The Ventura College Foundation Board of Directors has added two new board members. The new members are and Michael Schouten.

Bojorquez is vice president of business and administrative services at Ventura College. She has worked in education for over 19 years, providing oversight in the areas of finance, technology, facilities, maintenance, transportation and food services.

“Education is a great equalizer that develops students’ strengths and talents, helping them to achieve their dreams for themselves and their families,” says Bojorquez. “I interact with students, faculty, classified professionals and administrators every day. They share their challenges, successes and hopes. As a board member, I hope to be a liaison between the board and the many faces at Ventura College and a voice for the needs of our students and campus.”

Schouten is president of the Associated Students of Ventura College. While growing up in Santa Paula, education was not always a top priority. “I wasn’t big on education but that changed when my mom quit her job as a waitress and completed a medical assistant program,” says Schouten. “I saw the new opportunities education gave her.”

The foundation’s Ventura College Promise program enabled Schouten to attend Ventura College tuition free during his first year. He takes advantage of the foundation-funded David P. Bianco textbook lending library so he has access to schoolbooks at no charge. While at Ventura College, Schouten has been awarded an academic scholarship by the Ventura Downtown Lions Club – Fred W. Smith Scholarship. “Ventura College, its faculty and the foundation’s many mentors have provided me with the opportunity to explore what I want to do with my life,” says Schouten, who hopes to transfer to U.C. Berkeley and major in political science or economics. “I want to bring the student perspective to the board and suggest new ways the foundation can help students including addressing the personal side of what it means to be a college student.”

“Having Cathy and Michael’s input on the board is important,” says Rob van Nieuwburg, Ventura College Foundation board chair. “Their views on student issues give us an on-the-ground look at how our programs impact students.”

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace; an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Julie Harvey at (805) 289-6502 or [email protected] or visit www.VenturaCollegeFoundation.org

The Ventura County Writers Club announces the opening of its 19th annual short story contest. “The short story challenges writers to be succinct, dramatic and original—all before turning the page,” says Rhonda Noda, VCWC President. “Shorter reading passages are more compatible with technology and modern time restraints. We’re all doing several things at once trying to squeeze more into every day.”

The 2,500-word contest runs through 11:59pm on October 15th and is accepting submissions through the easy-to-use website: submittable.com. Winners receive cash prizes, a chance to read their stories at the award ceremony and publication in the club’s bi-annual anthology. Participants do not have to be club members to enter. There are both adult and high school categories.

The club is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1933 by three writers in Ojai. “Our club creed is ‘To encourage the craft,’” says Noda. “Sponsoring contests is one way do this.”

Go to venturacountywriters.com for complete rules or call Breeze contributing writer Sheli Ellsworth at 805.300.1365 with questions.

The Ventura County Garden Club will tour the Japanese Garden in Sherman Oaks Park, Van Nuys (San Fernando Valley), on Wednesday, October 2nd. The Journal of Japanese Gardening has ranked this number 10 for authenticity out of 300 Japanese gardens in the United States. This will be a self-guided tour; where members will arrive and walk at their own pace. The 6.5 acre garden is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a $5.00 per adult or $3.00 per senior charge.

The garden, which is adjacent to Woodley Park, opened June 14, 1984. It was created by a Japanese garden designer, Doctor Koichi Kawana, who also created a dozen similar ones throughout the United States. The garden is located next to Tillman Water Reclamation Plant and is irrigated entirely with reclaimed water.

The Japanese Garden is divided into three sections: Karesansui, Chisen-Kaiyushiki and the traditional tea garden, with an authentic teahouse. Fall blossoms will be at their peak of season in October. Plants will not be for sale and all visitors are asked to follow proper garden etiquette. (Take pictures only; NO “samples”) Parking is limited; therefore, visitors are advised to carpool. An RSVP is not necessary for community participants, since the self-guided tour begins and ends with each person’s own schedule. For further information call Jacqualin at (805) 816-6019 or email [email protected]

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Rick Halsey, director of the California Chaparral Institute, will present “Exploring the Chaparral and Rediscovering Yourself through Nature,” a community lecture beginning at 7 PM at the Museum of Ventura County.

A part of Ventura Land Trust’s ongoing Environmental Speaker Series, Halsey will discuss how connecting with nature through local native habitats offers us a way to achieve what so many philosophers through the ages have identified as essential to achieving a meaningful existence – “to know thyself.”

“For more than two million years, evolution took place out in nature and was driven by our instincts,” said Halsey. “Today, as we try to reconcile the conflict between the demands of civilization, social expectations, and our ancient, wild selves, nature often provides the best remedy.”

Halsey is a writer, photographer, and the director of a non-profit research and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of California’s native chaparral ecosystem and supporting the creative spirit as inspired by nature. He has given more than 500 presentations and written numerous papers and articles over the past 15 years concerning the importance of reestablishing our connection with nature and understanding local habitats, especially the chaparral.

Ventura Land Trust’s Environmental Speaker Series is now in its fourth year, is one of the many ways VLT works to educate the public about important environmental topics. Reservations are highly recommended, and a $10/person donation is suggested at the door.

The Ventura Land Trust (formerly the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy) is dedicated to permanently preserving and protecting the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Founded in 2003, the 501(C)(3) non-profit organization is supported by over 650 members, local businesses and government partners. The land trust manages 90 acres of land along the Ventura River and is negotiating the purchase of its first hillside property. VLT’s office is located in the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA 93003. For more information, visit: www.venturalandtrust.org

Richard earned undergraduate degrees from the University of California in environmental studies and anthropology. During graduate work he received teaching credentials in life, physical and social science and a Master’s in education. Richard taught biology for over thirty years in both public and private schools, was honored as Teacher of the Year for San Diego City schools and was awarded the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship.

RSVP at: https://www.venturalandtrust.org/enviro_lec

by Richard Senate

The Native American population declined when California came under Spanish control. This is a historical fact. An estimated 75% of the Native People perished in the time of the Missions leading some to classify them as “death camps.”

This distinction is misleading because the last thing the Spanish wanted was the death of the local peoples. If they should die all the efforts to bring them to the Christian Faith was for nothing, and in a broader economic sense, if the natives died, who would do all the work? The culprit wasn’t the Spanish but something they accidentally brought with them; germs. The Native Americans had no immunities for the illnesses brought by the Europeans. They died in great numbers despite the best efforts of the Padres to stem the tide of sickness.

At Mission San Buenaventura an estimated four thousand died but the number must be a conservative one for it lists only converted Natives and not those who lived in the surrounding villages. Disease hit those in daily contact with the Spanish and those in the villages as well. It must have been a terrible thing for the missionaries to see their converts perish in such numbers. In the latter Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries medical science had not advanced to the level of Ancient Egypt (who at least understood the need for sterilization and cleanliness). There were few accepted treatments for the diseases that were decimating the Native peoples. Even if the padres had the best medical knowledge of their time, there was little they could do.

The problem was so great that the Padre’s built a hospital at Mission San Buenaventura. They were proud of the facility and wrote of its 100-bed capacity, the fact that it had running water and an attached apothecary shop to make and distribute medications. The Spanish turned to local medicine men in an attempt to understand the powers of local herbs. They also used medical books to try to make their own cures and, lastly, they ordered drugs from Mexico and Spain.

One of the most requested medications was deadly Mercury, then the only known cure for Syphilis. The secret was to give enough of the toxic Mercury to the patient to kill the disease but not enough to kill the patient! It was a balancing act that took both skill and luck. Did it work? Some of the time it did. Why did people take the Mercury? Left untreated syphilis advances into madness and a hideous death.

One of the biggest killers to strike was smallpox. An immunization was developed early in Europe for smallpox. It was discovered that people who had cowpox (a non-deadly form of smallpox) wouldn’t catch smallpox. The Spanish Crown paid to have the immunization brought to the new world and had the Native Americans treated. This was done for both economic and humanitarian reasons. Still, the only Natives given the inoculation were those under Spanish control. Ironically, about this same time Americans were giving out smallpox infected blankets in an attempt to destroy the Native Americans Tribes.
The Mission Converts received the inoculations late but, this was an attempt to stem the terrible plagues that were taking so many lives.

What of the hospital at Mission San Buenaventura? Today it is lost. The Spanish never wrote where it was located. They knew that isolation was good for containing some sicknesses so the hospital would have been some distance away from the settlement.

So, somewhere, under a building or parking lot, in downtown Ventura is that foundations of the lost Mission Hospital. If It’s ever discovered, archaeologists will have a major discovery on their hands.