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Food Share hosted its Second Annual Fed Up Shindig

One of the highlights of the night was the inaugural Empty Bowls silent auction.

On Saturday, September 23rd, Food Share hosted its Second Annual Fed Up Shindig, bringing together more than 350 people from our community in a united effort to combat hunger. This event, held at Food Share in Oxnard, was not only a night of great music, food, laughter, and generosity but also an opportunity to shed light on an issue affecting one in four people in Ventura County – food insecurity.

Food Share, a proud member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, understands the far-reaching impact of hunger. Their mission goes beyond merely distributing food; they aim to provide quality sources of nutrition to promote good health and a balanced diet for those struggling to make ends meet on tight budgets.

The staggering statistics regarding food insecurity emphasize the importance of initiatives like Food Share’s. The majority of individuals they serve are hardworking, often holding down more than one job to provide for their families. Rising concerns about job security and the increased cost of living affect our community, transcending race, age group, and gender. It’s a challenge we all face, one that unites us at every kitchen table.

Food Share operates a vast 46,000-square-foot warehouse space, equipped with a 1,176-square-foot cooler and a 1,176-square-foot freezer. Each day, this warehouse receives an average of 36,000 pounds of food, providing a lifeline for countless families. To put it into perspective, their freezer alone is equivalent to 1,176 household freezers, and their cooler equals 802 household refrigerators.

At the heart of this year’s Fed Up Shindig were the individuals who founded Food Share back in 1978. Virgil and Lynn Nelson, along with their friends John and Jewel Pedi, initiated this incredible journey in a family garage. Their presence at the event added a special touch to the evening, reminding us of the humble beginnings that have blossomed into an indispensable organization.

One of the highlights of the night was the inaugural Empty Bowls silent auction, which garnered tremendous support and success. Over 100 beautifully crafted bowls were auctioned and sold, symbolizing our community’s commitment to filling the bowls of those in need. Trinity Hatch contributed to the spirit of giving by creating over 300 Fed Up friendship bracelets for sponsors, staff, volunteers, and vendors who tirelessly worked to ensure the night was a resounding success in the fight against hunger.

The Second Annual Fed Up Shindig was a testament to the power of community coming together to tackle a shared challenge. It celebrated the past, present, and future of Food Share’s mission while reminding us all that we have the ability to make a difference, one meal at a time.

Unsafe driving

“Are we there yet?”

Friends and family members are often first to notice the signs of unsafe driving. Another way to evaluate driving skills is to have the person’s driving skills assessed by a professional. The American Occupational Therapy Association maintains a national database of driving specialists, or you can check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or a health care professional to recommend someone who can evaluate driving skills. Note that there may be fees associated with these types of assessments. There are also a number of online resources for assessing driving skills yourself.

What are the laws about dementia and driving?

State laws vary regarding when a person with Alzheimer’s should stop driving. Some states will automatically revoke a license when a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Other states may offer the chance for a diagnosed person to take and pass a driving test.

Many states require retaking a driving test when there is reason to believe someone may be unable to safely operate their vehicle or over a certain age. Information on unsafe driving can come from law enforcement, medical personnel, concerned citizens, and family members. Check with your state’s department of motor vehicles for more information.

What to do when driving becomes unsafe

If you notice unsafe driving, you will need to take steps to keep the person from driving. It is always a tough conversation, and it’s important to do it in a caring way. Try to understand how unhappy they may be to admit they have reached this new stage.

Here are some ways to help stop people with Alzheimer’s from driving:

  • Try talking about your concerns with the person. Find tips on talking with someone about no longer driving.
  • Take them to get a driving test.
  • Ask the person’s doctor to tell them to stop driving. The doctor can write “Do not drive” on a prescription pad and you can show this to the person.
  • If necessary, hide the car keys, disable the car, move it out of sight, or consider selling it.
  • Finding other transportation options
  • Losing the ability to drive can be difficult, but driving is only one form of transportation.
  • Consider finding other ways that the person with Alzheimer’s can travel safely on their own.

Your local Area Agency on Aging can help you find local services that may include free or low-cost buses, taxis, or carpools for older people. Call 800-677-1116 or search the Eldercare Locator online. You also can try searching Rides in Sight or calling 855-607-4337, a service of the nonprofit ITN America that provides information about transportation options for older adults.

Some churches and community groups have volunteers who take older adults where they want to go. Family and friends are another great resource.

For more information about driving safety and dementia NIA Alzheimer’s and related Dementias Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center 800-438-4380. www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast has events coming up at Camp Arnaz

Tent-or-Treat Halloween Extravaganza!
When: October 28th from 3:00 pm – 7:00pm
Where: Camp Arnaz 155 Sulphur Mountain Road, Ventura, CA 93001
Tickets: $10 at https://www.classy.org/event/tent-or-treat-2023/e491415

Join us for a night of fun at Camp Arnaz’s Tent-or-Treat event! Tent or Treat will include plenty of activities for you and your family to enjoy! We will have lawn games, vendor booths, tractor rides, hay maze, haunted yurt, crafts, Halloween movies and of course lots of candy!! Visit our camp horses who will be dressed for the event! Food will also be available to purchase in the main lodge & the Girl Scout food truck! Saturday October 28th 2023, from 3:00pm – 7:00pm. For tickets and vendor applications visit https://www.classy.org/event/tent-or-treat-2023/e491415 #TentOrTreat #HalloweenAdventure #FamilyFun

Winter Wonderland Holiday Event!
When: Friday and Saturday Evenings in December
starting December 1st -30th from 5:00 pm – 9:00pm
Where: Camp Arnaz 155 Sulphur Mountain Road, Ventura, CA 93001
Tickets: $10 – $20 at www.GSWinterwonderland.com

Experience pure enchantment at Winter Wonderland 2023, where Camp Arnaz transforms into a captivating holiday realm. Meander through a whimsical wonderland, aglow with synchronized lights dancing to the melody of falling snowflakes. Indulge in festive foods, create lasting memories with family crafts, and greet our holiday horses. Don’t miss a cherished snapshot with Santa himself. Join us and step into a world of winter wonder! Join us, weekends in December from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. For tickets visit www.GSWinterwonderland.com

Textured Tablets A Fusion of Images, Words & Wood

by John Parker
At Studio 99 @ The Bell Arts Factory

Exhibit Runs
Now thru October 28, 2023
Meet the Artists on First Friday, October 6, 6 – 9pm

John Parker’s collection, “Textured Tablets: A Fusion of Images, Words & Wood,” is literally grounded in nature. He has about 15 sculptural pieces on display, both two dimensional and bas-relief, in various sizes.
“My work, as a whole, is intended to convey a sense of peace,” added Parker, who has enjoyed woodworking and using wood as his art medium for 50 years.
The entrance to Studio 99 at the Bell Arts Factory is around the back of the building off of Wall St. Studio 99 is open Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4pm

Second Annual Pottery Market and Bowl of Thanks

The Ventura County Potters’ Guild invites you to our Second Annual Pottery Market and Bowl of Thanks in Downtown Ventura, October 21 (10-6) and October 22 (10-5). Visitors will have an opportunity to purchase a handmade bowl donated by a local potter for just $25.  Funds raised will go to Downtown Ventura’s Family Reconnection Program.

The Ventura County Potters’ Guild is a non-profit and runs the Ventura Pottery Gallery in Ventura Harbor. The Gallery is open every day from 11 – 6.

The monthly meetings are open to the public and feature ceramic demonstrations or presentations. More information can be found at https://vcpg.org.

City News

The City Council voted in June to admonish Councilmember Mike Johnson and required him to apologize to staff members for bullying. The City Council discussed whether to take away Johnson’s committee assignments but decided against it.

As a result Mike Johnson is suing the city for not allowing him to participate in a closed-session meeting that he believes should have been made public and for not giving him an opportunity to defend himself against bullying allegations.

At the meeting in May, the City Council discussed allegations by two city employees accusing Johnson of acting in a hostile and bullying manner during two City Council meetings in 2022.

Johnson’s lawsuit alleges the city violated the state’s open meeting law by keeping him and the public out of the closed-session meeting and failing to disclose the topic of the meeting. The lawsuit also says that the closed-session meeting prevented Johnson from defending himself.

The state’s open meeting law, The Brown Act, prohibits a majority of legislative body members from communicating or taking action on an item outside of an open, public meeting. There are some exceptions.

The lawsuit demands the city abide by the Brown Act, hold open and public meetings,post an agenda 24 hours before each special meeting with a brief general description of an item and make available to the public any materials distributed.

Johnson’s lawsuit also requests the city record the audio of closed-session meetings and preserve them for a period of time.

The Ventura Pier, most of which remains closed to the public because of damage caused by the January storms is anticipated to open early next year.

Construction on the pier should start in late February or early March. It will take 30-45 days to complete the required repairs. Work needs to be done on 7 timber piles and numerous bracings and brackets.

The total estimate for final repairs is about $1 million. The city is in the process of obtaining funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and the state for the project.

The pier’s front is open so the popular restaurants are accesible.

A long-term project to replace an underground pipe has closed one of three northbound freeway lanes until spring 2024. The effort will impact a half-mile stretch south of California Street. The left lane will be closed. Northbound motorists will use the two right lanes.

The closure will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as weather and other conditions allow, said Jim Medina, a spokesman for the agency.

The pipe replacement is meant to remedy the on-going wet spot along the center median that also can go into the left traffic lane. Workers will dig up pavement to reach the clogged or broken pipe.

Experience the joy of learning

Experience the joy of learning this Fall! Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at California State University Channel Islands is pleased to announce a new set of classes starting soon for people age 50+.

In the class “The Science and Magic of the 2024 Solar Eclipse ”, discover one of nature’s greatest spectacles and learn how and where to see it.

Examine the elements that made America great, why we are now struggling, and a possible roadmap for America’s resurgence in “How America Became Great – And Can Be Great Again”.

Explore the universal theme of love and the challenges of relationships in both the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia in “From Russia With Love”: Experiencing Russia Through Film”.

The six-week classes start on October 23rd, and registration opens October 9th.

Both in-person and Zoom classes are available. Learn more and see the entire catalog of classes at: go.csuci.edu/olli or call 805-437-2748.

Memorial stair climb recreates climb up the Twin Towers

Stair Climb remembers September 11. Photos by Patricia Schallert

Ninety-one Ventura firefighters, police officers, and members of the community gathered to honor fallen 9/11 first responders by re-creating the 110 floor climb up the Twin Towers.

The Stair Climb is organized by the Ventura City Honor Guard and Ventura Fire Foundation. Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Ventura Fire Foundation’s mental health programming for firefighters and their families.

It was held September 9, at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach hotel.

Bagpipers lead the procession to start the climb. Firefighters and police officers, some in full gear climbed the stairs as families and guests cheered them on.

Along with dozens of individuals, teams from the following groups were represented.

Culver City Fire,District 1 County Supervisor Matt LaVere,FBI Los Angeles, Fillmore Firefighters,Flying Embers,Limitless,Oxnard Fire, Performance Wellness and Injury Prevention,Persistence Culture, San Bernardino County Fire,Santa Barbara PD SWAT,Stronghold Fitness, The Vent,Ventura City Fire,Ventura County Fire,Ventura Police Dept and Visit Ventura.

Daniel Brackett will be performing in Aladdin

From Pierpont Elementary to Broadway.

Daniel Brackett has played many leading roles in musicals growing up in Ventura: a wriggly Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland at Pierpont Elementary, a shirtless Mowgli in Jungle Book at Rubicon Theatre, a rebellious Ren in Footloose at Ventura High. But Daniel these days is performing in perhaps his biggest role, and certainly on the biggest stages, of his life as a cast member in Disney’s North American Tour production of Aladdin.

Part of a 30-member actors’ equity (the union representing professional theatre actors) cast, Daniel landed a role as ensemble and understudy for two roles – Omar and Aladdin. Daniel began rehearsals for the show in New York City last summer, and has been part of the show since its opening last October in Schenectady, New York. Since then, Daniel has criss-crossed the continent, doing 8 shows a week in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, Montreal, Denver, to name a few.

Linda Ottsen, a premier voice teacher in the area and retired Ventura College faculty, exclaimed: “I always knew Daniel was destined for a career in musical theatre, but to be cast in a national Disney tour immediately after graduating from college was a happy surprise!” Ms. Ottsen began teaching Daniel his freshman year of high school and continued to follow his performances and include him in her studio recitals even while Daniel was in college at Elon University in North Carolina.

Ms. Ottsen’s favorite memory is of Daniel’s senior year performance of Maria from the musical West Side Story, with Ventura High’s orchestra at their year-end concert. “We had worked on that song so much during his voice lessons – it is one of the most difficult tenor songs,” Ms. Ottsen remembers

Daniel’s longtime trombone teacher, Paul Hunt, director of music at Ventura High School, conducted that performance of Maria, and first met Daniel when he was in middle school. “Daniel was shorter than me at the time!” jokes Mr. Hunt. Daniel displayed a quick affinity for the instrument and Mr. Hunt placed him in the honors wind ensemble group as a freshman, and as principal trombonist his sophomore through senior years. But Mr. Hunt had to share his star student with the drama department – “I just knew he was going to get cast as the lead in the musical.”

And indeed, Daniel was cast by Stefoni Rossiter, director and drama teacher for Ventura High, in many productions. “Daniel has always had a serious, respectful, professional demeanor,” says Ms. Rossiter, “Even when he was just in sixth-grade playing Winthrop in The Music Man, I could tell he was dedicated, prepared, creative, and so talented – he had such a sweet voice and presence on stage!” Ms. Rossiter came to fully appreciate Daniel’s potential when she cast him as Cat in the Hat in Seussical: “He had all the singing and dancing down, but he was able to trust me and trust himself in adding a zany, silly, unscripted playfulness to his performance. . . it was a magical transformation for him and I remember thinking, Daniel Brackett is really going places!”

Brian McDonald, who directed Daniel in Rubicon Theatre Company productions spanning from 2010-2017, also thought it was “obvious that Daniel was gifted and would find his home on the professional stage.Daniel clearly loved what he was doing, but he also took great pride in the work that it took to do it well,” Mr. McDonald recalled.

Daniel Brackett will be the whole city and community of Ventura’s son coming home when he appears at the Pantages in Aladdin which runs for 3 more days. More information about the show, including the official link to purchase tickets, is available at https://aladdinthemusical.com/north-american-tour-cast/.

VenturaWaterPure construction project marks a major step

VenturaWaterPure is off to a great start! Photos by Patricia Schallert

A cornerstone of Ventura’s forward-looking water investment portfolio, the VenturaWaterPure Program, takes an important step toward enhancing the City’s water supply resilience. This landmark project marks the City’s effort to secure its water future, positioning Ventura at the forefront of sustainable water management in the region.

The ocean outfall project will be used to dispose of concentrate generated by the future Advanced Water Purification Facility, which is projected to provide up to 20% of the City’s water supply when fully operational.

“In December 2011, the Ventura City Council voted on a settlement agreement with Heal the Bay and the Wishtoyo Foundation/Ventura Coastkeeper to preserve the Santa Clara River’s natural habitat,” shared Mayor Joe Schroeder. “The consent decree also requires a beneficial reuse of the water to align with the City’s long-term sustainability goals and commitment to responsible water management.”

Ventura Water General Manager Gina Dorrington highlighted the project’s substantial support from federal agencies, securing a $173 million loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and an additional $18 million in grant funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. “The project’s success is further underlined by unanimous approval from the California Coastal Commission, and the acquisition of all necessary permits showcases the City’s dedication to environmental responsibility and adherence to regulations,” she stated.

A thorough evaluation of potential sites was examined for the construction of the ocean outfall. Marina Park was identified as the optimal location and received a thorough Environmental Impact Report analysis. In addition, extensive community feedback directed additional mitigation measures consistent with construction activities for noise, dust, and vibration impacts. A dedicated construction management team is spearheading all mitigation efforts, and community members can leave a message at any time at 805-500-8103 for additional concerns, questions, or feedback.

Construction is anticipated to be completed by summer 2024. For additional information, frequently asked questions, reports, and updates on the VenturaWaterPure Ocean Outfall construction project, please visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/OceanOutfall.