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City of Ventura and State Parks Urge Safety for July 4th Holiday

Enhanced beachfront patrol to ensure a safe and clean Ventura

The City of Ventura and State Parks urge citizens to ensure a safe and enjoyable 4th of July holiday by observing local laws that prohibit fireworks in the city of Ventura. Ventura Police, Fire and State Parks will provide increased law enforcement presence on the sand and beachfront area to mitigate the use of illegal fireworks and keep citizens and their property safe.

Given the dry and potentially dangerous conditions from the ongoing drought fire safety is a priority. Even a sparkler can cause injury or start a fire from dying embers hitting dried out vegetation or a shake shingle roof. Residents are encouraged to attend a professional fireworks show such as the Ventura Rotary Club Fireworks Show & Family Picnic held at Ventura Community College.

“On behalf of the fire department, we wish residents and visitors an enjoyable and safe holiday,” said Fire Chief David Endaya. “We urge everyone to refrain from using fireworks, especially with the dry conditions.”

Fireworks pose a significant risk to health and safety and civil infractions for possession or use of fireworks in the city of Ventura carry a penalty of $424. Violators are liable for damages and fines. Ventura police and fire departments will be patrolling neighborhoods throughout the city for fireworks violations.

The City and State Parks are also gearing up to keep Ventura beaches clean from litter that is often left behind by beachgoers and visitors on the 4th of July weekend. The City will be placing more than 100 temporary trash bins, donated by Harrison Industries, on the sand and public areas at Ventura’s busiest beaches including two miles of San Buenaventura State Beach. Convenient and readily accessible bins will help prevent litter from adversely impacting water quality and our beaches.

“We want to keep Ventura beaches looking good,” said State Parks Ventura Sector Superintendent Tyson Butzke. “The holiday always brings more guests and trash to the shoreline. We want to remind visitors to protect our shared environment by picking up their trash.”

The City is also hosting a Volunteer Beach Cleanup July 5, to clean up leftover debris in key areas. Volunteers can sign up at www.cityofventura.net/volunteer.

Marine Sightings – June 2016

How safe are Ventura County’s Special Education Schools?

by the Grand Jury

When parents send their children to school in the morning, they trust their children will have a productive day of learning in a safe environment. Similarly, when teachers report to work they hope to focus their efforts on teaching without fear for their safety and that of their students. Unfortunately, with the increase in school violence over the past several years, children, parents, and teachers no longer feel as safe as they once did.

The 2015-2016 Ventura County Grand Jury opened an investigation based on a public complaint about safety in the Phoenix schools in Ventura County. The Phoenix schools servestudents with serious emotional disturbance from all of Ventura County and the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

From this investigation, the Grand Jury learned that Phoenix schools provide an intensive educational program for their students through low enrollment and high staff-to- student ratios. Although Phoenix students often act out in frustration, the staff is well trained in, and regularly uses, techniques to de-escalate hostile behavior at the earliest possible stage. Despite the consistent use of positive behavioral interventions, administrators at the Phoenix-Airport campus call law enforcement an average of two to three times weekly for situations they are unable to de-escalate. However, responding patrol officers may not have Crisis Intervention Team training to be able to deal effectively with these emotionally disturbed students. The Grand Jury also learned that it is the position of the Ventura County Office of Education that having a dedicated School Resource Officer would escalate rather than defuse volatile situations in the Phoenix schools.

The National Education Association has established best practices regarding school safety. These practices recommend that schools partner with law enforcement (and social service agencies) to promote a safe environment. Ideally, a sworn School Resource Officer should be dedicated to one school and work collaboratively with staff and students to build positive relationships and to support administration with crisis intervention.

The Grand Jury recommends that the Ventura County Sheriff and the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools formalize a collaborative relationship to increase law enforcement presence on all Phoenix campuses. Additionally, the Grand Jury recommends that the Ventura County Sheriff ensure that any patrol officers who may be called to respond to a Phoenix school have Crisis Intervention Team training. Finally, the Grand Jury recommends that the Ventura County Board of Education authorize and seek funds for a dedicated School Resource Officer for the Phoenix-Airport campus.

The complete report may be accessed at www.ventura.org/grand-jury; click on the Annual Reports tab and consult “Fiscal Year 2015-2016.”

Simple Steps to Good Health – June 2016, Fitness Tips

by Elisabeth Mondragon

5 Ways to Sneak in Exercise This Summer

Summer is the perfect time to check in with your healthy lifestyle goals. You might be spending less time in a gym but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on exercise. Be creative and exercise outside! Spending active time with your family or friends outdoors is an easy way to sneak in exercise and summer fun in the sun. Here are five fun ideas.

1. Early morning walks
The thought of being outside in the summer afternoon heat can be daunting. Why not take a morning walk instead? You can even take your coffee with you, just make sure you’re walking fast enough to get your heart rate up. A lap around a scenic park, a brisk stroll down the beach or even a couple of loops around your block will ensure your day gets off to a healthy start. Bring your dogs and kids if you have them!

2. Pool exercises
There are endless opportunities to enjoy time at the pool during hot summer months. Whether you have a club membership, access to a neighborhood pool or even a day pass to the public pool, why not turn this essential summer pastime into a workout! Instead of lounging on the edge of the water, jump in! If you have kids, play Marco Polo or judge a handstand contest. If not, grab a buddy and work up a sweat racing laps or even doing water aerobics! Bonus points if there’s a water slide – all that walking up stairs is a great workout for your legs.

3. Family field day
This is a fun, active way to celebrate a summer birthday or family reunion. Take the focus off the treats and concentrate on good old-fashioned competition instead! Kids and adults can participate in a backyard games, making this a good activity for the whole family. Burlap sack races, water balloon fights, basketball and hula hooping are activities that will get your hearts pumping. Don’t forget to drink water! The hardest part will be deciding who will be on each team!

4. Volunteer
Feel good and do good – what could be better? There are thousands of outdoor volunteer opportunities across the country. Pick an active one, like rebuilding hiking trails, picking up trash at a local beach, planting trees or building a house for the less fortunate. Even if you only have one open weekend to commit, chances are there’s a need to fill in your community.
5. Recreation Leagues
Your city likely has sports leagues for all ages, whether it’s a 20-somethings kickball league, a weekly tennis game or a family softball tournament. You probably won’t even notice the exercise part — you’ll be distracted by the competition and socializing! Don’t forget to walk around, stand or cheer when it’s not your turn to participate. Getting your friends and family involved will help you stay motivated to attend.

Ventura County wildlife expert to discuss how to reduce human-coyote conflicts, June 30

On Thursday, June 30, the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host “Coexisting with Coyotes,” a free open-to- the-public presentation providing information about coyotes, their behaviors and how residents can reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Wildlife biologist David Lee will make a presentation and discuss the recent uptick in urban coyote activity. The presentation, which will take place from 7 – 8 p.m. in the Poinsettia Pavilion’s Canada Larga Room, 3451 Foothill Road, will be followed by a question and answer session.

Known as “song dogs,” coyote nighttime yips and howls are often heard coming from the Ventura hills. Coyotes howl to communicate to other pack members, to coordinate hunts, establish territories and simply to let other coyotes know where they are. All too often coyotes are given a ‘bad rap’ but in reality, they are one of North America’s unique wildlife species.

During California’s ongoing drought, human-coyote interactions have increased. Coyotes on the lookout for food and water are venturing into gardens, backyards, alleyways, parks and open spaces. Favorite non-wild coyote foods include garbage, fruit from landscaped trees, and even the occasional small pet.

Lee, a senior biologist with Davey Resource Group (DRG), will discuss ways homeowners can discourage coyotes from entering their properties and how to react when they encounter a coyote in their neighborhood.

To RSVP, please visit www.venturahillsides.org/events. For more information, call VHC at: 805-643- 8044.

Local National Parks Benefit our Economy

A new National Park Service (NPS) report for 2015 shows the economic benefit of Channel Islands National Park and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to our local economy in supporting 761 jobs with a cumulative benefit to the local economy of nearly 74 million dollars.

324,815 visitors to Channel Islands National Park in 2015 spent over $19 million and 797,217 visitors to the federal land in Santa Monica National Recreation Area spent over $34 million in communities near the parks.

“The NPS has a presence in every community in the United States including ours,” said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau. “National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the NPS, and it’s a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities.”

“The scenic vistas of the Santa Monica Mountains inspire thousands of people to visit each week,” said David Szymanski, superintendent of Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “We are delighted that so many visitors enjoy our park and also that their visits have such a positive impact on the local economy.”

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz.

The report shows $16.9 billion of direct spending by 307.2 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs nationally; 252,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.

According to the 2015 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.2 percent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).

Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by- year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: go.nps.gov/vse.

The report includes information for visitor spending at individual parks and by state.

To learn more about national parks in California and how the National Park Service works with California communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/california.

Breaking the silence among neighbors

Dr. Joseph Attias, neurophysiologist and audiologist from the University of Haifa, will be speaking about breakthroughs in rehabilitating deafness and his work in Israel done in cooperation with the Kingdom of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

Among Dr. Attias’ findings is that the incidence of deafness in Jordanian children is four times greater than for Israeli children. His research also has found that children under 17 months should not have cochlear implants if the deafness is caused by malfunctioning connections between hair cells and the auditory nerve.

Dr. Attias was born in Morocco and has lived in Israel since 1962. He is a full Professor, Department of Communication Disorder, University of Haifa. He has published extensively and is a sought after speaker internationally. He is currently teaching at USC.

The presentation to be held Friday, July 1st, beginning at 6:30 pm, is being sponsored by Congregation Am HaYam, 4839 Market Street, Unit C, and the University of Haifa. Join the congregation for a light supper at 5:30 pm or for more information about Dr. Attias’ presentation, please [email protected] or 232.6442.

Grove Incident: Up to 700 barrels of crude oil spilled in Hall Canyon, Ventura, CA

A press conference was held at 12noon today at the San Buenaventura State Beach parking lot, 901 San Pedro Street regarding the crude oil pipeline spill in Hall Canyon, Ventura.

There are no evacuations and no health risks to the community.

At 5:30a.m. today a crude oil spill was reported in the city of Ventura in Hall Canyon, and originated in the northwestern part of the city. The spill traveled a half mile from the Prince Barranca into Hall Canyon, where it has been stopped. Early reports confirm up to 700 barrels have flowed into Prince Barranca. The pump station where the leak originated has been shut down, and any flow at this point is residual.

The cause of the leak is undetermined and under investigation.

The flow ends in a catch basin in the Prince Barranca and does not flow to the ocean.

The incident is currently in the containment and evaluation phase; and the flow has been stopped before it could reach the ocean, minimizing environmental impacts.

One road closure is in effect at Hall Canyon Road and Fairview Drive.

Emergency responders are assessing any other areas the oil may be flowing to, and HazMat is monitoring air quality.

Community members were sent the following VC Alert message to keep them updated on the incident, “The oil spill in Hall Canyon is currently contained in the Prince Barranca. Crews will be working around the area and residents are advised to avoid contact with the oil and take safeguards to protect pets and property. Residents may smell strong odors and at this time air quality monitoring is taking place. Further information will be released as it becomes available.” Residents may request VC Alert notifications by texting “VC Alert to “313131”.

“Tip-A- Cop” Fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics of Ventura County

The Ventura Police Department (VPD) will again be sponsoring the Special Olympics “Tip-A- Cop” event on Tuesday, June 21, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Romano’s Macaroni Grill located at 4880 Telephone Rd. in Ventura (805) 477-9925.

Tip-A- Cop is a law enforcement fundraising event in which law enforcement officers assist with waiting tables at a local restaurant and collect “tip” donations for Special Olympics. More than a dozen restaurants and eight law enforcement agencies team up throughout the year in support of Tip-A- Cop with the goal being to collect as many donations as possible for Special Olympics of Ventura County.

For over twenty years VPD has been involved in the Tip-A- Cop program. This will be the third year Romano’s Macaroni Grill will be collaborating with VPD to host this event. We encourage the public, and members of the media, to come and support the event by dining out and meeting local Special Olympics Athletes and Ventura Police Officers as they act as “celebrity servers,” while assisting Romano’s Macaroni Grill servers throughout the evening. While tips to restaurant servers are encouraged, envelopes will be provided to dining patrons so officers can accept tax-deductible donations. Officers will also be accompanied by Ventura County Special Olympics Athletes who help to serve food and sell t-shirts. Athletes are anxious to show off their medals and share their Special Olympics experiences.

“Last year we had a great event and a good time. We raised over $3,000 in tip donations for the Ventura County Special Olympics,” stated Officer Bernadette Compean who helps organize the Special Olympics Torch Run and Tip-A- Cop events for the VPD. “We look forward to another successful year and to our continued partnership with Special Olympics. We are also excited about our continued partnership with Romano’s Macaroni Grill.”

For over twenty years, Ventura County law enforcement agencies have been raising tens of thousands of dollars annually allowing Special Olympics Ventura County to offer year round sports training and competition to over 700 individuals with intellectual disabilities, ages eight years and up, free of charge, in seventeen sports at over forty training sites throughout Ventura County.

For more information on this event, and Special Olympics of Ventura County, contact Ashley Bautista at 805-339- 4317/[email protected] or Special Olympics Regional Director Peggi Preston at 805-

650-7717/[email protected].

Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Meeting open to the public, June 21

The Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees invites the public to attend its Strategic Planning Meeting on Tuesday, June 21, at 3:00 pm. The meeting will be held at the District Administrative Center located at 255 West Stanley Avenue, Suite 150, Ventura, CA. The invitation is extended to members of the Citizens Advisory Council, students, college constituents, and the general public. All are welcome. Items to be discussed include 3.01 Board Professional Development; 5.02 2016-2019 Strategic Plan Recommendations; 5.03 Enrollment Management; and 6.01 Goals and Objectives. The complete agenda is available on the VCCCD website at www.vcccd.edu, Board of Trustees and meetings.

The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 113-campus California Community College system, and serves more than 50,000 students annually. The District’s three colleges-Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura- offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu.

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