Ladies comes together for good networking and a delicious lunch.

by Carol Leish, MA

“The best networking comes from genuine relationships and friendships” –Gatehouse

Laurie Ann Meyer, a full time Real Estate Broker and owner of Lifestyle Listings with Realty One Group Summit in Ventura, said, “I saw an opportunity in 2009 to bring women together in a ‘Networking’ type of environment without all the commitment of a traditional networking group. I wanted it to be easy for women to attend, at a time in the day that would give them the chance to sit down and relax while having a meal and taking a deep breath away from all that they do during the rest of the day.”

“As a ‘No join group,’ the Ladies Luncheon does not have any monthly or annual fees. Women pay when they attend, and if they cannot attend one month, they do not pay for that month. This creates the opportunity that leads to no guilt, no commitment, and no hassling. I also wanted to make it available for unlimited categories of businesses. Not jut one per category, like other networking groups may have. Thus, there are other realtors in the group, besides me. The goal is to develop relationships.”

Through developing relationships and friendships, The Ladies Luncheon, has become a community. Through this community, the group has continued to follow the perspective that, “Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program,” which Susan Roanne said.

Meyer emphasized the importance of community by saying, “We have been through many ups and downs over the years which has created a very close bond and support for each other. That is why our philosophy now is ‘Community, Connection, and Support.’

“We also have created a series of Wine Mixers, called ‘Radiant You Wine Mixer’ series. In support of local store front businesses, we meet every other month at a specific location from 5:30-7pm to share wine, conversation, and shopping. Our last one was at The Jelly Fish on Main St. On June 22^nd we will be at Trystology on Main Street for some more ‘Spice.’

“In March 2020, the week before the pandemic hit, we had our first all day event called Radiant You, in which we had four speakers who gave different presentations about health, wellness, business, and self-love. We also had a luncheon, meditation, and dancing. It was a success with over 80 attendees. My vision is to repeat the Radiant You event in 2024!

“I am thankful to my side kick, Elaine O’Malia (owner of Laine Designs), who is our marketing director. She handles all the social media, evites, website and more. Her and I have been doing this project together for over 12 years. Elaine is significant to the success of The Ladies Luncheon, as are all the women who continue to attend, participate, and share their friendships. The relationships that have been created are what I can truly say are ‘Forever.’” My continued passion in life is to use my inspiration, enthusiasm, and knowledge to empower and encourage myself and others to accomplish their dreams and goals in life!”

Ladies, come join us for good networking and a delicious lunch on the first Thursday of each month at The Greek Mediterranean Steak and Seafood at the Ventura Harbor.

Phone (805) 650-5360. To join us for our next networking lunch meeting on July 6^th, 2023 from 11:30-1:00, please register at: www.theladiesluncheon.com.

First place winner Kimberly Fickerson accepts her check for $5000

by Richard Lieberman

Recently at the fifth annual Peace Scholarship Awards Luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Ventura scholarships were awarded to local area students. The awards were presented to high school seniors and is unusual for art students to be presented with a financial incentive to pursue and continue their education in art related subjects.

Five scholarship awards were offered in amounts ranging from five thousand dollars to the first-place winner, two thousand five hundred dollars for the second-place winner, one thousand five hundred dollars to the third-place winner, seven hundred fifty to the fourth-place winner and five hundred dollars to the fifth-place winner.

The focus of the scholarships presented was on the subject of peace. Students were asked to “Express your voice and show what peace means to you.” For the fifth year of the program the focus on peace remains one of the Rotary Clubs major areas of interest. Peace as defined by the Rotary Club International is an environment that supports equality and justice for all.” An initiative for peace can be anything that supports the human condition, for example the need for food, water, shelter, health care, literacy, jobs and human rights.”

The scholarships were awarded to: First place winner Kimberly Fickerson, for her short film “Rain”, Second place winner Ixzel Nava for her short film “Peace is Infinite”, Third place winner Clarisse Cortez “Let’s Live Together “, Fourth place winner Summer Rose Hayashi for her “Justice is Peace “and Fifth place winner Juan Orozco Mendez for “Peace”

Kimberly Fickerson of Foothill Tech Highschool said “I found out about this scholarship during a presentation from my art teacher. He said it was a really important opportunity for us to try to do it, my mom really encouraged me to take part in It and so then on one rainy day I was sitting down trying to figure out what I was going to do I thought well I could use the rain because I really like the rain. Rain is my favorite type of weather pattern, so I used that to inspire me to write a short poem about rain and then filmed it,” she said “I was quite shocked to receive the award, but I also knew I put a lot of hard work in it, so I was really grateful to receive the award” she added.

Clarisse Cortez of Foothill Tech High School said, “It started out at the beginning of the school year I noticed the blue poster for the perspectives on peace scholarships I left it on the back of my brain for two weeks.” Cortez said. “Okay, then what should I do so it was really interesting for me because it was like I had to go through a little bit of a paradox like what would war be without peace and what peace would be without war.” Added Cortez. “I worked on the project for three days. Working eight to ten hours each day until completion” she added.

Second, fourth and fifth place winners were not available for interviews after the presentation.

Chip In For Charity is more than just a golf event;

Chip In For Charity is thrilled to announce its upcoming event, a non-competitive and family-friendly golf experience dedicated to raising funds for local non-profit groups. This year, Chip In For Charity is proud to support Ventura Land Trust. The event will take place in Ventura, on June 17th, and aims to bring together the community in support of local non-profit efforts.

With a history of successfully raising over $25,000 for local non-profit organizations, Chip In For Charity is excited to continue its mission of giving back to the community. This unique golf event encourages families and individuals, regardless of their golfing experience, to participate in a day of fun-filled activities. The event will take place at Olivas Links Driving Range from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The goal for 2023 is to raise $15,000 to support the local conservation and preservation work carried out by the Ventura Land Trust. Participants will have the opportunity to chip golf balls towards sponsored targets strategically placed throughout the venue, while enjoying local food and drinks and the chance to win prizes. Through generous target sponsorships by local businesses and ticket sales, Chip In For Charity is proud to donate 100% of the event proceeds to their non-profit beneficiary.

“Chip In For Charity is more than just a golf event; it’s an opportunity to make a difference in our community and have fun while doing it!” expressed Maria S, a previous participant.

“I like to think of it as a spin on Top-Golf, but for a local cause,” added Todd G.

Brandon Wasilewski, the media contact person for Chip In For Charity, is available for any inquiries regarding the event. He can be reached at 805-856-8773 or via email at [email protected].

Registration is now open, and participants are encouraged to visit the official website at www.ChipInForCharity805.com for more information and to secure their spots.

Chip In For Charity is dedicated to supporting local non-profit organizations through non-competitive, family-friendly golf events. With a proven track record of raising over $25,000 for local non-profits, Chip In For Charity strives to make a positive impact on the community through engaging experiences that blend golf, community, and philanthropy.

Email: [email protected]

Photos by Mary Thompson

The Firefighters’ Ball and Awards Ceremony was a huge success honoring Ventura City firefighters and providing fire families a night of fun and camaraderie.

Highlighting the Ball were the Department’s annual awards:

Captain Austin Araiza received the Firefighter of the Year award for his exceptional work in arson investigations, training new team members, and ensuring the correct use of protective gear.

Engineer Zach Benner was recognized as the Paramedic of the Year for delivering high-quality care and serving as a leader among peers (see separate article).

Captain Christopher Pironti received the Greg Andrews Safety Award for his commitment to workplace safety and support for the Peer Support Team.

Luis Martinez was honored as the Fire Prevention Employee of the Year for his dedication to customer service and producing quality work.

The Matthew Clapsaddle Career Achievement Award was created to honor fallen Firefighter-Paramedic Matthew Clapsaddle, and it was presented to Firefighter-Paramedic Ryan Howard for his support to the Clapsaddle family and his role in the Peer Support Team.

Additionally, Captain Shawn Hughes, Captain Kyle Tong, and Administrative Assistant Kris Edwards received the 3rd Alarm Award for their exceptional support to the department.

After the awards, guests enjoyed dancing, casino games, and a raffle.

Plants were distributed to families during Plantopia.

Over 1,800 vegetable plants were distributed at Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture’s (SEEAG) first annual Plantopia U Pick Transplant Fundraiser on Earth Day. The fundraiser raised over $5,000 to help with SEEAG’s agricultural education programs that teach students about the farm origins of their food, water resources, soil health, entomology and locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Plantopia was held at SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Ventura and Plantel Nurseries in Santa Maria. In addition to tomatoes, zucchini, squash, basil and pepper seedlings, SEEAG provided 500 bags of potting soil donated by Agromin in Ventura County and Engel and Gray in Santa Barbara County to give plants a healthy start.

“We plan to make Plantopia an annual event,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG’s founder and CEO. “It’s a great way to kick off planting season, remind people of the importance of our farmers and celebrate Earth Day.”

Other annual SEEAG events include Santa Barbara County Farm Day in September and Ventura County Farm Day in November.

For more about SEEAG, go to www.SEEAG.org.

2022 finalists in the annual EECCOA Challenge Awards Ceremony.

For the 8th year in a row, students from Ventura Unified School District will present proposals to reduce their schools’ environmental footprint and receive awards.

On Monday, May 22nd, the MERITO Foundation and Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) will host the 8th annual EECCOA Challenge Awards Ceremony. At this event, 7th-12th-grade student finalists will present their environmental business proposals to either reduce the carbon footprint of their school or advocate for the removal of the relic Matilija Dam from the Ventura River. The primary sponsor of this year’s EECCOA Challenge Awards Ceremony is Clean Power Alliance.

For the EECCOA Challenge, students had the option of choosing a project theme from 4 categories: water conservation, energy efficiency, or waste reduction at their school campuses, or outreach about the ecological benefits of dam removal. This multi-disciplinary competition is an opportunity for our youth to combine environmental science with business ideas, and practice environmental entrepreneurship. School administrators also benefit by hearing from students on how to improve their schools’ infrastructure and reduce utility costs.

The event will take place at the Poinsettia Pavilion, in Ventura, from 4 -7 pm. The keynote speaker for the event is Anna Cummins, Co-Founder & Executive Director of 5 Gyres, a leading organization in the global movement against plastic pollution, with more than 10 years of expertise in scientific research, engagement, and education. Representatives from the offices of Senator Monique Limón, and Congressman Salud Carbajal will be present to congratulate the students.

There are currently 86 teams competing in the EECCOA Challenge, from students attending Buena High School, Ventura High School, Foothill Technology High School, Anacapa Middle School, Balboa Middle School, or DATA Middle School. After two rounds of judging, the top 16 finalists will present their projects in person before judges at the May 22nd event. After presentations, the MERITO Foundation and VUSD will award cash or in-kind prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention in each category. All participating students have been immersed since September 2022 in MERITO Foundation’s Ventura Action Network (V-RAN) Program or “From the Avenue to Channel Islands (ATCI) program in partnership with the VUSD.

The V-RAN program provides professional development, field training, and curriculum to science teachers, as well as hands-on field experience for ~700 middle and high school students throughout the Ventura River watershed and coast. Through the ATCI program, 660 students from DATA Middle School enjoy outdoor experiences at the Ventura River, State Beaches, and the Channel Islands. In addition to environmental education, students also participate in biking, hiking, kayaking, camping, snorkeling, sailing, and surfing, and learn leadership skills that they put into practice at outdoor community events.

Sponsors for the V-RAN Program include NOAA B-WET Grant, Ventura Water, and UC Davis Center for Community and Citizen Science. The ‘From the Avenue to the Channel Islands’ (ATCI) Program of the MERITO Foundation is funded by the Outdoors Equity Grant, created through AB 209 and administered by California State Parks, Office of Grants, and Local Services.

The MERITO Foundation is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization based in Ventura, CA, dedicated to protecting the ocean by facilitating environmental education, conservation, and scientific research opportunities for multicultural youth and their communities.

Photos by Patricia Schallert

On May 7, a triathlon was held in Ventura. It was the perfect Ventura weekend for the event. The race had 14 separate events and 2 different starting points.  Every event that included a swim discipline started at the beach. finish line.  Many of the athletes familiarized themselves with the bike and run course by driving or riding it prior to the race.

It included 7 Olympic distance events and 7 Sprint distance events. Typically, the swim and run distances are standard but the bike distance varies from race to race.

Several seniors participated including Carol Humphrey. She’s 83 years old and she loves the 5k races.

Ventura Triathlon

“It’s amazing what these kids are doing, what they are gaining.”

by Rebecca Wicks

The Ventura-based Robotics Team HighTide 4414 won the biggest and most prestigious high school level international competition earlier this month in Houston. According to FIRST Robotics who put on the event, approximately 3,300 high school level robotics teams competed in more than 1,000 qualifying matches in order to claim one of the 600 coveted spots to contend at “Worlds” as it is affectionately known.

“It’s hard to put in words, it was incredible,” said Aadhya Bavkar, a sophomore at Foothill Tech High School who is on the design build part of the team. “Everything was amplified there which made it stressful but an amazing opportunity to push us and really learn the full capabilities of what our team can do when we work together.”

HighTide, an independent team from Ventura, took the world title as part of a four-team alliance that moved to the finals after winning their division earlier in the week. The four-day event drew more than 46,000 attendees and teams from 19 countries. This year the team felt more prepared after having placed second in the previous year.

“Last year [at Worlds] was my first time driving in front of such a huge crowd,” said Zach Shew, a junior at El Camino High School, who served as the team’s driver. Shew shared he worked to know his strategies in depth and thoroughly prior to each competition. “In the competition I tried to just chill, and not think about it too much and just concentrate on hearing my co-driver and playing my game.”

To prepare, the team meets regularly and builds its robots at Sessa Manufacturing, one of its main sponsors. It begins each year meeting two nights a week in the fall through December. Team members learn and hone their electrical, manufacturing and programming skills and compete in some off season events during this time.

In January, FIRST releases details on the “game” which changes each year. In the timed game the robot works autonomously for the first 15 seconds of the match, and is then in the hands of a driver the second portion of the match. This year the main goal was to pick up and place cones and cubes in different patterns. In previous years, robots had to gathered balls and shot them into different marked areas. The team then has six weeks to design, build and program an industrial-sized robot before regional competitions begin. HighTide builds two robots during this time, one for practice and prototyping and the other for competition. The team continues to make improvements to the bot throughout regional play.

HighTide clinched their entry to Worlds early this year by winning the Hueneme Port Regional competition in early March. They continued to dominate with other wins at the Ventura County Regional and Aerospace Valley Regional competitions.

The team is supported by nine mentors, five of them which live and work locally, four of which assist remotely with the team. Vinny Pecchia, an engineer at the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) serves as a mentor for the team and is continually impressed with the high school team members’ abilities to design, run CAD changes, machine parts and program and execute 3D printing.

“It’s amazing what these kids are doing, what they are gaining,” said Pecchia who wished he had an opportunity like HighTide when he was in high school. “They are learning how to do everything from cradle to grave; a lot of these kids could have jobs tomorrow with the skills they are learning.”

Jonathan Sessa, who is an engineer, President of Sessa Manufacturing and head coach and mentor of the team describes this year’s team as the most involved and streamlined team he has ever coached.

“I’m super proud of everyone this season. It feels pretty sweet when hard work pays off after so many hours and late nights spent grinding,” said Sessa of the team. “I’m so thankful to everyone involved including all the mentors and alumni [of previous teams] for building an amazing culture and team with me.”

The team hosts its own off season competition called the Tidal Tumble each year in October. The event take place October 20-22, 2023 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and is open to the public.