In March 2012, a cheerful mutt named Diva was surrendered to the Sacramento SPCA by an owner who felt they couldn’t provide the active home she needed. Initially taken in as a stray, Diva had been causing a fuss by chasing chickens at her previous home. Recognizing her potential, the Sacramento SPCA staff, who had a professional relationship with the Search Dog Foundation (SDF), contacted SDF volunteer Andrea Bergquist.

Andrea, the wife of SDF handler and Sacramento City firefighter Chris Bergquist, felt Diva showed promising qualities. After passing her medical exam, Diva was transported south to begin SDF’s training program. SDF trainer Kellee Matthews quickly noted Diva’s good focus, natural ability on rubble, and strong nose. Renamed Roxy, she impressed the trainers with her instincts and skills.

On November 5, 2012, Roxy graduated from the canine training program and was partnered with Cynthia Sato, a U.S. Forest Service veteran and firefighter/paramedic with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Cynthia and Roxy joined a dedicated group of Los Angeles-based teams, training regularly to prepare for the FEMA Certification Exam, which they passed on September 21, 2013. This certification allowed them to deploy nationwide with California Task Force 1.

Their first deployment came on July 25, 2014, following a structural collapse in Century City, CA. A large planter had fallen from a crane onto a parking structure. Unsure if anyone was trapped in their cars, first responders called for assistance. Roxy and Cynthia, along with teammates Mike Gross and his canine Journey, searched the site. Roxy worked the lower levels and crawl spaces, while Journey searched the upper levels. Fortunately, no victims were found, and all residents and employees were accounted for.

To maintain active deployment status, teams must re-certify every three years. On June 5, 2016, Cynthia and Roxy re-certified in Littleton, MA. They responded to their next call on January 30, 2017, in the Hollywood Hills after heavy rains caused a landslide, trapping occupants in their homes. Roxy and Cynthia, along with another LAFD canine team, searched for unaccounted residents.

In January 2018, Roxy and Cynthia were deployed to Montecito, CA, to search for survivors following a deadly mudslide. They spent nearly a week searching the devastated area, completing this challenging deployment together.

On New Year’s Day 2022, Roxy retired from the L.A. Fire Department and California Task Force 1. She remained a beloved member of Cynthia’s family, enjoying an active lifestyle and being a dedicated big sister to Cynthia’s young son.

At the age of 14, Roxy peacefully crossed the Rainbow Bridge on April 13, 2024. We are grateful for Roxy’s service to her community and the nation, and she will be fondly remembered for many years. Like all our four-legged heroes, Roxy will be honored at SDF’s Canine Memorial Wall in Santa Paula, CA.

by David Goldstein

Last season’s rains fueled the growth of fire-prone plants, prompting local fire departments to issue numerous brush clearance notices. Fire safe councils assist residents in complying with these notices, offering services ranging from expert advice to grant-funded programs.

The CREW, an acronym for Concerned Resource and Environmental Workers, is a key resource in many parts of Ventura County. This local nonprofit organization specializes in converting cleared brush into mulch. With grants from Cal Fire and the California Fire Safe Council, The CREW has cleared nearly 350 acres of hazardous vegetation, chipped over 22 tons of material, and provided chipping and brush clearance services to 400 properties, according to Greta Charness, The CREW’s development assistant.

Currently, The CREW is partnering with the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council to offer free services to Ventura County residents in Fire Hazard Severity Zones, as well as veterans and those facing significant physical or financial barriers to making their properties fire safe.

Residents can sign up for curbside chipping service and learn about upcoming drop-off chipping events on The CREW’s website at www.crewojai.org/chipping. The next event is scheduled for August 17. The site also provides information on acceptable materials and other guidelines.

To prevent mulch from becoming a fire hazard, fire safe councils offer guidance on proper mulch use. Wood mulch within “Zone Zero” (the area within five feet of a house) can be dangerous, as can excessive mulch in Zone 1 (up to 30 feet from structures and decks). However, strategically placed mulch in Zone 1 and beyond can help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.

Communities can work with fire safe councils to host their own chipper events, benefiting from the councils’ expertise in securing grant funding, managing logistics, data collection, chip reuse options, and community engagement. Firewise USA-recognized communities receive priority for some funding sources, and local councils can assist in applying for Firewise USA recognition. Details and sample documents for this recognition are available at www.venturafiresafe.org.

The five fire safe councils in Ventura County are Ventura Regional, Ojai Valley, Bell Canyon, Oak Park, and Ventu Park. Contact the one in your area for assistance with turning overgrown trees and brush into mulch.

David Goldstein, Ventura County Public Works Agency Environmental Resource Analyst, can be reached at (805) 658-4312 or [email protected].

U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley recently toured the Canine Adoption and Rescue League (CARL) kennel facility in Santa Paula. She met with CARL Executive Director Sharon Clark to discuss grants and how CARL helps the community by taking in relinquished dogs that otherwise would be dropped off at high-kill shelters. Clark also described how CARL pulls dogs from high-kill shelters to help keep the euthanasia rate down. CARL is a nonprofit, no-kill rescue and takes in all breeds of dogs.

CARL has been rescuing dogs since 1996. If you would like to help, please send your tax-deductible donation to P.O. Box 5022, Ventura, CA 93005. You can also donate through their website at carldogs.org or via Venmo at @carl_dogs.

Kathy Yoshihara, Mieko

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is pleased to present Mottainai, an exhibition of work by Kathy Yoshihara, an artist working in ceramics and mixed media. The exhibition will be presented July 27 – September 14 with an Opening Reception on Saturday, July 27th , 2 – 4 pm. The public is invited to attend.

A Southern California Native, Kathy Yoshihara received her BA in painting, sculpture and graphic arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. She combines her computer graphic knowledge to produce multimedia work in glass, ceramics, and found/recycled objects. Yoshihara’s work is guided and inspired by her Japanese American heritage and practice of Mottainai – finding value in re-purposing, reusing, and recycling. Her sculptural ceramics are personal tributes to her ancestors and the many forgotten Executive Order 9066 prisoners, addressing the Japanese American imprisonment and its effect on future generations. As Yoshihara explains: “Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and illegally imprisoned. Their crime – looking like the enemy. They were given a week to prepare and could only take what they could carry. They survived by practicing ‘gaman’ – accepting hardships/adversity with patience, dignity, and perseverance. They buried their memories, anger, and feelings of shame as they became ‘model Americans’. Most were silent, never speaking about their experiences and feeling.” What began as memorials to departed relatives, has evolved into an examination of racism, social injustice, and generational identity of Japanese Americans pre and post WWII.

“I reveal the story from a personal perspective, by combining traditional Japanese objects, historical content, and memorabilia,” Yoshihara says. “My ceramic/multi-media dioramas question attitudes that are still prevalent today. I want future generations to experience the hardships they endured as their rights as Americans were denied. By making an emotional connection, I want the viewer to recognize, question, and act upon injustices based on race, nationality, language, or any other differences.”

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is located at 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road in Upper Ojai. The Center can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling the Center at 805-646-3381

The boat’s name “Congrio” translates to a Chilean fish. Photos by Nella Nelson

by Nella Nelson

Meet the most incredibly disguised boat in our marina, the Congrio. How is it disguised? What you see on the outside is not what you see on the inside. But that’s not all. The highly engineered process of building this vessel is a story in itself. Owner and designer, Eric Bradley and his wife, Patty, began their project in 2016.

The couple hired a naval architect in Florida to draw up the plans of their unique design. From the ground up, the Congrio was then built by Gulf Stream Ship Building in Florida, in the style of a steel navy vessel. From the stern, it also resembles a fishing trawler. The purpose of this design, as Bradley explained, is that “we didn’t want to get picked on while traveling through foreign countries.” The couple, both being master-licensed, journeyed through several national and international waters.

The boat’s name “Congrio” (a Chilean fish) is visible above “Valparaiso” which would make one assume it is a fishing vessel from Chile, yet a Valparaiso exists as a hailing port in Florida. But that is not the only trick of perception. Once you step inside, the cozy charm of a home welcomes you in. Besides hiring a home cabinet builder rather than a boat one, Eric and Patty Bradley created their own hands-on interior, complete with curtains and couches. A custom kitchen is fitted with an induction cook top, convection oven, stone countertops, three refrigerators, three freezers, as well as two heads. Bradley used AutoCAD and his engineering background to create the Congrio’s entire inside space. He and Patty then installed moldings and handled most of the work with their own tools.

Most impressive to all visitors aboard the Congrio is its immaculate engine room.
“I started the design with this engine,” said Bradley, “then created the accessible walk-around space.” He included six fuel tanks and transfer pumps for the filters, which polish the fuel. Included is a boiler for instant hot water as well as air handlers. The fuel capacity can hold 3,100 gallons and the boat can make  a round trip to Hawaii without refueling. Congrio’s range is 4,500 miles. Both heating and air conditioning keep the boat comfortable, as well as straight rather than spiral stairs. “This makes for better passage and bigger rooms,” Bradley added.

The Congrio’s home is currently in Portside Ventura Harbor as Patty passed away one year ago and it was her wish to dock it there in the place she called home and where their daughter resides. Bradley and his family members are enjoying their beautiful Ventura days complete with fishing, barbecuing and taking in the beauty of our coast.

The Buenaventura Art Association invites the public to learn one of Anette Power’s secrets to success as she reveals her approach to painting light filled subjects. Watch her skillfully paint areas of light and shadow grouped and separate to create the most dynamic image. Anette will then guide YOU through an exercise using sharpies, acetate and provided images, so you can learn first hand how to apply it to your artwork. Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Pacific & Main Creative Workspace (formerly Midtown or H Gallery) – 1793 E Main St, Ventura, CA. Members of Buenaventura Art Assoc.: $25. Non-Members of Buenaventura Art Assoc.: $30. www.buenaventuraartassociation.org

Anette Power
Award-winning artist Anette Power credits her mom, who also paints, and growing up on an island off the Swedish coast for providing a childhood full of creative exploration and a love for the outdoors. After immigrating to the U.S., Power spent more than a decade working in animation, fine-tuning her sense of light, color, and mood as a background painter for studios like Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and Universal. She now paints full-time and is an artist member of the California Art Club and has been an active board member of the Westlake Village Art Guild for eight years. She maintains a working studio in Newbury Park, CA. www.anettepower.com