Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Vol. 15, No. 22 – July 27 – Aug 9, 2022 – Community Events

Events by Ana Baker

If you have experienced the loss of a loved one due to suicide, do not hesitate to join our Survivors of Suicide Loss grief support group. Livingston’s Grief and Bereavement Program are committed to maintaining an open, accepting, confidential atmosphere. All free of charge. Survivors of Suicide Loss meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month from 6:30- 8 p.m. If you would like to register for a support group, please contact Stacia Sickle at 805-389-6870 x452 or at [email protected]. Visit www.LMVNA.org for more information.

The Ventura Senior Men’s Group meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion, on the first and third Tuesday each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcomed to stop in to sample our shenanigans.  Bob Likins at 805-587-1233 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.

Want to play Bridge?  Join us for ACBL sanctioned duplicate bridge games
every Tues., Wed., and Thurs. at 12:30 p.m.  Open to all levels of play and we
will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one.  Lessons are
available. Contact:  Richard 805-850-8011 or Rose 805-659-9223 or
[email protected]. All are welcome.

July 27:  The College Area Community Council’s zoom meeting will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. A representative from the Ventura Water Department will discuss the new water rate plan and city water projects. Council meetings include speakers and discussion on topics of neighborhood and community interest, including public safety and economic development.   An invitation and link is sent to everyone on the CACC mailing list.  Visit caccVentura.com to learn more, to be added to the mailing list or to access a link to the Zoom meeting.”

August 3, 17: Parent grief support group. The Compassionate Friends (TCF) of West Ventura County provides free grief support for families after the death of a child. Parents, grandparents and siblings over 16 are welcome to join us on the first and third Wednesdays of every month from 7-8:30 p.m. via ZOOM. First-time attendees join the call at 6:45 pm. We provide peer-led support where you can openly grieve without judgement. If interested, please contact (805) 835-9100 and leave your email address so we can forward the ZOOM link via email a few days before the scheduled call. For more information, visit TCFVentura.org. To speak with the TCF Chapter Leader in Ventura, contact Laura Lindsay at (914) 610-8918. We welcome you to this club no one ever wants to join. We understand grief and are here to help you take the next step in your healing journey.

August 3: BCNN will meet at the Ventura Yacht Club Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The speaker will be the Executive Director of the Ventura Botanical Gardens, Joseph Cahill, PH.D., J.D. He will be discussing the progress and exploration of the Ventura Botanical Gardens.” BCNN (Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers) is a social organization for women from Ventura, Oxnard and

Port Hueneme. Nonmembers are welcome to attend at no cost to get to know us and see if they are interested in our monthly coffee meetings and the many small group activities, we sponsor. On the web at www.BCNNwomensclub.org

August 7: Open house tours of the 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will take place on Sunday, from 1- 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood Streets (197 N. Ashwood) in Ventura. For information, please call (805) 642-3345 or visit the website at dudleyhouse.org.

August 9: The Ventura County Writers Club is hosting a free workshop at Pleasant Valley Parks and Rec Center, 1605 Burnley in Camarillo. Greg Elliot, television writer for Star Trek: Voyager, story editor for Savannah and Charmed will speak on Drilling Down on Dialogue: The mother lode. Learn: two things all dialogue must do; the trap of writing the way people talk; dialogue motivated by what characters want, not what you want; accents, idioms, and expressions, you know; and when writing less sounds right. Greg also wrote for the Disney Channel series In a Heartbeat. Call 805.300.1365 for more information.

New developments being proposed, approved or under construction in Ventura.

Pacific Wave – 1342 Thompson (corner of San Jon and Thompson). 3 story mixed use building with 8 residences. Project by long time resident replacing family owned business. Under Review July 27 at the Planning Commission.

Planning Commission – Planning Commissioners advise and recommend on the development and maintenance of general and specific plans. Advise and make recommendations on applications for zone changes, tract maps, subdivisions, variances, use permits, planned development permits, and related matters. Planning Commissioners are appointed from each of Ventura’s seven voting districts by their respective City Council members.

The following projects were reviewed by the Design Review Committee and the Planning Commission two to three times each between 2018 and 2021. All are entitled (approved). These projects utilized City planning resources and local residents’ involvement on many levels.

Laurel Courts – 1028 E Front Street. Mixed use consisting of 46 residential units and 6,552 sq ft feet of retail.

Thom-Cruz – 1926 Thompson (Thompson and Santa Cruz streets). 12-unit multifamily development.

For more information go to www.LivableVentura.com or access the city development map at www.cityofventura.ca.gov Permit Services “button” or Development Map Permit Services | Ventura, CA for projects Under Review, Scheduled for Hearing or Entitled (Approved) and Under Construction.

The Kalthom is a new 45-unit apartment building located at the corner of Kalorama and Thompson. It features huge outdoor deck areas with BBQ’s and ocean views. A clubhouse, fitness center and other amenities. The units rent from approximately $2,800 to $4,500 but there are only a few left to be rented.

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

by Mary Olson

Ventura County Library has announced this year’s selection for One County One Book.

One County One Book invites you to join your Ventura county community in exploring a common narrative.

This year’s title is Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen.

Taste Makers is Sen’s debut and was published in November of 2021. In it he explores America’s modern culinary history through the lives of seven pathbreaking chefs and food writers. The W.W. Norton description of the book asks, “Who’s really behind America’s appetite for foods from around the globe? This group biography from an electric new voice in food writing honors seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes.”

This year’s One County, One Book program is officially sponsored by the Ventura County Library Foundation. Copies of the book will be available to borrow from all Ventura County Library branches. Discussions and related events will run through the month of October.

One County, One Book culminates with a special author event with Mayukh Sen at 2 pm on Saturday, November 12, 2022 on the California State University, Channel Islands campus.

If any friends of the library were listening to the NPR program Fresh Air recently, they might have enjoyed a vicarious pat on the back. Fresh Air’s book critic, Maureen Corrigan, mentioned that, during a brief break in transit, the discovery of a wall of used books for sale near the checkout desk at a library saved her from being trapped and miserable for five plus hours on a plane.

Just a little reminder, that, even if you missed our sale on July 16 and our bookstore in E.P. Foster Library is not open, you can pick up an emergency read from such shelves of used books in E.P. Foster Library and Hill Road Library. The Friends of the Library regularly freshen up the books (for adults and children) on offer on those shelves. And, the money deposited in the box adds to our bottom line which turns into more programs and books at your local library.

Ventura Land Trust announces 13th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Ventura Land Trust’s annual benefit, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, returns for its 13th year on Saturday, August 20th at Ventura County Credit Union headquarters. This signature event raises funds each year to support Ventura Land Trust’s mission to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Film Festival doors open at 5:00 pm, and films begin around 7:45 pm. A virtual ticket option is available for guests who prefer to enjoy the Film Festival from home.

One of the largest environmental film festivals in North America, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival shares an urgent call to action, encouraging festival-goers to learn more about what they can do to save our threatened planet. For Ventura Land Trust, the festival fosters a deeper understanding of the connection we share with the planet and our role as stewards to keep it healthy.

Ventura Land Trust Executive Director Melissa Baffa is looking forward to the return of the family-friendly event. “The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is a fun gathering of like-minded, community- and Earth-centered individuals. My favorite part of the event every year is getting together with friends in a beautiful outdoor setting and enjoying the creative and inspiring art presented in the form of film, music, and tasty food and drink.”

Baffa also shared that the event raises vital operating funds for the land trust. “General operating funds are the lifeblood of a nonprofit organization. Everything about this event, from corporate sponsorship to ticket and beverage sales, helps raise those important funds for Ventura Land Trust.” Ventura Land Trust owns and manages the 2,123-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve in Ventura, and recently announced the permanent conservation of Mariano Rancho Preserve, 1,645 acres of land in the hills north of Ventura.

The 2022 film festival will feature nearly two hours of films, and food from local food trucks. New to the festival this year is another feature bound to raise even more money: a silent auction in addition to the festival’s traditional raffle.

Beer from Topa Topa Brewing Company, Rincon Brewery, and Ventura Coast Brewing Company will be available for sale, as well as wine. Live music from bands Fish Fry and The Vonettes will kick off the festivities. In the Ventura Vibe VIP Lounge, small bites from Himalaya Cuisine, Aloha Steakhouse, and Olive Branch Provisions, and others will be complemented by wine, beer, and a cocktail by Model Citizen.

A general admission film festival ticket is $40, with $5 children’s tickets available and teen’s tickets (13-17) available for $10. VIP tickets, which include special gift items and admission to the Ventura Vibe VIP Lounge, are $125. Visit www.venturalandtrust.org/wsff2022 for tickets.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Development Director Chris Chaleunrath at [email protected] for more information.

Auto Zone or Fire Zone?

Someone doesn’t like this building. On July 17, at 7:54pm, fire units were dispatched to a commercial structure fire at Katherine Dr. and Main St. Units arrived to find a growing fire in a vacant building which had sustained a prior significant fire on May 10, 2022. The building was previously operated as an auto parts store and has been boarded up with a security fence on the perimeter since the May 10th fire, Due to the unsafe status of the building, fire crews took a defensive posture while making an aggressive exterior attack on the fire. Fire crews thankfully prevented fire spread to other nearby buildings and homes. The fire originated in the interior of the building and the cause is determined to be suspicious and is currently under investigation in coordination with the May 10th cause investigation.

Rotary Club of Ventura Welcomes New Leader

Margi has worked as a sculptor, goldsmith, and wax carver.

The Rotary Club of Ventura has selected Margi Wray as club president for the 2022/2023 year. She follows Rob van Nieuwburg, under whose leadership the club sponsored many charitable and community events, including resumption of the popular Independence Day Family Picnic and Fireworks show, Coats for Kids, a free weekly optometry clinic, supporting a monarch butterfly habitat at Camp Arnaz, supporting the Navajo Water Project, youth activities, and more.

“We have a strong organization thanks to the work of long-standing club members, coupled with new energy and focus of our newer members,” said Margi. Her goals are to serve our community’s needs through corroboration within our club and other service organizations in the community, increase transparency through good communication, and key into members’ talents, expertise and passions to serve our community.

Margi has worked as a sculptor, goldsmith, and wax carver. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Illinois. She is not new to leadership. She served 21 years on the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board of Education, including four years as Board President. She says, “That experience will serve me well in goal setting, evaluation of performance and in community interaction.”

Having moved to the Ventura area only 3 years ago, she attributes her time in Rotary to rapidly making her feel at home in a new environment. “I have been instantly connected to so many people who have ‘Service above Self’ at the core of who they are,” she explains, “and it has made my transition to involvement and work in this community seamless. If you have ever wanted to be more involved in the community, we look forward to meeting you!”

The Rotary Club of Ventura celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. Its members include business leaders, nonprofit leaders and civic professionals who meet regularly and perform charity and community service in Ventura and throughout the world. It is part of Rotary International, which has more than 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs in 168 countries. People join the club for fellowship, friendship and to give back to our local community and the beyond. The Rotary Club is actively seeking new members. To learn more, visit https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2868/.

Ventura City Councilmember, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios announces candidacy for District 4 seat

Ventura City Councilmember, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios is formally announcing her candidacy for the Ventura City Council, District 4 seat. Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios resides in the city of Ventura with her husband of more than 25 years and their 2 children. She holds degrees in Public Administration, Women’s Studies, and Political Science from the California State University – Northridge (CSUN), University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), and Santa Monica Community College (SMC).

Vista del Mar Hospital welcomes new leaders

Vista del Mar Hospital welcomes Tiffany Bumpus and Marianne Barrinuevo to its leadership team. Bumpus has been appointed the Director of Human Resources, and Barrinuevo is the new Chief Nursing Officer.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tiffany and Marianne to the team. Tiffany has a comprehensive background in recruitment and staffing, benefits administration, employee and labor relations, and employment law compliance. Marianne has the unique experience of working for Vista del Mar early in her career and excelling as a clinician. They each bring a strong professional background and will be key players as we rebuild the hospital,” said Dan Powell, Chief Executive Officer of Vista del Mar Hospital. “They are both a natural fit for our Vista family, and I am pleased to have them on board.”

Tiffany Bumpus is a human resource professional with 20 years of progressive global experience working in the technology, healthcare, government, and private sectors. Before joining Vista del Mar Hospital, Bumpus served as the Benefits Administrator II at Vsolvit LLC. She has held many leadership positions, including Sales and Recruitment Manager for Ledgent Finance and Accounting in Woodland Hills; Staffing Account Manager for Corestaff Services in Ventura; Director of Human Resources for Clinicas Del Camino Real in Camarillo; and Human Resources Manager for Systems Applications & Technologies, Inc. in Oxnard. She holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from San Diego State University.

Marianne Barrinuevo brings Vista del Mar Hospital 25 years of clinical experience. She started her career at Camarillo State Hospital as a Licensed Psychiatric Technician. She then advanced to Vista del Mar Hospital in 1997, where she eventually became an RN Supervisor, Charge Nurse, and Medical Nurse within 11 years. Barrinuevo has held many leadership positions, including Chief Nursing Officer for College Hospital Cerritos; Director of Psychiatric Services for Southern California Hospital in Culver City; Vice President of Clinical Services for Horizon Health; Director of Nursing and Infection Preventionist for Santa Barbara County Behavioral Health; and Director of Clinical Services at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center/Behavior Health Center. She holds a Master’s of Science and Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from West Haven University.