Category Archives: Featured News

Take 5 And Read To Kids campaign kicks off May 5

Take 5 and Read to Kids! encourages parents and caregivers to talk, read, and sing together.

On May 5, at 10am, celebrity readers will be reading to young children throughout Ventura County to kick off the seventh annual Take 5 and Read to Kids! campaign, an ongoing effort by First 5 Ventura County to raise awareness about the importance of early childhood literacy.

This year’s impressive lineup of readers includes Congresswoman Julia Brownley, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, Supervisor Matt LaVere, Supervisor Jeff Gorell, Supervisor Kelly Long, Supervisor Janice Parvin, Supervisor Vianey Lopez, County Executive Officer Sevet Johnson, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner, Sheriff James ‘Jim’ Fryhoff, various City Council Members, and many more.

Take 5 and Read to Kids! encourages parents and caregivers to talk, read, and sing with young children ages 0-5 to support their early language and literacy development. “We know that the first five years of life lay the foundation for success in school and life. For young children, early exposure to books is beneficial for long-term academic achievements said Health Care Agency Director Barry Zimmerman. Studies have proven that when you talk, read and sing to children starting at birth, you promote and support early language and literacy development.

First 5 Ventura County encourages parents and community members to become champions of early literacy by taking at least five minutes each day to read with a young child. “Talking throughout the day with your young child, reading together, telling stories, and singing all help develop pathways in the brain that will later be used to recognize letters, read, and think critically.”, Supervisor Matt LaVere added.

This year’s Take 5 event will be hosted at various preschool classrooms, family child care centers, and select First 5 Ventura County’s Neighborhoods for Learning sites. Events will also include celebrity readings at local libraries during their regularly scheduled story times throughout the month of May. Check with your local library for a full list of upcoming events.

Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years, and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a significant impact throughout life. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on tobacco to support programs for children prenatal to 5.

First 5 Ventura County strengthens families, communities and systems of care for children prenatal to 5 years through investments, expertise, and leadership so all children reach their full potential, two key investments remain at the forefront of our work to achieve F5VCs goals: the nationally recognized Neighborhoods for Learning and Help Me Grow.

For Program information: Tyla Adams, First 5 Ventura County Program Manager at 805-218-9308 or email [email protected]

Local Library Dates:

  • E.P. Foster Library on May 5th at 10 am
  • Hill Road Library on May 5th at 10 am
  • South Oxnard Branch Library on May 8th at 4 pm
  • Oxnard Public Library on May 9th at 11 am

The fundraiser benefited the Shorebird Recovery Program

Board members Vince Kinsch, Cat Whitehead and Lindsay Talley showing their support for the recovery program.

by Patricia Schallert

On April 29, at the Ventura Coast Brewing Company, The Ventura Audubon Society had a fundraiser called “Raise the Roost party“ along with a silent auction.

This fundraiser benefits the Shorebird Recovery Program for the snowy plover and least tern nesting season on Ormond and Hollywood Beaches, which has just begun and continues through September.

Proceeds will support nest monitoring, habitat protection including fencing, signage, trail cameras, plus supplies for volunteers in our community stewardship program and the Volunteer Beach Naturalists. Community members, and Ventura guests came out and where able to purchase a limited-edition logo glass, meet the Shorebird team and participate in the silent auction featuring items from local business. Some folks brought their dogs and took the Dog Rangers pledge! Bidding for the auction started on Friday, April 28th and ran through Sunday, April 30th. For more information, please visit www.venturaaudubon.org .

Funding is needed for nesting season on Ormond and Hollywood Beaches, which has just begun and continues through September. It will support nest monitoring, habitat protection including fencing, signage, trail cameras, plus supplies for volunteers in our community stewardship program, the volunteer Beach Naturalists.

Artisans from around the west will show off their creations at Strawberry Festival

Artist Michael Phillips has created this strawberry design for the festival.

One hundred-fifty artisans from throughout the West will be displaying their goods at the 37th annual California Strawberry Festival, May 20 and 21 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura. 

The festival, which attracts nearly 50,000 visitors, features more than 50 food and beverage booths, most with a strawberry dish or drink made from fresh strawberries, but it is also known for its eclectic mix of quality artwork, crafts and unique pre-packaged food items. 

Many of the artists have been coming to the festival for years. “We haven’t had a festival since 2019 because of the pandemic so there is a lot of excitement by the artists to be back,” says Dana Hale-Mounier, director of Pacific Fine Arts Festivals and coordinator of the festival’s arts and craft booths. 

Crafter Ray Wood began Brighten Your Life Creations with his wife Gina about 30 years ago. They started by making and selling pottery but evolved to copper metal art, primarily copper wind sculptures. Their son, Zack, joined them 15 years ago.

“Our pieces have been described as unique, desirable and affordable,” says Wood, whose family has been displaying their items at the festival since 2004. “We have customers say that they have never seen anything like what we have. We create four or five different types of designs that move with the wind.”

Wood says they mostly exhibit at festivals in California and other western states. They attended 14 shows last year. “Festivals are a gathering of all different backgrounds. They bring out the best in people. The interaction between us and customers is always positive. There is also a camaraderie of artists that’s important too.” To learn more about Brighten Your Life Creations, go to www.bylc.com.

Artist Michael Phillips will bring his original paintings and prints to the California Strawberry Festival. Each tells a compelling story through Phillips’ unique use of color and texture. He has exhibited his works on paper, canvas and metal at the festival since 2013. “I grew up spending a lot of time with my grandmother who was a self-taught artist,” explains Phillips. “When I was about five years old, she saw that I was interested in painting. She encouraged me and I’ve spent the rest of my life as a commercial artist and then as a fine arts artist.”

Phillips’ designs will also be available on story cards, magnets and tiles at the festival.  “I enjoy the Strawberry Festival because the strawberry theme seems to bring out the joy in the attendees,” says Phillips. “We normally do about 12 festivals a year traveling all over the country. It’s a good way to meet new collectors and get the work out in front of a wide variety of people.” Phillips’ designs can be seen at www.artofmichaelphillips.com.

The 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival will also feature live entertainment, kids’ Strawberryland fun zone, Ninja Nation obstacle course, build-your-own strawberry shortcake and strawberry-themed contests. Local growers will sell these vine-ripened strawberries at the festival in flats. (1/2 tray and full tray).

General admission is $15, active military and family with ID and seniors 62 and over, $10, youth ages 5 to 12, $8 and children four and under are free. Limited onsite parking is $20. Four free shuttle locations are nearby and an Amtrak station is onsite.

Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. both days. For more information, go to https://www.castrawberryfestival.org.

High Tide is riding high on three regional wins

“We are looking forward to being World Champs this year.”

After reaching last year’s World Finalist spot in 2022, Team 4414 HighTide is headed again to the FIRST Robotics World Championships in Houston. They are riding high on three regional wins at Hueneme Port, Ventura County and AeroSpace Valley. Additionally, they earned awards in Autonomous and Excellence in Engineering.

Team 4414: HighTide is an industry-based robotics team located in Ventura. Student participants range from grades 9 – 12 and attend school at Buena, El Camino, Foothill or Ventura High. Students learn career-oriented skills in engineering, design, mathematics, computer science, and are inspired by industry professional mentors. Michael Sessa of Sessa MFG (where the team trains) said, “Team 4414 HighTide is so dedicated and driven to excellence in everything they do. We are so lucky to have such great students along with amazing mentors.”

This year’s game Charged Up presented by HAAS Automation sees two alliances competing to process cones and cubes and score onto their grid. The match ends with robots racing to engage on their charging station. Alliances are made up of 3 robot teams that work together to earn the highest score. While the competition is intense, it is built on the values of professionalism, cooperation, kindness, and more.

Student Burton Sessa said, “We have put in countless hours of prototyping, design, manufacturing, coding and more. The dedication of every team member has helped us adapt through this new season. We all learned so much about the game this season and I am stoked to see how we will do during Worlds.”

Programmer Irene Kim said of her experience, “I always appreciate our team’s cooperation and intense dedication to constantly improving the robot. This year, the programmers definitely had a lot of fun learning about and utilizing dynamic trajectory generation that allows the robot to autonomously drive to each of the 27 scoring locations!”

Quincy Lowder, a manufacturing team member, said “We have built a top-tier robot this year, and our performance at regional competitions is a result of our team’s hard work this season. I love being part of a

team that strives for excellence in everything we do. Our team is excited to compete again at WORLDS and reach our full potential in Houston!”

Alumni and Mentor Anshul Bajaj said, “Understanding your opponent’s and most importantly your teammate’s ability is essential to performing at the highest level. Using our Tidescouts app, Team 4414 students recorded and collected performance data for the teams we competed with. These metrics informed our strategy which elevated our overall competitiveness.”

Head Mentor JJ Sessa congratulated the team on their Regional wins and said, “Thank you to all our sponsors, friends and family for your support. We are looking forward to being World Champs this year. For more information: www.team4414.com

Ventura Port District Maintenance Dredging and Beach Renourishment

An estimated 485,000 cubic yards of material has been removed from the entrance channel and placed upon the beaches.

With recent winter storms and high tides events having severely eroded areas of the California coastline and Ventura Harbor scenic beaches over the past few months, the Ventura Harbor’s annual dredging activities have significantly contributed to overall beach restoration.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), working with the Manson Construction Company, began dredging operations in Ventura Harbor on March 11. An estimated 485,000 cubic yards of material was dredged from the federal channel and sand traps to ensure that the Harbor entrance remain safe to navigate year-round for boaters and commercial fisherman, while then redispersing the sand back onto the harbor beaches.

Ventura Harbor’s beaches including Surfer’s Knoll Beach, South Beach, and popular Harbor Cove Beach (or Mother’s Beach as the locals call it) on Spinnaker Drive, have now being largely replenished, allowing the beaches to reopen and be available to the community.

“Maintaining a safe, navigable, and resilient harbor is one of the key guiding principles of the Ventura Port District,” states Brian Pendleton, General Manager of the Ventura Port District. “This crucial sand replacement, as a result of the dredging, also serves as an enormous benefit to residents, surfers, beach goers, and to wildlife, as the sand dunes and beaches provide critical nesting habitat for endangered species such as the Western Snowy Plover and California Least Tern.”

The Corps pays for the annual Ventura Harbor entrance channel dredging activities.

In August 1968, the U.S. Congress approved Public Law 90-483, which among other things had the U.S. government acting through the Corps, assuming the maintenance responsibility for the navigation features at Ventura Harbor, subject to annual appropriations by the President and/or Congress. The features that the Corps is responsible to maintain include:

  • The Entrance Channel
  • Sand Trap
  • 3 Jetties
  • An offshore breakwater
  • A groin

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, frequent navigation problems resulting from shoaling at the harbor entrance developed due to a lack of Congressional funding. In 1983, the Port District recognized the need to communicate more effectively with the Congress and the Corps and retained the services of a Washington advocate. Since that time, over $140 Million has been expended by the Corps in maintaining and improving the harbor entrance system.

The President’s 2024 Budget was released on March 9, 2023 and named the Ventura Harbor project for $8.471 million.

“With the support of Congress and the Senate, this will ensure that dredging will be completed again in early 2024 and provide additional funding for the Corps to update environmental studies and issue a new contract later in 2024,” states Todd Mitchell, Senior Business Operations Manager for the Ventura Port District. “We are enormously grateful for the efforts of Congressman Salud Carbajal and Congresswoman Julia Brownley to advocate for the President funding project in his 2024 budget.”

The District is responsible for permitting, funding, and contracting periodic dredging of the inner harbor (excluding the Ventura Keys). Performance of the dredging requires the District to maintain its own permits with the Corps, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Ventura County Air Quality Control Board, and the California Coastal Commission. The District’s permits not only allow for inner harbor dredging, but also to replicate the work conducted by the Corps in the event that there was an emergency and the work had to be  performed by the District.

Because the inner harbor soil is primarily fine grain (silt), three of the District’s permits for inner harbor dredging have special conditions that require the Santa Clara river be flowing into the ocean in order for material placement to take place. In 2021 when navigating into channel into the Keys became a concern, the river condition was not met and the District and City of Ventura had to obtain emergency permits in order to perform the inner harbor dredging. Therefore, the District has been pursuing amendments to these permits so that inner harbor dredging can be performed when needed.

For more details on annual dredging activities in Ventura Harbor or information on Ventura Harbor beaches visit VentruaHarbor.com

El Camino High School ECTV crew wins WAVE awards

To learn more about CAPS, visit capsmedia.org.

The highly talented high school students at El Camino in the ECTV media program at CAPS, continue to receive accolades and win awards. The ECTV program was created by CAPS in partnership with the Ventura Unified School District. Students collaborate writing, producing, recording and editing their own programs.

Recently the ECTV crew won 4 WAVE awards at the annual competition directed by the Alliance for Community Media Western Region (ACM West). (Standing) Phil Taggart, teacher/mentor, Arshan Barati, Sophia Johnson, Sarah Briggs, Luca Falvo, Mika Long, Seth Steiminger, Christopher Giordano, DeeDee Black, Aracely Soriano Perez, Hector Guerrero, Principal El Camino High School, and Saadiyah Islam. (Kneeling): Allison Laak, Kampton Carter, Alyx Golson and Shayan Barati.

Every year, adult and student media crews from throughout the western United States compete for WAVE awards, which stands for Western Access Video Excellence. This years’ trophies increase the ECTV collection to more than 30 regional and national awards won over the past few years. All of the ECTV programs can be viewed on the CAPS Media website at capsmedia.org/ectv.

The Alliance for Community Media (ACM), founded in 1976, represents more than 3,000 Public, Education and Government access organizations and community media centers throughout the United States. ACM’s fundamental mission is to help democracy flourish in local communities by encouraging the public to be active participants in their local government and to foster free expressing and exchange of ideas.

CAPS is a proud member of ACM and is the only public access media center in Ventura. CAPS’ mission is to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media.

CAPS manages two television channels and one radio station in Ventura providing public programming on television, radio and online streaming 24/7 on all distribution outlets.

On Channel 6 and streaming online, CAPS presents programming created by and for the public including community information programs, faith-based services and more. On Channel 15 and streaming online, CAPS manages and presents government meetings at City Hall including city council, design review, general plan advisory committee, planning commission and more. In addition Channel 15 includes education and information programs produced by ECTV crews as well as fitness, science programs and more.

CAPS is the home of Radio KPPQ – Ventura’s only public access radio station. KPPQ features a dedicated and talented crew of local DJs producing unique and information programming. DJs include Pam Baumgardner, Kathleen Good, Mark, Nadine Piche, Kevin Wallace, and Dr. Q & Dr. C.

All of the KPPQ locally produced programs, as well as national and international shows, can be enjoyed 24/7 at 104.1 FM and streamed worldwide on myTuner Radio and on capsmedia.org. Many of the shows are available to listen on demand on the KPPQ podcast network found on the radio page of the CAPS website.

To learn more about CAPS, visit capsmedia.org. A video on the home page, CAPS Media City Council Presentation 2023, presents an overview of the organization. Additional information is on the CAPS website including links to programing and information regarding reopening of the CAPS Media center to the public.

“One for One” initiative dedicated to planting trees in California

Ensemble Theatre Company, Santa Barbara’s professional theatre company, has announced a partnership with “One Tree Planted,” a non-profit that aims to plant trees in California. For every ticket purchased for the upcoming play, The Children, Ensemble Theatre Company will plant one tree.

“Our upcoming play, The Children explores the effects of climate change on our planet and what one generation owes to the next,” said Scott DeVine, Ensemble Theatre Company’s managing director. “The mission of “One Tree Planted” complements the show’s storyline and this partnership expands the way in which Ensemble Theatre Company influences and impacts the community we serve. We believe there is no better way to honor the sentiment of The Children, while recognizing the ideal of Earth Month, than to help the environment by planting trees on behalf of our audience.”

The objectives of this new partnership include:

  • Supporting reforestation efforts in California
  • Empowering consumers with sustainable actions
  • Raising awareness about the importance of ecosystem restoration

Planting trees is consistently identified as one of the best ways to combat the damaging effects of climate change. Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink, and provide habitat for over 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Trees also provide lasting social impact by providing jobs to over 1.6 billion people, empowering women in underdeveloped nations, and supporting communities that are devastated by environmental damage.

The partnership is designed to be a simple way for Ensemble Theatre Company’s audience to give back and get involved in reforestation right here in California. For every ticket sold to The Children, Ensemble Theatre Company will partner with “One Tree Planted” to plant one tree. The trees are planted by “One Tree Planted’s” local partner organizations and community volunteers in areas where deforestation has occurred in California.

About One Tree Planted One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on that is a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to restore forests that have been degraded or deforested, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity habitat. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Children will begin previews on Thursday, April 6 at 7:30pm; opens on Saturday, April 8 at 8:00pm and runs through Sunday, April 23, 2023 at The New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.

Live In the Moment

Just being aware of how you are sitting or standing can lead to better posture.

by Leslie Sokol

Maintaining a sense of purpose is important for a healthy lifestyle. If you find yourself retired and in a different stage of life, it’s a great time to indulge yourself and try new things. How about those hobbies that you always wanted to do but never had the time for? Now you can engage in positive activities that spark that magic from within. Keeping your mind and body active is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.

Research shows that negative stereotypes about aging are internalized over a person’s lifespan. These thoughts can harm your physical and cognitive health as you grow older. Developing an awareness of these messages can help you understand how they influence you. Aging does not have to be a negative or declining time in your life. With a positive and healthy attitude, you can accomplish many of the things you’ve always dreamed of doing.

Don’t forget – age is just a number! Perhaps it is not the number of years we live but how we age that matters most. It’s never too late and you are never too old to explore new interests. Living in the moment is crucial. Be active – join a club, do volunteer work, get involved in your retirement community, socialize with your neighbors, friends and family. You can also dance, exercise, paint, play board games or try whatever piques your interest and keeps you engaged.

Be sure to also make the time to work on staying physically active. Small changes can lead to big health benefits. How we stand and sit affects all parts of the body. Good posture increases energy, improves balance, lessens the chance of injuries, helps minimize back issues and so much more.

To start, sit or stand with your back straight, shoulders down, chin up, chest out, and your stomach pulled in. By keeping your core muscles tight and strong, you will stay centered and balanced.

When walking (either on your own or with a walker), keep your body weight centered, placing one foot in front of the other while looking straight ahead and focusing on what’s in front of you (be sure to double check that your path is clear first!)

There are also several stretches you can do to improve your posture:

1) While seated or standing, stretch your arms up slowly over your head, pulling your stomach in and bringing your shoulders down. Inhale slowly as you raise your arms and then exhale while lowering your arms and leaning forward from the waist. Try keeping your back flat and stretch outward with your chin and chest. Repeat four to six times.

2) From a seated position, bend forward from the waist with your arms bent and elbows facing forward. As you lean forward, try and get as close to your knees as possible and then slowly raise yourself back to the starting position. Repeat 8-15 times. Add more repetitions as you get comfortable with the movement.

Just being aware of how you are sitting or standing can lead to better posture, which in turn leads to better health. This is what living in the moment is all about!

Leslie Sokol is the creator and founder of the adult dance and fitness program For the Young at Heart. She has been teaching adults and children for forty-five years. You can watch For the Young at Heart by visiting her YouTube Channel or on TVSB. She also teaches in retirement communities throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

For more information contact Leslie at [email protected] 805-312-8089
or visit the website: www.LeslieSokolDance.com