by Jane Hanley Ventura Club 24, Secretary

Tucked away in a backroom at the China

Kitchen Restaurant in Ventura is a hidden gem. Ventura Toastmasters Club 24 meets (presently meets via zoom) every Monday evening at the China Kitchen, 4020 E. Main St, from 6-8pm (pre-pandemic). My first time visiting this group I knew this was my toastmaster’s club. I knew that this club was a place where I could work through fears of public speaking. Club 24 could help me expedite my personal growth. This group of people are a lively bunch, filled with encouraging words, support, and kindness. Feeling like I belong to a healthy family, this group met my needs to grow into a better speaker.

In 2019, we celebrated our 85th year of

being active. Can you imagine, the same club being around for

85 plus years. Ventura Toastmasters Club 24 is one of San Buenaventura’s finest heirlooms. When Covid hit, we continued to meet every Monday via

zoom. Over a year of zoom meetings and our club made, “President’s Distinguished Club”, this is an award that Toastmasters International recognizes as a club that represents high integrity. If you are looking for a place to grow in your speaking and leadership skills check us out, you can also look us up on Meetup or Facebook.

Toastmasters Mission Statement:The mission of a toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self confidence and personal growth.

Hi: I’m LouLou a 1-year-old Pyrenees/Shepard.
I’m a lucky dog because I was rescued from the Shelter Hope Pet Shop, Thousand Oaks.
I like to be petted, naps and digging holes (I get in trouble for this). The Breeze publisher is my grandpa.

The Board of Trustees of Ventura Land Trust elected a new leadership slate to start 2021. Retired Ventura city manager Mark Watkins will serve as Board President, backed by Vice President Jill Shaffer. Sylvia Schnopp steps into the role of treasurer and John Hankins continues as secretary.

Mark Watkins, a registered California Civil Engineer, has enjoyed a long career of public service working for the County of Kern as the Public Works Director, for the City of Thousand Oaks, and most recently as City Manager for the City of Ventura. Mark retired from the City of Ventura in 2017.

Watkins takes the helm months after Ventura Land Trust opened Harmon Canyon Preserve, a project 10 years in the making. The preserve, open daily to the public for free, offers over 2,100 acres of land to the public. More than eight miles of trails for hiking and biking wind through meadows and oak groves. The land is permanently designated for conservation. “We’re here for the long run. A land trust is forever and is a steward to the land,” says Watkins.

Executive Director Derek Poultney is grateful for Watkins’s expertise and guidance. “Now that Harmon Canyon Preserve is open and thousands of people are able to enjoy Ventura’s hillsides for the first time in generations, we have the opportunity to collaborate with the community in new ways. Mark’s leadership has been instrumental in connecting us with new partners and navigating our growth and development as an organization,” says Poultney.

Jill Shaffer has served as a nonprofit leader and development professional for the past 30 years. She currently is the Fund Development Director at the Ventura County Community Development Corporation. Sylvia Schnopp joined Ventura Land Trust’s board in 2019. She currently serves as REI’s Central Coast Corporate Market Coordinator, where she advocates for stewarding of the land using collaborative solutions.

Continuing board trustees are immediate past-president Don Wood, Steve Doll, Jermaine Jackson, Dennis Kulzer, Jane Montague, Ozzie Rios, and Scott Weiss.

Ventura Land Trust is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 2003 to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife, and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations. Its nature preserves are open free to the public from dawn to dusk daily. Go to www.venturalandtrust.org for more information about the organization and visiting its nature preserves. Ventura Land Trust is accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG), a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a world-class botanical garden and cultural landmark, announces the appointment of Derrick Wilson as the 2021 Board President.

Derrick Wilson’s background includes working in public services for the County of Santa Barbara and the County of Ventura respectively for nearly three decades. In his current role as a VC Public Works Agency manager, he oversees strategic planning and process improvement initiatives. Over the years, he has also worked as a caseworker, staff development trainer, and project manager. His background in administrative services, coupled with leading teams and projects, benefits the Ventura Botanical Gardens as the organization moves into Phase II planning. He joined the VBG board of directors in 2016 and most recently held the role of Vice President. He is the organization’s first black president.

“I am enthusiastic about the great potential the Gardens have attracting a broad range of visitors from all over the world. During the pandemic, VBG has provided a place for visitors to come that is both safe and beautiful. I am also proud to be a part of what this gem provides for the City of Ventura, for those who live and work here. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors and learn about nature,” states Derrick Wilson.

In addition to Mr. Wilson’s appointment, Isabel Callaway is continuing her role as VBG Vice President for 2021. She is a real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway and has served on the board since 2015. Other board members include Laurence Nicklin, Kevin Clerici, Terry Sommer, Tracy Long, Barbara Brown, Phil White, Kathy McGee, Sabrena Rodriguez, Joe Cahill, Lane Lopez, and Mary Kay Doubek.

Located at Grant Park in the City of Ventura, the Ventura Botanical Gardens’ goals include encouraging visitors to strengthen their connection to nature. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 5pm — closed on Mondays. Admission is $7— members are free, children 18 and under are free, and EBT cardholders are free. Fridays are also free. Leashed dogs are welcome on Wednesdays and Fridays. COVID protocols are in play. Masks are required for entrance and must be worn within 6 feet of others. During the pandemic, restrooms are closed.

For more information, visit www.VenturaBotanicalGardens.com. To stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the Gardens, join us on Facebook.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens is located at 567 S. Poli St. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to creating a botanical garden for the twenty-first century celebrating the Mediterranean climate regions. The setting is a world-class site with spectacular 360-degree views of the California coast, the Channel Islands and Ojai’s Topa Topa mountain range. VBG will continue to create new outdoor opportunities including training, research, and educational programs ranging from horticulture and botany to sustainability.

by Suzanne McCombs

Rarely do we think about the value of water. We turn on the faucet to fill a glass without considering everything that is required to bring safe, reliable water to our homes: 385 miles of water lines, 290 miles of sewer lines; nineteen pump stations, eleven lift stations, ten wells or all the treatment processes required. We hop in the shower without a thought about where the wastewater goes when it enters the drain or how it is cleaned before being released to the environment.

Ventura’s water and wastewater systems are vital to our community’s health and well-being and allow our local economy to thrive.

Approximately every five years, the City must evaluate water and wastewater rates to ensure rates that are fair for all City users and to generate sufficient revenue to maintain and operate our existing systems and invest in improvements and new facilities. The Water Commission plays a key role in this process on behalf of the residents of the City, working with City staff and outside consultants to consider key assumptions in the rate study and evaluating how proposed rates will affect our residents and businesses. Ultimately, City Council must decide on whether or not to proceed with rate increases based upon the analysis presented.

Results of the most recent rate study being finalized show that an annual rate increase of seven percent for water service and six percent for wastewater service is needed in each of the next five years to secure our water supply, replace and repair aging infrastructure, improve water quality, and meet legal and environmental regulations.

For an average homeowner, this increase will be a monthly increase of $7.76 on an average basis in each of the next five years.

While this may seem expensive, we have been fortunate that it has been more than three years since the last increase in water rates. Ventura rates are lower than the average in nearby communities and will continue to be even if the proposed increases are implemented.

We can no longer afford to defer critical investment to maintain our water and wastewater infrastructure, as it puts us at risk for loss of service and more expensive “repairs” in the future. Responsible investment now allows Ventura Water to address needed projects proactively, not reactively—and keep the cost of water affordable for current and future customers.

Setting rates is a lengthy process with a clear goal: keep rates fair while ensuring safe and reliable services. As a City we need to invest in the right solutions at the right time. The City is currently facing many challenges such as increasingly demanding environmental regulations, new legal mandates, aging infrastructure and vulnerable water sources.

In the next six years, Ventura Water has more than fifty water and wastewater improvement projects planned to address these challenges and requirements, including ambitious initiatives such as the State Water Interconnection Project and VenturaWaterPure Project.

Through the rate study, City staff and an experienced financial consultant, establish how to fund and finance capital improvement projects, routine maintenance and operational needs. Alternatives are presented to Water Commission for review and evaluation. We consider how to best meet the objectives of fair water rates for all customer classes, drought surcharges, and wastewater charges so that total projected revenue will recover costs.

Over the past year, the Water Commission has extensively reviewed and evaluated the data provided by City staff and the financial consultant. We believe that the current proposed rate increases are needed to meet our community’s needs to have safe, reliable drinking water and to responsibly clean and recycle its wastewater.

My colleagues and I have asked hard questions, explored various scenarios, and considered input from the public. We have carefully considered the impacts of rate increases on low-income residents, our business community, high and low water users; all while seeking solutions that are fair to all customers.

The Water Commission has worked diligently to make responsible policy recommendations. I hope you will join me in supporting necessary investments in our water and wastewater future.

Learn more about proposed rate changes at www.VenturaWaterRates.net.

by Richard Senate

Cats have been part of the Mission story from the days of the Spanish Padres. Mission San Fernando had little doors cut in the wooden doors so cats could move from one room to another to catch mice.  At Mission San Antonia de Padua, near King City, many cats call this place home.  One all black kitten lived their and unlike the others he would go into the church and listen to the Mass being sung.

The Franciscan Fathers fed the animal, but this stray seemed different, then, in 2007 they had a funeral for a young man who had lost his life in a tragic accident. The mother of the young man was in the front pew, crying, during the funeral Mass. The black cat sat next to her for a time, then jumped down and rushed past the priest and casket into the sacristy. In moments, the feline returned with a rosary in its mouth. He ran to the mother and presented the item to the woman, sat on her lap to comfort her. From that day on the cat was called Rosario.

Another cat, Sulla, an all-white cat became attached to the Mission San Juan Baptista a few years ago. Like Rosario he would attend Mass and at each service he would select one of the attendees   to give them comfort, they were always someone undergoing some personal pain. Some whispered that Sulla was an angelic agent of St. Francis. One burly man was selected by the cat. In his troubled and abused youth he had taken his rage out on small animals. In adulthood he regretted what he had done.  The cat sought him out and sat on his lap, driving him to tears. He saw it as a sign that he was forgiven for his awful  acts he did as a child and teenager.

San Buenaventura has it’s own cat stories, In the 19th Century, Fr. Francisco Uria had four cats as pets. He named them after saints; San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara and Santa Ines. They followed him where ever he went, they even dinned together, played together and slept with him at the old mission. Every visitor wrote of the priest with the pet cats, and many played with the felines. The felines  would stay at the church at Mass and follow him as he performed his many religious duties. At last the good padre went to his reward and the four cats attended his funeral. At the end of the funeral Mass, the four cats ran to the back of the church, they jumped up on the bell rope, digging in their claws and together their combined  weight, tolled the bell, for their fallen master.

Just in time for the holidays the Ojai Art Center Theater brings audiences a magical musical created with new cutting-edge technology sure to become a new holiday tradition. The World Premiere of Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist! The production streams through the holidays until January 31. Purchase tickets at https://ojaiact.org/estellascrooge. As special gift from Ojai ACT save $5 off tickets for the next three days by entering the discount code ESTELLA72.

The story follows Estella Scrooge, a modern-day Wall Street tycoon with a penchant for foreclosing. A hotelier in her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio defaulted on his mortgage and Estella fancies the idea of lowering the boom personally. Arriving at Harthouse on Christmas Eve, Estella discovers the defaulting party is her childhood friend Pip Nickleby (Duncan). A good and generous soul, Pip transformed the property into a refuge for the sick, dispossessed and homeless. A freak snowstorm forces Estella to take refuge. That night, just as it happened to her ancestor Ebenezer, she is haunted by three visitations…and oh, what uninvited houseguests they are!

A modern day take on Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, Estella Scrooge also wittily incorporates characters and plot lines from Dickens’ other great novels, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House, among others.

The production features a cast of 24 award-winning Broadway notables, and is the creation of John Caird, (the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director of Les Misérables and Nicholas Nickleby), and Tony Award nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice). Caird and Gordon also paired to create Daddy Long Legs, which played at numerous regional theatres throughout the country and in four countries before enjoying a successful Off-Broadway run where Caird received a Drama Desk.

It was originally developed over two holiday seasons at Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura (Karyl Lynn Burns and James O’Neil, Artistic Directors), with further development and support from Rhinebeck Writers’ Retreat.

Tickets are $29.99 for 72-hour viewing for each household, or $44.99 for a VIP Premium Theatre Experience, which includes unlimited viewings, a download of the CD and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. Once purchased, audience members receive a promo code for viewing which they enter, along with their e-mail address.

Hasan has a long history of being involved in the community. Since 1974, he has served in many nonprofit organizations in the county; he was the centennial president of the Ventura East Rotary, president of Ventura Trade Club, Consult-net and the Villa Seville HOA. He served on the boards of Tri County Easter Seals, Focus on the Masters, Ventura Youth Employment and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and as a committee member of Ventura Boys &Girls Club, Waterproofing Kids, and the Ventura Chamber of Commerce.

He was a judge at the Ventura County Science Fair, and California Migrant Education regional debate and speech tournament. Just this month, he served as a judge for college engineering of the University of Iowa virtual research open house. Hasan is the founder and instructor of free Longevity classes held in Ventura. He is a volunteer at Catholic Charities food distribution, and the Ventura County Fair. He currently serves as the vice president on the board of El Concilio FS, which serves the underserved community of farm workers and those in need of assistance for immigration and citizenship services. Hasan also serves on the board of the Ventura based environmental organization, Merito Foundation. All the local newspapers have published an article or two about his passion for contribution to the community.

Hasan is the principal engineer and owner of the civil and environmental firm Hasan Consultants in Ventura. He was an engineer with the Ventura Regional Sanitation District, and the utilities superintendent of the city of Oxnard. He earned two master’s degrees from the University of Iowa. He is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a leadership fellow of the American Public Works Association, and a distinguished life member of the American Water Works Association. Further information about his company is available at hasanconsultants.com. Hasan has taught water science classes at the Ventura community college.

Hasan is a co-founder of OceanForesters, Inc., with offices in Ventura. OceanForesters helps coastal communities build and manage their own flexible floating fishing reefs.  The complete ecosystem on the reefs restores ocean bounty and biodiversity. More information about the organization is available at OceanForesters.org. Previously, he served as the chief engineer and general manager of the bio-energy startup company, PODenergy. Here he helped develop theories for the reduction of global carbon dioxide via ocean afforestation.

Rotary International has honored him as a Paul Harris fellow. Hasan is a 46-year resident of Ventura.

The United Water Conservation District boundary encompasses Piru to Ventura Harbor along the Santa Clara River valley, and the Oxnard coastal plain. The cities of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Oxnard and Port Hueneme and the very eastern part of the city of Ventura are part of the District.

Community Memorial Health System is dedicated to providing the best screening and imaging technologies to all women in the community. Early detection and awareness of breast cancer saves lives. Call now to schedule your mammogram!

CMHS is proud to participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by offering low-cost breast imaging to all women who schedule a screening for the month of October at the Breast Center at the new Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura or at Ojai Valley Community Hospital.

During October at the Breast Center, Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is available for dense breast patients for $150. Automatic Whole Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) is FDA-approved and used in combination with mammography for those who have dense breast tissue. Also at the Breast Center in October, 3D Breast Tomosynthesis is available for $90. Digital tomosynthesis creates a 3-dimensional picture of the breast using X-rays and is the latest breast imaging technology approved by the FDA. At Ojai Valley Community Hospital during October, traditional 2D mammography is available for $65. (These discounted rates are the cash price paid at the time of service.)

To schedule a mammogram or screening, call the Breast Center at 805-948-5093 or call Ojai Valley Community Hospital at 805-640-2250. Visit the Breast Center at bc.cmhshealth.org to learn more about the services and screenings offered. The Breast Center is the first medical facility in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties to be a designated Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology. The Breast Center is located at 168 N. Brent St., suite 401 in Ventura.