Mike Smith great surfer and friend to many passed away peacefully on April 11, 2016.
A Mike Smith Memorial was recently held at Promenade Park. Mike was an avid surfer and sometimes referred to as the Mayor of C Street. He died of Alzheimer’s at age 68 which he had had for 5 years. Approximately 100 surfers were out in the ocean for the memorial.
Next time you paddle out, catch one in honor of Mike. He’d love that
photos by George Robertson
On July 16 and 17 the Ventura Breeze and Ventura Rocks was at the Surf Rodeo held at Pierpont Beach. Ventura Rock’s Pam Baumgardner, author James Gray and Breeze staff member (and caricaturist) Jaime Baker were “manning” the booth.
The Surf Rodeo helped the following organizations:
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura, A Walk On Water, Ojai Valley Lions Club
‘Girls Empowerment, The Young and Brave, Kids Arts, Save The Mermaids, Soul Profit and SPARC.
In our last issue we had a photo that got cut off so here it is again. Soroptimist International of Ventura installs officers and directors for 2016-2017 Club Year.
The New West Symphony announced that it has received a $7,500 grant from the California Arts Council to help underwrite the costs for the Symphony’s Harmony Project for incoming elementary school students. The funding will help defray the costs of salaries for the professional musicians who teach in the program as well as of instruments and supplies which are provided to the students at no charge.
This first-time grant is part of the California Arts Council’s Artists in Schools program which supports projects that integrate community resources, such as artists and professional arts organizations, into standards-based arts learning projects for students.
“We are thrilled to receive this generous support from the California Arts Council, who share our passion for music and the arts” said New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura County Director Andrea Landin. “Harmony Project depends on our local arts community to support, sustain, and run this program. Without the Ventura arts community, we would not be able to have such a positive impact on these students and their families.”
The New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura County is a youth development program that uses music as a tool for social change. It does this by providing tuition-free after school music lessons to children from Title I schools in Ventura, including Sheridan Way, EP Foster, and Will Rogers Elementary Schools, and DeAnza and Cabrillo Middle Schools. As a partner of the Ventura Unified School District, the program currently has 140 students in grades 3-8, with a waitlist of 40 students, and 10 professional Teaching Artists. It is affiliated with Harmony Project Los Angeles and was founded in Ventura by local philanthropists Sandra and Jordan Laby.
“California Arts Council grants provide vital support for projects in diverse communities across our state,” said Craig Watson, director of the California Arts Council. “This was an historic year of state arts support. We are proud to invest more than $8.5 million in funding 712 grant projects that will stimulate local growth and prosperity, and meet the needs of our communities through deep engagement with culture and creative expression.”
This year, the California Arts Council’s Artist in Schools program will allow 144 arts organizations to hire 580 teaching artists that will serve a total of more than 43,000 students in 323 schools across California.
Breeze Senior Account Executive Breezy Gledhill, Alfred J. Lewis (from Studio Nothing) who makes the Breeze look pretty and Professor Scamp enjoying lunch at the pet friendly Traveler Café on Front Street
Lions Clubs honored for their contribution and support toward the establishment of Pediatric Eye Center.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors presented members of the Ventura County Lions Clubs with a resolution in honor of their contribution and support toward the establishment of the Pediatric Eye Center at Ventura County Medical Center.
Ventura Downtown Lions Vision Projects Chairs Sandy Greenberg and First VP Don Fromberg along with Lions of the Pleasant Valley, Ojai, and Camarillo Amber Light clubs were on hand to present a check for $41,675.28 to Amy Towner, CEO of the Health Care Foundation for Ventura County.
The funds will be used to purchase a retinal imaging camera which will be used to screen babies for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and other needed equipment for the Ventura County Medical Center.
The Resolution reads in part:
“Whereas, upon becoming aware of the great need for additional optometric and other eye care services for the children served by the VCMC system throughout Ventura County, and of the need for the establishment of a Pediatric Eye Center at Ventura County Medical Center to reduce waiting times for needed eye exams and vision care, Lions in numerous clubs in Ventura County have, since February 2016, joined together and have, to date, raised in excess of $50,000 for the purchase of necessary equipment to assist in establishing this now operational VCMC clinic; and
Whereas, the Lions in Ventura County intend to continue to work with VCMC in its efforts to provide a Pediatric Eye Center at Ventura County Medical Center, potentially an adult vision center as well, and in efforts to address the very substantial problem of diabetes throughout Ventura County, a major cause of blindness.
Now, Therefore Be It Resolved That, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors expresses its great than and appreciation to the Lions of Ventura County for their outstanding contributions and efforts and commends them most heartily for their dedication to service and to the great service they have done and are doing for the children and for all of the residents throughout Ventura County.”
The Ventura Downtown Lions Club meets the first three Thursdays of every month for lunch at noon at the Derby Club – Ventura County Fairgrounds.
For more information, visit venturalions.org or call 655-5595.
