Jeffery Lambert Director of Community Development leaves Ventura

Lamber is very happy with his new position in Oxnard.

by Richard Lieberman

Director of Community Development Jeffrey Lambert has left Ventura for a post with the city of Oxnard. Lambert was offered and accepted the position of Community Development Director for the City of Oxnard. He runs a department of approximately 65 people.

“One of the proudest moments of my whole career at Ventura City was the way we handled the rebuilding part of the Thomas fire. We made this rebuild process as easy as we could. Sixty-one percent of the homes are either in reconstruction or plan check,” said Lambert. “It’s not higher because some of the people have not begun the process,” added Lambert.

He also added it was important to find that balance of respecting neighbors and at the same time giving people flexibility in building their dream home. “ I am incredibly proud of our efforts to make this happen.” He said.

There was, and still is a tremendous amount of work to be done. Lambert and his staff worked tirelessly to make victims of this catastrophe whole again. This included meeting with homeowners at their homes and working weekends for months at a time.

Rebuilding after the Thomas fire is a process that those who have not gone through it just don’t understand. Most of the homeowners who have begun or even completed rebuilding are people who never wanted to go through the process of rebuilding. The first homeowners to complete their rebuild, Sandy and Ed Fuller were more prepared. They had recently gone through a complete remodel and therefore had plans that were up-to-date. “

“Last Friday on my day off I drove around the fire zone just because it made me feel good to see all the construction happening” he added.

When asked about the difference in compensation between Ventura and Oxnard Lambert said: “ I took a good bump to come here.” Another reason he mentioned was being stripped of the economic development department in Ventura. “I thought that was a mistake,” he added.

Adding to his accomplishments in Ventura Lambert cited the continuing revitalization of downtown as one of his proudest accomplishments for the City. “I am proud that over my term there my staff were much more focused on being facilitators than regulators to help people through the process,” he said.

“After nearly 10 years with the City of Ventura with many proud moments and accomplishments, I left Ventura for Oxnard to be part of a highly professional and visionary leadership team.  Oxnard is clearly open for business and supportive of progress and meeting the demands of its citizens and economic prosperity through public and private economic investments.  I believe the future of Oxnard is bright and I am thrilled to be part of that future. I am very happy with my decision. I still live in the Ventura and call it my home, and I wish the City well, particularly the Community Development staff I left behind who are dedicated and talented professionals doing the best they can.”

Riding the waves with Ventura’s Surfing Ambassadog, Haole Boy

Haole Boy shares a wave with athlete Jacob, during a recent AWOW event in Huntington Beach. Photo by Lynn Beeler

by Amy Brown

They say every dog has its day, and there was one day in particular that was pivotal for local pup Haole Boy, and his owners Kim and John Murphy. Haole was almost five years old and was at Mondos Beach watching John surfing, when suddenly Haole tried to get up on the board with him. The next day they brought a stand-up paddle board and Haole got right up on it and surfed like he’d been standing on a board his whole life, according to his owners.  “We didn’t even have to teach Haole Boy to surf,” says Kim. “It was amazing, we didn’t have to coach or coerce him, he was not timid or nervous, but totally comfortable. We laugh because we say he must have been a surfer in a past life.”

Haole has been wowing surfers and beach goers at local breaks like C Street and the Cove with his soul surfer stylings on 3-4 foot waves ever since, and has since been named Ventura’s official Ambassadog. He even started competing against hundreds of dogs in major Southern California dog surfing competitions over the next four years.  “Haole was always on the podium–he didn’t always win first place, although he has several times,” shares Kim. “There are a few surf dogs in the last year or two that say that Haole inspired them to learn to surf.”

Sometimes an older dog can teach others new tricks, and in that spirit Haole and his family have also been deeply committed to providing surf therapy to kids with special needs or disabilities with the A Walk On Water (AWOW) program. In 2014 Haole was six years old, and was doing a surfing exhibition at the popular Ventura Surf Rodeo event, where AWOW was doing mini expression sessions (surfing showcases with no judges or official competition).  The AWOW folks were so taken with him that they asked Haole to participate in their events moving forward. “The kids fell in love with him,” says Kim.

According to Sean Swentek, AWOW’s Executive Director, surfing is one of the most difficult sports there is, even for those with no disability or unique need. “The learning curve is very steep, and that’s partly why the reward is so great when a child catches a wave for the first time. While getting ready on the beach, Haole’s calm and safe demeanor helps our athletes feel relaxed as they anticipate what will happen at the day’s event,” says Swentek. “You’ll often hear a child who was previously nervous about surfing say something like: ‘If Haole can do it, then so can I!’”

The gentle and stalwart surfing dog has had some challenges along the way. “Haole has been battling cancer, but has had exceptional care,” says Kim. His primary care vet is Ohana in Ventura, his surgeon is Dr. Ian Holsworth at VetSurg, his internal medicine doctors are Horizon Veterinary Specialists, and he has received outstanding oncology care from Dr. Daina Budreckis with VMSG.  He is doing great, and is expected to continue to be happy and comfortable. “He’s happy, he’s surfing, he’s eating, doing everything a dog should be doing,” according to Kim.  “We try to bring Haole surfing every weekend, if not, a couple times a month.”

So keep your eyes peeled for Haole out in the waves (or on his excellent Instagram account with more than 30,000 followers), making the sport of kings look easy, and bringing smiles and spreading stoke with every wave he catches.

Six new appointments slated for Ventura

City Manager Alex Mcintyre announces six new appointments.

by Richard Lieberman

Alex Mcintyre Ventura City Manager announced six new appointments to the executive staff. The appointments include assistant city manager, deputy city manager, community development director, finance and technology director, public works director, and Ventura water general manager.

This past January Alex McIntyre committed to complete the hiring of an executive team by June, the new hires will begin their roles next month. Filling these positions was part of the city council’s goal to strengthen and stabilize the executive team.

“These experienced managers stood out in their fields as leaders and professionals,” said McIntyre. “Their talent and, management skills will help the City achieve our current goals, focus on the future and emphasize excellent services to our residents,” he added.

These newly appointed managers will complete the City’s 12-member executive team.

The new executive team members include:

Community Development Director Peter Gilli. He has more than 20 years of experience serving as Deputy Director of Community Development, Acting Planning Manager, Zoning Administrator, and Senior Planner during his tenure with the cities of Thousand Oaks, Santa Maria, Mountain View, Cupertino, and San Jose. The Community Development Director oversees more than 42 employees who are responsible for planning and zoning, building and safety, code enforcement and housing and redevelopment.

Assistant City Manager Akbar Alikhan appointed to the position after a national search. He is a Ventura County native and recently worked as General Manager for Channel Island Beach Community Services District for two years, prior to that he worked with Raftelis Financial Consultants, where he provided financial planning and utility rate consulting services to agencies throughout the state.

Alikhan will oversee three City department operations including Community Development, Public Works and Ventura Water.

Deputy City Manager Barry Fisher will fill a newly created position of permanent Deputy City Manager. Mr. Fisher has served as the acting Assistant City Manager.

Fisher will oversee the offices of Economic Development, Safe & Clean, Communications, and Disaster Preparedness. He will also manage the City’s state and federal legislative programs.

Finance and Technology Director Michael Coon has served as City Manager of Richwood Texas for two years and Assistant to the City Manager in the city of Lake Jackson before that he started his career with the City of San Antonio, Texas Office of Management and budget.

Coon will be responsible for for the development and oversight of the City’s $301 million budget

Phillip Nelson has been appointed Public Works Director. He has more than 30 years of engineering services experience in the private and public sectors. During his tenure with the County of Ventura, he served as manager of facilities projects, director of facilities and engineering, director of engineering services and director of planning and facilities, among other assignments.

The Public Works Director oversees more than 90 employees who design, construct, inspect, improve and maintain the City’s infrastructure, including traffic lights, sidewalks, street lights, roadways, land development, solid waste, stormwater, and parking operations.

Susan Rungren has been promoted to Ventura Water general manager. She has been serving as interim general manager since January. Prior to that, she has served as Ventura Water Assistant General Manager.

Rungren will manage a staff of 108 full-time employees. She will oversee the water and wastewater operations, and work to meet long term water supplies.

Alex McIntyre “The past 18 months have been a turbulent time for the City,” said McIntyre. “These important changes in leadership will provide the necessary settling affect the city needs right now,” he added.

Local charter school offers different place of learning

Evin Brown has been at the school since second grade.

by Rebecca Wicks

Ventura Charter School for Arts and Global Education is a progressive school. It’s the kind of school where students call teachers by their first name. It’s the kind of school that doesn’t just worry about how students learn, but about their emotional, physical and social well-being. It’s the kind of school that allows teachers a lot of control over what they teach. And, it’s exactly the kind of school founders Mary Galvin, Lisa Hildebrand and other teachers envisioned when they left the Open Classroom program at Blanche Reynolds to start the charter school.

“We wanted more autonomy in terms of what we were teaching and how we were being administered,” said Galvin who serves as the school’s director of operations. “We wanted to build a school that was relationship-based, a place with hands-on learning, where students really engage and grapple with issues and problems.”

Galvin, Hilderbrand and others were originally denied authorization to form a school by the Ventura Unified School District, which allowed them to go to the Ventura County of Education. The County approved the charter school in 2006. Today the charter school is a K-8 public school of choice which means it does not charge tuition. While the school rents the space from the local school district – it shares a campus with DATA Middle School on Ventura Avenue – it is independent from the district.

Galvin admits the school is at capacity at this point with 415 students and 25 homeschool students, but has no current plans to move. The school after all, promotes itself as a “small school” with a “big experience.” Part of that experience is one that works to foster a different way for students to look at themselves.

“We don’t like to hear anyone say they are ‘horrible’ at math,” explained Galvin. “We try to help students understand they may struggle, but an overwhelming task can be broken down into bits and pieces. We work hard to build a growth mindset and perseverance.”

This idea of support and critical friend groups abound in everything from writing projects to artistic endeavors where students are encouraged to create multiple drafts and edits of their work. Similarly, the school works to teach students conflict resolution skills and how to express their feelings beyond being mad or sad.

“You’ll find our students use complex language if they are in a conflict,” said Galvin. “It’s part of how we want them to embrace our inquiry-based learning and learn about and to be leaders in their community.”

The school has become a popular choice for many families in Ventura who have to submit an application in late February for the following fall school year. Once applications are collected, places for admission are granted through a lottery.

Eighth grader Evin Brown has been at the school since second grade. The 14-year-old’s favorite subjects are history and science. He enjoys that that school is smaller.

“Everyone is friendly,” said Brown. “We work in groups a lot of the time and have a lot of projects, which can make learning a little easier.”

Brown participated in the school’s PHD, or Project of Your Heart’s Desire. In the program, every 8th grader spends months working on a project they are passionate about. Brown decided to do his project on how a newspaper is created and published, using his grandfather Sheldon Brown, the publisher of the Ventura Breeze as his mentor and main resource.

“ I learned how to create and publish a newsletter. It was fun and I learned a lot.”

Award-winning innovative program provides showers for the homeless

by Jill Forman

“Hygiene restores dignity and restores hope” says Deanna Handel, describing the shower component of the Ventura Health Care Agency’s program for the homeless, which is an “opportunity to extend the front door of the health care system out into the community. This is cutting edge work, a pilot program; not many communities deliver health care this way.”

Handel, manager of the program called Whole Person Care, speaks with passion about the its mission. And she is quick to point out that her outlook is shared by the entire staff. “They need to be welcoming and engaging; invite the clients in.”

Whole Person Care has been delivered by One Stop, weekly outreach events with multiple agencies offering assistance in areas such as housing, mental health services, medical referrals, drug and alcohol counseling, lunches, and so on. Many persons in the community have numerous service needs and barriers to getting those needs met, for example disability, mental health issues, or lack of transportation. By having services in one place, the hope is that they can connect with agencies and individuals to assist them. One Stop has many locations throughout the county. Showers are the latest component in offering more complete assistance.

Care Pods, the shower element, has been in place since December of 2017. They are made from container units which can be put on a truck and taken to locations. Made of steel, they are resistant to damage or vandalism. Fully self-contained units, they hook to city water with a hose. At this time, they stay in one location and are opened on a regular schedule. They each contain four showers, including an ADA-approved unit for the disabled. The company is local, founded by Vernon Alstot, a retired Ventura Fire Department executive who not only had experience with showers for fire personnel, but also brought relationships with local cities and organizations that were helpful to the Health Care Agency.

Relationships with communities and law enforcement have been key to the implementation of the Whole Person concept, engaging cities and law enforcement, getting everyone one board to find an appropriate location. There needs to be “careful conversations” to include everyone’s perspective. The Health Care Agency relies on city staff and law enforcement to be ambassadors to their communities. Law enforcement works with these individuals every day and knows the barriers they face to getting appropriate services.

The two locations currently with Care Pods are River Haven in Ventura and at the El Buen Pastor Church in Santa Paula. The Ventura site currently serves an average of 25 persons on a weekly schedule, though it has been as many as 41 in a day, and has provided 1700 showers total. The Santa Paula site serves 20-30 persons a week and has provided 1400 showers. HCA is in talks to expand to two more locations; there is funding for six units.

The program recently won a statewide award from the California Association of Public Hospitals – Safety Net Institute, a statewide advocacy body. The Quality Leaders Award recognized their outstanding effort to administer team-based, right place-right time care. A highly competitive award, it was “a real honor.”

Handel is proud of the program and has high praise for the staff and volunteers. The philosophy is centered on friendly workers: community health, professionals, medical staff and volunteers who give care that is compassionate and non-stigmatizing. “All staff really care about the clients. They are amazing.”

For more information visit www.carepodz.com.

Kids & Families Together and Bike Ventura

Every child was so excited and enthused about their experience.

n celebration of National Bicycle Month and Foster/Resource Family awareness month, two local nonprofits came together for a special day! Kids & Families Together and Bike Ventura.

Kids & Families Together is a local nonprofit who provides therapy and support services to kinship, adoption, foster, and birth families in Ventura County and Bike Ventura whose mission is to foster a safe, healthy community through bicycle-centered education, empowerment, and advocacy in Ventura County.

In partnership with Cross Pointe Church Ventura provided an amazing bike event for these kinship, adoption, and foster families. This event was created because a grandmother caring for a grandchild called Kids & Families Together, because of the age of her and her husband, there granddaughter, who was 8, didn’t know how to ride a bike and they didn’t feel comfortable teaching her.

Bike Ventura’s passion to educate the community on bike education and training was the perfect collaboration. With over 30 kids in attendance each child was given a free helmet, free bike repair, lessons on bike safety and how to ride, some or more seasoned riders were able to go on a bike ride around the neighborhood; practicing what they learned from the event.

Every child was so excited and enthused about their experience. Lunch was donated by Domino’s Pizza and Jersey Mikes. Cross Pointe provided many of the volunteers and blow up slides for the kids to have fun after the event. All in all, is was a great day where families could create fun memories and times together.

A couple of the favorite moments of the day was one girl who had her training wheels removed for the first time and was able to go on the bike ride around the neighborhood. Another was that one child was able to receive a free bike through Shelter Care Resources. By the end of the day each child had a huge smile on their face and was proud and confident in what they had learned and excited to keep learning how to ride.

Botanic Gardens open for First Post Fire Community Gathering

“We rolled out our mats and settled into a meditation.”

by Chris Roberts

In its first community event since the Thomas fire, Jo Ann Wedding led a small group of yogis through the impressive new Ventura Botanical Garden gateway to the base of the trail.

The view was astonishing. The trail is fully restored between the trailhead and Summit Road, about half way to the top of the ridge. The rockwork takes me back to the hills in Greece or Portugal. Line upon line upon line of curved stone batter walls define he trail, the planters and those parts of the hillside that require additional stability reinforcement. The repetitive rhythm of the undulating walls is striking, and at a deeper level, my appreciation for the hours of handwork required to create this setting take me back to a time when manual labor, not machines, built structures. This is not like the stone walls that lined the edge of the trail before this fire. The stonework is so prevalent that it establishes an artwork array as far as the eye can see. The plants are in bloom, and the diversity of Mediterranean plants is breathtaking.

For those wanting a more vigorous ascent, curved stone steps, cross the low gradient switchbacks, offering a shorter, but more vigorous hillside ascent.

The group reached a patio overlook at the Summit Drive terminus. We rolled out our mats and settled into a meditation that include breathing in the fresh air, feasting on the ocean and mountains views, and the quiet natural setting. Attention to the breath, and a peaceful setting are prime yoga session components.

Master yogi LeeAnn McGuire led us through a series of relaxing but energetic poses and we all had gentle smiles as we rolled up the mats and made the refreshing decent back to the trailhead. Thanks to Yoga Jones and the Ventura Botanical Gardens for making this special event possible. Future gatherings are planned on June 13 and June 27.

The rebuilt trail and vastly improved gardens are gentle yet spectacular. I will return often.

City of Ventura names 2018-2019 Green School Award Winners

ATLAS Elementary School teacher Therese Palmisano; Principal Jennifer Duston and teacher Sara Viscarra accepting the award.

In celebration of Earth Day, the City of Ventura has announced that Buena High School and ATLAS Elementary School have been named winners of this year’s Green School Awards. The recipients are recognized for their outstanding programs in sustainability and efforts to prepare the next generation of environmental leaders. The winners received an honorary certificate and a $500 cash prize sponsored by the City of Ventura, Agromin Premium Soil Products and E. J. Harrison & Sons, Inc.

“The annual Green School Award is an opportunity to celebrate students and staff who are improving and protecting natural resources through innovative projects. This year’s winners continue to be environmental leaders in our community” said Brandon Kaysen, Environmental Sustainability Supervisor.

Buena High School was presented the Environmental Leadership Award for reducing their environmental footprint and enhancing health and wellness opportunities for students. The school is in the process of renovating an abandoned garden to include fruit trees, vegetable planters, and space for native plant propagation. The new landscape will include rainwater capture features and a water efficient drip irrigation system. The school plans to use the renovated space to reduce food waste through composting.

ATLAS Elementary School was presented with the Watershed Hero Award from Ventura Water for implementing a water wise garden on campus. The garden conserves water, supports pollinators such as birds and bees and provides a beautiful space for students to engage with nature. This project was a collaboration between students, parents and volunteers from local Cub Scout Troops. “Our model of leadership at ATLAS empowers students to be the catalyst for the change they want to see in the world”, stated Sara Bergman Viscarra, teacher at ATLAS Elementary School.

For more than ten years, the City of Ventura Green School Award has supported environmental initiatives at local schools. Public and private schools are encouraged to apply for the annual award on the City’s website.

Preserving an American tradition like no other

Circus Vargas – the big one is back!

The Big One is Back with “The Greatest of Ease’ bringing acrobats, daredevils and flying trapeze! Join us in celebrating, Circus Vargas’ 50th anniversary extravaganza, an homage to the golden era of circus in America, in Camarillo at the Camarillo Premium Outlets June 13th through 17th, and continuing up the Central Coast to Santa Barbara at the Earl Warren Showgrounds June 20th through 24th, and San Luis Obispo at Madonna Inn June 27th through July 8th.

All aboard our spectacular circus steam engine as we ride the railways back in time, to relive the nostalgia of yesteryear! Marvel at the sights and sounds emanating from the big top, just as audiences did decades ago!

The hypnotic call of the calliope, the sawdust, the sequins, the spangles!

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry! Witness the unusual, the astonishing, the unimaginable! Wonder at the daring and the beauty! Experience the phenomenal, the extraordinary!

Run away with the circus, for two unforgettable hours of nonstop action and adventure, as we transport you back through the ages of circus history and tradition! A magnificent, mega-hit production guaranteed to thrill and enchant children of all ages …only at Circus Vargas, where memories are made and cherished for a lifetime!

Always fun for the entire family, Circus Vargas’ incredible new 2019 production highlights an amazing cast of world-renowned performers! Death- Defying Acrobats, Daredevils, Aerialists, Jugglers, Contortionists, Clowns, Motorcycles and much, much, more!

Arrive 30 minutes early for an entertaining, interactive pre-show celebration, where kids can create their own magic under the big top, learning circus skills such as juggling, balancing and more! Meet and mingle with the entire cast after each performance. Capture the fun by posing for pics or selfies with your favorite cast members, all part of an unforgettable Circus Vargas experience!

For Circus Vargas performance dates, times and to purchase tickets, visit www.circusvargas.com, call 877-GOTFUN-1 (877-468-3861) or visit the box office at each location. Follow Circus Vargas on Facebook and Twitter for updates, discounts and behind the scenes video.

Performance Schedule

Thursday, June 13 through Monday, June 17 Camarillo, Camarillo Premium Outlets

740 E. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, 93010

Thur

Fri

 13-Jun

14-Jun

 4:30pm 7:30pm

7:30pm
Sat 15-Jun 1:00pm 4:00pm 7:30pm
Sun 16-Jun 12:30pm 3:30pm 7:30pm
Mon 17-Jun 6:30pm

Thursday, June 20 through Monday, June 24 Earl Warren Show Grounds

3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, 93105

Thur 20-Jun 7:30pm
Fri

Sat

 21-Jun

22-Jun

 1:00pm 4:30pm

4:00pm

 7:30pm

7:30pm
Sun

Mon

 23-Jun

24-Jun

 12:30pm 3:30pm 7:00pm

6:30pm