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Students rally to protest the VC President’s choice that hurts transfers

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.

Caps Media covers annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

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.

4th of July Street Fair: Vendor and sponsor applications open

The City is seeking vendors and sponsors for the 46th Annual 4th of July Street Fair and Pushem-Pullem Parade. This year’s event is themed “Celebration by the Sea” and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Ventura’s Downtown District.

Vendor applications and sponsorship forms are available on the City’s website at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/StreetFair. Eligible groups include arts and crafts, non-profits, and food vendors.

Vendor applications will be accepted beginning Wednesday, February 1, 2023, through Monday, April 3, 2023, before 5:00 p.m. PST. Applications can be submitted by mail, email, or dropped off in-person at City Hall, located at 501 Poli Street, Room 226.

Entertainment is being scheduled by the Downtown Ventura Partners (DVP). If you are a musician or entertainer interested in participating in this year’s event, please contact DVP at: [email protected].

For questions and more information, contact City of Ventura Recreation Coordinator Allyson DesBaillets at [email protected] or (805) 654-7749.

Ventura had a significant decrease in property crimes

Ventura’s crime statistics are based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Uniform Crime Re- porting Program (UCR), defined as the number of crimes committed per 1,000 population. Part I Crimes are comprised of eight offenses, broken down into two categories. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault; property crime includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

The City of Ventura experienced a 13.3% reduction in reported Part I Crime in 2022. Overall, Part I Crimes totaled 2,881, which was 443 fewer offenses than were reported in 2021.

Despite the overall reduction in Part I Crime, violent crime saw a small increase of 2.6% in 2022, with 10 more offenses reported than in the previous year. Aggravated assaults increased 21.7%, with 51 more assaults being reported. There was one homicide in 2022 compared to none in 2021. Sexual assaults had a decrease of 28.6%, with 12 fewer incidents than last year, and robberies decreased by 29.7%.

Property Crime dropped by 15.4%, with reductions in every category except arson when compared to 2021. Burglary dropped by 18.5%. Larceny and vehicle theft saw reductions of 15.8% and 8.1% respectively. Arson showed the only increase, with 2 more arsons reported than the previous year, an increase of 10%.

For 2023 the Ventura Police Department is transitioning away from the traditional UCR (Uniformed Crime Reporting) and implementing NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System) as recommended by the FBI. The UCR system captures crime data based on only eight categories while NIBRS collects data from over 50 categories. The UCR program utilizes a hierarchical system to prioritize and categorize offenses. The hierarchy rule requires that an incident with multiple offenses or charges be narrowed down to a single offense, usually the most serious charge. NIBRS collects more detailed information, provides greater specificity in reporting criminal offenses, and provides more data points for analyzing crime trends. The Ventura Police Department started collecting NIBRS data in July of 2022 and will utilize this format for all future reporting. For more details about NIBRS refer to: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-helpyou/more-fbi-services-and-information/ucr/nibrs

With this new format, crime rates will look significantly different, and at first glance, crime will appear to have increased significantly. The appearance of increased crime is due to the NIBRS mechanism of data collection and reporting as noted above. These new categories include crimes that existed under the UCR standards; however, under the UCR standards, they were not reported out.

Vol. 16, No. 12 – Mar 8 – Mar 21, 2023 – Forever Homes Wantes

Hi: I’m Zander, a snuggly, happy, playful 2 month old pup rescued from a shelter when my time was almost up. The shelter had me listed as tri-color for breed, but CARL thinks I might be Terrier X. When I grow up I may be small to medium sized (15 – 40 lbs).

In spite of a less-than-ideal start in life, I’m grateful to be in a fantastic foster home with a foster mom who has lots of experience with puppies! My foster mom is giving me lots of love, attention and the best of care. I can’t wait to be a cherished member of a loving family.

Since I’m just a puppy, children in the home must be at least 6 years of age. It’s a lifetime commitment, not a temporary one where the love and attention wears off after I’m grown.

If you’re ready and able to give me a lifetime of love and wonderful memories, please fill out an application to meet me.

Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L  https://carldogs.org/
CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.

Glitter is a playful 3 year old lab mix (A807539) who arrived in September, 2022 after being struck by a car. She has since fully recovered from hip surgery! While recovering, Glitter lived with two other dogs in foster care and plays well with dogs of a similar size – just not too rowdy for the sake of her hip! She even knows sit, down, and paw.

Due to her injury she’s one our longer stays. She’s a real catch and we know she’d make an awesome addition to any family!

Pet Link VCAS: https://www.vcas.us/viewan-2/?ida=A807539

Looking Back—and Ahead–with Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler (Part one of two)

Chief Darin Schindler has led the Ventura Police Department since April 2020. The Patrol Task Force is responsible for restorative policing while also offering support to people experiencing homelessness. Photos courtesy of the Ventura Police Department

by Amy Brown

Chief Darin Schindler is a career law enforcement professional, having started with the Port Hueneme Police Department in 1989, and then serving in a wide range of roles in the Ventura department since 1995, culminating in taking the reins as Chief of Police in 2020. When asked what drew him to a career in policing, he shared that he’d grown up watching shows like Adam-12 and Starsky and Hutch, and that in the 1980s, when crime rates were soaring, he wanted to choose a career where he could make a difference. “I liked the idea of doing good things that would benefit the community, putting bad guys in jail and helping people,” said Schindler.

Today in Ventura, certain types of crime are on the decline, according to Schindler. Ventura’s annual crime statistics are based on the FBI’s National Uniform Crime Reporting Program, defined as the number of crimes committed per 1,000 residents. The crimes are broken down into categories, and the report comes out each spring for the previous year. Schindler reports that preliminary numbers indicate that 2022 had some of the lowest reported crimes in 30 years. “That being said, it doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Schindler. “What we see so far is a reduction in Part I crimes which include burglary, theft, robbery, homicide, sexual assault, larceny and arson. What we’ve seen happening over the last few years, however, is a more visible increase in quality of life issues.” Many of these issues are directly related to homelessness, which rose by 25% during the pandemic, according to the county’s Point in Time Count in 2022.

Schindler emphasized that homelessness is not a crime—however, some behaviors that can be affiliated with it are. “We focus on the behavior, not the homelessness. Sometimes these behaviors are criminal in nature, and when they are, it’s usually lower level crimes like trespassing, sleeping in public, and a lot of the crimes that you would attribute to vagrancy,” he said. “We do everything we can to do to help the homeless.” The police department has a range of resources to help address the public health and safety impact of homelessness issues in the area, with a more holistic approach that partners with Behavioral Health and local organizations to provide outreach, support and advocacy. The department has a Patrol Task Force which is responsible for both restorative policing, and is focused on engaging to provide connections to services and outreach. Schindler said has the Patrol Task Force officers have relationships with nearly all unhoused individuals in the area. “We always try to offer assistance first. Sometimes we can’t because they’ve committed a crime, and sometimes you have to offer assistance 20, 30, 40 or even 50 times before they’re ready for it,” said Schindler. One resource is the Community Intervention Court, which is focused on providing possible solutions for those caught in a cycle of arrests, and provides defendants charged with repeated vagrancy-related crimes the opportunity to participate in treatment and social service programs. According to Schindler, his officers frequently encounter the same people, often with mental health and/or alcohol or drug issues, who repeatedly come to the department’s attention because of lower level crimes. “We will take enforcement action, but we understand that arresting somebody because of an alcohol problem and perhaps urinating in public, when they have nowhere to stay, doesn’t solve the problem. It may solve it for that day but not long term. We’re hoping to come up with a better long term strategy to deal with the issue.”

Through the program with the court system, individuals can agree to a structured plan for assistance—for example if they need recovery treatment, they can opt for that instead. “They’ll come up with the plan, and the idea is the person has to be willing to do it, and if they successfully complete the program, their charges can be dismissed. That can give them the opportunity to start fresh, while helping themselves get back to where they want to be,” said Schindler.

Fifteen year-old Liam Jones was introduced to go karting by his grandfather

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.

Ventura Land Trust launches 20th Anniversary Year with community birthday party

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.