Kristine Tompkins has worked to protect wild beauty and biodiversity. Photo by James Q. Martin
Ventura Land Trust will host the next installment of its Environmental Speaker Series, Women in Conservation, on Thursday, April 14th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Museum of Ventura County (100 E Main St.).
A panel discussion moderated by Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa will feature Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, Kate Larramendy, and Michelle I. Sevilla, three individuals who are shaping the modern conservation movement in the United States and abroad.
Baffa herself is a biologist and educator who was selected as a 2015 Science Communication Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust, and explored the deep sea as part of Dr. Robert Ballard’s Corps of Exploration in 2015, 2016, and 2018.
“Our panelists have such a wide range of experience and influence,” says Baffa. “They are examples of women who have navigated barriers to build connections among scientists, environmental advocates, policymakers, and communities, and they’ve made significant contributions to the field of conservation. Because of their work, others who identify as women can follow in their footsteps.”
Women in Conservation panelists include Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, who, as president and cofounder of Tompkins Conservation, has worked to protect wild beauty and biodiversitywith the conservation of 15 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina; Kate Larramendy,past Director of Design and Sustainability for Toad&Co and trustee of The Conservation Alliance; and Michelle I. Sevilla, an immigrant from the Philippines who works on local environmental issues and policy in the California State Legislature. Sevilla is the first Network Manager of the Central Coast Climate Justice Network.
Members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists in a Q&A session after the panel discussion. Now in its seventh year, Ventura Land Trust’s quarterly Environmental Speaker Serieseducates the public about important local and global environmental issues. Women in Conservation is the second of four events in 2022, with upcoming events in June and October. Environmental Speaker Series events are free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged. Guests are encouraged to RSVP for Women in Conservation at www.venturalandtrust.org/womeninconservation.
The mission of Ventura Land Trust 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 believes that preserving open space and providing public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. The organization currently owns and manages land along the Ventura River and in the Ventura hillsides, including the 2,100-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve. All preserves are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. Ventura Land Trust is an accredited member of the Land Trust Alliance. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org.
Museum of Ventura County announces the addition of two members to their Board of Directors, longtime Ventura County supporter Greg Monterrosa and Immigration Attorney Gabriella Navarro-Busch. The Museum’s 13-member board helps to guide the collections, exhibits, and educational programs, which collectively celebrate the rich history, art and culture of Ventura County.
“The Museum is honored to welcome these two exemplary and engaged members of our community to our Board,” said Executive Director Elena Brokaw. “Greg’s dedication to serving the people of Ventura County and experience on the board of Conejo/Las Virgenes Foundation will no doubt make an immediate impact. We are equally fortunate to welcome Gabriella, whose leadership in public safety and dedication to helping those in need through her work as an immigration attorney, will enlighten and inform us with her distinct perspectives.
Greg Monterrosa joins the Museum of Ventura County board with a history of dedicated work in supporting and advancing entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development in Ventura County. In addition to the Museum, Monterrosa is currently an active board member for the Conejo/Las Virgenes Foundation and has received various awards and recognition for his community leadership efforts.
Gabriella Navarro-Busch comes to the Museum’s board of directors with extensive experience as an immigration attorney. She also is a former president of the Ventura County chapter of the MexicanAmerican Bar Association, recipient of the 2004 State Bar of California President’s Pro Bono Service
Award, and former 23 year employee of the Oxnard Police Department’s Emergency 911 Communications Center. Additionally, Navarro-Busch is the referred attorney for several domestic violence shelters in Ventura County where clients qualify for immigration relief under the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA) or U-visa protections.
To learn more about the Museum of Ventura County’s 2021-2022 Board of Directors, please visit: venturamuseum.org/board-and-committees
The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community.
Also, The Museum of Ventura County announces the return of the Bonita C. McFarland Visual Arts Scholarship. Named after a generous benefactor to the arts in Ventura County, the total amount awarded will be $17,500, with individual awards of $500 or more dependent on need and number of scholarships awarded. Awards will be based on artistic merit and commitment as demonstrated by the requirements. The scholarship is available to any high school senior or college level student of the visual arts, who is also a Ventura County resident. Applicants must complete the application online, along with a 400-word essay about their art and education/career goals, letter of recommendation from a teacher or instructor, 10 images of artwork and/or projects (8MB maximum size per image) by the April 25, 2022 deadline.
Joe Spano and JoBeth Williams star at the Rubicon.
by Shirley Lorraine
Rubicon Sets the Stage for the Season
The Rubicon Theatre has proudly reopened. Areas of the space, both upstairs and down, have been renovated, remodeled or renewed.
The night I attended the air was electric with excitement as the Rubicon staff and volunteers welcomed patrons back.
Rubicon’s 2022 “Welcome Home” season launched with a pre-season event titled “The Gin Game” by D.L. Coburn, featuring accomplished veteran actors JoBeth Williams and Joe Spano. Company stalwart Jenny Sullivan directed. The production heralded the re-opening of the Rubicon and after closing on April 3, goes on the road for a national tour, enticing audiences back into other regional theaters.
The Gin Game is a Pulitzer-prize winning exploration into life toward the end of the road. Weller Martin (Joe Spano) has been living at Bentley Nursing Home, a rather run-down facility, for some time. His solitary existence has rendered him grieving, bored, defeated, and generally unhappy. A newer resident, Fonsia Dorsey (JoBeth Williams) enters Martin’s lonely world and the two reluctantly become companions over frequent games of gin rummy. The problems begin when Fonsia cannot seem to lose at the game, bringing Weller’s frustration and anger to the surface.
The audience is swept up in the competitive banter between the two, interspersed with insights into a nursing home environment in which neither ever wanted to end up but to which they were consigned because of life circumstances. Despite their differences, the two find their situations have a great deal in common. The frailties and realities of life in a nursing home are constant reminders of the lives both used to enjoy.
Those with friends or relatives living in an elder care facility will find many familiar refrains throughout the play. The frustrations with “systems” are universal. To paraphrase a line Weller utters “we are stored here until the end.” The feeling seems to be common.
Both award-winning actors brought performances that pulled at the heart strings. What a lovely way to reintroduce audiences to the magic of live theater and of the Rubicon, our local jewel in Ventura’s artistic crown.
The next Rubicon production will be Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992, opening on the 30th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King incident. A powerful account of the “largest social explosion of the American 20th century”, Twilight delves into the many sparks that fueled the emotional inferno that still evokes reactions today. It promises to be a must-see, thought-provoking production.
Across the county our theaters are announcing seasons full of variety. Actors and stage crews are in full swing rehearsing and preparing for you, their devoted audience. Most theaters still have mask and vaccination precautions in place – a small inconvenience for a large return. Your support ensures continuation of their health as well.
Check with each theater individually for their production schedules and guidelines. Do something nice for yourself. Attend live theater.
Mary was an extremely generous individual to both those she knew and didn’t know.
Mary O’Connor (Tosney) completed her earthly journey peacefully at her residence in Ventura, on Saturday, March 12, 2022. Mary Ann was born to Dr. Robert O’Connor and Mary (McMahon) O’Connor in Buffalo, NY. She spent her early years in the idyllic village of Williamsville, NY.
Mary O’Connor was the rock ’n’ roller & Chapter 12 of The Necklace: 13 Women and the experiment that transformed their lives.
Mary received her teaching degree from Daemen College and completed her Master’s Degree at SUNY at Buffalo. She taught at her high school alma mater serving as Chair of the English Department.
In August of 1977, Mary wed William (Bill) Tosney in Williamsville. Engineering employment for Bill was sparse in Western NY, and that was the beginning of the westward trek; Nuclear Engineering in Colorado, led to Petroleum Engineering in Ventura, and finally Aerospace Engineering in Los Angeles.
Mary continued her teaching career at St. Bonaventure High School, Bill commuted to L.A. and their children flourished at Our Lady of the Assumption School and St. Bonaventure High.
In the late 80s, Mary founded Signs Now which she owned and operated for 28 years. The business provided an interface to support many community efforts and charitable non-profits.
Mary was a longtime member and sponsor of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee. In 2007, she was inducted into the second class of the St. Bonaventure Hall of Fame in recognition of her dedication and ongoing support of the school. In 2011, Mary was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of Daemen College in Amherst, NY for her service to the community.
If Mary had an avocation, it was “football fan”. She loved all things football and managed to attend several Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers games as well as 7 Super Bowls. Her true passion, however, was the Friday Night Lights of St. Bonaventure Seraphs Football, which she followed tirelessly.
Mary was an extremely generous individual to both those she knew and didn’t know. She was a dedicated teacher, accomplished business woman, loyal friend, devoted mother and grandmother and cherished wife.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents and the love of her life and husband Bill of 42 years.
A funeral mass to be held on Monday, April 4th at the Mulcahy Center behind Our Lady of the Assumption Church with a graveside service at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura. Arrangements were under the direction of Joseph Reardon Funeral Home.
Passover 2022 begins at sundown on Friday, April 15, and ends Saturday evening, April 23.
Passover is a festival of freedom.
It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. Passover or Pesach is an important, biblically derived Jewish holiday. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.
Passover commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts for either seven
days (in Israel and for Reform Jews and other progressive Jews around the world who adhere to the Biblical commandment) or eight days for Orthodox, Hasidic, and most Conservative Jews.
A day commences at dusk and lasts until the following dusk, thus the first day of Passover begins after dusk. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.
The rituals unique to the Passover celebrations commence with the Passover Seder.
In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born.
The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to “pass over” the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday.
When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten.
Artists Lisa Mahony and Laura Jespersen explore spring flora and local landscape in this exhibit in the small building at the Olivas Adobe. On Saturday, March 12, an open house was held at the Adobe to meet the artists and enjoy their paintings. Docent President Mary Thompson is shown with the artists.
“Ventura Police Department Officers receive mental health training while in Basic Academy under Learning Domain 37, which consists of 15 hours,” according to Emily Graves, Community Outreach Specialist for the City of Ventura/Police. “The Basic Academy training is an introduction for first responders and Crisis Intervention Training. Officers are taught a basic understanding of a variety of mental health disorders, developmental disabilities, and brain injuries. They are exposed to mental health consumers and family members who speak about their experiences with loved ones who suffer from mental illness.”
“The weeklong Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) Academy,” according to John Schipper, Ph.D., Division Chief for Adult Services for Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), “includes training by VCBH staff and members of the community. This training is for all the Ventura County police and sheriff departments, including Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme Police and Sheriff departments. This training educates officers/deputies on different types of mental illness, de-escalating techniques, and role playing of various scenarios. These trainings have been happening for over 20 years.
“Instructors in the CIT Academy include various presentations. Tri-County Regional Center and mental health staff from the Ventura County Behavioral Health provide these presentations.”
Graves said, “Following academy graduation, Ventura Police Officers attend a more robust 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training Academy where new officers are exposed to over 50 instructors and guest speakers from various law enforcement agencies and community organizations who donate a total of 250 hours to make the class possible. At the CIT Academy, officers get more in-depth mental health knowledge, are taught de-escalation skills, and practice those newly learned techniques in multiple scenarios.”
“Providing a refresher course is essential,” according to Dr. Schipper. “Starting in 2022, the Crisis Intervention Training will be including 8-hour CIT Update Courses every two years for past CIT Academy graduates,” according to Graves.
∙ Medication is an often-underutilized tool that can greatly help with managing aggression in dogs, according to veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall.“I’ve never not treated aggression with medication, because aggression is fundamentally an anxiety disorder,” said Dr. Overall, a professor of behavioral medicine at the University of Prince Edward Island Atlantic Veterinary College. “We change how the dog thinks by using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants that work by remodeling neurons and make acquiring new behaviors easier,” she explained.
Approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States each year, and more than 800,000 dog-bite victims require medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dogs with unaddressed behavioral problems not only threaten public health but are more likely to be surrendered and euthanized. To the untrained eye, a snarling or barking dog may be seen as overly threatening or aggressive when in fact the dog is behaving normally in the particular situation. As Dr. Overall explained, agonistic behaviors are complex social interactions that manifest as displays of dominance, submission, and reconciliation.
“No, no, not the pants!”
These behaviors can appear aggressive and include biting but are ultimately a normal part a dog’s behavioral repertoire. “Maybe there are communication errors or uncertainty, or maybe a dog was behaving aggressively but reconsidered after obtaining more information from one of the participants,” Dr. Overall said. “Implicit here is one party makes a statement, the other party responds, and they go from there.”
Determining whether aggressive behaviors are normal or inappropriate is the context in which they occur. One example of normal aggression is a dog snarling when another dog in the household, after eating its own meal, tries to eat the meal that the snarling dog is eating. In contrast, abnormal or pathological aggression occurs out of context or over an extended period of time. It also manifests as an extreme overreaction given the situation.
“Hurry up I need to go!”
“Inherent in these comparisons is that the response to a triggering circumstance is episodic in fear and fear aggression, but chronic in anxiety since the initial trigger is the underlying state itself,” Dr. Overall said.
Fearful dogs choose to withdraw. They want distance between themselves and whatever is scaring them. They’ll back off and lower every part of their body. Anxious dogs, on the other hand, won’t retreat but must scan and monitor the situation. Their anxiety prevents them from interrupting what is happening in a given context.
Key to treating aggression is identifying the context and causes for the behavior. Before a dog becomes aggressive, there is first an arousal phase in which the dog reacts to negative stimuli. The arousal phase can occur quickly and is easily missed, Dr. Overall said.
“You don’t realize how fast it happens,” she said. “The window closes so quickly, maybe a tenth of a second. People say they tried to redirect the dog when it becomes aggressive, but it’s too late at that point.”
Clients can participate in their dog’s treatment by using a smartphone to make a recording of their pet that a veterinarian can review. “We want videos. We want to see what they do in their home environment. All the information is right there,” Dr. Overall said.
Four drug compounds are currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat some forms of canine anxiety: clomipramine, fluoxetine, dexmedetomidine, and imepitoin.
Dr. Overall considers treatment with drugs as a complement to behavioral modification, which rewards positive behaviors and ignores unwanted behaviors.
National Dog Bite Prevention Week, sponsored by the AVMA, is being held this year from April 10-16.
∙ Do’s and Don’ts for Communicating with Your Cat
From body language to training tips, here’s how to build better bonds with feline pals.
by Brittany Edelmann
Do: Watch Their Body Language
If your cat approaches you with his or her tail up, like a question mark, this can mean it is “probably going to be friendly, or at least comfortable with the interaction that is going on so far,” Lilly explains. But, if there is slow movement and low-to-the-ground posture, pretending as though the cat “doesn’t exist” to increase comfortability prior to interaction can help, Lilly says. Likewise, if the ears are pinned back, “then they’re not a happy cat,” says Marina Jaworsky, associate veterinary at Green Tree Animal Hospital in Libertyville, Illinois.
Don’t: Reprimand Your Cat
If you pet your cats or try to get them to come near you and they become scared or uncomfortable, they may decide they’ve had enough, “and they might even nip at you,” Jokela says. Even if you think your pet is being mean — what cat owner hasn’t? — don’t act out against them. Yelling, scolding, or even spraying water on them will “definitely break the bond,” Jokela says.
Don’t: Use Laser Pointers
Playing with your cat can help you form a stronger bond, Jokela says. But laser pointers, which many cats seem to love, may not be the best toy. The caveat? When cats are constantly chasing something that they will never catch, it can create or worsen OCD and obsessive tendencies, where your kitty is “always looking out for this thing because they don’t get the satisfaction of catching it at the end,” Castro says. Left with nothing to nab, this can leave cats stressed and contribute to health and behavior issues. One 2021 research study showed increased reports of abnormal repetitive behaviors the more that laser light pointers were used.
Every cat is different. Understanding what they like and don’t like, keeping stress to a minimum and making them as comfortable as possible is key to a better relationship. What’s most important? “Respecting their boundaries and interacting in a way that they want to interact, versus the way you may want to interact, can be beneficial for your relationship,” Castro says.
Andre Pico put forth a Bill in the Assembly to split off the southern counties of the state.
by Richard Senate
Remarkable as it is to imagine, once what is today Ventura County was listed as part of the newly formed Territory of Colorado. No, not the present state of Colorado but a newly formed southerly section, split off from the State of California in 1859 and designated as the “Territory of Colorado.” This was one of many plans to break California into two or more sections that started in Mexican Times and continues to this very day. This attempt came closest to success in the chaos of the approaching Civil War and was the brainchild of a remarkable Californian named Andre Pico, the younger brother of Pio Pico, the last Mexican Governor of California under the Mexican Republic. Andre Pico was the owner of the San Fernando Valley.
In the Mexican-American War of 1846-8 he commanded the Mexican California Militia lancers and pro-Mexican Native Americans at the Battle of San Pasqual. He was serving as acting governor when he surrendered to Col. John C. Fremont at the Treaty of Cahuenga pass ending the fighting in California. Andre Pico became an American citizen with full rights and served as member of the California Constitutional convention in Monterrey that formed the new State in 1850.
Andre Pico put forth a Bill in the Assembly to split off the southern counties of the state at the 36th parallel as “the territory of Colorado.” He sighted cultural differences between the peoples of the north and south. The act was passed in 1859 and a local referendum held where 75% of the Southern California voters supported the action. The Governor John B. Weller (a Douglas Democrat) signed the “Pico Bill” and sent it to Washington DC.
The election of 1860 disrupted everything. The New Republican Party put forth “Honest Abe” Lincoln, as the Democrats split into two parties, supporting Douglas and the firebrand secessionist Breckenridge (had the Democrats stayed united, they would have beaten Lincoln and perhaps delayed the Civil War). Republicans in California won the state by less than a thousand votes, Southern California went for Breckenridge with Santa Barbara County (Ventura was part of Santa Barbara at the time) going for Douglas. (Ventura cast all her votes for Lincoln). The looming Civil War and attempts at peace caused the Pico Bill to die in Congress.. When fighting, started after the shelling of Fort Sumter in April of 1861, Andre Pico and other supporters swore allegiance to Abe Lincoln and the Union and the movement to split California became another footnote in history. But such an action could well have changed the history of the west.
Hi: I’m Raven, a 7-year-old beautiful Chow X who was rescued from an LA Shelter. I’m thankful to be given a chance to find my forever home. I’m fortunate to be in a foster home.
“She has good leash manners but has trouble coming to be leashed. She was shy with us for a while, I think she was not well socialized or walked. She definitely wants to be with her people. She likes your attention and is also willing to lie in the kitchen while you work.”
She has dry eyes and needs drops in each eye twice a day. She is a sweet girl and will make her new family very happy.
If you’re interested in meeting her, please fill out an online application to meet me.
Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L. CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.
Ventura County Animal Services
Kiki is a 15-year-old female Shih Tzu Mix
She can be adopted after Sunday April 10, 2022.
She was found in Oxnard and is as adorable as can be.
Shelter: Camarillo Animal Shelter Animal ID: A656832 Kennel: 103
