Lucky Missy is 15 years old a Chocolate Labrador
She likes walks treats and naps.
She was a VCAS rescue in 2018.
Hi: I’m Luna, a sweet 11/2-year-old Maltipoo in need of a new home as unfortunately one of the people in the home is highly allergic to me.
I’m gentle and affectionate and enjoy attention. I’m good with other dogs and children, but I would do best in an adult only home or a home with older children. I know basic commands and I’m house and crate trained. I enjoy going for walks, playing with a ball and cuddling.
If you’re interested in meeting me, please fill out an online application.
Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L. https://carldogs.org/
CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.
Meet Lovey, a 2-year-old indoor shelter bunny looking for a family! Lovey is so sweet, and she has the most adorable fluffy fur and boopable nose. If you’d like to meet Lovey, email [email protected] and one of our VCAS Bunny Brigade volunteers will reach out to you soon!
We have an article in this issue regarding a sea lion that is doing just fine. As explained in the article, many sea animals are suffering from a neurotoxin and are dying. The brain damage is irreversible. So sad to see so many dying right here in Ventura. To report animals in need, call Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) 805-567-1506.
We also have an article about the removal of the Father Serra statue and the wooden sculpture that was the basis for it. This wooden sculpture was previously located at City Hall. It was the art piece of a Venturan, and I think should have remained at city hall.
Also, we have the third article featuring a homeless Venturan. We hope that these articles will help give a face to the homeless and an understanding of why they are in this predicament.
Research at UC San Francisco found that 82% of homeless report that they have experienced a serious mental health situation, 27% have been hospitalized for that condition and more than 60% report regularly using illicit drugs or heavy alcohol drinking.
Whatever happened to USA men’s tennis domination? We finally have 2 men ranked in the top 10 after many years. The 2 finalists at the recently completed French Open came from countries with a combined population of 12 million. There are 10 million people in just LA County.
Business leaders and public figures are concerned about the threat of mass extinction posed by artificial intelligence (Ai) including Sam Altman of OpenAI, the company behind the popular conversation bot ChatGPT. AI goes way beyond just creating articles. It could include phony photos with voices of leaders making statements such as, “The USA has dropped nuclear bombs on China.”
It’s started. A federal judge has imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm in an unprecedented instance in which ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.
For the last six years, Finland has ranked No. 1 as the happiest country in the world. A Finnish philosopher Frank Martela, PhD explained how to be happy:
1. Live for yourself, not someone else’s expectations.
2. Become an expert and share your knowledge.
3. Practice random acts of kindness.
4. Be a good neighbor.
5. Embrace quiet time together.
An Idaho father killed a neighboring family because he was upset that the neighbor’s 18-year-old son had reportedly exposed himself to the man’s children. Majorjon Kaylor, 31, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the Father’s Day shooting. It now takes 4 people killed to be considered a mass killing – how sad is that?
A man in South Florida shot at the car of two people who drove onto his property after they got lost trying to drop off an Instacart order.
An Illinois man using a leaf blower in his own yard was fatally shot by his 79-year-old neighbor during an argument, marking the latest incident in which people are gunned down while going about their everyday lives.
“There’s no question there’s been a spike in violence,” said Daniel Nagin, a professor of public policy and statistics at Carnegie Mellon University. “Some of these cases seem to be just disputes, often among adolescents, and those disputes are played out with firearms, not with fists.”
Most gun killings are not by the “bad” guys, but just regular decent folks that bought guns to protect themselves. Will this madness ever stop?
The Ventura City Council has voted to hire a construction company to build a pipeline for an advanced water treatment plant for approximately $50 million. This is about $5 million more than another company with the lowest bid.
According to the city, the decision to hire Santa Barbara-based Aqueos Corp. over San Diego-based Pacific Marine Group Inc. was based on a technicality because Pacific Marine Group did not complete the necessary paperwork.
For $5 million, it seems to me that Pacific Marine should have been given the opportunity to correct the paperwork and given an opportunity to be selected for the work.
The program will convert treated wastewater into safe drinking water and reduce discharges of effluent into the Santa Clara River estuary. Construction is expected to begin in September in the area of Marina Park.
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?
~ Satchel Paige
Bill and Diana Kelley keeping track on what’s going on at home from the Colosseum in Rome!
by Shirley Lorraine
Drawn down the Rabbit Hole
Everyone deals with grief in their own way and in their own time. How one family handles a particularly affecting death is the center of the Santa Paula Theater Center’s current production of “Rabbit Hole” by David Lindsay-Abaire. This sensitive work garnered a Pulitzer Prize in 2007.
Lindsay-Abaire’s characters are instantly recognizable as members of one’s own family. Each carries their own perspective ranging from anger to introspection to humor. It all works to highlight humanities ‘coping methods and how disparate they can be in effectiveness.
There is no right or wrong in dealing with loss. There is only the reality of how each individual processes their grief.
Skillfully directed by Taylor Kasch, the ensemble of highly capable actors takes the audience on a journey into a dark subject that is not often brought to the forefront.
Becca (Jessi May Stevenson) and Howie (Ron Feltner) have lost their four-year old son in an unfortunate accident. Any loss is devastating and this one threatens to shatter everyone involved. Stevenson is adept at the emotional changes required of her character and imbues her with an immediately likeable, sympathetic persona. Feltner gives the masculine counterpoint solid footing in his retreat from acceptance.
Becca’s sister Izzy (Rosie Gordon) brings her own life-changing issues to the table, further complicating Becca and Howie’s ability to cope. Gordon adds just the right touch of lightness to balance her sister’s negativity.
The girls’ mother Nat (Cynthis Killion) brings an earthy, if somewhat skewed, framework to her interactions, as she is still grieving over the loss of her son some 11 years ago. Grief has no timeline and for some, no end. Although Becca finds the constant comparison to her own loss a relentless source of irritation, she also recognizes that the feeling of loss is one that becomes an integral part of a person. Killion provides not only comic relief, but also a useful, pragmatic viewpoint.
Attempting to cope in his own way is Jason (Ryan Garces), a young man caught up in the drama by unfortunate and unavoidable circumstance. He blames himself for the accident and is reluctant to be absolved, although not for lack of trying.
Each scene brings forth another element of the grieving process and how one person’s viewpoint affects those of the others in the circle. This play will directly affect anyone who has suffered loss of a loved one in its stark approach to the arc of the grieving process. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the stages of grief years ago. It is not uncommon for these stages to occur in random order as outside influences are present.
This extraordinary cast weaves the delicate story in ways that are all-encompassing. They take us down the rabbit hole of grief, up to the top, and once again plunge to the depths. It is quite a journey and one that everyone will take at some point. This production is not to be missed. Adult themes and language.
Rabbit Hole continues through July 30 at the Santa Paula Theater Center. www.santapaulatheatercenter.org or (805) 525-4645.
Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
To Leslie – Netflix
When West Texas single mother Leslie “Lee” Rowland (Andrea Riseborough) won a $190,000 lottery using her son James’ (Owen Teague) birthdate as her lucky number picks, she thought it would be a chance at a good life for her and her son. Unfortunately, six years later she would find herself being evicted from the local motel and estranged from her son, who she ended up leaving with her friends Nancy and Dutch (Allison Janney, Stephen Root) when she squandered it all and was penniless.
Leslie was also challenged with being an alcoholic, which was where most of her money went buying rounds of drinks for everyone in town at the local bar. To support her need for alcohol, she started hitting on strangers that visited the bar in hopes of free drinks, but this was a dangerous game as she was assaulted and had no shelter to go for protection so she reached out to her son James for help.
James was now 20 years old living in a city nearby and working in construction. When his mom Leslie got off the bus, she looked as though she hadn’t showered for weeks and was wearing dirty, tattered clothing. James took her to get some new clothes and told her that she could temporarily stay with him and his roommate, but she had to come up with a plan for a job, her own place, and absolutely no drinking was allowed, though he told her it was alright to smoke marijuana.
Leslie ended up stealing money from James’ roommate and after finding her drunk with empty alcohol bottles under the bed, he put her on a bus back to Dutch and Nancy, who reluctantly took her in with the same rule of no drinking. Unable to manage her alcoholism, Leslie got drunk and found herself locked out of Dutch and Nancy’s who left her suitcase on the porch to insure she knew she was no longer welcome.
Leslie found a spot outside a local motel to sleep that night, but in the morning the motel manager Sweeney (Marc Maron) found her outside the motel and told her to leave, but when she ran off she forgot her suitcase. She slept in an abandoned ice cream shop that night and returned for her suitcase and Sweeney felt the need to help her, so offered her a job cleaning rooms at the motel in exchange for a small wage and room at the motel.
Leslie was not ready for that level of responsibility and showed up for work late the first two days and was not doing a good job cleaning, which frustrated Sweeney. She asked for a pay advance and ended up getting drunk, then broke into the home where she used to live with her son and scared the family that was living there. They called Sweeney who brought her back to the motel, but decided that was enough and planned to fire her in the morning.
Leslie knew she screwed up and pleaded with Sweeney for a second chance, which he did decide to give her. She also gave up drinking, cold turkey, and Sweeney was there to help her through it having dealt with an alcoholic wife in the past. With Sweeney’s help she completely turned her life around and asked Sweeney to help her with her lifelong dream and turn the old ice shop into a diner, but would the town turn their back on her or also give her another chance.
Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 59m
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
Independence Day falls on a Tuesday this year with live music being offered at several venues including Ojai Valley Brewing with Blues Bullet immediately following the city’s annual parade downtown; Raging Arb and the Redheads along with the return of Jackass will rock Bombay’s during the afternoon (2-5); you’ll find the Corsican Brothers at Winchesters from 6-9; and Los Amigos play Margarita Villa in the Harbor from 7 to 10 pm. If you plan your day just right, you could possibly cover all venues and still see the fireworks show at Ventura College.
Ventura Music Hall added a few dates to take note of including this year’s American Idol winner, Iam Tongi on July 22, Then, there’s the Kottonmouth Kings who play August 18, and another show I wouldn’t want you to miss is Henry Rollins on November 7; it’s his “Good to See You,” spoken word tour which is a seated event.
If you’re in the mood for aggressive rock/punk, then you won’t want to miss Nardfest over the weekend of July 7 and 8 at the Oceanview Pavilion in Port Hueneme. Both days feature some of the greatest bands coming out of the Nardcore scene with Hirax, Downpresser, Dr. Know, Section H8, False Confession, Total Resistance, Burning Dog, Romper and Boilerman playing on Saturday; then it’s JFA, Stalag 13, Punk Rock Karaoke, Grim, iDecline, Crucial Thought, Char-Man, No Remorse, The Robot Uprising and Indignants on Sunday. This is an all ages show with tickets through EventBrite, or pay no fees at the venue’s box office.
Libbey Bowl concerts over the next two weeks include The Long Run (Eagles tribute) on Friday, June 30, Gin Blossoms on Saturday, July 1, Toad the Wet Sprocket on Wednesday, July 5; Lyle Lovett & his Large Band on Friday July 7, and the Smithereens with Marshall Crenshaw and Dishwalla on Saturday, July 8.
There’s a new music studio called Creativity Through Music at Portside Ventura where they plan to offer ticketed events for a smaller intimate audience. Their first concert on Sunday, July 2 features Nicole Taylor, soprano and Natsha Marin on piano. Songs being performed will by Brahms, Rachmaninov, R. Strauss, Chausson and Hahn. You can find tickets on EventBrite.
Quick Notes: The Brite Room in Camarillo is offering an “adult” open mic on Wednesday, June 28; Heritage Square Summer Concert Series has the Brandon Ragan Project on Friday, July 7; Music Under the Stars kicks off the summer concert series with British Beat on Saturday, July 8 at the Olivas Adobe; Leashless Brewing celebrates their 6th anniversary with Morie & the Heavy Hitters and Kat Hall on Saturday, July 8; And Tommy Quayle returns for another night of his original music at Namba on Saturday, July 8.
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.
Justice For all Ventura County was proud to offer an inaugural Young Activists Essay contest this spring, handing out three awards totaling $600 at Ventura High School’s graduation ceremony on Monday, June 5, 2023. The contest was open to all Ventura High School and Fillmore High School seniors. The three winners personified activism, volunteerism and community service.
Ava H. was awarded first place for her efforts in environmental justice. Abigail B, who received second place, wrote passionately about the need for immigration reform. Brooke R, was awarded the third place prize. She focused her essay on her volunteer work on behalf of the Key Club’s sponsored charity, the Pediatric Trauma Program.
Abigail’s summarization of her motivation, “By actively supporting efforts to create a more just and equitable immigration system, I hope to contribute to a more compassionate, inclusive, and equitable society,” perfectly embodies the spirit of Justice For All Ventura County.
The mission of Justice For All Ventura County is to motivate, educate, connect, and mobilize people to actively engage in their government and future in support of social justice. https://justiceforallvc.org/
For more listings, additional times and genres go to VenturaRocks.com
Angry Ferret
11990 Hertz St., Moorpark
Fri 6/30: Whole Hog
Boatyard Pub
1583 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura
Music 6-9; except Sundays 4-7
Wednesdays: Frank Barajas
Thursdays: Jim Friery; Bluegrass Jam
Fridays: Teresa Russell & Stephen Geyer
Bombay Bar and Grill
143 California St., Ventura
Tues 7/4: Raging Arb and the Redheads, Jackass
The Brite Room
2258 Pickwick Dr., Camarillo
Wed 6/28: Adult Open Mic
Café Fiore
66 S. California St., Ventura
Wed 6/28: Donna Butler
Fri 6/30: Heathers on Fire
Cantara Cellars
126 N. Wood Rd., Camarillo
Fri 6/30: Ray Jaurique Band
Sat 7/1: Under Cover Super Group
Fri 6/7: Caliente 805
Sat 6/8: Ignition
Casa Agria Specialty Ales
701 N. Del Norte Blvd., Oxnard
Fri 7/7: The Robot Uprising, Neurotics, Out of Trust, Zipangu, Crazy D & the Nutz
The Cave
4435 McGrath St., Ventura
Wed & Thurs: Bobby Apostol
Fri & Sat: Warren Takahashi
Constitution Park
601 Carmen Dr., Camarillo
Sat 7/8: The Kings of 88
Copa Cubana
Ventura Harbor Village
Mondays: Glenn Bennett
Tuesdays: Blues Tuesdays
Sun 7/2: Freddie and Friends
Sun 7/9: The House Arrest Band
Copper Blues
591 Collection Blvd., Oxnard
Fri 6/30: Brittany and the B Side
Creativity Through Music
Portside Ventura Harbor; 947 Schooner Dr., Ventura
Sun 7/2: Nicole Taylor, Natasha Marin
Deer Lodge
2261 Maricopa Hwy., Ojai
Fri 6/30: Billy Wylder
Sun 7/2: Arielle Moire-Selvage
Fri 7/7: Luke Sweeney
Enegren Brewing Co.
444 Zachary St., Moorpark, CA
Thursdays: Glenn Bennett
Four Brix
2290 Eastman Ave., Ventura
(Fridays 6-8:30; Sundays 1-3:30)
Fri 6/30: Kelly’s Lot
Sat 7/2: Déjà vu Three
Sun 7/9: The Hollywood Rocker Fellas
The Grape
2733 E. Main St., Ventura
Tues: The Gratitude Jazz Jam
Thurs Happy Hour: Tom Etchart & Friends
Friday Happy Hour: Fred Kaplan
Thurs 6/29: Gregg Karukas GK
Fri 6/30: Jeff Babko Trio
Sat 7/1: Dr T. & the Blues Criminasl (2 pm); Doug Webb (8 pm)
Wed 7/5: Adam Moezinia’s Folk Element Trio
Thur 7/6: SicNarf
Sat 7/8: RJ Mischo (2 pm); Barrelhouse Wailers (8 pm)
The Greek
1583 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura
Fridays: Jim Seargeant
Harbor Cove Café
1867 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura
Saturdays 10 am: The Cool Hand Ukes
Fri 6/30: The Rincons
Fri 7/7: Brittney Burchett & Friends
Heritage Square Summer Concert Series
715 S. A St., Oxnard
Fri 6/30: The Chico Band
Fri 7/7: Brandon Ragan Project
Institutional Ale Company
3841 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo
Thurs 6/29: Ventura Irie-Ites Posse
Keynote Lounge
10245 Telephone Rd., Ventura
Thursdays: Open Mic
Fri 6/30” Ventu Park Band
Leashless Brewing
585 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
Thurs 6/29: Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Night
Fri 6/30: Jayden Secor
Sat 7/1: Brian D’Entremont (3 pm); Adam Lenhard (7 pm)
Thurs 7/6: Erez Barnea
Fri 7/7: Boom Duo
Sat 7/8: Morie & the Heavy Hitters, Kat Hall
Libbey Bowl
210 S. Signal St., Ojai
Fri 6/30: The Long Run
Sat 7/1: Gin Blossoms
Wed 7/5: Toad the Wet Sprocket
Fri 7/7: Lyle Lovett & his Large Band
Sat 7/8: The Smithereens w/ Marshall Crenshaw & Dishwalla
The Lookout Bar and Grill
2800 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard
Wednesdays & Sundays : Gary Ballen
Lucky Fool’s Pub
75 E. High St., Moorpark
Fri 7/7: Milo Sledge Trio
M on High Restaurant
255 E. High St., Moorpark
Thurs 6/29: Strummed Down
Majestic Ventura Theater
26 S. Chestnut St., Ventura
Sat 7/1: Sweet, Cosmic Ocean, Evolution Eden
Manhattan
5800 Santa Rosa Rd., Camarillo
Wed 6/28: Warren Takahashi
Fri 6/30: Lisa Ritner
Margarita Villa
1567 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura
Fri 6/30: Joe Delia
Sat 7/1: Vinyl Gypsies
Sun 7/2: Doc Rogers Band
Tues 7/4: Los Amigos
Fri 7/7: Dive Bar Messiahs
Sat 7/8: Cinnamon Whiskey
Sun 7/9: Déjà vu Too
Mrs. Olson’s
2800 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard
Sat 7/1: Bombafiya, Magnificent Bastards, Cinnamon Whiskey, Keyth G & the Universouls
Sun 7/2: Teresa Russell
Fri 7/7: Kyle Smith Band, Rising Son
Music Under the Stars
Olivas Adobe, 4200 Olvias Park Dr., Ventura
Sat 7/8: British Beat
Namba Arts
47 S. Oak St., Ventura
Fri 6/30: Miss Bix
Sat 7/8: Tommy Quayle
Sun 7/9: The Listening Room Redux
Oceanview Pavilion Performing Arts Theater
575 E. Surfside Dr., Port Hueneme
Sat 7/8: Hirax, Downpresser, Dr. Know, Torena, False Confessions, more..
Sun 7/9: JFA, Stalag 13, Grim, iDecline, Crucial Thought, The Robot Uprising, more…
Ojai Valley Brewing
307 Bryant St., Ojai
Fri 6/30: Kris Simeon
Sat 7/1: Manuel the Band
Tues 7/4: Blues Bullet
Fri 7/7: Zydeco Zippers
Sat 7/8: The Hand me Down Band
Onyx
2390 Las Posas Rd., Camarillo
Fri 6/30: Matthew Grant
Sat 7/1: Smokey & Friends
Oxnard Performing Arts Center
800 Hobson Way, Oxnard
Sat 7/1: Higher Ground
Poinsettia Pavilion
3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura
Sun 7/2: Old-Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music
The Raven Tavern
1651 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard
Fri & Sat 8 pm; Sunday 2 pm
Fri 6/30: Blown Over
Sat 7/8: Teresa Russell
Ric’s Restaurant Sports Lounge
2500 Las Posas Rd., Camarillo
Tuesdays: Tour Support w/ Kurt & Bob
Sam’s Place
308 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai
Sat 7/1: Duncan and the Dragonslayers
Sat 7/8: Smitty & Julija & Friends
The Shores
1031 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard
Fri 6/30: Doc Ventura (5 pm); Soul Machine (8 pm)
Fri 7/7: CRV
Strey Cellars
951 N. Rice Ave., Oxnard
Sat 7/1: Barrelhouse Wailers
Sun 7/2: Ignition
Sun 7/9: Alissa Selkis
Taqueria Jalisco
4275 Tierra Rejada Rd., Moorpark
Tuesdays & Fridays: Jim Friery
Tony’s Pizzeria
186 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
Wed 6/28: Caught Red Handed
Thurs 6/29: Ska Jah Standards
Thurs 7/6: Ska Daddyz, Keyth G. & Friends
Topa Topa Brewing
104 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
Thurs: Davey Miller Jazz
Sat 7/1: Teresa Russell (2 pm); Katie Leigh (7 pm)
Topa Topa Brewing
2024 Ventura Blvd. Camarillo
Fri 6/30: Steve and Sally Williams
Sat 7/8: Milo Sledge Trio
The Twist
454 E. Main St., Ventura
Sat 7/1: Coque Ross, Lynzee Fraye, Live Band Karoake
Vaquero y Mar
435 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
Sundays: Mariachi
Tuesdays: The Sea Hunter
Wednesdays: Tribal Me
Fridays: Noche de Paranda
Ventura Music Hall
1888 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura
Sat 7/8: The Buttertones
Sun 7/9: The Green, Cas Haley, Etana
Winchesters
632 E. Main St., Ventura
Music Thurs 5:30; Fri 7 pm; Sat 2 pm; Sun 3 pm
Thurs 6/29: Cats on the Bandstand
Fri 6/30: Déjà vu Three
Sat 7/1: Steve and Sally Williams
Sun 7/2: Karen Eden & the Bad Apples
Mon 7/3: DVR Band
Tues 7/4: The Corsican Brothers
Thurs 7/6: Jayden Secor
Fri 7/7: Medicine Hat
Sat 7/8: Mack & D
Sun 7/9: CRV Band
1901 Speakeasy
740 S. B St., Oxnard
Wed 6/28: D.on Darox
This summer, Ventura County Library (VCL) will host Lunch at the Library Farm to Summer Program at 3 location for children and teens 18 years and under. Local youth will be served healthy meals and are invited to participate in a series of Summer Reading Program activities. These will include daily fun activities, book giveaways, and performers.
Speakers will visit each location and encourage youth to learn about local agriculture and the food cycle, how to garden at home and practice healthy eating, as well as share information on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers in agriculture.
VCL’s Lunch at the Library Farm to Summer Program focuses on developing young stewards of the land through composting, planting, and learning about the science behind growing food. Weekly Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) activities about insect science, plants, recipes, soil, and water will provide hands on opportunities for youth to grow their own crops and hopefully taste the fruits of their labor by the end of summer.
This program is made possible in collaboration with the Ventura Unified School District and the Ventura County Library Foundation. VCL is an equal opportunity provider. The summer Food Service Program is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, administered in California by the California Department of Education. Lunch at the Library is a project of the California State Library, supported with funds from the State of California.
Lunch at the Library locations until Thursday, August 10, 2023:
Albert H. Soliz Library, 2820 Jourdan Street, Oxnard, CA 93036
Avenue Library, 606 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001
Saticoy Library, 1292 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura, CA 93004
For more information on library programs and services, visit vencolibrary.org.