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Vol. 11, No. 9 – Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2018 – Opinion/Editorial

• I want to compliment the City Council, Community Service Director Jeff Lambert and Chief Building Official Yolanda Bundy for the wonderful job that they are doing to help those who lost their homes in the Thomas Fire. They have set up a separate department in order to expedite the plan checking period for homes to be re-built. Plan check will be completed within 14-days compared to the usual 5-6 weeks. In addition to using City employees, outside consultants have been hired to make this possible.

Also, homes that had non-conforming setbacks (a setback is the distance which a building or other structure is set back from property lines) can be built using the same layout as previously existed and an increase in lot coverage will be allowed. If the lots are sold, these conditions will go with the lot and can be used by the new owners.

Many fees have been eliminated, and the City Council is looking at eliminating or reducing the other remaining fees as suggested by some council members. This could be difficult because of the higher salaries that the consultants are costing the City. And the fire has already cost the city millions of dollars.

You can go to City Hall and obtain more information before proceeding with your drawings, etc.

People who might have the only remaining home on their block also have major decisions to make. It would be extremely difficult to live in a home when lots are being cleared and during the noise and dust from several years of construction. And, the big challenge is that their insurance won’t pay for them to live somewhere else during this period.

• The Breeze hopes to follow a few fire victims through the entire process until their new homes are built. Dealing with insurance, plans, etc. I know that this is a difficult period for most, but if you would like to share your experience with us please let me know by emailing [email protected]. In addition, for other readers, please feel free to include feel good stories, etc.

•On page 2 of this issue, you will see an ad regarding the “let’s just have fun” party that the Ventura Breeze and Secret Garden is having on Feb.11. Would love for you to join us. Just bring some food, a chair and your tuba.

•A must see event is Buyer & Cellar now playing on the Rubicon stage, starring Brian McDonald in a one person rollicking comedy. Brian is the Rubicon’s Associate Artistic Director / Director of Education and Outreach. He has been with the Rubicon for fifteen years and, in addition to all of his wonderful contributions, he teaches summer acting classes to our youth (including my grandkids). See the review on page 23.

•Portside Ventura Harbor, the Ventura Harbor’s new waterfront development, is expected to open their first phase with 56 residences for lease in the summer of 2018. More information on this, along with Harbor developments and events, can be found in the Harbor Views insert that will be included with our Feb. 14 issue (Valentine’s Day for all you lovers).

•The temporary ban on leaf blowers (to continue) has been approved by a 5-2 vote by the City Council. Member’s Monahan and Tracy voted against it. I agree with them. I don’t think blowers cause anymore ash in the air than autos and wind. All the current moratorium does is make folks mad at the gardeners who keep using them . Many of these folks have lost several customers whose homes were destroyed, and this just makes their lives a little more difficult.

I know that some cities have outlawed the blowers entirely. Perhaps this can be considered by the City Council in the future.

•Ventura has settled its lawsuit against Brooks Institute. The city had claimed the school breached its contract. Brooks has paid Ventura approximately $72,000 to settle a breach-of-contract lawsuit. This amount doesn’t even begin to cover Ventura’s losses.

Brooks closed in 2016 without any warning and left partially completed construction, including the building located behind City Hall and several buildings downtown. Massachusetts based GPHomestay bought Brooks in 2015 from the struggling Career Education Corp.

I think that the City must assume some responsibility for this calamity for not doing a sufficient job of vetting Brooks’ financials prior to leasing them 20,000 square feet. There weren’t any safeguards, such as sufficient up front money if they did go under.

•Unbelievable! This is the President of the United States lowering himself to this level. Doesn’t he have more important things to do running our country?

This is what Trump said. “The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!”

•Finally, Highway 101 has reopened after the massive Jan. 9 mudslide in Montecito closed the busy freeway. Caltrans had promised that it would re-open many times before it finally did.

Folks stuck north of there had to drive to Bakersfield to get here, which took 6-8 hours. Amtrak and Island Packers were the other ways to go back and forth to Santa Barbara.

•The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is again warning victims of the fire to watch out for scams, including people posing as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) inspectors.

Officials want people to know that FEMA inspectors will only arrive once an assistance application has been completed. Inspectors will not collect any personal identifying or bank information or ask for money.

Amazing how good some crooks are at what they do, even going so far as to wear apparel that makes them look official. So please be very diligent in dealing with people that want to be of help, including those asking for money to help fire victims and first responders.

Local broadcasters promoting peace

Kelli McKay, Lyn Fairly, Kim Pagano and nationally syndicated George Nouri and Jim Bohannon each have been named winners of the 2017 Richman Peace Foundation Peace Awards for media. They can be heard locally on KVTA AM radio 1590.

The Richman Peace Foundation is a Ventura County philanthropy dedicated to promoting peace and creating peace-related policy.

Livingston patients continue to receive in-home care during the Thomas Fire disaster

by Lori Harasta

Despite blazes, blackouts, and evacuations due to the Thomas fire, Livingston’s nurses, social workers, therapists and caregivers continued to keep patients safe and as comfortable as possible as they performed their clinical and custodial duties. They helped some patients evacuate, packing up precious mementos and personal items, and even drove one client to a safe haven in Carpinteria, the long way around, since Highway 33 was closed.

Forty-three patients were relocated as a result of the fire. For those moved out of the county, Livingston partnered with other agencies to care for them. Locally, be it in a church, a high school gymnasium, or other evacuation center, clinicians continued to deliver support and services. Medications for pain, nausea, and shortness of breath were administered without interruption. For those on oxygen, which is primarily reliant on electricity, Livingston was able to solicit help from a medical equipment company to provide portable oxygen tanks during power outages.

One client shared, “I’m so impressed with (Livingston CareGiver’s CNA) Manuela. During all the chaos caused by the fire, she has been a constant during an inconsistent time. With road closures and other obstacles, she has arrived on time and without distraction. We are so grateful to her and your organization.  I’ve been able to get much needed rest while Manuela has been here.”

Jeannette Cunningham, RN, BSN, PHN, Livingston’s Safety Officer, observed that it was teamwork that made things go so smoothly. “It was not at all chaotic. Everyone kept calm and got the job done. At the command post, all you had to do was state a patient’s need and it was taken care of.”

According to Teresa Pavan, BSHS, RN, Vice-President/CEO of Livingston, “It really ran like a well-oiled machine. We continued to see patients no matter where they were moved. It was all about getting to the right place at the right time to deliver the right care.”

Being a safety net for the community doesn’t stop with patients and clients. Several Livingston staffers, including Pavan, distributed blankets and N95 masks to the homeless that camp in the City of Ventura.

The Thomas fire is now the largest fire in California history. Even in an immense disaster such as this, Ventura County residents can be assured Livingston will be there in their home or shelter to help them.

For information on grief support services for fire victims, call 642-0239 ext. 705.

21st Annual Poinsettia Awards Luncheon

Photo by Richard Lieberman

On Friday, Jan.19 the 21st Annual Poinsettia Awards Luncheon was held at the Ventura Beach Marriott. The Ventura Chamber of Commerce recognized outstanding achievements of businesses and individuals who make a difference in our community at the Poinsettia Awards Luncheon.

The flag salute was presented by Fire Chief David Endaya, Police Chief Ken Corney and Stephanie Caldwell. Welcoming those in attendance were 2017 board Chair and Citizen of the Year Nan Drake and representing the Title Sponsor Montecito Bank & Trust was Jeff Paul.

Vol. 11, No. 9 – Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2018 – Mailbox

In our last issue we had an article about lovely debutantes. Headline said thirteen but there were only seven. Here are their names to salute all of them.

  • Miss Sophie Buffo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Buffo. She attends Newbury Park High School.
  • Miss Anna Casillas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Casillas. She attends Oak Park High School.
  • Miss Hannah George, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James George. She attends Oaks Christian High School.
  • Miss Madeline Kelly, daughter of Ms. Suzanne Kelly. She attends La Reina High School.
  • Miss Jacqueline King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph King. She attends Buena High School.
  • Miss Sadie McCormick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack McCormick. She attends St. Bonaventure High School.
  • Miss Lauren Powell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Powell. She attends Ventura High School.

Hi Sheldon:
I want to personally thank your help at the City of Ventura Planning Office. I have been there on own several times over the years trying to make sense of some work previously done on my house. Thank you for helping me get some straightforward answers, and a little bit of clarity on how to move forward. Thank you also for the Ventura Breeze. It’s wonderful having our own hometown newspaper to keep us informed on local events that concern us all.

Once again, many thanks!
Morrie Wills Westside Resident

City of Ventura
Citation Processing Center
P. O. Box 10479
Newport Beach, CA 92658-0479

RE: Citation No. V060012582

WOW! What a way to spoil a lovely Saturday evening in downtown Ventura by getting a parking ticket at the free parking structure. Yes, 4 Hour Parking is conspicuously posted everywhere, so “my bad”.

But, my friend and I went to the movie and then to dinner. Arrived at 2:50 for a 3:10 movie, exited the movie at 5:30, sat down to dinner at 6:00 (had to wait for a table), then exited the restaurant at 8:10. So, after spending well over $100 in downtown Ventura, we each got a $40 parking ticket.

We had a choice to see the same movie at Riverpark Cinema where there are many restaurants, but we chose downtown. Perhaps next time we will go to Riverpark.

I have paid the parking citation.

Sadly,
Sally Bodine-Ventura

Sally: What a shame perhaps 4-hour free parking is not enough and should possibly be 6-hours.

I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.
~ John Cage

A quick look at post-disaster relief

by Mira Reverente

Ventura, Santa Barbara and other neighboring areas took a beating with the wildfires, mudflows, flooding and debris flows. With this recent spate of natural disasters, one wonders where, when and what type of assistance programs may be available to those who suffered damages or losses.

Federal assistance
After an amendment to the presidential disaster declaration of January 2nd, federal assistance is now available to eligible individuals and business owners in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

To register for federal assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), one should have the following information available:

Social security number
Address of the primary damaged residence
Description of the damage
Information about insurance coverage
A contact telephone number
An address to receive mail
Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds

Disaster assistance for homeowners and renters may include grants to cover:

Rental assistance
Essential home repairs
Uninsured and underinsured personal property losses
Other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are also available for businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters.

FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. They are non-taxable and do not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

One-stop shops
In addition, a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) has opened in Ventura County. A one-stop shop for disaster assistance jointly operated by FEMA and the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the DRC is open almost daily except Sundays.

Check feta.gov/drc for current hours and disasterassistance.gov to apply online before proceeding to the DRC, located at the Ventura County Credit Union on 6026 Telephone Road, Ventura

In Santa Barbara, a local assistance center (LAC) is also now open at Calvary Chapel, 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez. Staffed by FEMA, SBA and other federal, state and local agencies, the LAC is ope daily except Sundays as well.

Online registration with FEMA is encouraged for both the DRC and LAC, but it’s not mandatory.

Preparation is key
This month, a tsunami watch ensued after an intense earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska. One of the most powerful and destructive natural forces, tsunamis can cause dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last several hours or days.

To prepare for future natural disasters like tsunamis, FEMA highlights these safety tips especially for those who live near coastal communities like Ventura:

Create and practice an evacuation plan with your family. Have an escape route at night and during inclement weather.
Create a family communications plan to reconnect in case you get separated. Establish a meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
Build an emergency kit that will last at least 72 hours.

For more information on California recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster4353, disasterassistance.gov and wildfirerecovery.org. Or download the FEMA app on your smartphone.

Mentoring matters

Katherine Rehbein, Susan Ito and sisters Bianca and Brianna Barrera celebrating our first responders

by Karen Leslie, writer with heart

Celebrating National Mentoring Month brought Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, a nonprofit with big hearts to the Vagabond Coffee Shop on Sunday January 21st. “Bigs” and “Littles” along with their mentors gathered to share a meal and with glee presented handmade cards and thank you notes to our First Responders.

Mentoring is such an important facet of all walks of life, whether it be during education, in a hobby of yours or in your employment, there is always room to be mentored and for mentoring. Even corporations are beginning to realise the importance of mentoring, and many are deploying employee mentoring software such as Together so that they can track the progress of everybody in their mentorship program. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County wanted to help celebrate the importance of mentroing with our First Responders.

The organization chose the Vagabond Coffee Shop to give back for all the free meals that were served to the First Responders during the crisis of the Thomas Fires.

Retired SB firefighter and Red Cross participant Bob Engler shares, “The generosity of the people at this event and how they went out of their way to say thank you was humbling and appreciated.”

Owner Jolene McBee says, “What better way to teach kids to give back and the firemen have never been thanked like Ventura has every day.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters has been in existence for more than 100 years nationally and more than 45 years locally and have been making meaningful monitored matches between adult volunteers (Bigs) and children (Littles) ages 6-18 across the county. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect and impact on the lives of young people. Consistency and commitment are the cornerstones of this program and their mission is to provide all children free from adversity with supported one-on-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better.

In her 30th year and a big sister for 26 years, CEO Lynne West shares, “I find this to be a gratifying career. Big Brother Big Sisters was first in the US to have a dedicated foster program. Ventura County attends to 1,500 children a year and as a big sister myself, I have seen the impact consistency has made on my little. I have the privilege of watching many littles grow up and become the first in their family to ever graduate from high school and go on for a college degree. Bigs can open up the world for these littles by exposing them to new activities and experiences.”

BBSVC’s vision is for all children to achieve success in school, work and life. Fifteen year old little, Silvia Chable enthusiastically shares, “I like helping out the community and people in need and hope to become a deputy”

Big sister Kathy Lazier shares, “My motto is keep moving forward! My little now 16 has been a match made in heaven. It’s really cool to mentor and have an effect on someone’s life and direction which brings much joy to my life.”

This nonprofit is committed to bringing its program to every child who needs and wants it. Big brother Aaron Kirby says, “This is an amazing opportunity to give back to the community. It feels good to see the excitement on the face of my little while at a race or baseball game and taking him places to experience something for the first time is personally rewarding. Once Elijah graduates from the program, I anticipate we will continue to have a lifelong bond.”

Little, Elijah Rhoads says, “He is a father figure, someone I can count on and trust.” VP of Marketing and Recruiter Danica Selvaggio warmly shares, “National Mentoring Month is a way to start the year remembering that we all have role models who guides us. It is also a way to encourage our bigs and littles to start off strong, set goals for themselves and keep the momentum going all year long. With help from the community we hope 2018 will be the most successful year ever!”

Wisdom and friendship is at the heart of BBSVC and BBSVC believes that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive.

Share your Thomas Fire story at CAPS Media

The Thomas Fire is a once-in-a-lifetime tragedy.

CAPS Media is launching the Thomas Fire Stories Project on Thursday, February 15 with an initial set of interviews recorded at the CAPS Media Center. Everyone in the community impacted by the fire is invited to share their story and contribute to the archive of our common experience. The individual interviews will be conducted by CAPS Media producers in our studio and expected to last 15-20 minutes for each. Members of the public, first responders, officials and others are invited to record their story, first person, in their own words, with assistance and expertise from the CAPS Media staff.

The Thomas Fire is a once-in-a-lifetime tragedy. CAPS Media is collaborating with the Ventura City Fire and Police, Ventura County Fire and Sheriff, the Museum of Ventura County, other community agencies on the Thomas Fire Stories Project. The project will feature personal stories of individuals and families whose lives were dramatically changed the night of December 4th and include extraordinary accounts of heroism, sacrifice, tragedy and healing.

Thursday, February 15th is the first date in a series of video and audio recording sessions to be scheduled at the CAPS Media Studio for the Thomas Fire Stories Project. To schedule a time to record your story please contact CAPS Media 658.0500.

CAPS Media has also set up an easy process for the public to share stories, photos and video for the historic project. Go to the CAPS Media website homepage- capsmedia.org, on the Thomas Fires Stories image click on the Read More arrow in the lower right corner. The page presents more details on the project and step-by-step instructions on how to contribute photos, video and other media. If you have a story to tell or a tribute or thank you to share, send an email to [email protected] or call the CAPS Media Center at 658.0500.

The Ventura Police Department is working with CAPS Media every week producing community updates. Hosted by Ashley Bautista, VPD Civic Engagement Specialist, and VPD officers, the series includes public awareness tips, weekly crime statistics, and other information vital to the community. The reports are posted on Ventura City and Police websites and social media, and are broadcast and stream on CAPS Channel 6 & 15, capsmedia.org, and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.5 FM.

CAPS Media’s mission is to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media. Join our community of enthusiastic engaged member/producers. To find out more come to orientation on the first Thursday of every month and learn how to become a member of CAPS. Member classes include HD videography/camera class held on the 2nd Thursday, Final Cut postproduction editing class on the 3rd Thursday, and CAPS Radio (KPPQ, FM 104.1) two-part classes on the 4th week. In every training session Member/Producers receive hands-on instruction in videography, video editing, radio production and more. All classes begin at 6pm at the CAPS Media Center, 65 Day Road. Once trained, member/producers may check out CAPS Media’s video cameras, tripods, audio gear and other production equipment to record their story and then book postproduction editing suites to craft the story they want to tell.