Don’t forget the dates of Vote by Mail are October 8-October 30. There are Ballot drop boxes at County Government Center, City Clerk offices during their regular business hours, Clerk-Recorder East County Office at the Civic Arts Plaza, or any polling place on Election Day. You don’t even have to get out of your car. There is a drive-up box in the hall of Administration parking lot too. The County Administration is located at 800 South Victoria Avenue, L-1200. Ventura County has introduced a new program where you can text and register or confirm voter registration by texting “Ventura County” to 2VOTE (28683). You can register via mail or text by Oct 22. However, you can still register until Nov. 6 by coming to the County Clerk’s office.

As your local non-profit media membership organization CAPS Media and its staff are committed to providing the community clear and non-partisan information about the candidates and issues. Check the schedules found on our website, in the CAPS Media center and on social media for dates and times.

We have introduced and covered the entire slate of 26 candidates for the Ventura Unified School District, Ventura City Council and The Community College District races as well as the 11 propositions. With the new districting policy in place there are many more candidates for each race.

The ECTV students are so excited about volunteering to record the League of Women Voters forums that we had over twenty students past and present showed up. These students are field production savvy. The ECTV media program is highly sought after program in the educational community and we are proud of Phil Taggart who has been so instrumental in developing it.

The City of Ventura has announced the new city manager Alex McIntyre. We welcome him to our beautiful City of Ventura and look forward to seeing him at City Hall and at the CAPS Media Center.

Ventura County has quite a few places you can go for disaster preparedness and it’s important to review these regularly. The City of Ventura uses VC Alert to inform the community of emergencies and critical messages via calls, texts and email. Go to the City of Ventura’s website to sign up. More information on emergency preparedness can be found on the Ready Ventura County website.

Community Member engagement is CAPS Media Center mission. We are here to support members in creating an informed and educated community through electronic media. Both our television channels and radio are venues to share stories and ideas with the community. Become a member, take the Orientation, enroll in classes and create powerful and entertaining media to share with us.

Go to capsmedia.org for more information.

First 5 Ventura County announces new Pritzker Fellow Elizabeth Majestic of First 5 Ventura County selected for prestigious national fellowship program, hired as new Director of Place-Based Initiatives

The program aims to build a network of strong leaders nationwide who will lead community-based efforts focused on the first three years of life, when rapid periods of brain development are critical for a child’s later success.  Majestic will be responsible for helping First 5 Ventura County increase the availability of high-quality programs and services for infants and toddlers from birth to age three.

Majestic comes to First 5 Ventura County after a successful career at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.  During her tenure at CDC and HHS, she launched “Steps to a HealthierUS,” a national initiative focused on reducing obesity, diabetes, asthma, and tobacco use.

I am honored to be the Pritzker Fellow for First 5 Ventura County, said Majestic. “I am eager to dive into the innovative early childhood education programs that First 5 Ventura County has to offer for prenatal to three, from PACT classes, to community education campaigns for ensuring health and wellness.”

The Pritzker Fellows, with expertise across the fields of pediatric medicine, social work, child care and mental health services, were selected to lead their community’s unique efforts to advance policies and programs focused on increasing the availability of high-quality programs and services for infants and toddlers from birth to age three.

“Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience and expertise with efforts to increase effectiveness of programs, deepen collaboration and strategically address stakeholder engagement”, says First 5 Ventura County Executive Director Petra Puls.

Families are encouraged to learn more about the programs offered by First 5 Ventura County at www.first5Ventura.org.

Did you want to start holiday shopping early? Try some new and delicious foods? Or just buy someone (yourself?) a special treat, the Holiday Festival held at Seaside Park was a good place to be.

Arts and crafts, household items, candy, jewelry, you name it. Finding signs that said “New Artist” and seeing what they had to offer. One booth, for example, had messenger bags made out of horse feed sacks, sturdy and attractive.

Even some nonprofits were there. An exhibitor had beautiful original art and cards with elephants; they give a percentage of their profits to an elephant sanctuary.

Triad Properties, an affiliated non-profit management company of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura’s (HACSB), is hosting the 3rd Annual Haunted Housing Run/Walk to raise funds for the HACSB’s Scholarship Program. One hundred percent of the race proceeds will benefit the HACSB Scholarship Program, which is entering its fifth year of providing support to low income families working toward educational goals. The program provides six scholarships per year to HACSB’s low income residents and beneficiaries: three for students attending a four-year college/university, and three for students attending community college or technical/vocational school. Thanks to a generous Board member donation this year, all recipients of scholarships are also receiving laptop computers.

The Haunted Housing Run/Walk event will take place at the San Buenaventura State Beach on October 27, and consists of a 5k, 10k, and a FREE Kids Dash. The course is flat, making it runner, walker, and stroller friendly! Don your best costume and join us for an exciting run for a great cause!

The Ventura Police K9 Unit and its members are the 2018 Grand Marshals and will kick off our 5k/10k races.

5k/10k participants will receive a t-shirt and a finisher’s medal. Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each race and best costume. There will be a face painter, photo booth, jumper and more at the finish line. You don’t want to miss it!

The HACSB is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura, with 376 public housing units, more than 1,500 Section 8 vouchers, and over 450 non-profit affordable rental units. The agency is actively working to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve the quality of life for hundreds more of the low-income residents throughout the City of Ventura.

995 RIVERSIDE STREET, VENTURA, CALIFORNIA 93004 (805) 648-5008 FAX (805) 643-7984

TDD (805) 648-7351

The Ventura County Leadership Academy has elected new board officers. Serving for two year terms, the newly elected officers are:

President: Melissa Baffa (Cohort XVII) – Development Officer, Foundation & Corporate Relations, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Melissa is also an instructor with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Channel Islands and a Science Communication Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust.

Vice President: Tom Cohen, Esq. – Partner, Cohen Begun & Deck, LLP.

Tom is a director for the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and serves on the advisory board of KidSTREAM Children’s Museum. His leadership also includes serving as the Past Chair of: the United Way Ventura County.

Secretary: Rudy Gonzales (Class 2 & Cohort XXIV) – Government Relations Manager, So Cal Edison.

Rudy holds the unique distinction of being the first VCLA graduate to go through the program a second time; he is a member of the current cohort (XXIV). Rudy is very active in the community, also serving as a director for the Ventura County Economic Development Association and the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation.

Treasurer: Sharon Cromartie (Cohort XIX) – VP of Administration, Kids & Families Together overseeing Human Resources and Operations. Sharon also serves as a Steering Committee Member for the Nonprofit Leadership Council and as a volunteer for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation. She is a resident of Ventura.

In addition, VCLA welcomes three new board members, also serving for two years: Jennifer Caldwell (Cohort XXIII) –

Director of Marketing: FOOD Share A recent graduate of VCLA, Jennifer is the Chair of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group and a director for the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, where she chairs the Young Professionals Group and co-chairs the Non-Profit Committee.

Board Members:

Pattie Mullins (Cohort XIX) – CEO, Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties

Prior to being hired as the CEO of Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties, Pattie was the CEO of the Museum of Ventura County and the Vice-President of Program and Volunteer Services for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast.

Herb Gooch, Professor Emeritus – California Lutheran University

Herb retired from California Lutheran University in May of this year, but continues to hold an instructor position there and with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University,

The Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA), founded in 1994, delivers on its mission of connecting people and issues to strengthen our county by developing, educating and inspiring a diverse group of leaders who aspire to enhance the quality of life in Ventura County. The curriculum of the year-long Academy is delivered through ten full-day interactive sessions and exposes the cohort members to critical issues in the region as well as current leaders in their fields of expertise. VCLA infuses personal leadership development throughout the curriculum with the goal of ensuring that its graduates recognize that leadership is a relational process and that leading at any level within any organization is a choice one must intentionally make.

For more information about the Ventura County Leadership Academy please contact: Melissa Baffa 805- 665-3504 or email: [email protected].

Patricia Rodriguez was born and raised in Ventura a graduate of Ventura High School. At 51, she felt her life was heading in the wrong direction. She, stranded in an unhappy relationship knew that she needed to make some big changes.

Thanks to out-of-control eating habits that included fast food, sweet drinks and candy, her weight shot to 198. Heavily sweetened hot chocolate was an everyday must. She ate for comfort and to tamp down her dissatisfaction with her situation. Some days she didn’t have the energy to get up off the couch.

Patricia’s transformation began where the relationship with her fiancé ended. It was then she realized that she could use this life-changing event to put her on the right track and take her life back. The need to rid her body and her life of toxic aspects was of paramount importance. She began to make room for the things she loved—God and family, music, dancing, sunrises, sunsets, and good inspirational conversations with new and interesting people.

She wanted to look and feel great about herself, to live a life full of hope, to set new goals. When her sister asked her what she was giving up for Lent, it challenged Patricia to give something up, she asked her daughter for suggestions. She was already a nonsmoker and did not do drugs or alcohol, but the answer came back, “give up processed sugar,” Patricia panicked. “Not sugar!”

But in the end, she vowed that for 40 days she would eat only natural foods. She found recipes online: Breakfast was a green smoothie and one egg. Lunch, a mixed berry smoothie, and dinner was half a chicken breast and veggies. She was careful not to overeat, sharing meals when eating out, and taking home half or giving it to a homeless person. She measured, cut down bread and tortillas to no more than one serving a day. Instead of an entire PBJ to satisfy late-night cravings, a tablespoon of peanut butter did the trick. When she wanted hot chocolate, a couple of sips were enough.

Over time, Patricia’s eating habits changed. Walking became her exercise of choice, gradually increasing to six miles or more a day. Encouragement from others and self-motivation kept her on track through the end of Lent. Every day she told herself, “I can do this!” Extra inspiration was provided by her daughter’s upcoming wedding.

She refused to let small setbacks discourage her. A 2016 surgery kept her laid up for weeks and depression settled in, brought on by inactivity. But as the healing process began, with her arm in a sling, she returned to walking, steadily increasing the amount of time and distance, which helped her drop the extra weight she had picked up.

Now the owner of Patricia’s Home Care, she is an active member of the Ventura business-networking group, Coffee Connections, and they are helping to build her new business website. With her four children living nearby, in good health and feeling back in control of her life, a completely new world has opened up for this successful local business owner. Her new goals include continuing healthy eating and walking. “Friends and family stood by me during my life change in 2016,” said Patricia. “They witnessed my accomplishments. Some have even said I was their inspiration.”

The Rotary Club of Ventura South will host its 30th annual Trivia Challenge fundraiser in support of the Ventura County Library’s Adult Literacy Program on Wednesday, November 7. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Tower Club, 300 E. Esplanade Drive in Oxnard.

The popular event features a “Jeopardy-like” game in which teams of three people compete for trophies by answering a variety of questions on topics ranging from history to entertainment to sports and general trivia. Teams fall into four categories: Youth (under 25), Service Club (e.g., Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.), Business, and Community. Entry fees are $375 per team ($300 if paid before October 24) and $125 for individuals ($100 prior to October 24). Businesses and individuals are also encouraged to sponsor teams (in whole or in part) and will be recognized in the evening’s program. Spectators are welcome for $10. Hors d’oeuvre will be served, and cocktails and soft drinks will be available for purchase.

All proceeds from the event will support the Ventura County Library’s READ Program, which provides free one-on-one tutoring for adults who want to learn to read. The program also provides free books, special programs for dyslexic adults, computer-assisted instruction, second language reading instruction, and family literacy activities. Since 1984, the program has helped thousands of Ventura County adults achieve personal literacy goals such as passing GED tests, achieving U.S. citizenship, and gaining employment. READ has been recognized as one of the top community-based literacy programs in California.

Additional details and sign-up forms are available on the Rotary Club of Ventura South’s website: venturasouthrotary.org, or by calling Don MacDonald at 805-657-8194 or Marty Moss at 805-208-9292. Information on the Library’s READ program is available online at vencolibrary.org, or by calling 805-677-7160.

After a 2,800-mile voyage from Hawaii to California using traditional non-instrument navigation, solar and wind-powered Polynesian voyaging canoe Hikianalia and her crew sailed into Ventura County Coast on Oct. 6, and made stops in Ventura Harbor(Oct. 6-10), Channel Islands Harbor (Oct. 10-14) and the Channel Islands National Park – Santa Cruz Island (Oct. 14-16).

During the stops in Ventura County, the crew will host a crew presentation and dockside canoe tours, which will give the public an opportunity to learn about traditional Polynesian voyaging and the mission of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage.

After the one-week stop in Ventura County Coast, Hikianalia is scheduled to depart for Santa Cruz Island,

The Alahula Kai o Maleka Hikianalia California Voyage is a continuation of the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Mālama Honua campaign to inspire action toward an environmentally and culturally thriving world..

Because the West Coast of the United States was not part of the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, the Polynesian Voyaging Society and crew are looking forward to engaging with the California communities. While Hikanalia is sailing to California, Hōkūleʻa will remain in the Hawaiian Islands to complete the Mahalo, Hawaiʻi Sail.

Hikianalia, the wind- and solar-powered canoe built by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea is the sister vessel of the famed Hōkūleʻa. Hikianalia is the Hawaiian name for the star Spica, which rises together with Hōkūleʻa (Arcturus) in Hawaiʻi. sunlight to electric propulsive energy. With a zero carbon footprint, her design supports the “Mālama Honua” (care for Island Earth) mission.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in 1973 on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, seeking to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, one another, and their natural and cultural environments. For more information about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Worldwide Voyage, visit www.hokulea.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.