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Each target is sponsored by a local business

Raising funds for Pier Into The Future.

Chip in for Charity is a non-competitive golfing event where participants chip their balls towards sponsored targets located within the driving range to raise funds and support local non-profit efforts. This year we are raising funds for Pier Into The Future, that is preserving and maintaining the Ventura Pier.

Each target is sponsored by a local business that has donated to our non-profit beneficiary. All sponsor donations and tickets sold through the event are donated directly to the event’s current non-profit beneficiary. As participants chip towards the sponsored targets, raffle sponsors will also be raffling off prizes for participants to win.

In addition, all participants will receive a complimentary food and drink voucher with the ability to purchase additional buckets of golf balls, and raffle tickets.

In our first year we partnered with Clean International to help them provide clean water and sanitation to underserved communities. With over 80 participants enjoying local food, drinks and hitting nearly 450 balls into the sponsored targets, we raised $6,000 which helped Clean International provided over 1,100 families with clean water and sanitation.

September 25 from 1-5pm

Location: Olivas Links Driving Range, 3750 Olivas Park Dr, Ventura.

Website ChipinForCharity805.com

City of Ventura encourages residents to prepare for the next emergency

Make a Plan, Build a Kit, Stay Informed

The City of Ventura joins the Ready Campaign during National Preparedness Month, an annual opportunity for families and communities to take a proactive approach in personal preparedness.

“Often, friends, and neighbors will be the first ones to take action after a disaster strikes and before first responders arrive,” said Mayor Sofia Rubalcava. “All groups in our community have a responsibility to be prepared. This includes our families, friends, schools, businesses, and community stakeholders.”

The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” The national Ready Campaign offers a weekly focus and resources on various elements of preparedness, including financial preparedness, making a family emergency plan, building a go-kit, and teaching youth.

“National Preparedness Month is the good reminder for residents to think about emergency risks in Ventura and take meaningful action to ensure that their families and neighborhoods are disaster ready,” said Daniel Wall, Emergency Services Manager for the City of Ventura. “Taking steps to prepare now improves our ability to react, respond, and recover whenever and wherever a disaster occurs.”

The City of Ventura urges everyone to take three important action steps to get prepared:

Make a Plan: Talk with members of your household about what to do during emergencies. Plan what to do in case of separation and choose a two meeting places- one right outside your home in case of a sudden home emergency like a fire, and another outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate.

Build a Kit: Assemble an easy-to-carry preparedness kit complete with water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, extra batteries, phone chargers, a battery-powered radio, first aid kit, and medications.

Stay Informed: Register for VC Alert, Ventura County’s Emergency Notification System. Call, text, or email to sign-up. Learn more at www.VCAlert.org.

During the month of September, the community is invited to join the City’s Office of Emergency Services at an upcoming Neighborhood Community Council meeting to learn different aspects of preparedness for individuals, families, and communities.

College Area Community Council: Wednesday, August 25, at 7:00 pm.

Westside Community Council: Wednesday, September 1, at 6:30 p.m.

Midtown Community Council: Thursday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m.

East Ventura Community Council: Thursday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m.

Pierpont Bay Community Council: Tuesday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m.

Downtown Ventura Partners: Thursday, September 22, at 8:30 a.m.

For more disaster preparedness information, visit www.CityofVentura.ca.gov/EmergencyPreparedness or

www.ReadyVenturaCounty.org.

Try to keep up with this senior tennis player

Breeze publisher Sheldon (on the right) enjoys playing with John at the court at Portside Ventura Harbor. He hopes to beat him some day.

When not on the tennis courts, John B. Bennett has had a long career in motion picture and television production, and it’s still active in the profession.

He began his tennis career early, at just 10-years-old. He competed on his high school team and played in college for UCLA. John started playing senior tournaments in the 35 division a long time ago. John Bennett played, and won, plenty of tournaments. This is just a few of his most memorable wins and achievements.

2001: Number one ranking in Southern California.

2015: National grass and hardcourt third place in singles and doubles.

Has held a national ranking of number 2 in singles and number 3 in doubles.

Has held an SCTA ranking of number one in singles and number 2 in doubles.

Bennett has whipped juniors into shape in the SCTA Youth vs. Experience matches at the LA Tennis Club. He has also been a strong supporter of local tournament competition, and has been a participant in nearly every Senior Grand Prix championship over the past 33 years.

Marvelous Mug – take 2.

Foto: Why not get two mugs?

Since this is our second Marvelous Mug Marketplace why not get two mugs? The artists at the Ventura Pottery Gallery know how important morning rituals are – Keurig, pour-over, cold brew or green tea – and they are busy throwing or hand-building hundreds of mugs for you to choose your next favorite one. Mugs are lead-free, microwave and dishwasher safe. And if that isn’t enough, the first twenty purchases each day will receive a free cup of coffee from Top This Chocolate, just around the corner from the Gallery. 

We invite you to stop by during the Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival, Saturday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 12 from  11–6  each day. Over 30 ceramic artists will be featured in a special outdoor exhibit of just mugs. Throwing and hand-building demonstrations will take place all weekend outside the gallery. Step inside to see a Gallery bursting with functional and sculptural ceramics. 

The Ventura Pottery Gallery is located at 1567 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105 in Ventura Harbor. The gallery is open seven days a week from 11-6.

The Ventura County Potters’ Guild is non-profit and was founded in 1957 and continues its mission of promoting ceramic arts through the Gallery, workshops, and monthly meetings. The monthly meetings are open to the public and feature ceramic demonstrations or presentations. More information can be found at www.venturapottersguild.org. Can’t make it to the gallery? Please visit our Online Store at www.venturapotteryonline.com.

Petanque anyone?

Patty Berry, Kerry Leiman, Steve Mac, Bob Berry and Sheila Leiman jouer Petanque.

The women’s club, BCNN (the Beachcities Neighbors & Newcomer’s Club for Women in Ventura, Oxnard and Pt. Hueneme- they also have activities with men) play Petanque. It  is one of our many activities (we have over 30 different types of activities in the Club).

We are Pétanque enthusiasts who play at two different times. For the general public – 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at Portside Park at Portside Ventura Harbor at 2:30 p.m. (located off Harbor, Spinnaker to Navigator.) We play on the side walkways of the Volleyball court area.

Also, a BCNN ladies group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. at Portside Park.

Ventura Petanque was started in September, 2018. We give free lessons (you can borrow our “boules”) and then you can obtain your own “boules” online at very reasonable prices.

Petanque is a French equivalent to the Italian Bocce Ball game (it uses small metal

Balls.)

This game is suitable to any age because of the small sized metal balls which are played on dirt surfaces between 20 feet and 30 feet distance.  The object is for a team to get the closest to the target ball “cochenet” (little pig).

For more information https://coastalpatty.wixsite.com/venturapetanque

or https://www.venturapetanque.net/

International Day of Friendship

The guest speaker was Pastor Michael McCurtis of the Total Life Christian Center of Ventura.

On August 7th, from 1pm – 3pm, the Church of Scientology Ventura held an open house special presentation to Commemorate the International Day of Friendship.

Rev. Luther McCurtis from Face Of Ventura by Johanna Spinks

The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the United Nations in 2011 with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. It is a day about promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity.

“Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good.” United Nations

The guest speaker was Pastor Michael McCurtis of the Total Life Christian Center of Ventura, who’s father, Rev. Luther McCurtis founded the Center over 50 years ago when he saw a need for a ministry that extended beyond the four walls to help those in need.

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

The Ventura Friends of the Library had a sale at the Dudley House.

by Jill Forman

Thanks for a successful book sale!

On July 31 and August 1, the Ventura Friends of the Library had a sale at the Dudley House. The weather was perfect, the local plant society was there with plants for sale, and the Lions had a barbecue. There were free tours of the Dudley House. Hundreds of Ventura folks came out to socialize, browse books and plants, eat hot dogs, and take a tour.

So many people to thank. First of all to the volunteers of the Friends of the Library, organized and directed by our Fearless Leader Sandy Greenberg, who worked for four days to transport, set up and take down, and sell our gently-used books. Special shout-out to Clyde Hofflund who was there every day with his trusty truck and strong back! Then to the Dudley House people, especially Lynn Weitzel and Jan Hunter, who helped coordinate as well as working with the Friends. And Charley “the plant man,” whose good cheer and efforts for both the plant sale and the Dudley House made it fun. The Ventura Downtown Lions contributed delicious barbecue aromas and hot dog lunches. Boy Scout Troop 179 helped with unloading and moving boxes of books. Ventura East Rotary transported and also moved boxes.

And most of all, to the people of Ventura who came out and supported us. We made over $1200, plus memberships. Every dollar goes to the libraries, for books and equipment and programs. And as one board member said, “The joy of seeing someone excited about their purchase, talking to buyers about books we love, is why we do this work.”

Hill Road donation bin
Reminder to please only drop off one bag of donated books at a time. The bin (and the volunteers’ backs!) are overwhelmed. If you have a large donation, please take it out to the warehouse. Information on hours and location can be found at the Friends of the Library web page, venturafriendsofthelibrary.org.

Volunteers wanted
If you saw how much we enjoyed the book sale, if you’re a booklover with some spare time, if you want to give back to the community, we would love to have you join us! We have jobs in the bookstore, in the warehouse, behind the scenes at the bookstore, during our sales, whatever you prefer. Contact us at [email protected].

Ventura County Library announces a new mobile app, MyVCLibrary (from press release)
The MyVCLibrary app helps library customers continue to access Ventura County Library collections and services in a user-friendly way. Users may access a digital library card, search for materials, place or cancel holds, manage their account, renew items, and even self-check, all from their mobile device…. “We’re really excited that our new and improved app brings the library to life in the hands of our users. We’re happy to be able to extend our reach into the community and provide customers convenient access to our collections and services, wherever they are, whenever they’d like,” says Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director.

Program helps COVID-impacted veterans become employed in high-demand industries

Veterans experiencing unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic are among the country’s hardest-hit populations. To help veterans who have been impacted, Ventura College’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is now offering the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP). Eligible veterans will receive up to one year of U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs-paid training for high-demand occupations and a monthly housing allowance.

To qualify for the Veteran Affairs (VA) program, veterans need to be between the ages of 22 and 66, unemployed due to COVID, not totally disabled and have no other VA benefits remaining.

The VRC will assist eligible veterans in applying for VRRAP and then getting enrolled at Ventura College for the fall 2021 semester with classes starting Aug. 16. Ventura College also offers classes beginning January 2022 to accommodate students’ schedules.

The college’s VRRAP students will have a choice of 23 certificate of achievement programs, including accounting, automotive technician, construction management and the new veterinary assistant program.

VRRAP veteran students and all military-connected students—including active duty and dependents of veterans—are supported by the VRC. The Center helps students navigate the college’s enrollment process, links them with educational benefits, and connects students with academic counselors and financial aid specialists. As an advocate for military students, the VRC provides information, holds special events and offers a location for students to work, study and mingle.

“It’s rare that the VA introduces new educational funding programs. Having Ventura College be a VRRAP provider is important because it specifically addresses the needs of our veterans who have been so greatly impacted,” said Jordana Ybarra-Telias, VRC program coordinator. “I hope to see more VA programs like VRRAP that provide a housing allowance to make it easier for veteran students to focus on school without worrying about how they will pay rent as they invest in their futures.”

“Ventura College is honored to support our veterans, and this new program will help them gain knowledge and skills to increase their employability,” added Ventura College President Kim Hoffmans. “Veterans and their families have made great sacrifices for our country, and this is one way for us to demonstrate our gratitude.”

In March, the VA enacted VRRAP as part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package designed to help individuals and businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic.

“As a member of the California Community Colleges Veterans Caucus, I appreciate how VRRAP will not only help Ventura College students, it will also help our community’s economic recovery,” said Chancellor Greg Gillespie.

Ventura College offers several VA programs and other educational funding resources from federal, state and local entities. Students can access the college’s Zero Textbook Cost program and other resources to help with educational expenses.

For more information about VRRAP at Ventura College, contact Ybarra-Telias at (805) 289-6060 or [email protected], or visit venturacollege.edu/departments/student-services/veterans-resource-center

 

5th annual ArtWalk at the Shores

Dave Gardner will be one of the featured artists.

The public is invited to visit with local artists showing their original works in the 5th annual ArtWalk at the Shores. This one-day event will be held on Saturday August 21st

11am-4pm in Mandalay Shores.

There will be over 25 local artists showing sea glass art, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, photography, watercolors, oil paintings, mixed media, printmaking and much more.

Come and be surprised.

The ArtWalk begins at the corner of Wooley and Harbor Blvd. Maps will be available online at https://artwalkoxnardshores.com and at each artist’s location.

The ArtWalk began as a volunteer collaboration to promote a strong sense of community through art awareness and inclusivity. As a result the event has continued to grow each year. Neighbors, friends, summertime visitors, art collectors or first-time buyers are all encouraged to take a stroll or bike through the beautiful beach side neighborhood of Mandalay Shores in Oxnard.

Come meet the artists and shop the unique treasures. Look for the colorful ArtWalk flags!

Visit us at https://artwalkoxnardshores.com
Or at https://www.facebook.com/artwalktheshores
https://www.instagram.com/artwalkattheshores/

Ventura County Library announces a new mobile app, MyVCLibrary, allowing users access to print and digital collections

Saticoy Library is one of four Ventura libraries.

The MyVCLibrary app helps library customers continue to access Ventura County Library collections and services in a user-friendly way. Users may access a digital library card, search for materials, place or cancel holds, manage their account, renew items, and even self-check, all from their mobile device. Other features include an ISBN search to see if the library has a specific book and the ability to manage several accounts on one device.

“We’re really excited that our new and improved app brings the library to life in the hands of our users. We’re happy to be able to extend our reach into the community and provide customers convenient access to our collections and services, wherever they are, whenever they’d like,” says Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director.

The app allows users to explore the library without entering a building. While in a library building, our app allows users to easily pull up their digital library card on their device and check out.

Download this new Ventura County Library app by going to the Android or Apple app Store and searching for “MyVCLibrary” on your smart device today.

For additional information, contact Nancy Schram, Ventura County Library Director at (805) 256-8535.

See our hours of service at https://www.vencolibrary.org/locations

El Rio Branch:

  • Albert H. Soliz Library, 2820 Jourdan Street, Oxnard, CA 93036

Heritage Valley branches:

  • Fillmore Library, 502 2nd Street, Fillmore, CA 93015
  • Piru Library, 3811 Center Street, Piru, CA 93040

Mobile Library https://www.vencolibrary.org/locations/mobile-library

Oak Park branch:

  • Oak Park Library, 899 North Kanan Road, Oak Park, CA 91377

Ojai Valley region branches:

  • Meiners Oaks Library, at Meiners Oaks Elementary, Fall 2021
  • Oak View Library, 555 Mahoney Avenue, Oak View, CA 93022
  • Ojai Library, 111 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA 93023

Port Hueneme branch:

  • Ray D. Prueter Library, 510 Park Avenue, Port Hueneme, CA 93041

Ventura region branches:

  • Avenue Library, 606 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001
  • E.P. Foster Library, 651 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
  • Hill Road Library, 1070 S. Hill Road, Ventura, CA 93003
  • Saticoy Library, 1292 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura, CA 93004