Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

“As long as my family is together, we’re going to be good!”

Alexander and Olivia and Valentino and Teddy will return to Ventura.

by Jennifer Tipton

That’s what 10 ½ year old Alexander said. He and his twin sister Olivia were baking holiday cookies with their mom on the evening of December 4th at their home in Ondulando when “we heard the fire was coming”, said Alexander.

Alexander and Olivia are 5th graders at Poinsettia Elementary School where Alexander is the president of the student council and Olivia was just presented with the key to the City of Ventura after being recognized as the student demonstrating the greatest empathy.

The twins’ parents didn’t wait for the mandatory evacuation once the ash became thick and they saw the hammock in the pool swaying from the violent winds. “It was pretty scary seeing the smoke behind our house, it looked really far away but for safety and health issues, my dad said we should go to a hotel “, Olivia said. “I asked if we could bring our Christmas presents, but my dad said no because we’d just be gone a couple days”, she added. “We really didn’t think anything of it”, said their mom.

They did grab a few clothes, their 3-year-old Maltese poodle and 1-year-old Bichon poodle leaving all else behind including mom’s car in the driveway. When they did receive notice of the mandatory evacuation, “we didn’t want to turn back”, the kids reported. A neighbor later sent the family a picture via text message, “it looked completely different, our home was gone.”

Celebrating Christmas in Chicago with family and friends, as is tradition, the twins return with their parents January 3rd. Mom said, “we are definitely returning to Ventura, it is our home, we are part of the community and we love Ventura!” The family has found a place to rent in Oxnard for now so the kids can return to their own school. “It’s pretty sad about the things I left behind in my room, but I want to go back to school and see my friends”, Olivia told me. She added they have “like thirteen friends” that also lost their homes…

The family had just purchased their home on Via Ondulando last February and moved in April, 2017.

Voices of children

16 year old son Corey, 14 year old daughter Page and dad Danny Castro at toy drive. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

by Karen Leslie writer with heart

In unison, the voices of children were lifted up in a giddy melody sweet and true on December 20th at the 8th annual Castro Family and Ventura Police Community Foundation Toy Drive. In an atmosphere of togetherness, heartstrings were plucked during this holiday time celebration of spirit and giving held by the Castro’s.

From the moment this magical evening began, Dad Danny, son Corey and daughter Paige, knitted a warm blanket of love for friends and families of children in treatment for cancer. With the heartwarming common thread of family, they shared how the fabric of their lives changed in this inspiring story of how the foundation began.

At a young age Corey was diagnosed with a rare bone disease. As a patient in the hospital, he saw the toy box of presents at Christmas time was fairly empty. Corey and his sister Paige had the idea for a Christmas party for patients and their families. Corey asked to fill the toy box at the treatment center 9 years ago when he was 7. Even though everyday is a battle with pain and continued treatments, he pursues his personal passion with endurance and determination to see that the toy box in the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disease at VCMC (Ventura County Medical Center)is filled to overflowing. Corey’s legacy and dream of providing wrapped gifts so the patients are able to take a toy after their treatments, chemo, blood transfusions, IV meds, scans and birthdays still rings true today.

Corey shares, “We make dreams come true as a family”, Paige also shared, “It’s all about providing toys for the brothers and sisters of patients, also, after the fires, the toy box was empty and one week later it was filled.”

With the support of Corey’s devoted dad and sister, working side by side with many of the grace givers and community outreacher’s…like Ventura Police Department Civic Engagement specialist and beacon of light Ashley Bautista – energetic and heart-centered social worker Robyn Howard Anderson of the pediatric oncology clinic along with many individuals and families, gifts and stuffed animals were piled up to the rafters!

The happiness factor bubbled up as young elves piled up presents in the wide eyed little arms of each and every child while live music with Luis Villegas and trio filled everyone with Christmas cheer.

Sitting by the beautifully lit tree, listening to the wishes and dreams of children in their loving laps, dedicated 7 year volunteers , Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus watched each child’s eyes dance in delight and glow in wonder and awe. They share, “A most rewarding experience.”

Contributor for eight years police officer Alyse Quiroz said, “These children are in the battle of their lives and are happy to play a small role. They look forward to this every year.”

Leticia Nevares, mother of five, three of her children with Von Willebrand’s disease, “Appreciates the spirit of giving.”

Hector Garcia, father of Angel Garcia going on 10 years in treatment says, “He is happy being a part of something bigger than himself.”

Maria and Sergio Pulido hold their children closely.

Maria and Sergio Pulido, mother and father of two holds their children close with their son Ivan, age two, recently diagnosed with Leukemia. Sergio and Maria touchingly stated, “Even though our life is on a roller coaster ride, we pray for the best and hope that families with healthy kids enjoy them every moment.”

There were no tears tonight, only a hush of hope and gratitude that touched the child inside us all…the ultimate gift of love!

Back home to appreciate view

A few days after the house of Ron & Barbara D’Incau had burnt down, Ron went to Goodwill and bought two chairs and an umbrella so that they could sit and enjoy the beautiful Ventura sunset. He said, “That is one of the main reasons that we bought the house.” You will learn more about them in an upcoming issue.

CAPS Media documenting Thomas Fire stories

Everyone in our community celebrates the extraordinarily courageous efforts of thousands of fire fighters, law enforcement personnel and other first responders who have tirelessly battled the devastating Thomas Fire for weeks. At CAPS Media we are planning to document this once-in-a-lifetime tragedy by working with Ventura City Fire and Police departments, County Fire and Sheriff departments and other first responders to develop a multi-media documentary project that captures the remarkable stories of heroism, sacrifice, tragedy and healing surrounding the Thomas Fire.

The comprehensive Thomas Fire Stories project is a collaboration with the Museum of Ventura County, the San Buenaventura Conservancy, ECTV, other agencies and most importantly the public. Everyone in the community is encouraged to join us by sharing their personal stories. CAPS Media is dedicating extensive resources to the undertaking including staff professional expertise, equipment, studio facilities with distribution on television, radio and the internet. There are hundreds of individual and extraordinary Thomas Fire Stories to share, remember and celebrate.

Throughout next few months CAPS Media will record interviews with Thomas Fire first responders, officials, and the public impacted by the tragedy for inclusion in the documentary project and for broadcast on CAPS Television and Radio. We invite everyone to help us remember and document our common experience.

CAPS Media has set up an easy process for the public to share stories and media for the historic project. Simply go to the CAPS Media website homepage at www.capsmedia.org. Find the Thomas Fires Stories image, click on the Read More arrow in the lower right corner. The page presents more details on the project and step-by-step instructions on how to contribute photos, video and other media.

If you have a story to tell or a tribute or thank you to share, send an email to [email protected] or call the CAPS Media Center at 805.658.0500.

CAPS Media produced the first in an ongoing series of community updates from the Ventura Police Department. Hosted by Ashley Bautista, VPD Civic Engagement Specialist, the series includes weekly crime statistics, public awareness tips and other information vital to the community. The reports are posted on Ventura City and Police websites and social media, and air and stream on CAPS Channel 6 & 15 throughout the day and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.5 FM.

2017 has been a remarkable year. CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM took off in February and has rapidly become a wildly popular platform and voice for the public. The El Camino High School ECTV program continued to produce outstanding and award winning programming and develop highly skilled and talented media crews and storytellers. CAPS Media membership (both individual and agency) continued to increase and with it use of the extensive CAPS Media equipment, expertise and studios. Recently CAPS Media recorded, broadcast and streamed the Thomas Fire community meetings live on CAPS Channel 6 & 15 and on CAPS Radio – KPPQ 104.1. Throughout the year we recorded, broadcast and streamed live dozens of City Council, Community and VUSD Board meetings for the public.

Here’s to a 2018 that looks even more interesting and engaging with coverage of ongoing City and school meetings, City districting and resulting council member elections, ever-increasing member/producer training and productions for television and radio, local, state and national voter information programs in the summer and fall, and the Thomas Fire Story documentary project.

Friends set up their own distribution center

Friends and business owners, Camilo Stinson, Sky Sunner and Jon Ochoa wanted to volunteer at the Fairgrounds, but their assistance wasn’t needed, so they put together their own distribution center at the corner of Victoria and Telegraph Road in East Ventura. Music was playing, donations piled high and these generous guys were barbecuing around the clock. “Not everyone wants to go to the fairgrounds, some feel safer sleeping in their cars,” Camilo said. By Jennifer Tipton.

Vol. 11, No. 7 – Jan 3 – Jan 16, 2018 – Person to Person

by Jennifer Tipton

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Sara Omanovic
age 25
Owner of Ema’s Herbs
“Usually I try to focus on specific traits, 2017 was courage so I think 2018 should be resilience, resilience to overcome difficulties.”

 

Alton Gebhart
age 61
Crew Member at Trader Joes
“I made a resolution to do more photography gigs this year; we lost our studio in the fire, but that’s ok cause nobody rebounds like me, I’m a Cajun!”

 

Cathy Burke with daughter Renee
age 45
Cafeteria Manager
“I haven’t made any resolutions and I never have because I don’t like breaking them. It’s like when I say I’m gonna start dieting every other Friday!”

 

Cole Roop
age 19
works the front desk at Maverick’s
“I want to start flossing more…no really, do more cardio, get in heart healthy shape and shed a few pounds.” (writer’s note – Cole did not appear to have any pounds to shed)

 

Josh Grava
age 44
Vice President for a hydrographic survey equipment company
“I haven’t made any resolutions yet, we’re displaced from the fire. We didn’t lose our home, but we can’t go back yet. It’s been a challenging month and holiday season. It makes you realize the importance of family and friends to get through conflict. I guess a good resolution would be – to be more patient with my family, cause right now we’re all being tested with respect to tolerance and adaptation.”

Barbara Harvey
age 67
History Teacher at Buena High School
“My personal New Year’s resolution is to not get so stressed out, so how that translates to my own kids and my students, I’m not sure.”
I asked Barbara, “are you good at keeping your resolutions?” and she replied, “I am! I’m pretty focused – that’s how I get so stressed out!”

Dr. Sean Anderson to discuss impacts of Thomas Fire on wilderness and wildlife

On the evening of Thurs., Jan. 18, Ventura Land Trust (VLT) will host a community lecture entitled “No Doubting Thomas: The Impacts, Management, and World after the Thomas Fire” at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd. Beginning at 7 p.m., this first in VLT’s 2018 Environmental Speaker Series, will he led by Dr. Sean Anderson, Departmental Chair of the Environmental Science and Resource Management Program at of California State University Channel Islands.

Dr. Anderson, a highly-esteemed and broadly trained ecologist and conservation biologist with dual BAs from UCSB, a PhD from UCLA and Postdoctoral and Research Fellowships from Stanford University, will discuss how wilderness areas react to wildfires, the impacts of the Thomas Fire on local ecosystems and wildlife and what the public can do now to help restore the land, prevent erosion and flood damage, and encourage the return of native plants and animals.

Now in its third year, the Ventura Land Trust’s Environmental Speaker Series is one of many ways VLT works to educate the public about important environmental topics. The non-profit land trust’s Big Rock Preserve, where they lead free outdoor environmental field trips for local students and community groups, suffered significant damage in the Thomas Fire. In the coming months, they will host a series of volunteer habitat restoration and erosion control work days on the property with the first taking place on January 15, the Martin Luther King Holiday. Visit the VLT Events Page for more information: www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

A suggested donation of $10 per person will be collected at the door to go toward restoration work at the Ventura Land Trust’s Big Rock Preserve. Space is limited and reservations are highly encouraged. RSVP at: http://www.venturalandtrust.org/lecture_thomas_fire.

For more information about VLT’s Thomas Fire Restoration efforts, visit: www.venturalandtrust.org/thomas_fire_recovery or call the VLT office 643-8044.

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 600 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. The Ventura Land Trust’s offices are located in the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd, Ventura, CA 93003. For more information, visit www.venturalandtrust.org.

Ventura Libraries events

Avenue Library

Children & Family Events

Poetry Contest Reading
1/4 Thursday 7:30 pm
Join us for a reception and reading by the winners of our Poetry Contest.
E.P. Foster Library, Topping Room

Paul’s Prehistoric Storytime
1/20 Saturday @ 12pm
Meet Kevin the T-Rex & Paul from paulsprehistoricpark.com

Bilingual Early Literacy Class
1/8, 22, 29 Mondays 6-6:45 pm
Join us every week for stories, poems, music,
movement, a simple craft & fun!

Paws for Reading
1/20 Saturdays 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Paws for Reading is a reading program designed to help improve a child’s reading skills through reading aloud to therapy dogs.

Adult Classes & Events

SuperBrain Yoga
1/20 Saturday 10:00am — 12:00 pm
Facilitated by Ellen E. Morano. Attend this hands-on workshop to improve memory, achieve mental clarity, and gain emotional calmness.

Laubach Literacy English Classes
In the Meeting Room
1/8, 22, 29 Mondays 11am – 12pm

Pumarosa English Classes
In the Meeting Room
1/3, 8, 10, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31 Mondays & Wednesdays 9-10:30 am & 6-7pm

Learn English in a fun environment that combines conversation, singing, and technology.

E.P. Foster Library

Adult Programs & Special Events

Twisted Stitchers Fiber Arts Club
1/11 & 25 Thursday @ 10:30am
Get together with makers from all across the fiber-arts world. Meet, teach, connect, share.

Ongoing Events    

Chess Around the Corner
1/6, 13, 20, & 27 Saturdays @ 11am-4pm
Calling all chess players! Keep your skills sharp with this one-hour, drop-in session of free play.

Children’s Events

Early Literacy Class
1/2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, & 31
Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ 10:30am
A great way to introduce your child to early literacy and the library. Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft, and fun!

 Teen Happenings 

TAG Teen Advisory Group
1/2 &16 Tuesdays @ 5-6pm
Now is the time to join TAG, if you want to share ideas, meet new people and have a great time shaping the library teen program.

Hill Road Library

Children’s Events

Early Literacy Class
1/3, 10, 17, 24, & 31 Wednesdays @ 10:30am
A great way to introduce your child to early literacy and the library. Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft, and fun!

Saticoy Library

Children & Family Events

Early Literacy Class
1/11, 18, 25 Thursdays 9:30-10:30 am & 11 am- 12 pm
Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft & fun!

Maker Mentors
1/16, 23, 30 Tuesday 4-5:30 pm
Join us for this design and 3D printer workshop.

Adult Classes & Events

SuperBrain Yoga
1/22 Monday 5:30-7:30 pm
Facilitated by Ellen E. Morano
Attend this hands-on workshop to improve memory, achieve mental clarity, and gain emotional calmness.

English Classes
1/3, 8, 10, 17, 22, 24, 29, 31
Monday & Wednesday 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
ESL Conversation Groups hosted by Laubach Literacy of Ventura County

Another dynamic community event at Plaza Park

by Kathleen Shore, D.O.. Co-Founder of Justice for All VC

On Jan.20, at 10am Justice For All VC is hosting another dynamic community event at Plaza Park in Downtown Ventura. “Ventura County Rising” will bring us back together once the smoke has cleared and the ashes have settled. It will be a celebration of the first responders and community activists who have kept us safe and fed. It will be a time of healing. And it will be a political rally that addresses the environmental factors that allowed such a vicious fire to uproot our community.

The event aims to bring community members both awareness and inspired action items that can help heal the people of the county, can strengthen the stability of the state and especially the nation and earth. The gathering is about community action ~ building and rebuilding community – offering resources and tangible ‘calls to action’.

On a local level, the Thomas fire has affected everyone and we recognize that the conditions for this fire are connected to environmental practices that need to be addressed on a national and global level. The interconnectedness of the factors that caused the fire to reach in to the economic sphere, the political/rights sphere and the cultural sphere.

Last year we focused on assuring Ventura County that we were going to stand together against any political winds that might reverse decades of social progress. Justice For All has worked tirelessly on these fronts in the last year. Join us in continuing to make Ventura County the best place to live.