by Lee Sherman

Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association’s “Light Up a Life” event provides comfort, solace and an opportunity for those who have lost someone to honor their loved one’s memory. And the acts of remembrance extend far beyond Ventura County.

I first became aware of Livingston in 2013 when I attended one of their free bereavement and grief counseling group sessions. I lost my younger brother in a car accident many years ago, and it always seems to affect me in a big way around the holidays. In speaking about my loss in the group session and sharing in the grief of others, I found a way to cope with my feelings, improve my outlook and regain my holiday spirit.

Now I am Livingston’s on-staff grant writer and have had the opportunity to “pay-it-forward” by participating in this year’s “Light Up” at Pacific View Mall. This was especially meaningful to me as I lost two dear friends this year, one to prostate cancer and one to pneumonia and both under the age of 50. Unfortunately, due to the timing and circumstances of their deaths I was unable to attend either funeral as they were both in New York and previous family commitments as well as limited finances, made it impossible for me to be there in person. Feeling a bit isolated out here, away from friends and family, I was especially glad to purchase hand-written ornamental stars in honor of their memories and send them back to their families, who I know are going through a very tough holiday season themselves. And while neither of my friends lived in California, both had visited me on several occasions and would be pleased to know they were remembered here. Seeing their stars on the trees, hearing their names read aloud and viewing their photos in our memorial slide show brought me much joy and peace.

And it’s not just an East Coast – West Coast thing. At each “Light Up” event rocks are placed on the chairs in the audience to hold down our paper programs. Each rock has an inspirational word written on it such as “Peace”, “Love”, “Joy” and “Family”. Attendees are free to take them home at the end of the program. Casey O’Neill, daughter of our Director of Community & Professional Relations Mike O’Neill, took one of these rocks with her on her pilgrimage to Santiago Spain. As customary for the Camino de Compostela, she left the memento as an honor to her trek across the northern coast of Spain at the Cathedral of St. Stephen, blending our local tradition with ancient traditions of the past, half a world away.

For those we’ve lost near or far, recently departed or long gone, “Light Up a Life” is a thoughtful and heartfelt way to honor their memories and spread some joy this holiday season. All proceeds support and ensure the continuation of Livingston’s compassionate hospice and bereavement programs throughout Ventura County. If you would like to learn more please visit www.lmvna.org.

Four Seasons Cleaners and the Rotary Club of Ventura collaborate to implement The Coats for Kids Project. November 2018 marked the fifteenth year of this project and again this year the Rotary Club of Ventura South joins the effort. The clubs initiate the collection of coats at numerous locations. Four Seasons Cleaners cleans the coats and organizes their distribution.

Last year over 5,000 coats were given to needy children and adults in the Ventura and Santa Barbara communities. This year’s goal is to collect, clean and distribute 5000 coats and jackets.

Recipients of the coats include the Boys and Girls Clubs, The Salvation Army, Casa Pacifica, Project Understanding, churches and other service organizations.

Due to the extraordinary generosity of Sonny Shah, owner of Four Seasons Cleaners, in the past 14 years over 60,000 coats and jackets have been cleaned and distributed to those in need.

Each year the Downtown Rotary Club of Ventura distributes coats at its annual Holiday Party in December. This year the club plans to give coats and jackets to over 70 children from Lincoln,

E.P. Foster and Sheridan Way Schools.

Collection boxes were placed in businesses, schools and public parks in Ventura County the week of November 1. Members of the Downtown Rotary Club of Ventura and Rotary Club of Ventura South are collecting the donated coats and jackets and delivering them to Four Seasons Cleaners for cleaning and sorting. They will then be distributed to service organizations in the community. The project will continue until December 31.

The need for coats for citizens of our community continues to be critical. Making the world a better place to live, one coat at a time, is a goal worth achieving.

Coats for Kids is organized by the Rotary Club of Ventura and sponsored by Four Seasons Cleaners. Eyedentity Graphics, KVTA and Hilford Moving & Storage are the Media Partners.

More information about the project is on the Rotary website www.venturarotary.org . It includes an interactive map of the 54 collection sites throughout Ventura County, including both Trader Joes locations in Ventura, Lassens and Green Thumb International. The hashtag for Facebook and Instagram is #coatsforkidsventura.

Donate a coat and make someone’s life better!

On Dec. 14&15, the Ventura Harbor celebrated the season with its 42nd Annual Holiday Parade of Lights & Fireworks.The 2018 theme paid homage to all things 70’s. It featured a very colorful Boat Parade and Harbor Village festivities!

January 5: Ventura Audubon Christmas Bird Count – Leader: Frank DeMartino 856-906-8733 or you may call one of the Section Leaders listed on website.

Birders of all skill levels are encouraged to participate. The more participants we have, the more areas we can cover and we can cover them more thoroughly. Sector Leaders usually start at 8:00 or 8:30 although some of the more ambitious leaders may start earlier!

January 6: 8:00 a.m. Hedrick Ranch Nature Area – Work day Leader: Sandy Hedrick 805-340-0478.

Arrive at 8:00 for self-guided birding which usually yields some interesting birds. Work from 9am – noon. Long pants and boots or closed shoes are required. Bring water, gloves and sun protection.

January 8: 7:30 p.m. VAS Monthly Program: Ventura Seabird Restoration on the California Islands… with Annie Little (USFWS) at the Poinsettia Pavillion – 3451 Foothill Road.The presentation will highlight restoration efforts for seabirds on the Channel Islands and Baja California Pacific Islands, including invasive species removal, habitat restoration, and social attraction.

January 12: 8:30 a.m. Ormond Beach Leaders: Cynthia Hartley 805-795-4115 & Adele Fergusson 805-415-4304. Join us at this excellent coastal location, where we will look for a variety of waterfowl, such as Willets, Whimbrels, Black necked Stilts, Black bellied Plovers and other interesting birds. We will also look for Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Peregrine Falcon, and Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers. Please bring a scope if you have one.

January 19: 8:30 a.m. Soule Park Leader: Linda Easter 818-519-2833

Situated in east Ojai, this large park offers grasslands, large deciduous trees and riparian habitat that bring out winter feeding flocks of sparrows, bluebirds, and warblers and year round habitat for thrashers, woodpeckers, raptors and more.

January 27: 8:30 a.m. Canada Larga Leader: David Torfeh 805-794-5334

Meet near the beginning of the road off Hwy 33. We will carpool from that location as we walk and drive this long county road. Target species will include Barn Owl, Western Bluebirds, Lark Sparrow, Roadrunner, Phainopepla and various species of swallows.

“First we pray, then we act for justice.” So the Rev. Dr. Betty Stapleford opened the Interfaith Prayer Vigil at the “Sunday of Solidarity with Refugee Families” in Ventura on December 9th. It was held at the corner of Victoria and Telephone at the Ventura County Government Center.

Dr. Stapleford is a Unitarian Universalist minister in Santa Paula and co-chair of Ventura County Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-Ventura County), convener of the event.

Dr. Stapleford welcomed the large crowd present and continued, “On this Sunday of Solidarity we have gathered to draw strength from each other and from those who have traveled so far, only to languish at our Southern border but with the hope of claiming asylum in the United States.”

Anne Ward, a member of the North Oxnard United Methodist Church and part of the organizing committee, said, “People of faith are frustrated. We cannot accept the fact that those seeking asylum are being treated so poorly and our asylum laws are not being followed. We cannot allow such cruelty to continue in our name.”

“Judeo-Christian scripture tells us repeatedly to welcome the stranger,” said event co-chair the Rev. Melissa Campbell-Langdell, pastor of All Saints Episcopal Church in Oxnard.

Stories of some of the migrant asylum seekers were read. Prayers were said for the migrants and for the people there to strengthen their resolve to call for changes to policies now hurting would-be asylum seekers. The vigil concluded with a call to action emphasized by the blowing of the Shofar, the Jewish ceremonial ram’s horn, by Rabbi Lisa Hochberg- Miller of Temple Beth Torah in Ventura.

Those present were charged with taking actions to ameliorate the situation at the border: contacting elected representatives, serving at the border, and donating to organizations that are supporting the migrants.

Event co-sponsors included:  Indivisible Ventura, Democratic Moms of Camarillo, Indivisible Ojai, Buen Vecino, and Coastal Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy (CA– USE).

CLUE-Ventura County is on the web at www.cluevc.org and can be reached via email at [email protected].

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by Jolene Bibian

I’m part of a committee planning a local 5k in Ventura scheduled for January 12^th, 2019.

This event is our first attempt at our goal of raising $10k to get a Children’s Dream Racer Car built for VCMC Pediatrics unit. These cars are built by Mark ‘Smitty’ Smith who worked on NASCARs in the 90’s. He sold his shop in 2008 to use his talents in building Children’s Dream Racer cars for children in hospitals receiving care. They are designed to help ease the anxiety of children going through treatment and help them “just” be kids in an otherwise scary situation.

I’m the president-elect of “Ventura County Association of Health Underwriters”. We are not underwriters, but rather healthcare advocates. VCAHU proudly serves our community with a vision of providing access to private sector solutions for health insurance through the unbiased advice of local agents and brokers.

Incoming presidents of the local association are encouraged to lead an event within the association prior to their term as president. Typically, these are aimed at our own industry by way of professional development. This time around, we decided to do an event that was community facing. If we meet our goal, and get that car to the kids, we will be the first west coast chapter of our national association to do so! We would love for our VCMC kids to have one of these cars and for our community to be a part of making that happen! The power of play is a vital resource for the healing process.

Registration is open for the 5k and readers of the Breeze can use a promo code BREEZE to receive a discount.

We encourage registering before Dec 12th to help in planning efforts.

People can donate and register online: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Ventura/VCAHU5k

We are also actively looking for community members to fill our sponsorship spots or include their raffles prizes for the morning of the 5k.

The Museum of Ventura County has announced Deya Terrafranca as its new library and archives director. Terrafranca will be responsible for managing all aspects of the regional special collection and historical research library, including collection development and supervision of more than 20 volunteers.

Terrafranca’s appointment follows the retirement of Charles Johnson, who came to Ventura County nearly 30 years ago to take the position as librarian and became the Museum’s longest serving staff member.

The library houses more than 170,000 items relating to Ventura County’s history including maps, photographs, newspapers, books, periodicals, manuscripts, oral histories and video tapes, including many rare and one-of-a-kind, articles of incorporation and other county records.

“One of the Museum’s goals is to increase the public’s accessibility to the full breadth of the incredible library collection that has been amassed under the leadership of Charles, the Museum’s Accessions Committee and its many volunteers,” said Elena Brokaw, the Museum’s Barbara Barnard Smith executive director. “Deya’s experience working with Charles on this goal will help maintain continuity in moving it forward.”

In addition, Terrafranca will spearhead the Museum’s commitment to ensure that all at-risk collections are conserved and properly cared for, and that the entire collection is housed in one consolidated, climate controlled and ADA-compliant space that allows discovery, instruction, research, and collaboration.

Terrafranca has worked at the Museum for nearly two years in a variety of positions from visitors’ services and administrative support staff to advancement director, responsible for cultivating corporate and individual donor opportunities, increasing membership and developing and promoting the museum’s diverse programming, events and exhibits. Terrafranca holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, and a bachelor’s degree in sculpture and political science from Concord University in Athens, West Virginia.

In her library experience Terrafranca has worked in administration, cataloguing, reference, research, circulation, and programming. She has served as programs coordinator, supervising city librarian and assistant director of library systems in Ventura and West Virginia. In those roles she launched library renovations and new programs including collections reorganizations and building renovations.

“As a librarian, my experiences in libraries have ingrained a deep respect for a sense of place; I believe our history can help us connect to that sense of place and create a sense of belonging. I think belonging is critical to active engagement in our community’s life and future. The first-year plan for the library is to increase the public’s access to the full breadth of the incredible library collection which has been amassed under the leadership of former librarian Charles Johnson, the Museum’s Accessions Committee, and many additional volunteers. My goal is to ensure that all at risk collections are conserved and properly cared for, and that the entire collection is housed in one consolidated, climate controlled, and ADA compliant space that allows discovery, instruction, research, and collaboration. That goal is several years out but we are getting jump start on it! The community’s access to this rich cultural history has to be expanded and that will take place through a consolidated catalog, online access to the collection contents, and digitization of items like maps and photographs.”

“We are thrilled to have someone with Deya’s qualifications take over the role of library and archives director,” said Kate McLean, the Museum’s board chair. “Her extensive knowledge and library expertise, coupled with her first-hand experience with the Museum, makes her an ideal person to step into the role. We will support her efforts in every way possible.”