Roice Bassett (the “hot dog dude”) is also the metal shop teacher at Buena High School, this marked the 25th year he’s been doing hot dogs for Halloween! His students make most of the eerie, assorted decorations displayed each year in front of his home in East Ventura and crowds line up halfway across the street and down the block for hot dogs, kettle corn, candy and (new this year) shave ice! Roice said this year, “we cooked about 450 hot dogs and my guess is we saw between 550 to 600 guests”.
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Vol. 12, No. 3 – Nov 7 – Nov 20, 2018 – Mailbox
Editor…..Please stop with the political drivel in your column……..We all know that you are more liberal than Bernie Sanders….but to quote Eugene Robinson? If Kanya West is an Uncle Tom, then Eugene is an Auntie Tommie…who can only write stuff that Bezos tells him to write…He has not had an intelligent piece since USA Today started putting him in our local paper……Why does he not start doing something for the Black people? Because he is already in the top 10% of money makers and
is not interested…..
You have a nice community paper which gives us local happenings….so knock off the political pap that you try to sneak in ……
Richard Pillow, CPA.Ventura
Richard:
Not sure what you mean “try to sneak in” it is not written in code, you managed to find it. I assume “political drivel and pap” is anything that you don’t agree with.
The fact that I can express my opinion and you can express yours is what the freedom of the press is which makes this a great country (they don’t have this in China, North Korea, Russie, etc., etc. I’m sure that you wouldn’t want to live there). So I will continue to “sneak in” my “drivel and pap” and you can continue to criticize it and have it printed in the Breeze.
Sheldon
Here’s why I love Trump!
1. He is the first person in politics, either side, that I have ever been able to understand when he speaks. He’s not censored or pre-rehearsed at all. I think that’s what bothers people. They “can’t handle those ruff words or the truth!”
3. Start by building the wall. We can’t possibly deport those we don’t know are here or logistically can’t. Trump got our attention though by saying that. Children left at the border that we are traumatizing? Really? Where did that start? Seems with their parents. Vetting, placement or sending them back needs to continue.
Can we go to any other country in the world and just start a life, use all the services for free, and stay for as long as we want or whenever? I think not.
5. Question……how can we keep paying for all of this. The left thinks, what…..we just keep borrowing money, printing it, or taxing people here who already struggled to pay their own bills?
6. Russia…….I voted, Russia did not influence me on my decision.
This topic is an insult to me.
8. I love that Trump doesn’t need the money. All the other people do. Who’s he working for? Us! Finally someone that’s calls everyone out right or left.
9. Oh my and its criminal what was done to Kavanaugh and his family. Granted something happened to her, but to accuse and try to ruin someone with no evidence or proof and doing it now?
I love that you continue to produce our lovely, informative Breeze in the day and age of skyrocketing costs to produce it.
Thank you!
Trudy Smith
Some of her points were deleted not editorialized but just because they were too long. That is why there are numbers missing.
Dear Ventura Breeze
How nice to read such a lovely article on Mary Jane Mitchell (in last Breeze issue). Wow – so many years of memories.
I well remember meeting Jane, and her late husband, Jack Tobias, for the very first time. There I was – a young city girl from south Philly, Pennsylvania – and proud of it – being introduced to a new town and way of life, surrounded by farmland. Jane and Jack were among the nicest people I came to know. Jane was always gracious and welcoming. Jack was a real down-to-earth guy (with a very cool hat collection), who spent many a morning at the wonderful Doc and Sandy’s Cafe, in “downtown Saticoy”, enjoying “shooting the breeze” with other country gentlemen like himself. Doc and Sandy went on to a well-deserved retirement, and most – if not all of the original Saticoy Coffee Gang – are now gone, yet they all continue to be remembered fondly.
It’s so good to know that Jane remains in her family home, where – from her front-row seat in a cozy chair- she continues to witness the many changes of years gone by. Bless you, Jane, and………thanks for the memories. Thanks, again. Just love the Ventura Breeze.
Grace Baskin, Ventura
Correction:
In our last issue we had the wrong time for this event. On Nov.8, from 5-7pm, Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) will have an open house.
Also there will be an Art Open House on Tuesday Nov. 27, from 4-7pm which will specifically highlight the over 600 pieces of local and regional art that have been installed in the new hospital. A great opportunity to appreciate our local artists.
We think too much and feel too little.
~ Charlie Chaplin
Vol. 12, No. 3 – Nov 7 – Nov 20, 2018 – Opinion/Editorial
• In this issue we have several articles regarding the Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG). Reported is the fact that there will now be a fee to enter the VBG (with some exceptions). Even though their original intent was to not charge a fee, due to the Thomas Fire destroying all of the landscaping, they feel fees are needed to support the new landscaping.
This is from their website: “All of this costs money, and we hope the community will embrace supporting us on a grassroots level which includes a small membership fee of $45 per year or $7 per day. Our intention is to keep the fee low enough for every budget but allow for long term financial sustainability. On Tuesdays, the Gardens are free for everyone. Monthly scheduled guided tours are also free. Additionally, many major holidays are free, with the exception of July 4.”
The loss of all the planting was extremely difficult for the hundreds of volunteers who did the work. The new Welcome Center will be run by volunteers, one of the ways to keep the costs down. The VBG is always looking for more volunteers. You can visit their web site for more information at
• Congratulations to the new (and returning) city council and school board members who just won election. It was too late to name them in this issue but will be reported in detail in our next one. I think the new council districts was a success with many very good candidates running.
• Our Dec. 5 issue will be remembering the Thomas Fire. We would love to hear from our readers who lost their homes. Are you re-building, selling your lot? How has your permit process been along with working with an architect and builder? Send a note to [email protected] and if you are not a writer, we will assign you one. Hope to hear from you.
• Southern California Edison has stated for the first time that its electrical equipment likely was associated with one of two ignition points of the Thomas Fire. Dozens of lawsuits claimed the utility company’s equipment sparked the blaze.
This will have huge, and, perhaps, unexpected consequences. What if Edison needs to pay so much money in lawsuits that it declares bankruptcy? Will they be allowed to pass on their losses to customers with higher rates? Only years will tell.
• If this wasn’t so sad, it would have been funny. Recently the Ventura Police had a day where residents gathered to speak with officers who visited a few neighborhoods. While gathered on our street, a most disturbing mentally ill young man was walking down the middle of the street. He had on one shoe, with torn clothes and was carrying a guitar with no strings and the back was torn off. If your heart didn’t go out to him, you need to go see The Wizard of Oz.
There was a bowl of candy there, so I called him over and handed him a piece, and he said to me “can I have Kit Kat instead?” I gave him one and he continued. I wish that I had done more. Perhaps I could have made him stay until the Police arrived, and hopefully they could have put him on a 72-hour hold (they can do this) to get him some help.
•The Ojai City Council is moving forward with an ordinance that would allow up to five cannabis manufacturing facilities to operate in the city. During its regular meeting on Oct. 23, the council voted 4-1 in favor of the proposed ordinance. The new law would allow licenses for up to two cannabis manufacturing plants, including those that use volatile solvents to create their products and up to three cannabis “microbusinesses,” – these outfits would combine retail, distribution and manufacturing of cannabis products but would not be allowed to use volatile substances to create their goods. They could opt to use manufacturing equipment like a freeze dryer in order to create a high-quality product.
The ordinance is scheduled to return to the council for a second and final reading on Nov. 13. If approved, it would take effect within 30 days of that meeting.
Many other cities are allowing cannabis businesses of some sort including delivery. I’m hoping that with our new city council members more consideration will be given to allowing some type of cannabis businesses to operate in Ventura. Why shouldn’t the income from these businesses stay in Ventura? With so many cannabis businesses coming into place, many are jumping on the bandwagon and researching up on the cbd laws in the USA to see how they can create their own business too, of course whilst also abiding by the rules.
•Both Cesar Sayoc, charged with a series of mailed pipe bombs and Robert Bowers, who murdered many at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, are legal USA citizens. Perhaps we need to build a wall to keep legals out of the country.
• The Ventura City Council has voted to ban motorized scooters, but this might not be the end of the story. Manufacturer Bird has filed a lawsuit against Beverly Hills seeking to overturn their ban which might affect all cities.
• It is not because I don’t often agree with him – you might be surprised that sometimes I actually do – but I am very concerned when Trump makes statements like the following that he Twittered.
“A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!”
His definition of “false and inaccurate reporting” is any news reporting that doesn’t agree with him. Earlier this month Trump called reporters “horrible, horrendous people” and his “fans” chanted “CNN sucks.”
The publisher of the NY Times, Sulzberger, has implored the President to stop calling the press “the enemy of the people.” His war on the press is not good, or acceptable in our free society and democracy.
The freedom of the press is vital to what makes this country great, so we should all defend it.
Haunted Housing Run raises $10,000 for scholarship program
Children participating in Kid’s Dash at Annual Haunted Housing Run.
Triad Properties, an affiliated nonprofit management company of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB) hosted their 3rd Annual Haunted Housing Run on Saturday, October 27, at Ventura State Beach. 150 people attended this community event which consisted of a 5k, 10k, and a free Kids Dash.
This year’s event raised $10,000, with proceeds raised directly supporting the HACSB’S Scholarship Program, which provides six scholarships per year to residents of the HACSB’s public housing and affordable housing communities, and participants/household members of the Housing Choice Voucher Program who are attending/will be attending a four-year college/university, community college, or technical/vocational school in the fall.
The Ventura Police K9 Unit and its members were the 2018 Grand Marshals – Officer Keith Therrien with K9 Yoschi and Officer Juan “JC” Rodriguez with K9 Rover, and kicked off the 5k/10k races. $500 of proceeds raised will be donated to the National Police Dog Foundation, directly benefiting K9’s Yoschi and Rover.
Congratulations to this year’s race winners. 10k race winners include: 1st: Jack K. from Camarillo with a winning race time of 39:14, 2nd: Daniel R. of Oxnard and Robert G. of Temecula. 5k race winners include: 1st: Braden H. from Ventura with a winning race time of 18:51, 2nd: Steven N. of Arlington and Nicholas W. of Antelope. There was also a festive costume contest judged by past HACSB scholarship recipients, where favorites included a group of Ghostbusters in the adult category and a Veterinarian in the children’s category.
To learn more about the Haunted Housing Run, visit: www.hauntedhousingrun.com. To view photos from this year’s festivities, visit: www.facebook.com/hauntedhousingrun.
The Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura, with 376 public housing units, more than 1,500 Section 8 vouchers, and over 450 nonprofit affordable rental units. The agency is actively working to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve the quality of life for many more low-income residents throughout the City of Ventura. Interested in learning more about the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura? www.hacityventura.org.
Aegis Living to Receive Award for Community Impact Program
The California Assisted Living Association (CALA) announced today that Aegis Living will receive its prestigious Elevate Award at the Fall Conference & Trade Show in Palm Springs. The Elevate Award recognizes assisted living, memory care, and CCRC providers who create and implement programs that elevate residents’ and staff members’ quality of life and engage the community. Aegis Living has 14 senior living communities in California, including Aegis of Ventura. Angie Snyder, Chief Marketing Officer for Aegis Living, will accept the award on November 5, 2018.
Aegis Living is receiving this award for their Transform a Life program. Transform a Life enables Aegis Living employees to impact the lives of others in the greater community. Eric Medor, General Manager of Aegis of Dana Point says, “A big part of our job is ‘giving’ every day, but this is a great opportunity to reflect on the larger purpose of our lives, and the power that we have when we come together as a company.”
Last year, Transform a Life teams lent support to San Diego-based Kitchens for Good, to a family who lost their home and all their possessions in the 2017 Napa fires, and to establishing a college fund for a family who lost their mother to cancer, just to name a few.
One team gave their support to a former foster child through the organization Just in Time. The recipient says, “Thanks to this grant I am doing better, constantly working on creating better opportunities and moving forward. I signed up for school and I start on Monday. This grant has helped me obtain school supplies and be prepared to take on that challenge.”
Teams comprised of executive directors and corporate representatives receive a starting budget of $500. They are tasked to identify an organization, family or individual to which they will lend their support. Eight weeks later, teams provide an update on their initiatives at Aegis’s annual EPIC (Empowering People, Inspiring Consciousness) conference.
Currently, nearly 180,000 Californians are residents in Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities and the need continues to grow. These communities provide residents with the care they need to perform activities of daily living, medication management, social activities, housekeeping, meals, and transportation; some communities also offer dementia care programs and health-related services.
With more than 625 provider members, CALA is the only association solely representing the state’s Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, which encompass Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities. CALA is dedicated to providing leadership to providers and other stakeholders in these residential settings, education to support high-quality programs and services, and advocacy to protect the interests of providers and the people the
Procrastinating: The cost to your retirement
by Jayson Cohen American Legacy Solutions
If you are like many other hardworking adults, you may find yourself periodically dreaming about what life will be like after you leave the workforce and enter retirement. Maybe you already know of someone who is taking this step and you want to know does anything on this list work for her gift? Getting a gift for anyone who is considering retirement can help them celebrate this decision in the right way. Whatever the gift is, they’ll have more time to put it to good use. Regardless of whether you plan to simply kick back and relax close to home or you have grand dreams of traveling frequently in retirement, you will need to have enough cash on hand to live on. Unfortunately, a report released by Financial Engines indicates that almost one in seven adults who are at least 55 years old have stated that they procrastinated on saving for retirement.
You may think that the primary reason why individuals would not save money regularly for their golden years is because of a lack of funds, but this is not the case. In the same report, two out of five procrastinators said they got a late start because they had other priorities for their money. Half indicated that stress played a role in retirement planning and saving. Some of the other more common reasons for procrastination include the belief that it is too difficult, the thought that they may get taken advantage of or a lack of knowledge about retirement planning and saving.
Many adults who procrastinate in this important area have the intention of playing catch-up later in life. However, this may be more challenging than it may seem at first glance. When you procrastinate, you give up your regular contributions. You also give up employer-matching contributions and compounded growth, and these two factors can have a huge impact on the size of your nest egg. Delaying your retirement planning and saving effort essentially means that you must come up with a tremendous amount of additional money to catch up to a balance that you would have had if you started saving regularly in your 20s.
Regardless of the reasons or age, now is the time to make a bold change. By continuing to procrastinate, you simply dig an even larger hole that is more difficult for you to get out of. Saving may be as easy as foregoing that fancy vacation that you take every year or downsizing the scope of your vacation. It may mean not redecorating your home as frequently or scaling down your holiday gift-giving efforts. There are many ways that you may be able to simply cut back without detracting from your quality of life, and these steps can have a huge impact on your financial status in your retirement years. Of course, making regular monthly contributions is also advisable. Saving at least some money now is better than not saving any.
There are various types of retirement accounts that you may have access to depending on your circumstances. A good starting point is to maximize an employer-sponsored retirement account if your employer offers matching contributions. These contributions could essentially double your total account contributions and help you to get back on track more quickly and easily. If this is not an option, carefully review the pros and cons of various retirement accounts. Once you decide which type of account you want to open, schedule automated transfers. By automating this aspect of your finances, your balance will grow without additional effort required.
Some people prefer to hire a financial advisor to assist with retirement planning and account management. If you are confused about or intimidated by any aspect of retirement planning, it is best to seek professional guidance rather than to take chances. Remember, you see a doctor when you have concerns with your health, why not talk to a financial professional when you have concerns about your finances? We are here to help.
Extra instruction now available for students grades K-5
Ventura Deputy Mayor Matt La Vere spoke on behalf of the City Council. Photos by Michael Gordon
A ribbon cutting was held for Project Understanding Tutoring Center located at Portola Elementary School, 6700 Eagle St.
The Tutoring Centers at Project Understanding provide extra instruction for students grades K-5 with volunteer tutors in one-to-one interaction. Students are recommended by their instructors.
Project Understanding currently has 11 tutoring centers throughout Ventura County, in El Rio, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Saticoy and Ventura. There are many students, Kindergarten – 5th grade, in need of assistance with their school work.
At the ribbon cutting Deputy Mayor Matt LaVere stated “Many people know the good work that Project Understanding has been doing in our community for over 40 years. They have helped hundreds of individuals go from homeless to housed, and have kept thousands from becoming homeless because of their food pantry. However, what many people don’t know is the incredible work Project Understanding does with our local youth. With the opening of the Portolo Elementary School tutoring center, Project Understanding now has 12 tutoring locations, providing free tutoring services to students throughout our community. Education is the critical key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and through its tutoring centers, Project Understanding is working to ensure Ventura’s youth have all of their educational needs met.”
Vol. 12, No. 3 – Nov 7 – Nov 20, 2018 – Person to (Little) Person
by Jennifer Tipton
I asked some younger Venturans,
“What is the spookiest part of Halloween?”
Eden Felder (Harry Potter)
age 6 ½ / 1st grade
“People dress up and go trick or treating, they put scary things out and make it spooky, like Jack ‘O Lanterns and sometimes graveyards!” Eden’s favorite candy is Jolly Ranchers, chocolate bars and Twinkies and he says, “my parents don’t ever eat my candy”.
Raelyn Farnsworth (cat)
age 6 / 1st grade
“I think the spookiest thing is getting dressed up with scary costumes, the scariest I’ve seen is a monster with no eyes and vampire Jack ‘O Lanterns are scary too!” Raelyn’s favorite candy is a chocolate bar with cookie crumbs in it and ice cream. Raelyn says no one at her house can eat their candy, “except us”.
See her sister’s comment below …
Kaitlynn Farnsworth (witch)
age 7/ 3rd grade
(turning 8 in November)
Gotta love this one-
Kaitlyn thinks the spookiest thing about Halloween is, “the people who hand out toothbrushes and super healthy stuff!” Her favorite candy is Snickers and she worries about all 3 of her sisters stealing her candy, “especially Raelyn!”
Aliyana Avila (cat)
age 6 / 1st grade
“Scary people that dress up like clowns! And witches are scary too!” Aliyana’s favorite candy is Twix, “my mom and dad sometimes eat my candy when I’m at school, but they only take their favorites”.
Kash LeClaire (baseball player)
age 7 / 2nd grade
“When you go to a creepy house! That’s when I get freaked out!” Kash’s favorite candy is “Hersheys and Reeses!” He has no worries about anyone at home getting into his candy but wants us to know his favorite thing on Halloween is, “the hot dog dude!”
See “the hot dog dude!” in this issue.
Timothy Shirk (Power Ranger “with accessories”)
age 6 / 1st grade
“Getting your pants scared off by really scary things like bats, fake bats at houses and puppet bats, that’s all I know about Halloween.” Timothy likes Kit Kats the best and says no one ever gets into his candy because, “I have spy cameras with lasers and evil pumpkins!”
(and a great imagination Timothy!)
Sophia Ornelas (Wonder Woman)
age 6 / 1st grade
“The spookiest part about it is the ghosts, I’ve never seen one, but it scares me! And spiders, I see them on Halloween at my friend’s house, she likes spiders.” Sophia’s favorite Halloween treat is candy corn and sometimes her mom does get into her candy after she goes trick or treating at “the whole place of Ventura”.
Kai Petralba (dragon warrior)
age 11 / 5th grade
“It’s hard to explain but I think the spookiest thing is when you leave someone behind, one time we left our sister behind on accident, we went back, and she was mad at us.”
Kai’s favorite are Hershey bars, but he worries about candy thieves, “like my sisters, my dad, my step mom, my mom, my grandpa and gramma …”
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.
2018 Bell Ringing season starts November 12, and runs through Christmas Eve
The Salvation Army of Ventura is currently recruiting volunteers to serve as Bell Ringers this holiday season! Shifts are 2 hours long and anyone can participate! We love to have families, kids, groups…anyone at all…volunteer for this program.
It takes a lot of people to make this effort a success, so please join us!
Volunteers are the difference between an empty kettle and one that raises about $30 per hour – enough to provide a family with two bags of groceries.
For more information please contact Lt. Silvia Simoes at 310-308-0691.