Forty years ago, eight friends banded together to provide food to those in need in Ventura. Today, FOOD Share celebrates 40 years of service in Ventura County at the 3rd Annual Blue Jean Ball at Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms on Thursday, September 20th from 5-9pm.  The food bank’s signature event will help raise the support necessary to feed the one in six Ventura County residents who is still food insecure.

“The need to help the hungry hasn’t changed in last 40 years but the face of hunger has evolved,” said FOOD Share President and CEO, Monica White. “The struggle to avoid hunger is real and affects thousands of working families, seniors, veterans and children right here in Ventura County. It’s not just the homeless that are food insecure in our community today. We simply couldn’t help everyone without the wonderful support of our donors, volunteers and the community.”

More than 20 local restaurants, wineries and brewing companies will be serving samples at the event along with entertainment, delicious desserts and a silent auction. “The name says it all: wear those blue jeans!” says Jennifer Caldwell, marketing director. “It’s an evening of reflection and appreciation as we celebrate FOOD Share’s 40 year history.”

Tierra Rejada Farm’s relationship with FOOD Share dates back to the 1970’s when the “pick-your-own” farm and roadside market was on Sunset Valley Road.  Whenever the farm was blessed with surplus crops, owner Rick Brecunier would call on FOOD Share volunteers to glean the crops for distribution to Ventura County’s hungry residents. The farm has once again generously donated the venue space at Walnut Grove to serve as the stunning backdrop for FOOD Share’s 3rd Annual Blue Jean Ball.

“What an incredible mission FOOD Share has served over the years.” said Walnut Grove at Tierra Rejada Farms owner Rick Brecunier. “We couldn’t be happier to host the Blue Jean Ball again for the benefit of FOOD Share. It’s very heartening to see the tremendous support FOOD Share provides to the community and we want to do everything we can to support their efforts.”

Individual tickets are available for $75 per person, and limited sponsorships are still available. Visit www.foodshare.com/bluejeanball for tickets and additional information.

Today, staff and volunteers distribute nearly 12 million pounds of food, or 10 million meals annually through its 190 pantry and program partners. As Ventura County’s food bank, FOOD Share provides food for 75,000 hungry friends and neighbors monthly. FOOD Share is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, as well as the California Association of Food Banks. For more information about FOOD Share, visit www.foodshare.com, on Facebook , Instagram, and Twitter.

League of Women Voters of Ventura County (LWVVC), a nonpartisan political organization presents the complete schedule for various Ventura County candidate forums it is sponsoring or co-sponsoring for September and October 2018 in the run up to the November 6 elections. All forums are free and open to the public. This is a great way to get to know the candidates and their positions on issues affecting their local community.

Thursday, Sept. 20; 6:30 – 8:30 PM, at DeAnza Middle School, 2060 Cameron St., Ventura

• 6:30 – 7:00 PM Ventura Unified School District. Area #1 (3 candidates)
• 7:05 – 7:45 PM Ventura City Council. District #1 (4 candidates)
• 7:50 – 8:30 PM Ventura County Community College District (4 candidates)

Monday, Sept. 24; 6:45 – 9:00 PM, at City Council Chambers, 305 W Third St., Oxnard

• 6:45 – 7:30 PM Oxnard Mayor (3 candidates)
• 7:35 – 9:00 PM Oxnard City Council. Districts #1 and #2 (7 candidates)

Tuesday, Sept. 25; 7:00 – 8:30 PM, at City Council Chambers, 250 N. Ventura Rd., Port Hueneme

Port Hueneme City Council (5 candidates)

Wednesday, Sept. 26; 6:45 – 9:00 PM at City Council Chambers, 2929 Tapo Canyon Rd., Simi Valley

• 6:45 – 7:25 PM Mayor (5 candidates)
• 7:30 – 9:00 PM City Council (9 candidates)

Thursday, Sept. 27; 7:00 – 8:30 PM at Oak View Park and Resource Ctr Multi-Purpose Room, 555 Mahoney Avenue, Oak View

• 7:00 – 7:40 PM Casitas Muni Water District, Division 4 (2 candidates)
• 7:45 – 8:30 PM Ventura Unified School Board – District 1 (3 candidates)

Thursday, Sept 27; 6:45 – 9:00 PM at South Oxnard Senior Center, 200 E. Bard Road, Oxnard

• 6:45 – 7:30 PM Oxnard Mayor (3 candidates)
• 7:35 – 9:00 PM Oxnard City Council. District #5 and #6 (7 candidates)

Monday, Oct. 1;

• 7:00 – 7:50 PM at City Council Chambers, 250 Central Avenue, Fillmore

Fillmore City Council (3 candidates)

Tuesday, Oct. 2, 7:00 – 8:45 PM at Ojai Boyd Center, 510 Park Road, Ojai

• 7:00 – 7:40 PM Ojai Mayor (2 candidates)
• 7:45 – 8:45 PM Ojai City Council (4 candidates)

Wednesday, Oct. 3, 6:30 – 9:00 PM at Citrus Glen Elementary School at 9655 Darling Rd., Ventura

• 6:30 – 7:00 PM Ventura Unified School District. Area #4 (3 candidates)
• 7:05 – 8:45 PM Ventura City Council. District #4, #5, and #6 (11 candidates)

Thursday, Oct. 4, 7:00 – 8:30 PM at the Community/Senior Ctr, 530 West Main St., Santa Paula

• 7:00 – 8:30 PM Santa Paula City Council (6 candidates). Co-sponsor the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce.

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:30 – 9:00 PM at City Council Chambers, 601 Carmen Drive, Camarillo

• 6:30 – 7:10 PM California Assembly District #44 (2 candidates)
• 7:20 – 9:00 Camarillo City Council (9 candidates)

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7:00 – 9:00 PM at City Council Chambers (also known as Scherr Forum), Thousand Oaks Civic Center, 2100 East Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks

• 7:00 – 9:00 PM Thousand Oaks City Council Candidates (11 candidates)

For more information, please visit https://my.lwv.org/california/ventura-county.

About League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Membership in the League is open to men and women of all ages. With more than 93 years of experience and almost 800 local and state affiliates, the League is one of America’s most trusted grassroots organizations.

Contact: David Maron Tel: 805-469-4900

Email: [email protected]

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PO Box 6786 ● Ventura, CA 93006 ● web: www.lwvventuracounty.org ● e-mail: [email protected]

Sept. 20: In preparation for the November election, the East Ventura Community Council’s meeting will feature a forum, with candidates for Ventura City Council in the new council Districts 4 and 5 participating. Candidates will present their statements of purpose and will answer questions posed by the moderator, as well as written questions submitted by the audience. Currently, District 4 candidates who have agreed to take part are Alec Gasca, Erik Nasarenko, and Spencer Noren. District 5 candidates participating will be Jim Friedman and Marie Lakin. The council represents those who live east of Victoria Avenue. Books in good condition are solicited on behalf of Ventura Friends of the Library. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, 346 N. Kimball Road. The public is encouraged to attend and participate. For more information, contact John McNally, Chairperson, EVCC: 805-804-7558

Sept. 25: The Montalvo Community Council, representing Ventura City’s voting district 6, is set to host two candidate forums.

Tuesday, September 25, 7-8:30pm

Saturday, October 6, 10-11:30am

Lighthouse Foursquare Church, 6200 Montalvo Dr., Ventura

Two candidates will be on the ballot for district 6 Charles Kistner, Jr, and Lorrie Brown. More information can be found at montalvocc.wordpress.com and facebook.com/MontalvoCommunityCouncil/

Voting District 6 is bordered on the south by the 101 freeway, on the west by Victoria Ave, on the north by the 126 freeway, and on the east by Montgomery Ave.

The Ventura County Elections Division seeks volunteers to staff and manage 361 polling places throughout the county for the upcoming November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election. Clerk-Recorder, Registrar of Voters Mark Lunn stated, “Being a poll worker is a great opportunity to meet new people while serving our community and the democratic process.”

Eligibility:

• Must be 18 years of age or older (unless participating in the Student Poll Worker Program)

• Must be able to read and speak English
• Must be able to work from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Election Day
• Must be a U.S. citizen, registered to vote in California or a Legal Permanent Resident
• Must complete training

• Bilingual Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, and Vietnamese speaking poll workers are especially needed

Duties:

• Set up and administer a designated Polling Place
• Direct voters to sign in and verify addresses
• Assist voters to operate the electronic voting machine
• Answer voters’ procedural questions
• Close polls at the end of the Election Day

Compensation:

• A stipend of $20 to complete required training
• A stipend of $90 to serve as a Clerk
• A stipend of $125 to serve as an Inspector

Interested individuals are encouraged to apply online at http://venturavote.org on the poll workers menu. For additional information regarding becoming a poll worker or to request a paper application, contact the Ventura County Elections Division at (805) 654-2784. You may also apply in person at the Elections Division located in the Hall of Administration, Lower Plaza, 800 S. Victoria Ave.

The American Red Cross urges people of all races and ethnicities to give blood to help ensure a diverse blood supply for patients in need.

The vast majority of blood types fall into one of the major ABO groups. However, some blood types are unique to certain racial and ethnic groups, so a diverse blood supply is important to meeting the medical needs of an increasingly diverse patient population.

Twelve-year-old Braden Green required blood transfusions to treat complications from sickle cell disease. “It saved his life, that blood transfusion,” said his mom, Brenda Green. “A blood donation can give a patient another chance at life or an opportunity to get through the day.”

Blood given to patients with rare blood types or those who need repeated transfusions for conditions such as sickle cell disease or thalassemia must be matched very closely. Patients are less likely to have complications from blood donated by someone with a similar racial or ethnic background.

All blood types are needed to ensure that the right blood product is available at the right time for all patients. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

As a thank-you, those who come to donate blood or platelets through Sept. 30, 2018, will receive a coupon via email for a free haircut at participating Sport Clips locations. More information is available at RedCrossBlood.org/sport-clips.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Ventura.

• 9/18/2018: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 36 S. Figueroa St.
• 9/27/2018: 8:15 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Ventura High School, 2 North Catalina
• 9/28/2018: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Buena High School, 5670 Telegraph Road

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross is to become a volunteer transportation specialist and deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Volunteer transportation specialists play a very important role in ensuring an ample blood supply for patients in need by transporting blood and blood products. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position, visit rdcrss.org/driver.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

Ventura College will host Dreamers Set Your Course, a series of free and safe events for the community to learn about resources available for undocumented students. Topics to be discussed include the Ventura College admissions process, financial aid information, support services for students, and community resources available for undocumented students. The events are free and open to the public.

Ventura College continues to stand with the Chancellor’s Office in aiming to reassure students that our campuses will remain safe, welcoming places for students of all backgrounds to learn and we are happy to provide this forum educating Dreamers on Ventura College resources.

The events will be hosted at local high schools to encourage students from K-12 to attend college. It is important to remind the community that higher education is possible and of the valuable resources available to make the dream of higher education a reality.

Thursday, September 13, 2018 – Santa Paula High School Cafeteria – 6:00—8:00pm

Thursday, September 20, 2018 – Ventura High School Cafeteria – 6:30—8:30pm

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 – Fillmore High School Library – 6:00—8:00pm

For more information please visit: venturacollege.edu/dreamers or if you have any questions, please contact Wendolyne Lopez, Financial Aid Specialist/ AB540 Liaison at [email protected] or (805) 289-6574 or Joseph Cordero, Student Outreach Specialist at [email protected] or 805 289-6584.

Ventura College will host Dreamers Set Your Course, a series of free and safe events for the community to learn about resources available for undocumented students. Topics to be discussed include the Ventura College admissions process, financial aid information, support services for students, and community resources available for undocumented students. The events are free and open to the public.

Ventura College continues to stand with the Chancellor’s Office in aiming to reassure students that our campuses will remain safe, welcoming places for students of all backgrounds to learn and we are happy to provide this forum educating Dreamers on Ventura College resources.

The events will be hosted at local high schools to encourage students from K-12 to attend college. It is important to remind the community that higher education is possible and of the valuable resources available to make the dream of higher education a reality.

Thursday, September 13, 2018 – Santa Paula High School Cafeteria – 6:00—8:00pm

Thursday, September 20, 2018 – Ventura High School Cafeteria – 6:30—8:30pm

Wednesday, September 26, 2018 – Fillmore High School Library – 6:00—8:00pm

For more information please visit: venturacollege.edu/dreamers or if you have any questions, please contact Wendolyne Lopez, Financial Aid Specialist/ AB540 Liaison at [email protected] or (805) 289-6574 or Joseph Cordero, Student Outreach Specialist at [email protected] or 805 289-6584.

Ventura environmental attorney Jean Getchell has been appointed to complete the last year of Commissioner Nikos Valance’s term on the Ventura Board of Port Commissioners. The five-member board governs the Ventura Port District.

A native of Ventura and an attorney since 1995, Getchell previously served on the Port District board from 1996 to 1999. She returns after being interviewed and selected by the Ventura City Council Appointments Committee. In her interview, she said, “I emphasized the importance of the commission, city, business community and citizens working together.”

In her practice, Getchell specializes in environmental, land use, real property, employment, business and contracts, probate and public law. Prior to her legal career, Getchell held civic posts including supervising planner for the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District and management analyst with the Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department.

Getchell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Southern California, her MBA from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks and her Juris Doctor from the Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles.

When she’s not working or serving her community, Getchell said, “outdoors is where I like to be – gardening, sailing, hiking …” and hanging out with Bennie, her 12-year-old English Springer spaniel rescue.

Getchell will serve on the Port District board until Valance’s term expires on June 30, 2019. Valance, an attorney, economist and environmentalist originally from New York, had served on the voluntary board since his appointment on July 27, 2015, and he recently resigned.

In Other Board News …
Port District Commissioner and Chairman Everard Ashworth has been reappointed to serve another term. His new term runs through June 30, 2022.

Ashworth is a principal with Ashworth Leininger Group, a Camarillo-based consulting and engineering firm that provides expertise to business and government on air quality, environmental and coastal zone permitting issues. Ashworth and his wife, Brooke, have lived for over 25 years in Ventura, where they raised their two college-age children, Henry and Emma. In his spare time, Ashworth is an avid boater who’s served in a number of capacities for the Ventura Sail and Power Squadron.

Port District board members are appointed by Ventura’s mayor and confirmed by the City Council; they serve four-year terms without compensation.

Ventura Port District, home to the Channel Islands National Park, has a mission to provide a safe and navigable harbor and a seaside destination that benefits residents, visitors, fishermen and boaters seeking to enjoy Ventura Harbor’s exceptional facilities, events and services.

For more information regarding Ventura Port District, visit VenturaHarbor.com.