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Celebrating 100 years of the League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters continues its mission of civic engagement.

by Betsy Patterson, President, League of Women Voters of Ventura County

The League of Women Voters is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having been founded after the passage of the 19th amendment to the US Constitution, granting women their right to vote. Tennessee was the last state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920 due to the tie-breaking vote of one Harry T. Burn, acting on the advice of his mother. It was officially adopted on August 26, 1920, and the work of the League of Women Voters began in educating voters about the process of voting and about the candidates and issues.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our celebration will not be all that we intended. However, we must take time to recognize the historic significance of these women who pushed for their right to vote, even during their own 1918 influenza pandemic.

We have seen many changes over the past 100 years. Few women had access to higher education; now over 50% of college graduates are women. When women married, they took their husband’s name; but they lost their right to own property, manage business, and could not have their own bank account or, later, a credit card without the signature of their husbands. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act passed in 1974.

During wartime, women ran the farms, worked in industry and continued to manage the household and raise the children. Post-World War II, many women were expected to return to their previous roles of home-maker and mother and not work outside the home. It took a 2nd wave of feminism to break down some of these social barriers.

Women entered politics. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to serve in Congress, elected in 1917 from Montana, serving only one term. Nellie Tayloe Ross was the first female governor, serving from 1925-1927 in Wyoming. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress in 1968 and served until 1983. Today women currently hold 25% of the Senate seats and 23% of the House of Representative seats. Women make up 50.9% of the US population, as of 2019.

Locally, Susan K. Lacey and Maggie Erickson Kildee were the first women elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, both in 1980. Today the Board of Supervisors and all ten city councils in Ventura County have one or more elected women serving.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan and non-profit organization with over 500,000 members and supporters today, including men since 1974. Our local League began in 1960 with 22 members under the leadership of Mrs. John (Carol) Quinn. Today we have 125 members. Our members come from a wide array of fields, including education, environmental studies, corporate and small business, law, agriculture, arts, medicine, science, and politics.

So, as we celebrate our 100 years, the League of Women Voters continues its mission of civic engagement, encouraging voters to become informed about the candidates and issues and to vote. In the coming months we will be helping the VC Elections Office (venturavote.org) to educate voters and answer questions about the upcoming November election.

Check our website: http://www.lwvventuracounty.org and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LWVVenturaCo/ ,Twitter https://twitter.com/LwvVentura and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lwvofventura/

Cheryl Heitmann to not seek re-election

“For the past 9 years it has been my honor to serve as a member of the Ventura City Council, including 2 years as Mayor. These 9 years have been filled with good times, joyful times, frustrating times and memorable times. These past few months of a forced slower pace have given me more time for reflection and soul searching and I have decided not to seek re-election. Ventura is a beautiful city with a rich history, incredible residents and strong sense of community.”

“As many of you know, I also served for 8 years as a trustee on the Ventura County Community College Board so I have had the privilege of serving in pubic office for 17 years. I have learned so much and have always tried my best to govern for the greater good. During the next few months I will continue to represent you with the same energy and commitment that has guided my public service. I sincerely appreciate all of you who have supported and counseled me during these 17 years and I know that we will continue to work together in the future. These years of public service have been some of the best years of my life. What a journey!”

Cheryl Heitmann

Etiquette on the Waves–Preserving the Vibe

Leaving plenty of room on a wave at C Street in Ventura.

by Amy Brown

Years ago in the Bay Area I remember just learning to surf, paddling back out to the lineup with an ice cream headache and what little strength I had left after yet another humiliating wipeout, when a surfer rode a wave straight towards me. I didn’t know what to do to get out of the way, so I froze. I had a vague plan that combined hoping that the oncoming surfer would steer around me, with some ambiguous idea that if I remained motionless, maybe they wouldn’t be able to see me being so stupid, like in Jurassic Park. I was wrong. It is the responsibility of the paddler to get out of the way, and in doing so, avoid going right in front of someone riding towards you—you go behind them, or speed up and get out of the way to avoid being run over.

Surfing is an incredible way to experience the ocean—gliding down the face of a wave, feeling the combined peace and power of the ocean propelling you—it’s no wonder that surfers have a reputation for being laid back. However, the fastest way to see just the opposite from the lineup is to paddle out without knowing and following surfing etiquette. This code of conduct is for everyone’s safety and enjoyment, and if you are out there without adhering to it, you are in danger of hurting someone, or at the very least drawing the ire of the entire group.

All surfers started out as beginners, so there is some tolerance for the learning curve, but it is the beginner’s responsibility to learn the basic tenets and avoid being a kook—a pejorative term for someone who is either disrespectful or seriously (and often dangerously) ignorant. So whether that’s waxing the underside of your board or having fins the wrong direction, or—infinitely worse—taking off on waves that aren’t yours, learn how to avoid this label and you’ll have a better time, and so will everyone else. Check out Kook of The Day on Instagram for some cautionary tales. Thankfully Instagram didn’t yet exist while I was trying to teach myself to surf, otherwise I could have been featured on that site with shocking regularity.

Right of way and wave priority are the touchstones of surfing etiquette rules. The surfer with the closest proximity to the wave peak has the right of way. If they pass on the wave, or miss it, the right of way goes to the next in line. And speaking of priority—don’t snake, or cut the lineup by paddling around someone waiting to position yourself in a priority position. And for the love of all things holy, don’t drop in—if someone has the right of way or is already riding a wave, do not take off in front of them. This is incredibly dangerous and incredibly rude.

Another safety mandate: don’t ditch your board. You risk cutting off a surfer riding towards you, or hitting others paddling out and causing injuries. You are responsible for having your board under your control. Now, this doesn’t mean if you catch a wave and wipeout that you have to grab your board midair—ditching refers primarily to abandoning it when paddling. So, if you see a giant wave breaking as you’re sitting on your board or paddling—resist the urge to ditch your board and dive down to escape the impact zone—grab the rails as tight as you can and roll over (turtle) or duck dive if you are using a shortboard.

Acknowledging a mistake will go a long way towards restoring the vibe after you make the wrong call, and if you’re new, that’s bound to happen. Take a lesson, there’s plenty of local pros to help you learn. And don’t forget to respect others, and respect the ocean and beach that provides all this amazing surfing—and leave it cleaner than when you arrived.

New ways to visit Channel Islands National Park

Take a virtual visit.

Channel Islands National Park has developed a new digital app to enhance the visitor experience in the park that can also be used to take a virtual visit. The new mobile app is free and available at the App Store or on Google Play.

Features in the app include exploring the islands through stories, sites, self-guided tours, and interactive maps, or finding favorite places, trails, and topics of interest. Visitors can use the app to create a collage of the images from your visit or to track a calendar of current conditions, events, or ranger programs. The app is fully accessible with audio description and alternative text for images. To learn more go to NPS Channel Islands App.

Visitors to Santa Rosa Island will discover a new coastal trail on the marine terrace that boasts stunning views of Carrington and Skunk Points, Water Canyon Beach, and the Torrey pine forest. This short route from the pier to the campground provides a welcome glimpse of the magnificent marine and terrestrial resources visitors will encounter during their stay.

Island Packers, the park’s boat transportation concessioner, has expanded options for day and overnight trips to each of the islands. Popular trips this summer include non-landing whale watch excursions in search of blue and humpback whales and multi-island same day landings at both Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island. Marine wildlife sightings this past week included 14 blue whales, several humpback whales, and thousands of common dolphins.

Kayak concessioner Santa Barbara Adventure Company is providing kayak tours out of Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. They will resume snorkel and kayak tours at Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island when the new pier construction is completed in the fall.

The National Park Service has more than 20,000 National Park Service employees who care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote

Vision 2020 has an inspiring vision for the nation’s future.

August 26, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution acknowledging women’s right to vote. Vision 2020 Ventura County invites community members to celebrate, participate and learn about the centennial at a family-friendly, non-partisan virtual event on National Women’s Equality Day, August 26 from 4pm to 6pm. The free event will include performances by the passion players, presentations, videos and the Museum of Ventura County’s virtual tour of its new curated exhibit “The 19th: Votes for Women”. For event details and to register, visit www.facebook.com/Vision2020VC

Vision 2020 Ventura County is affiliated with Vision 2020, a non-partisan National Women’s Equality Initiative headquartered at Drexel University’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership in Philadelphia. Dawn Dyer, Chair of the Vision 2020 Ventura County committee also serves as a California Delegate for Vision 2020 National.

Dyer explains why she helped organize Vision 2020 Ventura County, “I felt it was particularly important to empower young women to claim their seat at the table. By honoring the sacrifices of the suffragists, we can help shape the future for the next generations of women. I encourage all women not to take their rights for granted. Use Your Voice! Use Your Vote!”

Toast to Tenacity endeavors to engage and inform attendees of all ages about the history of women’s rights and the importance of being actively engaged in our democracy. Though the 19th Amendment did not discriminate in its language, many women of color were denied the right to vote and continued to fight until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. Register online here to attend the virtual event.

Vision 2020 has an inspiring vision for the nation’s future, based on four pillars of action: Shared Leadership among women and men; Economic Parity for women by closing the gender gap in pay and retirement income; Youth Education that inspires girls to identify as leaders; and Civic Engagement, encouraging women to run for office and to vote in record numbers.

Toast to Tenacity is made possible through the support of host sponsor California State University Channel Islands, and collaborators including the AAUW, League of Women Voters of Ventura County, Museum of Ventura County, NAWBO VC, Ventura County Professional Women’s Network, Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) as well as local educators, and individuals.

Vision 2020 Ventura County is affiliated with Vision 2020, a non-partisan National Women’s Equality Initiative headquartered at Drexel University’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership in Philadelphia — working together to achieve economic, political and social equality for all women. Vision 2020 Ventura County is operating as an independent entity under the fiscal sponsorship of the League of Women Voters of Ventura County, a 501(3)(c) organization.

Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV provides training, consulting and loans to help entrepreneurs start, grow and thrive in business. WEV serves Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV targets its services toward women, it helps men as well. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and consulting to more than 17,500 women and men throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made over $5 million in business loans, and helped more than 4,500 local businesses start or expand. WEV-supported businesses have created nearly 9,000 jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

24 new badges prepare girl scouts to be ambitious and decisive leaders

Badges are designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in new fields.

Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) have announced 24 new badges designed to help girls practice ambitious leadership in the crucial areas of automotive engineering, STEM career exploration, entrepreneurship, and civics, many of which remain male-dominated. In a year of unprecedented global change, our country’s need for strong, broad-minded, and decisive leadership has never been greater. Through new and existing programming, Girl Scouts equips the next generation of female change-makers with the breadth of knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to take charge and do good for the world, both now and in the future.

Steady leadership is essential during a crisis such as COVID-19, from fostering trust and

showing compassion, to managing challenges with agility, to evaluating outcomes of decisions. The Girl Scout program is proven to develop strong and effective leaders—among many positive outcomes, Girl Scouts are much likelier than non-Girl Scouts to take an active role in decision making (80% vs. 51%), which is a critical aspect of leadership.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that we have strong leaders who can make informed decisions that make the world a better, safer place,” said GSUSA CEO Sylvia Acevedo. “During our current health crisis, the world leaders who have been among the most decisive and effective in addressing the pandemic have been women. With these new badge experiences in STEM, entrepreneurship, and the critically important subject of civics, Girl Scouts is continuing to build the transformational female leaders of today and the future and showing girls the power they have to truly change the world.”

Girl Scouts has made free self-guided activities from select new and existing programming

available digitally to the public through Girl Scouts at Home™, keeping families engaged and connected to their communities. Girls can further engage with the badges and topics through online videos, activities, or special live virtual events. Members can access a suite of Girl

Scouts’ programming digitally through the Volunteer Toolkit, including troop meeting plans and other resources to help girls earn badges and awards. Girls currently waiting to be placed in a troop can join a Virtual Friendship Troop, where they will make new friends and participate in Girl Scout activities from the comfort of their home. Find a variety of additional activities hosted by Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast, including at-home programs and live virtual events, by visiting our At-Home Programs page.

In addition, beginning this summer, all councils will also have the opportunity to host their own Girl Scout Cyber Challenge sponsored by Raytheon Technologies, enabling middle and high school girls to learn crucial cybersecurity skills as they compete in challenges such as running traceroutes and identifying phishing schemes. The Cyber Challenge prepares girls to pursue careers in computer science and cybersecurity.

To join or volunteer, visit www.girlscouts.org/join.

Vol. 13, No. 23 – Aug 12 – Aug 25, 2020 – Social Justice Column

by M. Scott

23andMe Paper on Transatlantic Slave Trade Published

Published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, a paper by 23andMe researchers leveraged genetic data from close to 50,000 people to detail one of the most comprehensive investigations of the transatlantic slave trade ever done.

The study confirms genetic links between regions in the Americas with areas along the Atlantic coast of Africa that align with routes of known slave voyages documented in shipping records.

The researchers were able to date the arrival of specific African populations to different parts of the Americas and the representation of specific African communities in those regions of America.

“Last year marked 400 years since the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in what was to become the United States of America,” said lead author Steven Micheletti, Ph.D., and a 23andMe population geneticist.

“It’s important that we understand the rich history and contributions of African people and their descendants, to the culture and history not only of the United States but also to all the Americas. In looking at the genetic landscape that resulted from this forced migration, one gets a deep and profound sense of the continuous hardships people of African descent have endured.”

https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/transatlantic-slave-trade-paper/

Virginia Mayor Urged to Resign

A Virginia mayor has been urged to resign after he allegedly wrote that “Joe Biden has just announced Aunt Jemima as his VP pick,” on his Facebook page. Barry Presgraves, the mayor of Luray, Virginia. The post came as presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden, is reportedly finalizing his choice for his running mate, with several black women identified as contenders. In the post, Presgraves said “I posted a picture on 8-1-20, I am sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings lesson learned. It was not my intent to hurt anyone. I took it to be humorous. Sorry!”

Black Cartoonist Loses Syndication

Bianca Xunise, the second Black woman in comics history to be nationally syndicated and the first Black woman in the collective used her July 28 contribution to broach the biggest issues of the day. She depicted two women at the grocery store: one is Black, wearing a mask and a shirt that says, “I can’t breathe,” while the one standing beside her is white with blue eyes and without a mask. She says to the Black woman, “If you can’t breathe, then take that silly mask off!”

Some newspaper readers who saw artist Bianca Xunise’s comic commenting on both the Black Lives Matter movement and the coronavirus pandemic found it so offensive that they complained. As a result, some of the more than 120 publications around the U.S. that carry Six Chix, the strip that Xunise co-authors, decided to drop it altogether.

“…Ok now to explain this comic because everyone has been getting it wrong. It’s easy to assume that the white woman talking to me is a racist, that may or may not be true but that is not the point. The point is how white people see issues that affect black peoples as trivial.”

Xunise said she doesn’t regret her art. “I am not apologizing for this comic and this censorship,” she told NBC. “I am being silenced over white feelings from a gag comic. This is a complete step back in the wrong direction.”

Cori Bush Is Set to Be the First Black Lives Matter Leader in Congress

Bush shocked the country with an upset primary election win, unseating Rep. William Lacy Clay, the Democrat who has represented Missouri’s 1st Congressional District since 2001.

Bush won her race for an overwhelmingly Democratic St. Louis-area seat and is all but assured of victory in the general election. Bush’s ascent comes as the country, in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, undergoes a long-overdue reckoning on policing and racial justice. The work of Ferguson movement veterans such as Bush laid the foundation of the broader racial justice movement.

Missouri state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge (D), a young Ferguson activist who became one of the first protesters to carve a path from activism to government service, said Bush’s experience on the front lines will help the Black Lives Matter movement gain a voice in federal politics. He was there last month when Bush jumped into nurse mode to aid demonstrators after police used tear gas and batons on a protest group in Florissant, and he remembers being pepper-sprayed with Bush during a 2017 protest in downtown St. Louis.

Voices in History

(Pull out quote: “Here, before God, in the presence of these witnesses, from this time, I consecrate my life to the destruction of slavery!”

John Brown was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement in the pre-Civil War United States. Unlike many anti-slavery activists, he was not a pacifist and believed in aggressive action against slaveholders and any government officials who enabled them. Brown became involved in the abolitionist movement following the brutal murder of Presbyterian minister and anti-slavery activist Elijah P. Lovejoy in 1837. He

By early 1859, Brown was leading raids to free slaves in areas where forced labor was still in practice, primarily in the present-day Midwest. At this time, he also met Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, activists and abolitionists both, and they became important people in Brown’s life, reinforcing much of his ideology.

John Brown’s Raid: The operation began on October 16, 1859, with the planned capture of Colonel Lewis Washington, a descendent of George Washington, at the former’s estate. The Washington family continued to own slaves. A group of men, led by Owen Brown, was able to kidnap Washington, while the rest of the men, with John Brown at the lead, began a raid on Harpers Ferry to seize both weapons and pro-slavery leaders in the town. Key to the raid’s success was accomplishing the objective — namely the seizure of the armory — before officials in Washington, D.C., could be informed and send in reinforcements.

Brown’s men were able to capture several local slave owners but, by the end of the day on the 16, local townspeople began to fight back. Early the next morning, they raised a local militia, which captured a bridge crossing the Potomac River, effectively cutting off an important escape route for Brown and his compatriots.

Although Brown and his men were able to take the Harpers Ferry armory during the morning of the 17, the local militia soon had the facility surrounded, and the two sides traded gunfire.

On October 17, 1859, President James Buchanan ordered a company of Marines under the command of Brevet Colonel (and future Confederate General) Robert E. Lee to march into Harpers Ferry.

The next morning, Lee attempted to get Brown to surrender, but the latter refused. Ordering the Marines under his command to attack, the military men stormed John Brown’s Fort, taking all of the abolitionist fighters and their captives alive.

Before his execution, he handed his guard a slip of paper that read, “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood.” It was a prophetic statement. Although the raid failed, it inflamed sectional tensions and raised the stakes for the 1860 presidential election. Brown’s raid helped make any further accommodation between North and South nearly impossible and thus became an important impetus of the Civil War.

Vol. 13, No. 23 – Aug 12 – Aug 25, 2020 – Ventura Music Scene

Concerts in Your Car

Just so you know, the Concerts in Your Car season won’t last forever, probably as long as the good weather lasts, oh, and the pandemic. But I am happy to hear they’ll also offer shows in Arizona without packing up and leaving Ventura. By the way, did I call it or what in my last column? Yes, they did add a couple more dates with Grammy winning alt rock band, Switchfoot, on Saturday, August 15 and certified double-platinum country music singer/songwriter, Tracy Lawrence, on Friday, August 21, as well as a comedy show, two performances on Friday, August 28, featuring none other than David Spade & Rob Schneider.

I did notice the Rubicon’s Jimmy Messina & Friends was no longer posted on the website so I asked my sources and then confirmed with Karl Hunter, sax player for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy that they would be replacing those dates, and it’s true! So, you can catch Ventura’s own Big Bad Voodoo Daddy August 17, 18 and 19 from the safety of your own car.

Looking ahead to next month, the Ventura Music Festival will host a show with the Grammy and Emmy winning Gordon Goodwin’s Little Phat Band on Thursday, September 24. You can expect a high energy program from swing to funk to Latin to pop with Vangie Gunn on vocals.

For the FAQ and ticket information as well as other dates for movies and such, go to the official website ConcertsinYourCar.com.

Q&A with Crooked Eye Tommy’s Tommy Marsh

Crooked Eye Tommy will have their official CD release party down at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center where they are holding their own version of a drive-in style concert. The party is scheduled for Friday, August 21, with Joey Delgado from the Delgado Brothers, Guy Martin, Jon English and Jim Gustin & Truth Jones. According to the online evite, each car will have two parking spaces, one for your car and the other to set up camp in, and unlike the Ventura drive-in style concerts, food and beverages will be available along with restrooms. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

I can’t say enough about this CD; the sophomore release from Crooked Eye Tommy really captures the band’s talent both as musicians and as singer/songwriters. Tommy has a winner on his hands.

Pam: What’s behind the title of Hot Coffee and Pain?

Tommy Marsh: The title came about one morning when I woke up with bad back pain. I had been working in the yard the day before and apparently overdid it. I sat down with my morning coffee and under my breath mumbled “Hot coffee and pain.” The words sort of rang in my head and a song started.

Why did your sophomore release take longer than Butterflies and Snakes?

Tommy: We started it in late 2017 and recorded some of the base tracks (I think you were there for some of it). Anyway, as things happen when recording at a bad-ass studio and, to be frank, I ran out of money. Over the next couple years many things happened. The Thomas fire, the mudslide, etc, etc, etc. They were very emotional times. It seemed like waiting was the right thing to do. We again worked on it last year and finally we got it done early this year. Life happens!

Tell me about the musicians on this one.

Tommy: I produced this one with Tammy (life partner) and the help of Charlie McClure an old friend and drummer on Hot Coffee and Pain.
Paddy Marsh on Guitars & Vocals
Craig Williams on Sax
Samuel Correa on Bass
And me of course (Guitar & Vocals).

Teresa James is a guest on the song “Baby Where you Been,” a duet I wrote. She sings and plays amazing piano on that track.

Jimmy Calire is also on this album playing saxophone and organ.

Who gets writing credits?

Tommy: Paddy and I both wrote 3 songs each for this album and we chose 3 covers for the album.

Do you have a favorite song on Hot Coffee and Pain?

Tommy: My favorite song on the album is an old song, and it’s not one that I wrote, it’s Paddy’s song, “The Time it Takes to Live.” It has significant meaning to me because some of it was directed at me at a time when I was deep in the throes of addiction. This fact did not come to my attention until years later after I was free of the drugs and it is a strong reminder of those times.

Though they were bad times for me the redemption story of “Time it Takes” is a very real and personal reminder that I defeated that enemy and prevailed.

Time waits for no man
Wheel turns in the sky
Let us live while we can
Gotta take the time
The time it takes to live

I know you have a CD release party here locally “drive-in-theater” style at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, but what else are you doing to get the word out during this unexpected pandemic?

Tommy: We were signed to Blue Heart Records from Pennsylvania earlier this year which has been amazing. They have been very helpful in getting the word out. Sallie Bengton is an absolutely, unbelievable life force. So grateful for this partnership.

We have also contracted the Blind Racoon Agency in Memphis as our PR firm for this release. They work with lots of amazing artists. Betsie Brown is truly an industry leader and we are honored that she has chosen to work with us this cycle.

Much like everyone else we are in the wait-and-see mode as far as what we will be able to do as far as live performances goes but I think it is too early to tell how the California music scene will fare post COVID.

You’re getting airplay/spins?

Tommy: The afore mentioned Blind Raccoon agency has done a fantastic job getting the recording out to radio outlets who have been kind enough to play it. The Roots Music is the world’s largest independent radio airplay charting organization; they receive airplay charts from thousands of terrestrial & internet radio stations. They have a wide range of airplay charts from rock to blues, country to bluegrass, and as of this morning Hot Coffee & Pain is #9 on the Blues Chart. We post airplay on our Facebook page for those interested. The record has been played on every continent on earth already and it hasn’t even been released to the public yet! We are pretty stoked to say the least.

Hot Coffee and Pain is your best work hands down. How are the critics responding?

Tommy: Well so far, we have had some very positive reviews from a few blues music magazines and websites. Lots of very kind words; we are so grateful for each of them.

My thanks to Tommy for taking the time to answer these questions. You can find out more about the band at www.CrookedEyeTommy.com and via all the social media outlets.

The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour

I’m always looking for more music to share, new or old, and if you have something you’d like to have played on FM radio (and worldwide as we’re on the internet), just drop me at line at [email protected]. I like to thank Kelly Zirbes, Jay Allred and Chris Rowlands for always keeping me in mind and sending me their singles as they knock ‘em out; Kelly sent me Kelly’s Lot’s latest single, “Butterfly,” Allred sent “Nika” from Last Rock Empire and Rowland a homage for all the waitresses and bartenders around the world called “Barmaid” from Professional Americans. You can hear all these tunes and more on The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour which airs at 104.1 FM in Ventura. Each show runs for two weeks debuting on a Tuesday at 5 pm, with rebroadcasts on Friday at 5 and Sundays at noon.

A Little This and That

The Ventura Music Festival continues to share a video weekly highlighting artist in a series they call VMF’s Music Connects digital festival. They are accepting submissions and all genres are accepted from classical, to pop to roots, to jazz and everything in between. The most recent video featured an amazing cover from Django Allstars and their brand of swing jazz. All previous videos are available for viewing as well and all absolutely free at www.VenturaMusicFestival.org.

I’m not embarrassed to admit it at all, because I’m still a little giddy that Bernie Dresel took the time to post a Happy Birthday wish on my Facebook page last month. We had a quick back and forth about his gigs here in Ventura; I told him I was hoping he’d make it back when the Grape opens their jazz club. Bernie is most notable for performing and recording with the Brian Setzer Orchestra and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band (yes, the band playing Concerts in Your Car on September 24).

And finally, for the powers that be, music lovers here in town are looking forward to getting out and seeing our local artists play once again, albeit in a safe environment and hopefully while the weather is still great. Let’s get real, if an artist, duo or small ensemble while playing outdoors, with social distancing in place and where everyone who is not eating, drinking or singing on stage is wearing a mask, places everyone at no greater risk than if they weren’t playing at all. Music is healing; music can bring us up when we’ve all been down and stressed. And please don’t ever forget that a vibrant music scene is one of the defining aspects of this town and surrounding areas. We’re nowhere near vibrant, our music scene is hanging on by a thread.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows (online or live) 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.

Vol. 13, No. 23 – Aug 12 – Aug 25, 2020 – Music Calendar

For more up-to-the-date listings go to VenturaRocks.com
All Venues Ventura, unless otherwise noted.

The Canyon at Oxnard PACC
Oxnard Performing Arts Center
Parking Lot
Drive in style concerts
Sundays: Reggae Knights (5 pm)
Sat 8/15: Lose Your Illusion
Fri 8/21: Crooked Eye Tommy CD release party
Sat 8/22: Selena tribute band
Fri 8/28: Little Willie G
Sat 8/29: Queen Nation

Concerts in Your Car
Ventura County Fairgrounds
10 W. Harbor Blvd.
Thurs 8/13: Adelaide
Sat 8/15: Switchfoot
Fri 8/21: Tracy Lawrence
Sat 8/29: Fitz and the Tantrums
RUBICON Stage Productions
8/17 – 8/19: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
9/7 – 9/9: Music of the Knights