Money was raised through the sale of a 270-pound pig donated by 18-year-old Allison Reiman.
The Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation has announced the dedication of $69,760 to the Ventura County Fair Livestock Department. The money was raised at the 2019 VC Fair Junior Livestock Auction through the sale of a 270-pound pig donated by 18-year-old Allison Reiman of Santa Rosa Valley 4H. The funds will be used for essential needs for the Livestock Department including pig panels and pens.
Miss Reiman lives in Camarillo and has been involved in the Fair Livestock programs for 13 years, raising various species of small and large livestock, starting when she was five years old. A senior at Grace Brethren High School in Simi Valley, she plans to pursue a degree in animal science.
“It is so rewarding to hear that the donation is playing a role in the betterment of the facilities at the fairgrounds,” said Reiman, adding, “The Ventura County Fair is a place where I, along with many others, found a passion and appreciation for agriculture. Supporting and preserving these programs is vital when it comes to teaching the next generation of youth the importance of hard work, responsibility, and leadership. It was truly an honor to be able to give back to the Ventura County Fair by doing something I love. I hope that it will continue to impact future generations in the way that it did me.”
Accepting the award on behalf of the Fair, CEO Barbara Quaid commented that the VC Fair Livestock Auction, scheduled for August, is an integral part of the annual Ventura County Fair, stating “After having been postponed for two seasons due to the COVID 19 pandemic we are very excited to resume the Livestock programs along with the many other Fair programs that we have all been waiting for. We are grateful to the Fairgrounds Foundation for this generous dedication and we join them in their continuous praise and support of the hard working youth of Ventura County and for the Fair.
The Fair’s Livestock department provides an important program for Ventura County Youth in 4H, Grange and FFA groups as well as children with independent projects. The auction is an important tool in the vocational education of children who are pursuing or interested in a career in agriculture and related industries. The Livestock auction takes participants through the steps of acquiring an animal for auction, raising the animal in a manner that is consistent with state and local marketing standards, showing the animal in competition and finally bringing the animal to auction where the culminating experience of their hard work includes the rewards, both monetary and awards.
The mission of the Ventura County Fairgrounds Foundation is to provide financial support for improvements to the grounds, capital projects, equipment and programs in order that the Ventura County Fairgrounds continue to be an exemplary multi use community resource.
On Jan.7, a 911 call was received at the Fire Communication Center to report a traffic collision on the N/B 101 Fwy at the Lemon Grove turn. Fire personnel arrived on scene within minutes of the initial call and found a heavily damaged small passenger vehicle with one occupant that was trapped. Fire personnel performed advanced medical treatment, vehicle extrication and hazard mitigation to free the victim from the vehicle entrapment. The victim was treated and transported to a local medical center for further evaluation and treatment.
Skatepark project expands the skatepark by more than 20,000-square-feet. Photos by Patricia Schallert
The City of Ventura received a nearly $2 million grant from the state’s “California Outdoors for All” initiative to fund construction to expand the skatepark at Westpark, located at 450 W Harrison Avenue.
The Westpark Skatepark Expansion Project expands the existing skatepark by more than 20,000-square-feet and includes features tailored to various skill levels, green infrastructure, and public art.
“This is an exciting win for Ventura, especially for our families living on the Westside,” shared Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “This grant will do so much good in our community. An expanded skatepark will provide more space and opportunities for our kids to play outside and enjoy more recreational activities.”
The existing 3,200-square-foot park is one of three skateparks in the City built over 20 years ago. Along with the skate bowls at Pacific Park and Hobert Park, the community identified a need for facilities geared to a range of skaters. As a result, multiple community partnerships helped support the project through fundraising and participation. Among the supporters, the Westpark Skatepark Expansion Steering Team (W.E.S.T.) raised $10,000 for the project design and construction and assisted with public outreach.
“The City worked closely with our residents, skate park users, local stakeholders, and Spanish-speaking community members to create the initial design for the skatepark expansion project at Westpark,” said Parks and Recreation Director Nancy O’Connor. “In preparation for this statewide grant, the City started community outreach efforts in May 2019 and early 2020. Through a series of in-person and virtual meetings, we received hundreds of ideas on specific skatepark features, sustainable landscaping, public safety, and beautification.”
In the coming weeks, the City will conduct additional outreach during the request for proposal process to gather public input as it refines the final design for the skatepark expansion project.
This grant is provided by California State Parks as part of Governor Newsom’s “California Outdoors for All” initiative, which will provide $548.3 million in grant funding to more than 100 communities to create new parks and new recreation opportunities in underserved communities across California.
The City’s Parks Division maintains 39 facilities with current construction projects underway at Community Park as well as the first-ever inclusive playground at Arroyo Verde Park.
For more information about City parks and facilities, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Parks.
A memorial service was held at the docks at the Harbor for Vuong Tran (January 1, 1957-December 8, 2021). Attended by his large family and many many friends.
From the Harbor Patrol:
Wednesday 12/08, 4:23pm, dispatched to an offshore Search & Rescue for missing fisherman from the commercial boat John Start. Officers responded in the Fireboat and Rescue B17 with multiple agencies to aid in the search.
Search patterns were conducted for five hours in the Santa Barbara Channel along with USCG vessels/aircraft & TowBoat US. Sadly, and with heavy hearts, only his vessel was found and he is still missing.
Tran was one of the longest tenants of Ventura Harbor, beloved by everyone, he always made the effort to say hello, shake your hand with a huge smile. Fishing, years ago, Tran rescued a former Ventura HP officers’ father in an outrigger canoe accident.
This past academic year was like no other for students.
Despite pandemic challenges, the Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and financial assistance to Ventura College students and school programs, distributed $696,095 in direct student financial support during the 2020-2021 academic year and another $871,749 to 28 Ventura College programs across 17 department and divisions.
“This past academic year was like no other for students and their families, college leadership, faculty and staff, donors and the foundation,” says Anne Paul King, Ventura College Foundation executive director. “Despite everything, the foundation was able to build its financial reserves while distributing over $1.5 million in student and school program aid.”
The foundation awarded 400 scholarships (including 8 new scholarships) to 228 applicants. Its lending library and veterans’ textbook program provided textbooks to 602 students including 53 veterans.
According to Ventura College data, 55 percent of the college’s 10,000-student population are classified as extremely low income or low income and 18 percent are housing insecure. Twenty-eight percent sought assistance from the college’s Basic Needs Office, which helps students with food and housing.
“Because of the effects of the pandemic, we saw the number of students in economic crisis grow,” says King. “The foundation responded by redirecting some of its fundraising efforts to raise more than $19,000 to help support students with their basic living expenses. When these needs are met, we know students can better focus on their academic studies. We are so grateful to our donors. Their commitment to education is building a stronger and brighter future for VC students and our community.”
Established in 1983, the Ventura College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and operates financially independent from Ventura College. It transforms students’ lives through education by providing innovative and vital resources and financial support. The Foundation collaborates with Ventura College to enhance human potential, civic engagement, careers and academic success of students enabling their effective impact and legacy on the college, local workforce, and our community. The Foundation also hosts the Ventura College Foundation Marketplace; an outdoor shopping experience held every weekend on the Ventura College campus. For more information, contact Julie Harvey at (805) 289-6502 or [email protected] or visit www.VenturaCollegeFoundation.org.
Knox’s green wagon was stolen from inside a duplex.
by Carol Leish, MA
“It’s important to be a part of our community and to be able to pick each other up,” according to, John Burdick. “When I saw that Chris G. had more of an urgent need for the wagon, I just wanted to be able to help him out by giving it to him.”
Chris & Dani G. live with their three young children in the Pierpont area of Ventura. Chris recently posted on Nextdoor that his 4-year-old son Knox’s green wagon was stolen from inside a duplex with a 6ft. fence. He also posted a picture of the wagon. He said that Knox came inside upset and said, “A bandit took my wagon.”
First, Chris was also upset because of the theft of the wagon. But, after posting about the incident on Nextdoor, and getting two generous responses to pay for a new wagon, and the response from John Burdick to give his wagon to them, he said, “I was overwhelmed with a sense of community.”
John said that, “Now that my sons are ages 7 and 10, I hadn’t been using the wagon to pull them around various places anymore. And, I realized that Chris had more of an urgent need for it. I know how it feels when something is stolen from you. We need to pick each other up by helping out each other.
“It was also an awesome experience when Chris and Knox picked up the wagon from outside my home here in Ventura. My kids were proud to be donating the wagon, too. In fact, it was the same wagon that we were giving to them, that had been stolen from them. Thus, I was donating it back to them so that they wouldn’t be missing a beat.” Having fun playing while riding in the green wagon would be continuing on!
On Saturday, January 8, a 100th birthday celebration was held for Mr. Edward “Dick” Meares an Independent Living resident at Cypress Place Senior Living. Dick is a U.S. Army veteran who received a Bronze Star and Legion of Merit in addition to so many other medals that when you see him in his uniform it is quite spectacular. At his party he was presented a quilt specially made for him by the Quilts of Honor program.
Dick works out every day in the gym at Cypress.
Edward Dickinson Meares was born on January 8, 1922, in Greenville, S. Carolina.
He lived Greenville until his mid-teens when his family moved to Washington, DC.
Dick earned a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Masters in Adult education from Georgetown University.
He was a career army officer serving for 30 years. He retired with the rank of full bird colonel.
When he has free time, he plays chess and likes reading. In his earlier years he enjoyed horseback riding with his siters.
One of his grandson’s Alan is carrying on the military tradition. He is an air force pilot and flies the U-2 Dragon Lady ultra high altitude spy plane. He has flown it over Afghanistan and around North Korean air space.
He has 6 great grandchildren. Being a military family some of his kids lived in
Germany, Michigan, Massachusetts, Japan, Arizona, Virginia, and California.
This is Yogi. He is a Greater Swiss Mountain dog. He lives in Ventura. He loves treats and loves to sleep and eat. He is after all, ten years old. He’s from Washington DC and still gorgeous and always smiling.
∙ SPAN Thrift Store is now open to the public and looking for donations of adult clothing, household items and tools if you’ve got items you no longer use.
SPAN Thrift Store is providing low cost spays and neuters for low income households with cats and dogs.
Two upcoming clinics are:
First one will be at on Tuesday, January 18th at Shiells Park, in the parking lot, located at 649 C St., Fillmore, 93015. The next one will be cats only, at the Albert H. Soliz Library – El Rio, 2820 Jourdan St., Oxnard, 93036, on Tuesday, February 1st.
Please call to schedule an appointment (805) 584-3823.
∙ “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”
Will Rogers
A Christmas Miracle for Creed.
∙ A family was put in a difficult situation as they needed to move from their home and had to give up one of their two dogs. They were able to keep their Chihuahua but had to give up their Rottweiler named Creed. The owners of Creed found a nice family to care for him who lived in a farmhouse so he had plenty of land to run around. They said to the new owners if anything came up where they could not care for Creed then to let them know and they would find him another home.
About a year later a property manager went by to check on the farmhouse and found the occupants had moved out and left Creed behind and inside a chain link kennel next to the house. He fed Creed for a couple of days hoping the occupants would return to pick up their dog but no one came for him. The property manager called Canine Adoption and Rescue League (CARL) as he has in the past when he finds abandoned dogs and so an employee picked up Creed and brought him to their kennel. Creed was checked out by a vet and then placed up for adoption. Creed was cared for by the employees at CARL and exercised by the volunteers for about four months
While some volunteers of CARL were at an off-site adoption event, they were approached by a lady who asked if we had a dog named Creed and we said yes. The lady said, “I think that is our dog”. It turns out they drove by where the new owners used to live and noticed the house was vacant. They discovered a video of Creed that a volunteer at CARL had made and placed on social media.
The original owner made an appointment with CARL to go see Creed the very next day and brought along Creed’s little Chihuahua brother. Once they walked up to his kennel, there was no doubt that this was their Creed! Tails were wagging and lots of tears flowed of the happy reunion. Creed’s original owner is now in a situation where they can keep him and so they brought home their dog from the kennel the same day. All of this is possible due to CARL picking up Creed and caring for him until his original owners could be found. It truly is a Christmas Miracle! For more information on Canine Adoption and Rescue League, their website is carldogs.org.
∙ What can your pet eat?
While you generally should not give pets human food, there are some treats that are safe apples, carrots, green beans and bananas. It is usually better to get treats that are made for them.
No matter how cute those puppy-dog eyes are, do not give your pets these items:
Sweets, especially chocolate.
Grapes
Raisins
Onions
Garlic
Chives
Nuts
Turkey meat, skin or bones
Anything with artificial sweeteners, especially ones using Xylitol
Yeast dough
Cats have been known to eat plants, some of which are toxic to them. Avoid plants like poinsettias and Christmas cactuses if your pet likes to munch on plants.
Keep pets safe, whether you travel or host. If you are traveling with your pet, make sure to use this checklist:
Collar
Identification tags
Usual food and medicine
Contact information for an emergency clinic
A safe space prepared for pets while guests visit
A pet carrier for travel
During holidays, pets will likely have their routines thrown off. Try to take them on walks, play with them before guests arrive and let them have a secure, safe place away from the party.
∙ By Susanne Ruststaff
Bentley seemed to be in a haze. Normally this 12-pound Chihuahua-terrier mix would never refuse hot, fresh French fries from a drive-through fast food joint. But on a recent warm afternoon, he turned his head away at his owner’s offer.
“He wouldn’t take them, so I knew something was wrong. He was just out of it,” said Dana Long, a resident of Tiburon. Long eventually took his dog to the veterinarian, who informed him that his typically sprightly and voracious Bentley was stoned. He had likely picked up a chocolate edible on the fields of a nearby middle school, where Long’s daughter was playing softball.
While excess cannabis consumption by canines is not new, cases are growing as more and more states legalize the drug, and its use becomes more widespread, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The group’s poison hotline suggests that as more and more states have legalized recreational marijuana, reports of marijuana toxicity in dogs have also grown.
Between 2017 and 2020, national call volume for cannabis ingestion rose from 1,436 to 3,923 cases, said Tina Wismer, a veterinarian and senior director of the New York-based ASPCA Poison Control Center.
Those numbers are likely just a fraction of the true incidence of marijuana poisonings — reporting to the control center is voluntary — but the trend is clear. In California, where recreational marijuana was legalized in November 2016, call numbers grew by 276% between 2016 and 2020. In Colorado, those numbers have risen eleven-fold since legalization in 2012.
It might sound funny that so many pooches are getting into the hooch. But for dogs who accidentally ingest potent edibles intended for a human several times their weight, the narcotic effect can be serious. In addition, if dogs are chewing on drugs found outdoors, it is possible those drugs are laced with chemicals other than THC, the active ingredient in pot, said several veterinarians.
∙ Lebanon, N.H. (AP) A German shepherd named Tinsley, first thought to be a lost dog, successfully led New Hampshire state police to the site of its owner’s rollover crash.
Both the vehicle’s occupants were seriously hurt, but thanks to Tinsley’s dogged efforts they quickly received medical assistance once officers discovered the truck, which went off the road near a Vermont interstate junction, WMUR-TV reported Tuesday.
“The dog was trying to show them something,” said Lt. Daniel Baldassarre of the New Hampshire State Police. “He kept trying to get away from them but didn’t run away totally.
“It was kind of, ‘Follow me. Follow me.’ And they did that and you know, to their surprise to see the guardrail damaged and to look down to where the dog is looking at, it’s just, they were almost in disbelief,” he said.
A New Hampshire state trooper and police from the nearby city of Lebanon responded to the crash site late Monday, just across the state line in Vermont.
There were no further details on the condition of those injured in the single-vehicle crash.
Members show plus board member appreciation show
January 14 – March 12, 2022
Open Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 4pm
First Friday receptions on February 4th and March 4th
Over a dozen new artist members have joined BAA in the last several months! Explore their work along with the artwork of veteran BAA artists and our hard-working Board of Directors in our upcoming shows at Studio 99!
Elsewhere from Buenaventura Art Association:
A members-only show at
Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts
January 12 – March 15, 2022
Featuring the artwork and artisan crafts of 10 resident member artists, Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts also exhibits the works of over a dozen other BAA members!
Members-Only shows upcoming at
SpiceTopia and Very Ventura Gift Shop & Gallery
January 20 – March 31, 2022
