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Museum relaunches its 100% tax deductible membership program

The Museum of Ventura County (MVC) is thrilled to announce the relaunch of its Membership Program. MVC’s updated Membership Program features accessible payment options, two new membership levels, and an expanded selection of member events and benefits. As admission fees are reinstated at MVC’s Downtown Ventura campus in 2024, the relaunched Membership Program affords visitors a completely tax-deductible alternative and maintains the Museum’s dedication to accessibility.

The first significant update to MVC’s Membership Program is the introduction of a monthly payment option for most levels, starting at just $6.25 per month. All membership dues—regardless of payment schedule or amount— are 100% tax deductible, amplifying the impact of members’ generosity while saving money on their year-end taxes. Expanding on its current membership tiers, the Museum of Ventura County is introducing two additional levels:

Neighbor ($25 annually): Geared towards families, this membership level grants a year of free admission for two adults and unlimited children at all three MVC campuses and spacious gardens. Building on the Museum’s mission of inclusivity, this membership level ensures that returning visitors can enjoy MVC at the lowest price possible.

Lifetime Member ($10,000, or $833.33 per month for a year): For those seeking an enduring connection to MVC, this level offers a lifetime of all member benefits. Lifetime Members also receive a commemorative tile in the MVC plaza, annual recognition in the Year-In-Reviews, and the opportunity to shape the future of the Institution with their impactful giving.

New Member Newsletter: Members (Student/Senior level and up) now have access to exclusive content in this members-only newsletter. This is a conduit to members’ benefits, including invitations to member events, advanced notice of upcoming programs, accessing member merchandise, and more.

Annual Member Events: Recipients of MVC’s member newsletter will be invited to special events including the Museum’s Annual Holiday Reception, which offers a boutique shopping and networking experience with champagne and holiday music, and a spring emerging artists fête on May 18, 2024, showcasing upand-coming artists and celebrating the new Bonita McFarland Scholarship award winners.

Exclusive Member Merchandise: MVC members will have access to unique Museum merchandise available only to them. These items range from exclusive 1/1 art prints by emerging local artists to limited edition holiday ornaments and more.

Free Admission to 1,300+ Museums: At the Adventurer level (previously Associate) and above, MVC members are granted free admission to over 1,300 participating NARM museums—beginning at a price of just $12.50 a month. The North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association is an extensive network of cultural institutions across the continent, of which MVC is a part.

The Museum of Ventura County is a member-supported institution, and community is the driving force that pushes us all to explore, share, and flourish. Whether members are an Adventurer, Trailblazer, Trendsetter, or Champion, their membership fuels MVC’s educational initiatives, outreach efforts, dynamic art and history exhibitions, and the preservation of our County’s rich culture. Beyond the wealth of exclusive benefits, MVC members are empowered to influence the future of Ventura County—one compelling story at a time.

For more information and to become a member, please visit https://venturamuseum.org/membership/

the main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, (805-653-0323). The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, (805-525-3100). Both museums are open Thursdays through Sundays, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – venturamuseum.org.

Vol. 17, No. 07 – Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine

Usher the New Year with Laughs

In what has become a New Year’s Eve tradition, the Ventura Improv Company will be presenting a fun-filled, audience participation evening at the Rubicon Theatre. Designed to be family friendly, the event will begin with doors opening at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. performance, and end by 10:30 so families can get home and put the kids to bed, or festivities can continue at your leisure. Ringing in the new year will occur at 9 p.m., (midnight, EST). Imagine – you can toast the New Year twice!

This year’s extravaganza is dedicated to long-time improvisor and well-known actor/musician Gary Best, who passed away earlier this year. Best was a staple player and instructor at the Improv for many years. He was a songwriter and guitarist, often seen in Ventura area venues.
The Ventura Improv Company has been making people laugh and enhancing the talents of local performers since 1989. Under the guiding hands of Tom Mueller, Best and others, the company has gained recognition for ongoing excellence not only in Ventura, but on a widespread basis. These days, the award-winning company performs at NAMBA theater space, the second Friday of each month.

The evening will feature short scenes, theater games and music and an evening of spontaneous hilarity. If you have not experienced these improvised evenings yet, this New Year’s will be an enjoyable time to start.

The company also provides opportunities for learning through classes and introductions to expanding your mind and talents through improvisation techniques. These skills are useful not only on the stage, but in day-to-day situations. Quick thinking and engaging improvisation are true art forms. This company of players make it look so easy. You will be amazed at the performers’ abilities to make up scenes, sometimes even operas, on the fly. Even the musicians are improvising.

Hurry though – tickets are going fast – contact the Rubicon for availability. (805) 667-2900, www.rubicontheater.org.

May your new year be filled with love, laughter and theater.

Vol. 17, No. 07 – Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024 – Movie Review

Streaming Spotlight by Cindy Summers
Barbie – Max and Amazon Theater
4 out of 4 palm trees

All the Barbies and Kens lived together in Barbieland where everyday was perfect and every version of Barbie ever created lived, though the story centers around the first one in created 1959, known as “Stereotypical Barbie” (Margo Robbie). Other Barbies included were Lawyer Barbie, Dr. Barbie, Physicist Barbie, President Barbie and more representing all the Barbies throughout the years and the occupations and ethnicities of women around the world. The Kens also came in many variations, but Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) was the one vying for Barbie’s love and attention.

While enjoying a dance party with all the other Barbies and Kens, Barbie asked the crowd saying outloud “Do you ever think about dying?’, a thought completely foreign to everyone living in Barbieland as everyday was perfect. They all froze in confusion so she blew it off with saying she was just dying to dance, but the next morning work up to a not perfect world where her shower was cold, her feet were flat and instead of floating off her roof to her car she fell to the ground.

The outcast discontiued dolls lived in Weird Barbie’s (Kate McKinnon) house including: Earing Magic Ken with bleach blond hair, a see-through purple mesh top, a lavender pleather vest, an unusual necklace, and a single earring; Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken dressed in a lime green damask blazer and crisp white pants, and he came with a dog named Sugar; Growing Up Kipper whose breasts enlarged when you rotated her arm and Video Girl Barbie that featured a tiny front camera capable of recording up to 30 minutes of video and a small video screen on her back.

Whenever any Barbie malfuntioned, she would have to go visit Weird Barbie, who was known to previously had been the most beautiful Barbie of all but someone played with her too hard in the real world cutting and burning her hair, coloring her face and dress and in Barbieland continued to fall into disrepair while helping other Barbie’s after malfunctioning. Weird Barbie explained that Barbie would have to go to the real world to find the human that was causing the disruption in Barbieland, otherwise Barbieland would continue to breakdown into nothingness.

Barbie set off for the real world in her little pink corvette, only to discover Ken had stow away in the back wanting to help Barbie on her mission to save Barbieland. The real world was very confusing for them, and Barbie and Ken were arrested several times for random things. Eventually, Barbie was able to find what was creating the problem which was a woman named Gloria (America Ferrerra) who was worked at Matel that was feeling depressed and was using her daughter Sasha’s (Arianna Greenblatt) Barbie to shift her sad feelings away from the real world.

In Barbieland Ken was merely an accessory, but learned about patriarchy in the real world and decided to bring the concept back to Barbieland, getting back before Barbie and changing it to Kendom covering everything with leather, books, pictures of horses and convincing all the other Ken’s to join him on his patriarchal quest to change Barbieland into a man’s world. Now it would be up to Barbie and her new friends Gloria and Sasha from the real world to save Barbieland.

Margo Robbie bought the rights to make a Barbie movie and had Gretta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach write the movie. Gretta wrote the part of Ken for Ryan Gosling and directed the film as well. “Barbie” earned more than $1.38 billion worldwide to become the highest grossing film in Warner Bros. 100-year history; the highest grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office; and is the largest worldwide film release of 2023.

Runtime: 1h 54m

Vol. 17, No. 07 – Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024 – Mailbox

Dear Sheldon,

I’m sorry that in your ‘As I See It’ column you made light of the fact that schools received a donation of washers-dryers. Some kids come to school wearing the same clothes over and over again, and are either teased mercilessly or shunned.  As a former teacher, I can’t tell you how many times I would’ve appreciated having a place for kids to do their wash at school. We did have a clothes closet for kids who needed articles of clothing, and they could have slipped into those while completing their task.

The rest of your ‘As I See It’ column was pretty spot on!

Carol Spector

Sheldon,

I’m not sure if you were trying to be funny regarding your remarks about washer/dryers at school and a student receiving an A for clean clothes.  If you were, you weren’t. If you are unaware that there are some students who do not have access to a washer/dryer in their home or tent or car then shame on you.  The schools I worked at (one of them considered a wealthy school) had washers and dryers in the locker rooms that were used for equipment but we had staff members who were very aware of students who did not have access to such luxuries and allowed them access to them.  It was a simple gesture that completely changed a students outlook on school and society.

Ruth Burkhart

Dear Carol and Ruth: Thank you very much for clarifying this for me and our readers. I had no idea this was a serious problem. I do apologize for my ignorance. I know Whirlpool (and maybe others) are installing these in our schools for free.

Sheldon

Vol. 17, No. 07 – Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024 – Ventura Music Scene

by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

Well, we’re at the close of another year and looking forward to the new one. I’m typically not one for looking back, but rather one who anticipates all the good things to come. That being said, now is as good of time as any to reminisce, just a bit. It’s been almost fifteen years since I decided to get involved with Ventura’s music scene hoping to inspire people to get out and enjoy live music while supporting our local venues and artists by launching VenturaRocks.com. It was ten years ago that Sheldon Brown, publisher of the Ventura Breeze, invited me to write this music scene column. Since I got involved keeping my finger on the pulse of our music community, the most important thing I’ve learned is that the music scene is a living entity. You have to nurture it. The venues (God love them) need to promote, the artists need to captivate and entertain, and just as importantly, us music loving fans need to support by not only showing up, but show up with our wallets opened. Several venues provide no cover charge, so they especially need your patronage; buy a beverage, order up some food, tell others about the great time you had, and please don’t forget about the artists, especially our beloved singer/songwriters; buy their swag, order their music, leave a tip. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it takes three elements to make a music scene, the venues, the artists, and us music fans, together, we make Ventura Rock!

Now on to bringing in the New Year. Most venues will have a special celebration on Sunday, December 31, but not all at midnight. Some pub/wine houses are celebrating the “UK” New Year at 4 pm, others at 9 pm aligning with the New York dropping of the ball in Time Square, but most will ring in 2024 at midnight our time with entertainment and party favors. My column (as well as VenturaRocks.com) only lists live music, so if you don’t see a venue here (Bombay’s, the Six and others), it doesn’t mean they’ll be closed, they’ll most likely rock in the year with a DJ. No matter your preference, I recommend you take a look and see what’s available, call the venue to secure reservations and find out if they’ll have a cover charge so you’ll be prepared. And speaking of being prepared, if you’re planning to tie one on, I highly recommend you either have a designated driver, the phone number of a taxi service or have a rideshare app on your phone (Uber, Lyft).

Quick Notes: Copa Cubana has permanently closed their doors their final show was December 19; Nick Waterhouse plays the Deer Lodge on Thursday, December 28; Rincon Brewery continues with live music on Friday, December 29, with Milo Sledge Trio; and Namba hosts All Ears described as a musical alchemy on Saturday, January 6.

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.

Applications now open for 2024 Bank of America Student Leader Program

Last year’s student leaders.

Community-minded high school juniors and seniors looking for summer internships are encouraged now to prepare and submit their applications for the 2024 Student Leaders program offered by Bank of America. The deadline to apply for this prestigious community-oriented leadership program is Jan. 17, 2024.

The program provides work experience and training through an 8-week paid internship with local nonprofits. Last year’s students worked with the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast.

The program also includes an all-expense-paid Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. from July 22-27, 2024. Every year, about 300 community-minded students are selected for the Student Leader Program.

Since 2004, Student Leaders® has been part of our ongoing commitment to youth employment and economic mobility. We’re helping prepare a diverse pipeline of community-minded young students to be successful in the workforce through leadership training and work experience.

By driving responsible growth, we deliver for clients and address pressing societal issues, including advancing employment opportunities for youth and young adults. Through our Student Leaders® program, we annually connect more than 300 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from over 100 communities to employment, skills development and service.

The students hail from many diverse backgrounds, but are united by their drive and commitment. Through paid internships with local nonprofits and participation in a national leadership summit, they gain practical work and life experience.

Students in good standing at their school and interested in the program can apply at: https://about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/student-leaders.

Fundraising efforts underway to ensure a festive holiday meal for VUSD students in need

Ventura Cheers for Children, a venerable non-profit organization is dedicated to assisting Ventura Unified families facing adversity is in the final stretch of its annual holiday meal campaign, a tradition spanning over 70 years. This heartwarming initiative not only brightens the festive season for those in need but also provides ongoing support to families grappling with challenges throughout the year, offering assistance with medical bills, supplemental food, and more.

With an ambitious goal of $25,000 for this year’s fundraiser the community has already rallied, contributing a remarkable $14,000. Dr. Antonio Castro, a dedicated Board Member of Ventura Cheers for Children, expressed gratitude stating, “Our families deeply appreciate this assistance during the holidays. It exemplifies the caring, supportive, and nurturing spirit of our Ventura Unified community. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone contributing to this crucial cause this year.”

The Ventura Cheers for Children initiative began in 1952 when compassionate educators identified a student and family in need of a holiday meal. Over the decades the campaign has evolved, but its core mission remains unchanged: ensuring that all students experience the warmth of a holiday meal. The generosity of donors has enabled Ventura Cheers for Children to expand its support, reaching beyond the holiday season to aid VUSD families in crisis throughout the year.

If you wish to contribute, electronic donations can be made through Venmo @VenturaCheersForChildren (The last 4 digits of the phone number for confirmation is “6371”). Checks are also accepted and should be made out to Ventura Cheers for Children and mailed directly to VUSD c/o Ventura Cheers for Children. A thank you note including our tax ID # will be promptly sent to all contributors.

For inquiries about this year’s Ventura Cheers for Children campaign, please contact Rose Ramirez at 641-5000 x 1009 or Amy Dahm at x 1014, or e-mail [email protected]

Vol. 17, No. 07 – Dec 27, 2023 – Jan 9, 2024 – Community Events

Events by Ana Baker

The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Men of all descriptions are welcome to stop to sample our shenanigans. Lyle Hotzler at 805-341-9820

Wanna Play Bridge? Join us for ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12:30 p.m. All levels of play, and we
will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one. Lessons are available. Contact: Richard 805-850-8011, Rose 805-659-9223, or
[email protected]. All Welcome.

The Ventura County Philatelic Society’s meetings are held every first and third Monday of the month at the Church of the Foothills, Ventura. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. More information can be found on the website https://venturacountyphilatelicsoc.org.

Monthly Beach Cleanup First Saturday of every month! Meet your neighbors and help keep our beach looking fresh. Hosted by Pierpont Beach Community Council in partnership with Surfrider. Meet up at the end of Seward near the beach. (1140 S Seward St) 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. Arrive any time during the timeframe. Fun for the whole family! Supplies provided BYO water.

Paws for Reading brings together young readers and affectionate canine listeners to help boost the confidence of beginning readers. Hill Road Library, Wednesdays, 3:30 – 5 p.m.,
E.P. Foster Library, Thursdays, 4 – 5:30 p.m. Join PAWS dogs for one-on-one reading sessions. Arrive at the library early to choose a book and get in line to read to a special pooch. Children of all ages are welcome!

January 3: Wednesday, the first BCNN Beach Cities Newcomers and Neighbors meeting in 2024 is at the PCYC Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club. 2600 Harbor Blvd Oxnard 93035.  The first meeting of the year is when all the leaders of the various groups will be speaking and giving insight into the activities being offered.  The board of directors will be introduced.  It will be an exciting meeting, the first of the new year. Beach Cities Newcomers and Neighbors, BCNN is a group for women from Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme.  It has dozens of small group offshoots, including sports activities, bridge, book groups, and movie groups. (www.bcnnwomensgroup.org)

January 3: Free genealogy workshop. Help is offered with family history and genealogy questions. Wednesday, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at the Community Room, Camarillo Public Library, 4101 Las Posas Road. Suitable for all levels, including beginners. Get help or offer help to others. No registration is needed. Free and open to the public. General questions and topics for discussion are always welcome. For more information about the society:
https://www.venturacogensoc.org VCGS is an all-volunteer, public benefit non-profit corporation [501(c)(3)]. Donations are greatly appreciated.

January 4: Sespe Fly Fishers of Ventura will conduct our monthly “First Saturday” introductory Fly Rod Casting and Intro to Fly Fishing clinic. There is no charge, and all are welcome. Whether you are an experienced fly fisher or a complete novice, we want to help you improve your casting and learn to enjoy this great sport. If you don’t yet have a fly rod, don’t worry, just come and use one of ours. Please join us at Chumash Park, Petit, and Waco, 9- 11 a.m., off Telephone Rd. For everyone’s safety, we ask all attending to please comply with any current recommendations by the Ventura County Health Department.
For more information, Casting Program Coordinator Thomas Hall at [email protected] (805) 377-5249www.sespeflyfishers.org

January 7: Open house tours of the 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will take place on Sunday from 1 – 4 p.m., including a special visit by “Mrs. Dudley”. Admission is free. The museum is at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood Streets (197 N. Ashwood) in Ventura. For information, please call (805)642-3345 or visit the website at dudleyhouse.org.

January 9: Ventura Audubon Society’s January Program “California Condors in the Los Padres National Forest: A Brief History and Current Trends”: Tuesday 7 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion and streaming via Zoom: Learn about how the Los Padres National Forest has played an outsized role in the natural history and ongoing recovery of the famous California condor. This presentation will cover some of the region’s fascinating and lesser-known history of condors. Bryant Baker is the Director of Conservation and Research at Los Padres Forest Watch; he also provides educational information about native plants and ecosystems of California on Instagram as @bryant.the.shrublander. This is a presentation you’ll not want to miss! For more information, visit www.venturaaudubon.org/speakers.

Next Ventura Police Community Academy open for applications

The academy can accommodate 30 participants.

The Ventura Police Department is now accepting applications for the annual Community Academy open to Ventura residents and business owners. The academy can accommodate 30 participants, and the application deadline is Sunday, December 31, 2023.

The Community Academy is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community partnerships and increase transparency. This free program will take participants on a patrol ride-along, provide interactive training, showcase hands-on activities that provide an inside look at local policing, and much more. Each night features a new topic with different speakers, demonstrations, and discussions.

“My time spent in the VPD Community Academy classes was informative, educational, and highly enjoyable,” said Charles Clark, a 32-year Ventura resident and 2023 Community Academy graduate. “During my ride along, I saw many examples of quality officer training and community policing in action. Completing this program was a rewarding and eye-opening experience that every resident should consider. We truly have the best of the best at VPD, and I was able to see that first hand.”

The Community Academy is set to begin on March 6, 2024, and will be held on 10 consecutive Wednesday nights from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., with a final class and graduation on May 8, 2024. Eight classes will be held at the Ventura Police Department, with the sessions on March 27 and April 10, hosted at the Ventura County Criminal Justice Training Center and the Ventura County Jail.

To be eligible for the Ventura Police Community Academy, applicants must:

Be a minimum of 18 years old
Live or own a business in the City of Ventura
Pass a criminal background check with no misdemeanor convictions in the past two years and no felony convictions
Participate in an in-person interview process
Commit to attending all sessions

Interviews are expected to occur in late January and those accepted will be notified in February.

To learn more or apply for the 2024 Ventura Police Community Academy, visit
CityofVentura.ca.gov/CommunityAcademy.

Big boats, little boats, fat boats, skinny boats, row boats, sail boats, pleasure boats and fishing boats

Ventura has become a hub for squid fishing.

by Patricia Schallert

There are boats, and then there are the fishing boats in the Ventura Harbor that can’t be missed when strolling along the promenade in the Harbor Village. Ventura as a coastal town has a bustling squid industry that has long been a cornerstone of the Ventura economic and cultural community.

With its prime location along the central coast of California, Ventura has become a hub for squid fishing. The harbor continues to be the premier landing port for the California squid market.

An interesting fact is that there are a total of 64 Squid Seiner Permits issued for all of California. Ventura Harbor Marina can accommodate 54 Squid Seiner Vessels at any given time. (“Seiner fishing is a method of fishing that uses a surrounding net, that hangs vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down with weights and top edge buoyed by floats.”) It has also been called “dragnet fishing”.

In 2022, the squid catch in Ventura was roughly 36,164,420 pounds or 19582.21 short tons. “680 tons of squid were brought into the Ventura Harbor during the last three weeks.” Captain Vic from Pillar Bay stated.

There is no other single marina on the west coast south of Alaska that can accommodate as many seiners fishing boats at one time as Ventura Harbor. It is currently a permanent home to 44 squid seiners with a total of 103 wet slips and 88 dry storage spaces.

Fishermen are attracted to the Ventura coast from as far away as Alaska and Nova Scotia in pursuit of the squid delicacy. These fishermen are equipped with specialized boats and fishing gear as they venture into the water searching for the elusive squid. (Scientific name: cephalopod).

Using powerful lights to attract squid to the surface, the fisherman carefully lower their nets and with precise movements, they haul in their catch, being careful not to damage the delicate squid.

Their expertise in handling these creatures ensures that the squid are brought aboard unharmed and of the highest quality. Once the squid are safely on board, the boats return to the harbor, where the hustle of the squid industry comes to life.

The industry has become a way of life, woven into the fabric of Ventura’s identity with residents, restauranteurs, and our many visitors.

In California, the Fish and Game Commission works with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to actively manage the fishing guidelines and to ensure there is not overfishing or environmental impacts to the ocean.

There are seasonal catch limits, and programs that are designed to evaluate the impact of the fishing on ocean resources. Time and season closure, including weekend closure provides period of uninterrupted spawning, along with limitations on using lights to attract squid around several of the Channel Islands to protect nesting seabirds.

In 2022, commercial landings of market squid totaled 147 million pounds and were valued at $88 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries.

2022 36,164,420 lbs. 18,082 tons 28% of CA total catch

CA catch roughly spread across: Northern CA/Monterey, Ventura, Port Hueneme, San Pedro.

Packaging plants located in Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Wilmington, near the Long Beach harbor play a crucial role in the squid industry. These plants ensure that the squid is processed and packaged efficiently for distribution to consumers worldwide. Cleaned squid is sorted based on weight and size before being cooked or frozen, depending on market demands. Quick freezing techniques are used to maintain freshness during transportation.

These packing plants also contribute significantly towards sustainability efforts by minimizing waste through responsible disposal practices.

After being packaged, squid products have various destination depending on the market. One common route are the overseas markets where the packaged squid is exported to different countries around the world. Both Japan and China high demands for California squid, caught along the Ventura coast is significant as they import large quantities of squid due to their domestic consumption needs.

The cost of packaged squid being returned to the United States can vary depending on quality, weight, distance traveled, shipping methods and applicable fees or taxes. Furthermore, there may be import duties or custom fees imposed by the US authorities. The proximity of the West coast of the United States to these Asian markets makes it convenient to export and import California squid also known as “Calamari”.