The Barracks Project West Coast is 100% volunteer run non-profit 501c3 supporting our honorably discharged veterans create stable living environments through service projects, financial assistance for housing, and coordination with career assistance.

They are hosting their First Annual Charity Kickball Tournament March 16 at Camino Real Park in Ventura. It’s set to be their largest fundraiser to date and will go a long way towards helping veterans locally.

There are a number of ways to get involved with the tournament. First, there are still openings for teams to register or if individuals are interested they can place them on a team. Second, they are looking for sponsors and are offering several different packages with varying price points that are designed to provide a solid marketing platform. Last, they will need volunteers throughout the day of the event.

All of this information and how to register for any of the above can be found at  www.tinyurl.com/tbpwckickball.

Last year was a most transformational year in Ventura’s history. Every aspect of life in Ventura was affected. The city was in the national spotlight, twice. Leadership changed but at a high price. Old ways of doing business didn’t change, though. Overall, it was a year to remember.

December 2017-To understand 2018, you must appreciate December 2017 and the Thomas Fire. The fire destroyed 535 houses in Ventura. The city was the epicenter of the national news.

Thirteen months later, Ventura had the opportunity for the most significant economic stimulus since the oil boom but failed to capitalize on it. Rebuilding the homes will stimulate the local economy by $350 million. The only thing standing in the way of that economic windfall is the city. What are the lessons we learned from the Thomas Fire? Good question. Thirteen months later we still don’t know that answer. The city has yet to produce a report on its findings.

January 2018-The Montecito mudslides closed off transportation into and out of Santa Barbara along the 101. Many Venturans that work in Santa Barbara were unable to commute.

March 2018-The City Council waffles on second-story height restrictions for rebuilding Thomas Fire victims’ homes, delaying the rebuilding process and adding costs for many.

April 2018-Jamal Jackson slays Anthony Mele, Jr. on Ventura’s promenade. Once again, the city was thrust into the national news.

Ventura Police increased patrols along the promenade. The City Council approved funds to continue the patrols. Arrests increased after the incident.

Post-incident, the Police department reviewed its procedures. There have been changes to the security camera monitoring as a result. The review also concluded the call was not improperly prioritized when it came in two and a half hours before the murder.

Since May, the community has returned to business as usual.

June 2018-Ventura Police officers sign a new contract with a 5% pay increase. The timing of the announcement was questionable, but the contract was a fair one.

July 2018-The City Council instructs Ventura Water to focus on connecting to State Water over Direct Potable Reuse (DPR). DPR takes recycled wastewater and injects it back into the drinking supply.

The City Council approves a $600,000 per year “roving” fire engine and three paramedics over the objections of Interim City Manager Dan Paranick. Ventura Fire hired two of the three paramedics before the Council approved the funding.

September 2018-Ventura Water hires eight new positions. The City Council approved the department’s budget that included these positions. Ventura Water based that budget on Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) projects being the city’s top priority. When the Council realigned Ventura Water’s priorities in July, the department didn’t adjust its manpower requirements.

October 2018-Ventura Water begins installing new digital water meters. It is a $9 million project that will take three years to complete. The new meters allow more precise leak protection. The new meters also measure water usage more precisely. You can expect your water bill to be more accurate, too.

November 2018-Ventura held its first City Council elections by voting district. Lorrie Brown (District 6), Jim Friedman (District 5), Erik Nasarenko (District 4) and Sofia Rubalcava (District 1) won. The candidates raised a record amount of money, despite campaigning in districts instead of citywide. The cost-per-vote skyrocketed to win a seat from $2.75 per vote in the last election with an open position to a record-high $26.42.

December 2018-Alex McIntyre starts as City Manager. He replaces Mark Watkins who resigned in November 2017. The city had operated with an interim-City Manager since January 2018. McIntyre comes to Ventura from Menlo Park where he was City Manager for six years.

Ventura’s new City Councilmembers are sworn in. The Council has four female members: Lorrie Brown (District 6), Cheryl Heitmann (District 7), Sofia Rubalcava (District 1) and Christy Weir (District 2). Ventura has its first female-majority City Council in history. It’s also the most diverse set of Councilmembers the city has ever had.

That lifelong dream can now become a reality.

Award -winning journalist, author and publisher Beverly Russell will give you all the answers about how to go about publishing your own book on a budget.

Classes for the six-week course will be at the Senior Center, 550 N. Ventura Avenue, and will take place every Thursday from 2-3 p.m, from February 7 thru March 14. Russell has self-published six books on a wide variety of genres including her own critically applauded autobiography. Other book topics she has written about include gardening, aging, cooking, meditation, as well as a children’s book.

Author-editor Russell’s classes will focus on indie book publishing – helping would-be authors to get their work published in a professional way using new digital technology.

Guest speakers at her classes include, Ventura author Ivor Davis, who will join Russell to talk about his own experiences in the self-publishing field.

Another guest lecturer will be Indie publishing counselor Ben Swihart who will talk about other success stories in the local self-publishing field.

Walk-ins welcome. Classes are $5 per class of $30 for the full six weeks course.

Casa Pacifica is proud to welcome Daniel Friedlander, Esq. to its Board of Directors this year. Comprised of 24 individuals, Casa Pacifica’s board members offer a wealth of experience and expertise in a wide range of areas, such as the legal field with several lawyers; in financial services with representatives from a number of banks, investment, and insurance services; in business with a variety of industries from the medical field to construction to agricultural management to equipment rentals; in the field of education with the retired superintendent of the Moorpark Unified School District; as well as several community advocates.

Daniel Friedlander is the principal attorney and mediator of his own law office in Westlake Village, California. His primary areas of practice include civil litigation, land use, real estate, usury, environmental, landlord-tenant, commercial and business law, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution.

Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families is a crisis-care and residential treatment facility for foster or at-risk children in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The agency is the largest non-profit provider of children’s mental health services in both counties and administers a number of community-based programs designed to strengthen families and keep children in their homes and communities. Casa Pacifica is also a foster family agency, which recruits and trains families for potential placement with a foster youth. For more information about Casa Pacifica visit its website www.casapacifica.org or call the Development & Public Relations Department at (805) 445-7800.

Volleyball players at the end of San Pedro didn’t let high surf and big waves keep them from enjoying a play day at the beach.

Neurosurgery dates back to prehistoric times, when ancient civilizations first began the practice of drilling holes into skulls for medical reasons. Centuries later, in the early 1900s, a pioneering doctor named Harvey Cushing transformed the science of neurosurgery with discoveries that dramatically increased brain surgery survival rates. Since then, the medical community has continued to develop better technologies and neurosurgery techniques, and new innovations and research promise a bright future for this field of medicine.

The latest advances in neurosurgery and where they could lead will be the focus of a free seminar at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, in Camarillo. Titled “The Future of Neurosurgery,” the seminar is hosted by Community Memorial Health System as part of its 2019 Speaker Series.

The guest speaker will be Dr. David Westra, who specializes in neurosurgery. He received his medical degree at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed a residency at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, California. Dr. Westra is a member of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a member of the Community Memorial Hospital medical staff.

The seminar will be at the Camarillo Library, 4101 Las Posas Road. Registration is free but reservations are required. For reservations, visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

The Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Ventura County has named Rebecca Evans as its executive director. Before joining the WDB, Evans was a senior manager for the Human Services Agency within the County of Ventura.

While with the Human Services Agency, Evans oversaw programs including Homeless Services, the Homeless Management Information System, RAIN Transitional Living Center, Veterans Services and programs involving the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

“There is a natural connection between our economy, our workforce and quality of life,” says Evans. “For our economy to thrive, we need skilled, qualified workers to retain and attract employers who offer high demand, high wage jobs. This enables workers to afford to live where they work, right here in Ventura County.”

Evans says, as executive director, her job is to support WDB goals. The WDB board has identified three sectors—healthcare, manufacturing and clean and green technologies—sectors that are creating new jobs with potentially high wages.

“Throughout her career, Rebecca has been committed to workforce and economic development, social equity, designing and implementing programs and working with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive community, workforce and business needs,” says Gregory Liu, WDB chair. “We are excited that Rebecca has joined the WDB as we continue to support programs that grow our workforce and enhance business opportunities in Ventura County.”

Evans earned her Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in Psychology from the University of West Georgia. She completed a Post Graduate Series in Management and Organizational Behavior from California Lutheran University. She is a current member of the Ventura County Civic Alliance Executive Committee, a founding member of the United Women’s Leadership Council of United Way and former member of the P-16- (now P-20) Council on Education.

The Workforce Development Board of Ventura County administers federal funds that help to support America’s Job Center of California locations and other free job seeker, youth, and employer programs and services in Ventura County. For more information, call 800-500-7705 or visit http://workforceventuracounty.org.