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Open Air Pottery Market – Valentine Celebration Feb. 12-13

“Open Air Pottery Market – Valentine Celebration”
February 12 & 13,11 AM to 6 PM both days
Ventura Pottery Gallery
1567 Spinnaker Drive Suite 105

Valentine’s Day – say it with flowers, say it with candy – but also say it permanently with clay. We have heart mugs and dragon mugs, yarn bowls, rice bowls, heart dishes, ceramic jewelry, sea creatures, flame-ware pottery for cooking, surfers riding waves, candle holders and juicers for your main squeeze.

We invite you to stop by and explore the well-priced creations from over 40 local potters who exhibit at the gallery.

The Ventura County Potters’ Guild, a non-profit founded in 1957, continues its mission of promoting ceramic arts through the Gallery, workshops, and monthly meetings. The monthly meetings are open to the public and feature ceramic demonstrations or presentations. More information can be found at www.venturapottersguild.org. Can’t make it to the gallery? Please visit our Online Store at www.venturapotteryonline.com.

City of Ventura awarded nearly $2 million grant for skatepark expansion

Skatepark project expands the skatepark by more than 20,000-square-feet. Photos by Patricia Schallert

The City of Ventura received a nearly $2 million grant from the state’s “California Outdoors for All” initiative to fund construction to expand the skatepark at Westpark, located at 450 W Harrison Avenue.

The Westpark Skatepark Expansion Project expands the existing skatepark by more than 20,000-square-feet and includes features tailored to various skill levels, green infrastructure, and public art.

“This is an exciting win for Ventura, especially for our families living on the Westside,” shared Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “This grant will do so much good in our community. An expanded skatepark will provide more space and opportunities for our kids to play outside and enjoy more recreational activities.”

The existing 3,200-square-foot park is one of three skateparks in the City built over 20 years ago. Along with the skate bowls at Pacific Park and Hobert Park, the community identified a need for facilities geared to a range of skaters. As a result, multiple community partnerships helped support the project through fundraising and participation. Among the supporters, the Westpark Skatepark Expansion Steering Team (W.E.S.T.) raised $10,000 for the project design and construction and assisted with public outreach.

“The City worked closely with our residents, skate park users, local stakeholders, and Spanish-speaking community members to create the initial design for the skatepark expansion project at Westpark,” said Parks and Recreation Director Nancy O’Connor. “In preparation for this statewide grant, the City started community outreach efforts in May 2019 and early 2020. Through a series of in-person and virtual meetings, we received hundreds of ideas on specific skatepark features, sustainable landscaping, public safety, and beautification.”

In the coming weeks, the City will conduct additional outreach during the request for proposal process to gather public input as it refines the final design for the skatepark expansion project.

This grant is provided by California State Parks as part of Governor Newsom’s “California Outdoors for All” initiative, which will provide $548.3 million in grant funding to more than 100 communities to create new parks and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.

The City’s Parks Division maintains 39 facilities with current construction projects underway at Community Park as well as the first-ever inclusive playground at Arroyo Verde Park.

For more information about City parks and facilities, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Parks.

Memorial service at Ventura Harbor for Vuong Tran

A memorial service was held at the docks at the Harbor for Vuong Tran (January 1, 1957-December 8, 2021). Attended by his large family and many many friends.

From the Harbor Patrol:

Wednesday 12/08, 4:23pm, dispatched to an offshore Search & Rescue for missing fisherman from the commercial boat John Start. Officers responded in the Fireboat and Rescue B17 with multiple agencies to aid in the search.

Search patterns were conducted for five hours in the Santa Barbara Channel along with USCG vessels/aircraft & TowBoat US. Sadly, and with heavy hearts, only his vessel was found and he is still missing.

Tran was one of the longest tenants of Ventura Harbor, beloved by everyone, he always made the effort to say hello, shake your hand with a huge smile. Fishing, years ago, Tran rescued a former Ventura HP officers’ father in an outrigger canoe accident.

Ventura College Foundation provided $696,095 in direct student support during

This past academic year was like no other for students.

Despite pandemic challenges, the Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and financial assistance to Ventura College students and school programs, distributed $696,095 in direct student financial support during the 2020-2021 academic year and another $871,749 to 28 Ventura College programs across 17 department and divisions.

“This past academic year was like no other for students and their families, college leadership, faculty and staff, donors and the foundation,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Despite everything, the foundation was able to build its financial reserves while distributing over $1.5 million in student and school program aid.”

The foundation awarded 400 scholarships (including 8 new scholarships) to 228 applicants. Its lending library and veterans’ textbook program provided textbooks to 602 students including 53 veterans.

According to Ventura College data, 55 percent of the college’s 10,000-student population are classified as extremely low income or low income and 18 percent are housing insecure. Twenty-eight percent sought assistance from the college’s Basic Needs Office, which helps students with food and housing. 

“Because of the effects of the pandemic, we saw the number of students in economic crisis grow,” says King. “The foundation responded by redirecting some of its fundraising efforts to raise more than $19,000 to help support students with their basic living expenses. When these needs are met, we know students can better focus on their academic studies. We are so grateful to our donors. Their commitment to education is building a stronger and brighter future for VC students and our community.”

For more information on the Ventura College Foundation’s financial impact on student education and donor honor in 2020-2021, go to https://venturacollegefoundation.org/foundation-impact. To learn about Ventura College Foundation donation options, click on https://venturacollegefoundation.org/giving.

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and operates financially independent from Ventura College. It transforms students’ lives through education by providing innovative and vital resources and financial support. The Foundation collaborates with Ventura College to enhance human potential, civic engagement, careers and academic success of students enabling their effective impact and legacy on the college, local workforce, and our community. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace; an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus. For more information, contact Julie Harvey at (805) 289-6502 or [email protected] or visit www.VenturaCollegeFoundation.org.

Thankful for our sense of community here in Ventura

Knox’s green wagon was stolen from inside a duplex.

by Carol Leish, MA

“It’s important to be a part of our community and to be able to pick each other up,” according to, John Burdick. “When I saw that Chris G. had more of an urgent need for the wagon, I just wanted to be able to help him out by giving it to him.”

Chris & Dani G. live with their three young children in the Pierpont area of Ventura. Chris recently posted on Nextdoor that his 4-year-old son Knox’s green wagon was stolen from inside a duplex with a 6ft. fence. He also posted a picture of the wagon. He said that Knox came inside upset and said, “A bandit took my wagon.”

First, Chris was also upset because of the theft of the wagon. But, after posting about the incident on Nextdoor, and getting two generous responses to pay for a new wagon, and the response from John Burdick to give his wagon to them, he said, “I was overwhelmed with a sense of community.”

John said that, “Now that my sons are ages 7 and 10, I hadn’t been using the wagon to pull them around various places anymore. And, I realized that Chris had more of an urgent need for it. I know how it feels when something is stolen from you. We need to pick each other up by helping out each other.

“It was also an awesome experience when Chris and Knox picked up the wagon from outside my home here in Ventura. My kids were proud to be donating the wagon, too. In fact, it was the same wagon that we were giving to them, that had been stolen from them. Thus, I was donating it back to them so that they wouldn’t be missing a beat.” Having fun playing while riding in the green wagon would be continuing on!

He retired with rank of full bird colonel

100 and still going strong.

On Saturday, January 8, a 100th birthday celebration was held for Mr. Edward “Dick” Meares an Independent Living resident at Cypress Place Senior Living. Dick is a U.S. Army veteran who received a Bronze Star and Legion of Merit in addition to so many other medals that when you see him in his uniform it is quite spectacular. At his party he was presented a quilt specially made for him by the Quilts of Honor program.

Dick works out every day in the gym at Cypress.

Edward Dickinson Meares was born on January 8, 1922, in Greenville, S. Carolina.
He lived Greenville until his mid-teens when his family moved to Washington, DC.

Dick earned a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Masters in Adult education from Georgetown University.

He was a career army officer serving for 30 years. He retired with the rank of full bird colonel.

When he has free time, he plays chess and likes reading. In his earlier years he enjoyed horseback riding with his siters.

One of his grandson’s Alan is carrying on the military tradition. He is an air force pilot and flies the U-2 Dragon Lady ultra high altitude spy plane.  He has flown it over Afghanistan and around North Korean air space.

He has 6 great grandchildren. Being a military family some of his kids lived in
Germany, Michigan, Massachusetts, Japan, Arizona, Virginia, and California.

St. John’s Hospitals physicians, nurses and staff provide gift baskets to families in need this holiday season

Christina Ramos, RN helping load adopt-a-family gifts into the Lighthouse for Women and Children van.

Physicians, nurses and staff at Dignity Health-St. John’s Hospitals in Camarillo and Oxnard are paying it forward by providing more than 40 families with presents for Christmas.

More than 500 wrapped gifts will be given to families who are served by the County of Ventura Homeless Services Program, Lighthouse for Women and Children and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County.

“Many of the families we adopted have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will truly benefit from these gifts,” said Barry Wolfman, President and CEO of St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo. “While we have faced our own challenges throughout the pandemic, our staff feels fortunate to lend a hand to those in need in our community.”

Individuals from each family provided a wish list which consisted of basic need items such as clothing and shoes as well as toys for kids.

The gifts will be shared with the families just in time for Christmas.

Dignity Health-St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo comprise the largest non-profit acute care provider in Ventura County. Founded more than 100
years ago, St. John’s Hospitals are nationally recognized for quality care, safety and service.
Both hospitals are supported by an active philanthropic Foundation to support new programs
and services, as well as to advance the community’s access to health care. Learn more at DignityHealth.org/StJohnsRegional or DignityHealth.org/StJohnsHospitalCamarillo.

A vast collection of resources are available

In the photo is Deya Terrafranca, Research Library and Archives Director and a copy of The Daily Free Press from Dec.14, 1887. Photos by Patricia Schallert

Click to enlarge

The Research Library and Archives at the Museum of Ventura County houses a vast collection of resources pertaining to the history of Ventura County and its outlying regions. The collection spans the Chumash Indians, the Mission and Rancho periods, early settlement, commercialization, industrialization, to present times. The collection includes books, newspapers, clipping and ephemera files, maps, oral histories, ledgers, microfilm, manuscript collections, and photographs, just to name a few. Currently open Wednesday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, the public can visit by making an appointment online (https://venturamuseum.org).

Staff and volunteers are available to assist researchers to conduct historical and genealogical research on any number of local subjects and families. The Museum is currently requiring masks in all indoor spaces, including the Research Library and Archives.

The Power of Kindness

Feel Good Fridays” have highlighted local businesses of every ilk. Photo by Visit Ventura

by Visit Ventura

Kindness feels good. It is as small as a smile, and a power without limits. Kindness can change a day, a life, a world. Each equally magnificent.

Think back to the last time someone did something kind for you.

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people,” said Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Perhaps kindness matters now more than ever, as we continue to navigate a shape-shifting pandemic.

For nineteen months, Visit Ventura has made kindness a cornerstone of our efforts to help Ventura get through the pandemic. It’s been part of every program we’ve created to help our businesses and our hometown during the pandemic. “Shop Ventura, Save Ventura,” “Takeout Tuesdays,” “Thirsty Thursday,” and “Feel Good Fridays” have highlighted local businesses of every ilk. And asked people to perform a simple, but critical, kindness. Please support local.

We’ve also asked folks to perform simple kindnesses. Buy a cup of coffee for the person behind you in line. Buy takeout from a Ventura restaurant. Buy a sandwich, and hand it to the first person who looks hungry. Right now we’re distributing kindness cards – actually we’re asking you to, well, kindly do it. We created the cards (which you can pick up at the Ventura Visitor Center, 101 South California Street) for a simple, not-so-simple reason. To pass along kindness. Pick your cards up at the Visitor Center. Keep them handy. Then pass them on, spontaneously or no, to someone who deserves a thanks. Someone who is a model of kindness. Someone who gave you great service. Someone who inspires you. Someone who just makes you smile.

Your turn to make them smile.

Because we all need a boost.

Kindness isn’t just about warm fuzzies. It has serious underpinnings. Early in the pandemic the Ventura Chamber of Commerce took a poll of local businesses. About a third said they didn’t expect to make it through the pandemic. As you read this, nearly 90 percent of those businesses are still in business. Why? Because Venturans stepped up to the plate, supporting local as only we can.

And kindness is still seriously required. Ventura’s businesses, so many of them locally owned, continue to face ever-changing challenges. Ripple effects of every kind. Now many businesses are short staffed, struggling to do a lot more with fewer people. From hotels, to restaurants, to retail, they are working hard to hire staff, but sometimes waits are a little longer and phones ring a little longer. Necessitating simple kindnesses like patience, an understanding smile, a kind word.

And maybe handing over a kindness card.

We are all walking through this time together. Who wouldn’t want to make it more pleasant? And it requires pretty much nothing. No effort (how hard is a smile?). No real inconvenience (how hard, a few extra beats of patience?) No timetable.

“Be kind whenever possible,” the Dalai Lama once said. “It is always possible.”

Kindness is no pushover. It is a lot tougher than it looks. Ventura knows the power of kindness. Kindness has proved we won’t be knocked down. Not by a fire. Not by a pandemic. Not by anything.

Nothing beats invincible spirit, community, and simple kindnesses .

It’s not rocket science.

That may be the greatest power of kindness.

Anyone can do it.