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Newton, 'Game of Thrones,' True Love Triumph at Emmys
Tri County’s Only MulticulturalNewspaper Newspaper TheThe Tri County’s Only Multicultural
TRICOUNTY COUNTY TRI
ENTRY ENTRY VOL. XXVI NO. 48
SEPTEMBER 21, 2018
n See page 12
Photo by Chris Frost
The lines were long at the Ventura County Coastal Cleanup event at Oxnard Beach, as lots of people came out to make a difference.
COASTAL CLEANUP ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY
By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com
Oxnard - Neighbors banded together to help the environment, Sept. 15, as the Ventura County Coastal Cleanup produced safe and clean beaches for everyone to enjoy. At Oxnard Beach, lines of people waited to join in the fun as a local radio station kept the beat going and teams gathered to plan their strategy before heading out. Oxnard Sustainability Coordinator Trish Honigsberg has worked for the city for 18 years and decided to join the Coastal Cleanup Committee. “It's a committee of all the cities in Ventura County,” she said. “We all participate and put on this event.” She said Coastal Cleanup Day is a world-wide event. “It’s always on the third Saturday in Sept., and we get a lot of volunteers,” she said. “At last
Channel Islands Girl Scout Servicer Unit 652 made a big impact on the beach and removed a lot of trash.
count, we had 375 people, and I am thinking it’s going to be a little more (this year) because we’ve had more come in to register.” Honigsberg said it’s a fun activity for friends and family. “You come on out, and it’s my favorite event because it’s low key,” she said. “It’s at the beach, so how can it not be fun?” In addition to cleaning up the trash and recycling at the beach,
she said it raises awareness about how important being a custodian to the environment can be. “If you bring your kids out to clean up the beach, they’re probably going to be less likely to litter, because they are going to remember how they picked up other people’s trash,” she said. “It’s a learning opportunity.” She said small items are the biggest culprit on the beach.
Photo by Chris Frost
“Cigarette butts are the number one item every year,” Honigsberg said. “They are toxic and full of plastic. The fact you’re picking up the small stuff means it’s not going in the ocean.” She said if a volunteer runs into medical waste or something suspicious, their job is to identify the item, if possible. “We will call the fire
Nature Crafts Engage Kids at Camarillo Grove State Park By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com Camarillo - Children of all ages got to experience a free nature craft event at Camarillo Grove State Park, Sept. 17, and blended the great outdoors with items from the area to create treasures that will last a lifetime. Kids got to color, learn about animals and see the local fauna and flora, courtesy of the staff at the Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District. Recreation Coordinator Katlyn Simber-Clickener said the park featured 31 different events in 31 days last July and one of the more popular programs was craft day at the nature center. “We decided to bring it back,” she said. One of the more popular activities was grass heads, she said, where the children each filled a stocking with grass seed and soil. “They decorate it, give it a face and in about 2-3 days, they’ll have grass hair popping up,” she said. “They’re also doing bird feeders
Photo by Chris Frost
Jennifer, Atticus and Eloise Spooner stop for a picture when they visit the taxidermy display at Camarillo Grove State Park.
out of pine cones and Crisco. They smear the Crisco on the pine cone and roll the cone in bird seed. “The birds are attracted to it,” she said. “We have taxidermy animals, a skunk, Miley the coyote, Bobby the bobcat and Todd the fox.” She said the group was also creating nature journals, a coloring sheet, and a quail call. “Recreation Specialist Sarah Scrivano and I sat down and looked what we’ve done in the past
and what activities the children really enjoyed and want to do,” Simber-Clickener said. “The kids like doing this and enjoy getting dirty to do the bird feeders.” She noted there were plenty of paper towels handy for cleanup after using the Crisco. “It’s also a dog park and safe out here, but we do want people to know there is wildlife in the area,” she said. Seeing the community come together, she said, is the best part
of her job. “The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District is here to meet the needs and engage our community in the outdoors,” she said. “These crafts are geared to a nature theme.” Scrivano said the kids were interested in the taxidermy animals they could touch. She demonstrated the quail call that was made out of a clothes pin with a big smile. “I’ve been working in outdoor education and this is my forth year now,” she said. “I was traveling all over the place, and now I’m back here in Camarillo because I went to California State University Channel Islands. I am spreading my knowledge of the outdoors with others.” She loves inspiring youngsters to go outside. “My dad would take me sailing out in the Ventura Harbor and we would see dolphins up close,” she said. “I’ve loved being outside ever since I was a kid.” Jennifer Spooner brought her children Atticus and Eloise and n Nature Crafts, see page 3
department who specializes in dealing with that sort of thing,” she said. “We ask them not to pick up dead animals, anything hazardous or anything organic, like seagrass or driftwood.” The city donates the recycling and trash removal, she said, as the trash goes to the landfill and recycling goes to the recycling center at 111 South Del Norte Blvd.She loves meeting all the people who share a common goal to make the environment better. “It's the camaraderie when you’re out here, and everybody is happy,” she said. “It’s a feel-good event.” Participant Laura Wertele said the event was profitable for her. “I found $10,” she said. “Other n Coastal Cleanup, see page 3
Council Approves Five-Year Homeless Plan By Chris Frost chris@tricountysentry.com The Oxnard City Council took a step toward alleviating homelessness in the city and approved its five-year homeless plan during its Sept. 18, meeting. According to the 2018 Point in Time Homeless Count, on any given day there are estimated to be nearly 400 people in Oxnard living on the streets, in vehicles, shelters, transitional housing, or with friends and family in temporary situations. Homeless Assistance Coordinator Mark Alvarado told the council that addressing homelessness is a strategic council priority and in 2016, they approved a quality-oflife strategy to solve the problem through a multi-tiered approach. “When people think about homelessness, a lot of times we just think about the vagrancy, but it’s complex,” he said. He said 30 different strategies highlight the plan through nine city departments. “It’s a living breathing document,” Alvarado said. “It’s like a business plan. We’ll be able to check-in every year, see what’s working and what’s not working, and we can come back to mayor and council to provide updates.” He said the plan is not going to sit on the shelf and will be implemented. The centerpiece item around the plan, Alvarado said, establishes a 24-hour yearround shelter and navigation center. “We need to increase and strengthen n Council Approves , see page 3