The before and after photos areAndrea Vargas from New Mexico and Maddi Simpson from Ventura. Photos by Patricia Schallert
by Patricia Schallert
“En Plein air” is a French expression that means “in the open air”. It is used by artists to describe the art of outdoor painting, capturing landscapes, sunsets, bodies of water and majestic views. Santa Cruz Island fit the description perfectly.
Saturday morning, May 21st brought a group of artists to the Island Packers boat launch for a one-of-a-kind adventure to Santa Cruz Island to paint with esteemed artist Margaret Garcia. Unfortunately, Margaret Garcia was unable to go but her replacement, Renee Tallent , Ventura coordinator for the Arts from the County of Ventura Museum was able to take the lead in making sure the experience would go on.
Roberto Vargas, Latino Advisory committee joined the group and was instrumental in helping the artists get to know each other once they arrived on the Island. From there, the artists went their separate ways and found a variety of locations to create their open-air art and as Claudia Soto enthusiastically said, “We will let the art unfold”.
Upon returning to Ventura Harbor, several of the artists said, “It was like being in a different world.” There were no cellphone or Wi-Fi distractions and Andrea Vargas, from New Mexico said “We could just stay focused on our art.” Others commented that they could go slow as they were inspired by the beauty of Santa Cruz Island with its incredible weather and beautiful scenery.” When asked if they would do this again, a resounding “absolutely” was the answer.
A Coffee with a Cop event on May 19th was held at Starbucks located at 4710 Telephone Road in Ventura. The event offered an informal milieu for the community and the cops to discuss concerns within the community. The Coffee with a Cop event focused on the departments wellness initiative and included time to meet with Asher, the VPD’s new comfort dog.
“With the extreme emotional demands and regular exposure to trauma many first responders endure, we hope we can play a role in changing the culture and fighting the stigma associated with mental health,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler.
The theme for this public meeting was “Together for Mental Help,” a theme that the Ventura Police Department will continue to develop in the months and years to come.
Coffee with a Cop meetings hope to break down the barriers between citizens and police in an informal relaxed environment.
This year, Ventura Police Department has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and is looking to raise awareness and raise funds for their various initiatives.
Maya Bumaya, co-founder of First Responders for mental Health Initiatives and NAMI board member said “We are partnering with the Ventura Police Department to raise mental health awareness and funds for NAMI. Interaction with law enforcement occurs during emergency and highly emotionally charged situations. These meetings and subsequent on-going meetings will focus on breaking down communication barriers between the police and the public. These informal meetings allow for a more comfortable and relaxed one-on-one forum to solidify relations between citizens and the police.”
“This is about the twelfth pop-up we have had in the county to raise awareness,” she said. “Ventura Police Department did a wonderful job in promoting the event, they have a lot of supporters out here,” she added. “We have had several events of this type all over the county.” She also added “It has been great working with our first responders to raise mental health awareness. It is an important topic right now,”
“I want to say thank you to all the first responders’ teams countywide they really made it possible for NAMI to keep programs going throughout the year. Last year the fund-raising goal was $100,000 and first responder teams raised about $67,000 of that. Really important to raise awareness the suicide rate among our community and the first responders are extremely high and we really need to do something about that,” added Bumaya.
Ventura City Council Member Jeanette Sanchez-Palacios was in attendance and said “Especially during the tough last couple of years through the pandemic, isolation and having to quarantine that affects people and I think it is great to make mental health something that is normal,” She added “people should not feel a stigma when addressing mental health this to me is very important and we should normalize it.”
“It’s a thrill for us downtown to have the Ventura Music Festival present a great band in a great event,” Downtown Ventura Partners Executive Kevin Clerici said
The music of Adaawe, an all-female, LA-based vocal and drumming band, springs from West African roots and is nourished by gospel harmonies and American funk for a contemporary world-fusion sound. The concert is made possible by a grant to the Ventura Music Festival from the Barbara Bernard Smith World Music Fund.
Originally set for July 2020 and among the scores of Covid-cancelled performances worldwide, VMF Executive Susan Scott reports excitement growing anew among both artists and festival-goers since confirming Mission Park as the venue. “We’re committed to building community through music,” Scott said, “and opening with a free Concert in the Park mid-week seems a perfect way to launch the 27th season festival and the six concerts that follow.”
The mission of the Ventura Music Festival is to build community through world-class music and create an inclusive, welcoming environment in which people both see and hear themselves reflected in the music.
Award-winning author—and Ventura native—Dallas Woodburn’s new short story collection How to Make Paper When the World is Ending (Koehler Books) releases on June 28, and locals might find something familiar about the settings of many of the stories. The pier… the beach… the boardwalk… Yes, many of the stories take place in a “fictionalized Ventura,” Woodburn notes.
This is not the first time her hometown has made its way into her fiction. Woodburn’s story collection Woman, Running Late, in a Dress also featured familiar settings such as the beach, lemon orchards, and downtown Main Street. And readers will recognize Ventura in her latest novel, Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life. “I was definitely picturing Ventura in my mind as I wrote,” she says. “The high school was Ventura High. The bowling alley was Buena Lanes. Their favorite restaurant is based on Snapper Jack’s Taco Shack. There are little clues throughout the book.”
Woodburn says that the setting for her fiction is not something she logically plans out, but rather rises up organically through the creative process. “I wrote the first draft of my novel and many of these stories when I was a grad student at Purdue University in Indiana,” she continues. “I was homesick for Ventura, and escaping into my fiction felt like visiting home.”
How to Make Paper When the World is Ending is a collection of short stories that explores and reimagines the ghost story. Reedsy Discovery praised the book as “a magnificent compendium of slightly spooky stories that will chill, delight and amuse you” and author Gregory Spatz called it “smart, moving, inventive, funny, and always surprising.”
Woodburn grew up in Ventura, graduated from Ventura High School, and has been part of the Ventura County literary community for more than two decades. She founded Write On! For Literacy (www.writeonbooks.org) as an eighth-grader at Cabrillo Middle School to empower youth through reading and writing. Her Holiday Book Drives have collected and donated more than 14,000 books to underprivileged children throughout Ventura County.
A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing, Woodburn’s fiction has been honored with the international Glass Woman Prize, second place in the American Fiction Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations. She also hosts the Thriving Authors Podcast, interviewing authors about the creative process.
This is a big year for Woodburn, as her YA novel Thanks, Carissa, For Ruining My Life and her collection of stories How to Make Paper When the World is Ending are both being published. She wishes she could go back in time and give herself a peek of 2022. “When I was a grad student, I remember feeling pulled in two directions—like I had to choose,” Woodburn explains. “Even though I loved both genres, I worried that I couldn’t write and publish both. But I was wrong! I’ve learned it’s important not to set limits on yourself.”
Woodburn’s books are available everywhere, but she encourages people to purchase them through Ventura’s own independent bookstore Timbre Books.
The Ojai Blues Fest at the Ojai Art Center returns on Saturday, June 4. It’s always a treat when Tommy Marsh returns to town after picking up and leaving us for Tennessee to build a Nashville audience. Trust me when I say, the talent will not disappoint! Tickets are available on EventBrite.com. Here’s the current time lineup:
Tommy Marsh
1:30 – Milo Sledge
2:00 – Crooked Eye Tommy
3:30 – Chuck Strong & SRBQ 4:30 – Ray Jaurique & the Uptown Brothers
5:30 – Sandy Haley Band
6:30 – Guy Martin
8:00 – All-star Jam Session
The 75th anniversary of the Ojai Music Festival runs June 9 – June 12 at the Libbey Bowl. Tickets for each event run between $20 and $150; but on Sunday, June 12, all are invited to two free events at Libbey Park. The first, Dance in the Park, features the dance duo Julia Eichten and Bret Easterling, celebrating tenderness, togetherness, and fierce joy; and then that afternoon, Rome is Falling is a high-energy new telling where song, spoken word, and driving music come together to contextualize the action with audience engagement and the performance of a local children’s choir. For more details on all performances and to secure your tickets, go to OjaiFestival.org.
The Glass Animals concert at the Ventura Theater wasn’t announced until 9 am on Wednesday, May 18 and tickets went on sale that day at noon which promptly sold out for their show the following Wednesday, May 25, at the Ventura Theater…which by the way was fabulous.
Future shows on sale now for the Ventura Theater include Third Eye Blind for Saturday, August 6, Billy Idol on Thursday, August 25, Hollie Cook (from all-female punk/reggae band, the Slits) on Saturday, September 24, Black Flag on Saturday, October 29, and AFI on Friday, November 25. If you don’t want to miss out, you’ll want to keep your eye on their calendar as you never know when new dates will pop up (such as the Glass Animals).
Heading around the corner and down the block (or two) to the all-new Ventura Music Hall, I’m happy to report that I’ve secured tickets for the Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs show for Sunday, June 12. Come on!!! He co-wrote so many hits with Tom Petty (Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Runnin’ Down a Dream), you know it’s going to rock!! New dates added recently include Guttermouth on Sunday, July 3 (happy to say local bands False Confession and Romper will open), Memphis May Fire out of Texas plays Tuesday, July 19 and Jerry’s Middle Finger will bring in the “Deadheads” when they play Friday, July 29.
Over on Main Street, midtown Ventura, the Grape has Casey Abrams, former American Idol contestant and current member of Postmodern Jukebox, returning for a show on Saturday, June 4, then the venue will go into overdrive when they open on Sunday and Monday (traditionally closed) for two special concerts. Firstly, on June 5, it’s Dreamland band, a Joni Mitchell tribute, featuring Kimberly Ford on vocals and guitar and then on Monday, June 6, the Dave Weckl/Tom Kennedy Projects with their high energy jazz fusion. Weckl was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2000. Tickets are available for these shows at TheGrapeVentura.com.
The Toni Jannotta Jazz Trio plays Peirano’s on the Terrazza Friday, June 3, with Terry Simcik on guitar and Tom Etchart on bass. Toni then leaves for Europe to sing in the Langtoun Jazz Festival in Kirkcaldy, Scotland.
Here’s a fun, or not-so-fun fact: all reserved tables and special ramadas for all concerts are sold out for Music Under the Stars this summer. Tickets still available for general admission include Identity Theft on July 23, Rhythm Krewe on August 6 and Lisa Haley & the Zdekats on August 27, all other shows totally sold out. You can either purchase tickets at Ventura City Hall or over the phone (805) 658-4726.
Quick Notes: just announced, Uncle Cracker will perform at BBQ Fest 2022 at Surfer’s Point Live (Ventura Fairgrounds) on Saturday, June 11; Surfers Point Café will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, June 11, featuring the loveable CocoKnots and their tropical blend of music with a sprinkling of pop & jazz classics from 1 -4 pm; Cadillac Zack presents Aki Kumar, Bollywood blues, at Namba on Friday, June 10; Iain Matthews and Steve Postell (founding members of British folk rock bands) play the Ojai Underground Friday, June 3; Mack and D start up their Thursday evening residency at 1901; Tickets are on sale for the Hip Hop edition of Sunday Funday with Flo Rida and Lil Jon at Surfer’s Point Live (Ventura Fairgrounds parking lot); and Mick Stover (bassist Dive Bar Messiahs, Gentlemen’s Blues Club) has started a new 80s dance cover band called ’80 Reasons 2 Dance, you can catch them at Margarita Villa on July 9.
The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour continues to support and play local artist out of the 805, as well as artists who come here to play. Mary Z Wilson continues to be a great asset talking about the history of Americana here in town; she’ll be sharing music from Donna Lynn Caskey, Merlin Snider and Cyrus Clarke on the next episode, (#162) which runs 5/31 – 6/12 and airs Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:00 pm and Sundays at noon. Tune into KPPQ-LP at 104.1 FM here in Ventura, or listen via the MyTuner radio app on your smart device, or online at CapsMedia.org/Radio.
Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.
The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion on the first and third Tuesday each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcomed to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Bob Likins at 805-587-1233 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.
June 1: BCNN (Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers) will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Ventura Yacht Club in lovely Ventura Harbor. Warren Takahashi, a local favorite guitarist /vocalist will entertain. His set list features a full range of music spanning the oldies, from Frank Sinatra, & 70’s, 80’s, & even Hawaiian favorites. Our organization serves women from Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Newcomers are welcome and there is no charge to check us out and learn about our many activities. Just show up.
June 4: Sespe Fly Fishers of Ventura will be conducting our monthly “First Saturday” introductory Fly Rod Casting and Intro to Fly Fishing clinic. There is no charge and all are welcome. Whether you are an experienced fly fisher or a complete novice, we want to help you improve your casting and learn to enjoy this great sport. If you do not yet have a fly rod, do not worry, just come and use one of ours. Located at Chumash Park, Petit and Waco, 9-11a.m., in East Ventura, off Telephone Rd. For more information: Casting Program Coordinator Thomas Hall 805-377-5249www.sespeflyfishers.org
June 4: Join Laura Bauer from the Ventura County Chapter of Surfrider Foundation and learn how small changes in your home landscape can make a big difference to our local ocean water quality, water conservation, and wildlife habitats. The event is at the Toppings Room at E.P. Foster Library at 651 East Main Street. All proceeds from the event will go to the Surfrider Foundation to support its mission to protect the world’s oceans. Event tickets are $10 per person.
Space is limited so be sure to sign up soon. If you would prefer to reserve your spot in person or over the phone, visit us at the Welcome Center or give us a call at 805- 232-3113 x2
June 5. 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.
June 5: Old-Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Assoc. will be having Live Music on stage. Jamming in the Canada Room. Sunday, 2-4 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion 3451 Foothill Rd.
Free Admission. Free parking Open to the Public. For more information call 805-517-1131 or visit Facebook: OTCBGMA
June 13: Poinsettia Pavilion Free Dance Lesson. Dancing 7Pm $15.00
Contact Rick 805415-8842
June 18: The Dudley House monthly plant and collectibles sale continues on the grounds from 8-2 p.m. Bromeliads, orchids and succulents will be on sale along with a variety of collectibles. Vendors please call Charlie at 805-746-4317 for details. The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood.
June 16: Join in the fun at our luncheon and help raise funds for Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation. 11a.m., social hour; 12 noon meeting and lunch. Las Posas Country Club, 955 Fairway Drive, Camarillo. $40 per person – Advance reservations and payment required. [email protected] or 805-263-7759 www.channelislandsgulls.org.
June 21: Free Admission for the Summer Solstice at Ventura Botanical Gardens
Tuesday 9 – 5 p.m. Bring your family and friends to soak in the extended summer day at the Gardens. Leashed dogs are welcome. Be sure to stop into our Courtyard garden shop, and browse our plants and pottery.
June 22: The College Area Community Council in Ventura will be holding a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, at 7 p.m. Council meetings include speakers and discussion on topics of neighborhood and community interest. Visit the College Area Community Council website @ https://caccventura.com to learn more, to be added to the mailing list or to access a link to the Zoom meeting.”
4:20am, dispatched to fall victim in the Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded and assisted an adult male to his walker. No medical attention given.
Thursday
5/12
1:30pm, while on patrol in Fireboat, officers checked the status of an impounded vessel taking on water. All pumps were working, low water in the bilge.
Friday
5/13
10:55am, receiving several inquires into the light system on the Port District flagpole. Small Craft (winds sustained 22-33kts or High Surf) warning lights / flag : red light over white light or one red pennant is small craft. White light over red light and/or two red pennants: Gale (winds 34-47kts sustained).
Saturday
5/14
10:05am, officers in the Fireboat providing traffic control for VYC towing “C” buoy out of the harbor and back on station West of the harbor.
12:30pm, received multiple reports of sick pelicans throughout the harbor. Officers working rescue volunteers, capturing, and caging birds. Rescuers are unsure what is harming birds, possibly domoic acid from the recent algae bloom.
Sunday
5/15
6:55am, officers on Rescue Boat 12 assisting officials monitoring the swim portion of “Cal Tri” triathlon at Harbor Cove.
8:45am, State parks lifeguards brought by a participant of the swim that sustained a stingray strike just before the race. The swimmer placed 3rd and was treated with hot water at the Port District by patrol officers.
Monday
5/16
4:44pm, dispatched to an animal bite on the beach near the Surfers Knoll Groin. Officers responded with VFD, AMR, VPD and Animal Control. A large dog off its leash attacked a young surfer stretching on the beach. Multiple abrasions and lacerations were sustained by the surfer. The incident is under investigation.
Tuesday
5/17
2:00pm, received numerous calls regarding sick/injured pelicans throughout the harbor. Officers assisting Rescue volunteers with capturing and caging the birds. No official word on what is causing the dilemma.
Wednes
5/18
9:55pm, observed then contacted female transient going through trash can at launch ramp. The female refused to pick up trash and wandered off screaming.
Thursday
5/19
6:35pm, received report of a female loitering in a business at the VHV. Officers responded, contacted individual and she complied and left the area.
Friday
5/20
7:35am, while on patrol in truck, observed young surfers having difficulty navigating the sand berm near Surfers Knoll groin. Officers rolled up their sleeves, grabbed shovels and created sand stairs for the youngsters.
Saturday
5/21
6:00am, dispatched to a young female transient complaining of being cold and leg pain. Officers responded with VFD/AMR and assisted the patient. She refused any medical treatment but requested transport.
11:10am, received a report of a 128ft long and 32ft wide military landing craft inbound to the fish off loading pier. Officers responded in Fireboat and Rescue Boat 12 to escort the large vessel. It was safely assisted to its slip at the pier.
8:05pm, observed a motor vessel operating in violation of speed ordinance in the Pierpont Basin.
Sunday
5/22
9:05pm, while on patrol, observed a large group of people cleaning up after a church based memorial service at Harbor Cove. Officers were able to influence the group to pick up debris/trash littered throughout the parking lot and beach.
Tuesday
5/24
4:03pm, while on patrol in truck, observed a tent pitched just south of Surfers Knoll. Officers contacted the transient inside, he stated his vehicle was stolen and he was awaiting police to find his vehicle and let him know. Advised to move his abode out of the area while awaiting news of his vehicle. Inquired what type of vehicle so we could look-out for it, he wasn’t sure what type it was
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.
Possession of Loaded Firearm in Vehicle Arrest
On May 17, at approximately 6:00 pm, Ventura Police Patrol Officers responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Cambria Street regarding two subjects in a verbal altercation and possibly armed with handguns. As officers were en route, one of the involved parties, 42-year-old Ventura resident Jose Ruiz, was seen leaving the area in a car, and an enforcement stop was initiated. Ruiz exited the car and was detained as officers investigated further.
Investigating officers searched Ruiz’s car, and a loaded unserialized semi-automatic handgun was found. Officers contacted the second involved subject, but they were unable to determine his involvement in the incident. Ruiz was arrested for possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of an unserialized firearm.
Lewd Acts Upon a Child Arrest
On May 20, at approximately 1:30 pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a 911 call from a parent of a 14-year-old who indicated his daughter was grabbed by a male suspect as she walked home from school.
The ensuing investigation revealed that the female juvenile was walking home from school when the suspect approached her and engaged her in conversation. As the juvenile was trying to disengage from the conversation and avoid the suspect, she was grabbed in the buttocks. The juvenile fled from the area and when she returned home, she notified her parents.
Her father returned to the location of the occurrence and located the suspect and confronted him. He notified the police, however the suspect was gone when the police arrived.
Detectives from the Special Victims Unit were assigned the case. They identified the suspect as 26-year-old Ventura resident Ashley Claxton, and he was located in front of his residence. He was taken into custody without incident and subsequently booked into Ventura County Jail for felony lewd act with a child.
There may be additional victims and anyone who has had contact with the suspect should contact the Ventura Police at 805-650-8010.
The Ventura Police Department urge community members to stay aware of their surroundings and always report suspcicious activity. Parents are also encouraged to talk to their children about walking to and from school safely.
The Ventura Police Department offers a safety video for families available on YouTube
On May 20, at approximately 8:30 pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a possible prowler at a residence on North Dunning Street. Ventura Police Patrol Officers responded, and upon arriving, they learned that the subject, 21-year-old vagrant Semaja Williams, had entered the home and could see him inside. Officers called out to Williams several times, requesting he exit; however, he did not comply with their commands.
At approximately 9:30 pm, Officers entered the residence and found that Williams barricaded himself inside a bathroom. Officers accessed the room and safely took Williams into custody. Investigating Officers determined that Williams damaged several pots and a statue in the yard and broke a window to access the residence. While inside, he burned trash, ate food, and smoked methamphetamine.
Williams was arrested for Residential Burglary, Arson, Delaying Police Officers, and Vandalism.
Pre-training instruction for Ventura Police Department Traffic Unit held in Ventura. Photos by Patricia Schallert
Officer Emerson Mercado was selected as newest member of the Ventura Police Department Traffic Unit, a specialty assignment whose primary function is to decrease the number of property damage, injury, and fatal traffic collisions in the City of Ventura. Officer Mercado is currently training to prepare for the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) 80-hour motorcycle certification that every motor officer attends and needs to pass before being able to move out into the field as a solo Motor Officer.
Officer Mercado will receive approximately 120-160 hours of pre-training instructed by current certified Motor Officers under the supervision of Traffic Unit Supervisor Sergeant Mike Brown, before moving on to the 80-hour California POST certification course. Pre-training and certification training will acquaint Officer Mercado with techniques and principles that can be utilized to maximize skills which are necessary for the safe and effective operation of the police motorcycle. Officer Mercado will develop coordination, balance, control, and the confidence necessary for the proficient operation of the police motorcycle.
We asked Stephen Glenn, Management Analyst II Ventura Water to answer a few questions. This is part 2 of 2.
How are we using reclaimed water?
The Ventura Water Reclamation Facility (VWRF) was expanded in 1972 to include tertiary filters to provide filtered effluent for both water reclamation and discharge to the Santa Clara River Estuary. Effluent reuse for irrigation is an integral part of the Recycled Water Program. Use of recycled water represents a reduction in demand on the drinking water supply of approximately 325 million gallons per year. Ventura Water supplies recycled water from the VWRF to irrigate the City’s two public golf courses, Marina Park and landscape areas near Olivas Drive and in the Harbor area.
In 2015, the City initiated a pilot project to test the feasibility of constructing an advanced water purification facility (AWPF) to maximize quantity and reliability of potable supplies by purifying tertiary treated effluent produced by the VWRF and optimizing its potable reuse, rather than discharging into the Santa Clara River Estuary. The pilot facility operated for 9 months and produced favorable results, indicating highly reliable purification technologies, providing information on operational needs and costs, and the absence of risk to public health and safety. As a result, the City is proposing to construct a full-scale AWPF, that is one component of the VenturaWaterPure Program.
The City of Ventura is currently in the planning phases for the VenturaWaterPure Program that includes the state-of-the-art AWPF. The VenturaWaterPure Program consists of several capital improvement projects and will be a new, locally owned source of highly purified drinking water that provides Ventura with a long-term drought resilient water supply solution. On October 14, 2019, Ventura City Council unanimously voted to certify the EIR for the Ventura Water Supply Projects. Following completion of the environmental review process, the next steps include permitting, final design, and bidding for construction. The project is anticipated to initially produce at least 2,800 AFY and ultimately produce at least 4,000 AFY.
Lastly, Ventura Water offers customers the opportunity to receive recycled water through the Mobile Reuse Program. Through this program, customers can pick-up and haul and unlimited amount of recycled water from the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility for landscape irrigation, dust control, and soil compaction. Before receiving recycled water through the program customers must first complete a training and obtain a permit.
Saturday morning, May 21st brought a group of artists to the Island Packers boat launch for a one-of-a-kind adventure to Santa Cruz Island to paint with esteemed artist Margaret Garcia. Unfortunately, Margaret Garcia was unable to go but her replacement, Renee Tallent , Ventura coordinator for the Arts from the County of Ventura Museum was able to take the lead in making sure the experience would go on. 
