Community Memorial Hospital partners Celebrate Donate Life Month at Flag Raising Ceremony

“Our team sees firsthand the lives saved by the willingness of others to give life.”

Community Memorial Hospital joined thousands of hospitals and community organizations nationwide in April to celebrate National Donate Life Month, including hosting a flag raising ceremony at the hospital on Tuesday, April 20th. The celebrations are designed to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

“Our team sees firsthand the lives saved by the willingness of others to give life,” said Diane Drexler, CMH’s Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “The flag raising ceremony is an opportunity to recognize the generosity of families who have offered this gift to others while experiencing a profound personal loss.”

At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 20th, CMH, in partnership with OneLegacy, the world’s largest nonprofit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization, hosted a flag raising ceremony to highlight the importance of donation and celebrate donors and recipients. Speaking at the event were Reverend Curtis Hotchkiss, CMH’s director of Spiritual Care Services; Drexler; and Alexa Delima and Angela Bolaris of OneLegacy. Ellen Langston of Ventura represented a donor family and transplant recipient Jennifer Vasilakos of Ojai also attended.

A single organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and improve the lives of up to 75 more people by donating their corneas and tissue, says OneLegacy. Nearly 40,000 life-saving transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2020, according to the organization, which also notes that nationwide, over 107,000 people are on waiting lists for a donated organ.

To become a donor, people can register with the Department of Motor Vehicles or online at www.OneLegacy.org/Register. To help facilitate organ recovery and placement, CMH is one of over 200 hospitals and nine transplant centers in Southern California that works directly with OneLegacy.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system that comprises Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, a skilled nursing facility, and several primary and specialty care clinics that serve communities throughout Ventura County, California.

 

Earth Day 2021: New Oak Grove at Harmon Canyon Preserve

The undertaking involved the planting of many trees by volunteers. Photo by Richard Lieberman

by Mira Reverente

To commemorate Earth Day, Ventura Land Trust (VLT) launched its first reforestation project at Harmon Canyon Preserve. The undertaking involved the planting of 50 live oak trees and 150 native plants, around 40 volunteers and a longtime partnership with SoCalGas.

After welcome remarks by Dan Poultney, executive director at VLT and Matt LaVere, Ventura County supervisor, the volunteers broke off into small groups and tackled the task of planting near the trailhead of Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve.

Dan Hulst, VLT preserve director, led the reforestation efforts and showed the volunteers how to use and spread mulch, how deep to dig a hole and how to adequately water the plants. “These plants are in shock from being transported so the more water, the better,” he said, after pointing out the various native plants including lemonade berry, purple sage, coast sunflower, California sage brush and Yerba Buena.

The Martinez family was one of the families who volunteered. “We like doing this type of activity as a family,” said Elizabeth Martinez, director of public relations at  Meruelo Enterprises, a local construction company and minority business enterprise. Martinez brought her husband, son and daughter-in-law along.

Since the preserve has been open to the public last June, its 10 miles of trails featuring hills, canyons and spectacular views have  attracted outdoor enthusiasts including runners, hikers, cyclists as well as families who just want to explore or get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. “It was definitely much-needed during the pandemic,” said Derek Poutney, executive director of VLT.  “There is so much open space to enjoy amongst these 2,100 acres of nature.”

According to Maria Ventura, public affairs manager at SoCalGas, “VLT is really a good steward of the environment and we are proud to partner with them again.”

Harmon Canyon Preserve is open to the public. There is free parking available at the trailhead off of McVittie Place. Docents are available and on-site most days to answer questions.

For more information, visit www.venturaladtrust.org.

Community members combat climate change

Nancy O’Rode, Christy Weir and Barbara Brown, founding members of Ventura Tree Alliance, assist at a Restore Earth Day event.

With all the bad news about climate change… the increasingly high temperatures of summer and the rise in the number of windy days, a handful of community members in Ventura are stepping up to do what they can to make a difference.

The idea germinated when two candidates running for City Council tried to place their political signs in Ventura’s tree wells and found there was a surprisingly high number of empty wells; the trees had died or been removed and had never been replaced. As it turns out, there are over 12,000 empty tree wells in Ventura. Co-founders Christy Weir and Barbara Brown wanted to do something about that. Thus the genesis of the Ventura Tree Alliance (VTA), a nonprofit public-benefit corporation bringing community members, educators, and business professionals together to enhance the urban tree canopy in Ventura.

“We’re interested in planting trees to add to our urban forest, beautifying the city and counteracting climate change. We hope to inspire, engage, and support Venturans in planting and caring for trees through education, volunteerism, partnerships and fundraising,” states Ms. Weir, former City Councilmember. “We’re making this announcement in honor of Arbor Day, with the expectation that tree-plantings will take place this spring and summer.”

“Our goal is to plant trees in the abandoned wells, in city parks and in parking lots, creating shade and wind breaks on hot days, sequestering carbon emissions and augmenting wildlife habitat,” says Barbara Brown, co-founder. “In addition, trees capture rainwater and reduce run off. They add to the aesthetic benefits in neighborhood pride often with increased property values. Large cities all over the world are addressing this opportunity including Denver, Los Angeles, New York and Shanghai with their “One Million Trees” initiatives but as a smaller community, we need to address this as well.

”Board member and educator Nancy O’Rode states that according to Ventura’s Tree Master Plan, “Street trees are among the most valuable community assets, reducing pollution by recycling air and water; and by cooling streets helping to maintain asphalt for longer periods of time. In addition, trees lower temperature in the shade about 10 degrees. Because of the availability of recycled water, it’s more feasible to maintain trees without using Ventura’s constrained potable water supply.”

“Few improvements are a better expenditure of resources and give greater satisfaction to community life than planting and maintaining the “right tree in the right place”. A healthy urban forest enhances the quality of life for all Venturans,” adds Ms. Weir.

To volunteer or for more information about the Ventura Tree Alliance, check out our Facebook page or our website at www.venturatreealliance.com.

Our Ventura TV presents First Responders tributes

Our Ventura TV presents a special First Responders tribute series honoring those who have made a difference to others during the pandemic here in the Ventura County area. The series of tributes begins airing on Ventura cable TV channel 6 and online in May 2021 and features local community leaders recognizing those individuals they wanted to thank and honor for their outstanding service.

The First Responders tribute series is hosted by Our Ventura TV’s Sandra Siepak and Monique Nowlin who introduce us to the guests and those featured for their numerous contributions to the community and lead role during Covid 19.

Some of the respective honorees featured in the Our Ventura TV First Responders series include: Raphael Stoneman and his service dog Leo, Bob Harris, Officer Michael Anselmo, Patrick Maynard, Dr. Thanh Neville, Matthew Clapsaddle and Heather Ellis.

Several community leaders took part and selected their choice of honorees for the tribute including, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, City of Ventura Fire Marshall Joe Morelli, Dr. Janika Shah, Meredith Hart and Lars Davenport from the City of Ventura, Ventura County Fire Engineer Richard Macklin, Ventura City Firefighter Kyle Tong, Dennis Murphy of Gold Coast Veterans and more.

“Each of these individuals honored made a significant contribution in the Ventura community during this challenging time. All of us at Our Ventura TV are pleased to recognize their efforts,” added associate producer Mary Christine Ballestero.

Our Ventura TV and the First Responders tribute series is produced by George Alger and directed by Michelle Hoover. MB Hanrahan and Juan Mancera are also with Our Ventura TV.

Our Ventura TV is an award-winning weekly talk show television series featuring programs about non-profits, community advocates, business leaders and artists who contribute to the Ventura County community. For more information and to become a guest on Our Ventura TV, just visit http://OurVentura.com and click “Contact.”

Ventura Townehouse holds grand opening of “The Pier”

Townehouse residents enjoying their new outdoor dining. Photos by Richard Lieberman

by: Richard Lieberman

Nancee Borgnine and Harvey Marasigan, both Director of Sales for Ventura Townehouse announced the opening of “The Pier” an outdoor dining patio within the Townehouse facility.

“We have a large and beautiful property and during a pandemic we decided to expand and do something outside. Management thought it was a great idea so we smashed everything in the exterior of the main building and built a gazebo that is now called “The Pier” so that our residents can still enjoy themselves and be outside and feel comfortable and secure and their families can come and visit them as well,” said Borgnine, daughter of well-known movie and television star Ernest Borgnine.

“It was perfect timing and moving forward we thought our people would enjoy being outdoors, and this small area within the confines of our property was barely used and we thought that would be a perfect spot for something like this,” Marasigan said. “We pitched the idea to the owner Jay Issacs, and he thought it was a brilliant idea and residents were really excited by the idea and so here we are.”

The Pier offers residents an outdoor venue to dine, socialize, relax and visit with family and friends in an outdoor setting. “Our residents can enjoy three meals a day out there, and we are going to do some special things during the holiday season Father’s Day, Fourth of July and others, added Borgnine.

The site is situated on 12.5 acres so there is plenty of room to expand and create additional outside areas their residents can enjoy.

“We tell people that if you move into a community like this to live, to live your life, there are a lot of benefits to living here just like this,” Marasigan added. Typically assisted living homes like this offer to their residents the ability to socialize and be around others without having to worry about boredom. The facility has much to offer and there is always something to do. For residents “its like living on a cruise ship that never leaves the dock,” added Borgnine.

Residents are offered a multitude of amenities and living programs that are noteworthy. Residents have access to all types of daily activities.

The facility is redesigning interiors from the top floor down and will undergo a complete make over from floor to floor.

The Townehouse offers seniors independent adult living facilities, customized memory care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and respite care.

Ventura Townehouse 4900 Telegraph Rd., Ventura 805-919-8312

CAPS Media KPPQ Radio continues to rock the house

by Patrick Davidson

CAPS Media’s award-winning radio station, KPPQ-LP, hasn’t missed a beat during the past year’s pandemic. Launched in 2017 the station is still going strong delivering engaging, locally focused programming every day 24/7. Despite the fact that the KPPQ Radio studio in the CAPS Media Center is still closed to the public during the pandemic, the dedicated CAPS Media/KPPQ Member DJs and Hosts, consistently create innovative, engaging and entertaining programs in their homes for airing on 104.1fm in Ventura and streaming worldwide on myTunerRadio and on capsmedia.org.

The range of KPPQ programming is as diverse and interesting as the Ventura community itself. KPPQ music includes The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour, The Pure Rock Show, Oldies with Double K, Doc’s Delta Blues Lounge, Ojai Dream, NAMBA Performances and more, including everything from rock to bluegrass, psychedelic, hip hop and oldies, plus local artists from ska to jazz to rock and roll.

In the past few months a wide variety of individual and community topics have been explored in the locally produced and curated KPPQ programs including Ventura Vibe!, In The Women’s Room with Kathleen Good, ECTV produced by students from El Camino High, Teen Centric, Creative Community, Women of A Certain Age, Attainable, and Fireside Tailes with Wolfgang, plus Ventura Library programs for kids and the elderly, the YMCA’s commitment to health and fitness, the Ventura Botanical Gardens offerings, the Surfrider Foundation initiatives and more.

Other KPPQ engaging discussions addressed women’s health and fitness programs, zero waste and composting, personal growth and career planning, while socially conscious and political discussions centered on Black Lives Matter, Stand Up for Racial Justice, Stem education in schools, Democracy in Danger and much more.

Despite the fact that the KPPQ Radio studio at the CAPS Media Center is still closed to the public, innovative and creative DJs and hosts are continually producing outstanding radio programs in their homes.

To learn more about KPPQ and to join the Radio team contact Elizabeth at [email protected]. Elizabeth will get you the info you need to know and set up a time for online training to get you on the air on KPPQ-LP Ventura.

In addition to the outstanding productions by KPPQ DJs, CAPS Media crew members have stayed very active throughout the pandemic facilitating City meetings and producing informative videos for the City and County. Every week CAPS team members coordinate, broadcast and stream multiple City meetings including City Council meetings, committee meetings and more.

CAPS crews working on the CAPS studio soundstage record monthly updates by Ventura City Mayor Sofia Rubalcava’s. The mayor’s engaging reports provide the community with valuable information including her insights on city government and the community.

In addition, every week throughout the pandemic CAPS Media crews facilitated the County’s COVID updates with county officials from the County government center and locations throughout the community.

During the shutdown, CAPS Member/Producers can submit 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. All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone stays Safe, Strong, Socially Distant and Healthy during these very challenging times. We encourage everyone to continue getting tested and get vaccinated. Thanks again for the continuing community effort to Stay Strong during these challenging times.

Haley Point Demonstration puts local residents at odds with state law

Demonstration by residents held in opposition to development. Photo by Richard Lieberman

by: Richard Lieberman

A recent demonstration by residents who live around and near the proposed Haley Point housing project marched from California and Main to City Hall. The protesters have organized, set up a GoFundMe page and are asking the city to hear their concerns about the proposed project. The proposed development by Warmington Residential is slated for 72-unit condominium project and of those 72 units 14 units, or 20% will be offered below market rate for moderate income households. Each unit will have a two-car garage.

The group now known as Midtown Ventura Coalition has grown using social media to get their message out to residents. “We were notified in August about a zoom meeting with the developer Warmington Residential who wants to build seventy-two townhouses on a 4.2-acre plot near the end of Channel Island Drive where it meets Seaward Ave, we looked at the design and the design is pretty and we liked the way it looked, everyone of us wants to see more housing in Ventura,” said Jim Gibson, a sixteen-year resident of Rancho Drive. “The problem is this is on what is almost a cul-de-sac the far end of a low-density neighborhood where peoples children are playing in the streets,” he added. Gibson also added that the group has reached out to city officials and the developer to express concerns about increases in traffic density and how the city is handling the developer’s requested variances, combining requests for smaller setbacks and fewer parking spaces into one request.

If the decision is not what the neighbors want or if the decision is not what the developer wants it will be appealed. “We fully expect it to be appealed,” said Peter Gilli, community development director for the city. In May 2020, the City Council passed a measure to facilitate processing projects dubbed an Emergency Streamlining Ordinance (EMSO). The EMSO made two changes, according to Gilli, One, a project will still have multiple hearings, with recommendations coming from those boards. But the last hearing body, determined by Gilli according to the ordinance, will “make a final decision on the project” The final decision is also subject to an appeal which puts the project before the city council for a final non-appealable finding.

“Zoning says that the developer has to have a twenty-foot set back, they are trying to bring it down to thirteen, which is a 35% reduction of what’s required in that neighborhood” said Miles Glazner spokesperson for the group. “They are trying to put two variances together, they are trying to put the rear set-back which they want to do 17.8 and the from one they want to bring down to thirteen feet they want to combine those two variances saying that is just one,” added Glen Overly “We are in favor of the kind of development that will provide the housing we need,” he added.

State law prohibits the city from changing plans when it comes to modifying density or not approving housing developments. “The general plan designation for this site allows more housing than the developer has proposed. That is state law now. Five years ago, it was different. Now if a project complies with the density range of the General plan, then our ability to shrink or deny the project has been eliminated, added Gilli. Before the current plan it was commonplace for the city to demand fewer units even under allowable densities and impose that on the development. “The city can’t do that anymore, the states emphasis is on the housing crisis has taken that away and limited the city’s ability to do things like that,” he said. Adding Gilli said “Our residents have not wanted to hear that answer,” Currently Ventura is in the planning stages of an update covering the existing General Plan. With the update and state law, the city is mandated to approve housing projects that do not conflict with the General Plan.

Haley Point, for the most part, complies with state law and complies with city rules. State law puts the city in a position where they must comply and to grant what the developers are asking for.

 

Local women business owners honored as 2021 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award finalists by WEV

WEV will present the 2021 Rock Star: Lifetime Achievement Award to Lupe Anguiano.

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is proud to announce the 30 finalists for the 11th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards (SOE) to be held virtually on May 21, from 12noon -1:30pm. The SOE Awards celebrate outstanding women business owners from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in ten industry categories. Community members are invited to attend the free, online event; register at Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards.

A panel of independent judges, who all live outside the tri-county area, selected the finalists from an impressive group of applicants throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. This year, the judges also took into consideration the impact the businesses make in their community and the entrepreneurs’ resiliency to the challenges presented by the global pandemic.


Alison Kenis, Lynette Coverly and JoAnne Hadley are finalists to receive awards.

Stacy Harris, a judge from Phoenix, Arizona, said the finalists are “an impressive class of driven female entrepreneurs adapting to an unpredictable environment during the pandemic in support of community and creative services and products.”

“We are thrilled to honor these incredible women who have shown strength and creativity in keeping their businesses going through a tough year,” said Kathy Odell, WEV CEO. “It’s important to take the time to stop and celebrate these accomplishments not only to recognize the winners but so we can all be inspired by them.”

Along with the 10 category winners, WEV will present the 2021 Rock Star: Lifetime Achievement Award to Lupe Anguiano, an entrepreneur and activist known for her work on women’s rights, the rights of the poor, and the protection of the environment who has founded two impactful nonprofits.

World-renowned political activist and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem told WEV, “I’m so glad that you are honoring my longtime friend, Lupe Anguiano. She has been my trusted leader, from the farm worker struggle to today’s understanding that as human beings, we are linked, not ranked. She always has been ahead of me on the path, and she lights the way ahead.”

Major sponsors of the 2021 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards include American Riviera Bank, City National Bank, Cox, County of Ventura, JPMorgan Chase & Co, La Arcada, LinkedIn, and Ventura County Credit Union.

Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV is a business resource network for anyone looking to start a business, grow a local business, or improve their business skills. WEV provides small business training, advisory services, financial literacy programs and small business loans in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV’s focus is on women, it welcomes people of all gender identities into the WEV community. Business courses, programs and loans are provided in both English and Spanish.

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and small business advisory services to more than 19,000 people throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made more than $6.4 million in small business loans and helped more than 5,000 local businesses start or expand, generating an estimated $770 million in annual sales and creating nearly 12,000 local jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center and Microlender, as well as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

The City Center achieving 100% success rate

The City Center has been in operation for the last seven years. 

Since 2014, local Ventura organization The City Center has developed a residential program working with the homeless population – achieving 100% success rate.

Finding a way to ensure homeless families in need are given a chance to have success in life is a challenging task. The City Center however, has a 100 percent success rate at helping graduates rebuild their lives. Since 2014, 253 people have graduated from its program debt free with full-time employment and reliable transportation, representing 78 families who will never return to homelessness.

Led by Executive Director, Jim Duran, The City Center has worked to lift people out of homelessness or defeat with the help of its onsite staff, case managers, therapists, and mentors.

“It’s giving a hand up, rather than a handout,” said Duran. “Each family receives the help and guidance they need to find and hold jobs, leave all government support behind, and learn to care for themselves and their children.”

Though housing is temporary, The City Center allows their residents to stay in the program for one to two years. Graduates of The City Center leave with a savings account and no longer need government assistance. Additionally, 30% of residents leave with college degrees, trade school degrees and/or certificates of completion in their field.

“We work with our residents over many months with a variety of methods to get them back on their feet,” said Duran.  “We want them to be empowered to become independent, but we always do it through guidance and love, that’s the secret to our success.”

The City Center has been in operation for the last seven years. In order to continue this support and structure for their residents, they are working to purchase their property, which is a converted motel, located at 837 E. Thompson Blvd. This next step will assist them in moving their success ratio and programs forward into more converted motels in more cities in Ventura County.

To learn more about The City Center and information on ways to support them, please visit

www.thecitycenter.org.

 

VUSD needed to maximize classroom space as much as possible

Old furniture did not meet new state standards for classrooms.

In order to accommodate the large number of families who wanted to return in-person instruction and to abide by the State’s requirement to bring students back to the classroom to the “fullest extent possible,” VUSD needed to maximize classroom space as much as possible in order to comply with the recently changed public health guidelines providing for three feet between student desks. Many of our classrooms would not have accommodated such changes due to being filled with older furniture such as double desks which took up too much space.

Therefore, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) used one time money provided by the state to help with these exact issues to purchase new, smaller single desks for many of our classrooms. These changes were discussed several times during publicly agenized Board of Education meetings. And because VUSD does not have storage space to hold on to older, more obsolete furniture we decided not to waste public funds trying to find a place to store such items. Instead, and based on hearing from many families that our students do not have a dedicated space at home to study, we felt the best use of this furniture would be to continue to support the education of our students by declaring the items surplus and providing families a chance to claim and use these desks at home. This action also assists with environmental impacts that would have occurred had we discarded them in local landfills. For additional information or discussion, please feel free to contact Rebecca Chandler, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, at 805-641-5000 x 1202.