The Ventura Chamber held a ribbon cutting at Strange Beast in Downtown. Strange Beast is a contemporary cocktail izakaya, and is situated in the historic Bank of Italy building.
Their cocktail menu celebrates Japanese flavors, and the cocktails, sake, beer, and wine are best paired with Japanese tapas prepared by the Michelin Bib Gourmand chefs of Sama Sama Restaurant Group.
394 E Main St,
photo by Michael Gordon
Bill Frank, Ventura County Taxpayers Foundation
You’ve probably seen the Amazon warehouse off the 101 in Oxnard, but you’ve never stopped to consider the tax implications. They are substantial. The sales tax revenue generated by Amazon’s distribution warehouse in Oxnard causes a loss of revenue for other cities in Ventura County as those municipalities are not collecting the sales tax. Here’s why.
California passed a law, AB147, because of the ruling in the Wayfair case in the US Supreme Court. Called California’s new online sales tax collection law, AB 147 allows the state to collect sales tax revenue based on the city where the buyer lives. In other words, if you live in Ventura and buy something online, you pay Ventura’s sales tax rate of 7.75%.
The sales tax rate in Ventura County is 7.25%. In some cities, it’s higher because voters have approved extra sales taxes for specific purposes. For most cities, however, the basic 7.25% sales tax is divvied up this way. California’s General Fund receives 3.9375%. Ventura County Realignment receives 1.5625%. County Public Safety gets 0.5%, and the Countywide Transportation Fund receives 0.25%. That leaves 1% for each city’s General Fund, a part of the sales tax known as the Bradley-Burns portion.
Having an Amazon warehouse in Oxnard matters. Under AB 147, if Amazon ships goods from a warehouse outside the state, the 1% Bradley-Burns part of the sales tax goes to the city where the buyer lives. Yet, because Amazon has a warehouse in Oxnard, the 1% Bradley-Burns part of the sales tax goes to Oxnard rather than the city where the buyer lives. As a result, the other nine cities in Ventura County lose out.
Cities are only now realizing the exact effect of the change. For example, the Director of Finance of Ventura estimated what the city would lose. He calculated Ventura would lose between $750,000-$1,200,000 per year from online sales through Amazon. The amount in other cities will differ, but there is no doubt that each city’s General Fund will suffer.
Did city officials in Oxnard know of the sales tax windfall to the city of locating the warehouse there? It’s uncertain. One thing is sure, though. The other nine cities in the county were unaware of how the Amazon warehouse in Oxnard would hurt them.
It’s early, and each city is learning the total sales tax revenue loss it faces. One thing is sure, though. The General Funds of the other cities in Ventura County will lose revenue because of the Oxnard Amazon warehouse.
What that revenue loss will mean for the residents of those cities is this. Cities will cut services, or there will be a scramble to replace the lost revenue through increased user fees or taxes. Unfortunately, none of these prospects is good.
This situation highlights the complexities of sales tax collection in the digital age. Yet, it’s surprising that City Councils throughout Ventura County are not more concerned about the loss of revenue.
The city of Moorpark is the one city in Ventura County that acted. In September 2021, Moorpark joined the League of California Cities to call on California’s legislators to pass legislation to create a more fair and equitable distribution of the Bradley-Burns 1% local sales tax.
At first, you may not have thought about how the Amazon warehouse in Oxnard impacts you. What appeared to be a simple real estate transaction turned into an inequitable sales tax windfall for one city at the expense of nine others. When it comes to distributing sales tax, it takes time for the impact to reach residents. Yet, in this case, the pattern is evident early. Nine cities will suffer unless voters and elected officials take steps to diminish the effect of AB147.
Enjoy a beautiful morning outdoors making a difference in Ventura. Grab your family and friends and join the Ventura Tree Alliance (in partnership with the City of Ventura) enhance our urban canopy. Volunteers are needed to help plant fifteen trees, which will someday provide shade and habitat for plants and animals, as well as carbon sequestration for our environment. Meet at Barranca Vista Park, 7050 Ralston on Friday, March 10, from 10 to noon.
The funds for purchasing the trees are provided by the Ventura Tree Alliance (VTA) and the generosity of donors who understand the value of trees in our community, on our streets and in our parks. Last year, VTA planted over a hundred trees with a multitude of partners and over 200 volunteers.
Wear your hat, sunscreen, and gloves. Bring water and a shovel (with your name on it). Wheelbarrows are also helpful.
For those interested in volunteering, contact [email protected].
The Ventura Tree Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit public-benefit corporation that brings community members, educators, and business professionals together to enhance the urban tree canopy in the city of Ventura.
The mission is to “plant trees to augment Ventura’s urban forest, beautifying Ventura and counteracting climate change. Our goals are to inspire, engage and support Venturans in planting and caring for trees through education, advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising.”
To find out more, visit www.VenturaTreeAlliance.com and join us on Facebook.
by Mary Olson
Ventura County Library is offering a series of family-friendly sustainability-themed programs. English/Spanish interpretation services and children activities will be available for all the following programs at the Piru Library, Saticoy Library, and Soliz Library branches.
Purchasing an Electric Vehicle 101
Tuesday, March 14, 5:00 -7 :00 pm at Saticoy Library
(1292 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura) 805 671-5148
Wednesday, March 15, 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Piru Library
(3811 Center Street, Piru) 805 521-1753
Wednesday, March 22, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Soliz Library
(2820 Jourdan Street, Oxnard) 805 485-4515
Home Weatherization 101
Thursday, March 30, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Soliz Library
Thursday, April 6, 5:00 pm-7:00 pm at Piru Library
Thursday, May 4, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Saticoy Library
How to Get Green Business Certified
Thursday, April 13, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Soliz Library
Thursday, May 11, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Piru Library
Thursday, May 18, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Saticoy Library
These programs are made available through a Sustainable California Libraries Grant from the California State Library, and in collaboration with the County Executive Office’s Sustainability Division. To learn more about the Sustainable California Libraries grant, visit their website at www.library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/sustainable/.
The Ventura County Library Foundation has announced its second Rising from the Ashes tour to take place on Saturday, April 22, 12:00 to 4:00 pm.
The Thomas Fire of 2017 caused devastation, but not defeat. The Ventura County Library Foundation invites you to witness the resilience of Ventura during a tour of some of the beautifully rebuilt homes and hear the stories of rebirth.
Proceeds will help fund important literacy programs, the Mobile Library, broader access to the internet and computers to close the digital divide, homework tutoring, STEAM initiatives, and much more.
For more information and to buy tickets, go to: https://www.vclibraryfoundation.org/events/
And Ventura Friends of the Library invite you to another
Ventura Friends of the Library Book Sale
at the Vons at Telegraph & Victoria
Saturday, March 18, 10 am to 3 pm
Pick up some quality used books at bargain prices. We also have a large selection of Cds and DVDs. Your purchases benefit the libraries of the city of Ventura.
Please stop by to shop and learn about the Friends of the Library. We are always looking for new volunteers – right now we especially need volunteers to help sort and categorize our incoming book donations. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to help.
The Persian New Year, or Iranian New Year, begins on the Spring Equinox. The celebration, known as Nowruz, rings in a season of rebirth and good luck and is celebrated worldwide including right here in Ventura County. Nowruz: Persian New Year Celebration will be hosted at the Museum of Ventura County on Saturday, March 18, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Grab a friend and immerse yourselves in an exciting display of Persian culture at this free event, made possible with a generous grant from the Charles D. and Mary A. Bauer Foundation.
Experience the sights, sounds and taste of Persian culture during the Nowruz festivities at the Museum of Ventura County. An array of items from Kazakhstan such as tea pots, rugs and a traditional instrument known as a dombra will be on display. Guests will be encouraged to try traditional Persian tea, sweets and food from Diar Kitchen in Thousand Oaks. Traditional handson crafting will include making paper hyacinths and goldfish. As per the traditions of Nowruz, a haft-sin display will feature symbolic items, most of which represent good luck for the new year. Guests can also participate in mock fire jumping, a tradition that takes place before the actual New Year’s Day, for good health. Traditional music will also be playing throughout the celebration.
“I am half-Persian, so creating this event is very special to me,” said Leila Kaseke, the Museum of Ventura County’s Interpretive Site Coordinator. “The Persian community is a melting pot of cultures and customs from across the globe, and the Museum is celebrating Nowruz to highlight the diversity of people living throughout Ventura County.” Leila organized this celebration, the first of its kind in the city of Ventura, with support from women in the community who were also looking for a way to celebrate Nowruz communitywide.
The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The Museum has two locations – the main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, California (805-653-0323). The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue,
by Richard Senate
Over the decades many American Presidents have passed through Ventura. Some visited before they were in office, like Ronald Reagan as Governor of California and Herbert Hoover after he left office. Some even say that John Kennedy and his new wife passed though on their Honeymoon in Santa Barbara.
But the first sitting president to come calling had the most impact on Ventura. It was President William McKinley who came here at the invitation of Senator Thomas R. Bard on May 10th 1901. When his train came into the station it was greeted by a brass band and the whole town was decked out with welcoming signs and flowers. A decorated horse drawn open carriage was waiting to give him and his party a tour of the town.
They made there way up Front Street to Main, still an unpaved dirt roadway, to the cheers of the residents, all the way to the Old Mission San Buenaventura. Parishioners, some Chumash Tribesmen, were in the bell tower, at all the historic bells and rang them in a musical tribute to the President and first lady.
Father Grogan, the priest at the Mission and a historian in his own right, was on the steps of the Mission to give the party a tour of the ancient chapel. They were shown the Mission treasures and the Native Daughters of the Golden West Presented President McKinley with a large silver plate inscribed with the image of the Mission. After the tour, the presidential party were driven on Poli Street to view the Pacific Ocean and community before returning to the train station. Here, from the train, President McKinley gave a patriotic speech before heading north to Santa Barbara on his tour of California.
Sadly, in just a few months, he was assassinated. His successor; Teddy Roosevelt, would also visit Ventura and be given the same royal treatment. But, the visit by McKinley left the biggest impact on the young city of Ventura.
Ventura College is in short supply of a course required by students transferring to a Cal State University. Since 2021, new students graduating from a Cal State University (CSU) are required to pass one course in Ethnic Studies. This semester, only 460 spots were available in a course that fulfills the new CSU requirement at Ventura College (VC).
VC currently has 1.5 full-time faculty in the Department of American Ethnic Studies (AES). Students in MEChA met with VC President Hoffmans last November asking to hire another AES professor. The VC Academic Senate ranked a new hire in AES as their top hiring priority for 2023. The recommended position also included a specialization in Native American Studies. Recently, President Hoffmans publicly refused to hire a new full-time professor in AES despite the various pleas and advocacy by VC faculty concerned with the student transfer rate.
In 2025, the University of California (UC) will also incorporate an Ethnic Studies requirement. Community Colleges already have this requirement, however, there is no plan to address the scarce courses offered at VC for their 12,548 students who plan to transfer to a CSU.
Latino students do not want to pay more or delay their graduation. While the overwhelming majority of VC’s general student population seeks to transfer to a CSU, VC’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness reports little more than 700 students actually transfer each year. The inability of community colleges to effectively support their student transfer population, of which the majority are Latino, is well documented. However, President Hoffmans’ decision is out of touch with student experiences and new graduation requirements.
MEChA held rally on Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day) on campus to demand the VC President hire an Ethnic Studies professor with an emphasis on Native American Studies. Student.
The parade will be held on March 11.
CAPS Media is covering all the festivities at the annual St Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 11. This year’s theme, “Let’s Celebrate!” hosted by Elks Lodge #1430 includes enthusiastic marching bands, dazzling drill teams, festive floats, classic cars, the 2023 Irish Belle and her court, the Parade’s Grand Marshal, celebrating 100 Years in Ventura, and much more. CAPS will record all the action rolling down Main Street on the Saturday morning extravaganza and will air and stream the complete St. Patrick’s Day Parade later on CAPS Media Channel 6 and capsmedia.org.
In other news, the creative and engaging DJs at CAPS Radio KPPQ, Ventura’s only local radio station, continue to consistently deliver outstanding programming 24/7. Recent examples include Nadine Piche’s interview with Carl Morehouse on Ventura Vibe! discussing Ventura’s Sister City: Loreto, Mexico; Kathleen Good, CAPS Board Members and DJ host of “In The Women’s Room,” spoke with celebrated local poet Marsha De La O, reading her original poem Indelible. Kathleen also interviewed Jake Schwartz of Green Corps and Don’t Cage Our Oceans about lobbying against proposed large scale industrial fish farms off the coast of Ventura.
Other KPPQ programs include the Pure Rock Music Show with Mark, Ojai Dream hosted by Kevin Wallace, Doc Ventura’s Delta Blues, another CAPS Board Member – Pam Baumgardner – hosting her special Music Hour, plus the award-winning Girls Night Out featuring the best in radio drama. All of the KPPQ local programs programs as well as national and international shows can be enjoyed 24/7 at 104.1 FM and streamed worldwide on myTuner Radio and capsmedia.org.
The ECTV team, mentored by Phil Taggart, had 6 program finalists and won WAVE 4 awards at the annual ACM West Conference – Alliance for Community Media, WAVE stands for Western Access Video Excellence.
Art About Agriculture with John Nichols, winning the Arts, Entertainment award; a discussion with Chumash Elder, Julie Tumamait-Stensile, winning the Culture and Lifestyle category; an interview with Mark Lunn, Ventura County Clerk, Recorder, Registrar of Voters, winning the Talk Show award and Why Poetry, winning the education access award. This year’s WAVE awards add to the more than 30 regional and national awards the ECTV students have won over the past few years. All ECTV programs can be viewed on the CAPS Media website at capsmedia.org/ectv-el-camino-interns-news-and-informational-series/.
CAPS, which stands for Community Access Partners of San Buenaventura is a nonprofit service organization that is commonly referred to as a PEG – standing for Public, Education and Government with cable channels 6 and 15 and an online presence. CAPS crews continue to cover all of Ventura’s City and community meetings every week, recording, broadcasting, and streaming to the public. The CAPS crews also produce informative videos for the community such as the King Tides celebration, the Westpark Skatepark Community Meeting, and a Curbside Coffee Chat with Ventura Police at Juanamaria Elementary school.
In the coming months the CAPS team will help celebrate Ventura County’s 150th Anniversary with a series of videos chronicling its fascinating history in collaboration with the Museum of Ventura County.
To learn more about CAPS, visit capsmedia.org, where the home page has a video labeled: CAPS Media City Council Presentation 2023, which presents an overview of the organization. The website includes links to programing and information regarding the reopening of the CAPS Media center.
Every member of the CAPS staff thanks the Ventura community for your continued support.
Liam takes part in many Go-Karting events around the country. Photos by Evan Brown photography and Patricia Schallert
by Patricia Schallert
Go-Karting is a motorsport that is enjoyed by people of all ages, but it is especially great for kids who are interested in racing. Young people can start competing in Go-Karting competitions at a young age because the sport has a low barrier to entry and has less regulations than traditional car racing.
When you look at some of the biggest names in Formula 1 racing, many of them started their motorsport career racing Go-Karts. Many of them still love to Kart and attribute their success on the racing circuit to Go-Karting.
Liam Jones, a 15-year-old sophomore at Ventura High School who runs in track and field events, was introduced to go karting because of his grandfather’s interest in NASCAR and Formula 1 car race events.
Seeing this interest, his grandparents bought him a “Shifter Go-Kart” when he was 13, he began training and has been racing ever since.
Now he takes part in many Go-Karting events around the country with great success. Currently he is racing two times a month.
His championships include:
2021 Los Angeles karting championship Pro Shifter 2 – 3rd place in championship 1 win, 2 Podiums in Fontana.
2022 Los Angeles karting championship Pro Shifter- 3rd in championship,
1 Win, 3 podiums also Fontana,
Ranked #25 nationally out of 212 drivers
4th in the 2022 Skusa PKC, with 1 podium
2022 was his first season in the Top tier Pro class
Reflecting on his racing goals, Liam eventually wants to race cars and compete in NASCAR and Formula 1 racing.
When not physically working on his go kart, he uses realistic, simulated experiences on his computer that translates directly into concrete instruction, with time measured results. Many professional drivers use this program to improve their skills and stay competitive. Liam reports it is very fun and instructive.
Liam’s Go- Kart career began with shifting, understanding the use of the throttle, the sound of the engine when shifting happens, and to use both feet when he drives. Liam’s most important skill that he had to learn was to stay focused in the simulations and in real racing events.
Even though Liam is still in school, he continues to work on his basic Go-Kart skills. With his coach and support team in Fontana, he is learning everything about his go kart, including how to recognize and fix it when there is a problem and build it, so it is most efficient when he’s racing. He learns from other racers and uses his own successes and failures from his personal racing experiences.
Liam also learned rudiments of racing at a young age by going to Jim Hall’s racetrack when it was in Ventura at the Fairgrounds. He learned to race on rented go- karts until his grandparents bought him the “Shifter” The Shifter is manufactured in Riverside and has a TM KZ R1-125 cc engine that hits speed of 50 on the raceway and can go over 100 mph.
The Shifter Go- Kart made by “Factory” is from Riverside and they specialize in Go-Kart designs for each individual driver. “Factory Karts”, are a team of passionate and professional people whose goal is to bring karting to the mainstream sports market. They are also Liam’s support team when he is in Fontana.
Shifters are some of the best Go- Karts to drive according to Liam and a great way to prepare young drivers for professional race car driving. Liam’s support “Shifter team” help him keep his Go Kart in top shape. He’s raced in New Orleans, Utah, and California.
With professional Go-Kart racing, there is a weight restriction as there is in professional car racing. The weight needs to be no more than 390 pounds and after each race, Liam and his Go Kart are weighted together. Liam keeps his weight in check by running track and cross-country events at Ventura High School.
A new Go Kart track is being built in Winchester, CA. Liam says the best kind of Go-Kart track incorporates every element a driver could want with blind crests, dramatic downhill elevations, sweeping-flowing corners built into the side of a double-mountain peak and a blend of slow, medium, and incredibly high-speed corners that will produce many overtaking opportunities. The result is a track with the look and feel of a small Formula 1 circuit.
Race season is from March to November.
Harmon Canyon Preserve by Jason Fakour.
Ventura Land Trust (VLT) will celebrate 20 years of land conservation in 2023, starting with a free community birthday party on Friday, February 24 at Topa Topa Brewing Company (4880 Colt Street, Ventura, 93003) from 6-9 pm.
The birthday party will include the reveal of the winners of VLT’s inaugural Art Contest, a look back at milestones through the organization’s history, a sneak peek of gear that will be on sale at the April 8th Gear Garage Sale, family games, and of course, birthday cake.
Ventura Land Trust was founded in 2003 as Ventura Hillsides Conservancy by community members who sought to protect the iconic hillsides to the north of Ventura from development.
The Conservancy hosted top musical talent at annual concerts in Arroyo Verde Park, raising funds to permanently protect local open spaces. The first conserved parcels of land were in the Ventura River corridor. Community volunteers worked alongside VHC’s staff to restore and care for conserved lands, setting a tradition of community involvement and volunteer support that continues today.
Ventura Hillsides Conservancy became Ventura Land Trust in 2017 to reflect a broadened vision to protect open spaces countywide. The organization was accredited by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019, joining a network of more than 400 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated a commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.
VLT now holds 3,877 acres of land in seven preserves across Ventura County—including the hillsides that inspired the organization’s founding, now known as Mariano Rancho Preserve. Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve, Harmon Canyon Preserve, opened to the public in 2020.
VLT’s 20th anniversary will be acknowledged throughout 2023 with special events and opportunities for the public to be part of envisioning VLT’s next 20 years. The 20th birthday part is free to the public, but RSVPS are encouraged at www.venturalandtrust.org/birthdayparty.
