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How one Ventura family lost their home to the Thomas Fire

“We thought we would be back in our home in a couple of hours”

REMEMBERING

by Richard Lieberman

“We had ten minutes to get out of there, we got out with our animals our family and our birth certificates and that was it” said Susan Bell. Susan and her family including husband John Bell her two children and grandchild safely evacuated their home in the Ondulando neighborhood in Ventura with just ten minutes notice to get out and escape the flames.

“We thought we would be back in our home in a couple of hours” said Bell. The hardest part of that night was for this family finding a place to stay. The family went to the government center and attempted to secure a place to stay the night, but their efforts were unsuccessful. All the hotel and motel rooms were already booked. Finally, the family was able to find a single room for them all.

The Bell’s lost everything that night one year ago. Four generations of photos, albums, memorabilia. “There was just nothing left” added Bell. “getting home from work I could see fire all around, I saw fire trucks rumbling up and down our street” Bell said. It was at this time clear that they needed to evacuate. Shortly police cars announcing on loud-speakers to evacuate immediately flooded the neighborhood. The family and pets made it out of the fire area safely.

With an uncompromising positive attitude and looking to re-build right away. They started the very next day December 5th. They were savvy enough to know what to do. File the claim, apply for the necessary permits, contact a contractor, get plans finalized and filed with the city. “We knew how to hound those we had to” Bell said. “

“We were very fortunate and we were the 10th on the list to be approved by the city for our re-build” added Bell.

The community was wonderful and shortly after settling into our hotel room that night, boxes of clothing and essentials began to arrive. “We received more than we needed so we started to disburse some of what we were given to other fire victims” Bell added.

“We have not been emotional at all. We have not had the time” The re-building project has taken all of our energy.” Bell said. “It is beginning to get to me now” “Now we are getting to the end of this project, I feel I am getting a little screwy.” She said. “It’s like a delayed reaction,” she added. “We have been helping other people out, by sharing and mentoring others on how to deal with the city and insurance companies, what to say and who to hound when necessary.”

The Bell’s house is now 80% complete on this one- year anniversary of the Thomas Fire. “The stucco is done, all our walls are done roof tiles will go in shortly, bathrooms and shower tiling will be completed soon” Bell said.

The Bells were fortunate that their insurance company paid exactly what they said they would. Insurance provided them with a four- bedroom home rental in Ventura where they have been residing since shortly after the fire. Being well insured has given them the edge in getting this project up and running and 80% complete in a year’s- time.

Right now we have had to go out and buy a new Christmas tree. “It reminded me of what we had and I just cried” she said. “It’s very emotional on a day to day basis.”

“We love where we are at, we love Ventura and we love the people of Ventura, we never even gave a thought to leaving.” Concluded Bell.

Vol. 12, No. 5 – Dec 5 – Dec 18, 2018 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine
Quirky Cinderella careens into Ojai

The Ojai Art Center Theater has taken some risks this season in presenting infrequently produced material for audiences to enjoy. Humor, depth and artistry has been gracing the OACT stage all season. In a wild turn of events, and for just three weekends, the 2018 season concludes with a new and decidedly quirky version of the fairy tale Cinderella. For a complete reality escape, this high energy musical production certainly fills the bill.

First, the style. Forget what you may have seen before. This production is done Panto style, described as a highly exaggerated fractured fairy tale with about as many surprises as one can absorb in an evening. Roles are reversed, twisted and sliced and diced with abandon. There is little evidence of tradition here. And it is all in good fun.

The offbeat concept was originally conceived and directed by Paul Whitworth for the Shakespeare Santa Cruz company with book and lyrics by Kate Hawley. Directed here by Richard Kuhlman, the frenetic action sneaks in many local and theatrical references to tickle the funny bone. But listen and think quickly, or you’ll miss it.

Most over the age of a toddler are familiar with the tale of poor Ella, who is misused and beleaguered by her evil step-mother and two less-than-dainty stepsisters. Her fairy godmother appears to help Ella rise above the cinders to catch the eye of an eligible prince despite many attempts to thwart her good fortune.

In this version, there is a side story involving Little Bo Peep and her band of sheep as well as a narrator-cum-activator character to assist the audience in fully appreciating the action by leading the audience to interact with the characters. Think fairy tale meets a young Shakespeare meets the melodrama. Add vividly colorful costuming, greatly exaggerated movement and expert piano accompaniment by Andy Street and there you have it.

The cast includes Sindy McKay-Swerdlove as the Fairy Godmother, Anna Kotula as the ditzy Queen, Coree Serena Kotula as the King (this is one talented youngster). Poosy Holmes bursts onto the stage as Buttons, the audience liaison, Jodi Brandt takes on the role of Prince Charming, and Denise Heller gives life to Cinderella. Michael McCarthy takes on Peep with unbridled zest.

Marisa Miculian embodies the evil step-mother, with Marilyn Lazik and Sheila McCarthy as the wildly overdone step-sisters. Brett Baxter, Bodhi Bourbon, Don Gaidano, Lenny Klaif and John Valenzuela fill in as multiple personalities. Cinderella’s father is credited to Tarrara Boomdeay (really?) who seems to be having a blast. In fact, they all are.

This is a production filled with slapstick action, continual audience wink-wink moments and an air of theatrical freedom that must be seen to be appreciated. In this difficult year of trials and tears, a true escape is sorely needed. This is it. Bring the whole family. There is something for everyone. Of course, there is a moral at the end but the bottom line is – just sit back and enjoy.

Cinderella continues through December 16. Show times are Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $20 general admission, $18 for seniors and Art Center members, and $10 for those 25 and under. The Ojai Art Center is located at 113 S. Montgomery, phone (805) 640-8797 or www.ojaiact.org .at:

The evening included good food, good people, and good conversation

On Nov. 10, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura held 51st Annual Great Futures Gala & Auction “Havana Nights”, at the Four Points Sheraton celebrating 80 years of serving local youth.

The evening included good food, good people, and good conversation, all for a good cause! Supporting your community’s youth! A cocktail reception of champagne, hors d’oeuvres and a spectacular Silent Auction was held before heading into the ballroom where even more fun was had! Fine dining, hearing from this year’s honorees, and bidding on the all-exciting Live Auction.

J.D. and Amber Drury honored at ”Havana Nights.”

Opening comments were made by Board President Maria Ventura and the 2018 Youth Of The Year Marco Cardenas, from Buena High who thanked the Boys and Girls Club for the wonderful contribution that they have made to his life.

CEO Patti Birmingham stated “it is my sincere hope that as you enjoy the excitement, laughter and kinship of the evening, that you too will feel like a part of our family and know that you are making a difference. All proceeds raised this evening will be used to provide academic success, character and good citizenship and healthy lifestyles for the members of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura.”

The evening honored to outstanding community leaders J.D. and Amber Drury. In 2010, they were asked to create a thrift store that would be a source of funding for the Boys & Girls Club. They then established the Avenue Thrift Store located at 222 Ventura Avenue.

J D is also known for presenting Ventura’s summer surf festival the Surf Rodeo and on occasion can be heard performing with his band Raging Arb and the Redheads. Both he and Amber graduated from Ventura High School.

He stated “we are very proud of our contribution of almost $400,000 so far the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura. Amber and I, along with manager Micci House, and our staff are dedicated to maintaining the quality reputation and popularity of the store. Our ever changing inventory is the key to our success and we would like to remind you how much we appreciate your continuing contributions. Amber and I invite you to visit the store on Ventura Avenue, we are open seven days a week. Thank you so much for your continued support.”

The cost to provide critical services and to run all four of the boys and girls clubs is $150,000 per month with the cost of services for one child per year is $2,500. Parents are only asked to pay $50 a year for annual membership. No child is turned away for lack of ability to pay and many can’t.

Visit bgclubventura.org for more information about the Club.

Misconceptions about the Ventura Botanical Gardens

One day the Ventura Botanical Gardens will again look like this.

by Barbara Brown Ventura Botanical Gardens, President
www.venturabotanicalgardens.com

Over the last few weeks since the Merewether Welcome Center opened, we’ve heard some misconceptions about the Gardens. Most of them come in the form of questions, so we thought we’d share them here:

Isn’t this public land?

In 2012, VBG built the first garden pathway and installed the first plants on brushy slopes that previously had no access. In 2015, VBG was granted a long-term lease for the land and took on the challenge of building and maintaining it through private funding, grants and donations. Part of our long term general plan included paid admission. Many cities opt to engage in public/private partnerships when they do not have taxpayer funds to develop or maintain a property or asset.

Why do I have to pay for a public trail?

 Most hiking trails, like those in the Santa Monica Mountains or Los Padres National Forest, were built, funded and maintained through ongoing taxpayer dollars. VBG does not receive ongoing funds from either the City’s annual budget, the state budget or the federal government. Over the past 18 months, it’s become clear that the Gardens need support from the people that visit it. We’d like to continue free access, but we can’t do that and provide for short or long term sustainability. With an interest in being as inclusive as possible, we offer free access on Tuesdays along with free scheduled guided tours. Children age 18 and under are also free, as are EBT card holders, and educational groups.

The cost of $7 per visit is too high. Couldn’t it be more like $2 per visit?

A great deal of thought and consideration was given to the cost. Comparative research was done between other non-governmentally funded gardens and we felt this pricing model the best for balancing sustainability and affordability. For those who visit the Gardens often, the $45 annual membership fee is equivalent to $3.75 per month. If you use it 4 times in a month, that’s equivalent to 93 cents per visit. Many were visiting every day or even twice a day, so for frequent visitors, the cost becomes significantly less than $2.

I like to visit in the morning and in the evenings. Can you extend the hours?

We are considering extending the hours when funding becomes available,

Why are dogs only allowed on Tuesday and Wednesday?

In the interest of being inclusive, rather than exclusive, we want to ensure that anyone visiting our garden can enjoy it free of distraction. We’ve had many complaints about dogs, but we don’t want to exclude them entirely, so we have opened up two days a week for dogs. In addition, because we are an organization about plant conservation and education, we have to balance environmental and conservation issues.

How did the gardens fare after the devastating Thomas Fire?

The entirety of the Gardens burned and every plant was, in some way, touched by the fire. The good news is that some of the plants survived. For example, the pepper trees at Summit Plateau look almost untouched. Most of our plants, however, were burned and many to the ground.

The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the arts

Ventura takes great pride in supporting our local arts community.

On Nov.8 the Mayor’s Arts Awards were held at the Museum of Ventura County before an enthusiastic audience of several hundred. The Mayor’s Arts Awards is a collaboration of the City Manager’s Office and Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department. It recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the arts in 2018.The selection committee was Peter Graves, Georgeanna Lees and Jen Livia.

Kathryn Dippong Lawson Arts, Education & Historic Sites Supervisor, Community Partnerships opened the evening by welcoming the standing room crowd who enjoyed delicious finger food and drinks on the patio.

The Awards presenters were Paul Lindhard ,Donna Granata,Todd Collart,Bill Kearney,Heidi House,Marlyss Munguia Auster,and David C. Creswell.

Matt LaVere, Deputy Mayor opened the evening. “On behalf of the City of Ventura and the City Council, I would like to thank you for attending the 14th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. This is our opportunity to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of seven distinguished artists, patrons, educators, and

leaders. Ventura takes great pride in supporting our local arts community. Arts and culture help to promote the unique identity of our city. These seven incredibly gifted individuals are diverse in the gifts and talents that they provide to our community daily and have made indelible contributions to our city.

I would also like to extend my thanks to this year’s Awards Selection Committee members.”

This year’s Art Award winners are:

Elena Brokaw Arts Leader. She has served as a leader in the arts in Ventura for over 25 years. She began her career working in the City of Ventura’s Cultural Affairs Division in 1993. She created Ventura ArtWalk and Java Jump. She served as the founding director of the Ventura Chamber Music Festival, co-authored Ventura’s Cultural Plan, Creating California’s New Art City, worked to secure $1 million in grant funding to seismically to retrofit the historic Olivas Adobe, worked on the Working Artists Ventura mixed-use housing development and now serves as the Executive Director of the Museum of Ventura County.

Broc Ellinger Emerging Artist. Broc is an artist from Ventura. Broc focuses his creativity on the medium of photography. His recent endeavors into photojournalism and portrait work have established him as a prolific and diverse photographer. He received the 2016 Ventura County Star Favorite Local Artist award, the 2017 Ventura County Fair Professional Division Best of Show, and 2017 1st place California Professional Firefighters Contest.

Jasmine Duncan Student Artist. Jasmine is a stand-out scholar, athlete, and artist. Jasmine first began dancing when she was four years old. She has developed her dance skills at the Ventura County Ballet Company, Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and received special tutelage from the San Francisco Ballet. In addition to her ballet, she is a talented artist who was nominated for Featured Artist of the 1st Annual VUSD Student Art Show. As a scholar she is on the Distinguished Principals honor roll and is enrolled in Advanced Placement Courses.

Stefoni Rossiter Arts Educator. Stefoni pursued a career in theater in her twenties and then embarked on her life’s calling, being a teacher. She taught first at the preschool level, then elementary in Ventura Unified School District’s (VUSD) open classroom then as Ventura High School’s drama teacher.

Kelly Stevens Creative Entrepreneur. Kelly is the owner of superbuzzy, Inc. Kelly has contributed to the community in many ways over the years. Her most recent contribution was to coordinate the collection of donated materials and quilts from around the world for the Thomas Fire Quilt Project – a project which has, at last count, donated over 1,000 quilts to families who lost their homes in the fire and subsequent mudslides.

John White Artist in the Community. John is a painter, sculptor, and performance artist who has been exhibiting for over 40 years. John’s work is included in numerous museum collections, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum in New York, La Foret Museum in Tokyo, and many others. He is the recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants and was recognized as the 2018 Artist of Distinction at the Ventura ArtWalk.

Patti Channer Arts Patron. Patti is an elegant example of community art patronage. She has long supported the arts in Ventura including Focus on the Masters, Ventura County Arts Council, Ventura ArtWalk, Ventura Botanical Gardens and the Ventura Film Society. When Patti takes hold of an idea, or cause she can single-handedly take it from concept to reality in record time.

A scam warning from the Ventura Police

“Yes, I can hear you just fine.”

In the wake of critical incidents in Ventura County the Ventura Police Department encourages residents to be aware of scams that often follow disasters. The scammers often play on the emotions of people especially during major incidents.

If you are asked to make a charitable donation, please consider these tips:

Donate to charities you know and trust.

Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight.

Do not give out personal or financial information including your credit card or bank account number unless you know the charity is reputable.

Never send cash by mail.

Be suspicious of random calls requesting a donation.

Be cautious about clicking on links in emails requesting a donation.

Check out a charity before you donate by contacting the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at 703-276-0100 or at website www.give.org

 

The community is also advised to be aware of additional phone scams that have impacted residents:

IRS Scam: The scammer says money is owed and must be paid immediately by phone.

Edison/Gas Scam: The scammer says money is owed and if not paid immediately the service will be turned off.

Jury Duty Scam: The scammer says money is owed for not showing up to jury duty and if not paid jail time will occur.

“Can You Hear Me” Scam: Scammers are calling victims hoping to get them to say the word “yes” during the conversation that’s being recorded. The scammer will later use the recording of the victim saying yes to authorize unwanted charges on the victim’s utility or credit card account.

Text Message Phishing Scam: Scammers are using a new texting scam and spoofing banks’ phone numbers and sending text messages to customers. A spoofed phone number hides the actual number the text is coming from and displays a number from a trusted source, like your bank. The text claims that your debit card has been used to make a purchase and if you do not recognize the transaction, you need to call their fraud prevention helpline. A phone number is provided for you to call. Because the incoming text looks like it’s from your bank, people are falling for this. If you do call the number provided in the text, the fraudster will answer the phone. They will then ask you to confirm your sensitive banking details. This would allow the scammer to steal money from your account.

Grandparent Scam: A scammer poses as a grandchild and claims to be in jail and in need of money for bail. These imposters claim they are in another state or out of the country and need money wired to help bail them out of jail.

The community is urged to be vigilant and aware of these scams to avoid falling victim. Never follow directions from someone on the phone that requests personal information or money. Please report phone and computer scams to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit ftc.gov/complaint.

Paso Pacifico responds to viral turtle poaching video

A Paso Pacifico ranger patrols the beach near Ostional, Nicaragua, on the lookout for illegal poaching. Photo by Hal Brindley

Turtle poaching in Central America is not a new issue, but some poachers have recently become even more emboldened to carry out this illegal activity. The current political unrest in Nicaragua has only made the situation worse for endangered sea turtles, as critical resources continue to get diverted to other issues.

Ventura’s own Paso Pacifico has long been at the forefront of protecting sea turtles and their eggs, and developed the award-winning InvestEGGator decoy egg with GPS tracking in 2016 to deter poachers who use the cover of night for protection.

But a new threat emerged recently, as poachers have been seen wading into the water and carrying out nesting sea turtles in broad daylight. One poacher was even captured on video carrying a helpless sea turtle over his shoulder during a busy weekend at a beach in Nicaragua.

Soldiers typically patrol this protected beach and wildlife refuge during the nesting season, but for an unknown reason, soldiers were not present when the viral video was taken. Paso Pacifico does not have jurisdiction to patrol this particular beach, but they are stepping up efforts to increase their presence in nearby areas. Thanks to the power of social media, the Paso Pacifico team was able to quickly spread the word and generate solutions for this urgent issue.

Just days after this disturbing early-August video went viral, Paso Pacifico raised enough funds to hire two new rangers to monitor beaches in hopes of deterring illegal poaching, and the goal is to continue adding to that number. The new rangers began their assignments patrolling Nicaraguan beaches this October.

“We have been so encouraged by the response we’ve received from our dedicated supporters,” said Paso Pacifico Founder and Executive Director Dr. Sarah Otterstrom. “It’s reassuring to know that others in our community, both locally and across the globe, are as concerned about this heartbreaking behavior as we are. Thanks to the generosity of SEE Turtles for matching funds, we have more than doubled our original fundraising goal in a matter of days, but our work isn’t done. The more money we raise, the more rangers we can hire to protect these threatened sea turtles.”

Paso Pacifico already has a presence on many beaches in the Paso del Istmo region of Nicaragua, but is looking to expand their reach in light of recent events. For every $5,000 raised, Paso Pacifico is able to hire an additional turtle ranger to monitor Nicaraguan beaches.

The mission of Paso Pacifico is to restore and protect the Pacific Slope ecosystems of Mesoamerica. These habitats include the endangered dry tropical forest, mangrove wetlands, and eastern Pacific coral reefs. By working with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations, Paso Pacifico restores and protects the habitats that form building blocks for wildlife corridors. Paso Pacifico also lends its expertise to help migratory wildlife on the Central Coast of California, including threatened migratory birds and whales that over winter in Mesoamerica. Through its high-impact programs, Paso Pacifico has established itself as one of the world’s leading biodiversity conservation organizations.

Carolyn’s Natural Organic Handmade Soap

Carolyn adds her special touches of natural ingredients.

by Mira Reverente

Not all soaps are made the same. There are some that are good for you and some that may do more harm than good. Soap entrepreneur and cancer survivor Carolyn Aranda can attest to this.

Lather is the best medicine

Since being diagnosed with stage 1 uterine cancer about 30 years ago, Aranda has been particular about what she puts in her body. “I do a lot of research on scents and chemicals like parabens and sulfates. They are typically found in cosmetics, shaving and hair care products, which are absorbed by the skin,” says the Camarillo resident and mother of two grown children.

She started experimenting and making her own soaps and laundry detergents three years ago. In the process, she learned about the three ways to make soap, settling on the melt and pour method which involves melting the soap base glycerin and pouring into molds or containers. She says, “It’s the simplest and least toxic way to make soap.”

Aranda adds her special touches of natural ingredients such as goat’s milk which is great for lathering. Sometimes, she’ll add olive oil or use it separately. To add natural color, she uses blueberry or turmeric. For packaging, she also tries to use as little plastic as possible.

Sudsational and soaptastic

For the holidays, Aranda has a few holiday-themed designs up her sleeves. Think gingerbread men, snowmen, snowflakes, snow crystals and Christmas trees.

In the past, she has churned out stars for the 4th of July, pumpkins for the beginning of fall, some Halloween designs and seashells for the summer. “Others just have regular bar soaps, but I can jazz up the soaps with various interesting designs and even two-toned ones,” she says of her unique sudsational and soaptastic products.

Prices range from $5 a piece to $4 for three or more soaps. Small soaps retail for $2. Custom orders are encouraged although there is a wide variety of designs and scent combinations like lavender, lemongrass and peppermint to choose from. There are no minimums.

Raising the bar

Variety is the spice of life, and soaps apparently. Aranda is currently concocting more soap varieties and promoting gift baskets for the holidays. Think corporate and party giveaways. She’ll help you come up with a theme and put together gift baskets to match your idea, drawing upon her years in corporate America.

She also looks up to her husband for his business acumen. “He inspired me to break away from the 9 to 5 grind, pursue my interests and set up my own business,” she says.

She’s also dabbling with the idea of widening her reach and shipping internationally. Also, adding more adult themes for bachelor and bachelorette parties.

Look for her at a farmer’s market or bazaar near you soon. Soap is the limit for this solo entrepreneur!

For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/Carolyns-Natural-Organic-Handmade-Soap or call 747.231.SOAP (7627) or email [email protected].

NALA to help Toys for Tots fulfill its mission

Toys for Tots will be collected until December 12.

The NALA, a boutique marketing agency headquartered in Ventura has teamed up with a plethora of clients this holiday season to help Toys for Tots fulfill its mission, which is to collect new, unwrapped toys each holiday season and distribute them as Christmas gifts to children in need. The NALA’s collective cause marketing program encourages businesses across the country to collect during this time of year.

The NALA and its sister company, STARKART, will be collecting toys for Toys for Tots from now until December 12. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the office located at 1891 Goodyear Ave., Suite 620. Additional STARKART/NALA offices collecting include their Encino office located at 5535 Balboa Blvd., Suite 210 and their San Diego office located at 8305 Vickers Street, Suite 209.

“We have been helping small and medium-sized businesses stand out in their communities for over 30 years. Through our new collective cause marketing initiative, the hope is to not only help the business stand out, but make a bigger impact for the cause,” said Tiffani Tendell, Vice President – Communications and Business Development at the NALA, which has introduced a multitude of diverse small businesses to one of its many top-rated charity partners.

Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, which distributes toys to children who may not otherwise receive a gift for Christmas. It was founded in 1947, and since its inception the Marines have distributed over 530,000,000 toys to more than 244,000,000 children across the United States.