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Vol. 15, No. 19 – June 15 – June 28, 2022 – Community Events

Events by Ana Baker

The historic Olivas Adobe is now open to the public.  Sundays 11-3 p.m. for rancho home and grounds tours, bring a picnic and enjoy the rose garden. While you are on site be sure to step into the small adobe to view the Flora & local landscapes exhibit by artists Laura J Jespersen and Lisa Mahony.   The Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters gift shop is open and full of eclectic options to purchase for all ages. Interested in volunteering?  Join us on Sunday July 10 at 1 p.m. for a volunteer open house. For more information about the adobe or the volunteer opportunities www.cityofventura.ca.gov/OlivasAdobe

June 16: The East Ventura Community Council virtual meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m., Gina Dorrington, Ventura Water’s new General Manager, will speak about the crucially important subject of water supply. Rob Davidson, Ventura County’s Assistant Sheriff of Detention Services, will talk about the new mental health jail ward and services and facilities redesigned for mentally ill-disabled detainees. Commander Weeks of the Ventura Police Department will share the Area Crime statistics. The Zoom link is also accessible at the website, www.eastventura.org. Meeting ID: 823 8169 5027, Passcode: 287431, Join by phone: +1 669 900 6833

June 18: The Museum of Ventura County welcomes guests to a free opening reception from 3 – 5 p.m. at its Main Street campus. The Museum will debut of three new exhibitions: All That Glitters Is Not Gold, Chromatic: The Museum in Six Colors and, Always Keep Creating, the Resiliency of Carol Rosenak. Early arrivals are invited to enjoy a Bee’s Knees, Prohibition-era cocktail provided by Ventura Spirits (while supplies last). The Museum’s transformation leads visitors on a historical journey, from the 1920s as lived by residents of Ventura County, through 100 years of collected County artifacts.

June 21: On Tuesday, 6:00 to 7:30pm, Ventura Land Trust will host a summer solstice drum circle at Harmon Canyon Preserve as a fundraiser to benefit the Harmon Canyon Campaign. The drum circle, facilitated by John Lacques of Ventura-based company Drumtime, will encourage guests to connect with nature and honor their relationship to the seasons. The solstice marks the astronomical start of summer in the northern hemisphere, and the longest day of the year.

Funds raised from drum circle ticket purchases will benefit the campaign. Members of the public are invited to donate to the Harmon Canyon Campaign for the benefit of the preserve, its wild inhabitants, and all people who need and enjoy open spaces (www.venturalandtrust.org/harmoncanyoncampaign).
Guests can purchase a ticket to the drum circle that includes a reservation for a drum provided by Drumtime for $50; “bring your own drum” tickets are available for $25. Tickets can be purchased at www.venturalandtrust.org/drumcircle.

June 22: The College Area Community Council will hold a meeting on Zoom on Wednesday at 7 pm. Council meetings include speakers and discussion on topics of neighborhood and community interest, including public safety and economic development. An invitation and link to the meeting will be sent to everyone on the CACC mailing list. Visit the College Area Community Council website @ caccVentura.com to learn more, added to the mailing list or to access a link to the Zoom meeting.

June 24, 25, 26: Ventura County 43rd Annual Greek Festival will be held at the Camarillo Airport Freedom Park 501 Eubanks. Friday, June 24th Opening Ceremony begins at 4:30 p.m. until midnight, Saturday, 25th from 11a.m.-Midnight, and Sunday 26th from 11-7p.m. Church Services at 10 am at Festival. Admission: $5 (Free with $5 Drawing Ticket Purchase) Free for Kids 12 and under and Active-Duty Military VCGreekFestival.org

July 3: Open house tours of the 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will take place on Sunday from 1- 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood streets (197 N. Ashwood). For information, please call (805) 642-3345 or visit the website at dudleyhouse.org.

July 23: Channel Islands PC User Group (CIPCUG) event is held on Saturday,
online and in person at our temporary location Ventura County
Computers 2175 Goodyear Avenue, Unit 117. Due to limited space in person,
attendance is reserved for members. Discussion, tutorial, and Q&A sessions is centered on computers, email, the Internet, and social media brokers such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Yahoo.  Events begin at 9:30 a.m.
Details for connecting to online events are emailed prior to the event. To receive connection instructions, please sign up on our website at
http://www.cipcug.org or call (805) 289-3960

Vol. 15, No. 19 – June 15 – June 28, 2022 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
Hustle – Netflix

3 out of 4 palm trees
Breeze rating from 1 to 4 palm trees, 4 being best.

After a car accident in college destroyed his future as a pro basketball player, Stanley Sugarman (Adam Sandler) found a life in the NBA as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers. Though he loved the game, he found himself weary of years on the road looking for the next undiscovered superstar and yearned for a coaching position on the team. Team owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall) believed in Stanley and offered him an assistant coaching job, but passed away shortly thereafter leaving his son Vince (Ben Foster) in charge, who immediately sent Stanley back out on the road.

Stanley went to Spain to check out one of the last prospects on his list. While there he came across a pickup game where he found an incredible streetball player named Bo Cruz (NBA player Juancho Hernangomez), a mild mannered construction worker that played basketball in his work boots. Stanley was unable to catch Bo before he left, so caught the bus he was on and followed him home. Bo felt threatened when he found Stanley at his door, but Stanley used Facetime to reach out to Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Mavericks special advisor) who verified that he was legitimate.

Stanley arranged for Bo to play in a scrimmage with the Spanish National Basketball Team and though his performance was impressive, Vince remained unconvinced. Stanley decided to take matters into his own hands and personally pay to bring Bo to the U.S. and told him that he would be signed by the 76ers or enter the NBA draft. At the airport it was discovered that Bo had an aggravated assault conviction in Spain, and though he was released was warned that he could be deported if he were to be arrested in America.

Stanley took Bo to play at a showcase organized by his former college teammate Leon Rich (Kenny Smith, sports commentator and former pro NBA player) but unfortunately Bo was not up to the challenge as another player Kermit Wilt-Washington (Anthony DeVante Edwards, pro basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves) trash talked him and threw him off his game. Vince didn’t like what he saw of Bo on the court, so refused to support Stanley’s recommendation to bring him on the team and even shared information about Bo’s assault charge with the media.

With the support of his wife Teresa (Queen Latifah), Stanley quit the 76ers and put all his effort behind getting Bo ready for the NBA Draft Combine six weeks away. Teresa helped by preparing meals for Bo and their daughter Alex (Jordon Hull) assisted by video taping the workouts, which with Stanley’s coaching helped Bo to improved tremendously. Unfortunately Leon was unable to get him into the Draft Combine after Vince shared Bo’s assault charge with the media, but Alex had an idea to help get Bo recognized with social media.

Stanley and Teresa reached out to their friend and former pro basketball player Julius Erving (Dr. J) to create a video of the “Boa Challenge”, where anyone, including 76ers player Tobias Harris, tried to score on Bo for cash money. The video ended up going viral and Bo was eventually accepted into the Combine, where Stanley had arranged a surprise visit with his daughter Lucia and mother Paola to support him, but having only trained six weeks was Bo ready for the NBA?

Hustle captures the passion and pure joy of pursuing and doing what you love, while sharing a glimpse into sports team politics and what it take to make it in the NBA. It also features dozens of actual current NBA players, past NBA players, NBA coaches and other well-known sports pros.

Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 58m

Local author writes children’s book about Bertie

Local author Susan M. Webb is pleased to announce the launch of her children’s picture book, “Bertie: The Best Stuttering King” recently. The book highlights the struggles of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, and how he overcame a severe stutter and physical ailments to become one of the best monarchs of 20th Century Europe. The book’s launch coincides with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee events in 2022, marking her 70 years on the throne following the passing of her father, affectionately known as “Bertie.”

Ms. Webb’s picture book is for children ages 7-12 and features a rhyming tale paired with colorful illustrations created by renowned illustrator Sergio Drumond.

States author Webb, “I wanted to tell the story of King George VI, affectionally called “Bertie,” in rhyme. Repeating rhymes was a therapy technique used by Bertie’s own speech therapist, Lionel Logue, to help the king with his stutter. I hope this book will be a valuable tool for young stutterers.”

Tidbits of royal history are packed into forty pages.

Ms. Webb sailed in Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Flotilla on the Thames in 2012, and is traveling to London in June for her Platinum Jubilee events. She traces her English roots back to John Alden and Myles Standish of Mayflower fame.

“Bertie: The Best Stuttering King” can be found at: www.TheBookPatch.com or on Amazon in soft cover and e-book format.

For more information on King George VI (“Bertie”), stuttering resources, games for children, blogs, author interviews, and newsletters, visit Ms. Webb’s website at: www.susanmwebb.com.

 

Bookmark

by Mary M. Olson

Although Jill Forman has signed off as author of “The Bookmark” column, the Friends of the Library would like to continue with this great opportunity to spread the news about libraries and our organization to our community. First of all, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to Jill for initiating this column and to the Ventura Breeze for support provided over many years for literacy, libraries and San Buenaventura Friends of the Library.

The Summer Reading Program, “Read Beyond the Beaten Path”, is well underway at the library. In addition to logging your summer reading at https://vencolibrary.beanstack.org, opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) abound. Whenever you visit any library branch, Grab and Go STEAM kits are available to take home.

At E.P. Foster Library (805 648-2716), the Maker Lab is open again Tuesdays, July 19 & 26, 4 to 6 pm. Crafternoon on 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 3:30 to 5:00 pm offers a structured craft with materials provided and Lego Play is back on every other Friday, 2 to 4 pm, beginning June 17.

At Hill Road Library (805 677-7180) , Maker Camp on most Thursdays, 3:30 to 5 pm offers STEAM projects designed for children 7-18. Children 3 to 7 are invited to explore STEAM through play with their caregivers at Hill Road Library Tuesdays, 10:30 am to noon.

The Summer Reading programs have long been a favorite activity that the Friends of the Library support through our fundraising and making donated books available for rewards in the program.

The Friends’ bookstore in E.P. Foster Library is a great place to pick up your summer beach reads! And our online bookstore for local sales (accessed through a link at our website https://venturafriendsofthelibrary.org) has added two new categories for the summer: Great Summer Reading and Youth Summer Reading. Audiobooks and puzzles are also available for your road trip or staycation!

We’re also planning another book sale on July 16, 10 am to 3 pm, at the Vons at Telegraph and Victoria. The grocery is a great place to encounter casual shoppers and promote the library and our Friends group. As always, volunteers are needed to set up, work at the sale and take down at the end of the day.

We are always looking for new volunteers – right now we especially need volunteers to help sort and categorize our incoming book donations. We receive a fascinating variety of books and have developed an array of in-person and online outlets to get those books into the hands of readers. Many volunteers are required to make the best use of the donations we receive. If this piques your interest, please contact us.

Please email [email protected] if you’d like to help!

Community volunteer event hosted by Ventura Land Trust to mitigate invasive plant species

by Richard Lieberman

On Saturday, May 21, Ventura Land Trust in conjunction with Safeport Cannabis Dispensary and Topa Topa Brewing Company held a community volunteer activity to help clear invasive plant species from the Harmon Canyon Preserve trails. Invasive plant species like black mustard and milk thistle have begun to choke Harmon Canyon Preserve trails that had been recently restored with native plants.

Two dozen volunteers showed up ready to work at the preserve to remove by hand as many of the invasive species as possible. Black mustard an invasive plant species originates from Europe and Asia. The species can grow up to six feet tall, and when the plants die the plant remains becomes fuel for wildfires as it dries. The species is so pervasive that it has taken over substantial portions of the preserves and the only effective way to remove it is to uproot one-by-one individual plants. The plants produce black seeds and if the volunteers do not uproot and remove them before they dry out and spread seed, they will continue to choke the trails and remain a problem for the long-term health of native species and the canyons trails will be overrun. As these plants die and dry out, they become a fire hazard.

“Community support is needed to help with removal of the dense stands of black mustard and milk thistle” said Leslie Velez, Outreach Director of Ventura Land Trust. She also added “areas of the preserve that had been recently replanted with native plant species are being choked by these invasive plants.”

“We need more volunteers, this is a massive job, but with perseverance we can make this happen,” said Velez. She also added that the event produced two full dumpster loads of the invasive plants.

Continuous improvements are being made at the Trail

Ventura is a bronze-rated bicycle friendly community. Photos by Michael Gordon

Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava, local officials, the City of Ventura, and Caltrans held a community bike ride on Saturday, May 21, at 9:00 a.m. at Westpark Community Center, located at 450 W. Harrison Ave. The bike ride celebrated the $5 million Clean California Grant awarded for the Ventura River Trail.

“May is National Bike Month and this is an opportunity to celebrate the many supportive efforts to renovate and reinvigorate the Ventura River Trail,” shared Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “We hope everyone can join us in celebrating this important win for our beloved Ventura River Trail.”

“For many years this trail has provided community members access to their local schools, places of work, and recreation facilities,” said Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “It also serves the community as a circulation corridor to our beautiful Ventura beaches, and up into the hills of Ojai.”

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the City of Ventura celebrated a nearly $5 million Clean California grant during the community bike ride along the Ventura River Trail. The money will be used to transform a two-mile portion of the trail and is made possible through Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces.

Continuous improvements of the Ventura River Trail include repaving the bike trail, adding solar lighting, and removing and replacing trail fencing. Targeted improvements include accessibility improvements to access the trail, public art, trail monuments, environmental and ‘no litter’ signage, native and drought-tolerant shrub and tree planting, wayfinding to the trail, and other various trail user amenities.

Other improvements will repave two miles of the bike trail, replace fencing, add drought-tolerant landscaping, a water-refill station and a bike repair station. The project will also include art murals on the trail floodwalls that highlight the cultural significance of Ventura’s westside and the greater community. In addition to the trail improvements and public art, the project will include new trash cans and “no littering” signs to reduce trash and debris along the trail.

“All Californians deserve access to clean, beautiful and safe pathways,” said Caltrans Acting Director Steven Keck. “The Ventura River Trail is an invaluable part of California’s transportation network, and Caltrans is proud to fund this project that will beautify this trail and ensure that the trail serves Ventura’s community and visitors for decades to come.”

The Ventura River Trail was built in 1989 and extends approximately six miles along State Route 33. The path connects to the Ojai Valley Trail to the north and the Omer Rains Trail to the south. Together, these three trails comprise the greater Ventura River Parkway.

Through trail infrastructure upgrades, the Ventura River Trail Improvements project is expected to extend the life of the trail by 15 to 30 years. In addition, the project aims to reduce the amount of waste and debris on the trail, beautifying the space for public enjoyment and providing a more equitable space of recreation for the community.

With more than 60 miles of bike lanes, 35 miles of bike routes and paths, and over 400 bicycle lockers for riders to use, the City of Ventura is designated by the League of American Bicyclists as a bronze-rated bicycle friendly community.

Vol. 15, No. 18 – June 1– June 14, 2022 – Opinion/Editorial

∙The attempt by Breezy Gledhill to rid her body of cancer is not going very well. Four months of chemo (time spent, sick days, loss of hair) has produced no results to reduce the size of the cancer so that it can be surgically removed.

She now needs to try different medical solutions that will not be covered (or very little) by her insurance company. As she sighed, “The insurance company is going to decide if I live or die!” A new medication called Keytruda – that might help – has just been rejected by her insurance company.

Breezy needs our help.

Those who love this wonderful lady don’t want it left in the hands of the insurance company whether to determine if she lives or dies. We are asking for financial help for her through a “gofundme” account that has been set up. We are asking for financial donations in any amount. This will assist her with getting the medicine she needs, and with managing through this difficult time.

Please consider sharing your love and concerns for Breezy by donating. Thank you.

https://gofund.me/16976479 or gofundme – Breezy Gledhill

∙This is the last issue (for now?) that Jill Forman will be writing for the Breeze. As stated in her last Bookmark article in this issue, “Your intrepid reporter is taking a break.” Her contributions to the paper have been very important so she will be missed. I will still continue to bug her to write an occasional article for us.

∙As you all certainly know, there have been two mass shootings recently by 18-year-olds. In the recent one 19 students and 2 teachers were killed and 17 others were wounded. Earlier that day, the shooter Salvador Ramos severely wounded his grandmother, shooting her in the forehead.

Ramos had legally purchased two AR-15 high-powered assault rifles and 375 rounds of ammunition as soon as he was allowed to purchase these in Texas when he was 18.

It’s impossible to even imagine how a first responder felt upon entering a classroom full of dead kids. It’s hard for me to stop imagining it, and I wasn’t even there. It will haunt those who saw it (and some of those who didn’t) for the rest of their lives.

I don’t understand why gun owners can be opposed to a 30-day waiting period to try to verify whether an individual should own a firearm gun. Certainly an 18-year-old could wait a month before buying 2 high powered rifles. And I still question why anyone (other then law enforcement) needs to own an AR-15 high-powered rifle to begin with.

A check of his background would have shown:

  • He quit high school
  • Quit his job
  • Parents kicked him out
  • A loner
  • Students were afraid of him
  • Posted scary stuff on social media

Perhaps, after 30-days, maybe he would have settled down or obtained some help with his troubled life.

The AR-15, like its military version, is designed to kill people quickly and in large numbers, hence the term assault-style rifle. In my opinion, they have no valid recreational use, and civilians should not be allowed to own them.

A quote from a Republican politician who, as always, never deals with the realty of our gun culture stated, “Two days ago, as you know, a mentally ill teenager called Salvador Ramos murdered 19 children and teachers in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.” Is this 18-year-old (like the previous 18-year-old) truly mentally ill, or is this just a way to deflect and not change gun laws, pushing this on to mental illness.

They may not be mentally ill at all, but more likely in a mental crisis. This is quite different from being mentally ill. Politicians should not use mental illness as an excuse for our gun crisis. This “excuse” is harmful and not supported by any scientific evidence or studies. This is a complex problem without easy solutions, but blaming mental illness is not the answer. It just inflicts damaging stigma on those who suffer from clinical defined mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and persistent depressive disorder.

I do agree that there is a great need for many more mental health facilities (and living spaces) for the mentally ill, but this would not stop this country’s mass shootings. The mentally ill are much more apt to be the victim of crimes than the perpetrators.

Joel Dvoskin, a clinical and forensic psychologist who served on the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Reducing Gun Violence told ABC News,

“Absent specific evidence, careful consideration should be given to social and contextual factors that might interact with any mental health issue before concluding that an active shooting was ’caused’ by mental illness. In short, declarations that all active shooters must simply be mentally ill are misleading and unhelpful.”

We do need to increase the mental health treatment centers but that wouldn’t mean that kids in crisis would even attend them.

Perhaps visiting our outdated gun laws and requiring wait times, and background checks, is the answer. I don’t know, but I do know more gun ownership (especially of high-powered rifles) is not the solution.

Research in California, conducted over a 12-year period, shows that having a handgun for personal protection does not make you safer. The research showed those who lived with an owner of a handgun were two times as likely to die by homicide as those living without guns. Those who live with a gun owner were almost three times more likely to be killed with a firearm then those with no gun present. Those that were killed in their homes were likely to die at the hands of their spouse or other intimate partners. And the risk is mostly to women – 85% of the victims living with handgun owners were women. The study was published in the journal of Annals of Internal Medicine.

It is true that “people kill people,” but it is a hell of a lot easier with an AR-15 then it is with a six-shooter. Perhaps the writers of the constitution would have considered this?

Note: I certainly hope to hear from readers regarding this. [email protected]

 

Congratulations All 2022 Grads!

Everyone at CAPS Media Congratulates all the 2022 Graduates from Buena, El Camino, Foothill, Pacific and Ventura High School as well as all the adult grads from Ventura Adult and Continuing Education and Ventura College.

CAPS Media crews, including El Camino students in the CAPS/VUSD ECTV media education program, are recording and live-streaming commencement ceremonies at Ventura College and all Ventura Unified School District high schools. The kickoff was on May 19 at Ventura College and will be followed by back-to-back celebrations at VHS on June 15, Buena on June 16 and the final all-day ceremonies for Foothill, El Camino, Pacific and VACE grads held at the Ventura College stadium on June 17. CAPS crews will set up and direct the live-stream distributions of every celebration for, enabling the graduation ceremonies to be seen live locally and worldwide on the VUSD and VC YouTube channels as well as live on Channel 15.

CAPS Media crews are staying very busy. Recently the entire CAPS team pitched in on two extensive video productions. The first was for the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters, Mark Lunn, and his supporting cast led by Miranda Nobriga. The CAPS staff, led by senior producer/editor Gary Roll, collaborated with the county staff to produce a series of detailed training videos for county election site workers. The series included step-by-step instructional videos for workers staffing dozens of voting locations throughout the county. The video series demonstrated how to set up and manage the equipment at the voting sites, and how to protect and deliver completed ballots to the county government center for counting. In the past this vital worker instruction was conducted in extensive in-person training sessions. The new video series allows election site workers to be trained online and provides as series of reference materials to use throughout the process.

Speaking of voting – its time for every voter in Ventura County to VOTE! If you haven’t received your ballot in the mail, call the Ventura County Elections Division at 805-654-2664 or go tovoterstatus.sos.ca.gov. Ballots can be mailed in, no postage required, or dropped off at Ballot Drop Boxes locations throughout the county including in front of the CAPS Media Center at 65 Day Road in Ventura. You still have time to vote if you missed the online registration date. Go to a vote center in your community and register and vote up to and on election day.

The second major CAPS Media production was a collaboration with the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium. Led by local coordinator Robin Jacobs, the VCIEC is a federally funded program that provides direct services to American Indian and Alaskan Native students in grades TK-12 throughout multiple Ventura County school districts.

For CAPS Media the end of the school year honoring celebration, was an all-hands-on-deck production that engaged the entire CAPS media team and facilities. The extensive forty-five-minute presentation featured inspirational messages and performances by numerous local Native American elders and community members, as well as individual profiles on Indian Students of the Year from all grade levels, plus personalized messages from this year’s VCIEC Outstanding 2022 Graduates. For more information about this program go to VenturaVUSD.org/students/Indian-education.

As a final note, out of caution the CAPS Media Center has been closed throughout the pandemic. During this time, the CAPS Media staff and board of directors have undertaken an extensive internal evaluation to determine the most effective services to provide to the public once we are fully operational. The CAPS Media mission remains: To create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media.

CAREGIVERS Volunteers Assisting The Elderly

Photos by Patricia Schallert

On Thursday, May 19, an Evening of Gratitude was held for volunteers from CAREGIVERS at the Dudley House in Ventura. The event, attended by hundreds, featured recognition of volunteers and students, the 2020, 2021 and 2022 Norm Weitzel awards, lively music by the Riverboat Dixie Jazz Band, Hors d’oeuvres, wine and deserts. Tammy Glenn, Executive Director lead the evening’s proceedings.

CAREGIVERS mission is to promote the health, well-being, dignity, and independence of frail, homebound elders through one-on-one relationships with trusted volunteers. CAREGIVERS programs are carried out by over 300 giving, caring volunteers who are recruited and trained from our local community. They are always in great need of additional volunteers to assist the many more frail, elderly residents who call their office for help. CAREGIVERS makes every effort to “match” a carefully screened and trained volunteer to an elder who needs basic assistance and companionship, in order to foster a long term, one-on-one relationship between them.

The Dudley House is an historic house museum built in 1891 in a Late Victorian-style. Designed and built by local architect and builder Selwyn Shaw, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is located at 197 N Ashwood Ave,

CAREGIVERS is located at 1765 Goodyear. 805-658-8530

 

 

Corporal Eric Vazquez recognized as Officer of the Year

Corporal Vazquez started with VPD as a police officer trainee in 2006.

During National Police Week, happening May 15-21, 2022, the Ventura Police Department (VPD) recognizes the courageous police officers who’ve selflessly sworn to protect and serve Ventura and honors Corporal Eric Vazquez as the Officer of the Year.

“Corporal Eric Vazquez brings an incredibly positive attitude and work ethic to our team,” said Sergeant Mike Acquarelli. “Vazquez makes an effort to connect with and mentor younger officers and holds a variety of collateral assignments further developing his professional and leadership skills. He is truly an outstanding representative of our agency and the City of Ventura as a whole.”

Corporal Vazquez started with VPD as a police officer trainee in 2006 and has held assignments in patrol, gang prevention, major crimes, the Communications Center, and the Patrol Task Force. He is also a Field Training Officer and a member of the SWAT team. He was promoted to Corporal in 2017 and will be promoted to Sergeant in May 2022.

“I am extremely proud of our team of officers who’ve dedicated their lives to Ventura’s safety,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler. “Our officers provide exceptional service with integrity, respect, and professionalism, and I am proud to lead an agency that is compassionate and dedicated to public safety. Their great work does not go unnoticed!”

National Police Week is also a time to honor those fallen officers who have given their lives in the line of duty, including the loss of Ventura Police Sergeant Darlon “Dee” Dowell who was tragically killed on August 7, 1978. The street in which the Ventura Police headquarters is located was named Dowell Drive in his honor.

Currently, VPD has 137 sworn officers who have completed an intensive 6-month training academy, a 6-month field training program, and a one-year probationary period.

The Ventura Police Department is currently hiring lateral, academy-trained officers, as well as police officer trainees. For more information about the Ventura Police Department recruitment and hiring process, visit www.VenturaPoliceJobs.org.