Altrusa is an acronym.  Amity – Loyalty – Talent – Reciprocity – Unity – Service – Achievement.

Altrusa is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization where all their services, scholarships and fund-raising projects go to the local community.

Fundraising efforts include an annual luncheon and entertainment function; annual member brunch and donations from local businesses. Altrusa’s primary service projects include nursing scholarships at Ventura College and CSUCI, Family to Family, Books for Teens at Blanchard Community Library, Project Understanding Tutor Centers, West Park after school programs, Literacy, Cal-Vet Ventura Library and Khepera House.

Many of the people who benefit have families with young children. Many of the children in the programs Altrusa supports are underprivileged and their efforts make a difference in these children’s’ future successes.

Altrusa is a club first founded by Mamie L. Bass in Nashville Tennessee on April 11, 1917. This means Altrusa International is celebrating 100 years of service and Altrusa  of San Buenaventura is celebrating 69 years.

Altrusa International, Inc. has clubs in eight countries. The clubs in the United States are divided into 12 geographical districts. The Ventura club belongs to District 11.

Altrusa’s mission statement is”Our country is as great as we, it’s citizens make it. Therefore, we pledge our loyalty to its ideas and it’s endeavors for the welfare of mankind. We strive to fulfill our civic obligations.”

Altrusa offers to the business and professional people of the community an opportunity to touch each other’s lives and be broadened by an interchange of interests and by a sympathetic consideration of the viewpoints of others.

If you’d like to make a difference in your community and see what Altrusa is doing and how you can help attend a meeting. Business meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 11:30am at Main Street Steakhouse and Restaurant in Ventura. Dinner meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month, at 6pm. These locations vary.

For more information please contact Barbara Lindquist at 795-2704 or email her at [email protected].

Be sure to look for the ad in this issue for an upcoming Altrusa fundraiser on April 1st, featuring world renowned magician, Shawn McMaster!

Radio classes commence
by Elizabeth Rodeno

CAPS Media held a successful Radio KPPQ Membership Training earlier this month! It was a full studio and an excited group of 12 new radio members on March 1st and 2nd. Staff helped folks find their footing and their radio voice. The first session covers Membership Program Information and Preliminary Training and the second session is a Radio Presentation and Performance Practicum. Classes are being held every month at the CAPS Media Center for Member/Producers to learn how to host their own programs and share the information and stories the public are eager to hear.

Did you miss the St Patrick’s Day Parade? You can see our coverage of it, hosted by Tim O’Neil and Jerry Breiner and filmed by the CAPS staff and Interns, on our website (www.capsmedia.org), where you can find all our other great programs to stream anytime, day or night.

At the beginning of this month, CAPS Media completed a major upgrade of the Digital video studio to full HD capability.  The upgrade includes new cameras, pedestals, teleprompters, monitors and more in the studio and control room. We invite you to stop by and check out all the great new equipment!

Coming up in April we have our regularly scheduled classes. If you become a member this month, you can sign up for our April Orientation Class, happening Thursday, April 6th at 6:00 PM. We will also be offering HD Camera Class on Thursday, April 13th at 6:00 PM and Final Cut X Edit Class on Thursday, April 20th at 6:00 PM. These training classes for CAPS Media Member/Producers to learn how to operate video cameras, edit, run the studio and produce radio programs are scheduled on the CAPS Media website at http://www.capsmedia.org/events. Registration for all classes begins April 1st.

Looking for a place to hold a club or community meeting?  The CAPS Media Center conference room is available for nonprofit and other organizations to hold meetings for up to 30 people. We will include a tour of the CAPS Media Center. Another amazing perk? You’re surrounded by multimedia professionals when that pesky Powerpoint doesn’t work! Call us for availability and scheduling 658-0500.

As always, you can watch Channel 6 to hear what the public has to say and watch Channel 15 to experience the city’s vision to provide the best and clearest information for all. And now you can tune into KPPQ at 104.1 FM to hear some great radio! All programs are also available to the public via streaming service on our website. Go to www.capsmedia.org to see what our members are creating for you and sign up to be part of the story. A full year’s membership is just $25 for a TV membership and $75 for a TV and Radio membership. For more information, contact us at [email protected].

The Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation is holding its 44th Benefactors’ Ball on Saturday, April 22, with proceeds benefiting the new Community Memorial Hospital.

At this event, four notable individuals will be recognized with the prestigious Cephas Bard Award, named after the founder of the first Community Memorial Hospital. The Cephas Bard award honors those who enhance the reputation and quality of Community Memorial Hospital.

Awardees to be recognized at this event are  Community Leaders of the Year – Don and Bonnie Carlton, CMH Physician of the Year – Dr. Dominic J. Tedesco and  CMH Retired Physician of the Year – Dr. Siegfried O. Storz.

To begin the festivities to celebrate the opening of the new hospital, this year’s Benefactors’ Ball will be held “Under the Stars” at the new Community Memorial Hospital.

Tickets can be bought individually or by table of eight. Sponsorship package opportunities are also available. For ticket or sponsorship information, visit www.benefactorsball.org, or call the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation at 667-2881.

Both shoppers and California farmers are benefitting from the Market Match and the Cal-Fresh (SNAP) food programs offered by the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association (VCCFM).  Market Match is California’s healthy food incentive program, which uses grant dollars to match or double a portion of the customers’ federal nutrition assistance benefits, like Cal-Fresh (SNAP), for the exclusive purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at their certified farmers’ market.

The Market Match program is available at three Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Markets:  the Midtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market held on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pacific View Mall, the Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market held on Saturday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon held in the City Parking Lot, at Santa Clara & Palm Streets and the Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers’ Market held at The Oaks Shopping Center, east end parking lot at Wilbur Road and Thousand Oaks Blvd. from 1:30pm to 6:00pm.

The VCCFM received their first grant last year which will end in Spring 2017 and is applying for another grant which will begin in July to extend their Market Match program for two more years.  “This is a win-win for both our farmers and shoppers who benefit from this program,” stated Karen Schott, Operations Manager for the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association.  “We have seen over a 100% increase in program utilization since we started offering Market Match and we are delighted to join together in this public health partnership,” she continued.

According to VCCFM officials, Market Match has helped the VCCFM markets by alerting Cal-Fresh/SNAP recipients that they can utilize their benefits at a farmers’ market while providing greater affordability for their families with the added grant benefits.  VCCFM notes that California farmers are benefitting by the increasing market sales and the opportunity to introduce new customers to the benefits of purchasing fresh, local produce.  All Cal-Fresh/SNAP and Market Match benefits are administered through a token system available at the VCCFM Market Information Booths. The markets also accept the WIC (Women, Infants and Child) food programs at each of their locations, although there is not an established matching grant program for the WIC recipients at this time. “Expanding the WIC program will be our next goal in the process,” added Schott.

For more information on the Market Match Program or on the Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Market Association call 529-6266 or visit www.vccfarmersmarkets.com.

The Ventura County 2016-2017 Grand Jury has issued a report on the accreditation status of the Ventura County Medical Center.  At the Joint Commission’s last full survey in June, 2014 the hospital was approved for 3 years, the maximum allowed. Subsequent follow-up reports have demonstrated satisfactory performance.

The Grand Jury report commended the Ventura County Medical Center for its performance and dedication to improving the quality of patient care.

Ventura County Jewish Film Festival wound up its 14th annual  season this month with a screening of the award winning short  film “A Children’s Song” a  heartwarming story that delved into the history of Jews fleeing from Nazis at the outbreak of World War II, and settling in Shanghai.

Stars of the film showed up for a Q and A, included  actor comedian Lee Lawrence, ten year old ViviAnn Yee, and 11-year-old Adam Chernick, with Ventura Temple Beth Torah compere Ivor Davis.

by Jennifer Tipton

The Ventura Harbor has several top picks for dining out for my husband’s birthday we chose Brophy Bros. one of his favorites. Sunday, March 5th was my husband’s 60th birthday.

Part of the charm of Brophy’s is certainly the ambiance. You can choose to sit inside in a cozy booth or the  bar and enclosed outdoor patio both which have beautiful views of the harbor.

I reached out to Brophy’s several weeks ago to arrange a surprise birthday dinner. Kerry was amazing at communicating with me via email. She put a special menu together and offered suggestions for my vegan friends. Kerry wanted to be sure all food would come out at the same time for such a large group. A special table was set up for us out on the patio and there were heat lamps as the evening was a bit chilly.

Two servers split the table down the middle. The service was outstanding! The drinks kept coming, waters were refilled and bread baskets replaced (which wasn’t easy because the sourdough is super yummy and at least one friend is a “breadie” ).

Brophy Bros. is primarily a seafood restaurant however there are a variety of choices on the menu. My husband’s favorite is the shrimp and crab salad. Kerry added that to our custom menu.

Back to our party … yes, all the food came out at the same time. They did a plate of grilled veggies for our vegan friends. The servers knew who ordered what even though some of us were trading places at the table not in an effort to confuse them but to visit with those at the opposite end of the table. The servers kept up! A special shout out to one of our servers, Tyler. He presented the cake with candles lit and sang with us. Although it was more work for them, checks were separate as we requested.

Hard work must pay off because Kerry tells me Tyler is now the weekend manager Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Ventura County Community College District Veterans Resource Center Coordinators from Moorpark College, Oxnard College and Ventura College met with managers from California Lutheran University, California State University, Channel Islands, and National University to discuss best practices for helping student veterans achieve success.  Leading the discussion was VCCCD Trustee Larry Kennedy, Chancellor Bernard Luskin and Vice Chancellor of Educational Services Rick Post, all United States Navy veterans.  The meeting included all of the cooperating higher education institutions in Ventura County that have a veteran’s center.

The VCCCD is leading a state-wide effort to expand and improve veterans’ services on college campuses.  Kennedy, Co-Chair of the Community College League of California Veterans Caucus, shared the Caucus goal to increase the organization’s membership of individuals and institutions to advocate on behalf of veterans and encourage state and federal support in funding for counselors and other needed services for student veterans. “Things were different when I returned from Vietnam,” stated Kennedy.  “Today’s students need more than VFW halls. In addition to academic support, they need re-entry and transitioning support.  We would like to see a Veterans Resource Center on every community college campus in the state,” Kennedy added.

Chancellor Luskin and members of the Board of Trustees, including Chair Bernardo Perez and Trustee Stephen Blum, attended the Association of Community College Trustees National Legislative Summit in Washington, DC, Feb. 13-16  to connect the CCLC Veterans Caucus with ACCT and national legislative staff.  Meetings are scheduled with representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Senate and other legislators to address issues specific to student veterans.

“With an estimated 1.8 million veterans residing in California, the state’s veteran population is the largest in the nation. Many of the increasing number of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will look to one of the 113 community colleges as the most easily accessible and affordable educational options available. In fact, more than 61,000 veterans, and active duty service members, enrolled at a community college in 2013-14,” said Kennedy.

“The California Community Colleges are urging Congress to fund more counselors for veteran students and fund the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success in the Higher Education Act,” explained Chancellor Luskin.