Westside Community Council COVID-19 Statement
As you know, Governor Newsom has ordered all California residents to stay indoors to prevent the spread of Coronavirus COVID-19. Please be careful to keep yourself and your loved ones from becoming infected. We do know that basic hygiene such as washing hands, covering a cough, not touching our faces and staying away from others while sick reduce the chances of contracting or spreading the virus.
In addition, we have implemented a practice called “social distancing," which means staying at least 6 feet away from someone else if you do not have any protective equipment on, closing large gatherings, and encouraging work from home.
The Board of the Westside Community Council has been monitoring the situation here in the City of Ventura, specifically the Westside, and are receiving constant updates from our Major Matt LaVere regarding this outbreak.
The situation is ever evolving and the count of infected with the virus is rising in Ventura. It is imperative that us Westsiders heed the recommendation of our health professions and elected leaders, and STAY HOME with the exception of essential activities (e.g. grocery shopping, filling a prescription, going for a walk while practicing social distancing) until notified otherwise.
With that being said, local health professionals are asking for donations of N95 Masks and PAPR Hoods (white ventilator hoods). We are currently picking up old Thomas Fire N95's if you have any extra and delivering them to CMH, St. John's Hospital and VCMC.
If you have extra masks and would like to donate them to our health professionals, call or text WCC Chair James Forsythe at 805-698-3990. We can arrange to pick them up at your convenience.
We are also working with other local nonprofits to plan for life after Coronavirus. Many of our community members may be facing tough economic times due to layoffs, running out of funds to support and feed their families and who are unable to pay their bills.
The WCC, in conjunction with the Ventura Unified School District, has also raised over $650 to help fund school supplies for Westside students as they are homeschooled. These supplies will be handed out when students and parents pick up their meals at Sheridan Way Elementary from 11am to 1:30pm, Monday through Friday.
We must come together as a community and help each other out in our time of greatest need. The WCC will be planning for this eventuality and we need your help! If you would like to be a part of a COVID-19 Recovery Committee or just want to help, please email us at westsidecommunitycouncil@gmail.com and we'll be in contact with you soon.
Stay safe everyone! If you have any concerns or needs, please feel free to reach out!
Sincere Regards,
Chair James Forsythe and the Board of Directors
WCC Annual Holiday Potluck!!!
The Westside Community Council invites you to our annual Holiday Potluck! This year's theme is Ugly Sweater and the ugliest holiday sweaters will receive prizes!
We ask that you bring a dish or dessert to the potluck for all your community members can enjoy. Click on the link below for the Google Sheet to add what you are planning to bring. We ask that you please do not bring alcoholic beverages.
List of Potluck items -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nTRuovExMkcjupbU3vYrmYCPeZrmIfna-Hp2ipgqIvc/edit?usp=sharing
This party is open to all members and nonmembers as well! You are welcome to invite your spouse, children, brothers, sisters, cousins, second cousin, roommates... you get the picture. The more the merrier!
We'll be hosting the party at the regularly scheduled /time/location (listed below) on December 4th, 2019. Hope to see you there!!
Meeting Location:
Bell Arts Factory - Community Room
432 N.Ventura Avenue
at 6:30pm
New Board of Directors Elected For 2020!
The Westside Community Council will like to welcome the 2020 Board of Directors! Thank you all for your upcoming service to your community and to the WCC.
From left to right: Derek Berthold, Kevin Clerici, Liz Campos, Kaye Zerbes, James Forsythe, Lori Steinhauer, Karla Aguilar, Gerardo Gallegos and Tomas Luna.
WCC Election Meeting for the 2020 Board of Directors
The Westside Community Council will be hosting its annual Board of Directors election during the November, 6th General Meeting. If you are a current member of the Westside Community Council as of October 9th and in good standing, you are eligible to vote on and run for a board position!
We are committed to a Democratic and transparent process in electing our board for 2020. More information about the process will be available in the upcoming agenda and email blast.
We will also be hearing from Ventura Community Partners Foundation Board Member Kevin Clerici on Arroyo Verde Park Playground update and Ventura County Civic Alliance Director Katrina Maskimuk on the State of the Region presentation.
When: November 6th, 2019 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Bell Arts Factory - Community Room
For more information: email - westsidecommunitycouncil@gmail.com
Official Opening of Westview with NBA star James Ennis III
Family friendly sporting event with a special appearance from James Ennis III. Try out basketball, soccer, and Zumba. Art & Craft activities available for the little ones. Capoeira demonstration. VC mobile library will be there with free kids sports books.
HUD Strong Families Event
Fun Fun Fun Family Event this weekend!
Every year we put on a Strengthening Families event, but this year it's going to be REALLY special with lots of resources, games, food, live music and some exciting surprises including the latest Westside mural :-)
Ventura City Council Agenda for May 13th, 2019
Celebration of Sharon Potluck
The Westside Community Council will like to invite you to Sharon Troll's going away party and potluck on May 18th from 2pm - 5pm at RESTORE Garden 572 N. Ventura Avenue! It is a finger food event so please bring items like sandwiches, veggie trays, non-alcoholic drinks, and the like...
Local public officials and other dignitaries will be attending this event!
Sharon is a long time member and Chair Emirates, founder of the Westside Community Development Corp., founder of the Westside Police Storefront, retired Prevention Coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club, and 17-year retired Parks and Rec Commissioner.
WCC Letter of Support for VUSD Tobacco Ordinance
The Ventura City Council will be hearing arguments on the creation of a city ordinance regarding flavored tobacco products on Monday, April 15th 2019. The Westside Community Council is in full support of this ordinance and the Board of Directors have written a letter of support:
To: City of Ventura City Councilmembers,
The Westside Community Council Board of Directors have voted unanimously to support the Ventura Unified School Board’s resolution to set a Citywide Tobacco Retail Licensing Ordinance that insures tobacco shops do not advertise or sell their tobacco products to young people and prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products in the City of Ventura.
Ventura has over 100 tobacco retailers and many of them are located here on the Westside. As residents of the Westside, we are worried that our younger population will develop an addiction to nicotine but the use of flavored tobacco products. JUUL Pods, which is the popular brand among young people, have over 20 times that amount of nicotine in a single pod than one cigarette. These JUUL Pods come in a variety of flavors that kids are drawn to like, but not limited to fruit punch, mint, mango, bubble gum, and cucumber. According to www.tobaccofreekids.org, research shows that flavors play a key role in youth use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
One of the main tenets to the Westside Community Council is the promotion safety in our community. We feel these tobacco products are very detrimental to our community and the pose a significant health risk to our youth. A 2016 Surgeon General’s report concluded that youth use of nicotine in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe, causes addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain. A growing number of studies have found that young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to become smokers, and many are low-risk youth who would not have otherwise smoked cigarettes. A January 2018 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded, “There is substantial evidence that e-cigarette use increases risk of ever using combustible tobacco cigarettes among youth and young adults.”
We ask that the Ventura City Council approve of the Ventura Unified School Board’s resolution to set a Citywide Tobacco Retail Licensing Ordinance and support keeping our kids away from tobacco.