Photo by Bernie Goldstein
Government, veteran, business representatives and Turning Point staff surround Congresswoman Julia Brownley.

Turning Point Foundation has opened the first Veterans Transitional Housing facility on the central coast. On August 5th Congresswoman Julia Brownley cut the ribbon at the grand opening. The Veterans Transitional Housing facility is located at 43 E. Vince St. in Ventura.

Based on 27 years of experience, Turning Point Foundation identified a tremendous need for supported transitional housing for veterans suffering from mental illness that are homeless to address their particular barriers to success. The goals of the program include obtaining residential stability for mentally ill veterans that are homeless through supported transitional and permanent housing, increasing life skills and income stability, and obtaining self-determination by sustaining a personal Wellness and Recovery Action Plan.

Turning Point’s primary means of engagement with potential veteran clients is the organization’s Our Place Safe Haven, a 10-bed shelter and Multi-Service Center, which provides overnight emergency shelter and drop-in services to more than 350 homeless persons each year, 12% of whom are veterans. Since 1995, Our Place Safe Haven has served as a “community living room” where homeless persons can drop-in and get a cup of coffee, food to eat, socialize with others, take a shower, do their laundry, make phone calls, get their mail, talk to a Case Manager and get counseling.

Turning Point Foundation currently serves over 762 clients each year through safe haven, shelter, supported housing and rehabilitation programs. Turning Point is the only local non-profit agency that addresses the critical community needs of mentally ill adults in Ventura county.

To identify potential residents, Turning Point’s Street Outreach team networks with the police and other mental health and social services agencies serving homeless persons, follow up on leads concerning potential clients, as well as make regular visits with food and supplies to areas where homeless persons are known to congregate in Ventura County, and through VA referrals.

Turning Point currently has three employees who are veterans, and are looking to hire more.  These employees have the peer experience and connect compassionately with homeless veterans.

To learn more about Turning Point Foundation, and a personal tour beforehand with their Executive Director, Jason Meek, please call 652-0000 x108.

The 2015 Ventura County Fair Parade was held on Saturday, August 8 in historic
downtown Ventura.

Marching bands, drill teams, acrobats, clowns, horses, school groups, antique automobiles,
clubs and organizations marched down Main Street from Aliso Lane to Palm
Street in celebration of the 140th Ventura County Fair. The Fair Parade has become
Ventura’s premier parade.

The goal of this operation was public awareness.

On July 2 the Ventura Police Department and Union Pacific Railroad held a joint  violation enforcement operation that involved a Union Pacific police officer and Ventura police officers. The Union Pacific officer was Jorge O. Villaescusa, Senior Special Agent Public Safety.

Agent Villaescusa road on the train (actually just 2 engines connected back to back) and Ventura officers were on the train, were stationed at crossings and were on bicycles riding next to the tracks monitoring autos and people for violators.

The enforcement went from the Santa Clara River to Emma Woods campground as the train made several trips between the 2 areas.

It takes from one mile to 1 ½ miles for a loaded train to stop so pedestrians or vehicles that are on the tracks will most likely be hit as was the truck several months ago in Oxnard that resulted in the death of the train engineer and others. Amtrak trains can be extremely dangerous because they are so quiet and not heard by people thinking that it is romantic to walk down train tracks.

Several pedestrians waking along the tracks fled when confronted (to be issued tickets for walking adjacent to the railway) by police when the train stopped to speak with them. They were chased down and booked on miscellaneous charges by the VPD. Drivers who failed to yield at safety signals were also cited.

The Breeze asked Officer  Jason Kohagen of the Ventura Police Department why this enforcement operation took place.

He told us “As far as the railroad operation goes, I started planning this operation in early May 2015.  We had two pedestrians struck and killed along the tracks in the city in a very short time frame, and this perked my desire to try and come up with a solution plus the fatal Metrolink collision in Oxnard.  I reached out to my supervisor and after getting the go ahead from him, I contacted the railroad.  Logistically this was a challenging and complex operation to coordinate between the multiple agencies, and even the different work groups within the different agencies.”

“ The goal of this operation was public awareness.  Often times motorists and pedestrians take for granted their ability to cross the tracks, not realizing that, legally, the only place to cross the tracks, is at the marked and designated crossings.  Additionally at these crossings, if the lights are flashing, and bell sounding, it is illegal and unsafe to cross the tracks.  If there are arms associated to the crossing, it is illegal to cross until the arms are completely back up, despite the train having passed.  As a result of the enforcement associated with this event, two motorists were cited for going under the crossing arms as they were descending, and six pedestrians were cited for walking along the railroad right of way.  Two of those pedestrians were arrested for outstanding warrants, and a third pedestrian was arrested for interfering with the operation of a train and assault on an officer.  During this event Operation Life Saver information was handed out to inform  pedestrians regarding grade crossing safety.”

For more photos of this operation visit www.venturabreeze.com.

From Ventura Tony and Linda Kinninger, Bert Van Auker, Barbara Brown, Kate Faulkner, Nikos Valance, and Mayor Cheryl Heitmann. From Loreto Lizette Inzunza, Maricruz Arce, Maria Gamez Castro, Hugo Castro, Ivette Granados Marines and Sergio Drew.

Representatives from Ventura’s sister city Loreto in Baja California, visited Ventura to enjoy and experience ArtWalk, the city of Ventura itself, and to strengthen ties between the United States and Mexico.

Welcomed by Mayor Cheryl Heitmann at the ArtWalk reception at City Hall, the Loreto visitors were accompanied by Linda and Tony Kinninger, discussing opportunities to further strengthen cultural and economic connections between the two cities.

Ventura local Kate Faulkner and Sister City board members Barbara Brown and Caryl Cantrell offered the hospitality of their homes to the visitors, and Father Tom Elewaut offered the mission rectory as home base for two of the visitors. Committee Co-Chair Suzanne Baird welcomed them through the Ventura Visitors Bureau so that they could share information and artwork with locals during the two days of the event.

“We are pleased to have hosted the delegation,” commented Sister Cities Chair Barbara Brown. “Highlights of the trip included a visit to the Wav, a tour of the Museum of Ventura County, and a visit to the Channel Islands through the generosity of Island Packers”.