Category Archives: Featured News

Michael O’Kelly-the man behind the mural / part 1

Michael O’ Kelly in his studio with tile of son Devin.

by Jennifer Tipton

Michael O’Kelly has been making art for nearly 5 decades. Growing up in South Ireland and Wales, he is half Irish and half Welsh – “pure Celtic”, he says. He comes from a family of artists, his father, great uncle and great aunt were all artists, his mother was a classical violinist and aunt a classical pianist. “My sister, Jane was a great painter and I, a musician, they called us child prodigies.”

He sold his first piece of art at age nine while vacationing with his family in a little village called St. Ives. He was up earlier than the rest of his family, drawing a king fisher diving into the river to catch a fish. A lady was sitting next to him watching, and said, “that’s beautiful, how much do you want for it?” That piece brought in ½ crown (2 shillings and 6 pence) and he bought himself breakfast.

Still drawing, he also studied winds and clarinet until age 13, when he sold his coin collection and bought a guitar. His family moved to London and, “terrible at school” he started studying classical guitar and found his way to a music school at Chiswick Polytechnics in London from age 15 – 17. He went on to The Royal College of Music and started performing classical guitar with the Omega Guitar Quartet. “We toured all over Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Canada and I loved playing, but I didn’t like the lifestyle”.

Moving to Mexico City, he joined a friend that had a dream to build a ferro-cement boat and sail the world. The project was started, but his friend became involved with politics and lost interest. Michael didn’t want to go back to England, so he got a scholarship to the National University of Mexico to study pre-Colombian music and dance.

The Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City needed someone that could draw artifacts and record them as they came out of the ground. “I did that for a couple years and in 1977 decided to start dealing Central and South American art and exporting it to Europe, that’s how I started collecting”, he said. His collections were exhibited all over Europe and in 1982 went to the Santa Barbara museum where it was “the longest running show they’ve ever had”.

After being in Latin America for 10 years, “I met the woman who would become my wife, Gisele. We stayed here in Ventura to open a gallery in Santa Barbara on State Street, but unfortunately when they started to build the Paseo Nuevo mall, it shut down State Street, and that was the end of that”.

“In the late 80’s, we moved back to Mexico City because I had the opportunity to work with Rufino Tamayo”. This was a huge pivotal point for his career. Tamayo was 88 years old when Michael joined him. “He was a legend, teaching me about honesty and integrity, it was about the intellectual aspects of being a painter, not the technical aspects”. Tamayo died in 1991.

“We came back to Ventura and it was during that time we lost our baby girl, Juliette, and then my sister… it drove me to delve into my painting”.

In 1995 Michael and Gisele welcomed their son, Devin, “which was a huge, wonderful thing!”

Devin passed during the making of the mural, see part 2 in next issue

What do city council district elections mean?

This Voting District Map and elections information can be found online at www.cityofventura.net.

by Councilmember Christy Weir

District elections mean that registered voters of a district will elect a City Councilmember from their district. The November, 2018 election will be Ventura’s first District Election process, with Districts 1 (Westside) 4, 5 and 6 (East Ventura) electing a City Councilmember for a term of four years. Residents in those districts will receive ballots and can only vote on eligible candidates running in their district.

Current council members with terms expiring in December 2018 are Erik Nasarenko (district 4) and Jim Monahan (district 5). With switching from at-large to district elections, the districts that Mike Tracy and Neal Andrews reside in are not scheduled for a 2018 election, therefore they are not eligible to run at their current address. Residents of districts 2 (midtown), 3 (college) and 7 (Pierpont, coastal) will vote in 2020.

Individuals wanting to run for office must pull and then return nomination papers to the City Clerk between July 16-August 10. A candidate manual will be provided to all candidates, with required forms and deadlines.

Coffee with a Cop (donuts allowed)

This year join the cops at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

The Ventura Police Department will be hosting Coffee with a Cop at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf located at 4360 E. Main St. from 8:00 am to 10:30 am on June 26. The community is invited to come together in a friendly, informal environment to discuss community issues and build relationships.

Most contacts police officers have with the public happen during emergencies or emotional situations. Those situations are not always the most effective times for relationship building and some community members may feel that officers are unapproachable on the street or during the course of their duties. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows time for relaxed one-on-one interaction.

Engaging the community in public safety efforts is a top priority of the Ventura Police Department. We share the community’s concerns and make every effort to address them. We offer monthly opportunities at Community Council meetings to learn about crime trends and crime prevention. We also provide community presentations and neighborhood meetings upon request. Coffee with a Cop is an additional opportunity for residents to get to know the officers who serve Ventura.

The Coffee with a Cop effort is a national initiative supported by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events are being held across the country as police departments strive to make lasting connections with the communities they serve. The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and community members one cup of coffee at a time. Coffee with a Cop provides an opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the department’s service. There is no formal agenda, just a casual opportunity to voice concerns and share ideas.

Dee Dowell Memorial Scholarship Award Winners

Winner Philip Drescher accepting his check from VPOA board members Schuyler Heard, Mike Hibdon and Bill Griffin.

The Ventura Police Officers’ Association (VPOA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 15th annual Dee Dowell Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships are to honor Sergeant Darlon “Dee” Dowell, who was shot and killed on August 7, 1978. Sergeant Dowell is the only officer in Ventura’s history to die in the line of duty.

In selecting scholarship recipients, the VPOA considered academic achievement, school and community service, financial needs, and the following requirements:

Applicants must:

Be entering his/her freshman through senior year in college;

Plan a course of study related to the field of public service;

Ventura resident or have graduated from a high school in Ventura within the past three years, or a Ventura Police Department employee or employee’s child.

Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better (based on a 4.0 system);

Maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better if selected as a recipient;

Submit a resume of school and community activities, including a copy of transcripts through the most recent semester;

Submit an essay of 1000 words or less on “Leadership, what it means to me”;

Submit a letter of recommendation from a public servant.

2018 Scholarship Awards Winners:

1st Place $5,000.00 Philip Drescher

2nd Place $3,500.00 Haiden Henderson

3rd Place $2,000.00 Elissa Root

The VPOA thanks all of the applicants and congratulates the 2018 winners of the Dee Dowell Memorial Scholarship!

“Be honest, be safe, and look forward to each day.” Sgt Dee Dowell.

Happenings at the Museum

Proceeds from this concert will go toward the purchase of a bookmobile.

Live Performance Benefit and Fundraiser was a big success on Saturday May 19 at the Museum of Ventura County. The concert featured two-time Grammy Winner Laurence Juber, lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s Wings and Fingerstyle Guitarist of the Year. Juber displayed his acoustic firepower with Beatles medleys, his own compositions and Won’t Get Fooled Again, by the Who.

Proceeds from this concert will go toward the purchase of a bookmobile to be used by the Ventura County Library to better reach and serve all residents of Ventura County.

The Museum has announced the recipients of the Bonita C. McFarland and Forum of the Arts 2018 scholarships. This year’s scholarships as recommended by the Museum’s Fine Arts Committee:

  • Kyle L. Cobian, who will be graduating from Foothill Technology High School in Ventura
  • Lane Domke, who will be graduating from Foothill Technology High School in Ventura
  • Marissa Gonzales, who attends Ventura College
  • Elaine Sanders, who will be graduating from Foothill Technology High School in Ventura
  • Elwood Walker, who will be graduating from Thousand Oaks High School

An awards reception was held on Wednesday, May 30, in the Museum Courtyard. Family members, instructors and supporters attended.

The Bonita C. McFarland scholarship is named for a generous benefactor to the arts in Ventura County. The Forum of the Arts scholarship takes its name from the organization originally created in 1961 which was the first arts organization to offer grants to the local arts community. The funds for the scholarships are generated from two endowments, held and administered by the Museum of Ventura County. The scholarships are available to any high school senior preparing to enter college in the fall of 2018 or any continuing college level student of the visual arts who is also a Ventura County resident.

Recipients of the Bonita C. McFarland awards with Barbara Barnard Smith and Elena Brokaw.

Ventura County writer-journalist Ivor Davis was in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel half a century ago to witness the horrendous assassination of the man who would be President—Senator Robert Kennedy, younger brother of John F. Kennedy. On Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30 p.m. – the 50th anniversary of the assassination – Davis will appear with an eyewitness account, which vividly brings to life that shocking night in American political history. Admission is $5 for museum members, $10 for non-members

Leonard Bernstein at 100 – a tribute, presented by the Ventura Music Festival and the Museum of Ventura County, to an artist whose impact has transcended genres and generations, Sunday, June 24, in the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion. This presentation will celebrate the life of Leonard Bernstein, a great American composer, conductor, pianist and humanitarian during this, his centenary year. The reception starts at 3 p.m., with the program beginning at 4 p.m. The cost is $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.venturamusicfestival.org. For more information, call 805-648-3146.

Torch Run benefits the Ventura County Special Olympics

You might get to see some of the Ventura Police Officers, K9 Officers, police volunteers and Chief Corney who gathered for this photo taken at the St. Pats Parade.

On Thursday, June 7, at 8:00 am, the Ventura Police Department (VPD) will participate in the annual Southern California Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) benefiting Ventura County Special Olympics. This will be the twenty-ninth year the Ventura Police Department has supported this effort.

At 8:00 am, Ventura Police Officers and Civilian Personnel, City of Ventura Employees, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Agents, Mile 26 Sports Ventura Running Club and Special Olympics Athletes, will meet at the steps of Ventura City Hall and carry the Special Olympics’ Torch, also known as the Flame of Hope, through the streets of Ventura. Community members are encouraged to come out and cheer on the participants as the Flame of Hope makes its way through Ventura.

The Special Olympics Southern California LETR is comprised of nine different “legs” ranging from San Luis Obispo to the California-Mexico border. Legs are run in conjunction with various members of law enforcement agencies from throughout the region and Special Olympic Athletes. All legs will ultimately meet at the California State University at Long Beach (CSULB) as the Flame of Hope enters the stadium and the cauldron is lit to mark the opening ceremonies beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 9th. The games will take place on June 9 and 10 at CSULB.

The LETR is an international fundraising and public awareness campaign for the Special Olympics and is comprised of the Torch Run, Tip-A-Cop, and other fundraising events. For over twenty-five years, Ventura County law enforcement agencies have been raising tens of thousands of dollars annually to benefit Special Olympics of Ventura County. The money helps Ventura County Special Olympics to offer free, year-round, sports training and competition to over 700 individuals with intellectual disabilities ages eight years and up, who participate in seventeen sports at forty-five training sites throughout Ventura County.

Approximate Timeline of Ventura Flame of Hope Route:

8:05 am: The Flame of Hope will begin its journey from Ventura City Hall and travel south on California Street

8:30 am: Then the Flame will travel east onto Thompson Boulevard to the Five Points Intersection

8:40 am: From the Five Points Intersection the Flame will continue East on East Main Street to Telephone Road

9:00 am: South on Portola to Ralston Street where it will pass by the Ventura Police Department

9:10 am: East on Ralston Street to Johnson Drive

9:30 am: South on Johnson Drive and over the 101 Freeway Footbridge where the Flame will be handed off to members of the Oxnard Police Department on Ventura Road

First Thomas Fire rebuild in Ventura is underway

The Fuller’s are number one.

by Richard Lieberman

Six months ago, the Thomas Fire raged through communities in Ventura County. Burning nearly 282,000 acres and destroying 1,063 homes and buildings. Today in our on-going series we examine the re-building process of one homeowner in the Scenic Way Dr., community. Homeowners Ed and Sandy Fuller are the first homeowners to receive re-build permit approval from the city.

We met Ed and Sandy Fuller at the site of their destroyed home, burned to the ground during the fire. The re-build had already begun, and the organized chaos of the job site was evident. A new structure on the property was already in the final stages. The small out-building will serve as Ed Fuller’s workshop, and office during the re-build process. Still remnants of the destructive fire could be seen around and on the site. Burned shrubs, the remnants of burned and disfigured trees and plants all a reminder of the devastation the fires caused.

“There is no sense in grieving about it for a long time the loss was the loss.” Fuller said. “The reality is its just things and things can be replaced” he added. Like others the Fullers were glad that they got out safe. “We did get out with a few of our photos, some of our important documents, we had enough time.” said Fuller. The Fullers even managed to get out with a few paintings that held sentimental value to them. They evacuated to a friend’s house on the same street and the house didn’t start to burn until three in the morning” said Sandy Fuller. “All we could see was this huge fireball wafting across our property.”

One possession that meant a great deal to Ed was a wooden toolbox that his grandfather had made that was in his woodshop that burned to the studs. “To me it was big deal.” Added Fuller. After getting to see the damage the fire caused Sandy said, “We looked at each other and said we know how to re-build we know how to do this.”

Some of the Fullers neighbors have also begun the re-building process and Fuller believes some will even surpass them on the re-builds. “Since the fire we are probably closer to our neighbors than we have been.”. he said. “We even met neighbors that we had not met before.” Added Fuller. “Now it seems like everybody knows everybody.” He added. “We try to encourage each other, this is what we did to get through this process, this is what we did to get through permitting or this is who we are using for whatever. Were all trying to help one another.” Sandy said.

Ed Fuller retired now but was a construction manager for a large oil company so “I am very familiar with the construction process. “he said. The Fullers are acting as general contractor for their re-build. Their insurance company paid only 75% of total value, and Fuller added “most contentious thing we have with the insurance company is some of the personal property.”

When asked about how the city has responded Sandy responded, “When we went into Building and Safety with our architect we took our plans to a back room and with all the department heads and they mark up the plans with what is additionally needed.” “What most people need to know is that most of the rules and guidelines are state mandated and not city rules that make the process so overwhelming.” She said.

When asked about the timeline for completion Ed said” We have an incredibly aggressive timeline with the hope of celebrating Christmas in our new home.” “We are just finishing compaction and next week we expect start laying the foundation.” Fuller said.

“The only thing I can say in conclusion, in the end this can be a very positive experience.” Ed Fuller added.

Yolanda Bundy, Chief Building Official at the Building and Safety Division, Ventura was instrumental in aiding and guiding the Fullers in expediting the permit process for the first permit to be issued for re-building after the fires.

“We’re very excited that the Fuller family is on their way to rebuilding.” “It was a true team effort” said Bundy. The detailed and comprehensive effort by the Fullers was instrumental in speeding the process. “The Fullers were very responsive and cooperative throughout the process.” Bundy added. Acting as their own general contractor the Fullers were able to present to the city plans that met the requirement of both local and state governments. “The quality of the plans provided by their design professionals was a key to successfully helping us meet our goal of issuing their permits with a 14- day business turnaround.” Bundy continued.

Bundy also commented “We want our community to know that we care about them, and that we are committed to working with both Thomas Fire Rebuild applicants and with all the other permit applicants who come into our office at city hall daily. As members of the Ventura community we take our role in helping our community build or rebuild very personally. We all need these milestones of hope right now.”

Ventura Water’s General Manager Kevin Brown

Brown had been on the job only 2 months when the Thomas Fires erupted.

by Jennifer Tipton

Before becoming Ventura Water’s General Manager, Kevin Brown, now a retired Navy Captain, worked in the Pentagon as chairman of the Strategic Laydown Assessment for the Chief of Naval Operations, a nine-billion-dollar annual program.

With an annual revenue of around $94 miilion, Ventura Water brought in Brown specifically for his strategic planning experience for infrastructure. He had been on the job only 2 short months when the Thomas Fires erupted.

On that fateful night, December 4th, 2017, Brown was at City Hall with most of the city staff for the initiation of Mayor Neal Andrews. “We were getting ready to celebrate our new mayor when phones started blowing up”, said Brown. Grabbed to the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) he was still so new to the job, he was just happy to be told we had one! In the Navy, they would routinely practice drills, but according to Brown, “for a city that had not had to do this for a very long time, the response was tremendous, all of the city came together quickly and that was impressive!”.

I asked, “are you aware some have asked where was the water when we needed it most? Do you feel we had enough water to combat the Thomas Fires?”

Brown assured me that there was ample water supply, “more than enough with what was brought in from Lake Casitas”. I then asked if there was a problem with the fire hydrants and he responded, “no, however, there were large water tanks we just couldn’t get to because they were surrounded by fire”.

He spoke of drought and disaster resiliency, “we’re constantly analyzing the system to see where it can be improved, such as, how homes are built and the utility systems – do they need to be changed? The Oxnard City Water Services has over 400,000 customers, they are worried about being cut off by a seismic event, we’re all looking at that”.

There are four water basins we draw from here in Ventura and four different organizations that oversee those basins, “it’s complicated”, said Brown.

According to Craig Jones with Ventura Water, the basins and the organizations that oversee them are:

  • Mound Basin – Mound Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency
  • Oxnard Plain – Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency
  • Upper Ventura River – Upper Ventura River Groundwater Sustainability Agency
  • Santa Paula – Santa Paula Basin Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

“Since 1971, Ventura has been paying for state water but never got it, because there’s no connecting pipeline”, said Brown, “this should be completed by 2022 – 2023”.

I discovered that what we’ve been paying for is the right to state water and we pay roughly $1 million per year; water delivery fees will be an extra cost once the pipeline is complete.

In Fall 2018 – Fall 2021, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) will be in place. Ventura Water will be replacing all manually read meters with automatic meters that relay readings remotely. The expected results are improved accuracy in readings and customer service, advanced leak detection and notification capabilities, the ability for customers to actively manage their water usage and enhanced water quality protection and conservation. Ventura Water is excited to implement this new technology.

Lastly, I asked Brown, “if you knew what was coming (Thomas Fires) would you have taken the position as General Manager with Ventura Water?” He sat back and chuckled, “oh boy… knowing then what I know today … yes, I would. It’s in my heart as an engineer and there’s so much going on here from water allocations to all the innovations, it’s just exciting each day to come to work!”

Ventura Water will be looking at revenue and rate structure changes starting winter 2018.

Rotary Club Of Ventura South holds First Annual Speech Contest for Ventura high schools

The senior winners are Jonathon Saldana, Alaina Hooks and Aspen Levitt.

The Rotary Club of Ventura South conducted its first annual speech contest for Ventura high school students with the finals held on Thursday, May 17, at the Tower Club in Oxnard. At the event, the Club awarded more than $4,000 in scholarships for first place, second place, and honorable mention to students from Buena, Foothill, and Ventura High Schools. First Bank in Ventura contributed $2,000 to the project.

Bob Davis, 2017-18 President of Rotary Ventura South, commented, “We’re excited to sponsor this first annual event as a means of supporting education in our community and encouraging students to develop their public speaking skills. We look forward to welcoming even more contestants in the coming years.”

Invitations to participate went out to all Ventura High Schools in March, and the initial round of competition was conducted on campus for students at the responding schools. The entrants were asked to prepare a four-minute speech on the American civil rights movement of the 1950s-60s.

The presentations were judged by panels of Rotary Ventura South club members using delivery, content, and their own discretion as criteria. They were John Weiss, Rosanna Colin, Bob Braitman, Mary Davis and Dante Honorico.

The winners are:

  • Kaitlyn Saldana – Freshman, Buena High School. First Place (Freshmen) – $1,500.
  • Angela Tang – Freshman, Buena High School. Second Place (Freshmen) – $750.
  • Joshua Cenzano – Sophomore, Buena High School. First Place (Sophomores) – $1,500.
  • Alaina Hooks – Senior, Foothill Technology High School. First Place (Seniors) – $1,500.
  • Aspen Levitt – Senior, Ventura High School. Second Place (Seniors) – $750.
  • Jonathon Saldana – Senior, Buena High School. Third Place (Seniors) – $300.

The Rotary Club of Ventura South is one of more than 35,000 Rotary clubs with 1.2 million members around the world. The clubs work together to promote peace; fight disease; provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; save mothers and children; support education; and grow local economies. Rotary Ventura South meets at noon every Monday at the Tower Club in Oxnard. Visitors are always welcome. For more information, visit venturasouthrotary.org.