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The elementary school transformed into a K-8 based on community needs

Stephanie Caldwell, Calvin Peterson, Amy Callahan,Dr. Antonio Castro, Jeannette Sanchez- Palacios, Brooklynn Hall, Ms. Anna Winslow, Dr. Jerry Dannenberg and Sabrena Rodriguez at the ribbon cutting event.

Ventura City Council Member Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, and the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education joined VUSD staff and families for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, to officially mark the opening of VUSD’s newest K-8 school. The Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy (ATLAS) joins two other schools in the district, serving students in a K-8 environment.

Before COVID, families in the Ventura Unified School District requested that VUSD look into transitioning some of its elementary school sites into K-8 options, allowing for a smaller learning community compared to more traditional middle school options. The Board and VUSD staff conducted research, received feedback from staff, students, and families, and decided to transition two of its elementary schools into K-8 options. These schools joined Sunset K-8 School, located in Oak View, which has been in place for many years. Lemon Grove School transitioned to a K-8 last August 2021. ATLAS will begin with a 6th-grade class this year, add a 7th-grade class for the 2023-24 school year, and complete its transition in 2024-25 by graduating its first 8th-grade class.

“This District has a long history of providing as many options as possible for families because we understand every student is different and what they need is unique. We try very hard to offer a wide array of opportunities to really see what your child is interested in and meet them there,” stated Board President Sabrena Rodriguez.

ATLAS is a Leader in Me school. The Leader in Me program is an evidence-based, comprehensive model that builds leadership and life skills in students, creates a high-trust school culture, and lays the foundation for sustained academic achievement.

“We became a Leader in Me school in 2013. We then became a Leader in Me Lighthouse School in 2017. Being a Lighthouse School means we are in the top 10% of all Leader in Me schools in the world. There is over 5,000 Leader in Me schools in all 50 states and over 50 countries,” stated ATLAS 6th-grade student Brooklynn Hall. “I am so excited to be in 6th grade; this is a whole new start. We at ATLAS have come so far. If you think about it, we might not be standing here if Ms. Winslow weren’t our principal; we are so lucky to have her, this school, and all of the people that support us.”

Volunteers needed to train as instructors for senior exercise programs

Trained instructors make a difference in the lives of those enrolled in classes.

Volunteer leaders are needed to teach with RSVP’s two popular senior exercise programs. No experience is necessary to become an instructor for RSVP Bone Builders and Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance. The first training step is to attend a class and observe. Interested volunteers then attend a free training session to learn the program and prepare for teaching.

Trained instructors make a difference in the lives of those enrolled in classes, as well as contribute to their own well-being by engaging in a regular exercise program. Both RSVP exercise programs are free and open to the public. Classes operate in RSVP’s four-city service area of Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme. Call 805-385-8019 for more information about trainings.

Training Schedule

RSVP Bone Builders This is an osteoporosis exercise and education program in

which participants use light weights to build bones while also improving their balance and making new friends. There are currently 21 classes scheduled in RSVP’s four-city area, but several have lengthy wait lists. By training more instructors we will be able to add more classes and accommodate the community’s interest in this program. Volunteer instructor trainings are scheduled for:

Tuesday, September 27 Tuesday, November 15 Tuesday, February 14 Tuesday, May 16

Volunteers attend one day of training before being paired with an experienced instructor to practice and ready for leading their own class. All trainings run from 9:00am to 3:00pm in Oxnard. Lunch is provided.

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance (TCMBB)

TCMBB is an evidence-based program. This simplified tai chi for seniors helps reduce repeat falls by 55% among participants and teaches proper body alignment and balance. Training is scheduled for:

Saturday, October 1, 9am-3pm (lunch is provided) Monday, October 3, 1pm-4pm

Monday, October 10, 1pm-4pm Monday, October 17, 1pm-4pm

One must complete all four training days and document 30 hours of practice before being considered for certification as an instructor. All training sessions will be held in Oxnard.

RSVP is a volunteer engagement program, helping people age 55 and older find volunteer positions that match their interests, talent, and available time. It both recruits and places volunteers with nonprofit partner agencies as well as overseeing the two distinct exercise programs designed for seniors. Volunteer positions are available in RSVP’s four-city service area of Oxnard, Ventura, Camarillo and Port Hueneme.

Oxnard RSVP has about 350 members and is locally sponsored by the City of Oxnard with grant funding from the federal AmeriCorps. To learn more about the benefits of being an RSVP member, for help finding a volunteer position or more information about the trainings, call 805-385-8019.

A big hello from CAPS MEDIA

CAPS Media crews covered the fire department open houses.

Fall is in the air. School is open. Election season is here. CAPS and KPPQ are rockin’.

CAPS Media crews have stayed busy throughout the summer covering events and producing productions for the City, County and the community at large. In August CAPS was InThe House for Ventura Fire Department’s Community Meetings and Workshops.

At City Hall, every week CAPS directs coverage of multiple meetings, many in a hybrid format, providing access and information for the entire citizenry. Meetings include City Council, Planning Commission and others. Many are live on CAPS Channel 15 and livestreamed on the City site.

CAPS crews also documented the recent City General Plan and Design Review Committee meetings held at the Museum of Ventura County and the Poinsettia Pavilion on August 30 & 31.  Both meetings are posted on the City YouTube page.

Currently CAPS’ focus is assisting the City Public Information team with the production of Mayor Rubalcava’s 2022 State of the City presentation which will be shown on Thursday, September 22 at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Crowne Plaza.

CAPS crews have been busy producing videos updates on the relocation of the Downtown Farmers Market to Main Street, the opening of the new, 2nd entrance to Community Park and other projects.  Currently in the works are video projects for VPD and other City divisions.

CAPS is also working with Ventura County on their production of the 2022 State of the County presentation scheduled for November 2. At the same time CAPS continues working with the County Registrar’s office on materials for the upcoming election, County Public Works on a training video and County Fire on a training video.

With the school year starting the newest class of ECTV students have begun their training at the CAPS Media Center.  Every Friday the ECTV teenagers take over the center under the guidance of master mentor Phil Taggart. Along with the training and ongoing productions, CAPS and ECTV are collaborating on a unique project this election season.  All candidates for City Council and VUSD board seats are invited to record a campaign message and be interviewed by ECTV students in the CAPS Studio. These videos will be given to the candidates for their use. In addition, CAPS will include various election forums on Channel 6 as part of the regular election programming.

Longstanding CAPS and KPPQ member Kathleen Good, an outstanding radio DJs, was featured in the Breeze in the last issue. Check it out. KPPQ continues to fill the radio airwaves with terrific local programs including Kathleen’s “In the Women’s Room” featuring interviews with local experts, historians and more. Pam Baumgardner’s “The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour” features the many talented local artists. Pam and Kathy are also valued members of the CAPS Media Board of Directors. Mark’s “The Pure Rock” brings rock to all and has developed an international following. Nadine Piche produces Ventura Vibe! featuring many local treasures of the community. Doc Ventura brings the best of blues to the KPPQ audience. Tune in to 104.1 FM, the CAPS Media Radio page and the myTuner app. Check out the podcast page located on the radio page of CAPSMedia.org.

The CAPS Media Executive Board continues to play it safe and has decided to hold off on reopening the CAPS Media Center to the public. The CAPS team misses the collaboration and comradery of being together in the center and working directly with the public. However, for now, everyone accepts the trade off and will remain closed and revisit this issue at the end of the year.

 

Love VC, Inc. Presents Love Ventura – A City Wide Day or Service

Love VC, Inc. and Title Sponsor Greg Abrams of American Pacific Mortgage proudly presents Love Ventura . The day of service kicks off October 1st where volunteers will be deployed to 1 of 10 different project locations that collaborate with a variety of non-profits that serve the city of Ventura. The event will kick off with a morning rally at Plaza Park, in downtown Ventura, where volunteers come to get checked in or signed up, collect their Love Ventura t-shirt, grab some breakfast, and enjoy live music and a few activities to get excited and motivated for their day.

Love VC, Inc. is proud to bring Love Ventura to the city for the first time and will be making this day of service an annual project. Love Ventura will be partnering with 9 different non-profits and organizations to provide 10 projects that the community can rally behind and provide services where needed. Projects range in both difficulty and function, making it possible for all ages, abilities and desires to participate – from manual labor and beautification projects, to painting and cleaning, and encouragement projects that work directly with people.

Morning Rally runs at Plaza Park from 8-9:30am

Service Projects begin at 10am and end at 1pm

Volunteers are asked to pre-register for their desired project at www.loveventura.org

To learn more about event host Love VC, Inc. – visit www.lovevc.net

 

Local traffic controller receives company award for bravery

Kevin Ayala heard the cries of a frantic mother seeking help for her baby.

Kevin Ayala, a traffic controller working near a recreation area by the beach in Carpinteria leapt into action as he heard the cries of a frantic mother seeking help for her baby. The traffic controller, from Traffic Management, Inc., responded to her pleas to get her baby out of a locked car in the parking lot.

“His dedication to keeping his community safe may have saved a life,” TMI Executive Management stated.

Though 911 was called, minutes were ticking by and the baby continued to cry. With the mother’s permission, he safely broke the front car window so that the doors could be opened, and the baby rescued. Mom and child were reunited.

TMI awarded this employee the TMI Hero Award in recognition of his quick thinking and service to the community.

TOSCA opens fall season at the Granada – Opera Santa Barbara kicks off season with beloved classic

The Granada will soon be full of opera lovers.

Opera Santa Barbara will open its 2022-23 season with one of the world’s favorite operas, Puccini’s Tosca. There will be one performance only, on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 6pm.
Tosca is an operatic thriller set in Rome during the Napoleonic wars. Floria Tosca, an opera
star, is in love with the painter Mario Cavaradossi, who, unbeknownst to her, is a resistance
organizer against the occupying Austrians. Baron Scarpia, head of the Austrian secret police,
sets off a devilish plan to turn the lovers against each other as he plots to murder Cavaradossi and fulfill his lust for Tosca.

This story of love, mystery, and politics set in historical locations in Rome has been a favorite of music theater lovers since its premiere in 1900. Opera Santa Barbara’s production will star Greek soprano Eleni Calenos, in her pandemic-delayed return to the company after her triumphs as Mimí in La Boheme in 2018, and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly in 2019. Opera Santa Barbara’s Artistic and General Director Kostis Protopapas will conduct the Opera Santa Barbara Orchestra and Chorus.

This new multi-media production will be directed by Layna Chianakas (El amor brujo/Il tabarro, 2021) and will incorporate video projections by Yuki Izumihara (Semele, 2022) and film sequences by Zach Mendez. The opera will be sung in Italian with the English translation projected above the stage, and has a running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes including a 20 minute intermission.

Tosca is the first of four operas in Opera Santa Barbara’s 2022-23 season. True to its
commitment to presenting classics and contemporary works side by side, the company will
follow Tosca with three company premieres at the Lobero Theater: Rossini’s comedy La scala di
For more information visit www.operasb.org.

TREE TOWN

Ventura Tree Alliance celebrates OAKtober! We’re planting 20 oak trees on Wednesday, October 5 @ 10am at Community Park on Kimball as a part of California Clean Air Day. Co-sponsored by the City of Ventura Urban Forestry Division, College Area Community Council and Ventura College. Come join us! Last October, lots of volunteers helped plant oak trees along the bike path, and they are already growing and providing shade.

venturatreealliance.com

 Visit Ventura welcomes Julie Madsen!

Think ambassador to a very special town.

Since Visit Ventura doesn’t do soulless press releases, we will tell you that Julie Madsen is caring, smart, talented, dynamic, and yes, a University of California, Berkeley graduate with an honors degree in Media Studies. She is also a Ventura native, making her perfect for Visit Ventura’s Communications and Publication Relations Coordinator position.

“We don’t hire our employees based entirely on resumes, because no resume completely encompasses the traits that make everyone on the Visit Ventura team unique,” says Marlyss Auster, Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau President & CEO. “If anything you could say our overwhelming requirement is that you carry Ventura in your heart, and then have the skills to convey that love. Julie has those special attributes and the skills to match. And we look forward to discovering more of her special qualities as her career here unfolds.”

Visit Ventura’s Communications and Publication Relations Coordinator has a wide range of job responsibilities (other than carrying Ventura in their heart). Communicating means writing blogs, press releases, newsletters, and website text. It also means organizing visits for journalists and influencers and working closely (and warmheartedly) with them; all with the intent of shedding a positive tourism light on Ventura. The Communications and Publication Relations Coordinator also works closely – and with a wide smile – with everyone from Ventura businesses to global tourism organizations like Visit California.

“I am honored and grateful to join the Visit Ventura team. I’ve been welcomed with open arms and I couldn’t have asked for a better place to land,” says Madsen, who grew up in Ventura, attending Elmhurst Elementary, Anacapa Middle School and Buena High School. “I’m excited to jump into this role and have the opportunity to share with others why Ventura and its people are so special and unique.”

Anyone who wishes to give Julie a warm Ventura welcome (you don’t have to be from Ventura to understand the happy power of a warm welcome) can reach Julie at [email protected]; 805-641-1400.

And so Visit Ventura continues on the mission it always follows. To do the next right thing for the town they love.

“Julie is perfect for Visit Ventura and Ventura, because the two are one and the same,” says Visit Ventura Director of Marketing Mike Laan. “We’re so very happy she’s here. Because all we want is Ventura to be the best it can be. And now our Visit Ventura team will continue to do everything they can do to help make that so.”

WEV receives grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is one of 55 entities to receive a 2022 AHEAD grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco for projects that will boost economic development activity and promote financial stability. Community West Bank partnered with FHLBank San Francisco to award a 2022 AHEAD grant totaling $27,500 for the WEV Advancing Economic Empowerment through Entrepreneurship initiative.

AHEAD economic development grants enable FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions including Community West Bank to fund economic development projects that target pressing community needs and bring greater opportunity to underserved populations. The 2022 AHEAD program awarded a total of $1.5 million in communities throughout Arizona, California, and Nevada. A full list of 2022 AHEAD grants are available on the Bank’s website.

WEV programs provide entrepreneurs with targeted training, consulting, and capital to increase their business management skills, financial acumen, and confidence to create and sustain viable businesses, promote long-term business resiliency, and improve economic security for them and their families.

 

WEV CEO Kathy Odell says, “This grant Award helps fund our work supporting business growth and the financial health of disadvantaged entrepreneurs.” Odell added that, “in the last two years, we have significantly expanded outreach to business owners of color – particularly Spanish-speakers – by adding bilingual staff and coaches, as well as developing new Spanish-language training programs and resources such as our free mentoring program.”

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and small business advisory services to more than 28,000 people throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made more than $6.9 million in small business loans and helped nearly 5,300 local businesses start or expand, generating an estimated $873 million in annual sales and creating over 12,400 local jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center and Microlender, as well as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

To support WEV’s work, please visit www.wevonline.org/support.