Grant Park in Ventura is a No Brainer for Panoramic Views of the Coast

The 107 acre Grant Park is easily accessible from Downtown Ventura via Brakey Road or Summit Drive in Ventura and is a quick and easy way to get your dose of coastal views. There's no playground, restrooms, water or other facilities at this park. But there's plenty of open space and scenery below.

The view looking the opposite direction of the Pacific Ocean, over the western-most section residential section of Ventura.Several other notable items at Grant Park are the privately owned Serra Cross Park and the Ventura Botanical Gardens Demonstration Trail.

You can spend 10 minutes up here for a quick dose of views or you could spend half a day up here resting, hiking, picnicking and enjoying the ocean breezes.

At the very, very top of Grant Park is this lone bench.

How to Place a "Security Freeze" on Your Credit File in the State of California

The State of California Office of the Attorney General's office has details about how to put a "security freeze" on your credit file so that your file cannot be shared with potential creditors. California law requires credit bureaus to offer security freezes as a way to combat identity theft.

Why would you want to do a security freeze? To stop identity theft in its tracks! If you FREEZE your credit file, someone who has stolen your personal information will be much less likely to open a new credit card or loan in your name.

Establishing a credit freeze is a bit of a hassle in that you have to place the freeze with all three of the major credit bureaus, then you may need to "un-freeze" the credit from time to time when you are interested in refinancing, getting a new credit card, a car loan, etc. But it may well be worth it...think of the time and stress of dealing with identity theft after it has happened!

A security freeze is free to those Californians who have a police report of identity theft or who are age 65 or older. If you are not an identity theft victim and you are under 65 years of age, it will cost you $10 to place a freeze with each of the three credit bureaus, for a total of $30. 

Placing a Security Freeze

You can request a security freeze by mail or online. Let's stick to online freezes here. Credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion each have websites for security freezes:

• Equifax: www.freeze.equifax.com
• Experian: www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
• TransUnion: freeze.transunion.com/sf/securityFreeze/landingPage.jsp

Follow the instructions given and your credit will be locked within minutes. They will ask for your full name, Social Security number, complete addresses for the past two years and date of birth. Then you may be asked to confirm information on your credit report, such as the duration of an auto loan, the amount of a loan, the date you entered a loan, a prior employer, etc. You will need a credit card to pay for the cost of the freeze.

TransUnion requires you to create an account to initiate the freeze. The others, at least one I signed up, did not require this additional step.

As part of the process you will establish a Personal Information Number (PIN) with each bureau. It is important to safeguard this PIN to remove the freeze when needed. Equifax create a 10 digit PIN on my behalf without giving me the option to create my own. Experian gave me the option of creating my own PIN or assigning one to me. TransUnion required me to create my own 6 digit, numeric only PIN. Everyone's gotta be different, don't they.

Lifting a Freeze Temporarily or Removing a Freeze

OK, so you have a security freeze in place, that's great! But now you need a car loan or are applying for credit or insurance, refinancing, filling out a rental form, etc and you need to unlock your credit for these purposes. Using your PIN, you can lift the freeze for a period of time or for a specific creditor. Lifting the freeze will cost you $10 if you are under age 65, $5 if you are 65 or older and free if you are a victim of identity theft (yes, there is a small perk to having your identify stolen).

It is FREE to remove a freeze on a permanent basis.

Lift or remove a freeze at the three credit bureaus:

• TransUnion: freeze.transunion.com/tab/product/securityfreeze
• Experian: www.experian.com/ncaconline/removefreeze
• Equifax: www.freeze.equifax.com

Learn more at oag.ca.gov/idtheft/facts/freeze-your-credit.

Keep in mind that a security freeze DOES NOT prevent someone from finding a way to make charges to your existing credit cards and bank accounts through illegal skimming, phishing, hacking and other means. You must remain vigilant. This means watch out for skimming machines, shred your credit/debit card and other personal information, monitor your bank and credit card activity frequently, etc.

Security freeze laws vary by state. More information at consumersunion.org/research/security-freeze.

How Are Tropical Storms Named?

With all of the terrible news stemming from tropical storm Harvey in Texas and now Irma in Florida, there's been banter in my household regarding where these names came from, who names them, why we name storms, and so on.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) maintains lists of names used for each of ten different tropical cyclone basins around the world. There is an international committee that maintains lists of names in each basin. Each region has its own set of naming rules. 

When are names assigned to storms? Once the storm produces sustained wind speeds of over 33 knots, or 38 miles per hour.

The storms impacting Texas and Florida are in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic basin. The naming convention in this basin has six lists of names that are used in rotation. As such, the 2017 list of names, which started with Arlene and ends with Whitney, will be used again in 2023.

When a storm is particularly deadly or costly, the name is retired. In addition to Katrina in 2005, Sandy in 2012 and Harvey in 2017, a whole host of other names have been "retired" since 1954. Carol, Janet, Audrey, Donna, Agnes, Gloria, Hugo, Keith, Wilma, Felix, Ingrid, Matthew and dozens more names will no longer be used to name a tropical storm. See www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml for more retired names.

The names are alphabetized in the Atlantic basin but do not include names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z. Xavier, you're off the hook.

Atlantic tropical storms were originated by the National Hurricane Center starting in 1953. This was subsequently transitioned to the WMO.

From 1953 to 1978, only women's names were used. Men's names were introduced in 1979 and are alternated with women's names (but what about gender-neutral names like Pat - I dunno).

Why are names used? Because it makes it easier to get the word out to the public when a name is used.

How do they come up with the names? It is up to each committee but names are selected that are familiar to those who live in each region.

The 2018 list of cyclone names in the Atlantic region are: Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie and William.

Let's look at the Western North Pacific and South China Sea basin naming convention. There, each country contributes names, like Damrey (Cambodia), Fenshen (China), Meari (DPR Korea), Usagi (Japan) and so on.

Homeless Prevention Rental Help Available to Ventura County Residents

Through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Ventura County Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) makes federal funds available to local residents who are homeless or about to be evicted. County and city government have joined efforts to operate HPRP, ensuring that eligible County residents receive help when they need it most.

Basic eligibility criteria includes:

• Homeless or facing eviction within 21 days
• Household income limits based on family size
• You have no other options or resources to find or keep housing
• Financially able to maintain housing after rental assistance is received
• Ventura County resident and U.S. citizen or qualified resident alien

Eligible HPRP applicants may receive various types of assistance, including eviction prevention rental payment, rental deposit, short-term rental payment, credit counseling, utility deposit/payment, moving and storage costs and case management. Payments go directly to vendors.

Case managers work closely with clients to develop and implement a service plan to ensure that they receive full benefits.  Through HPRP, clients are stabilized in housing and assisted comprehensively to help ensure that they do not face homelessness again.

Visit www.vchsa.org/hprp or call 805.385.8585 for additional information.

Other resources for low income residents of Ventura County:

Free cell phone service from Assurance Wireless

Ventura County shelters and meal programs for those in need

Conejo Valley area shelter and meal programs

Ventura County 2-1-1 service

Whole Foods and Amazon to Start Offering Lower Prices on Grocery Staples on August 28th

Amazon and Whole Foods Market recently announced that Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market will close on Monday, August 28, 2017, and the two companies will together pursue the vision of making Whole Foods Market’s high-quality, natural and organic food affordable for everyone.

Whole Foods Market, which will continue to operate under its own brand name, will offer lower prices starting Monday on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores, with more to come.

Here’s what will be new in Whole Foods Market stores on Monday and what can be expected over time as the two companies integrate:

• Starting Monday, Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples across its stores, with much more to come. Customers will enjoy lower prices on products like Whole Trade bananas, organic avocados, organic large brown eggs, organic responsibly-farmed salmon and tilapia, organic baby kale and baby lettuce, animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef, creamy and crunchy almond butter, organic Gala and Fuji apples, organic rotisserie chicken, 365 Everyday Value organic butter, and much more.
• In the future, after certain technical integration work is complete, Amazon Prime will become Whole Foods Market’s customer rewards program, providing Prime members with special savings and other in-store benefits.
• Whole Foods Market’s healthy and high-quality private label products—including 365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market, Whole Paws and Whole Catch—will be available through Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry and Prime Now.
• Amazon Lockers will be available in select Whole Foods Market stores. Customers can have products shipped from Amazon.com to their local Whole Foods Market store for pick up or send returns back to Amazon during a trip to the store.

Vintage Sign From The Lang Ranch on Display at Chumash Indian Museum in Thousand Oaks

Lang Ranch gate photo by Herb Noseworthy, 1967. (From the Thousand Oaks Library Special Collections "Conejo Through the Lens" collection.)

The nearly 2,600 acre Lang Ranch in the northeast section of Thousand Oaks was annexed into the city in 1968.  It is now home to open space, plenty of homes and the Chumash Indian Museum.

The Lang Ranch sign seen in the photo from approximately 1967 shown above is on display at the museum. 

The museum is open Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Admission price as of August 2017 is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors 65+ and children under 12. There is no charge to walk the trails in the park.

Sea Breezes, Views, Picnics and a Mermaid at Soter Point, Marina Park in Ventura

Dedicated in 2011, Soter Point at Marina Park in Ventura consists of a shaded picnic area, benches, attactive landscaping and a 15 foot mermaid statue. Soter Point is the result of a private/public partnership between local Ventura residents and the City of Ventura.

The inscription on a plaque on the Mermaid of Soter Point tells the story:

This stunning landmark overlooking the Ventura Harbor represents a trailblazing cooperative effort to beautify our community through private citizens working with public agencies. Andy Soter developed and landscaped the area in memory of his daughter Andrea, a successful and much admired investment manager. The mermaid sculpture and its foundation were donated by Russian emigrants Alec and Tatyana Benke, as an expression of love for their new country, America. Samuel Povar created the first collaboration of this nature in 2007 as a tribute to his late wife Orianna and worked tirelessly to make this Marina Park project a reality. And, the Ventura City Council and the Coastal Commission gave their enthusiastic blessing. Now Povar, Soter, and Benke, all Ventura residents, hope to inspire others to use private capital along with public cooperation and support…to envision something beautiful and make it happen.

Soter Point is located at the southernmost point of Marina Park, a short walk from the main playground area of the park. With beautiful views looking out toward Ventura Harbor and a picnic area cooled by sea breezes, Soter Point does not Disa-Point.

Bench faces south toward Ventura Harbor Village.

DOZENS OF LOCAL AREA BEACHES AT THIS LINK