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Voices of children

16 year old son Corey, 14 year old daughter Page and dad Danny Castro at toy drive. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

by Karen Leslie writer with heart

In unison, the voices of children were lifted up in a giddy melody sweet and true on December 20th at the 8th annual Castro Family and Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive. In an atmosphere of togetherness, heartstrings were plucked during this holiday time celebration of spirit and giving held by the Castro’s.

From the moment this magical evening began, Dad Danny, son Corey and daughter Paige, knitted a warm blanket of love for friends and families of children in treatment for cancer. With the heartwarming common thread of family, they shared how the fabric of their lives changed in this inspiring story of how the foundation began.

At a young age Corey was diagnosed with a rare bone disease. As a patient in the hospital, he saw the toy box of presents at Christmas time was fairly empty. Corey and his sister Paige had the idea for a Christmas party for patients and their families. Corey asked to fill the toy box at the treatment center 9 years ago when he was 7. Even though everyday is a battle with pain and continued treatments, he pursues his personal passion with endurance and determination to see that the toy box in the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disease at VCMC (Ventura County Medical Center)is filled to overflowing. Corey’s legacy and dream of providing wrapped gifts so the patients are able to take a toy after their treatments, chemo, blood transfusions, IV meds, scans and birthdays still rings true today.

Corey shares, “We make dreams come true as a family”, Paige also shared, “It’s all about providing toys for the brothers and sisters of patients, also, after the fires, the toy box was empty and one week later it was filled.”

With the support of Corey’s devoted dad and sister, working side by side with many of the grace givers and community outreacher’s…like Ventura Police Department Civic Engagement specialist and beacon of light Ashley Bautista – energetic and heart-centered social worker Robyn Howard Anderson of the pediatric oncology clinic along with many individuals and families, gifts and stuffed animals were piled up to the rafters!

The happiness factor bubbled up as young elves piled up presents in the wide eyed little arms of each and every child while live music with Luis Villegas and trio filled everyone with Christmas cheer.

Sitting by the beautifully lit tree, listening to the wishes and dreams of children in their loving laps, dedicated 7 year volunteers , Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus watched each child’s eyes dance in delight and glow in wonder and awe. They share, “A most rewarding experience.”

Contributor for eight years police officer Alyse Quiroz said, “These children are in the battle of their lives and are happy to play a small role. They look forward to this every year.”

Leticia Nevares, mother of five, three of her children with Von Willebrand’s disease, “Appreciates the spirit of giving.”

Hector Garcia, father of Angel Garcia going on 10 years in treatment says, “He is happy being a part of something bigger than himself.”

Maria and Sergio Pulido hold their children closely.

Maria and Sergio Pulido, mother and father of two holds their children close with their son Ivan, age two, recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Sergio and Maria touchingly stated, “Even though our life is on a roller coaster ride, we pray for the best and hope that families with healthy kids enjoy them every moment.”

There were no tears tonight, only a hush of hope and gratitude that touched the child inside us all…the ultimate gift of love!

Agencies granted funds to help VC residents and animals affected by the fire

While the devastating impacts of the Thomas Fire are beginning to be realized, the Ventura County Community Foundation awarded more than $1 million to Ventura County nonprofits in response to emergency needs as a result of the fire. As the foundation is responding to emergency needs, it will continue to focus on fundraising for mid- to long-term support.

Within the first 24 hours of the Thomas Fire, VCCF committed $477,000 to support relief efforts, making grants to the American Red Cross Central Coast Region for $264,440, the Salvation Army for $160,388 and the Ventura County Community Disaster Relief Fund in the amount of $52,172. Later that same week, the VCCF Board of Directors committed another $200,000 toward overall relief efforts with an emphasis on mid- to long-term support. VCCF funders, the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Foundation, approved a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross Central Coast Region.

As fundraising efforts continue, the VCCF board has approved another $305,473 to help address some of the immediate needs of local nonprofit organizations. Grants made include support for the efforts of Help of Ojai for basic needs and family assistance, MICOP for radio antenna replacement and health outreach for farmworkers, Habitat for Humanity for housing assistance for those affected by the fires, FOODShare for transportation and food sorting for shelters, Thomasfirehelp.com which has helped 51,000 individuals connect together and facilitate needs caused by the disaster.

Funds were also awarded to Ventura College Foundation for support of low-income single parents who are students who lost income due to the fire, Rubicon Theatre for mandatory cleaning in response to the Thomas Fire, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme to cover increased costs of childcare due to school closures, Center for Nonprofit Leadership to cover the costs of convening nonprofit organizations to enhance collaboration during the recovery period, Humane Society of Ventura County to cover vet bills and staff supplies as a result of the Thomas Fire, and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation to cover dog boarding expenses and clean-up efforts from the Thomas Fire.

“Our local nonprofits are on the front lines of relief and recover efforts. Their resources are strained and staff stressed as they provide an increased level of critical services across the county,” said Vanessa Bechtel, CEO of the VCCF.

All donations to the VCCF Sudden and Urgent Needs Fund are directly applied 100 percent to supporting nonprofits who are providing direct services to those impacted by the fires. Donations to the fund can be made at www.vccf.org. In addition, the VCCF is accepting applications for the SUN Fund (Sudden and Urgent Needs), with roughly $50,000 left to award. Applications can be downloaded directly from their website, www.vccf.org.

The foundation was established in 1987 and endeavors to build philanthropy in the region and to give generously for the well-being of all in Ventura County. VCCF invests in the future through scholarships, grant making and collaborative partnerships. For more information or to donate, visit www.vccf.org.

A Happy New Year is possible – even with Parkinson’s Disease!

“Having Parkinson’s has not stopped me from enjoying my daily run.”

by Patty Jenkins

Start the New Year with hope for better treatments, a cure for PD and the knowledge that you are not alone! Join the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group as we kick off the New Year by again hosting Wayne Pickerell, Vice President and Clinical Research Manager of Neurosearch, Inc. at our meeting on Wednesday, January 10, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at The Lexington Assisted Living at 5440 Ralston St, Ventura.

Wayne has been involved in Parkinson’s Disease for over 17 years and managed Clinical Research for Neurosearch well over a decade. Thanks to participating clinic’s like Neurosearch and experts like Wayne, and also in large part to the leadership role of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, research continues to advance rapidly and there is more promising work being done to improve treatments for Parkinson’s Disease.  Wayne will give us an overview of Parkinson’s Disease and the typical treatments that we currently have, update us in new treatments that are being studied and he will also discuss progress in the search for a cure to Parkinson’s disease.

We welcome all of our members, their care-partners and new friends who find themselves in this battle with Parkinson’s Disease along with us. Please come join the Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group.

Thanks to the generosity of the Lexington Assisted, we are able to have our meetings every second Wednesday of the month there. There is a drop-off/loading and unloading driveway in the front of the building. Extra parking is also graciously available across the street from the Lexington in the Baptist Church parking lot. Please check in at the front desk for directions to the 3rd floor and sign-in at the meeting so we can keep in touch with you via email. For more information feel free to call me at 766-6070 We are an independent and volunteer-organized group not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group.. Reservations are not required.

Assistance Center closed its doors but help is still available

After serving for two weeks as a one-stop center for fire recovery information and assistance, the Local Assistance Center that was jointly run by the County and the City of Ventura closed its doors on Saturday, Dec. 23. Residents still seeking services may obtain services at existing local County and City offices.

The County of Ventura and the City of Ventura opened the Center on Dec. 13 at the Poinsettia Pavilion i to assist residents from all areas affected by the Thomas Fire. It has been staffed by a wide array of County, City, State and Federal agencies, as well as a number of non-profit organizations.

Residents have used the Assistance Center to start their recovery from the fire. Information was available on debris removal, permits, housing, rental assistance, vital records, property assessments, public assistance, crisis intervention and stress management, and even services such as replacing driver’s licenses. Health care resources were also available on site to provide assistance, education, and connections to other health services in the community.

“The assistance center provided a very useful service as the County and the City and our partners responded to the substantial needs of our community and those most directly affected. Those that still need help can contact us at City Hall or come to City Hall where we have a fire related service counter established”, said Dan Paranick, Assistant Ventura City Manager.

To further aid fire victims, Ventura County Recovers (venturacountyrecovers.org) continues to offer a registration feature that allows residents to register their contact information to receive information on specific topics. They can also register the address of their damaged or destroyed property so that officials can proactively provide them with information and official notices related to the rebuilding process.

Vol. 11, No. 7 – Jan 3 – Jan 16, 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.

Child Endangerment; Assault with a Deadly Weapon; Felony Evading Arrest

On December 16, a Ventura Police Officer was on patrol when he observed two vehicles appearing to be involved in a road rage incident. One of the cars pulled over and flagged the officer down. The officer quickly learned the incident was part of a domestic dispute between both drivers.

The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on the second vehicle. When he did so, the vehicle accelerated away at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued the vehicle through a residential neighborhood, where the vehicle ran through several stop signs .

The vehicle eventually pulled into a driveway of a residence and the suspect fled on foot into the house. Officers made contact with subjects inside the residence and were able to convince the suspect to come outside.

Through their investigation officers learned the victim was attempting to comply with a court order and was dropping off her three young children, ages 2, 3, and 5, at their father’s house. When she arrived, 25 year old Ventura resident Raphael Hernandez came out of his residence armed with a crow bar and began hitting the side of the victim’s car while the children were still inside.

Hernandez was taken into custody and booked into Ventura County Jail for Child Endangerment, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order, and Felony Evading.

Assault with a deadly weapon

On December 18, at approximately 10:15pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a report of two subjects fighting with knives in an apartment complex.

Officers responded and made contact with 21 year old Ventura resident Erik Torres and his brother Arturo. Arturo was bleeding from lacerations to his face. During their investigation, Officers learned the two brothers were arguing and began to fight. Erik Torres armed himself with a knife and cut Arturo in the face. Erik then armed himself with a skateboard and hit Arturo alongside of the head causing additional injuries.

Erik Torres was booked at the Ventura county jail for Assault with a deadly weapon.

Traffic collision and DUI arrest

On December 19, at approximately 12:15am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a report a vehicle rollover into the driveway of 1123 Peninsula Street.

Officers responded located the driver, 19 year old Ventura resident Jordan Spear, outside of his vehicle. It was found that Jordan lost control of his 2014 Ford Mustang causing it to roll over into the driveway colliding with two parked vehicles.

Officers noticed he was displaying signs of being intoxicated. Officers conducted a Field Sobriety Evaluation, and Spear was found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Spear was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail .

Theft from vehicle

On December 19, at approximately 3:15am, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a report of a person casing vehicles and trying door handles in the area.

Officers arrived on scene and located 33 year old Ventura resident Shiloh Chenoweth inside of a vehicle. Chenoweth ran from officers when they attempted to contact him. Officers lost Chenoweth in the area of Aliso Street and Buena Vista Ave. Officers quickly set up a perimeter around Chenoweth’s last location. A few minutes later, one of the perimeter Officers located Chenoweth attempting to hide in a yard at the corner of Buena Vista and Aliso. Chenoweth was taken into custody without incident.

Chenoweth was booked at the Ventura County Jail for Vehicle Tampering, Resisting Arrest, Burglary tools, and Drug charges.

Commercial Burglary Arrest

On December 22, at approximately 10:30pm, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call from CVS Alarms, reporting a possible commercial burglary in progress at the CVS store at 2260 E. Thompson Blvd. The alarm company had live video surveillance of inside the closed store and reported seeing a male subject inside removing items from the shelves.

Officers arrived on scene and immediately set up a perimeter around the store. The front door of the business was found open. As officers were preparing to enter the store, the suspect later identified as 29 year old Ventura resident Tyler Clark, was seen just inside the entrance. Clark saw the officers and fled towards the back of the store.

Officers, along with a Ventura Police K-9, entered the store and during a search found Clark hiding inside. Clark was taken into custody without incident.

Stabbing Homicide

On December 24, at approximately 10pm, the Ventura Police Command Center received a call in reference to a stabbing that occurred at the city parking structure located at 500 East Harbor Blvd. Ventura PD patrol officers responded to the call and upon arrival, located the victim who sustained numerous stab wounds to his body. The victim was transported to Ventura County Medical Center where he later died from his injuries. Ventura Police Detectives were notified and took over the investigation.

During the investigation, Ventura Police Detectives learned that the victim was approached by three suspects on the second floor of the parking structure. Three suspects attacked the victim and began battering and stabbing him. Video surveillance in the area captured the attack. Ventura Police Detectives were able to identify the suspects, who are known members of a local gang. It appears that the victim was targeted by the suspects and this was not a random crime.

On December 27, at approximately 5:30pm, with the assistance of Ventura Police SWAT, investigators served a search warrant at the residence of 20 year old Ventura resident Chris Gallegos in the 200 block of W. Simpson St. Gallegos was located at the residence and was taken into custody. He was booked into Ventura County Jail for Murder, Street Terrorism, and Conspiracy.

On December 28, at approximately 10:30am, the 17 year old juvenile suspect was seen in the 200 block of W. Ramona Street. Ventura Police officers surrounded the area and a team of SWAT officers conducted a search for the suspect. He was located hiding inside a residence and taken into custody without incident.

The 16-year-old juvenile is currently in custody at Ventura County Juvenile Hall for an unrelated case and will be booked for Murder, Street Terrorism, and Conspiracy.

Back home to appreciate view

A few days after the house of Ron & Barbara D’Incau had burnt down, Ron went to Goodwill and bought two chairs and an umbrella so that they could sit and enjoy the beautiful Ventura sunset. He said, “That is one of the main reasons that we bought the house.” You will learn more about them in an upcoming issue.

Vol. 11, No. 7 – Jan 3 – Jan 16, 2018 – Mailbox

Hi Sheldon,

Thank you for the Thomas Fire coverage about the Ventura Botanical Gardens. There was so much loss in our City. The stories you shared about VBG generated an outpouring of support. Right now, the Gardens are closed; we’re assessing the damage and developing our next steps plan. The trails and plantings look recoverable but hydroseeding before the rains come, is our top priority. Erosion is a major concern. And, as our community learns of this critical need, many have turned to our website or Facebook to donate funds for assisting with that process. This support is very encouraging. Together, we’ll make the Gardens grow.

Barbara Brown
Ventura Botanical Gardens, President
www.venturabotanicalgardens.com

In 1999 Councilman Monahan asked Msgr. Patrick O’Brien, pastor of the Old Mission, to be the Grand Marshal for the 1999 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Msgr. kept refusing because it just wasn’t his “thing”. However, he finally gave in to the request on the one condition that the “pig” not be used any more. Msgr. explained that the pig is a negative symbol to the Irish. Mr. Monahan agreed. However, it is evident he went back on his word!!

The day of Msgr. O’Brien ‘s funeral, going to the cemetery, it just happened that I was assigned to the same car with the then mayor of Ventura. (Sorry, I don’t remember his name.) Somehow, the topic of the pig came up. I spoke up and told the others in the car about the promise made to Msgr. O’Brien when he agreed to be the Grand Marshall. To my surprise, the mayor spoke up and said it was true. He was there when Mr. Monahan made this promise!!!

I’m celebrating the demise of that pig as I’m sure Msgr. O’Brien is doing from heaven!

Kath Wurts

Kath
Don’t celebrate for too long the pig shall return. (And, by the way these facts have not been verified.)

Where was the water when we needed it most?

by Nick Bonge Co-founder Neighbors for the Ventura Hillside

Amid many reports of fire hydrants running dry as hillside homes burned and much speculation about what happened, I had a conversation with Kevin Brown, Ventura Water General Manager. Those of you who know me know that I am not always completely supportive of City staff. However, to my surprise, I was very impressed with Mr. Brown’s technical background and his grasp of the problems with our Water Department. He was hired about 4 months ago and, based on this conversation, I believe we have the right person in the job.

Mr. Brown acknowledged that large parts of the City’s pumping system, that replenishes hillside tanks, went down due to the power outage, seriously impeding our firefighters’ ability to save homes. He said that the City has 23 pumping stations, only a few of which have back-up generators.

When I asked if he believed that we should install back-up generators at all stations, he stated that even after the City got portable generators to the pumps, they could not replenish the tanks adequately, in part because the fire took out numerous home irrigation systems causing a major hemorrhage of water.

Teams of technicians were deployed to manually shut off more than 100 valves before any real progress could be made in refilling our tanks. That took 2 days. In short, he stated that we have an old water system that has grown in a piecemeal fashion with City development. The system has become non-centralized with overly complicated interconnections. Fixing it will require a monumental effort which must be based on a well thought out plan which could be modeled on one of many possible approaches. For that, Mr. Brown had several fascinating ideas and was open to additional ideas and input from the public.

I came away with the opinion that this was not really a matter of someone being asleep at the switch but, that the City has never seriously considered this kind of disaster scenario and was totally unprepared at all levels. Avoiding this kind of situation in the future will take real leadership and a tremendous amount of commitment, ingenuity, time and cash.

Sheldon,

Let me try to enlighten you on how designated districts would help the under represented in this city.

First you have to admit there are under represented areas. At least looking at the possibility , would be a start. Thats usually referred to as having an open mind.

For years I’ve noticed the Ventura Avenue area as a run down area, with a largely hispanic community living there. Most people that reside in Ventura would agree that for years, this was the poor part of town, and looked it. It was an overlooked area with not a lot of voice.

Though promised a pool years ago, the west side still does not have one. The east end does. Starting to get the picture ? Getting a new very limited west side park doesn’t make up for some of these forgotten real issues.

Concerns of affordable housing that fits the need, and more useful and contemporary facilities , are just a couple of west side area concerns.

Having a resident from that district might help matters with that areas personal needs. ( living midtown with an oceanview should not qualify as an Avenue area representative). Each area is very unique and should be treated as such.

The fact that you personally have not noticed any bias does not mean it doesn’t exist.

How can a person living in an area that doesn’t concern them, not be bias ? Missing or not giving importance to local district issues is not a rarity.

Being disconnected is a very prominent condition under our current leadership.

It’s time to take those rose colored glasses off.

Mike Art

Mike: Researching the pool item but most of Ventura doesn’t have a pool. Jim Monahan has always been concerned about the “Avenue” so we can only wait and see how districting works. See the approved district map in this issue. Voting for District1 ( the Avenue) will be this year. And, by the way if my mind was more open a bird could fly threw it (I’m such a good straight man).

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–68)

CAPS Media documenting Thomas Fire stories

Everyone in our community celebrates the extraordinarily courageous efforts of thousands of fire fighters, law enforcement personnel and other first responders who have tirelessly battled the devastating Thomas Fire for weeks. At CAPS Media we are planning to document this once-in-a-lifetime tragedy by working with Ventura City Fire and Police departments, County Fire and Sheriff departments and other first responders to develop a multi-media documentary project that captures the remarkable stories of heroism, sacrifice, tragedy and healing surrounding the Thomas Fire.

The comprehensive Thomas Fire Stories project is a collaboration with the Museum of Ventura County, the San Buenaventura Conservancy, ECTV, other agencies and most importantly the public. Everyone in the community is encouraged to join us by sharing their personal stories. CAPS Media is dedicating extensive resources to the undertaking including staff professional expertise, equipment, studio facilities with distribution on television, radio and the internet. There are hundreds of individual and extraordinary Thomas Fire Stories to share, remember and celebrate.

Throughout next few months CAPS Media will record interviews with Thomas Fire first responders, officials, and the public impacted by the tragedy for inclusion in the documentary project and for broadcast on CAPS Television and Radio. We invite everyone to help us remember and document our common experience.

CAPS Media has set up an easy process for the public to share stories and media for the historic project. Simply go to the CAPS Media website homepage at www.capsmedia.org. Find 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 805.658.0500.

CAPS Media produced the first in an ongoing series of community updates from the Ventura Police Department. Hosted by Ashley Bautista, VPD Civic Engagement Specialist, the series includes weekly crime statistics, public awareness tips and other information vital to the community. The reports are posted on Ventura City and Police websites and social media, and air and stream on CAPS Channel 6 & 15 throughout the day and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.5 FM.

2017 has been a remarkable year. CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM took off in February and has rapidly become a wildly popular platform and voice for the public. The El Camino High School ECTV program continued to produce outstanding and award winning programming and develop highly skilled and talented media crews and storytellers. CAPS Media membership (both individual and agency) continued to increase and with it use of the extensive CAPS Media equipment, expertise and studios. Recently CAPS Media recorded, broadcast and streamed the Thomas Fire community meetings live on CAPS Channel 6 & 15 and on CAPS Radio – KPPQ 104.1. Throughout the year we recorded, broadcast and streamed live dozens of City Council, Community and VUSD Board meetings for the public.

Here’s to a 2018 that looks even more interesting and engaging with coverage of ongoing City and school meetings, City districting and resulting council member elections, ever-increasing member/producer training and productions for television and radio, local, state and national voter information programs in the summer and fall, and the Thomas Fire Story documentary project.

Friends set up their own distribution center

Friends and business owners, Camilo Stinson, Sky Sunner and Jon Ochoa wanted to volunteer at the Fairgrounds, but their assistance wasn’t needed, so they put together their own distribution center at the corner of Victoria and Telegraph Road in East Ventura. Music was playing, donations piled high and these generous guys were barbecuing around the clock. “Not everyone wants to go to the fairgrounds, some feel safer sleeping in their cars,” Camilo said. By Jennifer Tipton.