Category Archives: News and Notes

Ventura Unified School District embracing its families this holiday season

Bessie O’Connor (mother of Skyla shown sorting cans) also volunteered. Skyla is a 4th grader at Pierpont Elementary. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

The Cheers for Children campaign, which is entering its 67th year, is designed to help children and families of the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD). Cheers for Children began in 1952 when teachers and an administrator identified a student and his family in need of food over the holidays. Cheers for Children has grown to a community campaign to assist over 350 families over the holidays and assist with additional needs, as they are identified throughout the year.

The community was there to help with sorting and boxing the food drive items for distribution on Friday, December 20, at Balboa Middle School.

Photographer Bernie Goldstein stated “Upon entering the cafeteria at Balboa Middle School, I was impressed with the huge quantity and uniform size of the boxes lining the two walls of the cafeteria, each box will be filled to the brim with mostly canned food items for needy families within the Ventura School district. Over 350 boxes were filled by days end and will be delivered to the needy families who were identified during the year in time for the holidays. It’s estimated that over 200 students and adult volunteers were actively sorting and filling the boxes.”

All VUSD schools collected canned and dry goods for the holiday food boxes. The District also accepted monetary donations, which will assist in the purchase of holiday hams and will go towards additional family needs throughout the year. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes on “behind the scenes” to make this event a reality.

“It is our hope that through the Cheers for Children campaign we can bring joy, through a warm meal, to our students most in need” stated Dr. Roger Rice, Superintendent.

10th Annual Castro Family & Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive

The Ventura Police Department held the 10th Annual Castro Family & Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive. The community donated unwrapped toys or gift cards for the patients and siblings of the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at the Ventura County Medical Center.

In 2008, Corey Castro was seven years old and was treated for Gorham’s Disease, a rare bone disease. As a patient, he was asked if he wanted to pick out a toy from the center’s toy box. Corey discovered the toy box needed more toys and asked his family if they could help fill the box for other children receiving treatment at the center. The Castro Family in partnership with the Ventura Police Community Foundation worked to make that dream a reality and has since provided toys and gifts to more than 1,500 patients and their siblings.

They were able to provide over 2,600 children with Christmas presents!

California Distinguished Schools includes two in Ventura

Nine Ventura County elementary schools are being honored as 2020 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education. Schools are awarded for their work toward closing the achievement gap and for achieving exceptional student performance. Schools that applied were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as described on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates and English learner progress.

The Ventura schools being honored are:

Ventura Unified Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy

Ventura Unified Junipero Serra Elementary

The 323 California Distinguished Schools will be honored on February 10, 2020, during an awards ceremony at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

VPD honors their own

Sergeant Matt Cain was selected as the Ventura Police Department Supervisor of the Year for diligence in his work and dedication to serving our department and community. Matt came to VPD in 2000 as a Lateral from LAPD, where he served for five years. Matt was promoted to Corporal in 2006 and to Sergeant in 2012. He has worked a variety of assignments including Patrol, Motors, and Street Crimes Unit; he is currently the Major Crimes Sergeant. Matt and his wife Jamie are happily married and have raised three boys; Dylan (19), Lucas (11), and Logan (5).

Support Employee of the Year Records Specialist Paulette Torres was born in Garden Grove and raised in Orange County. She graduated from Fullerton High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from CSU Fullerton. She joined the VPD family in October 2018 and was nominated as Crime Fighter of the Month in July of 2019.

Paulette was selected as Support Employee of the Year for her devotion and hard work; additionally, she was a core member of the Versaterm implementation where she assisted in system configuration and coordinated training for Records. Paulette is married to Motor Officer Kyle Halverson and in her spare time, Paulette enjoys baking, photography, and reading.

30 feet wide tornado originated near the Santa Clara River

When Venturan’s heard “tornado warning” on their phones they assumed it was meant for another town, but it was for Ventura and occurred mostly in the Ventura Harbor area. The tornado was about 30 feet wide. A National Weather Service investigator confirmed that we had a brief tornado that originated near the Santa Clara River.

Perhaps we will have snow next that hasn’t fallen in Ventura since Jan., 1949.

Photos by Deena Gledhill

Ventura College Agriculture Program unveils new avocado orchard

The avocado orchard will be incorporated into the college’s agriculture program.

Ventura College unveiled its new avocado orchard with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 10. About 90 students, staff, government dignitaries and college supporters were on hand for the ceremony.

The size of the orchard is a little over an acre and holds an estimated 100, 1-year-old Haas avocado trees. The first crop is expected in 1 1/2 to 2 years.

The avocado orchard will be incorporated into the college’s agriculture program. The program returned to Ventura College in the fall of 2017. Under the leadership of faculty and program coordinator, Dr. Dorothy Farias, the two-year program currently serves 20 agriculture students. The goal is to increase class offerings and boost enrollment.

The orchard was made possible by funding and donations from the local agriculture industry including Mission Produce, Quality Ag, Inc., Brokaw Nursery, Halter-Encinas Enterprises, and Coast Water Solutions. Orchard funding was also received from donors through the Ventura College Foundation.

Student interns will help maintain the avocado orchard in partnership with Mission Produce agriculture workers. Students will have a hands-on experience learning how a commercial avocado orchard is maintained, harvested, prepared for market and then sold. Avocados will be the property of Mission Produce. The avocados will be picked by Mission staff and will go through the company’s processes to get them ready for sale. The Ventura College agriculture program will receive a portion of the avocado sales proceeds.

“Agriculture is one of the top employers in Ventura County so it’s Ventura College’s goal to introduce additional programs at the school so young people will get excited about agriculture and are prepared for well-paying careers in the industry,” says Farias. “The orchard and the real-world education it will bring to our students is invaluable.”

Those attending the grand opening included Dr. Kim Hoffmans, president, Ventura College,

Anne Paul King, executive director, Ventura College Foundation, Matt LaVere, Ventura mayor and Ventura College Foundation board member, Cheryl Heitmann, Ventura City Council member, Stephanie Caldwell, president and CEO, Ventura Chamber of Commerce and John Marquez, executive director, Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.

“The farming community has been very supportive of our efforts,” says Hoffmans. “Some of our students took part in summer harvesting with Reiter Affiliated Companies, Driscoll’s and Hollandia Produce to supplement their learning. We’re in the process of creating additional internships with a number of local growers.”

For more information about the Ventura College Agriculture Program, go to https://www.venturacollege.edu.

Food Share’s 8th annual CAN-tree drive

On Dec. 13 and 14 Food Share’s 8th annual CAN-tree drive took place in Figueroa Plaza in Downtown. Groups donated cans and community groups built trees from the cans that were then donated to local food banks. Each CAN-tree required approximately 600-800 cans.

The very tall trees are 15’0” tall, 28 layers and contain 10,000 cans. 220,000 pounds of food are collected at the event to be shared.

Since 1978, Food Share has been feeding the hungry in Ventura County. Food Share provides food for over 75,000 monthly.

Learn more at https://foodshare.com/.

Ventura Unified School District expanding educational options

An expanded K-8 option will be available at Blanche Reynolds Elementary.

At a Special Board Study Session on Mon., Dec. 2, the Ventura Unified School District Board of Education approved staff moving forward with a new secondary level program to serve students who require additional flexibility in their lives and therefore need an online based program. Additionally, the Board approved moving forward with expanding the K-8 offerings in the District to include both a midtown and east end option for families.

“In an environment of declining enrollment, the Board and District staff are working hard to offer options to serve the diverse needs of all its students. At the same time we need to attract and retain students in the District,” stated Dr. Roger Rice, Superintendent.

The secondary level program is scheduled to open next Fall on the El Camino High School (ECHS) campus. Traditionally, VUSD loses more than 100 students per year to schools with the limited classroom model. A vigorous marketing effort will occur to ensure the community is clear on whom the program is intended to serve and to ensure that the existing ECHS program retains all of its excellence and remains a robust and attractive option for the students it currently serves.

The two expanded K-8 options are slated to open in the Fall of 2021. The midtown option is being planned for Blanche Reynolds Elementary and the process for determining an east end location is just beginning. The new K-8 offerings will also serve the District’s efforts to attract and retain students and families who want smaller learning communities as an option to the larger, more traditional middle school setting. A TK program already exists at Blanche Reynolds making this a TK-8 option. Waiting until the Fall of 2021 will provide the District additional time to develop program components and an educational focus, which could include thematic programs and re-branding.

“We are very excited about these new options for students,” stated Board President Sabrena Rodriguez. “VUSD listened to feedback from students, families, and staff. These new options will allow us to provide modern options for the ever-changing educational needs of our community.”

For more information, contact Hector Guerrero, Director of Educational Options at [email protected] or 805-289-1955.

Oxnard Performing Arts Center slated for closure gets help from recording star.Paak

Carolyn Mullin Executive Director and Hip Hop artist .Paak hope to keep PACC open.

by Richard Lieberman

Anderson .Paak a well known rapper and singer recently took a one hour tour of the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center. He was there to give support to the center scheduled for closure December 31, 2019. “I want this to be a hub for creativity,” said the recording star.

He added he wants to house his nonprofit foundation at the site. .Paak a Grammy winner said he sees young people recording music, rehearsing plays and having boxing matches at the center.

.Paak has not made a monetary commitment to the city-owned facility. ” there’s a bunch of stuff I want to invest in” he said. He also urged his fans to donate by texting “saveopacc” to 44321. His nonprofit foundation the Brandon Anderson foundation said the money raised will be set aside for the performing arts center.

.Paak put on a free concert last year at the center to celebrate the release of his album “Oxnard”. Mayor Tim Flynn presented .Paak with the key to the city at the event.

A mere six months later the city announced that the performing arts center, which receives a subsidy from the city of around $1 million on an annual basis would have to close. The community reacted and demanded the center be funded. The city kept the center open for an additional six months in order for center management to find an outside operator and to keep the centers commitments for the 2019 season.

Six months have passed and still the center has not been successful in acquiring an outside operator.

Carolyn Mullin, executive director of the center took .Paak on a tour of the facility. Mullin joined the center two years ago and has been in touch with .Paaks foundation to build a partnership. She said, “I always thought his foundation should be in his hometown. He’s a native son that’s done good.”

.Pakk was born in Oxnard and grew up in both Oxnard and Ventura. He said he remembers going to church functions, plays and beauty pageants at the center. He said there is a lot of local talent here and the performing arts center can be an incubator.

On the tour .Pakk watched a rehearsal from Hip Hop Mindset, a youth performance group that rehearses and performs at the center.

“I’m super amazed” said Ricardo Rod Rodriguez, 12 “To have a famous singer and rapper come to watch us dance, it’s an amazing feeling.”

The December 31st deadline is approaching fast and Board members of the performing arts center, said they are meeting with Alex Nguyen, City Manager to discuss the future.

Editor: Even though this facility is in Oxnard many Venturans attend the wonderful events there from Beethoven to doggies to Ventura Music Festival concerts which is why we have included this in the Breeze.

It all began with a community gathering of volunteer singers

The GCCC performs three concerts each year. Photos by De Schrepper Photography

“Hey gang! Let’s put on a show!” This cheerful cry, reminiscent of a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland musical, could have been heard at the inception of the Gold Coast Concert Chorus.

It all began with a community gathering of volunteer singers who joined with a church choir for a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in 1987. Ventura’s Trinity Lutheran Church was celebrating its 50th anniversary. All singers in Ventura County who wished to participate were invited to join the celebration. Many of the singers enjoyed themselves so much, that they decided to continue to get together on a regular basis.

More than 30 years later, many of those first participants, along with many others, have been performing regularly. Along with three annual concerts, the dedicated volunteers sing for many local events such as the Ventura County Fair, the opening of the newly refurbished Community Memorial Hospital, a candlelit Christmas concert at the Ventura Mission, and at the Veterans Home of California. The group also has taken the “show on the road” performing many concerts in Europe and Hawaii, and twice at Carnegie Hall. Many of the group will be singing again at the iconic venue in 2020!

The GCCC performs three concerts each year: a holiday concert each December, a classical concert in March, and a “pops” concert in June. Currently under the dynamic direction of Ms. Elizabeth Helms, and assisted with dedication and talent by Jessica Helms as many as 90 singers approach the joyful task from various levels of musical talent and experience. Although they are a “non audition” choral group, what they lack in formal musical training, they more that make up for in enthusiasm and dedication.

Tickets are now available for the glorious Holiday concert “Harmony & Hope” which will be Friday, December 13 at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, December 14 at 2:00 pm at the Crosspoint Church, 5415 Ralston Street #6001, Ventura. Tickets are $5 for children, $15 for seniors and students, and $18 for adults. Call 805-616-7269 or order on line at www.GoldCoastChorus.org

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