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A dream for a Ventura food co-op and grocery store

Food co-op is currently in the organizing stage.

by Jill Forman

An interview with Ally Gialketsis, co-founder and Board Chair, Ventura Food Co-Op

Tell us about yourself.

I work for a non-profit called Food Forward which rescues produce that would otherwise go to waste and donating 100% to people in need. I grew up in Santa Paula but have lived in the city of Ventura for 4 1/2 years.

Whose idea was it to start the co-op?

Two of my climber friends, Erin McQuilkin, Nicole Cornell, and I were discussing the idea of having a co-op grocery store back in 2013/14.

Why?

We were unhappy with the current places to shop. We wanted bulk options, local, organic produce, and transparency.

When did you actually start to put it together?

We began watching webinars in January 2014 to learn more about what it entails to create a cooperative grocery store. After 6 months, we pulled together an advisory/steering committee and started having regular meetings. Much of the work up to now has been learning, building the internal structure of the organization, working on legal documents, and doing outreach.

What is the progress so far?

We are currently in the organizing stage. We hosted our first public meeting in March of 2015 and our first large fundraiser in April of 2016, a partnership with Slow Food Ventura County. In October of 2016, we launched our membership drive.

How many members do you have?

We currently have 49 member-owners.

Who else is on your board?

Melissa Rubin, Ron Whitehurst, Elizabeth Mitchell, and Crawford Coates

What are the next steps?  What is your vision?

Next step is to raise funds, to do feasibility and market studies to determine the best location.

We envision having a brick and mortar grocery store that is owned by the people who shop there. We also hope to provide a community space for people to gather, learn, share, and organize. Some ideas expressed by co-op supporters, members, and Ventura residents are to host gardening and cooking workshops, to have local non-profit meetings, to open the space for anyone to come and hang out, relax, eat, socialize, etc.

How do you propose to raise the funds?  Do you have a timetable?

We will raise the funds through a combination of membership dues, preferred shares, donations, grants, fundraisers, and loans.  We will open the doors when we have enough community investment. The timeline is dependent on community participation.

Why should someone join if the actual store is a long ways away?

When people become member-owners, they are getting behind the larger movement of promoting local, organic food production (& consumption) in Ventura County. By supporting a project like the Ventura Food Co-op, we are investing in our health, our environment, and our community.

How does someone join?

To learn more and become a member-owner, visit venturafoodcoop.com. With questions, email [email protected].

 

 

 

 

Local artist Josif Constantinos Palmoutsos’ 3 dimensional mixed media

Local artist Josif Constantinos Palmoutsos was born in Lima, Peru in 1947. His Father, Constantinos Josif Palmoutsos was a Greek Merchant Marine Officer, his Mother Graciela Silva Jara was a Peruvian Flamenco Dancer. When Josif was a little over a year old, he and his parents left Peru. The next 4 years were spent on Merchant Ships while living all over the world.

At 5 years old they sailed to Ellis Island, and docked in N.Y. and eventually ended up in Ventura. He attended High School of Art & Design, NY, Los Angeles City College and UCLA.

In speaking about his work he says “My artwork is mostly 3 dimensional it is mixed media, almost entirely using recycled/upcycled material. These days it is being called ‘Green Art’. The Artwork is on the large scale such as my  15’ Praying Mantis at the Government Center. A lot of the subjects, are not of this world. My art tends to be whimsical rather than serious. “

His studio is located at 110 N Olive St , Unit F in Ventura.

Racism Riles Residents: One OPINION  

A recent meeting was held at school district headquarters to discuss racism concerns.

by Sheli Ellsworth

Since the January 13 tweet by two Buena High School students containing altered images of themselves holding nooses around two black men, the community has erupted in protest. The school district is fielding phone calls, the students are facing discipline, and a group of local organizations have called for the district to take steps against racism and discrimination.

The group demands the district adopt three resolutions:  safe haven status for all students;  ethnic studies classes; adopting a program called restorative justice, in which people involved in a dispute talk about it. The group spoke at a meeting of the Ventura Unified School District board.

“Sending an apology letter isn’t enough anymore,” Ocil Herrejon, a youth organizer for CA– USE, the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy. “In the current political climate, we need to address these issues, make a safe haven for students of color on campus.”

Yes, school should be a safe place for all students. But is it possible that one incident isn’t a fair representation of Buena students or district policies?

In the seventh grade, my best friend, Dawn, and I were bored. It was the seventies, a decade— without cell phones, internet or satellite TV. But hey, we were capable of entertaining ourselves. We weren’t spoiled rich kids. We could sew, cook, and be creative—and stupid.

One winter day, we were discussing rumors that our single male history teacher was dating our single female PE teacher. Tame stuff by today’s standards, but I was a Perry Mason fan who understood extortion, my friend—a gifted writer. Together we were middle school morons who regaled ourselves by writing a blackmail letter. We exorcised our boredom by imagining our teachers’ faces when they found out that someone was on to their little tête-à-têtes. Would they be embarrassed? Would they pay for our silence? It was all in the wording: careful, adult-type wording.

Did we send the letter? Nope. And thank goodness there was no Twitter or Instagram.

Did we ever plan to extort money from our teachers? Nope.  But  Dawn and I became steeped in scandal. My mother found the letter. The torn, discarded pages were discovered by my mom who was certain that I was a budding sociopath—a criminal in the making—a peccant, penitentiary-worthy juvenile delinquent! She was prepared to call the police, the school and the district attorney.

How did I get off death row? A levelheaded, loving adult spoke up on my behalf. My grandmother talked my estrogen-challenged mother off the ledge. Grandma was a wise woman who knew that kids did stupid things— like writing blackmail letters and pretending to be white supremacist racists. (Isn’t it Dr. Phil who says, “never expect children to deal with adult issues?”) We now know that our brain is not mature until our mid-twenties, but my grandmother had figured it out long before neuroscience did.

I didn’t grow up to be an extortionist or even a criminal. My friend Dawn now owns an insurance agency, so I guess you could say that she is “still in the extortion biz.” Neither of us have ever been jailed or have ever made money illegally unless you count the money we found in change slots. Maybe doing stupid things is just a part of being a kid . . . maybe taking it down a notch is another way to approach the problem.

Sheli Ellsworth, a former school guidance counselor, has a master’s degree in psychology. Her latest book, Ex Parte: Episodes of existential fiction from BeachHouse Books has recently received a five-star review from Book Junkie Reviews.

Vol. 10, No. 10 – February 15 – February 28, 2017 – Opinion/Editorial

•  Behind City Hall is a property referred to as 505 Poli St. It has housed a variety of uses since it was acquired by the City in 2006 from the County for $3.64 million. The purchase included the significant adjacent parking and the 9.95 acres that is currently leased to the Ventura Botanical Gardens.

In 2009 the 3rd floor was converted into a business incubator for technology entrepreneurs with many successes. The 4th floor was used to subsidize office space to help non-profit organizations that had to move when Brooks Institute took over the two upper floors.

The City has never developed a long range plan for the building or the adjacent Crime Lab, though this is now being conceived. The need for a plan became even more apparent when Brooks Institute closed-up leaving the construction on the 4th and 5th floors un-completed and still empty.

A detailed financial analysis has not been completed yet which includes fire, seismic and basic commercial upgrades such as HVAC, elevator, plumbing and electrical systems. The City Council has asked staff to complete a plan for evaluation.

At a recent City Council meeting a number of possible options for the space were presented by staff.

The Crime Lab, a two-story concrete structure located behind 505 Poli , is in need of abatement of hazardous materials before it can be occupied.

Option 1: Sell the property
(505 building and/or the Crime Lab).
The Council rejected this.

Option 2: Demolish the Crime Lab.
The Council rejected this.

Option 3: Keep the property.
This was approved by the Council. The Council will now need to determine what to do with the property.

I completely agree with the decision to retain the property and look forward to learning about the staff reports and further action by the Council. Hopefully, the final use will include space for non-profits, and an incubator for business start-ups.

I hope that if they have market value space to rent that they hire a professional leasing company to handle this so that we don’t end up with another Brook’s debacle.

•  The Ventura City Council has approved by a vote of 5-0, with two councilmembers absent, a new “park exclusionary ordinance“ that they hope will reduce the amount of people who break laws at city locations. It will make it easier for police to temporarily ban dangerous or illegal activity from parks, the promenade and other city owned properties. Issues include urinating and/or defecating in public, using or selling drugs, vandalism, fighting or having an aggressive dog.

Depending on the number of offenses, and the nature of the act, people can be banned for a day or up to a year. Those given an exclusionary order would have up to five days to appeal to the City Manager’s office.

The VPD requested this ordinance be in place for about 3 years, but there was concerns about its legality. City Attorney Gregory Diaz said the ordinance could withstand a legal challenge because of the appeals process put in place.

I agree that there are some serious problems at these locations and hope that it doesn’t unfairly criminalize the homeless but only those who are breaking the law.

•  Here I go again: Researchers at UCLA reported that electronic cigarettes may increase the risk of heart disease.

They found that two risk factors for heart disease were elevated in 16 e-cigarette users compared with 18 nonsmokers.

“The pattern was spot-on” for what has been seen in heart attack patients and those with heart disease and diabetes, says cardiologist Holly Middlekauff, a co-author of the study.

E-cigarette users in the study had heartbeat patterns that indicated high levels of adrenaline — also known as epinephrine —which is a sign of heart disease risk.  Researchers also found signs of increased oxidative stress, an imbalance of certain protective molecules that can cause the hardening and narrowing of arteries.

“Electronic cigarettes aren’t harmless,” Middlekauff says. “They have real, measurable physiological effects and these physiological effects, at least the couple that we found. have been associated with heart disease.”

•  The VC Star (that some of you old-timers still call the Star Free Press)keeps getting smaller (no more section B, etc.), and it has less local coverage. I really hate to see newspapers struggling so much. Hopefully, the Breeze’s advertisers (and readers) will always be here to support us.

•  Recently, I went to listen to the Ventura County Concert Band play at Ventura High. They were wonderful – it’s unfortunate that we don’t have a performing arts center here in the city where they could have played.

•  The VPD is presenting is a public education program titled Mental Health First Aid that can help individuals across the community understand mental illnesses. Read more about it in this issue it is very important.

•  Chang Liampetchakul, the owner of Tipps Thai Cuisine located downtown, recently suffered a stroke. He was cooking up some ribs for Super Bowl, when some friends came to pick him up. When they arrived he crawled to the front door to unlock it. Doctors think he’s going to make a good recovery, but it will take time. I certainly wish him well and a quick recovery. A GoFundMe account has been set-up for those wishing to help raise funds. https://www.gofundme.com/chang-chang-chang

•  Please see the ad below for the Ventura Breeze presenting the Equinox Ensemble at the Squashed Grapes and come join in on the fun. I will be there at 5:30.

Vol. 10, No. 10 – February 15 – February 28, 2017 – Ventura Music Scene

One Degree of Separation
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

If you follow Ventura’s music scene, then you most likely know Brent Harding who can be heard playing bass in bands like the Whiskey Chimps, the Gypsy Blues Band, Hot Roux and others, but did you know he’s been Mike Ness’s bass man for Social Distortion since 2004?  Brent will be back on the road with Social D the next few months and you can see him when they play at the Ventura Theater on March 7.  That’s all awesome, but I just found out that during one of the many private parties during this year’s NAMM (National Association Music Merchants) event, Brent got a call to play at a Gretsch Guitars event with Jeff Beck.  Yeah, THE Jeff Beck.  I had to talk to Brent about it, because you know, that’s HUGE! Plus, that’s only one degree of separation for me!  Anyways, Brent was so funny when he told me there were moments where he couldn’t look at him because he’d freak out and he had to concentrate; but he said Jeff Beck was a wonderful guy, really sweet and kind.  Now that’s what you want to hear about guitar gods, no?

Grapes and Hops will once again host a special evening with Shawn Jones, Jeff Silbar and Suzie Candell. Of course, we all know and love Shawn who recently competed and made it to the semi-finals of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this month, but Suzie is returning to Ventura from Switzerland; Shawn produced her first CD the last time she was out here called, California Streets. The two will reunite with the one and only Jeff Silbar (Grammy award winning songwriter, “Wind Beneath My Wings”) for an evening of swapping stories and tunes on Thursday, February 16.

Here’s a couple of one-liner notes of interest:  Ruben Estrada returns to the Copa Cubana Monday evenings 6-9 pm through April 10; The Ventura Breeze is sponsoring the Equinox jazz band at Squashed Grapes February 24; The Johnny Cash, Cash Bash will be held on Sunday, February 19, 4-7:30 pm at Bombay’s featuring the Mighty Cash Cats and Jade Hendrix; another Cash Bash will be held on Sunday February 26 at Discovery with Hard Six, Jackass and Inazuma; Rey Fresco will be at Now Ventura on Saturday, February 25; and along with their normal Friday concerts, Hi Hat Entertainment has a special show on Sunday, February 26 at the Hong Kong Inn featuring the 2016 Muddy Award Winners, “Performance of the Year,” Karen Lovely with Lisa Mann and Ben Rice (downbeat at 7).

And finally, the all new CAPS Media radio station, KPPQ-LP has officially launched and is live on air 24 hours a day at 104.1 FM. It’s a low-powered signal so it only reaches most of Ventura, but they’ll soon be available on the internet as well; the staff is working out the programing as you read this.  Keep in mind, this is local area access and along with covering our City Council meetings and other events (parades and such), the programming is open up to CAPS members like myself.  I hope you’ll tune in when I’ll be hosting a one-hour mostly local music show, tentatively on Tuesdays 5-6 pm.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

Vol. 10, No. 10 – February 15 – February 28, 2017 – Ojai News & Events

The Ojai Photo Club presents renowned celebrity photographer, Guy Webster. Webster will present the images and fill in the backstories behind the portraits in his recent retrospective book, “Big Shots: Rock Legends and Hollywood Icons.” The event will be on Tuesday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m., in Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana St. For additional information please visit: www.ojaiphotoclub.com/.

The Ojai Foundation will present Yoga and the Whole of Our Lives, The Ojai Foundation’s Land Sanctuary on Mon., Feb. 20 – Friday, March 10, as part of James Boag’s three-week residency.

The program includes talks, storytelling, movement practices, and singing. Participants can choose to purchase one session, a full week, or the whole course. The philosophical discussions are Monday – Friday from 6:30-9pm. The movement classes are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3-5pm. Donation-based kirtan and satsang is every Sunday from 3-5pm. Pricing information, registration, and overnight accommodations are available at ojaifoundation.org/events or by calling 646-8343, ext. 123.

Find pure, unconditional love as near as your next breath, as Rev. Karen leads a morning devoted to “Meditation: The Path to Love” at Meditation Mount, on Saturday, February 18, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The retreat is by donation; $10 is suggested. Meditation Mount is located at 10340 Reeves Road. For more information, contact Rev. Karen at 310-968-8928, or register online at www.karenswylie.com.

Ojai’s native plant educator Lanny Kaufer is kicking off his 41st year of leading interpretive walks and hikes on Monday, February 20, with a nature hike and foraging expedition on West Sulphur Mountain Trail in the Casitas Springs area. Beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., this will be a slow-paced hike of less than two miles each way on a wide dirt road that steadily gains elevation with corresponding views and changing plant communities. The group will take a half-hour lunch break on the trail.

The cost is $25 for adults and $20 for seniors 62-and-older and full-time students 13-18. Kids 5-12 can go free, one per adult, by prior arrangement.

On Sunday April 9th, from noon-4pm the Ojai Raptor Center will open its doors to the public for their annual Spring Open House; a rare opportunity to meet the non-releasable “ambassador” raptors, and tour the Center that is otherwise closed to the public year-round due to the sensitive nature of wildlife in rehabilitation.

Guests will meet a variety of hawks, falcons, and owls. There will be back-to-back stage presentations and a number of fun activities for children and adults related to this Spring’s Open House theme: “Baby Shower.”

Best-selling author D.J. Adamson will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 4 to lead a panel discussion on creating, producing, and promoting books.

This workshop offers methods to open up one’s creative self and to put that self on paper, whether tackling a fiction or non-fiction project. All three authors will advise which option may be best.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at  218-9146.

A new cookbook, Ojai Valley Gluten-Free Cookbook, by Ojai chef and author Randy Graham is now available for purchase for $16.95 including tax. All of the 87 recipes in this book are gluten-free and vegetarian. He will be signing books at the Ojai Coffee Roasting Company in Ojai on Monday, March 6th from 9:30am until noon. Come by to say hi, get a good cup of Joe, and buy a book (or two).