Gift drop-off locations include Ventura City Hall.
The City of Ventura, in partnership with Home Instead, is seeking gift donations for this year’s Santa to a Senior program, hosted now through December 13. All donations are given to local seniors enrolled in the Ventura Avenue Adult Center’s Senior Nutrition Meal Program.
“This program has existed since 2018, and between 200 to 250 seniors benefit from it each year,” said City of Ventura Recreation Manager Emily Fox. “It’s a wonderful way to spread some holiday cheer, especially to the homebound seniors in our community.”
Gift ideas from the general wish list include blankets, books, crafting supplies, puzzles, robes, slippers, warm sweaters, bath towels, scarves, gloves, gift cards, flashlights, white noise machines, toiletries, and more. Please leave gifts unwrapped.
There are two ways to donate to the Santa to a Senior program:
1) Participants can visit the Santa to a Senior holiday display trees at City Hall near Room 226 or the Ventura Aquatic Center to choose a specific gift request directly from the tree.
2) Participants can purchase a gift from the general wish list and drop it off at one of the designated Santa to a Senior drop-off locations.
Gift drop-off locations include Ventura City Hall, Ventura Aquatics Center, Ventura Avenue Adult Center, and Barranca Vista Center.
Visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/SantaToASenior for full program details, including drop-off location times and general gift ideas.
Alex McIntyre has served as the City Manager of the City of Ventura since November 2018.
The Ventura City Council has announced that City Manager Alex D. McIntyre has been placed on administrative leave pending Council direction on a private personnel matter.
Even though the reason was not stated it is assumed that it is because 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. 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.
Alex McIntyre has served as the City Manager of the City of Ventura since November 2018. Prior to his position at Ventura, McIntyre served as the City Manager of Menlo Park from 2012-2018. He served as the City Manager of Lake Oswego in Oregon from 2008-2012. He also served as the Chief Assistant County Administrator with the County of Marin from 2006-2008, and before that he was Town manager of Tiburon from 2000-2006. He also served as Town Manager of Portola Valley from 1997-2000. Alex holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.
City Attorney Andy Heglund announced McIntyre’s status “pending council direction on a private personnel matter.”
Assistant City Manager Akbar Alikhan was selected to serve as the acting city manager.
On the evening of November 3, 2022 the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Ventura proudly opened its doors to all of greater Ventura County for the eighth annual Candlelight Remembrance Service. This was a special evening for anyone who has experienced a loss and wished to remember their loved one in a sacred space. This moving night of remembrance and reflection featured several speakers from Assisted Hospice of Ventura.
Michael Boyko, owner of the funeral home stated “we again are so proud to be able to host this evening for our entire community in need of reflection, consolation, and care. Moreover, I remain humbled to be able to provide such a touching ceremony with the entire highly professional staff of Assisted Home and Hospice of Ventura. Our community really needs this type of service and we know we are reaching people who need it as attendees are from all walks of life and from many different communities in Ventura County.
This evening featured live harp music from Ted Nicholsen, professional harpists from the peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills as well as the officiant Dr. Paul Lenderman, Spiritual counselor/grief coordinator of Assisted Hospice in Ventura. Dr. William and Dr. Lisa Rajala also took time and spoke with spiritual poems and readings of consolation. Spiritual Counselor Raquel Jensen and Social Worker Susan Derby also participated with life affirming prayers and tributes to loved ones and patients that have passed within the last several years. Marianne Cody of Assisted Hospice helped coordinate the evening and assisted participants with candle lighting and placement.
Michael went on to say “no one can tell you how to grieve. I believe a ceremony like this one is just one more way we can be of service to our community. Our funeral homes offer a helping hand to all who need it no matter the circumstances. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow we’ll be here to help”.
A visit to the Ivy Lawn Cemetery is a journey back to the very roots of our history because many unique and special people rest here. As the fall Season is here cemeteries and graveyards are highlighted in advertisings and media at this time of year so a look at who rests at our 1917 era cemetery. The list is long and includes some amazing people. I will start with the most famous of the lot, once the richest man in Ventura County and a true mover and shaker from the world of politics.
1. US Senator Thomas R. Bard (1841-1915) The senator built Port Hueneme and sponsored a young George Patton for West Point. He was buried at his Berylewood Estate (Bard Mansion) but moved here. He was an early oilman and founded Union Oil of California. The only US Senator from Ventura County.
2. Congressman General William Vandever (1811- 1845) Union General who served under General Sherman in the Civil War and was part of the capture of Atlanta. Moved to Ventura with his daughter Florence in 1884 and ran for Congress. He helped Yosemite become a National Park and a mountain was named for him. He even advocated that California be divided into two states. Remains moved from Ventura Memorial Park to Ivy Lawn.
3 Congressman Marion Cannon (1834-1920) Reformer, served in the 53rd Congress as a member of the now defunct Populist Party.
4. State Assemblyman Charles R. “Chuck” Imbrect, (1949-2000) Two term State Assemblyman and lawyer attended Ventura High School (a classmate of mine). He ran for State Senator but lost.
From the world of the arts.
5. Actress Ethel Clayton (1882-1966) She began her film career in 1909 with the movie Justified. A very beautiful starlet she aged well and made the transition into talkies playing wealthy, snobbish matrons in such films as Alan Ladd’s The Blue Dahlia. She was in 147 films including World War One Red Cross film The Volunteer where she played herself!
6. Actress Bessie Eyton (1890-1965) She became a star on the New York stage before making the transition into silent films. She made her mark in western films playing the romantic lead to Tom Mix (but his heat belonged to his horse). Her best know roles were in The Thundering Herd and The Face of Fear. Her last film was another western The Girl of Gold in 1925 She was one of the silent stars that didn’t make the transition into talking pictures after some 85 features.
7. Actor John “Johnny” Leal (1905 -1980) A little person, he was blessed by a great singing voice that helped him find jobs on the circus and vaudeville stage . He played at the 1933 World’s Fair and then found work in Hollywood cast in the film An Angel comes to Brooklyn and as a Munchkin and flying monkey in The Wizard of Oz.
8 Voice Actor Knox Manning (1905-1996) Voice Actor for many radio shows such as “Congo Bill”, “The Desi Arnez Show,” “The Phantom,” “Batman” and “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”.
From the world of Sports
9. Ballplayer Charlie Hall (1887-1943) Born in Ventura he started playing local baseball making it into the big leagues as a pitcher at the age of 21. Played for The Cincinnati Reds. He was called “The Sea Lion” for his booming voice. When he retired from baseball he joined the Ventura Police Department.
10. Ballplayer Fred Snodgrass (1887-1979) A noted outfielder he played for the New York Giants. He played in three pennant games and three World Series’. In the1912 World series he dropped the ball in the tenth inning giving the victory to the Red Sox. The next year he redeemed himself with a single important catch that won the game.
11. Football player Eric Turner (1968-2000) Defensive linebacker he played for the Cleveland Browns and The Oakland Raiders 30 interceptions and played in 109 games. Tragically died at age 31.
The world of design
12. Alexander Sarantos Tremolis (1914-1991) Car designer worked for Cord Automotive, Duesenberg, Ford as well as took part in the design of the innovative Tucker Automobile. Later worked with NASA on the Space Shuttle program.
Ventura’s greatest disaster
13. The Mass grave of the victims of the Saint Francis dam failure and flood on March 13, 1928. Over 500 people last their lives that terrible night. Many of the bodies, battered beyond recognition, were recovered at the Santa Clara delta, they were buried at Ivy Lawn. Only a few were identified.
Dignity Health – St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC) and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo (SJHC) have been nationally recognized with an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for Fall 2022.
This national distinction recognizes SJRMC and SJHC among the top in the nation in protecting patients from preventable harm and errors in the hospital.
“Achieving an ‘A’ Grade is a direct result of the hard work, dedication and passion for excellence that the St. John’s team demonstrates every day,” said Barry Wolfman, president and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo. “It is an honor to work with a team who places so much importance on quality and safety.”
The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over thirty national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital rating program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward for patient safety. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.
Dignity Health-St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo in Camarillo comprise the largest non-profit acute care provider in Ventura County. Founded 110 years ago, St. John’s Hospitals are nationally recognized for quality care, safety and service. Both hospitals are supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to support new programs and services, as well as to advance the community’s access to health care. Learn more at DignityHealth.org/StJohnsRegional or DignityHealth.org/StJohnsHospitalCamarillo.
The ARTLIFE Foundation has placed ARTLIFE Limited Editions in the library collections at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the University of California at Berkeley.
MoMA added 85 issues to fill gaps in their existing collection of ARTLIFE. UC Berkeley added over 181 issues to their current Special Collections in the Bancroft Library. The Library at the Whitney Museum added 199 issues of ARTLIFE.
ARTLIFE is the original collaborative art publication created and edited by Joe Cardella. Artists from around the globe mailed up to 150 original prints, collages, drawings, and visual poetry which were assembled into monthly issues of 30 to 40 pages. Cardella published 11 issues per year from 1981 through 2005, a total of 275 issues over 25 years.
At one time, ARTLIFE Editions sold at Museum gift shops throughout the country including the Guggenheim and LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). ARTLIFE Editions can also be found in library collections of the LA County Museum of Art, Yale University, Harvard University, the Getty Research Center, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and more.
The ARTLIFE Foundation is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to preserving artist Joe Cardella’s lifework and legacy. Joe passed away in May, 2018. The ARTLIFE Foundation maintains Cardella’s home studio and archives, housing over 400 works of object art and a complete set of the ART/LIFE Limited Editions. By providing these volumes to museums and libraries, we are ensuring that these seminal works, ARTLIFE Limited Editions, are available to art historians, researchers, and creators for years to come.
The Ventura College Foundation Board of Directors has added five new members.
Joining the board are Debe Bylo, Mark Dufresne, Liz Kraus, Jessica Flores Esquibel and Dr. Jill Muraoka Lim. All have a strong connection with Ventura College. As the current president of the Associated Students of Ventura College (ASVC), Jessica Flores Esquibel will also serve on the board during her term.
Now retired, Debe Bylo was a middle school teacher for 23 years with the Ventura Unified School District. She took classes at Ventura College to satisfy her teaching credential requirements.
Mark Dufresne was a standout tight end for the Ventura College Pirates which then led to a full scholarship to the University of Nebraska where he played for the legendary coach Tom Osborne. Dufresne is one of nine siblings. All went to Ventura College. He’s now a banker at Wells Fargo in Westlake Village.
Liz Kraus is an adjunct professor of English, Emirita at Ventura College. After a 20-year career, she recently retired from her teaching position and just published a humorous, non-fiction travel book, “3 Sisters, 3 Weeks, 3 Countries”.
Dr. Jill Muraoka Lim is a cofounder of Ohana Pet Hospital, a veterinary hospital with locations in Ventura and Santa Paula. Lim joined Ventura College’s faculty in 2020 to assist in launching a new associate’s degree program in Veterinary Technology at the college’s East Campus in Santa Paula.
ASVC President Jessica Flores Esquibel attended college in Mexico where she received her degree as a dental surgeon. The Piru resident is currently studying early childhood education but wants to also get minors in psychology and sociology.
Fox Fine Jewelry presents All About Light, an art show with Jannene Behl and Susan Marcelletti from January 12th to April 16th, with an Art Reception on January 14th from 5 – 7 pm.
There isn’t much that Jannene Behl hasn’t done. Whatever she does, she gives herself to it fully because, she says, “the universe always has a plan.”
Her life is active! She’s done deep dives into ice skating, surfing, horseback riding, playing piano, performing in plays, among plenty others.
Marcelletti returned to her Thousand Oaks home and enrolled in a drawing class. She enjoyed it, and found she had a natural talent for it. So, she took another class, and learned of the Ojai Studio Artists tour.
After years of working in pastels, a year ago Marcelletti began working in acrylics with Behl. She usually paints in the evening in her garage studio, but still travels weekly to Ojai to paint with Behl.
