Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Explore nature with the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy at Family Fun Day

Paul Meehan, gives his kids Claire and John a lift at the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy’s Big Rock Nature Preserve. Photo by Kyle Sparks.

On Saturday, August 6, the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host Family Fun Day at their Big Rock Nature Preserve from 10 a.m. – 12. This free, family-friendly, open-to-the-public outdoor event will include nature-themed crafts, an environmental scavenger hunt and a biologist-led hike along the banks of the Ventura River.

“It has been several months since our generous volunteers helped us plant the 500 trees that are taking root at our Big Rock Preserve and we are eager to show off our work,” said Derek Poultney, VHC Executive Director.

Family Fun Day is appropriate for people of all ages but children must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees should wear long pants, sturdy closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and bring a water bottle. Please note that the trails at Big Rock Preserve are not stroller friendly. There is no cost to attend but reservations are strongly encouraged. To RSVP, visit www.venturahillsides.org and click on the Events tab.

VHC is seeking support for future outdoor educational programming. For more information, contact VHC Development Director, Adrienne Stephens at  643-8044 or [email protected].

 

Safe email practices-part one

by Ken May-Swift Chip

Why? Unsafe computing can corrupt your files, expose the contents of your internal drive to strangers, cause other computers to become compromised, and even allow your computer to be used by spammers to send millions of unsolicited emails.

Using safe email practices helps you:
Protect your inbox
Protect your computer
Protect your privacy
Protect your friends and neighbors

Here are recommendations you should follow to protect yourself when using email.

1.Screen messages before viewing them, and delete anything that appears suspicious. Carefully examine your list of unopened messages.

Do any of them come from people or addresses you don’t recognize? Do the subject lines have words with too many spaces, or long random numbers? Do they seem too good to be true, or somehow odd? If so, it’s probably best to just delete the message along with any attachments.

Wait! Don’t open that email yet…

If a message has attachments don’t open it unless you know the sender and are expecting the attachment. If you’re not sure what it is, contact the sender before opening the message and ask exactly what the message and attachment is.

Don’t be fooled by Dirty Tricks.

Most computer worms (a kind of malicious program) spread themselves via email by spoofing addresses found in the infected computer’s address book and sending copies of itself to other addresses in the address book, so it’s very likely that an infected message can appear to come from someone you know. Many of these messages will use vague or generic subject lines like “Re:     ” or “Hi.” Others will try to look like they come from a technical support service, or even from Microsoft. Be careful about opening these.

Always confirm a Wire Transfer.

An extremely common attack we are seeing is for an email to come in that appears to be from a user in the company. If the email address matches exactly, this is called “spoofing.” Also check to see if the domain name is slightly off. For instance, instead of “gmail.com” it says “gmaii.com.” These emails often request a wire transfer, and are targeting accountants and CFOs. Please verify with the person directly.

2. Open your messages, but beware the Next and Previous buttons.

Using the Next and Previous buttons to open and move from message to message is convenient but dangerous, especially if you don’t screen messages thoroughly, or if new messages come in while you’re reading other screened messages.

Ventura County Fair Poster Contest winners

Photo by John Ferritto
Photo by John Ferritto

A formal presentation was made to the Ventura County Fair Poster Contest winners at the Fair offices. The contest was open to County youth in grades 5 – 12.

Pictured are first place winner Madison Lomis, 16 years old  Ventura,  Barbara Quaid  CEO Ventura County Fairgrounds, second place winner Anna Sorensen, 12 years old  Simi Valley,  James Lockwood Fairgrounds Public Relations and Marketing Director and third place winner Carys Garvey, 13 years old Ventura.

The Contest was held in the spring and the winners were chosen from an entry pool of 38 works of art.  All of the Poster Contest entries will be displayed in the Youth Expo at the 2016 Ventura County Fair. All of the children who entered the contest received 2 tickets to the fair and will be invited to ride on a float in the Ventura County Fair Parade on Saturday, August 6.

 

 

New play equipment to be installed in various city parks this summer

stuff park insetThis summer will see new play equipment in many of our city parks. Many of our city play structures are very old (up to 30 years) and even dangerous for kids to play on, or don’t meet new State requirements that require soft rubberized areas under some equipment (monkey bars and jungle gyms for instance).  So some will be eliminated and not replaced because of the cost of installing “fall zones” under them. Plans to replace many of the structures has been in the works for 10 years. The new equipment has bright primary colors that appeal to little kids.

The total cost of the equipment and installation at the eight parks to be improved is approximately  $575,000.00. The contractor is playground specialist Dave Bang & Associates who was chosen through a competitive bidding process.

Photos of Arroyo Verde Park by Bernie Goldstein
Photos of Arroyo Verde Park by Bernie Goldstein

The parks that will be receiving new play equipment are Arroyo Verde Park, Juanamaria Park, Camino Real Park, Chumash Park, Marion Cannon Park, Blanche Reynolds Park and Belaire Linear Park.

Roy Brown’s H2O Repurpose utilizes wasted water from soft-water systems

stuff roy brownLocal Ventura resident Roy Brown has designed a system that saves water from private soft-water systems and sinks that can be stored and used for outdoor chores and filling of toilets. He stated “With a soft water unit you are literally flushing water down the drain. We have figured out a way to repurpose this water and save you water at the same time. We take back flush water from your soft water unit and send it to a reservoir which can be hooked up to your toilet system or used as irrigation water.” He calls his system H2O Repurpose. To learn more contact Roy at 805-766-3935 or [email protected].

Solarize Ventura pricing extended

The 100th Solarize Ventura customer, Cathy Mims-Keyser is very happy with her new solar installation.
The 100th Solarize Ventura customer, Cathy Mims-Keyser is very happy with her new solar installation.

The 100th household in Ventura “solarized” through The Solarize Ventura program this week. The discounted solar installation program offered in partnership with the City of Ventura and The Community Environmental Council has been extended through August 7th, providing the opportunity for more Ventura home owners to save money on their electric bills, and generate clean electricity on their roofs.

“With discounted, fixed pricing from vetted installers and free solar education through workshops and independent consultation, we are looking to make the whole process streamlined and easier on the customer,” explained Jefferson Litten, CEC’s Director of Energy Programs.

Solarize Ventura features two local solar installers, California Solar Electric and Coastal Solar, who are both offering special discounted pricing for Ventura residents. The firms were selected for Solarize Ventura after careful evaluation and vetting by a committee of local experts.

A large component of the Solarize Ventura Program is the education that the program provides for homeowners that are considering going solar. Cathy Mims-Keyser attended a Solarize workshop before purchasing her system and explained, “The workshop that the city of Ventura had convinced us to go ahead and do solar. We were impressed with what we learned that night.”

With the program extension, Solarize Ventura is offering one final free home-owner workshop to teach Ventura residents the ins and outs of going solar. Homeowners are invited to attend the final workshop on Thursday, July 21st at The Ventura City Hall Community Meeting Room. The workshop will address the benefits of solar energy, and experts will be available to answer solar pricing, financing, and equipment questions. Interested parties may also visit www.SolarizeVentura.org or call (805) 963- 0583 x 101.

Final Workshop Date:
Thursday, July 21, 2016
6:00 – 7:30pm
Ventura City Hall Community Meeting Room 501 Poli St

About the Community Environmental Council

Since 1970, the Community Environmental Council (CEC) has led the Central Coast region – and at times California and the nation – in creative solutions to some of the toughest environmental problems. Today CEC is focused on the climate, encouraging global change through local action with five initiatives: Drive Less, Choose Electric, Go Solar, Ditch Plastic, and Eat Local.

 

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Soroptimist International of Ventura installs officers and directors for 2016-2017 Club Year

Sherri Tarpchinoff Bennett, President Elect; Trevor Summerlin, 1 year Director; Kellye Edwards Patterson, Recording Secretary; Shirley Lorraine, Vice President (And Breeze contributing writer); Ann Hewitt, President; Kay Armstrong, Corresponding Secretary; Pamela Pecarich, Treasurer; Cindy Daly, 1 year Director. Not shown Cyndi Damron, 2 Year Director and Sandra Masiel, 2 Year Director.

The Soroptimist Club of Ventura installed new officers and directors in June.  The incoming President Ann Hewitt, thanked outgoing President Kay Armstrong for her service this past year. She welcomed the incoming officers and directors and expressed her appreciation for their willingness to serve. She announced a club theme for the year of “It starts with us!”

The installation of the new officers and directors was conducted by Sherry Cash, District 1 Director of the Camino Real Region of Soroptimist International.

Soroptimist International is a part of the world’s largest classified service organization for executive and professional women.  SI has more than 100,000 members in 1,500 clubs in 21 countries.  For more information about Soroptimist of Ventura go to www.soroptimistventura.org. To find out how you can become a member, please call Sandra Masiel at 278-3607 or email [email protected].

Safeguard the Central Coast

by Jack Dyer, Steve Dunwoody, and Graciela Cabellos

The Central Coast is one of the most treasured landscapes in California, and for good reason. Three distinct ecosystems— grassland, semi-desert, and redwood forest—join together here to host more than 470 animal species, including more than 90 that are at risk of extinction.  It’s one of the few places in the world where giant redwoods and desert species can be found growing next to one another. These extraordinary natural areas are one reason residents and visitors choose the Central Coast, and they are a magnet for business, recreation, and tourism.  Making sure these public lands continue to succeed requires a commitment from all of us.

People connect to our local wild places in different ways and for different reasons. Active duty military personnel at Port Hueneme all the way up to Vandenberg Air Force Base find respite and recreation in the Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Many more veterans have chosen to retire here because of the quality of life and opportunity for recovery from overseas deployments that are offered by having access to public lands.

At the same time, public lands are an underutilized recreational resource for the millions of Latinos that live in and around the Central Coast. The Latino population is the fastest growing demographic in the United States and among the most underrepresented groups in conservation. The great irony is that a strong conservation ethic has been ingrained in Latino cultura for generations. Local advocates are coming together to protect public lands and recreational access to ensure we have places for Latinos to be present, to share their voices, and to showcase their deep appreciation for our natural heritage.

In June, we traveled to Washington, DC to share these messages with our elected officials and voice our support for the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act, which would safeguard important areas in the Los Padres and the Carrizo Plain. In addition to protecting 245,500 acres of wilderness, the legislation would create two scenic areas encompassing 34,500 acres, safeguard 159 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and establish the 400-mile-long Condor National Recreation Trail.

We need to be good stewards of this shared natural resource, so our area will be a good place to live and work for generations to come. Keeping in mind, too, that protecting these public lands is good for our economy.

Outdoor recreation in California generates $85.4 billion in consumer spending, supports 732,000 jobs, and contributes $6.7 billion in state and local taxes, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. In 2011, visitors to the Los Padres National Forest contributed $24.1 million dollars to the regional economy.

The legislation Rep. Lois Capps and Sen. Barbara Boxer crafted is the product of years of discussion and negotiation involving business leaders, conservationists, elected officials, ranchers, mountain bikers, and other stakeholders interested in the use and well-being of these iconic lands. That is why our communities support the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act and urge Congress to take the steps necessary to pass it.

We thank Rep. Capps and Sen.Boxer for their leadership and urge them to make this legislation a priority for the remainder of the Congress. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and the rest of the California delegation can help by co-sponsoring the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act.  Safeguarding outstanding natural areas in the Central Coast is essential to our region’s economic health and an irreplaceable legacy for future generations.

Jack Dyer is a co-founder of Topa Topa Brewing Company in Ventura CA., Steve Dunwoody is California Director of the Vet Voice Foundation, and Graciela Cabello is National Director of Latino Outdoors.

Jack Dyer / Co-Founder