Ventura County Animal Shelter in Camarillo during the Pandemic

y Carol Leish

‘Sometimes all it takes is a look.’

“The Ventura County Animal Shbelter in Camarillo currently has dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, birds, snakes, turtles, chickens and roosters available for adoption,” according to, Randy Friedman, the Marketing Manager. “We also occasionally have horses, chameleons, bearded dragons, and other exotic-type animals.”

The adoption process has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have continued to provide services while conducting all business in a safe and healthy manner,” Friedman said. “Those who are interested in adopting a dog are asked to schedule a virtual adoption counseling appointment at www.vcas.us/Scheduling. After the initial phone consultation, if all feel a good match is likely to be made, we will schedule a time for them to come in, meeting the animal in person, and adopting them if they choose to.”

Cat adoptions have also changed due to the pandemic. “Even though cat adoptions occur on-site at the Camarillo Animal Shelter from 2:00pm-4:00pm daily, those who are interested in adopting a cat need to come to the Camarillo Animal Shelter (600 Aviation Dr. Camarillo, CA 93010) at 9:00am to put their name and phone number on a clipboard, which is made available in the parking lot area.”

“For adopting rabbits,” according to Friedman, “we are asking the public to contact our Ventura County Animal Services Bunny Brigade, which is an all-volunteer run group who takes care of our rabbit population. Their email is: [email protected]. Those who are interested in adopting other pets can follow the same procedure that is outlined for dog adoptions. The full adoption process is at: www.vcas.us/adoptionprocess.

“A safe environment for all shelter guests has been made due to the pandemic,” according to Friedman. “Our appointment-based pet adoption system has resulted in thousands of pet adoptions since the pandemic began. Now we have an adoption counseling process that is virtual, which starts out with a phone consultation. A telemedicine process has been implemented in order to allow our foster care-givers access to our veterinarian for medical consultations. We’ve also promoted the use of an online licensing system, and established a drop-box at the Camarillo Shelter.”

The Ventura County Animal Shelter provides a wide variety of services. These include: medical care; animal behavioral evaluations/modifications; and, animal enrichment. Friedman also emphasized that, “Our teams respond to calls for assistance in the community, from the capture of aggressive animals, to the rescue of injured wildlife.” Our published annual report highlights many of our services (www.vcas.us/2020AnnualReport.)”

“As a municipal/government run agency with a 501c3 non-profit fundraising arm (Animal Services Foundation of Ventura County),” Friedman said, “there are many ways the public can help us, which includes: becoming a foster parent; making a monetary donation; donating items listed on our Amazon Wish List (www.vcas.us/Donate); and/or pledging to adopt pets. In Memory of, or in Honor of donations can be made at: www.vcasFoundation.org/donate). Those who want to volunteer, please go to: www.vcas.us/volunteer; those who want to foster, go to: www.vcas.us/foster. Our Amazon Wish list is at: www.vcas.us/AmazonWishList. Amazon Smile is at: www.vcas.us/AmazonSmile. For a complete list of ways to help, please go to: www.vcas.us/ways-to-help. Also, we would like to highlight our Lost and Found page (www.vcas.us/LostandFound). The animals we have in our care are listed at: (www.vcas.us/pets.)

Vol. 14, No. 13 – Mar 24 – April 6, 2021 – Mailbox

Breeze:

In regards to former Mayor Sandy Smith’s March 10th comments about the shortage of water from ground water wells and Lake Casitas, he forgot to mention the many new housing units currently being built in our city. I’m in support of higher rates because of the great service the water company does with limited resources. Also,thanks to the past and present city council members for getting us closer to being like our neighbor city of LA.

Thanks
Breeze Supporter
Chris Reinhart

Breeze:

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? Responsibility to vaccinate is individual. Revolving questions to vaccinate or not keeps us stuck in perpetual indecision mode. Such as, will I get sick, will it be effective and for how long, why the need to wear a mask and stay six feet away after vaccinating are on the minds of most. The array of theories highjack’s common sense, creates confusion and fear, leaving us wondering what’s right for us individually and collectively.

Yes, our world has been turned on its ear, for one year! We’ve been living on the edges of survival for longer than anticipated, weathering the fallout from the great pause and pandemic storms of 2020. Even the freedom to hug, gather in crowds, eat indoors, come and go mask less may seem light years away.

The tipping point is in tow and a reality for 2021. History has shown the herd mentality can tip the scales and level out our normal. Learning, changing, growing starts with suiting up, showing up and opening up to new thinking and doing. This allows our perspective to reshape and fill the holes of ignorance with knowledge, understanding and ultimately compassion.

We can no longer afford to ignore the decline even extinction of plant and animal life on earth! Our personal and world views are seen from the vistas and peaks of our minds. We trek our way by way of braving the elementals, environmentally and emotionally then with new eyes watch them transfer change into and onto our everyday life. We are moving towards a new dawning of humanitarianism and by shaking hands with regenerative action, renewal shall surely follow.

Karen Leslie

Opinion:

We appear to be in a rush to vaccinate school employees and teachers to facilitate reopening in the very near future. But I recently learned that schools will close for the summer (late May or June), putting students further behind and directing vaccines to school employees who might not have needed the vax right away given impending summer closures. Given all the other adjustments made during the pandemic how about adopting a year round school schedule for the next year so students can catch up. 

Theresa Stevens Ojai

ARE YOU AN AMATEUR CARTOONIST? SEND YOUR CARTOON TO [email protected]

The only way to combat criminals is by not voting for them.
~ Dayton Allen

 

Submissions now open for 22nd Ojai Film Festival

The Ojai Film Festival (OFF), ranked one of the top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals on FilmFreeway, continues to grow in prestige. The festival, which begins November 4, 2021, showcases the finest new films by emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. Both the film and screenplay competitions opened to submissions March 1.

Out of the 77 films in the 2020 OFF three made it to the short list for Oscar consideration. In the previous 20 years 15 alumni received Academy Award nominations, two won an Oscar, and numerous others went on to gain distribution and win prestigious awards.

“Our festival provides a valuable service to filmmakers,” Artistic Director Steve Grumette said. “We give them access to a highly appreciative audience, including film industry professionals who can help guide their careers.”

Films screened in the festival become eligible to win OFF trophies and awards. The Limelight Award for Best Student Film comes with a Panavision camera rental package worth $60,000 USD. Other honors include the Sergio Aragones Award for Best Animated Film, and the Bill Paxton Award given to a filmmaker from Ojai or Southern California.

The event provides audiences with a diverse lineup, many groundbreaking works otherwise inaccessible to the public, which embody the OFF theme: “Enriching the Human Spirit through Film.” Past submissions of short and long narratives, short and long documentaries, and animations. represent over 46 countries. Now in its sixth year the Screenplay Competition last year brought in entries from as far away as Edinbridge, Kent, UK, as well as from all over the US.

At this time plans for the 2021 OFF foresee a mix of physical in-theater experiences and online accessibility. “Presenting an online festival in 2020 became a major learning experience,” OFF President Jonathan Lambert said. “Fortunately, we did it well and received a lot of positive feedback from filmmakers and patrons.” Viewers of last year’s virtual OFF screenings live in many US states and several overseas countries.

Legendary Hollywood producer Peter Guber told the audience at a Toronto International Film Festival that “Ojai is the next Telluride.” This speaks volumes about Ojai’s growing importance on the festival circuit.

FILM DEADLINES AND FEES

Early deadline (April 1): Features $35, Shorts $30

Regular deadline (May 1): Features $45, Shorts $40

Late deadline (June 1): Features $55, Shorts $50

Extended Deadline (July 1) entry fees: Features $65, Shorts $60

SCREENPLAY DEADLINES AND FEES

Early deadline (March 31): $25/$20 Students

Regular deadline (April 30): $35/$25 Students

Late deadline (May 31): $45/$35 Students

Extended deadline (June 30): $55/$45 Students

To enter go to ojaifilmfestival.com/entries

Accepted entries will be notified in mid-August.

Vol. 14, No. 13 – Mar 24 – April 6, 2021 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine

Still Streaming and Dreaming!

The lifting of restrictions may finally be on the horizon. Anticipation is palpable in the theater community as news of potential reopening of Ventura County stages appears to be able to become a reality this season, albeit at reduced capacity to start. Keep checking the websites of your local theater companies for individual progress. They are all struggling and need our support to reopen.

In the meantime, caution is still being used as some theaters continue to present distanced events.

Get in your car and go there –

Conejo Players offers What’s Love Got to Do With It? a musical exploration of relationships, as a drive-in theater event this coming weekend, March 26-28. Performances will be held in the Conejo Players’ parking lot at 351 South Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks and will sell out quickly, no doubt, as distanced car-park spaces are limited. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets vary in price depending on car spots available. Hurry to www.conejoplayers.org to see the “seating” map and secure your tickets.

Stay at home and enjoy –

This year, Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center celebrates 25 years of bringing high quality arts of all types to Simi Valley.

It was a smash hit a few years ago and will hit the funny bone hard now as the SVCAC’s 2018 production of the lively musical Sister Act comes into your home as On Demand Streaming March 26 through April 25. This feel-good, high-energy musical is chock full of dancing, Motown, soul and disco music, and top-notch performances. Tickets for a single streaming or a household viewing are available at www.svvac.org.

A note from behind the wings – Do you have, or know someone who has, at least two years of Technical Theater experience seeking a job? The City of Simi Valley is recruiting for a Technical Theater Coordinator for the Cultural Arts Center. Apply now through the arts center website or at www.simivalley.org. It’s a great opportunity for a qualified individual, but hurry – the application window closes very soon.

Wait – there’s more.

A YouTube search of county theaters yields offerings of many types, from full performances, to auditions, discussions, teaser snippets and much more. Camarillo Skyway Playhouse, Rubicon Theater, Ojai Art Center, Moorpark’s High Street Theater, Santa Paula Theater Center and Elite Theater all have fun videos to enjoy. Check them out.

And Finally –

Actors are eager to get back on stage, writers want to see their works come alive, and devoted theatergoers are pining to attend live theater. Count me among them. Effusive applause all around for the efforts made by all the theater companies, directors, actors, and technicians who have met the challenges posed by video performing in pieces (i.e. everyone streaming from their homes) over this past year. Keep up the good work – we look forward to attending in person soon.

Vol. 14, No. 13 – Mar 24 – April 6, 2021 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
My Octopus Teacher
Netflix Films – 2021 Oscar Nominee

4 out of 4 palm trees

“My Octopus Teacher” is the incredible true story of diver Craig Foster’s unique experience with an octopus in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa that opens viewers’ eyes to secluded and mysterious sea world, while also revealing how connected things truly are and that our worlds are more similar than most would imagine.

About 20 years ago, Foster was on a project making a film with his brother in the central Kalahari, where he witnessed the incredible skills of some of the best trackers in world that were able to follow incredibly subtle signs in nature and find hidden animals in the landscape. Foster could see the trackers were inside the world around them while he was outside, and had a deep longing to be inside that world.

After that Foster went through two years of pressure, family issues and fatigue from long shoots and put down his camera not wanting anything to do with film making or editing anymore. He returned to his childhood home on the coast on the tip of South Africa with his family to try to put the pieces of his life back together again. Taking inspiration from his childhood and from the master trackers, Foster knew he needed a radical change and returned to the ocean.

Foster was a free diver and after a year began to crave the cold waters and three dimensional forests that lie below the surface, where he found peace swimming freely through the kelp. Foster knew having a scuba tank would impede his movement through a kelp forest and did not wear a wet suit to be more like an amphibious animal and closer to his environment.

After about a year of immersion in his sea life, Foster picked up his camera again and began filming the exotic and strange underwater world he had come to know, which helped him to get back to the filmmaking life he loved. He described this underwater world as being much more extreme than the maddest science fiction, and again found joy in capturing it on camera.

While diving in a special secluded area in the kelp forest, a pile of nearly 100 shells and stones lying in the sand caught his eye, which shortly thereafter fell apart to reveal an octopus that quickly swam away. Foster followed her back to her den and got a unique feeling that there was some connection between him and the octopus.

Foster decided to visit the octopus daily and after about a week had his first physical contact with her that grew into a beautiful connection they shared daily for nearly an entire year, which is the approximate lifespan of an octopus. Believing in letting nature take its course, Foster helplessly witnessed some challenging things in the natural life cycle of this octopus he had come to care for and know intimately.

“My Octopus Teacher” is an incredible documentary that has as many edge of your seat moments as an action thriller and through his experiences with the octopus over the course of a year, Foster unveils the physical and emotional connections shared by all living things.

Runtime: 1h 25m

Ventura College Foundation’s Weekend Marketplace returns to East Parking Lot

The community has relied on the Marketplace for wonderful things to purchase.

Ventura College Foundation’s Weekend Marketplace, which temporarily moved to the West Parking Lot on the Ventura College campus while solar panels were installed at its home on the East Parking Lot, has returned to its permanent location. 

The East Parking Lot is able to accommodate more vendors and guests than the smaller West Parking Lot location. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the Marketplace drew about 2,000 shoppers each weekend with 300 to 400 vendors. However, because of current COVID pandemic restrictions, the attendance is capped at 25% of capacity, and the number of Marketplace vendors has been limited. 

“We want to thank all our vendors, patrons and neighbors to the Marketplace who have been supportive as we first closed, reopened, then moved and are now moving back,” says Anne Paul King, the foundation’s executive director. “It’s been a rollercoaster.” 

For more than three decades, the community has relied on the Marketplace for affordable fresh produce and other items.  Vendors’ families have been supported by weekend sales. Our foundation has relied on the vendor rental revenue to support Ventura College students. “When the Marketplace temporarily closed because of COVID, many people in Ventura County lost an important resource,” says King. “That’s why, despite all the ups and downs, it was important that we did all we could to keep the Marketplace open.”

COVID Marketplace hours are 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. COVID safety and spacing protocol remains in place for both vendors and visitors. All vendors and visitors must wear face coverings and practice proper social distancing.

Admission is free. For vendor information, contact Esmeralda Juarez, marketplace supervisor at 805-289-6062 or email, [email protected]. For general Marketplace information, go to www.venturacollegefoundation.org/weekend-marketplace.

St patrick’s day parade years gone by

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Ventura! This year everyone’s favorite St. Patrick’s Day Parade is sadly, yet understandably cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. However the clever CAPS Crews and the Ventura Elks Elves have conjured up something special to fill the Saturday morning celebration. Ventura County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Years Gone By is a fun-filled, festive trip down memory lane (in place of Main Street). The hour long program will feature great moments from past and recent St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Ventura County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Years Gone By will premiere on Saturday, March 13 at 10AM on CAPS Channel 6 and repeat multiple times throughout the month. The program will also stream on the CAPS Media website – capsmedia.org. and air on CAPS Radio – KPPQ 104.1 FM. We hope everyone settles in with a bag of popcorn and a set of streamers to enjoy the show.

All of the CAPS Media board of directors, staff and members are excited to welcome Ventura’s newest Councilmember, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios as the District 4 representative. We look forward to working with Ms. Sanchez-Palacios on all the city projects and initiatives, and especially on those that are of greatest interest to her.

Speaking of City Council collaborations, recently CAPS had the pleasure of collaborating with City Councilmember Lorrie Brown on an historic initiative to have the Ventura City Council proclaim February as Black History Month in Ventura.

Working in coordination with Ms. Brown and city staff, CAPS produced a special video in support of the city proclamation. The video premiered at a recent City Council meeting and has been featured on the city website and in social media and has been shown on all CAPS Media platforms including Channel 6, Channel 15, KPPQ 104.1 FM, and streaming online and on social media.

March/April is the time of year for annual staff recognitions and CAPS Media is working with numerous governmental agencies to pay tribute to their dedicated employees. CAPS is producing video profiles for the Ventura County Fire Department’s annual awards program honoring inspiring firefighters and support staff as well as outstanding citizen volunteers. CAPS is also working with the City of Ventura directors to create a series of profiles recognizing the city’s outstanding Employees and Supervisors of the Year. And since March 30th is National Doctor’s Day, CAPS is collaborating with the creative folks at VCMC to produce a special Thank You, shout-out to the compassionate and passionate doctors.

Due to the COVID-19 emergency the CAPS Media Center remains closed to Members and the public until further notice. CAPS Member/Producers can submit programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on CAPS public access television Channel 6 and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM.

Every week CAPS Crews record and broadcast the County COVID updates at the County government center and locations throughout the community. These reports provide the public with the latest, accurate information on the crisis and the relentless efforts by government and health officials to keep us safe and help all of us through the pandemic.

All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone stays Safe, Strong, Distant and Healthy during these very challenging times.

Mission Basilica San Buenaventura installs new lighting and sound systems

The lighting project was envisioned five years ago.

by Fr. Tom Elewaut

With gratitude to our parishioners who continue to support our Called to Renew capital campaign, the Basilica lighting is now a reality! As Lent began, an extensive new lighting upgrade that highlights the sacred art and liturgical appointments for parishioners, pilgrims, and tourists is completed. The state-of-the-art lighting system replaces a 1980s era system with LED energy efficient theatrical enhancements that create a spirituality uplifting appreciation of the sacred paintings, statues, and tapestry, some of which predate the completion of the 1809 church. Each appointment is separately illuminated with sufficient congregational lighting.

A new sound system was installed as well. The new speakers offer clearer fidelity for both proclamation of the Word, and the liturgy of the Eucharist and the uplifting voices of the cantors and musicians. This project was gifted by Bill Simon, Jr. and parishioner donations to our building fund.

The lighting project was envisioned five years ago and is the second major project funded by the capital campaign by parishioners. The first campaign project remodeled restrooms in the garden utilized by parishioners and guests visiting the historic downtown Mission. Additionally, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles funded the exterior painting of the rectory, the Gift Shop building, wood flooring refinished in the rectory and a new roof on the Gift Shop building.

In June 2020 Pope Francis elevated Mission San Buenaventura to a minor basilica in the Catholic church, becoming the seventh Minor Basilica in California. The new lighting is befitting a basilica and now highlights the oil paintings of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) painted in New Spain approximately forty years prior to the completion of the present church. Statues of patron San Buenaventura, St. Mary, and St. Joseph behind the main altar are strikingly visible as is the tabernacle, altar, and ambo (pulpit) among several other statues and a painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Many of the eighteenth-century statues have been restored in the past decade by the South Coast Fine Arts Conservancy funded by the California Missions Foundation and the Nicholas and Margaret Carlozzi Charitable Foundation and private donors.

The seven-week lighting installation project was engineered by John Maloney, P.E., designed by Mar-Vista Lighting and Chauvet Professional, and installed by Taft Electric.

Forensic handwriting expert Sheila Lowe establishes Write Choice Ink

Sheila Lowe announces the formation of Write Choice Ink, a publishing imprint, to produce and distribute the complete catalog of her non-fiction and fiction work. Lowe will re-issue her backlist, totaling 14 of her titles over the next few months, starting with Poison Pen on February 23, 2021, and leading up to Dead Letters, a new Claudia Rose novel that will release on August 3, 2021. The fiction titles will be available across the three primary formats for books – print, digital. Audio versions continue to be available throughout. The nonfiction titles are available in print and digital format.

Sheila Lowe (like her character, Claudia Rose), is one of the world’s leading forensic handwriting experts. She is frequently engaged by attorneys and government agencies to verify handwriting and signature authenticity on official documents.

“After 16 titles, over 200,000 copies sold, and more than 20 years in traditional publishing, I felt the need to secure the rights to my currently published work and have greater control over my publishing career,” says Lowe.

Ms. Lowe has secured the publishing rights to all of her current works, including four of her six books on handwriting analysis and ten novels of suspense—eight featuring Claudia Rose, a professional handwriting consultant, and the two titles in the new “Beyond the Veil” paranormal series. Lowe also developed two versions of a handwriting analysis software program and an Independent Study Program in Gestalt Graphology, both of which are used around the world.

Note: Write Choice Ink solely publishes titles by Sheila Lowe and does not accept submissions.