Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Coverly Professional Services celebrates 10 years in business

Lynnette Coverly has been a consummate volunteer her entire life,

The full-service marketing project management firm achieves 10-year milestone helping local businesses grow with strategic marketing and public relations

Founded in July 2010, Coverly Professional Services (www.coverlypro.com) celebrates 10 years leading small and mid-size businesses in formulating effective marketing and public relations communications strategies. Known for its tagline, “creative ideas implemented daily,” CoverlyPro stands true to its mission of ensuring marketing isn’t just a creative idea but a fully implemented communications roadmap that helps to increase its clients’ bottom line.

“By design, Coverly Professional Services is a project management marketing firm rather than an advertising agency,” said Founder and CEO Lynnette Coverly. “Our strength is helping clients in the service industry reach their customers through a balance of creativity and advanced project management skills.”

With over 30 years of marketing leadership, Coverly’s breadth of experience as a project manager and marketer with a Sociology degree has allowed her to create a company with strengths in brand and marketing communications development, social media strategies and management, media and public relations, SEO copywriting, ghostwriting, campaign layout and design, vendor negotiations, website content management and user experience (UX) direction, and strategic media placement.

CoverlyPro has also recently expanded to provide clients with virtual event solutions. “We were unsure what to do about our annual in-person event,” said client Linda Braunschweiger, CEO of Housing Trust Fund Ventura County. “We could not have dreamt what CoverlyPro designed for us with the completely virtual Everyone Deserves a Home Compassion Campaign, let alone pull it off amidst COVID-19. The amazing CoverlyPro team is the shining light in a time that could have been dark, scary, and without hope. Their dedication and tiring schedule has been seen and valued.” The company is also responsible for Housing Trust Fund VC’s recent rebranding.

The common theme of creating and implementing branding and marketing strategies for the service industry has become a CoverlyPro benchmark. Clients (past and present) represent multiple business sectors including, veterinary and pet-related companies, community non-profits and public agencies, banking, law firms, health and wellness (including health insurance), hospitality and food service, direct mail collectibles, professional services (engineering, donor development, human resources), in-home service companies (HVAC, home cleaning), public transportation, and technology.

Part of the company’s success comes from Coverly Professional Services philosophy of giving back. Lynnette Coverly has been a consummate volunteer her entire life and maintains that spirit in her business. She has been an integral volunteer and/or member of the board for community projects and events including, VEP’s Summerfest, Women Economic Ventures, FOOD Share’s Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat, Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation, Ventura County 4-H youth development program, and National Kidney Foundation. She is currently the Immediate Past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Ventura County and on the Executive Board for NAWBO California.

William Edward Burghardt

W. E. B. Du Bois (Feb. 23, 1868 to August 27, 1963 aged 95) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community.

He was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard. His thesis was “The Suppression of the African Slave-trade to the United States of America.”

Some of what he said:

“We cannot escape the clear fact that what is going to win in this world is reason, if this ever becomes a reasonable world.”

“There can be no perfect democracy curtailed by color, race, or poverty. But with all we accomplish all, even peace.”

“There is in this world no such force as the force of a person determined to rise. The human soul cannot be permanently chained.”

“Nothing in the world is easier in the United States than to accuse a black man of a crime.”

Visit Ventura’s Cheryl Bagby is chosen to lead the Central Coast Tourism Council

Cheryl takes the CCTC helm at a challenging time.

Visit Ventura is proud to announce that our very own Cheryl Bagby has been chosen to serve as President of the Central Coast Tourism Council. The Central Coast Tourism Council (CCTC) is a non-profit organization comprised of hospitality businesses (from Convention and Visitors Bureaus to hotels and attractions) throughout California’s Central Coast. Their task is to promote the (breathtakingly beautiful) Central Coast to the world.

Since Cheryl has a sense of fun, we will too. Winnie the Pooh once said, “Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.” As Visit Ventura’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing of six years, Cheryl has shown that kind of care and love for Ventura. She simply spread that care and love to other Central California towns when she first joined the CCTC five years ago as a member of their Marketing Committee.

Now she will turn that caring and heart — and sense of teamwork — toward promoting the Central Coast as CCTC President.

“In my time with CCTC, our mantra has always been ‘Lets do together, what we can’t do on our own,’” Cheryl said. “It’s precisely that collaboration that has seen us succeed in marketing the Central Coast in the past — and now, more than ever, it will take collaboration to succeed in our recovery efforts. It’s an honor to be elected CCTC President. But more importantly, it’s an honor to be working alongside colleagues and neighbors to build back our communities.”

Cheryl takes the CCTC helm at a challenging time. Tourism has been hard hit by COVID-19. Travel has plummeted, as have travel dollars that once funneled into communities around the world, Ventura included. Travel industry unemployment is double that of the Great Depression; hundreds of thousands of tourism and hospitality workers are now unemployed in California.

But Cheryl has always taken the optimistic tack, one of the characteristics that has seen her excel at Visit Ventura. As soon as COVID-19 hit, Cheryl and her Visit Ventura teammates threw their imaginations into the ring, creating outside-the-box ideas to encourage Venturans to support their own town in the absence of visitors.

“Tourism will be the powerhouse that drives California — and the United States — back to its feet,” said Cheryl. “And until that happens, Visit Ventura will keep working hard to keep our town’s economy and morale afloat.”

It was just this sort of creative (and unrelenting) work ethic — and upbeat attitude — that saw the Central Coast Tourism Council select Cheryl as their President.

“We are so happy to have Cheryl as CCTC President,” said Molly Cano, CCTC board member and past President. “She’s the consummate travel professional, yes, but, more than that, she possesses a happy work ethic and enthusiasm that are contagious. In my time working with Cheryl, I’ve seen what she can do. I know, with Cheryl, anything is possible.”

Marlyss Auster, Visit Ventura’s President & CEO, has watched Cheryl’s (joyful) work ethic for seven years. “Cheryl has been in the Tourism & Hospitality industry for over fifteen years, but when she comes into the office it’s as if she’s bringing her first day energy to our Visit Ventura team,” said Marlyss.

Cheryl will serve as President of the Central Coast Tourism Council for one year.

Vagabond Inn and Best Western Motel have ended their participation as homeless shelters

by Richard Lieberman

The Vagabond and Best Western Hotel recently turned into homeless shelter for the vulnerable homeless population has ended its lease with Ventura County. Citing difficulty with insurance coverage, and a desire by the insurance company to end coverage of the program.

Ventura County Department of Public Health took steps to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus at the beginning of the emergency by securing housing in Ventura, Oxnard and Newbury Park. The county signed leases on two Ventura properties, the Vagabond and the Best Western

The cost of housing 400 homeless individuals is currently at 1.3 million dollars per month. The cost is shared 25% county and state and 75% by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and has been named “operation room key”. Funding for the program was scheduled to end on June 30th, however FEMA extended funding through the end of July. All the motels in the program have opted to terminate their leases even with a funding extension.

A new program administered by the county and backed by federal funds called project “Home Key” will help in securing hotel and motel rooms throughout the county utilizing a voucher program for the homeless being displaced.

The Vagabond and the Best Western are owned by Vista Investments of El Segundo who acquired the properties in 1997. The company will be faced with extensive repairs and refurbishment that will be needed after the program ends.

Tara Carruth, program manager of the Ventura County Continuum said “It was the motels decision to terminate the leases”

“The county is partnering with us to provide a motel voucher program to provide continued placement to high risk individuals,” added Carruth. We are transitioning from full facilities to offering motel vouchers for a select group of individuals that are considered high risk. “one hundred thirty individuals countywide have been offered shelter based on vouchers to those high-risk individuals,” she said. These individuals are the most medically vulnerable.

Voucher funding has been extended and will run throughout the rest of the year. So far seventy-five individuals have returned to the streets and remain unsheltered. “For some of the homeless it was their plan all along to return to the streets because they knew it was temporary and maybe weren’t engaging on a housing plan. Others either were not eligible for or declined every resource that was offered to them, and those are the folks that are still actively searching for housing and have income and just haven’t found a place yet and are working with service providers,” she said.

The motels in question have agreed to accept vouchers instead of leases at least for the time being. The county will pay for the nightly vouchers.

“The hope now is to get those individuals back into shelter through the voucher program. The county also recently started the process of potentially converting one or more motels in the count to permanent supportive housing” added Carruthers.

Social Justice Column

by M. Scott

This is our first Social Justice column. As the consensus continues to grow regarding the stark reality of systemic racism in American life, the Ventura Breeze recognizes the important role played by the press in helping to increase awareness and foster conversation around this very important issue. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has garnered the support of activists from every walk of life. Nationwide, these activists have organized protests and demanded the removal of statues and monuments honoring public figures connected to slavery or crimes against indigenous people. They are highlighting discriminatory hiring practices, calling for the defunding and/or restructuring of police departments and much more. These deeply emotive, controversial issues are forcing many of us to engage in serious reflection and some difficult conversations as we acknowledge a larger systemic issue and shared responsibility to commit to change.

We look forward to your contributions and input about this difficult subject.

Black Lives Matter Movement

BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. The Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

The Black Lives Matter website goes on to say that, “By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”

To learn more, visit www.BlackLivesMatter.com

Social Movement News & Happenings:

Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial, often called “the granddaddy of all Confederate monuments,” is once again at the center of an ongoing debate over a symbol that some see as a shrine of southern American heritage, and others see as a depiction of white supremacy etched into stone. Calls for racial equality have swelled in Georgia following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks.

The carvings of three Confederate leaders Gen. Robert E. Lee, General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis sits 400 feet above the ground, which is larger than a football field. The memorial overlooks an outdoor recreational park and casts a shadow over Stone Mountain, Georgia, a predominantly black city.

Mississippi has made it official: The state’s flag, which bears the familiar cross of the Confederate battle flag, will officially be changed. The state’s Republican governor, Tate Reeves signed the decision into law, solidifying yet another response to ongoing racial reckonings around the country.

Governor Reeves said: “There are people on either side of the flag debate who may never understand the other. We as a family must show empathy. We must understand that all who want change are not attempting to erase history. And all who want the status quo are not meanspirited or hateful.”

Stop Hate for Profit: www.StopHateForProfit.org

‘Stop Hate for Profit is a diverse and growing coalition that wants Facebook to take common-sense steps to address the rampant racism, disinformation and hate on its platform. It includes some of the most prominent civil rights groups and nonprofit organizations in the country including ADL, Color of Change, Common Sense, Free Press, LULAC, Mozilla, NAACP, National Hispanic Media Center, and Sleeping Giants.

More than 1,000 advertisers have joined in a month-long boycott of Facebook. The “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign has signed on big-name advertisers including Unilever (ticker: UL), Starbucks (SBUX), and Coca-Cola (KO).


College Athletics

College athletes in Mississippi and across the country have harnessed their collective power to call for the removal of Confederate monuments, symbols and honorifics and demand their institutions and communities account for racial inequities.

Stars from the University of Mississippi football team in this North Mississippi town have used their platform to push for the removal of Confederate statues on and off campus and marched alongside their coaches, fellow students and residents for social change. Meanwhile, a star running back at Mississippi State University, Kylin Hill, publicly threatened to quit his team if the Confederate battle emblem wasn’t removed from the state flag that had flown in Mississippi since 1894.

The University of Oregon and Oregon State University Departments of Athletics have mutually agreed to no longer refer to Oregon-Oregon State rivalry games as the “Civil War.” This decision is effective immediately and includes all athletic competitions in the 2020-21 academic year and in the years ahead.

The schools made the decision following mutual discussions as well as conversations with university officials and input from current and former student-athletes from both schools.

WEV celebrating 10-years

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Spirit of Entrepreneurship awards by announcing this year’s winners in 10 categories. In addition to the 10 category winners, the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards has also recognized Lynne Tahmisian, President of La Arcada Investment Corporation as the 2020 Rock Star: Life Achievement Award recipient.

The 10 category winners and Tahmisian will be celebrated at a virtual event on Tuesday, July 21 from 4 – 5:30 pm.

WEV is thrilled to celebrate these outstanding entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis when women owned businesses have been hit especially hard by shelter in place COVID-19 related restrictions.

Serra Statue

by Maria Loveday

I recently received my B.A. degree in art history/art studio from CSUCI. My final capstone project was a research paper analyzing the history, controversy, and vandalism of Junipero Serra and his commemorative statues in California with a focus on the bronze Serra statue in front of Ventura City Hall.

Some interesting research findings include :

Seventy-five years after Serra’s death, 19th c. writers and historians constructed Serra’s civic persona with the goal of masking his Catholic identity which made him more acceptable to non-Catholics as the founder of California.

Both the bronze and wood Serra statues are in violation of the 1st Amendment, just as the Serra Cross was in a 2003 case brought against the city which involved issues of separation of church and state which forced the city to sell the property and cross to a local preservation group.

Recontextualization of controversial monuments and memorials through the commission of counter monuments and interpretive plaques reflecting previously oppressed narratives serve educational purposes.

Serra had a medieval mindset derived from the founding of the Franciscan Order in Assisi, Italy in 1209. Corporal punishment for sins was one of the values upheld by Saint Francis of Assisi and Serra took this to heart as he was known by his fellow friars for being particularly drawn to self flagellation to atone for sins of the flesh. Certainly, scantily clad indigenous Californians would have represented sin to such a pious man as Serra. When natives refused to convert to Catholicism they were flogged if not by Serra, then as a result of his orders. These tactics were hardly respectful of indigenous traditional cultures which had not known corporal punishment.

Contemporary California historians provide ample evidence that the mission system which Serra founded in 1769 laid the foundations for the enslavement and genocide of California’s indigenous peoples regardless of whether Serra intended this outcome or not. The decimation of indigenous cultures in California extends from the 1500’s with the first European explorers to Serra’s mission system to Mexican rule to the Gold Rush and California’s statehood to 2020 Serra statue conflicts. These statues embody oppressive ideologies which have caused generational trauma and continue to cause suffering for indigenous peoples.

It is unfortunate that Ventura has yet to remove their prominent Serra statue, a marker defining its citizenry as supporters of indigenous enslavement and genocide. This is an unpopular position to uphold when historically oppressed peoples are calling for justice through peaceful protests worldwide. The most talked about solution is to remove the statue to San Buenaventura Mission where it would not be recontextualized. If this happens an interpretive plaque needs to replace the statue to explain what happened for the benefit of future generations. An alternate solution might be to replace the statue with one that more accurately reflects Ventura citizens in 2020 and add a plaque about what used to be there. If the Serra statue remained in place the City could fund Chumash artists to sculpt counter monuments and author interpretive plaques for educational purposes balancing the current Eurocentric narrative.

The removal and/or recontextualization of oppressive statues does not lead to the erasure of history, but seeks to reveal histories that have been repressed. Restitution for harms done to indigenous peoples during California’s colonization is long overdue. While it is admirable that citizens, the City Council and the Mayor of Ventura are reevaluating the Serra statue for removal, it remains to be seen whether or not this city and its people are ready to face its’ past and move forward or deny its’ past and remain stuck in illusions which uphold repressive colonialist ideologies.

Serra statue not historic landmark

The Ventura Historic Preservation Committee has decided that the bronze statue of Father Junipero Serra standing in front of City Hall is not a historic landmark. Based upon the fact that it is a replacement of the original statue.

Ventura Community Development Director Peter Gilli stated “It’s important to note for the public that a statue of a historic figure at a prominent location does not automatically make the statue a historic landmark. Also, just the fact that an object is important to the community would not automatically make an object historic.”

The committee voted 4-1 against the statue’s historic status with Vice Chairwoman Ann Huston casting the no vote

CC decisions on statue is scheduled for 6pm

The Ventura City Council on Tuesday night delayed their decision on whether to permanently remove two statues of Father Junipero Serra. One is located in city hall and the other across the street. The delay was due to a technical oversight.

The next meeting on the statue is scheduled for 6pm on Wednesday, July 15. The meeting will be virtual. Go to cityofventura.ca.gov for information on how to watch and participate in the discussion.

Ventura High School Celebrates At-Risk Graduates

Graduating students were all smiles.

by Sheli Ellsworth

Before COVID-19, the term “at-risk” was used to identify students that were having difficulty in school and at risk for dropping out. One out of ten California students will drop out of high school before graduating.

“Out of around 2000 students, we had about 60 students who were recognized by a counselor, teacher, parent or coach as having lots of potential but who were either struggling, underperforming academically, economically, socially, or attendance wise,” says Ventura High School Principal Carlos Cohen. Cohen contacted the Police Activities League (PAL) with an idea. He wanted to bridge any gaps students might have faced in their lives by coaching, mentoring and teaching them the skills they need to get ahead. In April 2019, a joint project Levin named “Learning the Ropes” or LTR was launched.

Students who normally would have been suspended for truancy, vaping, pot smoking or classroom violations had the choice of attending semi-monthly lunchtime workshops or suspension. “Freshman students in LTR also have access to a VHS Den Mentor—junior and senior students who have volunteered to mentor freshmen.” Thirty-five students decided to attend the LTR program. Only four students chose suspension.

PAL members Sal Flores, Ben Schuck, Jeanette Sanchez, Frank Benavidez, J.R. Luna, Joseph Hoss, Annette Garcia, and Lorelei Woerner took on the challenge. “About four or five of us went at a time, says Flores.” At first the students were really distracted, some were disrespectful, and some outright rude. Eventually, they started to listen.” Flores says the workshops focus on subjects like: Never Give Up; You Can Achieve Anything; Wealth and Happiness are Two Different Things; Goal Setting—Make a plan; Take 100% Responsibility for Your Actions; You Earn It—You’re Not Entitled to It; and What is the Real Problem?

Flores says that just showing up for the students is key and more than some working parents are able to do. “We care about them, we believe in them, and we make time for them—which is better than some students get at home.” Many Learning the Ropes students are from broken homes and blended families where alcohol and drugs interfere with normal functioning. “Some of the at-risk kids are just financially challenged and don’t know where to go next. We help them navigate their next step whether it be college or a trade school. We look for scholarships and sponsor field trips to postsecondary schools to get them comfortable with the idea of continuing their educations.” One of the most important lessons taught is: No more excuses! Today is the day to make changes.

On June 13, six of the nine LTR seniors graduated from Ventura High School. “Two more are making up credits this summer and will graduate in August,” according to Levin. One of the June graduates is Destiny Sausedo.

Sausedo grew up in a gang-infested neighborhood where shootings were commonplace. She has lived through the death of her brother in a drive-by shooting and the loss of her mother to a drug overdose. Eventually she landed in foster care then a group home. “I found the meetings motivational. I left with a new sense of purpose,” Sausedo says.  She had no idea so many kids were dealing with so many problems. “Some of us needed help and didn’t even know it.” Sausedo advises other at-risk teens to never give up. “I have a saying: God picks the strongest soldiers for the toughest battles.” Sausedo’s next goal is to attend Ventura College and eventually become a therapist so she can help kids like her.

For more information about PAL and Ventura High School’s Learning the Ropes program contact Sal Flores 805.651.8647.