, we got to get those routers, please. Those routers. Come on, Kelly, we can get those routers. Those routers. You know what? We’re so beyond the routers, there’s so many fraudulent without the routers. But if you got those routers, what that will show, and they don’t want to give up the routers. They don’t want to give them. They are fighting like hell. Why are these commissioners fighting not to give up the routers?”

∙ Arizona county election officials have found fewer than 200 cases of potential voter fraud in more than 3 million ballots cast in last year’s election. It turns out that Biden really might be our President.

∙ Former South Florida talk show host Dick Farrel, known and beloved by fans for his over-the-top right-wing opinions, has died from complications from COVID-19.

On Facebook, Farrel advocated against getting the coronavirus vaccine and was skeptical of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and his recommendations concerning the coronavirus. Friends said after contracting the virus he changed his point of view.

∙ Guns in the News.

Firefighters battling the wildfires in California say some residents have pulled guns on them because they don’t want to evacuate.

Crews encountered the armed homeowners as the Dixie fire, which has been raging for three-weeks, tore towards the town of Greenville (which has been destroyed) in the state’s North.

“We have firefighters that are getting guns pulled out on them because people don’t want to evacuate,” California Incident Management operations section chief Jake Cagle stated.

President Biden announced a slate of actions aimed at fulfilling his campaign promise to combat the proliferation of gun violence in this country. The action, while necessary, also shows how few options a president has for addressing this critical and deadly issue.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – Police Reports

by Cindy Summers

Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura  Police Department and are not the opinions of  the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned  are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty  in a court of law.

Stabbing with Arrest

On July 26, at approximately 7:00 pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of a stabbing victim in the 7800 block of Telephone Rd.

Responding officers arrived on scene within one minute of the call and located the suspect, 19 year old Oxnard resident Edward Larios, standing near the victim who was suffering from several stab wounds.

The ensuing investigation revealed that that the victim had driven to the 600 block of Providence Av at the request of a female who indicated she was being physically abused by Larios.

Once the victim arrived, he broke up a domestic violence incident between the female and Larios. As the victim was leaving in his car Larios confronted the victim and stabbed him twice in the legs. The victim fled in his car.

The victim who was feeling the effects of being stabbed pulled over into the gas station at Telephone Rd and Kimball Rd. He called the female to come help him. She arrived along with the Larios and Larios stabbed the victim an additional time in the abdomen.

The victim was taken to the Ventura County Medical Center where he remains in stable condition.

Larios was arrested and booked for assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury and domestic violence.

Shooting with Arrest

During the investigation, the Ventura Police Department had processed the crime scene for evidence and had served numerous search warrants which led to the development of the suspect in this case. Brian Torres , 38 year old Ventura resident, was linked to the crime and a warrant was sought for his arrest.

On July 29, the Ventura Police Department was notified by the Laramie Police Department in Wyoming that they had apprehended Torres after they had received a call of a suspicious subject at a laundromat. He was subsequently booked into Laramie County Detention Center in Wyoming awaiting extradition back to California.

On July 21, at 3:30 am, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call of a shooting victim at Simpson St and Ventura Av. Responding officers arrived on scene and located a 20-year-old male victim lying on the sidewalk suffering from a gunshot wound.

Ventura Fire and AMR ambulance arrived and transported the victim to the Ventura County Medical Center.

The ensuing investigation revealed that the victim was east of Ventura Ave on Simpson St when he was shot at numerous times and was struck once in the torso.

The victim is currently at the Ventura County Medical Center in critical condition. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Detective Espinosa at 805-339-4497.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine

Camarillo Takes Off in Ernest

Camarillo Skyway Playhouse opened its final production in the Camarillo Airport location last Friday, The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde.

Ernest has been heralded by theatre afficionados as a “comic masterpiece” since its opening in 1895. Playwright Wilde’s oft-quoted wit and wisdom has weathered well over these many decades. Wilde is at his best here, inventing two English gentlemen who value privilege, pleasure-seeking, and love of extravagance far above responsibility and truthfulness. Both have created elaborate deceptions to try to imbue their lives with a semblance of balance. The result is a joyous, passionate play filled with situational irony.

Director Kimberly Demmary has taken some chances with the direction of this production, many of which work to good advantage. She has kept the period in costuming and setting and cast competent, seasoned actors in the roles. In my opinion, however, the play has been staged almost Keystone Kops style – frantic, loud and with a loss of the subtle humor for which the play is well known. Reactions are melodramatically over the top and, although quite amusing in themselves, diminish the pure wit inherent in the words which were often buried. Blatant mugging in the background by all the actors frequently upstaged the dialogue.

Lead actors Brian Robert Harris as Jack/Ernest, and Patrick T. Rogers as Algernon, speak at such a rapid pace in their British accents that many great lines are either tossed away or were not heard at all. Both terrific actors, I personally was disappointed to see them playing Ernest almost a la Stooges. I half expected a nyuck-nyuck and an eye jab at any moment, particularly during the argumentative scenes, the vocal levels of which echoed in the building. No subtle satire, this.

The ingenues, Maddie Boyd as Gwendolyn and Samantha Netzen Bingham as Cecily , fell into the same trap, covering many pithy lines with both verbal and physical histrionics. Often the next line was delivered before the previous one could be digested. On opening night, quite a few lines simply disappeared. It is hoped that the pacing will smooth out a bit during subsequent performances to allow the audience to fully enjoy Wilde’s witty words.

Theresa Secor as Lady Augusta Bracknell acted with a bit more even pace and meaningful reactions. One scene in act I with her and Harris alone is worth the price of admission. This scene was beautifullyl done.

In smaller but no less important roles, Josh Rubenstein shines in a dual role as the harried butlers Merriman and Lane. Suzanne Tobin brings Miss Prism to life with flair. The reverend Dr. Chasuble is played by Larry Swartz, who makes the most out of his part, and the two together are charming.

It is a delight to see live theater again, even if it works needlessly hard to elicit laughs.

The play runs through August 29. Check www.skywayplayhouse.org for details and stay tuned for news of the company’s new home.

Ventura Fire personnel respond to structure fire at commercial building

On August 5, at 2am, a 911 call was received at the Fire Communication Center to report a structure fire at a commercial building located on Callens. Fire personnel arrived on scene within minutes of the initial call and found a large single story commercial occupancy with heavy smoke and flames coming from a front office. Fire personnel began an aggressive fire attack and found the seat of the fire in a front office. A quick and coordinated search for victims found the occupancy to be vacant. Fire personnel knocked down and extinguished the fire within 22 minutes of the initial 911 call and began salvage and overhaul operations.

The Incident Commander coordinated with Ventura Building and Safety to determine the final disposition of the building. The estimated damage to the structure was approximately $150,000 and personal losses were estimated to be at $0 because the building was vacant. The final cause of the fire remains under investigation and no injuries were reported at the time of the incident.

Covid-19 Pandemic Hurts Girl Scout Cookie Sales

It is a commonly accepted belief that Girl Scout Cookies are the most delicious cookies, but they also provide opportunities for millions of girls across the country to learn skills that are essential to leadership, success, and life. Unfortunately, this year 250,000 boxes of the coveted Girl Scout cookies have been left unsold in stores across California’s Central Coast due to an inability to outreach during the Covid-19 pandemic. These cookies need to be sold by September 1 and are currently being sold in a buy one, get one free sale by the troops in the central coast.

The cookies can be found at the following location, Monday-Friday, 9 am-4:30 pm

Ventura Office

1500 Palma Drive, Suite 110

Board of Supervisors Approves New Five-Year Contract for County Executive Officer

On Tuesday, July 27, the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to extend the contract for County Executive Officer, Mike Powers, through July 2026. Each of the five Board members commented on the excellent work of Mike Powers, citing his leadership through some of the most difficult and challenging times.

“Mr. Powers has demonstrated tremendous leadership as our County Executive Officer, delivering on the goals set forth by our Board while guiding the County through the challenges and impacts of the pandemic,” said Chair Linda Parks. “This pandemic response included significant support for our most vulnerable including seniors, farmworkers, and individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as strong financial support for pandemic impacted businesses through the provisioning of $60 million in business assistance grants and more than $7 million in business fee waivers. Additionally, Mr. Powers’ leadership has guided vaccination efforts that have resulted in one of the highest vaccination rates among counties in the state and in the nation.”

Mike Powers was first appointed to the position in December 2010 and this is the fourth renewal of his contract with the County. Board members noted Mike Powers’ work ethic, responsiveness, support during recent emergencies and dedication to serving community members of Ventura County with professionalism and compassion.

“I deeply appreciate the support of the Board. We could not do what we do without the Board support. I am also very grateful to serve alongside our County leadership team and our County workforce. Seeing the work that they have done during this pandemic shows what can be done when we all work together towards a shared mission,” said County Executive Officer Mike Powers. “There is a lot ahead of us, but the work across our 25 agencies and departments will allow the County to achieve the goals that have been set by the Board and to capitalize on the enhanced connections developed through our pandemic response between our departments as well as our local government and community partners to better serve our community.”

In recognition of comparative salary and benefit information with administrators of other comparable counties in California with hospital systems, an increase in compensation rate of 5% was also approved by the Board. The contract extension is based on the Board’s performance assessment rating of Mike Powers as exceptional over the past 11 years.

“Over the course of the past eighteen months significant additional progress towards the goals and priorities set by our Board has also been made, among these being disaster resilience and recovery, health and safety transformations, including support for the clinic integration project, diversity, equity and inclusion, community engagement, mental and public health, sustainability, the prioritization of homeless, veterans and children’s services, and increased emphasis on economic vitality,” said Chair Linda Parks. “Strong financial performance has enabled the County to move forward on programs while also supporting pandemic recovery efforts. A highly successful complete count on the 2020 census was also supported amongst the difficult challenges of the pandemic.”

 

With the 5% increase, Mike Powers’ salary will be $328,974.83.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
The Vault – Netflix

3 out of 4 palm trees
Breeze rating from 1 to 4 palm trees, 4 being best.

Thom (Freddie Highmore) seemed to have the world on a string. He was an engineering student graduating from Cambridge University and due to the fact that he created an unusual and ingenious solution to deal with an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, he was courted with 6 figure salaries from all the largest oil companies. Thom’s interests were not with high salaries, they were with providing unique engineering solutions that can help people, so he was very disinterested in following in his father’s footsteps and working for a major oil company.

Walter Moreland (Liam Cunningham) was a treasure hunter and found his elusive “holy grail” when he finally located the sunken ship of Sir Francis Drake, which not only had a wealth of treasure but was known to have a box with 3 coins that were a treasure map to even more treasure beyond measure. Immediately after they found the box and brought it to the surface, Spanish Customs seized the treasure, including the box and the situation was referred to the International Court, at The Hague to make a ruling on whether the treasure belonged to the Spanish Crown or Walter. The Court ruled in favor of Spain and treasure was taken to a mysterious, impenetrable fortress hidden under The Bank of Spain

While at dinner with his father, Thom got a call from an unknown number with directions to follow a stranger, and when he grabbed his coat he found a treasure coin and an invitation to meet at a location to find out why. He ended up meeting Walter in a bar, who proposed to him “I want you to help me break into the vault under the most secure location in the world.” Walter chose Thom because the vault was considered to be a miracle of engineering, and left him with a ticket from London to Madrid to meet the team if he was interested.

Thom met the team: Klaus was the computer wiz in the control booth., Simon was responsible for acquisitions, and Lorraine (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) was skilled at slight of hand and a master of disguise. James (Sam Riley) was Walter’s friend who worked together for 10 years and was responsible for planning, entry, extraction and would be leading the team. They reviewed that Walter’s plan to was to break in during the Soccer World Cup Finals, and though they had a plan to get to the vault, they had no idea how to access the vault which was known as The Enigma.

Thom’s curiosity was peaked, to he agreed to join the team to see if he could solve the issue of accessing the vault. The team was already working on certain aspects of the plan, but needed Thom’s genius brain to solve the most important part and Thom also turned out to be very skilled at looking at complex problems and finding simple and effective methods to solve them. Though the rest of the team was skeptical at first, they quickly embraced Thom as a lead member due to his quick thinking solutions.

The team began to carry out their plan, and whenever they came up against a hurdle Thom stepped in to do or resolve whatever was needed to complete the mission. Little did they know they would be betrayed by one of their own in their quest to recover when they felt they rightly owned.

Rated: R (Language)
Runtime: 1h 58m

Sleep and Aging

Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening, if you can.

Getting enough sleep helps you stay healthy and alert. But, many older people don’t sleep well. If you’re always sleepy or you find it hard to get enough sleep at night, it may be time to see a doctor. Waking up every day feeling tired is a sign that you are not getting the rest you need.

Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger.

There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night. Feeling sick or being in pain can make it hard to sleep. Some medicines can keep you awake.

Being older doesn’t mean you have to be tired all the time. You can do many things to help you get a good night’s sleep. Here are some ideas:

Follow a regular sleep schedule. Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends or when you are traveling.

Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening, if you can. Naps may keep you awake at night.

Develop a bedtime routine. Take time to relax before bedtime each night. Some people read a book, listen to soothing music, or soak in a warm bath.

Try not to watch television or use your computer, cell phone, or tablet in the bedroom. The light from these devices may make it difficult for you to fall asleep. And alarming or unsettling shows or movies, like horror movies, may keep you awake.

Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, not too hot or too cold, and as quiet as possible.

Use low lighting in the evenings and as you prepare for bed.

Exercise at regular times each day but not within 3 hours of your bedtime.

Avoid eating large meals close to bedtime—they can keep you awake.

Stay away from caffeine late in the day. Caffeine (found in coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate) can keep you awake.

Remember—alcohol won’t help you sleep. Even small amounts make it harder to stay asleep.

Insomnia Is Common in Older Adults

Some older adults who have trouble sleeping may use over-the-counter sleep aids. Others may use prescription medicines to help them sleep. These medicines may help when used for a short time. But remember, medicines aren’t a cure for insomnia.

People with restless legs syndrome, or RLS, feel like there is tingling, crawling, or pins and needles in one or both legs. This feeling is worse at night. See your doctor for more information about medicines to treat RLS.

Periodic limb movement disorder, or PLMD, causes people to jerk and kick their legs every 20 to 40 seconds during sleep. Medication, warm baths, exercise, and relaxation exercises can help.

Rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep behavior disorder is another condition that may make it harder to get a good night’s sleep. During normal REM sleep, your muscles cannot move, so your body stays still. But, if you have REM sleep behavior disorder, your muscles can move and your sleep is disrupted.

Some people find that relaxing their bodies puts them to sleep. One way to do this is to imagine your toes are completely relaxed, then your feet, and then your ankles are completely relaxed. Work your way up the rest of your body, section by section. You may drift off to sleep before getting to the top of your head.

After turning off the light, give yourself about 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you’re still awake and not drowsy, get out of bed. When you feel sleepy, go back to bed.