by Ivor Davis

Hollywood’s love affair with Ventura continues unabashed. Always has and probably always will.

Over the years tinsel town movie crews have raced up to our shores to shoot a wide ranging assortment of movies for almost as long as Hollywood has been in business.

The list is endless and city coffers over the years have been fattened thanks to Hollywood location fees. In this article I am sticking strictly to Our Town, although going back to l915—and D.W.Griffiths classic black and white movie, “Birth of A Nation”—The County, particularly Thousand Oaks as well as neighboring communities like Santa Paula and Ojai—it is obvious that our city has always been very high on the movieland location scouts hit list.

So, why the rush to Ventura? Noted the Los Angeles Times in l999: “Besides simple proximity, the reason Ventura County keeps showing up on screen is that its country roads, beaches and main streets can pass for ‘Anytown, USA.’”

So now you know.

Let me name just a handful of films that have alighted in our fair city. In l990 “The Two Jakes” with Jack Nicholson starring and directing took over City Hall—and then moved down the road to the Ojai Valley Inn for a spot of golf. During shooting the loveable Mr. Nicholson took over the largest suite in Ventura—and liked to party. I was told by a Ventura police officer who doubled as security for the film, that the Swat Team often invaded Nicholson’s suite because of noisy parties. I exaggerate, of course. But only slightly.

And then who can forget two other films.

Back in 2000 the movie, “Erin Brockovich,” with the lovely Julia Roberts in the title role, invaded our town for several weeks. Scenes were shot in downtown Main Street cafes—and the director Steven Soderbergh and his crew decided that a house in Ventura would provide the perfect place of residence for the crusading Ms. Brockovich.

And here’s something I learned from reading the original script. There was a notation on the pages that said, “Erin lives in a simple bungalow in a rundown, crappy neighborhood.”

How dare they, I though. Everyone knows there are no such neighborhoods in Our Town! But at least Julia Roberts –despite her accommodation—ended up winning a best actress Oscar for that role!

David Comden, the former publisher of Ventana Magazine and the Reporter, also informed me that Ventura’s City Hall (when it was actually our local jailhouse and courthouse) starred in a little known horror film made by producer- director William Castle called “Homicidal.” And the film crew also used a local home nearby as a murder site! And he even came up with a photo of City Hall as jailhouse!

And who amongst us can ever forget the time that John Travolta and his co-stars—Halle Berry and Australian actor singer Hugh Jackman commandeered Main Street for well over a week on the 2001 film “Swordfish,” which incidentally did not set the box office alight. Local businesses suffered—although they were compensated by the studio.

Still, while in our town, they blew up a building and wrecked a few cars, just in case you missed the fact that Hollywood had taken over our streets!

I’ve only skimmed the surface. But maybe Breeze readers can write in and tell me more about the Hollywood invasion. And what films I have most certainly left out.

Ivor Davis
Author of:
Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-Year Journey into Madness and Murder
The Beatles and Me on Tour
www.IvorDavisBooks.com

Sophia Pelaez is an Ambassador Girl Scout from Troop 60001 in Ventura. A high school senior this year, Sophia has, “personally seen some of her strongest and smartest peers break down and crumble under the stress and pressure that comes from academics, sports, extracurricular activities, and the college application process.” She is also the daughter of a cancer patient and witnessed firsthand the physical and emotional toll that cancer takes on an individual. Intending to address both of these problems, she took to the art of crochet. Sophia began to crochet hats for cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy as a way to provide them comfort, and by teaching her peers to crochet she hopes to provide a means for students to relieve their stress while also giving back to the community.

“These hats will provide warmth to cancer patients whose hair has fallen off during chemotherapy,” Sophia said. “Moreover, these hats are a gesture from the community that they have support and love behind them; essentially, the hats serve to represent a sort of emotional solidarity to cancer patients. To provide high school students with an accessible, healthy coping mechanism, I taught multiple groups of students, ranging in both grade level and location, how to crochet hats. I personally taught these individuals how to crochet over multiple lessons ranging from thirty minutes to two hours.”

To ensure that the skills she taught were retained beyond her lessons, Sophia also created a YouTube video and set of written instructions on crocheting that was made accessible to the students. Some individuals have continued to use the craft past their lessons, including one troop leader who is now using the skill to make baby shoes. In an anonymous feedback survey, one participant said that crocheting, “allowed her to funnel anxieties into something external instead of spiraling.”

“Those I taught learned how to crochet a hat,” Sophia said. “In doing so, they gained a healthy means to cope with anxiety. Moreover, in learning a completely new skill, many of these individuals learned how to become more patient and persevering.” Participants of her project were also able to hear from a speaker who shared the mental health benefits of crocheting and offered her own experience with crochet and anxiety.

For five months, Sophia taught approximately 25 different individuals how to crochet, including high school students of all age levels and troop leaders. Sophia was also able to make 27 hats on her own to contribute. On December 21, 2019, she delivered 52 hats to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Sophia said that when she went to donate the hats with her family and troop advisor, “the nurse even commented on how much these hats would mean to the patients at the hospital, which made the project all the more meaningful.”

For more incredible projects from Girl Scouts in your area, check out 2019-2020 Girl Scout Gold Awards Yearbook! Find more information about the Gold Award and how Girl Scouts are creating positive change in their communities here.

Dorinda Clinton has worked in healthcare field for 18 years, in many nursing roles. She has served on the California Quality Care Collaborative team since 2009, and assisted in the development of patient care standards. During that time, Dorinda received four awards for her accomplishments during various patient care initiatives from the State Collaboration.

“I am honored to join the VDM family,” said Clinton. “I believe strongly in the mission of Vista del Mar to provide high-quality mental health care through compassion and respect. I will do my part to promote the mission and vision of Vista, and I look forward to collaborating with the great team that is here to continue to improve the care of our patients. I am passionate about nursing and helping nurses to reach their full potential while providing the best patient care. The role of the nurse is truly dynamic and I continue to be amazed at the leaps and bounds of the profession. I look forward to getting to know each member of the team and to partnering to provide compassionate care to our patients.”

Most recently, Dorinda served as a Director of Nursing at KPC Healthcare in Anaheim, Calif. She has participated in multiple successful accreditation surveys under her leadership. Director coverage of behavioral health areas including Adult Inpatient Psychiatric, Geriatric Psychiatric, High Acuity Psychiatric, and Outpatient Psychiatric Treatment. She also participated in the Perinatal Mental Initiative through the Perinatal Mental Health (PMH) learning through the Hospital Quality Institute.

She is a licensed Nurse Practitioner in the State of California and participated in patient and provider educational seminars. Other career highlights include Nurse Educator, Nursing Supervisor, Nurse Informaticist, and Nursing Clinical Instructor.

“Dorinda is a highly accomplished nursing leader with vast experience in quality management, service excellence, patient safety and care, staff recruitment and retention, and regulatory affairs,” said Jenifer Nyhuis, CEO. “She brings tremendous value to Vista del Mar and we are thrilled to have her on board. “

Vista del Mar Hospital, which holds The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for Hospital Accreditation, offers inpatient and outpatient programs for both adolescents and adults. The hospital specializes in stabilization and dual diagnosis for patients with mental illness and chemical dependency. In addition, Vista del Mar offers comprehensive outpatient services, including the Adult Partial Hospitalization Program, Adolescent/Adult Intensive Outpatient Program and the Adolescent Vista Day Program (partial hospitalization) to treat adolescence while maintaining academic responsibilities. The hospital also serves the military community with evidence-based therapies for active-duty military, veterans and their families. Vista del Mar Hospital is located in Ventura on 16 acres with ocean views.

Visit Ventura was recently recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times as the “Central Coast Best Place to Work” for the third year running.

The May 22nd announcement by the Pacific Coast Business Times continues an ongoing awards string for Visit Ventura. Along with the three consecutive (2018, 2019, 2020) Pacific Coast Business Times “Best Place to Work” awards, the California Travel Association also presented Visit Ventura with CalTravel’s “Great Workplace Award” for 2019. Visit Ventura has also won Adrian golds, three years running, from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The Adrian award is one of the most prestigious awards in the tourism industry, typically bestowed on tourism giants like Visit California and Hilton Worldwide.

Marlyss Auster, Visit Ventura president and CEO, while grateful for the award, also acknowledged that this year’s award comes at a sobering time. However, she also pointed out that there has never been a more important time for tourism — and an upbeat attitude. Tourism, said Auster, generates close to $300 million in annual visitor spending in Ventura and, equally important, creates roughly 2,600 hometown jobs. Tourism’s dollars help fund a host of local services, from fire and police, to roads and schools.

Tourism, said Auster, will play a vital role in America’s recovery, and Visit Ventura is ready to do their part.

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Join the Museum of Ventura County for a Zoom Conversation with Ivor Davis.

Thursday, June 25th @ 6:30 PM

Renowned journalist Ivor Davis will discuss numerous behind the scene stories around films partially filmed on location in Ventura County.

The first 40 people to RSVP by June 19th to Denise Sindelar at [email protected] will be invited to join Ivor in a fun and enlightening film discussion.

By Richard Senate

Long ago, in Ventura, before the oil wells and traffic, before paved roads and telephones a tradition existed here of the “Golden Triangle,” a triangle formed by the cities of Ventura, Ojai and Santa Paula.

Young people who were serious about their relationship would announce to the friends and family that they would “ride the triangle.” This was seen as a big step in their courting. In that time the two were always kept under observations with chaperons—in this ordeal they would be by themselves, alone. The young man would rent or borrow a buggy and horse, the young maiden would cook and make the food. Tearful mothers would see them off at sunup as they started the long ride. By buggy, on those unpaved roads, it was an all day affair.

It was demanding too, at times, when the road was steep, they had to push the buggy themselves. There were bears and snakes to menace the travelers. On the trip they could talk and settle questions they might have, as well as kiss and smooch at stops along the way. It is said that if they were still speaking to each other when they got back home—they would soon wed. I always wonder how many were still virgins after this symbolic journey.

When they pulled in, exhausted from the trip, they had concocted a story of their travels for friends and family. Most of the time it worked, and the two were married, but several times it didn’t and the couples broke up afterwards. The couples were mostly young, but several middle-aged men and women took this test as well. It forced them to work together, handle problems and see if they were compatible together. Not really a bad test for couples who lived in a very demanding age.

With the county’s public library branches still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Summer Reading Program (SRP2020) is taking place in the virtual environment. Children have the opportunity to read, participate in live streaming programs, win prizes, collect badges, and have fun!

“The benefits of library summer reading programs are clear,” states Ventura County Library Director Nancy Schram. “The amount of time children spend reading outside of school is linked to gains in reading achievement. Children who don’t read over the summer can lose up to 2 months of learning by the time they return to school in the fall. To succeed in school and life, children and teens need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. The public library is part of the solution.”

The online Summer Reading Program schedule. Please follow Ventura County Library on social media to find the links for these events:

June 23 – Magic with Christopher T. Magician – 4pm on Zoom

June 30 – Bilingual Music with Nathalia – 4pm on Facebook Live and YouTube Live (simultaneous)

July 7 – Science Experiments & Stories with ScienceTellers – 4pm on Zoom

July 21 – Bilingual Magic with Zany Zoe – 4pm on Facebook Live

July 31 – Harry Potter “Wizard Academy” by Christopher T. Magician – 4pm on multiple platforms

Dance with Teresa Smith – Date and details to be announced

Ojai Raptor Center – Date and details to be announced

For SRP2020: Register at http://vclreads.readsquared.com/. For every minute read, kids earn one point. After earning 500 points, participants may choose a free book to add to their home libraries. For every 100 points accumulated, participants are automatically entered into the grand prize drawing – up to 10 chances per person. The grand prize drawing is twelve Windows 10 laptops. Winners will be notified by email and must be able to pick up prizes in person at one of the open Ventura County Library branches.

Alongside our youth program we are also holding an Adult Summer Reading Challenge. Register at the same place: http://vclreads.readsquared.com/.

Participants age 18 and older log the titles of books they read throughout the summer, and each entry is a chance to win a prize. Enter titles when the book is finished, be they traditional books, audiobooks, or ebooks. Adults may log up to 100 titles throughout the duration of the challenge.

These events are free and open to the public. Find Ventura County Library on social media at:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ventura-County-Library-68759970694/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vencolibrary/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/vencolibraryvideo
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vencolibrary

Ventura County Library would like to thank the Ventura County Library Foundation, Ventura Friends of the Library, Ojai Valley Library Friends & Foundation, and the Friends of the Port Hueneme Library for their continued support.

For additional information, contact Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director at (805) 256-8535.

Made possible by the California Humanities for All Grant from California Humanities, MVC is looking to the community for memories, artifacts, and photographs to create this exhibit.

Marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the Museum of Ventura County has begun developing a new exhibit, The 19th: Votes for Women, featuring stories of Ventura County suffragists and the suffrage movement. The Museum has received a $5,000 California Humanities for All Grant from California Humanities to create the exhibit and will design the exhibit to travel to schools and other community spaces. The exhibit will feature a history of the suffrage movement in the United States and how the movement developed locally. The museum is currently issuing a “Call for Submissions” for items from the public to be included in the exhibit.

“Exhibits that are rooted in our community, that include community submitted items, are deeper and richer than any we could create with our collections alone,” says Research Library and Archives Director Deya Terrafranca. “We’re asking for recollections as well as photographs and photos of artifacts or posters. What is your first or most vivid memory of voting? Why do you vote? Do you think voting is important? We hope you’ll share your stories, thoughts, “I voted” stickers, or family voting recollections with the museum.”

The public can submit their photographs or stories between now and Wednesday July 15th through the Museum’s online Suffrage Movement Material Collecting form or by emailing [email protected].

The exhibit is being created in conjunction with Vision 2020 Ventura County, a local group of the national Vision 2020, a national coalition of organizations and individuals working to achieve economic, political and social equality for women. Vision 2020 is a nonpartisan convener, catalyst and rallying point for both women and men who are committed to gender equality. A local chapter of Vision 2020 is organizing events throughout Ventura County during 2020. More information can be found on their Facebook page.

The exhibit will be made possible by California Humanities and their Humanities for All Quick Grant program. Humanities for All is a grant program that supports locally-initiated public humanities projects. This program responds to the needs and interests of Californians, encourages greater public participation in humanities programming, particularly by new and/or underserved audiences. It aims to promote understanding and empathy among all our state’s peoples in order to cultivate a thriving democracy.

The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The Museum has two locations. The main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 and is open Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 805-653-0323. The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, CA 93060 and is open Wednesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 805-525-3100. For more information,visit venturamuseum.org .