Mohammed Hasan is the principal engineer and owner of Hasan Consultants, a civil and environmental engineering firm based in Ventura. He holds dual M.S. degrees from the University of Iowa. He’s a licensed professional engineer in California and a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He’s also a leadership fellow of the American Public Works Association and a distinguished life member of the American Water Works Association. He taught water Science at Ventura college.

His new book “Drought Is Not A Four-Letter Word “ expalains that there is a water crisis in California, and with the current drought and the strong possibility of climate change impacting our weather patterns, it’s time to reimagine solutions for solving this crisis. This book offers a brief synopsis of the problem and how humans have contributed greatly to our water shortages. But beyond doomsday thinking, there are technological solutions that can solve the water shortage and help people feel empowered to participate in these solutions. From crisis to action, citizens, engineers, scientists, water managers, planners, policy makers, politicians, everyone can participate by using some of these ideas to solve California’s water shortage problem.

Available at Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com and other retailers.

The County of Ventura Grand Jury is an all-volunteer group serving as an independent agent of the public to investigate complaints from the public pertaining to government agencies in our community.    Is your organization interested in hearing about these investigative duties and procedures?  The Grand Jury Speakers Bureau is available to educate the public in its endeavors as the “public watchdog” for Ventura County. To learn more or schedule a date for a presentation, please call the Grand Jury at 477-1800.  For additional information, you may also refer to its website, http://www.ventura.org/grand-jury

The Ventura County Health Care Agency’s Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Access to Community Health (CATCH) project has been awarded a second year of funding through the Health Care Innovations Award (HCIA) program in the amount of $1.3 million from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). The total grant award is $4.1 million dollars over three years.  Ventura County is honored to be one of only 39 organizations nationally to receive this prestigious award.

COPD is an umbrella term that includes chronic lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma.  The CATCH program has implemented new, evidence-based guidelines throughout the County for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COPD because it is the third leading cause of death in the nation and the fourth leading cause of death in Ventura County.  There are more than 28,000 people that suffer from COPD in Ventura County and many are unaware that they have it.  A simple test called a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) can be performed to determine if someone has COPD.  Identifying and treating COPD in its early stages can drastically change/slow the progression of the disease.

“CATCH is also reforming the way in which we pay for the treatment of COPD, reducing costs by an estimated 22% over all. During the first year of the project, CATCH has been able to reduce Emergency Room visits by 18% and the number of critical vaccinations for COPD patients has increased by 25%.  CATCH is improving the quality of life for COPD patients while reducing the costs of treatment,” says Dr. Renee Higgins, CATCH Principal Investigator.

The CATCH team of specialists, led by Susan White Wood, CATCH Program Director, can travel county-wide to provide services. The team includes a Project Director, two Registered Nurses, two Respiratory Therapists, two Community Health Outreach Workers, a Medical Office Assistant and contracts with numerous specialists throughout the community.  CATCH can be reached at  677-5162 or [email protected].

The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF) named John Williamson, of the Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy (ATLAS) in Ventura, September’s Teacher of the Month. VCEF board member, Pattie Braga, along with elected representatives and members of the business community, presented Williamson with a plaque to commemorate the award on Sept. 30.

Williamson was recognized for his leadership abilities, dedication to his fourth and fifth grade students, and participation in numerous educational committees. As head of the ATLAS Lighthouse Leadership Team, Williamson led the staff in developing the mission statement, goals and an implementation plan for the school’s leadership magnet program. He also represents ATLAS on Ventura Unified School District’s math benchmark committee and on its report card committee, as well.

“John is viewed as a mentor by his students and as a respected leader by his fellow staff members,” said ATLAS’ principal, Jennifer Duston. “He does whatever it takes to help his students be successful.”

Williamson’s seven years of teaching experience are supplemented by his regular attendance at classes and workshops on key instructional methods, including visual thinking strategies (VTS), developing mathematical ideas (DMI) and the Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) instructional model.

Teacher of the Month nominees must be credentialed teachers and display certain qualities, such as outstanding commitment to students, service to school or district committees, involvement in projects on their own time and/or participation in youth-focused activities. For more information about the Teacher of the Month program, please contact Pattie Braga, chair of the VCEF Teacher Appreciation Committee, at [email protected] or 477-4052.

The Ventura Commerce and Education Foundation (VCEF), under the auspices of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, works to provide a business link to the economic, educational, cultural and environmental interests of the Ventura regional community. More information about the VCEF can be found at venturachamber.com/ventura-commerce-education-foundation.