Kaye is one of the world’s leading voices on human rights.
Law firm Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP (FCOP), and the Museum of Ventura County will host law professor and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression David Kaye as featured speaker for its summer Engage & Enlighten event, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., August 26, at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St.
Kaye, one of the world’s leading voices on human rights in the digital age, will talk about his newly published book, “Speech Police: The Global Struggle to Govern the Internet.” The event will begin with a reception from 5:30–6 p.m. followed by the main program. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public however reservations are required. RSVP to [email protected] or call (805) 659-6800. There will be books for sale and signing by the author.
Makena is starting her Junior year at El Camino High School.
Ventura native Makena Burke, age 16, qualified to compete in the 2019 Vans US Open of Surfing. She earned 9th place out of an international field of the top 32 Junior girls ages 18 and younger from around the world. The 60th annual Vans US Open of Surfing was held in Huntington Beach July 27-August 4.
In addition, she was invited by WSL (World Surfing League) to participate in their 2019 initiative called Rising Tides on 8/2. This program aims to inspire young competitors to break down barriers for women and girls in the sport of surfing. This event focused on connecting the female Junior competitors with the professional women surfers on the Championship Tour (CT).
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.
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.
Pendleton joined the Ventura Port District in 2015.
The Ventura Port District Board of Port Commissioners announced the appointment and promotion of Brian Pendleton to General Manager of the Ventura Port District effective May 1, 2019. Pendleton, was the Deputy General Manager of the Port District, he succeeds Oscar Pena, who retired after 20 years of service to the Port.
Pendleton joined the Ventura Port District in 2015 as the Business Operations Manager, responsible for management, supervision and oversight of District finances, facilities, marinas, property and risk management. In 2018, due to his successes at the Port, the Board of Commissioners promoted Pendleton to Deputy General Manager to perform asset management duties for a diversified portfolio of real estate holdings including Ventura Harbor Village, hotels, marinas, boatyards, and rental housing.
“I want to personally thank Chris Stephens, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, along with Vice-Chair Brian Brennan, and fellow Port Commissioners for providing me with the opportunity and privilege of serving the Port District as its next General Manager,” said Pendleton. “I look forward to collaborating with our Board to establish key priorities in the coming months and work alongside the hard-working team of the Port District, our Harbor tenants, and key stakeholders to achieve our goals.”
In his new role, Pendleton plans to enhance and expand the Port’s mission to provide a safe and navigable harbor and a seaside destination that benefits residents, visitors, fisherman, and boaters to experience Ventura Harbor’s exceptional facilities, events and services.
“The District Board has recognized the value Mr. Pendleton has brought to the organization since he joined us four years ago,” says Chris Stephens, Chairman of the Ventura Port District Commission. “We are confident that Mr. Pendleton will lead the Ventura Port District to fulfill its mission and serve as a leading commercial fishing center and a valued recreational marina and tourism destination.”
Pendleton says he recognizes and appreciates the dedicated service, leadership, and personal support of retiring Port District General Manager, Pena. “Pena established strong financial principals for the Ventura Harbor, strengthening its economic position in the County and is leaving with the Port District more vibrant and financially sound,” states Pendleton.
Boasting three decades of local government in Ventura, Oxnard, and port district experience in real estate, economic development, commercial revitalization and public agency operations, Pendleton has worked extensively with the business community serving as a key liaison between the public and private sectors in the communities he’s served, including the redevelopment project of the Oxnard Esplanade from a closed to an open-air shopping center.
Currently serving as a board member for Ventura Chamber of Commerce and Chair of the Chamber’s Economic Development & Legislative/Government Affairs Committee, Pendleton was recently appointed to a two-year board term with Visit Ventura in 2019. Pendleton is an active member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Urban Land Institute, and California Association for Local Economic Development.
endleton’s holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Southern California and is a licensed real estate professional in California.
He and his wife, Arlene and three children Matt, Shane and Melissa, are longtime Ventura County residents. For more information on Ventura Port District, visit www.VenturaHarbor.com.
More than half of the Ventura River watershed land area is undeveloped. Photo by Kathy Bremer
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.
