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Holiday Train Adventures on a train

Ventura County’s Fillmore & Western Railway is running several exciting Holiday Train Adventures this year!  Beginning Oct 5th are weekend departures on the PumpkinLiner & Zombie Hunter Trains. Then on Oct 26th a one time “Fright Night” Murder Mystery Dinner Train.  During November & December the railroad will offer the Sugar Plum Express Holiday Village & Tree Train + the all new Polar Express™ train ride!

What is the Zombie Hunter Train?
A unique interactive experience. Ride on open-air flat cars through the battlegrounds of the Zombie Apocalypse.  Armed with a mounted paintball gun help take down the attacking zombie hordes and save humanity! Hunt zombies from the train. Zombies do not shoot back. Departs from Fillmore.
What is the PumkinLiner?

Enjoy a family train trip to the “The Patch”. Visit the haunted house ($3), ride the antique carousel ($3), buy a pumpkin, take a hayride ($3) and try a home-cooked BBQ Tri-Tip sandwich.   Vendors, a hay maze, face painting and more are also on-site.  Departs from Fillmore.
What is the Sugar Plum Express Holiday Village & Tree Train?

Departing from Santa Paula Depot on Nov 30th & during weekends in December, take a short train ride to a Holiday Village. Once there you can select a pre-cut Christmas Tree, take photos with Santa, purchase unique gifts & goodies, enjoy the Winter Wonderland walk-thru, Carousel rides ($3), hop on the Holiday Jolly Jumper, see Santa’s Workshop and create a Winter craft. Also view the Koi fish, goats & birds while exploring.

What is The Polar Express™ train ride?
Similar to The Polar Express™ movie, there will be a full cast of characters from the Conductor to the Chefs serving hot chocolate and cookies. And who can forget Santa! Experience this 1 hour live-action spectacular while riding in vintage passenger cars out of the historic City of Fillmore.
Call 805-524-2546 or visit FWRY.com for more information and to purchase tickets. Josh Carsman, Marketing Director has mentioned that tickets are already selling fast so don’t wait!

NBA star James Ennis encourages students to aim high

Ennis graduated from Ventura High and Sheridan Way.

by Amy Brown

Homegrown NBA superstar James Ennis III recently returned to his former elementary school, Sheridan Way Elementary in Ventura, to visit with students and inspire them to reach high—literally and figuratively. He brought school supplies, sports equipment, and gave the kids a pep talk for the coming school year and beyond. “It was great to see so many smiles on their faces. Back then I wish I’d had an NBA player come here!” said Ennis.

Ennis grew up in the avenues in the Westview Village housing project with his five siblings. He shared that he wanted to donate to Sheridan Way because he felt it was important to give back to the community. “I came from low poverty, it feels good to be home again. I wanted to give back once I made it to the NBA,” said Ennis. “I want to be a good role model—if you set the bar high, you can accomplish your goals.”

At 6’7”, the Philadelphia 76ers’ small forward is anything but small, but that didn’t stop him from enthusiastically diving in to play basketball with the elementary students during his visit to the school. He also posed for photos and signed autographs.

“It was really amazing having someone famous talk to us,” said Sofia Tadeo, a 4th grader at Sheridan Way. “It’s pretty cool he went to school here; when he talked to us, he said we just have to work hard to achieve our goals.”

Ennis graduated from Ventura High and attended both Oxnard and Ventura colleges. He ultimately transferred to Cal State Long Beach, and was initially drafted into the NBA in 2013 by the Atlanta Hawks. He shared that education had been important to him, helping him to learn to work hard and have discipline. Asked who some of his early influencers were in Ventura, he responded that Felix Cortex at Ventura High had been one of his favorites, and that Coach Joey Ramirez at Ventura College had had a big influence on him, treating him like more than just a rising basketball star, but also like a person.

Asked if there was one message he wanted to leave with the students and kids growing up in the difficult area that he did, he replied, “I tell them anything is possible, and that there’s a lot of talent in the 805!”

Ventura County School Board Member Matt Almaraz attended the event as well, and stopped to shoot some hoops with the kids while Ennis spoke to visitors. “It’s pretty phenomenal that someone who came from this same area, this same school, is now a professional basketball player,” said Almaraz, who served years ago as a Youth Program Director at the Westpark Community Center where Ennis had played growing up. “I know the hardships these kids go through, and for someone to come back who’s made it, it’s really special to see.”

EV electric shows Ventura County

Kent and Cathy Bullard have been living the future since 2011 when they first bought an electric vehicle. Photo by John Hankins

by John Hankins

The public and free markets are now strongly favoring all-electric vehicles, and local residents who already have them and/or hybrids are anxious to share their experiences and answer questions face-to-face.

You can do that during the two National Drive Electric Week events in Ventura County on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Government Center and Sunday, Sept 22, at Channel Islands Harbor, sponsored by the Sierra Club and EV Advocates of Ventura County.

There are over a dozen models at both events with at least 50 local owners participating, with nearly a million miles driven by them. Tesla, Bolt, Volt, Ionic, Leaf, Jaguar, Nissan and BMWs are just some of the models that are likely at the events. Car showcases are growing in popularity with companies similar to CarsRelo shipping cars all over the country so consumers can check out the latest cars to hit the showroom. These September events are happening all over the country; details at:

https://driveelectricweek.org

“EV drivers can provide better information than any other source because it is real world,” said Russell Sydney, a co-founder of EV Advocates whose cars are charged from his solar panels. “Another big advantage is seeing so many different vehicles in one place.”

Green Tech Media reports sales increased by 81% in 2018; Market Watch estimates “more than 30 million are likely to buy an electric car as their next vehicle.” Car makers are listening, as General Motors just announced it’s now working for a zero-emissions future, along with Volvo, Aston Martin, Jaguar and so many more, while European countries plan to ban gas/diesel cars sooner than later, as does China and India.

While the initial debut of electric cars was impressive due to Tesla’s superior engineering, patrons were initially worried about the amount of public charge stations. That is being fixed so quickly that in the next generation you may pass a gas station and say, “How quaint.”

Since the demand for public charging stations is increasing, there is a petition asking local governments to streamline the process. Sign it at:

www.electricdrive805.org/streamlined-permitting

Most EV drivers find the cost per mile to be only about a third the cost of petroleum on public chargers and possibly less from their home with or without solar panels. A dollar buys you 25 miles worth of range at a city of Ventura public charger, but for that same range it will cost you $2.50 or more for a gallon of gasoline.

While all this may be new to most people, Kent and Cathy Bullard of Ventura are living the future. They have had electric vehicles since 2011 with a Nissan Leaf and now a Tesla Model 3. She commutes to work from Ventura to Thousand Oaks and asserts, “I’ll never go back to gas, there’s no reason.”

Details of the events:

Drive Electric Ventura, Tuesday Sept 17, 10am – 2pm. This will be not only be a showcase but has opportunities to Ride and Drive with dealers; sponsored by Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance. Held at the Ventura County Government Center, 800 S. Victoria Ave. More information or to RSVP:

http://driveelectricweek.org/1976

Drive Electric Oxnard, Sunday Sept 22, 9:30am – 3pm at the Channel Island Harbor next to the Farmers’ Market (show and shop!), 3610 S. Harbor Blvd. This is the big show, sponsored by the Sierra Club and EV Advocates with help from Community Environmental Council. More information or RSVP:

http://driveelectricweek.org/1592

First 5 Ventura County offers classes and family support services

First 5 Ventura County held a celebration ribbon cutting. Photos by Michael Gordon

On Sept., 5 First 5 Ventura County (F5VC) had their official ribbon cutting for the First 5 Neighborhood for Learning, Powered by Interface (NfL) at Will Rogers Elementary. The NfL is an early education hub and resource center for Ventura’s children and families.

Each of the 13 NfL locations in Ventura County offers Parent and Child Together classes and family support services. To celebrate First 5 Ventura County’s early learning initiative and the groundbreaking NfL model for supporting children prenatal to five and their families, First 5 Ventura County held their a ribbon cutting on Thursday, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Representatives from County Supervisor Steve Bennett, Assmeblymember Monique Limon, and Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson’s office were on hand to celebrate this vital community resource.

The County of Ventura’s new Mobile Library was also there for families to explore. The Mobile Library offers a full range of library services including: Free Wi-Fi, Wireless Printing, Laptop lending, 3D Printing, STEM & Makerspaces activities, Storytimes, and children’s books.

Those in attendance joined Executive Directors Petra Puls (First 5 Ventura County) and Erik Sternad (Interface Children & Family Services) in celebrating Ventura County’s award-winning Neighborhoods for Learning model, and learned more about the essential services and classes being offered to Ventura children and families.

Student drug abuse and anti vaping programs honored

Dan Hicks, Dawn Anderson, Gabe Teran, Maritza Garcia, Catherine Puccetti and Amber Macias at the honors presentation.

The Ventura County Office of Education’s Department of Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs (CHPP) was recently honored for its efforts to teach students about the dangers of opioid use, vaping and other risky behaviors. The department received the Pillar of Prevention award from Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH). The award was established to honor exceptional contributions to the field of prevention by those who are working to preserve and protect community health.

The award recognizes CHPP’s programs designed to promote student health, including:

Direct in-school drug awareness and vaping presentations for students

Youth leadership and mentoring programs to discourage dangerous behavior

Prevention trainings for school administrators, educators, and counselors

Interpretation of California Healthy Kids Survey data to inform other agencies

As part of the Safe Schools initiative under the County’s Prescription Drug Abuse and Heroin Workgroup, CHPP Director Dawn Anderson and her team led the development of opioid-specific drug education and the creation of the “Buzz Kill” graphic novella used in to discourage prescription drug abuse among students. They also developed programs to raise awareness of prescription drug and heroin abuse among parents. Most recently, Ms. Anderson worked to make the medication Naloxone (Narcan) available at VCOE school sites to potentially save lives in the event of an opioid overdose.

The Pillar of Prevention award was presented to VCOE by VCBH Prevention Services Manager Dan Hicks at Monday’s meeting of the Ventura County Board of Education. “It’s been said that prevention is a team sport because meaningful change takes real collaboration,” Hicks said. “There are lots of agencies with strong efforts, but VCOE has demonstrated an amazing combination of data-driven programming and a focus on community health this year that really stands out in the middle of the opioid crisis. Dawn and her staff are the folks everyone wants on their team because they use their resources to get results—they’re bending the trend of youth drug use.”

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.

Ventura County Mobile Library visited the Midtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market

A book giveaway was also available.

The Midtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market welcomed the Ventura County Mobile Library on Wednesday, August 28 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Pacific View Mall. The mobile library will be offering many of the main services offered at a small branch library.

The Ventura County Mobile Library was completely funded through grants and donated funds with a generous donation from the Ventura County Library Foundation, which included significant donations from Premier America Credit Union and the Port of Hueneme.  In addition, the Ventura County Mobile Library project was also funded through a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and awarded through the California State Library.

The Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association a non-profit farmers’ market cooperative, serves the community of Ventura with two Certified Farmers’ Markets on Wednesdays at the Pacific View Mall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays in Downtown Ventura from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, Thousand Oaks Farmers’ Market held Thursdays at The Oaks Shopping Center, East End Parking Lot, Wilbur Road & Oaks Mall Drive from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and in Santa Clarita at the College of the Canyons from 8:30 to 12 noon.

For more information on the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association, call 805-529-6266, or visit the website at www.vccfarmersmarkets.com.

Ocean enthusiasts are all ages

Senior Shirley does it all, even paddles.

by Shirley Lorraine

The Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club is one of several outrigger clubs that launch from Harbor Cove beach at the end of Spinnaker Drive. Their Halau (clubhouse) serves as a meeting place and storage area for their equipment. Their colorful red and yellow canoes render them easily visible, even in the early morning mist.

The club’s purpose is to enable a wide range of people and groups to enjoy recreational ocean paddling sports, ocean conservation and education. While the primary focus is on traditional 6-seat Polynesian style canoes, the club also maintains one- and two-seat canoes for member use and promotes paddling sports of all kinds. The club has been going strong since 2006 and boasts members with a wide range of ages.

Over a third of their membership is over age 70. Recently, a hardy crew of six of these adventurous seniors paddled their way up to Ventura County’s Mondos Beach and back, about 19 miles. One of the members, Debbie, celebrated her 72nd birthday on that trip!

The club meets several times a week. Sundays are invitational days for new participants. A senior myself, I eagerly signed their waiver form that indicated I could swim and would be a safe rider and listened carefully to some basic instructions including what to do in the unlikely event the canoe should huli (capsize). Good to be prepared. And yes, I paddled – to just beyond the pier and back! Surrounded by experienced and encouraging paddlers, I found it easy to quickly get into the rhythm by following their lead. I was told the proper way to stroke with the paddle and was assured that I wouldn’t be sore the next day. I was surprised when I found that to be true! Technique really does matter.

At the halfway point we took a rest break and just enjoyed the calming ambiance of the water and birds. It was easy to see the meditational appeal of outrigger canoeing.

Some members are preparing to participate in the annual Queen Lili’uokalani Race in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii featuring events August 29 through September 2 where paddlers of all ages will convene.

The non-profit club regularly participates in community events such as beach clean-up, Caregivers of Ventura County Sailathons, and the Ventura Aloha Festival. Members also volunteer with the Best Day Foundation to assist kids with special needs enjoy an outrigger excursion day at the beach.

Take a look at the club’s website – www.venturaoutriggercanoeclub.org to get more information. Give outrigger canoeing a try. You may find it’s just the right way for you to get some exercise and mental relaxation at the same time.

Sweet Jay’s Roadhouse Now Open

A View from House Seats
by Shirley Lorraine

Tucked away in an industrial area of Ventura is a Speakeasy. The Speakeasy Project: American Roadhouse, that is. Billed as an underground evening of new comedies and live music, the interactive roadhouse atmosphere is provided by the Fractured Actors Theater Company.

New name on the community theater scene? It was to me although this is their second Speakeasy Project and other productions have been mounted.

Apparently, others were already in the know however, as most of the tables in Sweet Jay’s Roadhouse were already filled when I arrived. Libations were available, both complimentary and for purchase, and the place was already jumping.

The evening featured Sumter Skaggs and the Screamin’ Armadillos, a versatile band churning out country, rock and blues classics. A standout vocalist was Stella Ruby Rose (Shelby Figueroa) who not only belted out the tunes, she also played piano and guitar accompaniment.

The evening was a mixture of original one-acts plays depicting snapshots of American Life written by FATC’s producers, Jeff Ham and Shannon McNally Ham, and boot-scootin’ music from the band.

Stage crew deftly changed the minimal settings while the audience was enjoying the musical interludes. A large cast of actors assumed various roles in the one-acts, performing with enthusiasm. The Fractured Actors website decrees family friendly, but I would caution those with an aversion to cuss words (both in scripts and songs) to leave the kids at home. The one-acts, in my opinion, were placeholders for the music. Scripts were complicated and filled with what seemed to be comments on life while dancing around the subjects. Maybe it was just me, but I felt some interpretation was required. At least one act seemed unresolved to me.

A few of the actors were difficult to hear with soft, unamplified voices in stark contrast to the interim amplification of the musicians. For me, it was like when you’re watching TV and must turn the sound up but then the commercial comes on and you’re blasted with volume.

However, a few performers stood out with excellent diction, projection and confidence. Hudson Ham, the youngest of the group, shows promise. He was composed, articulate and had excellent timing.

Anthony Contreras and Benjamin Wilson each stood out in several one-acts as did the trio of Jeff Ham, Michael Lie Murphy and Karyn Noel in the second play titled Animal Behavior.

Overall though, the entire evening was different, enjoyable and lively. Although the black box theater utilizes space in the Ventura Vineyard Church on Palma Drive, the theater company is fully independent of the church, hence their hashtag #NotAChurchPlay.

The entrance is around the back, as a Speakeasy should be – through an unmarked door. However, the bouncer will check for your name on the list so be sure to reserve tickets/seats early. Seating is limited and the tables fill up fast.

This end-of-summer special engagement is a limited run ending August 31. It is a non-smoking venue, wheelchair accessible (mention the need when you make your reservation). Go and have fun.

Spending time with pets provides benefits for older adults

” The pigeons should be here shortly to join us.”

As loved ones get older, it’s important to find good senior care in Rochester, MN (or wherever you’re located) for them to live out their golden years as happily and as comfortably as possible. However, growing old can be challenging for people because they see their body getting weaker and people they know dying of old age. This can lead them to feel depressed and lonely if they don’t get the right support. Luckily, experts say seniors who interact with animals feel less depressed and isolated. Social isolation is becoming an increasingly common issue, with one in five Americans reporting they feel lonely.

This is why it is really important to make sure that if you have got an elderly member of your family (or even a friend) who is living alone, then you need to try your best to speak to them and spend time with them. This is a lot easier with things like mobile phones, however, a lot of senior members don’t want to have a phone because they don’t understand how it works, or they can’t see it. However, they can easily get a cell phone for elderly with large buttons to help them see their phone better so that phone calls can be made. You don’t want someone you know to feel lonely and sad, so you might as well give them a call if you can. Seniors are especially vulnerable to feelings of loneliness though. In fact, 43 percent say they experience loneliness regularly. A new survey[1] of adults age 65 and older by Home Instead, Inc. found regular interaction with animals can help to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

“While we recognize that pet ownership isn’t for everyone, we find that interaction with pets, even on a small scale, can have a big impact on older adults,” said Joe Malagon, senior care expert and owner of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Thousand Oaks. “A simple act like petting a dog, holding a cat or watching a bird can bring so much joy to a senior who may be feeling lonely.”

Additional survey results found that nearly half of older pet owners cited stress relief, sense of purpose and exercise as leading advantages to owning a pet. In addition to providing positive health benefits, pets can also provide constant companionship for older adults who would prefer to age in place. In fact, 82 percent of senior animal owners surveyed said they would not consider moving to a senior living community without their pet.

These findings are not a surprise to Steve Feldman, executive director of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), a nonprofit research and education organization. “There is a strong connection between heart health and pet ownership or interaction,” Feldman said. “Pet owners are more likely to get recommended levels of exercise, have lower blood pressure and experience reduced levels of stress. Pets have even been shown to aid in recovery after a heart attack.”

While there are many benefits to owning a pet later in life, Home Instead also found that even occasional interactions with pets prove to be beneficial for older adults. Survey results indicate that older adults achieve the same positive feelings when spending time with animals in other capacities, such as visiting with pets owned by family, friends or neighbors.

“This interaction is especially important, as it also provides the opportunity to socialize with other people, further reducing feelings of loneliness,” Malagon said. “Our goal is to keep seniors safe and happy in their own homes for as long as possible and many times that includes helping them with their own pet, taking them to dog parks or visiting pet-friendly businesses to gain that animal interaction they desire.”

“Research also shows animal interaction can help perceptions of pain and discomfort, and improve motivation for treatment protocols for diseases such as cancer by helping individuals feel more focused and positive moving forward,” said Van Every. “Even interactions for half an hour a week can make a difference.”

County CEO delivers State of the County address

County Executive Officer Mike Powers delivers the State of the County report at the Ventura County Taxpayers Association.

County Executive Officer Mike Powers presented his State of the County report to a sold out crowd of about 300 at the Ventura County Taxpayers Association summer luncheon on August 1st. The title of the presentation was “Connecting our Region to Collectively Strengthen our Community.” The event, co-sponsored by the Conejo Valley, Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo Chambers of Commerce, brought together the east, central and western areas of the County.

Powers discussed the County, city and community response and recovery efforts to the Thomas Fire, the Borderline shooting, and the Hill and Woolsey fires. He stressed the cooperative relationships between County, state, federal government, the cities of Ventura and Thousand Oaks, and community organizations and businesses that facilitated debris removal, assistance programs and permitting.

“What we have seen this year is when we focus priorities and work together collectively, great things can happen,” said Powers. “We’ve seen it in our disaster recovery efforts. We’ve seen it with our new economic and energy initiatives, and we’ve seen it with our growing response to the homeless crisis. Public, community and private partnerships work. Look what we can get done. Let’s highlight areas where we can apply this collective effort going forward.”

He also mentioned how organizations such as the Ventura County Community Foundation worked collaboratively with local government and many others to aid victims by working as a trusted clearinghouse for donations.

Economic vitality was a key focus of the presentation. Powers noted the force multiplier effect of new connections formed as a result of the County’s Economic Vitality Strategic Plan actions; citing the new strides made in housing vouchers for the disabled through connecting the housing authorities across the cities. He also shared the new business opportunities being generated through the innovation collaborative formed by the Economic Development Collaborative, Port of Hueneme, U. S. Navy and the Went brothers from Matter Labs, further emphasizing the power of public-private partnerships. Powers highlighted the startup culture in the region spotlighting the venture capital firm BioPartners who are bringing $300 million in BioTech startup funding. He reflected the importance of fostering the startup culture in the County. He highlighted the county’s 9th place ranking in a recent study of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem as a reflection of the good work of the chambers, education system, cities as well as the County and that the County is a strong supporter of the Startup Weekend program with the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce. The Startup Weekend program facilitates new startup businesses in the areas of Information Technology, Health Care and Agriculture and provides funding and startup office space at the County’s Camarillo Airport.

The hour-long presentation also touched on the County’s highest possible long-term credit rating; health care; multiple efforts to improve financial operations at VCMC, libraries; public safety; social services; agriculture; pensions; and the upcoming census, adding that eight of ten cities in the County are at high risk for an under-count and that each person not counted in the census results in a loss of $2,000 annually in federal funding for things like education, roads, health care and more.