An expanded K-8 option will be available at Blanche Reynolds Elementary.

At a Special Board Study Session on Mon., Dec. 2, the Ventura Unified School District Board of Education approved staff moving forward with a new secondary level program to serve students who require additional flexibility in their lives and therefore need an online based program. Additionally, the Board approved moving forward with expanding the K-8 offerings in the District to include both a midtown and east end option for families.

“In an environment of declining enrollment, the Board and District staff are working hard to offer options to serve the diverse needs of all its students.  At the same time we need to attract and retain students in the District,” stated Dr. Roger Rice, Superintendent.

The secondary level program is scheduled to open next Fall on the El Camino High School (ECHS) campus. Traditionally, VUSD loses more than 100 students per year to schools with the limited classroom model. A vigorous marketing effort will occur to ensure the community is clear on whom the program is intended to serve and to ensure that the existing ECHS program retains all of its excellence and remains a robust and attractive option for the students it currently serves.

The two expanded K-8 options are slated to open in the Fall of 2021. The midtown option is being planned for Blanche Reynolds Elementary and the process for determining an east end location is just beginning. The new K-8 offerings will also serve the District’s efforts to attract and retain students and families who want smaller learning communities as an option to the larger, more traditional middle school setting. A TK program already exists at Blanche Reynolds making this a TK-8 option. Waiting until the Fall of 2021 will provide the District additional time to develop program components and an educational focus, which could include thematic programs and re-branding.

“We are very excited about these new options for students,” stated Board President Sabrena Rodriguez. “VUSD listened to feedback from students, families, and staff. These new options will allow us to provide modern options for the ever-changing educational needs of our community.”

For more information, contact Hector Guerrero, Director of Educational Options at [email protected] or 805-289-1955.

The GCCC performs three concerts each year. Photos by De Schrepper Photography

“Hey gang! Let’s put on a show!” This cheerful cry, reminiscent of a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musical, could have been heard at the inception of the Gold Coast Concert Chorus.

It all began with a community gathering of volunteer singers who joined with a church choir for a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in 1987. Ventura’s Trinity Lutheran Church was celebrating its 50th anniversary. All singers in Ventura County who wished to participate were invited to join the celebration. Many of the singers enjoyed themselves so much, that they decided to continue to get together on a regular basis.

More than 30 years later, many of those first participants, along with many others, have been performing regularly. Along with three annual concerts, the dedicated volunteers sing for many local events such as the Ventura County Fair, the opening of the newly refurbished Community Memorial Hospital, a candlelit Christmas concert at the Ventura Mission, and at the Veterans Home of California. The group also has taken the “show on the road” performing many concerts in Europe and Hawaii, and twice at Carnegie Hall. Many of the group will be singing again at the iconic venue in 2020!

The GCCC performs three concerts each year: a holiday concert each December, a classical concert in March, and a “pops” concert in June. Currently under the dynamic direction of Ms. Elizabeth Helms, and assisted with dedication and talent by Jessica Helms as many as 90 singers approach the joyful task from various levels of musical talent and experience. Although they are a “non audition” choral group, what they lack in formal musical training, they more that make up for in enthusiasm and dedication.

Tickets are now available for the glorious Holiday concert “Harmony & Hope” which will be Friday, December 13 at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm at the Crosspoint Church, 5415 Ralston Street #6001, Ventura. Tickets are $5 for children, $15 for seniors and students, and $18 for adults. Call 805-616-7269 or order on line at www.GoldCoastChorus.org

Bike giveaway helps children in foster care.

Project Bicycle Love, a local non-profit, is pleased to announce the 3rd annual Christmas Bike Giveaway is underway. In partnership with Coastlands Real Estate Group, this project will provide over 140 children in the foster system with a brand-new bicycle at Christmas. Started as a grassroots project two years ago the need was so large that Project Bicycle Love incorporated this year to serve more children. In the past two years they have given away almost 200 brand new bikes and helmets to kids in the Ventura County foster care system.

Project Bicycle Love works with the County of Ventura as well as local group homes, foster agencies, and foster families to get the names of kids/teens who could benefit from a new bike.
More information about the project can be found at www.bicyclelove.org.

Is it more fun to pet Charles or Santa?

Kids & Families Together and Heart 2 Heart are conducting their 10th Annual Holiday Donation Drive for the Annual Holiday Gift Away event on Saturday, December 7, from 10am-1pm in Ventura. They will be serving over 200 children with their caregivers in the Ventura County community. Currently seeking donations of pajamas from infant to adult size, blankets, games, art supplies, gift cards for the teens, and drawing items for our give-away. They are there to show the children they care about them and appreciate the caregivers who open their homes to these children. It takes a loving village to raise these children.

The event will be a family fun day, including a picture with Santa, games, arts/crafts, a movie, treats, and each child will be gifted with pajamas, toys, and other donated items for the family!

They are very grateful to our business and community donors and our numerous volunteers who have helped make this event possible! If you would like to donate or volunteer, please visit https://www.kidsandfamilies.org/ or contact Jeni Futvoye, Community Resource Manager at 805-643-1446 ext. 108, [email protected].

They will schedule a donation pick-up or donations can be dropped no later than December 5th at office: Kids & Families Together, 864 E. Santa Clara St., Ventura. Donations can also be purchased from Amazon wish list:  http://a.co/a64QVFd and they accept monetary donations, checks payable to Kids & Families Together, Resource Family Support.
With your help, we will create a wonderful and cozy holiday season for foster/resource, kinship, adopted children with the families we serve.

The event was dedicated to what the Soroptimists provide to the community’s women.

by Juliann Laufer

Whew! What a wonderful event that was hosted by Soroptimist International of Oxnard on Sunday, October 27!

Almost 200 attended that meant filling the Ballroom at the Courtyard by Marriott – Oxnard/Ventura close to capacity for the 6th Year extravaganza. The event is dedicated to their Comfort Kits (gift bags for mastectomy patients service by St. John’s Regional Medical centers in Camarillo and Oxnard) and, generally, to programs the Soroptimists provide to the community’s women and girls.

The tables were decorated in pink in observance of October – Breast Cancer Awareness month with lovely rose centerpieces that went home with one lucky winner from each table. Festooning the two sides of the room were Raffle Opportunities using the ticket-in-the-bag for only your favorites. There were Silent Auction offerings with bid sheets and many bottles of wine (and maybe a bit of the hard stuff, too!) to choose your preferences. The club displayed their activities board, their STOP Human Trafficking and Sexual Slavery accomplishments board and, most importantly, the contents of a Comfort Kit.

And the pièces de résistance: the decorated mannequins, in all their glory, were spread across the entire back wall of the room! The line-up started with “The Luck of the Irish” ended with “Harley Girl” with many exotic and well designed manikins in-between. Was your favorite patriotic? What about beachy? Or were you one of the bidding contestants for the candy adorned “Cancer Sucks” creation?

If you only went for the food, augmented by the open bar, you would have left happy! The Courtyard did a marvelous job from the meal to the unobtrusive service and topped it all off with dessert!

The Keynote Speaker was Dortha Chu, M.D., Ph.D., City of Hope, Santa Clarita who dispelled many myths about cancer in general and delivered much needed confidence about the cure rate for breast cancer, her specialty. Color her banner: Get Your Mammogram! She was followed by Alicia Zaragoza, NP-C, CN-RN, St. John’s Regional Cancer Center Nurse Navigator. She recalled stories of happiness from receivers of the Comfort Kits in Oxnard and Camarillo.

Perhaps your attendance was predicated on how could you help the patients. They covered that too! The Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Tom Holden, offered the audience an opportunity to sponsor a Comfort Kit or two with a show of your bidder’s paddle. More than 70 Kits earned sponsors!

The 6th Annual Bras for a Cause® is a WRAP! See you next year!

Although our chapter is in Oxnard, Soroptimist is a worldwide non profit organization…and, there is a chapter in Ventura. The Ventura Chapter is smaller, but they attended and participated in the event. Both Chapters focus on:

1. Making sure every woman in Ventura having a mastectomy goes home with a care kit

2. Giving cash awards to those who have overcome obstacles and continued their education (Live your Dream) Candidates must be in Ventura.

3. March in Ventura – Stop Human Trafficking

4. Helping young girls in lower income areas learn how to apply for college and scholarships (Dream it be It!)

Soroptimist International of Ventura

P.O. Box 6133

Ventura, CA 93006

[email protected]

Sherri Tarpchinoff Bennett, President 805-910-9620

Cyndi Damron, Membership 805-216-4728

Facebook www.facebook.com/SoroptimistVentura

Website: www.soroptimistventura.org

Juliann Laufer Soroptimist International Oxnard can be reached at [email protected]

907-250-0549

Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere addressed the attendees with Chief Executive Margarita de Escontrias at his side. Photos by Michael Gordon and Bernie Goldstein

On Nov. 15 a ribbon cutting, and grand opening was held for the Snapdragon Place Apartments, Phase II, Cabrillo’s newest affordable housing complex in Ventura.

Cabrillo is developing the project in partnership with the Housing Authority of San Buenaventura, which will serve as the property management company.

“This development offers new homes for working families, homeless individuals and Veterans to live comfortably and not have to worry about paying extreme rents beyond the families’ earned income,” Cabrillo’s Director of Real Estate Development Eduardo Espinosa said.

Snapdragon Place Apartments, Phase II, is a newly constructed development of 22 units with four one-bedroom homes, 10 two-bedroom homes, and eight three-bedroom homes. The development will share a community room with Phase I of Snapdragon Place Apartments, which was completed in 2015.

The grand opening began with a Presentation of Colors by the Ronald Reagan Det. 597, Marine Corps. League, Ventura County. Speaking at the event was Cabrillo Executive Director Margarita H. de Escontrias, Cabrillo Board President Dave Sabedra, Espinosa, Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere, Housing Authority of San Buenaventura CEO Denise Wise, and Ventura County Behavioral Health’ Director Dr. Sevet Johnson.

Ventura County Chamber of Commerce CEO, Stephanie Caldwell performed the ribbon cutting ceremony, and a luncheon, catered by Main Course California followed.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation has received a $150,000 unrestricted operating support grant over two years to be used for overall operational expenses.

Currently, Cabrillo provides ESL classes, Homework Clubs, food pantries, community gardens, summer programs for kids, scholarships, and health and nutritional services to its residents.

The funding also will give Cabrillo an opportunity to increase staffing in the Real Estate Development Department and retain real estate expertise to enlarge Cabrillo’s development pipeline and manage more projects in varying stages of development, Bickerstaff said.

At this time Cabrillo is in predevelopment on two projects, a 42-unity farmworker development on Etting Road in Oxnard and a 50-unit development for seniors in Buellton. Snapdragon Place Apartments, Phase II will have its grand opening celebration on Nov. 15 as that property in collaboration with the Housing Authority of San Buenaventura finishes leasing.

“We are excited to be looking to the future with a focus on developing much-needed affordable housing in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and chipping away at the immense need for affordable housing here,” Cabrillo CEO Margarita H. de Escontrias said.

De Escontrias said, funds also will be used for board development training on best practices pertaining to board effectiveness and in the recruitment of board members with specific skills and expertise.

Cabrillo’s mission is to provide comprehensive housing services and community economic development activities that facilitate self-sufficiency for individuals and families who are most lacking in opportunity. Incorporated in 1981, Cabrillo’s early roots were in response to a farmworker community’s demand for secure housing. Although this continues to be important, today there is a more widespread need for affordable housing in this region. As such, Cabrillo now provides housing for low- to moderate-income residents and families, including farmworkers, seniors, veterans and individuals with special needs.