Visit Ventura Director of Business Development Michele Gilmour, Visit Ventura President & CEO Marlyss Auster, and Wanderlust Content Studios Co-Founder Nicole Bordges accepting the Adrian Award.

Maintaining an ongoing streak, Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau (VVCB) was recently honored for travel marketing excellence by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at the 66th annual Adrian Awards Celebration, the world’s largest global travel marketing competition. The award ceremony took place at the JW Marriott LA Live on Thursday, February 23, 2023. Visit Ventura accepted the award in partnership with Wanderlust Content Studios, the inspiration guide’s publisher.

Visit Ventura received a Bronze Adrian Award for its winning entry in the Print Advertising category for the 2022 Inspiration Guide. This is the fifth Adrian Award VVCB has been awarded in the last five years.

The goal of Ventura’s 2022 Inspiration Guide was to set Ventura apart from its competitors at first glance while diving deeper to capture Ventura’s community. Ventura’s people, places, and partners tell their stories with page after page of engaging content that marries both advertising and editorial in cohesive themes. The result: There are no competing fonts, calls to action, or loud logos. Instead, native content blends organically with editorial. “Ads” are placed within corresponding editorial sections. This gives readers a fuller understanding of all that Ventura has to offer.

And at the forefront of Ventura’s Inspiration Guide? The people of Ventura. Readers will not find paid models posing in photos featured in the guide. People photographed are true local Venturans, who go to the same grocery store and eat at the same restaurants as any other community member in Ventura. The incorporation of local Venturans and local artists alike is at the heart of the inspiration guide, resulting in an authentic and genuine guide that readers recognize from the first page.

“Ventura is a true gem of a City that offers outdoor adventure, historic and cultural attractions, one-of-a-kind retail, and a blossoming culinary scene,” said Ventura Interim City Manager Akbar Alikhan. “Visit Ventura’s annual Inspiration Guide is a stunning magazine that thoughtfully captures the local feel and flavor that makes our community unlike any other!”

VVCB’s work was judged to be exceptional by expert hospitality, travel, tourism, and media professionals. Judges were asked to evaluate each entry based on its own merit and success in achieving its objectives. Past winners of this coveted award include such industry giants as Choice Hotels International, Visit California, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International, and Royal Caribbean International. VVCB’s wins are a “little engine that could” fairytale come to life.

Harmon Canyon Preserve by Jason Fakour.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) will celebrate 20 years of land conservation in 2023, starting with a free community birthday party on Friday, February 24 at Topa Topa Brewing Company (4880 Colt Street, Ventura, 93003) from 6-9 pm.

The birthday party will include the reveal of the winners of VLT’s inaugural Art Contest, a look back at milestones through the organization’s history, a sneak peek of gear that will be on sale at the April 8th Gear Garage Sale, family games, and of course, birthday cake.

Ventura Land Trust was founded in 2003 as Ventura Hillsides Conservancy by community members who sought to protect the iconic hillsides to the north of Ventura from development.

The Conservancy hosted top musical talent at annual concerts in Arroyo Verde Park, raising funds to permanently protect local open spaces. The first conserved parcels of land were in the Ventura River corridor. Community volunteers worked alongside VHC’s staff to restore and care for conserved lands, setting a tradition of community involvement and volunteer support that continues today.

Ventura Hillsides Conservancy became Ventura Land Trust in 2017 to reflect a broadened vision to protect open spaces countywide. The organization was accredited by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019, joining a network of more than 400 accredited land trusts across the nation that have demonstrated a commitment to professional excellence and to maintaining the public’s trust in their work.

VLT now holds 3,877 acres of land in seven preserves across Ventura County—including the hillsides that inspired the organization’s founding, now known as Mariano Rancho Preserve. Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve, Harmon Canyon Preserve, opened to the public in 2020.

VLT’s 20th anniversary will be acknowledged throughout 2023 with special events and opportunities for the public to be part of envisioning VLT’s next 20 years. The 20th birthday part is free to the public, but RSVPS are encouraged at www.venturalandtrust.org/birthdayparty.

34 and 30 points in back to back wins by junior guard. Photo by Lyn Golden 

by Tom Marshall

Steph Curry has two game stretches like this. High School players dream of one game like this in their career. 34 points in a tightly contested varsity girls basketball game is a respectable point total for a team. There’s only 32 minutes in these games and defense at the high school level is suffocating. Skyler Knight accomplished the improbable.

The Ventura High School junior guard poured in 34 and 30 points in back to back wins over Oxnard and Dos Pueblos. She pulled off this offensive feat while playing her brand of smart, relentless defense. Skyler set the Ventura High single game record for 3 pointers in the game at Oxnard High with eight behind the arc buckets. Her team needed both wins to lock up the league championship and she delivered the goods. Two road games in three days. 64 points in 64 minutes of competitive late season high school basketball.

The vibe inside the Oxnard High gym during Ventura’s 63-57 win reached Christmas morning as a 6-year-old levels. Both squads refused to give in and the crowd could feel the collective desire to win. “Setting the VHS single game record for 3s in that win is my favorite moment playing basketball,” Skyler said. That exciting win could only be celebrated for an evening as the team had to prepare for a trip up the coast and a game against Dos Pueblos 2 days later. A win there would lock up the league title for the Cougars. Skyler dropped 30 points for an encore in a 57-42 win.

Clutch is an overused word when describing athletic achievements. It implies an athlete has ice in their veins or doesn’t and disregards the work an individual must put in to have the confidence and will to take the big shots. “Repetition and hard work give me confidence during games. There is always room to improve,” Ventura’s points leader said. Shooters shoot is another phrase that is often overused and misunderstood. Players need to feel their coach’s support and confidence in them. “I missed my first 5 shots in a game and Coach Larson told me to keep shooting,” recalled Skyler. Hard work and repetition builds confidence. A coach’s unwavering support, confidence, and an excitable crowd during a tight game will bring out clutch moments in the great ones.

Every high school athlete dreams up an ideal athletic senior year by the end of their freshman year. Skyler’s response didn’t surprise me but it did offer insight into her team first mentality, “My ideal senior year includes going undefeated in league, maintaining and improving our great team relationship, and a few offers to play college basketball.” There’s wisdom in that statement. Winning teams always have good players but the most talented team doesn’t always win. The best team wins.

Ventura fielded a relatively young team this season and should be a major force next year. Skyler Knight has another year to go in her Ventura High basketball career but she has already left her mark on the school’s record books.

A tail of a good time awaits you.

A tail of a good time awaits mermaids and mermen as they return to the sea for the 8th Annual “March Is Mermaid Month” at Ventura Harbor Village, a mer-mazing, month-long celebration. All events are free to the public with the exception of vendor activities, dining, and retail merchandise.

Visitors across all oceans can meet to enjoy a myriad of mermaid activities. Kicking off Mermaid Month is a Kid’s Free Scavenger Hunt, which runs from March 1-March 31, 2023. Pick up the scavenger hunt sheets at the Mermaid Gallery, which houses original mermaid art and tons of mermaid merchandise in Ventura Harbor Village, and return for special prizes. Participants are encouraged to dress in festive mermaid attire.

Taking center stage is a series of ocean-spired special events and live mermaid meet and greets scheduled on Saturday, March 4 and Sunday March 19 from noon to 3pm (weather permitting). Lovers of the sea can revel in seaside fun, including interactive booths, a mermaid craft station for kids, chalk art, mermaid dance party, live entertainment, and more! Vendors will showcase their skills for visitors including face painting and exotic bird photo ops on March 4 and 19, and glitter tattoo and hair braiding on March 19.

On both March 4 and 19, members of Surfrider Foundation Ventura Chapter will be present at an interactive booth to share tips and information about keeping the oceans clean. On March 19, prior to the special event, beach lovers of all ages can also participate in the Surfrider Foundation’s family-friendly beach clean-up at Harbor Cove Beach, Surfers Knoll Beach, and Harbor beaches.

In addition, kids will delight in a mermaid craft station on both March 4 and 19 presented by Las Posas Children’s Center (LPCC) Inc., which operates school aged childcare centers on six campuses in Ventura Unified School District, creating a joyous atmosphere for children.

Visitors can view the wonderful artistry of Lysa Ashley as she creates mesmerizing mermaid art in front of Le Petit Café & Bakery on March 19 and catch Village makers with themed-crafted items.

DJ Darla Bea will put her own spin on Mermaid Month with a lively dance party on March 4 and 19. Come dressed up in sea-inspired attire for a family-fun dance party. Show off fin-tastic moves for a chance to win bubble wands and more! A walking mermaid will lead kids in fun activities from noon- 3pm.

Sway to the live tropical tunes of Anacapa Ukulele, local ukulele musicians who will perform along the Village’s Seaside Promenade on March 4 from noon- 3pm. Also, plan to bask in the sunshine with the melodic tunes of steel drums on Saturdays (March 4, 11, 18th and 25 from noon – 3pm) along the Village’s Seaside Promenade.

Kids can go in search of sirens(aka mermaids) in the sea! Climb aboard the pirate ship to look for mermaids below and then slide down to climb up again! Free kid’s activity on the Village Main Lawn on Saturday, March 4 from noon- 3 pm, next to Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room. And again, on Sunday, March 19 from 1- 4 pm.  (weather pending).

This annual event is a visual opportunity to provide awareness about rising sea levels. Photos by Patricia Schallert

On Saturday, January 21, the City of Ventura hosted a press conference and coastal walk along the Ventura Beach Promenade with distinguished officials and local environmental partners during the annual King Tides event.

Deputy Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios was joined by U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, County Supervisor Matt LaVere, Brian Brennan of the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON), Zach Plopper of the Surfrider Foundation, and Acting City Manager Akbar Alikhan.

This annual event is a visual opportunity to provide education and awareness about rising sea levels and coastal erosion for local coastline communities like Ventura. The term “King Tide” is used to describe an especially high tide event when there is an alignment of the gravitational pull between the sun and moon. When King Tides occur during floods or storms, water levels can rise higher and have the potential to cause great damage to the coastline and coastal property.

“Ventura boasts seven miles of beautiful sandy beaches and valuable shoreline,” said Public Works Director Phil Nelson. “These yearly tides are a humble reminder that our coastline is vulnerable and highlights the innovative measures the city and many community partners have taken to combat erosion to help preserve our shoreline.”

Learn more about King Tides at www.coastal.ca.gov/KingTides.

Engelhardt has also maintained a weighted 4.50 GPA in the classroom.

In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade announced Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade California Girls Cross Country Player of the Year. Engelhardt is the first Gatorade California Girls Cross Country Player of the Year to be chosen from Ventura High School.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

The 5-foot-7 sophomore raced to the Division 2 individual state championship this past season with a time of 16:57.84, leading the Cougars to a fifth-place finish as a team. Engelhardt also won the Woodbridge Classic, the Southern Section Championships and the Champs Sports West Regional Championships. She took 10th at the Champs Sports National Championships, earning All-America honors in the process.

Engelhardt has fundraised for Runners for Public Lands to help memorialize a teammate who was killed by a distracted driver. She has also volunteered locally at running events and marathons in addition to working at a local running store. “Sadie Engelhardt overcame illness that interrupted her training on multiple occasions to demonstrate why she is still one of the most impressive athletes in the country,” said Erik Boal, an editor for DyeStat.com. “In addition to winning a state championship and the Champs Sports West Regional title, she earned All-America honors at the Champs Sports National Championships. Sadie also produced one of the best 3-mile cross country performances in prep history, clocking 15:42.60 to prevail against an exceptional field at the Woodbridge Classic.”

Engelhardt has maintained a weighted 4.50 GPA in the classroom. She will begin her junior year of high school this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

When you give…we can give to those who need it the most!

Heart 2 Heart, a program of Kids & Families Together (K&FT), hosted a New Bikes & Furniture Gift~Away event on Friday, January 20, 2023. “With the generous donations from our community, we were able to provide 21 Ventura County foster, adoptive and kinship families with new bikes, new printer cabinets, folding tables, and other home décor,” said Jeni Futvoye, K&FT’s Community Resource Manager. The children in attendance were very excited to receive their bikes with one caregiver saying, “the child in my care now has a bike they can ride with their siblings!” K&FT is grateful for the support from individuals and ongoing partners who give so generously. “When our community gives, we can then give to those who need it the most!”said Jeni Futvoye.

Founded in 2000, Kids & Families Together has been serving foster, adoptive, kinship, and birth families throughout Ventura County. For over two decades K&FT has become the leader in providing critical services and support to children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, loss, and multiple placements. K&FT is unique in that they provide counseling services, education, support and strategies to connect caregivers and parents to the children in their care. With programs like Heart 2 Heart, K&FT is able to wrap their arms around the entire family to help them raise healthy, nurtured children that thrive. To learn more about the programs and the services K&FT provides, please visit https://www.kidsandfamilies.org/

K&FT would like to thank the many volunteers that came out for this event. “We can’t do these events without their help!”, said Carrie McAuliffe Sandoval, Heart 2 Heart co-founder. With your support, K&FT’s programs make a powerful and impactful difference in the lives of foster, adoptive, kinship, and birth families throughout Ventura County. To support events like this visit: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/DYmnzg?vid=59elz To learn about K&FT’s many volunteer opportunities, visit: https://www.kidsandfamilies.org/seeking-volunteers/

The swearing in of the Board of Directors executive committee was officiated by Breeze publisher Sheldon Brown. Photos by Patricia Schallert

On Saturday, January 21, the Olivas Adobe held their annual celebration and installation of docent volunteer board members. Held at the Ventura Marina Park Clubhouse it featured happy hour and a wonderful dinner prepared by the docents. It was a time for fellowship with old friends and plans for the coming year.

The installation and swearing in of the 2023 Board of Directors executive committee was officiated by Breeze publisher Sheldon Brown. Sworn into service by him were returning Mary Thompson – President, returning Bob Sandler – Vice President, Marsha Brumana-Secretary and Glenda Jackson-Treasurer. Officers serve a one-year term.

Sheldon stated “It is now my pleasure to swear in the new board’s elected officers.”

“Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I promise to conduct myself with dignity and decorum when representing the Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters and the City of Ventura. I swear to uphold the By-Laws of the Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters and to do my job as an elected officer to the best of my ability. “

He concluded by addressing the large crowd “it is now my pleasure to present to you the Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters elected and installed officers for 2023. Thank you, everyone for attending tonight’s Olivas Adobe swearing in ceremony and congratulations to the new board members.”

Mary Thompson went on to say “I came to the Olivas for the first time with my 4th grade class from Arnaz Elementary School in Oak View. My sister was married at the Adobe in 1977. I have been a docent for many years and am honored to be your president. I am looking forward to once again serving as president and keeping the history of the Olivas Adobe alive.”

The docents and board members perform a most valuable service of not only protecting the historic Olivas Adobe, but also keeping relevant by planning and staffing its many activities year-round. The docents are chiefly responsible for keeping alive the rancho’s many seasons of history and celebrate the skills, traditions and heritage that belong to Ventura’s many peoples.

The Board of the Olivas Adobe Historic Interpreters oversee the docent operations and ensures that they run smoothly and successfully. Thanks to the OAHI docents, the Olivas Adobe continues its long tradition of hospitality by hosting a full calendar of diverse cultural events for all ages including the very exciting the wonderful Adobe Music Under The Stars.