The goal of this operation was public awareness.

On July 2 the Ventura Police Department and Union Pacific Railroad held a joint  violation enforcement operation that involved a Union Pacific police officer and Ventura police officers. The Union Pacific officer was Jorge O. Villaescusa, Senior Special Agent Public Safety.

Agent Villaescusa road on the train (actually just 2 engines connected back to back) and Ventura officers were on the train, were stationed at crossings and were on bicycles riding next to the tracks monitoring autos and people for violators.

The enforcement went from the Santa Clara River to Emma Woods campground as the train made several trips between the 2 areas.

It takes from one mile to 1 ½ miles for a loaded train to stop so pedestrians or vehicles that are on the tracks will most likely be hit as was the truck several months ago in Oxnard that resulted in the death of the train engineer and others. Amtrak trains can be extremely dangerous because they are so quiet and not heard by people thinking that it is romantic to walk down train tracks.

Several pedestrians waking along the tracks fled when confronted (to be issued tickets for walking adjacent to the railway) by police when the train stopped to speak with them. They were chased down and booked on miscellaneous charges by the VPD. Drivers who failed to yield at safety signals were also cited.

The Breeze asked Officer  Jason Kohagen of the Ventura Police Department why this enforcement operation took place.

He told us “As far as the railroad operation goes, I started planning this operation in early May 2015.  We had two pedestrians struck and killed along the tracks in the city in a very short time frame, and this perked my desire to try and come up with a solution plus the fatal Metrolink collision in Oxnard.  I reached out to my supervisor and after getting the go ahead from him, I contacted the railroad.  Logistically this was a challenging and complex operation to coordinate between the multiple agencies, and even the different work groups within the different agencies.”

“ The goal of this operation was public awareness.  Often times motorists and pedestrians take for granted their ability to cross the tracks, not realizing that, legally, the only place to cross the tracks, is at the marked and designated crossings.  Additionally at these crossings, if the lights are flashing, and bell sounding, it is illegal and unsafe to cross the tracks.  If there are arms associated to the crossing, it is illegal to cross until the arms are completely back up, despite the train having passed.  As a result of the enforcement associated with this event, two motorists were cited for going under the crossing arms as they were descending, and six pedestrians were cited for walking along the railroad right of way.  Two of those pedestrians were arrested for outstanding warrants, and a third pedestrian was arrested for interfering with the operation of a train and assault on an officer.  During this event Operation Life Saver information was handed out to inform  pedestrians regarding grade crossing safety.”

For more photos of this operation visit www.venturabreeze.com.

From Ventura Tony and Linda Kinninger, Bert Van Auker, Barbara Brown, Kate Faulkner, Nikos Valance, and Mayor Cheryl Heitmann. From Loreto Lizette Inzunza, Maricruz Arce, Maria Gamez Castro, Hugo Castro, Ivette Granados Marines and Sergio Drew.

Representatives from Ventura’s sister city Loreto in Baja California, visited Ventura to enjoy and experience ArtWalk, the city of Ventura itself, and to strengthen ties between the United States and Mexico.

Welcomed by Mayor Cheryl Heitmann at the ArtWalk reception at City Hall, the Loreto visitors were accompanied by Linda and Tony Kinninger, discussing opportunities to further strengthen cultural and economic connections between the two cities.

Ventura local Kate Faulkner and Sister City board members Barbara Brown and Caryl Cantrell offered the hospitality of their homes to the visitors, and Father Tom Elewaut offered the mission rectory as home base for two of the visitors. Committee Co-Chair Suzanne Baird welcomed them through the Ventura Visitors Bureau so that they could share information and artwork with locals during the two days of the event.

“We are pleased to have hosted the delegation,” commented Sister Cities Chair Barbara Brown. “Highlights of the trip included a visit to the Wav, a tour of the Museum of Ventura County, and a visit to the Channel Islands through the generosity of Island Packers”.

Body worn cameras has impressed the department.

By Rebecca Wicks

A pilot program that has randomly-selected Ventura Police Department officers wearing cameras on their bodies since May, 2014 has impressed the department to the point they now aim to roll the program out department-wide.

The department is only half way through the year-long program, originally part of a research project headed by Detective Josh Young, a student at the University of Cambridge but has seen enough advantages to cause department heads to look to integrate cameras permanently.  And, while the pilot program aims to measure specific outcomes including citizens’ complaints; use of force; and prosecution outcomes, Assistant Chief Brock Avery of the Ventura Police Department points to ways the cameras can work to help Ventura specifically that may be different from other police departments.

“We have a great police department and a lot of public support,” said Avery. “We don’t necessarily need body worn video for identifying misconduct; it’s another tool for success for us, for putting together better cases.”

While Avery is less concerned with recognizing officer wrong-doings, City Manager Mark Watkins sees how body worn video can helpful to the City when it or one of its officers is put in the position of defending its actions.

“In the event we are put in that position, of being accused, if you have video you have proof you are doing the right thing – it’s not what we said versus what they said,” said Watkins.

The department currently uses cameras which remain on, but do not record until an officer presses a button.  When an officer presses that button, it automatically begins saving – beginning 30 seconds before the officer pressed the button.  This means if an officer sees something which they deem important for example, someone getting rid of what may be evidence, the officer can press the button and it will capture the incident even if it happened just before pressing record.

According to Assistant Chief Avery, the department is beginning the process of pulling together a proposal to implement an ongoing body worn camera program.  In addition to equipment costs the budget is likely to include a new full-time employee to manage the video data as well as storing the data for, in some cases, multiple years.  He estimates startup costs for the program to be in the $400,000 range with ongoing year-to-year costs somewhere around $100,000.

“It will come down to funding,” said Avery who would like to see the program approved for the next fiscal year which would begin this summer.  “It will be our job to show the need, and the value of a program like this.”

According to Watkins, the budget for a camera program would most likely first appear in April, 2015 when the larger budget is proposed and outlined for the City Council.  And, while the budgeting process for the next fiscal year hasn’t begun yet, Watkins is optimistic about the City being able to fund a new program like this.

“We don’t have a complete picture yet, but looking at expenses and revenues, so far everything is tracking,” said Watkins who mentioned there may even be grant monies or other funds available to offset some of the startup costs of a program like this.

Watkins explained he hasn’t seen any data on the camera program yet, but from what he’s heard so far, believes the program has merit.

“There is so much technology available, it’s a matter of figuring out which technology to invest in – and that goes for all the departments in the city,” said Wakins.

The store also carries a variety of fruit spreads, salsas and candies all made with honey.
Photos by Michael Gordon

by Sheli Ellsworth

Heritage Honey encourages tasting. Feel free to mosey up to the honey bar and sample some of the intoxicating flavors of locally grown natural honey. Unlike wine tasting however, honey tasters are safe to drive after sampling creamy mango, avocado, raspberry, orange, creamy cinnamon, eucalyptus, the ever-popular creamy lemon and other honey flavors. The store located at 2031 E. Thompson is owned by David Mitchell, a local, long time bee keeper and Suzanne Lamey who manages all packaging on site and handles the daily store needs.

Lamey has 8 years of experience in Honey Packing in Ventura County, “My job title grew from Quality Control Manager to Managing all the day to day operations at that facility. I felt like Ventura was the Supreme location to start a Honey Packing Facility and Retail Store. Ventura is well known for its support of local businesses and for this reason our idea to bring this unique Honey business to the City of Ventura would benefit the health of its community.”

Mitchell’s first experience with bee keeping was when his mother took a bee keeping class while he was a kid. At age 15 he went to work for a bee keeper. Now Mitchell has 1400 hives scattered around the county each one with 30,000-50,000 bees. “David Mitchell’s years of service to this industry along with countless others are the history of the Heritage in Beekeeping,” says Lamey.

For anyone interested in the health benefits of bee products more than the taste of nature’s nectar, the store also sells bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis from local hives. Bee pollens have been used for centuries to energize, soothe digestion, boost the immune system and treat allergies. Bee pollen is rich in free amino acids, vitamins, folic acid and contains more proteins than any animal source. Heritage Honey bee pollen sells for $8 for an 8 oz jar. Royal Jelly is also an excellent source of nutrients and is believed to help with memory loss, sleeplessness, immune problems and to reduce anxiety. Some have even called it nature’s Viagra, but if it doesn’t work as you’d hoped, perhaps looks at something like VigRX. Propolis, a compound bees produce to coat their hives, was used by the ancients to fight infections and embalm mummies. Today it is used for sore throats, cold sores, wound healing and healthy skin and hair.

The store also carries a variety of fruit spreads, salsas and candies all made with honey. They sell several lines of honey-enriched skin care products as well as bee pot holders, bee pillows, queen bee mother/daughter aprons, tea pots and cups for bee lovers. There are plenty of fun bee books for children and informative ones for bee enthusiasts. The store also sells bee keeping supplies as well as live bees for beginner bee keepers and offers bee keeping classes.

If you are interested in the possibilities of bee keeping, a séance flanked by beeswax candles might help you discover if your bees are in your future. Or you could just stop by the store and taste some of the delicious flavors of honey.

Foto: Mayor Heitmann, City Attorney Greg Diaz and Ventura Water General Manager Shana Epstein speaking at the first water commission meeting.

The city of Ventura’s Water Commission met on  Tuesday, June 23 for their first meeting at the  Avenue Water Treatment Plant at 5895 N. Ventura Ave.

A tour of the facility, which opened in 2007 and can treat up to 10 million gallons of water per day was the first order of business at the meeting. The facility treats water that comes from wells next to the Ventura River at Foster Park.

The commissioners are:

Bryan Bondy
Grant Burton, Alternate
Ted Cook
Christopher Cooper
Gerhardt Hubner
Parker Mann, Alternate
Don Mills
Scott McCarty
Suzanne McCombs

First order of business was Cynthia M. Rodriguez, City Clerk sworing in the new commissioners that were present.

Mayor Cheryl Heitmann then thanked them for volunteering, recognized the complexity of the issues that they will be dealing with  and how important their work will be in advising and guiding the City Council.  She acknowledged it would be a lot of work and that the Council looks forward to working with them and is available to guide them and answer any of their questions.

Shana Epstein, Ventura Water Manager also thanked them for their service to Ventura and gave a brief over view of our water situation in Ventura and answered their questions.

Greg Diaz, Ventura City Attorney gave an important  Brown Act (The Ralph M. Brown Act)presentation. The Brown act states that “the people insist, on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instructions they have drafted.” It applies to legislative bodies including council commissions. It was designed by the Legislature to ensure that the deliberations as well as the actions of local public agencies are performed at meetings open to the public and free from any veil of secrecy it states how open meetings must be run.

They closed by voting on a tentative agenda for the next six months. That agenda includes a discussion on “net zero” policies at the commission’s July 28 and subsequent meetings. Their work is about to begin.

As dictated by the Brown Act a brief public comment was made by one speaker.