Community Memorial Healthcare System is proud to welcome two new members to the Board of Trustees, Celina L. Zacarias and Miranda Margetts. Both women bring extensive professional experience in healthcare, business, and the law to the CMHS Board.

Zacarias, of Oxnard, is the Senior Director of Community and Government Relations for California State University Channel Islands. The daughter of migrant farmworkers, Zacarias was born in Mexico and came to the United States when she was three years old. She graduated from UCSB with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish Literature and Hispanic Civilization.

Zacarias has 25 years of business experience having previously worked for GMAC Mortgage, Wells Fargo and the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation in Ventura. Zacarias has been a keynote speaker locally and nationally on topics such as homeownership and real estate fraud. She is active in all the Ventura County Chambers of Commerce and has been honored with numerous local leadership awards. In 2011, Zacarias was one of 40 participants selected from throughout the United States by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to participate in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference which allowed her to engage with top senior leaders at the Pentagon and at military commands throughout the country.

Margetts, of Ojai, works for Montana State University, primarily remotely, as a Public and Environmental Health Research Associate and an online Instructor. She also hold a Research Affiliate appointment with the Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Yale School of Medicine. Margetts earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science earlier this year from Montana State University, where she also previously earned a Master’s degree in Health and Human Development. She further holds a law degree from the Australian National University in Australia.

Previously, Margetts worked for the Australian Digital Health Agency in Sydney, as a lawyer and policy advisor. She briefed the agency’s management team on in-house legal corporate and health privacy and compliance matters, as well as helped to identify and manage medical-legal risks related to the implementation of an electronic health record system. Margetts also engaged with Australian medical care insurers, health care regulators and professional medical colleges’ clinical advisory boards, to manage clinical legal risks. Prior to that, as an attorney and policy advisor for the Rural Doctors Association of Australia, Margetts managed the development of Australia’s National Consensus Framework for Rural Maternity Services to support quality maternity services in rural areas.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, the Centers for Family Health, and various outpatient centers serving communities located within Ventura County, California.

by Richard Senate

The historic Olivas Adobe is now a museum dedicated to telling the story of the Latino pioneers who first established Ventura in the 19th Century. The two-story hacienda was the main house of the Rancho San Miguel, one of the richest in Ventura County. The old adobe home is also one of the most haunted around with stories of ghost ladies, phantom children and a wandering monk.

One tale is found in the pages of my newest book, Ghost Dogs of California; haunting hounds of the Golden West. If the stories are true, a large ghost dog haunts the old house. Years back a ghost hunting team staked out the house seeking evidence of paranormal activity. On member of the team went to the parking lot to retrieve some equipment and passed close to the white picket fence. He heard a heavy chain drag on the wooded porch, then a loud, deep bark, so unexpected he believed that a snarling hound would attack him. But when he looked there was nothing there. Later that night a large black dog was seen in the old dining room of the house! Others have seen and heard the large dog that proves to be a phantom!

Yes, by all accounts dog can be ghosts. Years later in an attempt to communicate with the ghosts of the house, contact was made with the oldest son, Nicholas, who said it was his dog, named “zapateos” (shoes) because it had distinctive white forepaws. The animal was his pet. Maybe that’s why it still haunts the old house. Records say that they always had many dogs here so such a story could well be true. If you visit the Old Adobe on Olivas Park Drive, look for the ghost lady and maybe the phantom hound.

This story and many others California ghostly dogs fill the pages of my new book, Ghost Dogs of California now on Amazon.com ($8.99) Paperback and to download on Kindle (2.99).

The Museum of Ventura County has received a Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections Planning Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will allow the museum to create a collections risk assessment, a fire suppression assessment report, and a disaster response plan for the entire organization. The Museum of Ventura County serves county residents, researchers, scholars, and the public, caring for a vast collection of 180,000 historical artifacts, art works, official documents, and agricultural machinery and implements.

“The Museum of Ventura County is the only museum dedicated to serving the entire Ventura County region and its combined holdings form the largest collection on Ventura County history,” says The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director Elena Brokaw. “Taken as a whole, the various collections tell the story of the region’s social, political, and economic development from the 1850s onward. Given today’s raging wildfires and a global pandemic, it is paramount that we protect the collections of our county and region and this grant will allow us to prepare for calamity and also ensure the continued preservation of at-risk items.”

David Fukutomi is a member of the Museum’s Board of Directors and he will serve as Board Liaison and advisor to the project. Mr. Fukutomi serves as an advisor, subject matter expert, and facilitator to federal, state, and local government agencies and the private sector, specializing in the areas of holistic disaster resilience, recovery, and public policy. Research Library & Archives Director Deya Terrafranca, MLIS, Collections Manager Renee Tallent, Thomas F. R. Clareson of the Lyrasis Company, Mr. Jack Collings of CFP Engineers, Irena Calinescue of Fine Arts Conservation, and Christina Bean of 805 Conservation are also on the team.

“The Museum has the great responsibility to protect our community’s cultural resources and that includes preparing for and mitigating disasters,” says The Smith-Hobson Family Collections Manager Renee Tallent. This grant is vital because it allows us to prioritize how we preserve our collections and it brings in experts to provide a fresh perspective on things our staff sees every day. It balances the health and safety of people and our collection.”

Marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the Museum of Ventura County has launched a new virtual exhibit, Amendment 19: Votes for Women, featuring stories of Ventura County suffragists and the suffrage movement. The Museum received a $5,000 California Humanities for All Grant from California Humanities to create the exhibit that will be shared with all school districts and libraries in the County.

“This exhibit was a blast to create in conjunction with the community,” says Research Library and Archives Director Deya Terrafranca, who curated the exhibit. “Not only were we able to unearth and make available untold stories, we were able to create a platform for the community to talk about why voting is important to them.”

Originally scheduled to be an in-person exhibit that was built to travel to schools, the exhibit was created for virtual viewing. This will enable the Museum to more easily share the exhibit with school districts and teachers across the county.

“Since March, the Museum has been able to quickly move all programming to being entirely virtual and our exhibits are no different,” says Denise Sindelar, Deputy Director of the Museum of Ventura County.

The public is invited to visit the exhibit online to learn more and there is even a place for the community to add additional voting stories. The exhibit is available at: https://venturamuseum.org/virtual-exhibits/amendment-19-votes-for-women/

Let’s Talk Sh!t is a humorous, easy to digest explanation of gastrointestinal disorders, their current treatments, as well as next generation hope for heart disease, obesity, autism, Alzheimer’s, and more. From constipation to cancer, research indicates that our unique microbiomes may be the basis for future advances in health and wellness.

Let’s Talk Sh!t examines the human microbiome—the dynamic world of bacteria, fungus, and viruses that comprises more than 50% of our mortal selves.

Dr. Sabine Hazan and Dr. Thomas Borody, leaders in microbiome research, explore the reason therapies may not be working for many and why fecal transplants may be part of the solution. They also share nutritional tips to avoid illness, improve digestion, and support our own microbiomes.

The book is available at Abednego Book Shoppe in Ventura.

Let’s Talk Sh!t was written by Breeze contributing writer Sheli Ellsworth.

by Jill Forman

Computer access at the libraries is back! Many people count on the libraries for computers for job and benefit applications, email, research and so on. That access has been unavailable for over six months and is now open, with limitations and safety restrictions, of course. You can call any branch of the Ventura libraries to make a reservation and learn what the new times and regulations are. If you have any online time, go to vencolibrary.org; there is a link: Need a computer session? To find out more, click here.

The Friends of the Library had their first outside book sale in eight months on October 24. It took place in the back lower parking lot of Foster Library. Despite, or maybe because of, the different traffic flow and procedures in place due to COVID-19, it went off without difficulty. The Friends had only a week to put it together after getting all the official permits, and did a great job. Thanks to Sandy Greenberg and all the volunteers.

“The strangest year ever,” was the opening statement of the annual meeting by President Mary Olsen.

Due to Friends bylaws, we had to have our Annual Meeting the day after the sale, via Zoom. The organization has accomplished so much, making changes and coming up with innovative ways to sell books and support the libraries. Olsen credits the success to the volunteers, saying she was “impressed at how much our volunteers wanted to continue their activities.”

The first few months of the pandemic, everything shut down for the Friends. We couldn’t get our books or computers out of the libraries, which were closed while they made a plan to keep the public and staff safe. The used book warehouse closed also while the volunteers regrouped. Amazon sales were suspended. Board meetings were cancelled in March and April while we waited to see what would happen.

In June things began to happen. A book sale committee was formed. Warehouse volunteers returned on a staggered schedule with COVID-19 procedures in place approved by the county. The idea of an online bookstore was suggested, with local pickup. The books for Amazon and from the bookstore and Hill Road shelves were retrieved, along with our computers. Volunteers started applying for grants. A letter went out to members asking for financial donations.

Folks in Ventura were cleaning out their closets and their bookshelves. As a result, the warehouse has been busy with donations. The book sale committee, with a lot of help, came up with a date and a safe plan for the outdoor sale since we had so many books. Amazon sales resumed. The online bookstore started in September.

Here are the impressive results: Amazon sales by Teddy Wood average $700 a month. The online store made over $450 its first full month thanks to Leslie Bellmore. Book sale $1000. Federal grant came in for $1000. Members donated $3000. We were able to give the libraries $17,000 this month. Not bad for a strange year…

Question: “If Ventura has a water shortage why is it allowing so many apartments, condos and a hotel to be built?” Tony Jankowski

Answer by Ventura Water

The State of California requires the all cities and counties within the State, including the City of Ventura,  to plan for and to allow construction of new housing.  This is part of a decades long concerted effort by the State to get cities to add housing to support the State economy.  State law specifically does not allow a city to waive its responsibility to plan for housing growth because of water supply challenges. 

In 2016, the City adopted a water neutral development policy known as the Water Rights Dedication and Water Resource Net Zero Policy.  The Net Zero Policy Ordinance requires new development to offset new or increased water demand through one or more compliance options, including dedication of water rights, extraordinary conservation measures, and/or payment of a fee. The fee proceeds go towards paying for future water supply projects, so that existing rate payers do not absorb the entire cost of necessary future water supplies. 

New development must also comply with the latest efficiency requirements in the Building Code, as well as the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.

Additionally, Ventura Water continually assesses water supply and demands through planning efforts including the Annual Comprehensive Water Resources Report and the Urban Water Management Plan. These assessments consider new development projects, anticipated increase in water demand, and impacts to the water supply, to ensure a balanced and stable water future.  The City is also moving forward on two water supply reliability projects – the VenturaWaterPure Project and the State Water Interconnection Project – to ensure a sustainable water supply for existing and future customers.

Have a question? Send to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer.