Suz Montgomery demonstrates strength and determination in a Wonder Woman T-shirt given by her grandchildren.

by Lori Harasta, Community Relations Associate for Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association

“I’m grateful for the experience of having cancer. It has given me a better quality of life by defining me and what I’m here on this earth to do.”

For the past two years, Suz Montgomery has been fighting her third recurrence of breast cancer. Treatment included a double mastectomy, extensive chemotherapy and radiation.

She had a mammogram about six months prior to finding that a lump that was growing. She insisted on having another mammogram, even though it meant paying for it out-of-pocket. The results showed a mass. She requested an ultra sound and went into high gear to assemble her cancer team. Within two weeks, she underwent surgery.

The radiation burned her skin and made her hair fall out. Rather than hide her baldness with a wig or hat, she sported it proudly (I would say beautifully!) and used it as a teaching tool for the curious. One was a young boy with his mother at the grocery store. The Pre-K kid stared at her hairless crown as they wandered the aisles. Finally, Suz crouched down and spoke softly to the boy, “This is what happens when you don’t eat your carrots.” His mother chimed in, “Or your peas!”

Her hair has since grown back, but she’s had other complications. It was the chemo that weakened her vertebrae, causing two of them to fracture. She has neuropathy and severe back pain for which she continues to receive treatment. Many people experience severe pain after having issues with their back and spinal area but there are lots of treatment options available to help ease the pain. Some may choose to smoke some cannabis (such as this black diamond strain) and others may simply take pain killers. The important thing is finding a way to ease the pain.

“Chemo was the most rigorous challenge of my life. It’s hard to get my energy back, even though I work out daily.” She says going to the gym helps mitigate some of the pain.

Suz rises at 4 am to start her day. “I’m determined to leave this earth better than I found it. I need to pack as much as I can into every day.” Her fitness and feistiness belie the fatigue and pain she feels constantly. She looks about 20 years younger than her chronological age. She’s got a strong and stubborn outlook on life and squeezes more into a day than most can imagine.

A passionate lover of life who seeks justice for the downtrodden and underserved, one of Suz’ current causes is to ensure the growing elderly population of Ventura has adequate services and resources to live their final chapters comfortably.

She is the Resource Coordinator of ENCORE at Ventura Continuing Adult Education, Chair of the Ventura Council for Seniors, Vice-Chair of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, Ventura County District Liaison for AARP, Ventura County representative of State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson’s Senior Legislative Board and many more commissions and committees.

Even though she’s in pain 24/7, Suz says she and cancer are friends. “Because of cancer, I’m grateful for every day I’m alive, and for the love and support of wonderful friends, family and the Ventura community (which I consider my family). Because of cancer, I’m even more determined and fearless. I know I have a mission and that God is not done with me yet.”

Melissa was sure not to read the Breeze underwater while on the remotely operated vehicle Hercules.

Melissa Baffa served as a Lead Science Communication Fellow in August 2016 with the Ocean Exploration Trust. It was her second consecutive year sailing on Dr. Robert Ballard’s E/V Nautilus, helping to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) based research to the public.

As a part of Baffa’s expedition, members of the Corps of Exploration explored the deep sea off the coast of Southern California, including encounters with rare sea creatures and investigations of a series of seismic faults that pose a potential threat of earthquakes and tsunamis to Southern California.

Seventeen educators from around the world were selected from a competitive pool of applicants by the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, to serve as fellows during the 2016 Nautilus expedition.

Dr. Ballard is widely known for the discovery of the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and hydrothermal vents in 1977. He is also the visionary behind the concept of telepresence that makes Nautilus Live possible.

hile aboard the Nautilus, Baffa participated in live audio commentary and question-and-answer sessions through the Nautilus Live website (www.NautilusLive.org) and hosted live interactions with a variety of schools, museums, and aquariums around the world.

Back in her community, Baffa brought the excitement of deep sea exploration to the nearly 11,000 Girl Scouts belonging to Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and to the community at large. Baffa, who recently joined the development department at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, will continue to deliver programs and speak with the public through the fall and winter.

Melissa Baffa is a former science educator and has led a varied career, with experience in formal and informal education, nonprofit management, and scientific research.

The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2008 by Dr. Robert Ballard to explore the ocean, seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, and archaeology while pushing the boundaries of STEM education and technological innovation. Our international program is launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, offering live exploration to participants on shore and the public via live video, audio, and data feeds. The major 2016 expedition and education sponsors are the NOAA Office of Exploration & Research, the Office of Naval Research, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, the University of Rhode Island, CITGO, and additional private donors. Follow them online at www.nautiluslive.org, on Facebook and Instagram at NautilusLive, and on Twitter as @EVNautilus.

Measures on ballot designed to control land use. Photo by Michael Gordon

by Sheli Ellsworth

November voters will vote on several city and county measures designed to control land use. One of them is a City of Ventura ordinance supported by Save Our Agricultural Resources aka SOAR, and combines the existing ordinance approved in 1995 with the Hillsides Voter Participation ordinance approved in 2002 and extends them both past their 2030 expiration until 2050. Measure F, a countywide initiative, is formulated by local farmers and supported by SUSTAIN VC, is more specific in scope and promotes what its proponents label as “sustainable farming” encouraging agriculture to be economically viable in Ventura County and could be passed in place of the Ventura Countywide SOAR. The countywide SOAR that was originally passed in 1998 set to expire in 2020 unless Measure C passes (see below) extending the expiration to 20150. Measure F would be up for renewal in 2036. All three measures encourage voter approval on open space and agricultural lands considered for other uses like development. Measure F does not contain language that would compete or override any city SOAR measures.

A debate hosted by the Ventura County Bar’s Natural Resource Section was held on August 24. Former Mayor, longtime litigator and co-author of SOAR, Richard Francis discussed the County’s SOAR initiative and Lynn Jensen the executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business Ventura County argued for Measure F.

“SOAR has largely worked,” according to Francis who took the floor first. “SOAR is not a land use initiative. It is a chance for voters to have their say.”

“Is SOAR really working?” Jensen countered. “Ventura is last in job growth. We have the highest average household size and the highest average rent. It’s about the ability to keep farming the land,” countered Jensen. “Our measure allows for the infrastructure and the facilities to make farming in Ventura County sustainable.” Jensen says that local farmers have so many obstacles that such a long-term initiative is largely impractical. Farmers are up against invasive species from other regions coupled with ever-tightening chemical control laws. The lack of adequate buffers around agricultural areas, international competition, a rising minimum wage, droughts, lack of labor and rising housing costs have made farming next to impossible. “We have had three farms close down lately.”

Measure F proposes that the County of Ventura “study the economic impacts of the initiative.” A task to be completed by January 2026. The measure also promotes zoning policies that encourage long-term farm investment, farm worker housing, limited local food processing, local agricultural research and agricultural infrastructure improvements. Jensen says other areas like Napa have “rich language that supports farming . . . It (Measure F) has much of the same language as SOAR with respect to requiring a vote of the people to change the county land use designations from Agricultural, Open-Space and Rural to other uses. But the important difference is that the Countywide SOAR re-adopts antiquated goals for agricultural lands from the 1988 County General Plan.”

The biggest difference between the two measures is the time-frame. Extending Ventura Counties SOAR until 2050 might seem like a good idea except that given the current problems, farming might not survive until 2050 whether farmers are raising berries or cattle.

Breeze: Are you confused, it’s just beginning?