June 2014

New Boat Launch Ramp Opens

In Time for Summer Season

Launch Ramp ribbon cutting collage Ventura Port District and city officials, boating enthusiasts and others celebrated the re-opening of the newly built public launch ramp at Ventura Harbor. Dozens of well wishers attended a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 6 at the site of the new launch ramp.

Ventura City Councilman Jim Monahan was the keynote speaker and told the crowd that the launch ramp would be a big asset to the city of Ventura, drawing new boaters and residents to the Ventura Harbor.

Ventura Port District officials attending the ribbon-cutting event included General Manager Oscar Peña; Board of Port Commissioners Chair Gregory Carson; Commissioner Bruce Smith; Harbormaster Scott Miller; Ventura Harbor/Harbor Village Marketing Manager Jennifer Talt-Lundin, and Richard Parsons, the Port District's dredging manager. Ed Summers, president of the Ventura Chamber of Commerce, emceed the celebration.

Recreational boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders will enjoy getting into the water from the new concrete launch ramp. The old launch ramp needed replacing because the concrete was breaking down and the ramp was nearing the end of its life.

"It's great that we have been able to greatly improve the usability of our launch ramp and bring it up to modern, 21st Century standards," said Jim Friedman, vice chair of the Ventura Port District Board of Commissioners.

The new ramp has better traction, more usable docks, a sloping parking lot in the design, four feet of added length, a convenient location adjacent to a fuel and bait dock, and easy access to the open ocean.

Visit www.venturaharbor.com.

Myra Harrison, Co-founder of Harrison Industries, Dies at Age 99

The staff of Whisenhunt Communications offers condolences to the E.J. Harrison family over the passing of Myra Harrison. The co-founder of Harrison Industries, one of the nation's oldest family-operated trash hauling firms, died May 25 at age 99.

Myra married E.J. Harrison and became a 15-year-old bride. Two years later she became a mother and started a trash company with her husband in 1932. That year, E.J. fashioned a truck from several car bodies that he called "Chop Suey" and began making a modest living by hauling his neighbors' trash to the Ventura dumps for 75 cents a load. In its first year of business, Harrison Transfer Company had 150 customers.

Today, Harrison Industries services about 90,000 customers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and employs over 400 people.

When E.J. died in 1991, Myra became president and worked with four generations of Harrison family members who are involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. When Myra's oldest son Ralph became president, she remained on as founder, while her other sons, Jim and Myron, serve as vice presidents. Lynn and George Harrison, both grandsons, are also members of the Board of Directors, while other siblings have various important jobs with the company.

Harrison Industries has been a client of Whisenhunt Communications for 25 years and we are proud to be of service to such a family-oriented and generous locally owned company.

New Water and Wastewater
Rates Approved for Ventura

Ventura Water graphic After a yearlong public process studying the fiscal stability of Ventura's water and wastewater infrastructure and services, the Ventura City Council has approved new rates for the next four years following a public hearing on May 5. Customers will begin to see the higher rates on bills after
July 1.

Using the same amount of water, the average residential customer is expected to pay about $5 more per month the first year, and $6-$7 more per month the following years. Even with the increases, Ventura Water customers will pay less than a penny for a gallon of water.

The rates paid by customers for water and wastewater services fund operations, maintenance, debt payments and capital improvements for Ventura's extensive and aging water and wastewater systems (including replacement of deteriorating pipelines and facilities.) For more information, please visit www.venturawater.net.

Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura is THE Place for Summer Fun!

Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura heats up this summer with a variety of fun activities on and off the water, including stand up paddleboards, surfing camps, and kayak and bike rentals.

Harbor Cove Beach boasts the nickname "Mother's Beach" for its calm waters. The beach offers free summer parking and restrooms directly across from Harbor Cove Café (breakfast and lunch) - steps away from Ventura Harbor Village. Another big bonus: The Ventura Port District funds lifeguards at Harbor Cove Beach from Memorial through Labor Day. Additional amenities this summer include:

Ventura Makos Surf Camp for kids 6-14 is focused on surfing safety, instruction, fitness and fun! Surfboards, wetsuits, lifeguards and surf instructors are provided. Summer camps are June-August. (805) 312-0713 or www.venturamakossurfcamp.com.
NEW! Ventura Beach Rentals has kayaks, stand up kayaks, swim fins, toys, umbrellas, towels and more. www.venura-beach-rentals.com.
NEW! Ventura Bike Rentals offers beach cruisers, tandem bikes, tag-a-longs and kid trailers. www.venturabikerentals.com.
The Ventura County Stand Up Paddle Board School offers guided group and private lessons, and kayak and paddle board rentals. (805) 415-7674 or http://paddlesurfoutlet.com.
Beach Break Surf Shop rents wetsuits and boards to enjoy across the street at Surfer's Knoll Beach, directly across from Ventura Harbor Village. (805) 650-6641 or www.beachbreaksurfshop.com.
Ventura Swimwear features swimwear, summer fashions, beach accessories and footwear. (805) 642-6281.

Harrison's Nan Drake Makes Top 50 Women List for 7th Straight Year

PCBT Editor Henry Dubroff and

Nan Drake.

For the seventh year in a row, Nan Drake, Harrison Industries' Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Relations, has been selected as one of the Top 50 Women in Business in the Tri-Counties by the Pacific Coast Business Times. This year, Drake also received the Editor's Pick in the award's "Science & Industry" category.

"It's always a thrill to receive this award because it's validation for the teamwork the employees of Harrison Industries, Gold Coast Recycling & Transfer Station and Agromin exhibit every day to help the environment," Drake said.

Ralph Harrison, Nan Drake and Jim Harrison

Drake was a member of the Ventura City Council when Ventura established the first citywide recycling program in the county in 1990. She said she is happy to still be heavily involved in the current "Zero Waste" movement.

"Our customers' commitment to recycling has made Ventura County among the most praised counties in California," Drake observed. All of Harrison Industries' client cities - Ventura, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Fillmore and Carpinteria - as well as the unincorporated areas of Ventura County - have consistently surpassed the state's strict waste diversion goals.

Meet Ventura County's
Class of 2014

Meet the Ventura County Class of 2014, in the new Focus on Education magazine, published June 4 in the Ventura County Star and available online here.

Produced by Whisenhunt Communications, in cooperation with the Ventura County Office of Education, the 12-page magazine introduces the county to more than a dozen of the best, brightest and most interesting teens graduating high school this month all across the county.

"With the future in the hands of young people like these," wrote county schools Superintendent Stan Mantooth in his column in the quarterly publication, "there is indeed much to celebrate today."

Fight the Drought This
Summer by Composting

Composting - the recycling of fully decomposed organic matter such as food scraps, fallen leaves and grass clippings - helps keeps your landscape's soil healthy, vital and nutrient-rich when these organic materials are used as an amendment for your garden, potted plants and lawn.

Compost reduces the amount of waste going to the landfill and when added to soil, it improves the soil's ability to retain moisture. This means less water is needed to keep your garden or lawn healthy.

Compost needs a balance of carbon-rich materials known as "browns" and nitrogen-rich materials called "greens." Browns are dry, woody materials such as dry leaves, pruned bushes and newspaper. Greens include grass clippings, freshly cut weeds, flowers, food scraps, vegetable and fruit peels.

Please visit www.venturawater.org to learn how you can create a compost pile in your yard.

Issue: 59

News About Ventura Harbor is Free Online

People often complain about the lack of local news online that focuses on their hometown or community, but sometimes they just aren't looking in the right places!

The Ventura Port District, which operates the Ventura Harbor, believes in helping the public keep informed about what is happening at home. The Port District and the Board of Port Commissioners, with help from Whisenhunt Communications and a talented in-house marketing staff, is constantly striving to tell folks in Ventura County and regionally about important - and fun - happenings at the beautiful Ventura Harbor.

One of the key reasons people say they enjoy living in Ventura, or in Southern California, is the proximity to the ocean. The Ventura Harbor is an asset to Ventura County and offers many great things for locals to enjoy, from great restaurants and specialty shops at Harbor Village to boat slips for fishermen and sailors to free music in the summer to whale watching trips or boating excursions to the Channel Islands.

For news about your Ventura Harbor, visit www.venturaharbor.com and check out the Harbor Views e-newsletter on the homepage. Whisenhunt Communications assists with the creation of this informative publication, and the summer/fall issue is now posted online. The newsletter includes news articles and a listing of events happening at the Harbor and Harbor Village all summer long, through September.

There's no better time than the summer to head down to the Ventura Harbor and check out the entertainment, restaurants and shops, or enjoy a day at Harbor Cove Beach, one of the safest beaches around with lifeguard service through Labor Day, funded by the Port District. Rent a kayak, bike or surfboard, dine on the outdoor patio at the new Maru Sushi & Grill restaurant, or enroll your kids in the Ventura Yacht Club's Summer Sailing Camp. Step up the fun and ride the trolley to the harbor - it's another free service the Ventura Port District helps to fund for the community. Let the Ventura Harbor help you make the most out of your summer in Southern California.

Client News In This Issue

Ventura Port District

Harrison Industries

Ventura Water

Ventura Port District

Harrison Industries

Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE)

Ventura Water

Check Out WC's
Website

Visit Whisenhunt Communications' website www.whizcomm.biz.

Whisenhunt Communications new website

Read about the company and its team of media and graphics experts.

Founded in 1990, Whisenhunt Communications specializes in helping businesses, school districts, governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations reach targeted audiences.

The firm's many diverse clients make enormous contributions to the community and the public relations firm has been instrumental in helping them accomplish their goals.

All Whisenhunt associates have extensive experience with print and digital media.

Stan Whisenhunt
Whisenhunt Communications