Join in as Ventura County Library presents “Mixteco: Tu’un Savi, The Language of the Rain,” presented by Silvia Ventura Luna, M.A., at E.P. Foster Library on Saturday, December 1, at 3pm..

The Mixteco language, Tu’un Savi, is an oral language with numerous variants. Mixteco is an indigenous language predominantly from Oaxaca, Mexico; yet, the language has a strong presence in Ventura County and throughout California. This presentation will briefly discuss the Mixtec history, culture and language.

Also enjoy a special dance performance of Baile de China and Baile de Piña, Oaxacan regional dances, presented by children from the El Rio area Mixteco community, who have been practicing their dances weekly through this special Library program.

Ventura County Library is honored to host this event, made possible by funding received from the California Council for the Humanities Library Innovation Lab Grant for the project entitled “Celebrate Mixteco Culture,” and partnerships with MICOP, CSUCI, El Rio NFL, and UCSB.

“Library Innovation Lab: Exploring New Ways of Engaging California’s Immigrant Communities” is a new statewide competitive grant program offered by California Humanities. The program encourages California libraries to develop creative and innovative programs to respond to the needs and circumstances of today’s immigrants and immigrant communities and foster more inclusive communities within our state.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Irma Morales, City Librarian, E.P. Foster Library at (805) 256-4414 or Yvonne Becerra, Library Technician and Grant Coordinator at (805) 701-4315.

The Foster Library is located at 651 East Main St. Hours of service are 10am to 7pm Monday through Thursday, 10am to 5pm Friday and Saturday, and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.

As curator and repository for Ventura County’s history, the Museum of Ventura County is reaching out to Ventura County fire and sheriff departments, other agencies and, most importantly, the Ventura County public to create a historical archive and personal documentation of the shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks on Nov. 7, 2018, as well as the devasting Hill and Woolsey fires. The museum has launched “rapid response collecting” to secure donations of photographs, links to video, artifacts, stories and other elements related to these tragic events.

“Rapid response collecting” is a term used by museums across the country, including those in Orlando and Las Vegas, in response to events such as mass shootings. The Museum of Ventura County is working with Pamela Schwartz, chief curator of the Orange County, Florida, Regional History Center, who led the documentation efforts for the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016. She will actively guide gathering photos, artifacts, documents and more that tell the stories of the Borderline shooting and that honors its victims and survivors.

Also throughout the next few months, the Museum will be gathering stories and digital images as well as physical artifacts to assemble the historical record of the extraordinary rescues, bravery, sacrifice and service of fire fighters, law enforcement personnel and other first responders who battled—and continue to battle—the raging fires in Ventura County, as well as community members who reacted to the crisis with steadfast calm and opened their hearts and hands to help those in need. The Museum invites the public’s participation and encourages those with a story to tell, or a tribute or thank you to share, to submit their stories and digital images to help document this community experience.

The public can send submissions of photographs, links to video, and stories related to either event to the Museum via email at [email protected] or can arrange to submit other formats by contacting Curator of Collections Anna Bermudez at [email protected].

The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. Located at 100 East Main Street, the Museum of Ventura County is open Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

Ventura City Councilmember Erik Nasarenko was re-elected to the seven-member city council, finishing first among six candidates with 44 percent of the vote. His closest challenger received 24 percent of the vote in a contest that, for the first time in Ventura history, was decided by voters casting ballots in districts rather than at-large. The 48-year-old prosecutor was elected in District 4, which includes the communities of Hidden Valley, Ondulando, Clearpoint, Juanamaria, Hobart Park, Amador, The Farm, and neighborhoods stretching east beyond Wells Road to the county line.

“I am grateful to the voters for re-electing me and eager to get to work in addressing their issues,” said Nasarenko. “Traffic, buckled sidewalks, high water rates and limited shopping opportunities for East End residents were among the issues I heard about the most.”

While more than 100 rebuilding permits have been issued to date, Nasarenko also heard from Thomas Fire victims concerned with the slow pace of obtaining approvals, an area he pledged to work on and address. In October, the City Council allocated more money to hire outside consultants to assist with grading permits, an added resource that will assist the City’s land development section and help to expedite certain rebuilding projects.

Nasarenko’s campaign emphasized the public safety resources he funded during his first term, such as adding more police officers to patrol Ventura streets and the re-establishment of a roving fire engine staffed with licensed paramedics.

“Medic Engine 7 and the nine new police officers that recently graduated from the Academy are already making a positive difference in Ventura, including on the East End,” commented Nasarenko.

He also discussed and campaigned on importing water to Ventura through the State Water Project, a 700-mile system of reservoirs, aqueducts and pumping stations that bring Sierra snowmelt to southern California. The City is currently conducting environmental studies on a 7-mile pipeline between Camarillo and the East End which, once complete, will enable Ventura to receive the new water.

“When we blend imported water with East End groundwater, District 4 residents will receive a higher quality, better tasting product,” said Nasarenko, who added the connection should be completed in 2022.

“I really look forward to working with the new councilmembers, as well as our new city manager,” said Nasarenko. “As they prepare to take the dais, I want to thank Mayor Andrews and Councilmembers Tracy and Monahan, who have given so much to make Ventura a special place. Their positive impacts to Ventura will continue well beyond their years of service to the city.”