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.

Hasan is sworn in by LAFCO clerk of the board, Richelle Beltran.

Mohammed A. Hasan, a prominent community and business leader in Ventura County has been elected to the Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission. The special districts in Ventura County elected him to be an alternate Commissioner.

The Ventura County LAFCO decides primarily boundary issues of the county, cities, and most special districts. Every county in California has a LAFCO. They implement state law requirements, state and local policies relating to boundary changes, including spheres of influence, incorporations, annexations, and reorganizations. More Information is available at ventura.lafco.ca.gov.

Hasan is well known as a tireless volunteer/leader in the community in the areas of environment, health, art, and youth. He is the founder and instructor of free community classes in Longevity, conversational Spanish, financial independence, and calligraphy. He currently the vice president of the non-profit organization, El Concilio FS, which serves the underserved community of farm workers and those in need of assistance for immigration and citizenship services. All the local newspapers have published an article or two about Hasan’s passion for contribution to the community.

Hasan is the owner of a civil and environmental firm in Ventura. He was an engineer with the Ventura Regional Sanitation District, and the utilities superintendent of the City of Oxnard. He earned advanced degrees from the University of Iowa. He is Fellow two national professional societies, and Harris Fellow of the Rotary International. He authored a book on solving drought problems in California.

Hasan is a co-founder of OceanForesters. This Ventura start-up helps economically challenged coastal communities build and manage their own flexible floating fishing reefs. The complete ecosystem on the reefs restores ocean bounty and biodiversity. Hasan also served as the chief engineer and general manager of the bio-energy startup company, PODenergy, where he helped develop theories for the reduction of global carbon dioxide via ocean afforestation.

Hasan is a 48-year resident of Ventura. He and wife JoAnn have two adult daughters, Yasmin and Mishty.

Students asking questions regarding Ventura County agriculture.

Each year, elementary school students travel by bus to take part in Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture’s (SEEAG) Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Saticoy and Allan Hancock College’s Demonstration Orchard in Santa Maria to learn about the farm origins of their food. The program is offered free to schools including most of the school bus transportation costs.  SEEAG is launching its “Bus Bucks” fundraiser to fully offset school bus expenses so that its field trips are 100% cost-free.

Now through June 30, funds raised will enable thousands of Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara county students to travel from their schools to one of SEEAG’s Farm Lab locations at no cost.

The goal is to raise $20,000. “Transportation is one of the main reasons schools don’t go on field trips,” says Mary Maranville, founder and CEO of SEEAG. “We give each school $250 per bus, which pays for most if not all of the school’s bus costs. If we raise enough funds we can make each bus ride 100% free. We couldn’t do this without the generous support from the community.”

In 2022, SEEAG educated 2,558 students about local agricultural sciences during 56 field trips to its two Farm Lab locations.  Many students who attend are low-income, Title 1 students.

To make a Bus Bucks donation, go to www.seeag.org/busbucks. For more about SEEAG’s ag education programs, go to www.seeag.org.

Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at [email protected].

This season a little holiday cheer seemed in order.

Usually, CMH Auxiliary members can be seen providing information at the front desk, manning the gift shop, escorting patients, and assisting staff in various ways, but there was a change in routine recently.

Forgoing the usual navy blue and white uniform and donning holiday sweaters and accessories, a contingent of the Auxiliary could be found serenading staff and patients with Christmas carols and spreading some holiday cheer on several floors of the hospital.

The music was appreciated and applauded even though singing while wearing the mandated masks was a challenge. As always, the Auxiliary strives to provide services to the staff where needed, and this season a little holiday cheer seemed in order.

Some of the folks who helped at the Cornucopia gardens.

Last month volunteers came out to Cornucopia Community Gardens to help restore and beautify the educational garden spaces as part of Environmental Sustainability & Parks and Recreation’s Spruce Up Cornucopia Gardens Event! Volunteers mulched, cleared debris, and wiped down equipment while enjoying each other’s company, and snacks. The work accomplished by these groups and individuals will be instrumental in hosting Gardening Series classes and community enrichment to come at Cornucopia Community Gardens.

Cornucopia Community Garden is the City of Ventura’s largest community garden, with approximately 150 plots available for rent to community members. Managed by the Parks and Recreation Department, the garden attracts community members from all walks of life who come together to cultivate the land and enjoy the outdoors.

Photo by Richard Sweet

The Santa Clara River (SCR) flowing at the 101 freeway on 1/4/23 at 10:26 a.m. It is looking upstream towards the NE. Upstream of this location on the SCR, our groundwater aquifers are getting recharged, as they are exposed to percolation from surface waters. From what I gather, downstream, there is less permeable land and lower quality shallow aquifers.