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Breeze team out and about town
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
County Board of Supervisors honors Ventura County Lions Clubs
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.
Traveling Smithsonian exhibit is featured at the Museum of Ventura County
Asian and Pacific Americans ancestral roots represent more than 50 % of the world, extending from East Asia to Southeast Asia, and from South Asia to the Pacific Islands and Polynesia.
In commemoration of this important history, “I want the Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” is now on display at the Museum of Ventura County as part of a 21-city national tour. This exhibition was created by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and has been greatly enriched by art and artifacts from local Asian and Pacific Americans
This exhibit celebrates Asian Pacific American history across a multitude of cultures and explores how Asian Pacific Americans have shaped and been shaped by the course of the nation’s history. It tells the rich and complex stories of the very first Asian immigrants, and their participation in key moments in American history by many photos, written history, clothes and art. And their contributions to our very local history and culture which can be observed throughout Ventura.
“The Wide American Earth: An Asian Pacific American Story” includes contributions from local artists Hiroko Yoshimoto, Tiger Huang, Virgil Cardinez, Bijian Fan and Katherine Chang Liu as featured in this exquisite presentation of fine art and Asian culture and traditions, old and new.
The exhibit is not to be missed and closes on August 28.
Vol. 9, No. 22 – August 3 – August 16, 2016 – Movie Review
Star Trek Beyond/4 Palm Trees
by Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]
After reinvigorating Trek with his rebooted timeline, J.J. Abrams crashed and burned with Star Trek Into Darkness, a muddled, misguided film that chose to reuse one of the franchise’s biggest villains, in the process, coming up as a pale imitation. Beyond, now directed by Justin Lin and written by Doug Jung and Simon Pegg, breaks free from this blot, going back to the original series’ roots for a reverent, but modern spin that’s confident and fresh.
Deep into their five year mission, the Enterprise’s crew has become tightly knit and is firing on all cylinders. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), however, is figuratively lost in space. It’s his birthday, which also means it’s the anniversary of his father’s death, and Kirk is struggling in his shadow. After stopping over at a nearby space station, the Enterprise responds to a distress signal and are quickly overcome by a malevolent alien force. After a valiant fight, the hostile force completely destroys the Enterprise, leaving the crew scattered and marooned on an undiscovered planet. With no ship and barely any resources, the crew races to find each other and uncover the motive of their tormentor, a creature named Krall (Idris Elba), who has a vendetta against the Federation and its founding ideals.
The beauty of the film comes from the simplicity of its plot, the way it expertly distills the franchise down to its core values and beliefs. Using the episodic nature of the original series, Lin delivers a story free to stand on its own, separating the team on an undiscovered planet and challenging their very being. By contrasting an alien setting (again, resembling the colorful landscapes of the original series) with a propulsive story, the film has no problem evoking the series’ timeless sense of awe, danger and discovery. Initially taking a more patient approach, the film doesn’t skip on the action in the end.
The amount of imagination on display trickles down from the beautiful costume and creature designs, to the ingenuity of each action scene, which pulls out and punctuates different dynamics from the fractured crew. Above all, it’s fun to see the amount of diversity that Lin gets from just a handful of bare elements and locales, throwing in motorcycle stunts with teleportation, some really smart use of the Enterprise’s dead carcass, another sequence that uses music in a really fun way, and finally, a climactic showdown in which the laws of gravity have gone haywire.
Mostly working off each other, Zachary Quinto’s Spock and Karl Urban’s Bones are a blast together. Taking the series’ classic love hate relationship, the two are funny whenever they’re on screen, evoking a truly loving friendship that relishes the sharp contrast of their characters, each who each struggle from a differing lack of control. As the villainous Krall, Idris Elba is definitely relishing the role, buried under makeup, but still able to emote and paint a tragic story. His villain has a simple motivation, but is complex in different ways, and Elba does a great job of giving us a dark character who is still sympathetic. Possibly stealing the film is Sofia Boutella’s Jaylah. Boutella, besides bringing a fierce physicality to the role, evokes an innocence that hides under a guarded persona.
If Star Trek Beyond has proven anything, it’s that the franchise has still got a lot left to explore. Justin Lin proves himself a worth steward of the beloved crew and its spirit, injecting both imagination and heart while still working to give keep Trek relevant. Perfectly timed to Trek’s 50th Anniversary, Lin’s film looks back lovingly while knowing the importance of building for the future, throwing in a touching tribute to the original cast (and Leonard Nimoy), while planting seeds of inspiration that we can hope to reap for years to come.
Now playing at Cinemark Downtown 10. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes.
Planting trees and using recycled water, for Ventura’s future
Article and photo by the City of Ventura.
Imagine your neighborhood without a single tree. Or your favorite park, hiking trail, or beachfront promenade without the aesthetics and shade of our urban forest. Much of Ventura’s charm and character are the result of our beautiful community landscape that is fundamental to our health.
Trees improve our quality of life and environment in several important ways. They help clean the air by “catching” airborne pollutants such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and by producing oxygen which helps replace the oxygen we, and our vehicles, consume. Planting trees remains one of the least expensive, most effective means of drawing excess CO? from the atmosphere. Trees also cool our streets, lowering temperatures in the shade by about 10 degrees. Aesthetically, street trees unify a streetscape and provide visual interest for pedestrians and motorists. Large, mature street trees are considered the most important indicator of attractiveness in a community. We are trying out best to promote the idea of the carbon negative purchase to those who visit our stores, so we can continue our trend of creating a pollution and CO2 free environment.
Ventura’s Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for more than 30,000 city trees, and during the last year it added 225 new trees to our tree inventory citywide. These, along with trees on private property and in the city’s Barranca make up the rich and varied mosaic that is Ventura’s urban forest.
Mature and newly established trees can be responsibly maintained during drought conditions. Ventura’s Urban Forestry Program uses approximately 24,000 gallons of recycled water each month to water newly planted city trees. City trees that receive recycled water are easily identified by the “gator bags” wrapped around their base with a purple sticker which reads, “Irrigated with Recycled Water. Do not drink. No beber.” The City also uses recycled water at the golf courses along Olivas Park Drive and the Marina Park area, for irrigating trees and landscape areas at the historic Olivas Adobe and for landscaping areas at the Ventura Harbor hotels.
In June, Ventura Water launched the Residential Recycled Water Mobile Reuse Program – a new tool to help homeowners keep their landscape alive during the drought. The program provides customers with high quality recycled water which is strictly monitored to ensure it meets quality standards for all non-potable uses. Customers can obtain recycled water after attending a free training class at the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility and paying an annual $75 permit fee; after which they may pick up 5 to 300 gallons of recycled water per visit, for use with landscape irrigation, dust control or soil compaction.
Sign-up by calling Customer Care at 667-6500 or visit www.cityofventura.net/water/mobile-reuse-program. In celebration of the City’s 150th birthday, the first 150 participants will receive a complimentary 20-gallon tree “gator bag”. This program allows our community to reuse as much recycled water as possible and supports our goal of providing a safe, reliable and adequate water supply today, tomorrow and into the future.
Vol. 9, No. 22 – August 3 – August 16, 2016 – Two on the Aisle
Peter Pan prequel on stage in Simi
by Jim Spencer & Shirley Lorraine
Peter Pan. Tinkerbell. Wendy. J. M. Barrie created these iconic characters and the story of the boy who would never grow up in 1902. One hundred years later another Barry, humorist Dave Barry, along with co-author Ridley Peterson, launched a widely popular series (now five books) of children’s adventures that continues the tales of Peter and his friends.
The first in the saga, Peter and the Starcatcher, is a prequel to the original story. It tells how an orphan boy in Victorian England and his mates end up on ship with a mysterious cargo bound for an island. How he meets a young girl (Molly – destined to become Wendy’s mother) who has a special connection to powerful star stuff. How pirates become involved and more.
The stage adaptation of the first novel received five Tony awards. The Broadway script introduced grown-up story-telling, production and comedy techniques, all the while retaining both the charm of the era and the characters.
Produced by the prolific and talented Jan Glasband and her Actors Repertory Theatre of Simi (ACTS), the play is now on stage at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center through August.
Featured is a marvelous ensemble of a dozen actors who play close to 100 different parts – from pirates to mermaids to agitated native islanders. The differences in their various characterizations are well defined and engaging. Laughs abound as the fast-paced action progresses.
Starcatcher is billed as a play with music. It only has seven musical numbers. The excellent blending of the essentially all male chorus (and one female) is a joy to hear, with special kudos for the individual vocal performances of Katherine Bottoms (Molly) and Will Shupe (pirate captain Black [Mous-]Stache).
The use of pronounced accents and rapid-fire delivery may take California ears a few minutes to acclimate to before things become clear. The non-stop action doesn’t wait for the audience to catch up, as there are rarely breaks to do so.
Occasional dangled references to the J.M. Barrie story also provide a mental scavenger hunt for those familiar with the classic tale. For some of the younger set, the story may be a bit confusing until all is wrapped up at the end.
Outstanding direction and creative staging of the piece are provided by Sean P. Harrington, ably enhanced by the skillful choreography of Becky Castells. Nothing lags. The action and dialogue move smoothly at high speed. The actors’ movements, scene changes and interactions are all skillfully coordinated. Harrington not only has the actors use the set effectively, they become set pieces at various times, adding previously unused dimensions to the flying repartee. The production is fresh fare for the family.
Performances of Peter and the Starcatcher continue until August 28, 2016 at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Simi Valley Cultural Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. Tickets: $25-adults. $22-seniors/students. $18-children. (805) 583-7900 or www.simi-arts.org