by Jennifer Tipton

March 14th marked the one-month anniversary since seventeen lives were senselessly taken by a shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14th.

Declared “National Walkout Day”, students from 2,800 schools across the U.S. showed solidarity for the victims in Florida by leaving their classrooms at 10am on the morning of March 14th. Many of these demonstrations lasted seventeen minutes to represent each one of the lives lost in the recent tragedy.

In Parkland, at the very scene of the shooting, students gathered on the football field and chanted, “we want change!”, rejecting requests from administrators to return to their classrooms. They then joined students from a nearby middle school to solemnly walk two miles to the memorials that had been set up to commemorate the victims.

Here in Ventura, students at Ventura High School took part as well, marching and carrying signs that read, “Students Take Action!”, “Enough! Keep Us Safe!” and my favorite, “Fear Has No Place in Our Schools!”. As they marched, the students chanted, “end the violence! no more silence!” and in one of the videos taken, you can hear a student say, “this is way more organized than I thought it would be!”.

With the video being captured by a drone, the students at Cabrillo Middle School sent out a message of love by standing together on their field and forming a heart.

Later in the day on March 14th, many other Venturans (men, women and children alike) stood on the corner of Telephone Rd. and Victoria Ave. at the Government Center making their statement about gun violence … “enough” seemed to be the word of the day.

The NALA, a boutique marketing agency headquartered in Ventura, is asking the community to participate in the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s Project Easter, which entails collecting Easter baskets for children with cancer and their siblings. The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF), the NALA’s charity partner, is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization providing financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer living in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation provides emotional, educational and financial assistance to families living in the Tri-County Region that have a child with cancer. The vision of Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is to be the lead agency to instill resilience in families experiencing pediatric cancer. It provides programs that allow parents to be supported and to know they are not alone. For more information, please call 962-7466, or visit http://www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org.

“We will put together the baskets with all of the goodies donated and TBCF will then deliver them to hospitals. The baskets are given to children with cancer, as well as their siblings,” said Tiffani Tendell, the NALA’s Press Manager and Charity Director.

Santa Barbara area residents can donate directly at the office of the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, 3892 State Street, Suite 220, until March 22nd. https://www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org/project-easter

TBCF helps defray costs that are often overlooked. These include monthly bills (rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.), automobile and related transportation costs, and other similar expenses, as a parent usually has to take time off work or quit their job to spend quality time caring for their child in the hospital during their treatment. To donate directly to TBCF, please visit https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E105892&id=2.

Community leaders, advocates and concerned citizens attended the sold out viewing of the groundbreaking film Break the Chain recently at the Museum of Ventura County. The film gave a detailed look at how sex and labor trafficking goes unnoticed and is happening in our backyard. In attendance was producer and co-director, Laura E. Swanson; Interface Children & Family Services’ Human Trafficking Program Manager, Christan Perez; VC Coalition Against Human Trafficking, April De Pretis; Ventura County DA Investigator II, Michael Munn; The Acorn Project Founder, Junemarie Justus; and Ventura City Councilmember, Cheryl Heitmann.

When asked their perception of the prevalence of human trafficking in Ventura County, Mike Munn responded “Human trafficking is definitely here. We’ve identified it. If we don’t combat it, it’s going to just fester; it’s going to be like a cancer because the pimps are going to know that they can operate in the county that’s not going to enforce those human trafficking laws.”

Since the start of the human trafficking program last year, Interface Children & Family Services has served 36 human trafficking survivors in Ventura County. Situated between major trafficking hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco, the U.S. 101 freeway through Ventura County serves as a corridor for human trafficking activities along the central coast. Interface’s human trafficking program provides a trauma-informed and confidential shelter for adult survivors of trafficking. Survivors are provided a safe and supportive residential setting to begin healing from their trauma and work towards reclaiming their independence. Immediate, in-person response is available when requested by law enforcement or medical providers, to emotionally support adult survivors of sex and/or labor trafficking (both U.S. born and foreign nationals). The advocates assess for basic and immediate needs, provide referrals and linkage to supportive services, inform survivors of their rights and discuss options for safely exiting their trafficking situation.

Assembly Member Jacqui Irwin will be hosting a second Break the Chain screening at California Lutheran University, titled Combating Human Trafficking: Local Efforts on a Global Issue on March 28.

For community members who would like to further support human trafficking efforts in Ventura County, Interface Children & Family Services will be hosting the 5th annual Love is Brewing at the Kentucky Derby Champagne Luncheon & Tea on May 12, 2018. Proceeds from this inspiring and educational event will be used to directly support domestic violence, child abuse and human trafficking prevention, intervention and awareness programs. Tickets are on sale for $100 per ticket/$1,000 per table and sponsorships are still available. For reservations or for more information, visit icfs.org or contact Laura Everest at 485-6114, Ext. 628 or [email protected].

KNOX 25/8 will be hosting its first motivational speaking event to help raise funds for overcoming childhood cancer. In this half day event, you’ll learn certain teachings and techniques on how to overcome any obstacle in your daily life, realize your full potential, and find the power within.

There will be four incredible speakers who have various backgrounds that can’t wait to take you on the roller coaster of a lifetime!

Five hours starting at 7:30am on March 31 at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill. Sign up at [email protected].

May be inappropriate for ages 14 and under. Be sure to bring pen/pencil and notepad.

Parking is free but get there early as spots are limited.

The featured speakers are:

• Eric Lemarque – international bestselling author, former Olympic professional hockey player, and subject of the movie 6 Below: Miracle On The Mountain
• New Asianism – life management coach and ancient Asian principle teachings
• Tim Wallace – active military professional, life coach, and motivational speaker
• Allyson Phelan – Eagan – inspirational cancer survivor and motivational speaker

KNOX 25/8 Group is a Non-Profit organization that is dedicated to assisting the efforts of finding a cure for childhood cancer. By building a network of sports coaches who are willing to raise money through volunteering their time and expertise in coaching our youth, KNOX 25/8 Group will help fund specific organizations that are working hard to find a cure for pediatric cancer.

Local nonprofit organization Paso Pacifico is quickly making a name as a global leader in wildlife conservation. Paso Pacifico works with local communities, landowners, and partner organizations to restore and protect the habitats that form building blocks for wildlife corridors. Headquartered in Ventura, they also have a team in Nicaragua, where much of their conservation work takes place. One of their most noteworthy projects in recent years was the creation of a device called the InvestEGGator, which could help restore populations of endangered sea turtles.

The InvestEGGator decoy egg – an innovative solution for tracking international trade routes of turtle egg poachers in Central America with the help of GPS trackers – has been making headlines, but Paso Pacifico’s impact extends far beyond fighting turtle poachers. Some of their other initiatives include helping Nicaraguan women learn the business, management, and technical skills needed to farm sustainable wild oysters, working with communities in Central American to protect the recently-endangered population of Yellow-naped Amazon parrots, studying and increasing the population of black-handed spider monkeys, and inspiring Nicaragua’s youth to become the next generation of environmental stewards.

Since creating the groundbreaking InvestEGGator decoy sea turtle eggs, the team at Paso Pacifico has been hard at work perfecting this tool that could be a gamechanger in the fight to protect sea turtles. Their efforts are not going unnoticed.

Paso Pacifico was named a Prize Winner in USAID’s Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge in January of 2016. After showing encouraging signs of progress developing and implementing the InvestEGGator decoy eggs, USAID then awarded the Ventura-based nonprofit organization an Acceleration Prize in September of last year to continue improving the production and distribution process for their wildlife crime solution.

It was also announced in December of 2017 that Paso Pacifico was one of 111 organizations across 34 countries selected to receive a grant from the National Geographic Society.

In addition to their recent accolades, Paso Pacifico has also been attracting major media attention from some internationally-recognized companies and personalities.

In January, wildlife conservationist and biologist Jeff Corwin joined the Paso Pacifico team as they monitored the activity of hawksbill turtles in Nicaragua. Corwin’s crew filmed the excursion for a future episode of his nature show Ocean Treks.

“It is critical that we spread the word about our mission and our conservation programs, both internationally and here on the Central Coast,” said Pacifico Founder and Executive Director, and Ashoka Fellow, Sarah Otterstrom. “Our goal is to build on this momentum to create a strong support network that will enable us to continue finding new and innovative ways to protect and restore our environment.”

The Ventura Police Department’s Community Academy is coming! Have you ever wanted to know more about police operations? Not the ‘TV’ version, but the facts? Here’s your chance! The Community Academy will take you on a ride-along with a patrol officer, show you what a SWAT team does, let you experience a simulated firearms training course, give you a look at issues officers face in our community and much more.

The Community Academy is scheduled to begin April 18 and will be held on 10 consecutive Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Each night features a new topic, with speakers, demonstrations, and discussions. Select nights include a visit to the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center, Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Hangar and the Ventura County Jail. Will answer your questions and give you an in-depth behind the scenes look at police operations.

Community Academy participants are selected by the Ventura Police Department through the application process. Applications are available at the Ventura Police Department or online. Applications accepted until March 28, 2018.

Potential candidates must meet the following criteria: minimum age of 18 years, live or work in the City of Ventura, no felony convictions, no misdemeanor convictions within two years of application.

The Community Academy aims to educate residents on the capacity and operations of the Ventura Police Department so that police officers and community members can work together to make Ventura a better and safer place.

For more information, please contact Community Outreach Specialist Ashley Bautista 339-4317 or [email protected].

“We recently attended the Ventura Police Department’s Community Academy Class, It was eight evenings consisting of different aspects police work, including the 911 command center, investigations/crime analysis, major crimes, the criminal justice system, crisis intervention, patrol operations, SWAT team, a tour of the Criminal Justice Training Center, a ride-along, K-9 demonstration and more. Chief Ken Corney, the officers and staff gave excellent presentations and demonstrations. We quickly learned a police officer has to be so much more than an officer who writes traffic tickets. He or she needs to be a person of integrity, professional, compassionate, fair, courteous, a quick decision-maker and a counselor. We here in Ventura are fortunate to have an outstanding VPD as protectors of our community. We highly recommend to other citizens that they apply to attend when the academy is offered again.” Dan & Vicki Stowell