Toward the end of his career he pitched a no hitter.
by Richard Senate
A famed major league baseball player Charlie “Sea Lion” Hall now rests at Ventura’s Ivy Lawn Cemetery. He was born in Ventura in 1885, his mother Elvira Hall was a decedent of one of the early Spanish families of Santa Barbara. He was baptized at the Mission San Buenaventura as Carlos Luis Hall and spoke both English and Spanish. Though he would go on to achieve fame, his life was filled with tragedy.
At the age of three he lost his mother. He learned baseball as a teen playing on a local team called the Palm Street Nine being noticed as an accomplished pitcher with a mean fastball pitch. The Pacific Coast League discovered him at age 19 and he quickly was recognized as a valuable pitcher.
In 1906 he married Emma Larson and, sadly, in 1909, she died in childbirth. The son she had lived and was raised by his grandparents. At that time Charlie went into the majors and played for the Cincinnati Reds as a relief pitcher. He was hard pressed in a game and choked. The Reds traded him to the Boston White Sox and it was with Boston that Charlie made his best mark. In 1910 he even faced off the great Ty Cobb and struck him out, no small feat.
In 1911 he married Bostonian Marie Cullen, bringing his new bride to Ventura.
In 1912 he played in the World Series. The then went to the St. Louis Cardinals for a year and then, for a time, with the Detroit Tigers. It was here that his fans gave him the unique nickname of “Sea Lion” because of his rasping voice that sounded like a walrus. In 1920, toward the end of his career, he pitched a no hitter game. After 27 years of professional baseball, Charlie Hall retired, returning to his beloved Ventura where he took a job as a member of the Ventura Police Department. Tragedy struck again when his six-year-old son accidentally shot his three year old brother.
He worked as a jailer at Ventura County Courthouse ( now Ventura City Hall) and then served as a Ventura County deputy sheriff. He passed away in 1943. He was a great ball player and an excellent police officer. Such an inspirational Venturan deserves to have his statue put up so his memory and accomplishments will not be forgotten.
∙One after another, Ventura’s wonderful events are being cancelled. The latest is Music Under the Stars, held at the Olivas Adobe. This is one of my favorites. Too bad they couldn’t have an abbreviated season (3-4 concerts) later in the year.
∙ It’s odd looking at my weekly calendar, which is currently blank. I now look forward to going to the bank (yes, I still do that in person).
∙If you have a passion for radio, or a show or podcast you want to create and share, you can join the CAPS Media creative community by becoming a member of the CAPS Media family. See the CAPS article for all the details. I had a show for a while, and it was great fun.
∙In an effort to keep up with rising costs (tax base is dwindling), Ventura is raising hundreds of fees it charges for developers and others that use city services.
The City Council voted unanimously to adopt a new fee schedule that will take effect starting July 3. This will increase the city’s fees for building permits, water connections and other city services. There are also new fees of 3% for credit card payments, the same amount the city is charged by its credit card company.
The fee increases should add approximately $500,000 per year.
Stephanie Caldwell, the president and CEO of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, appeared to speak against the increases. “We strongly oppose any increase to the city fees during this time, in the midst of the biggest economic disaster that any of us will see in our lifetime,” she stated.
Not sure how I feel about this when businesses are struggling but Ventura does need the funds.
∙Once again, I want to thank our dedicated readers and supporters who have contributed to the Breeze to help keep us going.
∙I think that Gov. Newsom is doing the correct thing in his approach to handling the virus by being cautious. Let other states (like Georgia) that are opening-up be the litmus test. Let’s see what their positive results and/or deaths are over the next few weeks. This ain’t a joke or conspiracy.
∙Two weeks after Texas Governor Greg Abbott began reopening the economy, the state reported 1,801 new confirmed coronavirus infections marking its single-highest rise in cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Of the new cases, 734 are from Potter and Randall counties. “These counties’ new cases are largely from targeted testing of employees at meat plants in the area. More test results from plants are expected,” stated the Texas Department of Health.
As of May 17, Texas has a total of 45,198 COVID-19 cases, with 1,272 deaths and 25,454 recoveries. Before the weekend, Texas had never reported over 1,500 cases in one day. The state has been averaging roughly 1,220 cases per day over the past week, as non-essential businesses continue to open as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s phased reopening plan.
∙If you need nice moving boxes, Steve’s Hardware (on Thompson) always has all kinds of sizes available for free. And you could even buy a new toilet while you are there.
∙Such difficult times. Jails are letting out those who have committed more minor crimes to reduce the spread of virus in their population, but at the same time there are no jobs or facilities where they can go. This will increase the homeless population and perhaps crimes. There is just not an easy solution to these complex problems.
∙The US Postal Service is actually doing something good. Photos of the items that will be placed in your PO boxes are emailed to holders who register for the service. This way trips can be eliminated and reduced.
∙ One of the ways that America is informed of important government happenings are through the press conferences that the president has. At these meetings, reporters are asking important questions so they can provide relevant answers for their readers and listeners.
When Trump doesn’t like a question, or can’t answer it intelligently, he calls the person a fake reporter that no one reads. If the reporter insists on an answer, Trump insults the person further, says the meeting is over and leaves the room.
The next time he insults a reporter doing their job I would love to see all of them just get up and leave. This is not a reality show, this is life. Why is Trump incapable of treating it as such? We expect this kind of behavior from China, perhaps, but not in our democracy.
And what is this nonsense that the Coronavirus is a liberal Democrat made-up conspiracy to defeat Trump? Over 300,000 people have died throughout the world. Does this mean the entire world is part of this to defeat Trump? Good grief, be serious.
∙Molly, officially known as Little Girl Molly, is a ten-year-old Vizsla owned by Connie Priesz. Molly has been a registered therapy animal with Pet Partners for nine years.
Molly is a registered therapy dog.
Since the COVID-19 stay at home order, Connie and Molly have taken steps to stay connected in order to continue to bring comfort and joy. In an effort to change to virtual visits, the therapy dog team has made movies while reading a book, for schools, libraries and social media sites to share and have made virtual visit videos for the patients at the VA hospital they usually visit. In addition, Connie and Molly have joined the AKC PupPals program, submitting countless videos to those in need and have sent cards and pictures to all the sites they typically visit. The pair also created a Facebook group called “The Therapy Animal Space” for people with animals to stay connected and share stories during this global crisis.
These new trying times have made Connie and Molly think differently about how to help bring adventures and connections to those who need a smile. They plan to continue to serve their community and beyond by using technology to bring the effects of the human-animal bond to more people and reach even further as they work in this new way.
∙Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center is pleased to announce that Tara Diller has joined the organization as the new President and CEO. SPARC is entering into an exciting new phase of organizational growth and is poised to become an even stronger community resource as it continues to pivot to meet the needs of its community and their pets.
The mission and vision of SPARC is embodied in the philosophy and work ethic of Diller, who for over 20 years has been on the forefront of the animal welfare industry and its ever-revolving place in our society.
“Now was the perfect time for Tara to become a part of the future of SPARC” said Chairman of the Board, Alexa Bodrero. “There are very few people in the animal welfare industry who have the experience, tenacity and passion that Tara Diller brings to our organization.”
The shelter has remained open with limited operations and is still in need of adopters and fosters to help keep our shelter population low. While limiting the number of visitors to those absolutely
necessary, we are asking that potential adopters and fosters fill out an online application and then make an appointment to visit animals they are interested in meeting. Potential adopters and fosters may call the office at (805) 525-8609.
Savana practicing social distancing.
∙Some families obeying stay-at-home orders have turned to the internet to look for a pet, thinking they would have plenty of time to help the pet adjust to its new surroundings. Many have come across scammers who advertise on websites for animals don’t exist and are never shipped. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has given scammers reasons to ask for money or explain why they can’t see the pet in person before heartbroken, would-be pet owners figure out they have been conned.
Puppy scams like these were the subject of a 2017 in-depth investigative study by Better Business Bureau (BBB), and they are prolific during the holidays. New data from BBB Scam Tracker shows that these scams have spiked since COVID-19 took hold in the U.S., with more reports about fraudulent pet websites in April than in the first three months of the year combined.
“Scammers frequently take advantage of the news to find new avenues for targeting victims,” said Rick Copelan, BBB president and CEO. “The uncertainty surrounding the
COVID-19 pandemic, along with some quarantined families’ decision to adopt a pet sight unseen has created fertile ground for fraudsters.”
BBB’s earlier Study found that for these types of frauds to be successful it’s usually dependent on bogus, often sophisticated advertisements to hook unsuspecting consumers. Experts believed, at that time, that at least 80% of the sponsored advertising links that appear in an Internet search for pets may be fraudulent.
Actual numbers of pet fraud may be much higher than reported, because many victims either choose not to file complaints or do not know where to turn for help.
Many victims who contacted BBB’s Scam Tracker reported they wanted to adopt a puppy in order to ease their isolation and brighten their lives during the pandemic.
Victims were often told that they needed to send money for special
climate-controlled crates, insurance and a (non-existent) COVID-19 vaccine. There also were several instances where the consumer wanted to see or pick-up the animal but was told that wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 restrictions.
A Santa Barbara woman reported losing more than $6,000 to a puppy scammer in April, 2020. She said that she purchased a puppy for her mother from a so-called breeder, was promised delivery every day but every day they asked for more money. One day they needed more money for a better transport carrier, another for accommodation fees and so on. The puppy buyer told the BBB, “When I said I couldn’t pay, I was guilt tripped that this puppy would be quarantined and I’d still have to pay more, still promising that once I paid the puppy would be delivered.” “A $600 purchase turned into over $6,000 and no puppy.”
Tips for avoiding puppy scams:
Don’t buy a pet without seeing it in person. If that isn’t possible, conduct an internet search of the picture of the pet you are considering. If the same picture appears on multiple websites, its likely is a fraud. You also can search for text from ads or testimonials, to see if the seller copied it from another website.
Don’t send money by Western Union, MoneyGram, and a cash app like Zelle or a gift card. These payment methods offer no recourse and no way to get your money back if you are the victim of a fraud. Fraudsters may claim to accept credit cards, but may steal your credit card information to use it in other scams or inform you that payment didn’t go through and request the payment via wire service or gift cards.
Research prices for the breed you are interested in adopting. If a purebred dog is advertised for free or at a deeply discounted price, and then other payment is required for services like vaccination or shipping, it could be a fraudulent offer.
Consider reaching out to a local animal shelter. Especially during this time of quarantine, many shelters are looking for fosters to help relieve the animal’s stress and reduce overcrowding at their facilities. Humane Society of the United States refers consumers to local shelters.
If you think you have been scammed, report it to BBB Scam Tracker and the Federal T rade Commission. You also can report it to petscams.com, which catalogues puppy scammers, tracks complaints and endeavors to get fraudulent pet sales websites taken down.
Edith Hobson Hoffman formed the Red Cross Committee
by Cynthia Thompson
Shock, denial, the closing of schools, churches, theaters, beaches and all gathering places, mandatory masks, emergency hospitals, mounting cases and deaths………COVID 19 of 2020?….No, Ventura and the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918.
This isn’t the first time our nation has faced a worldwide pandemic. COVID 19 and the 1918 Spanish Flu are drawing comparisons. History reveals just how similarly the world of the past and present have responded.
It is a story of hope…..we survived and thrived. Just recall that the Spanish Flu preceded the unprecedented prosperity of the Roaring 1920s.
October, 1918….a large carnival came to town. Immediately afterwards, towns people became severely ill. At first there was denial, even among prominent doctors. However, when the numbers of sick and dying multiplied at lightening speed, the townspeople of Ventura heard the call to arms.
Edith Hobson Hoffman formed the Red Cross Committee (Edith became very prominent as a 20th Century philanthropist and community activist). On October 20th of 1918 the Ventura Daily Post announced that the Santa Barbara Mission would close for the first time since its 1786 founding.
Overnight, the real battle began; schools, churches, poolrooms, card rooms, saloons, theaters, and all gathering places were mandated to close. Because of the shortage of nurses, families cared for their own in isolation. Families were going hungry, so Mrs. Charles Bartlett organized “Meals on Wheels” for home delivery. (Mrs. Charles Bartlett became a major women’s club leader and community activist, including the raising of the cross in 1912)
The Red Cross Committee decided an emergency hospital was needed. Bard Hospital and a school were considered, but the contagion was too dangerous. Finally, two churches; the First Methodist Church at Meta (Thompson Blvd. today) and Oak, and the octagonal First Christian Church at Fir and Santa Clara Streets (later moved to Main and Kalorama). Their size, additional classrooms and in-house kitchen made them the perfect facilities. On October 31st, the first patients arrived.
The newspapers appealed to housewives to donate soft cloths for wash rags and towels, women volunteered as practical nurses to care for the sick and clean the hospitals, others shared shifts as office workers, answering telephones and keeping records. Mary Philbrick volunteered to do all cooking for patients and nurses (Mrs. Philbreck would become a major philanthropist of hospital systems in both Ventura and Oxnard in the 1940s -1960s).
The supply of masks was running dangerously low and the citizens were asked to make their own.
Masking, volunteerism, and isolation stemmed the tide (or flattened the curve) and cases and deaths diminished. By December 22nd, the last patient left the emergency hospital, the mask ordinance was lifted, and children returned to school.
Thus, ended a dramatic war experience in the town of Ventura, which numbered 3,800 (today, approximately 120,000) at the time. Through suffering and sharing the citizens were brought closer together as they fought the enemy called the “Flu”, an invisible enemy that made a battleground of the town and took 29 lives.
When the flu surfaced again across the nation in 1922, Neill Baker, as board of health member, announced this resolution and lawful demand:
“Carried unanimously that all indoor public gatherings, viz, schools, theaters, churches, lodges, clubs, dance halls, pool halls, be closed indefinitely and that the city health officer be instructed to enforce said order”
This time Ventura was prepared.
The people mentioned in this article by name were in their early 20s in 1918. By mid 20th Century they had become community leaders and activist, pillars of Ventura society. Most of them are pictured on the Historic Tile Mural (150 years of Ventura history) in front of the Mission (by Michael Kelly). Our profiles in courage.
Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) has been named as one of 29 grantees receiving funding support from Weingart Foundation through their Unrestricted Operating Support (U.O.S.) program. Housing Trust Fund VC will receive $50,000 over two years to help with capacity building in support of the Fund’s overall mission to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle.
The Weingart Foundation partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social and economic justice for all. To achieve this mission, the Foundation’s grantmaking program is designed to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, collaboratives, and coalitions working to meet essential needs, expand opportunity and eliminate structural barriers to equity by building the community power required to sustain long-term prosperity. Grant recipients, such as Housing Trust Fund VC align strongly with the Foundation’s core mission.
Weingart Foundation awarded $3.5 million in grants through this round of their U.O.S. program and over the next 12 months intends to award up to $20 million in unrestricted operating support grants to core partners.
“Receiving this funding from Weingart Foundation is such an honor,” stated Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “COVID-19 is likely going to displace more people who will be looking for more affordable housing amid employment concerns. Now more than ever affordable workforce housing options are needed in our community and we remain committed to our promise that, “everyone deserves a home.”
Launched as a 501c3 nonprofit corporation in 2012, Ventura County Housing Trust Fund became Housing Trust Fund Ventura County (Housing Trust Fund VC) in July 2019. Housing Trust Fund VC is the local trusted leader in helping to increase affordable housing options throughout Ventura County by leveraging public-private partnerships to provide low-cost, flexible loans early in the housing development cycle. As of January 2020, Housing Trust Fund VC has invested $9 million through its revolving loan fund, creating 365 affordable apartments and homes for very-low, low- and middle-income employees, transitional age foster youth, veterans, farm workers, and the homeless.
We received the following request (in a much longer form) but this is a summation of what Rob was requesting. “Regarding the low-flying personal aircraft hazards and the creation of constant noise pollution in Ventura I am kindly requesting you to find out what our legal rights are for low-flying aircraft. It seems the skies are getting more and more congested over our neighborhoods putting public safety at risk.”
Respectfully Rob Lewis.
We sent this request to our contributing writer Sheli Ellsworth whose husband Jeff is a pilot to secure an answer. Jeff is professional pilot who has been flying since 1989 including 20 years for the US Navy.
Answer:
The minimum safe altitude for aircraft operations depends on few factors including where the aircraft is operating. According to the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR 91.119) regardless of where the aircraft is operated, the altitude should be sufficient for an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface in the event of an engine failure. Over a congested area like the city of Ventura an aircraft shall be flown no lower than 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a 2,000 foot radius below the aircraft. Over the water or sparsely populated areas the aircraft cannot be operated closer than 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure. These minimum altitudes do not apply to helicopters, powered parachutes or hang gliders.
Altitudes can be very difficult to judge by eye. Jets routinely cross paths with 1,000 feet of vertical separation up at altitude. I can promise that will get your full attention; it looks like they’re coming right at you until you get used to it. But in airplanes just like cars, boats and motorcycles, sometimes poor judgement prevails. The Federal Aviation Regulations also prohibit Careless or Reckless Operation of an aircraft which endanger the life or property of another person. If you see an aircraft operating in a reckless manor or wish to make a noise complaint, call the Ventura County Department of Airports Office at 805 388-4497
Do you have a question? Send it to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer.
The Ojai Studio Artists’ Scholarship Committee has received a $2,500 gift in honor of OSA co-founder Gayel Childress, who turned 80 on May 11, from her niece and nephew-in-law Natalie Levin and Dr. Jim Levin of Tucson, AZ.The gift is given in honor and appreciation of the artist’s vibrant spirit and her dedication to sharing the joy of art.
Self-taught,Childress paints with a characteristic touch of whimsey. Along with co-creating the annual Ojai Studio Artists Tour, Childress is co-founder of the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. She was awarded the “Ojai Lifetime AchievementAward” in 1999, and the People’s Choice Award of “Best Artist” in the Ojai Valley in 2014. Each year Ojai Studio Artists awards as much as $10,000 in scholarships to support local students in their pursuit of a career in the visual arts. OSA is incredibly grateful to the Levin’s for this generous gift.
Renowned weaver and FOTM Documented Artist Porfirio Gutierrez sharing the symbolism from his native Zapotec heritage with students from Rio del Valle Middle School.
The California Arts Council is proud to announce a grant award of $20,000 to the Focus on the Masters Arts Archive & Library (FOTM) as part of its Learning To See Outreach (LTS) program for the 2020/2021 school year.
The Learning To See Outreach is an award-winning, in-school, cross-curricular program with an emphasis on critical thinking, innovation and diversity. Each lesson is inspired by the artwork and life stories of extraordinary artists in our community. The program provides our youth with present day role models who have exceled in pursuit of their passions.
FOTM Education Director Aimee French is thrilled with the news of receiving such a prestigious grant. “All of us at FOTM are so excited! This is our third CAC Grant in the past five years! Although schools want to include quality arts education for their students, there is still a serious lack of funding for it. The California Arts Council helps us to fill that void for nearly 700 students in Ventura County with this grant.”
The Focus on the Masters Arts Archive & Library was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council of more than 1,500 grants awarded to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state for their work in support of the agency’s mission to strengthen arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all.
The Focus on the Masters Arts Archive & Library is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), art appreciation program that documents, preserves and presents the works and lives of accomplished contemporary artists. The goal of FOTM is to demonstrate the full significance of the arts to society by bringing highly accomplished artists to the forefront of the community.
Michael O’Kelly created something that would enhance the lobby and Ventura.
Among his many wonderful projects Jim DeArkland had restored and improved the interior of 21 California Street, known as the Erle Stanley Gardner Building, He has created beautiful offices in the 2nd, 3rd and fourth floors, and Finney’s located on the ground floor. Opening on to California St. is the lobby for the building. Jim wanted to embellish the lobby and install something that would become part of the buildings significant history so he commissioned Michael O’Kelly to create something that would enhance the lobby and the interior architecture.
This ‘First National Bank’, built in 1926, is described as Renaissance Revival, but O’Kelly, who has designed and created several major public art works in Ventura, decided to introduce two concurrent styles and blend them into one unified work…Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
O’Kelly spent the last 7 months painting and designing this multimedia work. It includes a 5’X5’ foot oil painting, a panel of ceramic tiles, interior lighting, all set in a hand crafted mahogany double frame and base.
Michael worked with Danny Bealver – master wood worker, Gerardo Asia – Lighting designer and Juan Aguirre – O’Kelly’s ceramic partner.
The finished installation may be seen in the lobby and from California St. and sidewalk.
In 1933 Earle Stanley Gardner, a lawyer at the firm, published his first novel: “The Case of the Velvet Claw”. It featured something previously unknown to detective fiction, a crime-solving lawyer. Perry Mason became an instant hit, and by the mid-1930’s Gardner would leave the law to write full time. In all, he would write 82 novels featuring Perry Mason.
The painting was inspired by this poem by Michael’s son.
“Dusk is when time halts.
Dust hanging in the air.
Still, yet in motion.
Lifeless, but living.
The clouds pulsate slow, like gold veins.
Such lavish taste must have a cost.
Is this where the lovely ones go?’
