Category Archives: Facebook

Mayor Eric Nasarenko to be guest speaker at Democratic Club meeting Sept. 13

Mayor Eric Nasarenko will be the guest speaker. In addition three candidates for Ventura City Council will present their qualifications and positions. This includes Matt LaVere, Jeanette Sanchez-Palacios and Lorrie Brown.

The meeting will be 7PM to 9PM on Tuesady, September 13th at the E.P. Foster Library in the Topping Room, 651 E. Main Street, Ventura.

The Democratic Club strives to provide residents with local and general election information on topics of interest to all citizens. For more details please contact [email protected] or visit the group’s Facebook Page. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. There is no charge.

Emergency personnel respond to vehicle rollover that collided with multiple vehichles

On 08/31/16 at about 0130 hours, the Ventura Police Department Command Center received a call of a rollover traffic collision on Victoria Avenue north of Woodland Street. Officers arrived and learned that the driver of the vehicle, Kelly Scott Griffith, was traveling southbound on Victoria Avenue north of Woodland Street when he lost control and collided with the fence line on the west side of the street. Griffith’s vehicle went through the fence and collided with three Ford Vans that belong to the Ventura Unified School District. The vans were parked in a parking lot inside of Buena High School and all three of them sustained significant damage.

Officers on scene determined that Griffith was driving while under the influence of drugs. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Ventura County Pretrial Detention Facility.

Griffith did not sustain any injuries from the collision.

Rey Fire has consumed 30,000 acres and is 30% contained as of Aug 23

ReyFire-Oakview-NorthPacificForestry-SalemORv2The North Pacific Forestry crew from Salem, Oregon stopped in Oak View for lunch Monday before heading back out to monitor and report on the progress of the fire as it travels east through the Los Padres National Forest toward Ventura County. The plume from the fire can be seen just above their heads in the center of the picture.

ReyFire-Oakview-Aug22-130p
View from Oak View

The Rey Fire, located just north of Santa Barbara, has consumed approximately 30,000 acres and is 30% contained as of August 23 per the incident report on InciWeb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4971/.

Currently there are 1,428 personnel assigned to the fire comprised of 42 hand crews, 14 helicopters, 51 engines, 21 dozers, 29 water tenders, 6 air tankers, and 2 VLATs (Very Large Air Tankers).

The fire started Thursday, August 18th, at approximately 3:15pm, near the White Rock Day Use Picnic Area in the Los Padres National Forest. The cause is currently under investigation.

The estimated containment date is Wednesday, August 31st, and Level Four Fire restrictions remain in effect for the Los Padres National Forest. 

ReyFire-Oakview-Aug22-12pFor more information about the Rey Fire:
Call (805) 364-2738
Large animal evacuation (805) 681-4332.
Email [email protected]
Facebook: facebook.com/lospadresnationalforest/
Twitter: @lospadresnf sbcfireinfo@eliasonmike

 

Help support local food banks at charity event Sat. Aug 6

Enterprise Truck Rental located at 1144 Arundell Avenue in Ventura is having a great charity event coming up this Saturday, August 6th, from 10:00am to 2:00pm!

All attendees will be able to enter a raffle to win a 40″ Samsung Smart HDTV, a Weber Grill and more!  Simply stop by and drop your business card in the raffle bin to be entered.  While you’re here, please support our local food banks by bringing canned food if possible, or donate online using these web pages.

www.foodshare.com

www.foodbanksbc.org

For more information call

(805)642-0811

Ventura City Fire personnel respond to incident involving natural gas leak

On July 13, at 11am Ventura City Fire personnel responded to a Hazardous Condition incident involving leaking natural gas and operating heavy equipment in the 200 block of S. Mills Rd. The first arriving company found a commercial boom/bucket lift vehicle, which had been performing work on the exterior of a business and had broken through an access door located in the sidewalk. When the heavy equipment broke through it damaged underground natural gas equipment and piping which resulted in an active leak.

The immediate area was evacuated, and the gas leak successfully mitigated by closing adjacent valves. Both a USAR and a truck/support company were requested. Engine company personnel stood by with hose lines while the vehicle was removed from the hole using a heavy wrecker. After removal, the gas company began repairing the damaged equipment and piping.

Safeguard the Central Coast

by Jack Dyer, Steve Dunwoody, and Graciela Cabellos

The Central Coast is one of the most treasured landscapes in California, and for good reason. Three distinct ecosystems— grassland, semi-desert, and redwood forest—join together here to host more than 470 animal species, including more than 90 that are at risk of extinction.  It’s one of the few places in the world where giant redwoods and desert species can be found growing next to one another. These extraordinary natural areas are one reason residents and visitors choose the Central Coast, and they are a magnet for business, recreation, and tourism.  Making sure these public lands continue to succeed requires a commitment from all of us.

People connect to our local wild places in different ways and for different reasons. Active duty military personnel at Port Hueneme all the way up to Vandenberg Air Force Base find respite and recreation in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Many more veterans have chosen to retire here because of the quality of life and opportunity for recovery from overseas deployments that are offered by having access to public lands.

At the same time, public lands are an underutilized recreational resource for the millions of Latinos that live in and around the Central Coast. The Latino population is the fastest growing demographic in the United States and among the most underrepresented groups in conservation. The great irony is that a strong conservation ethic has been ingrained in Latino cultura for generations. Local advocates are coming together to protect public lands and recreational access to ensure we have places for Latinos to be present, to share their voices, and to showcase their deep appreciation for our natural heritage.

In June, we traveled to Washington, DC to share these messages with our elected officials and voice our support for the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which would safeguard important areas in the Los Padres and the Carrizo Plain. In addition to protecting 245,500 acres of wilderness, the legislation would create two scenic areas encompassing 34,500 acres, safeguard 159 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and establish the 400-mile-long Condor National Recreation Trail.

We need to be good stewards of this shared natural resource, so our area will be a good place to live and work for generations to come. Keeping in mind, too, that protecting these public lands is good for our economy.

Outdoor recreation in California generates $85.4 billion in consumer spending, supports 732,000 jobs, and contributes $6.7 billion in state and local taxes, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. In 2011, visitors to the Los Padres National Forest contributed $24.1 million dollars to the regional economy.

The legislation Rep. Lois Capps and Sen. Barbara Boxer crafted is the product of years of discussion and negotiation involving business leaders, conservationists, elected officials, ranchers, mountain bikers, and other stakeholders interested in the use and well-being of these iconic lands. That is why our communities support the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act and urge Congress to take the steps necessary to pass it.

We thank Rep. Capps and Sen.Boxer for their leadership and urge them to make this legislation a priority for the remainder of the Congress. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and the rest of the California delegation can help by co-sponsoring the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act.  Safeguarding outstanding natural areas in the Central Coast is essential to our region’s economic health and an irreplaceable legacy for future generations.

Jack Dyer is a co-founder of Topa Topa Brewing Company in Ventura CA., Steve Dunwoody is California Director of the Vet Voice Foundation, and Graciela Cabello is National Director of Latino Outdoors.

Jack Dyer / Co-Founder

Orientation being held July 7th to learn about visiting Ventura’s sister city – Loreto, Mexico

Loreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula.

For the first time since former Ventura Mayor Cheryl Heitmann officially exchanged keys to the city with Loreto, Mexico, in 2015, the Ventura/Loreto Sister City Committee is inviting Venturans to travel with them to explore their sister city.

Planning is underway for biannual visits to Loreto including hotel and non-stop flights from LAX. These trips are meant to promote and strengthen the sister city relationship between the cities, and the cost of the trip includes a donation to support the Ventura/Loreto Sister City Committee whose objectives include collaboration on tourism, culture, education, environment, and business initiatives.

Loreto is a small city of approximately 17,000 people that sits on the east coast of Baja California, facing the Sea of Cortez. It was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula and is the starting point for the historic El Camino Real corridor that follows north along the ancient route of the Spanish missions.

Loreto is also home to Loreto Bay National Park where Coronado, Del Carmen, Danzante, Montserrat and Santa Catalina Islands are home to over 800 species of marine life. With breathtaking cliffs, spectacular beaches and dramatic rock formations, these islands are a perfect landscape for the ecologically-minded or those who delight in a vast array of marine life.

The public is invited on July 7 at O’Brien Hall, San Buenaventura Mission, at 6:00PM. For more information, visit visitventuraca.com/sistercity. Trip inquiries should be directed to Stephen Joyce with Ventura Travel Professionals at 218-1962.

For more information on, or to join the Ventura/Loreto Sister City Committee contact Fiorella Calderoni at [email protected] or visit visitventuraca.com/sistercity.

Ventura City Fire and Police Departments respond to single vehicle accident

In the early morning hours of July 3rd, Ventura City Fire and Police Department responded to a report of a single vehicle accident with a trapped victim by Victoria and Ralston.

IMG_6603When fire crews arrived they discovered a passenger vehicle that had hit a traffic camera pole as well as a tree in the median of Victoria. Firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools to cut and pry the vehicle from the victim were able to free the trapped driver 45 minutes after their arrival. The extrication was complicated by the extensive damage to the vehicle which entangled the drivers’ legs under the dashboard. While the extrication was taking place, additional firefighters provided advanced life support to the driver and worked to suppress any fire potential from the vehicles’ leaking fluids.

Once extricated, one adult male was transported to a local trauma center with non-life- threatening injuries.

Public invited to free Civil War talk on July 6 at the Olivas Adobe

Members of the public are invited to attend the Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters (OAHI) general meeting at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 6, at the Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura, to hear about OAHI activities, and the “Native California Cavalry and its activities and impact during and after the Civil War” by the featured speaker, Museum of Ventura County Director of Education & Outreach Megan Gately.

“Hear about local Union soldiers and their triumphs and tragedies during the mid-1800s. Learn about the California Column, the Civil War’s most Western battle and the shock waves from the East Coast felt out here in the West,” says Ms. Gately. Along with stories from the Civil War, she will present artifacts from the museum’s collections. A social hour with snacks begins at 5:30 pm with the presentation at 6 pm.

Megan Gately has a bachelor’s degree in Education and History from the University of Arizona, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership & Policy from Arizona State University. She has worked extensively with historians and educators at the Arizona Historical Society and the Minnesota Historical Society. She also served as the founding director of education and outreach at the Museum of the Horse Soldier in Tucson, AZ. Megan has returned to her native Southern California—she is originally from Solvang and went high school in Thousand Oaks—to continue her career in museum education at the Museum of Ventura County, which is celebrating 103 years serving the community.

“The OAHI offers weekend training programs to become a docent at the Olivas Adobe, dress in period costumes and share the multi-cultural history of this landmark site through school field trips, weekend tours and special events,” says OAHI President Rose Burtchby.