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Ventura County now offering on-site COVID testing

The Testing Trailer can come to your business.

Mobile testing team onsite testing requirements

Business or organization must have at least 100 people that would like to get tested for the COVID-19 virus.

Outdoor location must include 100′ x 50′ open space suitable for parking a truck and 28′ trailer for our testing team.

Host location must provide access to restroom facilities within 200′ walking distance of the testing location.

Set up begins one hour before opening for testing.

COVID-19 testing is offered at high volume sites 7 days a week.

The County of Ventura’s new Mobile COVID-19 Testing Trailer can be requested at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/covid-testing.

The annual Spark of Love Holiday Toy Drive!

You can drop off new unwrapped toys.

In partnership with Ventura County Fire Dept the Local Love Project will be taking part in the annual Spark of Love Holiday Toy Drive! With so many impacted this year we need your help more than ever.

The Local Love Project is honored to be partnering up with our local business partners and Ventura County Fire on the Spark of Love Toy Drive.

You can drop off new unwrapped toys to the following wonderful businesses.

Winchesters Grill https://www.winchestersgrill.com/
632 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001

Salzer’s Records http://www.salzers.com/
5777 Valentine Rd, Ventura, CA 93003

Beacon Coffee http://beaconcoffee.com/
5777 Olivas Park Dr r, Ventura, CA 93003
211 W Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA 93023

LIV Sotheby’s International Realty http://livsothebysrealtyca.com/
554 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001

Ventura Botanical Garden https://www.venturabotanicalgardens.com/
567 South Poli St, Ventura, CA 93001

La Dolce Vita http://www.ladolcevita1901.com/
740 S B St, Oxnard, CA 93030

Rincon Brewing http://www.rinconbrewery.com/
4100 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003
205 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
5065 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013

And our wonderful partners at @Del Monte !

For more information go to https://vcfd.org/spark-of-love-toy-drive/

Want another fun way to drop off toys?

The Local Love Project Team will be out at the Holiday Drive Through Light event at the Ventura Fairgrounds through the 20th collecting toys. Bring an unwrapped new toy and help us to give back this holiday season.

For more info and tickets got to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holidays-in-your-car-ventura-tickets-125507922575

Drop Off A Toy: Now through Christmas Eve, you can drop off new, unwrapped toys or sports equipment at any participating location

Donate Online: https://www.vcpfa.org/spark-of-love-2020/

To make a donation via credit card to the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Association Charity Fund, click the ‘Make a Donation’ button. All proceeds will go to buying toys or sports equipment for the children and are tax-deductible. TIN # 47-2253294

Buy A Toy: Myregistry.com/giftlist/sparkoflove

All purchases made online will be delivered to Toy Central for distribution.

Vol. 14, No. 06 – Dec 16 – Dec 29, 2020 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers

Your Honor
Showtime Limited Series

Your Honor poses the question “What if a family member accidentally did something and wanted to do the right thing, but did it to the wrong people and therefore would suffer beyond the measure of the law?” The question becomes even more complicated when one family member is New Orleans Judge Michael Desiato (Bryan Cranston) whose son accidentally hit and killed the son of the area’s prominent organized crime family and is faced with situations he never imagined challenging his deepest convictions.

Judge Michael Desiato was known in the local community for his practicality and fairness. He was sensitive to family issues, which may have been partly due to losing his wife in a liquor store robbery gone bad just a year ago and dealing with the challenges of raising his son Adam as they deal with the grief of losing his mother.

Adam had decided to visit the neighborhood where his mother was murdered on the anniversary of her death wanting to leave her photo and some flowers as a small memento but was chased out of the neighborhood by thugs with guns. He was so panicked he had an asthma attack while driving but wasn’t able to find his inhaler, which was on the floorboard on the passenger side of the car. When reaching for it Adam slightly swerved into the path of an oncoming motorcycle whose driver flew over the hood of the car and across the intersection, while the motorcycle was dragged by the car.

Adam got out and tried to assist the boy but was unable to and in a panic called 911 from the boy’s cell phone but couldn’t say anything due to his asthma attack. Adam got in the car and drove away from the scene, threw the phone in the river and went home where he tried to clean the car and his blood soaked clothes.

When his father arrived home, Adam told him what happened and his dad Michael immediately took over cleaning up the car and laundry. They discussed the situation, and Adam agreed to go to the police station and turn himself in for the accident. Unfortunately when Micheal entered the police station to brief them on his son Adam’s situation, he saw Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stahlburg) and his wife who was inconsolable and realized the boy Adam killed was the son of the most vicious crime family in New Orleans.

Micheal felt his only choice was to protect his son and cover up the accident, both of them agreeing to never speak of the matter. Micheal used some of his long standing connections to make arrangements to have the car disappear to avoid any future evidence being found, and though there were no witnesses, Adam accidentally left his inhaler at the scene. One of Baxter’s guys found the inhaler which had his son’s blood, but also DNA from who used it and with his connections could get results within 36 hours.

Your Honor poses a very plausible situation that could happen to anyone, and takes many unexpected twists and turns. The cinematography keeps viewers gripped in the emotion of the moment and Episode 1 setup some interesting scenarios to see how they play out.

Rated TV-14
10 Episodes – 60 minutes

Vol. 14, No. 06 – Dec 16 – Dec 29, 2020 – The Pet Page

∙After four years of no first pet at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Biden and his wife will move in with a pair of German shepherds, Champ and Major. The Bidens got Champ as a puppy in 2008, shortly before they moved into the vice president’s official residence at the Naval Observatory.

∙Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC) is expanding its community outreach program to support the care and wellbeing of animals living within the City of Santa Paula and throughout the County of Ventura. The new pet pantry, appropriately named “Food FUR All”, launched as a Free Pet Food Drive on Saturday, December 12. The launch was held at the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center located at 705 E. Santa Barbara Street, Santa Paula. Food FUR All was created to provide pet owners who may be financially stressed or simply need a helping hand, especially during such trying times. One of the primary goals of the program is to reduce the number of pet owners who are fighting making the agonizing decision to surrender their pet simply because they cannot afford to feed their pets; that is a false choice that SPARC hopes to end with our new pet food pantry.

In one ASPCA study, 40% of low-income pet owners surrendering an animal to a shelter said they would have kept their pet if they’d had access to affordable vet care, and 30% said the same if they could have gotten free or low-cost pet food.

The shelter cannot provide this service without help from the community. SPARC is seeking generous donors who can donate unopened food or make a financial contribution and those interested in making a financial investment in SPARC’s future pet retention program to keep pets in their homes. The shelter is also seeking those interested in participating on a volunteer basis. Please contact the shelter directly at 805- 525 8609. Donations can be dropped off at the animal shelter any time between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.∙∙

∙ The holidays are here and the Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC) is ready to spread cheer! They are disappointed cannot host annual Santa Paws Fundraiser due to COVID-19. The shelter will be offering a Selfie Holiday Photo Booth complete with holiday sweaters and accessories for your four-legged friends. Furry visitors will even get a pawesome holiday dog toy if they stay on the Nice List this season. Stop by and show your socially distanced holiday spirit all December long from 10 am – 4 pm. The booth will be set up on the patio in front of our main office located at 402 Bryant St. in Ojai.

Our financial support has significantly decreased since we had to close our doors in March due to the pandemic. As a private nonprofit, the HSVC relies 100% on private donations to provide our services. This holiday season, please consider donating to the HSVC so we can continue providing quality care to animals in need.

∙The Better Business Bureau advises extreme caution when shopping for a pet online, especially in light of scammers’ evolving tactics.

The BBB Scam Tracker saw an increased in pet fraud soon after cities and states began to impose tighter restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. There were more reports about fraudulent pet websites in April than in the first three months of the year combined.

The COVID bump is continuing into the holiday season with consumers reporting 337 complaints to BBB about puppy scams in November 2020, a dramatic increase from 77 for the same month in 2019.

At the current pace, the number of pet scams reported to BBB in 2020 will be nearly five times higher than 2017 numbers, when BBB published its first in-depth investigative study on pet scams.

Different from 2017 is the way scammers are taking payment from victims, with scammers increasingly asking or money through payment apps like Zelle and CashApp as opposed to wiring money through Western Union or MoneyGram.

For example, one woman from the Traverse City area lost $2,000 to a puppy scam in November which started with a $500 deposit paid through Zelle for a Pomeranian puppy named Moose.

When it came time to ship the dog to Michigan the transportation company claimed it needed an additional $1,500 to upgrade the travel crate, which the company promised the would be refunded at the airport when the dog arrived.

After paying she then got a message that the company needed an additional $2,800 for puppy insurance because the dog was stressed from the first leg of its flight. When the Traverse City woman refused to pay, she was threatened with fines and possible criminal charges for puppy abandonment, according to the BBB.

A woman in Comstock Park reported losing $900 while trying to buy an Akita puppy in September. After making the initial payment, she was told she had to pay an additional $2,000 for travel insurance and a crate.

Excuses for additional payments often include special climate-controlled crates, insurance and a (non-existent) COVID-19 vaccine, according to Scam Tracker reports. There also were instances where purchasers wanted to pick up the pet but were told that wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Once one payment is made, scammers come up with a list of reasons why the customer has to send more money,” Catlett said. “They prey on your emotions, knowing that once you become attached to the idea that you will be getting a new puppy it is hard to say no.”

While puppies remain the most common bait in a pet scam, other animals are used as well. 12% of pet scam complaints to BBB were about kittens or cats.

When attempting to purchase pets online the BBB recommends seeing the pet in person or on a live video call before paying any money. Buyers should also do research to get a sense of a fair price for the breed they’re considering. If someone advertises a purebred dog for free or at a deeply discounted price, it could be a fraudulent offer, according to the BBB.

Buyers should also use caution with breeders offering shipping. A better option is to check out a local animal shelter or breeder for pets you can meet before adopting or buying.

Although there has been an increase in demand for the adoption and fostering of pets during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has also been an uptick in the number of animals being surrendered, according to several animal shelters. Unfortunately, this uptick may increase after the holiday season, as oftentimes “gift” pets are surrendered as their owners cannot or will not look after them.

While pets have proven to be great companions amid the pandemic—providing entertainment, comfort, and stress relief—there are many things to consider prior to gifting a cat or dog to a friend or family member this Christmas. These considerations include pet care costs, owner commitment, and species/breed-pet owner compatibility.

Vol. 14, No. 06 – Dec 16 – Dec 29, 2020 – Opinion/Editorial

∙Difficult times for all businesses, especially for restaurants. They were finally were able to open up, and then just serve outside, but now can only do takeout again. How long can small businesses exist under these conditions?

Just walked downtown – there are many spaces for lease that were not empty

Some restaurants in Ventura (and other communities) are defying the orders and staying open hoping other restaurants will take the same action. They can be severely fined but are willing to take the chance so they can serve their customers. On one hand, I admire them, but I’m very concerned that with the rapidly increase in COVID cases and deaths is this a safe thing to do?

∙The US 101/California Street off-ramp relocation to Oak Street will move the existing northbound off-ramp under California Street to Oak Street and replace the California Street bridge over Highway 101. California Street would become the primary pedestrian access corridor from Downtown to the beach. The City has been working on the Project Approval and Environmental Document phase of the California Street Northbound Ramp Relocation Project for many years.

It is estimated that the cost of construction will be approximately $21.5 million. The construction includes a new California Street bridge over U.S. 101 and other improvements along Thompson Blvd. Funding could come from several different Federal or State infrastructure grant programs. Don’t plan on using the new ramp for many, many years.

∙As previously reported (but not certified yet), Councilmember Halter (District 2), Councilmember Johnson (District 3), and Councilmember Schroeder (District 7) were elected to represent their district’s.

Two City measures – Measure I (Cannabis and Hemp Tax) and Measure J (Public

Works Contracts – Charter Amendment) were also approved.

Per Ventura City Charter, Section 507, all City Councilmember elected on November 3, 2020 are limited to no more than three consecutive, four-year terms in office.

∙The Public Health Officers for the three Central Coast Counties have submitted a letter to the State Public Health officials requesting that the State treat the area as a “sub-region” when determining when our local ICU capacity justifies exiting the Regional Stay-at-Home Order.

Following that action, the County Board of Supervisors endorsed the request and reinforced our commitment to ensuring public health and safety is the priority, but also made the case that the situations in our counties do not compare to those in the other Southern California counties with which we have been grouped. They urged the Governor to allow the Central Coast to exit the Regional Stay at Home Order when our three counties combined ICU capacity exceeds the 15% standard.

∙Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies approved a bill making abortion legal in a much-debated vote that many in the predominantly Roman Catholic country are describing as historic. The bill now heads to the Senate. “Today we write a new chapter in history,” Argentina’s Women, Genders and Diversity Minister Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta tweeted after the approval of the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill.

∙India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party approved legislation that requires a prison term up to 10 years for anyone found guilty of using marriage to force someone to change religion

∙More than 5,000 children have been detained and separated from their parents at the US- Mexican border since 2017. The parents of over 600 children still have not been found. Some people say that this is the parent’s fault, but you can’t punish little children because of their parent’s actions. Even when single parents go to prison their kids are placed in a location where they can be re-united when jail time is over.

∙ A former longtime Republican, Alabama Senator Larry Dixon, 78, had a scary final message before he died of COVID-19. He contracted the bug during an outdoors hangout “with a couple of guys” and his worsening condition left him on a ventilator. Dixon’s wife, Gaynell Dixon, said that her husband issued one final plea before his death. “We messed up. We let our guard down. Please tell everybody to be careful. This is real, and if you get diagnosed, get help immediately.”

∙According to Penelope Abernathy from the University of South Carolina, in the past 15 years more than a quarter of the country’s newspapers have closed and 1,800 cities that had a local newspaper in 2004 no longer have one in 2020. Without local newspapers folks cannot be informed to what is happening in their communities. I am grateful that we have been able to continue to keep the Ventura Breeze going thanks to our advertisers and wonderful donors (and our hard-working staff).

∙CBS correspondent Lesley Stahl said that Trump in 2016 (off camera) explained why he attacked the press so regularly; “I do it to discredit you all and demean you all so that when you write negative stories about me no one will believe you

The reason that Trump doesn’t like the Electoral College is that he applied to go there after high school and got rejected.

Very scary times for this country. Dozens of armed people gathered outside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home recently “shouting obscenities” and threatening violence in an effort to overturn the presidential election results in the state. Benson and her 4-year-old son had just finished decorating their home for Christmas and were about to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” when the group arrived, she said in a statement. “The demands made outside my home were unambiguous, loud and threatening,” she said. “They targeted me in my role as Michigan’s Chief Election Officer.

The Arizona Republican Party has asked supporters if they’re ready to fight to the death in support of President Donald Trump’s doomed attempts to cling on to the presidency despite last month’s election loss. The state Republican Party made the apparent call to arms on its official Twitter account late Monday while quote-tweeting an account with #StopTheSteal in its name—the latest rallying cry of Trump’s supporters. That account wrote: “I am willing to give my life for this fight.” In its quote-tweet, the Arizona Republican Party wrote: “He is. Are you?” The party then tweeted a clip from Rambo with the quote: “This is what we do, who we are. Live for nothing, or die for something.”

Writing in the LA Times, Colin Clarke wrote ”President Trump’s post election antics are dangerous. Few expected him to be a graceful loser, but his refusal to officially concede is his flood of tweets insisting the election was rigged may have serious and long-term violent consequences.

Vol. 14, No. 06 – Dec 16 – Dec 29, 2020 – Forever Homes Wanted

Hi: I’m Desi, a gorgeous almost 11 year old Catahoula/American Staffordshire Terrier mix who loves treats and walks on the beach. I was adopted into what I thought was my forever home, but it wasn’t meant to be. I became too possessive of the daughter. I felt I needed to protect her from everyone.

I was one of many dogs rescued from a raid in El Rio. Those days long behind me, I’m waiting for someone to come and take me home.

I’m house trained and would do best in an adult only home or a home with older respectful children. I don’t seem to care for any males. I don’t want to be left alone, so I need someone who is usually home or can take me along too. I’m not a fan of small female dogs or cats and need to be the only dog in the home. I know some basic commands but could use some leash work. I tend to pull and I’m very strong.

I’m grateful to be given a chance to know the true meaning of being a cherished member of a loving family. Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L.CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.

Nugget ()A763600 is one of several adoptable guineas pigs currently as VCAS. Guinea pigs make great pets. They live for several years, so you can enjoy them longer than most other rodents. They have different personalities and are very vocal, making it easy to know their individual identities and get attached. They are fun to play with and very entertaining. Most guinea pigs even like to cuddle. Ventura County Animal Services – Camarillo location – 600 Aviation Drive

BAA’s Small Image Show at SpiceTopia

Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts at Ventura Harbor Village, Buenaventura Gallery at the Bell Arts Factory, and BAA’s Small Image Show at SpiceTopia are all open for business and ready to help you with your holiday shopping for affordable original art, unique artisan crafts, and handmade jewelry! All locations have open, public hours and they all offer appointment-only, private shopping times for you and your bubble to shop safely. For appointments at BVG and HVG&G call 805-648-1235 or for SpiceTopia, 805-628-3267.

Or shop online at www.BuenaventuraArtAssociation.org. We can offer curbside pickup for any purchase!

Vol. 14, No. 06 – Dec 16 – Dec 29, 2020 – Mailbox

Breeze:

As a lifelong progressive, I disagree with California and other government entities shutting down outdoor dining. Yes Covid-19 cases are surging, but are they a result of outdoor dining? The Mayo Clinic judges it a low to moderate risk behavior:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/safe-activities-during-covid19/art-20489385

The consequences for restaurant owners and staff are devastating. They have invested in all sorts of tables, platforms and pavilions outdoors and made paper menus, and the wait staff wears masks, etc. You are not forced to patronize these restaurants, and you decide which ones to visit, if any.

I have fish tacos with a buddy once a week at a seaside eatery with outdoor tables on a parking lot patio. The masked wait person brings the food to the table in a bag to us, sitting quite far apart. Downtown Ventura shut down our Main Street so restaurants could offer food on sheltered platforms and pavilions in the street. We judge this very safe and have meals there about once a month. We also patronize our local eateries with take out orders.

We are cancelling any family plans for the holidays and beyond–until our age and health group gets vaccinated–how long will that be? Who knows?

Economically shutting down restaurants that serve outdoor meals is a bad plan. I won’t go into the angry public reaction it’s already causing. This is overreach on the part of our officials and adds to the chaos and distress the pandemic is causing.

Bob Chianese Ventura

Breeze:

Hope you and family had a wonderful holiday.

Cannabis businesses – Let them grow and sell the junk in the river bottoms. Let Nature have its way.

Sagittarius A – Sagittarius A doesn’t have a ghost of a chance in sucking us into it’s black hole. Global Warming Climate Change will kill us all first!

Mail-in ballots – If they were handled in the same way as in years past. When a voter registers to vote and declare a party affiliation they can select a mailed out ballot. That is okay and works very well. But, when the state mails everybody a ballot and allows them to drop it off anywhere convenient, that is not okay.

Representing the Trump – President Trump single highhandedly lost his own election with his big mouth and tweets! He is now acting like a 4-year-old spoiled Brat!

Michael Gordon

We are a nation of laws, not of men. When a nation’s laws are flouted by the political leadership it is only a matter of time until the populace shows the same disrespect for law and order.
~ John Adams

New mural celebrates the school’s musical excellence.

Local Ojai artist Ben Román has given the band building at Matilija Junior High School a beautiful new mural which celebrates the school’s long standing history of musical excellence.

Román grew up in Ojai as a student of art, both in school and with some of Ojai’s prominent art professionals. The 30-year-old artist now paints and draws professionally, and he specializes in large mural paintings, many of which appear in Ojai and other locations in Ventura County, as well as in Los Angeles.

Va Por La Avenida announces Punto de Intersección

Lisa Kelly is one of the artists in the pop-up mural exhibit.

Va Por La Avenida’s Punto De Intersección project is a series of collaborations between local artists and small businesses along Ventura Avenue, launching in December 2020. Punto De Intersección has artists working with small businesses to develop limited edition campaigns to support local business and celebrate the Ventura Avenue community.

Punto De Intersección soft launched in the fall with a poster campaign designed by Sue Franco, encouraging Ventura’s residents to wear masks. Upcoming collaborations include: a ceramic bowl series, pairing Sara Beckton-Leon with Indian Rasoi; a handmade run of coffee mugs designed by Patti Keller, available at Love Well Tea and Coffee; and, a hand-printed tote bag by Angel Villareal, Bell Arts Factory’s 2020 Young Artist In Residenece, available at El Jarocho Restaurant. A pop-up mural exhibit is also on display at Restore Ventura, featuring four 5’x5′ murals by: Maribel Hernández, Lisa Kelly, Sergio Martínez, and Andrew Rodriguez.

All Punto De Intersección projects are limited edition and available while supplies last. The ceramic and tote bag projects are free with minimum purchase from the respective businesses. Posters are now available at local businesses along the Avenue, with other distribution points to be announced. For more information, including release dates, project photos, artist bios, and locations please visit: https://bit.ly/vplapunto.

Punto De Intersección is an extension of the Va Por La Avenida event series, a creative place- making project funded in part through the California Arts Council and the City of Ventura’s Cultural Affairs grant programs. It is a collaborative project between Bell Arts Factory and the Westside Community Development Corporation. For more information about how to participate or stay updated about the event, please visit the website at www.vaporlaavenida.com.

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