Category Archives: Web Exclusive

Public invited to Ventura City Council’s Community Workshop on Homelessness, April 18

The City of Ventura City Council will hold a Community Workshop on Homelessness, Monday, April 18, 2016 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Island View Room of the Derby Club. The purpose of the workshop is to:

Provide education and promote community ownership and alignment about homelessness

Foster healthy, collaborative dialogue regarding homelessness in our community through cooperative multi-agency relationships

Provide a starting point for renewed multi-agency and community efforts to identify barriers and strategies toward ending homelessness

The community workshop – facilitated by consultant Ken Lee — is intended to be a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue among the many public and private social service agencies, faith-based, business groups, community advocates and public safety agencies that interface with each other and with the homeless and disenfranchised individuals on a daily basis.

Workshop attendees will participate in group exercises designed so all participants will have an active role working toward creative solutions and enhanced programs through cooperation and collaboration. Small, diverse groups will work together to identify the opportunities, challenges and barriers associated with homelessness.

Before attending the workshop, community members are encouraged to review homeless data and materials available on the City’s website at www.cityofventura.net/homelessservices.  The data includes service locations countywide and citywide, population counts, public safety calls for service, affordable housing inventory, zoning for emergency shelters, continuum of care funding, and articles regarding national best practices.

The workshop session will begin at 6:00 pm sharp – seating in the main room is limited, however there will be an overflow space immediately adjacent to the Island View Room.

For more information about the Community Workshop on Homelessness, contact Community Services Manager Peter Brown, 805-658-4707 or [email protected].

City of Ventura accepts the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1 – 30

Cities nationwide are participating in a nationwide contest to be named the “Most Water-Wise” city. Over 3,900 cities are expected to compete and Ventura has its eye on the prize!

In 2015, Ventura took second place for the top-ranked city in the 100,000 – 299,999 population standings.

El Niño has not delivered on its anticipated weather swings and little has changed regarding the status quo facing Southern California’s water supply problem. That’s part of the message behind the upcoming Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1-30, presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota.

The campaign, now in its fifth year, kicked off April 1, from the city of San Diego with a clarion call to mayors nationwide to use the power of their post to spread the word about the importance of water conservation.

Ventura Mayor Erik Nasarenko is calling on all Ventura residents to respond.

“I am joining mayors across the country in asking local residents to make a commitment to conserve water,” Nasarenko said. “Ventura is leading the way on water conservation and last year was the runner-up in the nationwide competition, finishing second to the City of Torrance. For the month of April 2016 and beyond, join me Venturans in this challenge, by continuing to reduce water usage and conserving our most precious resource.”

The annual competition rewards residents who take the pledge with a chance to win a Toyota Prius, home irrigation makeovers, environmentally friendly clean products, and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes.

Last year, mayors from 36 states encouraged residents to make over 390,000 pledges to promote drought resiliency, protect watersheds, and ultimately reduce stress on aging water infrastructure.

Ventura residents make their pledges online at www.mywaterpledge.com throughout the month of April. Cities with the highest percentage of residents that make pledges in their population category qualify for over $50,000 in prize drawings.

Answer the call and help Ventura be the most waterwise city in America. Simply go to www.mywaterpledge.com, and pledge either with your Facebook account or email address, and type in Ventura as your city.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/venturawater or www.cityofventura.net/water/mayorschallenge.

Free VA benefits and clean slate legal clinic for veterans

OneJustice’s Justice Bus® Project is partnering with the Public Counsel Law Center and Ventura County Library to provide a free VA benefits and clean slate legal clinic for veterans in Ventura. During the clinic, individuals with appointments will meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys one-hundred percent free of charge. Appointments are required! This clinic is being held in conjunction with the E.P. Foster Library to provide much needed legal assistance to our veterans and to enable them to learn about opportunities and available resources. At the clinic, volunteer attorneys will be available to assist veterans with VA benefits issues and criminal record clearance. Space is limited so call and make your appointment today!

The clinic will take place Wednesday, April 27,  from 1:00pm – 5:00pm at the E.P. Foster Library – Topping Room. To make an appointment for the clinic, please call  213-261-8931 .

Soroptimist  announces 85th Anniversary & Scholarship Awards Event

Soroptimist International (SI) of Ventura, a local service club for business and professional women with the goal of making a difference in the lives of women and girls, is celebrating its 85th year of serving the community of Ventura. The celebration will be held in conjunction with its annual scholarship awards.

April 16, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Pierpont Inn, 550 Sanjon Road
Cost: $30 per person

Soroptimist raise funds throughout the year for scholarship awards and to provide additional grants to local community organizations serving women and girls.

Ticket may be purchased online at www.soroptimistventura.eventbrite.com .

Firefighters respond to gas line rupture

On April 12, just before 9am, a private contractor was performing work on a driveway on Inspiration Way (just above Poli Street) when he inadvertently broke through a 2” main gas line that feeds 6 complexes with a backhoe. Firefighters arrived and evacuated a total of four homes and sheltered-in–place a total of 14 other homes. Ventura Police responded in addition to the Ventura Street department and closed Poli between Ann St. and Kalorama.

A specialized team from the Gas Company arrived and had to breach a new section of concrete in an attempt to gain access to the gas main from the supply side. Fire personnel shut all utilities down on the block and extended hose protection lines for fear of the gas source igniting.

The gas line was accessed and successfully shut down.

Ventura City Fire personnel respond to garage fire

On April 9, at 1:11pm, Ventura City Fire personnel responded to a reported garage fire in the 700 block of Alverstone Ave. The first arriving unit reported a fully involved garage extending into the attic above, unknown if occupants present. Due to a partial collapse of the ceiling inside the garage, attack crews were forced to delay their interior attack through the side access door, until the metal garage overhead door could be cut open by Support Company personnel using rotary saws.

image2A family dog was rescued by Fire personnel from the structure, and ultimately delivered unharmed to the residents who were located nearby. The entire contents of the garage, including a vehicle, were completely destroyed. While some smoke damage to the into the remainder of the structure could not be prevented, fire extension was successfully halted, thus saving the remainder of the occupant’s belongings. Thorough overhaul of the garage and attic was accomplished after removing debris and portions of the collapsed ceiling, ensuring that all smoldering and/or hidden fire was extinguished. The main portion of the residence remained tenable following completion of suppression operations, with the garage being yellow-tagged pending further evaluation. No civilian or Fire personnel injuries were reported at the time of this

release.

Ventura County – 15 More Beds Needed for Summer Program

Volunteer families are asked to host international exchange students, ages 14-17, who are scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in June/July for a four-week program. Little kids, big kids, no kids…our host families come in all shapes and sizes and include single persons and senior citizens, as well as married couples who are with or without children. Host families are asked to provide the student with room and board, transportation to and from the school site, as well as a loving family environment. Students are fully insured, proficient in English and come with their own spending money to cover personal expenses.

This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to learn about other countries and cultures without ever leaving your home. When you volunteer to host an international exchange student, your world comes alive for a young person from another country. By opening your door, you open a student’s eyes to the real America: real people, real experiences, and real life. At the same time, your generosity of spirit creates a positive view of the United States that crosses oceans—and lasts a lifetime.

What You Offer: You! Wonder if you have what it takes? All you need to do is be yourself. Time and again, our exchange students tell us that what they remember most are the little things. Family dinners, weekend outings, even nights around the television become special as you watch an international student absorb American culture moment-by- moment. Just by opening your home, you have the power to make everyday extraordinary for you, your family, and a student from abroad. To host your own student contact Heather at 805.766.0861 or [email protected].