On April 3 at 7:30pm, three vehicles collided in the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Telegraph Road. The collision involved two pick-up trucks and an SUV. All three vehicles had a single driver in the car and all vehicles had moderate to significant damage.
First on scene fire paramedics secured both vehicles and provided medical care. Medic Truck 5 used the Jaws-of-Life to cut and pry through the vehicle and gently removed the passenger who was transported to Ventura County Medical Center in stable condition. A second patient who suffered moderate injuries was also treated and transported, with the third victim being assessed and released on scene.
On March 15 a Ventura ribbon cutting was held for CryoWorks located at 3004 Telegraph, 676-0856.
They provide a holistic whole body cold immersion modality called cryotherapy which significantly reduces inflammation in the body, eases joint pain, improves sleep, and many more health benefits.
The Ventura Police Department and the Ventura Unified School District have partnered with Motivational Multimedia Assemblies (MMA) for inspirational presentations for local students at local elementary, middle and high schools during the month of April. MMA aims to both challenge and inspire young people to develop strategies to help them reach their true potential so that their life choices will not be diminished through avoidable, reckless and harmful behaviors.
Using music videos, movie and TV program clips, MMA creates a powerful impression viewed on 11 foot by 43 foot screens, conveying age-appropriate messages that encourage positive life choices. The program aims to educate students on the prevention of destructive decisions and behaviors such as drinking and driving and texting and driving. The themes include positive decision making, conflict resolution, drug abuse prevention, traffic safety and personal excellence.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Fortunately, teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road. Presentations like MMA promotes awareness and encourages good choices.
There are many facts that show how dangerous distracted driving can be:
In 2016, a survey showed that more than 44% of Californians said that texting while driving is the most serious distraction for drivers.
In 2016, more than 54% of California drivers surveyed said they had been hit or nearly hit by a driver who was talking or texting on cell phone.
In 2016, nearly 40% of drivers admitted to making a mistake while talking on a cell phone.
Nationally, 3,154 people were killed and an estimated 424,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2013.
10 percent of drivers of all ages under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of crash.
Engaging in visual-manual subtasks, such as reaching for a phone, dialing and texting, increases the risk of getting into a crash by three times.
5 seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.
Despite the alarming facts, fatal crashes involving distracted driving can be prevented. Eliminating the distractions while driving can help keep everyone safe on the road:
Never text and drive.
Turn off your phone before you get behind the wheel.
Don’t text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving.
Do not eat or drink while driving.
Do not program your GPS, MP3 player or other devices while driving.
If a phone call is necessary or you need reroute your map, pull over to a safe parking spot.
Do not groom.
Do not read.
Do not watch videos.
Try not to get too involved with passengers in your car.
Finally, if something falls to the floor, pull over to a safe parking spot before trying to reach it.
For more information about safe driving please visit www.ots.ca.gov.
Dr. Cathy Chien remembers having a great pediatric dentist growing up and aims to give the same memorable experience to her young patients, much like a Boynton Beach dentist provides on the daily!
by Mira Reverente
Remember those childhood trips to the dentist? It was made or break, smile or cry for most people. They either left a positive impression like after a visit to Dentist Frederick or it went the complete opposite way.
Blast from the Past
For these two pediatric dentists of Oxnard Children’s Dental Group (OCDG) otherwise known as the “spaceship dentists,” positive childhood influences and experiences definitely played a significant role in their choice of career. As we all know how important oral care is, it is important to instill this in your child at a young age. Whether it comes to brushing their teeth twice a day or visiting a Pediatric Dentist in Vineland (for a general checkup), it is good for them to understand the importance of this. When kids start getting into a routine, they are likely to continue this as they get older, which is what we want.
She always knew that the healthcare profession was for her but the decision-making was shaped by a positive childhood experience. “I had a great pediatric dentist growing up,” says Dr. Cathy Chien, a native of Thousand Oaks.
Dr. Betsy Kaplan, has been in practice for 19 years, recently seeing more second generation patients.
For Dr. Betsy Kaplan, it was an unusual fascination with dental visits in her hometown of Waterford, Connecticut. “I always liked going with relatives to see the dentist,” says Dr. Betsy, who has been in practice for 19 years.
Second Generation Patients
“We have a big family environment here,” says Dr. Betsy of their practice comprised mostly by women and moms of varied ages and backgrounds like her and Dr. Cathy.
The family environment has also attracted a second generation of patients whose parents used to see Dr. Betsy and the other staff who have been with the practice for two or three decades. “One year they’re in elementary school and suddenly they’re in college or married, and we’re seeing their kids,” she says.
“It doesn’t feel like work,” says Dr. Cathy, a mom of three boys, who also serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and the Santa Barbara-Ventura County Dental Foundation.
The Tooth Fairy Reaches Out
If the popular legend was to be believed, the tooth fairy would be in several places at the same time, 365 days out of the year. Not quite to that extreme but OCDG’s very own tooth fairy does make the rounds.
According to Dr. Cathy, the tooth fairy does oral hygiene education talks at local schools, health fairs and even at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore. “Dr. Betsy and I, along with the other dentists, also do free, year-round dental screenings in our offices, for kindergartners,” she says. You can also pick-up this type of care at the Dentist West Long Branch if this is closer to you.
Without the tooth fairy this time, the staff has also embarked on a number of dental missions to Guatemala. Initiated by founding partner Dr. Mark Lisagor, the team takes basic dental hygiene supplies to an underserved community in Rio Dulce, Guatemala and also offers routine dental treatment to children in a rural clinic setting.
For the past five years, a $500 college scholarship has been awarded to a graduating high school senior. For this year, the requirements are: the applicants must be graduating from high school in 2018, must be current patients who are are planning to attend a post-secondary institution and the application must be turned in by August 17. “We choose one winner every year,” says Dr. Betsy.
On to Ventura
The Ventura Children’s Dental Group is slated for a mid-April opening, bringing a touch of its family atmosphere and community involvement to the Ventura College area. Look for the same team of warm, smiling faces!
The String Orchestra and Wind Ensemble Cabrillo Middle School students earned gold ratings from the Forum Music Festival held on Saturday, March 24th. The festival took place at Whitney High School in Orange County, and was adjudicated by music professors Bob Feller of Biola University and Jeff Jarvis of CSU Long Beach based on the national standards of music in education.
Under the direction of Mario J. Boccali, Music Teacher at Cabrillo Middle School they received the highest overall ratings of all the schools in attendance:
String Orchestra – Average score of 96.5
Wind Ensemble – Average score of 97
The Ventura High School Honors Wind Ensemble also had an outstanding festival experience while in Boston.
The Wind Ensemble Honors Wind Ensemble has returned from a very engaging and exciting trip to Boston. They performed with Collegiate/Professional level music with a great degree of musicality. Their overall score was 97% while under pressure and the adjudicators were blown away that high school students could play such challenging music.
There were many encouraging comments made from the directors, one from Berkley, another of Boston Conservatory, Dartmouth and New England Conservatory. The director of Dartmouth promised every member of the ensemble to have their application expedited through admissions, regardless of their major.
The Thomas Fire hangs heavy over city events these days. And while green is returning to our hills, we are still healing. So it went with Ventura’s State of the City Address March 26.
In a change from previous years, staff gave the department reports, ever cognizant that our budget will need to cover fire-related expenses. Props go to Mayor Neal Andrews for delivering opening and closing remarks while recovering from double pneumonia.
Fire Chief David Endaya and his staff are our heroes, but they are also working under a challenging situation. While Measure O funding now keeps our East End Fire Station 4 open permanently, our first responders are only meeting their goal of arriving at an emergency in five minutes or less 56 percent of the time because of an ever-increasing call load.
Still, he is grateful that 27,000 citizens, mindful of the tragedy in Santa Rosa, evacuated from the hills in 90 minutes. “We survived this with zero loss of civilian life and this is something I will hold onto for the rest of my career,” Endaya said.
Whitewashing our city’s recent crime statistics did not seem to be part of Police Chief Ken Corney’s playbook. He noted that serious violent crime is up by 25 percent, the highest totals since 1992. Sixty eight percent of those crimes resulted in arrests. Property crimes decreased slightly and business crime decreased due to focused patrols.
More officers are being added through Measure O funding, Corney said.
Our homelessness team has strengthened partnerships with County Behavioral Health to address key issues. The reconnect program has reunited 145 homeless people with their families.
As we are currently in a Stage 3 drought situation, water is on everyone’s mind despite the recent deluges. Ventura Water General Manager Kevin Brown explained that the city is working with other districts on tapping into the state water pipeline and that project is due to be completed in 2021-22. A potable reuse program should be in place by 2025 that will produce 2,000 extra acre feet of water a year.
Public Works has been paving streets, including a big resurfacing project on Loma Vista, and working on storm drains, bridges, alleys and the pier. A parking lot at Palm and Santa Clara will become a parking structure. Kellogg Park on the Avenue is due for a grand opening April 14.
Arroyo Verde Park is open again but lost trees and structures in the fire. Grant Park is still closed, but both the Ventura Botanical Gardens and the Serra Cross Conservancy, which manages Serra Cross Park, are making repairs.
Community Development Director Jeff Lambert reported that Community Memorial Hospital is getting ready to open its new wing, the county hospital has opened theirs, and Kaiser has a new, highly visible presence on the 101. The auto center is expanding and the city is looking for other commercial entities to fill the area behind it. A Marriott Residence Inn will be built by the Golden China Restaurant near Seaward and the Elks Lodge downtown is being turned into a boutique hotel.
Housing development has been rapid on the west and east sides with infill projects, including affordable housing, appearing after a recession-era lull.
In his conclusion, Andrews called for the city to pull together. “I hope you appreciate how strong we are and how strong we will continue to be.” For more of his comments see page XXX.
Foster daughter Betty and foster mom Liz will share their story at the Foster VC Kids Town Hall in Ventura.
Foster VC Kids, a program of Ventura County’s Children and Family Services, will host a free, informational Town Hall on Saturday, April 21 from 10am to 11:30am at Children and Family Services building ,855 Partridge Drive in Ventura. Residents interested in helping local children and teens are encouraged to attend and learn more about the urgent need for Ventura County homes to support youth in care. Panelists will include former foster youth, current foster parents and birth parents who will share their perspectives and answer questions about foster care in Ventura County.
“You loved every single piece of me even if it was horribly broken and I truly believe that your love was the first step in putting me back together again,” 18-year old foster youth Betty wrote in a holiday letter to her foster mom, Liz Thiele. Thiele, who has fostered nearly 40 children and teens in Ventura County, and her foster daughter Betty, will be among the Town Hall panelists who share their personal stories.
Those interested in fostering, adopting or mentoring can learn more by viewing the 26-minute online information session at www.fostervckids.org, calling 654-3220 or attending the April 21 Town Hall meeting.
Additional panelists include local foster parent Natalie Torres who has provided a home to nearly 70 youth, as well as foster alumni Lucy who will share her perspective about being separated from her siblings while in care.
Angelina McCormick-Soll, Program Coordinator for Foster VC Kids explains, “More homes are urgently needed, especially in the cities of Ventura and Oxnard. We’ve had a rise in the number of children over 16 years of age who are in care, from 17% last January to 21% this year. These teens are in jeopardy of aging out without ever having had a permanent home life. Children who age out of foster care are at much higher risk for homelessness, teen pregnancy, and incarceration. And, a heartbreaking 47% of our youth have been separated from some or all their siblings.”
Foster VC Kids works to protect these children by ensuring they are placed with fostering and kinship families who have the support and resources to provide safety, permanency and quality care. Extensive training and support services are available to ensure caregivers have the resources to nurture, protect and care for local youth in need.
Learn how Foster VC Kids is making a difference throughout Ventura County, www.fostervckids.org.
Kathy Good inteerviewing a guest on her radio show on KPPQLP.
CAPS Media is hosting an Open House on Thursday, May 3 from 5-7pm. Everyone is invited to tour the television studio, KPPQ radio station and mobile production truck, celebrate member/producer awards, preview Thomas Fire Stories, enjoy refreshments, and learn more about membership, programs and future plans for CAPS Media. The center is located at 65 Day Road directly across the street from Foothill Technology High School.
The Thomas Fire Stories Project continues to discover fascinating first-person stories from members of the public, fire fighters, first responders, officials and others at recording sessions throughout the county. Selected stories will air and stream on CAPS radio (KPPQ 104.1 FM) and on CAPS Media television, stream on capsmedia.org, and may be included in the comprehensive Thomas Fire documentary. All of the recordings will be included in the historic archival project at the Museum of Ventura County.
During the past few weeks Thomas Fire audio recording sessions took place at the Ojai Valley Museum, Ojai Library, CAPS Media Center and EP Foster Library. The next recordings will take place at the Avenue Library at 606 N Ventura Avenue on Saturday April 14th from 10am-2pm, at the Ventura County Agriculture Museum at 926 Railroad Avenue in Santa Paula on Sunday April 22nd from 11am-3pm, and at the Museum of Ventura County at 100 East Main on May 20th from 11am-3pm.
Everyone with a story to tell is encouraged to participate. The informal audio sessions typically last 10-15 minutes. CAPS Media staff and volunteers help the storytellers share their experience in their own words. The result is unscripted, unrehearsed, engaging and compelling first person stories. If you have a Thomas Fire Story to share or know someone who has a great story to tell, drop by and record the experience. Visit capsmedia.org to find a convenient day and time to record your story and add it to the museum’s historic archive.
The Thomas Fire Stories Project is a collaboration with Ventura City Fire and Police, Ventura County Fire, Sheriff, and Office of Emergency Response and the Museum of Ventura County. If you have photos or video to contribute to the archive, go to capsmedia.org for instructions on how to contribute photos, video and other media. If you have a story to share, email [email protected] or call the CAPS Media Center at 658.0500.
CAPS Media’s mission is to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media. CAPS Media manages two television channels (6 & 15) and an FM Radio channel (KPPQ 104.1FM). Membership fees are $25 per year for television and $50 per year for radio. Membership includes training and access to video and audio production and postproduction equipment. General orientation sessions are on the first Thursday of every month, videography classes are on the 2nd Thursday, video editing classes are on the 3rd Thursday and radio classes are typically on Wednesday and Thursday of the 4th week of the month. All classes begin at 6pm. For more information, go to capsmedia.org or call 658-0500.
This time McGrath will close to serve the Boy Scouts.
McGrath State Beach will host the Ventura County Council Boy Scouts of America, Sespe and Channel Islands District Annual Camporee, from April 20 to 22. The park will close to the public on these dates and will reopen on April 23.
Approximately 500 scouts and scout leaders from Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula and Fillmore will come together for the Camporee to test their scout skills with over 15 events set up on site. Camporee events include a variety of competitions such as knot tying, first aid, and emergency preparedness activities. The annual event is typically hosted at Camp Willett in Ojai, but due to the damage caused by the Thomas Fire, McGrath State Beach will fill in as the alternate location.
The event will occupy all available campsites at McGrath State Beach and no campsites will be available from the morning of April 20 until April 23.
On April 3 at 7:30pm, three vehicles collided in the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Telegraph Road. The collision involved two pick-up trucks and an SUV. All three vehicles had a single driver in the car and all vehicles had moderate to significant damage.
