Maria Paniagua and Kopdak, Will Sholy and Buba and Dash, Chris Beck and Charlie, Carmen Ramirez and Ginger, Susan Everett and Darby, Krystalin Bullicer and Evey, Cheryl Tabbi and Snickers enjoying being at work together.

Recently the Ventura Housing Authority celebrated a very special day for employees and their dogs Take Your Dog to Work Day. The annual celebration brings together furry friends and their owners for a very special work day.

A catered and sponsored lunch was made possible by Human Resources manager Cheryl Tabbi, and the sponsorship of Triunfo Sanitation District, VCA Westlake Village Animal Hospital, Pioneer Women, Purina Pet Care Co.,Lucy Pet Products, Bow Wow Doggie Dental Care, Petco, PetSmart, Sailor and Friends Pet Supply, Smiling Canines and Furry Faces Holistic.

Photo by Richard Lieberman

Laura Covault and Layla Perez are dedicated to reworking traditional theater.

by Jill Forman

Laura Covault and Layla Perez are the founders and co-owners of this new theater company, Unity Theatre Collective and hope to inspire Ventura to support, attend and take part in their productions. “We are looking for people to join our merry band of players.”

Their first offering, a gender-bending take on Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest,” just completed its run at the NAMBA center in downtown Ventura. A unique interpretation: some of the characters changed gender in the second act, couples re-assorted, and it all came to a riotous happy ending. Tea was served to the audience at small tables, and the actors brought audience members into the production by chatting with them and running through the area. The troupe of young players brought energy and novelty to their portrayals, and the full house (on the night I went) enjoyed it as much as the performers.

Covault and Perez see this working of the play as a good way to look at gender role expectations, “…to get across messages without being preachy.” They admit laughingly to always having “big ideas” and being excited about them.

They are dedicated to “…reworking traditional theater to make people rethink assumptions about gender, race, age, and culture.” And they want the citizens of Ventura to join them. “Our mission is to embrace the community, for them to be a part of our company: act, write, be technicians, give us ideas, bring forth issues to be addressed.” Hence the “Collective” in their name.

When asked why they decided to take on the difficult and quixotic task of starting a new theater group, there is more laughter. They feel Ventura is appreciative of art and creativity and they wanted to do more to help foster that appreciation. “There is a pool of talent in the area, people who have the ability to do theater but no ‘home’ to do it. We want them to have the ability to put themselves out there and fulfill their passion.” The core values of Unity are social change, insight, empathy; the plan is “… to be there for the community, to have fun and find a way to be creative.” They are open to new ideas from community members.

They feel fortunate to be involved in the educational aspect of theater. Covault is a Professor of Performing Arts at CSUCI; Perez is a stage manager there. Perez works at Salzers, which she says helped inspire her.

They initially raised money with one-night presentations, and with the help of friends and family generated enough to put on their initial offering. They will need to fundraise again and are working on plans for that. Also, they are planning to become an official nonprofit and then can apply for grants. They want to create opportunity for those who would not normally attend theater, who see it as elitist or too expensive – free plays? a touring company? coordinate with local schools? Whatever will engage more people and make them want to join in the fun and work.

Upcoming productions will be announced in the next month. Website: www.unitytheatrecollective.com. Facebook: Unity Theatre Collective. Instagram: #theatreforallpeople.

The USYVL volleyball league operates in a coed format for boys and girls.

Registration for the USYVL’s Fall Season is currently in open. Don’t miss out on the exciting Fall 2019 season. Register before September 1 deadline!

Once again, the USYVL is bringing another fun-filled season of volleyball to your community. All kids and parents are invited to come out and enjoy recreational volleyball practices and games while building self-esteem and confidence. This is a great opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their kids while helping to teach them the value of teamwork mixed with fun!

The 8-week league in Ventura at Arroyo Verde Park will run beginning from September 11 – November 2. The USYVL is an instructional volleyball league that operates in a coed format for boys and girls ages 7-15. The organization’s mission is to provide every child with a chance to learn and play volleyball in a fun, safe, supervised, low-pressure environment. “Every Child Plays” and learns the game, while emphasizing on sportsmanship, cooperation, and teamwork.

So come out and have fun! They offer multiple child discounts. For information on registration, volunteer positions, and a location near you, please log on to www.USYVL.org or 1-888-988-7985.

Brook, Michael and Lavender with their hard-working non-union goats. Photos by Bill Green

Ventura Brush Goats recently delivered 70 weed eating goats to the vacant lot behind the Golden China Restaurant next to Highway 101 at Seaward to remove fire-fuel brush and invasive plant species. The herd arrived on Friday, June 28th and will remain for several weeks. The site is for a future hotel.

Owners Michael and Brook Leicht said, “Goats can often be the best method for clearing land, whether it is for fire mitigation, soil improvement, or invasive plant removal. They can clear steep slopes that are difficult and dangerous for humans to traverse and will happily devour poison oak and thistles.”

Goats trim the skirts of trees up to four feet off the ground, effectively preventing “canopy” fires, and once the goats are on-sight, there is no need for loud and fuel intensive heavy machinery or toxic chemicals.

This is especially beneficial on this site because any run-off would quickly make its way to the Pacific Ocean. Mob grazing with goats can help prevent storm water run-off; their hooves make thousands of cups in the soil that catch water and slow it down. The beneficial microbes in their gut inoculate the soil with healthy microbial activity via manure which improves soil health and encourages “better” weeds with a more fibrous root structure to thrive rather than persistent tap-root plants like invasive mustards and mallow. The fibrous-rooted plants create more humus which allows the soil to hold more water over time, further preventing surface run-off and combating drought.

Ventura Brush Goats uses portable solar electric nets to keep predators out and goats targeted in a specific area. The herd is transported in a large 32’ long livestock trailer that doubles as shelter and hospital pen. Their hooves are trimmed every 2 months. Other than their free-choice mineral supplement, they require no food except weeds!

Michael went on to tell the Breeze “We are a family owned weed abatement and soil improvement service based in Ventura County. We graze fire-breaks and eliminate invasive brush while restoring natural fertility with our goat herd.”

“For us, the Thomas fire was a call to action.  We had been raising a couple of dairy goats to provide for ourselves and our then-two-year-old daughter; we saw firsthand how they quickly dispatched of the brush in their paddock, and in the first days of 2018 with ashes still in the air we decided take the leap and learn how to holistically manage a large grazing herd.  Our herd will total about seventy animals and we expect to grow to approximately one hundred in the spring of 2020. “

“Because of their practicality, cost-effectiveness, ecological sustainability and downright fun, our family has become very passionate about working with goats to clear brush and improve soil! Check out our ‘Ventura Brush Goats’ Facebook page, https://facebook.com/venturabrushgoats/ for occasional fun goat facts and pictures. Look for more pictures and informative content on our website: http://www.venturabrushgoats.com/ “

The Williamson family, Trisha, Matt and John has created a legacy of learning .

by Shirley Lorraine

Educating the young is a passion for the John Williamson family. Their commitment to teaching has enriched the Ventura Unified School District in many ways. Meeting with Trisha and son Matt, it was clear their eyes shone brightly as they spoke of their teaching paths and of their family’s chosen profession. According to Matt “sometimes a career direction finds you, rather than the other way around.” That appears to be true of the Williamsons.

John spent many years as an administrator in private schools before he undertook securing his teaching credential. When he did, he was off and running. For the next ten years John served as a math teacher at ATLAS elementary school in Saticoy. This setting proved to be an excellent match, as his fourth and fifth graders enthusiastically attest.

Sadly, life rarely goes as planned. In November of 2018, John was given a cancer diagnosis. As John was treated and doing his best to overcome the disease, son Matt was asked to substitute in his father’s fifth grade math class. Matt was instantly dubbed Mr. 2.0, a role that he took on eagerly. He wanted, above all, to provide continuity for his father’s students during such a trying time. “I want to make a difference like dad. That is very important to me, to continue the legacy that he began.”

When John passed away in March of 2019, Matt vowed to return quickly to the classroom. “It’s all about the relationships” Matt declared. “Up until the last few days, dad still talked about the kids. They meant everything to him.” Indeed, the kids felt the same about John. While he was a home on hospice, the kids decorated his sidewalk with colorful chalk art and messages to buoy his spirits.

Trisha, having just celebrated her 31st year of teaching at Portola Elementary, found Matt’s willingness to step into John’s shoes inspiring. Along the way she and Matt both earned their master’s degree, albeit at different institutions.

Both teaching fifth grade this year, Trisha and Matt have experienced a sense of comfort in being able to share classroom resources, techniques and trials as they coped with John’s illness. They agreed that these similarities helped them considerably to redirect their thoughts and gave them both an opportunity to emotionally refocus, which they both sorely needed.

When asked what advice she would give to students desiring to become teachers, Trisha replied “you’ll have your plans and then you must expect those plans to be changed.” “Always be flexible” stated Matt. “It’s (teaching) one of the few professions in which you can reinvent yourself every school year” added Trisha.

The Williamson family has created a legacy of learning that enriches not only the students, but the school district and themselves. The Williamson motto seems to mirror Trisha’s statement “if you love it, do it.”