See page 16 for new spots to find the Breeze! FREE Vol. 3, Vol. No. 9, 11 No. 15 Published Every PublishedOther Wednesday Every Other WednesdayEstablished 2007 April 27, – May 10,March 2016 10 - 23, 2010 Homeless Workshop held at the Derby Club. Ventura High School team members getting Homeless ready to defeat all. Workshop Robotics draws interested competition parties Join last year’s NAMI walkers on April 30. by Sheli Ellsworth held at Ventura More than 250 people gathered 12th Annual NAMI Ventura College for the City Council’s Community by Richard Lieberman Homeless Workshop held at the Derby County Walk Club on April 18. Attendees worked in More than 1000 students from high groups to complete exercises designed The 12th Annual NAMI Ventura to 10:30 am which will feature speakers schools in Southern California partici- to define, understand and help the County Walk benefitting the National from the Ventura County community. pated in a competition utilizing robotic homeless community. Post-its were Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)will The Walk is a tradition that provides technology to breach moats, shoot large used to chronicle past efforts to help be on Saturday April 30 at the Ventura an opportunity to raise awareness about balls, and capture castles during the the homeless population and discus- Promenade. Check in and registration the facts of mental illness, to erase the Robotics Stronghold Competition held sions focused on issues like mental will begin at 9:00 am with the start stigma associated with mental illness, at Ventura College in March. Forty-two illness, addiction, lack of affordable time for the 5k walk beginning at 10:30 and to raise funds so that NAMI teams from Southern California and housing and the impact of homeless- am. The Walk will be held rain or shine. Ventura County can continue to offer all four from China competed in the ness on the community. There will be a program from 10:00 am Continued on page 6 medieval themed event. Attendee Dave Grau commented, Joshua Ceth Vida Gazone from “We seem to have the ‘have nots’ in every Kearney High School San Diego gave the community and it is easy to forget about Breeze a tour of the “Pits” and explained them because we don’t want to see it.” the program in detail. “I started with Behavioral Health Department Director Legos, putting them together, and Elaine Crandell has attended several taking them apart. Then I learned how homeless workshops and noted the to put Legos together so they could pick economic impact of homelessness, “All up other Legos.” “It all started out with the studies say that homelessness affects Legos, and when I came to San Diego things like tourism and Ventura relies and joined the Robotics Team at the on tourism.” high school it progressed from there.” Ventura is second only to Oxnard Said Gazone. Currently studying Me- in the number of homeless in the chanical Engineering, and enrolled in community. According to research the Engineering Innovation and Design from the Ventura Community Develop- program with a solid 4.0 grade average ment Department, Oxnard has about since the ninth grade. Student ambas- 600 homeless people while Ventura sador to the event Gazone “so I help out numbers 334 homeless. Simi Valley with media and others explaining the places third with about 200 homeless On Sunday afternoon, April 17th, Buena High School Studio A Jazz Band showcased event and the program” he added. With while Thousand Oaks has 83. Fillmore their talents in a performance for Channel Islands Jazz Club at the Pacific Corin- a perfect 4.0 since 9th grade Gazone is and Moorpark each have 7 homeless of thian Yacht Club. This 17 member ensemble was accompanied by local vocalist Jade. hoping to apply and be admitted to SDU record. The upshot is that the City of Admission and donations benefited a student scholarship to a summer jazz camp in to major in Mechanical Engineering. Ventura has 41 services available to help San Francisco that the Channel Islands Club sponsors. With tunes from Duke Ellington “The goal of the competition is the homeless community while Oxnard and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy a fun atmosphere filled the room. To learn more about to use teamwork to solve engineering has 31. According to county reports, 118 the Buena High School Studio A Jazz Band, contact Music Director Andre Spence at problems” said FIRST (For Inspiration places in Ventura County offer homeless Buena High School, [email protected]. Photo by Michael Gordon. and Recognition of Science and Tech- Continued on page 4 Continued on page 15 2 April 27 – May 10, 2016 Ventura BREEZE Ventura BREEZE April 27 – May 10, 2016 3 We ❤ Memberships! Join or Renew your Ventura Friends of the Library Membership Today! An all-volunteer organization, supporting our Ventura Public Libraries. 2016 Membership and renewals: Individual $20; Family $30; Booster $100; Business $250; Lifetime $1000. Address: P.O. Box 403, Ventura 93002 Contact: [email protected] sanbuenaventurafriendsofthelibrary.org Camp Haverim Join us for a memorable summer full of arts and cra s, games, sports, water play, Jewish cultural and religious activities, Shabbat services on Fridays and teaching Hebrew blessings. Camp is for children ages 2-8 years old and Parent & Me class is o ered for children ages 20 months-2.9 years old. Camp Haverim will be o ered for 6 weeks starting from June 13- July 22. Each week has a di erent theme including: • Week 1: June 13-June 17 - Art • Week 2:June 20-June 24 - Cooking • Week 3: June 27-July 1- Soccer • Week 4: July 5-July 8-Tikkun Olam (Healing the World) • Week 5: July 11-July 15 - Drama • Week 6: July 18-July 22 - Science 7620 Foothill Road, Ventura, CA 93004 For more information about Camp Haverim and how you can receive a 10% discount, please stop by the preschool o ce to pick up a brochure or call 805-647-3798. 4 April 27 – May 10, 2016 Ventura BREEZE Come in for Established in 1972 Business Great Lunch Offering a full line of pastas with homemade sauces, East Coast Specials! style pizza (gluten-free crust and 11:30am - 2:00pm Mon - Sat vegan cheese available), salads, homemade daily soups and much more! Wine and local draft beer 641-2300 Dinner hours: 5pm - 9pm Mon - Thurs & Sunday 5pm - 10pm Fri & Sat 1751 E. Main St. In Midtown Ventura www.palermos.biz Passport Habits in Midtown has opened. Bringing the world to Ventura is a Ramirez family goal. After living in the Middle East for 2 years and scouring the globe for hundred teachers, students, parents, handmade treasures, Michelle and Anthony are thrilled to have brought them back to and educational administrators. A share with our community. For a taste of wanderlust visit Passport Habits at 1987 E. short discussion was held after the Main St. Open Wednesday-Sunday. 645-6708 - Passporthabits.com. film about the earlier educational experiences with the audience. The discussion went over key points which were mentioned in the film, Sports for instance “Student engagement in school plummets as they get to higher the distribution of homeless services. grades—from 80% in elementary school Ventura County Perhaps a central council or agency could to just 40% by the beginning of high coordinate efforts of the entire community? school.” Or “The Lego Foundation Fusion to kick Other discussions involved the types of study reports that students lose more homelessness. Homelessness due to the loss than 90% of their creative capacity off 2016 season of a job may be different from the type of Darcy Duffy and Melissa Watz led the discus- during their school years.” The PDL 9Premier Development homelessness due to mental and physical sion after the film. The audience was left with mixed League) has released the 2016 regular challenges. According to the VCDD, “In emotions of frustration for the current season schedule and despite a league wide 2015, City of Ventura had 239 unsheltered Film and situation but also inspiration for the realignment, the VC Fusion will stay in individuals. 56% or 134 were chronically future of education. the Southwest Division of the Western homeless individuals, which is 41% greater Since Most Likely To Succeed Conference. The 2016 PDL season will see than the national average.” Of those who discussion premiered just a year ago, the film 67 teams from United States and Canada, are chronically homeless, I learned that 30% has reached hundreds of thousands compete for the championship. A grand usually have a mental illness or substance about of people, inspiring them to help total of 469 PDL regular season scheduled abuse. Councilman Neal Andrews America’s schools prepare our students games with kick off the weekend of May commented, “One thing I have come to for the future. 6-8, with the championship game set for know through the years is that many people reinventing The film focuses on a charter high the first weekend in August. For the VC who are homeless only want help on their school in San Diego, High Tech High. Fusion the season starts at home versus O.C own terms.” education The school decided to take a chance Blues U-23 on Saturday, May 7th. Workshop attendees asked each other if and strive away from the traditional The first 3 games of the 2016 PDL this type of individualized help was feasible. by Ana K. Gonzalez education system to focus on student season for returning Coach Rudy Ybarra “If a person is only willing to accept a A viewing of the award winning development through only project and the VC Fusion are at home.