Category Archives: Featured News

The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the arts

Ventura takes great pride in supporting our local arts community.

On Nov.8 the Mayor’s Arts Awards were held at the Museum of Ventura County before an enthusiastic audience of several hundred. The Mayor’s Arts Awards is a collaboration of the City Manager’s Office and Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department. It recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the arts in 2018.The selection committee was Peter Graves, Georgeanna Lees and Jen Livia.

Kathryn Dippong Lawson Arts, Education & Historic Sites Supervisor, Community Partnerships opened the evening by welcoming the standing room crowd who enjoyed delicious finger food and drinks on the patio.

The Awards presenters were Paul Lindhard ,Donna Granata,Todd Collart,Bill Kearney,Heidi House,Marlyss Munguia Auster,and David C. Creswell.

Matt LaVere, Deputy Mayor opened the evening. “On behalf of the City of Ventura and the City Council, I would like to thank you for attending the 14th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. This is our opportunity to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of seven distinguished artists, patrons, educators, and

leaders. Ventura takes great pride in supporting our local arts community. Arts and culture help to promote the unique identity of our city. These seven incredibly gifted individuals are diverse in the gifts and talents that they provide to our community daily and have made indelible contributions to our city.

I would also like to extend my thanks to this year’s Awards Selection Committee members.”

This year’s Art Award winners are:

Elena Brokaw Arts Leader. She has served as a leader in the arts in Ventura for over 25 years. She began her career working in the City of Ventura’s Cultural Affairs Division in 1993. She created Ventura ArtWalk and Java Jump. She served as the founding director of the Ventura Chamber Music Festival, co-authored Ventura’s Cultural Plan, Creating California’s New Art City, worked to secure $1 million in grant funding to seismically to retrofit the historic Olivas Adobe, worked on the Working Artists Ventura mixed-use housing development and now serves as the Executive Director of the Museum of Ventura County.

Broc Ellinger Emerging Artist. Broc is an artist from Ventura. Broc focuses his creativity on the medium of photography. His recent endeavors into photojournalism and portrait work have established him as a prolific and diverse photographer. He received the 2016 Ventura County Star Favorite Local Artist award, the 2017 Ventura County Fair Professional Division Best of Show, and 2017 1st place California Professional Firefighters Contest.

Jasmine Duncan Student Artist. Jasmine is a stand-out scholar, athlete, and artist. Jasmine first began dancing when she was four years old. She has developed her dance skills at the Ventura County Ballet Company, Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and received special tutelage from the San Francisco Ballet. In addition to her ballet, she is a talented artist who was nominated for Featured Artist of the 1st Annual VUSD Student Art Show. As a scholar she is on the Distinguished Principals honor roll and is enrolled in Advanced Placement Courses.

Stefoni Rossiter Arts Educator. Stefoni pursued a career in theater in her twenties and then embarked on her life’s calling, being a teacher. She taught first at the preschool level, then elementary in Ventura Unified School District’s (VUSD) open classroom then as Ventura High School’s drama teacher.

Kelly Stevens Creative Entrepreneur. Kelly is the owner of superbuzzy, Inc. Kelly has contributed to the community in many ways over the years. Her most recent contribution was to coordinate the collection of donated materials and quilts from around the world for the Thomas Fire Quilt Project – a project which has, at last count, donated over 1,000 quilts to families who lost their homes in the fire and subsequent mudslides.

John White Artist in the Community. John is a painter, sculptor, and performance artist who has been exhibiting for over 40 years. John’s work is included in numerous museum collections, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum in New York, La Foret Museum in Tokyo, and many others. He is the recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants and was recognized as the 2018 Artist of Distinction at the Ventura ArtWalk.

Patti Channer Arts Patron. Patti is an elegant example of community art patronage. She has long supported the arts in Ventura including Focus on the Masters, Ventura County Arts Council, Ventura ArtWalk, Ventura Botanical Gardens and the Ventura Film Society. When Patti takes hold of an idea, or cause she can single-handedly take it from concept to reality in record time.

A scam warning from the Ventura Police

“Yes, I can hear you just fine.”

In the wake of critical incidents in Ventura County the Ventura Police Department encourages residents to be aware of scams that often follow disasters. The scammers often play on the emotions of people especially during major incidents.

If you are asked to make a charitable donation, please consider these tips:

Donate to charities you know and trust.

Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight.

Do not give out personal or financial information including your credit card or bank account number unless you know the charity is reputable.

Never send cash by mail.

Be suspicious of random calls requesting a donation.

Be cautious about clicking on links in emails requesting a donation.

Check out a charity before you donate by contacting the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance at 703-276-0100 or at website www.give.org

 

The community is also advised to be aware of additional phone scams that have impacted residents:

IRS Scam: The scammer says money is owed and must be paid immediately by phone.

Edison/Gas Scam: The scammer says money is owed and if not paid immediately the service will be turned off.

Jury Duty Scam: The scammer says money is owed for not showing up to jury duty and if not paid jail time will occur.

“Can You Hear Me” Scam: Scammers are calling victims hoping to get them to say the word “yes” during the conversation that’s being recorded. The scammer will later use the recording of the victim saying yes to authorize unwanted charges on the victim’s utility or credit card account.

Text Message Phishing Scam: Scammers are using a new texting scam and spoofing banks’ phone numbers and sending text messages to customers. A spoofed phone number hides the actual number the text is coming from and displays a number from a trusted source, like your bank. The text claims that your debit card has been used to make a purchase and if you do not recognize the transaction, you need to call their fraud prevention helpline. A phone number is provided for you to call. Because the incoming text looks like it’s from your bank, people are falling for this. If you do call the number provided in the text, the fraudster will answer the phone. They will then ask you to confirm your sensitive banking details. This would allow the scammer to steal money from your account.

Grandparent Scam: A scammer poses as a grandchild and claims to be in jail and in need of money for bail. These imposters claim they are in another state or out of the country and need money wired to help bail them out of jail.

The community is urged to be vigilant and aware of these scams to avoid falling victim. Never follow directions from someone on the phone that requests personal information or money. Please report phone and computer scams to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit ftc.gov/complaint.

“We are so excited about re-opening the Gardens”

A large gathering attended the grand opening for the Botanical Gardens.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) held its grand reopening on Saturday, November 3. The Gardens have been closed nearly one year since the Thomas Fire. The fire swept through the entire 109 acres of the park; very few plants were spared.

Now many of the original plants are showing signs of recovery, and many new specimens have been planted. Fire-damaged walkways were repaired or rebuilt. A new hand-hewn rock staircase is now in place and the long-awaited Merewether Welcome Center is open.

Funded through the generosity of Mike and Loretta Merewether and designed by architect Martha Picciotti, the Center includes a check-in kiosk, an information center, educational space, a stage, a community gathering area, storage and a much-needed restroom.

A limited morning event, attended by hundreds was held including a ribbon cutting with Deputy Mayor Matt LaVere, along with a Welcome Center dedication. At noon, the Gardens opened to the public.

�We are so excited about re-opening the Gardens,� states Barbara Brown, VBG President, who also lost her home in the Thomas Fire. �This will be a very bright moment for a community that has struggled through a very difficult year. � If it wasn’t for the help of professionals who offer solutions such as an On Target Landscape service, the re-opening of the Gardens may not have been as successful as it had been.

�With the regrowth and expanded plantings needed after the Thomas fire, it has become clear that ongoing financial sustainability is critical for the maintenance, operation and expansion of the Gardens,� said Joe Cahill, Executive Director. �We are implementing a membership fee, but we want visitors to enjoy the Gardens affordably, so we�ve kept the annual fee to $45 per year, or for those who aren�t members, $7 per day, children 18 and under, are free. For those who can�t afford the low annual membership, EBT cards will be accepted.�

Mike Merewether told the gathering �It was a joy to see this become a reality and thanks to all for their support. We are so glad to be here to see it come to fruition. It feels more like Spring than Fall � a time of new beginnings.�

�The Welcome center will be an exciting place for learning, volunteering and connecting with one another and Nature. It is a testament to a good public private partnership. It is significant to me that it is exactly 100 years after the Grant family donated the land for Grant Park to the City.�

�With growth of garden and Welcome Center, comes a need for more Staff. Thus far we have managed with a small staff and many volunteers. As Fundraising Campaign Chair, I would be remiss in not mentioning that we have many opportunities and need for financial support / naming opportunities ranging from the new stage behind us, to flower beds, trees or even steps.�

The Welcome Center was designed by Architect Martha Picciotti who stated �It�s with great pleasure that I am here today, celebrating with all of you the culmination of one of many seeds that have been planted since my involvement, beginning in 2008 with this wonderful organization and group of people. I especially want to thank the Cities Jeff Lambert and Dave Ward, without whom this would not have been possible. �

�From Joe Cahill I came to understand the importance of creating a welcome center. It had to be affordable and easy to build, as funds were limited. I was always interested in shipping container design and I met Matt Roberts, who would be selling and outfitting shipping containers in Camarillo. Matt volunteered to take over as project manager for the build out. Not only did he provide the shipping containers at cost, Matt donated hundreds of hours.�

The opening of the welcome center represents many people coming together. Major donors like the Meriwether�s, Matt, Noah Greer and Nicole Horn, who designed and supervised the installation of the entry gates, platform and landscaping, Ken Luci who donated his electrical expertise and Dave Schaub, a local builder for supervising the foundation.�

�Today my heart is full of gratitude and love for all of the wonderful people who have made the welcome center and botanical gardens possible.�

To find out visiting information and more, visit www.VenturaBotanicalGardens.com and on Facebook.

People are dismayed at the racism, gun violence and hate speech becoming prevalent

Many hundreds remembered the many victims of hate and re-affirmed their belief at Temple Beth Torah. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

by Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller

On Friday, Nov. 2, at Temple Beth Torah, prayers, songs, words of healing, and unity in response to the violence in a Pittsburgh synagogue were expressed. Ventura clergy, civic leaders and people of good faith, remembered the many victims of hate, re-affirmed our belief in goodness and humanity, and welcome this Shabbat, a day of peace.

The outpouring of anger and grief at the massacre of 11 people in the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on October 27 tells us that people of all faiths are as dismayed at the racism, gun violence, and hate speech that is becoming “hate d’jour” in our country.

It can be a church, a mosque, a temple, a synagogue, a pre-school, a nightclub, a high school—and it has been all these, multiple times now– because hate, when fanned by fear, so easily becomes violence.

My people is a people acquainted with Anti-Semitism. I am asked, why do people hate Jews, and I can only respond, why do people hate? We know the traditional stereotypes of Jews plied by anti-Semites. But our contemporary political world coupled with social media has fanned anti-Semitism, from a radical left bent on delegitimizing Israel’s right to exist, to right-wing nationalists who see Jews as foreign invaders.

Our college campuses are exactly where alt-right groups go to recruit young people and spread hateful ideology. We have watched the internet become a cesspool of filth, with language and visuals that are so repugnant that we can’t even describe them. There were almost 3 million anti-Semitic tweets in the year before the last election. FBI and Anti-Defamation League Statistics tells us the facts of this growing hate and the violence it begets: anti-Semitic incidents rose almost 60% in 2016, more than any other religious minority.

We are not the only victims of hatred and racism- Anti-Muslim crimes are up 19%, and in racially motivated hate crimes, African Americans were targeted in 3,489 race crimes, about half of race crimes in 2016. The neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville in August 2017 didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the expression of this hate: Noe-Nazi chants of “Jews will not replace us”, the beating of a black man DeAndre Harris, the plowing of a car into civilians, taking the life of Heather Heyer. There are almost 1,000 hate groups that exist in America, and many that describe themselves as militias. Fear, and inflammatory speech, coupled with high powered assault weapons. Is this our vision of America? Our years of complacency must be over.

It is enough to lose 11 innocent people for being in prayer on a Shabbat morning. It is incomprehensible that Vicki Jones and Maurice Stallard should go to their Kentucky Kroger’s to buy food for their families and be murdered for being black. I am left with no words that a prayer service at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston should have welcomed a white racist three years ago into their circle and then have 9 members including the pastor murdered by him, in his hopes of starting a race war. And the list goes on and on, especially when we widen the circle from racial and religious intolerance, to political intolerance, gender intolerance and general hate. Marjorie Stoneman High School, the Pulse nightclub, Las Vegas concert venues, where does mass violence end?

Our Jewish community grieves these recent deaths, and all these deaths, as do good people across this country and the world. After each massacre we hope that things will change. If we have learned anything, it is not to be complacent. There can be no co-existence with racism, or anti-Semitism, in this country or anywhere. There is no political future for a country that sees every else as “the other” and to be feared. We are better than this. These murders, and the climate that allows this violent culture to thrive, is tearing at the fabric of our country and our democracy. Like the mourner’s ribbons worn by the family members in Pittsburgh to signify that someone had been torn out of their lives, something is being torn out of the heart of decent America. Judaism teaches that we are to turn grief into good deeds. It is time, again, to speak out, for the country we want to live in.

Temple Beth Torah is located at 7620 Foothill Road.

Then the mic was opened; tributes and tears flowed

Community members came together to honor Neal Andrews. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

by Jill Forman

“Pay Tribute to This Wonderful Man” that is how Kathy Powell, the chair of Lift up Your Voice, worded a reminder for a celebration of the career of Neal Andrews. Andrews has served on the Ventura City Council since 2001, and is currently mayor. This is his last term.

Community members came together on Tuesday evening October 30 to honor Andrews for his tireless activism in the area of homeless services and celebrate what he has meant to those who often felt they were alone in their mission to help the less fortunate.

Attendees included local clergy, friends and neighbors, members of several congregations, city officials, social service workers, and homeless individuals.

The event, jointly sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church and Lift Up Your Voice, the church’s homeless advocacy group, was an outpouring of appreciation and gratitude. Reverend Dana Worsnop of the UU Church, said, “Neal gas been such a great partner working on issues of homelessness for this community and the city council. The church is thrilled to be able to host this party.”

Purple star-shaped balloons decorated the UU community room, ad a banner that said “Thank You Neal.” About 50 celebrants shared appetizers and talked about their experiences with Neal and the long road it has been to have a permanent homeless shelter in the city. As Andrews’ political career is ending, after 25 years of struggle, that shelter is on track to open within the next year, an event that would never have happened without his unflagging support.

“Neal has been our friend and our advocate for the city with his focus on the vulnerable,” said Kate Mills, a nurse who started and ran the One-Stop Drop-In Center when she worked for Public Health.

“It is rare,” said Sue Brinkmeyer, the chair of the Homeless Prevention Fund, “That somebody gets to hear first-hand how much he is loved and admired by so many.”

After a welcome by Rev. Worsnop who emphasized what a “strong, wonderful partner” he had been, Andrews was presented with a memory book: friends, colleagues and admirers had emailed tributes to Powell and they were mounted in a book by Kappy Paulsen, a UU member and scrap booker. Powell stated that the book is really a tribute to everyone attending, all of who had worked along with Neal to help those who need assistance.

Then the mike was opened; tributes and tears flowed. Andrews was praised for his insight and dedication, a champion who has modeled how to serve the community. An honest man, with wisdom and gravitas, who stands up for what is right even when he was the only one. “We love you…thank you…you make me want to be a better person.”

Of course, there were laughs too; someone remembered how Andrews stayed until 4 a.m. at a council meeting. “Never again,” he joked. It was mentioned that community activism is a 7-day-a-week commitment.

Karol Shulkin, who worked for Homeless Services, recounted a task force meeting with the members desperately trying to figure out how Ventura was ever going to get a shelter. Andrews said, “We need a champion.” And that’s what he became.

Mills read a list of jobs and accomplishments Andrews had held over his long career of service. And then Andrews spoke, with his voice breaking and interrupted by cheers. He made an impassioned speech that the attendees need to remain involved in public life. If something is wrong, speak up against it. If something needs doing, do it. And don’t give up. Two standing ovations followed.

It has been said that Andrews has “The soul of a Quaker and the heart of a lion.” This is one lion whose roar has shaken people up and made a difference.

Thank you Neal.

VPD has new officers

New police officers, Chief Corney and others at the graduation ceremony.

Nine new Ventura Police Officers graduated from the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center’s Academy on October 12, 2018. The recruits completed 25 weeks of instruction provided through the combined efforts of local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice entities. The intense training and education prepare these recruits for the responsibilities of serving the community as peace officers.

The Ventura Police Department welcomes the following new officers: Christopher Aguilar, Ryan Bischof, Richard Key, Jake Maulhardt, Kent McLay, Samuel Orozco, Kenneth Patton, Robert Sipes and Jordan Trujillo.

The Ventura Police Department continues to accept applications for Police Officer Trainees for the April 2019 Academy! As a police officer fighting and preventing crime, protecting the innocent, and serving the community is what you do daily, but it is the individuals selected to serve who are leaders, have courage, integrity, self-discipline and compassion who make a difference in our community.

More information and an online application is available at www.venturapd.org.

Susan Rungren provides update on plans for pipeline

In May 2018, Susan Rungren became Ventura Water’s Assistant General Manager.

by Jennifer Tipton

Susan Rungren began her career with the City of Ventura in 1999 as the Utilities Engineer for the City’s Water and Wastewater Divisions and has served as the Water Resource Manager for the last seven years. Mrs. Rungren obtained her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer. She has professional affiliations including the Association of California Water Agencies of Ventura County.

In May 2018, she became Ventura Water’s Assistant General Manager. In this position, Rungren shepherds key future water projects such as the State Water Interconnection Project and the VenturaWaterPure project that will maximize the reuse of recycled water. She works closely with Ventura Water, the Community Development Department, Public Works Department, as well as stakeholders and community organizations to meet long term water supply demands.

I asked if it’s true the City of Ventura has been paying the state $1M/year since 1971 for the rights to state water.

“The City has been paying for our rights to the 10,000 acre-feet since 1971. All State Water Project (SWP) contractors pay an annual fee, regardless of the amount of SWP water received, to help pay for the system and ongoing maintenance costs. The annual fee varies, but the cost to the City has recently been about $1M/year. The City has taken advantage of the opportunity, when available over the years, to recoup a portion of these costs by transferring our annual allocation to other SWP contractors.”

Is there consideration of dropping the pipeline?

“Although this has been discussed over the years, the City considers State Water as an important supply source to improve system reliability. The City currently depends fully on local water supplies consisting of surface water from the Ventura River and Lake Casitas, groundwater from three local groundwater basins, and recycled water from the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility. These supplies have been sufficient to meet demands to date, but continued drought conditions, heightened environmental requirements, compounded by continued population growth are threatening the City’s ability to meet water demands and will require supplemental supplies.”

Where will the state water come from once the pipeline is built?

“The State Water Project is a water storage and delivery system of reservoirs, aqueducts, power plants and pumping plants that starts in Northern California and extends south more than 700 miles – 2/3 the length of California. The nearest SWP wholesaler to the City of Ventura is Calleguas Municipal Water District. Calleguas imports and distributes water from Metropolitan Water District, water that arrives via the SWP. The proposed connection point to Calleguas system is near their Springville Reservoir facility, located in the southwest portion of the City of Camarillo.”

Have we started to build the pipeline?

“We have begun the studies at this time. The City of Ventura in conjunction with Calleguas, the United Water Conservation District and Casitas Municipal Water District recently completed a Pipeline Alignment Study. We are now preparing an Environmental Impact Report for the preferred alignment. Upon completion of the environmental documents, the next steps before construction can commence will be completion of agency agreements, right of way agreements, permits and project design.”

Will the pipeline increase Ventura’s water supply?

“Although the City’s entitlement is 10,000 acre-feet per year, this allocation is subject to availability as established by the Department of Water Resources. Based on historical allocations, the range of available SWP water has been 5% to 100% over the last 25 years. The water projected to be delivered by the SWP is not being considered as a reliable means of increasing water supply volume for the City on an annual basis but will give the City flexibility to utilize SWP when it is available in lieu of water from Lake Casitas, groundwater or Ventura River water. Additional benefits to the City include improving water quality and providing an emergency/backup supply for Ventura Water’s proposed reuse project, VenturaWaterPure.”

Would water delivery fees from the state cost extra once the pipeline is completed?

“Yes, additional payments are made by each SWP based on the amount of SWP water delivered to their agency”.

Lastly, once the pipeline is completed, will our water bills go down?

“Ventura Water is owned by the City of Ventura and its water and wastewater customers. The water and wastewater functions are enterprise business entities that do not make a profit and their expenses and revenues are accounted for in proprietary funds, separate from the City’s General Fund. Customer rates must generate sufficient revenues to sustain operations, maintenance, debt payments and capitol improvement projects as well as the costs of oversight and administrative functions performed by the City. Every dollar paid is invested locally to ensure that our community continues to have reliable, quality water services today and into the future. The rate increases are needed to keep pace with inflationary expenses, renew our aging pipelines, facilities and growing regulatory and environmental compliance requirements”.

Anticipated completion for the pipeline is 2022 – 2023.

What the heck are pianos doing downtown?

Cast members from Rubicon’s production of Return To The Forbidden Planet and piano artists singing at a Downtown piano.

The idea of putting the pianos downtown was that of Kirby Ward, Rubicon’s new Education and Outreach Director.

The “Keys to Rubicon” piano project was inspired by a similar installation in Denver, CO. That installation has been in place for over a decade now and is one of Kirby and Beverly (the other new Education and Outreach Director) Ward’s favorite parts of touring through Denver.

Beverly stated, “Kirby and I have worked here at Rubicon many times and are always surprised to hear people around town ask, “What’s Rubicon?”. It catches us by surprise. The Company’s been presenting professional theatre in Ventura for 20 years and yet there are still folks who don’t know that we’re here or what we’re trying to achieve. We felt like the pianos are a terrific way to engage people on the street and either remind them of Rubicon’s presence or let them know about the Company for the first time. These pianos grab you on so many levels – visual, auditory, tactile.”

She went on to say, “I found the pianos in a couple of places – on Craigslist as well as through people who heard about the project and reached out to me. The Craigslist “free” section routinely has several free acoustic pianos listed. I contacted a bunch of owners and came up with a list of 5. Then I hired 4 strapping young men, rented a truck and we drove all over Ventura and even up to Santa Barbara to collect the pianos and get them out on the street. It was fun! Hard work, but really fun. Since the initial pianos went out, we’ve had 2 more pianos donated to the cause by The Arc Foundation Thrift Store and The Child Abuse and Neglect Thrift Store. We had to apply for a temporary art installation permit from the City. We requested the pianos be on the street from late August until January 4, 2019 and got approval.”

Beverly met local artists Sarah Flesher and Michelle Nosco at a community meeting for the Ventura Arts Council. It was happenstance but very fortuitous! Michelle enlisted Erin O’Brien to help with her first piano. Both Michelle and Sarah are each painting two pianos.

There are currently three on the street. Two more will be out soon. They are unlocked and available for anyone and everyone to play during day time hours. So, gather some friends and have a sing-a-long.

The pianos will be removed on January 4, 2019. At this point there are no plans to try and save them as the weather will have taken quite a toll. That said, for anyone who falls in love with the artwork, the Rubicon may offer them up to the highest bidder.

Altrusa supports our community in many, many ways

From Altrusa Beverly Mueller, Treasurer; Sharon Knapp, President; Angel Golesorkhi, Member and Susan Leonard, Secretary (past President).

Altrusa International of San Buenaventura, Inc. has been a service organization here in Ventura since 1948.  It was founded in 1917 and just celebrated 100 years. The focus of their founder, Mamie L. Bass, was literacy; however, Altrusa has also supported and donated many volunteer hours to other endeavors to better our community.

Altrusa is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization where all their services, scholarships and fund-raising projects go to the local community. Altrusa is an acronym.  Amity – Loyalty – Talent – Reciprocity – Unity – Service – Achievement.

On Oct. 17, four amazing Altrusa ladies delivered a car load of school supplies to the East side’s Westpark and to Anita Diaz. Even though they purchased most of the supplies at a discounted rate, Altrusa still had to pay for them.

Anita Diaz, Westside Youth Programs Coordinator Westside Community Center, with the wonderful PEAK kids.

Members have been involved in projects for women and men in transitional houses, supported Family to Family in supplying meals to folks who need them, participated in Make a Difference Day, volunteering at the Veterans Home to keep their library in order, make books available to the teens of Santa Paula through the Teen Scene Program at Blanchard Community Library, have read to students on “Cat in the Hat” Day and other projects over the years.

Altrusa International has clubs in eight countries. Altrusa’s mission statement is ”Our country is as great as we, it’s citizens make it. Therefore, we pledge our loyalty to its ideas and its endeavors for the welfare of mankind. We strive to fulfill our civic obligations.”

Altrusa offers to the business and professional people of the community an opportunity to touch each other’s lives and be broadened by an interchange of interests and by a sympathetic consideration of the viewpoints of others. They are always seeking volunteers (and contributions).

Regarding their relationship with Westpark, Susan Leonard stated, “Our partnership with Westpark has existed for nearly twenty years. We started our relationship at the request of one of our members, Margot Martin.  Margot was a strong volunteer force in the City of Ventura and was famous for recruiting our club to join her on her journey.  The club started our support of the children of Westpark by donating school supplies.  Children need “tools” to learn, so this project was a good fit of our club.  A few years ago our members gained the renowned title of “the pencil ladies”.  Since then we have made other contributions as needed to help the center grow under the direction of Anita Diaz.  We have seen the wonderful development and transformations that have taken place over the years.  It has been our pleasure to be a small part of this positive place for children.”

About 70 PEAK kids formed a single line as they entered the gym to accept the supplies. As they passed by the row of adults welcoming them, they shook the hands of each (with a few hugs thrown it). PEAK is an after-school partnership that includes the City of Ventura Department of Parks & Recreation, Ventura Unified School District and Ventura Police Activities League (PAL). PEAK was formed in 2002 to develop and implement an inclusive after school program for elementary and middle school children to provide a safe and supervised after-school education, enrichment and recreation programs for students.

Coordinator Anita Diaz told the Breeze, “Altrusa has become very special to Westpark’s after school program. Their support of providing after school homework and art supplies has allowed our children to have materials needed for them to do homework and creative projects.  In addition to school supplies, Altrusa has also donated money to our scholarship fund which helps us provide for youths who may not be able to afford some of our sports and camp programs. Altrusa has been a part of Westpark for nearly 20 years and their unselfish support of providing for our children cannot be measured.”