With warmer summer weather, longer days, and increased outdoor activities, a higher risk of exposure to mosquitoes is to be expected. Since mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV), St. Louis Encephalitis Virus or Western Equine Encephalitis Virus, the Ventura County Environmental Health Division (Division) is advising the public to take precautions to protect against mosquito bites and assist with the effort to control mosquitoes.

To minimize exposure to mosquitoes, eliminate standing water from your property – no matter how small. This includes ensuring that gutters are clear and are moving rainwater away from the home. If gutters are blocked, rainwater can get stuck in the gutters, providing a suitable environment for mosquitos. If your gutters are blocked, be sure to contact a company like Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning to minimize the chance of mosquitos nesting in your gutters. Of course, you also need to make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens without holes; when outdoors, wear protective clothing and apply an EPA approved insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. If water is stored in rain barrels or other containers for longer than a week, mosquito-proof containers by covering all openings with tight-fitting lids or 1/16-inch fine mesh screen.

The Division monitors and controls mosquitoes at approximately 2400 mosquito breeding sources throughout Ventura County. However, the Division is asking the public to assist with the mosquito control effort by reporting mosquito activity or potential mosquito breeding sites. Mosquito complaints can be reported to the complaint HOTLINE at 805/658-4310.

Mosquito-eating fish are available to the public for use in ornamental ponds and water features. To request mosquito-eating fish call 805/662-6582. To report dead birds for WNV testing contact the California Department of Public Health for West Nile virus testing, call 877/WNV-Bird (877/968-2473) or visit westnile.ca.gov.

The Division also advises the public to be alert for two invasive (non-native) mosquito species that have recently been found in several areas of California. They are Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) that have been known to carry several viruses including Zika. These are small, aggressive daytime biting mosquitoes with white stripes on their back and legs. Their eggs can survive being dry for months in small artificial or natural containers and can hatch in a teaspoon of water, so eliminating potential breeding sources is critical.

For additional information, visit: https://vcrma.org/vector-control-program Media Contact: Ron Ventura, (805) 654-2816

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura (BGCGV) has been selected as a 2018 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Monique Limón, 37th District.

Patti Birmingham, BGCGV CEO along with Maria Ventura, SoCalGas Public Affairs Manager and BGCGV Board President traveled to Sacramento and joined with one hundred other nonprofit leaders honored by their state senators and assemblymembers during a celebration luncheon as part of California Nonprofits Day on June 6th.

With an emphasis on academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyle programming, 97% of their members are on track to graduate from high school and become productive citizens. ​

“The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura offered free childcare and activities during a community emergency. They helped hundreds of families affected by the Thomas Fire find needed child care when schools were closed which alleviated a major financial burden for families. I am proud to honor them as the 2018 Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 37” said Assemblymember Monique Limón.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve children and their families for the last 80 years, and especially during the recent natural disasters. On behalf of our CEO Patti Birmingham, staff and board members – we are deeply humbled to be recognized by Assemblymember Monique Limón as a Nonprofit of the Year,” comments Maria Ventura.

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians (Chumash Tribe) has returned the ancient remains of a Native American man who died 10,000 years ago, known as Tuqan Man, to a burial site on San Miguel Island.

Tuqan Man was discovered inadvertently in 2005 by archeologists from the University of Oregon who were surveying an archeological site on the island. The ancient remains were found exposed and eroding into a gully within the site.

Following the discovery, the National Park Service (NPS) consulted with the Chumash Tribe and together they decided to excavate the unprotected burial of Tuqan Man to prevent it from eroding from the cliff and being lost to the sea.

A full scientific study was conducted due to the cultural and scientific significance of the prehistoric remains.

Federal law, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), required that the NPS determine if the remains of Tuqan Man were Native American, and if so, whether they could be transferred to a Native American tribe.

The Chumash Tribe supported the scientific process as necessary, and worked closely with the NPS to ensure the remains were treated respectfully throughout the process. The Chumash Tribe firmly believe that Tuqan Man is their ancestor.

“Protecting the final resting places of our ancestors is of paramount importance to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “When our tribe learned of the discovery made by archeologists on San Miguel Island, we made it a priority to ensure that our ancestor was laid to rest with a proper burial. Thanks to years of cooperation with the National Park Service, we were granted that opportunity.”

After careful analysis and consideration the NPS determined that Tuqan Man is Native American. Tuqan Man was found to have a significant cultural relationship to American Indian groups and to the maritime culture found on the northern Channel Islands for over 13,000 years.

The Chumash Tribe requested custody of Tuqan Man and was granted custody by NPS per NAGPRA regulations. Recently, the Chumash Tribe returned Tuqan Man to his resting place on San Miguel Island.

Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has announced four students from the Central Coast as recipients of a $5,000 college scholarship from the utility. SoCalGas’ Scholarship Program is distributing scholarships totaling $225,000 to 45 students this year. Since its creation in 2001, the program has provided more than $2.2 million in scholarship funding to more than 2,500 students. Recipients were evaluated on academic achievement, community involvement, and an essay on climate change.

SoCalGas Scholarship Program helps young people continue their education and build a pipeline of diverse future engineers and other professionals who are prepared for the competitive workforce,” said Gillian Wright, chief human resources and administrative officer for SoCalGas. “We believe that a well-educated workforce is essential for a vital and economically healthy Southern California and are thrilled to award scholarships to this group of exceptional students.”

The local recipients are:

Jahmai Cabrera of Santa Barbara, Anais Jimenez of Santa Barbara, Desiree Estrada of Ventura and

Destinee Estrada of Ventura (both from Ventura High School).

In addition to providing academic scholarships, SoCalGas supports technology-based learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at schools across its service territory.

The Ventura Police Department (VPD) will be sponsoring the Special Olympics “Tip-A-Cop” event on Tuesday, June 26, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at California Pizza Kitchen at 3301 E. Main St. at the Pacific View Mall.

Tip-A-Cop is a law enforcement fundraising event in which police officers assist with waiting tables at a local restaurant and collect “tip” donations for the Special Olympics. For over twenty years VPD has been involved in the Tip-A-Cop program. This will be the second year California Pizza Kitchen will be hosting this event.

Community members are encouraged to come and support the event by dining out and meeting local Special Olympics Athletes and Ventura Police Officers as they act as “celebrity servers,” while assisting California Pizza Kitchen servers throughout the evening. While tips to restaurant servers are encouraged, envelopes will be provided to dining patrons to give to the cause. Officers will also be accompanied by Ventura County Special Olympics Athletes who help serve food and sell t-shirts. Athletes are anxious to show off their medals and share their Special Olympics experiences.

“Last year we had a great event raising over $3,000 in tip donations for the Ventura County Special Olympics,” stated Officer Bernadette Compean who helps organize the Special Olympics Torch Run and Tip-A-Cop events for the VPD. “We look forward to another successful year and to our continued partnership with Special Olympics. We appreciate our partnership with California Pizza Kitchen in supporting these special athletes.”

For over twenty years, Ventura County law enforcement agencies have been raising funds in support of the Special Olympics Ventura County. The fundraising events support year-round sports training and competition to over 700 individuals with intellectual disabilities, ages eight years and up, free of charge, in seventeen sports at over forty training sites throughout Ventura County.

“The Special Olympians’ courage, perseverance and positive attitude while facing challenges has been very inspiring over these years. They are the ones that make this event so great. The athletes teach us all to accept and include each other. My next-door neighbor is a Special Olympian, and this is the highlight of his year. It makes him so happy to spend time with our officers and participate in these events. It’s his attitude that really makes it so special for our team,” stated Community Outreach Specialist Ashley Bautista.

For more information on this event, and Special Olympics of Ventura County, contact Officer Bernadette Compean at 805-339-4453, ([email protected]), or Special Olympics Regional Director Peggi Preston at 805-650-7717 ([email protected]).

Former mayor and council member Jim Friedman has announced that he is running for city council in the newly formed District 5 on the east end of Ventura. A small business owner/ financial planner for over 40 years, Jim has been a resident of the east end for over 28 years and lives with his wife Kelli who has been teaching at Mound Elementary school for the past 15 years.

Jim was first elected to the council in 1995 and served as mayor in 1998 and 99. He was re-elected in 1999 and served until 2004 when he retired after two terms. “People ask me why I’m running again?” “The 14-year break from the city council has allowed me to see city hall from the outside looking in. I have a fresh, new perspective and I’m not particularly happy with what I’m seeing,” Friedman said.

Friedman sited several areas of concerns. Among them were deficiencies in essential core city services particularly in public safety (police and fire), streets, sidewalks and the city’s urban forest. “I believe our city’s silent majority want reliable essential core services and we must do whatever we can to provide them,” said Friedman.

Friedman believes his long history of public service and leadership in the city of Ventura will be an asset when the new district-based council is seated in December. Besides serving eight years on the city council, Jim has been serving as a member of the Ventura Port Commission for the past 6 years. Port Commissioners are appointed by the city council but operate autonomously from the city council. He also served as the chair of the city’s Redevelopment Oversight Committee for the past six years and has a good grasp of the city’s budget. “Having been through it many times before, I understand the city’s budget process.” “As a new council member, I will be able to hit the ground running and won’t have the learning curve that rookie council members experience,” stated Friedman.

Speaking of the budget, Friedman believes that the only way the city is going to be able to provide the level of essential core services that the residents want is to reprioritize the budget and increase city revenues. “We are going to have some tough financial decisions to make over the next four years, and I believe my extensive business and financial planning experience will be an asset to the city council,” Friedman said.

Friedman stated that, “If elected, I will be as readily available to my constituents as before.” I always gave my cell phone number out to anyone who had an issue and wanted to speak to me personally.”

At their June 12 meeting, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors recognized the county’s Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) volunteers by designating June as “Amateur Radio Month.”

In presenting a proclamation to local radio operators, the Board cited the many hours of training and instruction the volunteers devote to serving the region in times of emergency.

Amateur (or “Ham”) Radio operators gain operating privileges by passing examinations that qualify them for licensing by the FCC. Some then undergo training to support the county’s emergency services agencies or they may affiliate with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service to serve agencies such as the Red Cross when there’s a need for skilled communicators. A recent report showed there are over 3,475 licensed operators in Ventura County.

Locally, the Thomas Fire saw communications volunteers pressed into service in Ventura County during last year’s fire emergency. On a larger scale, the hurricanes of 2017 saw Amateur Radio used as the only workable link to some of the impacted islands and communities in the Caribbean.

In Ventura County, the Ham Radio communicators also support activities such as community events and they conduct weekly on-the-air drills to assure their equipment and operating techniques are current. Amateur Radio operators are unpaid volunteers who also purchase and maintain their own equipment.

Daily lifeguard services began Memorial Day weekend. Unanimously approved for 2018 by the Board of Port Commissioners, these services are funded by the Ventura Port District, which contracts with California State Parks.

The contract runs through Labor Day, with seasonal lifeguards covering the harbor’s Surfer’s Knoll Beach and Harbor Cove Beach.

Starting and ending times may change throughout the summer to address crowd trends. Harbor Cove lifeguards will begin around 10 a.m. daily, and Surfers Knoll will begin by 11 a.m. on weekends. Additional coverage may include a beach patrol.

For questions on lifeguard times, call the State Lifeguards Dispatch at 648-3321.

The Ventura Port District and Harbor Patrol place a high priority on public safety and always advise beachgoers to swim by guarded lifeguard towers.

Complimentary beach parking and restrooms are available at both beach parking lots and street parking is available on Spinnaker Drive.

“Ventura Harbor is one of the few locations in Ventura County that provides a complete user experience,” said Ventura Port District Harbormaster John Higgins. “Our harbor, beaches, merchants, restaurants, national park headquarters, sport fishing boats, dive boats and Island Packers give the visitor tremendous value and entertainment in one intimate location.”