Category Archives: News and Notes

Ventura High School CIF Champions

Mayor Joe Schroeder presenting the Ventura High School Girls Cross Country team.

On January 9, the City Council recognized the Ventura High School Girls Cross Country team for their recent State Championship victory.

City Council also recognized their coach, Josh Spiker, and Sadie Engelhardt who won the individual title as well as breaking the Division ll course record with a time of 16:40.7.

After 19 years, the state titles are back in the hands of VHS Girls Cross Country

On Saturday, Nov. 25 in Fresno, VHS Girls Cross Country crossed the finish line with the new title of Division ll CIF State Cross Country Championship winners.

Ventura won its third state championship that day in Woodward Park, Fresno. The team won with a score of 85 points by a 29-point margin over Whitney High School, who placed second.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation receives $75,000 from U.S. Bank

Snapdragon Place Apartments is just one of the CEDC’s Ventura projects.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) announced it has received a $75,000 contribution from U.S. Bank. The grant will be used to help create safe and stable housing for children, families and communities to thrive.

“Creating equitable living opportunities for families in our community requires resources, and we appreciate the support from U.S. Bank. With their support, we are able to continue building and expanding our options of safe and affordable housing for local families,” said Margarita H. de Escontrias, Chief Executive Officer at CEDC.

CEDC develops and manages service-enriched, inclusive residential communities, ensuring access to affordable, secure, quality housing for lower-income families in the community. Through this work, they also provide residents in their properties with programs that include homework clubs, education for adults and youth, fitness and nutrition classes, empowerment and leadership training, and more.

U.S. Bank is committed to powering human potential and creating lasting change in communities. The bank does this through the Community Possible platform, including philanthropy, community investments and team member volunteerism.

The Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation has been making dreams come true, one home at a time, since 1981. Proud to be the largest developer of affordable homes in Ventura County, Cabrillo’s success is the result of decades of passion, dedication, and vision. With a mission of providing comprehensive housing services and community economic development activities, Cabrillo facilitates self-sufficiency for individuals and families who are most lacking in opportunity. At Cabrillo, home is more than a place to live – it is the cornerstone of the community’s economic, environmental, and social wellbeing.

“Keeping People Housed: That’s Amore.”

by the Ventura Homeless Prevention

The Ventura Homeless Prevention keeps many of our neighbors in Ventura from experiencing the double traumas of eviction and homelessness in the year ahead. In 2023, thanks to our generous donors, Ventura Homeless Prevention provided over $83,000 in rental assistance that kept 70 households (103 adults and 64 children) from losing their homes. In 2022, $101,000 in donations allowed us to keep 78 households with 125 adults and 69 children in their homes. In every case, a one-time, temporary financial setback had left neighbors who’d been paying rent on their own for years on the cusp of eviction. With our one-time help, all of them were able to stay housed and resume paying their own rent again. We are grateful we were able to help so many and that, on average, it only cost $1,150 per household or $500 per individual to keep our neighbors housed. Not surprisingly, the number we are able to help each year is determined by the amount of money we have on hand.

From 12:30-2 on February 24, the third Saturday of Valentines’ month, we are holding a fundraiser we are calling “Keeping People Housed: That’s Amore.” We hope you’ll join us and Supervisor Matt LaVere for a delicious Italian meal, live music, an online and in person auction, a wine pull, and a chance to meet some of the people we were able to help this past year thanks to the support of our donors.

If you like to help by purchasing a ticket or by donating, you can go to our our website (venturahomelessprevention.org). There’s a link to the auction at that location as well; auction bidding will be open from February 10-25.

Yet another way you could help would be to encourage businesses you frequent to donate an item or a service for our auction. You/They can either email me at [email protected] with the details or fill in our easy online form here:
https://venturahomelessprevention.betterworld.org/donate-an-item.

We hope to see you and many of your friends and colleagues on February 24. It should be a fun event, and I know you’ll enjoy meeting several of the hard-working Venturans we helped in 2023.

High school reunions planned

Two major events for the 50th Class Reunion of the Ventura High School Class of 1974 are planned for Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21.

The Class With Class will gather, reminisce, laugh, remember and celebrate. A traditional reunion dinner will include tributes to the classmates who have passed away, music, dinner, dancing, drinks, videos and other special moments. The reunion is planned from 5-9 pm Saturday, July 20, at the historic Ventura City Hall on the hill overlooking beautiful Downtown Ventura.

An all-inclusive Combined Reunion with the VHS Classes of 1973 and 1975 and the St. Bonaventure and Buena Classes of 1973, 1974 and 1975 is scheduled starting at 2 pm Sunday, July 21. Great music from the mid-1970s will play from 3-7 pm at the iconic Tony’s Pizzaria near the Fairgrounds. Guests may purchase food and drinks.

Classmates are encouraged to set the dates, watch Facebook page Ventura High School Class of 1974 for updates and spread the word with other classmates.

Questions may be directed to Pat McKean on Facebook Messenger.

A new partnership will help curb bullying and threats of violence

Gaggle creates a safer school environment.

The Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) announced an impactful collaboration with the school safety technology company Gaggle. This partnership aims to launch a SpeakUp for Safety tipline, enabling students to report threats of violence, instances of bullying, peers in crisis, and other imminent concerns affecting students’ well-being and security in a simple and confidential manner.

Gaggle’s team of safety professionals will diligently monitor the SpeakUp for Safety tipline 24/7 during the regular school year and summer school sessions. Non-life-threatening tips will be swiftly directed to designated school or district staff members. In more severe situations, district-appointed contacts will be promptly notified to take necessary action. In cases of immediate danger to a student when Gaggle cannot reach a district-appointed contact, law enforcement will be alerted for immediate intervention.

“Our district chose to implement Gaggle SpeakUp as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and supportive environment for our students. By partnering with Gaggle, we aim to enhance and cultivate a culture where students feel empowered to speak up and feel heard, supported, and protected within our school community,” stated Maria Elizarraras, Director of Student Support Services.

For further information about VUSD’s Gaggle implementation, please contact Marieanne Quiroz, Public Information Officer at VUSD, via email at [email protected].

Since 1999, Gaggle has been the leader in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology. Using an effective combination of artificial intelligence and trained safety experts, the solution proactively assists districts 24/7/365 in the prevention of student suicide, bullying, inappropriate behaviors, school violence, and other harmful situations. Most importantly, Gaggle continues to help hundreds of districts across the country avoid tragedies and save lives, while also protecting their liability. For more information, visit www.gaggle.net and follow Gaggle on Twitter at @Gaggle_K12.

The District is made up of an early childhood education program, 26 elementary, middle, and high schools, with more than 16,000 school-age students, an adult education center, 2,000 staff, and a wealth of parents and community members who all strive to help our children find their passion—academically and personally.

For more information, visit www.venturausd.org or call 805-641-5000.

Emergency crews respond to structure fire on Pierpont Blvd.

On January 2, at 9am, fire units were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 2500 block of Pierpont Blvd. Ventura Firefighters arrived within 4 minutes of dispatch and found a detached garage with smoke and fire showing.

The fire was immediately threatening multiple homes including the primary residence of the garage.

Firefighters made an aggressive attack to extinguish the fire and stop the spread to nearby homes. Firefighters extinguished the fire with a coordinated effort of vertical and horizontal ventilation to keep the fire from spreading throughout the structure. The fire was controlled 8 minutes after units arrived on scene and the garage was confirmed to have no victims inside. Ventura City Fire units were assisted by Ventura Police Department as well as Oxnard City Fire Department.

Air Pollution Control District awarding residents up to $5,000

As winter approaches, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District is awarding residents up to $5,000 to replace wood-burning fireplaces and stoves that are a primary source of heat with cleaner-burning and more effective devices.

Smoke from burning wood contains major air pollutants including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, fine particles and volatile organic compounds such as benzene and formaldehyde. These pollutants have the potential for serious adverse health effects, most commonly related to the respiratory system. Additionally, volatile organic compounds react with oxides in nitrogen in the presence of sunlight to form ozone, which injures lungs and makes breathing difficult.

Burning wood also is an inefficient way to produce heat. Most of the heat energy is used to dry wood before it burns, and fireplaces send much of the hot air up the chimney.

To reduce emissions and the negative impact on people’s health, the district is partnering with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Woodsmoke Reduction Program to award a total of $95,000 in vouchers through May.

Residents who live in Ventura County communities designated as disadvantaged or low-income by CARB or who meet other income requirements are eligible for enhanced vouchers of $5,000, which can cover a substantial portion of the cost of purchase, installation and permits. Standard vouchers provide $1,000.

The vouchers can be used for installation of natural gas or propane fireplace inserts or stoves; electric stoves, fireplace inserts or ductless mini-split heat pumps; or wood or pellet stoves or inserts that meet EPA requirements. They must replace open-hearth fireplaces or free-standing wood stoves or wood stove inserts that are not EPA certified. District retail partner Chimney Savers Inc. must install devices.

The vouchers will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program is part of California Climate Investments, which puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The county district protects public health and agriculture from air pollution by identifying problems and developing plans to achieve state and federal standards.

To apply or get more details, visit vcapcd.org/woodsmoke.htm or contact air quality specialist Stephanie Lapeyre-Montrose at [email protected] or 805-303-3665.

 

Ventura County Community Colleges to host Cash 4 College Workshops

Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops to help students apply for funds to help with college costs. Funds can be used for tuition, books, housing, transportation, childcare, computers and more.

In-person workshops are scheduled for February and March. The workshops are free and open to the community; anyone may attend a workshop at any location and can drop in at any time during the events.

Bilingual financial aid staff will assist students in completing applications for the 2024-2025 school-year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). Students can also access information about basic needs support (food, clothing and housing assistance), tutoring, academic counseling, mental health services and other student services.

AB 469 requires school districts to confirm seniors have completed the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application before graduating in 2024. Cash for College events can help students get ahead.

For more information, visit vcccd.edu/cash4college.

Ventura College
Feb. 10, Mar. 9
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Ventura College Learning Resource Center
4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura

Ventura College East Campus
Feb. 24,Mar. 23
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
957 Faulkner Road, Unit 106, Santa Paula

For info: Contact the Ventura College Financial Aid Office at (805) 289-6369 or [email protected].

The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 116-campus California Community College system and serves approximately 30,000 students annually. The District’s three colleges — Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura — offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, visit www.vcccd.edu.

Ventura County joins exciting new pre-apprenticeship Tri-County Program for construction and trades careers

Residents of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties can register at no cost for the High Roads Construction Careers program, put forth by Workforce Development Board of three counties.

Enrollment is now open for the WDBVC’s Construction and Trades training program, designed to help residents of the Tri-Counties become competitive applicants as they take the next steps in their careers in the construction industry. Throughout the 12-week program, participants will learn skills such as blueprint reading, construction math, financial literacy, how to handle tools and materials, and many other valuable competencies, all at no cost them.

Additionally, participants will be able to form important connections with Trades industry leaders who can help them navigate the application process and connect them with available stipends so that they can learn, grow, and earn at the same time.

“This program is an amazing opportunity to get a great jump on your construction or trades training!” said Andrea Sanchez, Senior Administrative Manager for WDBVC. “For the first time we are providing a stipend during training, so we’re strongly encouraging Ventura County residents to take advantage of this opportunity and make themselves competitive applicants!”

To learn more about this program and access the application, interested Tri-County residents can visit tricountyhrcc.org.

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County administers federal funds to support America’s Job Center of California locations and other free job seekers, youth, and employer programs and services in Ventura County. The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County is a proud partner of America’s Job Center of California network. Equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. If you have limitations in hearing or speaking, dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). For more information, call 805-477-5306 or visit http://workforceventuracounty.org.

Fire crews respond to vehicle and structure fire

On January 4, fire units were dispatched to a reported structure fire at 6427 Ventura Blvd. Firefighters arrived within 9 minutes of dispatch and found a produce delivery truck, that had been converted into a living space, on fire extending into the produce store.

Due to an aggressive attack, firefighters were able to limit the fire spread to the exterior of the store. The fire was knocked down within 14 minutes of arrival. Ventura County Public Health was called and ensured any produce exposed to smoke was disposed of.