Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Bringing laughs to the Ventura County Fairgrounds

All summer long, CBF Productions have brought stellar musical (and more) entertainment to the seaside Ventura County Fairgrounds, where audiences watch comfortably (and safely) from their parked cars. Since June, the Concerts in Your Car calendar has ranged from stellar live concerts to drive-in movies to the circus and back again, and now comedy is on the docket as well. This August, veterans of comedy David Spade and Rob Schneider will be teaming up to ring in September the best way possible – with lots of laughs.

David Spade and Rob Schneider are no strangers to the spotlight – dating back to their Saturday Night Live roots, the two longtime comedy staples have both enjoyed fruitful careers as actors and comedians, with their paths often crossing along the way. Most recently, however, Spade debuted his new late-night series, “Lights Out with David Spade” on Comedy Central, and Schneider launched his new podcast “See What Happens”, available on streaming platforms. The duo will be performing on Friday, August 28th at the scenic Ventura County Fairgrounds. The show will begin at 8:00 PM, with the first cars allowed in at 6:30.

“Even with social distancing, we wanted to give people a way to get out, celebrate and have some fun!” said Vincenzo Giammanco, owner of CBF Productions.

Each event will offer room for 700 cars per show and are designed to comply with all official restrictions. The combination of an extra high, theatre-in-the-round and five oversized screens will ensure that every seat is the best seat in the house. Sound will be distributed via FM radio. Tickets are sold in advance and online only and are priced starting at $99 per car. Each ticket is valid for one car, and the number of passengers must not exceed the number of safety belts/seats in the vehicle. For safety reasons, sound at the show is only transmitted through FM radio to discourage audience members from leaving their vehicles.

While no food is available for purchase at the concert, attendees will be provided with a comprehensive list of downtown Ventura restaurants that feature curbside pickup.

The comedy show is just one facet of the ongoing schedule with CBF Productions. Other evenings presented at the fairgrounds include both live and recorded concerts, movie nights, and other themes to keep greater L.A.’s concertgoers and families safely entertained this year.

Give the gift of diverse books

In talking with educators, parents and students, Ventura Education Partnership (VEP) realized there is a need for new, diverse books for VUSD students. With your support, we are bringing beautiful books to VUSD. Diverse books give students the opportunity to build empathy, learn about others, find themselves and so much more.

“We are very excited to be offering a new mini grant program that will enable VUSD staff of Preschool-12th graders to purchase classroom books that celebrate diversity, social justice and inclusion. Grants will be awarded based on a competitive, simple application process,” said Kathy Asher, VEP’s Co-VP of Grants. Debbie Golden, also Co-VP of Grants believes the Diverse Books for Kids project “contributes toward transformative change, that it inspires students to think critically about how we engage with cultural differences and promote social justice.”

With donations from early supporters totaling $7,500, a matching gift of up to $5,000 from Dr. Andrei Bobrow and Sabrena Rodriguez and many gifts from the community, Diverse Books for Kids has raised $17,660 of the $25,000 goal. “We are so proud to help support meaningful, necessary conversations around important social issues through age-appropriate literature. What we read, see and hear shapes our beliefs and values — and we hope to move the needle on culturally and socially responsible dialogue in our schools and community,” said Dr. Andrei Bobrow and Sabrena Rodriguez

Shannon Fredericks, parent, teacher and Diverse Books supporter invites the community to lend their support. “If you feel like giving educators a hug but you can’t because COVID—let your money do the hugging. Trust me, teachers will feel loved and appreciated by receiving a mini grant that you helped sponsor and you will be for helping teachers bring diverse literature and voices to their students.”

To support the project, donations may be made through VEP’s Facebook Page or website venturaeducationpartnership.org/Diverse-Books or contact Madhu Bajaj (805) 754-9861.

Laura Lizaola Barroso selected as Vice Chancellor of Human Resources

Laura has more than 28 years of experience within higher education and public agency.

Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) Chancellor Greg Gillespie has announced the appointment of Laura Lizaola Barroso as Vice Chancellor of Human Resources. Barroso has more than 28 years of experience in California within higher education and public agency. Since joining VCCCD in 2018, she has served as the Director of Human Resources Operations and as Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources.

In her new role, Barroso will provide collaborative senior administrative leadership across all functional areas within the District Office and Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges. She will have direct oversight of District recruitment, human resources operations, benefits, employee professional development and labor negotiations.

Prior to her tenure with VCCCD, Barroso held the position of Human Resources Manager with the County of Ventura from 2013-2018; and Personnel Services and Training Manager; Career Services Supervisor; and Career Services Specialist from 1992–2013. Barroso, who earned an associate degree from Oxnard College, earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Northridge and master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University in Santa Barbara. She also holds a Society of Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional credential and an International Public Management Association for Human Resources Senior Certified Professional credential.

“I am pleased that Laura Barroso has accepted the position of Vice Chancellor of Human Resources for the Ventura County Community College District,” said Chancellor Gillespie. “In addition to her professional qualifications and credentials, she demonstrates a personal commitment to developing strategic relationships and effecting collaboration with internal and external business partners and colleagues. She will be a strong leader in support of the District’s mission in serving students and supporting the District and its employees.”

“I am so pleased that Ms. Barroso, an Oxnard College graduate and resident of Oxnard, will lead the organization’s human resources department. She serves as a role model and demonstrates a keen ability in providing dynamic leadership as the District continues to prepare for uncertain times ahead,” said Board of Trustees Chair Bernardo M. Perez.

Barroso is a lifelong resident of Ventura County. She believes the organization’s greatest assets are the dedicated faculty and classified professionals. By building strong relationships and developing a culture where collaboration and mutual respect are fostered and continuous improvement is embraced, the District will better serve employees, students and the community.

“I look forward to continuing my work with the Ventura County Community College District and working with our stakeholders to navigate through the challenges ahead with compassion, mutual respect and a shared vision to serve students, employees and our community,” Barroso said.

Celebrating 100 years of the League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters continues its mission of civic engagement.

by Betsy Patterson, President, League of Women Voters of Ventura County

The League of Women Voters is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having been founded after the passage of the 19th amendment to the US Constitution, granting women their right to vote. Tennessee was the last state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920 due to the tie-breaking vote of one Harry T. Burn, acting on the advice of his mother. It was officially adopted on August 26, 1920, and the work of the League of Women Voters began in educating voters about the process of voting and about the candidates and issues.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our celebration will not be all that we intended. However, we must take time to recognize the historic significance of these women who pushed for their right to vote, even during their own 1918 influenza pandemic.

We have seen many changes over the past 100 years. Few women had access to higher education; now over 50% of college graduates are women. When women married, they took their husband’s name; but they lost their right to own property, manage business, and could not have their own bank account or, later, a credit card without the signature of their husbands. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in 1974.

During wartime, women ran the farms, worked in industry and continued to manage the household and raise the children. Post-World War II, many women were expected to return to their previous roles of home-maker and mother and not work outside the home. It took a 2nd wave of feminism to break down some of these social barriers.

Women entered politics. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to serve in Congress, elected in 1917 from Montana, serving only one term. Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first female governor, serving from 1925-1927 in Wyoming. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and served until 1983. Today women currently hold 25% of the Senate seats and 23% of the House of Representative seats. Women make up 50.9% of the US population, as of 2019.

Locally, Susan K. Lacey and Maggie Erickson Kildee were the first women elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, both in 1980. Today the Board of Supervisors and all ten city councils in Ventura County have one or more elected women serving.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan and non-profit organization with over 500,000 members and supporters today, including men since 1974. Our local League began in 1960 with 22 members under the leadership of Mrs. John (Carol) Quinn. Today we have 125 members. Our members come from a wide array of fields, including education, environmental studies, corporate and small business, law, agriculture, arts, medicine, science, and politics.

So, as we celebrate our 100 years, the League of Women Voters continues its mission of civic engagement, encouraging voters to become informed about the candidates and issues and to vote. In the coming months we will be helping the VC Elections Office (venturavote.org) to educate voters and answer questions about the upcoming November election.

Check our website: http://www.lwvventuracounty.org and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LWVVenturaCo/ ,Twitter https://twitter.com/LwvVentura and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lwvofventura/

Etiquette on the Waves–Preserving the Vibe

Leaving plenty of room on a wave at C Street in Ventura.

by Amy Brown

Years ago in the Bay Area I remember just learning to surf, paddling back out to the lineup with an ice cream headache and what little strength I had left after yet another humiliating wipeout, when a surfer rode a wave straight towards me. I didn’t know what to do to get out of the way, so I froze. I had a vague plan that combined hoping that the oncoming surfer would steer around me, with some ambiguous idea that if I remained motionless, maybe they wouldn’t be able to see me being so stupid, like in Jurassic Park. I was wrong. It is the responsibility of the paddler to get out of the way, and in doing so, avoid going right in front of someone riding towards you—you go behind them, or speed up and get out of the way to avoid being run over.

Surfing is an incredible way to experience the ocean—gliding down the face of a wave, feeling the combined peace and power of the ocean propelling you—it’s no wonder that surfers have a reputation for being laid back. However, the fastest way to see just the opposite from the lineup is to paddle out without knowing and following surfing etiquette. This code of conduct is for everyone’s safety and enjoyment, and if you are out there without adhering to it, you are in danger of hurting someone, or at the very least drawing the ire of the entire group.

All surfers started out as beginners, so there is some tolerance for the learning curve, but it is the beginner’s responsibility to learn the basic tenets and avoid being a kook—a pejorative term for someone who is either disrespectful or seriously (and often dangerously) ignorant. So whether that’s waxing the underside of your board or having fins the wrong direction, or—infinitely worse—taking off on waves that aren’t yours, learn how to avoid this label and you’ll have a better time, and so will everyone else. Check out Kook of The Day on Instagram for some cautionary tales. Thankfully Instagram didn’t yet exist while I was trying to teach myself to surf, otherwise I could have been featured on that site with shocking regularity.

Right of way and wave priority are the touchstones of surfing etiquette rules. The surfer with the closest proximity to the wave peak has the right of way. If they pass on the wave, or miss it, the right of way goes to the next in line. And speaking of priority—don’t snake, or cut the lineup by paddling around someone waiting to position yourself in a priority position. And for the love of all things holy, don’t drop in—if someone has the right of way or is already riding a wave, do not take off in front of them. This is incredibly dangerous and incredibly rude.

Another safety mandate: don’t ditch your board. You risk cutting off a surfer riding towards you, or hitting others paddling out and causing injuries. You are responsible for having your board under your control. Now, this doesn’t mean if you catch a wave and wipeout that you have to grab your board midair—ditching refers primarily to abandoning it when paddling. So, if you see a giant wave breaking as you’re sitting on your board or paddling—resist the urge to ditch your board and dive down to escape the impact zone—grab the rails as tight as you can and roll over (turtle) or duck dive if you are using a shortboard.

Acknowledging a mistake will go a long way towards restoring the vibe after you make the wrong call, and if you’re new, that’s bound to happen. Take a lesson, there’s plenty of local pros to help you learn. And don’t forget to respect others, and respect the ocean and beach that provides all this amazing surfing—and leave it cleaner than when you arrived.

New ways to visit Channel Islands National Park

Take a virtual visit.

Channel Islands National Park has developed a new digital app to enhance the visitor experience in the park that can also be used to take a virtual visit. The new mobile app is free and available at the App Store or on Google Play.

Features in the app include exploring the islands through stories, sites, self-guided tours, and interactive maps, or finding favorite places, trails, and topics of interest. Visitors can use the app to create a collage of the images from your visit or to track a calendar of current conditions, events, or ranger programs. The app is fully accessible with audio description and alternative text for images. To learn more go to NPS Channel Islands App.

Visitors to Santa Rosa Island will discover a new coastal trail on the marine terrace that boasts stunning views of Carrington and Skunk Points, Water Canyon Beach, and the Torrey pine forest. This short route from the pier to the campground provides a welcome glimpse of the magnificent marine and terrestrial resources visitors will encounter during their stay.

Island Packers, the park’s boat transportation concessioner, has expanded options for day and overnight trips to each of the islands. Popular trips this summer include non-landing whale watch excursions in search of blue and humpback whales and multi-island same day landings at both Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island. Marine wildlife sightings this past week included 14 blue whales, several humpback whales, and thousands of common dolphins.

Kayak concessioner Santa Barbara Adventure Company is providing kayak tours out of Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. They will resume snorkel and kayak tours at Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island when the new pier construction is completed in the fall.

The National Park Service has more than 20,000 National Park Service employees who care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote

Vision 2020 has an inspiring vision for the nation’s future.

August 26, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution acknowledging women’s right to vote. Vision 2020 Ventura County invites community members to celebrate, participate and learn about the centennial at a family-friendly, non-partisan virtual event on National Women’s Equality Day, August 26 from 4pm to 6pm. The free event will include performances by the passion players, presentations, videos and the Museum of Ventura County’s virtual tour of its new curated exhibit “The 19th: Votes for Women”. For event details and to register, visit www.facebook.com/Vision2020VC

Vision 2020 Ventura County is affiliated with Vision 2020, a non-partisan National Women’s Equality Initiative headquartered at Drexel University’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership in Philadelphia. Dawn Dyer, Chair of the Vision 2020 Ventura County committee also serves as a California Delegate for Vision 2020 National.

Dyer explains why she helped organize Vision 2020 Ventura County, “I felt it was particularly important to empower young women to claim their seat at the table. By honoring the sacrifices of the suffragists, we can help shape the future for the next generations of women. I encourage all women not to take their rights for granted. Use Your Voice! Use Your Vote!”

Toast to Tenacity endeavors to engage and inform attendees of all ages about the history of women’s rights and the importance of being actively engaged in our democracy. Though the 19th Amendment did not discriminate in its language, many women of color were denied the right to vote and continued to fight until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. Register online here to attend the virtual event.

Vision 2020 has an inspiring vision for the nation’s future, based on four pillars of action: Shared Leadership among women and men; Economic Parity for women by closing the gender gap in pay and retirement income; Youth Education that inspires girls to identify as leaders; and Civic Engagement, encouraging women to run for office and to vote in record numbers.

Toast to Tenacity is made possible through the support of host sponsor California State University Channel Islands, and collaborators including the AAUW, League of Women Voters of Ventura County, Museum of Ventura County, NAWBO VC, Ventura County Professional Women’s Network, Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) as well as local educators, and individuals.

Vision 2020 Ventura County is affiliated with Vision 2020, a non-partisan National Women’s Equality Initiative headquartered at Drexel University’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership in Philadelphia — working together to achieve economic, political and social equality for all women. Vision 2020 Ventura County is operating as an independent entity under the fiscal sponsorship of the League of Women Voters of Ventura County, a 501(3)(c) organization.

Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV provides training, consulting and loans to help entrepreneurs start, grow and thrive in business. WEV serves Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV targets its services toward women, it helps men as well. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and consulting to more than 17,500 women and men throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made over $5 million in business loans, and helped more than 4,500 local businesses start or expand. WEV-supported businesses have created nearly 9,000 jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

24 new badges prepare girl scouts to be ambitious and decisive leaders

Badges are designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in new fields.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) have announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship, and civics, many of which remain male-dominated. In a year of unprecedented global change, our country’s need for strong, broad-minded, and decisive leadership has never been greater. Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future.

Steady leadership is essential during a crisis such as COVID-19, from fostering trust and

showing compassion, to managing challenges with agility, to evaluating outcomes of decisions. The Girl Scout program is proven to develop strong and effective leaders—among many positive outcomes, Girl Scouts are much likelier than non-Girl Scouts to take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%), which is a critical aspect of leadership.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that we have strong leaders who can make informed decisions that make the world a better, safer place,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “During our current health crisis, the world leaders who have been among the most decisive and effective in addressing the pandemic have been women. With these new badge experiences in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the critically important subject of civics, Girl Scouts is continuing to build the transformational female leaders of today and the future and showing girls the power they have to truly change the world.”

Girl Scouts has made free self-guided activities from select new and existing programming

available digitally to the public through Girl Scouts at Home™, keeping families engaged and connected to their communities. Girls can further engage with the badges and topics through online videos, activities, or special live virtual events. Members can access a suite of Girl

Scouts’ programming digitally through the Volunteer Toolkit, including troop meeting plans and other resources to help girls earn badges and awards. Girls currently waiting to be placed in a troop can join a Virtual Friendship Troop, where they will make new friends and participate in Girl Scout activities from the comfort of their home. Find a variety of additional activities hosted by Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast, including at-home programs and live virtual events, by visiting our At-Home Programs page.

In addition, beginning this summer, all councils will also have the opportunity to host their own Girl Scout Cyber Challenge sponsored by Raytheon Technologies, enabling middle and high school girls to learn crucial cybersecurity skills as they compete in challenges such as running traceroutes and identifying phishing schemes. The Cyber Challenge prepares girls to pursue careers in computer science and cybersecurity.

To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.

CAPS Media collaborates with county on community forum

CAPS crews facilitated an informative countywide community forum

The CAPS Media crews are staying very busy and socially distanced during the current COVID-19 crisis producing educational and information videos for the City and County. As one example, CAPS crews facilitated an informative countywide community forum with government, law enforcement and agency officials with the topic “The intersection of race and law enforcement in our community.”

Days before the event, CAPS crews collaborated side-by-side with county staff to set up the logistics for the elaborate livestreamed, zoom meeting. The night of the meeting, CAPS covered the event with a four camera set-up, and documented the online forum which was livestreamed via social media on the County’s Facebook and Spanish pages.

The socially-distanced discussion took place in a conference room at the county government center for online viewers and included questions and comments from the “virtual” audience. The engaging and extremely topical and vital roundtable discussion was open to all members of the public who were invited to submit questions to the panelists that included Bill Ayub, Ventura County Sheriff; Claudia Bautista, Assistant Ventura County Public Defender; Regina Hatcher-Crawford, President, Ventura County NAACP; Sevet Johnson, Director, Ventura County Behavioral Health; Marcus Mitchell, Director, Ventura County Department of Child Support Services; Mike Powers, Ventura County Executive Officer; Greg Totten, Ventura County District Attorney; and Roslynn Wilfert, Representative, Black Lawyers of Ventura County. The forum was moderated by Monique Nowlin, County of Ventura Diversity and Inclusion Task Force representative and Deputy Director of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging.

The community wide forum on race and law enforcement was the final production of the day for the tireless CAPS Media crews that started with an early morning production in the CAPS Media studio with Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere and Heather Sumagaysay, the City’s Public Information Officer (PIO), then the production day continued with CAPS crews covering the midday weekly COVID-19 County update staged at the Foodshare Center in Oxnard with numerous county officials including coverage, documentation and live streaming of the press conferences by the County, and editing including Spanish language translations of the messages found at vcemergency.com.

The day continued with production returning to the CAPS studio for a special message by city councilmember Erik Nasarenko, while at the same time, the CAPS staff covered back-to-back meetings of the Historic Preservation and Design Review committees at City Hall.

The one day activity was only a segment of production activity for the week that included a morning studio recording with Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen, evening coverage of the Ventura city council meeting on Monday night, and on Tuesday, a full day of production with colorful and engaging docents acting out historic reenactments, in period wardrobe, at the Olivas Adobe. Plus, hours of post-production editing by the CAPS crews.

All the City and County informational videos are distributed on multiple platforms including City and County websites, CAPS Media outlets; television, streaming, radio, and social media. Rest assured; CAPS Crew members are taking every precaution to stay safe during these productions.

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.

Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation welcomes two new board members

The Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation is proud to announce two new members elected to the Board of Directors in 2020.

Roy Schneider, of Schneider & Associates, LLP, was elected to serve on the Board of Directors in January 2020 and will share his expertise in estate planning, intellectual property, and real estate, family and non-profit law.

Michael Farrell, of Decker, Farrell & McCoy, LLP, was elected to serve on the Board of Directors in June 2020. Farrell is a local CPA in Camarillo and lives in Oxnard with his family.

The Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation, chaired by Foundation President Lydia Hopps, is a charitable, nonprofit organization that helps elevate the quality of healthcare in the community by supporting and fundraising for Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) to offer state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, industry-leading programs and equipment, and comprehensive, accessible health services.

The Foundation is led by a member-elected Board of Directors that includes dedicated, hardworking people from throughout the Ventura County area. The board members volunteer their time because they are passionate about supporting healthcare in the community, and they receive no compensation for their services. Each member contributes a unique blend of knowledge, skills and resources, and together their diverse capabilities and strengths position the Board to achieve its goals now, and in the future.

The CMH Foundation looks forward to working with both Schneider and Farrell and congratulates them on their election to the Board.

To support the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation and its efforts to aid Community Memorial Hospital during this health crisis, please visit www.cmhfventura.org/donate/.

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