Veronica Betancourt, Jill Forman and Ellen Klope. Photos by Patricia Schallert
Hill Road Library celebrated its fifth birthday on Saturday, December 3rd.
The celebrations began with a Decorate Your Own Party Hat craft activity.
Then, at 11:00 am, the fabulous magician Zany Zoe performed his magic and illusion arts.
The library is located at 1070 S. Hill.
Kwanzaa is an African American and Pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. Celebrated from December 26 thru January 1, its origins are in the first harvest celebrations of Africa from which it takes its name. The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karina, professor, Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, author and scholar-activist who stresses the indispensable need to preserve, continually revitalize and promote African American culture.
It is important to note Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday, not a religious one, thus available to and practiced by Africans of all religious faiths who come together based on the rich, ancient and varied common ground of their Africanness.
Gifts are given mainly to children, but must always include a book and a heritage symbol. The book is to emphasize the African value and tradition of learning stressed since ancient Egypt, and the heritage symbol to reaffirm and reinforce the African commitment to tradition and history.
by Julia Bayly
Holidays can be busy with people coming and going, an abundance of seasonal food and a higher level of home activity. All of this makes it joyous for people, but the furry and feathered members of the family may find it a bit much.
The last thing you want are holiday festivities resulting in a missing pet or an emergency trip to a veterinarian.
There is no reason pets should not be a part of family gatherings or parties, according to veterinarians. All it takes is some planning and making sure you know and respect your pets’ limits.
A cat’s natural curiosity makes anything string-like an issue. That includes tinsel tree decorations or ribbons on wrapped packages. They want to play with anything stringlike and they can ingest it.
Another string-shaped hazard are Christmas lights and the extension cords that power them. Keeping wires covered prevents pets from chewing on them and risking shocks and electrical burns.
Ornaments — especially treasured heirlooms and glass decorations — should be hung higher up on a Christmas tree and out of reach of playful cats or rambunctious dogs who may knock them down. The last thing you need are shards of broken glass all over the floor that can slice pets’ or people’s feet. Glass can also be very dangerous when ingested by pets.
The safest thing is to avoid putting any decorations on the lower branches of a Christmas tree.
The tree can be a danger on its own, according to veterinary professionals. Cats in particular may be delighted to have an indoor tree to climb and explore or to use as a scratching post. It’s a good idea to use a sturdy tree stand and to tie the top of the tree to wall or ceiling hooks to prevent it falling over thanks to a cat in the branches.
Block off any access to the water for the tree because it can upset dog and cat stomachs. And swallowed tree needles can get stuck in your pet’s digestive system and need to be surgically removed.
The very nature of a holiday gathering makes it a bit of a minefield for cats and dogs.
Guests often bring large bags or purses into the house and set them on the floor.
Most pets are curious and will want to nose around inside anything within reach. So keep bags and purses off the floor so your pet can’t get any holiday food in shopping bags or medications, candy or gum in a purse.
It’s also a good idea to routinely scan your floor and make sure there are no small, plastic toys or batteries around that a dog could pick up and chew or swallow. Batteries contain zinc that can cause renal damage in dogs. Chewing on hard plastic toys or game pieces can break a dog’s tooth.
Food is a huge part of the holidays and all those wonderful smells are as inviting to your pet as they are to you.“Especially for dogs I like to talk about treats,” Townsend said. “Chocolate is one really to watch out for — it probably won’t kill them, but in large enough amounts it can make your dog sick or even cause seizures.”
By Traci Howerton
Considering adding a new pet to the family this holiday season? Pets are a great investment, providing countless hours of joy, entertainment and companionship. However, they do come with a financial commitment.
Ongoing costs should be taken into account when deciding if a new pet is right for your family. Before making the long-term commitment of pet ownership, know what the many expenses will involve.
Pet care is something that should have a continuing spot in the household monthly budget. The costs vary greatly depending on the type and number of pets. Planning ahead is a great idea so that all routine expenses are accounted for, as well as the unexpected costs that may come up from time to time.
I can tell you from personal experience as the owner of two senior pets that, as they age, the expenses are greater, the trips to the vet are more frequent, and pets can generally become more high maintenance. We currently have three vets — one primary and two specialists — for two dogs!
Vet visits will be one of the biggest expenditures in the pet-care budget. Plan for regular check-ups and vaccinations, as well as monthly heartworm and flea preventatives.
Puppies and kittens will initially need several rounds of vaccinations and spay/neuter. They will also need to be microchipped.
Most rescues and shelters take care of the initial vaccinations, spay/neuter and microchipping and include these expenses, typically at a discounted rate, in their adoption fees.
Keep in mind that, just like humans, pets may need an unexpected trip to the vet for an ailment or injury, so budget for these unplanned costs as well.
HealthDay News — Anyone who’s ever loved a pet like a member of the family knows that the grief when that dog, cat or other furry friend dies can be devastating.
But too often, finding others who truly understand and support that sense of loss can be challenging.
Michelle Crossley, a mental health counselor, and Colleen Rolland, a pet loss grief specialist, have each experienced deep bereavement after losing a much-loved pet.
Rolland is a pet loss grief specialist for the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB) and has a small private practice in Ontario, Canada. She said her own loss of a beloved Golden Retriever left her “in a puddle on the floor.”
As a pet loss grief specialist, Rolland is trained specifically in the extreme grief over the loss of a pet, but when that loss triggers feelings about childhood grief or other traumas, she and others like her refer those individuals to a trained mental health specialist.
One of the reasons for the paper was an awareness that not all mental health specialists understand the depth of the human-animal bond, and so are not able to provide what feels like an emotionally safe environment for someone experiencing that grief, Rolland said.
“That person just turns even more inward and the grief and the suffering just continues to go on,” she added.
Pet loss is just one type of loss that is not as widely acknowledged or given attention by society, according to the study authors. Among the others are death by suicide or from AIDS and pregnancy loss/miscarriage.
Grief may become more complicated when it’s ‘disenfranchised,’ Rolland said.
A disenfranchised grief is one that is important to the individual, but which is unacknowledged as important by society and not needing the same social support, the report noted.
Ventura City Council approved a settlement agreement and general release with its City Manager, effective on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. In the agreement, McIntyre agreed to resign from his position effective at the close of business on December 13, 2022.
“Mr. McIntyre has indicated a desire to resign from his employment with the City of Ventura,” stated City Attorney Andy Heglund. “The City Council voted 7-0 to approve and authorize Mayor Sofia Rubalcava to execute a separation agreement and general release to avoid the expense of litigation that could exceed $100,000.”
The City Council agreed to pay Alex McIntyre a $150,000 settlement to waive any claims against the City. Since November 14, 2022, Alex McIntyre, has been on paid administrative leave.
“The Council and I have full confidence in the organization’s leadership and dedicated staff who continue to carry the City forward positively and productively,” stated Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “We remain focused on preparing our City for the future and continuing the great things we’ve accomplished.”
McIntyre started in Ventura in November 2018 after serving as the City Manager in Menlo Park. He began after City Manager Mark Watkins retired in 2017.
Recently McIntyre was abruptly placed on paid administrative leave after a unanimous vote of the City Council.
Assistant City Manager Akbar Alikhan was selected to serve as the acting city manager, Heglund said.
The city attorney did not elaborate further on the reasons McIntyre was placed on administrative leave. The mayor and the council members did not address the decision.
According to McIntyre’s original contract on October 2018, he agreed to work at the will and pleasure of the City Council. “He may be terminated, or asked to resign, at any time, with or without cause,” according to the contract.
In August, McIntyre was given a 5% raise and his annual salary increased from $280,000 to more than $294,000. He also received an additional lump sum payment of more than $5,200.
Earlier this year, several incidents involving McIntyre drew the attention of residents.
In March, some members of the City Council took a trip to Washington D.C. for legislative matters. Council members on the trip violated the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law, by holding meetings without proper notification and agenda publication. McIntyre later apologized for giving bad advice to the council that led to the violation.
In a separate September 2021 trip, McIntyre used his state-issued credit card to pay for dinner and wine for eight people during a business trip to Sacramento.
McIntyre eventually apologized for the credit card use and reimbursed the city for the wine and excessive tip. The $711 meal included a tip of $234.60, which McIntyre explained was a miscalculation because he did not realize the tip was already included in the tab.
by Ross Williams
Walking along the beach as you stare across the Pacific towards the Channels islands you will find that amongst the masts of sailboats and white capped waves are a few carefully spaced oil platforms. Take a drive down the 33 towards Ojai and you’ll see oil rigs gently seesaw against a background of oak and chaparral covered hills. Oil helps our world run. From carpet to golf balls, plastic, life jackets and parachutes. And it has been a staple of our area’s economy for over one hundred years.
The Ventura Oil Field is 4,300 acres and it is the 10th largest oil field in California. At any given time there are approximately 50 million barrels of oil in reserve here in Ventura alone. We currently produce 12,000 barrels of oil a day and 7 mmcf (million cubic feet) of natural gas per day.
In order to gain a better understanding of the oil industry in our local area I reached out to Dennis Christian, Chief Operations Officer of Instrument Control Services.
How long have you been in the oil industry and what is your current role?
“I started working offshore back in 1975. On Platform Holly, which is currently in abandonment mode. I work primarily in the office; however, I do field assessment of our Valve Repair Crews on a weekly basis both here in Ventura and monthly in the SJV Area.”
Holly sits two miles offshore in Goleta, production on the oil platform stopped in 2015 when the company Venoco went bankrupt. The oil platforms are now owned by the state and are currently in the ongoing process of demolition.
How do we find oil?
“Discovery is primarily performed by geologists looking for shale, drilling a core that can be thousands of feet long, providing a snapshot of what lies beneath the surface, and currently utilizing seismic surveys.”
How do you know if a well or area has run dry of oil?
“Producing oil and gas wells are tested individually on a routine basis to gauge current production and the results of these well tests will dictate if additional trouble shooting is needed to address: * failed equipment or *potential zone depletions.”
The average depth of wells drilled in California is 4,100 feet, however in the offshore industry directional drilling provides the advantage of being able to reach multiple producing zones at combined length / depths of up to 26,000’±.
Do we frack in the area?
Also, what is the difference between traditional drilling and fracking? “The Federal Government has denied any fracking permits for any offshore platforms since 2019. Onshore, Ventura requires a permit that is evaluated on a case-by-case basis for potential environmental impact. Drilling is fairly self-explanatory while fracking is the process of injecting sand and chemicals into the production zone under high pressure in order to open the formation, allowing the crude oil to flow more freely for recovery by secondary means i.e. pumping.”Where do you see ongoing operations heading over the next few years?
The following is from “ExtractingFact, 11/21/2022,: According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California averaged 440,000 barrels of crude production per day in 2018, the final year of Governor Brown’s tenure. Since Governor Newsom was inaugurated in January 2019, the state’s production has averaged just 385,000 barrels per day. Production in recent months has fallen to as low as 330,000 barrels per day.
Governor Newsom’s energy policies have cost the state more than 75 million barrels of oil production – equivalent to over 42% of the emergency stockpile releases under President Biden.”
“Although this is from a “Pro-oil” publication, it is factual. I believe the goals of the current California and Federal administrations is to cease all oil and gas production in California eventually. With the goal to phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035, and California’s electrical grid is currently incapable of handling current demands. It will take a tremendous amount of upgrade and costs to ensure this is a successful plan.”
If there was one thing that you thought was essential to know about the oil industry what would that be?
“Oil production in California is by far the strictest environmentally regulated oil and gas industry on the planet (and rightly so). California produces oil and gas that has the least amount of impact to the environment than any other place.”
‘In one way or another we have a deeply interwoven relationship with oil that will continue long into the foreseeable future. Local livelihoods are tied to the oil industry, not to mention our daily lives, our environment and our politics. It’s a complicated relationship and as relationships do, they mature, they adapt, and they change with the world around them. A great relationship is one with good communication and a deep understanding of the other and that will allow us to make better overall choices for our future.”
Youths will soon be able to ride any public transit bus in Ventura County for free as part of a new pilot program offered by the county’s transit operators.
Through the Youth Ride Free program, anyone age 18 or younger is eligible to use fixed-route and general purpose dial-a-ride services for free. Students older than 18 who are enrolled in high school are also eligible. Riders can travel to any destination at any time, not just to get to and from school.
The program began Sept. 1. To ride, youths simply need to board the bus. High school-age youths should be prepared to show an ID to the driver. Children 10 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Participating operators are Camarillo Area Transit, Gold Coast Transit District, Kanan Shuttle, Moorpark City Transit, Ojai Trolley, Simi Valley Transit, Thousand Oaks Transit, Valley Express, and VCTC Intercity Service.
“The Youth Ride Free program is a way to introduce public transit to the younger people in our community and encourage them to become lifelong public transit users,” said VCTC Executive Director Martin Erickson. “Increased transit ridership means less congestion on streets and highways and will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By offering free fares for youths, transit operators in Ventura County also can provide some economic relief to families who are struggling with high gas prices and other rising costs due to inflation.”
The pilot Youth Ride Free program is funded by a grant obtained and administered by VCTC from California’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), a part of the state’s capand-trade program. LCTOP provides funds to public transportation agencies for investments in capital projects and services that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve mobility. Other local programs supported by LCTOP funds are College Ride, which allows students enrolled at Ventura County colleges to ride the bus for free; and Metrolink Saturday Service.
The Youth Ride Free program will run through 2022-23 and 2023-24. For more information about the Youth Ride Free program, including a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://www.goventura.org/vctc-transit/youth-ride-free-promotion/.
Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
Emily the Criminal – Netflix Originals
Emily (Aubrey Plaza) was in her mid twenties living in Los Angeles and struggling to make ends meet working as a catering deliverer to try pay off her $70,000 in student loan debt that she had from attending art school. Unfortunately her options were limited because previously she was convicted of aggravated assault while in a abusive relationship, which not only didn’t allow her to finish art school but also gave her a criminal record limiting her employment opportunities.
After doing a favor for a co-worker, he gave Emily a number to text saying that she could make some quick easy money. She was given an address to attend a meeting if she was interested in making $200 in an hour. The meeting seemed like an orientation where they took her ID at the door and explained that they were looking for “dummy shoppers”, which are individuals who use stolen credit cards to buy goods. The meeting was led a Lebanese man named Youcef (Theo Rossi) and Emily seemed to hit it off with him as they traveled with the group to a shopping center where they were instructed to buy flat screen TVs and bring them back to the van.
Emily’s first purchase went off without a hitch and in doing so was offered the opportunity to try another job the following day that would net her $2,000, but was instructed to wait for a text the following day where she would be given the details when she arrived. This time Emily was asked to steal a high-end car and was given a cashier’s check, a black card with no limit and new fake ID. Youcef dropped her off and explained that after the transaction she had eight minutes before the bank would call to verify the account. Emily handled the whole situation but before she left they discovered that the transaction was not valid. She was attacked, but fled and was followed eventually spaying her attacker with pepper spray to escape.
Emily took the car to Youcef and demanded her $2,000 but had a panic attack, so Youcef gave her a ride home where they talked about their dreams and why they were both doing these things. Youcef had a rental property he was renovating for his mother and Emily had dreams of traveling to South America and pursuing her art again. Emily asked Youcef if he would show her the business, so he showed her how to make the stolen credit cards and gave her some rules to follow, specifically not to go to the same store in a week and do not sell out of your home
Unfortunately Emily didn’t follow Youcef’s advice and gave her home address to a couple that broke into her apartment and held a box cutter to her throat while they searched for money and even decided to take a dog that she was pet sitting for her friend. In leaving they threatened her that they knew where she lived, but Emily didn’t want to be victimized so she grabbed her taser, ran out to the truck, tased the guy and drug the girl out threatened her that now she knows where they lived, then grabbed her money and the dog and went back to her apartment.
Youcef said if Emily made over $5,000 he would give her more card numbers with higher limits, but while she was waiting his cousin and business partner Khalil came into the office. He spoke with Youcef in Lebanese, seeming suspicious of Emily presence. Emily had slipped up and shopped at the same store twice in a week and was caught on video, which angered Khalil, though Youcef defended Emily. Ultimately Khalil and Youcef had it out, so Youcef’s plan was to steal all the merchandise and money and flee with Emily, but would this be the way for them to make their dreams come true or conversely it could end very bad for both of them.
Rated: R
Runtime 1h 37m
The trustees of the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $670,000 to 12 local non-profit organizations providing services to youth and adolescents in Ventura County. Grants ranged from $15,000 to $130,000, and were allocated as follows:
$39,000 to Assistance League of Ventura County for the purchase of clothing, school supplies, hygiene products, and books for disadvantaged students
$100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura for health and wellness programs; academic support; resiliency training to avoid peer pressure and substance abuse; mentoring; and physical fitness training
$130,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark and Simi Valley for after-school and summer programming including: character and leadership development; workforce readiness; health and wellness; education; sports, fitness, and recreation; and the arts
$100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley to enhance their STEM (Science, Technology, Math, and English) programs utilizing new software aligned with Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards; additional iPads and laptops; robotic competitions; guest visits from local artists; and field trips to museums and ranches
$75,000 to City of Hope for continued research in the area of pediatric brain cancer and potential therapies
$15,000 to Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association for youth grief counseling sessions
$25,000 to Many Mansions for a seven-week summer camp, homework assistance, and ongoing activities in art, science, and leadership development for children experiencing homelessness or poverty
$25,000 to the Museum of Ventura County to provide interactive live and virtual education programs and field trips covering Common Core Standards in math, science, history, heritage, and nutrition
$25,000 to Ride on L.A. for 1,750 scholarship lessons, and full or partial scholarships for 50 local students
$96,000 to St. John’s Healthcare Foundation for the purchase of four General Electric maternal/fetal monitoring systems, two portable carts, and one infant warmer
$20,000 to United Way of Ventura County, Inc., to provide oral health education, dental assessments, fluoride varnish applications, and oral health care kits to over 1,500 students
$20,000 to the Ventura Police Community Foundation for school, art, fitness, and wellness supplies for their after-school program
Grants are awarded in the spring and fall of each year. The deadline for letters of interest for Spring 2023 grants is September 30, 2022. For more information about the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation, including instructions on how to apply for a grant, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.samuelssonfoundation.org.
The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation was established in 2005 upon the death of Harriet H. Samuelsson, an Oxnard philanthropist, at age 96. The Foundation awards over $1 million in grants each year to organizations providing services for the health, education, guidance, or welfare of children under the age of 18 residing in Ventura County, or to organizations conducting cancer research.
The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura on the first and third Tuesday each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcomed to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Lyle Hotzler at 805-341-9820 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.
Wanna Play Bridge? Join us for ACBL sanctioned duplicate bridge games every Tues., Wed., and Thurs. at 12:30. All levels of play and we will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one. Lessons are available. Contact: Richard 805-850-8011 or Rose 805-659-9223 or [email protected]. All Welcome.
Free tutoring for adults (18 and over) wanting to learn or improve their English and learn American culture. One-to-one tutoring is arranged by the tutor and adult learner. Next tutor training in early 2023.
We have tutors available in Ventura County. Locations can be in public libraries, coffee shops, churches, outdoors, or any place convenient to the tutor and adult learner.
Tutoring is usually 60 to 90 minutes per week.
Laubach Literacy of Ventura County has been teaching English for free for over 40 years in Ventura County.
Free-For more information contact Laubach Literacy of Ventura County (805) 385-9584 Please leave a message and we will call you back. Website: [email protected].
Dec.17: The Rotary Club of Ventura is co-hosting a free Holiday Event for Ventura West End Families on Saturday, at Arise Ventura, 831 N. Olive St. Families who live in the Ventura Avenue neighborhood are welcome to participate from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., or from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
The event served 300 kids last year and expects about 500 this year. Kids will receive a jacket, a toy, a pair of earrings for mom, a box of food for the family, a Chick-Fil-A breakfast entree gift card, and a photo opportunity with Santa and his Elf. Some new Van shoes for teens will be given out in limited sizes. Hosting the event are Arise Ventura, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura, Chick-fil-A, Coats for Kids, Foodshare. Rotary Club of Ventura. and a generous donation of coats from SoCalGas.
Dec. 18, at 7pm Namba Performing Arts Space and Burch Studio will present Rock and Roll High a showcase for middle school/high school kids. Since 2004, Rock and Roll High has been southern California’s premier teen band program. Students have gone on to perform at Coachella, Jimmy Kimmel, and many successful bands in the music industry. The founder of Rock and Roll High, Aaron Burch opened Burch Studio in Ventura where he teaches the course today.
Presented at Namba Performing Arts Space 47 S. Oak Street, Ventura.
Tickets: Tickets for this show are $10-$20 and may be purchased at the Namba Arts website www.nambaarts.com
by Richard Senate
On the afternoon of May 31st, 1819, a group of Native Americans of the Mojave Tribe came to the mission and asked to meet with Fr. Jose Senan. they were armed with a number of weapons and the soldiers of the Mission Guard informed them the visit was okay but they would have to give up their arms before being admitted into the Mission. They refused to give up their weapons and a violent confrontation took place. A Chumash convert grabbed one of the Mojave’s weapons and he was killed.
Two Spanish soldiers tried to stop them and they too were killed The other three soldiers opened fire with their muskets and killed the ten Mojave tribesmen. The gunfire brought the padre who saw the bloody outcome of the confrontation. The angry soldiers wanted to decapitate the bodies and display the heads on stakes but Fr. Senan overruled that barbaric idea. The bodies were buried in unconsecrated ground as they were not members of the church. Some say other Mojave tribesmen came and dug up the bodies to return them to their ancestral lands. But they may well still rest in what is today Ventura.
How did the Spanish soldiers slay so many? In looking at Church records, they were armed with smooth bore flintlock weapons, mostly copies of the English “Brown Bess” a 75 caliber Musket like the ones used in the American Revolution. The Spanish preferred the carbine version, shorter barreled, to be used on horseback. These were loaded with a large lead ball (75 caliber) and several smaller balls, all tapped in with a wad, making the piece a huge shotgun, devastating at close range, with enough force to bring down a charging Grizzly Bear. A volley of such shot would have been enough to bring down the ten-armed warriors.
A sad confrontation caused by a misunderstanding. Fr. Senan called it “a tragedy” in his records. The Spanish soldiers and the single Chumash convert rest under the Holy Cross school today. Perhaps their names should be recorded on a plaque for their brave defense of the Mission Settlement.
