Applications accepted to August 1

The Ventura County Arts Council in partnership with CreativityWorks has launched the Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Grant program to provide financial help to artists who endured losses due to the Thomas Fire and debris flow. Applications are online at http://vcartscouncil.org/creative-community-thomas-fire-recovery-grants/, and will be accepted through August 1st. Awards will range from $250 to $2,500.

“All working artists who reside in Ventura County and whose creative careers were significantly impacted by the Thomas Fire or debris flow are eligible to apply,” said Tracy Hudak of CreativityWorks.

The grants, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council with additional support from the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation of Ojai, aim to hasten the recovery of working artists and creatives by investing in their work and connecting them with additional resources, Hudak said. Those who may want to make a tax-deductible contribution to the fund may do so at https://bit.ly/2LyVMii.

Working artist is defined as an individual working in any artistic discipline or creative industry, including visual, literary, performing, music, folk, media or applied arts traditions, including those artists who adapted their practice for teaching, nonprofit work, healthcare, government or commercial applications. A creative career is one that actively developed or professionalized an art form through producing, presenting, promoting, or selling work or through teaching an artistic practice at the time of the fire in Dec. of 2017. Significant impact, for grant purposes, may include loss or damage of home or studio space, loss of a body of work or supplies, loss of income or other economic losses, disruption of career, or other impact.

To further assist artists recover, there will be an Arts Response Forum, Sept. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation, 248 S. Montgomery, Unit A, in Ojai. Presented by CreativityWorks and the Long Term Disaster Recovery Group with support from the Arts Council and the Ventura County Community Foundation.

More information on the Making It forums, the grants and grant applications can be found on the Ventura County Arts Council website, http://vcartscouncil.org/creative-community-thomas-fire-recovery-grants/.

For nearly 20 years, the Ventura County Arts Council, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, has served Ventura County residents as the local arts agency designated by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to serve the county’s citizens in partnership with the California Arts Council. VCAC advocates for the arts and for increased arts instruction in schools, and fosters community development through the arts.

If that new baby bump is giving you a backache, you might want to think 

twice before breaking out the ibuprofen. During pregnancy, certain medications can be harmful to your baby and it’s important to be cautious about what you take. It may actually be important to continue certain prescription medicines during pregnancy, too. 

Learn more about the safety or danger of various medications in pregnancy at a free seminar that’s taking place on Wednesday, June 12. Called “Medications During Pregnancy: What’s Safe, What’s Not?” the seminar is hosted by Community Memorial Health System as part of its 2019 Speaker Series. The keynote speaker will be Dr. David Crownover, who received his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed an OB/GYN residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Crownover is board certified and a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The free seminar begins at 6 p.m. on June 12 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Oxnard, at 600 E. Esplanade Drive. For reservations, visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, the Centers for Family Health, and various outpatient centers serving communities located within Ventura County, California.

Molly Gallagher, Declan Feeney (Helen Yunker’s great nephew) and his mother Amy Feeney (niece of Helen Yunker) presenting the Music Scholarship.

The Ventura College Foundation presented scholarships to 140 students during its 32nd Annual Scholarship Awards luncheon and ceremony, Saturday, May 4 at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach.

Ventura College students received $326,529 in scholarship funds. Some earned multiple scholarships. “I’ve had the opportunity to observe and interact with hundreds of scholarship recipients,” says Dr. Ruth Hemming, the vice chair of the VC Foundation Board and the chair of the Scholarships & Grants committee.

Speaking at the luncheon was Ventura College student, Erick Pina, 31, winner of the Martinez y Ewens Anasazi Scholarship, and the Niamatullah SA and A-Ishah MA Memorial Scholarship. This is the second year that Pina has received scholarships for his high level of academic work.

Attending Ventura College has made a big impact on Pina’s life. Addiction to drugs had set him back. Once clean, he enrolled in Ventura College hoping to, at most, earn Cs in his classes. The now straight A student and a campus Circle Kiwanis International board member, Pina graduated this spring with a AA in sociology, and will have earned two more degrees in social behavioral science and in criminal justice next spring. He was selected to be a First Year Experience Peer Leader for Ventura College and a Ventura College Foundation Student Ambassador for the coming fall semester. “Being awarded the scholarships means someone out there believes in me,” says Pina. “Donors can see that I can truly overcome obstacles in my life.”

Honored in memoriam during the luncheon were endowed scholarship creators who have left a lasting legacy to the school. Honored were Helen Yunker, George Tillquist, Miriam Schwab, Michael A. Ewens and Frank Cavola.

Molly Gallagher, 20, was one of the recipients of the Helen Yunker Music Scholarship. Gallagher plays the viola. She aspires to be a professional musician and to teach the next generation of musicians. Yunker, who passed away in 2018, was passionate about music. Over almost three decades, Yunker awarded numerous scholarships and donated more than $945,000. Upon her passing, the VC Foundation received $2 million from her estate to establish endowments for the Ventura College Music Department and the Opera and Musical Theatre program.

Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation provides financial support to the students and the programs of Ventura College to facilitate student success and grow the impact and legacy of Ventura College as a vital community asset. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace; an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus east parking lot. For more information, contact Julie Harvey at (805) 289-6502 or [email protected] or visit www.VCgiving.org.

Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Foster VC Kids has been one of the most innovative initiatives in the state of California, serving predominantly as a recruitment tool in Ventura County. In addition to the successful Foster VC Kids Initiative, there are a plethora of valuable initiatives that support and provide for resource families and the youth they care for.

When the Businesses with Heart (BWH) Initiative began it was to provide discounts from local merchants for families entrusted with helping the resource families with needs for their children.  The resource families and now birth parents using “BWH Cards” have made the program one of the most beneficial for resource and biological families in Ventura County. By providing discounts on products and services, mentorship and job opportunities, resource families have access to support in order to empower and encourage the youth and children they care for.

What wasn’t realized was the impact the BWH Initiative, over 40 businesses strong, would have on other key elements for youth 18+ that have come through foster care during their lives.  Many of the BWH entrepreneurs – have begun to do much more for our Ventura County youth in care.  As the business owners have learned more about the need of the youth – they have additionally begun providing mentorship and even better, jobs!

Chipotle Mexican Grill, which had been around for over 25 years, has been pivotal in the success of youth in care in Ventura County.

Youth in care are at risk the minute they set out on their own and it is crucial that they receive the support and encouragement from their community. Within the first five years of being emancipated, more than 50% of youth in foster care become a statistic of unemployment. Without jobs, most of these youth become homeless, 40-50% to be exact! (2007) Our Children: Emancipating Foster Youth. Retrieved from http://www.thesoh.org/about-us/foster-youth-statistics-need/

Jaci Johnson, Program Coordinator/Resource Family Recruitment, Development & Support for Ventura County Children and Family Services said, “I think what makes our youth so resilient is that they always hang on to hope. They know there’s something bigger and better out there for themselves and they believe in themselves no matter how difficult it is, through their ups and their downs. You talk to these kids and they themselves are able to dig so deep into their inner strength and it’s just that hope, it’s never give up on themselves.”

Recognized as a best practice leader statewide in the family recruitment and support component of child welfare, Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Foster VC Kids was developed to increase the amount of loving resource families who are ready to take in children in need in Ventura County. This initiative provides resource families with ongoing support services, trauma-informed training, and mentorship to enhance the safety, permanency and well-being of Ventura County’s youth and families.  Learn how Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Foster VC Kids is making a difference throughout Ventura County, www.fostervckids.org.

Sustainability Now News
by Maryann Ridini Spencer (@MaryannRidiniSpencer)

The Ventura River watershed, made up of the Santa Ynez Mountains, chaparral, and the cities of Ojai and Ventura, is comprised of approximately 226 square miles with mountains and foothills ranging from 6,010 feet to sea level. Located within this watershed is the Ventura River, which flows about 16.2 miles from the confluence of Matilija Creek and North Fork Matilija Creek to the Ventura River Estuary at the Pacific Ocean.

For the community, the fact that more than half of the Ventura River watershed land area is undeveloped and protected terrain holds a special meaning for residents and visitors alike. The beautiful, wide open spaces and cherished vistas of this natural habitat afford people living in city neighborhoods a chance to connect to the native, rural environment.

In 1972, biologist Mark Capelli, who sought to restore the steelhead to the Ventura River, founded Friends of the Ventura River (“Friends”), an organization which has since evolved into a coalition of individuals, government entities and community groups who have joined together to protect and enhance the Ventura River watershed to ensure quality of life, recreational access and the future sustainability of the area. The group is comprised of non-profits, local, federal and state agencies, community groups, businesses, and individuals. It currently meets irregularly to share ideas, projects & discuss potential solutions to problematic issues.

Friend’s efforts to express the community’s appreciation for the River and surrounding land led to a National Park Service Technical grant from the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. The grant allowed Friends to develop a trail map and led to the formation of the Ventura River Parkway Trail (which includes the Ventura River Trail and the Ojai Valley Trail). On June 7, 2014, the trail was designated as a National Recreation Trail. (http://www.nrtdatabase.org/trailDetail.php?recordID=3866)

“The dedication, hands down, was one of our biggest accomplishments to date, and accompanied the cooperative efforts of the Ventura Land Trust, the City, and County of Ventura, the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, and others who worked diligently to remove trash and arundo from the Ventura River,” said Kathy Bremer, Secretary. “There are roughly a little over 1200 trails designated as national recreation trails. People love to walk, hike, cycle, and bird watch along the Parkway and adjacent land trust trails and research shows how essential it is for our overall health to have a place in nature where we can get-away and immerse ourselves for a time.”

Brainstorming within the community to discuss concerns and pool resources and contacts is another vital aspect of Friends.

“The Ventura River Parkway has long had a problem with trash and human waste,” said Bremer. “So, when our group meets, we tackle issues like this, and we work together about what we can do to remedy issues that impact on our water quality. We essentially come together share information, find out who’s doing what, what concerns there are, and we work to find solutions together.”

Since its founding, community leaders such as Patagonia’s Founder Yvon Chouinard got involved, and today, Friends of the Ventura River also partners with organizations like the Ventura Land Trust, California State Parks, Surfrider, the Sierra Club, SOAR, Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, Ventura Watershed Council, Wishtoyo Foundation, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, and other organizations (full list is available at friendsofventurariver.org).

Through the Friends of the Ventura River quarterly newsletter, community news and information is distributed alerting the public about a myriad of activities including River and Beach Clean-ups, water happenings and events, watershed studies, city initiatives and programs, and more.

“We encourage the public to get involved with our mission and to sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on work in the watershed, community meetings, events & volunteer opportunities. Every individual makes a difference when it comes to ensuring the longevity and sustainability of the natural areas surrounding our beautiful community,” said Bremer.

To view a Ventura River Parkway map, join the mailing list, and find out about upcoming community events, Visit: http://friendsofventurariver.org.

Part of the mission water system for Mission San Buenaventura was the settling tank or receiving reservoir from which water was distributed to the church and to the few Spanish families who lived near the mission.

Easy to get to and a wonderful walk. Walking downtown it is easy to pass by Valdez Alley/Eastwood Park and to just keep walking but you are missing a wonderful experience by not entering it. It is right next to the Albinger Museum. Valdez is beautiful as you traverse its many stairs (difficult for some). Surprises await you as you take the walk to the top. The next time don’t just walk by it take the journey and see the settling tank.

Hi: I’m Tommy a 12 1/2 year old Shepherd mix in need of a new home. Although my mom loves me very much, she had to move and could not take me too. I know there will be people who say I’m too old, but I’m not. I still have lots of love to give to my special someone.

I’m always happy and I’m a favorite of volunteers and staff. I’m still active and I love going for walks. I do well in playgroups at the kennel with the other dogs, but I prefer females to the males. If you have a dog in your home, please bring her/him along so we can do a meet and greet. I’m in a foster home and live with a cat. I’m good with children and I’m housetrained. My happy go lucky spirit lights up everyone’s day. I could do the same for you too. I hope you’ll give me a chance and come to meet me. Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L.CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.

Harley is one of our favorite dogs! Everyone loves him because he is so playful, sweet and  engaging and a big strong boy looking for a family that will play and love him for his great personality He is very playful and friendly. Loves playing fetch with a ball or tug toy and loves his tummy rubs in between playing fetch. He is responsive to training and loves to please. Ventura County Animal Services – Ventura location -600 Aviation Drive Harley A591221

Have I been hacked?

Just like driving a car, sooner or later you may have an accident no matter how secure you are. Below are clues to help figure out if you have been hacked and, if so, what to do. The sooner you identify something bad has happened, the more likely you can fix the problem.

Clues You Have Been Hacked

• Your anti-virus program generates an alert that your system is infected. Make sure it is your anti-virus software generating the alert, and not a pop-up window from a website trying to fool you into calling a number or installing something else. Not sure? Open your anti-virus program.
• You get a pop-up window saying your computer has been encrypted and you have to pay a ransom to get your files back.
• Your browser is taking you to all sorts of websites that you did not want to go to.
• Your computer or applications are constantly crashing or there are icons for unknown apps or strange windows popping up.
• Your password no longer works even though you know it is correct.
• Friends ask you why you are spamming them with emails that you know you never sent.
• There are charges to your credit card or withdrawals from your bank account you never made.

How to Respond

• If you suspect you have been hacked, the sooner you act the better. If the hack is work related, do not try to fix the problem yourself; instead, report it immediately. If it is a personal system or account that has been hacked, here are some steps you can take:
• Change Your Passwords: This includes not only changing the passwords on your computers and mobile devices, but for your online accounts. Do not use the hacked computer to change your passwords; use a different system that you know is secure. If you have a lot of accounts, start with the most important ones first. Can’t keep track of all your passwords? Use a password manager.
• Financial: For issues with your credit card or any financial accounts, call your bank or credit card company right away. Use a trusted phone number to call them, such as from the back of your bank card, your financial statements, or visit their website from a trusted computer. In addition, consider putting a credit freeze on your credit files.
• Anti-virus: If your anti-virus software informs you of an infected file, follow the actions it recommends. Most anti-virus software will have links you can follow to learn more about the specific infection.
• Reinstalling: If you are unable to fix an infected computer or you want to be surer your system is safe, reinstall the operating system. Do not reinstall from backups; instead, backups should only be used for recovering your personal files. If you feel uncomfortable rebuilding, consider using a professional service to help you. Or, if your computer or device is old, it may be easier to purchase a new one. Finally, once you have rebuilt your system or purchased a new one, make sure it is updated and enable automatic updating whenever possible.
• Backups: A key step to protecting yourself is to prepare ahead of time with regular backups. Many solutions will automatically back up your files daily or hourly. Regardless of which solution you use, periodically check that you are able to restore those files. Quite often, recovering your data backups is the only way you can recover from being hacked.
• Law Enforcement: If you feel in any way threatened, report the incident to local law enforcement. If you are the victim of identity theft and are based in the United States, then visit https://www.identitytheft.gov.

Did you know? In California, someone who is homeless may register to vote at a location they state is the place where they spend most of their time. The person must provide a description of the location that is clear enough for the elections official to establish that person’s right to vote in a particular precinct. This ensures accurate elections materials can be provided to this voter. In these instances, a mailing address needs to be provided (i.e. shelter or day center) in order for the voter to receive election materials.

The National Coalition for the Homeless has a few guidance documents for nonprofits to promote voter registration: http://nationalhomeless.org/campaigns/voting/

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