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Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
Plane – Prime Video

4 out of 4 palm trees

Pilot Brodie Torrence (Gerard Butler) was a bit of a maverick as far as commercial pilots go and was piloting a flight on New Years Eve from Singapore to Hawaii with plans to see his daughter who was attending school there. The crew included co-pilot Samuel Dele (Yoson An) and the flight had only 14 passengers, one of which was Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter) who boarded the plane in handcuffs with a marshal for a fugitive extradition.

They flew through a storm and got hit by lightning causing the plane to loose power. While going down the turbulence killed one flight attendant and the marshal, and they eventually crash landed in a remote jungle area called the Jolo Islands. Having seen something that indicated Gaspare was ex-military, Brodie took his cuffs off and had him accompany him back to a building they had flown over while leaving co-pilot Dele with the rest of the passengers.

They got to the building and Brodie was able to rig a phone and called the corporate headquarters of his airline, but the woman who answered said that she had been getting lots of prank calls and didn’t believe it was actually him and hung up. He called his daughter and told her that they had crashed and that she needed to contact the airlines but the call was cut short so he was uncertain how much his daughter heard. They found some guns and also a truck outside that they used to return to the passengers and the plane.

A villager saw the plane go down and told the leader of the village who gathered a small army and headed toward the plane. They got to the plane before Brodie did and killed two passengers and took the rest hostage, driving away in a bus while Brodie and Gaspare had to watch helplessly nearby. The leader was Datu Junmar, who took the passengers to Dandulit village where they were kept in a warehouse to be taken on a boat down river. Brodie didn’t want to wait for help as he felt the passengers where his responsibility, so he and Gaspare headed to the village.

Back at airline headquarters they brought in a specialist named Scarsdale (Tony Goldwyn) who used satellite imagery to locate the plane in the Jolo islands in the Philippines. They came up with a plan to parachute in but that they would need assistance getting everyone out. Unfortunately there was no military on the Jolo Islands as it was run by militia and separatists and a dangerous area that not even the Filipino army would go into anymore.

Back at the plane several special ops military personnel landed in parachutes and found the plane empty, but found the note that Brodie had scribbled on a shirt in the cockpit to let them know where the prisoners were and what was happening. At the village Brodie and Gaspare quietly snuck around the village stealthily killing guards and made their way to where the passengers and crew were being held. They freed the passengers and crew and got on the bus at the same time the special ops team showed up.

After a gun battle they were able to flee the village and get back to the plane, but there would be no help to get them off the island for 24 hours so Brodie felt their only option was to return in the damaged plane. Due to the damage they couldn’t get above a few hundred feet so he asked to be guided to land on neighboring Siasi island. The plane was out of control as it tried to land on the runway with the wings tipping back and forth hitting the runway as well as the brakes and tires gave way, but Brodie was able to stop it at the very end of the runway rescuing everyone.

Rated: R (Violence and Language)
Runtime: 1h 47m

Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – Mailbox

Letter to the Editor.

I was at Vons and was surprised to see a woman and her husband and infant son shopping with the mother wearing a bathing suit. Now, the supermarket is close to the beach and it was a warm day but what surprised me was she was wearing a thong, with her cheeks exposed. What was interesting was the fact no one seemed to care or even gave the woman a second look. Now I know what my grandfather must have felt when he encountered a woman in a bikini for the first time in the 1950s. I guess I didn’t get the memo –this is the new normal.

Richard Senate

Richard: I’m afraid it is the new normal like parents with their kids at a restaurant and they are all on their cellphones

Totally Local VC to host the VC Craft Beer Garden at 2023 Ventura County Fair

Totally Local VC is proud to announce that we will be the official hosts for the Craft Beer & Wine Garden at this year’s 2023 Ventura County Fair.

We are excited to be working with the VC Fair staff and our local breweries to help design and develop the Totally Local VC Beer & Wine Garden.  This is a great opportunity to promote local at the fair and to highlight the incredible breweries throughout our county as well as the  farmers who make beer happen!

Each year the fair sees an average of 300,000 visitors in the two-week period of the fair. This provides an incredible opportunity to showcase Ventura County’s Craft Brew industry as well as provide a nod to the farmers who grow the ingredients needed to make beer and other drinkable products.

List of participating Breweries and Distillery

Topa Topa Brewing,Institution Ale,Ventura Coast brewing,Made West,Rincon Brewing,Leashless Brewing,Tarantula Brewing,Transmission Brewing,Ojai Brewing,Seaward Brewing ,Enegren Brewing and Ventura Spirits.

Brewers from throughout Ventura County have graciously donated funds to the scholarship program.  Funds raised throughout the year and early 2024 will be used to create a scholarship fund for students who are pursuing an education and career in agriculture, culinary arts and or food science.  Totally Local VC’s goal is to raise enough funds to offer at least one scholarship for both agricultural education and one for culinary arts/food science.

Scholarships recipients will be decided by our Ag Ed Committee and awarded March 2024.

If your interested in finding out more or donating to the scholarship fund please email us at [email protected]

The Totally Local VC Craft Beer Garden will be located in the Floriculture /Landscape area

Board Chair, Vice-Chair and New Board Members announced by Ventura College Foundation

The new foundation board chair is Nicole Kreutz.

At a June 28 meeting, the Ventura College Foundation Board of Directors selected a new board chair and vice-chair and approved two new board members for the 2023-24 term.

The new foundation board chair is Nicole Kreutz, vice president, senior portfolio manager at Montecito Bank & Trust. She has been on the foundation board for five years and is a Ventura College alumnus. “I am excited to lead the foundation’s efforts to help students at Ventura College thrive and prosper,” says Kreutz. “As a foundation, we remain focused and vigilant on what we do best, providing our students with a way to open doors for the future and provide a bridge to higher education.”

Vice-chair is Rob van Nieuwburg, business relations director at Ventura Toyota. He served as foundation board chair for five years until 2021 and has been on the board for nearly 20 years. “It’s all about the students,” says van Nieuwburg. “Every day, we see how the foundation impacts lives and gives students a path forward.”

Joining the board is Lydia Morales, a retired Ventura College faculty member, former chair of the Math Department and Academic Faculty Senate president. Also joining the board is Mark Huff, the newly elected Associated Students of Ventura County (ASVC) president who will serve through the 2024 academic year. Part of the ASVC president’s duties is to serve on the foundation board and provide student input.

Ellyn Dembowski is Immediate Past Board Chair.

Ventura Land Trust Announces Community Leaders as New Trustees

The Board of Trustees of Ventura Land Trust has experienced a major shift, with the recent addition of five new members and the departure of two, bringing the current total number of trustees to 13.

The new trustees include Kate Larramendy, past Director of Design & Sustainability at outdoor company Toad&Co and current board member of The Conservation Alliance; John Krist, who retired in 2022 as CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County; The Trade Desk Assistant Corporate Controller Meridith Thompson; Thousand Oaks City Manager Andrew Powers; and retired Ventura City Fire Marshal Brian Clark.

Each new trustee brings great depth of experience and a drive to protect open spaces in Ventura County.

“VLT has proven itself to be the most effective, trusted and visionary force working to protect Ventura’s considerable natural resources,” says Trustee Kate Larramendy. “I’m honored to serve on the board to bring my passion for open spaces, wild places and access for all to outdoor recreation to further build on VLT’s mission and accomplishments. This is exciting work.”

Andrew Powers describes joining the Board of Trustees in this period of VLT’s evolution as an “exciting moment.”

“After two decades of commitment, I am convinced that some of the most important conservation, stewardship, and public access work in California is happening right here with the Ventura Land Trust,” says Powers. “For me, this opportunity blends a career in public service with a passion for the great outdoors. I look forward to contributing towards VLT’s essential mission.”

The makeup of the Board of Trustees is further shifting due to the departure of Don Wood and Dennis Kulzer, both of whom served two three-year terms on the board. Wood and Kulzer joined VLT in 2017; during their tenures, VLT completed the acquisition and opening of the 2,123-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve, as well as the acquisition of 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho in the hills north of Ventura.

Wood was active in the organization’s financial management, governance, and community outreach efforts; Kulzer focused on VLT’s stewardship efforts, especially as the organization worked to get Harmon Canyon Preserve open to the public and expand its trail network. Both men supported the integration of outdoor education program Ventura Wild under the VLT umbrella. Wood and Kulzer will continue their service as members of the organization’s Advisory Council.

VLT Executive Director Melissa Baffa expressed a sense of poignant gratitude for the change in board composition she has seen. “When I joined VLT two years ago, we had nine strong, dedicated board members who had helped to guide VLT through a period of tremendous growth and achievement. Now, through the natural process of policy-defined attrition, we have seen nearly half those members term off the board, and added new Trustees as well.”

“These are some of the brightest and most dedicated members of our community, volunteering their time, treasure and talent to Ventura Land Trust. On behalf of the VLT staff, we are very thankful for their leadership and support, and deeply appreciate their partnership as we continue on the path of growth and development they set.”

Full bios for all trustees are available at www.venturalandtrust.org/board. Community members interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities at VLT should visit www.venturalandtrust.org/volunteer and those interested in learning more about joining a VLT committee or the Board of Trustees should contact Executive Director Melissa Baffa at [email protected].

Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – The Pet Page

• On Saturday July 29, from 11-3 Bark in the Park will be held at the Community Center Park located at Carmen &Burnley in Camarillo. It will benefit Daisy Lu Ranch Ventura County’s only senior dog sanctuary. (www.daisyluranch.org).

Vendors, food and fun. Suggested donation $25.00.

Aiden Youngerman, a compassionate and driven 7th grader from Cape Charter School, is on a mission to make a heartwarming difference in the lives of senior dogs with his upcoming fundraiser.

Daisy Lu Ranch stands as a sanctuary for elderly canines who often face challenges finding new homes due to their age. The ranch offers a safe and loving environment where these senior dogs can be fostered or adopted without any financial burden on prospective pet parents. However, with the rising costs of veterinary care and maintaining the ranch, resources have become scarce, making it increasingly difficult to provide the senior dogs with the medical attention and care they deserve.

The funds raised during the event will be allocated to cover the medical expenses of the senior dogs at Daisy Lu Ranch, ensuring they receive the necessary treatments and medications. Moreover, a portion of the funds will be dedicated to upgrading the ranch’s facilities, including new fencing and other amenities to enhance the dogs’ living conditions.

•The dog days of summer

By the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

There are a number of seasonal hazards our pets need to navigate during the dog days of summer, from thunderstorms and extreme heat to pesky parasites. Assistant Professor Kristi Flynn with the College of Veterinary Medicine discusses what pet owners should be on the lookout for the rest of the summer to keep their pets happy and healthy.

Dr. Flynn: Pet owners can prevent harm to their pets by keeping a few basics in mind. While it is fun to have our dogs with us, stop to consider if the experience will be appreciated by your pet before heading out to spend time with family and friends this summer. If your pet is not comfortable around loud noises or lots of new animals or people, then bringing them to a street fair or brewery is not likely a good fit for them — and that’s okay! If you do bring your pet, be sure to plan ahead and have plenty of water for them.

Early mornings or dusk are usually better times to take dogs out when midday is hot. Dogs do not cool as efficiently via evaporation as people do, so hot and humid conditions can become dangerous quickly. Be especially careful with brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, Pugs and Boston Terriers. Surfaces can become hot enough to burn paw pads. One tip is to place your own palm on the pavement to determine if it is too hot for paws.

Before taking your dog for a jog, determine if it is safe to do so. That is up to the human. If your dog’s tongue is beginning to widen out at the end when panting, they are getting too warm and you should seek a comfortable area to allow them to cool off.

Remember, fear is an emotion, not a behavior. Providing your dog with support and comfort when they’re experiencing fear will not make them more afraid in the future, but acting cold and ignoring them certainly can. Find a quiet place in the house, play music and reach out to your veterinarian to see if medication could help your pet feel more comfortable during storms.

Always monitor your pet to make sure they’re not drinking too much lake water or swimming past when they are getting tired. If you want to get your dog comfortable with water, don’t push them and let your pet determine what they are comfortable with. Blue green algae is also something to be aware of, as this toxin is quickly lethal for pets who ingest it — if the water looks suspicious at all, avoid it.

When the air quality is concerning, try to limit time outdoors for your dogs as you would for yourself. Also, as dogs are out more in warmer months, there is also an increased risk of a dog getting away and being lost or injured. Remember, leash = love.

• Dog owners in the French town of Béziers will be required to carry their pet’s “genetic passport” in a trial scheme to reduce dog excrement on the streets.

Local mayor Robert Ménard, a former journalist and co-founder of Reporters Sans Frontières, says inhabitants and visitors are fed up with faeces on the town’s pavements. He plans to introduce a two-year experiment to trace and fine those who fail to clear up after their pets.

Under the planned scheme, dog owners will be required to take their pets to a vet or ask one of the town’s veterinary specialists for a free saliva sample, which will be genetically tested and a document issued. Those subsequently stopped without their dog’s genetic passport will be fined.

Ménard first proposed collecting DNA from the estimated 1,500 dogs in Béziers in 2016 but his request was rejected by the local administrative court as an attack on personal freedom.

He said the new genetic passport measure was submitted to the local prefecture earlier this year and no objections to its implementation were raised this time.

Ménard told French radio: “I can’t take any more of this [dog] mess. The state has said nothing against this scheme this time and thinks the same thing. This has to be done and not just in Béziers … We need to penalise people so that they behave properly.

Ménard added: “There will be a certain lenience for those who are not from Béziers. If they pick up their dog dirt we won’t bother them. We’re not xenophobes. Foreigners aren’t the problem, it’s the locals who are not cleaning up.”

In 2015 it was reported in the UK that Flintshire County council in north Wales was considering using a DNA database to clamp down on dog mess, while the Isle of Wight and Hyndburn in Lancashire have also discussed using genetic testing.

Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – As I See It

So sorry to hear that Former Ventura Mayor Sandy Smith has passed away at the age of 77. Another victim of cancer.

Smith served on the Ventura City Council from 1997 to 2005 and was our mayor from 1999 to 2001. He was also a land-use consultant for Sespe Consulting and a senior adjunct professor at California Lutheran University.

Many also knew Smith as the former chef and owner of the closed Rosarito Beach Cafe in Ventura.

“I looked everywhere for the senior X Games so that I could compete but couldn’t find them.”

The X Games seems to have been a success and was very well attended. It had extensive coverage on ABC and ESPN. There were several transportation options which really helped traffic in and out of the site.

Hard to tell what the long-term results will be. Some of the athletes (and winners) were as young as 12. I’m sure many attending will decide this is a nice place to vacation and maybe live. So should have a positive impact, especially on our tourist trade.

One thing that really impressed me was the comradery between the athletes. Especially with the BMX and Moto X riders. It seemed as if they were just one big family happy no matter who won. An athlete would have a great ride and be congratulated with smiles and hugs even if it meant another rider lost their medal. They would hoist winners up on their shoulders parading them around. It seems there were no losers.

The amount of construction done was amazing, which will be removed. When a press conference was held before the games I asked, “Would there be improvements made to the fairgrounds.” We were told “yes”. I plan to go back in a few days and see if anything was really done.

Standing next to the Moto X ramps it was almost impossible to believe that motorcycles could possibly fly that far and land, but they did.

The City Council agreed to spend up to $250,000 on staffing, traffic mitigation, police overtime and other public services. I think that Ventura made an excellent deal in negotiating to get the games here. Cities spend much more than they hope to recover but Ventura did not do that.

The $250,000 investment to secure the X Games should generate at least that much tax revenue from hotel stays and other businesses now, and in the future.

Recently, the entire planet sweltered for the two unofficial hottest days on human record according to University of Maine scientists at the Climate Reanalyzer project.

For two straight days, the global average temperature spiked into uncharted territory.

Weather continues to be unusually hot while at the same time cities are experiencing huge rains and floods. Over 90 million Americans are under extreme heat warnings. Could this be a change in our weather?

The man who carved a love note into a wall at the Roman Colosseum wrote an apology letter to authorities in Rome. The tourist who infuriated a nation when he was captured scratching a love note into the wall claimed he didn’t understand the history of the Roman monument. Perhaps he thought it was where USC plays football.

Kyle Fitzsimons, 39, of Maine, whose bloody, wild-eyed face became one of the most memorable images of the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for hurling a bow like a spear at police and attacking several other officers.

He separately assaulted at least five officers near a tunnel as police desperately tried to protect an entrance to the Capitol from the angry mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters, prosecutors said. Seems to me seven years is not nearly enough time.

I was reading the dictionary, I thought it was a poem about everything.
~ Steven Wright

Vol. 16, No. 22 – July 26 – Aug 8, 2023 – Ventura Music Scene

by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

I’m happy to report Ventura survived the X Games. You’d think by some of the social media posts that the city was going to be shut down with gridlock and overtaken by outsiders. The traffic was no worse than it is for the fair (which opens August 2), in fact, it was better. Great traffic control and I was amongst those who chose to ride their bikes. Though the “live music” turned out to be DJs (not live in my book), I loved watching the competitions, and well…just being a part of this fantastic event! Plus seeing Tony Hawk participate in the final event, the Men’s Skate Vertical Best Trick was pretty cool. Well done, Ventura!!

Now, they’ll be tearing down all that was built up for the X Games, and the Ventura County Fair will run August 2 – 13 with eight concerts (included with the price of admission): Midland, Patti Labelle, Collective Soul, Ashanti, Dia de la Familia, Trace Adkins, 38 Special and Tesla. Of course, outside the grandstand arena, live music abounds on a couple of different stages featuring lots of your favorite local bands including Shaky Feelin’, Operation 90s, Sean Wiggins & Lone Goat, and more.

Ventura Music Hall has added a number of shows several of which piqued my interest. First off, Keanu Reeves is back at it and touring with Dogstar making a stop here in town on Friday, August 26 with what is being called the “Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees” tour which is the name of their next release which lands on all platforms October 6. Next on my personal list, The Struts on December 6, and then Black Flag on January 14. It’s interesting that past Black Flag lead singer, Henry Rollins, will be there November 7 with a “Good to See You” spoken-word sit-down show.

Harbor View Park 2023 Concerts by the Sea series continues with shows 4-6 pm on Saturday afternoons. Nautical Thrust plays July 29 and Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers on August 5. This one is located at 3850 Harbor Blvd. in Oxnard, where you’re welcomed to bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs.

Quick Notes: Perla Batalla plays a sold out show at the Ojai Underground on Friday, July 28;
Andrew DeVries plays Surfers Point Café on Saturday July 29; Libbey Bowl concerts include Which One’s Pink on Saturday, August 5, and Chris Isaak on Sunday, August 7; Friday evening Heritage Square Summer Concert Series continues with Los Xiquenos on July 28 and The Reunion on August 7; the Saturday evening Music Under the Stars at the Historic Olivas Adobe will host the K-Tell All-Stars on July 29, and Louie Cruz Beltran on August 5; and the Red Hot Cholo Peppers play Copper Blues on Saturday, August 5.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.