A message from Chief Schindler

“The Ventura Police Department is committed to the sanctity of life for all persons.”

Our Department has received questions from community members looking for information about the safety of our neighborhoods, our Department’s training procedures and protocols, and our response to the events taking place across our country.

“The Ventura Police Department is committed to the sanctity of life for all persons. Protecting life is also about standing for those whose voices have been silenced. Throughout history, protesting has helped advocate for change. The Ventura Police will ensure the safety of all, but we also ask that those who choose to protest, do so safely, peacefully, and in a lawful manner. Ventura Police Officers will be out over the next few days ensuring protests are safe while also protecting businesses, property, and residents from violence and those promoting destruction. The safety of our community is our top priority.”

Chief Darin Schindler is pleased to present the Ventura Police Department’s 2020-2023 Strategic Plan. VPD is rooted in community policing with community partnerships and collaborative problem solving central to our efforts. Policing strategies that worked in the past are not always effective today. Innovation, technological advancements, and fostering a culture of open dialogue with our community is vital to our success moving forward.

“As your Police Chief, I am proud to lead and serve alongside our courageous and compassionate Ventura Police team,” said Chief Schindler. “Comprised of sworn officers, professional staff, and volunteers, there are more than 225 members of our team committed to serving you with the highest standards of performance, utilizing the best policing practices.

“The Ventura Police Department and its employees, professional staff and sworn alike, are committed to being responsive to community concerns, reducing crime, and maintaining safe neighborhoods for all residents,” said Chief Schindler. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue developing relationships with our Ventura residents, business owners, and local students while working with our community to problem solve and enhance the quality of life in our city.”

Read our complete Strategic Plan in English and Spanish here: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1053/Performance-Measures

If you’d like to reach out directly, please email [email protected]. As a community we are stronger when we stand together.

What is the Ventura Council for Seniors?

The Ventura Council for Seniors (VCS), formerly the Ventura Council on Aging, formed in 1975, is designated by the Ventura City Council as the representative organization of all seniors (50 and over) in the City of Ventura. The VCS board is comprised of senior volunteers who reside in the city, along with a non-voting City liaison appointed by the Parks, Recreation, and Community Partnerships Department. This group meets quarterly to consider and gather input on local issues important to seniors. The VCS is responsible for making recommendations on these issues to the Ventura City Council.

Meetings

You are invited to participate in the Ventura Council for Seniors board meetings during the member/public communications segment of our agenda. Your concerns are our agenda!

Next Meeting: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings have been postponed until further notice.

Contact us at: 805-648-3035
Or visit: www.cityofventura.ca.gov/vcs
Or write to:
Ventura Council for Seniors
c/o City of Ventura
501 Poli St. Room 226
Ventura, CA 93001

California Coastal Cleanup Day

Each year, California Coastal Cleanup Day welcomes more than 70,000 volunteers who pick up hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash and recyclables from beaches, lakes, and waterways. The 3rd Saturday of September has been California Coastal Cleanup Day since 1985! The event brings awareness to the marine litter problem and provides a way for community members to become directly involved in caring for their local environment and natural resources.

This marks the 35th annual event, however, due to health and safety orders, the state event organizers, the California Coastal Commission, and local organizers, the Ventura County Coalition for Coastal and Inland Waterways, have made some adjustments. Instead of a organizing a volunteer event, these groups are encouraging the Ventura County community to get out and clean up their local “happy places” every Saturday in September in celebration of the annual event.

 

This means beach cleanups start at our own front doors. Trash can travel through storm drains, creeks, and rivers to become beach pollution. Consider joining every Saturday in September to help clean the beach by cleaning up in our own neighborhoods and local natural areas. Follow the Ventura County Coalition for Coastal and Inland Waterways on social media for safety tips and ways to win prizes for photo contest submissions and more!

Learn more at www.vccoastcleanup.org. Or follow on Facebook @Ventura County Annual Coastal Cleanup Day and Instagram @VCCoastCleanupDay.

Ready To Go Solar? Solarize is Back.

Many of us are spending more time at home lately, so it’s no surprise that home improvement projects are booming. If you’ve considered adding home solar or battery systems in the past, now may be the perfect time to take the leap.

CEC’s Solarize Ventura County is a program that makes it easier and more affordable for local homeowners to go solar. We use a group purchasing model and pass the savings on so that homeowners can install solar electricity and battery storage systems at a discounted price through a streamlined and hassle-free process. Previous Solarize Ventura County programs have already helped 225 homeowners go solar.

Please join CEC and Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance in celebrating Clean Air Day at our Solarize Webinar on October 7th to learn more.

A day cooling off at the Ventura beach 1906 style.

Your MC21 Note – Nicole Cabell

Nicole Cabell from the 2012 Face Of Ventura series by Johanna Spinks.

by Susan Scott Executive Director

“Nicole Cabell is an American soprano.” So begins her formal bio, but I have a sense Venturans would write it differently – something like: “Nicole Cabell is a ‘hometown hero,” a local girl from a modest family who took the opera world by storm when she won the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2005.”

Nicole debuted at The Proms in London the next year (a very big deal) and her career from there would take her to opera houses throughout the world, like Covent Garden, Lyric Opera in Chicago, The Met and more. And – in the midst of this career rocket – she closes the 2008 Ventura Music Festival in a sold-out performance staged at Ventura High School, her alma mater, and follows it with a master class for 500 students the next day. This weekend was a very big deal for Ventura and the town went crazy. They loved Nicole and she loved them.

The appearance became even more mythic when she came down with laryngitis the night before she was to perform. She couldn’t sing at rehearsal the next day either and found her voice only that night when she opened it to sing on stage – a veritable (operatic) cliff-hanger.

Fast forward, I catch up with Nicole in July where her Pandemic experience has her in the middle of a long cross-country move and home remodel. She’s relocating from Chicago to Rochester NY to take up her new position as Assistant Professor at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. I congratulate her, and she agrees to participate in Music Connects. She’ll think about what music to connect with as she completes the move.

Nicole decides on the song version of Langston Hughes’ poem, Kid in the Park, because she thinks it reflects the mood of the deepening cultural awareness in the country. I think it does too and I think you are going to love the video and the music.

 

 

Arte Forastero Sculpture Exhibit

Artist Bijan Fan will be on exhibit.

Continuing through November 30, 2020, the Museum of Ventura County (MVC) and the Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) host 14 regional artists in their first collaboration. Sculptures and installation works have been installed in the Botanical Gardens nursery and lower trails and in the Museum’s outdoor Plaza along Main Street in Downtown Ventura. This exhibit showcases works by the following artists: Emma Akmakdjian, Gloria Bradley, Kevin Carman, Bijan Fan, Wrona Gall, Sooz Glazebrook, Carlos Grasso, Paul Lindhard, Bob Privitt, Sudad Shahin. Additional works by artists Tanya Kovalesky, Marianne McGrath, Carole Shaw Sutton and Amy Sharp will be installed in mid-September.

This collaboration was initiated by VBG Executive Director Joseph Cahill and MVC Deputy Director Denise Sindelar in recognition that the Gardens and the Museum’s outdoor Plaza would provide an excellent venue for the community to safely explore and experience outdoor art installations. Jurors selecting the exhibiting artists included Christine Beirne, Ojai Studio Artists, Barbara Brown, Board Member VBG, Matthew Furmanski, Professor CSUCI, Michael Pearce, Professor CLU, Peter Tyas, Executive Director Studio Channel Islands and Denise Sindelar, Deputy Director MVC.

The funding to support the art installations was provided by the Bonita C. McFarland Endowment through the Museum of Ventura County. All art sales will 100% benefit the exhibiting artists. Patrons interested in purchasing works may contact Denise Sindelar at [email protected].

During the run of this exhibit MVC members may visit the Gardens free of charge and when the Museums reopen VBG members will receive free admission to both the Ventura Museum and the Santa Paula Agriculture Museum. Members of both organizations are encouraged to support this exciting first collaboration.

 

New census deadline

The City of Ventura is encouraging community members to take the 2020 Census by the new self-reporting deadline of September 30, 2020. To date, more than 72% of Ventura residents have participated in the 2020 Census.

In August and September, Census workers will knock on doors to follow up with houses in lower-response areas and may return multiple times to uncounted homes. Census workers will wear official Census Bureau badges, face coverings, and follow all public health guidelines when visiting homes.

“Now more than ever, we need to ensure that our community is accurately counted in the Census,” said Ventura City Manager, Alex D. McIntyre. “The results of this once-a-decade count determine the amount of funding and resources Ventura will receive for the next 10 years. It’s important that every household and business is counted so we can secure critical resources for public and social services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure projects.”

The Census is a 9-question survey that takes less than 10 minutes to complete. All responses are confidential. Households and businesses are encouraged to respond by mail, or take the 2020 Census online or by phone. The Census is available in 13 languages.

To learn more, visit www.census.ventura.orgor call (844) 330-2020.

Countywide suicide prevention initiative to spread awareness and to save lives

by Carol Leish

During September’s National Suicide Prevention Month, Vista del Mar Hospital is presenting a countywide initiative to provide awareness and to ultimately save lives.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates have been rising in nearly every state. In California 4,491 died by suicide in 2018, including 94 people in Ventura County alone. This reflects a total of 84,137 years of potential life lost before age 65. On a national level, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24.

“The effects of the Coronavirus pandemic have been far-reaching and fatal. In addition to the physical health concerns, there are emotional, mental, and behavioral health stains,” according to, Jenifer Nyhuis, Vista del Mar’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are constantly reminded of these challenges, such as: job loss; increased depression related to isolation; increased anxiety due to uncertainty and fear; economic challenges; food insecurity; child care needs; and, social challenges. We are also aware of the decrease in common coping outlets for social gatherings (gyms; churches; temples; spas; and, parks).” She continued by saying, “I am confident that nearly every person’s mental health has been brought into question, if only momentarily. The pandemic has only further exacerbated the suicide crisis. Thus, this is a time to come together to collaborate as a community in order to create lasting change.”

Therefore, Vista del Mar Hospital is collaborating with the Jason Foundation and community partners to provide free suicide prevention training online via Zoom. The one-hour training includes facts and figures about this silent epidemic, compelling survey results, warning signs such as out-of-character behavior, risk factors for suicidal ideation, resources, and the social media campaign: #1WONTBESILENT. Community partners include: The City of Ventura; Coalition for Family Harmony; NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), Ventura County; Mission FISH; Genesis Programs, Inc.; News Talk 1590 KVTA; QPR For Suicide Prevention; Ventura Downtown Lion’s Club; Ventura County Behavioral Health; Ventura County CIT; and, Women of the Moose. Vista del Mar has three scheduled trainings open to the public, as well as trainings by appointment.

“During this unprecedented time of uncertainty, suicide prevention is more important than ever,” according to, Kiran Sahot, Sr. Behavioral Health Manager with Ventura County Behavior Health. “We encourage the community to become trained in asking the difficult questions surrounding thoughts of suicide, and being able to recognize the signs of anxiety and depression.”

Resources on a list that is provided by Vista del Mar include resources in the areas of: crisis stabilization; outpatient services; chemical dependence; veteran services; LGBTQ+ services and support; and, other education and support. With help/support, situations can and will improve.

If in a dire situation, please call either: the Ventura County Crisis Intervention Unit at: 856-998-223; or, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at: 800-273-8255.

To find more available resources and/or information from Vista del Mar, go to their website at: www.vistadelmarhospital.com. “Realize that you’re not alone,” according to, Maya Lazos, community liaison at Vista del Mar. “There is help and there are free resources out there.” For questions or to schedule a training by appointment, contact Lazos at: (805) 794-1009; or, [email protected]

MERITO Foundation launches the new Marine Science After School Beach Camps

MERITO Foundation’s students learn about wetland habitat restoration at the Kalorama Wetland.

We now know the risk of contracting coronavirus diminishes when masked gatherings occur outside (The New York Times). We also know children learn more science, care more for their environment, and are happier when learning outdoors. We are launching the Marine Science After School Beach Camps to increase the opportunities for local youth to participate in meaningful learning outdoor experiences that won’t be available to them through distance learning.

The MERITO Foundation has instructed over 18,000 students during the last five years in our region’s coastal environments, such as local watersheds, beaches, and estuaries. Our bilingual and knowledgeable staff will provide your child with a fun and memorable experience while they explore our coast.

The Marine Science After School Beach Camp is a weeklong program for 9 to 12 years olds. Your child will be engaged in hands-on science and stewardship activities while allowing for social distance. They will learn about habitat restoration, wetland ecology, ocean science, animal classification, and have fun with ocean-themed games and art. Children will explore the coast through field-based activities such as habitat restoration, scientific monitoring of sand crabs, shorebirds, beach topography, and stewardship activities such as beach cleanups. The program will run Monday through Friday from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm, starting on August 31, 2020. Please check meritofoundation.org/afterschoolbeachcamp for available dates and to enroll online.

This is a fully outdoor program that will take place at Buenaventura State Beach by the Kalorama Wetland, south of the Ventura pier. Registration costs $190 per week per child, and parents get 10% discount when they enroll siblings. A limited number of scholarships are available based on economic needs. Each instructor will work with a maximum of 8 students, and children will stay in the same groups throughout the week to reduce the chance of virus transmission.

All our Beach Camps have strict COVID-19 prevention rules and protocols in place to keep youth and instructors safe. You can find out more about our COVID-19 prevention measures on the program’s webpage.

The MERITO Foundation is also launching a full-day Marine Science Fall Beach Camp that will take place during the week of October 26 – 30, 2020. Registrations are now open for both programs.

This program could result in a myriad of academic, social, and health benefits for participants, especially during distance learning. Environmental education programs in informal settings increase knowledge and understanding of how human actions contribute to environmental issues. Youth also demonstrate better attention and longer retention of skills when learning takes place in outdoor environments. Exposure to nature through these programs enhances learners’ cognitive functioning, self-discipline, and character development. In addition, there are numerous physical and mental health benefits from spending time in the outdoors. Learn more and enroll your child at www.meritofoundation.org/afterschoolbeachcamp

This program was organized in partnership with California State Parks- Channel Coast District and California Coastal Conservancy.

Victims tried to raise public awareness of the plight of their loved ones

Brandishing homemade signs they asked passers-by to honk their horns in support. Photo by Richard Lieberman

by Richard Lieberman

Relatives of unsolved murder cases in Ventura held a demonstration and vigil on the lawn of Ventura Government Center. Among the demonstrators unsolved cases one dates to 1974. Brandishing homemade signs asking passers-by to honk their horns in support. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children of murder victims tried to raise public awareness of the plight of their loved ones.

Sheila Kamara the spokesperson for the group said “We are protesting to get unsolved murders solved. We are trying to get the city to hire more detectives who can focus on unsolved murders.” Her son Arnold Kamara was murdered March 16, 2016 by unknown assailants, Arnold was at home on that fateful Sunday evening and there was an argument and he was shot, they shot him in the leg and the bullet hit an artery and killed him , there has been little progress in the case. Kamara also added “They know who it did, but they need more information, so they need to get those resources out here to work on these cases.”

Asked about the support of other organizations on the plight of parents of murdered children, she said “Parents of Murdered Children group, I attend those meetings and I guess that is what gives me support and they support us and that is what gives me hope.”

She sees the hiring of additional detectives as imperative to the solving of these yet unsolved cases. She thinks new detectives will bring more light to the cases, “They are going to take information and they are all going to go about in their own way, and I think they could solve all of them if they just worked on them and got out onto the streets and make people kind of talk, “she said. “The police are doing okay, they just don’t have the resources to focus on these cases,” she added.

Kamara does call the police from time to time to get progress reports on her son’s case, but police sources have consistently denied her requests for information. “I don’t call much anymore because they can’t give me the information, so it just kind of brings me down,” Kamara added. “I just feel like I don’t want to bother them right now because of the Corona Virus,” added kamala

Asked about what she thought the police should do to make more progress on the cases, she replied “I think the police are doing a great job, they just need help, and more resources. Maybe they could get retired cops and district attorneys to come in and help with this.”

Kamara did present her son’s case to the city council, but no action has been contemplated or taken. She still writes and emails council members in hopes of getting some response.

“I want them to get out there (the police) and do undercover work, because these murderers are still walking around,” she added. “I also am offering a $25,000 reward for information on the killing,” she said.

Three weeks ago, the group demonstrated in front of Ventura City Hall and intends to do so again, they also intend to demonstrate at government center again.

Ventura resident to be featured in National Down Syndrome Society video

Estelle will appear in the bright lights.

Estelle Collinge of Ventura, will appear in the bright lights of Broadway on Saturday, September 12, as part of the National Down Syndrome Society’s annual Times Square Video presentation. The featured photographs highlight children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome, reminding the world in a very big way about the contributions and milestones of people with Down syndrome. These collective images promote the value, acceptance, and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.

“This video is a terrific way to showcase some of the incredible individuals with Down syndrome living in our communities across the country,” says NDSS President & CEO Kandi Pickard. “It is something the community looks forward to every year.”

The Times Square Video presentation kicks off Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. The video presentation will be followed by the New York City Buddy Walk, which will take place virtually due to COVID-19. Buddy Walk events will be held virtually in more than 150 cities across the country, as well as select international locations, this fall with over 325,000 people participating around the globe. For information about the NDSS Buddy Walk Program, visit www.buddywalk.org or call 800-221-4602.

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. NDSS programming includes the National Advocacy & Policy Center, which seeks to create systemic change through engaged advocacy; the National Buddy Walk® Program, which honors and celebrates individuals with Down syndrome in local communities across the world, and other programs that provide support, informational resources and community engagement opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and those who love and support for them. Visit www.ndss.org for more information about NDSS programs and resources.