Funding will help meet the dredging needs and navigation depths of the Ventura Harbor.
On Monday, June 6th , at Harbor Cove Beach in the Ventura Harbor, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) presented a check to Chris Stephens, Chair of the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners and to Ventura Port District and Harbormaster John Higgins. The check for $5,500,000,00 was signed by President Joe Biden on March 15th, 2022 and will be for maintenance dredging of the Ventura Harbor. This funding will help meet the dredging needs and navigation depths of the Ventura Harbor which is instrumental in keeping the harbor safe and open for industries which include the fishing industry, tourism and recreation and the supply chain for local businesses. Ventura Harbor is the leading harbor for the squid market due in large part to the infrastructure and commercial fishing fleets in Ventura Harbor as well as home to a thriving visitor economy with hotels, restaurants, retail shops with coastal access on both on and off the harbor.
Presen were Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26),,Chris Stephens, Ventura Port District, Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners, Mike Blumenberg, Ventura Port District, Vice Chair of the Board of Port Commissioners, John Higgins, Ventura Port District, Harbormaster,
Todd Mitchell, Ventura Port District, Sr. Business Operations Manager and others.
On March 9, 2022, Brownley announced the inclusion of nine community projects totaling $27 million in the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471) that passed the House of Representatives by a 260-171-1 vote. The historic government funding package will help working families with the cost of living, create good-paying jobs, and make direct investments in community priorities throughout the country, such as dredging are harbors to protect downcoast federal and municipal infrastructure and operations and keep key industries that rely on the harbor in business.
On Friday, June 10, thousands of bicycles arrived in Ventura and stayed at the San Buenaventura State Beach. More than 2,400 cyclists and 600 volunteer “roadies” continued their 7-day, 545-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Friday, June 10, beginning in Lompoc to Ventura. AIDS/LifeCycle is a fully-supported, seven-day bike ride. It’s a life-changing ride, not a race.
Progress Pride Flag raised. Photos by Richard Lieberman
The second annual Progress Pride Flag raising was held on June 9t at the Government Center in Ventura located at 800 S Victoria Ave. The flag raising was in support of the LGBQT+ community. The pride flag will be displayed throughout the month at several county facilities. Pride month is to acknowledge the courage and history of the LGBTQ community.
Speakers included Steven Auclair with the County’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office, Interim County Executive Officer Dr. Sevet Johnson, Supervisor Matt LaVere and Genevieve Flores-Haro with the Diversity Collective.
Steve Binder is paramount in the history of music on television, as one of the founding creative minds behind music programs with racially and ethnically diverse casts, showcasing a variety of musical styles. He is arguably best known as the director of the T.A.M.I. Show, Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special, Diana Ross Live in Central Park, and The Star Wars Holiday Special. He worked directly with the biggest names in show business; Elvis, Liza Minnelli, Chevy Chase, Patti LaBelle, Barry Manilow, Pee-Wee Herman, Steve Allen, Soupy Sales, Wayne Newton, Mac Davis, Petula Clark, and John Denver. Most recently, Steve Binder is portrayed by Dacre Montgomery, breakout star of Stranger Things, in the Elvis drama directed by Baz Luhrmann, theatrically released June 24th, 2022.
The Museum of Ventura County is thrilled to present the next installment of Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with decorated producer and director Steve Binder on June 30, at 6:30pm. In this series, author, journalist, and investigative reporter Ivor Davis speaks with a rotating guest list of notable and celebrated Ventura County residents, which have including Chris Hillman, Malcom McDowell, Miriam Arichea, and more.
This is a ticketed in-person and virtual program. Free for members, $10 for non-members in-person, $5 for non-members on Zoom. Museum members who register for this event (either in person OR via Zoom) will be entered into a drawing to receive an autographed copy of Steve Binder’s Elvis ’68 Comeback: The Story Behind the Special, Foreword by Baz Luhrmann. Become a member now and register for this event for your opportunity to receive the autographed book.
Free for members,
$10 for non-members in-person,
and $5 for non-members on Zoom
Ivor Davis
Author of:
Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-Year Journey into Madness and Murder
The Beatles and Me on Tour
www.IvorDavisBooks.com
An experienced leader, Rianda will succeed Barbara Quaid.
The Ventura County Fairgrounds, otherwise known as the 31stDistrict Agricultural Association announced today that Stacy Rianda has been appointed new CEO.
An experienced leader, Rianda will succeed Barbara Quaid and assume responsibilities on July 6. Quaid has maintained leadership of the Fairgrounds through 17 successful years of fairs, numerous community emergencies and most recently the Covid pandemic. Quaid will continue working through the 2022 Fair alongside Rianda. “I have known Stacy for at least 25 years,” she said, “I can’t think of a better person to lead this beloved institution.”
Rianda served the Western Fairs Association on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee, she also served as Vice President and Membership Chair of California Women for Agriculture, and for 19 years has been a member of the Fig Garden Rotary where she served as district chair and is a Past President.
“I am confident that Stacy possesses the skills and experience needed to lead a complex organization such as the Fairgrounds,” said Leah Lacayo, President of the Ventura County Fairgrounds Board of Directors, adding “I am sure that the Fairgrounds will maintain excellent leadership and will move forward with the momentum that has continued since 1875.”
Rianda began her fair career at the Tulare County Fair where she spent 8 years doing everything from renting buildings to running the satellite wagering facility. Rianda then moved on to help lead the Big Fresno Fair for the last 21 years as the Deputy Manager where she implemented their highly successful Youth and Admissions policies, brought home 5 Merrill Awards, the highest honor in the fair industry recognizing innovation in fair management, helped grow the fair to the 4thlargest in the state and worked to bring the fair budget back to pre-pandemic levels.
“As the Ventura County Fairgrounds moves forward, serving new generations, Stacy is equipped to work with the community in the manner they expect and deserve,” said Lacayo, “during good times and times of crisis, she has the ability to rise to new occasions as they present themselves.”
Rianda attended California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo and transferred to California State University, Fresno where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business. Prior to graduation, she was actively working at fairs throughout the state in the livestock departments.
3:52pm, received dispatch to lower flags to half staff in honor of victims of the mass shooting in Texas until May 28th. Officers lowered flags to half staff.
Wednes 5/25
8:45pm, contacted Tow Boat US about a panga towed from Santa Barbara. Twenty-nine lifejackets onboard, but no one was apprehended in the incident.
Thursday 5/26
10:43pm, received a report of a missing person somewhere in the village. Officers responded, the couple were re-united without issue.
Friday 5/27
9:26pm, while on patrol in the truck, officers observed an American flag hanging unpatriotically on the promenade in the village. Officers were able to repair the flag and restore it to normal patriotic position for Memorial Day.
Saturday 5/28
9:42am, received report of a boat fire near McGrath. Officers responded in Fireboat along with Tow Boat US. The skipper was able to extinguish the electrical fire before responding units arrival. Vessel was towed to CI harbor
510:10pm, received report of fighting and suspicious activity at the Comedy Club in the village. Officers responded with VPD to investigate. After investigation, it was determined to be a rowdy concert, no fighting or illegal activity observed
Sunday 5/29
11:20am, received report of a diving emergency aboard a commercial dive boat at Anacapa Island. The vessel is returning to the harbor, so officers generated a medical call with VFD/AMR responding to Port District longdock to assist the patient who was eventually transported to hospital.
Monday 5/30
3:05pm, received report of catamaran beset by wind up against construction barge near the launch ramp. Officers responded in Fireboat and were able to assist the vessel to the launch ramp after tow. Skipper was unable to lower sail
Wednes 6/01
3:03pm, received request for assistance from Tow Boat US with a sinking vessel inbound. Officers responded in Fireboat with dewatering pump to assist with the boat tow. The vessel was towed to Tow Boat US lift at their dock.
Thursday 6/02
6:56pm, dispatched to a fire at Spinnaker/Angler. Officers responded with VFD to the call. After investigation a small smoldering log was found & extinguished
Friday 6/03
4:54pm, received a report of a dog barking in Portside apartments. Officer advised to call management, police or even speak to the neighbor directly.
Saturday 6/04
10:02am, received a report of a sailboat becalmed near the South Jetty in the surfline. Officers responded in the Fireboat, passed a tow line and safely towed the vessel out so they could continue their voyage south to Oceanside.
1:13pm, observed a large “dragon” peddle boat beset by the wind, unable to make way. Officers took 2 POB’s aboard & towed the boat back to rental dock.
2:07pm, observed “Boat” club member operating in violation of speed and wake ordinance in the main channel. Issued a warning for violation to the skipper.
Sunday 6/05
2:15pm, received multiple reports of a large cabin cruiser anchored at big beach in the keys. Officers responded, contacted the skipper, to his chagrin was made aware of the dangers of anchoring in a swimming area to others and his vessel. He reluctantly weigh-ed anchor and headed to his slip in the harbor.
Monday 6/06
9:30am, officers participating in a harbor maintenance dredge funding ceremony at Harbor Cove with the Fireboat.
Tuesday 6/07
8:36pm, dispatched to chest pain in the Portside apartments. Officers responded with VFD/AMR to a 30 y/o male suffering from paranoia. He was under the influence of meth because he lost his med. Patient transported to hospital.
Guests enjoyed the great food in the beautiful Harmon Canyon.
The Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series returned to Ventura on June 2 at Harmon Canyon.
The Totally Local VC Dinner Series has been getting to the root of great taste since 2006. It presents farm-to-fork dining events at iconic Ventura County locations with some of the area’s top-line chefs, purveyors, wines and brews, preparing seasonal selections harvested from the region’s most celebrated farms.
The Dinner Series is the brainchild of longtime Ventura resident and Totally Local VC founder Kat Merrick, who explains, “The goal is to draw attention not only to our local Agriculture community, but also to our outstanding local chefs and local businesses that have helped to make Ventura County such an amazing place to live. At the same time, we are bringing awareness to and deepening people’s appreciation of historic Ventura County locations.”
At the sold out dinner guests enjoyed food (small bites to dinner and dessert) served al fresco in a communal, family style in an elegant but unusual setting at Ventura Land Trust’s Harmon Canyon Preserve. The location is a virtual treasure trove of beauty with its meandering trails, scenic views, wildlife, and majestic oak groves.
Guests had the opportunity to talk with local farmers from whose land the food derived. As with the wine and beer, the producers will offer insight and context on the consumables.
The mission of Ventura Land Trust (VLT) is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife, and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, Ventura Land Trust is the largest accredited land trust in Ventura County.
Proceeds from the dinners go toward programs offered by the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation, a 501(c)3) not-for-profit organization. These programs help students to connect the dots from field-to-fork and field-to-career. A percentage of the proceeds from the dinner event also went to the Ventura Land Trust to help with their conservation efforts.
∙Ventura Unified School District trustees unanimously selected Calvin Peterson, a retired retail manager and father of two, to replace former trustee and board President Matt Almaraz. “It’s really exciting,” said Sabrena Rodriguez, the board’s new president. “He has a lot of interesting things to bring to the conversation.”
Peterson, 47, was sworn into the five-member board’s Area 5 seat during a special meeting. He is the first African American trustee in the history of the 56-year-old district and one of two current trustees with children in the district’s schools.
His son, Carson, is a 16-year-old Ventura High junior and his 8-year-old daughter is a second-grade student.
∙ Sorry to hear that the Ventura Bank of Books will be closing in the near future. Always amazed me that Clarey Rudd has been able to stay in business there with the declining amount of book readers these days. The building (located at 748 E. Main) has been sold. The new owners want to charge much higher rents than Rudd can afford.
Rudd still owns another Bank of Books store in Santa Paula and the Midtown Ventura bookstore Abednego Book Shoppe. Hopefully there are still enough readers to keep these stores going. Even with these stores, there is hardly enough space to absorb what could be over 100,000 books.
∙ The City of Ventura has closed three parking levels and a stairwell in the Harbor Boulevard parking structure in advance of repairs. The structure is located at Harbor Blvd. and California St. at the Ventura Pier.
“Public safety is at the forefront of our decision making,” said Public Works facilities manager Barbara McCormack. “Out of an abundance of caution, we will close the stairwell and parking levels 3, 4, and 5 as a proactive measure until repairs can be done to the stairwell.”
The closure comes after a structural analysis indicated corrosion of steel and concrete in the southwest stairwell closest to the pier. Access to the stairwell will be closed off starting on the second level of the parking structure.
Walkway over the freeway to the pier.
It is about time something was done to this parking structure. Beyond just structural repairs, it needs painting and cleaning up (it’s pretty filthy). Many tourists park there. It would also be nice if the walkway to the pier (see photo) could also be cleaned up (painted and repaired). I am told it is the responsibility of Caltrans to make these improvements. I’m trying to obtain a Caltrans contact to find out whom to bug.
∙ Golden State Warriors (a basketball team) head coach Steve Kerr made an impassioned plea to take stronger action against gun violence in the United States. He refused to speak about basketball ahead of Game 4 of the Warriors’ series against the Dallas Mavericks, instead he spoke against gun deaths.
∙ Some readers have accused the Ventura Breeze of being a liberal newspaper. The Breeze has no political agenda at all. In my articles, I add some thoughts that might be considered liberal, but the paper has none, it just reports newsworthy items.
I don’t like guns. I’m sure some liberals might not feel that way and some conservatives might not as well. I don’t think this is a big liberal item. Most politicians vote on the issue the way they think it will get them re-elected.
I don’t like Donald trump. Not because he is a conservative Republican (I didn’t dislike Ronald Reagan or Abraham Lincoln). I dislike Trump because he is a womanizer (which he has bragged about), immoral, vindictive and a liar. He has tried to destroy our constitution and the most important part of a democracy by trying to change (by illegal means) the honest results of a fair and free election.
The Jan. 6 select committee has heard testimony indicating that then-President Donald Trump, after rioters who swarmed the Capitol began chanting “hang Mike Pence”, expressed support for hanging his vice president. This is according to three people familiar with the matter, including the White House chief of staff at the time, Mark Meadows.
I don’t like people like this, regardless of whether they are the President of the United States or my next-door neighbor. You might be happy to hear I’m done writing about Trump unless something really important happens regarding him.
Regarding abortion, my thoughts are certainly liberal, but I have not found anything in the Bible that even mentions abortion. I am certainly not a Bible scholar, so if any readers can send me an excerpt from the Bible that deals with abortion, I would appreciate it. “Thou shall not kill” doesn’t really cover that for me.
Also, some who are opposed to abortion also oppose any type of birth control. Why is that? Birth control doesn’t “kill an unborn”, it just prevents pregnancy.
∙ Guns In the News
New York’s legislature voted to ban anyone under age 21 from buying or possessing a semi-automatic rifle – a major change to state firearm laws.
Other new legislation will restrict civilian purchases of bullet-resistant armor, which was worn by the killer in Buffalo, and require new guns to be equipped with microstamping technology that can help law enforcement investigators trace bullets to particular firearms.
The age limit bill passed the Senate along party lines, 43-20, and in the Assembly 102-47.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in hundreds of protests across the country recently to push lawmakers to take action on gun violence in the wake of recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
Protesters turned out to more than 450 rallies nationwide, with the largest gathering taking place in Washington D.C.
A bipartisan group of senators announced an agreement on principle for gun safety legislation, which includes “needed mental health resources, improves school safety and support for students, and helps ensure dangerous criminals and those who are adjudicated as mentally ill can’t purchase weapons.”
The announcement included the support of 10 Republican senators, which would give the proposal enough support to overcome the Senate filibuster.
Three people were killed and another was wounded when someone opened fire in a manufacturing facility in western Maryland, and a state trooper was injured in a shootout. We have become so accustomed to mass killing when “only” 3 are killed we are relieved.
There is an amateur cartoon in this issue that got me to thinking. Movies have banned actors from smoking because we don’t want kids to smoke because it is un-healthy, but movies (and video games) that show thousands of people shot to death are okay.
∙ NASA has announced that it will have a new study of unidentified aerial phenomena UAP (AKA UFO’s). They have admitted there are things flying around our skies that are unknown. This is probably what is being said in these UAP’s. “This is earth, we don’t ever want to become as uncivilized as these people, so remember what you are seeing today.”
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.
Carrying a Loaded Firearm in a Vehicle Arrest
On June 3, at approximately 4:45 pm, a Ventura Police Patrol Officer stopped a vehicle for a registration violation in the 1700 block of North Ventura Avenue. The officer contacted the driver, 20-year-old Ventura resident Joseph Centeno, and learned that Centeno was on probation. Centeno and other occupants were removed from the vehicle, and a search was conducted pursuant to Centeno’s probation terms. During the search, a loaded, unregistered semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine was found concealed in the vehicle’s passenger compartment. An inspection of the firearm revealed a threaded barrel capable of accepting a suppressor.
Centeno was arrested and booked at Ventura County Jail for carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of an assault weapon.
Armed Robbery and Assault with a Deadly Weapon
On June 8, at approximately 4:30 pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call from Pacific View Mall Security. A man, later identified as 60-year-old vagrant Alex Sainas, was said to be disturbing in front of a business outside of the mall while wielding a golf club. Salinas reportedly stole a knife from a store inside the mall. Mall Security officers were informed about the theft and confronted Salinas, who was holding a golf club. Salinas swung the golf club at the security officers and pulled out the knife. When Ventura police officers arrived, they located Salinas and subsequently arrested him for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. No one was injured during the incident.
Commercial Burglary Arrest
On June 10, at approxitmately 5:00 am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a possible commercial burglary in progress in the 2400 block of Thompson Blvd. Ventura Police officers arrived and located the suspect, 26-year-old Clifford Hunt, as he was exiting the property and getting into his vehicle, which was parked nearby. Stolen property from the business was located inside Hunt’s vehicle.
Hunt was arrested for Commercial Burglary and Possession of Burglary Tools
