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International Day of Friendship

The guest speaker was Pastor Michael McCurtis of the Total Life Christian Center of Ventura.

On August 7^th, from 1pm – 3pm, the Church of Scientology Ventura held an open house special presentation to Commemorate the International Day of Friendship.

Rev. Luther McCurtis from Face Of Ventura by Johanna Spinks

The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the United Nations in 2011 with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. It is a day about promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity.

“Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.” United Nations

The guest speaker was Pastor Michael McCurtis of the Total Life Christian Center of Ventura, who’s father, Rev. Luther McCurtis founded the Center over 50 years ago when he saw a need for a ministry that extended beyond the four walls to help those in need.

The wreck of the SS Winfield Scott

The ship was slowly sinking.

by Richard Senate

An event happened on Anacapa Island that was the cause of the construction of a light house on the Island. It was a dark foggy night, December 4th, 1853, when the steamship ” Winfield Scott” went into the rocks off Frenchies Cove, Anacapa Island. The three-year-old 1,291 ton paddle steamer was carrying 250 rich miners from San Francisco to Panama on the first leg home to their families in the United States. Each one carried gold, and the ship also held two million of gold bullion being sent east.

The master of the ship was Captain Blunt who had successfully sailed the ship around the horn from New York to California. He had heard that the Santa Barbara Channel would cut hours, even days, off his trip. Most sea captains at that time avoided this rout preferring to sail far off the coast. Knowing the stiff competition from other lines, he elected to sail though the channel. It was a mistake.

The Santa Barbara Channel can be treacherous, especial in the Winter months. When they were off Santa Barbara they were enveloped in a thick pea soup fog. Blinded in the days before radar Captain Blunt was forced to reduce speed and proceed using dead reckoning. As they progressed nervously on the bridge, the unknowing passengers partied, played cards and gambled. Somehow, perhaps it was only a small error, they strayed off course. At two a.m. when they were almost though the Channel, the big ship rammed into the rocks. Everyone was tossed from their beds and went on deck into the fog. Some panicked in fear, others steeled by their time in the rough gold camps, remained calm. They knew they were not far from land, they could hear the sound of the surf.

The ship was slowly sinking, her twin 350 horsepower engines had wedged her between two rocks. A long boat was lowered and they found the beach not far away. The crew and passengers were taken to the beach with all their goods and valuables. They had time to take supplies and water as well as the gold bullion under armed guard. They wisely salvaged a small cannon. Tents were set up and when dawn came the ship was gone and Frenchies Cove was all they saw. A rocky island without fresh water.

The Captain order his sailors to take the longboat and try to row to Santa Barbara for help. They set off but it took days for them to make the trip. Eight days being stranded came to an end when the ship “Californian” drew near and they fired the cannon to signal for help. She was heading for Panama too and took the miners and bullion with her.

Now the wreck is under the protection of the National Parks Service and it is illegal to take artifacts from the sunken hull. She rests in 30 feet of water just 50 feel offshore. The ship, being made mostly of wood is badly deteriorated, only a few ribs and her iron boilers and paddlewheels are left. It is an ideal place for SCUBA diving and the National Parks encourage photography. To visit the site contact the Channel Islands National Monument at the Ventura Harbor or contact the Island Packers in the harbor that offers tours of Anacapa and the wreck site.

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

The Ventura Friends of the Library had a sale at the Dudley House.

by Jill Forman

Thanks for a successful book sale!

On July 31 and August 1, the Ventura Friends of the Library had a sale at the Dudley House. The weather was perfect, the local plant society was there with plants for sale, and the Lions had a barbecue. There were free tours of the Dudley House. Hundreds of Ventura folks came out to socialize, browse books and plants, eat hot dogs, and take a tour.

So many people to thank. First of all to the volunteers of the Friends of the Library, organized and directed by our Fearless Leader Sandy Greenberg, who worked for four days to transport, set up and take down, and sell our gently-used books. Special shout-out to Clyde Hofflund who was there every day with his trusty truck and strong back! Then to the Dudley House people, especially Lynn Weitzel and Jan Hunter, who helped coordinate as well as working with the Friends. And Charley “the plant man,” whose good cheer and efforts for both the plant sale and the Dudley House made it fun. The Ventura Downtown Lions contributed delicious barbecue aromas and hot dog lunches. Boy Scout Troop 179 helped with unloading and moving boxes of books. Ventura East Rotary transported and also moved boxes.

And most of all, to the people of Ventura who came out and supported us. We made over $1200, plus memberships. Every dollar goes to the libraries, for books and equipment and programs. And as one board member said, “The joy of seeing someone excited about their purchase, talking to buyers about books we love, is why we do this work.”

Hill Road donation bin
Reminder to please only drop off one bag of donated books at a time. The bin (and the volunteers’ backs!) are overwhelmed. If you have a large donation, please take it out to the warehouse. Information on hours and location can be found at the Friends of the Library web page, venturafriendsofthelibrary.org.

Volunteers wanted
If you saw how much we enjoyed the book sale, if you’re a booklover with some spare time, if you want to give back to the community, we would love to have you join us! We have jobs in the bookstore, in the warehouse, behind the scenes at the bookstore, during our sales, whatever you prefer. Contact us at [email protected].

Ventura County Library announces a new mobile app, MyVCLibrary (from press release)
The MyVCLibrary app helps library customers continue to access Ventura County Library collections and services in a user-friendly way. Users may access a digital library card, search for materials, place or cancel holds, manage their account, renew items, and even self-check, all from their mobile device…. “We’re really excited that our new and improved app brings the library to life in the hands of our users. We’re happy to be able to extend our reach into the community and provide customers convenient access to our collections and services, wherever they are, whenever they’d like,” says Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director.

Program helps COVID-impacted veterans become employed in high-demand industries

Veterans experiencing unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic are among the country’s hardest-hit populations. To help veterans who have been impacted, Ventura College’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is now offering the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP). Eligible veterans will receive up to one year of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs-paid training for high-demand occupations and a monthly housing allowance.

To qualify for the Veteran Affairs (VA) program, veterans need to be between the ages of 22 and 66, unemployed due to COVID, not totally disabled and have no other VA benefits remaining.

The VRC will assist eligible veterans in applying for VRRAP and then getting enrolled at Ventura College for the fall 2021 semester with classes starting Aug. 16. Ventura College also offers classes beginning January 2022 to accommodate students’ schedules.

The college’s VRRAP students will have a choice of 23 certificate of achievement programs, including accounting, automotive technician, construction management and the new veterinary assistant program.

VRRAP veteran students and all military-connected students—including active duty and dependents of veterans—are supported by the VRC. The Center helps students navigate the college’s enrollment process, links them with educational benefits, and connects students with academic counselors and financial aid specialists. As an advocate for military students, the VRC provides information, holds special events and offers a location for students to work, study and mingle.

“It’s rare that the VA introduces new educational funding programs. Having Ventura College be a VRRAP provider is important because it specifically addresses the needs of our veterans who have been so greatly impacted,” said Jordana Ybarra-Telias, VRC program coordinator. “I hope to see more VA programs like VRRAP that provide a housing allowance to make it easier for veteran students to focus on school without worrying about how they will pay rent as they invest in their futures.”

“Ventura College is honored to support our veterans, and this new program will help them gain knowledge and skills to increase their employability,” added Ventura College President Kim Hoffmans. “Veterans and their families have made great sacrifices for our country, and this is one way for us to demonstrate our gratitude.”

In March, the VA enacted VRRAP as part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package designed to help individuals and businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic.

“As a member of the California Community Colleges Veterans Caucus, I appreciate how VRRAP will not only help Ventura College students, it will also help our community’s economic recovery,” said Chancellor Greg Gillespie.

Ventura College offers several VA programs and other educational funding resources from federal, state and local entities. Students can access the college’s Zero Textbook Cost program and other resources to help with educational expenses.

For more information about VRRAP at Ventura College, contact Ybarra-Telias at (805) 289-6060 or [email protected], or visit venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/veterans-resource-center

5th annual ArtWalk at the Shores

Dave Gardner will be one of the featured artists.

The public is invited to visit with local artists showing their original works in the 5th annual ArtWalk at the Shores. This one-day event will be held on Saturday August 21st

11am-4pm in Mandalay Shores.

There will be over 25 local artists showing sea glass art, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, photography, watercolors, oil paintings, mixed media, printmaking and much more.

Come and be surprised.

The ArtWalk begins at the corner of Wooley and Harbor Blvd. Maps will be available online at https://artwalkoxnardshores.com and at each artist’s location.

The ArtWalk began as a volunteer collaboration to promote a strong sense of community through art awareness and inclusivity. As a result the event has continued to grow each year. Neighbors, friends, summertime visitors, art collectors or first-time buyers are all encouraged to take a stroll or bike through the beautiful beach side neighborhood of Mandalay Shores in Oxnard.

Come meet the artists and shop the unique treasures. Look for the colorful ArtWalk flags!

Visit us at https://artwalkoxnardshores.com
Or at https://www.facebook.com/artwalktheshores
https://www.instagram.com/artwalkattheshores/

County Agricultural Commissioner 2020 Crop & Livestock Report

The year 2020 brought several things into sharp focus about the importance of agriculture to the County of Ventura. The COVID 19 pandemic pointed out how vulnerable and extraordinarily essential the 40,000 hardworking people who faithfully kept coming to work are to not only the residents of Ventura, but to people throughout the world. They kept the food, clothing, landscaping, and agricultural systems moving despite many new challenges and changes in our society. They did all this while not only worrying about how to provide food and shelter for their families, but also keeping them safe through rapidly changing work and social conditions.

Our report this year features the diverse stories of women in Ventura County agriculture. Women who grow crops, manage a farm, connect farmworkers to resources, advocate for farmworker rights, distribute wholesale produce, manage farmers’ markets, provide agricultural education, contract farm labor, provide farm labor housing, oversee food safety, provide legal counsel, provide pest control advice, conduct agricultural research, and protect the industry, the public and the environment by regulating agriculture.

With the closure of restaurants and restrictions at grocery stores during 2020 the farming community and distributors had to scramble to change marketing practices and for some the type of produce they grew. Some of these changes are reflected in some of the crop values and production numbers.

Strawberries are still number one

The estimated gross value of Ventura County’s agriculture for calendar year 2020 is $1,985,365,000. This represents a 0.2% decrease in comparison to 2019. Strawberries were again the number one crop at $575,373,000, increasing by 13.0%. Lemons moved back into second place with a value of $216,190,000, increasing by 2.0%. Nursery Stock moved up into third place with a value of $193,135,000, increasing by 3.0%. Tomatoes remained in seventh place with a value of $54,387,000, increasing by 17.0%. Peppers moved up into eighth place with a value of $41,165,000, but decreased by 4.0%.

Big changes in the top ten

Avocados moved up into fourth place with a value of $179,727,000, increasing by 54.0%. Raspberries moved down to fifth place with a value of $141,547,000, decreasing by 30.0%. Celery moved down to sixth place with a value of $126,870,000, decreasing by 48.0%. Blueberries entered the top ten for the first time, landing in ninth place with a value of $38,781,000, with a tremendous increase of 119.0 %!

Crops that dropped out of the top ten

Cabbage replaced Hemp as the number ten crop at $37,135,000, increasing by 8.0% from 2019. Sadly, for the first time since 1983, cut flowers has dropped out of the top ten with a total value of $33,917,000, a decrease of 27%.

Organic demand remains high

Although the number of acres farmed organically decreased, the value of crops grown organically increased by 1.8% from 2019 to 2020.

To learn more about support for Farmworkers please visit the County of Ventura’s Farmworker Resource Program website at: https://www.ventura.org/human-services-agency/farmworker-resources/.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – Scamp Club

Hi: I’m Moose AKA PuppyCat a three-year-old RagDoll.

Favorite things to do: Flash his bright blue eyes, meow super sweet, and work us for treats. He loves to bring me bluebelly lizards and alligator lizards. I put them back out in the garden and he brings them back in the house. He also loves to hang out and snuggle. He makes it really hard to get anything done when he’s demanding attention.

Caissons being delivered to the Ventura Harbor for new docks being constructed.

Channel Islands Choral Association is pleased to announce the 2021 Fall Choral Concert Season.

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) in partnership with CSU Channel Islands, Pleasant Valley School District and Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra is pleased to announce our 2021 Fall Choral Concert Season. Excerpts from two joyful and uplifting choral works will help herald a much-needed celebratory tone as our community launches their holiday celebrations: Morten Laurdisen’s Lux Aeterna and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah will be a part of CICA’s Holiday Choral Spectacular, Saturday, December 4 at 7 PM and Sunday, December 5 at 3 PM, Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center, Camarillo.

Members of the community, high school-aged and older, who wish to participate are cordially invited to audition and join. Alumni who have sung previously do not need to re-audition.

Understanding the need to offer flexibility during these unique times, CICA will be offering a slate of varying rehearsal formats designed to best fit the community’s needs and preferences. Community members can choose to participate in either in-person, outdoor Choral Workshops on Saturday mornings, attend virtual rehearsals on Monday evenings, or a combination of the two.

Community members electing to just attend Saturday Choral Workshops will be able to participate in 4 in-person, outdoor sessions: September 18, October 9, October 23 and November 13, 9:30 AM – 12 Noon. These workshops are designed to prepare singers for the presentation of Handel’s Messiah, and will be supported with safety protocols that have been established and regularly updated using federal, state and local requirements and guidelines. Please note, all 4 workshops must be attended in order to perform in the Holiday Choral Spectacular.

Should singers wish for more involvement and even broader musical training, virtual rehearsals in our VCR (Virtual Choir Room) will be available on Mondays starting at 6:30 PM beginning August 23rd. These rehearsals will include preparations for both the Fall and Spring performances of Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna and focused sectional work on Messiah. In addition, rehearsals in the VCR are designed to provide more in depth discussions on the works being performed, the composers being featured, as well as, provide members with guided access of online resources for practice at home.

For more information, please contact Dr. KuanFen Liu at [email protected]. Also, visit www.cicachoir.org for *updates and the latest information.

*Please realize that due to the unique times, concert selections, rehearsal formats, times and dates are subject to change.

Vol. 14, No. 23 – Aug 11 – Aug 24, 2021 – Harbor Patrol Blotter

Tuesday 7/20	12:00pm, received report of a stingray strike from State Parks at Harbor Cove. Officers responded with hot water to treat the puncture wound.
Wednes 7/21	1:45pm, received report of a stingray strike at Harbor Cove, tower 3 from State Parks lifeguards. Officers responded with hot water to assist treating the injury.
Thursday 7/22	7:11pm, dispatched to a fire alarm at Portside. Officers responded with Ventura Fire to the call. No fire discovered; Portside maintenance reset the alarm.
Friday 7/23	6:28pm, received report of an obscene bumper sticker on a vehicle in Ventura Harbor Village. Officers responded but were unable to locate the vehicle.
Saturday 7/24	7:10am, observed the National Scholastic Surfing Association conducting an Open Season event at Surfers Knoll Jetty. Observed a large group of surfers for the event. The competitors were enjoying good waves and conditions. 11:03pm, while on patrol, observed an RV with persons camping at the launch ramp. Officers educated the travelers from Brazil where they can legally camp.
Sunday 7/25	5:15pm, received a report of a water rescue at South Beach with four swimmers caught in a rip current. Officers responded by land in Harbor 1 and on Rescue Watercraft (waverunner) to assist State Parks Lifeguards with rescue. All victims were returned to shore and no injuries suffered by the foursome.
Wednes 7/28	12:50pm, received a report of a water rescue, capsized kayak/person in the water. Officers responded in RB19 to pull the victim from the water and tow the kayak back to the rental dock in the village.
Thursday 7/29	2:10am, observed an 8.2 earthquake occurred in Alaska. Officers checked the Pacific Tsunami warning center for information, no advisory issued for Calif. 3:30am, officers setting up measuring devices and cameras to monitor the predicted arrival of 4:45am of a 0.3ft surge. No anomalies observed. 10:47pm, while on patrol, received report of a fishing hook caught in cheek of fisherwoman. The patient refused medical assistance, officers stood by as she pushed the hook through her cheek and freed it from her face.
Friday 7/30	9:00am, officers assisting State Parks with junior lifeguard swim at the pier 1:24pm, dispatched to a fall victim in the Harbor Cove restrooms. Officers responded in Harb1 and were able to assist Oxnard Fire 66 with the patient. 4:10pm, dispatched to a water rescue, kite surfer in distress. Officers responded in RB17 and assisted State Parks with the victim who refused assistance. 10:20pm, dispatched to a fall victim in the Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded and assisted Ventura fire with the patient who was lifted, no medical.
Saturday 7/31	8:04am, received report of a dog and persons harassing a skunk at Harbor Cove. Officers responded and cleared the harassers. VC animal control unable to respond, Bird Rescue volunteer responded and captured the animal, relocated it. 3:22pm, dispatched to a medical alarm in Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded and found a confused male claiming he was assaulted. Ventura PD was requested and took over the call, victim refused medical care. 11:01pm, dispatched to a fire at Portside apartments. Officers responded with VFD and found a fire alarm sounding in an apartment with the stove on. The incident is under investigation
Sunday 8/01	8:59am, dispatched to a sick person in the Ventura Marina Community. Officers responded and assisted VFD/AMR with a male unable to move because of injury 10:18am, received report of an adrift kayak near the Surfers Knoll Jetty. Officers responded and found a black kayak that appeared to have been adrift for some time. It was towed, full of water back to patrol dock and entered into impound.
Monday 8/02	12:39pm, dispatched to fall victim near 1559 Spinnaker Dr. Officers responded and assisted VFD/AMR with an intoxicated male. AMR transported to hospital. 7:21pm, received report of sewage odor near Launch Ramp. Officers investigated and discovered a large pile of decomposing seaweed in the sandtrap
Tuesday 8/03	4:07pm, received report of transient locked in L/R restroom. Officers responded and removed transient with bike/bike trailer, 32in flat screen TV, large backpack.

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