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Concerts in cars at the Ventura Fairgrounds

On August 17,18 and 19 the Rubicon Theatre Company presented Ventura’s own Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Ventura Fairgrounds at a live drive-in concert. The 9-member band had the audience blowing their horn in appreciation of the great music that they heard from their cars. Some attendees put chairs in front of their vehicles to listen and trucks backed into their spots and people sat in the trunk beds.

The high energy music ranged from jazz to blues and included a song about the fact that this was their first concert in over 5-months. By the great sounds they have spent the 5-months still rehearsing. At the end of the concert they played an encore because the beeping wouldn’t stop.

Food Share partners with Gas Co.

Brian Miller, Office of Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long, Chief of Staff ; John Marquez, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director; Maria Ventura, Public Affairs Manager; Monica White President & CEO of Food Share of Ventura County and Manuel Minjares, Office of Ventura County Supervisor, District Representative attend the drive-thru distribution .

Food Share, Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization, has partnered with Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) to bring the “Fueling Our Communities” program to Ventura County with drive-thru meal distribution events in Santa Paula and El Rio community in Oxnard. The events, which were funded in part by the utility, provided more than 26,000 free meals to individuals and families struggling with food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to contributing to food purchasing for the drive-thru distributions, SoCalGas’ program is helping to stimulate Ventura County’s economy by enabling Food Share to partner with local restaurants whose sales have been impacted due to COVID-19 restaurant guidelines.

“In partnership with SoCalGas, Food Share has been able to distribute 800 gift cards to local restaurants during our drive-through food distributions. Those in need receive a free, delicious meal and in turn we’re happy to support our local food economy,” explained Monica White, Food Share’s President & CEO. “It’s really been a win-win for everyone.”

Food Share is one of five non-profit organizations that SoCalGas is collaborating with on the “Fueling Our Communities” program, to provide close to 140,000 meals to 40,000 individuals from underserved communities in Ventura, Tulare, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial counties. Funded by a $500,000 donation from SoCalGas, the program will span over the summer season in 44 cities and will feed seniors, students, families, and migrant farm workers while supporting local small businesses.

“We are proud to continue to support families facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Fueling Our Communities program,” said Maria Ventura, public affairs manager at SoCalGas. “So many people in Ventura County are struggling to put food on their table right now and SoCalGas wants to help however we can.”

In addition to these two events in partnership with SoCalGas’ “Fueling Our Communities” program, Food Share has provided food for just over half a million people since April through 123 drive-thru distribution events across the county.

BLM protest held in Ventura

Many vehicles driving by were honking in agreement. Photo by Julio Hernandez

by Shakti Dutt

On the 14th of August at 3:00 pm, about 30 locals gathered in front of the Ventura City Hall.

Under the hot sun, they were holding signs that read “Black genocide 1619 – 2020”, “Are we dark enough to be shot”, “No freedom till we’re free”, etc.

A young woman of color named Gabrielle Rogers was holding up a sign that read “Honk for Black Lives”. Some vehicles passing by were slowing down and honking. However, there were also some people who displayed their disagreement by showing a thumbs down or middle finger. Rogers joined the movement to stand up with her black community and about “three weeks ago her cousin got shot by the police and they didn’t put it up on the news”. This led her to wonder how many other people who experience that are not put up on the news.

At 4:00 pm, all protesters, led by Rogers started marching on Main Street while chanting “These streets are our streets.”

The bystanders seemed to be recording videos of the march on their phones and some even exclaimed in agreement and some in disagreement.

A left turn was taken on Figueroa Street and then another left turn on Thompson Blvd. All eyes were on the protesters.

At this time, the protesters were chanting “Black lives matter.” Many vehicles driving by were honking in agreement.

Another left turn was taken on California Street.

On the California/Main street intersection, all protesters kneeled down, followed by five minutes of silence.The silence symbolized half the amount of time that George Floyd was on the ground, unable to breathe.

“This is what democracy looks like” Rogers exclaimed, and the protesters followed. And the march back to City Hall began.

Because it was still very hot, the protesters took a three-minute break in order to get a drink of water before continuing their march. At this time, some participants had left.

The march continued down to California Street, toward Ventura State Beach. “Change is coming” the protesters started chanting. A left turn was taken on E. Thompson Blvd. and then a right turn on California Street. Many bystanders were chanting along with the protesters.

One of the protesters responded when asked what inspired them to help the movement. “What’s the point of not helping. We’re here..there’s huge issues and if you’re not helping then you’re doing nothing. I knew things like this were happening..I knew killings were happening..just did not know the scale..and the more people that realize the scale…would change the culture and climate..and racists will know that they are not accepted”.

The protest ended shortly after arriving back at the City Hall.

Olivas Adobe workers and volunteers take advantage of Corona Virus shutdown

Gina Reyes (City of Ventura), Mary Thompson (Vice President Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters-AKA docents) with Glenda the doggie, Frank Shugart (Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreter) and Kathryn Dippong Lawson (City of Ventura) sprucing up Olivas. Photo by Richard Lieberman

by Richard Lieberman

The Olivas Adobe, an adobe structure, was built in 1841 by Raymundo Olivas on the north bank of the Santa Clara River. While the home was built in 1841 it was expanded in 1849 to include a second story which made it unique at the time. The land had originally been part of a grazing area for the cattle herds of Mission San Buenaventura. Olivas and his wife and twenty-one children lived at the site until 1889. It later became Max Fleischmann’s hunting lodge and after his death, his foundation donated the land and the house to the City of Ventura.

Two city workers and two volunteers took advantage of the city ordered temporary closure of the site to make needed repairs and perform routine maintenance.

Kathryn Dippong Lawson, Public Arts and Historic Sites Manager for the city of Ventura said, “Parks and recreation oversees Olivas Adobe and normally at this time of year Olivas Adobe is full of concerts and rentals and we don’t have the time to do a lot of maintenance.” She also added, “We decided in this time we would take care of some things that we wanted to take care of. Our Ramadas (small wooden carts) that are in the courtyard get moved around during an event and we decided to replace the top of them.”

“The tops are replaced with branches found in the river bottom which are difficult to find.” Said Frank Shugart a volunteer on the project.

“We decided to do this while the site was shut down this was just a good time to do it.” Said Gina Reyes Historic Site Coordinator for the city. “We have been working on this for three weeks and hope to finish by the end of the week,” said Gina Reyes. Gina oversees all the historic sites which includes the museum and runs all cultural tours and excursion programs.

“This time of year, we have a stage up every weekend making it difficult to accomplish any of the normal maintenance needed,” said Frank Shugart a volunteer for the project.

Mary Thompson, Vice President of Olivas Adobe Docents and historical interpreter is also a member of the Board of Directors. Mary in addition to her many duties at Olivas Adobe is also on staff at the Ventura Breeze and has been for many years. Mary is also responsible for decorating the outside of the venue for the Christmas Holidays. “I also plan events and field trips,” Thompson said. “I have been volunteering here for the past eleven years,” she added. Mary goes back a long way on her journey to becoming a docent and general volunteer “I first came here on a school field trip when I was in the fourth grade,” “My sister was also married here in 1977,” she said.

Hopefully we can all look forward to a time when the Corona Virus is better controlled and Olivas Adobe will once again be open to the public.

Girl Scout Troop 65060 gives back with “Diversity” art box

Local Girl Scout Troop 65060 wanted to give back to the community, so they decided to brighten up a corner they passed every day on their way to school. The artistically painted utility box the troop calls “Diversity” which they funded and designed themselves through the City of Ventura’s think outside the box program is a beacon of color on the busy corner or Stanley Road and Ventura Avenue. To find out more about the City of Ventura Public Art opportunities go to www.cityofventura.ca.gov/artopps

Girl Scouts present a new cookie

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) kicked off a countdown to the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season with the announcement of a new cookie in the Central Coast and other select areas: Toast-Yay!™, a French toast–inspired cookie dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite. Amid challenging world events and a global pandemic this year, Girl Scouts created moments of joy by donating cookies to thank frontline workers and using the cookie earnings to support their communities. When Girl Scout Cookie season returns, Toast-Yay! will give consumers a new way to celebrate joy, alongside other favorites like Thin Mints® and Caramel deLites®. And though social distancing measures may keep families and friends apart, cookie customers will be able to share joy and stay connected this season through a gift box option that ships directly to others via the Smart Cookies online platform.

Consumers will also delight in knowing that their cookie purchase is an investment in girl leadership in their own community. With every sale, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls to think like entrepreneurs as they run their own small businesses and learn skills like goal setting, people skills, and decision making—which are imperative for any leadership role. And girls decide how to use their portion of the proceeds for unforgettable leadership experiences and community projects, while Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast depends on the funds to deliver life-changing Girl Scout programming to over 8,800 girls in the Central Coast.

As the COVID-19 pandemic became widespread during the 2020 cookie season, many girl entrepreneurs quickly changed their emphasis to virtual sales as they experienced the same challenges as other businesses. GSUSA also offered a new national online platform, Girl Scouts Cookie Care, that enabled customers to safely order cookies for home delivery or to donate cookies to first responders, volunteers, and local causes. Thanks to their customers, Girl Scouts donated millions of cookie packages nationally last season. In the 2021 season, Girl Scouts in the Central Coast will again embrace their entrepreneurial spirit by selling cookies through online platforms and innovative “virtual cookie booths” on social media (with parental supervision). Many girls will offer socially distant or contactless sales and delivery options. If local guidelines allow, in-person sales may also be available in certain areas, keeping girls’ safety top priority.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast kicks off cookie season on January 23, 2021, contact us for more information about sales dates and specific cookie availability.

Vol. 13, No. 24 – Aug 26 – Sept 8, 2020 – Mailbox

Breeze:

I believe that President Trump has been (and will continue to be) a great president. He has made very important changes to the way government is run and had reversed many of Obama’s terrible programs and taxes. I know that some countries don’t care for him but that is because he has put America first instead of catering to the wishes of other countries that don’t do much to help us financially.

Before the China virus hit us our economy was at the highest that is has ever been in our history and will return to that when the virus is licked. His insistence that companies rapidly come up with a vaccine has made them proceed very rapidly with a vaccine and a cure.

He has helped states with everything that they need to combat the virus even though some sates (to embarrass him and make him look bad) have refused his help. Shame on them

Some of his relatives have criticized him but are, obviously very jealous of his success as being our president and with his very successful business ventures. He has handled their criticism in a very professional and dignified manner.

The promises that he made in his acceptance speech for his next term are wonderful and will put millions of Americans back to work.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my thoughts

Mervin Wheeler

Sheldon,

Who would have ever thought we could don a face mask, walk into a bank, walk up to the teller and demand money.  Then walk out unmolested?

Michael Gordon

Michael:

Just the wonderful times that we are living in.

 

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be taken with painstaking excellence.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Ventura County Civil Grand Jury announces release of report on detention facilities

Pursuant to authority granted in California Penal Code Section 919(b), the 2019-2020 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury inquired into the conditions and management of detention facilities in Ventura County. The Grand Jury inspected the following detention centers:

Ventura County Juvenile Facilities

Pre-Trial Detention Facility operated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO)

Todd Road Jail operated by VCSO

East County Jail operated by VCSO

Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Holding Facility

All city holding facilities in Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura

Ventura Youth Correctional Facility

The Grand Jury concluded that, due to the participation of the Ventura County Probation Agency in the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities has significant underutilized space.

The Grand Jury concluded the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and the Todd Road Jail have reduced their respective populations to within normal facility capabilities which is in excess of the State rating.

The Grand Jury concluded the County jails and city detention facilities are generally in satisfactory condition, although the detention facilities of the Santa Paula Police Department and the Oxnard Police Department were found to be in need of repair.

The Grand Jury concluded the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility operated by the State of California appeared generally safe but in need of maintenance and repairs.

The Grand Jury found there is no uniform policy at VCSO’s detention facilities with regard to recording of inmate telephone communications, including communications to attorneys, medical providers and family members. The Grand Jury encourages a uniform policy be developed for all VCSO’s detention facilities.

The public is invited to review the entire report at https://www.ventura.org/grand-jury/fiscal-year-2019-2020/ in the Annual Reports tab in “Fiscal Year 2019-2020.”

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County raises $5 million

Housing Trust Fund Ventura County announced this week that it applied for California Proposition 1 matching funds from the CA Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the agency responsible for fund disbursement. Housing Trust Fund VC has raised $5 million locally with the goal of bringing $10 million to the county for affordable housing developments through the Prop 1 matching grant program.

The Housing Programs and Veterans’ Loans Bond, also known as California’s Proposition 1, is a 1:1 fund matching grant program that provides funding to Housing Trust Funds for the development of rental housing with a focus on low to extremely low-income housing units. It provides up to $5 million per year for five years totaling $25 million, with the potential of doubling to $50 million through local matching funds.

“Locally, our job was to raise $5 million so we could fully leverage Prop 1 during its inaugural year,” said Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “We did just that. Thanks to wonderful supporters and wise Board leadership we now expect to have $10 million available from the first funding round for increased affordable housing development in Ventura County, which is needed now more than ever.” Braunschweiger refers to the current COVID-19 environment and the resulting high unemployment rate, which has a trickle-down effect of housing becoming increasingly unaffordable for too many. Currently, the nonprofit has a pipeline of projects throughout the county for which developers are requesting $15 million over the next two years. As a short-term lender, Housing Trust Fund VC plans to utilize Prop 1 grant funds for acquisition and construction lending of affordable workforce housing.

Housing Trust Fund VC successfully raised this round’s $5 million local match through support of sponsors, donors, grants, loan repayments and fundraising events. Most recently Wells Fargo Bank donated $30,000, the County of Ventura confirmed a $300,000 three-year grant, and support continues from all 10 cities. Over $1 million comes from PLHA (Permanent Local Housing Allocation) where $75 of every local real estate transaction goes towards increasing the supply of affordable housing in Ventura County. Other major funding includes the US Department of Treasury CDFI program, HOPE Foundation, McCune Foundation, Lluella Morey Murphy Foundation, Weingart Foundation, Brokaw Nursery, Leavens Ranches, Lloyd-Butler Ranch, City National Bank, Mechanics Bank, Pacific Western Bank, Union Bank, Legado Family Companies, and Sage Publishing. Housing Trust Fund VC raised another $145,000 through two fundraising events, including its unique, completely virtual, weeklong, “Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign”(www.housingtrustfundvc.org/compassion-campaign).

“I’m so pleased that our community sees the value in supporting affordable housing,” commented Housing Trust Fund VC Board Chair Jennie Buckingham.

To support affordable workforce housing in Ventura County go to, www.housingtrustfundvc.org/donate-now.​

Developers interested in receiving a loan may visit www.housingtrustfundvc.org/funding-programs and review the Program and Loan Underwriting Guidelines. A list of projects that have received first phase approval are also available on the website at www.housingtrustfundvc.org/housing.

General plan update meeting

The Westside Community Council, in partnership with the City of Ventura, Westside Community Development Corporation and CA– USE will hold the first virtual public meeting With Raimi & Associates for public input on the City of Ventura 2020 General Plan update on Sept. 2, from 6:30pm -8:30pm on ZOOM. This is the opportunity for West Venturans to have public input in the process.

Spanish interpretation will be provided at the meeting.

The Zoom Link will be made available on the WCC Facebook page, website the day of the meeting or use this meeting ID: 835 4511 4536 and passcode: 330929