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Storytelling and advocacy training for the homeless

Jules Plumadore and Terri Byrne, facilitators of the homeless speaker program. They are from the Mental Health Association of San Francisco.

by Jill Forman

An innovative speaker training event took place July 16 and 17 in our town. Homeless and previously-homeless persons attended, learning how to speak in public and advocate for themselves. These future activists want a say in the decisions that affect their lives.

Sixteen participants met at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura for this workshop, sponsored by Lift Up Your Voice (LUYV,) the church’s advocacy group. McCune Foundation generously sponsored the event.

Mental Health Association of San Francisco Training Institute supplied two guides, Terri Byrne and Jules Plumadore, who drove down to facilitate. Both have mental health histories; Jules has experienced homelessness. Their experiences and compassion made them ideal educators.

Additional funding was provided by LUYV and by Brian Gellato, whose poetry about homelessness has been featured in this paper.

Participants were driven to the church by volunteers, given breakfast and lunch. Fourteen were homeless or in temporary situations; the others were on-site pastors of a transitional living facility who hope to share this training. A 4-month-old baby came with his mother, adding occasional commentary. And a well-behaved dog named Sunshine.

Monday included introductions and some life stories. One attendee said, “I was surprised how emotional it was.” They discussed the stigma of homelessness, and community perceptions which affect their behavior, then started working on 3-minute presentations.

On Tuesday, Terri and Jules praised the group for coming up with good ideas. It is important, they stressed, to generate communities who are willing to speak in public and have their opinions known. Voting was a point; a speaker is more credible saying, “I vote.”

Mental illness was an significant topic; both a contributing cause and a result of homelessness due to trauma, illness, abuse and PTSD. Jules talked about different therapies and how vital it is to have access to all of them.

Terri led a dialogue on self-care for speakers: preparation, practice, timing, pauses, feedback, don’t be too hard on yourself, thank everybody, “let it go.” At this point the UU minister, Dana Worsnop, sat in for a while listening and then spoke briefly to reassure them that she, too, is “…nervous…every time…it’s okay.”

Five participants presented on varied topics: showers, harassment, city-sponsored homeless encampments, up to 10-year wait for low-income housing (yes, TEN years!), difficulty getting jobs. The group gave what is termed “strength-based feedback”: positive aspects of the speech, followed by something like “I would love to know more about…” or “I would like to hear…”

What did everyone think of this experience? One person said, “…what I’m taking from this is hope…that my voice can be heard…not something I would ever have been seeking.” Sue, a volunteer, believed, “This can help give a face to homelessness.” Jules, the trainer, “…love to train…renews my faith in the work that I do.”

One speaker hoped that both speakers and listeners could “…leave…with a bigger heart and a bigger soul.”

Help to raise more than $35 million for charitable causes

Enjoy the photographic exhibit of David Mirisch.

Hollywood publicist David Mirisch will share stories about his five decades of working with celebrities, helping to raise more than $35 million for charitable causes, 11 a.m., Aug. 8 at the Museum of Ventura County, located at 100 E. Main. Enjoy the photographic exhibit of David and many of the celebrities he has worked with, now on display Wednesdays and Saturdays and by appointment in the Museum’s Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion. Free for members, $5 for nonmembers.

The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323

Ventura Water celebrates a New Water Wise Landscape Project

Approximately 1,100 square feet of turf replaced with water wise landscape.

Ventura Water, in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Garden Group (OFG) and Ventura High School’s Greener World Action Team (GWAT), replaced approximately 1,100 square feet of turf with a water wise landscape at the corner of Main and Catalina streets. This student-led initiative will save water, prevent storm water pollution, and act as a demonstration garden for the public.

The OFG program applies “CPR” – conservation, permeability, and retention – to landscapes. Ocean Friendly Gardens support healthy soils, retain rainwater, and incorporate climate-appropriate plants. Landscape experts from Surfrider Foundation’s local OFG chapter worked collaboratively with the Ventura High School students to design the sustainable campus garden.

In April 2018, the City Council recognized Ventura High School as the 2017-2018 Watershed Hero Award winner for their efforts. Be sure to stop by and admire the hard work of a passionate group of students and volunteers.

ParkMobile app provides convenient way to pay for on-street parking in Downtown Ventura

Using her mobile device to pay for Downtown parking.

ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the US, is partnering with the City of Ventura to allow drivers to pay for metered on-street parking spaces Downtown using their mobile devices. Beginning July 17, customers can register for free through the app for iPhone, Android or online at Parkmobile.IO.

The ParkMobile app allows motorists to park, pay for parking via their mobile device, and not be required to stop or wait in line at a pay station to pay for or add time. Drivers can set up alerts via email, text message, or in-app notifications to remind them when their parking time is about to expire. A 35-cent transaction fee, in addition to parking rates, is charged per parking transaction and per parking extension.

Drivers can also load an account balance using ParkMobile Wallet so that future parking transactions are deducted from that balance. To sign up for ParkMobile Wallet, users simply choose the Wallet as the payment method via the mobile app; a 15-cent transaction fee is charged per parking transaction and per parking extension.

To set up an account, users simply download the ParkMobile app, follow the prompts and enter a credit card number. Users are required to enter a four-digit zone number from the green ParkMobile stickers on the meters. Drivers can also access the system by calling (877) 727-5932 to activate the payment service by phone. Paying by coin or credit card at the pay stations remains an option. Local parking enforcement can view driver’s mobile payment on their handheld device.

There are 344 on-street metered parking spaces, and 2,900 free parking spaces Downtown. All net revenue from the parking pay stations goes back into Downtown and funds a Police Officer who is dedicated to making downtown a safer and cleaner place to visit, as well as other improvements. The pay stations help to create turnover and open parking spaces allowing customers to find parking close to merchants.

Warped Tour gives back to Ventura via River Beautification Project

“They cleared out 8 tons of garbage”

by Adrienne Stephens

After twenty-four years of bringing punk and alternative bands plus thousands of enthusiastic music fans to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, the Warped Tour wrapped up its final stop in Ventura by undertaking a huge community service project working in collaboration with the Ventura Land Trust, the California State Parks and the City of Ventura in restoration efforts at the Ventura River estuary.

On Monday, June 25, the day after their final Ventura County concert, more than 250 musicians, roadies, vendors and community partners joined staff and volunteers from Ventura Land Trust and the City of Ventura to clear trash and invasive plants from the Ventura River estuary.

Matt LaVere, Deputy Mayor, helped to put the plan in place. “When I first met Kevin Lyman, founder of the Warped Tour, we were working together to produce last February’s Thomas Fire Benefit Concert,” said LaVere. “He told me that Ventura has always held a special place in his heart and very generously offered the services of the Warped Tour bands and crew members to help us clean up the beach and Ventura River bottom.”

Giving back to the communities and charities along the tour has been central to the Warped Tour’s mission since the very beginning. Twenty-five cents of every ticket sold goes to charity, nonprofits line the festival grounds, and in select cities, Warped Tour employees gather together to provide community service manpower. This year’s Ventura River restoration project, the 12th “Give Back Day” in the festival’s history, was a way for the Warped Tour to lend a helping hand after the Thomas Fire.

“It’s amazing what a difference the Warped Tour crew made for the environment in just one morning,” said Kate Furlong, Ventura Land Trust Stewardship Manager. “They cleared out 8 tons of garbage that would have otherwise ended up in the Ventura River and eventually in the Pacific Ocean.”

Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman helped kickoff the festivities by thanking his volunteers, reminding them that the hills behind Ventura had been black just six months ago and encouraging them to “pay it forward” to the city by visiting the pier, local restaurants and shopping in the downtown that “even includes a record store.” The small army of volunteers donned gloves and shovels and traversed the beach to Emma Wood State Park where they proceeded to collect and haul out hundreds of bags filled with trash. In a second location, they cleared invasive bamboo-like Arundo donax plants that invade wetlands, degrade wildlife habitat and increase fire risk.

STEMbassador Kids Kick off STEM Workshop Series with Ventura teachers

Teachers, STEMbassadors students and Alex Wulff love what they are doing.

Beginning Monday, June 18, 2018 STEMbassadors taught a 3-day workshop to train 16 teachers from several Ventura County schools ( De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts (DATA), Junipero Serra elementary school, Rio and Elmhurst elementary, along with Oxnard elementary school ) in the use of their CNC router “spark carts.”

The spark carts were designed and constructed by the STEMbassadors and include mobile CNC routers, laptops, dust collection, and materials.  This workshop was taught by the STEMbassadors crew, comprised of eight Ventura students in grades 8th-10th and led by their STEM elective teacher, Alex Wulff, from DATA.

The teachers attending the training workshop were instructed on safety, operation and trouble-shooting of the CNC mills, and guided through a number of standards and project-based classroom lessons.  Teachers will use these lessons to teach Ventura County elementary and middle schoolers about STEM technologies, such as CAD skills, in a fun and hands-on way. Now that the teachers have received the necessary training, STEMbassadors will donate one spark cart (each valued at $5000) to each of the participating schools, which will be used in classrooms during the 2018/19 school year.

STEMbassadors is a Ventura, non-profit company comprised of 8 highly motivated high school and middle school students who are having a direct impact on STEM education in K-12 classrooms in Ventura County.  The company was recently awarded 1st place in the Ventura County New Venture Challenge and was featured on KCLU radio in a piece by Lance Orozco on June 19, 2018.

STEMbassadors’ mission is to enhance the education of K-12 students by providing and engaging them with applied, state-of-the-art STEM materials, curriculum and skills, and to create opportunities for them to share their acquired knowledge with others.

Student interest and expertise in highly desirable STEM skills and technologies often outpaces the rate at which these technologies and skills are integrated into our public-school system. Teacher credential programs, and most undergraduate programs, lack suitable training for teachers on how to integrate and maintain STEM technologies within a classroom setting. The vast majority of students receive either limited or no exposure to highly engaging and relevant tools. The few students who are fortunate enough to receive exposure to applied STEM technologies find their skill sets evaporating as they progress through the school system, since they have limited opportunities to apply and expand their knowledge and expertise.

For further information contact: Alex Wulff: [email protected] or (805)746-2960.

Ventura angel store closing- Over 34,000 prayers need a home

Do you have space for 34,000 prayers?

For nearly a quarter of a century Heaven’s Gallery has been a destination store for people vising downtown Ventura. According to store owners Keith and Francesca Richardson the store is now scheduled to close September 30, 2018.

One of the main features of the Richardson’s store has been its prayer wall. Started by accident in 1995, the prayers now encompass the store’s original display case at the back of the store and has been gradually creeping towards the front of the store for nearly 24 years.

The prayers on the wall come from people from all faiths and all walks of life.

According to the Richardson’s, the most commonly answered prayer in recent years has been for women told by their doctors that they cannot have children.

Heaven’s Gallery and its prayer wall have been featured in numerous news stories including: ABC’s “Good Morning America,” KCBS News, TNN’s “The Life and Times of Angel Encounters” and Fox Televisions “Miracles in the Making.”

Keith has published five books in three languages (English, Portuguese and Japanese). These books have sold thousands of copies and have brought numerous visitors from all over the world to Ventura to see Heaven’s Gallery.

Keith and Francesca have decided to close their store due to recent economy changes which favor large online merchants over small business retailers.

Keith and Francesca now plan to retire. Their only concern is for the fate of the more than 34,000 prayers on the walls of their store.
Heaven’s Gallery 365 E. Main St.(805) 648-5689

Couple kick-scooting to help build a school in Africa

Bex and Gil stopped in Ventura on the way to Tijuana.

UK based couple, Bex Band and Gil Dori, will be bravely attempting a 1500+ mile journey travelling the full length of the USA west coast using kick scooters – stand up non-motorized scooters that are powered by leg muscles alone. The expedition, named ‘Kicking the States’ began on May 17 in Vancouver, Canada and will end 3 months later in Tijuana, Mexico. This route has never been attempted on kick scooters before so it will be a world first!

The couple are completely self-contained, carrying all their own gear in modified panniers that they adapted especially for the kick-scooters.

Band and Drori are no strangers to adventure. They both keep adventure blogs and have enjoyed getting outdoors the last couple of years, finding challenges that test them to their limits. Previously they have hiked the length of Israel, sailed across the North Sea and kayaked the width of the UK, but this will be their biggest adventure yet. They hope to inspire others to go on like changing adventures of their own.

Drori says, “We decided to do this journey on kick-scooters because it is the most fun way to travel. It allows us to really see the places we pass and is great for meeting people along the way. When people see the scooters, they want a go too!”

Band is looking forward to the journey ahead, “I’m nervous about this expedition because it has never been done before and I know it is going to be tough reaching the long distances we need to cover each day. We don’t know where we will be sleeping each night and some days will be reliant on kind strangers allowing us to camp in their years. Mostly though I’m just excited about the people we will meet along.”

Band adds, “When we tell people what we are planning, the first thing they ask is ‘are you going to use just one leg?’……We will be switching legs!”

The aim of this expedition is to raise money for Africa’s Children in Education who support some of Africa’s poorest children through school. Band, who used to be a teacher says, “We visited East Africa last year and since then have wanted to do something to give back as we feel we are so fortunate in many ways. We met many children living in extreme poverty and we believe that Education is key to them being able to change their circumstances. Our hope is to raise $10,000 which will go towards building a school which will help hundreds of children for years to come ”.

The couple will be giving free talks along the way in exchange for donations. People can follow or sponsor the couple at www.kickingthestates.com.

New City Public Art project in downtown Ventura

A new City Public Art project is currently in its installation phase. The “Beautifying Bins”: Trash Can Public Art Project can now be seen at the Santa Clara street parking garage in downtown Ventura. This was a collaborative project between the City of Ventura Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships department and the Environmental Sustainability division.

The project sought out artist(s) to transform trash bins into functional and artistic receptacles. The project encouraged the chosen artist to transform the bins into works of art to minimize vandalism, encourage recycling, and instill a sense of community pride. The Commission selected artist Cathy Winton for her creative designs that were attractive, fun, and the colors corresponded to the floors of the parking structure.

“Providing the public immediate daily access to high-quality works of art is key to building Ventura’s civic pride and community identity. It is the goal of the Public Art Program that the entire city serves as a showcase that weaves art into our residents’ everyday life,” stated Tobie Roach, Public Art Project Specialist. For more information on current public art opportunities visit the Public Art website.