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The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

by Mary Olson

Rising from the Ashes Home Tour Saturday, April 22, 12:00 to 4:00 pm.

The strength and resilience of Ventura will be on view as the Ventura County Library Foundation presents a tour of some of the beautifully rebuilt homes after the devastation of the Thomas Fire. This tour of homes is being presented by the Ventura County Library Foundation to support the county libraries. Representatives from the Ventura Regional Fire
Safe Council will also be on hand to provide home hardening information.

The homes’ distinctive and unique architecture captures the views from these hills while new landscaping embraces fire mitigation measures.

This unique opportunity to tour newly rebuilt homes in the Ondulando and Clearpoint areas of Ventura promises to be a delightful afternoon that will showcase the resilience, creativity, and beauty of the Ventura hillside residences. The event will include local musicians and contact information for a variety of professional contractors, craftsmen, builders, and related services.

Tickets are $50.00 and on sale at www.vclibraryfoundation.org.

Nathalia brings Bilingual Music for Families to Hill Road Library on Tuesday, April 25 at 3:30 pm.

Get ready to dance and sing in English and Espanol with Nathalia, a multi-talented singer songwriter based out of Los Angeles. From rock to cumbia, jazz to reggaeton, Nathalia’s songs are produced in a number of different musical styles and written with the whole family in mind. This event is open to all ages.

Do you enjoy learning new things, exploring interesting places, and meeting people who share a love of adventure?
Hill Road Library will host a discussion of the many programs offered by Road Scholar on Thursday, May 4th, at 5:00 pm. Road Scholar is the world’s largest educational travel organization for adults, offering nearly 5,500 affordable programs each year in about 150 countries worldwide. These programs offer a chance to expand your mind while being
in the company of other people who believe that learning is one of the best parts of life. For more information, contact Linda Cherry, Librarian at 805-677-7180.

Take 5 and Read to Kids Storytime

Hill Road Library will be one of the locations of First 5 Ventura County’s annual advocacy and early literacy event that encourages caregivers and community members to Talk, Read, and Sing every day! A Ventura County local leader – To be announced – will lead the storytime. Each child will receive a bilingual book to build their home library. Hill Road Library Friday, May 5, 10:00 to 11:00 am.

There are still some events to come in Ventura County Library’s series of family-friendly sustainability-themed programs. English/Spanish interpretation services and children’s activities will be available for all the programs at the Piru and Saticoy Library branches. The upcoming topics are:

Home Weatherization 101

Thursday, May 4, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Saticoy Library (1292 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura) 805 671-5148

How to Get Green Business Certified

Thursday, May 11, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Piru Library (3811 Center Street, Piru) 805 521-1753
Thursday, May 18, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Saticoy Library

Raise the Roost and bring your dog

Ventura Audubon Society’s Raise the Roost Fundraiser Saturday, April 29th Noon – 5pm at Ventura Coast Brewing Company 76 S Oak St, Ventura:

Please join Ventura Audubon for the Raise the Roost party and silent auction. This fundraiser benefits the Shorebird Recovery Program for the snowy plover and least tern nesting season on Ormond and Hollywood Beaches, which has just begun and continues through September.

Proceeds will support nest monitoring, habitat protection including fencing, signage, trail cameras, plus supplies for volunteers in our community stewardship program, the Volunteer Beach Naturalists.

Come out to Ventura Coast Brewing Company where you’ll be able to purchase a limited-edition logo glass, meet the Shorebird team and participate in our silent auction featuring items from local business.

Bring your dog and take the Dog Rangers pledge! Bidding for the auction starts 4pm on Friday, April 28th and runs through 4pm on Sunday, April 30th. For more information, please visit www.venturaaudubon.org

Choral Spectacular 2023!

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) and Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO) join together in a collaborative concert program of dynamic and uplifting choral and orchestral music. Over 100 singers from across Ventura County will be on stage to perform Christopher Tin’s Baba Yetu and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. The Spectacular Chorus is comprised of CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, Santa Paula High School Cardinal Concert Choir, Ventura High School Chorale, and Rancho Campana High School Concert Choir. Audiences will also be treated to the world premiere performance of Bevan Manson’s Odesa Overture, dedicated to the people of Ukraine.

The concerts are conducted by Dr. KuanFen Liu, Associate Professor at the California State University of Channel Islands and the Artistic Director of both CICA and CHICO. Concert dates are scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at 7 PM and Sunday, April 23 at 3 PM. Performances are at Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, 4235 Mar Vista Drive in Camarillo.

The choral portion of the program features compositions in eight languages. Baba Yetu, a Swahili language setting of the Lord’s Prayer, is the theme song for the 2005 video game Civilization IV. This critically acclaimed piece is the recipient of the first Grammy® Award for video game music and has transcended its genre into mainstream popularity. Jubilate Deo, set in Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Mandarin, Zulu, English, and Spanish, brings to life the global aspect of the traditional Psalm 100 text “O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands”.

“I am thrilled to bring a musical program of global representation to Ventura County audiences,” says Artistic Director, Dr. KuanFen Liu. “I am especially inspired that we are performing a newly commissioned work that commemorates the bravery and resilience of the people of Ukraine. The Odesa Overture calls for peace and a more harmonious world.”

Tickets are a suggested $20 donation and are only available at the door. All seats are first-come, first-serve. For more information, visit the CICA website at cicachoir.org or the CHICO website at chicovc.org.

Community Memorial Healthcare earns accreditation for diabetes education and support

Community Memorial Healthcare’s Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) program has achieved the significant milestone of accreditation by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES). Accreditation represents a high level of quality and service in diabetes healthcare to the community, and the ability to better meet the needs of Medicare recipients and those affected by diabetes in Ventura County. Diabetes education is a covered Medicare benefit when delivered through an accredited program.

Community Memorial Healthcare’s DSME program is an outpatient program available by referral through the Community Memorial Health Centers. It is the only accredited diabetes education program in Ventura County.

“As the only accredited Diabetes Self-Management Education program in Ventura County, we are extremely proud of the service we are providing to our community,” said Dr. Anthony Russell, Community Memorial Healthcare Chief Administration Officer, Ambulatory Medicine. “With over 29 million people with diabetes in America, programs like ours are vital to supporting patients and preventing complications due to diabetes.”

ADCES, formerly known as the American Association of Diabetes Educators, is a multi-disciplinary professional membership organization dedicated to improving diabetes care through innovative education, management and support. ADCES has over 14,000 professional members including nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and exercise specialists helping those who have or are at risk for diabetes.

Diabetes education services use a collaborative process through which people who have diabetes or who are at risk for diabetes work with a diabetes educator to receive individualized care. At the Community Memorial Health Centers, primary care providers and endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and oversee the management of diabetes. Certified RN Diabetes Educators who specialize in diabetes care and education work in the Community Memorial Health Centers to provide one-on-one consultations in English or Spanish for patients with diabetes. The education includes the core principles of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist’s ADCES7 – self-care behaviors including healthy eating, being active, taking medication, healthy coping, monitoring, problem solving, and reducing risks.

“As a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact this program has on individuals with diabetes,” said Wendy Amaro, Community Memorial Health Centers Manager of Population Health. “Our patients are achieving lower A1C scores, developing the confidence to self-manage their condition, and living healthier lifestyles overall.”

DATA Middle School will dive into outdoor recreation

680 students from DATA Middle School will dive into outdoor recreation and ocean-related activities after months of environmental education with MERITO Foundation’s “From the Avenue to The Channel Islands” Program

Last fall, the MERITO Foundation launched a new program in partnership with De Anza School of Technology & the Arts (DATA) Middle School, Ventura Unified School District, and the City of Ventura, titled “From the Avenue to The Channel Islands” (ATCI). The program gives students from DATA, many of who reside in the community of the Avenue, the opportunity to take part in outdoor recreation and environmental education in their local community and in natural areas.

DATA students in the ATCI program have been learning about environmental, ocean and climate sciences, as well as participating in environmental restoration, exploration and monitoring. In addition, this month all 680 DATA students will partake in an array of exciting outdoor recreation activities, such as kayaking, hiking, surfing, sailing, and camping. DATA science teachers enrolled in the ATCI program were given a variety of educational and recreational opportunities to choose from for their students based on specific grade levels.

The core focus of study for 6th graders in the program is watershed science. Last December, students biked from their school on the Avenue to the Ventura River estuary with our partners at Once Upon a Watershed where they learned the importance of keeping our watershed clean. Students also planted vegetables and native plants in their native habitat garden and harvested lettuce as part of the Garden Club. In May, they will be catching some waves, taking surfing lessons with Surf Class at Surfers Point.

7th grader ATCI participants are immersed in environmental and ocean science topics, such as urban runoff, coastal and island ecology. Students have had field experiences at the Ventura Water Reclamation Facility where they toured operations, performed water quality testing and monitored wetland birds.

The focus of education for 8th-grade students in the ATCI program is on ocean and climate topics such as ocean circulation, sea level rise and plankton ecology. On April 12 and 13, they boarded the Mystic Whaler, a 100’ Tall Ship replica, where they collected water samples, measure physical parameters, and identify plankton while learning the basics of sailing.

The pinnacle experience for all DATA students in the ATCI program will be 2 night/3 days camping trips to Santa Cruz Island! 220 students in grades 6 and 7 (accompanied by 30 chaperones) will camp, hike, kayak, and snorkel, all while learning more about the natural history of the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. Approximately fifty 7th-grade students from DATA Middle School will partake in the first trip scheduled for April 26, 2023. Subsequent trips are scheduled for May 10th, June 5th, and June 7th.

The ATCI program also provides DATA students with leadership opportunities as “Youth Outdoor & Environmental Stewards”. Currently, there are eleven youths chosen as stewards, who are providing 50 hours of community service. They support MERITO and partner organizations at outreach events, field experiences, and assist with the DATA Middle School leadership program. As stewards, they also have the opportunity to job shadow professionals at work with our partner organizations, including the Port of Hueneme, Ventura Water, and Buenaventura State Parks.

Vol. 16, No. 15 – Apr 19 – May 2, 2023 – Ojai News & Events

Award winning artist, teacher and mentor, Bert Collins, will be honored at the Ventura County Creative Artist’s (VCCA) upcoming show. The show will take place on May 6 and 7 from 11 am to 4 pm at her West Hills Gallery located at 1545 Cuyama Road in Ojai. Collins, who will celebrate her 95th birthday in June, continues to paint daily and give classes out of her Ojai home-studio despite challenging physical limitations.

Collins began her long career as an artist painting with oils. Once she and her husband moved to Ojai in the 1980s she transitioned to pastels inspired by the beautiful landscapes of the area. She considers herself a tonalist “with a hard line of realism.” Her work is influenced by the past and present, echoing the Romantic humanists of the 19th century. She has influenced hundreds of artists and her work is still widely collected throughout the country.

Local Oxnard author Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo will visit the Ojai Library at 2pm on Saturday, May 13, 2023, to talk about her new book, Threads of Awakening: An American Woman’s Journey into Tibet’s Sacred Textile Art.

What if you set out to travel the world and got sidetracked in a Himalayan art workshop? What if that sidetrack turned out to be your life’s path? For over 500 years, Tibetans have been creating sacred images from pieces of silk. Much rarer than paintings and sculptures, these stitched fabric thangkas are among Tibet’s finest artworks. In 1992, Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo traveled to the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India to manage an economic development fund, only to wind up sewing pictures of Buddha instead. Through her remarkable journey, she discovered that a path is made by walking it and some of the best paths are made by walking off course. In this talk, Leslie will reveal the unique stitches of an ancient needlework tradition, introduce the Buddhist deities it depicts, and share the extraordinary possibilities they embody.

Trained by two of the finest living Tibetan appliqué artists, Leslie learned to stitch bits of silk into elaborate figurative mosaics that bring the transformative images of Buddhist meditation to life. Her artwork has been exhibited internationally and featured in the documentary Creating Buddhas: The Making and Meaning of Fabric Thangkas. After two decades abroad, Leslie returned to southern California where she now lives with three cats and enough fabric to last several lifetimes. You can learn more about her work and book online at www.threadsofawakening.com.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146 or [email protected].

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai, CA. Hours of service are 10am to 8pm Monday through Thursday and 12pm to 5pm Friday through Sunday.

Earth Day events in and near the City of Ventura

by David Goldstein

The official theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet,” according to Earthday.org, the largest organizer and coordinator of Earth Day events. In keeping with the theme, many of the organizations staffing booths at this year’s events will promote incentives for electric cars, solar panels, water-efficient appliances, and other investments. Local events will also provide education, information, and fun.

Since this year’s Earth Day, April 22, is on a Saturday, most local events will be held on the official day of commemoration. However, as usual, events all this month will celebrate Earth Day.

April 20, at Ojai Farmers’ Market, 3 to 7 PM, at 414 E. Ojai Ave, organizers of Earth Day celebrations are encouraging walking, biking, or riding the Ojai City Trolley by giving a $2 voucher to each person who does not drive to the event. This “market money” can be used to purchase items from the market’s farmers, all of whom do not use pesticide and grow crops within 20 miles of the city. The event at the market will feature live music, dancers, booths with non-profit organization representatives, and handmade goods. An opening ceremony will be led by a Chumash elder, and speakers will explain regenerative farming, oak tree preservation methods, and other subjects. Also, the O-Haiku competition winner will be announced. Haiku poems, due to  [email protected] by April 10, should be about “The Business of Bees” sculpture at the Ojai Valley Business Park in Bryant Circle.

April 21, at Ventura County Government Center, Noon to 1 PM, the Ventura County General Services Agency Earth Day Tour will meet at the Hall of Administration fountain and visit environmentally important sites on the campus. This will include tours of water efficient landscaping, pervious pavement, and a compost site. Register in advance by using the QRTY code at https://www.ventura.org/general-services-agency/earthday/

April 22, In the Ojai Cocoon, 6:30 to 8:30 PM (show starts at 7), 11966 North Ventura Ave, Ojai, an Earth Day concert will feature Sonic Butterfly, the Pixies, and Smitty and & Julija. Sonic Butterfly bills itself as an “instrument of transformation,” an acoustic, chromatic long-string harp with strings over 60 feet long, reaching over the audience. The Ojai Pixies are a girls’ choir, singing classical, pop, and other tunes. Julija Zonic, a music educator and vocal director, will perform original music. Tickets ($25 for adults, $15 for kids) are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ojai-earth-day-concert-sonic-butterfly-the-pixies-and-smitty-julija-tickets-602670492667 .

April 22, at Big Rock Preserve, 9 AM to 1 PM, volunteers will remove flood debris and invasive weeds. Reservations are required for this important land stewardship work, but before volunteering, consider the Ventura Land Trust’s warning of hazards from exposed roots, poison oak, sun exposure, and wildlife.

April 22, at Hayden Preserve, 10 AM to 11:30 AM, 234 Canada Larga Rd, Ventura Land Trust educators will coordinate a program for young children and their parents. Participants will play games, collect bugs, work on crafts, and read books designed to educate about nature. Register at www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

April 22 and 23, 11 AM to 3 PM, at the Agricultural Museum, 926 Railroad Ave, Santa Paula — Museum of Ventura County will celebrate Earth Day with displays and presentations. On the first day, the Native Plant Society hosts a Native Plant Sale and garden tours. A game booth will teach players about pollinators and plants. The second day’s highlights include a wildflower and weed show, iNaturalist training, and tips for identifying plants. For more information, see https://venturamuseum.org/event/vc-plants-to-know-and-grow/ or call 805/525-3100.

Ventura County Public Works Agency Environmental Resource Analyst David Goldstein may be reached at (805) 658-4312 or [email protected]

Vol. 16, No. 15 – Apr 19 – May 2, 2023 – Ventura Music Scene

by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

Chick Singer Night, the world’s longest-running songfest for female artists, returns to the Sound Palace in Oxnard, on Saturday, April 22 with performances from Danielle Taylor, Annette DiNardo, Dawn Lunsford, Emily De La Cruz and Gaby Montiel who has been featured on the VenturaRockSpot this past year. Tickets are available through EventBrite. The evening promises to deliver stellar performances from these amazing ladies in part because CSN’s local chapter director is the one and only Jodi Farrell, who as a vocal coach can spot talent a mile away.

I’m happy to report Libbey Bowl’s website (LibbeyBowl.org) has been updated and it now includes new shows including Toad the Wet Sprocket on Wednesday, July 5; Chris Isaak on Sunday, August 6; 98 Degrees on Thursday, August 17; and The Monkees celebrated by Mickey Dolenz on Friday, September 15. If you’ve never been to a concert there, do yourself a favor, choose an artist and make it go right; it’s such a lovely venue in our own backyard!

One of Kelly Zirbes’ passions in life is helping our furry little friends, and specifically CARL here in town. CARL (Caine Adoption and Rescue League) advocates for animal welfare, seeking to end the needless deaths of companion animals through adoption, education and outreach programs. Kelly’s Lot featuring Rae Gordon will hold a fundraiser for CARL on Sunday, April 23 (3-6 pm) at Winchester’s Grill & Saloon on Main Street, Ventura. I hope to see you and your wallet at this one!

Tickets have gone on sale for the 6th annual Oxnard Jazz Festival over the weekend of September 9th and 10th. Saturday’s line up includes Spyro Gyra, Eric Benet, Deniece Williams and others. Sunday will be a special day for those who love Picante style music and dancing with performances from Louie Cruz Beltran, Mongrama and more. Find out more at OxnardJazzFestival.com.

Abigail Fierce will drop by Surfers Point Café for a performance on Sunday, April 23 (11 – 2 pm). Abigail who is a singer/songwriter/actress can be seen on episodes of “Love, Victor,” “This is Us,” and “American Vandal.” This indie-pop singer has a way with storytelling intermingled with great lyrics that captivates audiences wherever she plays.

Quick Notes: JD Drury announced via social media that there will be no Surf Rodeo this summer; The Guitar and Whiskey Club will open for Angel at the Ventura Theater on Wednesday, April 26; Brother Earl and the Cousins will venture out to Ojai for a date at Ojai Valley Brewing on Friday, April 28; Leashless Brewing will host the CD release party for Jacob Marquez & the Good Vibes on Saturday, April 29; and Grammy award winning composer/arranger, Bill Cunliffe plays the Beatrice Wood Center for Arts on Sunday, April 30 playing selections from the George Gershwin Songbook.

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.