Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Cabrillo receives Bank of America Foundation Grant

Omar Madrigal, CEDC HomeOwnership Center Director; Heidi Reyes Education and Counseling Services Manager; and Margarita H. De Escontrias, Chief Executive Officer, receive a grant check from t Midge Campbell-Thomas, Bank of America’s Market Manager for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, along with Yeni Vazquez, CEDC HomeOwnership Counselor.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has awarded Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation a $12,000 grant to support Cabrillo’s HomeOwnership Center’s financial literacy and homeownership programs.

Omar Madrigal, CEDC HomeOwnership Center Director; Heidi Reyes Education and Counseling Services Manager and Margarita H. De Escontrias, Chief Executive Officer, received the grant check from Midge Campbell-Thomas, Bank of America’s Market Manager for Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, along with Yeni Vazquez, CEDC HomeOwnership Counselor.

The center offers foreclosure mitigation, pre- and post-purchase homebuyer education, and credit and counseling sessions to those interested in improving their economic situation. NeighborWorks certified and HUD-approved counselors provide all services in both Spanish and English.

“This grant will provide 400 low- to moderate-income families in Ventura County access to counseling services that will help them navigate the homeownership process,” said HomeOwnership Center Director, Omar Madrigal.

Madrigal said he is grateful for the support Bank of America and its commitment to the community and Cabrillo.

Vol. 10, No. 3 – Nov 8 – Nov 21, 2017 – Tech Today with Ken May

What’s new in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

After a little more than two years, Microsoft has finally settled into a rhythm with its new, fast-paced development for Windows 10.

What Microsoft’s marketers are calling the Fall Creators Update (officially version 1709) began arriving on desktop PCs on 10/18 via Windows Update and will soon be available for download at all the usual places. If you find an installer issue with the new updates There are articles out there could help with what to do such as: How to Fix an Installer related issue (0x80240009) in Windows OS.

This is the fourth feature update to Windows 10 in a little over two years. And that pace will continue, with new feature updates (essentially full upgrades) due on a predictable twice-yearly cadence going forward. As with previous feature updates, there are no last-minute surprises in this update. It’s been developed in the open, with dozens of preview releases to members of the Windows Insider Program.

Every Wi-Fi connection now has a prominent option to configure whether it’s part of a public or private network, as shown here. In previous versions, that option was difficult to locate.

Similarly, the venerable Task Manager has several small improvements, including options that allow you to track GPU activity on a per-application basis and more convenient grouping of related processes. This release also incorporates changes designed to improve the experience of running Windows on high-DPI displays; built-in utilities like Registry Editor and Snipping Tool are no longer blurry when moving between multiple displays running at different scaling factors.

The Power Throttling feature makes its debut in this release, offering a simple slider-based option that lets you tune Windows 10 for better battery life or better performance. The built-in Windows 10 apps also include major improvements in this release.

Windows Update has also evolved significantly in the two years since Windows 10’s initial release. When new updates are available, you’ll see an interactive toast notification that doesn’t interrupt whatever you’re doing now. In addition, the Windows Update display now offers detailed information about the status of individual updates, so you don’t have to wonder whether anything’s happening in the background.

The long list of improvements to the security architecture of Windows 10 starts with a momentous change. The horribly insecure SMBv1 protocol is being removed from clean installs of Windows 10. (The SMBv1 components will continue to be included on upgrades where they are already installed.)

The Windows Defender Security Center, which was introduced in an earlier feature update, has two major additions. The first is Exploit Protection, which offers many of the mitigations that were previously part of the separate Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET).

The Fall Creators Update also debuts an anti-ransomware feature called Controlled Folder Access, which is also available through the Windows Defender Security Center, under Virus & Threat Protection Settings. When this feature is enabled, only approved apps can access Windows system files and data folders. (You can customize the list of data folders and whitelist specific apps, using the instructions in this online documentation: Protect important folders with Controlled folder access.)

If your business needs help updating to this version, call Swift Chip at 1-866-326-2008.

Finally, there’s Windows Defender Application Guard, a security feature that uses Hyper-V virtualization to create sandboxed browser sessions using Microsoft Edge. For now, this feature is available only in Windows 10 Enterprise edition.

There are many other useful new features and updates as well, so this looks like a must-do free upgrade!

CAPS Media covering civic events

Anyone who lives, works or attends school in the city of Ventura may become a Member/Producer.

The CAPS Media crew recorded the City of Ventura Mayor’s Arts Awards at the Museum of Ventura County. The annual program honors outstanding contributions to the cultural community by city residents, artists, educators, organizations and business leaders. Mayor Erik Nasarenko recognized the 2017 recipients. The Mayor’s Arts Awards gala is airing on CAPS Media throughout the month.

CAPS Media produced a special video recognizing the Ventura Police Community Foundation’s “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign. Local citizens and businesses stepped-up to help fund the vital program to purchase lifesaving protective vests for police officers facing high-powered assaults in the field. The successful campaign provides for high-impact vests to be included in every patrol car and response vehicle. The CAPS Crew also covered the Coffee with a Cop event at Café Ficelle where Ventura police officers and residents met, mingled and shared a fine cup of coffee in an informal, friendly environment.

CAPS Media also produced a special video capturing the moving memorial service honoring Ventura County Fire Department’s fallen hero Captain Scott Osler who died in the line of duty. The service airs on CAPS Media Channel 15 throughout the month.

Representative districting is moving quickly in Ventura and every Ventura resident is encouraged to get involved in the determination of the district mapping for the city council representatives. Go to www.CityofVentura.CA.Gov/districtelections to get all the info on the process and how to add your suggestions for dividing the city into representative districts.

CAPS Radio, KPPQ 104.1 FM and CAPS Television (Channel 6 & 15) are streaming programming on the web 24×7. Now everyone in and outside of Ventura can enjoy the diversified programming on CAPS Media on cable, on the radio airwaves and streaming on the web. Go to capsmedia.org to see what’s on and get direct access to television and radio programming with the click of a button.

CAPS Media’s mission is to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media. Our goals are to Engage, Educate and Inform. This is a good time to explore becoming a CAPS Media Member/Producer. Orientation is held on the first Thursday of every month. HD videography/camera classes are on the 2nd Thursday, Final Cut postproduction editing classes are on the 3rd Thursday, and CAPS Radio (KPPQ, FM 104.1) holds classes on the 4th week. CAPS Media Member/Producers receive hands-on instruction in videography, video editing, radio production and more. All classes begin at 6pm at the CAPS Media Center. Once trained member/producers may check out CAPS Media’s video cameras and other production equipment and book postproduction editing suites to craft the program they want to share. Details of training and signups are at capsmedia.org/events.

Anyone who lives, works or attends school in the city of Ventura may become a Member/Producer. Annual membership fees are only $25 for an individual and $75 for a non-profit organization. CAPS Radio DJs require an additional annual fee of $50. For complete information go to capsmedia.org.

Ventura County Public Works Agency Disaster Simulation

The scenario allowed officials to gauge the effectiveness of county crews. Photo and article by Richard Lieberman

The annual Storm Day training conducted by the Ventura Public Works Agency took place on November 1 to prepare for a major disaster in Ventura County. The eighth annual Storm Day training was conducted at two sites, one in Ventura: The Dent Basin and in Simi Valley at Las Liajas Dam.

More than 200 personnel from Ventura County Public Works Agency departments participated in the event. Exercises were designed to simulate the effects of and earthquake and severe storm to two of the counties 56 dams. Karl Novak, Deputy Director of the Watershed Protection District led the efforts at Dent Basin. “Practice makes perfect.” He said.

The drills were aimed at coordinating and practicing to quickly shore up and limit water leaking from an effected dam. Using a technique of sandbag configurations called boils to constrain leaks and use of large tarps to stop any seepage or leaks.

The scenario allowed officials to gauge the effectiveness of county crews, and first responders to a real emergency. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services, along with VCPWA activated several sites including its emergency Field Operations Centers.

Specific goals of the exercise were test the involved agencies emergency response plans and evaluating the effectiveness of inter-agency procedures. The drill was designed to uncover areas needing improvement in emergency response plans.

School on Wheels staff member Ian Chan running 52 marathons in 2017 to raise awareness about homeless children

School on Wheels staff member Ian Chan is running 52 marathons in 2017 to raise awareness about homeless children. The Ventura Marathon was his 49th of the year and he came 55th out of 1008 runners with a personal best time of 3:15:18!

“Why am I running 52 marathons this year? Over 500,000 children experience homelessness in California each year; this campaign is about raising awareness and giving hope to a population all too forgotten and neglected. The hardest thing has been fitting the races into my busy year.”

Catherine Meek, Executive Director of School on Wheels said, “We are so proud of Ian and his amazing achievement of running a marathon every week. We hope people will support him in his goal of raising awareness about the staggering problem of homeless children in our communities.”

To help with his goals go to https://www.gofundme.com/ianchanrunning.

CMH presenting tingling seminar and “A Thanksgiving Program”.

Tingling and burning sensations in the hands and feet will be the focus of a free seminar Community Memorial Health System seminar.

This condition, known as peripheral neuropathy, affects an estimated 20 million people in the United States. Symptoms can range from numbness and tingling to burning, pricking and even muscle weakness.

At the seminar, Dr. Neda Heidari, who specializes in neurophysiology and neurology, will discuss ways to manage symptoms and help alleviate the discomfort. Dr. Heidari is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and an active member of the medical staff at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.

The seminar will begin at 6 p.m. on Nov. 8, in the eighth-floor Nichols Auditorium at Community Memorial Hospital, 147 N. Brent St.

Registration is free but reservations are required. To secure reservations, please visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

CMHS Hosts Free Thanksgiving Program on Nov. 16: “Stories of Life’s Joys & Challenges”

Donations of toys, food, diapers and toiletries also sought for Ventura County charities

How do we cope with the good and bad things we face in life? Everyone must overcome hardships like illness, natural disasters, job loss and the deaths of loved ones.

There are lessons to be learned about recovering and thriving after challenging experiences. At this time of year when people give thanks, Community Memorial Health System is sharing personal and inspiring stories that help teach others how to build resilience, strength and hope during trying times.

“Stories of Life’s Joys and Challenges: A Thanksgiving Program” is a free Ethics in Healthcare event and part of Community Memorial Health System’s 2017 Speaker Series. The program starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Museum of Ventura County. James Hornstein, M.D., CMHS Bioethics Committee Chair, will serve as moderator.

Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of toys, food, diapers and toiletries for three charity efforts: Ventura County’s FOOD Share food bank; Gabriel’s House, a transitional support organization for women and children; and the Ventura County Fire Department’s Spark of Love toy drive, which collects unwrapped toys for needy local children.

There will be raffles for prizes throughout the evening program, and those who make donations will receive reusable tote bags.

Registration is free but reservations are required. To secure reservations, please visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006. Program sponsors are KVTA radio, the Accountable Care Alliance of Ventura, SCAN and Ventura Care Partners Apc.

Vol. 10, No. 3 – Nov 8 – Nov 21, 2017 – Some Ventura library events

Avenue Library

Bilingual Early Literacy Class
11/ 13, 20, 27 Mondays 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm
Join us every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft & fun!

Crafternoon
11/11, 25
Saturdays 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Get your craft on in the afternoon for these special crafternoons.

SuperBrain Yoga
11/18 Saturday 10:00 — 12:00 pm
Attend this hands-on workshop to improve memory, achieve mental clarity, and gain emotional calmness.

Pumarosa English Classes
11/ 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29
Mondays & Wednesdays 9:00 am – 10:00 am & 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Learn English in a fun environment that combines conversation, singing, and technology

E.P. Foster

Twisted Stitchers Fiber Arts Club 11/9 Thursday @ 10:30am Get together with makers from all across the fiber-arts world. Meet, teach, connect, share.

Coffee & Conversations 11/20 Monday 9-10am This series covers a wide range of topics by local non-profits and social service agencies.

Early Literacy Class 1
1/ 14, 15, 21, 28, & 29
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!

Lego Play 11/11, 14, 18, 21, 25, & 28 Tuesdays @ 3pm & Saturdays @ 10:30am

Build, Learn, and Play! Bring your imagination and experiment with creative designs.

Makerspace Open Workshop 11/ 8, 15, & 29 Wednesdays @ 4-6 pm

Come by to learn, create, and share STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). We have 3D printers, computer coding, stop motion animation, and so much more!

Saticoy

Lego Play 11/13, 20, 27 Mondays 1:00 pm – 5:00pm

Build, Learn, and Play! Bring your imagination and experiment with creative designs.

Early Literacy Class 11/9, 16, 30 Thursdays 9:30 am – 10:30 am & 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Every week for stories, poems, music, movement, a simple craft & fun!
.

Monthly Maker Day 11/14 Tuesday 4:30 pm-5:30 pm
Join this design and 3D printer workshop.

English Classes 11/ 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29
Monday & Wednesday 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm. ESL Conversation Groups hosted by Laubach Literacy of Ventura County

SuperBrain Yoga 11/13 Monday 6:00 pm — 7:00 pm
Improve memory, achieve mental clarity, and gain emotional calmness.

Museum of Ventura County and California Resources Corporation host a “Moment of Gratitude”

The Museum of Ventura County and California Resources Corporation will host a “Moment of Gratitude,” 8:30–9:30 a.m., Nov. 9, at the Museum’s Smith Pavilion. The event is an opportunity for Executive Director Elena Brokaw to thank city and county officials and the community for their support throughout the Museum’s fiscal challenge, and to provide an update on the Museum’s progress to date. Also on the agenda will be the introduction and welcome to the newly-elected board of directors, and a special presentation from California Resources Corporation.

“The incredible support and commitment the Museum has received from community members, corporations, such as California Resources Corporation, and both city and county officials, has enabled us to avert a museum closure and develop a new path toward sustainability,” said Brokaw. “As we continue to plan for 2018, we want to pause and give thanks to everyone for recognizing the value the Museum brings to Ventura County.”

Brokaw reached out to city officials and Ventura County’s board of supervisors this past July to request public funding to help the Museum keep its doors open. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to give the Museum $155,000 for six months, with the direction of the money going toward helping assess the collection and determine what it will take to keep that maintained. The Ventura City Council approved $125,000 for six months.

In addition to the many popular exhibitions and quality programming provided by the Museum, the main museum campus in downtown Ventura and the agricultural museum in Santa Paula are the storehouses for a comprehensive collection of artifacts, photography and personal memorabilia documenting more than 150 years of the region’s history.

The Nov. 9 event is free to the public, however a reservation is required. Please visit http://bit.ly/2ynRSmR to reserve your spot. For additional information, please call 653-0323.

Rotary Club to host 29th Annual Trivia Challenge

The Rotary Club of Ventura South will host its 29th annual Trivia Challenge fundraiser in support of the Ventura County Library’s Adult Literacy Program on Wednesday, November 15. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Wedgewood Banquet Center, 5882 Olivas Park Dr.

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 Individual Just for Fun. Entry fees are $375 per team and $125 for individuals . 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.

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 657-8194 or Marty Moss 208-9292. Information on the Library’s READ program is available online at vencolibrary.org, or by calling 677-7160.

VMF Children’s Concert for VUSD

VMF brings the joy of music through unique education offerings. Photo by Michael Gordon

The Ventura Music Festival 2017 Children’s Concert for VUSD featured two wonderful programs: Sneetches, with playful music and the delightful Dr. Seuss text, and Saint-Saens’ fabulous Carnival of the Animals, accompanied by Ogden Nash’s much- loved text. It was presented on Oct.19 in the Ventura High School Auditorium.

VMF presented the versions developed for two pianos played by Jessie Chang and Bryan Verhoye of the San Diego Symphony. Lively narration was provided by the Festival’s Artistic Director, Nuvi Mehta, acclaimed violinist, conductor and music educator known for his engaging lectures and programs.

The Ventura Music Festival was founded in 1994 in response to a need identified by the City for a cultural festival. VMF’s mission is to bring diverse, world-class music to the community, provide opportunities for audiences and artists to come together and to enhance the joy of music through unique education offerings.

Educational outreach has been important from the beginning. The Festival’s centerpiece program is Music in the Schools, developed to meet California State music curriculum requirements for third, fourth and fifth grades, and to foster a love of music while enhancing behavioral, social and academic learning. Nuvi Mehta presents this curriculum to up to 3,000 children annually in VUSD schools.

Breeze photographer Michael Gordon exclaimed “As the auditorium filled while waiting for the program to start I was delightfully warmed by the sounds of chatter of so many voices at one time. After the program was in full swing, I wanted to take a few shots from an audience point of view and observed that while the kids were watching and fully absorbing the program there was a fascinating and movement of the audience in all directions from most every seat.”

“Have you ever been in an auditorium filled with 3rd graders? A great experience.”

Ventura Music Festival 648.3146 472 E. Santa Clara St. www.venturamusicfestival.org