From left to right: Fair Poster Winners: Laura Jespersen, Terence Ulrich, Chris Forde, Stephanie Garcia, Zamara Huerta and Mayla Genovese. Photo by by Patricia Schallert.

by Patricia Schallert

The 2024 Commemorative and Youth Poster Contests, commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Ventura County Fair, were recently launched by the Ventura County Fairgrounds and Event Center. The winners in both the Youth and Adult Commemorative categories were celebrated on July 12.

Open to residents of Ventura County in grades 5 to 12, the Youth contest centered around the theme “Fair-ever Young.” Submissions were accepted until April 15, with judging criteria focusing on theme interpretation, originality, composition, and artistic skill. Megan Hook, the media director of the Ventura Fairgrounds, “praised the community’s artistic talents and imaginative interpretations.” This year saw a record-breaking 340 entries, a significant increase from the previous year’s count of under 75 entries in 2023, showcasing the community’s vibrant creativity.

The Commemorative poster contest was open to individuals aged 18 and above, with a $20 entry fee. Winners of the contest will be featured at the upcoming Ventura County Fair, scheduled to run from July 31 to August 11, 2024. Cash prizes of $1,000, $750, and $500 were awarded to the top three entries, with Christopher Forde earning first place, Terence Ulrich securing second place, and Laura Jespersen taking third place.

In addition to the Commemorative poster contest, congratulations were also extended to the talented winners in the Youth category! Stephanie Garcia clinched first place, Zanara Huerta attained second place, and Maya Genovese achieved third place, representing grades 5 to 12.

Seventeen-year-old Stephanie Garcia, an aspiring artist, utilized watercolors as her chosen medium for her prize-winning poster. She cited her art teacher and family as major sources of inspiration during the creation process, drawing from the joyful memories of attending the fair with her loved ones. Stephanie aimed to capture the essence of fun and family bonding through her artwork, which seamlessly combined watercolors and digital art techniques.

On the other hand, Christopher Forbes, the talented winner of the Commemorative poster category, drew inspiration from his favorite fair rides and the sight of seniors relishing their time at the fairgrounds. Opting for colored pencils to bring his vision to life, Christopher sought to depict the sheer joy and excitement experienced by seniors as they immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere of the fair.

Youth Poster Contest

• 1st Place – Stephanie Garcia, 17 years old
• 2nd Place – Zamara Huerta, 17 years old
• 3rd Place – Mayla Genovese, 11 years old

Number of entries: 345

Commemorative Poster Contest

• 1st Place – Christopher Forde
• 2nd Place – Terence Ulrich
• 3rd Place – Laura Jespersen

Number of entries: 42

Judging panel (for both contests) included:

• City of Ventura Mayor Joe Schroeder
• Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler
• Ventura County Fire Department Chief Dustin Gardner
• Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Assistant Sheriff Andrew Salinas
• Carley Logue, Carbar Designs
• Cynthia Frutos, Director Ventura Office of Education
• Dean Kato, California Strawberry Festival Chair
• Greg Wray, Rotary Club of Ventura & retired Master Illustrator for Disney
• Betsy Chess, 31st District Agricultural Association Board member
• Chris Dryden, Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation trustee
• Will Pidduck, Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation trustee
• Jim Naylor, Owner of the Jim Naylor (Ventura) Raceway

Front row left to right; Aiyana Kohler, Ellie Vonburger, Alana Barlow, Brooklyn Sheff, Korie Mulhall and Madisyn Taminich. Second row left to right; Camilla Duran , Kylee Martinez, Mallory Van, Morgan Scarlett and Natalia Hernandez. Coaches standing back row left to right; Dustin Mulhall, Geno Taminich, Jeremy Scarlett and Robert Hernandez.

Over the July 4th weekend, the 8U Ventura Girls Fastpitch All Star Softball team competed in the Southern California State Championships. The tournament took place in Lancaster, California, in 113-degree weather. There was a lot of controversy about the tournament continuing (155 teams competed), which included news coverage on CBS!

The Ventura 8u Gold team went undefeated, 6-0, and took 1st to become the 2024 Southern California State Champions. With a record of 29-4 to date they headed to regionals in San Diego last weekend. To learn more

Image by @jseemayerphoto

by Joe Seemeyer

X Games, the leading action sports competition and lifestyle brand, returned to the beaches of Ventura from Thursday, June 28, through Sunday, June 30. The festival featured three days of non-stop action sports and music.

In addition to watching some of the world’s best action sports athletes, X Games Ventura showcased musical guest performances, art installations, cultural activations, brand experiences, and a variety of California’s favorite food trucks. The music lineup included:

• Friday, June 28: Wiz Khalifa, AG Club, and Oxymorrons.
• Saturday, June 29: Kaskade, Devault, Mija, and Emo Nite with a special guest appearance by Machine Gun Kelly.
• Sunday, June 30: Fever 333, Blame My Youth, and Metalachi.

From world-class competitions to lifestyle and culture, X Games has been at the forefront of action sports for 30 years. X Games debuted in June 1995 in Rhode Island. Known that first year as the Extreme Games, the event was devised, owned, and operated by ESPN. The name was changed to X Games for the 1996 summer games.

The X Games are an international sporting competition featuring sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross. Competitors compete for bronze, silver, and gold medals. X Games California 2023 returned to Southern California after a 10-year absence from the region.

Jim White, a member of the Board of Directors for the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, said, “X Games participants were outstanding! There was so much talent and dedication from everyone who competed. There were a lot of positive reactions from attendees, and it seemed even better overall than last year with the expanded space.”

Marlyss Auster, President & CEO of Visit Ventura, added, “Visit Ventura was thrilled to coordinate with X Games to donate tickets to our local nonprofit organizations, giving hundreds of children who wouldn’t have had the means to see a world-class event the opportunity to see X Games Ventura right here in their own hometown. You never know — maybe seeing athletes at the X Games inspired one of our local skateboarders or riders to become the next X Games gold medalist!”

As someone who attended his first X Games almost 20 years ago, I can say X Games Ventura was one of the best I have seen. The X Games are the “Olympics” of action sports, according to several of the families and athletes I spoke with. Each day, fans watched the world’s best action sports athletes competing for gold.

Here are some highlights from X Games Ventura:

Pacifico Men’s Skateboard Vert Final In a thrilling Skateboard Vert final on Friday, June 28, longtime X Games competitor Tom Schaar earned his first gold medal in Vert at the age of 24. With seven-time Vert gold medalist Jimmy Wilkins sitting in first place in the fourth and final runs, Schaar executed a flawless run in the last 10 seconds of the competition. Moto Shibata, who was just off the podium heading into his fourth run, landed a nearly perfect run to knock Wilkins into bronze.

Moto X Best Whip Final In the final competition of the day on Friday, June 28, American Patrick Evans earned gold in just his second X Games appearance, surpassing 2022 gold medalist Julien Vanstippen. Riding an electric Stark Future bike, Evans defied gravity with his corked-out whip.

Skateboard Park on the SONIC Park Course On Sunday, June 30, the world’s biggest stage featured a field of eight finalists, all under 18 years old. Among them was defending champion, 14-year-old Arisa Trew, aiming to uphold her title after a perfect rookie year where she clinched two gold medals in park and vert disciplines. Trew impressed from the start, unleashing a series of intricate combos, including a backside air on the extension, McTwist, and backside Smith, nosegrind to fakie. After a dominant first run, Trew outperformed the rest of the field with an 11-point lead and maintained her edge throughout, displaying a relentless drive to push the progression of what was possible. Even in her victory lap, she continued to challenge herself, highlighting her commitment to progression in her sport.

Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Final In his 24th X Games appearance on Sunday, June 30, Nyjah Huston again reigned supreme in skateboard street, winning his second gold this weekend, his 23rd overall X Games medal, and his 15th gold medal, tying Shaun White in the Skateboard Street Final. With his win in Saturday’s Street Best Trick event, Huston earned his first on-site gold medal since X Games Minneapolis 2019 and surpassed Bob Burnquist’s record for the most skateboard golds at X Games.

Samsung Galaxy Moto X QuarterPipe High Air It was a showdown between the two favorites for this event on Sunday, June 30: Australian competitor Corey Creed and USA’s four-time X Games gold medalist Colby Raha. Raha, who won last year with a 56’3” jump and is a four-time MTX QuarterPipe High Air champ, was edged out by Creed by two feet at 53 feet and seven inches. Now, both rivals own four X Games gold medals apiece.

Monster Energy Men’s Skateboard Street Best Trick On Saturday, June 29, 22-time X Games champion and favorite Nyjah Huston matched legend Bob Burnquist’s record for the most skateboard gold medals of all time. Huston is the most decorated skateboard street medalist of all time and just one gold behind Shaun White and Garrett Reynolds for the most overall gold in history.

Pacifico Women’s & Men’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick In the debut of Pacifico Women’s Skateboard Vert Best Trick on Saturday, June 29, nine-year-old Mia Kretzer earned her first X Games gold. In a field where the oldest competitor was just 20 years old, Kretzer became the youngest athlete and medalist in X Games history, beating out Ema Kawakami, who held the record for one day. Kretzer landed a cab 720 on her second try.

In the men’s competition, Gui Khury added his ninth overall gold medal and third Vert Best Trick gold medal with a body varial 900 on his first try. On the 25th anniversary of Tony Hawk’s 900, both Khury and newcomer Kawakai landed 900s.

Highlight information provided by X Games.

Stephen Gregory Reid, 61, known as “Racer,” from Ventura, California, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for his role as a prolific fentanyl distributor, announced the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division last week.

The sentencing marks the culmination of a multi-agency investigation that began in fall 2022 and concluded in August 2023 with a search warrant executed at Reid’s Ventura residence. Law enforcement seized over one pound of fentanyl powder, nearly one pound of crystal methamphetamine, and a small quantity of M-30 fentanyl pills. Reid’s residence is located just one block north of an elementary school.

The investigation, led by the DEA Ventura Resident Office in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Ventura and the Ventura Police Department (VPD), identified Reid as one of Ventura’s primary fentanyl traffickers. Reid, with a history of prior convictions for state drug offenses and lengthy prison terms, was a significant distributor of the dangerous drug within the community.

DEA Ventura Resident Agent in Charge Ryan Olson praised the joint efforts of all involved agencies, emphasizing their commitment to eliminating fentanyl distribution in Ventura. “This investigation underscores our relentless pursuit to rid our streets of lethal drugs like fentanyl and hold offenders accountable,” Olson stated.

Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative efforts that led to Reid’s sentencing. “Reid played a major role in the spread of fentanyl in our community. This sentencing underscores our commitment to safeguarding Ventura from the devastating impact of this deadly drug,” Chief Schindler affirmed.

John Pasciucco, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of HSI Los Angeles, highlighted the critical partnerships essential to combating the nationwide fentanyl crisis. “Collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies is vital to ensuring the safety of southern California residents,” Pasciucco remarked.

Fentanyl, known for its potency and lethal potential, has become a leading cause of death among young Americans. With its high potency compared to morphine and heroin, even minuscule amounts pose significant public health risks. In 2023 alone, DEA seized over 80 million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, equivalent to more than 381 million lethal doses.

Assistant United States Attorney Suria Bahadue of the General Crimes section is prosecuting Reid’s case.

Mayor Joe Schroeder hailed the pier’s return as a “remarkable comeback.” Photo by Patricia-Schallert and Yana Khynod

by Patricia Schallert

Nestled along Ventura’s picturesque coastline in California, Ventura Pier holds a cherished place in the hearts of locals and visitors alike. Beyond its role as a scenic landmark, this historic pier has witnessed countless milestones—first kisses, engagements, and anniversaries—making it a timeless backdrop for cherished memories.

In 2023, Ventura Pier faced a formidable challenge when a powerful storm swept through, causing significant structural damage and necessitating its closure for essential renovations. The safety of visitors was paramount, prompting a united effort within the community to support the pier’s restoration. Recognizing the pier’s profound cultural and historical value, Ventura rallied together to ensure its preservation for future generations.

Leading the charge in the pier’s reconstruction was Jilk Heavy Construction Inc., renowned for their impeccable safety record and expertise in coastal infrastructure. Under the stewardship of Barbara McCormick, Fleet and Facilities Manager, alongside Joe and Jim Jilk, the company spearheaded meticulous repairs and upgrades.

The culmination of these efforts came to fruition on June 29th, 2024, as Ventura Pier proudly reopened its gates to the public. The grand reopening was a testament to resilience and community spirit, drawing enthusiastic crowds eager to once again savor its panoramic ocean views, fishing opportunities, and leisurely strolls along its storied planks.

Mayor Joe Schroeder hailed the pier’s return as a “remarkable comeback,” embodying the enduring spirit and unity of Ventura’s coastal community. Ronda Holden, President of Pier Into the Future, emphasized that Ventura Pier transcends its physical structure—it symbolizes the very essence of coastal California living.

On June 25th, Mayor Schroeder expressed gratitude to the collaborative efforts of community partners, including Barbara McCormick, Josh Jilk, Jim Jilk, Tio Larios, Ronda Holden, and Bill Ayub. Their dedication, alongside the city council and numerous individuals, ensured that Ventura’s heritage remains safeguarded for generations to come.

As Ventura welcomes back its beloved pier, Mayor Schroeder eagerly anticipates the community’s return to create new memories under the sun that rises and sets upon this beloved coastal landmark.