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Ventura youth running boom

by Matt Hammel, Summerfest 3K/1Mile Youth Co-Race Director

It’s common knowledge that physical activity is important for young people.  Regular exercise has been found to reduce the risk of many diseases, including childhood obesity, and has also been linked to higher academic performance.  There isn’t much of a debate regarding the importance of our youth to be active, but many parents are looking for options for their kids where physical activity is promoted.

There is some great news for parents.  Ventura is going through a running boom!  There are more options for Ventura youth to participate in running than ever before.  Ventura Tigres Youth Track Club is celebrating its 40th year of existence this Spring and has been filling up their roster to the maximum of 300 athletes for the past few years.  VC Express, a Youth Cross Country program offers an opportunity for youth athletes to compete in Cross Country meets across Southern California in the fall. This past fall, over 500 cross country athletes from nine VUSD elementary schools and four VUSD middle schools competed in the Ventura County Youth Cross Country League.

All of this youth running seems to be paying dividends for the local high schools.  Buena High School’s boys Cross Country team placed 3rd in the Ventura County Cross Country Championships this past fall.  Both the boy’s and girl’s Cross Country teams at Ventura High School qualified for the State meet this past season, with the boys taking 5th place.  This follows a year when the Ventura boy’s team won the State title and competed at the Nike Nationals meet in Portland, Oregon.  Foothill Technology High School also sent both their boy’s and girl’s teams to the State meet in only their second year as a high school team.

May 21st is a great opportunity for youth to get involved with the Ventura youth running boom.  The 11th annual Summerfest, presented by the Ventura Education Partnership (VEP) and the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) in alliance with the City of Ventura will be held on Saturday, May 21st from 9am to 2pm.  Races start at 8:00 with the Middle School boys 3k, followed by the Middle School girls 3k at 8:30. Then the Elementary School boy’s 1 Mile begins at 9:15am and finally the Elementary School girl’s 1 mile at 9:30am.  Summerfest is free to the community and besides the races, includes many other active events.

Additionally, Mountains2Beach Marathon’s (M2B) extra support of the Summerfest races ensures they too, remain free for youth runners under 18.  M2B hosts a 5k in conjunction with the M2B Marathon on Sunday, May 29th with 100% of the proceeds going to Summerfest.

 

New flag football league forming in Ventura

There is a new flag football league in Ventura the FuturePro Flag Football. The first season begins on May 15th and games will be played every Sunday at the St. Bonaventure High School. From kindergarten to various age groups and divisions including adults. Businesses are encouraged to play to help build a friendly rivalry through adult divisions through flag football.

To get the league started they are offering a low-cost fee of $100 for the first season per player. If a team of 9-12 players sign up the cost is $75 for each player. The season will begin on May 15 and will end on July 10.

For more information www.futureproflagfootball.com or Scott Paris at 795-2110.

Ventura County Fusion to kick off 2016 season at home

The PDL (Premier Development League) has released the 2016 regular season schedule and the VC Fusion will stay in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The 2016 PDL season will see 67 teams from United States and Canada, compete for the championship. A grand total of 469 PDL regular season scheduled games with kick off the weekend of May 6-8, with the championship game set for the first weekend in August.

The first 3 games of the 2016 PDL season for Coach Rudy Ybarra and the VC Fusion are at home. This season marks the 10th for the Fusion. Due to a  renovation at the Ventura College stadium, only the first 2 home games of the VC Fusion will be played at their official home turf. The other 5 regular season home games will be played at Buena High.

The final game of the 2016 regular season for the “Orange and Blue” will be at home against the Southern California Seahorses on July 9th. The complete 2016 PDL VC Fusion home schedule is on VCFusion.com and in the Breeze.

Tickets to all VC Fusion home games are available and can be purchased at VCFusion.com or by calling the  830-8005.  Single match tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for youths, but fans are encouraged to purchase 2016 Fusion Season Tickets, which cost just $70 for adults and $40 for youths, and include a free VC Fusion scarf.  Season tickets allow entrance to all Fusion matches in 2016, including PDL and US Open Cup games, as well as all exhibition matches.

 

Vita Art Center presents Intuitive Spaces: An Emerging Artist Exhibit

art VITAVita Art Center presents Intuitive Spaces: An Emerging Artist Exhibit
Opening reception Friday, May 6 from 6-9pm
Exhibit Dates: May 6-28
Gallery Hours: M-F 10-4 pm Sat. and Sun. by appointment

The term “emerging artist” has become somewhat of a buzzword when it comes to discussing contemporary art and young artists in general considering that so much of the contemporary art market devoted to the discovery of new talent. The importance of recognizing and supporting emerging artists cannot be underestimated because they represent the potential future of the art world and growing art market.

This exhibit will display works from three local emerging artists, Vanessa Wallace, Megan Bisbee and Minga Opazo, as well as works by three artists from the youth arts program Art Division in Los Angeles, Jessica Cuautle, Alex “Otis Woods” Gonzales, and Robert Ortiz.

Vanessa Wallace stated  “My interest began in looking at a single person and their own imperfections. By displaying these flaws for everyone to see through distortion of the body and body language I worked to subvert our desire to maintain a perfect persona. I explored this through building figures from collaging transparent paper with a wash of acrylic color.”  www.vanessawallace.com

Vita Art Center  432 N. Ventura Ave. 644-9214  www.VitaArtCenter.com.

Mariana Peirano at the HUD

art PeiranoMariana Peirano is a resident artist at the HUD, 1793 E Main Street. With many other wonderful artists.

Of her work she says “I was born an artist yet at some point in my early adult life I unconsciously moved away from that idea and became an elementary school teacher. Once my family moved away from my native Argentina, my life changed completely. My struggles as an immigrant child prompted me to become a bilingual teacher and help those in similar situations. During those years, my art was limited to creating classroom materials for my students and my own children. “

“Now, more than twenty years later, I return to my true nature and I’m an artist again.  My concern for the human condition, which has permeated my life, is reflected in my artwork.  The grace and beauty of the human body and the perplexity of facial expressions are all recurring themes in my work. I like to create images that evoke emotion and portray the complexity of the human mind.”

“My medium of choice is oil but I also work in acrylic and pastel. After a whole year working in acrylic, I’m once again loving the richness and vividness of the oils. They allow me to take my time and work in layers. It’s almost as if I discover a new painting in each layer.”

“My process reflects my belief that I’m merely an instrument for the creative forces of the universe. I’m inspired by images that evoke a strong emotional response in me. And so I write poems to decipher the messages I receive from those images. Then the words and the images become my painting.”

HUD hours:Wednesday-Friday 5-9 pm
Saturday by appointment only

Solo show by artist Steve Eberhardt at Buenaventura Art Association’s Harbor Village Gallery

art EberhardtSolo show by artist Steve Eberhardt
Title: “…of Dwarves, Kings, and Wanderings”,
Buenaventura Art Association’s Harbor Village Gallery
Entrance 3 in the Ventura Harbor Village
644-2750, or email [email protected] for more information.

Selected works from three suites of ongoing work by artist Steve Eberhardt are sure to delight even the most eclectic of viewers. Dwarves, from realms unknown doing the things dwarves do, are set to entertain, kings — serene dream warriors, and wanderings — a collection of surreal, sacred and anciently beautiful vistas. These works are the things that entertain a creative mind after forty years of creative adventures. Join us for the fun ”…of Dwarves, Kings, and Wanderings”.

Show will close on Sunday, May 15th.

Harbor Village Gallery hours are 11am – 6 pm, Tuesday through Sunday.

Jocelyn Davis paintings on display at the December Store & More

art DavisJocelyn Davis grew up in Denver, Colorado where she exhibited her early work at various festivals before moving to California to pursue two bachelor’s degrees in Art and Media Production at Pepperdine University. During her time at Pepperdine she took a year to study abroad in Florence, Italy and traveled extensively throughout Europe during her year there, observing the rich artistic styles across cultures. Jocelyn’s art plays with light and exaggerated color, reflecting a fascination with the way colors influence each other to evoke different emotions. Trees hold a central and symbolic role in many of her works. For her, they represent a state of growth. Though the branches may be twisted and imperfect, the tree always reaches to extend beyond itself.

Some of her wonderful paintings are on display at the December Store & More located in the Ventura Harbor.

You can view more of her work at http://www.jocelyndavisart.com

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County launches “She Nailed It” competition

stuff habitatPut on your figurative hard hat (standard, pink or sparkle-y — you choose!), on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, Ventura County! Are you a smart woman? Competitive? Generous? Fun?  Do you love to win!? If this describes you, consider putting together a team of four women to participate in a high stakes nailing – as in a hammer and nails – competition on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. The goal is for each team member to secure $250 in pledges.

She Nailed It is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, April 30th. The event is also the ‘kick-off’ to Habitat’s International Women Build week.

Contact Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County at [email protected] or call 485.6065 to participate .

Walt Dunlop releases new CD

stuff DunlopWhile not a native Venturan, Walt Dunlop feels like one, having lived here over 30 years.  He stated “I’m a folk musician and an urban hiker who often walks miles around our city capturing musical inspiration.  On my CD I’ve written songs about the Mission San Buenaventura, Cemetery Park, the Goodwill store, tragically murdered resident Zack Lee, William Randolph Hearst, Monarch the State Grizzly bear, and other people and places.” You Are Here is a vibrant collection of all-original, acoustic Folk, Folk-Rock and Americana music…melodic, upbeat and charming.

To hear samples of Walt Dunlop’s You Are Here visit CDBaby.com, where you can also order the album, if you wish.  Or visit Walt Dunlop’s website at www.waltdunlop.com .

 

Vol. 9, No. 15 – April 27 – May 10, 2016 – CAPS Chat

stuff CAPS
Ventura High School ASSETs students at CAPS Digital Storytelling.

Education and fun
By Elizabeth Rodeno

The El Camino TV (ECTV) crew spent a great afternoon at the robotics competition at Ventura College. Filming on location is great fun and a lot of hard work. After six episodes, they are not resting on their laurels.  The whiteboard is full of great ideas the team has been prepping.  We can’t wait to see what’s next.

CAPS Media Center’s staff is prepping  for our Digital Storytelling summer programs.  Our first program, in conjunction with the Ventura Parks and Recreation Department, is filling up. This course begins July 11 for one week. You can get more information on page 11 of the Parks and Recreation’s Summer program. Our regular summer fare is two weeks of fun in the studio and out in the field, where  students learn everything about filmmaking and making films.  These classes begin the 25th of July and finish up August 5th. CAPS Digital Storytelling  programs have inspired many a student to find their passion in  media making.

There are anniversaries a plenty these days. Among those celebrating a big one, the Ventura County Library system celebrates its 100th Anniversary. Some cake and speeches were given at the Topping room which happens to be named after EP Foster’s first librarian. The storytelling corner was an inviting place for visitors to come and share their stories. We heard about many library memories. The libraries in Ventura County continue to be an integral part of  life. Our EP Foster  is no longer just a bricks and mortar place for books. There is plenty online as well. EP Foster has its own Make Space which is great place to learn about 3D printing and new technology.  There are lots of activities for kids, adults and seniors.

Ventura Rocks @ CAPS just keeps rocking. We are filming our fifth episode. Go to the CAPS Media website and check out our facebook and twitter pages for up to the moment information on what is airing and live streaming. We need your help to fund our radio station to be able to share more bands and their music with you.  Contact CAPS Media for information.   If you have a passion and want to share about music, stories, and opinions radio is  a great place to begin.  Feel comfortable behind a microphone. Learn broadcasting and encourage more voices.  Lots of talk, lots of music and lots of fun.

CAPS Media is the non-profit membership organization that is here to create an engaged and informed community through participation in electronic media. A yearly membership at CAPS is only $25 and includes training, equipment, use of our studio and edit suites. Keep up to date on what’s happening here at CAPS, on the channels and in our community by going to CAPSMedia.org, CAPS-TV Ventura on Facebook and CAPS Media Center on Twitter.