Vol. 13, No. 24 – Aug 26 – Sept 8, 2020 – Forever Homes Wanted

Hi: I’m Jackson, a healthy, happy, eager-to-please 7 year old American Staffordshire Terrier X who is very friendly , affectionate and a World Class Snuggler! I have a great energy level and a relaxed, goofy way about myself that everyone just loves! My ideal family will allow me time to decompress, get used to my new surroundings and provide me with lots of love, attention and continued training. I would also like to be the only pet in the family so I can give you my total, undivided attention!

Fill out an online application to meet me. I may be the BFF you’ve been looking for! Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L.CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.

PS: The girl isn’t included.

Your search for a best friend is over! Meet Finneas, a handsome, friendly, Goofy and affectionate 3 year old boy who has BFF and Wingman written all over him! Finneas has lots of energy and would love to be part of an active family where he would get lots of exercise, play time and attention. Ventura County Animal Services – Camarillo location – 600 Aviation Drive Finneas A752202

Ventura County Area Agency on Aging is a valuable resource in our community

by Carol Leish

The Ventura County Area on Aging (VCAAA), has been/continues to be helping people over the age of 60 since 1980. “Within the past 10 years it has expanded to be able to also help people of all ages with disabilities, which includes those with low vision or who are hard of hearing or deaf, in order to enhance the quality of their lives,” according to, Jannette Jauregui, VCAAA Public Information Officer. “We are proud that we’ve continued to find better and improved methods of reaching older adults and people with disabilities in better ways over time, since there are 200,000 older adults and people with disabilities living within Ventura County.”

VCAAA has recently won both national and state awards. “The VCAAA is the recipient of two National Mature Media Awards and a California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) award,” according to, Jauregui. “Projects that received acknowledgement include, ‘LIVEWELL’ and the ‘Navigating Medicare Enrichment video production.’ Both of these have been recognized as having the state and nation’s best marketing, communications, and educational materials produced for older adults and people with disabilities.”

“LIVEWELL, which won a CAPIO Award of Distinction and a Silver Award from the National Mature Media Awards, in the premier resource guide for; older adults; people with disabilities of all ages; and, caregivers within Ventura County,” according to, Jauregui. The LIVEWELL resource guide includes information within Ventura County dealing with: active living; community resources; transportation; financial and legal services; food resources; and, medical services.

“Navigating Medicare Enrollment received a Silver Award from the National Mature Media Award, and was produced as part of the VCAAA’s Health Insurance and Advocacy Program (HICAP), with a goal to assist people who are new to, or have questions regarding, Medicare enrollment,” according to, Jauregui.

Victoria Jump, Director of the VCAAA said that, “The VCAAA is honored to have received the recognition and is proud of the impact that our marketing and communication efforts have had on the community.”

“Services across the board, including the senior nutrition program,” according to, Jauregui, “continues to exist since COVID-19. Our case managers have been conducting wellness checks over the phone or in person, with masks on, and at a safe distance. These are ‘porch visits’ that benefit the clients in order to makes sure that they have all that they need while living at home, since it’s our goal to have people to continue to be able to live at home.”

“The VCAAA Advisory Board has reps from the 10 cities within Ventura County that advocate and represent our senior and people with disabilities constituents needs,” according to the chair, Suz Montgomery. “We are appointed by our respective city councils, which is a big deal. We all serve as a voice for the community.”

During this difficult time during the pandemic the VCAAA is still open and operating. It also continues to be a resource of a wealth of information. Call: (805) 477-7300. And, look for more information on the website at: www.vcaaa.org.

Carol Leish

Channel Islands National Park volunteers receive national recognition

A volunteer team that maintains the native plant garden at Channel Islands National Park has received national recognition as the winners of the prestigious National Park Service (NPS) Hartzog Volunteer Group Award.

The team of 15 volunteers contributed over 1,300 hours caring for the park’s native plant garden and nursery this past year. Collectively, they have contributed the equivalent of 73 years of volunteer service, with an average service of ten years each.

They are passionate about creating an experience on the mainland that mirrors the island plant communities of the Mediterranean ecosystem, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.

Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are hosting a virtual award ceremony today at 3:00 pm to recognize the Hartzog winners as well as the outstanding service and milestone achievements of several other volunteers.

A 25-year record of contributing over 5,000 hours is celebrated for visitor center volunteer Frank Foster. Like clockwork every Thursday, Foster provides an invaluable service providing information to park visitors, training new volunteers, caring for the marine life exhibit, and tracking statistics.

The park volunteer of the year, Michael Delaney, wins the Lighthouse Award for his efforts in a diversity of roles. The multi-talented Delaney volunteers as a naturalist, visitor center information specialist, native plant gardener, island restoration work leader, AV technician, and is a caretaker for the historic Fresnel lens on Anacapa Island. In 2019, Delaney contributed time equivalent to a third of a full-time employee.

Linda Windsor is recognized with the Channel Islands Naturalist Corps (CINC) Blue Whale Award for providing high-quality interpretive services on the islands and at community events consistently the past five years.

The Hartzog Volunteer Group Award recognizes the exemplary work of an organized group to improve conditions for the park resources, facilities or operations, and/or visitors; developing community partnerships; and/or providing a positive, supportive work environment.

American Heart Association Award recognizes CMH’s commitment to quality stroke care

Community Memorial Hospital once again has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes CMH’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

“CMH is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative. The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidenced-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes,” said Stephanie Lara-Jenkins, RN V, Stroke Coordinator for CMH.

CMH earned the award for another year by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluating the proper use of medications and other stroke treatments aligned with the most up-to-date, evidence-based guidelines, with the goal of speeding recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients. Before discharge, patients should also receive education on managing their health, get a follow-up visit scheduled, and other care transition interventions.

CMH also received the Association’s Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll awards. To qualify for the Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll recognition, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or r-tPA. This medication treats ischemic stroke, which is caused when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked. To qualify for the Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award, CMH had to meet quality measures developed with more than 90 percent of compliance for 12 consecutive months for the “Overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score.”

The association says stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. Nearly 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that gives hospitals tools and resources to help them adhere to the latest research-based guidelines.

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.

Vol. 13, No. 24 – Aug 26 – Sept 8, 2020 – Opinion/Editorial

∙In June, Downtown Ventura closed its streets to expand outdoor dining and shopping as part of its Main Street Moves launch. This has saved many restaurants from having to close.

The closure will continue at least until September 14.

∙A new free COVID-19 walk-in test site, open to all county residents, is now open at the County Fairgrounds. No appointment is required. The test center is located in San Miguel Hall, and entry is through Gate 2 off Shoreline Drive. The, center is operated by Ventura County’s Health Care Agency and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

∙The Ventura Unified School District is reviewing its school resource officer program. Ventura Superintendent Roger Rice said the district planned to put together a committee to address community members’ concerns over the program that puts officers on school campuses. The district has a contract with the Ventura Police Department to provide three officers, who split their time among the district’s elementary, middle and high schools. I think that an impartial committee to review this situation is called for before any decisions are made.

∙ In November, some of us will be voting for a city council member depending upon where you live. On September 6, 2017 the City received a letter from Robert Rubin, Esq., of San Francisco demanding that the City Council elections transition from the current “at-large” method to by-district” in order to conform to the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Mr. Rubin asserted that the City of Ventura is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 because “racially polarized voting” occurs in the city. Based upon this, and possible lawsuits, the city adopted city council districts.

These are the candidates for the districts. We will have more information closer to the elections.

District 2

  • Doug Halter, business owner
  • Dougie Michie, financial advisor/ lawyer
  • Christy Weir, city councilmember

District 3

  • Barbara Brown, professor/business owner
  • William Cornell, small business owner
  • Aaron Gaston, business owner/ realtor
  • Mike Johnson, teacher

District 7

  • Heather May Ellinger, real estate agent
  • Michael James Nolan, realtor/telecommunications manager
  • Nancy Pedersen, business owner/ executive
  • Joel Schroeder, retired financial CEO

∙ The City of Ventura and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, a local environmental group, have announced an amendment to their settlement agreement in the lawsuit regarding the pumping and diversion of water from the Ventura River Watershed. Both Channelkeeper and the City remain committed to ensuring the protection of this local water source and the species that rely on it. The ongoing collaboration enables dialogue toward a locally developed solution to continue moving forward.

Under the modified terms, the City will continue the Pilot Program it implemented in 2019 to reduce its pumping and diversion of water from the Ventura River when flows drop during dry times, in order to help protect wildlife that depend on the river.

Additionally, the City and Channelkeeper have agreed to keep a dialogue open to identify additional ways to work collaboratively on other Watershed and habitat-related public relations efforts.

∙ I’m still bothered by Supreme Court decisions that are made with a simple majority vote of 5-4. These are major, major decisions that greatly affect how this country is run and should not be based on just one vote. I also think that Supreme Court justices should have fixed terms and not be appointed for life. Most Supreme Court nominations by presidents are made simply for political reasons with Republican appointees voting one way and Democratic opponents the other way (except on rare occasions). I don’t know what term limits should be, but I certainly think there should be one.

∙Scientists from Leeds and Edinburgh Universities and University College London analyzed satellite surveys of glaciers, mountains, and ice sheets between 1994 and 2017 to identify the impact of global warming. Describing the ice loss as “staggering,” the group found that melting glaciers and ice sheets could cause sea levels to rise dramatically, possibly reaching 3-feet by the end of the century. The dramatic loss of ice could have other severe consequences, including major disruption to the biological health of Arctic and Antarctic waters and reducing the planet’s ability to reflect solar radiation back into space.

∙NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he should have “listened earlier” to free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick about the reasons behind his kneeling protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

Goodell admitted the league was “wrong” for not listening to players who were protesting during the national anthem.” I wished we had listened earlier to Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you were trying to bring attention to,” Goodell stated in a video released last week.

Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, started kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to draw attention to police brutality and racial inequality. Other players embraced his form of protest, but it also gained critics such as President Trump, who decried it a sign of disrespect to the American flag.

Goodell now says he understands the protests were not about the flag and defended players who participated. “These are not people who are unpatriotic,” Goodell said. “They’re not disloyal. They’re not against our military. In fact, many of those guys were in the military, and they’re a military family. And what they were trying to do is exercise their right to bring attention to something that needs to get fixed. And that misrepresentation of who they were and what they were doing was the thing that really gnawed at me.”

Ventura County Public Health school waivers allows for in person instruction when approved

Ventura County Public Health has announced today that public and private elementary schools in Ventura County can submit school waiver applications to allow in-person instruction at their campuses. The waivers cover Tk through 6th grades.

In accordance with state guidelines, waivers may be granted “when requested by a local superintendent (or equivalent for charter or private schools), in consultation with labor, parent and community organizations. Local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with the California Department of Public Health when considering a waiver request.”

In counties such as Ventura County that are on the state’s COVID-19 monitoring list, grammar schools can’t reopen unless granted a waiver by local and state health officials.

“This was a difficult decision. I recognize there are reasons not to open our Health Department to requests for waivers, but we got to the point where I feel the benefits outweigh the risks,” said Doctor Robert Levin, Ventura County Public Health Officer.

At the time the state outlined the waiver process for elementary schools, Ventura County did not immediately begin accepting applications. “I’ve waited before approving this because I wanted to see some improvement in our number of COVID cases. Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Harvard’s Global Health Institute, the Chan School of Public Health and the Edmund J. Safra Center for Ethics all would have supported opening up our grammar schools for waivers weeks ago. I’ve tried to be more cautious,” said Dr. Levin.

One of the most challenging aspects of the waiver application will be a school’s plan for regular COVID testing of its staff and, if they should show symptoms of an illness, of its students as well.

The preponderance of evidence indicates that children are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from COVID-19 infection. In addition, children may be less likely to become infected and to spread infection to others.

The State guidance lists conditions that must be met in applying for a waiver:

A school or district must publish a school’s reopening plan online and, before applying, consult with parents, community organizations and teachers or, in the case of school districts, employee unions.

The application will apply only to TK to sixth grade, even if the school includes seventh and eighth grades. “Based on the current best available scientific evidence, COVID-related risks in schools serving elementary-age students (grades TK-6) are lower than and different from the risks to staff and to students in schools serving older students,” the department said in an FAQ accompanying the guidance.

The school must show evidence that it would comply with all the safety and hygiene requirements for opening elementary schools, as listed in the CDPH/CalOSHA Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs. These include a 6-foot social distancing requirement, face covering requirements, staff training and family education and student and staff testing.

Waiver and Guiding Principle Documents

Waiver: https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/pr/2020-08-19_VCPH_WaiverTemplate.pdf.

Ventura County Public Health Guiding Principles and Communication for School District: https://vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/pr/2020-08-19_VCPH_SchoolDistrictGuidingPrinciples.pdf.

Bringing laughs to the Ventura County Fairgrounds

All summer long, CBF Productions have brought stellar musical (and more) entertainment to the seaside Ventura County Fairgrounds, where audiences watch comfortably (and safely) from their parked cars. Since June, the Concerts in Your Car calendar has ranged from stellar live concerts to drive-in movies to the circus and back again, and now comedy is on the docket as well. This August, veterans of comedy David Spade and Rob Schneider will be teaming up to ring in September the best way possible – with lots of laughs.

David Spade and Rob Schneider are no strangers to the spotlight – dating back to their Saturday Night Live roots, the two longtime comedy staples have both enjoyed fruitful careers as actors and comedians, with their paths often crossing along the way. Most recently, however, Spade debuted his new late-night series, “Lights Out with David Spade” on Comedy Central, and Schneider launched his new podcast “See What Happens”, available on streaming platforms. The duo will be performing on Friday, August 28th at the scenic Ventura County Fairgrounds. The show will begin at 8:00 PM, with the first cars allowed in at 6:30.

“Even with social distancing, we wanted to give people a way to get out, celebrate and have some fun!” said Vincenzo Giammanco, owner of CBF Productions.

Each event will offer room for 700 cars per show and are designed to comply with all official restrictions. The combination of an extra high, theatre-in-the-round and five oversized screens will ensure that every seat is the best seat in the house. Sound will be distributed via FM radio. Tickets are sold in advance and online only and are priced starting at $99 per car. Each ticket is valid for one car, and the number of passengers must not exceed the number of safety belts/seats in the vehicle. For safety reasons, sound at the show is only transmitted through FM radio to discourage audience members from leaving their vehicles.

While no food is available for purchase at the concert, attendees will be provided with a comprehensive list of downtown Ventura restaurants that feature curbside pickup.

The comedy show is just one facet of the ongoing schedule with CBF Productions. Other evenings presented at the fairgrounds include both live and recorded concerts, movie nights, and other themes to keep greater L.A.’s concertgoers and families safely entertained this year.

Give the gift of diverse books

In talking with educators, parents and students, Ventura Education Partnership (VEP) realized there is a need for new, diverse books for VUSD students. With your support, we are bringing beautiful books to VUSD. Diverse books give students the opportunity to build empathy, learn about others, find themselves and so much more.

“We are very excited to be offering a new mini grant program that will enable VUSD staff of Preschool-12th graders to purchase classroom books that celebrate diversity, social justice and inclusion. Grants will be awarded based on a competitive, simple application process,” said Kathy Asher, VEP’s Co-VP of Grants. Debbie Golden, also Co-VP of Grants believes the Diverse Books for Kids project “contributes toward transformative change, that it inspires students to think critically about how we engage with cultural differences and promote social justice.”

With donations from early supporters totaling $7,500, a matching gift of up to $5,000 from Dr. Andrei Bobrow and Sabrena Rodriguez and many gifts from the community, Diverse Books for Kids has raised $17,660 of the $25,000 goal. “We are so proud to help support meaningful, necessary conversations around important social issues through age-appropriate literature. What we read, see and hear shapes our beliefs and values — and we hope to move the needle on culturally and socially responsible dialogue in our schools and community,” said Dr. Andrei Bobrow and Sabrena Rodriguez

Shannon Fredericks, parent, teacher and Diverse Books supporter invites the community to lend their support. “If you feel like giving educators a hug but you can’t because COVID—let your money do the hugging. Trust me, teachers will feel loved and appreciated by receiving a mini grant that you helped sponsor and you will be for helping teachers bring diverse literature and voices to their students.”

To support the project, donations may be made through VEP’s Facebook Page or website venturaeducationpartnership.org/Diverse-Books or contact Madhu Bajaj (805) 754-9861.

Colorful travels with safety in mind

Egret at Dusk, watercolor, Lorna Amundson

Members of Buenaventura Art Association are brightening lives and outlooks during the COVID-19 pandemic with safe, socially distant shows at two Ventura locations, Bell Arts Factory on Ventura Avenue and Ventura Harbor Village.

Face masks are required and operating hours have changed at both galleries.

At Buenaventura Gallery in Bell Arts, solo exhibitions by featured artists Kathy Bodycombe and Lorna Amundson are on display through Sept. 19, concurrent with a Members’ Choice group show of 2D and 3D works. Paintings by a previous Outstanding Merit Award winner, Louisa Wallace Jacobs, have a central spot on the gallery’s Triangle Showcase.

Acadia National Park, oil on canvas, Kathy Bodycombe

At Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, a new Members’ Show is on view and available for purchase through Sept. 14, along with the art and artisan crafts by the venue’s 10 resident artists.

Solo show artists Amundson and Bodycombe, longtime BAA members, use different media to explore the natural world in paintings. Amundson, a watercolorist, has been painting for about 30 years; Bodycombe works in oils on canvas and has been doing so for 20 years.

“My favorite part of creating art is capturing the feeling of a place or activity,” said Amundson, who has 13 paintings in her Bell Arts show, plus many original pieces and more than 100 greeting cards for sale at Harbor Village Gallery. Watercolor landscapes are frequent subjects and “Most work focuses on the natural world, some of which is done on site plein air, but increasingly is including work from photographs and imagination.”

Before coronavirus limits, she often found her inspiration on trips to the Yosemite Valley, where some of her paintings are available at Yosemite National Park’s Ansel Adams Gallery.

Bodycombe has seven paintings in her solo show, plus two in the members’ show. Her specialty is coastal landscapes, mostly from California travels (plus one example from Maine), although she also is relying more these days on photos she’s taken previously, she said.

She describes them as “a simplified impressionistic style, capturing the shapes as well as the light along the coastal landscapes. I enjoy taking what I see and creating an image that captures the view, perspective, light, mood and ambiance of a particular place in nature.”

Buenaventura Gallery, in Studio 30 at Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave., Ventura, is open noon-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and by appointment by calling 805-648-1235. The Ventura Harbor Village location, at 1559 Spinnaker Drive, unit 106, is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Mondays.

For more about the 66-year-old nonprofit artists’ cooperative and its programs, visit buenaventuraartassociation.org or call during gallery hours.