Category Archives: News and Notes

Ventura Land Trust Hosts Legacy Wall Dedication Ceremony at Harmon Canyon Preserve

The Legacy Wall was created by Ventura metal artist Tyronne McGrath.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) held a special Legacy Wall dedication ceremony on Wednesday, April 19th at 9:00 am to commemorate donors who supported the Harmon Canyon Campaign for Harmon Canyon Preserve. The ceremony took place at the Harmon Canyon Preserve trailhead.

The $10 million Harmon Canyon Campaign supported the establishment of Harmon Canyon Preserve, 2,123 acres of permanently conserved open space in Ventura, and a stewardship endowment that allows Ventura Land Trust to care for the land in perpetuity.

The Legacy Wall, created by Ventura metal artist Tyronne McGrath, depicts plants and animals of the Ventura hillsides, and is crowned with commemorative leaves etched with the names of Harmon Canyon Campaign supporters.

Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa spoke during the ceremony.

Harmon Canyon Preserve is located at 7511 Foothill Rd.

Stamp Out Hunger Food drive

Saturday, May 13th marks the 31st anniversary of one of America’s great days of giving — the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food drive. 

Letter carriers walk through the community every day, often coming face to face with a sad reality for too many, hunger. 

So, each year on the second Saturday in May, letter carriers across the country collect non-perishable food donations from our customers. These donations go directly to local food pantries to provide food to people in Billings who need our help. 

Over the course of its 30-year history, the drive has collected well over 1.82 billion pounds of food, thanks to a postal service universal delivery network that spans the entire nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam and U.S. Virgin Islands. 

The need for food donations is great. Currently, more than 35 million Americans are unsure where their next meal is coming from. More than twelve million are children who feel hunger’s impact on their overall health and ability to perform in school. And nearly 5.2 million seniors over age 60 are food insecure, with many who live on fixed incomes often too embarrassed to ask for help. 

Food banks and pantries often receive the majority of their donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. By springtime, many pantries are depleted, entering the summer low on supplies at a time when many school breakfast and lunch programs are not available to children in need. 

Participating in this year’s Letter Carrier Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is simple. Just leave a non-perishable food donation in a bag by your mailbox Saturday, May 18, 2023 and your letter carrier will do the rest. With your help, letter carriers and the US Postal Service have collected over 1.82 billion pounds of food in the United States over the 30 years as a national food drive. Please help us in our fight to end hunger, as we celebrate our 31st anniversary year in America’s great day of giving. 

Ventura schools: What’s new on the menu?

“The salad bar is currently in place.”

by Mira Reverente

Ventura students have a lot to look forward to in the coming months and school year.

In a multi-step move towards healthier eating, the food and nutrition services department at Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) has been unveiling a number of fresher choices at most school sites.

“The salad bar is currently in place,” says Kara Muniz, director of food and nutrition services, gesturing towards one which was being prepared with freshly-cut and locally-sourced produce like salad greens, orange slices, cucumber slices, whole strawberries and celery stalks. “We are also slowly moving away from packaged food which were in use during the pandemic.”

VUSD was serving about 6,600 breakfasts and 7,600 lunches to the larger Ventura community, not just students, during the pandemic. The numbers have dwindled since then to just 5,000 for breakfast and 6,500 for lunch.

Post-pandemic, Muniz said her department is always evaluating options. “We look at the data and we always want to do better,” she says. Also in the works is the creation of a student advisory committee to help evaluate food choices, assist in menu planning and just gauge the collective palate of the greater student body.

Very soon after completing staff training, new commercial-grade tilt skillets will be in use at Foothill Technology High School (FTHS), among a few high school and middle schools.

“We are very excited to use this soon, as this will help to make batch cooking more efficient at an even temperature and also improve safety,” says Lori Walker, FTHS child nutrition manager. “It will also significantly increase the kitchen’s capacity to churn out hot meals from scratch.”

On the day the local press was given a tour of the FTHS cafeteria, steaming bowls of orange chicken and brown rice were on the menu and hurriedly being dished out by the staff as lunch hour was fast approaching.

For easy reference, all recipes are available online for staff to peruse and refer to anytime. “This assures consistency across all school sites,” says Adam Herrera, operations manager.

If for some reason orange chicken and brown rice bowls do not appeal to some students, they can also choose from an array of sandwiches, wraps, protein boxes and the salad bar, of course. Up to eight entrees are available at the high school level and two at the elementary level.

No-cost business support and training available to Ventura County businesses and jobseekers

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) recently launched Business Solutions a program to answer the needs of many employers and business people post-COVID-19. Small Business Statistics Of 2023 – Forbes Advisor reports that by 2031 only 87 percent of jobs lost due to COVID-19 will be recovered. The WDBVC is well prepared with a full range of no-cost support for Ventura County businesses.

The WDBVC Business Solutions Team offers many services to recruit, train, and retain the Ventura County business workforce, including the Ventura County Hiring Board, where businesses and job seekers can exchange information at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-Hiring-Board. The WDBVC also offers a free live HR Hotline, Monday – Friday, 8am to 5pm, that provides assistance with hiring and firing best practices, paid sick leave laws, wage and hour laws, employee handbook policies, HR compliance, accommodations in the workplace, and much more. HR Hotline number 888-763-3174.

All WDBVC Business Solutions are designed to support businesses with free resources such as job postings, virtual and in-person recruitment events, customized training opportunities, and on-the-job employee training services.

“We have so many services for businesses and career seekers at no-cost, yet not enough businesses take advantage of them. The WDBVC Business Solutions aims to outreach and inform Ventura County businesses of services available to them. Now, more than ever, we need to help develop a stronger relationship between businesses and jobseekers and help them find each other in success,” says Rebecca Evans, WDBVC Executive Director.

The WDBVC Business Solutions team is hosting a complimentary training webinar on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 10am to 11am for Ventura County businesses. The virtual training will explore collaborative ways to ensure that businesses find employees ready to hire and have resources for success. The interactive session will cover strategies in business engagement that help struggling businesses, preparing employees for virtual recruiting and work, remote work policies and support, and more. Ventura County businesses can register for the virtual training at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-HR-help.

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County Business Solutions team helps local companies find, retain employees, and attract workers for growing businesses. Services are provided at no cost. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/WDBVC-BIZ-Solutions.

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 business 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.

Community Memorial Healthcare earns accreditation for diabetes education and support

Community Memorial Healthcare’s Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program has achieved the significant milestone of accreditation by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). Accreditation represents a high level of quality and service in diabetes healthcare to the community, and the ability to better meet the needs of Medicare recipients and those affected by diabetes in Ventura County. Diabetes education is a covered Medicare benefit when delivered through an accredited program.

Community Memorial Healthcare’s DSME program is an outpatient program available by referral through the Community Memorial Health Centers. It is the only accredited diabetes education program in Ventura County.

“As the only accredited Diabetes Self-Management Education program in Ventura County, we are extremely proud of the service we are providing to our community,” said Dr. Anthony Russell, Community Memorial Healthcare Chief Administration Officer, Ambulatory Medicine. “With over 29 million people with diabetes in America, programs like ours are vital to supporting patients and preventing complications due to diabetes.”

ADCES, formerly known as the American Association of Diabetes Educators, is a multi-disciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving diabetes care through innovative education, management and support. ADCES has over 14,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and exercise specialists helping those who have or are at risk for diabetes.

Diabetes education services use a collaborative process through which people who have diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes work with a diabetes educator to receive individualized care. At the Community Memorial Health Centers, primary care providers and endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and oversee the management of diabetes. Certified RN Diabetes Educators who specialize in diabetes care and education work in the Community Memorial Health Centers to provide one-on-one consultations in English or Spanish for patients with diabetes. The education includes the core principles of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist’s ADCES7 – self-care behaviors including healthy eating, being active, taking medication, healthy coping, monitoring, problem solving, and reducing risks.

“As a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this program has on individuals with diabetes,” said Wendy Amaro, Community Memorial Health Centers Manager of Population Health. “Our patients are achieving lower A1C scores, developing the confidence to self-manage their condition, and living healthier lifestyles overall.”

Earth Day events in and near the City of Ventura

by David Goldstein

The official theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet,” according to Earthday.org, the largest organizer and coordinator of Earth Day events. In keeping with the theme, many of the organizations staffing booths at this year’s events will promote incentives for electric cars, solar panels, water-efficient appliances, and other investments. Local events will also provide education, information, and fun.

Since this year’s Earth Day, April 22, is on a Saturday, most local events will be held on the official day of commemoration. However, as usual, events all this month will celebrate Earth Day.

April 20, at Ojai Farmers’ Market, 3 to 7 PM, at 414 E. Ojai Ave, organizers of Earth Day celebrations are encouraging walking, biking, or riding the Ojai City Trolley by giving a $2 voucher to each person who does not drive to the event. This “market money” can be used to purchase items from the market’s farmers, all of whom do not use pesticide and grow crops within 20 miles of the city. The event at the market will feature live music, dancers, booths with non-profit organization representatives, and handmade goods. An opening ceremony will be led by a Chumash elder, and speakers will explain regenerative farming, oak tree preservation methods, and other subjects. Also, the O-Haiku competition winner will be announced. Haiku poems, due to  [email protected] by April 10, should be about “The Business of Bees” sculpture at the Ojai Valley Business Park in Bryant Circle.

April 21, at Ventura County Government Center, Noon to 1 PM, the Ventura County General Services Agency Earth Day Tour will meet at the Hall of Administration fountain and visit environmentally important sites on the campus. This will include tours of water efficient landscaping, pervious pavement, and a compost site. Register in advance by using the QRTY code at https://www.ventura.org/general-services-agency/earthday/

April 22, In the Ojai Cocoon, 6:30 to 8:30 PM (show starts at 7), 11966 North Ventura Ave, Ojai, an Earth Day concert will feature Sonic Butterfly, the Pixies, and Smitty and & Julija. Sonic Butterfly bills itself as an “instrument of transformation,” an acoustic, chromatic long-string harp with strings over 60 feet long, reaching over the audience. The Ojai Pixies are a girls’ choir, singing classical, pop, and other tunes. Julija Zonic, a music educator and vocal director, will perform original music. Tickets ($25 for adults, $15 for kids) are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ojai-earth-day-concert-sonic-butterfly-the-pixies-and-smitty-julija-tickets-602670492667 .

April 22, at Big Rock Preserve, 9 AM to 1 PM, volunteers will remove flood debris and invasive weeds. Reservations are required for this important land stewardship work, but before volunteering, consider the Ventura Land Trust’s warning of hazards from exposed roots, poison oak, sun exposure, and wildlife.

April 22, at Hayden Preserve, 10 AM to 11:30 AM, 234 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura Land Trust educators will coordinate a program for young children and their parents. Participants will play games, collect bugs, work on crafts, and read books designed to educate about nature. Register at www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

April 22 and 23, 11 AM to 3 PM, at the Agricultural Museum, 926 Railroad Ave, Santa Paula — Museum of Ventura County will celebrate Earth Day with displays and presentations. On the first day, the Native Plant Society hosts a Native Plant Sale and garden tours. A game booth will teach players about pollinators and plants. The second day’s highlights include a wildflower and weed show, iNaturalist training, and tips for identifying plants. For more information, see https://venturamuseum.org/event/vc-plants-to-know-and-grow/ or call 805/525-3100.

Ventura County Public Works Agency Environmental Resource Analyst David Goldstein may be reached at (805) 658-4312 or [email protected]

Museum and interns preserve civil engineering records

NHPRC intern and staff screening a map.

The Museum of Ventura County, with funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, has begun to scan and preserve an extensive set of Ventura County engineering records. This month marks the halfway point in making a collection of the county’s longest-serving civil engineering firm available to the public.

In addition to the federal funding, the Museum is utilizing grant funds from TOLD Foundation to offer paid internships, which provide valuable work experience to students who would not otherwise be able to afford unpaid internship work. So far, the funding has supported four interns to help with the archiving project, including students from California State University, Channel Islands.

“Paying students for their time during internships is a critical step in training the next generation of archivists and librarians and helps to create equitable access to hands on work experience,” says Research Library and Archives Director Deya Terrafranca. “TOLD Foundation’s funding is a game changer for the Museum and for these students. Through our federal, local, and foundation partnerships, we’re making our collections available online and teaching critical skills to students that will give them an edge in the job market once they graduate college.”

One of the most important steps in the process is digitizing the oversized drawings, maps, and plans. With direction from the cataloger, interns learn to handle the items while they are scanned. Interns are then responsible for handling the digital files, uploading them to the Museum’s online database and properly cataloging files to be found efficiently.

“The students are completing the cataloging process from start to finish,” says Cataloger Hannah Rogers. “These kinds of prints were made over decades and different kinds of drawings were made using different chemical processes. Some of the drawings contain chemicals that can be hazardous to others in the collection and are stored separately. The students are learning to identify the drawings and how to separate and preserve them to protect every item.”

The project will continue through August of this year and the Museum expects to hire at least two additional interns for the summer months. An online exhibit featuring the collection will be available to the public starting in June and will be featured on the Museum’s website. The public can view items that have been digitized on the Museum’s online archive at: https://photographs.venturamuseum.org/collections/show/35

NAMBA presents Italian folk music with a modern and Gregorian twist.

NAMBA Performing Arts Space is pleased to present Ensemble Sangineto on May 4th at 7pm. Ensemble Sangineto is 100% Italian folk music with a modern and Gregorian twist. They are touring the college circuit but are making a special stop at NAMBA Performing Arts Space in downtown Ventura.

“This is a once in Ventura County opportunity and is something you could only expect to experience in Italy”, says Tamara Varney, Board Chair for NAMBA Performing Arts Space. “Our small Theatre will likely be their most intimate performance in the US.”

Ensemble Sangineto is an eclectic band which skillfully blends ancient harmonies and sonorities with modern rhythms. The wide-ranging musical experiences of the individual members converge to create fresh arrangements of traditional Irish, Scottish, Breton & Italian tunes and original compositions influenced by genres ranging from classical to folk, from Gregorian chant to musical, from pop to Celtic music.

The delicate combination of the pure and magic tones of the harp and of the bowed psaltery with the guitar intermingle with the three voice-polyphonic texture evoking dreamlike and airy atmospheres — an experience simultaneously joyful and light.

Join us at NAMBA Performing Arts Space on May 4, 2023, 47 S. Oak Street, Downtown Historic Ventura. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at NambaArts.com.

Ventura Port District Maintenance Dredging and Beach Renourishment

An estimated 485,000 cubic yards of material has been removed from the entrance channel and placed upon the beaches.

With recent winter storms and high tides events having severely eroded areas of the California coastline and Ventura Harbor scenic beaches over the past few months, the Ventura Harbor’s annual dredging activities have significantly contributed to overall beach restoration.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), working with the Manson Construction Company, began dredging operations in Ventura Harbor on March 11. An estimated 485,000 cubic yards of material was dredged from the federal channel and sand traps to ensure that the Harbor entrance remain safe to navigate year-round for boaters and commercial fisherman, while then redispersing the sand back onto the harbor beaches.

Ventura Harbor’s beaches including Surfer’s Knoll Beach, South Beach, and popular Harbor Cove Beach (or Mother’s Beach as the locals call it) on Spinnaker Drive, have now being largely replenished, allowing the beaches to reopen and be available to the community.

“Maintaining a safe, navigable, and resilient harbor is one of the key guiding principles of the Ventura Port District,” states Brian Pendleton, General Manager of the Ventura Port District. “This crucial sand replacement, as a result of the dredging, also serves as an enormous benefit to residents, surfers, beach goers, and to wildlife, as the sand dunes and beaches provide critical nesting habitat for endangered species such as the Western Snowy Plover and California Least Tern.”

The Corps pays for the annual Ventura Harbor entrance channel dredging activities.

In August 1968, the U.S. Congress approved Public Law 90-483, which among other things had the U.S. government acting through the Corps, assuming the maintenance responsibility for the navigation features at Ventura Harbor, subject to annual appropriations by the President and/or Congress. The features that the Corps is responsible to maintain include:

  • The Entrance Channel
  • Sand Trap
  • 3 Jetties
  • An offshore breakwater
  • A groin

In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, frequent navigation problems resulting from shoaling at the harbor entrance developed due to a lack of Congressional funding. In 1983, the Port District recognized the need to communicate more effectively with the Congress and the Corps and retained the services of a Washington advocate. Since that time, over $140 Million has been expended by the Corps in maintaining and improving the harbor entrance system.

The President’s 2024 Budget was released on March 9, 2023 and named the Ventura Harbor project for $8.471 million.

“With the support of Congress and the Senate, this will ensure that dredging will be completed again in early 2024 and provide additional funding for the Corps to update environmental studies and issue a new contract later in 2024,” states Todd Mitchell, Senior Business Operations Manager for the Ventura Port District. “We are enormously grateful for the efforts of Congressman Salud Carbajal and Congresswoman Julia Brownley to advocate for the President funding project in his 2024 budget.”

The District is responsible for permitting, funding, and contracting periodic dredging of the inner harbor (excluding the Ventura Keys). Performance of the dredging requires the District to maintain its own permits with the Corps, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Ventura County Air Quality Control Board, and the California Coastal Commission. The District’s permits not only allow for inner harbor dredging, but also to replicate the work conducted by the Corps in the event that there was an emergency and the work had to be  performed by the District.

Because the inner harbor soil is primarily fine grain (silt), three of the District’s permits for inner harbor dredging have special conditions that require the Santa Clara river be flowing into the ocean in order for material placement to take place. In 2021 when navigating into channel into the Keys became a concern, the river condition was not met and the District and City of Ventura had to obtain emergency permits in order to perform the inner harbor dredging. Therefore, the District has been pursuing amendments to these permits so that inner harbor dredging can be performed when needed.

For more details on annual dredging activities in Ventura Harbor or information on Ventura Harbor beaches visit VentruaHarbor.com

WEV is a training provider for the EDC’s Ventura County Digital Upskilling Training Program

What is digital upskilling?

The Economic Development Collaborative (EDC), in partnership with multiple regional partners, officially launched the Ventura County Digital Upskilling Training Program—a free short-term training program that will increase the digital skills of job seekers, current workers and small business operators. The initiative seeks to expand the opportunities and earning power of Ventura County participants by providing them with much-needed digital skills training to help both individuals and employers in the County grow.

The training program was made possible by State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, who developed the project idea and secured $5 million in state general funds for a Digital Upskilling pilot in Ventura County.

Digital upskilling is the process of teaching people how to think, act and thrive in a digital world. It involves providing employees with the opportunity to gain the tools and skills they need to adapt to a world with ever-changing technologies. Apart from teaching technical skills, such as how to use a specific device or navigate a particular software, digital upskilling also ensures that employees have the fundamental knowledge required to understand new technologies.

Basic computer skills are increasingly needed in all industries, and people without digital skills are in danger of being left further behind as digitalization continues to expand. Without digital skills, people cannot search for and apply for jobs, expand their career opportunities, earn more money or enjoy the flexibility of working remotely.

Classes for new to tech learners, current workers and small business owners are now open for registration! Learn more and sign up at www.digital-upskilling.edcollaborative.com

The training program includes three different cohorts of learners who each have different base levels of computer skills and training needs.

Small business owners who need comprehensive knowledge and tools to establish an online business presence including e-commerce, SEO and digital marketing to grow and stay competitive can enroll in Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV)’s Get Your Small Business Online course.

Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF), Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), Workforce Development Board of Ventura County (WDBVC) and Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV).

For more information, visit www.digital-upskilling.edcollaborative.com