Spencer Makenzie’s 9th annual End of Summer Throw Down took place from Friday, August 24 through Sunday, August 26. The well attended event included fierce competition, music and food. The end of Summer Block Party and Throw Down took place on the closed street at the corner of Makenzie’s at 806 East Thompson.

Dear Friends

Eric Harrison, President & CEO
United Way of Ventura County

On Sept.13, we’ll be celebrating our 14th Annual Spirit Awards at the Serra Padre Center in Camarillo. This will be a special evening recognizing the community and foundation leaders who partnered with us throughout the year and when Ventura County needed us most.

Our honorees include the Annenberg Foundation, which will receive our President’s Award for helping to establish the United Way Thomas Fire & Flood Fund with their lead gift; Bob Brunner, our longtime board member and Community Impact Chair, will be given the Milton M. Teague Award for outstanding volunteerism; Maggie Tougas will be recognized with the Douglas Shively Award for her service as a key member of our recovery group and for representing our local Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster; and Bank of America will be recognized for their top corporate citizenship with the Roy Pinkerton Award for their increased support and for helping us provide emergency debit cards to those affected by the Thomas Fire. Last, but certainly not least, William ‘Bill’ Kearney, who many of you know as one of our region’s most recognized and outstanding philanthropists and volunteers will receive our Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Richard Rush, Past President of California State University Channel Islands, will be presenting Bill with the award.

Limited tickets are available. If you’ve attended our Spirit Awards Gala in the past few years, you know the evening is known for its live entertainment. We are proud to welcome Spencer Day, the unique #1 Billboard-charting pop/jazz performer. Spencer has performed everywhere from Lincoln Center to the Hollywood Bowl and will put on a show you don’t want to miss. The 14th Annual Spirit Awards Gala is certain to be an inspirational and unforgettable evening. Come join us! 

United Way of Ventura County

702 County Square Drive, Suite 100
Ventura, CA 93003

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm

Phone: (805) 485-6288
Fax: (805) 485-4845
Email: [email protected]

The Ventura Unified School District has announced its new brand and a district promise to maintain excellent schools and learning environments where all children can explore, grow, and thrive as students in a modern world and be well prepared for the future ahead of them.

“’For the future of every student’ is our promise emphasizing our belief that every child has a brilliant future ahead of them,” said Superintendent David Creswell. “Our role is to help them find it, explore it, and prepare for it in safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments across the district. It also signifies a culture that embraces every child, meeting them where they are at, and promotes their growth academically, social-emotionally, and as citizens of the world.”

At the direction of the board, VUSD hired Zeste, a company with extensive experience working on school district brands, to conduct dozens of deep interviews with VUSD stakeholders about what defines the district.

“It was time for the district to re-examine who we are, what our mission is, and who our customers were. Public education is not the only education option for parents today. We want to be the preferred option, not by default but by choice. Branding is part of getting that message out,” said John Walker, president of VUSD Board of Trustees.

The pillars of the promise of the new brand are:

A safe, healthy, and positive learning environment in every school

Rigorous and relevant academics that challenge each student

Engaging settings that stimulate curiosity and empower students to have a voice in their learning

Real world experiences and connections in and out of the classroom to cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and an appreciation for the world in which we live

Consistent, enthusiastic and unwavering encouragement of each and every child—so they can discover who they want to become and be academically, personally, and socially

“When it comes to delivering an education that prepares students for a future in the world today, a one-size-fits-all approach no longer suffices. Students must be able to think critically, approach problem-solving with agility and creativity, be open to exploration, and adapt to new ideas and pathways they will invariably encounter throughout their lives,” said Creswell.

As part of the brand process, the district developed a new logo, the open wave, that was inspired by VUSD’s connection to the California coast and the possibilities that lie ahead for our students. The ocean, and all that it represents, is a fitting metaphor for the optimism and energy embodied by our people, schools, and district. The logo unifies our schools and programs with a bold, abstract signature that connotes an open, cresting wave. The clean lines that comprise the open wave signify the opportunities students are offered by our district through its variety of programs and schools. The color blue leads our bold and varied color palette since it stands for confidence, wisdom, and intelligence.

“This is so much more than a logo,” said Creswell. “It is a symbol of the new direction we are taking. We are grateful to the board for the freedom to create this direction and now it is up to our administration, our teachers, our staff and our students to live up to the promise.”

by Maryann Ridini Spencer (@MaryannRidiniSpencer)

“This is the greatest venue no one’s ever been to,” said Gary Bednorz, chairman of the Ventura Land Trust’s popular SYRCL Wild & Scenic® Film Festival now in its ninth year in Ventura.

The festival, which serves as a fundraiser for the Ventura Land Trust (formerly Ventura Hillsides Conservancy), celebrated in a laid back, galvanizing fashion this year on the campus of the Ventura County Credit Union located at 2575 Vista Del Mar. On August 18, doors opened at 5:00 pm and VLT served up an evening that fostered community connection, rousing entertainment, and engaging films with sustainable themes.

“We outgrew our home at the Poinsettia Pavilion and felt that holding an outdoor festival under the stars would be a wonderful blend of our film festival, and the music festivals we held in previous years,” continued Bednorz.

“The Wild & Scenic Film Festival started in Nevada City, California, and while the flagship event takes place there annually, communities like Ventura custom pick from a variety of films to showcase at their festivals,” said Derek Poultney, Executive Director, Ventura Land Trust. “For the Land Trust, we select films in line with our mission to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. We hope that the festival inspires the community to get and stay connected to the land and to the work of the Ventura Land Trust.”

Surrounded by trees and perched on a hillside with peek-a-boo coastline views, the evening’s family-friendly festival drew in the neighborhood of nearly 1000 attendees who enjoyed delicious eats from a variety of food trucks, libations from local beer and wine vendors, community partner information booths, outdoor games, and a raffle featuring such items as original artwork, outdoor gear, and dining-out certificates.

Cool breezes were a welcome respite from the hot summer temperatures as guests strolled by the vendor booths and food trucks and chatted with friends. Others laid out their blankets (and chairs), on the expansive green lawn and; listened and danced) to acoustic guitar music by Bill Jones and J. Peter Boles, and the rock cover band Mid Life Crisis until the screening of films commenced at 8:00 p.m.

“Our circle of friends expanded this year,” added Adrienne Stephens, Development and Marketing Director, Ventura Land Trust. “The mix of being able to spread out and kick back with friends and family, while enjoying great music, food, and drink, followed by inspiring films was a great recipe for a relaxing, memorable evening.”

The eleven films showcased at the event commenced with an 8-minute movie shown at the April 2018 Water: Take 1 Film Festival “Ventura Land Trust” highlighting the Land Trust’s important community programs and endeavors.

Other films included were “Imagination: Tom Wallisch” where a young boy’s skiing day dreams come magically to life; “Brothers of Climbing,” a poignant short about a small group of black climbers that create a new community. In “Blind Sushi” a blind travel writer meets the world’s first sustainable sushi chef. Together, the two cook up experiences that enlighten them both. In “Dragging 235 lbs. Uphill Bothways,” a mother of four decides to turn off her children’s electronics in exchange for lessons in nature. “The Nature of Maps” roams some of the world’s last remaining wildlands with two modern-day pioneers who map these distant places for all to enjoy. “Where Wild Things Play,” a jaw-dropping ode to“badass” female athletes. “Lost in Light,” is a mesmerizing view of how light pollution impacts the night sky. “Love of Place” delves into one park ranger’s mission to rid a beautiful desert river of an invasive plant species. “Grandad” takes the viewer on a morning meditation row around a serene lake. “A Letter to Congress” features Wallace Stegner’s 1960 letter to Congress about how our unified voice can help prevent the transfer of our most valuable heritage— our public lands— to private and corporate interests.”

Visit venturalandtrust.org for more information.

The Ventura County Writers Club is celebrating its 85th anniversary. The club, founded in 1933 by authors in Ojai, has thrived while many clubs and organizations are folding. President Connie Mukherjee says, “The VCWC has survived because we welcome writers of all genres and abilities. We have also kept dues low. A new member pays only $45 the first year and $40 for annual renewals.”

The club hosts monthly speakers including agents, publishers, editors and others in the writing and publishing industry. It covers everything from how to market a book to how to find an illustrator for the book’s cover – if you want to get better at writing and learn more about publishing works, this is definitely the club for you. “We host contests, critique groups and publish a bi-annual anthology. We are a not-for-profit run completely by volunteers.” The club’s membership is usually between 100-200 people. “Our monthly attendance runs between 25-60 people depending on the speaker. Some speakers appeal to fiction writers and some draw poets.” The club supports writers who self-publish as well as authors writing personal memoirs just for their families.

On September 11, at 7:00 p.m., the club will host Mark Sarvas is a novelist, book reviewer, and blogger. He is the host of the literary blog The Elegant Variation and author of the novels Harry, Revised and Memento Park. A finalist for the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association’s 2008 Fiction Award and a Denver Post 2008 Good Read, Harry, Revised has been called “A remarkable debut” by Booker Prize winner John Banville, and was compared to John Updike and Philip Roth by the Chicago Tribune. He teaches advanced novel writing in the UCLA Extension Writers Program and is an MFA candidate at the Bennington Writing Seminars.

“Anyone who is interested is invited to join us,” says incoming president Rhonda Noda. “We will also have readings by club members who have recently published. There is no charge for non-members to drop in and join us for the celebration.” The group meets at 1605 Burnley Street in Camarillo at the Pleasant Valley Park and Recreation Center.

Ventura Breeze contributing writer, and member Sheli Ellsworth stated, “My first fiction won a prize in the VCWC annual short story contest. Before then I’d never thought about writing fiction. Now, I have six books to my credit. One is a kid’s book that I wrote with Breeze publisher Brown.” Call Sheli at 805.300.1365 for more information.

As this summer’s record-breaking heat wave sent many residents reaching for their thermostats, a new air conditioning unit may have felt like a smart buy. But before homeowners take the plunge, there are a number of items to consider that will help an A/C unit work even better, save energy and make their living spaces more comfortable year-round. Finding the right ac installation service that fulfills all these requirements, you may have to visit your local air conditioning company. If you’ve had an A/C system fitted in your home a while ago, but has recently stopped working, it may be best to use the services of companies like Morevent Services to get it back to working order. When summer arrives, you’ll be happy to have a comfortable and cool place to relax.

Operated by the County, emPower Ventura County has been working with homeowners to address common home energy efficiency troubles, such as wasteful air conditioners. Available for free home consultations, emPower Energy Coaches help identify these troubles, find solutions and connect homeowners with the right resources, such as qualified local contractors. Here are some items to discuss with an Energy Coach before pursuing an A/C upgrade.

For our climate, make sure the attic or crawlspace are properly air sealed and insulated to at least R44 levels or R19 for a crawlspace (the energy coach can help you understand the R-value and what insulation materials to consider). This will help ensure your treated air – heated and cooled — stays where you want it.

Once your air conditioning unit is fitted, it’s important to get your system cleaned regularly to prevent a build of dust and debris. A new HVAC system is not a small purchase so you’ll want to do everything you can to Reduce your AC Costs. No one wants a broken AC unit!! Since AC systems aren’t cheap, it’s vital that you look after it and regularly service it to keep it in good working order. Specialist companies such as Willard Power Vac offer a variety of air duct cleaning solutions to ensure your A/C unit is working at its best.

A/C contractors should design and size HVAC Systems according to Manual J, D, S standards. These high standards ensure that the System will perform according to the required cooling and heating load of the home, keeping you comfortable all year.

Investigate whether an already installed furnace can accommodate a cooling add-on. Dual systems provide the best efficiency.

Contractors should calculate the proper A/C unit size for a home. Otherwise, homeowners are stuck paying for larger systems than they need.

For more information, to schedule a free Energy Coach visit or to access a list of qualified contractors, call emPower at (805) 654-3834 or visit www.empowersbc.org.

The emPower program offers voluntary incentives, financing and other services to help single-family homeowners in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties make home energy upgrades easier and more affordable. emPower was established by the County of Santa Barbara to help the community preserve the environment by helping to lower energy consumption and stimulate the economy by creating jobs through innovative, voluntary solutions to support a sustainable building performance market.

by Elizabeth Rodeno

Over the next few weeks CAPS Media will work with city officials and election organizations throughout the community to encourage voter participation, provide voter information on ballot initiatives and help explain the district election process for electing City Council members and Ventura Unified School board members.

CAPS will offer candidates the chance to share their campaign platforms with the community via our Video Voter program. CAPS has been producing Video Voter for over 10 years and we continue to fulfill for mission to create an informed and educated community through electronic media

The candidate statements for Ventura City Council and VUSD board will be recorded and broadcast on CAPS Channel 6 and streaming online at capsmedia.org. CAPS Media continues its coverage of various candidate forums held by the League of Women throughout the city. CAPS Media is also producing informative videos for the County of Ventura on election related issues.  Look for us out in the community in our big white truck with CAPS Media on the side and our enthusiastic volunteers and students bringing all of this to the community. The programs will be found on Channel 6 in the City of Ventura and online at capsmedia.org.

For details on the City district elections go to the City of Ventura website for comprehensive information at cityofventura.gov. For information on the new school district areas go to VenturaUSD.org. Log in to the County of Ventura’s website and go to the County Clerk’s webpage for all the information on how the election process works and to register to vote.

The award winning ECTV program, the collaboration between CAPS Media and El Camino High School, returns for its 3rd year.

Former students have honed their skills with many off to college, pursuing their dreams. Returning and new students are looking forward to exploring new issues, meeting interesting people and using their skills to create thoughtful and engaging video journalism. Last year ECTV featured stories about The Thomas Fires, the Peace Corp, Chicano music, filmmakers and women’s rights to name a few. We can’t wait to see what topics they discuss this year.

CAPS is proud to be part of Michael O’Kelly’s mural beautifully crafted with glazed tile. It’s great to see all the folks, locations, businesses and organizations included in this work of love to the community of Ventura. Planning began in 2015 and it was unveiled earlier this year. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a visit. It’s just outside the mission on Main Street. What a great addition to city of Ventura and big thanks to the city and community members who made it happen.

View our ongoing series Thomas Fire Story projects every Friday at 6pm, get your election information on Channel 6 and get orientation and training class information on CAPSMedia.org. Get engaged, share your story on TV or Radio and become a member of CAPS Media Center.

Early in his career, when Jerry Dannenberg presided as President of the Escondido Teacher’s Association, he never imagined he would someday rise through the ranks to become a school district superintendent. He would like to take it a step further now by announcing his candidacy for the Ventura USD Board of Education, Area 4.

When asked why he would wish to jump from recent retirement to the school board, Dr. Dannenberg says “I am thrilled at the opportunity to serve the community that my family has lived in since 1986. Not only did this district employ me in several senior management positions but educated my children and now my grandchildren. I want to give back to the community that has been such a big part of our lives.”

He knows the distinct difference between being a superintendent and a board member and where the line is drawn. “I will not cross that line” he says. Jerry believes he has a lot to offer our local school board, most notably the experience gained in guiding the Hueneme School District nine years ago when the district went through a horrendous on-campus murder of a student at E.O. Green Middle School. Dr. Dannenberg recounts the shock and reality of what was to quickly become national news. “Within a day or two I felt it was very important to call the community together, meeting in the Hueneme HS auditorium. Along with the press, there were parents, community leaders and staff. That day marked the beginning of a long healing process.” Since then, Dr. Dannenberg has been a frequent speaker at community and education groups on lessons learned.

Because of the impact that event had on the district, a focus by Dr. Dannenberg on campus violence was launched. Last year Dr. Dannenberg was pleased to hear that E.O. Middle School received the 2017 GLSEN Respect Award in NYC for the school’s efforts to eradicate campus hatred and violence. “With this experience comes a responsibility to share what we learned. Bullying and hatred have become too much a part of our society. We must do more,” Jerry says.

In his quest for a seat on the school board, Dr. Dannenberg will focus on an aggressive approach to campus bullying, equitable learning opportunities, academic rigor, fully staffing school counselors and employee salaries to attract and retain the best.

The Ventura Community Partners Foundation announced it will host its inaugural “Fairways & Fiesta” event on Saturday, September 8. The event, which is expected to raise thousands for Ventura’s youth, will begin with a golf tournament at 3:30 pm at the Olivas Links Golf Course, located at 3750 Olivas Park Dr. The tournament will be followed by a 5:30 pm dinner event at the historic Olivas Adobe, located at 4200 Olivas Park Dr. Ticket prices are $65/golf tournament, $50/dinner or $100/golf and dinner. Proceeds will be used to support youth recreation scholarships, which provide scholarships to children from Ventura, whose families cannot afford activity fees. To purchase tickets visit http://www.venturafoundation.org or call 805-658-4775.

The event will feature a 9-hole scramble golf tournament at the naturally beautiful Olivas Links Golf Course, followed by dinner, live music by Sound Effect, and a silent auction at the Olivas Adobe. The Ventura Community Partners Foundation is an independent non-profit created to build community and enhance the livability of Ventura by developing and maintaining parks, recreation, and cultural opportunities through partnerships and sustainable, diverse funding.

Board President Kevin Clerici said, “This event provides a fun opportunity for our community to come together and better a child’s life by providing them with scholarships for art and music classes, after-school programs, swim programs, summer camps, youth sports and so much more.”

For more information visit http://www.venturafoundation.org, email [email protected] or call 805-658-4775.