Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Answer in a Breeze

Question: “If Ventura has a water shortage why is it allowing so many apartments, condos and a hotel to be built?” Tony Jankowski

Answer by Ventura Water

The State of California requires the all cities and counties within the State, including the City of Ventura,  to plan for and to allow construction of new housing.  This is part of a decades long concerted effort by the State to get cities to add housing to support the State economy.  State law specifically does not allow a city to waive its responsibility to plan for housing growth because of water supply challenges. 

In 2016, the City adopted a water neutral development policy known as the Water Rights Dedication and Water Resource Net Zero Policy.  The Net Zero Policy Ordinance requires new development to offset new or increased water demand through one or more compliance options, including dedication of water rights, extraordinary conservation measures, and/or payment of a fee. The fee proceeds go towards paying for future water supply projects, so that existing rate payers do not absorb the entire cost of necessary future water supplies. 

New development must also comply with the latest efficiency requirements in the Building Code, as well as the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.

Additionally, Ventura Water continually assesses water supply and demands through planning efforts including the Annual Comprehensive Water Resources Report and the Urban Water Management Plan. These assessments consider new development projects, anticipated increase in water demand, and impacts to the water supply, to ensure a balanced and stable water future.  The City is also moving forward on two water supply reliability projects – the VenturaWaterPure Project and the State Water Interconnection Project – to ensure a sustainable water supply for existing and future customers.

Have a question? Send to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer.

Kids & Families Together

by K&FT staff

Kids & Families Together (K&FT) is a nonprofit that has been serving foster/resource, adoptive, kinship, and birth families throughout Ventura County since 2000. K&FT works with children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, loss, and multiple placements. K&FT also works with caregivers who need specialized education, support, and strategies to help raise safe, healthy, nurtured children that thrive.

Kids & Families Together along with their community partner, Crosspointe Church Ventura, will be hosting the Harvest Fest Gift~Away event on Saturday, October 24th for the Ventura County foster/resource, kinship, adopted and birth families we serve in their programs. This annual event has always captured the heart of the Autumn (and Halloween) season and this year will be no different! This year, Harvest Fest will be a contactless, drive-thru event set up with several Trunk O’ Treat-style booths with various themes to view as families drive through.

Families will be provided store gift cards and pumpkins for decorating. Children will receive socks, toys/games and activity books, art supplies, science discovery kits, school supplies and Halloween costumes (as available based on size and quantity). Despite the current situation, this will be a fun family event with music, lots of Fall/Halloween decorations and treats! We are encouraging all of our families attending the event to dress in their favorite Halloween costumes!

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, but with the support of or dedicated community partners, K&FT has been able to quickly adapt and continue to provide the much-needed goods and services to the families we serve. This flexibility and responsiveness have been recognized within the community, as K&FT will be the recipient of the “Exceptional Adaptability Award” presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at an event scheduled for November.

We are grateful to our Harvest Fest partners and event sponsors that come from all over Ventura County to support our families: Crosspointe Church Ventura, The Gene Haas Foundation, Camarillo Amber’s Light Lions Club, James Storehouse, United Way, Sunrise Optimist of Ventura, Soroptimist Int’l of Conejo Valley, St, Jude’s Catholic Church, Newbury Park High School’s Wings to Grow, The Discovery

Center of Science & Technology of Newbury Park, TEAM Referral Network Oxnard Rainmakers and the Helpful Honda Team!

Volunteer opportunities are available both prior to the Harvest Fest event, to help sort, organize and prepare, along with time slots for the day of the event. To keep staff, families and volunteers safe, we are following current public health and safety regulations. All attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times.

Financial donations will support our continuing relief efforts.

To sign-up for a volunteer shift take the time to go to:

http://www.volunteerventuracounty.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=53693

“Wall of People” demonstration for justice in Downtown Ventura

by Richard Lieberman

An estimated 200 people showed up to participate in the silent Wall of People demonstration, sponsored by Justice For All Ventura County, Veterans For Peace Ventura County and Indivisible Ventura, on Saturday October 17. The protesters were there to raise awareness and advocate for “the health of our planet, the health of the ocean, the health of women’s rights, the health of black lives, the health of LGBTQ rights, the health of people, all of us earth is home, and to protect safe legal abortion.”

Christine Burke led a demonstration in Ventura for Justice for All.

Christine Burke, president of the board of Justice for All led a demonstration in Ventura this past Saturday, October 17th. The demonstration scheduled for one hour 11:30 to12:30 pm included socially distanced members of the group lining up along California Street from Main to the California Street bridge. Chalk circles along California Street each spaced six feet apart ensured each demonstrator maintained an appropriate distance from one another following CDC guidelines. All demonstrators were also required to wear masks.

“Justice for All started when two women here in Ventura wanted to march for the injustices of the people who are being marginalized and the felt they wanted to partner with the women’s march, but also make a stand that it just isn’t women its everyone, we need justice for everybody,” she said. Contacted by the national organization that conducts the yearly women’s march the group was asked to participate this year. In answer to the national organization Burke said “Of course we will participate, but we always do it our own way.” The board of Justice for all discussed the upcoming march and protest and came up with some ideas to keep participants safe. “We wanted people to feel safe so we really couldn’t do a march, why don’t we do a wall of people standing and do a silent installation of voting for the health of our democracy, our bodies women, black lives matter, you know the whole thing.” Added Burke.

Its estimated nearly 200 people joined the demonstration along with street traffic honking horns and passerby’s signaling agreement with the protestors.

“My own personal beliefs are if you are listening to all sides which is what we want everybody to do and that’s why we are not out here saying vote for a particular person, but we want people to think through their votes, my observations of the people who are voting for Trump and support Trump they really don’t know what they are voting for and if they really listened to what was going on they might un-dig their heels.” Said Burke.

“We really just want to inspire community and really gather people together and remind them that this process is important. That being out here and showing and being involved in the political process its important and I think we have lost that along the way and the one thing has come out of the last four years of our government is that people have woken up to that again, on all sides“ she added.

Photos by Richard Lieberman

Helping out people through Angel Flight West

Initially, Moorhouse had wanted to join the Air Force.

by Carol Leish

Jeff Moorhouse said that he learned how to fly since he had a lot of business across the western states that he needed to get to, along with many different conferences in various areas to go to. And, at first, he had to drive long distances to get to various places. Then, according to him, “I started flying for Angel Flight West, which I’ve been doing for over five years now, because I wanted more of a purpose of flying besides just flying to my own meetings and conferences.”

Initially, Moorhouse had wanted to join the Air Force. As his current career as a certified financial planner progressed over time, he began to take flying lessons on his own. After having flown as a student pilot, he became a private pilot. Now, he’s an instrument rated pilot with over 1,000 miles of flying.

“Everyday Angel Flight West is flying about 20 missions,” according to Moorhouse. “These missions deal with a variety of medical needs, which are mainly dealing with flying patients to their appointments dealing with cancer treatments. This includes flying women to get treatment for breast cancer treatments.” October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “We had just recently (mid-September), gotten back to flying patients to their medical appointments, because of restrictions due to COVID-19. In April, it had stopped since it was viewed as unsafe for the pilot and the patient to be in an enclosed area.”

“Angel Flight West, has been flying, almost on a daily basis, since March, PPE (personal protective equipment), to rural destinations and to underserved areas,” according to Moorhouse. “Also, we pick up blood, which is important for blood banks. This includes flying it to a processing center in San Bernardino. Processing and delivering blood are important for blood banks and rural communities since it takes time to process the blood. In fact, after the mudslides in Montecito, I flew blood from Oxnard to San Luis Obispo.”

“We love to fly, and we want to help,’ is one of the mottos of Angel Flight West. Their mission is: ‘Sometimes the road to health is a runway. If the care you need is far from home, Angel Flight West can help.” For further information, call (310) 390-2958; email: [email protected]; or, go to www.angelflightwest.org.

Email Political Hell—A Survivor’s Story

By Ivor Davis

I will be glad—no make that—overjoyed—when The Election is over.

I have been buried alive—and I’m not exaggerating– by a daily avalanche of beseeching political emails.

Others may be familiar with this particular nightmare?

Overwhelming is the daily bombardments of emails about leaky guts, toenail fungus, and now  assorted messages calling me “Dear Patriot” (I love tea—but am not too fond of ultra conservative Tea Party) plus a variety of big names who have begun to  assault me during this excessive and overheated political season.

We are in the midst of a huge—-and I mean huge—attack of the emails morning noon and in the middle of the night.  That ceaseless barrage  is relentless:   reprimanding—even scolding me — because I fail to respond to their non stop missives and exhortations during this election season.

While we all worry about coping with the coronavirus in this Twilight Zone of a  world we find ourselves living in,  it appears that many respected figures of the 21st century have found time to rap me on the knuckles.

“I am deeply disappointed in you Ivor” wrote former President Barack Obama. Today he followed up with, “Whatever you’ve done so far…it’s not enough.”

Even Michelle weighed in but with a more softer approach.

And it continues relentlessly. Barbra Streisand,  (who I could seldom get to agree to an interview during my Hollywood reporting days) along with Joni Mitchell, and assorted other member of showbiz crowd,  also took time out of their busy day to reiterate my abysmal failure to respond to their earlier emails. (Honestly, let me confess that even  in this era of CV, I’m not sitting at home twiddling my thumbs or stroking my overgrown beard.  I  have been very busy. Honestly.)

“Can we count on you Ivor,” they echo, as I stay up all night wondering why all of a sudden I have become such an important guy and why they need to count on little old me—tucked away in the comfort of Ventura– when there are 326 million others to badger!

As election day draws perilously closer, they have identified me as a much in demand political oracle.  It appears that pollsters and decision makers cannot go another day unless I weigh in. Flattering, of course, but until recently they never bothered to call or email or text. (Let’s not get into texts, please.) Or even send a birthday card.

Of course, I’m no dummy. After asking me about the Supreme Court nominee, or the fate of  Obamacare, or the best Greek island to go fishing– above all –it seems—(surprise, surprise) they want my money. Not millions like Mr. Bloomberg—but a mere $5—or maybe more.

I realize that I did blunder when I opened those donation gate emails and  contributed to selected political candidates of my choice.  Now everyone wants a slice of the Davis pie!

Full disclosure:   I have always voted Democrat.  But somehow the Republicans—also twigging to the fact  that I may be a man of wit, savoire faire and credit card, and possibly not realizing that I prefer Rachel Maddow to Judge Judy, or is it Judge Jeanine, and that I still think Fauci is a good guy, began targeting me. Indeed I confess, I did open the opposition emails, because my thinking was:  it’s always intriguing to see what the other side’s strategy is.

In an effort to end it all,  I just sent the Republican Party a firm note requesting that they cease and desist sending me their messages, and pointing out that after half a century of living and voting in the United States (after leaving Britain my country of birth) I– like my next door neighbor’s elderly Dalmatian— am not about to change my spots.

Sheila Lowe has testified as an expert witness in dozens of cases.

And yes, she has analyzed the Beatles’ handwriting.

by James Gray

When Sheila Lowe arrived from England at the end of 1963 she was a fourteen-year-old Beatlemaniac, writing stories about the Fab Four. Her school friends loved to read them, but they were a long way from the Forensic Handwriting suspense series she writes today. And even further from her Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense. But writing fiction is her ‘side hustle.’

More than fifty years ago as a senior at Anaheim High, Sheila got her start in the career that would last a lifetime. Her boyfriend’s mother had read some books about handwriting and personality and, wanting to see what kind of girl her son was dating, analyzed Sheila’s. The resulting insights instantly got her hooked, and as a shy teenager, her budding skills gave her an ‘in’ at parties, where she analyzed the handwriting of her friends and their dates. For the next ten years, she prowled the library and local bookstores for information, took formal courses, and eventually became certified in the field.

After practicing for nearly twenty years, Sheila got a call from an attorney who wanted her to testify in a forgery case that was going to court. When she protested that she didn’t know anything about forgeries, the attorney asked, “Do you know about handwriting?” When she said she certainly did, he talked her into testifying. The rest is now ancient history. Today, Sheila still does personality assessment with companies in the hiring process, as well as working with individuals, but she specializes in authenticating handwriting—forensic handwriting examination—and has testified as an expert witness in dozens of cases.

Upon moving from Valencia to Ventura in 2004, Sheila felt as though she had come home. She wanted to get involved in the community, but only knew two people, so right away, she joined the Ventura Chamber and the Ventura County Professional Women’s Network (VCPWN), where she soon was appointed to the board of directors and made some wonderful friends. Two of the fourteen years she spent as a member of the VCPWN board were as president.

Although it was her work in the field of handwriting that paid the bills, Sheila had always loved reading mysteries and wanted to publish one. When she heard coach Bill Osgood speak at a Chamber meeting about how to attain your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal), she hired him to help with hers. She had started writing her first book, Poison Pen, back in 1999, but had set it aside, unfinished. Then, in 2000, an unthinkable tragedy struck. Her twenty-seven year-old daughter, Jennifer, became the victim in a murder-suicide, killed by boyfriend, Tom, a federal agent. Ironically, at his request, Sheila had analyzed his handwriting and discovered red flags for potentially dangerous behavior. The three of them discussed the difficulties that might arise in the relationship, but Jennifer was too much in love to listen, and a few months later, they were both dead.

So, taking out the manuscript and finishing the book gave Sheila something else to think about when her mind was filled with sadness. For several years, she tried to get the book published, but it wasn’t until those coaching sessions with Bill Osgood that everything fell into place. Penguin picked up the first four books, and number eight, Dead Letters, will be released later in 2020. They’re all audiobooks, too. Sheila teaches an online course in handwriting analysis and has published six books about handwriting psychology. She has her own software, and when the media calls with a celebrity handwriting, is with an opinion. And yes, she has analyzed the Beatles’ handwriting.

 

Local talk show Our Ventura TV expands during pandemic

.As soon as the pandemic started shutting things down, Our Ventura TV countered the challenge by going online and opening up more opportunities for local voices to be heard. A record number of talk-show guests have joined the program via video conferencing from their own home or office in support of the show’s theme, “People doing good things in Ventura County” and the surrounding area.

Our Ventura TV is an award-winning weekly talk-show television series broadcast on Ventura cable channel 6 TV and also published on OurVentura.com as well as on social media networks. The programs are primarily about nonprofits, community advocates, leaders, artists and organizations who contribute to the Ventura County community. Business representatives also educate viewers with noncommercial messages.

One of the program’s hosts, MB Hanrahan stated, “The Zoom platform makes it easier than ever to access the voices and causes of citizens and organizations who are making a difference in our lives. We encourage everyone who feels they have a story to tell, or a cause to be revealed, to contact us. Not only are we continuing to do the work we always have, we are, with our guests, creating an internet and televised historical witness to how the current events are impacting our local community.”

The series began in 2008 and Our Ventura TV shows are broadcast on Ventura cable channel 6 on Sundays at 2:00 pm, Tuesdays at 9:00 pm and Saturdays at noon, as well as additional floating times. And, of course, they are available at any time on social media networks and OurVentura.com

Staff member, Mary Christine Ballestero noted, “We are more connected than we think.  We had work and outside activities, now using the internet we are bringing the outside into our own little bubbles.”

The mission of the program is “to connect messages of human good with the good of humanity.”  The Our Ventura TV crew also produce TV commercials, documentaries and other videos for business and nonprofits.

Our Ventura TV Producer and host, George Alger said, “It’s easier than ever to become a guest.  Just click ‘Contact’ on OurVentura.com to get scheduled.” Guests are sent an online link to join the show for a recorded interview via video conferencing.

Did You Know….?

Why are there different colors of pumpkins?
by Shirley Lorraine

Have you ever wondered about the different colors of pumpkins available in stores? There are numerous colors provided by nature, and then there are some that have been designated to serve as communication for a special cause or purpose.

Standard orange is the traditional favorite of young and old alike. You will also see white, white/orange/yellow stripes, yellow, gray, green, and many other variations.

Treat buckets and craft pumpkins are also seen in teal, purple, blue and pink. Jut to be fashionable? No, not really. A blue pumpkin on display at a house or carried by a costumed child spotlights autism. Be aware that a child carrying a blue pumpkin might be reluctant to speak or make eye contact. A house displaying a blue pumpkin might mean that a resident or relative is on the autism spectrum.

Purple symbolizes the epilepsy foundation’s awareness campaign. Sudden noises or flashing lights may be hazardous to the carrier of a purple pumpkin. Or they may just like purple.

Pink is the color of breast cancer awareness and, of course, princesses and unicorns.

A teal pumpkin to spotlight allergies has become popular over the last 20 years or so, thanks to a mother in Texas whose child suffered from multiple allergies. No peanuts given out at a house with a teal pumpkin.

Personally, I use my teal pumpkin to show that I do not give out candy – I give out small toys. Spinners, sticky hands, bendies, pencils, coloring books, plastic rings and vampire teeth are always fun and good for most ages. Available in quantity at many party stores and online, toys can be saved from year to year if you have any left. If having your kids touching things is a concern, toys can usually be washed or wiped down – candy, not so much..

Always popular for the Goth look, truly spooky and dead displays is the black pumpkin. This often signifies a macabre sense of humor and focus on the darker aspects of Halloween. Or you just like black. Black pumpkins are often paired with skulls, ravens, graveyards, ghouls, witches and black cats.

Whatever statement you want to make with your pumpkins this year, go for it. House decorations may be more in vogue this year than costumes or candy due to C-19 fears and trepidations.

Treat-or-treating has not been banned in Ventura, but caution is certainly advised. No-contact distribution is encouraged. Each household will have to decide on their own comfort level to participate. Even if you are not handing out goodies, yard and home decorations will keep everyone in the spirit.

Halloween outdoor décor is as big a business as Christmas displays so there are lots of options. Décor can be automated, projected, inflatable, you name it. So, go big and have fun by the light of the full moon.

SEEAG and Ventura County Farm Day’s “The Biggest Little Farm” screening

John Chester feeding Emma who should go on a diet.

As part of this year’s activities for its 8th Annual Ventura County Farm Day, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is hosting a drive-in movie night on Sunday, November 1 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring the award-winning, family-friendly documentary “The Biggest Little Farm.”

The evening includes a question and answer session with John Chester, farmer, cinematographer and co-founder of Moorpark’s Apricot Lane Farms where the documentary was filmed. “The Biggest Little Farm” chronicles the eight-year quest of John and Molly Chester as they trade city living for 200 acres of barren farmland and a dream to harvest in harmony with nature.

Proceeds from the evening will go to SEEAG’s mission to educate students and the public about the farm origins of food and agriculture’s contribution to our nutritional wellbeing. Since it began in 2008, it has reached over 65,000 elementary school members in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Santa Barbara County Farm Day is held in September. The 2020 Ventura County Farm Day will be held online on November 7 (no in-person farm tours).

The Fairgrounds open at 5:00 p.m. with the documentary at 6:00 p.m. followed by a half hour question and answer period with Chester at 7:30 p.m. Vehicle passes are $35 per car including popcorn and $75 per car including up-close parking and snack boxes filled with popcorn, cookies, chocolate, nuts and fruit. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.venturacountyfarmday.com/drive-in.

Hamsters from Hell!

by Richard Senate

Not long ago the Svengoolie program that shows old horror films ran the classic failure of a film titled “The Night of the Lepus.”  Lepus is Latin for rabbits and the plot is about a heard of giant rabbits attacking a small town in Arizona.  Still, with all the special effects it proved impossible to make the cute, cuddly bunnies look threatening.   It was a fun film with more than a few unintentional humorous parts. But, “Night of the Lepus” did trigger a memory of a happy time when I was working at Cable Six TV, producing a program called “Ghost Hunters” with Phil Taggart. This was in the mid 1980s when such programs didn’t exist in other places.  A young man came to us with a 16 mm film he had made over on the Avenue. It was called “Hamsters from Hell!”

He had constructed a model of Ventura, complete with the old mission. He had several pet hamsters (reflecting back, I think his sisters had them as pets). As close as I can recall, he had recruited several of his friends and family members  as actors and they made this feature.  It was about this young scientist, who was experimenting with hamsters, cages and mazes and such when the small animals were accidentally exposed to dangerous radioactive isotopes. This caused them to grow huge and turn them into man eating monsters–Hamsters from Hell!.

They attacked Ventura destroying all in their path, and feasting on the local residents. Really hamster food painted with food coloring to look like  people.  The animals were bullet proof and nothing could stop them from breaching the Santa Clara River and devouring Oxnard!  The scientist had trained them  to follow him when they were given their food by playing a song (I forget the song).  So, to save the city, he took loud speakers and put them on a boat and played it, the Monster Hamsters, jumped off the pier into the ocean to follow the song and they went further out, they all drowned, ending the menace of the  hamsters from Hell.

Using close ups of the animals with pictures of the people in normal size it sort of worked, in a silly way.  We never showed this local work–I think it was about twenty minutes long–Now, I wish we had. It was so silly, so off the wall, it could have really caught on like silly film “The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” did for San Diego.  It was a long time ago and I may have forgotten some details of this film. Maybe the film maker, or one of his friends recalls the making of this epic. I would be great to show this film on Halloween night 2020.  If it is lost, maybe it can be recreated by some enterprising young film makers.