Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Whisenhunt Communications launches new website

Whisenhunt Communications, a Ventura-based marketing and public relations firm, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has launched its new website, www.whizcomm.biz.

Founded in 1990, Whisenhunt Communications specializes in helping businesses, school districts, governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations reach targeted audiences to spread their news and get their messages out. “We value the contributions our clients make to our community and see our mission as one of support for their efforts,” said company owner Stan Whisenhunt.

In addition to general marketing and public relations, Whisenhunt’s expert team of writers, editors, photographers and designers specialize in creating and placing advertising; planning events; developing newsletters and other content; coordinating election campaigns; creating brochures; book publishing; product development; working with local and national media outlets; and writing, publishing and distributing annual reports. “Our efforts have helped our clients expand their businesses, relate better with their customers and win awards,” Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt is a veteran journalist who worked for 24 years at the Ventura Star-Free Press (now the Ventura County Star), the last 17 years as managing editor. All Whisenhunt associates also have extensive experience in print media and graphic design.

For more information, call 805-919-0555, or visit www.whizcomm.biz.

WEV hosting Empowerment is Priceless

WEV Trailblazer Award recipient Brenda Allison of Coast General Insurance Brokers

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is hosting the 15th annual Empowerment is Priceless fundraising event (virtually) on Thursday, October 15th from 9 – 10 a.m. This year’s spotlight is on business owners facing the challenges of COVID-19 and the public is invited to attend the free event by registering online at www.wevonline.org/eip.

“Empowerment is Priceless is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Women’s Small Business Month and the amazing impact women owned businesses have on our communities and our local economy,” said WEV CEO Kathy Odell. “This year more than ever, women and minority business owners need our support to press on through these extraordinarily difficult times.”

At the event each year WEV presents the Trailblazer Award to recognize and honor inspirational businesswomen in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties who have succeeded in challenging gender norms in society through sheer passion, commitment, vision and grit. This year, Brenda Allison, founder of two successful Ventura County insurance agencies and the Chief Executive Officer of Coast General Insurance Brokers, has been selected to receive the Women’s Economic Ventures’ Trailblazer Award.

Trailblazers are active community members and philanthropists whose accomplishments serve as an uplifting example to other women entrepreneurs and Allison definitely meets that criteria. She is a long-standing member of the Rotary Club of Ventura, serves as an executive board member and human resources committee chair for Casa Pacifica, is on the supervisory committee of the Ventura County Credit Union, is the founder and past chairperson of Latinos In Business at the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, and founder of the Cuban Culture Club of Ventura County.

“Women’s Economic Ventures is delighted to recognize Brenda Allison for her inspiring business and community leadership,” said Odell. “She has been a strong advocate for women in business and we invite the community to join us to see Brenda accept her award virtually.”

Major sponsors of the 2020 Empowerment is Priceless event are LinkedIn, American Riviera Bank, Bank of America, Coast General Insurance Brokers, County of Ventura, JP Morgan Chase & Co., La Arcada Courtyard, Montecito Bank & Trust, Pacific Western Bank, and Ventura County Credit Union. All proceeds raised will directly benefit client programs in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties including financial literacy training, Smart Entrepreneurial Training (SET), individual coaching and business advisory services, WEV en Español and WEV’s Loan Program.

VOTE!!!!

It’s Election Season and as always, CAPS Media is actively engaged. Recently, CAPS crews produced a series of Video Voter 2020 information segments with candidates for the Ventura City Council and the Ventura Unified School District Board. Each candidate was given 2 minutes to present a general statement and then asked to respond to three specific questions from CAPS moderators. Candidates for City District 2 are Doug Halter, Dougie Michie and Christie Weir; District 3 candidates are Barbara Brown, Aaron Gaston, William Cornell and Mike Johnson; District 7 candidates are Heather May Ellinger, Nancy Pedersen, Joe Schroeder and Michael James Nolan. VUSD Area 3 candidates are Jackie Moran and Amy Callahan. The Video Voter series airs on Channel 6 and streams on CAPS Media and on social media thoughout the election season. Broadcast times for City Council candidates include Thursday Oct 8th at noon, Friday at 9am, Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 8pm. VUSD Video Voter statements air Thursday the 8th at 7pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 9:30p and Sunday at 6pm. Check the schedule found on capsmedia.org for more dates and times.

The CAPS team is also collaborating with the League of Women Voters in staging and distributing a series of candidate forums and voter information discussions, all of which are airing and streaming on CAPS Media outlets.

CAPS Media board member Kathy Good is producing and hosting a series of voter information programs for her “In The Women’s Room” radio show which airs on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1 at 8am on Mondays and 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Kathy’s in-depth and informative interviews with officials and experts explore a wide range of issues pertaining to Ventura County elections. Elizabeth Rodeno, CAPS Media program director, stated: “Kathy is absolutely awesome. Her interviews are always engaging, personal and informative. Kathy is a treasure for KPPQ and all of Ventura.”

The remarkable and resourceful ECTV students in the El Camino High School media program at CAPS Media, are producing a series of historic interviews exploring the Chicano activist movements of the past with participants who experienced the awareness-raising, cultural events in the Chicano Moratorium of 1970. Due to the COVID-19 realities, the interviews are recorded in a hybrid-zoom format, in English and Spanish, with guests isolated in the CAPS Media studio and students conducting the interviews from their homes. The programs will air on both Channel 15 and on CAPS Radio KPPQ at 104.1 and streaming on the MyTuner app and hosted on the KPPQ Podcast network.

For Ventura County, CAPS crews continue to cover the weekly COVID-19 updates in English and Spanish. The updates can be viewed on the County website at ventura.org and on the county’s social media pages. In addition CAPS Media is producing a series of voter awareness videos to inform the public on the election process. The key message is that Voting By Mail is safe and secure. In fact, Ventura County has been using Vote By Mail for years – and it has always been safe and secure. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year every registered voter in the county is receiving a ballot in the mail. Ballots were mailed on Friday, October 2nd and should be arriving in your mailbox by mid-October. If a voter does not receive a ballot, has questions whether or not they are registered to vote, want to know how to return their ballot or have any other questions, they can find all the answers at VenturaVote.org.

Due to the COVID-19 emergency the CAPS Media Center is closed to Members and the public until further notice. CAPS Member/Producers can submit programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on CAPS public access television Channel 6 and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM.

All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone is Staying Safe and Healthy during this challenging time.

Remember – Please Vote! This is your opportunity to share your views and let your voice be heard.

Dean Drive residents implore City to install speed humps to mitigate speeding traffic

Aaron Gaston candidate for City Council in District 3 joined the gathered residents.

by Richard Lieberman

“We are here to make our street safer,” stated John Coffman. Speaking to a crowd of Dean Drive residents who have been concerned about speeding cars, accidents and what they believe to be unsafe conditions on their street.

The residents are looking for the City to install speed humps on a stretch of Dean Drive to slow down passing vehicles. Speed humps are different than the speed bumps we are all accustomed to. Speed humps are about 4 feet wide and gradually raise to impede speeding vehicles.

“We have speeds on this street that range from 40 to 70 miles per hour,” said Coffman. The City has already installed a stop sign and two radar devices that display the speed of an approaching vehicle. To John and supporters, it is not enough to keep motorists from regularly speeding through the neighborhood. They believe that installing the “humps” is the best response to slow drivers down.

Ventura Police Department statistics show that from 2005 to 2015 there were 770 tickets issued for speeding on Dean Drive. “That represents five percent of all tickets issued in the city,” added Coffman. “That is out of 17,700 tickets issued city wide,” he said. Adding Coffman said, “The length of this road is about three quarters of a mile there is about 700 miles of roads in the city, we are about one tenth of one percent,” he added. “We want them (the police) to write more tickets to get the speed down, but enforcement has stopped,” Coffman said.

From May 1st to June 20, fifty-three days that showed about five thousand vehicles traveling at 36 miles per hour or greater, six hundred vehicles were traveling at 40 miles per hour faster and one going seventy-two miles per hour. The data was compiled by city traffic engineer and collected from the radar signs already installed.

“We had a pretty bad accident about four weeks ago and it was a hit and run driver, guy came through here fast and hit a car,” Coffman said. “The police department won’t enforce it any more they have other priorities,” he added. “It would cost the city about $25,000 to install speed humps,” he added.

Aaron Gaston candidate for City Council in District 3 joined the gathered residents “you all need to contact the city manager we really need to get this fixed.” Gaston said.

Attending residents agree they want to see either enhanced enforcement or speed humps installed. Doing both enhanced enforcement and installing speed humps would curtail speeding on the block and achieve the goal bringing traffic safety to the neighborhood.

Answer in a Breeze

Question: I don’t know what council district that I live in for the coming city council election?
How do I find out?

Randy Flores

Answer:

Randy: You can go to https://map.cityofventura.net/java/ccvd/ (A little complex) and type in your address to find your district.

To be placed on the ballot a candidate must circulate a nomination form provided by the City Clerk, gathering not more than 30, but not less than 20 signatures of registered voters in the City to qualify for placement on the ballot.

This is our existing City Council:

  • Matt LaVere, Mayor – at large
  • Sofia Rubalcava, Deputy Mayor – District 1
  • Lorrie Brown, Councilmember – District 6
  • Jim Friedman, Councilmember – District 5
  • Cheryl Heitmann, Councilmember – at large
  • Erik Nasarenko, Councilmember – District 4
  • Christy Weir, Councilmember – at large

There are 7 members of the Ventura City Council. Each member must be a registered voter in the City. Each member represents the interests of the City as a whole. Starting with the 2018 Election, four (4) Councilmembers were elected by Districts with the remaining three (3) Councilmembers to be elected by Districts in this election.

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

19th Annual Caregivers Sailathon

All Watercraft Welcome!

Pre-register by Oct. 15 for $45 per entry or register at the Caregivers Office at 8:30am on Oct. 18 for $75 per entry

Lap pledges from friends and family are needed for them to support senior services.

Sunday October 18, 2020 12pm-2pm

Off the Ventura Pier in Pierpont Bay

Call (805) 658-8530 or visit vccaregivers.org/events.php for more information.

The Bookmark – About Libraries and Friends

by Jill Forman

Ventura’s libraries are alive and well! Their doors may be closed, but their community access is wide open, with ongoing outreach and services to the citizens of Ventura.

Welcome to the first column of “The Bookmark,” dedicated to informing Breeze readers about the activities and offerings of the libraries and the Friends of the Library.

Nancy Schram, Library Director, has this to say about her staff, “After the closure of the Ventura County Library branches on March 16 due to COVID-19, the library employees immediately went into action and pivoted quickly to find safe ways to continue to provide library services and resources in as many ways possible. I’m so proud of the Ventura County Library team.”

At the beginning of the shutdown, the eLibrary proved to be invaluable. During the month of April, checkouts of eBooks increased 80%. In response, the library system made considerable investment in increasing the eLibrary offerings, which now consist of over 100,000 ebooks.

In May, The Ventura County Library website rolled out a new look under the banner “Your Library at Home” featuring pages of interest to kids, teens, and adults. It is a one­stop­shop for individuals, parents, and teachers looking for librarian-curated lists of online resources for distance learning as well as fun. For those less comfortable with online resources, there are “Video Tutorials” and “Need Help?” Live Chat options.

Librarians began live­streaming and recording Storytimes, including bilingual Storytimes and STEAM themed Storytimes. One of the Storytimes has logged 6,000 views! Storytimes are available at the Ventura County Library Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Ventura­County­Library­68759970694/) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/vencolibraryVideo.)

In June, the library resumed lending out physical materials –with patrons using the online catalog to request items with curbside pickup. During the hours for curbside pickup, you can also speak to a librarian on the phone or chat online through the vencolibrary.org website.

Did you know the library will buy books you want to read? There is a link on the website, “Tell Us What to Buy.” Requests are reviewed; if the book is approved it is sent to your house! After reading it, you take it to your branch to be added to the collections.

Here are a few more of the accomplishments of the Ventura library system during the pandemic:

Enabled over 600 children to participate in Virtual “Summer Reading Program 2020”

Provided school districts with thousands of student “e-Cards” to connect to free library resources and books online

Gave out 3,000 STEAM takeaway kits to children during Summer 2020

Offered free, live online Homework Help and Tutoring in English and Spanish, 7 days per week, 63 hours per week

Provided Universal Free Public Wi-Fi outside all branches, 12 hours per day at each location

Distributed over 600 Grab-and-Go book/snack bags this summer at Avenue Library

Truly a remarkable record of achievement. Schram concludes, “The Ventura County Library continues to provide much needed library services during these challenging times, and we are here for you and your family.  Our libraries have always been needed, but with the pandemic and resulting economic hardship for so many, our libraries are absolutely vital.”

 

Ventura Land Trust announces livestream Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Ventura Land Trust is pleased to present its 9th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour on Friday, October 16th via an exciting new digital livestream format. This signature fundraising event supports Ventura Land Trust’s mission to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations.

One of the largest environmental film festivals in North America, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival uses film to inspire activism. For Ventura Land Trust, the festival fosters a deeper understanding of the connection we share with the planet and our role as stewards to keep it healthy. The festival raises $50,000 each year for the organization’s efforts to offer protected open spaces for free public access, build new trails, and provide hands-on environmental education to thousands of Ventura County students.

This year, guests will be part of the festival from the safety of home and the comfort of their athleisure. Snacks and meals included with ticket levels create a fun food and drink atmosphere. A single household film festival ticket is $35. Household film festival tickets and food packages range from $50 to $125.

Ventura filmmaker Jason Hernandez will be featured in the film line-up with his film The Lower Ventura River. The film depicts Ventura Land Trust Preserve Director Dan Hulst’s work managing the impact of humans on sensitive habitat in Ventura’s lower Ventura River and coastal estuary.

Visit www.venturalandtrust.org for tickets, or purchase tickets directly at https://qudio.com/event/ventura. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Development Director Leslie Velez at [email protected] for more information.

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. Founded in 2003, Ventura Land Trust believes that preserving open space and providing public access enhances the economy, quality of life, and public well-being of Ventura and surrounding communities. The organization currently owns and manages land along the Ventura River and in the Ventura hillsides, including the 2,100-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve, opened in June 2020. Harmon Canyon Preserve is Ventura’s first large-scale nature preserve. All preserves are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk for free. Ventura Land Trust received accreditation by the Land Trust Alliance in 2019. Learn more and become a member at www.venturalandtrust.org.

Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. Connect with them online at www.landtrustalliance.org.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/venturalandtrust Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/venturalandtrust/@venturalandtrust

 

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s Gold Ribbon Campaign raises awareness for pediatric cancer

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation Gold Ribbon Honoree, Susie Perry, helped host a special birthday for the Ortiz Family as their daughter, Ximena, battled cancer.

Just imagine having a child with cancer during this COVID-19 crisis–a pandemic that is leading to job loss and insecurity, financial hardship, mounting health concerns, and an overworked and exhausted health care community.

COVID-19 is creating even greater challenges for local families battling childhood cancer. Many of these families have lost their jobs and are no longer able to buy food and clothing for their families, or pay rent or medical expenses, including critical prescriptions.

During this challenging time, Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF) has been providing even more services for families, including money for rent assistance, grocery gift cards, additional emotional support groups with licensed therapists, virtual and in-person tutoring, meal and care package delivery, and virtual family fun events to keep their kids engaged. Community support has made it possible for TBCF to provide additional financial assistance to 31 local families who have been severely affected by the pandemic.

When Ximena was five, her family noticed she was having difficulties using the bathroom properly. After seeing the doctor a few times and not receiving a diagnosis, the Ortiz family noticed she had a bump on the right side of her stomach. They took Ximena to Ventura County Medical Center to receive a cat-scan, where it was discovered that she had Wilm’s tumor – a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. The doctors told the Ortiz family Ximena would need surgery, as the tumor on her kidney was putting pressure on her veins.

Ximena went into surgery just a few short days later and began to receive small doses of preventative chemotherapy once weekly for six months. This became complicated for the Ortiz family, as the treatment location was two hours away. During this difficult time, TBCF helped support the Ortiz family as Ximena’s mom, Araceli, had resigned from her job to take care of Ximena.

To date, TBCF has helped the Ortiz family through their Direct Financial Assistance fund, which provided Araceli with food, gas and car repairs as she took Ximena to receive treatment. TBCF has also provided support to the Ortiz family with in-person and virtual Family Connection Events, where they bonded with other families going through similar situations.

Ximena’s treatment ended in December 2019, but TBCF has continued to provide support during the pandemic. Additional ways the organization has helped the family are by providing Ximena and her two siblings toys through their Project Christmas program, and by offering continued virtual support and phone check-ins. One of this year’s Gold Ribbon Campaign 2020 Honorees, Susie Perry, helped the Ortiz family by hosting a special birthday party for Ximena when she was sick.

TBCF will be hosting their annual Gold Ribbon Campaign throughout the month of September to raise funds during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the annual in-person Gold Ribbon Luncheon at the Four Seasons Biltmore has been cancelled, which is a major source of funding for the nonprofit. This year, the Campaign is solely focused on raising funds and awareness for the organization and the families they serve.

Through donations and continued support, TBCF can help more families like the Ortiz family.

To participate in TBCF’s Gold Ribbon Campaign for National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, please visit TBCF at: https://bit.ly/32t4YeM