The Jacaranda Mimosifolia tree is native to Argentina and Brazil and has been planted extensively in California coastal communities beginning in the 1890s.
Its fern-like foliage makes it an excellent shade tree, and its striking purple blossoms adorn Ventura each June and July. Once established, Jacaranda trees can grow to 50′ and are moderately drought-tolerant, requiring watering only during prolonged dry periods.
Ventura Tree Alliance, www.venturatreealliance.com
Dr. Greg Gillespie, Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District will assume the duties as Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Ventura County on July 1, 2021. Dr. Gillespie will serve in this capacity through June 30, 2022. Dr. Gillespie succeeds Midge Campbell-Thomas, Market President of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Ms. Campbell-Thomas will serve as Immediate Past Chair and Treasurer. The United Way’s volunteer Board is a dynamic group of community leaders representing diverse fields of expertise including business, education, financial, legal, and healthcare.
“It’s an honor to be able to serve as Chair of United Way’s Board of Directors during this unique time,” said Dr. Gillespie. “I am looking forward to serving with my fellow board members and United Way staff in our commitment to helping Ventura County residents achieve their full potential in education, financial stability, and health.”
New members added to the Board of Directors include Ashley Bautista, Public Information Officer, County of Ventura; Nancy A. Grygiel, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, Amgen, Inc.; Tim Harrington, Regional Account Executive, Deluxe Corporation; Eduardo Lucero, Vice President of Production, Reiter Affiliated Companies; Dr. Cesar Morales, County Superintendent of Schools, Ventura County Office of Education; Marisela Rios, Senior Director of Finance, Medtronic; Manan Shah, Vice President and General Manager of California Individual Business, Anthem; and Kathryn M. Stiles, Director of Community Well-Being, Adventist Health Simi Valley.
Outgoing Board members included Antonio Castro, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Ventura Unifed School District; John C. Lindsey, President and CEO, Lindsey & Lindsey Wealth Management; Laura K. McAvoy, Partner, Musick, Peeler & Garrett, LLP; Michele Newell, Public Affairs Specialist, Aera Energy, LLC; Matthew A. Shrope, Agency Owner, Farmers Insurance; Jesus Torres, CEO, LEAD Public Strategies; Mark Varela, Chief Probation Officer, County of Ventura; Rigoberto Vargas, Director, Ventura County Public Health; and Trish Williams, Chief Risk Officer, CBC Federal Credit Union.
“We are truly grateful for the leadership and support of our outgoing Board members,” said Eric Harrison, President and CEO of United Way of Ventura County. “We’re excited to welcome a diverse group of new Board members as we look ahead to continuing our work improving the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors in need and making a lasting impact in Ventura County.”
Since 1945, United Way of Ventura County has advanced the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all. United Way identifies the root causes of poverty and works strategically to solve them by building alliances across all sectors, funding targeted programs and advocating for change. When we work together in common purpose, we LIVE UNITED. For more information about United Way of Ventura County, visit www.vcunitedway.org.
Like the flower in this haiku by Frances Spencer, Ventura County Ballet and performers everywhere have been waiting for the darkness of Covid to lift to again share their art.
Ventura County Ballet has joined with a diverse selection of local artists to create two free streaming programs – one classical and one contemporary – now available to watch online anytime. The Classics and Dance Through a Contemporary Lens came to life through a unique collaboration of dancers, choreographers, musicians, visual artists and filmmakers as a gift to Ventura County and the world at large.
Both programs may be viewed online without charge.
Visit venturacountyballet.com or nambaarts.com to register and view at your convenience.
Kathleen Noblin, Executive Director of Ventura County Ballet, explained, “With the pandemic largely behind us, Ventura County Ballet is ready to emerge. We feel our community, as well as those beyond our borders, need an infusion of beauty into their lives. We were pleased to be able to collaborate with Namba Performing Arts Space to offer these two performances to show that dance has stayed alive through these difficult times.”
Staged at the Namba Performing Arts Space, Ventura County Ballet presents both beloved classical repertoire and new works by local choreographers Marina Fliagina and Emi Pool. Local musicians Rob Allen (guitar), Mikaela Telesforo (violin) and Anya Hess (harp) accompany several pieces live on stage. Allen and Telesforo play The Swan by Saint-Saëns to accompany solo dancer Greta Pankratz.
In addition to the advanced dancers showcased, Ventura County Ballet offers a look at the future of dance. The “L’ Aurore” and “La Travail” variations from Delibes’ classic Coppelia are danced by Sylvie Watts, 12, and Abigail Steiner, 13, students of Ballet Academy Ventura, official school of Ventura County Ballet.
The eclectic program also includes award-winning Ventura visual artist, playwright and poet Frances Spencer. A member of Working Artists Ventura, Spencer shares a sample of her works across a variety of media.
Noblin added that the program was a true collaboration both onstage and backstage. Saint Pierre, local musician and founder of MusicAndArtsForYouth, assisted in staging the programs and donated backdrops.
The Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation (VCMRF) Board of Directors is proud to announce a new Chairman of the Board and 4 new members. Founded in 1956, the role of the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation is to provide service to low-income and underserved families throughout Ventura County, and to connect people to resources that support the community. The Foundation’s mission is to improve, in partnership with others, access to needed health care for the most vulnerable and underserved residents in Ventura County. Some of the vital programs and services include: providing dental and vision care to low-income children and seniors, unable to obtain treatment for conditions that interfere with their development and every day lives.
VCMRF’s Board of Directors announced that Sean P. McCulloch AVP/Commercial Loan Officer, at Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU), is the new Chairman of the Board. He has thirty years of leadership, sales and service experience, in the financial services industry, that includes a strong background in commercial real estate, industrial lending, and construction lending experience, to members of VCCU. His community involvement is vast and comprehensive.
The following new members have joined VCMRF’s Board of Directors:
Michael K. Boyko – Founder, Boyko & Reardon Telegraph Road Mortuary & Cremation & Principal of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service
Joe Espino – First V.P Regional Community Manager – Community West Bank
Mark Spellman – Senior Account Executive/Media Consultant, Lazer Broadcasting
Ann Howarth – Real Estate Agent, RE/MAX
Kathryn m. Stiles – Director of Community Well-Being, Adventist Health Simi Valley
Michael k. Boyko is founder of Boyko & Reardon Telegraph Road Mortuary & Cremation; Principal of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service; Founder of the Cremation Society of Ventura County and Santa Barbara Foundation. He served as the Past President of the Los Angeles County Funeral Directors Association and has other professional affiliations with local non-profits and has received many academic awards and published a paper on Microbial Origination of Life on Planet Earth.
The Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education, in their April 27 regularly scheduled Board meeting, voted in favor of Superintendent Rice’s appointee, Mr. Brett Taylor, as the new Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Mr. Taylor will begin his new role on June 7, 2021. Mr. Taylor will be replacing Dr. Jeff Davis, who is leaving the District to become the new Superintendent of Oak Park Unified School District.
Mr. Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will serve him well in this position. He has worked in education for more than 20 years, most recently as the Director of Alternative Education at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). In addition to this experience, Mr. Taylor brings years of site leadership experience with him, having served in the roles of Principal, Assistant Principal, Dean, Teacher, and Department Chair, in VCOE and Oxnard Union High School District. Having held many roles within a District, Mr. Taylor is uniquely poised to hold the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources position. He is well-known countywide for his strong ability to build positive relationships with District personnel and education associations, his extensive experience in collective bargaining, both traditional and interest-based, his knowledge in recruitment and equal opportunity employment procedures, his ability to foster a shared vision for the organization, and his extensive experience in conflict management and resolution.
“I believe that Mr. Taylor’s background and work ethic, including his excellent reputation for collaborative leadership and his ability to think long term, will make him an excellent addition to our VUSD team,” stated Superintendent Rice.
“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity at Ventura Unified School District and look forward to meeting all the hard-working educators and support staff who positively impact the students of Ventura. The job of retaining and recruiting the absolute best people to work with our students… it doesn’t get any more important than that,” stated Mr. Taylor.
Lovers of Jazz, R&B and Pop—don’t miss this global star Aubrey Logan.
by Richard Newsham, VMF consultant
Lovers of Jazz, R&B and Pop—don’t miss this global star of stage and stream with her transfixing voice and slide-in-your-tracks trombone technique during her 2021 Ventura Music Festival concert on Friday, July 23, at 8 pm, at the Robert G. Valles Performing Arts Center at Pacifica High School, 600 E Gonzales Rd, in Oxnard.
Aubrey Logan—a.k.a. the “Queen of Sass” or “Diva of Brass”—has cast a spell on audiences large (2017 Festival international de Jazz de Montréal) and small (Austin’s intimate basement Parker Jazz Club) with her postmodern jukebox concerts that tilt hard for Jazz lounge standards, Pop hits and R&B and Calypso classics.
An “American Idol” contestant—who has worked with Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Josh Groban, Dave Koz, Linda Ronstadt, Smokey Robinson and Pharrell Williams—she uses her phenomenal vocal powers—now chanteuse, now opera singer—and sly Tommy Dorsey inspired “glides” on her trombone (the only brass instrument with a slide) to draw her listeners into compellingly sultry and adventuresome arrangements of popular music.
Whether it’s Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm,” MC Hammer’s ”Can’t Touch This,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” Smashmouth’s “ALLSTAR,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” or Wham’s “Careless Whisper”—around the corner of every familiar tune (and the songwriter’s originals) are “anything but standard” surprises—a favorite song magically transformed by her singular brass and vocal gifts. Don’t miss witnessing this once-in-a-generation talent!
Tickets and details for this 100% vaccinated event at www.venturamusicfestival.org.
Jennifer Thompson cuddles with Michael, one of the cats available for affection and adoption, at Cassie’s Cats.
by Jill Forman
“I’m here to hang out with kitties!” says the excited visitor as she comes into Cassie’s Cats Lounge and Adoption Center. Four friendly felines stroll around, doze, and occasionally jump unexpectedly into waiting laps. Comfortable furniture, for both humans and cats, is spread out in the large, open room in Midtown.
It is a place to hang out, relax, de-stress, with the aid of cats. Cuddling with a pet has been shown to have all sorts of beneficial effects on physical and mental health; a “kitty fix.”
“It’s a dream come true” for Jennifer Thompson, who founded Cassie’s Cats and opened the Lounge last month. She first saw a similar setting in Santa Barbara, and went in “…because I love cats.” With the help of her family, volunteers and community members she has been able to fundraise and get through the process of becoming a 501(c)3, renting the space, and equipping it. She has also kept an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram.
On entering the storefront, there is a front area, with gifts for people and animals for sale: t-shirts, tote bags, car toys, pouches, earrings, quilted kitchen items, masks and lots more. The majority of the sewn items were made by Jennifer and her mother. (Free to come in and shop.)
The cats are all rescues and are available for adoption, but there is no pressure to do so. In fact, pressure of any kind is the opposite of what the Lounge is for. They come from many rescue organizations who are delighted to have another avenue to give cats a good home.
Volunteers will be essential to keeping the Lounge staffed. There is a volunteer orientation on June 19. Anyone interested can contact Thompson at the email or phone that will be at the end of this article
To hang out and cuddle with a cat, the prices are $8 for 30 minutes, and $14 for a full hour. Reservations are encouraged, though walk-ins will be welcome if there are fewer than three folks enjoying the kitties at the time. Days will be Thursday-Sunday, 11-5.
To visit, donate, volunteer or any questions:
Cassie’s Cats, 1744 E. Main St. (805) 232-4228
[email protected] www.cassiescatsandkittens.org
Everyone at CAPS Media congratulates every 2021 high school graduate in Ventura! After a year of COVID lock down and isolation, the students, families and friends recently shared a week of joyous graduation celebrations. CAPS Media crews recorded and live-streamed the commencement ceremonies for all six Ventura high schools: Buena, Ventura, Foothill, El Camino, Pacific and VACE (Ventura Adult and Continuing Education).
The Buena High celebration was on Wednesday, June 9 at their Bulldog stadium; the Ventura High ceremony was on Thursday, June 10 at the school’s Cougar stadium, and the final all-day extravaganza covered ceremonies for Foothill, El Camino, Pacific and VACE grads, held back-to-back at the Ventura College stadium on Friday, June 11. All of the commencement celebrations were held with enthusiastic friends and family members in the stands cheering on the graduates.
In addition to airing the events live on CAPS Channel 15, CAPS crews also set up and directed the live-stream distributions of every celebration to the VUSD, enabling all of the graduation ceremonies to be seen live worldwide and locally on the VUSD YouTube channel.
At the same time, CAPS crews are producing a series of video messages by Ventura City Council members and Ventura City Staff members as part of this year’s State of the City update. The brief videos allow each representative and staff member to introduce themselves to the public, express their thoughts on the past year, and share their personal goals and visions for the future as the community emerges from the pandemic.
The messages will be included in Mayor Sofia Rubalcava’s State of the City report hosted by the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on June 24. Themed “A Time Like No Other,” the program will feature an update by Mayor Rubalcava, plus a special presentation from Dr. Roger Rice, Superintendent of the Ventura Unified School District, and a question and answer session with Mayor Rubalcava conducted by Stephanie Caldwell, president and CEO of the Ventura Chamber. The Mayor’s State of the City event will be begin at 1pm on Thursday, June 24 and will be live-streamed on the chamber website.
During the shutdown, the CAPS Media Center continues to broadcast and stream television programming on Channel 6 and Channel 15 and online. In addition, CAPS radio, KPPQ 104.1FM continues to broadcast and stream a vast variety of engaging original and syndicated radio programs. CAPS Member/Producers can submit television and radio programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on CAPS public access television Channel 6, and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM. KPPQ DJs and hosts can access the radio studio in the CAPS Media Center by appointment. Please coordinate with KPPQ director, Elizabeth Rodeno.
Every member of the CAPS Media team wants to thank the public for going above and beyond during the COVID-19 emergency by staying safe and distant, getting vaccinated, wearing masks, and helping others. Thanks to the effort by the community, Ventura is slowly emerging from the pandemic restrictions. Despite the increasingly good news the CAPS Media Center will continue remain closed to CAPS Members and the public until further notice. CAPS Media is taking a very cautious approach to continue to protect our staff.
Earlier this year, Aera Energy challenged our community to support health and wellness programs in VUSD schools by matching donations totaling $5,000 to VEP for teacher grants. The challenge was a success and combined with funding from Mountains 2 Beach Marathon, Ventura Education Partnership made grants totaling $21,000 for 7 individual grants and 7 group grants.
“During COVID VEP has offered grants in a streamlined way. Individual teachers were able to apply for $500 for health/wellness projects. Groups of educators working together to impact larger numbers of students were able to apply for $2500,” said Madhu Bajaj, President of Ventura Education Partnership.
Funded projects include culinary explorations to teach good nutrition and healthy eating, mindfulness activities, physical exercise equipment like yoga and pickleball, sensory gardens and much more.
Sierra Meyers, Ventura High Physical Education Teacher applied for and received funding for hoola hoops to social distance, jump ropes, fitness bands, and other fun PE equipment that can be used outdoors. Meyers said, “Receiving the grant means that my physical education students have an opportunity to try equipment & innovative activities outside the normal tradition sports. The grant gives my students a fun, safe, creative & health benefiting workout in a socially distanced environment.”
“As a member of the review team, it was exciting to see the innovative ways VUSD teachers are looking to engage students to improve the health and wellness,” said Michele Newell, Aera public affairs. “During the pandemic Aera has focused greatly on employee mental and physical health. It is part of our exceptional care for people. So, partnering with VEP and local teachers in this effort is not out of the norm for us. These grants provide VUSD students the means to get exactly what they need to be healthier inside and out. That is a wise investment in our future.”
More information on VEP and the complete list of grant recipients can be found at: http://www.venturaeducationpartnership.org/Health-Wellness
