Photo by Richard Sweet, Retired REHS
Storm debris scoured from the Santa Clara River, NE of the 101 Freeway on January 10. Much of the debris is invasive, non-native Giant Cane or Arundo donax, shown here. It is a common scourge of our watersheds in southern Ventura County and is a principal target for removal in many riparian restoration projects.
by Cindy Summers
Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura Police Department and are not the opinions of the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Body Found in Riverbed
On January 9, at approximately 9:00 pm, a male reporting party called 9-1-1 and spoke to the Ventura Police Department Communications Center. The male said that his female friend, later identified as 35-year-old Christina Lorenzen, was in the Santa Clara Riverbed, yelling for help as flood waters were rising. Ventura Police Communications transferred the call to the Ventura County Fire Department Dispatch Center so that a rescue effort could be launched.
Ventura County Fire Dispatch initiated a swift water rescue effort, using several resources from the Ventura County Fire Department, the Ventura City Fire Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, including a Search and Rescue team and a helicopter. The rescue resources were unable to locate Lorenzen during their effort. The focus of the search was in the Santa Clara Riverbed in the area of Auto Center Drive and Ventura Road in the City of Ventura.
On January 10, at approximately 6:30 pm, the same caller from the previous evening called the Ventura Police Department Communications Center and indicated that he had found Lorenzen deceased in the riverbed. Ventura Police Department patrol officers responded to the caller’s location and located Lorenzen in a small wooden structure in the riverbed. Lorenzen appeared to have drowned while inside that structure. It appeared that Lorenzen was also living inside of the makeshift structure. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office was notified, and they responded to conduct their own investigation.
During rain events, flooding often occurs in both the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers, making the areas unsafe. The Ventura Police and other public safety agencies encourage anyone living in or frequenting these areas to evacuate during foul weather and seek shelter and services. For the upcoming rain event expected to begin on Saturday, January 14, the County of Ventura is opening a temporary shelter at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, located at 10 W. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura. The temporary shelter will be open from Friday, January 13, through Tuesday, January 17. This shelter is open to anyone in need, but primarily focuses on providing temporary shelter for the homeless population of Oxnard and Ventura.
Additional weather information is available through The Ventura County Office of Emergency Services: www.VCEmergency.com. The community can also stay informed of critical incident updates in their area by registering at www.VCAlert.org.
Felony Vandalism
On January 13, at approximately 4:00 am, an alert passerby informed a Ventura Police Patrol Officer that two subjects were vandalizing a wall on Victoria Avenue in between the northbound and southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway. Officers responded to that area and found two subjects standing on an elevated ledge, spray painting graffiti on a wall on the west side of Victoria Avenue in between the northbound and southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway.
As officers were arriving, one suspect fled on foot onto the 101 Freeway. The second subject, later identified as 26-year-old Ventura resident Jacob Summitt, was unable to flee and became stranded on the elevated ledge. Summitt refused to come down from the ledge for several hours as officers attempted to talk him down.
At one point, Summitt threatened to jump off the ledge in an effort hurt himself. A Ventura Police Crisis Negotiations Team Member responded to the scene and attempted to talk with him, but Summitt continued to refuse to come down. At approximately 0819 hours, Summitt indicated that he wanted to come down off the ledge.
The Ventura Fire Department provided a ladder and Summitt climbed down from the ledge. He was arrested for felony vandalism and transported to the Ventura County Jail.
The damage to the wall was estimated to be several thousands of dollars. Traffic was moderately affected on Victoria Avenue during this event.
Fatal Traffic Collision
On January 13, at approximately 7:00 pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call regarding a single vehicle rollover collision in the 7200 block of Bristol Rd. Upon arrival, the vehicle was located on it’s side into a tree and the female driver had been ejected. Lifesaving measures were attempted at the scene, however, the driver had succumbed to her injuries.
Witnesses to the collision said the vehicle was driving erratically at a high rate of speed before losing control while attempting to pass vehicles on the wrong side of the road. The vehicle then struck a tree and wall in the area.
The investigation into this collision is still ongoing and any witnesses are encouraged to contact Traffic Collision Investigator Kyle Halverson at 805-477-3767.
The suspenseful thriller, Selling Kabul, written by Sylvia Khoury and directed by Nike Doukas Selling Kabul begins previews on Thursday, February 2 at 7:30pm, opens on Saturday, February 4 at 8:00pm and runs through Sunday, February 19, 2023 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
An Off-Broadway hit and 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, this nail-biting story of abiding family love centers on an Afghan man, Taroon (Rishan Dhamiia), a former interpreter for the US military, in hiding from the Taliban in his sister Afiya’s (Nitya Vidyasager) home in Kabul, Afghanistan. As Taroon restlessly awaits news from the hospital on the birth of his first child, his family races to protect him from dangers lurking outside the apartment walls. Tension mounts as he plans his escape with his wife and infant child
“We’re excited to present the California premiere of this riveting and immediate drama, which puts a human face on extraordinary global events,” said ETC’s Artistic Director Jonathan Fox. “As the plot carefully unfolds with increasing suspense, audience members will find themselves on the edge of their seats. We have assembled an extraordinary cast and creative team to bring this gripping script to life.”
Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm; with added performances on Sunday, February 5 at 7:00pm; Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30pm and Saturday, February 11 at 4:00pm.
Ticket prices range from $40 – $84. Single tickets are available through the ETC box office at (805) 965-5400, or online at etcsb.org. Prices subject to change.
Happy New Year from the Ventura Tree Alliance! May 2023 be a year of enhancing our urban forest! Together let’s plant new trees and care for the trees all around Ventura that are stressed from drought and our urban environment. Thank you for your support in 2022!
Photo by Michaël Gordon
Ventura River from the CA 150 Bridge between Oak View and Meiners Oaks. Just below the Ojai Raptor Center.
Tim Ruder and Laurie McQuay at the Tikal National Park in northern Guatemala while on a holiday vacation in Belize taking a break to catch up on the local news.
Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
Devotion – Paramount +
Devotion is the true story of United States Navy Officer Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors), who was the first African-American aviator to complete the Navy’s basic flight training program and also the first African-American naval officer killed in the Korean War at the age of 24. Brown was stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island and in early 1950 Lieutenant Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) transferred to the Fighter Squadron 32 (VF-32) and became Brown’s wingman.
The VF-32 had been flying F8F ‘Bearcat’ fighter planes, but the Navy created a modified F4U-4 Corsair they wanted them to fly in the Korean War. The Corsair was much more powerful than the planes they had been flying, and the pilots were warned by the chief engineer the if they didn’t manage the power properly they would easily crash. After learning the basics on the Corsair, the next test would be for them to land the plane on an aircraft carrier, which was difficult due to the Corsair having a longer front making it difficult to see in front of the plane.
After passing their carrier tests, the VF-32 was transferred to the USS Leyte, which deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to deter Soviet aggression. They were granted shore leave in Cannes, France and while off on his own Brown met actress Elizabeth Taylor at the beach, who invited him and his squadron to a casino she would be at later that evening. The other guys were skeptical about Brown’s chance meeting the a famous Hollywood star, but saw upon arriving at the casino it was all true and that Elizabeth Taylor had a thing for men in uniform, especially aviators.
Upon returning to the ship the VF-32 was assigned to take out two bridges critical to the enemy’s advances. Before they departed, Brown was given an expensive watch by Leyte’s black crewmen, who admire him for his work. The squadron left and began its attack, however after destroying the first bridge they took on heavy ground fire so retreated under Hudner’s command. Brown felt he could take out the second, so broke formation, flew back and took out the second bridge. Unfortunately, Hudner’s report made it appear that Brown didn’t follow command and was written up for insubordination.
Even though that wasn’t what Hudner intended, Brown explained that everything happens differently for him because he was black. Hudner sought to repair the situation, but had to redirect his focus due to the VF-32 being assigned to give air support to ground troops that were trapped and quickly losing ground. The squadron successfully attacked the enemy troops causing them to retreat and saving the Marines on the ground, however as they set out to return to the ship the sky filled with ground fire striking Brown’s plane which began to lose oil.
Brown was forced to drop his ammunition and fuel tanks and crash land his plane in a field. As Hudner circled around, he saw that Brown was somehow stuck in the plane and decided to try to rescue Brown following the same steps to crash his plane. When Hudner got to Brown, his leg was trapped and despite their joint efforts was unable to free Brown’s leg. A rescue helicopter arrived just as Brown lost consciousness, and Hudner had no choice but to leave him. Upon returning to the plane the squadron was told a rescue was too dangerous and later were sent to destroy both planes so they wouldn’t end up in enemy hands.
For his actions in Korea, Brown was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart Medal, and the Air Medal, and the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown (FF-1089) was named in his honor.
Rated: PG-13 Runtime 2h 19m
by Shirley Lorraine
A Slice of Life in a Texas Small Town
The Elite Theatre Company in Channel Islands opens their 2023 season with two one-act plays, Laundry and Bourbon, and Lone Star, both by James McClure. Billed as comedies, the two are connected only marginally by character references, punctuated by light chuckles.
Laundry and Bourbon takes the audience into the small town of Maynard, Texas where Elizabeth (Lea Roman) and her friend Hattie (Jolyn Johnson) enjoy Bourbon and coke in the afternoon and air their inner dirty laundry while attempting to fold actual laundry. Both married right out of high school, they find that the memories of what was carried them farther than the realities of their lives now. They are later joined by Amy Lee (Maddie Boyd), now a devout Baptist with a husband, Cletis, who runs a successful furniture store. All three are gossipy, biting and banter with bitterness over the state of their current lives. No one really seems happy as the author explores many intricacies that can accompany the slow erosion of relationships and the phenomenon of small town life where everyone seems to know or be involved in everyone else’s business.
All three give solid performances with a range of sometimes priceless facial expressions. The verbal pace is rapid, twangy and seems to echo bouncing off the stark walls of the minimalist set. As a result, I found many lines absorbed under the weight of those elements and moving on before the audience could catch up. I felt some opportunities for real laughter were lost as the actors hurried on to the next revelation.
The second act, Lone Star, gives the menfolk a place to air their woes. And air they do. Elizabeth’s husband, Roy (Scott Blanchard) is a former jock who, having survived the Vietnam war, now is a bitter drunk with PTSD. He is joined out behind Angels, the town bar, by his younger brother, Ray (Patrick T. Rogers) who is seemingly content to stay in the background of his brother’s former fame and who provides the balance of reason as Roy storms about. The third character is Cletis (Asher Mitchell), husband to Amy Lee, the only one of the three who appears to have made any progress in his life.
All three actors handle the material to the fullest. Action is fierce, emotions are at their peaks and the actors’ commitment to their roles is evident.
Director Kimberly Demmary certainly had her hands full with this accomplished cast and challenging material. All six actors seem to have been given a free hand to emote wildly and loudly, throw things around and generally chew up the stage with their inner angst. The plays were an evening well spent if you find that witnessing the emotional disintegration of others is entertaining.
The Elite’s season will continue with a variety of lesser known offerings including works on the South Stage. Now in its 10th year at the current location, and celebrating 29 years of existence, the Elite has grown in scope while retaining its intimate feel. www.TheElite.org.
Beginning February 2, 2023, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) will be presenting its latest pop-up exhibition featuring the incredible artwork of Marie McKenzie.
Ojai-based artist Marie McKenzie places sustainability at the heart of her practice. Using salvaged wood and other earth-friendly materials, McKenzie creates abstract and figurative representations of marine flora and fauna with loving detail.
The Marie McKenzie exhibit will run through May 30, 2023. Entrance to the exhibit is included in the price of admission to CIMM.
A big idea for the Ventura County Fairgrounds (Seaside Park) is being proposed, that I think is very interesting.
Let’s face it, the fairgrounds needs a new image. It has very old Quonset hut buildings that will never be up-dated and deteriorating grounds.
Many don’t realize the fairgrounds is not owned by Ventura City but by rather the 31st Agricultural District, the state agency that governs the property.
A development team is proposing a new 7,500-seat stadium for a minor league baseball team as part of its massive $319 million plan to make over the Fairgrounds. I can see it now – the “Ventura Breezers” will open their season in 2028.
The project, which is being proposed by Pacific Sports Group, includes modern convention halls, two parking garages and shops and restaurants. It would still be used to host the Ventura County Fair.
Its location would be appealing for a stadium with the beach views and train station right there and walking distance to downtown. Certainly, worth considering, it seems. What do you think of a Ventura baseball team? When I grew up in LA we had the Hollywood Stars.
Based upon the following Trump fans feel that Trump has been exonerated. This is, of course not true. If I hold up a bank on Thursday and you hold up a bank on Friday that doesn’t mean that I am not guilty. Hopefully the DOJ will equally investigate both of these situations and act in a manner appropriate to the severity of the crimes.
Classified documents were discovered at the Washington, D.C., office for President Biden’s think tank, the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, in early November as well as at one his homes recently. News broke that another group of classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president had been discovered at another location. This lead to Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing a special counsel to investigate the president’s handling of such documents.
It’s tough to repeat as champs in professional sports (injuries, etc.). Last year’s NFL champions, the LA Rams, finished this year with a 4-12 record and the NBA champs Golden State are now 23-23.
The 6-year-old student who shot and injured his teacher at a Virginia elementary school used a 9mm gun legally purchased by his mother. The student had taken the gun from his residence and put it in his backpack before bringing it to Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia.
In another incident an Indiana man is facing a felony child neglect charge after his toddler son allegedly waved a handgun in the air and pointed the weapon at his own head with his finger on the trigger. Footage of the child playing with a gun in a stairwell was captured by a neighbor’s security camera.
The parents of these kids should be prosecuted and held responsible. If the teacher had died who would be responsible for her death? Certainly not a 6-year-old.
A pair of pants being advertised on TV has a hidden phone pocket. What if you needed your phone but couldn’t find it?
