Downtown Ventura celebrates the Holiday Season with over 100 fresh-cut, decorated trees and multiple events in historic Plaza Park.

Holidays at the Plaza, one of Downtown Ventura’s signature holiday events, returns to Plaza Park from Dec. 7, 2018 to Jan. 2, 2019. The event is marked by the Candy Cane Forest, which is made up of rows upon rows of freshly cut Christmas trees lined up in the park, each decorated by a different local organization, family, or individual.

Groups and individuals who are interested in sponsoring a tree can do so for $300. The online form to sign up for tree sponsorship is available at HolidaysAtThePlaza.com.

In addition to the Candy Cane Forest, Holidays at the Plaza hosts events through the month of December:

Outdoor Movie Pajama Party: Dec. 7 – Holidays at the Plaza will be screening two classic holiday films for free, starting with the 1966 How the Grinch Stole Christmas at 6 p.m., followed by the 2004 The Polar Express. Food trucks will be available and Santa will make an appearance. The event is presented by Pacific Western Bank.

Holiday Boutique: Dec. 8 – From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Plaza Park will host vendors offering handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gifts. There will also be live entertainment and Santa will be available from noon to 2 p.m. Attendees are invited to bring a toy for Toys for Tots or a coat for Coats for Kids, in exchange for which they will receive a raffle ticket for available prizes.

Rock ‘N Roll Breakfast with Santa: Dec. 15 – Busy Bee Cafe, Live 105.5, Ventura Rental Party & Events, and Montecito Bank & Trust are hosting this casual breakfast with Santa from 8 to 11 a.m. Tickets are $10.

Yoga with Santa: Dec. 16 – Grassroots Yoga will be leading this donation-based yoga class, which Santa will join, starting at 10 a.m. All ages are invited.

Silent Night Disco: Dec. 22 – At a silent disco, there is no traditional sound system. Instead, every attendee gets a pair of wireless headphones, so they can tune into the DJ’s music. The Silent Night Disco will run from 6 to 10 p.m. and is open to all ages. Tickets are $20 and include one pair of headphones and a Ventura Coast Brewing Co. beer or non-alcoholic beverage.

The Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony returns to Ventura this month with the largest light display in city history. The yearly celebration of the season will begin at 6:00 pm at Mission Park on Friday, November 30. This year’s event will include live entertainment from several local choirs and dance groups, bounce houses for the kids, and vendors offering food and drinks.

At 7:00 pm, Santa will be arriving by Fire truck, and will join the Mayor and Mission San Buenaventura’s Father Tom Elewaut to lead a countdown to light the trees.

Once the trees are lit, the evening will continue with dancing under faux snowfall in the park and opportunities to mingle with the gathered community.

Other ways to celebrate the season include Small Business Saturday on November 24. Shop local for your holiday gifts and get great deals.

Additionally, FOOD Share’s 7th annual CAN-tree Drive runs from November 30 to December 2 at Figueroa Plaza. Individuals, families, and groups can bring cans to donate to FOOD Share, Ventura County’s Food Bank.

The Economic Development Collaborative has been awarded $475,000 in new funding from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Small Business Development Center Network for the enhancement and expansion of its services and programs promoting business growth and sustainability. The funding doubles EDC’s Small Business Development Center’s capacity to serve the business communities of Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.

EDC will be rolling out new programs to help businesses navigate opportunities in global trade and assist early-stage firms seeking second-stage financing and equity investors. In addition, EDC will expand its role in helping businesses recover from disasters. EDC will deliver a training program to strengthen its SBDC advisors’ disaster response capacity and it will support disaster outreach and communication for a network of business recovery services across multiple jurisdictions. In addition, EDC will expand its capacity for assisting businesses that need debt financing. As part of its outreach, EDC will focus efforts on women, minority and veteran owned businesses, with a concentration in the disaster-declared regions.

“We are excited about this opportunity to double our outreach and service capacity,” said Bruce Stenslie, EDC president and CEO. “EDC’s Small Business Development Center is positioned to serve as one of the key resources in the region for economic vitality in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties, giving businesses, community partners and civic leaders the support and services they need to succeed.”

For more information about EDC programs and services, visit edcollaborative.com or call 805-384-1800.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as California’s single point of contact for economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit: www.business.ca.gov

The SBDC is funded by the Small Business Association and provides professional business assistance at no cost to businesses. Participating businesses are required to follow a well-defined scope of work and report their economic successes. These SBA milestones are defined as job creation, increase in sales, capital investment, job retention and business started.

EDC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as a business-to-government liaison to assist businesses in Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties by offering programs that enhance the economic vitality of the region. For more information about the Small Business Development Center, loan programs, manufacturing outreach and international trade programs, or other services available to small businesses through EDC, contact Bruce Stenslie at 805-384-1800 ext. 24 or [email protected]. Or visit www.edcollaborative.com.

On Nov.12, at 3:07pm, the Ventura City Fire Department units responded to a reported structure fire in the 100 block W. Harrison Ave.. The first arriving crew found a storage shed and two vehicles on fire. Numerous calls were received as the smoke was visible for blocks. Crews initiated an immediate fire attack and achieved knock down very quickly. Firefighters completed overhaul and ruled out extension further into the uninvolved portion of the building and all adjacent structures.

The first fire involved a vagrant encampment adjacent to the Emma Wood group camp. The area of the fire was nestled deep into a clearing, surrounded by Arundel and local fauna, close to the river mouth.

A second fire broke out shortly thereafter in the vicinity of Foster Park that started at approximately 10:34am. The second fire was larger and moving uphill and was initially reported as being started accidentally by heavy equipment on the property. A total of 22 apparatus including engines, aircraft, and hand crews were part of the initial dispatch in attempt to quickly contain the blaze. The fire was reported to be an acre in size and was under the command of the Ventura County Fire Department, with Ventura City Fire units also assigned. An aggressive initial attack of the fire was successful in keeping the fire to a minimum.

The Ventura River fire involved an area approximately 100X100 feet. A total of 16 personnel were assigned; providing water shuttles and establishing significant hose lays deep into the river bottom to fully extinguish the fire. The incident is under investigation as being purposefully set, and the situation is being handled by law enforcement.

Both fires were fully controlled as of 1:00pm.

First 5 Ventura County (F5VC) is pleased to announce its new strategic partnership with Interface Children & Family Services, to provide essential programs and services for Ventura County’s nearly 60,000 children prenatal – 5 and their families. Families seeking resources and more information may visit www.first5ventura.org

“Since our inception nearly 20 years ago, First 5 Ventura County Neighborhoods for Learning (NfLs) have been a cornerstone in the community, providing early childhood education, health and family support services.” said First 5 Ventura County Executive Director Petra Puls. “We are excited to partner with Interface Children & Family Services to ensure that families have the support they need to give their young children prenatal to age 5 a strong foundation for success in school and life.”

Interface Children & Family Services was selected through a comprehensive review process to implement F5VC’s redesigned place-based Neighborhood for Learning (NfL) initiative. The expanded partnership with Interface Children & Family Services allows F5VC to continue making a positive impact on the lives of Ventura County children and families through valuable programs, resources and community partnerships that support early childhood development.

Interface will be responsible for providing Parent and Child Together Classes and Family Support Services such as case management and Triple P Parent Education, throughout Ventura County. Interface plans to partner with the Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) to address the needs of Mixtec families and New Dawn for the Triple P Positive Parenting Program. “We’re delighted to have First 5 Ventura’s confidence to implement the redesigned place-based NfL model. We’re looking forward to the partnership – we share an intense passion for improving futures for young families and their little ones. We are honored to partner with NfL’s, to learn from their trusted and successful histories in their local communities, and to do our part to bring everyone together for the critical work of strengthening young children and families,” said Interface Executive Director Erik Sternad.

First 5’s primary revenue source is from California’s Proposition 10 tobacco tax, which is distributed to county First 5 Commissions to fund early childhood programs. In light of revenues continuing to decrease annually with Californians smoking less, the F5VC Commission has carefully contemplated how to best utilize its limited funds. The redesigned Neighborhoods for Learning initiative gives F5VC the ability to implement a cost-efficient model that meets the needs of the local community and relies on sustainable investments and innovative partnerships. “We recognize that we must work differently moving forward to achieve maximum impact with limited dollars,” said Puls.

Grant Park, located above Downtown Ventura will remain closed from the impact of the Thomas Fire and will not reopen to the public until the area is safe. The closure is important to protect public safety and to permit the park to recover.

The Thomas Fire caused extensive damage by destroying plant material and plant roots that stabilize slopes throughout the park. Vegetation has been extremely slow to grow back, mostly due to the lack of winter rains. Until vegetation is reestablished, there is a reduction in soil strength and the stability of the slopes is hazardous to hikers and bikers. The City thanks the public for its patience while nature restores and rehabilitates itself.

“Public safety is of utmost importance,” said Nancy O’Connor, Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Director.

Signs have been installed to notify park goers that they should stay out of the closed areas. Unlawful entry into the closed areas could cause potential for accidental injuries.  Individuals violating the closure put themselves in danger and may be subject to criminal prosecution including fines. 

The good news is that the Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) re-opened its garden and trails on November 3, however all other areas of the park remain closed. See article in this issue.

Guests to the garden should enter and exit through the new welcome center above City Hall and must stay on the trails. Parking is available.

VBG is a public/private partnership with the City of Ventura, 107 of the 109 acres of parkland are leased by the nonprofit. For VBG hours visit www.venturabotanicalgardens.com.

Serra Cross Park is open by reservation only at www.serracrosspark.com.

Conservation groups have scored a key courtroom victory for endangered Southern California steelhead harmed by operation of the Vern Freeman Dam on the Santa Clara River.

In a 152-page decision issued by Honorable Judge David O. Carter, the court found United Water Conservation District violated the federal Endangered Species Act by clearly causing past, ongoing, and future harm to steelhead as a result of the dam’s barrier to fish movement and diversion of water. Finding that United “dragged its feet” on critical solutions, and that “United has proved itself unable and unwilling to tackle the two key problems repeatedly identified as perpetuating harm to steelhead,” Judge Carter ordered measures needed to prevent the harm from continuing and to allow for steelhead recovery.

The 1,200-foot-wide, 25-foot-high Freeman Dam’s ineffective fish ladder, combined with United’s diversion of the Santa Clara River’s flow at the dam, prevent steelhead from returning to their prime upstream spawning habitat in the river and migrating to the ocean.

Southern California steelhead are a federally protected, endangered anadromous fish that mature in the ocean but return inland to spawn in freshwater upstream. The Santa Clara River historically supported thousands of steelhead and is critical for the recovery of steelhead throughout their range.

The court’s ruling requires United to immediately ensure the river has sufficient flows for steelhead to swim the 10.5-mile stretch of river to and from the ocean. In addition, by January 2020, the court’s ruling requires United to fully design both a 400-foot wide notch and a hardened ramp solution to allow fish to migrate past the dam, and to construct the fish passage option acceptable to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Filed in federal court in June 2016, the lawsuit was decided after an 11-day trial with testimony from some of the most esteemed steelhead and fish passage experts.

The groups were represented at trial by lead counsel Christopher Sproul of Environmental Advocates; Jason Weiner, senior attorney and general counsel of Wishtoyo Foundation; Geneva EB Thompson, staff attorney for Wishtoyo Foundation; and Heather Kryczka of Environmental Advocates.

The Wishtoyo Foundation is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit with over 700 members consisting of Ventura County residents, Chumash Native Americans, and the general public that enjoys, depends on, and visits Ventura County’s inland and coastal waterbodies to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and water quality of Ventura County’s inland waterbodies, coastal waters, and watersheds. www.wishtoyo.org

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.6 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

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