Photos by Patricia Schallert.
On December 16 & 17 the Ventura Harbor held the Parade of Lights “Out of This World.” The boat parade was ended with a beautiful display of fireworks.
The Community Academy is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community partnerships.
The Ventura Police Department is now accepting applications for the next Community Academy open to Ventura residents and business owners. The academy can accommodate 30 participants and the deadline to apply is Saturday, December 31, 2021.
The Community Academy is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community partnerships and increase transparency. This free program will take participants on a patrol ride-along, provide interactive trainings, showcase hands-on activities that provide an inside look at local policing, and much more. Each night features a new topic with different speakers, demonstrations, and discussions.
“The feedback provided by residents after our most recent Community Academy was overwhelmingly positive,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler. “They advocated for an annual program and we’ve listened. It’s my hope that we continue to listen, learn, and collaborate to make Ventura even safer.”
The Community Academy, set to begin on March 1, 2023, will be held on 10 consecutive Wednesday nights from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. with a final class and graduation on May 3, 2023. Nine classes will be held at the Ventura Police Department. The session on March 22, 2023, will be held at the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center in Camarillo.
To be eligible for the Ventura Police Community Academy applicants must:
Interviews are expected to occur in late January and those accepted will be notified in early February.
To learn more or apply for the 2023 Ventura Police Community Academy, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/CommunityAcademy.
It’s 1930’s Harlem, and the joint is jumpin.
Ain’t Misbehavin at the Rubicon Theatre Company closes on December 18.
It’s 1930’s Harlem, and the joint is jumpin’! Nightclubs like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom are the playgrounds of high society, and dive bars on Lenox Avenue pulse with piano players banging out new tunes that are a wild mix of raucous, rowdy, and mournful. At home on the keyboard is Thomas “Fats” Waller – the big-hearted, bigger-than-life impresario and international jazz pianist who helped create and define American swing. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a musical tribute to Waller’s passion for pleasure and play. The revue features a five-person, triple-threat cast performing hit songs like “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “Black and Blue,” “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Right Myself a Letter,” “The Jitterbug Waltz,” and the title song.
“The high-stepping swing music tickles and teases, taunts and tantalizes.”
– L.A. Times
YPN members solicited donations from local merchants to give to the Boys and Girls Club.
The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura provides comprehensive after-school and summer-break services to hundreds of low-income children for just a small fee that is a fraction of the actual costs to pay for staff and facilities. As Executive Director Patti Birmingham puts it, the club couldn’t exist without generous community support.
Which is why the Young Professionals Network (YPN) of the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors (VCCAR) selected the club as its designated charity for the annual YPN Month of Giving this year, said YPN Chair Vanessa Rice, a sales executive with Fidelity Home Warranty.
“We wanted to choose a local organization and one that helped children,” she explained. So the group of younger real estate professionals – Realtors and affiliated members who work for title companies, lenders, escrow companies and others involved in residential real estate transactions – hosted a fundraiser at Peirano’s restaurant in downtown Ventura which raised $7,900 for the Boys and Girls Club.
YPN members solicited donations from local merchants to be auctioned off at the event, and Peirano’s generously offered the space for the event at no charge.
“That was huge,” Rice noted. “If you have to pay for the venue, that takes a lot out of what you can give back.”
Birmingham said the clubs only charge a $25 a year membership fee for after-school programs and $50 a week for summer programs, while it costs about $2,400 per child for after-school programs and $3,600 for year-round participation.
“Donations like this mean everything for us. They make all the difference in serving these kids, and they are families who need support,” she said.
Ashley Anderson, VCCAR’s 2022 president, said the Association is proud to support community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.
“Realtors know their communities and their needs well and believe in strengthening those communities,” Anderson said. “Realtors and their companies give back in many ways throughout the year, and as an Association we are proud to contribute as well.”
The California Association of Realtors launched the Young Professional Network Month of Giving program in 2015 to give back to local communities. Each local chapter selects its charity of choice and plans fundraising efforts.
Students receive a veterinary assistant Certificate of Achievement.
Ventura College’s veterinary technology program is less than two years old and already has been granted initial accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). This recognition signifies the success and rigor of the young program, as graduates will now be qualified to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam to become Registered Veterinary Technicians.
The accreditation process involves detailed evaluations by the AVMA’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) and is designed to ensure veterinary technology programs produce practice-ready graduates. Students are required to demonstrate competency in over 300 essential skills that span all sectors of veterinary medicine and involve hands-on skills working with over 10 species of domestic animals.
Ventura College’s two-year vet tech program, launched February 2021, is a partnership with Ohana Pet Hospital. Classes are held at Ventura College East Campus in Santa Paula with students getting practical experience working with animals at off-campus animal care facilities throughout Ventura County. Students also participate in clinical externships at veterinary hospitals and clinics, where they gain valuable field experience. Upon completing their first year in the program, students receive a veterinary assistant Certificate of Achievement, which enables them to seek entry-level employment in the field of veterinary technology. Graduating students receive an Associate of Science degree in veterinary technology.
“In 2021, Ventura College’s East Campus welcomed its first cohort of 26 students in the program. We were the first in the Tri-County region to have a vet tech program, so receiving the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities stamp of approval is important for the program’s longevity and our students’ futures,” said Kim Hoffmans, president of Ventura College.
For more information about the vet tech program, visit https://www.venturacollege.edu/departments/academic/veterinary-technician
There are lots of ways to get involved.
Food Share, Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization, is bringing its most popular community event back for the holidays! The 11th Annual Can-tree food drive will take place in Figueroa Plaza from Thursday, December 1 when the trees will be built, through Sunday, December 4, 2022, when they will be dismantled.
The event, which brings thousands of individuals, families, and local businesses together to collect and build hundreds of canned food “trees” is Food Share’s biggest food and fund drive of the year and is a critical source of food for the thousands of people still struggling with food insecurity in Ventura County.
There are lots of ways to get involved. Participants can Collect & Build, Buy & Build, Raise & Build or Sponsor a Tree. There’s also a chance to win one of 13 coveted awards including the CAN Crusher, the People’s Choice, and the Mayor’s Choice, all of which will be featured on Food Share’s website, social media pages and newsletter.
Food Share is serving three times the number of people being served pre-pandemic. The latest figure (total for 2021) is a little over 190,000 unduplicated people based on FreshTrak data. However, this figure does not include people attending emergency drive-thru distributions, some of our programs, including Community Markets, or farmworkers receiving food at field distributions. The total number being served annually is @220,000.
For more information visit: foodshare.com/cantree or reach out to Jess Hug, at [email protected].
Gift drop-off locations include Ventura City Hall.
The City of Ventura, in partnership with Home Instead, is seeking gift donations for this year’s Santa to a Senior program, hosted now through December 13. All donations are given to local seniors enrolled in the Ventura Avenue Adult Center’s Senior Nutrition Meal Program.
“This program has existed since 2018, and between 200 to 250 seniors benefit from it each year,” said City of Ventura Recreation Manager Emily Fox. “It’s a wonderful way to spread some holiday cheer, especially to the homebound seniors in our community.”
Gift ideas from the general wish list include blankets, books, crafting supplies, puzzles, robes, slippers, warm sweaters, bath towels, scarves, gloves, gift cards, flashlights, white noise machines, toiletries, and more. Please leave gifts unwrapped.
There are two ways to donate to the Santa to a Senior program:
1) Participants can visit the Santa to a Senior holiday display trees at City Hall near Room 226 or the Ventura Aquatic Center to choose a specific gift request directly from the tree.
2) Participants can purchase a gift from the general wish list and drop it off at one of the designated Santa to a Senior drop-off locations.
Gift drop-off locations include Ventura City Hall, Ventura Aquatics Center, Ventura Avenue Adult Center, and Barranca Vista Center.
Visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/SantaToASenior for full program details, including drop-off location times and general gift ideas.
Alex McIntyre has served as the City Manager of the City of Ventura since November 2018.
The Ventura City Council has announced that City Manager Alex D. McIntyre has been placed on administrative leave pending Council direction on a private personnel matter.
Even though the reason was not stated it is assumed that it is because in March some members of the City Council took a trip to Washington D.C. for legislative matters. Council members on the trip violated the Brown Act, the state’s open meeting law, by holding meetings without proper notification and agenda publication. In a separate September 2021 trip, McIntyre used his state-issued credit card to pay for dinner and wine for eight people during a business trip to Sacramento.
Alex McIntyre has served as the City Manager of the City of Ventura since November 2018. Prior to his position at Ventura, McIntyre served as the City Manager of Menlo Park from 2012-2018. He served as the City Manager of Lake Oswego in Oregon from 2008-2012. He also served as the Chief Assistant County Administrator with the County of Marin from 2006-2008, and before that he was Town manager of Tiburon from 2000-2006. He also served as Town Manager of Portola Valley from 1997-2000. Alex holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.
City Attorney Andy Heglund announced McIntyre’s status “pending council direction on a private personnel matter.”
Assistant City Manager Akbar Alikhan was selected to serve as the acting city manager.
Paul Lenderman officiated the ceremonies.
On the evening of November 3, 2022 the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Ventura proudly opened its doors to all of greater Ventura County for the eighth annual Candlelight Remembrance Service. This was a special evening for anyone who has experienced a loss and wished to remember their loved one in a sacred space. This moving night of remembrance and reflection featured several speakers from Assisted Hospice of Ventura.
Michael Boyko, owner of the funeral home stated “we again are so proud to be able to host this evening for our entire community in need of reflection, consolation, and care. Moreover, I remain humbled to be able to provide such a touching ceremony with the entire highly professional staff of Assisted Home and Hospice of Ventura. Our community really needs this type of service and we know we are reaching people who need it as attendees are from all walks of life and from many different communities in Ventura County.
This evening featured live harp music from Ted Nicholsen, professional harpists from the peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills as well as the officiant Dr. Paul Lenderman, Spiritual counselor/grief coordinator of Assisted Hospice in Ventura. Dr. William and Dr. Lisa Rajala also took time and spoke with spiritual poems and readings of consolation. Spiritual Counselor Raquel Jensen and Social Worker Susan Derby also participated with life affirming prayers and tributes to loved ones and patients that have passed within the last several years. Marianne Cody of Assisted Hospice helped coordinate the evening and assisted participants with candle lighting and placement.
Michael went on to say “no one can tell you how to grieve. I believe a ceremony like this one is just one more way we can be of service to our community. Our funeral homes offer a helping hand to all who need it no matter the circumstances. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow we’ll be here to help”.
Competitor nose riding during the Queen of the Cove competition. Photo by Kaili Reynolds
by Amy Brown
With three days of sun, smiles and shredding, professional and amateur surfers came together recently at the Queen of the Cove, the first all-women’s longboard competition held at C Street. Pro surfer Sally Cohen finished first in the pro division with a $6000 purse, and a range of talented women were crowned in age divisions ranging from 50s to 10 and under.
Amateur surfers had the chance to compete against some of their idols in different divisions and hone their skills, according to 18-year-old Olivia Willhite, who has been surfing in competitions for years. “I surfed against Rylin Baker (who won the 17-19 division) yesterday, and she’s really good, and definitely someone to look at as a mentor in surfing,” she said, “I like being part of an all-women’s surf event, I think that’s really cool,” said Willhite, who is also a popular local singer songwriter gaining international acclaim with her Indie beach rock style.
Elieah Boyd shared that while this was only her second surf competition, she had placed second in the 20s division the day before. “I follow most of these girls that are professional surfers on Instagram, and I got to surf with them, it was a crazy experience. It feels like they’re there to support you just as much as you’re there to support them,” she said.
Many competitors had to overcome nervousness before being able to relax into the spirit of the event. “I’m new to competitions, and yesterday the nerves got the best of me. I fell on a lot of waves and I got really frustrated with myself,” said 21 year old Sierra Cameron. “But then I realized, I’m just going to go out and really surf in my next heat, because I love this sport. So I did that, and I got second in my heat!”
Ashley Heath made it to the finals on Sunday and placed fifth in the 14-16 division. “It was really fun, it’s been amazing, and I feel like it’s also a little piece of history, as there aren’t that many women’s competitions around, and I love being part of this one,” she said. “I look up to all the pro girls here, they’re really empowering, and I’ve made some great friends along the way.”
The event was organized by Carla Zamora, who had initially founded a Queen of the Cove event in Malibu. She was thrilled with the success of the Ventura competition and says it will be an annual event. “It was spectacular. Perfect weather conditions, it was so beautiful and sunny, the wind didn’t come up and all the things just fell into alignment,” said Zamora. “We wanted an opportunity to both offer the pros a platform and money and bring the amateurs in to see what they could have in the future.”
The event concluded with a paddle out in sweaters to honor the late great Ventura surfing pioneer Mary Monks, who famously surfed Ventura County breaks in the 1950s in a wool sweater in lieu of a wetsuit, and whose photo adorns the Ventura pier.
