Ventura College announces the first annual Miriam and Henry Schwab Academy of Music – a highly intensive, three-week summer program of courses designed to develop & introduce chamber music & orchestral repertoire skills, attract advanced young artists and develop musicianship through many types of ensembles.
Classes are scheduled June 17 – July 7, 2019 and focus on brass, keyboard, percussion, string, classical guitar and woodwind instruments. Application for admission to Ventura College is open now and registration for the Academy opened on April 28, 2019. Auditions to determine intermediate or advanced class placement are scheduled for June 13 & 14, 2019 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center.
“Students will study with music faculty who are Internationally recognized experts in their field. We encourage students from Ventura and Santa Barbara county high schools to register.” Robert, E. Lawson, Music Director
Throughout the three weeks, students will study and rehearse alongside academy music faculty. Chamber and Orchestral performance will take place every weekend in Ventura Colleges Helen Yunker Auditorium. Performances are open to the public and scheduled as follows:
Looking for a new sport or hobby to pick up this summer? Registration is open for all City of Ventura Adult Sports Leagues. These are a great opportunity to stay fit and have fun over the summer! Grab some friends and join us at your favorite City of Ventura city parks. Leagues run from mid-June to mid-August.
Basketball – register by 5/30, Coed and Men’s Softball – register by 5/30,Coed and Men’s Soccer – register by 5/30,Coed Kickball – register by 6/21,Corn Hole – register by 7/2,Bocce Ball – register by 5/31
On May 16, at 8:45pm, Ventura fire units responded to a reported traffic collision on the 101 southbound at the 33.
While enroute, it was reported that an occupant was entrapped in one vehicle and increased resources were requested. Upon arrival of the first engine company crew, they discovered a two-vehicle collision with one vehicle sustaining major front-end damage resulting in entrapment of the driver.
Crews immediately began medical treatment of two patients, simultaneously extrication of the entrapped victim was initiated utilizing hydraulic tools. Two patients were transported via ambulance to a local trauma center.
During the month of May, Ventura Police Officers will step up enforcement.
The warmer weather means a lot more motorcycles will be out on the road across California, and in an attempt to minimize the need for a Motorcycle Accident Attorney, May has become Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The Ventura Police Department is taking the opportunity to remind drivers and motorcycle riders to share the road and look out for one another.
“Motorcycle riders are out in the open and are harder to see,” Traffic Unit Sergeant Michael Brown said. “Drivers and riders should take extra precautions by keeping their distance and watching their speed.”
During the month of May, Ventura Police Officers will step up enforcement specifically geared toward stopping drivers and motorcycle riders for traffic violations that increase the risk of crashes.
With nearly 900,000 registered motorcycles in the state, Californians enjoy a hobby that can be challenging, and does not have the same protections as drivers in the event of a crash. In 2017, 576 people were killed in motorcycle crashes statewide, a nearly 17 percent increase from 2015.
The Ventura Police Department offers the best safety practices for drivers and motorcycle riders:
Drivers:
Check your mirrors and blind spots. Make sure your vehicle’s rear and side-view mirrors are adjusted properly.
Use your signal when changing lanes. If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, make sure the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.
Slow down behind motorcycles and keep your distance.
Never share a lane with a motorcycle.
Be aware of motorcycles lane splitting, which is legal. Give riders enough room to pass.
Always look twice at intersections and allow enough space for a motorcycle to clear the roadway before making a turn.
Motorcyclists:
Always wear a helmet, bright colors and protective gear.
Use your turn signal at every lane change or turn.
Turn lights on even during the day.
Keep your distance.
Consider the width of lanes, roadway and weather conditions when lane splitting.
Avoid lane splitting next to larger vehicles such as big rigs, buses and motorhomes.
It is more dangerous to split lanes at higher speeds. It is safer to split between the far-left lanes.
The Ventura Police Department encourages all motorcycle riders, new and experienced, to enroll in the California Highway Patrol’s motorcycle training course. For more information, or to find a training site near you, visit www.californiamotorcyclist.com.
Funding for motorcycle safety enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Buena High School has made school history by hiring Cynthia Hernandez to serve as the Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach. Coach Hernandez is the first female to fill this role for Buena since the 1970s. Hernandez is highly qualified with an extensive playing record in the area of women’s basketball at the collegiate level in NCAA tournaments and the Big Ten Conference representing Rutgers University.
Hernandez led the state in three-point shots during her collegiate playing time (shooting at 46.5%), at the national level, and was prolific during her time as a Buena High School athlete earning herself prestigious CIF championships and leadership roles. Buena held state titles in 1983 and 1984 as well as six CIF championships in 1979, 1984, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997. Coach Hernandez will be tasked with bringing the girls’ basketball program back to its former glory.
“As we continue to build Buena’s athletics program, we are proud to add Cynthia Hernandez as our Girls’ Basketball Coach. Cynthia brings with her a college level perspective that the girls’ basketball program has not seen before. Additionally, she will be a strong and positive role model, and emphasize the importance of being winners and models of integrity both on and off the court of play,” stated Principal Bobbi Powers.
Coach Hernandez brings with her a wealth of knowledge about student success and college readiness. Her coaching experience includes the Ventura College Women’s Basketball team, and she was a founding member of the VC Pirates Cove, connecting students to academic supports and connectedness to athletics. In this role, Cynthia gained an understanding of the critical importance of educational pursuits in partnership with athletic accomplishments.
For more information on Buena High School and their outstanding Athletics Program visit their website at https://www.venturausd.org/buena or contact Assistant Principal of Athletics, Mike Wise at 805-289-1826 [email protected].
United Way of Ventura County’s (UWVC) Women United will recognize some unsung local heroes during its 3rd Annual Luncheon May 10, featuring acclaimed social psychologist and author Dr. Aida Hurtado.
Event co-chairs Leanne Neilson and Erin Simqu are busy putting the final touches on the 2019 luncheon, but they aren’t the only women who have been working hard leading up to this special gathering of changemakers.
Women United Luncheon co-chairs Erin Simqu and Leanne Neilson at last year’s Women United Luncheon. Photo by Society Social Calendar Magazine
The 3rd Annual Women United luncheon will recognize Ventura County single mothers who are pursuing their education and supporting their families in the process. Recipients of the Women United Educational Award are single mothers who are completing their associate degree and transferring to a four year university or technical program, and have children under the age of 18 living in the home. The financial award may be used to offset any costs associated with efforts to attain higher education, including tuition, books, childcare, and transportation.
Erin Simqu has been working with Women United since they founded the Ventura County chapter four years ago. This is her third year chairing the luncheon and she has served as an acting member on the board since shortly after the chapter’s inception.
Dr. Neilson is chair of the board for the Thousand Oaks Alliance for the Arts, and chair of United Way’s Women United in Ventura County. She was on the Board of the United Way of Ventura County for 6 years, serving one year as Board Chair.
Women United 3rd Annual Luncheon,11 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, May 10
California Lutheran University, Gilbert Sports & Fitness Center
Luncheon Tickets: $100 each. After May 1, 2019, price increases to $125.
Luncheon Tickets are available online at https://vcunitedway.org.
For sponsorship opportunities contact Mitchel Sloan at [email protected]
Dispatcher Megann Williams as the Dispatcher of the Year.
The week of April 14-20, 2019 is recognized as “National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week” bringing recognition to public safety dispatchers who are a vital part of the public safety team. These very special people are the voices that assure rapid response during emergencies. They play a critical role in coordinating first responders and lifesaving efforts.
During this week the Ventura Police Department formally acknowledge the dispatchers for their dedicated service. In 2018, public safety dispatchers and supervisors at the Ventura Police Department responded to more than 210,000 calls including 53,180 9-1-1 calls and every year that number grows. Public safety dispatchers are the lifeline that ensures the continued protection of police officers and the community members we serve. Day in, and day out, people depend on the skill, expertise and commitment of the dispatchers who work in public safety communications.
Dispatchers respond quickly and professionally, they play a crucial role in providing an invaluable connection between emergency services and the people who need them. We are very thankful for our team of Ventura Police Public Safety Dispatchers. These essential personnel play a crucial role in our ability to assist community members in times of crisis.
“The Ventura Police Department celebrates the valuable contributions that our public safety dispatchers make in serving Ventura. We are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated professionals who work so hard to support our community during times of crisis,” said Police Chief Darin Schindler. “This year we recognize Dispatcher Megann Williams as our Dispatcher of the Year. Her positive attitude and ability to adapt easily to change exemplifies the many skills and values worthy of this special award. She shows compassion and professionalism to callers during very difficult calls.”
Public safety dispatchers undergo a rigorous testing and background process before being hired. Once hired, dispatchers attend a Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Dispatcher Course. Their training then includes 6-12 months of on the job training. Even then, approximately 50 % of the dispatchers hired are not able to successfully complete the training program due to the unique demands and stress of the job. The ones that make it through the training program are unique in their ability to multi-task under stressful conditions.
Telecommunicators Week began in California in 1981 at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and quickly grew to become a national week of recognition. In 1991, Congress officially designated the second week of April as a time to recognize the critical role that dispatchers play in keeping our communities safe.
Sustainability Now News
by Maryann Ridini Spencer (@MaryannRidiniSpencer)
“One in six people struggle with food insecurity in Ventura County,” said Monica White, FOOD Share President, and CEO. “Currently, our pantries feed approximately 75,000 people monthly. I wish I could say our number of clients was decreasing, but in these times, it’s challenging for even two working parents to make ends meet. When there’s rent or a mortgage to pay, utilities to run and a car to maintain and fuel, sometimes our food can provide that gap to provide fresh, nutritious food for the family.”
How FOOD Share Operates
Every month FOOD Share’s rescue process (food obtained from local food drives by various organizations and over 100 different retail outlets) takes in approximately a million pounds of food. Some 500 volunteers from a combination of organizations, corporations, the military, as well as individual community members, work in 2-hour shifts sorting, weighing, labeling, and boxing food staples collected from a conveyor belt.
“We discard anything with an expiration date over one year,” said White. “Our boxes are then delivered to the area of our Oxnard facility where approximately 190 local non-profit agencies shop.”
FOOD Share’s Community Market Distribution is a monthly mobile delivery program that provides a variety of fresh produce delivered free of charge to over 7,000 low-income families. Their USDA-funded Senior Kits (Commodity Supplemental Food Program), also provides monthly food assistance to low-income seniors aged 60 plus through county food banks.
“Once a month our seniors receive a 30-pound box filled with such items as pasta, cereal, peanut butter, canned food, cheese, and many other items. We also have a huge garden growing fresh produce that is tended to by volunteers, and that provides about 10,000 pounds fresh produce to homebound seniors.”
“Through a partnership with Port Hueneme and Wells Fargo,” continued White, “Our Mobile Pantry program travels around the county providing resources to individuals and families who may lack access to food pantries and other essentials. The program also connects community members to all types of housing and employment and income assistance programs.”
With a mission to teach local students about diet, FOOD Share’s Kids’ Farmer’s Market Program, is taught by nutritionists visiting local schools that teach students about nutrition, how food is grown, and how to prepare healthy recipes with food provided by Food Share.
FOOD Share, part of Feeding America, a national hunger alleviation network, distributes 12 million pounds of food annually (10 million meals a year) and operates on an annual budget of three million dollars, a third of which comes from individual donations, 25% from government grants, and contributions from foundations, organizations, and corporations.
“If we had to purchase that amount of food, the cost would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 32 million dollars,” said White.
FOOD Share never turns anyone away. All a person is required to provide is their name, address, and how many are in the household; providing any household income information is optional. A local list of pantries, locations, and hours can be obtained by dialing 211 or visiting foodshare.com.
“All our staff and volunteers work so hard for the same reason — for our hungry neighbors,” said White. “While it’s a constant battle to get the funding to fight hunger, it’s our mission to make sure that we continue to feed everyone in need, because, if not us, then who?”
Approximately one in five adults in the United States suffers from chronic pain and too many of them depend on opioid drugs for relief. Pain management has come a long way over the years, and while opiates may be the right answer in some situations, patients should know they have many other options to manage pain that are safer and more effective.
The latest treatments to manage pain will be the focus of a free seminar at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, in Ventura. Titled “What’s Out There Besides Drugs? The Latest Options in Pain Management, Including Alternatives to Opiates,” the seminar is hosted by Community Memorial Health System as part of its 2019 Speaker Series.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Robert Frey, a board-certified pain management specialist. He received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed pain management residency training at the University of Arizona. Dr. Frey is an active member of the Community Memorial Hospital medical staff.
The seminar will begin at 6 p.m. at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St. Registration is free but reservations are required. For reservations, visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.
Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, the Centers for Family Health, and various outpatient centers serving communities located within Ventura County, California.
The 2019 Allied Health scholarship recipients were all smiles.
Ventura College students interested in careers in the medical and health fields received the first annual Allied Health Scholarship awards from the Ventura College Foundation at an April 13 ceremony at the college.
A total of $93,300 in scholarships were awarded to 42 students who are currently taking or plan on taking courses in the college’s Holistic Health Studies, Kinesiology Program, Paramedic Studies, Nursing Science, Certified Nursing Assistant or Emergency Medical Technology programs.
Now part of the Allied Health Scholarship umbrella, this is the 20th year that Paramedic Studies has been offered at Ventura College. Scholarships have been awarded to students in the program since its inception. Students who complete their course work receive a paramedic certification that meets state and national licensing requirements.
“Scholarship funds mean students don’t have to work extra shifts to pay monthly bills while in the program. This allows them to focus on their studies,” says Thomas O’Connor, Paramedic Studies Department Chair. “Having scholarships that cover the costs of the program and assist with living expenses has an immense impact on student success.”
Clarissa Swallows from Oxnard is one of this year’s scholarship winners. In fact, she received scholarships from two different donors. “The experience made me want to jump right into school and become a nurse,” says Swallow, now 38, “but I knew that I had to focus on emotional healing and building a stable life before I could manage going back to school.”
Seventy percent of California nurses receive their education at a California community college. Students who complete their Ventura College Nursing courses and become licensed enjoy a 100 percent employment rate and 86 percent of students attain a regional living wage. In existence for 55 years, Ventura College’s nursing program is the largest in the county, graduating the majority of the county’s nursing students.
Headed for a career in nursing is scholarship recipient Edward Ramirez from Santa Paula. He is currently enrolled in the Ventura College Nursing program. “In high school, I had an epiphany that what I wanted to do with my life was to help people,” says Ramirez. “I had been trying to work and go to school. These scholarships are the difference between being able to sleep at night before an exam and needing to use those late hours to study. Words can’t convey how much this means to me and how much assistance it really is.”
