by Richard Senate

All of the missions have bells. They were important   for the spiritual community of the settlement. Some were big deep bells that were rang for sad events such as funerals or defeats in battle. Their were  also  smaller bells that were rang for happy events such as weddings and victories. The bell ringer was an important man and put together a number of cycles of ringing that gave information. If someone was spotted coming to the mission from the bell tower the bells were rang.

Was it a party of soldiers? A visiting padre? or an important person such as the governor” each one had a special ring that would give information to all who were working that day.  The bell ringer was an important man and his skills were passed down from father to son (or daughter).

Originally the Bells at Mission San Buenaventura were hung on rawhide thongs. Today they are held by  steel mountings. Today she has seven historic bells and five were cast with names of saints as well as dates. They are:  1) San Pedro Alcantara , cast in 1781, 2) Ave Maria y Joseph, 3) San Francisco, cast in 1781, 4) Maria Purysyma Maria D. Sapopan, cast 1825, and Pius XII Pont. Max, cast in 1956.  Tradition says that two of the bells were originally from the Mission Santa Barbara, borrowed when the bells intended for San Buenaventura were lost at sea. The bells were never returned and the story is told that each year the padre at Santa Barbara sends a letter, asking for their return, to which the padre of Mission San Buenaventura thanks them for the loan and informs them they will keep them another year!

Twice each day a bell is rang at the Mission–this clear sound isn’t from one of the older bells, it is a bell from an old railroad steam engine, donated in 1951 for this purpose.  On some special days, members of the parish make the long clime up to the bell tower and, with short ropes, ring all of the bells, this happened in 1976 when the Church received a special dedication as a basilica.  It is a glorious sound. Once the upper elements held three wooden bells, their exact purpose is unknown, but many speculate they were simply place holders for bells that never arrived. One didn’t survive, but fragments  of the other two can be viewed in the Mission Museum.  They were carved from ebony wood, but who fashioned them is unknown. It is known that the Chumash People were excellent carvers and it is highly possible they were created locally, even if the wood had to be imported. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Mission in the early 20th Century and learning of the mysterious wooden bells wanted them sent to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. They were taken down from the tower but, in a change of heart, Ventura refused to part with them.

After a competitive sear​ch, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education has voted to hire Dr. Greg Bayless as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. Dr. Bayless began his new role on August 1, 2022. Dr. Bayless will replace Dr. Antonio Castro, who was recently named incoming VUSD Superintendent after Dr. Roger Rice announced his retirement.

In this new role, Dr. Bayless will oversee departments such as; Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Programs, Multilingual & Multicultural Education, Special Education, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, Student Support Services, and Health Services and Prevention Programs.

Dr. Bayless has over twenty-five years of educational experience with the Ojai and Ventura Unified School Districts. He has recently served as the Executive Director of Educational Services at Ventura Unified. Before that, he served as VUSD’s Director of Secondary Education since 2017. He also stepped in as Interim Co-Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services during the 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Bayless’s extensive experience in Educational Services Administration will serve him well as he successfully leads this team. In addition, he has served as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction and as Principal at Nordhoff High School in Ojai. He also served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction for the Ojai Unified School District before joining VUSD. Dr. Bayless’ strengths lie in his ability to build trust with families and partnering and supporting teachers and staff, serving as a conduit when needed between the sites and the district offices.

The Lions Club International Ventura Downtown Chapter will donate a Welch Allyn SPOT Vision Screener to Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at the Ventura Poinsettia Pavilion. This generous donation will give VUSD’s School Nurses a critical state-of-the-art vision screening tool that will screen students who are unable to be screened with traditional vision screening techniques. The SPOT Vision Screener is a handheld device that gives a digital reading within five seconds. VUSD’s youngest and most vulnerable students will benefit from early vision detection, which research shows are critical for children and their learning process. This donation is especially beneficial for younger children with limited verbal abilities and/or a language barrier.

“The Ventura Unified School District is beyond thankful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for the priceless donation of a Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener. When it comes to vision screenings, we need an equitable and accessible solution for our students with disabilities who struggle to conform to traditional vision screening within the educational setting to ensure that vision loss will not go undetected. With this generous donation, all of our children will now receive the timely vision services they need, eliminating the increased risk of impacting their cognitive, emotional, neurological, and physical development. VUSD is truly grateful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for partnering with us and helping to level the playing field for all of our learners,” stated Neil Virani, VUSD’s Executive Director of Special Education and Pupil Services.

Contact Ann Marie Bidlingmaier, R.N., VUSD’s Health Services & Prevention Programs Coordinator, at [email protected] or 805-641-5000 extension 1136 for more information.