The Ventura Port District will hold a Goal Setting Workshop at the Marriott Ventura Beach Salon III on September 14 from 1-5PM. Open to the public, the workshop will focus on the District’s development of its two-to-five-year goals, which includes improving communications between the Board, staff and stakeholders. The full agenda will be posted on the District’s website by Saturday, September 7th

To learn more, visit https://venturaharbor.com (and click on Port District Business).

Museum of Ventura County Library & Archives collection.
A controversial preacher took over
by Andy Ludlum, Museum of Ventura County Volunteer

In October 1883, one of the most controversial Ventura newspaper publishers bought the Free Press. Dr. Stephen DeMoss Bowers was a Methodist preacher and self-taught archaeological collector who also pursued a career as a newspaper publisher.

While preaching in Santa Barbara in 1875, Bowers had been the first to excavate burial grounds on both San Nicolas and Santa Rosa islands, stripping sites and selling artifacts and skulls. He also collected heavily on Anacapa, San Miguel, and Santa Cruz islands. Historians and archaeologists generally regard Bowers as a pothunter who destroyed as many artifacts as he preserved and rendered the sites scientifically useless. Bowers sent artifacts to collectors all over the country. The Smithsonian Institution, which financed Bower’s work, credits 2,200 to 2,500 of its Native American relics to his excavations.

Bowers ran the paper until 1887 when he moved to Los Angeles. He returned in 1889 to take over the Free Press, consolidating it with the Vidette which Frank Smith had begun publishing the year before. Bowers later founded his own paper in 1891, the crusading Ventura Observer.

Read more Ventura County History in the Museum of Ventura County Blog at www.venturamuseum.org/research-library-blog

Rubicon Theatre Company presents an encore run of I Dig Rock And Roll Music

with an all new group of singer/songwriters September 11 through September 29 at Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District.

A sequel to Lonesome Traveler, which premiered at Rubicon in 2013 and transferred Off-Broadway, earning Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations, I Dig Rock and Roll Music is a celebration of folk-rock then and now. Described as a theatrical concert, the evening features songs of passion and protest from 1965 through the 1970s made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary; The Mamas and the Papas; Carole King; Joni Mitchell; Carly Simon; The Fifth Dimension; The Association; Otis Redding; Cat Stevens; The Youngbloods;The Beatles; The Eagles; and many others. I Dig Rock and Roll Music also includes original songs inspired by the era written by Noel Paul Stookey (Paul of Peter, Paul and Mary), and several of the performers.

The event was conceived by Ovation winner and Rubicon co-founder James O’Neil, Lifetime Grammy Award-winner George Grove, and LADCC-winner/Tony nominee Dan Wheetman. Musical direction is by Scott Anthony, with arrangements by George Grove and the performers.

I Dig Rock and Roll Music features six performers, most are singer/songwriters and multi-instrumentalists: Musical Director Scott Anthony, Yvette Cason (9/11-9/19), Harley Jay, Beau Moore, Charlotte Morris, Lillias White (9/20-9/29) and Charlotte Morris, with Emiliano Almeida on drums.

The trustees of the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation recently awarded a total of $580,000 in grants to 14 local non-profit organizations providing services to youth and adolescents. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $75,000, and were allocated to fund children’s services in the coming year, including:

● Health education; nutrition counseling; physical fitness activities; drug and alcohol prevention programs; and leadership and community service opportunities by the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura

● Training in healthy parent-child relationships, trauma resolution, parent coaching, child development, and stable housing for homeless women and children by Step Up Ventura, Inc.

Grants are awarded in the spring and fall of each year. The deadline for letters of interest for spring 2020 grants is September 20, 2019. For more information about the Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation, including instructions on how to apply for a grant, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.samuelssonfoundation.org.

The Harriet H. Samuelsson Foundation was established in 2005 upon the death of Harriet H. Samuelsson, an Oxnard philanthropist, at age 96.  The Foundation awards over $1 million in grants each year to organizations providing services for the health, education, guidance, or welfare of children under the age of 18 residing in Ventura County, or to organizations conducting cancer research.

On August 24, 2019, Channel Islands National Park seabird biologists confirmed the first record of a brown booby chick from an active nest on Sutil Rock off Santa Barbara Island.

This successful nest signifies a northward expansion of their known breeding range in the Gulf of California and along the Pacific coast of Mexico. The closest current breeding colony is located on the Coronado Islands off Northern Baja California, Mexico.

Brown boobies, once considered a rare visitor to the Channel Islands, were observed only 16 times in the 30 years between 1984 and 2014.  They were first seen roosting in small numbers on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands in 2013. There was a dramatic rise in their numbers in 2015 with over 170 individuals observed at Santa Barbara Island. Since that time, they have been seen consistently on both islands with fewer sightings occurring on Anacapa Island.

“Seabirds rely upon the rich marine resources and the isolation of these offshore islands to provide food and undisturbed nesting grounds safe from predators,” said Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Ethan McKinley. “With this successful brown booby nest, there are now 14 breeding seabirds that rely upon this vital habitat.”

Brown boobies, generally considered a tropical or subtropical bird, appear to have been extending their range northward since the 1990s when they first migrated to the Coronado Islands of Baja California from the Gulf of California and Pacific coast of Mexico. This expansion of their range coincides with shifts in oceanic conditions with warmer waters and changes in prey availability.

An impressive seabird species, brown boobies are known for making spectacular plunge dives from heights of up to 50 feet to feed on surface fish. They nest on islands, lay their eggs on the bare ground, and make nests with sticks, rocks, bones, and vegetation to protect them. They winter far out to sea.

Worldwide, brown booby populations have declined due to habitat degradation on islands where introduced predators have reduced their nesting success.

CAPS Media continues to expand the collaborative creative partnership with the City of Ventura by producing a series of informational and educational videos. The comprehensive outreach program is being developed and directed by the City Manager’s office and includes a wide variety of stories and subjects with information and insight into the expansive services provided by the City. The department updates are in addition to CAPS Media’s ongoing live broadcasts of City Council meetings and select City community meetings that air on Channel 15 and streaming on capsmedia.org.

The new school year brings a new crew of enthusiastic El Camino High School students to CAPS Media for the award-winning ECTV media education internship program. The program is designed for students who attend both El Camino High School and Ventura College. The ECTV crews produce engaging and award winning programs in the CAPS Media studio and in the community. Every episode is developed, written, produced, directed, hosted and edited by the students on topics of importance to the students.

ECTV is a career pathways education program developed by CAPS Media in collaboration with VC Innovates and the Ventura Unified School district. In the past three years the ECTV team has received local, regional and national awards for outstanding journalism. All of the ECTV programs are broadcast on CAPS Channel 15, stream on the CAPS Media website capsmedia.org and are archived at www.capsmedia.org/videos

CAPS Media continues to record local community council meetings throughout the city. In the coming weeks and months CAPS coverage will continue at MidTown and East Ventura along with the Westside, and Montalvo community councils. All programs air on CAPS Media Channel 6 and stream on capsmedia.org. Go to the schedule tab on the CAPSMedia.org website for dates and times.

The new school year is also a great time to join the growing community of CAPS Media Member/Producers. If you have an interest in community television or radio production, or are just curious, drop by the CAPS Media Center on the first Thursday of the month and learn how to become a member of CAPS and join our community of enthusiastic and engaged Member/Producers. A CAPS Media staff member directs a tour of the television studio and radio station, demonstrates the equipment and resources that are available, and answers questions about the benefits of becoming a CAPS Media member for a modest annual fee.

Member classes include a HD videography/camera class held on the 2nd Thursday, Final Cut postproduction editing class on the 3rd Thursday, and CAPS Radio (KPPQ, FM 104.1) two-part classes on the 4th week. In every training session Member/Producers receive hands-on instruction in videography, video editing, radio production and more. All classes begin at 6pm at the CAPS Media Center, 65 Day Road. Once trained and certified, member/producers may check out CAPS Media’s video cameras, tripods, audio gear and other production equipment to record their project and then book postproduction editing suites to craft the story they want to tell. Go to capsmedia.org for information or call 805-658-0500.

by Venturans for Responsible & Efficient Gov’t

When the city needs money, they go to the old trope, “We’ll attract new business.” After all, Ventura is open for business, according to this Council. Actions speak louder than words, however. The recent incident with Seaward Sushi illustrates the confusion and shortsightedness in City Hall.

In June 2019, social media blew up over closing of 40-year old Seaward Sushi. After owner Rachel Woodward closed her doors June 14th, for the final time, her story spread on the internet. Based on what Rachel posted, it would have easy to jump to conclusions. One could conclude that Ventura’s permitting, and code enforcement’s strict policies and slow processing time were the villains in this situation.

After telling her story on social media, it got the attention of several people like Jim Friedman, Stephanie Caldwell at the Chamber and others at City Hall. While we don’t know all the facts, only after this story attracted attention on social media, the City of Ventura hastily arranged a meeting on June 24th.

In an interview with Rachel Woodward, she revealed that she kept meticulous notes. She has a complete phone and paper trail of all dates and times that someone spoke to her, and a list of appointments and promises broken from representatives from City Hall. Rachel felt she needed to keep these records. She got the impression that everyone at City Hall was “very defensive,” and nobody wanted to be “held responsible” for what had occurred before the June 24th meeting.

The city gave Rachel a temporary permit on June 24th to reopen on June 28th. Without the privilege of knowing what they discussed in that meeting, we do know that Ashley Batista, from the city helped to obtain a permit to reopen June 28th.

Rachel voluntarily agreed to a hearing on August 6th. At the August 6th hearing, there was zero opposition, and the city granted a permanent permit. She has been in business ever since. Business is still down, but it can only get better.

Rachel further felt that it was also apparent that few, if anyone, was in the community visiting businesses. And, when someone visited a company, there weren’t clear directions on how to streamline the process.

The story does not end here, in any case. If it took one meeting to find enough support to justify reopening, how did the original staff fail to reach a similar conclusion in the first place?

From this experience, Rachel learned a few things. She felt that before the June 24th meeting, nobody wanted to take ownership of the situation. It seemed to her that nobody in City Hall knew the specifics, and no one was clear on the process to follow.

If Ventura is open for business, maybe the city staff involved in the process did not get the memo. The city needs to do a post-mortem on the Seaward Sushi approval process to find ways to improve if they are going to claim to be open for business. We recommend changing the current approval process to one that requires two employees to examine and approve exceptions to ordinances or policies.

California Connections Academy Central Coast, a tuition-free online public school serving students in grades TK-12 throughout the Central Coast, began its 2019-2020 school year on September 3rd. Students across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties logged on for the first day of school, joining thousands of students who have found success via the network of California Connections Academy’s high-quality online schools across the state.

As digital literacy and personalized academic programs continue to grow throughout the nation, families across California who meet state residency requirements continue to turn to California Connections Academy for an alternative education program suited to their student’s individual learning needs. The school offers a rigorous curriculum of innovative and diverse courses including foreign languages, digital technology and web design, as well as a variety of honors and Advanced Placement (AP)® courses for students interested in college-level curriculum. The school also provides Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) courses for grades 6-12 to help students prepare for college and careers.

“In Connections Academy’s 15-year school history in California, Connections Academy has helped students maximize their potential, and we’re looking forward to continuing this tradition in the Central Coast,” said Dr. Richard Savage, California Connections Academy Executive Director. “We’ve seen first-hand how various types of students can excel in this model, and it’s an honor to bring that opportunity to more California students.”

Parents across the California Connections Academy network are continually pleased with their students’ academic performance and overall experience, as reinforced by the 2019 Parent Satisfaction Survey.

California Connections Academy Central Coast will serve students in the region for the first time in the 2019-20 school year. The school offers a flexible learning environment for children with a dynamic schedule who learn at different pace from their peers or want a more individualized approach to learning. State-credentialed teachers work with students to excel academically while allowing them time to pursue their dreams and extracurricular interests.

Beyond curriculum and supportive teachers, the school offers numerous socialization opportunities for its students. During the school year, learning-focused field trips are held throughout California for students to enrich their education experience outside of the classroom and meet peers and teachers in-person. California students also have the opportunity to attend a Junior/Senior Prom in Southern California.

Additionally, the school offers chapters of National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society, as well as free online clubs and activities where students can collaborate with others interested in art, science, sports and more. Some of the clubs include Art Club, Gaming and Technology, Science Sleuths, and more.

For more information, visit the school’s website at https://www.connectionsacademy.com/california-online-school.

Agromin, along with several other local agricultural stakeholders, is participating in study funded by a grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to demonstrate the benefits of soil health and “carbon farming” practices in Ventura County.

Agromin will use the grant to work alongside the Ventura County Resource Conservation District, Limoneira Company, Community Environmental Council (CEC) and UC Cooperative Extension on a research project designed to help build regional agricultural resilience in the face of climate extremes.

To conduct the study, researchers will apply mulch and compost to a young citrus orchard owned by Limoneira, and then diligently monitor soil metrics, water use, plant health and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the project is to better understand how mulch and compost can improve soil health, reduce atmospheric carbon and support the local agricultural economy.

“We know organic soil has the ability to make a significant impact when it comes to conserving water, supporting plant growth and fighting climate change,” said Rick Wilson, Agromin’s chief technology officer. “This study will help us clearly quantify those benefits and work together as a community to advance the use of compost and mulch, helping to protect our planet through sustainable agricultural practices.”

The work for this research grant will span three years and is expected to begin in late summer or early fall of 2019. Throughout the project, educational field days will be held for the general public, policymakers, and local farmers and ranchers, to provide opportunities for regional stakeholders to observe the benefits of organic soil firsthand. The Limoneira site will also be part of the 2019 Ventura County Farm Day, during which the general public is invited to visit the site, ask questions and learn more.

This project is one of many similar studies supported by the California Healthy Soils Program. For more information, visit https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/healthysoils/DemonstrationProjects.html.

To learn more about Agromin and its sustainable organic soil products, visit https://www.agromin.com.