Category Archives: News and Notes

Ventura County Board of Supervisors designates June as “Amateur Radio Month”

Several Ventura County ham radio communications volunteers assisted in the Thomas Fire.

At their June 12 meeting, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors recognized the county’s Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) volunteers by designating June as “Amateur Radio Month.”

In presenting a proclamation to local radio operators, the Board cited the many hours of training and instruction the volunteers devote to serving the region in times of emergency.

Amateur (or “Ham”) Radio operators gain operating privileges by passing examinations that qualify them for licensing by the FCC. Some then undergo training to support the county’s emergency services agencies or they may affiliate with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service to serve agencies such as the Red Cross when there’s a need for skilled communicators. A recent report showed there are over 3,475 licensed operators in Ventura County.

Locally, the Thomas Fire saw communications volunteers pressed into service in Ventura County during last year’s fire emergency. On a larger scale, the hurricanes of 2017 saw Amateur Radio used as the only workable link to some of the impacted islands and communities in the Caribbean.

In Ventura County, the Ham Radio communicators also support activities such as community events and they conduct weekly on-the-air drills to assure their equipment and operating techniques are current. Amateur Radio operators are unpaid volunteers who also purchase and maintain their own equipment.

Harbor Patrol places a high priority on public safety

Daily lifeguard services began Memorial Day weekend. Unanimously approved for 2018 by the Board of Port Commissioners, these services are funded by the Ventura Port District, which contracts with California State Parks.

The contract runs through Labor Day, with seasonal lifeguards covering the harbor’s Surfer’s Knoll Beach and Harbor Cove Beach.

Starting and ending times may change throughout the summer to address crowd trends. Harbor Cove lifeguards will begin around 10 a.m. daily, and Surfers Knoll will begin by 11 a.m. on weekends. Additional coverage may include a beach patrol.

For questions on lifeguard times, call the State Lifeguards Dispatch at 648-3321.

The Ventura Port District and Harbor Patrol place a high priority on public safety and always advise beachgoers to swim by guarded lifeguard towers.

Complimentary beach parking and restrooms are available at both beach parking lots and street parking is available on Spinnaker Drive.

“Ventura Harbor is one of the few locations in Ventura County that provides a complete user experience,” said Ventura Port District Harbormaster John Higgins. “Our harbor, beaches, merchants, restaurants, national park headquarters, sport fishing boats, dive boats and Island Packers give the visitor tremendous value and entertainment in one intimate location.”

The American Red Cross raises funds for military families and veterans

From Ride for the Red Allyn Rice, Jim Sennett , Denise Rice, Ken Bauer, Diane Krehbiel-Delson, Kris Meathrell , Susan Wolf and Kevin Delson.

The American Red Cross of Ventura County, a leading humanitarian organization with nearly 600 volunteers, held the kickoff of its third annual Operation: Ride for the Red cycling event. The ride took place on Saturday, May 19, and all proceeds support the organization, which helps members of the military, veterans, and their families prepare for, cope with and respond to the challenges of military service.

There were three rides going through Ventura County, a century (100 miles) a metric century (about 62 miles)  and a half metric century (30 miles) . Each registered rider received a rider bag with several free items. All active and retired veterans road for free.

“Each time we participate in Operation: Ride for the Red, I’m overjoyed by how the community comes together to support such a worthy cause,” said Ken Bauer, ride event director for Operation: Ride for the Red. “It’s such a fun way to bring the community together to raise support for the military, veterans and their families. We owe a big thanks to our sponsors for allowing the Red Cross to host this ride year after year.”

The Red Cross is able to help local military families thanks to the generosity of donors who support the SAF program. This year’s Operation: Ride for Red sponsors included California Resources Corporation (CRC), Wells Fargo, Premier America Credit Union, and Capital Insurance Group (CIG), in addition to many generous in-kind donors.

Ride for the Red was created by passionate, local volunteers eager to share the story and history of the Red Cross SAF program. Since 9/11, the Red Cross has served more than one million military families, and it is the only military service organization that supports military families from the day they enlist through their time as a veteran.

To donation, or learn more http://www.redcross.org/local/california/central-california/ride-for-the-red.

Street Fair staff is looking for volunteers

Volunteers are the heart of our community, and the 4th of July Street Fair staff is always thankful for the help. The Street Fair staff is currently looking for volunteers to assist with the duties listed below for this annual event. All volunteer positions receive community hour credits if required. The deadline to volunteer is June 14.

Volunteer opportunities for the 4th of July Street Fair:

Poster distribution throughout Ventura and surrounding cities. Began June 1; this schedule can be flexible.

Street Fair booth marking on Main St., Thursday, June 28 6:15-8 am.

Assist Traffic Control on July 4, 6:30-10 am, will help vendors find their location and ensure proper booth set up. All volunteers for this assignment must be over 16 unless volunteering with an adult.

Assist Traffic Control on July 4, 4-6:30 pm, will assist with vendor traffic control as they exit. All volunteers for this assignment must be over 16 unless volunteering with an adult.

Information booth on July 4, 8-11 am, 11 am-2 pm or 2-5 pm; these shifts will answer questions, assist with decoration placement and take down. You can volunteer for all three shifts if you would like, breaks will be provided.

For more information contact Michelle Godoy-Morales at 654-7749 or [email protected].

Ventura County Emergency Medical Services to teach Hands-Only CPR

Through June 8, Ventura County Emergency Medical Services (VCEMS) will partner with the American Heart Association (AHA) and other emergency service providers to host free Hands-Only Sidewalk CPR trainings at several locations throughout Ventura County.

CPR instructors will demonstrate the Hands-Only CPR technique in public places with the goal being to teach more people how to respond appropriately if they witness someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn the simple two-step technique, practice on mannequins and receive information on where they can go if they want to become fully CPR certified.

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Nearly 300,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. each year and only 32 percent of the victims receive CPR from a layperson. Failure to act in a cardiac emergency can result in unnecessary death. By using CPR techniques immediately, the person suffering from cardiac arrest has a much higher chance of survival. An ambulance should be called right away also so that they can bring an Automated external defibrillator to the scene and help save someone’s life. Less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive, but when an effective bystander immediately administers CPR, the chance of survival more than doubles.

Introduced by the AMA in 2010, Hands-Only CPR does not require alternating chest compressions with mouth- to-mouth breathing and is intended for bystanders untrained in traditional CPR.

For more information about the free Hands-Only CPR trainings, contact VCEMS at (805) 981-5301, go to www.vchca.org/ems, or visit: http://handsonlycpr.org/.

Ventura County Govt. Ctr., Main Court Yard Plaza 800 S. Victoria Ave. June 7 and June 8,

9:00-1:30

EDC-VC receives $450,000 to help businesses impacted by Thomas Fire

The Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura County recently received contributions from the Gene Haas Foundation and Pacific Western Bank to establish a loan fund in response to the Thomas fire and subsequent mudslides. The loan program is now helping businesses at a critical time as they feel the long-term strain of recovery.

The Gene Haas Foundation quickly worked with EDC-VC to establish a $200,000 loan fund for disaster assistance lending to businesses that were affected by the disasters. The loan fund was then augmented with an additional $250,000 from Pacific Western Bank. The funds are benefiting under-capitalized and disadvantaged businesses impacted by the fire that may not qualify for commercial credit.

The loan fund has helped with the initial demand for assistance and provides a significant contribution to the vitalilty of the local retail and service economy.

Businesses located in areas declared a disaster due to the Thomas Fire whose sales were impacted by the fires can submit loan applications by contacting Clare Briglio at 805-409-9159. Loans may be up to $30,000. Larger requests will be managed under separate review processes and credit considerations. Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2018.

As a matter of both business support and lending security, EDC-VC will provide borrowers with technical assistance advisors through its Small Business Development Centers who meet regularly with borrowers to provide comprehensive assistance, to monitor their progress and bolster their ability to repay the loans and remain in business.

Additional business disaster recovery services can be found online at http://edc-vc.com/disaster-recoveryservices/ or on the “Business Recovery” link on the home page of http://venturacountyrecovers.org/. For assistance, please contact EDC-VC SBDC Services Coordinator Alondra Gaytan at (805) 409-9159.

The SBDC is funded by the SBA and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, job retention and business start-ups.

EDC-VC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura County by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center and loan, manufacturing and international trade programs, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24, or [email protected]. Or visit www.edc-vc.com.

Fire, debris flow victims eligible for up to $3,000 rent or mortgage payment assistance

Residents of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties whose homes or rentals were destroyed or severely damaged by the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow may be eligible for up to $3,000 in assistance thanks to a disaster assistance program established by the affected region’s three Realtor associations.

Beginning immediately, homeowners and renters left homeless by the debris flow and wildfire may apply for reimbursement of one month’s mortgage or rent payment or $3,000 – whichever is less – from the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors, the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors, or the Ventura County Coastal Association of Realtors.

The three local associations joined together and received a total of $650,000 from state and national Realtor housing assistance funds – enough to assist more than 200 families, said Matt Capritto, President of the Ventura County association.

Victims can download application forms at www.vcrealtors.com/community-info/thomas-fire.html, www.sbaor.org/membercenter/realtor-disaster-relief-program/ or www.ojaivalleymls.com. Applicants will need to complete an application, provide a copy of their mortgage statement or rental agreement, which both must include contact information for the lender or landlord, and proof of damage to their primary residence. Each of the three AORs will assess applications and hope to disburse all the funds within three months.

None of the funds will go to administration costs – all will be disbursed to victims, said Ojai Valley association president Sharon MaHarry.

Realtors in both counties have been helping victims since the Thomas Fire broke out on Dec. 4. The associations quickly established a public online rental portal which became the top websites to find temporary housing. And in addition, associations and individual Realtors started clothes drives so disaster victims, who lost everything, could get the necessities such as clothes and shoes.

The Realtors’ Relief Foundation, an arm of the National Association of Realtors, contributed $500,000 to the fund. The California Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Fund contributed the remaining $150,000.

Wildfire Story Project to educate the public on wildfire risk

Ventura County Library joins StoryCenter and the California State Library at the launch of the California Wildfire Story Project to educate the public on the issues of wildfire risk and prevention across California. The California Wildfire Story Project is a series of public oral history workshops.

The Ventura County Library events are at E.P. Foster Library. Join filmmakers Kevin White and Stephen Most, in viewing their recently released, Wilder Than Wild documentary film, on the issues surrounding megafires, climate change, and fire control and management policy, Friday, June 22 at 6 pm.

Participant interview sessions are Saturday, June 23 at E.P. Foster Library. To apply for interview participation, please visit: https://www.storycenter.org/ventura-fire-stories-june2018. All events are welcome to the general public and free.

The California Wildfire Story Project is part of California Listens, a multi-year program bringing story-based engagement process to libraries throughout California. The California State Library joins with StoryCenter, Ventura County Library, and public libraries in Mendocino, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, and Napa Counties as part of California Wildfire Preparedness Week.

“The stories of those affected by the mega-fires of 2017 are now an important part of California memory, and deserve to be collected and maintained as part of sustaining our awareness of how our state is coping with the intersection of climate change, environmental and land use policy, and managing the resource of our wilderness areas”stated Joe Lambert, Executive Director, StoryCenter

StoryCenter is an internationally recognized hub of story-based educational and community-centered media practices in service of social justice and social change. Best known as the founders of the Digital Storytelling movement, they work with a cross section of civic institutions in developing programs that capture the lives and experiences of ordinary citizens, and teach accessible media engagement practices to working professionals in the fields of education, health, social services, and human rights. For more information about StoryCenter, contact Joe Lambert, [email protected] or call 510-292-6513 #CalFireStoryProject

The Ventura Police Department, partnering with allied agencies, conducted enhanced patrols

As part of the City of Ventura’s ongoing efforts to respond to concerns from the community as well as business merchants regarding illegal behaviors in the parks and surrounding areas of the downtown corridor, 4000 block of E. Main St, and the Victoria corridor, the Ventura Police Department, partnering with allied agencies, conducted enhanced patrols in the those areas on May 9. The officers involved included Ventura PD Motor Unit, Ventura PD Patrol Task Force, VCSO Mounted Enforcement Unit, Ventura County Probation and Ventura County Behavioral Health

The goal of the City of Ventura’s Safe and Clean Initiative is to ensure safe and clean public places for the entire community to enjoy. One of the core elements of this effort is to direct and leverage limited resources to better address illegal activity and quality of life behaviors in public spaces.

As a result of this effort a total of 13 arrests were made in the focus areas:

  • 4 arrests for being under the influence of a controlled substance (misdemeanor)
  • 1 arrest for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
  • 1 arrests for possession of a controlled substance and possession of a dangerous weapon (Felony)
  • 6 arrests for violation of probation
  • 1 arrest for a possession of a stolen vehicle warrant (Felony)

The locations of these arrests included:

  • 1 at Plaza Park, 600 E. Santa Clara St.
  • 2 at Mission Park, 190 E. Main St.
  • 4 at Promenade Park, 398 Figueroa St.
  • 6 at various other locations in the downtown corridor

The City of Ventura is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the community by making a concerted effort to support the Safe and Clean Initiative.

Quarantine of mussels

The Ventura County Environmental Health Division (Division) in coordination with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is issuing a warning that the annual quarantine of mussels taken by recreational shellfish harvesters is effective May 1, 2018. This quarantine is due to hazardous levels of toxin causing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) that may be present in mussels along the Ventura County Coast.

The quarantine applies to all species of mussels taken by the public anywhere on the California coast including all bays, harbors, and estuaries. Commercially-harvested shellfish are not included in the annual quarantine.

By complying with the mussel quarantine and advisory, exposure to Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) and Domoic Acid Poisoning (DAP) can be prevented. PSP affects the central nervous system producing a tingling around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours after eating shellfish that contain PSP toxins. This typically is followed by disturbed balance, lack of muscular coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty swallowing. In severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from asphyxiation can occur.

Symptoms of DAP can occur within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and dizziness. These symptoms disappear completely within several days. In severe cases the victim may experience excessive bronchial secretions, difficulty breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular instability, seizures, permanent loss of short- term memory, coma and death.

There is no known antidote to the toxins, and cooking cannot be relied upon to destroy them. Supportive medical care, however, has proven effective in managing the