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Parkinson’s overview with Q&A session

Wayne Pickerell will present an educational overview of Parkinson’s Disease.

by Patty Jenkins

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is pleased to invite our members, friends and the public to attend our first meeting of the New Year. Wayne Pickerell of SC3 Research Group – Neurosearch, will help us start the New Year with an educational overview of Parkinson’s Disease followed by a question and answer period where we will have the opportunity to ask Wayne questions about Parkinson’s Disease and share some of our own experiences of how we cope with the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease.

Wayne Pickerell has been involved in Parkinson’s Disease for over 19 years and has managed Clinical Research for Neurosearch for more than 15 years. Wayne will give us an overview of Parkinson’s Disease and current treatment options. He will also update us on new treatment options and discuss clinical trials and the progress being made in the search for a cure for Parkinson’s Disease.

SC3 Research Group – Neurosearch conducts clinical research at clinics in Southern California with a team of board-certified neurologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and researchers. Their team is currently investigating new treatments for Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurologic conditions. They are all committed to improving the lives of their patients and participants by advancing medical science through research and quality clinical care.

Please join us on January 8, from 12:30PM -2:30PM at Ventura City Hall ; 501 Poli Street, Community Meeting Room #202. The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group welcomes the public along with those who find themselves navigating the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological conditions. Hand-out resources available at every meeting. We are an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with any other organization or group. For more information and important detailed directions to our meetings, please call Patty at 805-766-6070. http://www.neurosearch-usa.com/about.html

VCAAA offers free fall prevention classes for Ventura County residents

“We haven’t fallen even once since taking the Fall Prevention Program.”

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s award-winning Fall Prevention Program is offering several classes that focus on increased mobility and balance. New classes are currently scheduled to begin in January in Ventura, Ojai, and Simi Valley. All classes are free and open to the public.

Classes currently being offered include Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, Walk with Ease, and A Matter of Balance. Each class emphasizes practical strategies to manage and prevent falls. Participants will learn methods to enhance and increase activity levels and mobility, making the changes necessary to reduce fall risks.

Individuals concerned about falls or those who have recently experienced a fall, as well as those who are interested in improving balance, flexibility, and strength, are encouraged to participate.

Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.

Current class locations include the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, Ventura Adult & Continuing Education, E.P. Foster Library, HELP of Ojai, and the Simi Valley Senior Center. To learn more about the Fall Prevention Program or classes offered, or to register for a class, please contact the VCAAA at (805) 477-7300 and select option 6. More information can also be found by visiting www.vcaaa.org.

The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, an agency of the County of Ventura, is the principal agency in Ventura County charged with the responsibility to promote the development and implementation of a comprehensive coordinated system of care that enables older individuals, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities, to live in a community-based setting and to advocate for the needs of those 60 years of age and older in the county, providing leadership and promoting citizen involvement in the planning process as well as in the delivery of services.

Attendees enjoyed music, food, friends and family

A memorial dedication was made in Dave’s honor.

It was cold and it was wet, but Saturday, Dec, 7, was a perfect day to be reminded how wonderful David Stork was and how much he meant to all of those associated with the Brain Injury Center.

When their 17-year old daughter Su Stork was involved in a near fatal auto accident in 1985, Dave and Midge Stork along with three other families co-founded the Brain Injury Center.

Dave was Su’s tireless champion up until the day he passed in March, 2019. He was a visionary leader and supporter for brain injury survivors throughout Ventura County and a state advocate for TBI Survivors.

Amidst music, food, friends and family a memorial dedication made in the front garden of the BIC Brain Injury Home at Banner Ave (a 6-bed Adult Living Home for Brain Injury Survivors) in Dave’s honor. One of his favorite sayings was to “Do what you, with what you can, where you can”. This inspirational reminder that we all have the ability to make a difference no matter our challenges or situation was engraved on one of the garden chairs.

The Brain Injury Center (805-482-1312) also provides Care Transitions (hospital to home) and county-wide support groups. www-braininjurycenter.org

Ventura Unified School District embracing its families this holiday season

Bessie O’Connor (mother of Skyla shown sorting cans) also volunteered. Skyla is a 4th grader at Pierpont Elementary. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

The Cheers for Children campaign, which is entering its 67th year, is designed to help children and families of the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD). Cheers for Children began in 1952 when teachers and an administrator identified a student and his family in need of food over the holidays. Cheers for Children has grown to a community campaign to assist over 350 families over the holidays and assist with additional needs, as they are identified throughout the year.

The community was there to help with sorting and boxing the food drive items for distribution on Friday, December 20, at Balboa Middle School.

Photographer Bernie Goldstein stated “Upon entering the cafeteria at Balboa Middle School, I was impressed with the huge quantity and uniform size of the boxes lining the two walls of the cafeteria, each box will be filled to the brim with mostly canned food items for needy families within the Ventura School district. Over 350 boxes were filled by days end and will be delivered to the needy families who were identified during the year in time for the holidays. It’s estimated that over 200 students and adult volunteers were actively sorting and filling the boxes.”

All VUSD schools collected canned and dry goods for the holiday food boxes. The District also accepted monetary donations, which will assist in the purchase of holiday hams and will go towards additional family needs throughout the year. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes on “behind the scenes” to make this event a reality.

“It is our hope that through the Cheers for Children campaign we can bring joy, through a warm meal, to our students most in need” stated Dr. Roger Rice, Superintendent.

10th Annual Castro Family & Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive

The Ventura Police Department held the 10th Annual Castro Family & Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive. The community donated unwrapped toys or gift cards for the patients and siblings of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Ventura County Medical Center.

In 2008, Corey Castro was seven years old and was treated for Gorham’s Disease, a rare bone disease. As a patient, he was asked if he wanted to pick out a toy from the center’s toy box. Corey discovered the toy box needed more toys and asked his family if they could help fill the box for other children receiving treatment at the center. The Castro Family in partnership with the Ventura Police Community Foundation worked to make that dream a reality and has since provided toys and gifts to more than 1,500 patients and their siblings.

They were able to provide over 2,600 children with Christmas presents!

California Distinguished Schools includes two in Ventura

Nine Ventura County elementary schools are being honored as 2020 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education. Schools are awarded for their work toward closing the achievement gap and for achieving exceptional student performance. Schools that applied were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as described on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates and English learner progress.

The Ventura schools being honored are:

Ventura Unified Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy

Ventura Unified Junipero Serra Elementary

The 323 California Distinguished Schools will be honored on February 10, 2020, during an awards ceremony at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

Cocina Sin Fronteras Annual Run/Walk raises funds for scholarships

This year’s event had more than 200 participants, from little to big.

Cocina Sin Fronteras, a nonprofit affiliate of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB), released results from the 2019 Haunted Housing Run/Walk, held Oct. 26, at San Buenaventura State Beach, Ventura. An annual favorite, this year’s event had more than 200 participants and raised more than $18,000 from registrations, donations and sponsorships. One hundred percent of the proceeds benefit the Housing Authority Scholarship Program that assists Housing Authority residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants to pursue higher education.

“We are excited to see the enthusiastic community support for the Haunted Housing Run/Walk and we’re grateful to Cocina Sin Fronteras and the sponsors and participants for the amazing effort that went into making this year’s event such an enormous success,” said HACSB CEO Denise Wise. “Most of our scholarship recipients are the first in their family to attend college. The Housing Authority strongly believes that education is key to helping people prosper and advance their lives.”

The Housing Authority holds its scholarship awards ceremony each year in September. The 2019 ceremony awarded a total of $9,000; four scholarships at $2,000 each for students attending a four-year college/university and one scholarship at $1,000 for a student attending community college. This year’s scholarship recipients are planning to major in psychology, engineering and biology and will be attending California State University, Channel Islands; Ottawa University, Arizona; University of Southern California; and Ventura College. Since its inception, the Housing Authority Scholarship Program has provided a total of $36,000 in scholarships to 25 recipients.

Applications for the Housing Authority open in January and are limited to Housing Authority residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants pursuing higher education.

Cocina Sin Fronteras is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura HACSB.

The Housing Authority of the City Of San Buenaventura (HACSB) is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura, currently managing 295 public housing units, 705 nonprofit affordable rental units, and more than 1,500 Section 8 vouchers. The agency is actively working to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve the quality of life for hundreds more of the low-income residents of the City of Ventura. http://www.hacityventura.org/.

VPD honors their own

Sergeant Matt Cain was selected as the Ventura Police Department Supervisor of the Year for diligence in his work and dedication to serving our department and community. Matt came to VPD in 2000 as a Lateral from LAPD, where he served for five years. Matt was promoted to Corporal in 2006 and to Sergeant in 2012. He has worked a variety of assignments including Patrol, Motors, and Street Crimes Unit; he is currently the Major Crimes Sergeant. Matt and his wife Jamie are happily married and have raised three boys; Dylan (19), Lucas (11), and Logan (5).

Support Employee of the Year Records Specialist Paulette Torres was born in Garden Grove and raised in Orange County. She graduated from Fullerton High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from CSU Fullerton. She joined the VPD family in October 2018 and was nominated as Crime Fighter of the Month in July of 2019.

Paulette was selected as Support Employee of the Year for her devotion and hard work; additionally, she was a core member of the Versaterm implementation where she assisted in system configuration and coordinated training for Records. Paulette is married to Motor Officer Kyle Halverson and in her spare time, Paulette enjoys baking, photography, and reading.

30 feet wide tornado originated near the Santa Clara River

When Venturan’s heard “tornado warning” on their phones they assumed it was meant for another town, but it was for Ventura and occurred mostly in the Ventura Harbor area. The tornado was about 30 feet wide. A National Weather Service investigator confirmed that we had a brief tornado that originated near the Santa Clara River.

Perhaps we will have snow next that hasn’t fallen in Ventura since Jan., 1949.

Photos by Deena Gledhill

Ventura College Agriculture Program unveils new avocado orchard

The avocado orchard will be incorporated into the college’s agriculture program.

Ventura College unveiled its new avocado orchard with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 10. About 90 students, staff, government dignitaries and college supporters were on hand for the ceremony.

The size of the orchard is a little over an acre and holds an estimated 100, 1-year-old Haas avocado trees. The first crop is expected in 1 1/2 to 2 years.

The avocado orchard will be incorporated into the college’s agriculture program. The program returned to Ventura College in the fall of 2017. Under the leadership of faculty and program coordinator, Dr. Dorothy Farias, the two-year program currently serves 20 agriculture students. The goal is to increase class offerings and boost enrollment.

The orchard was made possible by funding and donations from the local agriculture industry including Mission Produce, Quality Ag, Inc., Brokaw Nursery, Halter-Encinas Enterprises, and Coast Water Solutions. Orchard funding was also received from donors through the Ventura College Foundation.

Student interns will help maintain the avocado orchard in partnership with Mission Produce agriculture workers. Students will have a hands-on experience learning how a commercial avocado orchard is maintained, harvested, prepared for market and then sold. Avocados will be the property of Mission Produce. The avocados will be picked by Mission staff and will go through the company’s processes to get them ready for sale. The Ventura College agriculture program will receive a portion of the avocado sales proceeds.

“Agriculture is one of the top employers in Ventura County so it’s Ventura College’s goal to introduce additional programs at the school so young people will get excited about agriculture and are prepared for well-paying careers in the industry,” says Farias. “The orchard and the real-world education it will bring to our students is invaluable.”

Those attending the grand opening included Dr. Kim Hoffmans, president, Ventura College,

Anne Paul King, executive director, Ventura College Foundation, Matt LaVere, Ventura mayor and Ventura College Foundation board member, Cheryl Heitmann, Ventura City Council member, Stephanie Caldwell, president and CEO, Ventura Chamber of Commerce and John Marquez, executive director, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.

“The farming community has been very supportive of our efforts,” says Hoffmans. “Some of our students took part in summer harvesting with Reiter Affiliated Companies, Driscoll’s and Hollandia Produce to supplement their learning. We’re in the process of creating additional internships with a number of local growers.”

For more information about the Ventura College Agriculture Program, go to https://www.venturacollege.edu.

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