2016 Art Tales’ winners being honored by Cheryl Heitmann.

All participants of the City of Ventura’s 9th annual Art Tales “writing contest inspired by art” and the public are invited to attend a special reception and reading with refreshments at E.P. Foster Library, 2nd floor on Thursday, June 8 at 5:30 pm. Community members are invited and encouraged to hear the winners  read their entries and receive their prizes.

Youth, high school and adult writers, from around the country, submitted a record 123 works of short fiction and poems inspired by City of Ventura’s Municipal Art Collection and public art created by artists Blue McRight & Warren Wagner, Tom McMillin, Leonard Poteshman and Michelle Stevens and team.  Contestants ranged in age from kindergarten to over 80 years old. Most entries came from Ventura County: 33 adults (18 & up); 30 teens (13-17); and 60 youth (12 & under). Many teachers from the Ventura Unified School District encouraged their students to enter.

The five contest judges were Ventura County Poet Laureate Phil Taggart, Ventura County Librarian Irma Morales, Ventura Poet Richard Newsham, Ventura Library Advisory Commissioner Debbie Giles and Community Partnerships Manager Denise Sindelar. The judges received all entries “blind” – identified only by (1) a number, (2) the artwork that inspired it, (3) prose or poetry category and (4) age group of the writer.

The 2017 winners of Art Tales are:

Youth Poetry: 1st  Rachel Patrykus  2nd Gianne Garman     3rd  Katie Trevisan

Youth Fiction: 1st  Sidney Crutz  2nd  Amy Baumgardner 3rd  Sienna Mody

Teen Poetry:   1st  Penelope Duran  2nd  Jolee Niberding-Swanberg 3rd  Sophie Stimer

Teen Fiction:   1st  Nadia Connelly 2nd  Calista Marsh  3rd  Anna Berezovskiy

Adult Poetry:  1st  Melissa Waters 2nd  Andres Rodriquez  3rd  Anabelle Warren

Adult Fiction:  1st  Patty Vickers    2nd  Juan David Cure  3rd  Rick Garcia

“We thank all participants for sending in such beautiful poems or stories,” said Art Tales Curator Tobie Roach. “It is amazing to read the many ways the artworks in our Municipal Art Collection inspire more creativity than anyone could imagine.”

Homeless camps in the Santa Clara riverbed happen overnight.

by City Councilmember Christy Weir

There are a growing number of camps being constructed in the Santa Clara riverbed behind the city’s golf courses.  It is very sad to see people living in these conditions. The City of Ventura and our social service agencies offer help to the homeless who are living there, and we periodically clean up the encampments for environmental reasons. The trash and human waste that accumulate are a source of pollution that cannot be ignored. It is essential that we continue to clean up our river areas so they are free from the pollution that impacts water quality at our beaches.

Last week we ran into several people. The people were known by the VPD as chronically homeless who have been offered help many times over the years, including today. One man is a veteran from Santa Clarita and has declined services and housing. Another woman came to the river bottom after being in jail. She is a meth user, who has refused all help, including transportation to her family in SF. She told us she didn’t like taking “charity” and supports herself by panhandling. The man with her had previously turned down help because he had a dog– but he doesn’t have a dog now and today was not open to receiving services. This is our biggest dilemma with entrenched homeless individuals- how do you give a “hand up” to people who won’t accept it? We need to keep trying. Giving cash to panhandlers is not helpful–it only prolongs their unhealthy lifestyle by enabling them to live on the streets or in the riverbeds, rather than accepting services that permanently improve their lives.

On a positive note, just last week, a chronically homeless woman who has been living on the streets accepted help for her alcoholism, after it being offered to her many times over the past few years. She is now receiving treatment. And our Family Reconnection Program has reunited over 100 homeless individuals with loved ones who are now helping to care for them.

Ventura Water employees installing new smart meter.

by city staff

Ventura Water has started replacing the old, manually-read water meters throughout the city with new, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), also known as smart meters.  Smart meters provide wireless communication between the meter at your home or business and Ventura Water (your local water utility).  Water customers will immediately realize the benefit of smart meters through the ability to detect and notify consumers of costly leaks within 24 hours rather than finding out at the end of a 60 day-billing cycle.   Other benefits include improved accuracy and the ability for customers to actively manage their water usage and therefore have a better knowledge of how much water they are consuming on a consistent basis.

In the fall of 2017 approximately 32,000 water meters for Ventura’s residential and commercial customers will be replaced.   The meter upgrades will be installed in multiple phases of about 1,000 meters per month for a three year period.

A smart water meter, often referred to as sustainable water management technology,  looks very similar to the existing meter but has an added device that relays readings remotely.   Smart meters are considered among the most innovative technologies available to manage and predict usage and, ultimately, they will help improve conservation efforts for the entire community.

Once all the meters are installed, Ventura Water plans to implement monthly billing (instead of bi-monthly) in 2020.  The existing water meters are old and due for replacement.  The new smart meters give customers more information and control of their water usage, and offer environmental benefits by reducing the need for meter readers.

Are the new meters safe?  Yes, the AMI technology is safe, much safer than cell phones, laptops, Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens and similar commonly used equipment.  The AMI Meter radio frequency transmissions only contain the reading, error codes and meter ID – protecting the customer’s personal information.

Ventura residents have done a great job conserving water and have made efficient water practices a way of life.  In March 2017 our water demand was down by 31% compared to March 2013.  The City of Ventura remains focused on responding to the water challenges we are facing and will continue to implement projects that diversify our water portfolio and improve future water reliability.

“Ventura Water works in partnership with our community to be efficient and plan for the unpredictable future.  Hundreds of residents have participated in our turf replacement Water Wi$e Incentive Program, free Water Conservation Survey visits and other programs,” said Ventura Water Acting General Manager Joe McDermott.

Community members can help keep Ventura safe and clean by reporting graffiti

by city staff

City of Ventura Public Works staff removed, painted, blasted or chemically treated 2,757 graffiti cases last fiscal year.  Outfitted with paint, rollers, gloves and environmentally safe cleaner, the team travels throughout the city responding to issues reported by other staff, attentive community members and tips received on the graffiti hotline.  The graffiti removal efforts are impressive, and so is the time frame in which they are cleaned up.  Nearly all graffiti instances are removed within 24-48 hours, which is a testament to the City’s great work in keeping Ventura safe and clean.

In addition to our Public Works team removing graffiti, the Ventura Police Department responds to calls for service related to graffiti, tagging, and spray paint.  From April 2016 through March 2017, Ventura Police filed 156 graffiti/tagger crime reports and arrested nine people for graffiti vandalism.

In 2012, the City of Ventura collaborated with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Union Pacific Railroad to remove graffiti with a shiny new coat of paint, install surveillance cameras, new lighting and fencing, and add other physical safety barriers to deter trespassers and vandalism on the bridge trestle. The trestle is an important area to remove graffiti — it is highly visible to visitors and the 94,000 motorists who pass it each day.

Nearly five years later, the City remains committed to keeping the bridge and other locations throughout Ventura graffiti-free. Recently, Public Works staff removed approximately 25 square feet of graffiti on the trestle, which required coordination with Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol because freeway lanes needed to be closed for public safety during the graffiti abatement.

Graffiti vandalism happens on both public and private property.  Property owners can discourage graffiti tagging by using good lighting to deter vandals, planting trees, shrubs or climbing vines to restrict access to tempting walls, and rapidly removing graffiti to send vandals a message that their defacement has little chance of being seen.

Community members can help keep Ventura safe and clean by reporting graffiti in the City of Ventura, at 654-7805.