GUEST COLUMNIST
by Rob Petrin

Pierpont residents in Ventura took a stand as a community, in an effort to reject a proposal by Verizon wireless to erect an RF ( Radio Frequency) cell transmission tower at the Marina Village shopping center directly behind Vons market. This is only 70ft from the nearest residence. The hearing was at city hall in February. The public took turns speaking, voicing concerns. Residents were very concerned about the health risks living directly in front of an RF transmitter or in close range to it. The best thing they could do in this situation would be to follow EMF Protection guidelines including things like wearing specially designed protective Clothing, but they wanted to avoid the situation altogether.

Turns out the only argument the city was allowed to consider from the public is appearance. The Verizon proposal was eventually rejected by the city based on aesthetics. Being taken back by this and even shocked, I decided to research what was behind this seemingly absurd ruling.

The CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) has managed to convince law makers to exclude health concerns of residents as an argument against cell tower placement. They have also introduced a law which cancels arguments against loss of property value in close proximity to cell towers.

Most of the current research on RF is being done with regards to cell phones themselves, the little siblings to the transmission towers. This comes as no surprise as there are somewhere in the area of 4 billion cellphone users around the world that could be affected if RF were not as safe as our government lets us believe.

The FCC states in their guidelines. “ there is no scientific evidence to date that proves wireless phone usage can lead to cancer or any variety of other health effects”. The FCC last updated its standards 20 years ago. They rely on agencies like the WHO (World Health Organization) for its standards, even though the WHO declared RF from cell phones as 2B ( possibly carcinogenic)?

I am not condoning the WHO either. Picking apart their 2B classification they set for cellphone RF is full of holes. They chose to ignore the critical data and rejected studies by one of the most knowledgeable scientists in the industry. Respected scientists from around the world are screaming out to the WHO and all other standard setting agencies to urgently review their position on RF safety.

Let’s face it, we all need and use our wireless devices, most all using RF communication. What I want and what I think most people want is to know what is really safe and what is not. It only makes sense to keep cell towers away from our homes and families until we can establish safe distances from their transmissions. With your cell phone you have a choice. Cell towers are not a choice.

Verizon has appealed the decision. Now we get to see how our community survives fighting with sticks and stones and against the cell industry armed with laws, lawyers and RF.

A delightful way to spend time with friends!  Grandes Dames High Tea Fundraiser & Auction on Tuesday, May 30, 11:30 am – 2 pm. Check-In  11 am.

At the beautiful Las Posas Country Club, 955 Fairway Drive,   Camarillo.

$75/person  includes luncheon, live entertainment, silent auction and prizes

RSVP to Lee Ann Luongo at 667.2912, ext. 249  or [email protected]

Join the family of Grandes Dames at the Rubicon! Attend festive quarterly luncheons, be treated to special sneak peeks of upcoming shows, be entertained by talented artists, and receive invitations to special events. Support Rubicon while having fun and making new friends!

Federal, state, city  and county officials were on hand as Harrison Industries celebrated its 85th anniversary. Harrison unveiled its state-of-the art compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station with 26 pumps at the company’s Saticoy yard.

Keynote speaker Bill Camarillo, CEO of Agromin, one of Harrison’s strategic partners, lauded the Harrisons for their efforts toward cleaner air. “We’ve come a long way but we still have a lot to do,” Camarillo said.

According to Mike Harrison, engineering manager for Harrison Industries, the CNG system includes two 250-horsepower compressor units that compress natural gas to over 3,500 pounds per square inch into CNG, as well as a computerized monitoring unit for its fueling stations.

Harrison Industries has long been working to reduce its impact on climate change by understanding its carbon footprint. In 2003 the company opened the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station in western Ventura County. Harrison has furthered its commitment to the environment by also adding 33 LNG-dedicated and 15 CNG-dedicated trucks to the fleet and three more on order.

by Jennifer Tipton

CIT, founded in the year 2000 is the Crisis Intervention Team for Ventura County Law Enforcement. CIT provides training to officers and communication operators who are often the first point of contact for the mentally ill on how to deal with people in crisis, how to recognize different types of mental illnesses and how to get the person the most appropriate help.

The training includes active listening, de-escalating a crisis and providing the appropriate community resources as needed. It is frequently used in domestic situations, dealing with troubled youth, elderly citizens and others.

The 4 goals of the CIT program regarding mental health concerns are:

1. De-escalate crisis situations
2. Reduce the use of force
3. Reduce the use of jail
4. Decrease the chances of the situation recurring

The Crisis Intervention Team is a collaborative effort between law enforcement, mental health, social services, the medical community and the local chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Per Ashley Bautista , VPD Civic Engagement Specialist “The goal of the CIT program is to provide Crisis Intervention training to 100% of Ventura Police Officers and Public Safety Dispatchers, currently 85% are trained.”

When calling 911 the caller should always inform law enforcement if the crisis is a mental health concern.

For more information visit www.venturacountyCIT.org.

Craig Whan and Robert Perry of the World Business Academy were guest presenters at the Ventura County Climate Hub on Thursday May 11 at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Ventura. They spoke about Community Choice Energy and the status of the technical study being done to prepare Ventura County and its ten cities to join.  They reported on the launch of Community Choice Energy by Los Angeles County and the success of the City of Lancaster and other new local utilities in California purchasing more renewable energy while achieving lower electricity rates.

The World Business Academy is offering help to cities to meet demand without construction of any new gas-fired power plants through rapid roll-out of Community Choice Energy and investments in distributed generation able to incorporate battery storage as they become affordable. Maps of the stations and distribution lines in South Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties showed how the demand from Santa Barbara is drawn from Ventura County and their current focus on helping those cities become more energy independent.

Participants discussed the Calpine application for a gas-fired peaker plant on Mission Rock Road near Santa Paula and the injustice of siting such a plant for export of electricity to other states. The presenters made it clear that energy generation everywhere must be localized and distributed near commercial centers. Ratepayers will otherwise be paying for a stranded asset that will be shut down before completing half of its full life. They said that Ventura County deserves planning with foresight to prioritize renewable energy and energy efficiency. Whan and Perry stressed the economic stimulus from localization of energy generation for local investments and jobs creation.

The Ventura County Climate Hub meets every second Thursday at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Ventura to learn and take action to support the transition from a fossil fuel to a renewable energy economy and contribute to a global draw down of atmospheric greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

World Business Academy Craig Whan, 892-4600, email [email protected].

Ventura County Climate Hub Jan Dietrick, 746-5365, email [email protected].

by Jennifer Tipton

Mental Health First Aid is funded through the Mental Health Services Act and Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), it is part of the “Early Intervention and Prevention” promoted by VCBH. Classes are at no cost to participants (a $170 value) and are taught by certified trainers that teach how to help someone with a mental health problem or at risk of suicide. Students are provided with the book, “Mental Health First Aid USA” that is packed full of information and tools that will help you to help others.

The course, hosted by the Ventura Police Department 3 times in the past 2 years, is 8 hours broken into two parts and covers depression, anxiety disorders, psychoses, substance use disorders, and eating disorders.

A national survey found that in one year 18.5% of American adults suffered from some type of mental disorder, this is equivalent to 43.8 million people, and of these, 18.1% were anxiety disorders. That’s nearly 20% of all Americans that struggle with some type of mental health issue. For many people with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, they will find coping strategies through using marijuana, and other drugs. As marijuana is believed to reduce stress and anxiety, many people find that using marijuana makes them feel much better and allows them to get on with their days. These people can take marijuana in various forms, however, most people will look to smoke it through using dab rigs. To see if marijuana helps you with your anxiety disorder, it might be worth visiting https://fatbuddhaglass.com/collections/dab-rigs to find a dab rig to see if marijuana has any impact on your disorder.

Mental Health First Aid teaches warning signs and symptoms, potential risk factors, local resources, support groups and includes a 5-step action plan on how to interact with those affected.

Unfortunately, there is a certain stigma and discrimination associated with mental health, you never hear of someone referred to as “the asthmatic” or “the cancer”, but we often hear someone referenced as “the manic depressive” or “the schizophrenic”. This type of labeling is disrespectful and creates a barrier to recovery.

Like so many things we are unfamiliar with, it is difficult (if not frightening) to know how to deal with these situations and individuals unless we educate ourselves, and that’s what Mental Health First Aid is designed to do.

Mary Ellen Collins, one of the instructors, reports that “Most walk into this class not knowing mental disorders are almost 90% treatable.” And goes on to say, “By the time they leave, they have learned the impact ONE caring person can make reaching out to someone in distress.”

For more information visit: www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org.

Although Project Understanding has recently undergone several organizational changes, including reducing staffing and program reevaluation, the 40-year-old nonprofit remains committed to serving the underserved and at-risk in the Ventura County community.

“We want to assure our donors as well as the community as a whole that all of our programs are still viable and actively serving local needs,” said Jann Huling, President of the Board of Directors.

Project Understanding continues to help move the homeless off the streets and into safe, permanent housing. Its Food Pantry serves over 1,200 people a month, and hundreds of children are being tutored every week at its tutoring centers.

Lately, the Tender Life program, which serves homeless pregnant women with safe housing and support services, has seen a significant drop in the number of clients. It is the Board’s responsibility to study the program as currently structured and determine if it still serves the needs of our community.

Major fundraising events like the Hope Worth Giving breakfast, held in March, and Starlight Supper Club, slated for this November, are still going strong.

Financial and donation support from the business community through events like these enables Project Understanding to help thousands of people each year.

Founded in 1977, Project Understanding provides hope by developing and directing resources for the purpose of transforming lives and community through justice, mercy and compassion. For 40 years, Project Understanding has been assisting people reach their highest attainable level of independence.

For more information on Project Understanding, please visit www.projectunderstanding.org.

Reaching back into the archives, CAREGIVERS (Volunteers Assisting the Elderly) team stumbled upon an interesting fact.  Volunteer John Baker, thought to have begun volunteering in 2007 after his retirement, actually came to CAREGIVERS as early as 1986.  Baker’s volunteer service to seniors spans more than 30 years, and that’s one of the first criteria CAREGIVERS reviews in making the Norm Weitzel Award.

“With all the talk about fake news, we wanted to set the record straight when it comes to John Baker,” said Executive Director Tammy Glenn.  “Previous articles about John had his start date in 2007, but that was after a relatively short hiatus he enjoyed in between serving seniors.  John Baker’s original file was started more than 30 years ago, and we’ve got the paper to prove it.”

Senior after senior, assignment after assignment, John’s volunteer file filled up with notes over the years.  “He is one of CAREGIVERS’ most trusted volunteers and a model of community service,” Tammy said.

Longevity is important, but it’s not the only criteria for the award.  The nomination of John Baker was forwarded by the CAREGIVERS Board of Directors to Norm Weitzel’s brothers at the Masonic Lodge of Ventura.  The Mason’s work closely to develop the award in Norm’s memory and were delighted to join CAREGIVERS in bestowing the honor which is now a centerpiece of CAREGIVERS’ Annual Evening of Gratitude, presented this year by SCAN Health Plan.

Norm Weitzel set a high bar, not only as a volunteer, but also as a donor. Doing good without self-advertising, influencing everyone towards right conduct.  Norm also was concerned about the sustainability of the organization which is why he worked with Jack Collings to establish the annual Wearin’ o’ the Green golf tournament, which is now lovingly known as the Norm Weitzel Open in his memory.

John Baker has clearly developed as a champion in the community.  While his volunteer time might not be visible to most, he is a humble representative exhibiting the fine qualities found in individuals who choose to spend their time as volunteers.

Interested in working with like-minded folks to make an investment in the community?  Give CAREGIVERS a call 658-8530 or visit their website at www.vccaregivers.org.

For two years artist Johanna Spinks painted the Face of Ventura with her wonderful portraits that appeared in the Ventura Breeze. As a Memorial Day tribute these are 6 of the sitters that we know of who have passed away.  When presented in the Breeze we asked each one what they loved about Ventura.

Howard Boroughs settled in Ventura from the Valley with his family looking for a more eclectic nature. They wanted to be close to the ocean and Ventura seemed like the ideal place. The Boroughs quickly loved their new home and became active in the community. Howard liked that there was an interest in the arts
in Ventura.

Tony Barrios enjoyed Ventura 100%. He enjoyed everything Ventura had to offer. Surfing, fishing, cycling, strolling along the promenade and pier just to name a few. Over the years Tony said the people of Ventura were so good to him. He felt truly blessed.

Jalopy Joe Moody came to Ventura in 1999 from Santa Barbara. He had a love for motorcycles and jalopies and opened up Jalopy Joes with his lifelong friend Brenda McDaniel. Joe loved the people of Ventura and was a friend to all. One of his favorite things to do was ride and see the wonderful sunsets Ventura had to offer.

Sandra Laby loved Ventura’s people, location and weather. She felt Ventura was such a relaxed place to raise a family. Sandra enjoyed watching the ocean, birds and boats. She loved that the people were kind and caring which gave her the feeling of a very small town. She loved it all.

Martha B. loved everything about Ventura. She felt very accepted here. Martha loved listening to jazz music and was amazed at all the talent in this town. She had the privilege of singing at various venues as well.

Glenn Dale Gooss settled in Ventura in 1939. He believed it was the residents of Ventura that made Ventura great. He felt the city had a lot of vitality and that it was very charming to visitors. Glenn loved the near perfect weather Ventura offered and the small town feel, in spite of its growth over the 80 years he had lived here.