If you would like to serve as a Ventura Aquatic Center Lifeguard, now is your chance!
Five reasons to apply now to be a lifeguard at the Ventura Aquatic Center:
1. No need to decide what to wear to work. Your wardrobe is a bathing suit with a uniform shirt and shorts.
2. Killer workout every day- swim between your shifts.
3. Work outdoors in Ventura. Yes, please!
4. Co-workers, you may not know any of them when you start, but by the end of it all, they will be your best friends.
5. Ability to save a life…mic dropped!
If you are over the age of 16 and would like to serve as a Ventura Aquatic Center Lifeguard, now is your chance! No certifications are necessary to try out, just a good attitude and strong swimming skills. Several tryout dates are available.
Fri., March 15: 3:30-4:30 pm and 6-7 pm
Sat., March 16: 2:30-3:30 pm
Thurs., March 21: 5:30-6:30 pm
Show up to the tryout that is most convenient for you, no need to RSVP. No additional tryout dates will be added. For further questions, please contact the Ventura Aquatic Center at 805-654-7511.
Special Exhibit: In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Vita Art Center, located at 28 W. Main St., is exhibiting the artwork of four women artists that will be formally documented by FOTM in 2019. The work of Astrid Preston, Linda Ekstrom, Peggy Pownall and Hilary Brace is on display through March 22. This is the third annual all women’s art exhibit co-curated by Vita Art Center and Focus on the Masters.
∙SPAN Thrift Store is providing $10 spays and neuters for low income cat and dog friends.
Two Clinics in March: Albert H. Soliz Library – El Rio, 2820 Jourdan St., Oxnard, 93036 on Thursday, March 21st, and seco in the SPAN Thrift Store parking lot 110 N. Olive St. (behind Vons on Main) on Thursday, March 28th. Please call to schedule an appointment 805-584-3823.
Disaster Search Dog Foundation has a new train.
∙While two of the train cars that comprise Carlee’s Train Wreck were miraculously unharmed during the Thomas Fire in December 2017, one car was destroyed and had to be carefully removed, leaving an empty footprint in its place. Finding a replacement was imperative for veteran Search Teams and canine candidates to continue preparing for this type of industrial disaster, an indispensable part of their training for real-world scenarios.
Thanks to our friends at Fillmore & Western Railway, a new passenger compartment car was located in Salinas and on Wednesday, January 9, the logistically difficult journey began down Interstate 5. After hundreds of miles and a few tire blow outs SDF received word that the train car was about to begin its ascent up Wheeler Canyon Road. When the ground finally dried out from recent storms, the car was officially placed on January 30 in Industrial Park at the top of the campus, once again completing Carlee’s Train Wreck!
National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road, Santa Paula (even though is seems like Ventura).
∙Dear Sheldon:
Good news is that Xena (missing dog from last issue) was located and has been returned to her rightful person. Words are inadequate to explain Xena’s joy when she was returned. Xena was beside herself with joy and love and could not get close enough to Nancy or get enough of being again with her.
Thank you very much for publishing Xena’s Lost Flyer in the Ventura Breeze. Often it takes a village to find a lost dog. Thank you and Ventura Breeze for always doing your part to be of service to this community and to help this community become a better, kinder place to live.
I just learned last night that Marie Callendar’s on Victoria has closed. Maybe this explains the reason that though I made three separate trips to the usual Ventura Breeze paper stand where I always pick up the paper, no papers had been left and instead the box was full of trash paper. I am glad to see copies of Ventura Breeze have been left at my vet’s office—East Ventura Animal Hospital way out on the east end of Telephone.
Betty Okrent
∙Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships is happy to announce the expansion of the Camino Real Dog Park. A need arose for a space that would provide smaller dogs their own space, separate from larger breeds. After considering two possible expansion areas to provide the most room, the park was expanded outward adding a 70’ by 70’ area. This additional 4,900 square feet of room allows for small dogs to run and play.
Pamela Hazard and her dog Shula have been two enthusiastic supporters of the project through the whole process. “It definitely fills a need for smaller dogs. Everyone who has used it has been so appreciative,” said Pamela. Now that the expansion is complete, many small dogs and their owners are enjoying the extra space to play. For more information contact Tom Martin, Parks Manager at [email protected].
∙For years, we’ve heard that dogs can be good for human physical and mental health in part because the canines’ need for exercise gets their sluggish human companions out of the house for a walk at least a couple times a day.
University of Pennsylvania researchers point out that those walks sometimes end in broken bones and trips to the emergency room for older dog walkers. They estimate that nationally, the number of dog-walking fractures in people aged 65 and older more than doubled between 2004 and 2017, from 1,671 to 4,396. During that period, the number of older adults increased by 10 percent or 4.6 million. Because the team’s data included only people seen in emergency rooms, the researchers believe there likely are more dog-walking-related fractures than they were able to count.
∙ New Year’s resolutions for the pet owner
I will provide a treat or toy when I leave the house or crate my pet as a “consolation prize” for having to be without me.
I will practice sit/stay with my pet, and I will practice in places and situations where I may really need her to sit and stay. For example, I will practice this in the car when I open the door and before letting her out and at the front door before we go out for a walk. If my cat has the habit of jumping into my lap and spilling my morning coffee, I will practice teaching her to sit when she comes up to me so that I will have the chance to put my coffee to the side before inviting her up.
I will turn my pet’s grooming needs at home into training sessions, using his favorite treats or toys to reward him for letting me brush him, bathe him or clip his nails. If my pet has more complicated grooming needs, I will invest in grooming services with a reputable and certified pet groomer.
Celebrating the one-year anniversary of Lynn’s Consignments are owner Lynn Dralle, publisher-editor Sheldon and Senior Account Executive Breezy Gledhill. The reason she opened on March 1 was because that was her father‘s birthday who has passed away but she will always have a reminder of him each year on that day.
Everyone knows Tony the Vet. For fifteen years, this disabled 72-year-old veteran has been hawking his wares—a combination of baseball caps, decals, flags and other assorted patriotic tchotchkes—on a side road next to the Target on Main Street.
Tony is a warm, spirited man who presides over his collection of carefully lettered signs with pride. “If you like your freedom, go hug a veteran,” reads one of his posters.
“You’ve got the mean people and the nice people,” Tony says. “There’s a lot of people that help me.” Tony is out every day, except when it’s raining. He lives in a black van nearby. “I’m a little entrepreneur,” he continues. “I try to make a little living. I try to be honest.”
Tony tells me he served in Vietnam from 1963-67. “He was a sergeant, a platoon leader,” his best friend Russ chimes in. Russ—a philosophical UCSB grad with pale eyes who looks like an aging surfer—is also homeless. They offer each other a great deal of emotional support.
“Tony, tell her what the stop sign stands for,” Russ says, gesturing to the crimson hexagon that dominates the cluttered display of merchandise. “It stands for ‘Sergeant Tony Offers Prayers,’” Tony says with a glint in his eye.
Russ tells me Tony is “a visible, friendly, social person” who is well-liked. “People come up, he lends an ear, he listens,” Russ says. In a part of town conducive to alcoholics and drug addicts, Tony has prevented more than one suicide. “He’s like a surrogate dad or uncle.”
According to Tony, there is a government code that says vets are permitted to sell to stay alive in designated areas. Despite his disabled veteran’s license, Target doesn’t want him there, and neither does the city. But the police ultimately sided with Tony.
The feisty veteran has serious heart problems. During the hour that we spoke, he had to pop a nitrate pill twice. Suddenly his cell phone rang. An overwhelmed Tony blurts something out, and then abruptly ends the call. He immediately regrets hanging up, realizing it could have been someone who might help him get housing.
I ask him about his Dodgers hat. “I hope we can win the world series before I’m in the big one in the sky,” he says with a lopsided grin.
Squinting into the sun, Russ next lays out a meandering story about an eccentric woman on the freeway that everyone knew in the 1970’s. “When Tony dies people will remember him the way we knew the freeway lady in Santa Barbara,” Russ concludes. “He’s an icon.”
Russ also mentions that Tony is a former drag racer and that he has adult children. “Isn’t that right, Tony?” Russ asks. An aggravated Tony runs his fingers through his thick white beard. The interview has gone on too long, and it’s bad for business.
Just before I walk away, I see the faces of the two friends framed by the late afternoon glow as if bathed in nostalgia.
Ockert’s long-time interest has been ensuring that everyone has access to education.
Kristin Ockert worked with community colleges for 21 years, mostly in state level policy and program development. She currently is on the foundation’s Strategic Planning Committee, which is developing a new multi-year plan that is incorporating input from community stakeholders and reflecting on new data and projected needs. She also serves on the Scholarship Review Committee, working with foundation staff to refine the scholarship application process so students will be more successful in applying for scholarship funds.
“Kristin’s decades of experience in the community college arena have been extremely valuable to Ventura College and the foundation,” says Rob van Nieuwburg, Ventura College Foundation board chair. “We look forward to having Kristin on the board where she can further offer her insights and expertise.”
Ockert’s long-time interest has been ensuring that everyone has access to education. “The foundation helps level the playing field for people who have few financial resources yet want the opportunity to achieve their potential through education and training,” says Ockert. “The VC Foundation staff and board are very mission driven and are always looking for ways to improve services to students. As a board member, I plan to contribute perspective and experience about processes that can hopefully be helpful to the foundation as it carries out its mission.”
Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace; an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Anne Paul King at (805) 289-6461 or [email protected] or visit www.VCgiving.org
On August 7, 2018 a ceremony was held at Ivy Lawn in honor of Sergeant Dowell’s life.
The Ventura Police Officers’ Association (VPOA) is accepting applications for the 16th annual Dee Dowell Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships will be presented in to honor Sergeant Darlon “Dee” Dowell, who was shot and killed on August 7, 1978. Sergeant Dowell is the only officer in Ventura’s history to die in the line of duty.
At the time of his death, Sergeant Dowell, 32, was a nine-year veteran of the Ventura Police Department. He is remembered as a dedicated police officer, devoted husband, and loving father to his two young children.The City of San Buenaventura named Dowell Drive, the location of police headquarters, in Sergeant Dowell’s honor in 1979.
In selecting scholarship recipients, the VPOA will consider academic achievement, school and community service, and financial needs. Applications must contain all required information and be returned no later than April 12, 2019. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Scholarship Awards:
1st Place $5,000.00
2nd Place $3,500.00
3rd Place $2,000.00
Honorable Mention(s) $500.00
Applicants must:
Be entering his/her freshman through senior year in college;
Plan a course of study related to the field of public service;
Ventura resident or have graduated from a high school in Ventura within the past three years, or a Ventura Police Department employee or employee’s child.
Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better (based on a 4.0 system);
Maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better if selected as a recipient;
Submit a resume of school and community activities, including a copy of transcripts through the most recent semester;
Submit a typed essay of 1000 words or less on “Service, what it means to me”;
Submit a letter of recommendation from a public servant.
For additional information please contact Ofc. Mike Hibdon at 805-339-4443 or [email protected]. Applications are available at the front desk of the Ventura Police Department on Dowell Dr.
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by millions across the country, often culminating in parties where drinking is involved. Sadly, this leads to tragedies on our roadways because of drivers who choose to leave parties impaired.
During the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, March 16-17, 2019 the Ventura Police Department will have additional officers on patrol ready to stop and arrest drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
According to data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), one person was killed, and 48 others were injured in DUI crashes on St. Patrick’s Day last year. In 2017, 59 people were killed nationwide in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday (March 16-March 18), accounting for 37 % of all traffic deaths.
Due to St. Patrick’s Day becoming a dangerous holiday on our roads, the Ventura Police Department encourages everyone to plan ahead and use a designated sober driver, ride-share or public transportation. Even one drink can be one too many.
“Don’t even put yourself in a position where you need to ask whether you are okay to drive,” Ventura Police Sergeant Mike Brown said. “If you feel the slightest hint of a buzz, you should not be driving.”
The Ventura Police Department also wants to remind everyone that a “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and marijuana can all be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
“We all know the dangers about driving impaired,” Ventura Police Commander Rick Murray said. “Let’s all be responsible adults and help each other get where we need to go safely.”
Funding for St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
I read in the LA Times (can I say that?) that Pope Francis warned bishops he wants “concrete measures” to stamp out sex abuse in the church. He handed out 21 proposals for cracking down on predator priests.
Seems to me the only proposal necessary should be to let them get married (to a male or female, just not 12-year olds).
Larry Dote- on online reader from Las Vegas
Editor:
The battle to indict Trump is turning into a Civil War. Them — the Trump Followers vs. the anti-Trumpers.
Trump is surrounding himself with a battery of anti-Constitution followers, determined to turn this U.S. of A from a Republic, into a Dictatorship, with Trump at the top. A la his hero Putin, and the other owners of countries like The Saudis and China. And North Korea
I know this sounds hyperbolic and hysterical. But that’s Trump and what he’s willing to do, along with his Republican followers, to buy himself a country.
He builds walls of people he puts into important positions like the Supreme Court and others who can hamper the Mueller investigation.
He won’t go quietly — not his style. He’ll happily lead us into a nuclear confrontation with North Korea and/or Russia, as readily as a spoiled child having a temper tantrum.
And the greed-hungry Republican followers will follow him to hell.
Hope all of you are still limber enough to curl up and hide under the bed.
Sweet dreams…Esther Cole
Breeze:
This is a song inspired by the recent rains in Ventura. Sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace” .
By Hope Botwinski
Amazing Rain
Amazing rain! How sweet the smell,
That saved a drought like this!
We once were dry, but now are wet!
Was parched, but now relief!
Through many days, weeks, months, and years.
The rain barely would come down.
Tis rain that turns the grass so green.
And rain helps flowers bloom.
The rivers rise where formerly dry,
Displacing homeless from their “homes.”
And causing mudslides – destruction in its path.
But we will not complain.
And with the rain, comes the snowpack
To give water later on.
With natural rainfall, plants grow the best.
The farmers will rejoice.
The Lord has promised good to me:
A rainbow in the sky.
Always the sun rise; always the moon set.
All signs of His Providence.
Amazing rain! How sweet the sound!
See flash of lightning then – hear thunder roar.
The earth sighs Ahh! In grate-ful response!
The streams bubbling along!
What we imagine is order is merely the prevailing form of chaos. ~ Kerry Thornley
It was standing room only at the Women’s Day Proclamation held at the Ventura City Council meeting on Monday, March 4th. After an historic election, four female council members—Sofia Rubalcava, Lorrie Brown, Cheryl Heitmann, and Christy Weir—are now on the city council, making the council the first majority female one in Ventura’s history.
Ventura Deputy Mayor Rubalcava encouraged the mostly female audience—who was dressed in onion-like layers of white in honor of the suffragettes that fought for women’s voting rights—to run for office, join groups and get involved in their communities.
International Women’s Day on March 8th is a global day that celebrates the advancement of women and stands up against gender discrimination.
Women’s rights activist and UU Church of Ventura member Diana Goodrow was on the scene at City Hall on Monday night.
“I came because it was an historic evening and I didn’t want to miss it,” she said. “I have been involved in addressing women’s equality issues for a very, very long time, and last night was special to me.”However, this is hardly the time to give up the fight for women’s rights and declare victory. “This is only a very small step in addressing women’s equality concerns,” Goodrow concluded, “but it is a beginning.”
