Category Archives: Featured News

Soroptimist  announces 85th Anniversary & Scholarship Awards Event

Soroptimist International (SI) of Ventura, a local service club for business and professional women with the goal of making a difference in the lives of women and girls, is celebrating its 85th year of serving the community of Ventura. The celebration will be held in conjunction with its annual scholarship awards.

April 16, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Pierpont Inn, 550 Sanjon Road
Cost: $30 per person

Soroptimist raise funds throughout the year for scholarship awards and to provide additional grants to local community organizations serving women and girls.

Ticket may be purchased online at www.soroptimistventura.eventbrite.com .

Firefighters respond to gas line rupture

On April 12, just before 9am, a private contractor was performing work on a driveway on Inspiration Way (just above Poli Street) when he inadvertently broke through a 2” main gas line that feeds 6 complexes with a backhoe. Firefighters arrived and evacuated a total of four homes and sheltered-in–place a total of 14 other homes. Ventura Police responded in addition to the Ventura Street department and closed Poli between Ann St. and Kalorama.

A specialized team from the Gas Company arrived and had to breach a new section of concrete in an attempt to gain access to the gas main from the supply side. Fire personnel shut all utilities down on the block and extended hose protection lines for fear of the gas source igniting.

The gas line was accessed and successfully shut down.

Ventura City Fire personnel respond to garage fire

On April 9, at 1:11pm, Ventura City Fire personnel responded to a reported garage fire in the 700 block of Alverstone Ave. The first arriving unit reported a fully involved garage extending into the attic above, unknown if occupants present. Due to a partial collapse of the ceiling inside the garage, attack crews were forced to delay their interior attack through the side access door, until the metal garage overhead door could be cut open by Support Company personnel using rotary saws.

image2A family dog was rescued by Fire personnel from the structure, and ultimately delivered unharmed to the residents who were located nearby. The entire contents of the garage, including a vehicle, were completely destroyed. While some smoke damage to the into the remainder of the structure could not be prevented, fire extension was successfully halted, thus saving the remainder of the occupant’s belongings. Thorough overhaul of the garage and attic was accomplished after removing debris and portions of the collapsed ceiling, ensuring that all smoldering and/or hidden fire was extinguished. The main portion of the residence remained tenable following completion of suppression operations, with the garage being yellow-tagged pending further evaluation. No civilian or Fire personnel injuries were reported at the time of this

release.

Ventura County – 15 More Beds Needed for Summer Program

Volunteer families are asked to host international exchange students, ages 14-17, who are scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in June/July for a four-week program. Little kids, big kids, no kids…our host families come in all shapes and sizes and include single persons and senior citizens, as well as married couples who are with or without children. Host families are asked to provide the student with room and board, transportation to and from the school site, as well as a loving family environment. Students are fully insured, proficient in English and come with their own spending money to cover personal expenses.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to learn about other countries and cultures without ever leaving your home. When you volunteer to host an international exchange student, your world comes alive for a young person from another country. By opening your door, you open a student’s eyes to the real America: real people, real experiences, and real life. At the same time, your generosity of spirit creates a positive view of the United States that crosses oceans—and lasts a lifetime.

What You Offer: You! Wonder if you have what it takes? All you need to do is be yourself. Time and again, our exchange students tell us that what they remember most are the little things. Family dinners, weekend outings, even nights around the television become special as you watch an international student absorb American culture moment-by- moment. Just by opening your home, you have the power to make everyday extraordinary for you, your family, and a student from abroad. To host your own student contact Heather at 805.766.0861 or [email protected].

Ventura Family YMCA Urges Locals to Assess Type 2 Diabetes Risk

UCLA study finds nearly half of Ventura County adults have prediabetes; Few Ventura residents know they are at risk.

Following alarming data in a landmark study on diabetes published by UCLA this month and in conjunction with Diabetes Alert Day observed this year on March 22, the Ventura Family YMCA is encouraging residents of the Ventura area to learn their risks for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and to take preventive steps to potentially reduce their chances of developing the disease.

Statistics from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research study found that nearly half of California adults, including one out of every three young adults, have prediabetes. The research provides the first analysis and breakdown of California prediabetes rates by county, age and ethnicity.

In Ventura County, 47 percent of adults have prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes. The county follows the state trend, with 32 percent of 18-39 year olds having prediabetes or undiagnosed diabetes. Six percent of Ventura County adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the study.

The YMCA offers a simple test where individuals can assess their risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The test can be accessed at YMCA.net/diabetes. Through this assessment, visitors can also learn how lifestyle choices and family history help determine the ultimate risk for developing the disease.

Several factors that could put a person at risk for type 2 diabetes include race, age, weight and activity level. If a person is at risk, a diabetes screening conducted by a physician can confirm a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis.

Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose is elevated, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Only 10 percent of those with prediabetes know they have it, but with awareness and simple actions, people with prediabetes may prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that occurs when a person’s body does not make enough insulin to process the sugars consumed through food or when the body doesn’t effectively use the insulin the body does produce. Diabetes is a serious chronic condition that can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, loss of limbs, and blindness.

“The number of new people with prediabetes continues to rise and with that the importance of helping  people understand what a prediabetes diagnosis means,” said Margo Byrne, Chief Operations Officer,  Channel Islands YMCA. “Type 2 diabetes affects not just the person but entire families as well, but the good news is that it is possible to reverse course—simple lifestyle changes reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the Y can help people make the necessary changes to improve health.”

Making some basic lifestyle changes that contribute to weight loss and healthy living can decrease the risk for type 2 diabetes. Among these are:

• Eat fruits and vegetables every day.

• Choose fish, lean meats and poultry without skin.

• Aim for whole grains with every meal.

• Be moderately active at least 30 minutes per day five days a week.

• Choose water to drink instead of beverages with added sugar.

• Speak to your doctor about your diabetes risk factors, especially if you have a family history or are overweight.

The Ventura Family YMCA offers members free fitness orientations, progressive group exercise classes, adult small group training classes, Aqua Zumba, a Teen Strength program, Senior Swimming, 3 on 3 basketball, racquetball, swimming classes and more. The Y offers a variety of exercise programs that can  help prevent and eliminate type 2 diabetes. To learn more about the Ventura Family YMCA’s healthyliving programs, please visit ciymca.org/ventura, stop in at 3760 Telegraph Rd. Ventura, CA 93003, or call 805.642.2131.

Become a Junior Ranger at Channel Islands National Park

In celebration of the National Park Service Centennial, Channel Islands National Park is hosting a special Junior Ranger event on Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, at the park visitor center in the Ventura Harbor.

Children will have the opportunity to participate in four different Junior Ranger programs at the event, allowing them to earn badges as a Channel Islands National Park Junior Ranger, an Underwater Explorer, a Centennial Junior Ranger, or a Junior Paleontologist.

Local fifth grader Tigran Nahabedian will assist children who visit the Junior Ranger station in earning their badges. Nahabedian has earned 57 junior ranger badges at other national park sites across the country.

The event will also feature family-friendly activities that children of all ages can participate in, including fish prints, buttons, shark hats, and more. There will be two tidepool programs, at 11:00 am and 3:00 pm, and a ranger talk at 1:00 pm, about the adaptations of seals and sea lions.

Information about the national initiative, Every Kid in a Park, which invites all fourth graders to visit their public lands and waters for free, will also be available for parents and children.

This Junior Ranger Day event takes place just one week before a special Earth Day Beach Clean-up, hosted by Channel Islands National Park, on April 23. The event will be at the park visitor center in the Ventura Harbor, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. All ages are welcome.

The National Park Service Centennial honors 100 years of sharing America’s special places and helping Americans make meaningful connections to nature, history and culture. To learn more about Channel Islands National Park’s centennial efforts, visit www.nps.gov/chis.

To learn more about Channel Islands National Park’s Junior Ranger programs visit:

http://www.nps.gov/chis/forkids/beajuniorranger.htm

The Peddler of Flowers by Amy Lowell

The Peddler of Flowers
Amy Lowell

I came from the country
With flowers,
Larkspur and roses,
Fretted lilies
In their leaves,
And long, cool lavender.

I carried them
From house to house,
And cried them
Down hot streets.
The sun fell
Upon my flowers,
And the dust of the streets
Blew over my basket.

That night
I slept upon the open seats
Of a circus,
Where all day long
People had watched
The antics
Of a painted clown.

About this poem
“The Peddler of Flowers” was published in Vol. 1, No. 2, of Others magazine in August 1915.

About Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell was born on Feb. 9, 1874, in Brookline, Mass. She is the author of numerous books, including “Fir-Flower Tablets” (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1921) and “What’s a Clock” (Houghton Mifflin Co., 1925), which won the Pulitzer Prize. She died on May 12, 1925.

***
The Academy of American Poets is a nonprofit, mission-driven organization, whose aim is to make poetry available to a wider audience. Email The Academy at poem-a-day[at]poets.org.

This poem is in the public domain. Originally published in Poem-a-Day, www.poets.org. Distributed by King Features Syndicate