Ventura city councilmember and senior prosecutor Erik Nasarenko announced that he will be seeking a second term on the Ventura City Council representing newly-created District Four, which includes several East Ventura neighborhoods, including the communities of Juanamaria, Hobart Park, Ondulando, Clear Point, Hidden Valley and Wells Road and Citrus Drive.

“It is a fantastic place to live and raise a family,” said Nasarenko, referring to the district, which was one of seven geographic zones finalized by the city council in December 2017. “I want to build upon the progress we have already made in East Ventura and throughout the city and continue to deliver leadership and results for our residents.”

The former Mayor and father of two children, 9 and 12, has long championed improvements to the city’s parks. During his first term in office, youth softball, soccer and lacrosse players were able to use a new sports’ field at Ventura Community Park, and in 2017 Nasarenko dedicated a new tot lot adjacent to the park’s aquatic center, one funded in part by $10,000 dollars of the councilmember’s salary donations.

In his second term, Nasarenko would like to see Ramelli Drive extended into Community Park, which would give park visitors better access to the park’s interior fields and pools. The street currently dead ends at the park edge.

“We have an 88-acre park and yet only one way to get in and one way to get out,” said Nasarenko, who referees AYSO games at the facility. “City officials have told me that construction of the new road could start as early as next year, which is a positive development.”

The council district was hit hard by the Thomas Fire, which damaged or completely destroyed several hundred homes in the hillside communities. More than four hundred of those homes successfully had their lots cleared by CalRecycle, the statewide agency brought in by the city council to oversee the debris removal process. Thanks to a dedicated rebuilding office tasked with expediting plans and permits, 13 rebuilding permits have already been issued, with many more awaiting final approval.

Nasarenko, who prosecutes child molesters, rapists and murderers, said public safety would continue to be a top priority if elected to a second term.

“When I was first elected, the Ventura Police Department had 126 sworn officers,” said Nasarenko. “Today, thanks to additional financial resources and the ongoing prioritization of crime reduction in Ventura, we have 139.”

In addition, the city council recently funded three firefighting positions that were cut in the economic downturn of 2009. The positions, which will be used for a roving fire engine, are intended to address an increasingly high call volume to the fire department and improve response times.

Nasarenko added that improving East Ventura infrastructure and water supply are critical items on the councilmember’s to-do list.

“We are in the process of repaving Victoria between Telegraph and Foothill, and within the last couple of years the City repaved portions of Telephone and Kimball roads,” said Nasarenko. “In addition, we installed a new water well off of Wells and Astor in 2015 that is capable of bringing up to 3,000 acre feet of water per year to East Ventura.”

The election is November 6, 2018.

Spencer Noren, a fourth generation Venturan, has announced that he is running for city council in District 4 on the far east side of Ventura. In 2017, he moved home with the mission to make a positive difference in the community of Ventura. After living in Phoenix and Seattle, he is returning to his roots with his wife Melyssa, and two elementary aged children.

An entrepreneur at heart, Spencer first learned about business and community from his grandparents Len and Beverly Noren, the original owners of Noren’s Market. Spencer took his passion for people, and being social, and started his own business, Yo Social, a local media management company. He is also heavily involved in the community as the Juanamaria Elementary PAC representative, Foothill Little League coach, FOOD Share volunteer, Chamber of Commerce member, East Ventura Community Council vice-chair and enjoys attending church locally.

Spencer’s energy and passion are undeniable when you chat with him about his hometown of Ventura. When asked how he plans to use the energy to improve the city, he says “I am going to demand accountability within the city jobs, ensure we are being more efficient, and improve our city’s use of technology.”

Noren is focused on helping all citizens affected by the Thomas Fire. He insists we must have safe and clean streets, improved water quality, and better support for our teachers and students, especially in District #4. How will he implement this? Noren says, “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel of our historic coastal town. We just need new attitudes, with a fresh voice, to use basic social skills and updated technology.”

The quality of water coming out of the tap today is a top priority of Spencer’s. He says, “If the town is all equal, our water needs to be too.” Emergency preparedness, especially with fire season around the corner, is something that keeps him up at night. He wants to ensure the City of Ventura is prepared for anything to come it’s way. For students and teachers, he says, “I want safe schools, both in regards to morning and afternoon traffic and within the building so children feel safe all day; more extra programs, such as PE class in all elementary schools, more art, music and drama exposure; and high teacher salaries.”

Noren stated, “This is my World Series, Ventura is my team. I am not using this town as a stepping stone for my political career. If elected, I will continue to be involved in all community services, listen to my constituents, and play hard ball for the quality of life on the Eastside of Ventura, in District #4.”

In the early morning hours of July 30^th Ventura City Fire and Police Department responded to a a single vehicle accident with trapped victims at Victoria / Olivas Park. They discovered a single vehicle involving a passenger van that had hit a traffic signal pole; two occupants were in the vehicle. Firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools to cut and pry the vehicle from the victim were able to free the trapped driver 45 minutes after their arrival. The two occupants were transported by ambulance to a local trauma center.

On July 9, at 1:10pm, fire units responded to a reported vehicle that drove in to the front of the Cajun Kitchen restaurant located at 301 E. Main St. Upon arrival, firefighters quickly assessed the scene for injured victims and simultaneously assessed the structural stability of the building. It was discovered that there were 4 injured parties. The driver, who was solo occupant of the vehicle, was transported via ambulance to a local emergency department. The other 3 victims declined ambulance transport.

by Richard Lieberman

The City Council held it’s regular meeting in Council Chambers on Monday July 23^rd , featuring a presentation on Community Health assessment and Improvement Planning by Rigoberto Vargas, MPH, Director, Ventura County Public Health.

Among the agenda items the Council has approved $600,000 to obtain and operate a roving paramedic fire engine.

There seemed to be a lack of important information on what is driving increased calls for fire assistance in the city. The council asked whether there are more cost-effective ways to deliver services. The council also had additional questions on overall operations of fire systems within the city.

The council voted to approve the $600,000 by a vote of 4-2, council members Mike Tracy and Christy Weir voted “no” wanting more detailed information on how the department operates and whether operations could be conducted more efficiently. They had questions about the process, which Weir called “backwards” questioning why the vote was to allocate the funds first and return with an analysis of operations later.

After approval of the final 2018-19 budget, the council members directed the city staff to return with information on adding the three-person paramedic engine. After taking and approving the action a lobbying effort was conducted by members of the fire union, arguing that the increase in staff was necessary to respond to a growing number of calls in the city.

Normally the city prepares its budget based on inputs from city department heads who generally start with a list of requests weighed against priorities and available budgets. The council adopted the budget this past June.

“We have many, many competing interests and with limited resources, it’s important to have a logical, thoughtful process to allocate resources where they are most needed,” said Tracy. “I think what we see tonight is a reflection of our failure to follow the normal process, and I also think what we have before us tonight, the reason we have this before us tonight, is that it is union driven. “That’s something that happens between the city manager, department heads and staff and is signed off on by the city council” he added.

Council member Christy Weir wanted to know if other less expensive positions might be able to offer community outreach and public events, there fore freeing up firefighters for calls. There are “a lot of pieces in this puzzle and a lot of questions I still have,” she said.

City Manager Dan Paranick did not recommend funding the roving engine this year., he told the council at the meeting. Recently Paranick said he has been working with Fire Chief David Endaya and other members of the fire department to get a better understanding of its workload and other needs.

Paranick and Endaya have been working to provide a more precise and detailed picture of what is driving the service requests. They agreed to return with an update in three months.

Council member Erik Nasaranko requested more information on why calls are so high in Ventura compared to other locations. “I think we need this to be a more data driven process”, he said.

Council member Matt LaVere strongly supported adding the engine because fire staffing levels are “the same we had in 1988,” he added.

Endaya said he wasn’t sure what targets the roving engine could hit or by how much response times could fall because calls are so much higher now and there are more technological advancements available now like traffic pre-emption systems and GPS.

Two of the three positions authorized at the council meeting are in the hiring process , leaving just one open position. Once on board there will be 69 fire-suppression employees, he said.

In 2017 there were 16, 220 calls , and the department is on track to exceed 17,000 calls this year, Endaya said.

Other agenda items were: Designation of Voting delegate and Alternate for 2018 League of California Cities Annual Conference, introduced by: Mayor Andrews and the council confirmed the appointment of Deputy Mayor LaVere as the City’s Voting Delegate and Councilmember Weir as the alternate voting delegate.

2018 Ventura County Fair Contract was approved for security, traffic control and permit services in an amount not to exceed $216,000.

Transportation Grant Application for development of an active transportation plan. Council recommended to authorize City Manager , to apply for and accept up to $959,00 in grant funds from California Department of Transportation.

A graduate of Simi Valley High School, West Ventura County has been Deborah’s home, since she and her husband, Jeff, moved to Oxnard in 1994. Deborah is a graduate of CSUN and Loyola Law School, class of 1991, attending at night in downtown LA while working a full time job with CIGNA/INA. Together they raised two daughters, both graduates of Ventura High School.

As the daughter of a PTA President, Deborah followed in her mother’s footsteps becoming involved in PTA when her children entered elementary school. Deborah embodies the PTA motto, every child, one voice. She possesses the industriousness of a former PTA President of the Oxnard Council of PTAs and Anacapa MS PTO, the passion of a parent of children with exceptional needs, and the unique skill set of an attorney capable of doing the deep policy work needed to put students first. She realizes that teachers are the voices of their students, and with professional development and collaboration with parents, collectively, they can empower each student to reach their own potential. Deborah sees that without systemic policies, oversight, review and inquiry of existing policies and procedures, and finally without their uniform implementation, educational equity will remain an illusion, not a reality.

Incorporating her extensive community leadership experiences in Oxnard School District and VUSD, Ventura County 4-H, Girl Scouts of the Central Coast, Channel Islands Ice Center, among others, Deborah brings years of youth mentorship, service learning and more than a decade of fundraising experience to the table. Deborah understands that the school board is the “what”, and the superintendent is the “how”, and it is only through collaborative governance that true community representation is accomplished.

Change is hard work, and unpopular, not to mention time consuming, but ultimately the only way to implement consistent policies and procedures is to honestly look at the District’s past policies of less than uniform adherence to important laws and dictates. Providing educational equity means acknowledging past failures inherent in existing policies and bias, so that each student actually has access to all of the outstanding choices and unique educational programs the District has to offer. Deborah has been a tireless advocate for all students, with an emphasis on underserved diverse student groups, including special education students, English language learners, and those of diverse races and cultures.

While the move to district elections within the City of Ventura and the school district will not entirely eliminate politically connected candidates endorsing each other, it is now possible for candidates like Deborah to campaign without large campaign budgets and political ties. Deborah’s platform is full of fresh ideas and political truths. The District is at a crossroads, the District knows this and in the wake of declining enrollment is rebranding itself. However, without taking an honest look at areas that need improvement and finding constructive ways to improve its educational product and delivery system the District cannot realistically begin to meet the needs of its diverse student population – several of which are clearly underserved based on cultural marginalization, as documented by state test results available on the CDE Dashboard.

Stakeholders of VUSD need Deborah. Follow Deborah on Facebook at deborah4vusd4.

Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation (VCMRF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 Fainer/Tauber, MD Awards on Thursday, September 6, 2018 at the Lloyd- Butler Estate in Oxnard, the title sponsor of this year’s celebration.

In 1956, Dr. Leo Tauber, along with two other physicians founded VCMRF, whose mission is “To improve, in partnership with others, access to needed health care for the most vulnerable and underserved residents of Ventura County.” Since that time, the Foundation has been a leader in recognizing the achievements and dedication of the county’s doctors and health care professionals, through the David Fainer, MD and Leo Tauber, MD awards. By acknowledging the work of the health care professionals county-wide, VCMRF brings awareness of the exemplary work taking place every day in the health care community to help drive innovation in patient care and access to care for all residents, especially the county’s underserved population.

The 2018 honorees include:

• Physician Beverly Valles Torres, MD, MPH
• Nurse Rashidah Khan, RN
• Community Service Award Michael Boyko
• Oral Health Specialist Catherine Chien, DDS
• Vision Care Specialist William Shaffer, OD Behavioral/Mental Health Professional Richard Deamer, MD
• Allied Health Professional Kristine Supple, PA-C, MPH
• Trailblazer Award Michael L. White, LMFT

The $225- plate event ($195 for past award winners) includes a champagne reception, entertainment by Allegato (jazz) Music, dessert, live and silent auctions, formal dinner and the awards ceremony. Funds from the event will benefit oral health and vision care services for low- income children and seniors, homeless outreach for those less fortunate, and survivorship wellness retreats for low-income women undergoing cancer treatment at local hospitals through the InnCourage program.

For more information please contact Victoria Chandler at the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation (805) 641-9800, email at [email protected], or visit website at vcmrf.org.