In observance of the Labor Day holiday, the employees of E.J. Harrison & Sons will be taking the day off on Monday, Sept. 7, As a result, Ventura and Ojai residential customers will have their trash and recyclables or green waste collected one day later than usual during the week of Sept.7-11.
The regular schedule will resume the following week.
For more information, call 647-1414.
By Jill Forman
Five hundred and thirty-six dollars. Think about that amount; many folks spend that monthly on the payment for a nice car, or going out to eat every week, or spending a modest weekend away. Five hundred and thirty-six dollars.
For other families, that amount stands between them and homelessness. That is the average amount the Homeless Prevention Fund gives to families to keep them in their home. For some families it is as little as $200. Think about how close such families are to the edge of financial disaster at any time. Imagine living like that every day.
Our article in the Breeze generated over 10 calls, as more people became aware of the services offered. Desperate people, with maybe a “three day notice” saying, essentially, pay your back rent or lose your home. Due to lack of financial resources, the Fund was able to keep only 8 of these families housed. We referred the others to alternative sources in hopes they might be able to help.
What the article didn’t generate was donations. The Fund is 100% dependent on individual and faith community contributions. Six local congregations donate frequently and generously, but there are over 90 houses of worship in the city. The Fund is currently in the red, a frequent occurrence as there is so much need.
Keeping a person or family in their home is the most economical way to keep homelessness from spreading. Once the home is lost, it can take thousands of dollars to rehouse them: first and last month’s rent, security deposit, and other fees. And then many landlords won’t rent to them because they have an eviction on their record. So they end up in motels, or on the street. Those are not safe ways to live, and it ends up costing the taxpayers for law enforcement, 911 calls, ambulance transport and ER visits, and other services.
One of our donors, not a wealthy person, gave up his daily cup(s) of expensive coffee for Lent, and donated the amount saved to the Fund. And then just kept it as a monthly donation and keeps the fancy stuff for an occasional treat. Another one gives donations as wedding and baby gifts, feeling that a safer and more just world is the best gift a new couple or new baby can have. me.
Donations can be made at vhpf.net. Five dollars. Ten dollars a month. 100% of all contributions go directly to keeping people housed.
Five hundred and thirty-six dollars — often much less –keeps a family housed.
What about you? Will you help?
Eighty seven year old “Cotton” Rosser is the production manager for the rodeos held at the Fair Grounds. He is the owner of the Flying U Rodeo, the oldest rodeo company in the world and the major supplier of livestock to the PRCA Rodeo held as part of The Ventura County Fair. Cotton actively participates in rounding up the animals after each event. He is shown on his horse talking with fair children. By John Ferritto
The YMCA would like to thank Mike Regan from the Gwendelyn Sexton Foundation, Wood Claeyssens Foundation, David Staples from Staples Construction, Mica Beving of Beving Architecture, Jensen Design & Survey, Inc., and Hampton Fitness for their new facilty.
After a year and a half in planning, the Ventura Family YMCA will start building an outdoor multi-purpose Sports Court, with the second week of October as the anticipated completion date. This space will include 4,000 sq. ft. full-size basketball court, 1,700 sq. ft. outdoor workout area with Hampton Fitness equipment, and a 1,000 sq. ft. play space for their Children’s Corner. The area will be made complete with state-of the art synthetic flooring, which will allow group exercise classes, programs, and open hours so that everyone may enjoy their time outdoors.
Since 1887 the Ventura Family YMCA has been a leading non-profit in Ventura. The next step in the Y’s cause is the outdoor multi-purpose sports court. The Y’s Marketing Director, Alicia Cattoni, sums it up as stating, “This immense project is amazing because the Y listened to the needs of our community and said we hear you and this is what we’re doing about it.”
The Ventura Family YMCA is preparing for another session of free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at their facility. The classes run from September 12th through October 17th and coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month. The Y’s ESL classes are intended for beginner and intermediate participants. Child care is also provided on site and at no cost, while the classes are being taught by a certified ESL instructor, complete with educational booklets.
Brian Stevens, the Y’s Membership Director and Mayra DeLeon the Y’s Member Relations Coordinator, are both leading this initiative.
Brian states, “I wish more people knew about this program. I mean, it’s FREE!” He adds, “If transportation is a concern, we have two bus stops within a block of us and the main hub over at the Pacific View Mall.” Brian wants everyone in the community to know that we are here to help and that the Y is a resource to make these changes.
For more information about the Y’s ESL Program, please contact Mayra DeLeon by email at [email protected] or by calling 642.2131 ext. 12. To learn more about donating to the Y, please contact Executive Director, Amy Bailey Jurewicz by email at [email protected] or by calling 642.2131, ext. 24.
While in Denmark Marsha Moreland took time out to read the Breeze
Grandma thinks that her granddaughter Bella Pedevillano is pretty darn cute. She is practicing her surf moves on land. She is a California surfer girl. Do you have a grandkid that you think is even cuter? If so send their photo to [email protected]
The Ventura Friends of the Library are sponsoring a poster contest for the City of Ventura’s 150th Anniversary Celebration, April 2, 2016. The contest is open to all youths who live or go to school in the city of Ventura ages 6 to 18. Each child who enters a valid submission will receive a Ventura Friends of the Library Bookmark and have their work displayed at the 2016 Ventura County Fair.
The winning posters will artistically and colorfully illustrate the city of Ventura and promote the city’s 150th anniversary. They may represent any period in the city’s history.
Entrants must submit original, two-dimensional works of art created by themselves. Entries may not include lettering, clip art, copyrighted material or any registered trademark or logo. Do not include the city name, logo or lettering in the original artwork as it will be inserted in production.
Only one entry per person will be accepted. If the entrant is under 18 as of October 16, a parent or legal guardian must sign the entry form.
All entries must be submitted on 11-inch-wide by 17-inch-high paper—no newsprint. Entries received on a different size paper or in the wrong orientation will be disqualified.
The entrant’s name, address, phone number and age as of October 16, 2015 must be legibly written on the back of the poster. Entries must be hand carried to the E.P. Foster, Avenue or Saticoy Libraries during library hours.
Deadline for submissions is October 16, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted. A signed official entry form must be included.
A panel of five independent jurors will select the winners in three age groups: 6 to 9; 10 to 13, and 14 to 18. 1st Place Grand Prize $150. 1st Place runners up in the remaining two age groups $100, 2nd Place $75, 3rd Place $50.
For more information [email protected] and please type “Contest” in the subject line. To obtain an entry form www.sanbuenaventurafriendsofthelibrary.org.
Enjoying the tropical breezes while vacationing in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii. Marylin A. Galbreath of Ventura was sure to bring the Ventura Breeze to read.
Heroes, both dogs and fire fighters are training right around the corner.
On July 9, a milestone event at the National Training Center (Home of America’s Canine Disaster Search Teams) was held when the search teams deployed to Nepal were honored. The world looked on as TEAM USA joined first responders from around the world searching for survivors of the deadly Nepal earthquake. The Canine Disaster Search Teams who took part in the rescue operations are home now, already back in training for the next deployment.
The Search Dog Foundation (the nonprofit that trained six of these teams) is building a 125 acre National Training Center to give America’s Search Teams the advanced training needed for their most challenging deployments around the world and here at home. There will be a grand-opening next year.
The Center will be the first facility of its kind in the nation. A place where rescued dogs (yes, rescued dogs) become rescuers and where America’s Search Teams can practice on disaster simulation scenarios under the expert guidance of professional canine trainers. The setting is a beautiful rustic canyon located off of Foothill. The NTC will be a place where rescued dogs will learn to be rescuers and the dogs with their firefighter-handlers will get the advanced training they need for the most challenging deployments. It will be the only training facility in the U.S. dedicated solely to first responders and their canine partners who risk their lives to make sure no one is left behind in the wake of a disaster.
The “Disaster Training Zone” at the Center will include a simulated tornado stricken town, a collapsed freeway, a demolished hotel, huge rubble piles and a train wreck. Some of which are in construction.
The train cars were transported by rail from Fillmore to Santa Paula where they were lifted by cranes onto four trucks to bring the trains to the NTC. They were generously donated by Fillmore&Western Railroad.
They were then trucked from the bottom of the property to further up the canyon. Two cranes on either side of each truck lifted the trains and placed them in their final destination. At one spot on this very winding road the rear of a truck was actually lifted into the air to make the bend. Because the entrance to the facility was too small a neighbor gave the Foundation permission to build a road on an adjacent property to get the trains onto Foundation land.
On July 9th, the Petco Foundation announced a $2,500,000 “Pathway to Completion” Challenge Grant to help the Search Dog Foundation (SDF) build America’s first National Training Center. The 2.5 million donation takes the NTC campaign into its final phase of fundraising to be completed by the end of next year and will allow SDF to open the Training Center on September 24, 2016 during its 20th Anniversary year. The Petco Foundation Grant is the latest in a succession of generous gifts from SDF’s supporters , both companies and individuals across the nation who have donated a total of $23.5 million in support of the training Center project.
Besides honoring the six SDF trained search teams the Navy reservists, and Seabees who are helping to build the Center were honored as were the wonderful trainers that teach these dogs to overcome their fears in working in collapsing, burning and unstable buildings. And celebrated the delivery of the full-sized train cars that will be used as search “props.”
The campus is already a busy place. Sixteen search dog candidates (rescues dogs with the maniacal toy drive and extreme athleticism needed for disaster search) are training each day on the 10,000 sq. ft. Rubble Pile and in the expansive Covered Training Arena-learning the agility, direction control, obedience, and search skills they’ll need on deployments. They could be heard barking in the background. About 20% of the dogs are not accepted to the program. Your nice calm dog that doesn’t tear up the furniture would not be a good candidate.
The Search Dog foundation – National Train Center is located way up 6800 Wheeler Canyon Road in Santa Paula even though it seems to be Ventura.
See our Facebook for many more photos
After visiting their son and family in La Pine, Oregon Lynn and Thomas Pratt think that their 6-month old granddaughter, Orianthi Raylynn is as cute as they get. She is adorable, as you can see, with sparkling eyes and an incredible smile. She is one happy little girl and we are looking forward to our next visit! Her daddy lived in Ventura before relocating to Oregon.
Do you have a grandkid that you think is even cuter? If so send their photo to [email protected]
