Category Archives: Community Events

Vol. 9, No. 17 – May 25 – June 7, 2016 – Events

Events by Ana Baker

Free admission stage show, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. First Sunday of every month.  Old Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Assoc. Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd. For more Information call 517-1131.

Ventura Poinsettia Dance Club meets every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill. Ballroom, swing, Latin, mixers and line dancing. Members $10, non-members $12, first time dancers are free. Call Rick at 415-8842 for more information.

May 25: On Wednesday, Tim Harrison, VP for Business and Administrative Services will lead a special tour of the new Applied Science Center on the Ventura College Campus for interested community members.  The tour will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by the regular College Area Community Council meeting at 7:15 p.m.

Shana Epstein, general manager of the Ventura Water Department, will provide an update on community water issues and answer questions during the meeting.  As always, a representative from the Ventura Police Department will address recent crime trends in the neighborhood.  The Council, which represents citizens between Mills and Victoria bordered by the hillsides and Hwy. 126, meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. 658-7225 for more information.

May 26: Portuguese Fraternal Society of America – The local chapter of PFSA (Council #128) will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday.  This meeting is open to any person of Portuguese descent or interested in the Portuguese culture.  The meeting is at Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, 3159 East Main St.  At 11:30 a.m. for a 12 p.m., no host luncheon / meeting.  For more information and reservation, please call Cora Corella at 483-6285, or, Yvonne Westervelt at 483-4168.

May 26: The Ventura County Bird Club will be entertained by Kim Federico from Birds and Bee’s in Ventura.  Her subject will be “Hand feeding and baby bird care”.

Kim recalls “Throughout my life I have been fortunate to experience a large variety of animals as my companions.  This love for animals was instilled at an early age by both of my parents. They educated me about them and nurtured my love and compassion for all living beings. “

Come and visit with the club members and bring a friend for the evening.  A raffle and refreshments will follow the presentation.

The presentation will start at 7pm at the Ventura Moose Lodge #1394, 10267 Telephone Rd.  Attendance is free and all are welcome.  For further information call 377-9466 or 488-6244.

May 27: Ventura County Bell Arts Song Circle meets on the 4th Friday of each month from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Like to play acoustic music?  Songmakers.org welcomes all lovers of acoustic music, instrumentalists, singers, and singer/songwriters of all levels to join in a free song circle at the Bell Arts Factory Community Room, 432 N. Ventura Ave. Listeners welcome.   TJ Zeiler 910-7565.

May 30: The public is invited to a family-friendly Memorial Day event on Monday, from noon to 4 p.m. Hosted by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1679 and Auxiliary at 3801 Market St. This annual event is co-sponsored by Elks Lodge #1430 and Emblem Club and American Legion Post #339 and Auxiliary. Live music begins at noon and complimentary lunch will be served beginning at 1 p.m. Donations accepted but not required.

May 30: Open to the public, Veterans and enlisted Military: Memorial Day ceremony at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura at the flag memorial from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Come early to park and enjoy the service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.  Families with children welcome too. No pets.

June 1: The Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers Club, (BCNN ) is a group of active women of all ages who live in Ventura, Oxnard, or Port Hueneme and enjoy activities such as hiking, bridge, dining, wine outings, reading, cooking etc. Monthly meeting is from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Ventura Museum Pavilion 100 E. Main Street, No charge for meeting and no reservation is required.

Speaker: Sheila Lowe Forensic Handwriting Expert. For additional information, bcnnwomensclub.org or 988-0795

June 4: Channel Islands Landing Mariners Swap Meet

Find all of your treasures on Saturday, 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Come to buy or sell electronics and everything related to the boating adventure.  Park on the East side of the street. Snacks and Beverages available at Channel Islands Landing, 3821 S. Victoria Ave. 985-6269 for Info or Reservations.

June 4: Vermiculture! (Worm Composting) Workshop at Ventura City Corps at 77 N California St.

Saturday at 11 a.m. The cost of admission is a $10 donation. A power point presentation will illustrate the process step by step. The supplies you will need to get started with Vermiculture will be for sale.

Worm bins/kits for sale: $ 40- Hobbyist bin, $60- Professional bin, $30- Children’s bin.

June 4: On Saturday,  Dr. Paul Baker, who is an adoptive parent, co-author of The Hopeful Brain and originator of The Person Brain Model, will explore the emotions and challenges of accepting another person’s child into your home, the dynamics of family culture and ways to quickly build trust in the foster parenting relationship. This special event is designed for current resource families and those considering how they can help support children in foster care in Ventura County.

This event is free to attend thanks to the generosity of the following sponsors:

Foster VC Kids, Casa Pacifica, Arrow, Aspira.net and Koinonia Family Services

To register www.casapacifica.org/training or contact Darlene Navarro at [email protected] or 366-4064. Will be held at Mission Church in Ventura on Elba Street from 9am till noon. Child care will be provided by Channel Islands Social Services and has limited space.

June 5: On Sunday, Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions at E.P. Foster Library from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Topping Room.  Screening of Michael Moore’s Film:  “Where to Invade Next”. Admission Free. Honored by festivals and critics groups alike, Where To Invade Next is an expansive, hilarious, and subversive comedy in which the Academy Award®-winning director confronts the most pressing issues facing America today and finds solutions in the most unlikely places. For more information on Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions and how you can get involved  www.c-p-r.net,

Mary Olson 223-1187

June 5: The 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will be open for docent-led tours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. accompanied by period music in the parlor and upstairs library landing. Admission is free. The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood streets. For information please call 642-3345 or visit the website at www.dudleyhouse.org.

June 5&6: Community Memorial Hospital Gift Shop will be having a “Book Sale” fundraiser in the Main Lobby of CMH: 147 N. Brent Street.  Please come and shop 8AM to 4PM.  For books and novelties.  Also, they continue to seek new volunteers.  Pick up an application at the front desk.

June 8: The Ventura County Camera Club will hold a critique meeting on Wednesday, at 7 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd. A professional photographer from the area will critique member’s prints and digital images. Each month a special topic is chosen which features some interesting aspect of photography. This month’s topic is “Landscapes”. Anyone with an interest in photography is welcome and admission is free. Only members may submit images for critique. See the club’s web site for more information about the club and examples of member’s work or call 908-5663.  WWW.VenturaCountyCameraClub.com

June 11: Denise Quigley will discuss “Climbing Your Family Tree on the Computer” to the Ventura Beginners PC Users Group, from 9:15-12:00 in the 3rd floor lounge of Cypress Place Independent Living, 1220 Cypress Point Lane. All beginners and intermediates are welcome.  Call 647-1728 for further information.

June 18: Ventura Friends of the Library will hold a Book Sale: Hidden Treasures for All Ages.

At Vons, 6040 Telegraph Road from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All genres, including special interest, vintage; fiction, including classics and current hardcover and paperbacks; non-fiction, including biography, science, engineering, religion, travel, cooking, history, California history, art, music, self-help, education, parenting, sports, craft books; children’s books; dvds, books on cd and tape, puzzles, and more.

Ventura Film Society Season 8 – “Hearing is Believing” the Rachel Flowers story June 9

Please join the Ventura Film Society on Thursday June 9th at 6:30pm at the Century 10 Downtown Ventura for the Ventura County Premiere of “HEARING IS BELIEVING”, the new feature documentary from VFS Founder & award-winning producer/director Lorenzo DeStefano. This film introduces the world to the multi-talented young musician and composer, Rachel Flowers. Born 15 weeks premature, weighing only one pound five ounces, Rachel lost her eyesight due to Retinopathy of Prematurity. When she was two years old she began picking up melodies from her musical parents and was soon playing every song she heard by ear, including Bach fugues. The child had perfect pitch. Starting her formal musical education at the age of 4, Rachel spent the next 10 years studying at the Southern California Conservatory of Music.

DeStefano and his team have created a dynamic and engaging portrait of nearly two years in the life of the tight knit Flowers family, a single mom and her two kids living paycheck to paycheck in Oxnard, California, with Rachel’s stunning music as the soundtrack. “Hearing is Believing” revels in Rachel’s joyous and free-flowing love of song, illuminating in the process the bonds of family and the divine mysteries of creativity. Among the incredible musicians appearing with Rachel in the film are the legendary Stevie Wonder, Grammy-winning rocker Dweezil Zappa, , the late Progressive Rock icon Keith Emerson, Grammy winning jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, the young Bay Area jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti, and fifty members of the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony.

Advance tickets available at www.venturafilmsociety.com/tickets.html. For more information – 805 628-2299 / [email protected]. The VFS thanks the City of Ventura Community Partnerships, Cinemark, Downtown Ventura Partners, Bell Arts Factory, and the Ventura Breeze for their support. The Ventura Film Society, we bring people together in the dark.

The Ventura Family YMCA hosts annual Senior Day May 25

The Ventura Family YMCA will host their annual Senior Day on Wednesday, May 25th from 10am to 1:30pm.  This free community event is made possible through sponsorships by Montecito Bank & Trust, The Palms at Bonaventure, and Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc.  The Longevity Expo will include local vendors who specialize in senior services from 10am-12pm.  There will be two speakers and a lunch from 12pm-1:30pm, with the first 100 lunch attendees receiving a free t-shirt!  During the lunch, guest speaker Russ Charvonia will discuss fiscal fitness and Jill Rode will talk about leaving your financial legacy.

Russ Charvonia, ChFC, CLU, CFP®, Esq. has been in the financial services industry for more than three decades, providing investment advice to individual and institutional clients across the country and has an estate planning practice with Channel Islands Law Group, a P.C. in Ventura.

The second presenter will be Jill Rode, CFRE, the Channel Islands YMCA’s Chief Development Officer.  She brings 27 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofits to the YMCA. She has raised funds for many nonprofits on the Central Coast and currently supervises and supports the fundraising of the seven branches of the Channel Islands YMCA.

In charge of the event is Nicole Eads, the Support Services & Development Director at the Ventura Family YMCA. “I feel very excited about this day because it’s about celebrating our older and active adults.  We’re showing our appreciation for these members and providing everyone around town resources and information that will help them stay healthy physically and financially.”

For details, a booth, and to sponsor, visit the Ventura Family YMCA, 3760 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003 or online atciymca.org/ventura.  For more information, please contact Nicole Eads by email at [email protected] or call 805.642.2131 ext. 11.

Established in 1887, the Channel Islands YMCA is a charitable organization of seven YMCA branches serving Santa Barbara and Ventura counties including: Camarillo Family YMCA, Lompoc Family YMCA, Montecito Family YMCA, Santa Barbara Family YMCA, Stuart C. Gildred Family YMCA in Santa Ynez, Ventura Family YMCA, and Youth and Family Services YMCA which operates Noah’s Anchorage Youth Crisis Shelter, the St. George Family Youth Center and My Home.

The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.  The Channel Islands YMCA serves over 46,000 individuals and provides over $1.3 million in financial assistance to families in need for child care, YMCA memberships, away and day camps, youth sports, and teen after-school programs. Ventura Family YMCA 3760 Telegraph Road. Ventura, CA 93003. 805.642.2131. ciymca.org/ventura

Stamp out Hunger food collection event in Ventura May 14th

On Saturday May 14th, our local letter carriers will be carrying over 100,000 pounds of food for stamp out hunger! They want to collect as much food as possible for those in need right here in Ventura County – and they need your help!

All you have to do is leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mail box tomorrow! Your letter carrier will pick it up and deliver it to food share so it can be given to a family, child, or senior in need.

It’s easy! Help Food Share, National Association of Letter Carriers, and Farmer’s Insurance stamp out hunger tomorrow!

What to donate: Non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, vegetables, meats, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, pasta, rice, beans and cereal.

Most needed items:
Canned Soups
Peanut Butter
Canned Meats
Cereal
Canned Vegetables
Pasta, Beans, & Rice
Canned Fruit

Food Safety:
No glass containers!
No items that will melt or perish in the heat
No chocolate, no fresh produce, no frozen items
No soda/beverages and non-food items.

National Police Week May 15-21

National Police Week begins this Sunday, May 15th and runs through Saturday, May 21. The Ventura Police Community Foundation invites all to come out with the Ventura Police Department and help raise money for Community/VPD events, Public Safety and City of Ventura Youth Programs including the Police Activities League by participating in Ventura Restaurant Week.

Please come and dine at the restaurants listed below during the week of Sunday, May 15 – Saturday, May 21. Each restaurant listed will donate 20% of the bill to The VPCF, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) dedicated to strengthening the partnership between the citizens of our community including youth, schools and businesses and the Ventura Police Department.

See event flyer for participating restaurants as well as dates, times and additional information about the fundraiser. Flyer must be presented in hard copy form or on phone to the server for the 20% discount to be donated. For more information about The VPCF, please visit www.venturapolicefoundation.org

Sunday, May 15 Spencer Makenzie's 806 East Thompson Blvd. 11:00 am to 8:30 pm
Monday, May 16 Chick-fil- A 1321 Eastman Ave. 6:30 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, May 17 CPK 3401 East Main 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 pm
Wednesday, May 18 Jersey Mike's 1145 S. Victoria Ave. 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday, May 19 Casa de Soria 1961 East Thompson Blvd. 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday, May 20 Red Brick Pizza 4990 Telephone Road 11:00 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday, May 21 Two Trees Cade 7822 Telegraph Road 7:00 am – 9:00 pm

Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to host “Bike and Hike,” Saturday, May 21

On Sat., May 21, from 1-3 p.m., the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host “Bike and Hike” – a free community bike ride along the Ojai-Ventura Bike path. VHC staff will lead riders on a 12-mile round-trip excursion to their Big Rock Preserve. Upon arrival, VHC will conduct a hike on their nature preserve before returning to Ventura.

VHC will be joined on the ride by representatives from VCCool, a Ventura-based grass roots climate change action organization, who will help with any bike repairs needed along the route. Those who need to tune up their bike before the ride are encouraged to visit, Ventura Bike HUB, VCCool’s do-it- yourself community bicycle shop located at 1150 N. Ventura Ave., Ventura. For store hours, visit: www.vccool.org.

This event is appropriate for bike riders of all ages who are comfortable riding on a slight incline for a stretch of 45 – 60 minutes each way. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Riders should meet VHC staff at the Ventura River kiosk near Ventura’s Main Street Bridge at 1 p.m. and bring their own bicycles, helmets and water bottles.

To RSVP, go to www.venturahillsides.org and click on the Events tab. For more information, call VHC at: (805) 643-8044.

“Take Your Bike to Work Week” May 16-20

“Take Your Bike to Work Week,” an annual event that encourages commuters to change up their daily commute and try riding their bikes to work, will kick-off Monday, May 16, 2016.

Co-sponsored by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD),“Take Your Bike to Work Week” will run May 16-20 and feature prize drawings, free bus rides, cyclist pit stops and a social media contest.

  • Cyclists Ride Free on VCTC – From May 16-20, VCTC will offer free bus rides to customers who bring a bike on board any blue VCTC bus. Bicycle loading instructions and transit tips for cyclists can be found at www.goventura.org.
  • Pledge and Win Prizes –Ventura County commuters who pledge to ride their bike to work just once during the week will be entered into a drawing to win prizes including a Fitbit, a GPS device, one of three $100 VISA gift cards or a $500 gift certificate for a new bike. Pledge online at www.goventura.org.
  • Pit Stops –VCTC and VCAPCD will host morning pit stops to support riders on their way to work. Pit stops will include free refreshments, bike tune-ups and giveaways at the following locations:

 

County Government Center – May 17,7-9 a.m.

800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, next to bus roundabout

Partners: County of Ventura, Open Air Bicycles

 

Oxnard – May 187-9 a.m.

Plaza Park, corner of Fifth and “B” Streets

Partners: City of Oxnard, Performance Bicycles

Thousand Oaks – May 197-9 a.m.

Elks Lodge Parking Lot, 158 N. Conejo School Rd., across from Conejo Elementary School

Partners: City of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Cyclery

Ventura – May 196-9 a.m.

Northeast corner of Santa Clara and California Streets

Partners: City of Ventura, Trek Bikes of Ventura

 

  • Social Media Photo Contest – Social media users who post a photo of themselves and their bikes to Facebookor Instagram and tag VCTC by Friday, May 20, will be entered into a drawing to win a commuter-friendly folding bike. VCTC can be found on Facebook (@GoVentura) and Instagram (@Go_VCTC.).

“Integrating biking into your workday commute reduces pollution and traffic in our community,” said VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “This Bike Week, we especially want to encourage people to take advantage of our offer to bring a bike on board any VCTC bus and ride for free. In an expansive county like Ventura, combining biking and transit is a fun and practical way to experience a car-free commute.”

“Take Your Bike to Work Week” is part of VCTC’s ongoing efforts to encourage and improve biking in Ventura County. Working with cities, the County and cyclists, VCTC is currently drafting a Bicycle Wayfinding Plan that designates important regional bike routes and specifies design rules and signage templates to make these routes safer and easier to navigate for cyclists of all ages and ability levels.

By designating certain bike lanes as part of a regional network, the Bicycle Wayfinding Plan will allow jurisdictions to better compete for active transportation grants, bringing more funding to the County for bicycle improvements.

Those interested in exploring community bike paths can use VCTC’s Bikeways App on Apple and Android, which maps all existing bike routes in Ventura County.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission

The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

Vol. 9, No. 16 – May 11 – May 24, 2016 – E.P. Foster Library programs and events

Adult Programs & Special Events

Adult Coloring Book Break
5/11, 18, 25 Wednesdays @ 12-2pm
Available from 12pm to 2pm so stop by for a minute or ten!

5/12 Thursday @ 3:30pm
Library LAB Makerspace
Learn to 3D print and get an intro to digital design in this entry-level workshop.
Seats are limited, registration is required. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Opera Santa Barbara
5/13 Friday @ 12pm
These concerts, featuring members of the Mosher Studio Artist Program, are offered fre to the public,

Spontaneous Chess
5/14 & 24 Saturday & Tuesday @ 1pm
Calling all chess players! Keep your skills sharp with this one-hour, drop-in session of free play.

Art Tales Reception
5/25 Wednesday @ 5:30
Join us to celebrate the winners of the 8th Annual Art Tales Writing Contest.

National Paper Airplane Day
5/26 Thursday @ 3:30pm
Topping Room
Put down your electronics and pick up a sheet of paper—join us in a celebration of the paper airplane!

Spanish Conversation Group
5/28 Saturday 10:30am in the Rentfrow Room
Are you learning Spanish but need some practice speaking? Join this informal group to chat and practice your Español!

Poetry Open Mic Night
5/12, 19, 26 Thursdays 7:30-9pm On these Thursday nights, come join this group of writers as they meet in the Topping Room to share their work.

Ukulele Jam Session
5/23 Mondays 7-10pm
Locals gather to play the ukulele on the first and third Monday of the month.

Early Literacy Class
5/17, 18, 24, 25, & 31
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10:30am
A great way to introduce your child to early literacy and the library.

TAG Teen Advisory Group
5/18 Wednesdays 4 pm
Active members will get credit towards School Community Services Hours.

Youth Chess Club
5/16, & 23 Mondays 3 pm
Learn to play chess or improve your current ability! Assisted by Class A tournament player Jack Cashman.

Lego LAB: Build, Learn, and Play!
5/24 Tuesdays 3 pm
05/28 Saturday 10 am
Exciting themes every meeting. Children of all ages welcome!

Dance Party!
5/19, and 05/28, Friday, Thursday, Saturday 10-11 am
Enjoy non-stop music and movement for children ages 2-5 and their grownups in the Topping Room!

Party!
3/11, 03/17, and 03/25 Fridays and Thursday 10-11 am
Enjoy non-stop music and movement for children ages 2-5 and their grownups in the Topping Room!

 

 

Rubicon Theatre Company presents Noel Paul Stookey one night only May 15

Rubicon Theatre Company presents Noel Paul Stookey (“Paul” of Peter, Paul and Mary)in “At Home: Ventura” Sunday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m.

Returning after last year’s sold-out concert, singer/songwriter Noel Paul Stookey  brings his intimate musicality to the Rubicon Theatre Company stage again. Noel will perform Stookey standards such as “The Wedding Song,” “In These Times,” and “Jean Claude,” and previously unreleased solo songs from the Peter, Paul and Mary albums.

Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St.
Tickets: $69.50/Free to Rubicon Gold Coin Members
Box Office  667-2900
www.rubicontheatre.org