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Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – Two on the Aisle

Nora reinterprets a classic
by Jim Spencer & Shirley Lorraine

Back in 1879 Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen debuted his now classic domestic drama, A Doll’s House.

The story deals critically with the paternalistic attitudes and cultural restrictions imposed on married women in the 19th Century, who were treated like dolls rather than persons.

The central conflict involves the fallout from an incident where a Victorian era wife, Nora, forged her ailing father’s signature to borrow money for her husband’s ultimately successful medical treatment. Ever since she has been diligently repaying the loan – all facts unknown to her husband, Torvald.

Now, several years later when Torvald is stepping into a management position at the bank, the money lender threatens to, and ultimately does, reveal the illegal act to her husband. Torvald’s only concern is how his image may be damaged if it is known his toy wife committed a criminal act, regardless of the motive.

In 1981 famed Swedish film and theatrical director Ingmar Bergman penned Nora. The script reinterprets Ibsen’s original tale. It deletes now irrelevant details and characters, reduces the run time by over 50%, and spotlights and enhances the character of Nora as a person of savvy and depth.

It is Bergman’s script Nora that is now being presented at the Santa Paula Theater Center.

Presented with no intermission, the drama unfolds in the Torvald and Nora Helmer’s home in a variety of representative settings. The design is simple and effective. Period costuming provided by Barbara Pedziwiatr is well done. Minimalistic lighting gives the production just the right shaded overtones for the mood although, as nearly everyone is dressed in dark colors, perhaps a few more amps wouldn’t be amiss.

Jessica D. Stone holds her own as the initially naïve seeming Nora. As the play progresses, so does her character’s complexity. Contending with her moral dilemma, she ably leads the young wife from frothy to furious in under two hours.

Director Laurie Walters stages the additional characters waiting in chairs alongside the main set, melding into their scenes effortlessly. Additionally tasked to clear and reset the scenes, the actors are fully involved throughout.

Noah Crowe as the condescending husband Torvald maintains a staccato delivery that, especially during long passages, makes him seem more undecided than strong. His character would benefit, in our opinion, from straighter posture and more precise diction.

Additional depths to the plot are added by Maranda Mobley as Nora’s old friend and now Widow Christine Linde, Tyler McAuliffe as beleaguered Nils Krogstad, and Anthony Stetson as the smitten Doctor Rank, all of whom perform their parts with aplomb.

Nora provides ample fodder for discussions of the mindset of men in Victorian times, the progression of women’s liberation and ethics as it relates to actions taken in the name of love.

Nora is on the boards weekends at the Santa Paula Theater Center, 7th & Main Streets, Santa Paula until October 18, 2015. Times: Friday & Saturday – 8 p.m. Sunday – 2:30 p.m. Tickets: $18-$20. 525-4645 or www.santapaulatheatercenter.org.

Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – Answer In A Breeze

Q. The Time Warner Co. is digging Telegraph and Dunning to connect St. Bonaventure High to fiber optic networks. They say they already serve the church and presumably the hospital. The presence and absence of the fiber optics in various neighborhoods can affect the decision by an employer to locate there.  It would be an interesting read to find out more and about where it is and isn’t in town.

Regards,
Kioren Moss, MAI

A: We really don’t have any plans for future fiber optic lines that are pursed by the city and public funding since this is mostly generated by private companies.  Therefore, we just react to requests from communication companies regarding impacts to public streets and right of way to put these facilities in.  From a pure business standpoint in our City, I’ve heard there is a need for faster internet service that fiber optics can provide.

So if you want to discuss how the City works with these companies to facilitate their infrastructure with the least impact on the community, then please contact me.  If you want to discuss how the City would encourage enhanced internet service for our business community, you should probably contact our Economic Development Manager, Leigh Eisen.

Rick Raives ([email protected])
Public Works Director City of Ventura

If you have a question you would like answered send it to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer for you.

 

Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – Police Reports

Prowling and Vehicle Tampering

On Wednesday, September 16th, at 2:52 a.m., the VPD received a phone call from an alert resident in the 5400 block of Ralston Street stating that a subject was trying door handles to vehicles in the area of the Ralston Courtyards Apartment Complex. A Ventura sergeant arrived and observed the suspect looking into vehicles and attempting to enter them. The suspect set off a car alarm in the carport area. After hearing the alarm, the sergeant identified himself and the suspect fled. The Sergeant gave chase and caught the suspect with the assistance of other arriving officers.

The suspect, Diego Santos, was arrested on July 26th for vehicle tampering, resisting arrest, prowling, and possession of stolen property after being found in the same area checking door handles on vehicles. On that date, Santos ran from officers and was caught with stolen property in his possession. Santos is currently on probation for vehicle tampering and possession of stolen property.

Armed Robbery

On Friday, September 18th, at 10:56 p.m., the VPD received a call from the victim of an armed robbery. The victim was parked in front of the Starbucks at 4711 Telephone Road and he was working on his computer inside of his vehicle. The suspect startled the victim and pointed a handgun at him. The suspect demanded the victim’s property, and he complied with the suspect’s demands. The victim was unharmed during the commission of this crime.

The suspect was described a White or Hispanic male in his 30s, and he was last seen running from the scene towards Donlon Street in the vicinity of the Target shopping center. The surrounding business complexes and the local area were searched for the suspect with negative results.

Strong Arm Robbery

On Saturday, September 19th, at 3:57 p.m., the VPD received several calls of vagrants physically fighting in front of a business in the 4700 block of Telephone Road. While officers were still responding to the call, one of the callers reported that a female, identified as Terri Atherton, was injured.

Officers learned that Atherton was sitting on a bench to the front of a business when the suspect, Christopher Living, walked past her. Living grabbed a pack of cigarettes from Atherton’s purse and as he removed the cigarettes, punched her several times in the face.  A brief struggle ensued, before Living fled from the scene.

Officers located Living a short distance away. Living was booked into the VC Jail.

Atherton was treated at the scene by VC Fire personnel for non-life threatening injuries to her face and then transported to VCMC by ambulance.

Multiple Stabbings

On Sunday, September 20th, at 4:04 p.m., the VPD received numerous calls of a physical fight, with individuals being stabbed, at a baseball game in Harry A. Lyon Park in the 2000 block of Cameron Street. Officers found two stabbing victims at the park. The victims were a 19-year-old male suffering from several life threatening injuries and a 38-year-old male suffering from serious injuries both to their upper torso. A third stabbing victim, identified as a 21-year-old male, was found in front of Deanza School. He was also found to be suffering from several life threatening stab wounds.

All three individuals were transported to VCMC for treatment of their injuries and are currently listed in serious to critical condition.

A 19-year-old male, Isaac Lopez, was located several blocks away by responding officers and taken into custody as being involved in the stabbings. The third individual found stabbed in front of the school has been identified as a possible suspect in the stabbing.

Vehicle Vandalisms

On Tuesday, September 22nd, the VPD received several reports of vehicles having been vandalized during the nighttime hours in the neighborhood above Main Street, between Palm Street and Lincoln Drive. A total of 15 vehicles were vandalized by having tires slashed. These crimes appear to have been random in nature and were not targeting a specific victim. This is the second time in the last month of similar incidents in this area, but at this time it is unknown if they are related. The suspect is believed to be a White male, between the ages of 40-50, wearing a brimmed hat.

Resisting Arrest

On Wednesday, September 23rd, at 9:53 p.m., the VPD received a request for assistance from the VC Sheriff’s Dept. They were involved in a vehicle pursuit of a reckless driver speeding on the 101 freeway. The suspect vehicle exited at Seaward Avenue and VPD officers assumed control of the pursuit, as it traveled through the city limits. The suspect vehicle entered the neighborhoods in the vicinity Skyline and Foothill Road.

As the suspect vehicle traveled through these residential neighborhoods, the driver would stop the car in the middle of the street and yell obscenities at officers. Officers were able to position themselves at the intersection of Alverstone and Rainier and waited for the suspect to drive through the intersection. The officers deployed a “Stop Stick,” a tool designed to puncture and deflate the tires of a suspect’s vehicle safely. As the suspect approached the intersection, he slowed down and attempted to drive around the Stop Stick but was unsuccessful. The suspect finally stopped driving after his front tires drove over the device.

The suspect continued to disobey officer’s instructions and refused to exit his vehicle. Officers eventually had to approach the suspect’s vehicle and they were able to take the suspect into custody using a minimal amount of force. The suspect, Leon Burton, was arrested and booked at the VC Jail.

Bank Robbery

On Sept. 25, at 8:40 am a white male wearing dark clothes walked into the Union Bank, 700 block S. Victoria Ave., approached the teller counter and said he had a gun and demanded money.  The tellers turned over an undisclosed amount of money to the suspect, and the suspect fled from the bank.  Patrol officers responded to the call, however they did not locate the suspect.

Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – Ojai News & Events

The Ojai Film Society will screen “Grease Sing-Along” Sat., October 3 at Libbey Bowl. The gate opens at 5 pm. The movie is expected to start about 7:15 pm. As with the two previous OFS Bowl events, there will be dancing before the screening and free popcorn. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase. “‘Grease Sing-Along’ is pure fun,” George Sandoval, Chairman of the special event, says. “The lyrics to all the songs appear on the screen, so people can easily sing along to great hits like, ‘You’re the One That I Want,’ and ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You.'”

 

To make this event as accessible as possible to the community and to thank patrons for their patience waiting for the Ojai Playhouse to be reopened, admission is only $20 for adults, $14 for those 18 and under. Children 10 & under are free. Tickets in advance are available at the OFS Office at 646-8646, through OFS Board members, at the Matilija Auditorium Sunday afternoon screenings and at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/21887545.

 

Like a modern-day barn-raising, the Libbey Park Playground Project will rely on everyone and everything to be in the right place at the right time. Starting October 6, the Ojai community will find out if it’s up to the challenge.

 

Building a new playground with community volunteers requires a lot of advanced coordination and working out of the logistics. The playground is a result of an innovative community design-and-build approach, under the guidance of Play By Design, the city’s consultant hired to guide the process. But it’s the community that is the driving force behind the effort.

The price tag on the project is approaching $300,000, but that budget only covers the design and the materials. Volunteers will provide the labor to make it all come together. The build will take about a week to complete and is set to begin on October 6 and finish Oct. 11. There will be three shifts per day, 8 a.m. to noon, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Meals and child care will be provided for volunteers. If interested in volunteering, please register at www.ojaivalleylionsclub.com.

The final design of the Libbey Playground is a collaborative result of numerous community workshops, countless presentations and tireless revisions.

For more information on the project or how to donate, visit www.ojairec.com.  Follow the Libbey Playground Project on Facebook for updates. For more information contact the Ojai Recreation Department at  646-5581 Ext 390.

The Ventura River Water District will be relocating boulders across the Ojai Valley Trail near Nye Road and Highway 33 starting next week. The work will result in intermittent closures of the trail.

Fence removal will begin on October 1. The boulders will be moved starting on October 6 and finishing October 9. The work will be conducted Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. – 4:00.p.m. Signs and flagmen will be posted in the section of the trail where work is being done. Some delays should be expected. Trail users are asked to be cautious in areas where work is being performed.

Anyone with questions about the repair work is asked to call  654-3968.

The Ojai Valley Trail is one of three County-maintained trails. It is a nine-mile trail that parallels Highway 33 from Foster Park near Ventura, to Fox Street in Ojai. One side of the trail is paved for bicyclists, walkers, joggers and people exercising their pets. A post-and-rail wooden fence separates the paved side from a dirt bridle path for horseback riders.

 

 

 

Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – City classes

Fall City of Ventura Classes check out hundreds more on web-site
Call  658-4726 or 654-7552 to register, if you already have an account online, visit www.cityofventura.net

Classes/Events held the Barranca Vista Center ~ 7050 Ralston Street in Ventura unless otherwise noted.

Meditation for Mind & Body Health  18 years-adult
10/1-10/22       Th        7-8:30 pm        $75
Anyone can learn to meditate: regularity and finding which type is best for you are the keys. Learn various secular traditional sitting methods shown to reduce stress, tension and anxiety; and improve sleep, mood, immune function and focus. At BVC.  Course# 42032

Curvy Goddess Yoga  18 years-adult
10/8-12/3         Th        9-10 am           $70
This welcoming class for beautiful, voluptuous Goddesses includes gentle yoga poses and breath exercises to relax our bodies, light hearted laughter and a short calming meditation with a focus on appreciating our beauty and flow of our immense feminine energies. No class11/26, 12/24 & 12/31. At BVC. Course# 42090

Cooking with Norma Lyons: Preparing Teens to Cook 18 years-adult
10/13            Tu              7-8:30 pm    $35
Learn simple meals your teens can use to build from and be the envy of their friends. Our chef, daughter of a local restaurant legend, will teach you simple “quick & easy” cooking techniques for your busy lifestyle! New menus, recipe handouts and sampling of all food prepared by the class included. At BVC. Course# 42026

Pottery and Ceramic Hand Building  14 year-adult
10/8-11/19       Th        10 am-12 pm  $105+$10 materials fee
Beginners create their own ceramic art as they pinch, coil and use slab construction methods, glaze and decorate. Intermediate students will learn burnishing, using press molds and refine skills. No class 10/22. At BVC. Instructor Kim Clarke. Course# 42147

Drawing & Painting for Youth  8-14 years
10/1-11/5         Th        3:30-4:45 pm   $64
Explore relevant artists and their styles to create your own acrylic paintings and pencil and charcoal drawings. No class 10/22 & 11/26. At BVC Instructor Catherine Broger. Course# 42139

Beginning Argentine Tango  18 years-adult
10/14-11/18     W        6:30-7:30 pm   $69
Learn true Argentine Tango basics in six weeks that will have you on the floor dancing in no time. No class 12/23 & 12/30. Course# 42234

Vol. 8, No. 26 – September 30 – October 13, 2015 – Ask the Director

Shana Epstein, Ventura Water General Manager

Q.  I’m a Ventura Water customer and our family has been doing our part to conserve water. Can you explain why Ventura Water modified the existing residential Tier 1 into two tiers and why 0 to 6 HCF?

A.  As the city and state experience one of the most severe droughts on record, Californians have proven they have the ingenuity and commitment to meet the challenges of conserving water. Coping with the impacts of a water shortage requires adaptation and full participation.  When our Ventura Water Shortage Task Force (13 local customers serving on the advisory committee) evaluated different water shortage rate options, they heard loud and clear from customers who “used such a small amount of water” that there was no more room to budge.  In response, the first tier was split to ensure rates were not increased for the lowest residential water consumers defined as the first six units (1 unit = 748 gallons.)  These six units protect water usage at the lowest level to reflect minimum needs for health and sanitation.   The new Tier 1 or “lifeline usage” remains unchanged in all water shortage stages for all customers, and will not be impacted by increased water shortage rates.

City of Ventura customers have been doing a great job in their conservation efforts.  In June and July, Ventura saved 40% and 39% respectively, which met the cumulative goal of 20%.   These hot summer months are our opportunity to have the greatest impact – and we ask community members to continue saving water so we can finish out the year maintaining our reduction goal of 20%.

Ventura Water offers many ways to help our community members save water (and money).  Contact us at 805.667.6500 or online at www.venturawater.net to schedule a free water conservation survey and learn how to reduce water use in and around your home or business.  If you’re thinking of designing a new drought resilient landscape, apply now for our WaterWise Incentive program while funds are still available by visiting www.cityofventura.net/waterwise/incentiveprogram.  To learn about Ventura Water’s plans for a sustainable water future, you can take an in-depth tour of our VenturaWaterPure Potable Reuse demonstration facility on Saturday’s from 9am to 11am through December 2015.  Private groups interested in weekday tours can also be accommodated with advanced notice.  RSVP to [email protected].

“Welcome Earthlings” by Jane Peterson on display at galerie102

art peterson“Welcome Earthlings” (Solo Works – Mixed Media) by Jane Peterson is on display at galerie102 at 102 W. Matilija Street, Ojai from October 3- October 25.

Opening Reception with artist Saturday, October 3rd, 5 – 7pm

In artist Jane Peterson’s all new work, and first solo show with the gallery, she continues to explore the spectrum of human emotion with particular attention to anxiety, passion, and fear, as well as, an element of humor.

Peterson earned her M.F.A. from The University of Iowa. She has had solo shows at TAG Gallery in Santa Monica, CA and has shown extensively in galleries in New York City, as well as Northern and Southern California.  Her work is in private collections in New York, NY, Honolulu, HI, Oakland and Davis, CA. She currently lives and works in Ventura.

Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11-4 pm, Sunday 12–4pm, and by appointment.

 

California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest will be on display

The winning entries from this year’s California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest will be on display at the Channel Islands National Park Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center through Sunday, November 15.

Each year, students throughout the state, from kindergarten through 12th grade, participate in this contest, which is sponsored by the California Coastal Commission.

The display includes 35 pieces of art and poetry that were selected as winners and honorable mentions from 2,529 entries.

The contest is held annually to encourage youth to reflect on the beauty and spirit of California’s coasts and ocean.

The Channel Islands National Park Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center is located at 1901 Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor and is free and open daily from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.