Category Archives: News and Notes

Ventura City Fire Dept. crews respond to explosion

On Oct.20, at 5:07pm, the Ventura County Fire Communication Center received multiple reports of an explosion in the area of E. Harbor Blvd and Monmoth Way. Ventura City Fire Dept resources were dispatched and the first arriving fire engine company reported an explosion in an underground high voltage electrical vault. SoCal Edison was requested and arrived within minutes to assist with the investigation and the restoration of power to the area. As a result of the incident, power to the area was interrupted for two hours and a section of sidewalk sustained moderate damage.

Ventura County nonprofit announces dessert fundraiser

Get ready for desserts galore at Step Up Ventura’s Decadent Dessert Harvest Fundraiser to be held on Saturday, November 9, 2019 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit the County’s most vulnerable homeless population — children ages 1 – 5.

This inaugural event for the organization will feature donated desserts and beverages from local businesses as well as a DJ, dancing, light hors d’oeuvres, and a silent auction. Ticket prices start at $25 per person. Platinum Event Sponsors include James and Gunilla DeArkland, Silver Development & Associates, Charlotte & Piewacket, and Concours Motors, who are helping to underwrite the festivities. Businesses interested in sponsor opportunities or donations should contact Event Coordinator Jennifer Dawes at [email protected] or (805) 665-3385.

Since 2016, Step Up Ventura, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has worked tirelessly to change the lives of homeless children by providing therapeutic services and access to childcare and preschool to help them connect, heal, and learn. The group also helps homeless families become self-sufficient by working to break the cycle of homelessness where it begins…. in early childhood.

For more information, visit www.stepupventura.org

TBCF provides financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer

As the finale to Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s incredibly successful Gold Ribbon Campaign held in September for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, they want to continue to raise awareness for children dealing with cancer by honoring special young heroes in your community who want to share their story about their personal journey with cancer.

Gemma Lombardi, 3, of Port Hueneme is a beautiful girl who was diagnosed at the age of 2 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. While diagnosed and during treatment, her family was unable to provide a Christmas for little Gemma, as they were in the hospital with her in and out. TBCF was able to provide a Christmas tree and presents for Gemma once she got home from the hospital. Her grandmother was so excited and her parents never expected this.

“Thank you again for everything you did and are doing for Gemma. Gemma will be beyond excited to have toys this Christmas under her tree. Crystal (Gemma’s mom), took the tree to their apartment the first night and set it up for the toys. They’re quite overwhelmed right now, but you’ve relieved some of their stress,” said Gemma’s Grandma.

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) is a non-profit organization providing financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer living in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties. Services are providing to families that have a child diagnosed with cancer up to age 18 and continue until they reach 21 years of age. Gemma and her family received emotional and direct financial support.

For more information teddybearcancerfoundation.org.

Neurosurgeon offers new, cutting-edge spinal implant to treat chronic pain

Dr. Dorsi continues to advance the field of neurosurgery.

Millions of Americans experience chronic pain, which is a key reason so many people take medications and why addiction to painkillers and opioids is a major problem nationwide. Treatments include over the counter or prescription medications, injections and invasive spinal surgery, but many patients say these options don’t bring adequate long-term relief. Opioids are commonly used to manage chronic pain but can lead to abuse and addiction. Some choose to buy magic mushrooms online, and have success with this, but stocks can fluctuate due to growth seasons.

For some people, they go against using opioids and go for a more natural route, this can come in the form of herbal supplements, ingesting consumable oils/drinks, or using medical marijuana. There are varying types of marijuana that can be used from CBD to shatter, it all depends on the level of pain and the patient’s issues. Doctors can discuss this with their patients to see if they are eligible to be put on a course of marijuana until they are able to receive surgery on this level, to help stop chronic pain. Many are already able to Buy weed Canada online in some areas, after all.

Spinal cord stimulation implants as a treatment option have been greatly improved in recent years. The newest and most successful is the Nevro HF10, a spinal cord stimulation treatment that gives substantial relief for patients suffering from chronic back and leg pain without risking drug addiction. This advanced treatment is being adopted around the globe and is now available at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura with Dr. Michael Dorsi, a pioneering neurosurgeon who is among the first neurosurgeons to implant the HF10.

“HF10 offers new hope for people suffering with chronic pain,” Dr. Dorsi said.

Common candidates are those with chronic pain who previously had spinal surgery and didn’t get relief, people with back or leg pain that lacks a surgical fix, or people who can’t have back surgery due to other health conditions, Dr. Dorsi said. HF10 has been shown to treat back, leg, neck and arm pain as well as peripheral neuropathy. This, alongside some keyy vape products, can greatly improve the quality of life for the patients.

Unlike traditional spinal cord stimulation devices which deliver low-frequency electrical pulses to mask chronic pain (and which patients often say delivers annoying tingling or vibrating sensations), HF10 delivers pain relief by altering how pain in processed in the spinal cord without producing these sensations. HF10 does not require drugs or major surgery, just a minimally invasive procedure. An electric current from the device alters pain pathways and changes the way patients perceive pain.

Patients can try HF10 in a temporary trial, typically for 5-7 days, to see if it’s right for them. HF10 can be left on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The battery lasts about 10 years and then is easily replaced. HF10 isn’t addictive, doesn’t cloud thoughts, and doesn’t cause drowsiness or constipation like pain medications. Patients have no driving or sleep restrictions. HF10 is covered by Medicare and most private insurers.

Dr. Dorsi continues to advance the field of neurosurgery by developing and pioneering new surgical technologies and bringing them to Ventura County. A resident of Newbury Park, Dr. Dorsi received his medical degree and residency training from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore and completed minimally invasive spine fellowship training at UCLA. In medical school, Dr. Dorsi conducted neuropathic pain and stem cell research and was recognized with several national awards. Dr. Dorsi specializes in minimally invasive surgery to treat conditions of the spine, brain and peripheral nerves. He has been in practice in Ventura County for seven years and is accepting new patients in his offices in Ventura and Thousand Oaks.

October is National Community Planning Month

“Planning ensures that we’re envisioning and permitting the best for the future generations of Ventura.”

City of Ventura Planner Maruja Clensay lost her own home during the Thomas Fire. The tragic experience allowed her to relate to other Thomas Fire victims going through the planning process. She has been a planner for more than 13 years and is celebrated during National Community Planning Month.

What do you do from your job as a planner?

Planners are regulators and facilitators. We take someone’s vision and fit it into a box of code and regulations to reach the desired result. We’re balancing everything from code requirements, potential environmental or social concerns, state law, environmental regulations, and possible public improvements for the benefit of the community. Planning involves the balancing and managing of these different regulatory hurdles to project fruition and reach the desired milestone – whether it’s a single family wanting a new house or an addition for their aging mother or father, or a commercial business owner wanting to expand a profitable business. With such heavy regulatory language, we’re tasked with communicating these requirements in a common sense, regular language to the general public. Planners often say our language is “plannerese” because no one else really understands it (and there are so many acronyms!). Essentially, planners are the bridge that link the “pie in the sky” idea with physical development or other improvements on the ground.

What do you like about your job?

While all development projects involve physical changes, every project is different. Every project offers new challenges and unique approaches within the required regulatory setting. I like that. I don’t get stagnant. Every day is different in that sense. Planners are helpers. My focus in graduate school was community organizing; I really like working with the community and enabling them to utilize existing regulations to work for them, not against them. My motto is “it’s not ‘No, because..’, it’s “YES, if…” There IS a path forward – and let’s find it together. With that, one of the best things I like about planning is Public Workshops – I love that level of engagement. Informal discussions are had, rough sketches are made, ideas are shared, concerns are vetted and addressed in a transparent process. The local community is the best resource in determining how to move forward with future evolutions of code and regulations; they are the city. As project managers, Planning collaborates with various City Departments and outside agencies; Public works, Parks, Ventura Water, Building and safety, County of Ventura, etc. It’s a team effort – citywide (and even County wide!). In the end, what we do is for the benefit of the city; and that’s a really cool thing.

How does Planning make a difference for our city

While it may seem arduous and can be difficult to get through, Planning ensures that we’re envisioning and permitting the best for the future generations of Ventura. Planning is the Gatekeeper – along with other City Departments, planning is tasked to look at everything; to make sure we have proper infrastructure in place; that we have sidewalks that meet accessibility requirements; that we engage with the public when they call us with concerns about a project coming online in their neighborhood. Planning helps realize the future as envisioned by the Community via our General Plan in a sound, regulated format. Many regulations that are in place are because of a prior vision, because of a prior idea, because someone at a public workshop said, “I want to do this. I think this should happen in our city.” As such, Planning facilitates projects through the regulatory environment as previously determined by past Councils, the state, and the public. Planning brings something that’s lasting in our community; and that feels good.

Community Memorial Health System offers low-cost mammograms and breast screenings

It’s well-known that awareness, early detection and early treatment of breast cancer can save lives. That’s why Community Memorial Health System is dedicated to providing the best in screening and imaging technologies to all women in the community.

CMHS is proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by offering low-cost breast imaging to all women who schedule a screening for the month of October at the Breast Center at the new Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura or at Ojai Valley Community Hospital.

During October at the Breast Center, Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is available for dense breast patients for $150. Automatic Whole Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is FDA-approved and used in combination with mammography for those who have dense breast tissue. Also at the Breast Center in October, 3D Breast Tomosynthesis is available for $90. Digital tomosynthesis creates a 3-dimensional picture of the breast using X-rays and is the latest breast imaging technology approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. At Ojai Valley Community Hospital during October, traditional 2D mammography is available for $65. (These discounted rates are the cash price paid at the time of service.)

To schedule a mammogram or screening, call the Breast Center at 805-948-5093 or call Ojai Valley Community Hospital at 805-640-2250. Visit the Breast Center at bc.cmhshealth.org to learn more about the services and screenings offered.The Breast Center is the first medical facility in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to be a designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. The Breast Center is located at 168 N. Brent St., suite 401 in Ventura.

Ventura Police Department awarded grant

The Ventura Police Department received a $180,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a one-year enforcement and education program. The money will fund various activities intended to reduce deaths and injuries on California roads. 

“This grant emphasizes education and enforcement which will help keep our community safe,” said Sergeant Brown. “Being safe behind the wheel, on foot or on bicycle helps all roadway users get to where they need to go safely.” 

The grant-related activities are for the 2020 federal fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020. 

The funding from the OTS will be used for numerous programs, including: 

DUI/driver’s license checkpoints.

  • Patrols specifically looking for suspected alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers.

  • Patrols targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law and vehicle code violations by drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians that put other roadway users at risk.

  • Patrols targeting the primary causes of crashes: Speeding, improper turns, running stop signs or signals, right-of-way violations and driving on the wrong side of the road.

  • Patrols specifically looking for seat belt and child safety seat violations.

  • Traffic safety education presentations for youth and community members on distracted and impaired driving, bicycle and pedestrian safety.

  • Serving warrants to multiple DUI offenders.

  • Creating “Hot Sheets” identifying repeat DUI offenders.

  • Officer training to identify suspected impaired drivers and conduct sobriety tests. 

“Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things we do,” OTS director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to shift that realization and make traveling on our roads safer.” 

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

2019 ALS Walk Hero

Dean Hartman with wife, Carolyn Hartman Martz with the “hero.”

The ALS Association Golden West Chapter is proud to announce that Dean “Dino” Hartman will be the recipient of the 2019 Walk Hero Award at the 17th annual Ventura‐Santa Barbara County Walk to Defeat ALS. The award is presented to an individual who is making courageous and inspirational efforts in the areas of advocacy, fundraising, and public awareness while living with ALS.

The walk will be held on Sunday, October 6 at Plaza Park, 651 E. Thompson Blvd. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. with opening ceremonies beginning at 10:15 a.m. The event will feature speakers, the presentation of the 2019 Walk Hero Award and 2019 Community Champion Award to Superior Mobility. At 11:00 a.m., the 2 mile Walk will head towards Downtown Ventura, proceed along the Promenade and return to Plaza Park.

The event is free and open to the public, and all funds raised support the mission‐critical priorities of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter in Care Services, Public Policy, and Research. This year’s goal is to raise $105,000 to advance the search for effective treatments and cures for ALS and to serve the diverse, urgent needs of the ALS community in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The mission of The ALS Association is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and empower people affected by ALS to live their lives to the fullest.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS does not discriminate ‐‐ women and men of all ages and backgrounds are at risk, though for unknown reasons veterans are diagnosed with ALS twice as often as civilians. People with ALS lose their ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually the ability to breathe, while all five senses continue to function normally. At this time, there is no known cure.

Dean, along with his family and friends, has participated in the Ventura‐Santa Barbara County Walk to Defeat ALS as team “Dino’s Angels” since 2016 and have raised over $30,000 in support of the mission of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter. “The 2019 Walk Hero Award means so much to me, and I am humbled by the honor. I have met many friends afflicted with the same disease and we support one another and encourage ourselves to live life to the fullest,” said Dean.

Online registration is free. For more information, to register for the event, or make a gift in support, visit http://www.alsa.org.

Emergency crews respond to two-vehicle head on collision on Harbor Blvd. near Schooner Drive

On Sept. 20, at 9am, three people were transported to Ventura County Medical Center after a two-vehicle head on collision on Harbor Blvd. near Schooner Drive. Police and firefighters arrived on scene to find one victim trapped in a passenger van surrounded with gasoline leaking from the vehicle. The occupants of the second vehicle had self-extricated. Firefighters extricated the trapped victim, provided fire suppression to control the gasoline hazard, triaged and treated the accident victims.