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Share your Thomas Fire story at CAPS Media
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.
Six women’s epic swim around Santa Cruz Island
by Mira ReverentePicture this. Six women swimmers. Fifty-four miles. Almost 40 hours in open water.
It happened. An epic swim around Santa Cruz Island took place back in late September. “As far as we know, it’s the first time it’s ever been done,” says team captain Claudia Rose, 53, of San Diego.
“Most of us swam six legs which took about an hour each average,” says Michelle McConica, 61, of Ventura.
Late start, fearless finish
What would inspire women with such diverse backgrounds to undertake a feat like this? An ongoing quest to meet bust obstacles, reach goals and just like mountaineers who say they climb because the mountain is there – for these women, the ocean is also right there.
McConica, who grew up in a copper mining zone in Arizona, only started swimming in college, for a physical education class. Most of her teammates got into swimming in late adulthood.
Rose grew up in New England and moved to California 30 years ago, competes in triathlons and likes to analyze maps and charts, being the systems engineer that she is. “I taught open water swimming and kept hearing about Santa Cruz so that piqued my interest,” she says.
“In fact, you can see the island from Michelle’s house,” she says, explaining the appeal of their monumental undertaking. There have been various successful attempts in swimming from the mainland to the various islands and back, but never around Santa Cruz Island.
Louise Darlington, 57, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, remembers meeting Maryland native Diana Corbin at a lake swim. “I was drawn to Diana’s Channel Island tattoo so we started talking,” says the librarian who only started swimming at the age of 40, to distress from work.
The two became fast friends and connected on Facebook where there’s a fairly active open water swim community. In March of 2016, Corbin invited her to join the team. Jeannie Zappe of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, completed the all-women team.
Swim support
“We had a support dive boat called “The Peace” owned by fellow Venturan Eric Bowman,” says McConica. “His crew graciously kept us fed for 24/7.”
The team also had one to two escort kayakers with then all the time, for support. Says Rose, “You never want to do any of this alone. You need a support crew and observers.”
What thoughts were swimming around their minds during those grueling 40 hours? “We actually weren’t anxious about the sharks. We were more frightened about LA freeways,” says McConica with a chuckle.
Ocean obstacles
The team gets asked the obvious questions all the time. Given that no wetsuits were allowed for sanctioned events, was the water cold? “You get used to it clad only in your swim cap, goggles and bathing suit.” Were there sharks? “No.” Was it tough to stay awake? “Yes, but you try to sleep whenever it’s not your turn to swim.” Was it hard to figure out where you were exactly in the ocean? “Sometimes, because unlike pools, there are no lanes.”
The fog can be a challenge. “You just try to stay as close to the kayak and dive boat as much as possible,” says Darlington.
They may not have trained together, given their geographic challenges. Four are from the East Coast while two are in SoCal. However, all of them trained individually in adverse, nasty conditions to prepare for strong ocean currents and other challenges like the presence of sea lions, dolphins and an illegal fishing boat.
A few days before the epic swim, the team practiced some night swims in San Diego.
Rose also broke her elbow in April and Corbin had wrist surgery around the same time. Teammate Carol-Lynn Swol’s mom also passed away the day before their swim.
Open water swimming has its own special appeal. McConica explains, “We have a great deal of respect for the ocean. Swimming at night was just sheer magic.”
The ladies’ epic swim undertaking has been recorded and can be found on: https://santabarbarachannelswim.org.
Vol. 11, No. 9 – Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2018 – Person to Person
by Jennifer Tipton
I asked 6 Ventura business owners –
“How did the Thomas Fires affect your business?”
Michelle Rein
owner of passion flowers 920 East Main Street
“December was cancelled, everything cancelled, there was no December business. We were without power on this section of Main for four days; for some businesses, food was lost, but we’re just flowers so we were ok. We re-opened December 8th, but there was no business, people just wanted to come in to share their stories, talk and hug. And then with the closing of the 101, some brides couldn’t get here, most of my business was people sending thankyou flowers. As I clean up the ash, I try to be respectful – this ash was somebody’s home.”
The future? “We’re still gonna be here, we’ll make it through, we’re Ventura Strong!”
Sharon Palmer
owner of Main Street Meats Ventura 3049 East Main Street
“December is generally a month where families are planning their gatherings, people are coming into town, there are family dinners, company dinners, holiday parties. We start taking orders the first week in December, which is of course when the fires hit. The first 2 weeks of December, I basically manned the store by myself, there was no business. Ventura was like a ghost town, anybody who was here, wasn’t outside. And then you go into the loss, the devastating feeling of loss – there was no holiday spirit even into the first week of January. There is an overwhelming feeling of loss and displacement, it trickles down to a loss of economy. All the people who aren’t able to do their customary jobs – these are the customers. Our business had dropped about 50% in December and is continuing on that path. There are 50-75 regular customers that we haven’t seen and 30 Christmas orders that were canceled or not picked up.”
Writer’s note: Despite this, in addition to local donations, Sharon prepared a tri tip dinner to feed the Montecito Fire Crew.
Lynn Mikelatos
owner of The Greek and Margarita Villa 1583 Spinnaker Drive / 1567 Spinnaker Drive
“On Tuesday (December 5th) we closed because so many of our employees had to evacuate and everybody needed to just take care of their families. The first weekend we were hit the hardest, and in the first 10 days to 2 weeks we had a lot of cancellations, although, some parties rescheduled for January. It really impacted people going out in general; it was a big deal emotionally for the entire city. The Parade of Lights was scheduled for the second weekend after the fire (December 15 & 16) and there was some talk as to whether it should be canceled, but it’s such a part of the culture of Ventura and to the economy of the harbor! It’s all been pretty quiet down here, we just don’t see the foot traffic and overall, it put a shadow over the business. I think it goes to the heart of every Venturan, Firefighters would come in and customers would buy their food! I’m proud to be a Venturan and we’re not going to let this get us down!”
Writer’s note: The Parade of Lights did go on and Lynn reports it was a successful event!
Simone Covault
owner of Simones Coffee & Tea 7818 Telegraph Road
“We were evacuated so we came here and stayed a couple nights, the first night we didn’t sleep at all, then we slept on the floor. The power was out, and the Kimball center was filling up with people sleeping in their cars. When the power came on, people came in to use the restroom, seek reprieve and just to have a sense of community. We were bombarded! We never closed! There were no baked goods but as soon as the machines warmed up, I steamed coffee all day. On Tuesday, December 5th, I had people say I was the only coffee shop open and people began meeting here, we were super busy from the start. The first week, no merchandise sold, but after a couple weeks, people started purchasing some Christmas items. People were so grateful that we were open, one woman, a retired teacher came in with a child that she mentors to bring me a candle and say thank you for being a beacon of light during the fires!”
Writer’s note: Although Simone and her family remained evacuated and displaced for 2 ½ weeks, she never closed her doors. Their home did have some damage from the fires, but it wasn’t extensive.
John Reynolds
owner of JLR Studio 20 North Fir Street Suite A
“We were closed for 3 days and at the top of our street, we lost two houses. The following week, people were just not out and about, there was so much ash in the air. I had 2 ½ to 3 inches of ash in the corners of the building. We did lose appointments and we couldn’t reopen because there was no electricity. I think the New Year has been on the up rise, one of my stations was recently rented by a tanning artist and that should help generate more business.”
(John has been at this location for 32 years!)
Ashley Pope
owner of SpiceTopia 576 East Main Street
“We did okay in December, we got a lot of community support even though downtown took a hit. So many people came downtown determined to help local businesses, they wore masks and we’re so grateful for them. I worry about the longevity of the process, hopefully, we don’t see businesses close. If they’re still open a month out, that’s not an indication that they’re doing well; we won’t see the true impact on business until a little bit further. How’s it gonna look after year 1 or year 2? We stay strong going forward, I feel positive and have so much faith in Ventura to push through this! We want to continue to put the word out there that every dollar spent here locally, is a dollar put toward recovery! Where are the contractors and attorneys (etc.…) coming from? We need to be conscientious of that!”
Tennis clinics for kids and adults at the Camino Real Park Tennis Center
On Saturday, Feb. 3, join the Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department for a day on the court with tennis clinics for kids and adults at the Camino Real Park Tennis Center. Children ages 4-16 are invited to learn from 1-2 pm, and people who are 17+ from 2-3 pm. This clinic is an excellent opportunity to try out this great sport or to dust off your skills before signing up for Parks and Recreation classes! For more information call 642-7652. The tennis courts are at Camino Real Park, 4199 Dean Dr.
Vol. 11, No. 9 – Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2018 – Police Reports
by Cindy Summers
Police reports are provided to us by the Ventura Police Department and are not the opinions of the Ventura Breeze. All suspects mentioned are assumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Felony Hit & Run with Arrest
On January 14, at approximately 5:30pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received several 911 calls reporting a traffic collision on Valentine Rd. in front of Tommy’s Hamburgers. Moments later, callers reported a vehicle involved was leaving the scene. Arriving officers, along with Ventura City Fire and medical personnel, attended to the three occupants of the victim vehicle.
Officers located the suspect, 38 year old Ventura resident Tanisha Washington and her vehicle at her residence. A witness to the collision reported Washington was driving reckless at the time of the collision and had a small child in the vehicle. Officers confirmed there was a 3 year old child in Washington’s vehicle at the time of the collision and the child was found to be uninjured from the collision.
Officers suspected Washington was under the influence of alcohol and drugs and she was placed under arrest. Washington was arrested for felony hit and run causing injury, felony driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, and child endangerment.
Residential Burglary with Arrest
On January 15, at approximately 5:30pm, the victim saw the suspect break into her residence through the window. The victim confronted the suspect, and the suspect fled. The responding officers searched the area and located the suspect, 19 year old vagrant from Ventura Christian Garcia, in the area of Montauk and Pierpont. The investigation confirmed the suspect had entered the residence and fled when confronted by the victim.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the suspect was arrested and booked into Ventura County Jail on the charge of residential burglary. No one was injured during this incident.
Trespassing, Felony Resisting Arrest
On January 15, at approximately 11pm, Ventura Police officers were dispatched to the Travelers Beach Inn to investigate a report of illegal lodging. Upon arrival, officers met with the property manager who informed them they had observed two subjects enter a room without paying, or obtaining a room key.
Investigating officers knocked on the hotel room in question and made contact with the suspect, 38 year old Ventura vagrant Brian Higbie. Officers informed Higbie he was trespassing in the room and requested he step outside. As officers were attempting to determine how Higbie gained access to the room, they were informed Higbie was on probation for violently resisting arrest. Officers attempted to check Higbie for weapons and he began to violently resist their efforts. A Ventura Police K9 was deployed and Higbie was eventually taken into custody after a lengthy struggle.
Arson and Vandalism Arrest
On January 20, at approximately 6am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a subject setting fire to a bench on the Ventura Pier. Ventura City Fire personnel arrived and extinguished the fire quickly before it spread. Officers arrived and contacted 38 year old vagrant Elisabeth Vera, who was still on the Pier. Investigation revealed that Vera broke a portion of a sign on the pier and then set fire to a bench. She was also found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. Vera was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for arson, vandalism, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Recovered Stolen Vehicle Arrest
On January 23, at approximately 6:30am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call from an employee of California Well Services, 1536 Eastman Ave., reporting that one of the company’s work trucks had been stolen during the night. Shortly after the initial call, the employee called back to advise he had located the vehicle with a tracking device and that another employee was following the vehicle on Johnson Dr. While officers were enroot it was reported the vehicle had stopped at Lark Ave. and Falcon St., and the employee following it had detained one of the occupants, later identified as 25 year old vagrant Aaron Pezzuto. Pezzuto was being uncooperative and attempting to flee from the employee. Officers arrived on scene and took custody of Pezzuto.
A second occupant of the vehicle, later identified as 24 year old vagrant Chance Daugherty, had fled on foot prior to officers arriving on scene. Officers began checking the area and located Daugherty several blocks away.
of a stolen vehicle.
Stolen Vehicle and Warrant Arrests
On January 23 at 3:30pm, Street Crimes Unit detectives saw a suspicious vehicle driving in the 9900 block of Las Cruces. The passenger in the vehicle, 50 year old Ventura resident Michael Holladay, had an outstanding felony warrant for violating his Post Release Offender Status. By the time the officers caught up to the vehicle, it had parked and Holladay had entered a nearby residence. Additional officers were called to assist and officers attempted to serve the arrest warrant at the house.
Holladay did not cooperate with officers and hid inside of the house. A Ventura Police K9 was used to assist with the warrant service, and prior to the K9 entering the house, Holladay surrendered to officers. The second person from the vehicle, 29 year old Ventura resident Charlotte Bauer, also came out of the house. She had an outstanding warrant for her arrest as well. Further investigation revealed the suspicious vehicle they had been initially seen in was reported stolen.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon
On January 24, at approximately 5:30pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call of a disturbance inside the Red Barn Liquor store. Officers arrived on scene and discovered that the suspect, 37 year old Ventura resident Elisabeth Vera, was in the store causing a disturbance. When a store employee approached her, Vera struck the employee on the head with a glass vodka bottle. As the employee moved away, Vera threw the bottle at the employee. A customer entering the store saw the incident and detained Vera until police arrived.
The store employee received minor injuries and refused medical attention. Vera was arrested and booked at Ventura County Jail for Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Stolen Stuff for Sale on our Facebook
On January 25, at 7:30pm, Ventura Police Department Street Crimes Unit Detectives located two suspects who burglarized a Ventura residence on Christmas day. The detectives had been investigating this crime for several weeks and were able to identify some of the victim’s property being offered for sale online. Detectives also located stolen items that had been recently pawned by the suspects.
Detectives kept the two suspects under surveillance until their identities were confirmed at which time uniformed officers moved in and took the two suspects, identified as Torrey Stokes and Karyn Peterson (both of Ventura), into custody without incident.
Detectives searched Stokes’ truck and located additional stolen property from the Christmas day burglary. A search warrant was later executed at Peterson’s grandmother’s residence in the 1000 block of Portola Rd where she and Stokes had been storing some property.
Stokes, who has prior arrests for burglary, identity theft, and narcotic crimes, and Peterson, who has prior arrests for theft and is currently on probation for narcotic related offenses, were interrogated by detectives and later booked into the Ventura County Main Jail. Stokes was booked for felony residential burglary and Peterson was booked for felony possession of stolen property.
Mobile Trailer Fire in East Ventura
Ventura County, Ventura City, and Oxnard City Fire were dispatched to the area of North Bank Drive and Johnson Drive at 10:21 Wednesday night for a reported trailer on fire.
Although there was a large amount of smoke in the surrounding area, there was nothing visibly burning and firefighters searched businesses and parking lots to find the source. Approximately 7 minutes after fire crews were on scene, a 25’ travel trailer was located and had light smoke coming from the inside of the trailer.
Firefighters forced entry into the trailer and found light fire and dense smoke inside. They performed a search while mitigating the remaining fire, and found a male in his late 50’s unconscious and unresponsive. It was apparent that a ‘flash-over’ fire ignited and consumed many items and part of the structure of the trailer, but then became oxygen controlled based on the limited air available and smoldered until fire crews arrived.
Crews immediately pulled the man from the vehicle and fire paramedics initiated advanced cardiac life support. Fire crews and AMR personnel performed life-saving efforts for approximately 30 minutes with ultimately no success. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The forgotten ones
by Jennifer Tipton
The victims of the Thomas Fires are not limited to those that lost their homes, as was pointed out to me by a dear friend who described it as “the trickle-down effect”. (If you read through today’s issue of the Breeze, you will see who this very perceptive Venturan is…)
Honestly, it had not occurred to me, but along with all the homes that were lost went the housekeepers, the landscapers, the pool guy, the dog walkers, the babysitters and countless others whose livelihood depended on employment in the neighborhoods that burned.
I learned of one woman that has cleaned homes in Ondulando for the same clients for many years and suddenly found herself unemployed. She is not alone.
We as Venturans must be vigilant to help these forgotten victims by making recommendations to our neighbors who may be able to use their services. Word of mouth is the best way to promote a business and sharing is caring.
Additional resources available for Thomas Fire and flood victims
The Economic Development Collaborative–Ventura County’s special services coordinator, Clare Briglio, has announced additional resources now available for businesses recovering from the impact of the Thomas Fire and subsequent floods and mudslides.
“New federal declarations have secured additional resources for those who have suffered personal and/or business injury as a result of the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides and floods,” explained Briglio. For direct in-person assistance in filing with FEMA or the SBA, please visit a Disaster Recovery Center in your area. In addition, EDC-VC has compiled an online list of resources at?http://edc-vc.com/disaster-recovery-services/.”
Personal injuries sustained during times like these can be life-altering and cause a multitude of issues down the line. If you feel like this could have been initially prevented, you could look into services such as Kuzyk Law or a firm that is closer to where you are living, to get the help that you need.
To access available federal fire and flood relief resources, people should follow this three-step process:
Step 1: Registration with FEMA-?Clients who have been impacted by the Thomas Fire and subsequent flood and are interested in government assistance should apply online at?DisasterAssistance.gov?or by phone at?1-800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open?7 a.m. to 10 p.m.?seven days a week.
Note: The filing deadline to return FEMA applications for property damage is?March 16, 2018. The deadline to return economic injury applications is?Oct. 15, 2018.
Step 2: Registration with the SBA for low-interest loans-?Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries. This includes Economic Injury Disaster?loans for businesses that may or may not have sustained any damage, but have experienced a downturn in business because of the disaster. The SBA customer service center is also available to answer questions at 1-800-659-2955. Applicants may also come in to a Local Recovery Center (LRC) for person-to-person assistance in completing their applications. For further information, visit SBA’s website at?www.sba.gov/disaster.
Step 3: Registration with EDD for unemployment benefits-??Federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits are now available for workers, business owners and self-employed individuals who lost their jobs or had their work hours substantially reduced as a result of the wildfires and associated flooding, mudslides and debris flows in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Those affected are encourages to apply online at https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/, by calling 1-800-300-5616 (English) 1-800-326-8937 (Spanish) or by visiting a Local Recovery Center.
Local Recovery Centers (LRC)?- Two Disaster Recovery Centers are now open locally for personal and business assistance. Representatives from FEMA, SBA, OES and other agencies will be present to provide information and resources for economic and personal injury due to the Thomas Fire and subsequent floods. You may be given advice for professional attorneys you can visit for any personal injury sustained, such as the Attorneys at CWA Law Firm, who will professionally handle a case like this to achieve justice. Locations are as follows:
Santa Barbara? Calvary Chapel
1 N Calle Cesar Chavez #21
Monday-Friday 11-6:30
Saturday 10-2 pm
Ventura County Credit Union
6026 Telephone Rd
Monday-Wednesday 9-4pm
Thursday/Friday 9-5pm
Saturday 9-1 pm
EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade program, or other services available to small businesses through EDC-VC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 384-1800 ext. 24 or [email protected]. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.
Through rain or snow or sleet or MUD…
by Jennifer Tipton
It’s astounding how many Venturans work in Santa Barbara or the surrounding areas and with the closing of Highway 101 were unable to get to work. The alternate route to take Interstate 5 over the Grapevine took hours and became treacherous! Some chose to do this and stay in Santa Barbara until the 101 reopened but the availability of rooms was quickly diminishing.
My wonderful husband (I must add “wonderful” because he is and well, he better be reading this) was one of those that could not get to work the first week of the highway closing. The following week however, Island Packers and Amtrak stepped up to save the day! The earliest train did not leave the station at the Ventura Fairgrounds until 9:30am, so to get a full day in at their job, many took the Island Packers’ first boat that required being in the harbor, ready to depart at a crisp 6:15am. The boat ride was crowded, chilly and bumpy (pharmacies probably made a fortune selling Dramamine).
Once again, to get a full day in, my husband took the 7pm train home. This train was delayed (several times); I eventually picked him up at 9pm. The fairgrounds were packed as many were picking up friends and family, but it was an organized effort directing the traffic amidst the masses.
He then discovered the 4:40 train departing Santa Barbara appeared to run on time, but the commutes were so crowded there was no way they could check tickets. He reports one passenger as big as a house, shoving his way through the crowd to be the first to board, but that’s okay since he did say “excuse me”. He also watched a gal coughing, sneezing and blowing her nose slide her hand along the handrail with countless other passengers sliding their hands along the same handrail behind her…did somebody say flu season?
Although the commute was long and uncomfortable, we are so grateful to the Island Packers and Amtrak. I had phoned them both to make reservations and in the face of all the craziness, both were so kind and helpful. Now that Highway 101 has reopened, that wonderful husband of mine says he’s never been so happy to drive to work!