This is a question the guides at the historic house museum are sometimes asked during the first Sunday open house tours. Well, now there is an
answer!

Published authors and tour guides Lynn Weitzel and Richard Senate–known nationally as Ventura County’s “Ghost Hunter”–have dipped into their “ghost files” and written a compilation of reports dating back almost twenty years. “Are There Ghosts at the Dudley House?” is a booklet available for purchase at the Dudley House gift shop (open first Sundays 1-4) for $6. Both authors will be guiding tours on September 5 and October 3 from 1-4.

The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood streets (197 N. Ashwood) in Ventura. The booklet can also be purchased by sending a check for $7.87 which includes tax and shipping to: San Buenaventura
Heritage, P. O. Box 6803, Ventura, CA 93006. For more information call
(805) 642-3345 or visit the website at dudleyhouse.org.

Since joining the Ventura County Community College District, Greg Gillespie, Ph.D., has continually strived to provide students with access to high-quality, relevant educational programs and support services, first as president of Ventura College, and currently as VCCCD chancellor. After eight years of service to the District, Gillespie has announced his retirement, effective the end of June 2022.

During his tenure as chancellor, Gillespie spearheaded initiatives promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to support the varying needs of the District’s students, employees and the greater community. This includes building a culture that encourages equity and social justice.

“I have appreciated the opportunity to work in the VCCCD community over the past eight years. We have experienced quite a journey together,” Gillespie said. Gillespie notably steered the District through the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with the District’s board of trustees and senior leadership for operations to continue at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges and Ventura College East Campus. The District followed guidance from Ventura County Public Health, California Department of Health and Cal/OSHA to ensure the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff throughout the pandemic and instituted remote learning and hybrid courses, so students could continue their studies safely.

“Chancellor Gillespie has guided us through the pandemic with a focus on the needs of our students, faculty, classified staff and three colleges,” said Board Chair Joshua Chancer. “With Dr. Gillespie’s leadership, we have seen a greater emphasis on certificate and degree completion, allowing students to achieve their full potential in the classroom and progress into careers and further education.”

Chancer indicated the District will soon start the search process for a new chancellor. Gillespie will work closely with the board to ensure a smooth transition in District leadership.

Before joining the District, Gillespie served as vice president for instruction and student services at Yavapai College, Prescott, Ariz. He has nearly 30 years of experience in the community college system and has served in faculty, director, dean, vice president and president positions at four different community colleges in Arizona, California and Washington.

In his remaining time with the District, Gillespie will continue serving on the Ventura County P-20 Council, which advances the strengthening of educational and career opportunities in the community from pre-school through college, United Way of Ventura County and other local organizations.

“There is much work ahead of us in the coming year. We are challenged to learn everything we can from what has occurred in the past 18 months, preserving the best of practices—past, present and future—and integrating them into our emerging new normal,” said Gillespie.

by Richard Senate

The Street names in Ventura reflect her long and colorful past. Each one  has its own story to tell. The Street we call today “Main Street” was once known as “El Camino Real”  the famed royal road that linked all the Missions in Spanish Times. With the coming of the Yankees they wanted to devest themselves of anything that sounded Spanish so the name was changed official by Ordinance #10 in 1867 by the new city of San Buenaventura.

The oldest street name  that survives today is that of  “Figueroa” that stands before the old Mission. Contrary to legend, it wasn’t named after the popular California Governor of that name. It is named for the local blacksmith named Figueroa who had an adobe on that street in 1850. “Palm Street” was named for the three tall date palms planted at the Mission by the padres. Sadly these tall trees, once landmarks are gone. Perhaps we should plant new ones to replace them?

“Oak Street” was given that name because a large oak tree one  stood on the roadway. It first appears on the maps in 1869.  “California Street  is believed to have been given its name when California became a state in 1850.  It ran from Main Street to the spot on the beaches where boats landed before the construction of the pier in 1872.

“Thompson Street” gets its name from local farmer “Dixie” Thompson who was known for his  dancing horsed that performed in local parades. It was originally called “Meta Street” and used as a horse racing track in Mission Times.  “Poli Street was named for popular landowner and doctor Dr. Manuel Antonio Rodriguez de Poli. He was our first town doctor. He had a large adobe on the place where it turns to connect with the Ventura Avenue.

“Ventura Avenue” was originally called  “Canada Street” before its name was changed by an act of the state Assembly in 1872.  Another odd street name is “Sanjon Street”. It is not named after an unknown Catholic saint, even if it sounds that way. It was a Yankee corruption of its true name–“Zanja” that means a man made ditch or canal. The names of our street tell a unique story of our community.

These striking yellow blossoms adorn Ventura every summer. The Cassia leptophylla (Gold Medallion Tree) is a broad semi-evergreen tree that grows to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide and is drought tolerant. In early to mid-summer, the clusters of 3- to 5-inch wide deep yellow flowers appear. This is the most common and reliable of the Cassias in southern California – it was first planted in the Los Angeles County Arboretum in 1958, and has been an increasingly popular and very reliable and beautiful canopy tree in Ventura County landscapes. The name Cassia is from the ancient Greek ‘Kassia’, a name for the kassian plants that provided senna leaves and pods for medicinal use.

www.venturatreeallaince.com

The Ventura Land Trust is pleased to announce that Melissa Baffa has been selected by the Board of Trustees as its new Executive Director. Her appointment comes at a time of historic expansion for Ventura Land Trust, which in the past year has grown to hold nearly 4,000 acres of land designated for conservation and public access in Ventura County.

Baffa, a biologist, has held a variety of nonprofit management positions throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 2008, including her most recent role as the Development Officer for Foundation and Corporate Relations with the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Her recent experience also includes serving as a Science Communication Fellow for the Ocean Exploration Trust; since 2015 she has participated in three expeditions, exploring the deep sea off the coast of California and near the Galapagos Islands as a part of this appointment. Her work associated with the fellowship resulted in well over a dozen published articles in newspapers and magazines, and public speaking engagements addressing nearly 3,000 people over the past six years.

Baffa also brings a strong background in education, having taught in the classroom for a decade before transitioning to nonprofit work, and working as an instructor with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands since 2017. She has held board and committee positions for a variety of nonprofit organizations, including KidSTREAM Children’s Museum, the Ventura County Leadership Academy, the Ventura County Women’s Political Council, the California League of Park Associations, and the Ventura County Women’s Economic Roundtable. Baffa was a member of the cohort of leaders recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times with a 40 Under 40 award in 2013.

Baffa succeeds Derek Poultney, who has served as Executive Director of Ventura Land Trust since 2016. Baffa’s appointment adds much needed capacity to the Ventura Land Trust organization during a time of incredible growth and allows Poultney to continue his work with Ventura Land Trust as Conservation Director, leading land acquisition and stewardship.

A lifelong resident of Ventura County and an avid lover of the outdoors, Baffa understands that the protection of open spaces now is crucial to the health of our environment, and to the health of lived spaces.

“We live in a region of incredible biodiversity, and in a world of increasing impacts from climate change, pollution, and habitat fragmentation, the properties Ventura Land Trust protects will provide corridors within which nature can thrive. I can think of no greater honor than working to preserve this amazing place we call home for the people and the nature of today and tomorrow,” says Baffa.

“What Ventura Land Trust is doing is so much more than conserving land for nature’s sake. It is preserving nature for our sake as well.”

Board President Mark Watkins believes that Ms. Baffa’s installation as Executive Director positions the organization to become a cutting-edge land conservation organization and provides the capacity needed to continue to add lands and open them to the public. “We are thrilled to welcome Melissa to our team. Her experience and leadership will move Ventura Land Trust forward. We are all fortunate to live and recreate in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Melissa’s leadership for the Ventura Land Trust will help to protect that beauty and provide a healthy environment for current and future generations.”

The mission of Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org.