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Ventura Friends of the Library poster contest

The Ventura Friends of the Library are sponsoring a poster contest for the City of Ventura’s 150th Anniversary Celebration, April 2, 2016.  The contest is open to all youths who live or go to school in the city of Ventura ages 6 to 18.  Each child who enters a valid submission will receive a Ventura Friends of the Library Bookmark and have their work displayed at the 2016 Ventura County Fair.

The winning posters will artistically and colorfully illustrate the city of Ventura and promote the city’s 150th anniversary.  They may represent any period in the city’s history.

Entrants must submit original, two-dimensional works of art created by themselves. Entries may not include lettering, clip art, copyrighted material or any registered trademark or logo. Do not include the city name, logo or lettering in the original artwork as it will be inserted in production.

Only one entry per person will be accepted. If the entrant is under 18 as of October 16, a parent or legal guardian must sign the entry form.

All entries must be submitted on 11-inch-wide by 17-inch-high paper—no newsprint. Entries received on a different size paper or in the wrong orientation will be disqualified.

The entrant’s name, address, phone number and age as of October 16, 2015 must be legibly written on the back of the poster. Entries must be hand carried to the E.P. Foster, Avenue or Saticoy Libraries during library hours.

Deadline for submissions is October 16, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.  Late entries will not be accepted. A signed official entry form must be included.

A panel of five independent jurors will select the winners in three age groups: 6 to 9; 10 to 13, and 14 to 18. 1st Place Grand Prize $150.  1st Place runners up in the remaining two age groups $100, 2nd Place $75, 3rd Place $50.

For more information [email protected] and please type “Contest” in the subject line.  To  obtain an entry form  www.sanbuenaventurafriendsofthelibrary.org.

Vol. 8, No. 23 – August 19 – September 1, 2015 – Two on the Aisle

Little Shop filled with big delights
by Jim Spencer and Shirley Lorraine

This month the rafters at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center are rocking as the Actors Repertory Company of Simi (ACTS) presents the classic sci-fi rock musical Little Shop of Horrors.  But this production is anything but a horror.  It is filled with big delights.

Based on the cult classic movie with some slight differences, the popular musical is both an engaging spoof and a tribute to sci-fi movies of the 1950s where an alien life form arrives to take over the earth. In Little Shop the visitor is a tiny plant.  It is discovered by Seymour, a budding wannabe horticulturist who works as a go-fer in Mr. Mushnik’s skid row flower shop. The shop’s sales clerk is Audrey, a winsome platinum blonde with an inferiority complex and an abusive dentist boyfriend.

Renamed Audrey II by Seymour after his secret love, the plant begins to grow after tasting a drop of blood when Seymour accidentally pricks his finger. As long as Audrey II receives nourishment she continues to grows, and both the shop and Seymour are blessed with increasingly unusual good fortune, until….

All the actors turn in delightfully polished performances. As the hapless Seymour, Bob Moran is endearingly earnest.  Jen Ridgway, as Audrey, is appropriately ditzy. Martin Feldman’s portrayal of the stingy and self-absorbed shop owner, Mushnik, is as a crusty but lovable curmudgeon.  Nicholas Ferguson is up to the challenges of his multiple roles.

The biggest delight is the vocal talent of the entire cast. Ridgway has a powerful, clear voice uniquely suited to musical theatre.  Moran matches her clarity. Feldman’s experience and training are strongly evident.

Much of the action is propelled by a circa-1960s female trio of do-wop singers – Jennifer Sun Bell, Saundra Agababyan and Kyle Green. Each displays remarkable vocal ability, individually and as part of the trio’s balanced blend.  In addition to their vocal contributions, each plays a definable character with style and attitude. A plentitude of costumes changes make them even more fun to watch.

Kudos are also due to Bailey Ramirez and George Chavez II as the operator and voice, respectively, of Audrey II.

Musical direction is under the baton of Matthew Park.  The creative choreography provided by Rebecca Castells heightens the action and compliments the direction of Davis Daniels.  The winged set is used effectively to highlight both the flower shop interior and the street outside.

Rock music is renowned for being loud. While the singers need and have personal body microphones, in our view feathering down on the overall vocal amplification would enhance the experience at this venue.  At times we found the sound volume and decibel intensity almost painful.

Little Shop of Horrors, presented by the Actors Repertory Company of Simi, plays until August 30 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. Show times: 8 p.m.-Fridays and Saturdays. 2 p.m.-Sundays. Tickets: General-$25/60+ & Students-$22/under 13-$18.   583-7900. On line at www.simi-arts.org.

Ventura Council for Seniors

The Ventura Council for Seniors (VCS) meets at the Ventura Avenue Adult Center (VAAC) on the third Wednesday of every month from 9:30-11am. This organization is designed to provide a forum to discuss issues and initiatives and to develop recommendations for City Council consideration. The VCS is designated by the Ventura City Council as the representative organization of all seniors in the City of Ventura. They meet monthly to consider and gather input on local issues important to all seniors. Please come to network and contribute valuable information with your peers.

The Ventura Avenue Adult Center is located at 550 N. Ventura Ave. Parking is available onsite.

 

 

The New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura Back-to-School Fundraiser

The New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura Back-to-School Fundraiser is raising funds to provide support to students from Title I schools in Ventura.  Donations will provide school supplies, music books, instruments, and the ability for the Symphony to enroll more students who are currently on the waiting list for the Harmony Project program.

The Symphony is trying to reach its goal of $10,000 by August 31. Donations are being accepted through a Fundly online campaign at www.fundly.com/harmony-project-1. Supporters may also call the New West Symphony office at 805-435-2778.

The New West Symphony Harmony Project of Ventura County is a youth empowerment program that uses music instruction as a tool for social change.

The program currently has 120 students who are enrolled in grades 3 through 7, with 40 more on the waiting list.  It costs about $1,500 per child each school year and is made possible by donors like you!

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Vol. 8, No. 23 – August 19 – September 1, 2015 – Police Reports

police MoralesSexual Abuse
On the 7th of December, 2014, VPD Dispatch received a report of lewd conduct with a child that occurred in the 800 Block of North Ventura Avenue. A juvenile victim reported to a patrol officer that a man who was known to the victim and his family had sexually assaulted him. The victim was playing outside his house when the suspect picked him up and took him into another residence, where the assault occurred. The suspect was known to the victim as, “Don Pepe.”

Ventura Police detectives began a follow up investigation and identified the suspect as Jose Morales. Once the evidence was fully processed, the results further supported the victim’s statement.

On Tuesday, August 8th, Jose Morales was arrested by the VPD in the 200 Block of East Main Street and booked at the VC Jail.

Vehicle Pursuit
On Tuesday, August 4th, at 2:50 p.m., detectives with the VPD Street Crimes Unit developed information about a wanted subject, Robert Reeves, in the 1200 block of Meta Street. VPD observed a vehicle, driven by Donald Reyes, arrive and pick up Reeves. As the officers attempted to stop this vehicle it fled at a high rate of speed.

The vehicle drove recklessly to the residential area of Channel Drive and Evergreen Drive. Officers lost sight of the vehicle and set up a perimeter.

At  3:06 p.m., residents on Borchard Drive reported seeing a suspicious male running through yards and was last seen jumping into a backyard in the 2600 block of Ocean Avenue. Officers found the suspect driver, Reyes, attempting to hide in the back yard. Reyes was taken into custody without further incident.

Officers located Reeves and a second subject, Rocky Mattley hiding in a converted garage at a residence in the 3800 block of Paloma Drive. Both were taken into custody without further incident. Reyes, Reeves, and Mattley were booked.

Two handguns were located in the garage where Reeves and Mattley were found and additional charges are pending.

Recovered Stolen Vehicle
On Sunday, August 9th, at 3:47 p.m., a patrol officer was driving in the 2600 block of Thompson Boulevard when he observed a suspicious vehicle near the Wendy’s restaurant. The officer went to contact the driver of the vehicle, Estrella Martinez, who had parked and fled from the vehicle before the officer was able to make contact with her. She was located outside of the restaurant and identified by the officer as being the driver. The investigation revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier in the day from Port Hueneme and had different license plates on the vehicle.

Martinez was arrested and booked into the VC Jail. The vehicle was impounded.

Possession of a Loaded Firearm
On Sunday, August 9th, at 7:46 p.m., a patrol officer observed a vehicle occupied by several subjects who were acting suspicious. The vehicle also had expired registration.  The officer activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and as the vehicle came to a stop near the corner of Center Street and Ventura Avenue, one of the vehicle’s occupants, later identified as a 17-year-old male juvenile, exited the vehicle and fled.  The vehicle quickly accelerated away from the area. The officer, and a second back up officer, chased the male juvenile and observed him throw an object onto a nearby rooftop.  After a brief foot pursuit, the juvenile was caught and detained.

Officers searched the rooftop and found a loaded handgun. The male juvenile was arrested and lodged into juvenile hall.

Robbery
On Wednesday, August 12th, at 12:13 a.m., the VPD received a call from a victim reporting a stabbing.

Officers arrived and learned the victims, Christopher Cabrey and Sean Wachman, were leaving the Circle K store at the corner of Main Street and Laurel Street when two male suspects, white males in their twenties, confronted them. The suspects demanded the victims’ money and property and then attacked Cabrey and Wachman. The suspects fled the area. During the attack, Cabrey was stabbed. Officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.

Cabrey was transported to the VCMC and received treatment for a serious, but non-life threatening stab wound. Wachman was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Stabbing with Arrest
On Wednesday, August 12th, at 4:32 p.m., the VPD received a call from Sage Ford. Ford said he had been stabbed and beaten while he was at Plaza Park, and after the incident, he fled from the park to a nearby street where he called. Officers responded to the 200 block of South Laurel Street where they found Ford and confirmed he had been stabbed and beaten.

Officers located the suspect, Derrick Dawson, at Plaza Park and detained him. Dawson had stabbed and beaten Ford because he had caused a disturbance earlier in the day at the park with one of the Dawson’s friends.

Dawson was transported to VC Jail where he was booked. Ford was initially treated by AMR and then transported to VCMC where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Armed Robbery
On Thursday, August 13th, at 8:12 p.m., the suspect, a Hispanic male, walked into the Chevron Gas Station located at 2314 East Thompson Boulevard and approached the cashier. He showed the employee a handgun and demanded the money from the cash register. The employee gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of money, and the suspect ran out of the business. He was last seen running into the neighborhood on the south side of the business. Responding officers checked the area, however the suspect was not located.

QPI conference coming to Ventura

In an effort to provide a greater professional and nurturing environment for youth that are in foster care, Foster VC Kids, a division of Ventura County’s Children & Family Services, is working with a new groundbreaking foster parent training module developed to improve the quality of partnership, care, training and support within the child welfare system. A by-product of the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI), 21st Century Foster Parenting training refocuses on trauma informed care, excellence in parenting for foster youth and a strong partnership between foster and relative caregivers, birth parents and agency staff.

The driving force behind this new training is QPI, a collaborative effort with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), and other state child welfare agencies and foster care partners. QPI works to create a professional, child/ family specific support for the child who enters into care, by engaging foster caregivers and birth parents as integral partners. Caregivers, parents, mental health workers, Court Appointed Special Advocates, child welfare staff and community partners work together to respectfully and professionally ensure that the care provided to children supports their healthy development and gives them the best possible opportunity for success and a normal upbringing. Training topics range from health issues, behaviors, parenting, caring for teens, transitions, trauma and partnering with birth families.

“For a moment, just imagine giving up your family — your dad, your mom and siblings, give up your beloved pets, sometimes give up your school and friends, that’s what we ask of these children who come into care,” says Angelina McCormick Soll LCSW Foster Home Recruitment, Development, & Support Specialist from Foster VC Kids.

Caregivers will work with a team to advocate for children with the welfare system, the court, and community agencies, including schools, child care, health providers and employers. Foster caregivers are expected to participate fully in the youth’s medical, psychological, dental care and support the child’s emotional and educational stability and wellbeing with the hope they will be reunited with their family soon. For our older teens, families are shown how to work with a team to provide developmentally appropriate opportunities to allow youth to thrive, practice life skills and have hands-on experiences in preparation for adulthood.

Ventura County was selected to host the statewide QPI conference for its utilization of QPI training. The conference will be held on Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25 at the Crowne Plaza. The event will include a welcome reception, keynote addresses from state and local foster care leaders, networking meals, and small group discussions on topics relevant to quality care and partnership.

To learn more about Foster VC Kids and QPI, visit http://fostervckids.org.

Ventura County Library is pleased to open new location

Ventura County Library is excited to announce completion of the newest branch in Saticoy. The current location at 11426 Violeta St. will close its doors one last time at 6 p.m. on August 20th, 2015. The new location at 1292 Los Angeles Ave will open for business on August 29th, 2015 with a Grand Opening celebration planned for September 26th, 2015.

All books and materials can be returned to the current location through the month of August.

We look forward to serving you at the new location with triple the amount of floor space, double the number of computers and lots of new events and services for the community.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Leadership Ventura is now recruiting!

Be part of an exciting, action packed, year-long program, and get to know your community! The Leadership Ventura program introduces you to key business, government and community leaders and gives you the opportunity to talk to them in person and ask questions. Experience lectures, panel discussions, and site visits which give you direct contact with the people who keep the community running which helps you understand the community better. You will begin with a two-day retreat under the direction of Dr. Relly Nadler, True North Leadership, Inc. He uses the Myers Briggs personality profile as a tool to help you understand how to motivate people and improve your own leadership style. This personality analysis helps you understand how people think differently and how to get them to work together. Once a month you will meet for a class lecture and meet influential community leaders.

Please mark your calendars and join Leadership Ventura on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30p – 7:00pm at The Greek at the Harbor for their Recruitment Mixer! Come meet the current and past participants of the program, and learn more about Leadership! For more information on Leadership Ventura or to sign up, please call the Chamber  643-7222.