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Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast announces the Bauerle Family Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship Fund

Foto: The Bauerle Family supports Gold Award Girl Scouts in their pursuit of higher education.

While there are a variety of scholarships that Girl Scouts can pursue, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast is excited to announce a new, local opportunity just for girls within the Central Coast region. Each spring, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast will present The Bauerle Family Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship Fund to support girls in their pursuit of higher education. The Award will be presented to top applicants who have demonstrated personal excellence in academic, community, and Girl Scout life.

Karen Bauerle began her Girl Scout journey as a Brownie, the level for second and third-grade girls, and her mother served as her and her sister’s troop leader for nine years. Girl Scouts can be a true family affair, and soon enough even her father was very involved with the troop. Later when Karen had a daughter of her own, she could not wait to share her enthusiasm for the program and started a troop of their own. She has since been a troop leader for ten years, served as a Service Unit manager, and now assists with recruiting and mentoring through Girl Scouts.

The Bauerle Family has remained actively involved with the Girl Scouts, working both to serve the greater community and the organization’s membership. Karen is passionate about starting new troops and passing them on to mentored leaders. She currently leads three troops with immense support from her husband, Randy, who recognizes the value that Girl Scouts can bring to girls’ lives. Their daughter Ashley is currently working on her Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn. Gold Award Girl Scouts are recognized for tackling meaningful issues in a way that drives lasting change in their communities and beyond. Recognizing that there were no current Gold Award scholarships, Karen and Randy decided to follow in the footsteps of these proactive Girl Scouts and take action.

Recipients of The Bauerle Family Girl Scout Gold Award Scholarship Fund will receive a one-time scholarship of up to $1,500. To be eligible, girls must be a Gold Award Girl Scout (or in the process of earning the award), a registered Girl Scout in the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast council, a graduating high school senior, and enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited college or university for the 2021-2022 academic year. High school students are eligible to apply and if selected for the award, receipt of the scholarship is contingent upon enrollment for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Applicants will need to fill out an electronic application and submit, including a transcript and resume, via email to [email protected] on or before April 16, 2021. For more information and to download the application visit www.girlscoutsccc.org/goldawardscholarship.

“All Gold Awardee girls are welcomed and encouraged to share their Girl Scout journey and apply for our scholarship toward their college futures,” said Karen.

We are so grateful for the Bauerle family and their contributions to both the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and our Gold Award Girl Scouts. As our girls work to educate and inspire, drive meaningful change, and make the world a better place, we are so grateful that with the Bauerle’s support they will be able to continue their efforts on a larger stage – first in higher education, then the world.

Task Force on Aging and Families provides guidance amid COVID-19

Today, as adults 65 and older account for approximately 80% of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S., the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging & Families announced a letter sent to President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outlining specific measures to strengthen COVID-19 assistance to seniors. This letter follows the Task Force’s request to the Biden Administration to appoint a geriatrician or expert in aging services to the President’s COVID-19 Advisory Board.

Topline Policy Recommendations to Assist Older Americans:

Streamline the vaccination infrastructure with seniors in mind and provide the clear, necessary guidance and funding to support states in this effort.

Prioritize seniors of color in vaccine engagement.

Strengthen senior-specific nutritional and housing support to meet the rising and unprecedented needs of isolated and food-insecure adults.

Expand and better train the workforce that cares for older adults.

Prioritize incarcerated seniors for compassionate release and vaccine engagement.

“The American Rescue Plan outlines a strong national directive to fight the pandemic, focuses on high-risk and hard-to-reach populations, and addresses racial inequities in the pandemic response. We are especially encouraged by the plan’s emphasis on improving vaccine distribution for seniors, a constituency that has borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic,” said the Task Force Members in their letter. “While the American Rescue Plan has many important provisions to help older Americans, it is imperative that our response matches the severity of this crisis and the toll it has taken on this population.”

Humane Society of Ventura County during the Pandemic

Adoption Counselor Josephine Maxson with some wonderful dogs to adopt.

by Carol Leish

Greg Cooper, Director of Community Outreach, of the Humane Society of Ventura County, said: “I think that the most important thing that I would like to educate the community about is our shelter is Ojai is ‘OPEN’ for most of our services. However, we are closed for casual visits.”

“Out adoption rate for cats and dogs is about the same now compared to before the pandemic,” according to Cooper. “We had initially closed last March (2020), to all adoptions and intakes due to the Stay-at-Home orders, but readily initiated an appointment only system for most of our services.”

“We do want the community to have access to our services,” according to Cooper. “But we want the community to understand that we have changed the way we operate because of the pandemic. Most of our services are still available, but by appointment only. The second thing that I would like our community to know about is that we’ve had a significant downturn in donations since the beginning of the pandemic. I am sure that the reasons vary greatly, but from our point of view, we still need to offer our services. However, with fewer resources and decreased donations, things have become very challenging.”

“Not having the public on the property (during the pandemic), has certainly been strange for the animals and staff who have become accustomed to having that interaction. Raising awareness for the compassionate care of all animals is a key component of our mission,” according to Cooper. “And, without that person-to-person interaction, our opportunity to educate diminishes. We are also closed to volunteers who have traditionally helped with socializing the animals. Our kennels staff have picked up that slack so that every dog, cat, and horse on our property still receives a tremendous amount of interaction.”

Cooper said, “We adopt out dogs, cats, horses, and occasionally other domesticated animals like birds and hamsters. Before the pandemic people could come to the Shelter and browse. We have initiated an appointment-only system for adoptions. Now, we ask that people look at the photos and bios of the available animals on our website, www.hsvc.org, then request an appointment to visit. From there, the adoption process is pretty much the same. Thus, if it’s good fit, they need to fill out an application and then get screened further (such as a yard check for dogs), before proceeding with the adoption.”

“The number one way to support our efforts,” according to Cooper, “is through financial donations through our website, or by credit card over the phone, or by mailing in a check. As a nonprofit, we rely solely on the support/generosity of our community. We are often confused with national organizations, such as the HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.), or the ASPCA (American Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). We are our own nonprofit and receive no funding from either the national or local government. We also need in-kind donations, such as: towels and blankets; unopened bags of dog and cat food; and, toys for cats and dogs. A complete list of items, which is on our Amazon wish list, is updated daily. It’s at: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/genericitemsPage/2LHNG8JV4F1VO?type=wishlist& encoding=UTF8.

Remember that the Humane Society of Ventura County continues to be open now. Cooper said, “We ask for patience and understanding from the public during the pandemic. We want to ensure people that the animals are very well cared for and we can still provide most of our services. Please call: (805) 646-6505, and look to our website: www.hasvc.org for the most up-to-date information if you’re interested in adopting an animal.” Yes, animals are/can become an important part of our families.

Editor: First of 3 articles about pet adoption agencies in Ventura County. Next issue will be about CARL.

Ventura’s Water security requires investment now

Susan Rungren Ventura Water General Manager.

by Susan Rungren

Did you know Ventura is one of the largest cities in Southern California to rely solely on local water supplies? Rainfall feeds the Ventura River, Lake Casitas, and local groundwater basins to meet all the water needs of our community.

Water is at the core of our identity and the future of its security is in jeopardy. Although our community’s conservation efforts have reduced water use by 20 percent, Ventura’s rain-dependent water supplies remain vulnerable to future droughts.

Additionally, results of ongoing litigation will likely limit or reduce the amount of water the City can withdraw from the Ventura River, which currently accounts for roughly 20 percent of Ventura’s water supply.

Groundwater—which supplies more than half of Ventura’s water— is expected to continue to decline due to recent regulations.

To maintain essential services and protect our water resources, Ventura must continually invest in our water and wastewater systems. Investments will allow us to improve water quality, replace old pipelines and aging infrastructure, meet regulatory requirements, and secure water supply for the future.

The City has a two-pronged approach to address our critical water supply challenges: recycle the water we already have, and access additional water supplies through the State Water Project.

The VenturaWaterPure Project will help us keep the water we already have. Currently, 8 to 9 million gallons of treated wastewater from the Ventura’s Water Reclamation Facility is discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary each day. This is water that could be better used for our community.

This initiative will divert treated wastewater to an advanced purification facility where it will be purified to drinking water standards and injected into local groundwater basins. This approach will provide a new, drought-resistant water supply, offering up to an additional 3,600 acre-feet of water per year, representing approximately 23 percent of the City’s existing supply.

VenturaWaterPure will use an advanced water purification process to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. This purification technology is currently used throughout California, in other states, and internationally. VenturaWaterPure will address Ventura’s water needs by provide a reliable, sustainable water supply.

The City currently holds an entitlement from the State Water Project but cannot currently take direct delivery due to a lack of infrastructure to deliver that water. The State Water Interconnection Project will enable Ventura to access the water we have had rights to since the 1970s. A new 7-mile pipeline will allow Ventura to tap into its State Water entitlement, addressing anticipated cutbacks in existing local supply sources. Additionally, the pipeline will enable deliveries between regional agencies during emergencies.

These critical investments, while costly, will offer lasting water security for our community. Currently, the City is undergoing a Water and Wastewater Rate Study to ensure sufficient revenue is available to operate and maintain our existing systems and to invest in these forward-looking projects. Rates must be continually reviewed and adjusted to repair and replace aging infrastructure, meet regulatory needs, improve water quality, and secure water supply.

In Ventura, water and wastewater rates have remained low compared to neighboring communities. It has been nearly three years since Ventura Water has increased rates. Results of the recent rate study has shown that an annual rate increase of 7 percent for water service and 6 percent for wastewater service is needed over the next five years. For the average homeowner, this adjustment will amount to an average annual increase of $7.76 to a monthly bill, for the next five years.

Rate increases are rarely convenient, but now is the time for us to invest in our water and wastewater systems. Deferring project costs, improvements, and upgrades comes at a high price. Safe, clean, and affordable water is vital to life, the local economy, and our community. We hope that our ratepayers, businesses, and policymakers will continue to partner with us to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for our community.

More information on the Water and Wastewater Study is available online at www.VenturaWaterRates.net.

KPPQ-LP 104.1 CAPS Radio Rockin’ and Rollin’ in Year 4

CAPS radio personalities informing Ventura.

KPPQ-LP, the vibrant radio division of CAPS Media launched in 2017 has grown steadily in a few short years to become one of the most engaging and go-to sites in Ventura. The station broadcasts 2/47 everyday at 104.1 FM, and streams worldwide on capsmedia.org and myTuner. Week in and week out KPPQ-LP member/producers create innovative and engaging programming in their homes, delivering a wide variety of programs to KPPQ-LP for distribution.

KPPQ-LP local producers include Nadine Piche, Kathleen Good, Craig Rosen and El Camino High School students. The DJs feature interviews and stories with local organizations on topics that include the Ventura County Library system, STEM programs at local schools, local artists, the Bike Hub, Surfrider and youth poets. Music disc jockeys Pam Baumgardner, Mark Levitt, Kevin Wallace, Doc Ventura and Shaun Kinsey produce engaging music shows featuring a broad range of musical genres.

KPPQ-LP CAPS Radio is also a great place to find information about the emergency services available in our community. During the current pandemic, every Friday and Saturday morning at 11, KPPQ-LP broadcasts recaps of Ventura County’s weekly VC Recovers COVID-19 updates.

KPPQ is the place to share your love of music or passion about the people and features of Ventura County. Everyone interested in learning more about KPPQ-LP including how to become a DJ, can contact Elilzabeth Rodeno, KPPQ-LP managing director and creative force at [email protected]. Elizabeth will set up a time for online training in order to get your voice on the air on KPPQ-LP Ventura. And, if you have an important event to announce or want the community to learn about your organization send a note to Elilzabeth Rodeno for distribution on KPPQ-LP .

KPPQ-LP FM 104.1 is Ventura’s publics radio station. It belongs to you. We are here to get your voice and your story out to the community. KPPQ-LP may be small in stature, but the reach is powerful: KPPQ reaches nearly 100,000 people right here in Ventura.

The entire CAPS team congrates Ventura City Council member Erik Nasarenko for his recent appointment to be the new District Attorney for Ventura County, selected by the Ventura County Supevisiors to be the new District Attorney for Ventura County. At CAPS we have had the pleasure of working with Erik for the past 7 years as Deputy Mayor (2013-15), Mayor (2015-17) and most recently as District 4 representative. We all greatly appreciate his collaborations with us and his dedication and strong leadership for our community.

Erik’s departure creates an open position on the city council for District 4, (which is roughly east of Victoria and north of the 126 freeway).

The council is in the process of reviewing applications for candidates to represent District 4 and is on schedule to appoint a new council member by February 25th. Everyone at CAPS look forward to working with the new representative along with her or his colleagues on council: Mayor Sofia Rubalcava (District 1), Deputy Mayor Joe Schroeder (District 7), Lorrie Brown (District 6), Jim Friedman (District 5), Doug Halter (District 2), and Mike Johnson (District 3).

Due to the COVID-19 emergency the CAPS Media Center is closed to Members and the public until further notice. CAPS Member/Producers can submit programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on CAPS public access television Channel 6 and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM.

All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone is Staying Safe and Healthy during these challenging times.

Cypress Place Senior Living partners with Vons Pharmacy to administer COVID vaccines

Lily Duarte, Director of Wellness for Cypress receives a dose of the vaccine from Vi Nguyn, Pharmacy Manager.

by Richard Lieberman

Cypress Place Senior Living in Ventura has partnered with Vons Pharmacy to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff at the senior living center. The vaccine clinic took place at the center on January 26, 2021. In compliance with state regulation the center was able to offer its residents, who must be seventy-five or older in compliance with state regulations for “first tier” group. As part of the U.S Government’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term care communities will have access to the vaccine over the next several weeks in the first phase of distribution.

Director of Wellness at the center Lily Duarte, after receiving the vaccine said, “It felt like the beginning of a new road.” Duarte a fourteen-year veteran at the center. “This has been an amazing experience, it has been a long time coming,” added Duarte. “We are happy to be on the forefront of protecting our residents and staff members and bring our community back to a sense of normalcy.”

Gina Salman and Chai Nguien Manager and Pharmacist at Vons’s.

Executive Director, Gina Salman was thrilled at being able to offer to long term residents the first round of vaccinations. “Today represents hope for my staff and residents. We had planned this for weeks and giving the vaccinations and finishing it is a representation of hope and, we have talked about a reflection of gratitude, this experience has been difficult, but it really made us think about what we are grateful for and how much we really have. The Director and staff members and residents have voiced feelings of happiness and relief. Staff and residents have been extremely patient which I am grateful for.”

“Thank goodness we have been so incredibly fortunate and appreciative of the support we have gotten from the Vons’s pharmacy; they support our flu clinic every year and they have pulled through for us and we are eternally grateful.” Said Gina Salman.

Chai Nguien is a pharmacist for Vons and helps in coordinating vaccine events and she works closely with the department of health of Ventura County in setting up these types of events. “We currently have the Moderna vaccine, sometimes we even have extra doses” she said. “I think we are all doing our best right now and I think we are doing a good job, this is new for everybody from the county, state and federal level.” She added.

Access to the COVID-19 vaccine adds another preventive measure bolstering the center’s commitment to the safety and well being of residents and employees. Cypress remains open offering its services to seniors who may need their services.

The senior community also continues to provide informative seminars to the public at large, all done virtually due to Covid-19.  The next seminar, titled  “Moving Made Easy – Dealing With Downsizing” will he held on February 18, 2021 at 1:00pm.   

Ventura County Leadership Academy announces new board member

Ventura County Leadership Academy recently announced the addition of Darren Kettle to its board of directors.  “Our board is comprised of a dedicated team of community leaders committed to strengthening our county. We’re excited to have Darren join the board, bringing his knowledge, passion, and expertise to further our mission.” said Brad “Brick” Conners, Ventura County Leadership Academy’s board president.

Darren is the Executive Director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC), a position he started in October 2007.  In his service to VCTC, Darren leads a team of transportation professionals focused on improving transportation planning, making data driven decisions to ensure the smart investment of transportation funds on transportation projects, ranging from freeway and highway projects to bicycle and pedestrian projects and bus and rail projects. Darren has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

VCLA was founded in 1994 and delivers on its mission of “connecting people and issues to strengthen our county” by developing, educating, and inspiring a diverse group of leaders who aspire to enhance the quality of life in Ventura County.

For more information about Ventura County Leadership Academy please contact Pattie Braga via phone: (805) 797-3985 or email: [email protected]

Providing a treatment facility/continuum of care for those with serious mental illness in Ventura County

Mary Haffner is on the Ventura Behavioral Health Board.

by Carol Leish

The mission statement of the Ventura County Behavior Health Department is: ‘To provide the highest quality prevention, intervention, treatment, and support to persons with mental health issues.’

Mary Haffner, a Ventura resident, who has been on the Ventura Behavioral Health Board since April, 2015, stresses the importance/need for more inpatient beds here in Ventura County. She said, “Right now, as one of the only large California counties with no effective plan to divert seriously mentally ill people away from jails, no assessment and attendant plan for the appropriate number of acute and subacute beds and supportive housing needed, we are implementing in the dark through a system uninformed by data and assessment. What we have is piecemeal and disjointed resulting in fiscally irresponsibility and poor health outcomes.”

In 2005, Ventura County began receiving millions of dollars from Prop. 63 earmarked for people with serious mental illness. According to Haffner, “This money was received for the purpose of implementing programs and erecting facilities to help ensure that so these illnesses would not become more serious and disabling, to help alleviate the cycle of homelessness, incarceration, and hospitalization. For a population of 843,000, one 36 bed public inpatient psychiatric unit, one 16 bed locked Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC), one 15 bed unlocked MHRC, one 30-day, a 16 bed Crisis Residential treatment center and 45 slots of adult residential treatment housing for people with serious mental illness is woefully deficient and does not represent a long-term, health outcome-based, and fiscally responsible strategy.”

According to Haffner, “People with serious mental illness are often arrested for committing crimes and infractions they would not have committed if they had received treatment for their illness. There is no place for them to go once released either from jail or mental health court. We don’t provide enough or adequate housing. Homelessness and/or reincarceration or re-hospitalization are inevitable without these supports.”

“Effective crisis service, psychiatric beds, inpatient step-downs, best practice treatment, housing and post discharge supports from acute care facilities and jails are all lacking,” according to Haffner. “Ventura County has no effective diversion programs or initiatives aimed as keeping people with serious mental illness out of jail. Ventura County has only 36 public inpatient psychiatric beds and 4 Crisis Support Unit chairs for a population of 845,000. Santa Barbara County, a county with 400,000 fewer residents, just opened 80 beds, which brings their total to 96. Vista del Mar has 55 beds. But Vista del Mar is a private facility who can choose who they admit. A determination regarding, ‘budget neutrality,’ that’s important to the CEO of Ventura County, must include an analysis of the costs of failing to provide these in demand services.”

Providing prompt and effective treatment for people living with these serious illnesses is important. Haffner said, ‘Budgets cannot by accurate if we do not also factor in the costs associated with not providing the appropriate level of care. For the population that lives with serious mental illness, our failure to provide treatment and facilities is costly. We need to be able to take an honest look at what is needed, generate a plan, and then work to fill these gaps. Other counties are doing this.”

But it is not enough just to have the beds and the facilities. Haffner said, “We need a continuum of care for this population, which would include: a promise to provide best practice treatment; appropriate staffing; effective outreach and engagement; post-discharge supports; and, appropriate housing in our communities, not out of the county. And, we need to do so in the most effective and efficient way possible.”

Girl Scouts has kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season

The Girl Scout Cookie Program has long taught girls how to run a business.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has kicked off the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie season nationally, during a challenging time when many Girl Scouts are selling in creative, socially distant, and contact-free ways to keep themselves and their customers safe. Even in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, girls are adapting their sales methods to share the joy of Girl Scout Cookies through the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program—including taking contact-free pickup and delivery orders through a new national collaboration with Grubhub. Additionally, GSUSA is making online cookie ordering available nationwide on February 1 so consumers who don’t know a Girl Scout can still purchase cookies from a local troop for direct shipment to their homes or donation to local organizations.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program has long taught girls how to run a business via in-person booths, door-to-door activity, and the Digital Cookie® platform online, which GSUSA launched in 2014. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the middle of the 2020 season and girls were faced with the same challenges as other small businesses, girls in the Central Coast quickly pivoted their sales methods. From marketing their cookie businesses online to facilitating orders that ship directly to customers’ door, girls as young as five years old are continuing to embrace their entrepreneurial spirits, stay connected to their communities, and have fun by participating in the cookie program. And, the proceeds from each and every purchase stay local with the troop and its council to power Girl Scouts’ essential leadership programming.

For all locations and their corresponding business hours, visit www.girlscoutsccc.org for more information. As always, the proceeds benefit the troop and council while providing another innovative way to safely run the cookie program virtually. GSUSA is grateful to Grubhub for waiving all fees for the organization to make this new delivery option feasible for sales without reducing troops’ and councils’ proceeds.

This year, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast will offer the new Toast-Yay!™ cookie, a French toast–inspired cookie dipped in delicious icing and full of flavor in every bite. Toast-Yay! gives consumers a new way to celebrate moments of joy alongside other favorites, like Thin Mints® and Caramel deLites®. And though social distancing measures may keep families and friends apart, cookie customers can share joy and stay connected this season through a gift-box option that ships directly to others via the Digital Cookie platform.

Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized in the Central Coast through March 14, 2021. Consumers can support Girl Scouts by purchasing Thin Mints®, Peanut Butter Patties®, Shortbread ®, and more in a few different ways:

If you don’t know a Girl Scout, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org, text COOKIES to 59618 (message and data rates may apply. Text STOPGS for STOP, HELPGS for help), or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app for free on iOS or Android devices to find cookies in your area.

Our Ventura TV features introduction to COVID-19 Vaccinations

Dr. Lissa Barger, Dr. Nessa Meshkaty and Host Sandra Siepak at Our Ventura TV.

Dr. Lissa Barger and Dr. Nessa Meshkaty, Infectious Disease Physicians with Oceanview Medical in Ventura, recently joined Our Ventura TV host Sandra Siepak for a discussion on the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines available in Ventura County.

They shared more on how the vaccines work, offer protection, their long-term effects, safety and advice during COVID-19. With safety being the priority, Dr. Barger and Dr. Meshkaty also discuss and encourage continued use of masks and social distancing to slow COVID-19’s spread. “Our discussion answers many important questions about the vaccines and how we can all better protect ourselves during the pandemic,” explained host Sandra Siepak.

The Our Ventura TV interview with Dr. Lissa Barger and Dr. Nessa Meshkaty is available online at www.ourventura.com. Our Ventura TV is an award- winning weekly talk show broadcast on Ventura Cable Channel 6 TV and also published online as well as on social media networks. To become a guest and for more information on the program go to the website and click “contact.”