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SEEAG staff members give presentations at schools throughout Ventura County

Gene Haas Foundation donates $25,000 to SEEAG.

The Gene Haas Foundation has made a $25,000 grant award to Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) to support SEEAG’s STEM Career Pathways in Agriculture programs. The programs are provided at no cost to schools and are designed to teach middle and high school students about technology and science-driven agricultural careers. 

SEEAG staff members give presentations at schools throughout Ventura County providing an overview of agriculture, ag career opportunities and the latest technologies and innovations that are impacting the industry. Online presentations are also available. 

“Most of us don’t think of agriculture as a cutting-edge industry, but science and technology play a key role in producing the huge quantities of food needed to feed a hungry world,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “SEEAG educates, inspires and empowers local students to consider careers in agriculture. The generous Haas Foundation donation will help SEEAG spread the word about the myriad of ag career opportunities including those right here in Ventura County.” 

Science, technology and math-based ag careers include horticulture, food safety, biology, seed and pollination science, food chain management, accounting, industrial engineering and farm administration. 

“By supporting organizations such as SEEAG and their focus on youth STEM programs, we understand this is the first step in educating and empowering our youth to a future in manufacturing careers,” says Kathy Looman, director of education and Gene Haas Centers naming rights. “In 2021, the Gene Haas Foundation provided more than $18.5 million in grants towards education and another $3 million to the communities Haas businesses are located. Bringing the total grants awarded since inception to about 4,500 organizations and schools to more than $120 million. We are committed to continuously supporting these same schools and organizations as well as adding additional organizations and schools annually.” 

For more information about SEEAG’s career pathways programs and to sign up for a presentation, go to https://www.seeag.org/steamcareersinag or contact Seth Wilmoth, program educator, at [email protected]. 

 Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at [email protected]. 

The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999, by Haas Automation, Inc., Founder and CEO Gene Haas, For more information visit https://ghaasfoundation.org.

 

Cabrillo Middle School students partnered with Food Share

Local students’ innovation helps county’s homeless population. Photos by Patricia Schallert

A group of enterprising 7th and 8th graders from Cabrillo Middle School have partnered with Food Share Ventura County in a project designed to make life a little easier for the county’s unhoused population but that could have an impact far beyond.

The Rusty Sailors robotics created a tote bag that converts to a backpack. They distributed the bags on Monday, April 11, at The River Community Church, 859 E Santa Clara St. The church is under the direction of Jim Duran, The River Community’s pastor.

Saanvi Joshi, Hendrix Lowder, Jane Kim, Jude Curtis, Izzy Quiroz, Maddie Wicks, Maverick Cheatham, and Aarana Khanavkar, all members of the school’s “Rusty Sailors” Robotics Club, are participating in the 2021-2022 season, CARGO CONNECTSM, FIRST® LEGO® League Innovation Project, to identify a problem related to improving the transportation journey of products, and design a new piece of technology or improve an existing one. FIRST® empowers students ages 9-16 to explore what it means to be an innovator, finding solutions to today’s societal problems that could impact the world for generations to come.

The Rusty Sailors visited Food Share last year to get a better understanding of how a food bank works and learned about Food Share’s “Kitchen-Free” program that provides bagged, nutritious, no-cook food for people without access to a kitchen. Food Share has distributed 24,000 kitchen free bags to date through their network of 190 pantry partners.

Following the field trip, Laurie Lowder, one of the club’s coaches, witnessed two men on bikes struggling to carry the branded Food Share bags and the experience inspired the children to think of ways to improve the design to make them easier to transport. The result is an ingenious and inexpensive modification that turns it into a backpack.

Speaking about the innovative design, Hendrix Lowder, 13, said, “We got empty bags from Food Share so we could experiment with ways to make them better. After our team developed a prototype, we got a grant to make one hundred bags so that we can hand them out to people who are homeless. We’ve also added a QR code to the bags linked to a survey for people to tell us what they think and to get suggestions for improvements. It’s very exciting to be able to see the project all the way through to the product design stage.”

The design has already caught the eye of the FIRST® project judges. The Rusty Sailors won the Global Innovation Award nomination for the Southern California Regionals in December. Teams nominated for their outstanding solutions could advance to the 2022 FIRST LEGO League Global Innovation Award presented by Qualcomm to attend workshops with innovation and industry experts.

An estimated 1 in 6 people in Ventura County experiences food insecurity, meaning that they are without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

Before the pandemic, many of the families Food Share served would need supplemental food perhaps two-three times a year.

Food Share is serving approximately double the number of people being served pre-pandemic. The latest figure (total for 2021) is a little over 190,000 unduplicated people based on FreshTrak data. However, this figure does not include people attending emergency drive-thru distributions, some of our programs, including Community Markets, or farmworkers receiving food at field distributions.

For all the latest information on where to find food, how to volunteer, and how you can support Food Share with a monetary donation visit: www.foodshare.com

The 2022 Community Academy includes a diverse mix of residents and business owners

The Ventura Police Community Academy returns with over 30 participants.

For the first time since 2018, the Ventura Police Department welcomed back its popular Community Academy, a 10-week program designed to strengthen community partnerships and increase transparency.

During the first class on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, participants enjoyed a welcome from Police Chief Darin Schindler and meeting VPD’s Command staff as well as other program participants.

“We are constantly striving to provide the highest quality service and after four years of absence due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud to bring back our community academy in continuance of our commitment to enhancing police and community collaboration,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler. “It’s my hope that by opening our doors and demystifying police operations, we can work together to make Ventura a safer community.”

With 31 community members selected, the 2022 Community Academy includes a diverse mix of residents and business owners of many generations, backgrounds, and careers, representing each of Ventura’s seven districts.

“I joined this program to help bring the voice of my community forward and solve problems through collaboration,” said Ventura resident Helen Eloyan, Revitalization Committee Chair for the Westside Community Council. “I am also very much looking forward to identifying partnership opportunities to help meet our community needs.”

In the 10-week academy, classes are taught by Ventura Police officers, dispatchers, and professional staff. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, express concerns, and offer feedback. The goal is to create greater awareness and understanding of the law enforcement’s role in the community through education and engagement provided by the Community Academy.

For more information, the class outline, or questions about the Ventura Police Community Academy, please call 805-339-4312 or visit
www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/CommunityAcademy.

Laura Jespersen in duo show with artist Lisa Mahony at historic Olivas Adobe

Laura Jespersen is an award winning, Ventura-based, acrylic artist. Always a creative, visual person, she has a background in architecture, receiving a Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly. Laura draws inspiration from the built and natural environment and the beauty of our beach town. Her experiences of a space, including the light, form, color or context provide the basis for her painterly realistic style.

Laura is currently showing her work in a duo show with artist Lisa Mahony at historic Olivas Adobe. The exhibit runs through summer 2022 and is themed Florals & Vistas, with colorful paintings of botanicals and Ventura scenery.

Laura enjoys painting weekly with Plein Air Thursday – Ventura County. Fellow painters meet on location in different locations around town each week to sketch or paint.

To see what Laura’s currently working on, follow her on Instagram: @ljjartist. To see a selection of her delightful paintings, drop by the Ventura Visitors Center.

Mother’s Day Open Air Pottery Exhibit Ventura County Potters’ Guild Gallery

Are you giving flowers for this Mother’s Day? Why not make a bigger impact and put them in a hand-made pottery vase? The Ventura Pottery Gallery at the Ventura Harbor is having the 2nd Annual Mother’s Day Open Air Vase Market on May 7 & 8 from 11 – 6. Beautiful, handcrafted vases will be on display from the over 35 local potters. These are one-of-a-kind works of art at reasonable prices. We have tall ones, short ones, wide ones, narrow ones, vases with creatures, vases with flowers and so much more. And the vase is sure to become a family heirloom with memories of Mother’s Day. We invite you to stop by.

Free Single Stem Flower for the 1st 25 purchases both days

The VCPG Gallery is located at 1567 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105 in Ventura Harbor. The gallery is open seven days a week from 11-6 and exhibits a vast variety of functional and sculptural ceramics.

Can’t make it to the gallery? Please visit our Online Store at www.venturapotteryonline.com.

Brownley delivers $27 million for community projects throughout Ventura County

Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced the inclusion of nine community projects totaling more than $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 infrastructure and maintenance projects to support commerce and reliable water delivery and support for public education curriculum and work-based learning in Ventura County.

“I am thrilled to announce that nine community projects I fought to fund were included in the final House-passed legislation,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “These projects directly address pressing issues in our community including enhancing water quality and delivery, expanding educational opportunities at our higher education institutions, mitigating flood risks to local homes and businesses, and bringing justice to sexual assault survivors by supporting law enforcement efforts to clear the backlog of DNA testing in Ventura County.

“The bill also funds dredging needs at Channel Islands Harbor and the Ventura Harbor, which is critical to keeping them open for industries that drive our local economy, including our fisheries and tourism industries. These same funds will also help to replenish local beaches and address coastal erosion, including at Naval Base Ventura County.

“These specific community projects will bolster our region’s economic growth, generate good-paying jobs, and support the unique needs of our community. Over the last year, I worked closely with community stakeholders and local leaders to return federal tax dollars to Ventura County, ensuring critical funding for these important projects.

“As this legislation moves closer to the President’s desk, I look forward to the swift delivery of these resources and the immediate impact on our community.”

$5,516,000 for maintenance dredging of the Ventura Harbor. The dredging is required annually to ensure adequate navigational depths for Ventura Harbor safety, commerce and operations.

$200,000 to address flood risks to homes and businesses along the Santa Paula Creek.

$2,840,000 for the City of San Buenaventura State Water Interconnection Project, which consists of a seven-mile pipeline that will enable the delivery of reliable water supply that will improve water quality, protect against natural disasters and other emergencies, and provide a resilient water supply for the region.

$950,000 to be used by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Forensic Services Bureau, Major Crimes Unit, and the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to expand its joint specialized unit that is dedicated to the investigation, laboratory analysis, and prosecution of backlogged violent and sexual assault cases that hold the promise of being solved through DNA technology.

 

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

by Jill Forman

Local Author Talk at Hill Road Library

Michele Artiz Smith, J.D. will visit the Hill Road Library on Sunday, May 15th, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. to discuss her book My Husband’s Keeper: A Memoir. 

Smith takes the reader through the early, middle, and late stages of Alzheimer’s disease. After her husband’s diagnosis, she vowed to learn as much as possible about the condition, becoming a State-Certified Ombudsman and gaining a window into the world of dementia and Alzheimer’s through visiting long-term care facilities and meeting with other families that experience this illness. 

More information can be found on her website: myhusbandskeeper.com 

This event is free and open to the public. 

Online Bookstore update:

VFOL Online Bookstore is putting great vintage literature on sale in April! Hand selected for their quality, despite their age, these selections are sure to bring enjoyment. Also, be on the lookout for seasonal titles for children, new puzzles and of course fiction you can sink your teeth into.

Meet your Hill Road Library Staff

Interview with Veronica Betancourt, Library Technician I

Why did you become a librarian?

I came to the Ventura County Library system in 2021 after 10 years of teaching, tutoring, and college admissions counseling. I was very “burned-out” after working in high-pressure environments with high-pressure parents, and the opportunity to continue working with children and teens while stepping away from the high-stakes world of college admissions was very appealing to me.

What education do you have?

I have a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, majoring in medieval history. I have always loved the process of how history is made and preserved throughout the centuries, so it makes sense that I would end up at a place that is all about books,  especially considering how much of a privilege access to books has been for most of human history

Where were you raised?  Were libraries important in your childhood?

I grew up in Silicon Valley and was really lucky to have had the San Jose Public Library system as a huge part of my childhood. I spent a lot of time after school in the library, and the library was the first place my parents let me go by myself on weekends. So for me libraries are a place of freedom and independence – I could read whatever I wanted and go whenever I wanted.

What is your favorite part of your job?

There are two things I love the most! I strongly believe in the value of non-commercial public spaces, and libraries are one of the last places left where you can spend all the time you want with no expectation of spending money. Whenever someone feels safe and secure in our library, regardless of their circumstances, I feel like we have done an important public service. There is also nothing better than the look on a child’s face when you pull “just the right book” off of the shelves for them! 

Anything else you’d like to add?

Just some words of appreciation for the whole Hill Road Library staff and Friends volunteers for making me feel at home here!

 

Multiple Honors by the Community Memorial Health System Clinical Laboratory

Community Memorial Health System is proud to announce that its Clinical Laboratory, located at Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Ventura, is the only hospital-based laboratory in Ventura County to receive two distinctions for excellence in safety, automation, and efficiency.

For the seventh consecutive time, the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) has awarded Community Memorial Health System its accreditation for excellence in transfusion services. This accreditation acknowledges transfusion programs that meet the highest level of quality and safety standards for transfusion patients and blood donors at all times.

“I am incredibly proud of our Clinical Laboratory team for their ongoing dedication to the AABB accreditation process,” said Community Memorial Health System President & CEO Gary Wilde. “From blood banking and transfusion services to COVID-19 testing, our laboratory plays a vital role in the excellent level of care we provide to our community.”

The AABB also recognized Minerva Vasquez, Community Memorial Health System Lab Section Supervisor, for her thought-leadership in the development and implementation of processes and procedures designed to ensure adherence to safety standards. The AABB will be sharing an auditing tool developed by Vasquez as a best-practice model for meeting the benchmarks required for its accreditation.

Community Memorial Health System’s Chemistry Lab Supervisor, Trevor Jackson, was also recognized for his excellence as a laboratory professional. Jackson was selected for Cardinal Health’s Laboratory Excellence List ™ for his exceptional achievements in efficiency and automation. Jackson, who joined the Community Memorial Health System lab team as a phlebotomist in 2000, served as the project lead in the installation and optimization of the DxA 5000 Total Lab Automation System, a cutting-edge lab track that automates the connection between the chemistry and hematology instruments used for sample processing. It provides pre-analytical sample analysis, reduces manual processing steps, and drives consistent sample turnaround times. Jackson and the expert lab team starting working to implement this new technology in August 2020 and, despite the pressures of the pandemic, launched it in June, 2021. Community Memorial Health System is the only hospital-based clinical laboratory with the DxA 5000 in Southern California.

“Working in the healthcare industry can be stressful, especially these last few years, but I have always found the work very rewarding and worth the effort,” said Jackson.

The Community Memorial Health System Clinical Laboratory provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient testing services to patients at Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, Midtown Medical Group Clinics, Centers for Family Health Clinics, and a network of other healthcare, home health, and skilled nursing partners throughout western Ventura County.

City Council City Manager Alex McIntyre receives a pay increase

Based upon a new contract, approved 6-1 by the City Council, City Manager Alex McIntyre received a 2% pay raise. It also includes a merit increase that brings McIntyre’s annual salary to more than $280,000.

When McIntyre was hired in 2018, he received an annual salary of $255,000. In 2020, he made $269,022 and $79,659 in benefits, making him the fourth highest paid city manager in Ventura County.

Other city manager salaries:

Simi Valley City Manager Brian Gabler earned $280,970 and $31,041 in benefits.

Moorpark’s Troy Brown earned $237,193 and $73,017

Thousand Oaks City Manager Drew Powers earned $318,134 and $93,849 in benefits.

Oxnard City Manager Alex Nguyen earned $299,142 and $46,963 in benefits.

Fire crews respond to fire inside a parked motorhome RV

On April 7, at 9:38am, fire units were dispatched to a reported large fire at Main St. at Hartman Dr. Units arrived to find a growing fire inside a parked motorhome RV. Fire crews made an aggressive attack on the fire and thankfully prevented spread to an adjacent building. Upon completion of an interior search of the RV, it was determined that an adult male, unknown age was deceased inside the vehicle. One male bystander, unknown age, who was initially attempting to help at the time of the fire was assessed by paramedics and transported to VCMC for smoke inhalation.