Les Petits Chanteurs France Boys Choir a singing and traveling 19 member choral group from France will offer an afternoon concert on Sunday, November 4, at 2:30 PM at Mission San Buenaventura. Open to the public, there is no admission fee; a free-will offering will be taken.
This choir, made up of 19 boys age 9 to 17 years, is conducted by Véronique Thomassin-Olivier, and accompanied by François Olivier, who is also the Titular of the Choir Organ at the prestigious church St. Eustache at Paris (France).
Les Petits Chanteurs France gives young boys a special experience of life through singing and community building. Traveling in various countries also provides them the opportunity to discover and experience different cultures. Their choral ministry includes concerts; television appearances, singing tutorials, tours and participation in the liturgy of the Mass. Les Petits Chanteurs repertoire regularly includes (Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, etc.) in sacred places and prestigious music halls, as well as sing for humanitarian causes.
Les Petits Chanteurs de France is on tour in the Western and Southern regions of the United States in the fall of 2018. They will offer concerts including music of the sixteenth century and the well known Hallelujah from Händel, Ave Maria from Gounod, as well as music pieces of the French folklores.
Vita Art Center presents Rafael Perea de la Cabada Birds on a Wire/ Pajaros en el Alambre. November 2- November 30 at 28 W Main St.
Pájaros en el Alambre /Birds on a Wire is a new body of work by renowned visual artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada. This exhibition explores our connection with birds in a symbolic, environmental, and philosophical manner through a variety of mediums, including paintings, drawing, works on paper, printmaking, photography, and ceramic objects.
Some interpretive text is provided by renowned animal ethologist and bestselling author Dr. Jonathan Balcombe. An inspired poetry reading by former Santa Barbara Poet Laureate David Starkey and friends will take place on November 30th at 6:30pm.
Rafael Perea de la Cabada lived in Santa Barbara since 1987 and in Ventura since 2015.
• It is very important that you vote for our first district specific City Council members on Nov.6. This is the opportunity for those of you who feel that your interests are not always heard to have a council member who lives near you and who will show more concern for your area. Do remember though, like always, that they will still only represent one vote out of seven.
I had some apprehension about going to the council district format, but there are some very qualified people running. It did eliminate some current council members that I think are very good.
The “cafeteria” at the new CMH might actually be a good place to eat with their nice outdoor patio.
• On Oct. 24, 7-9pm, and Nov. 8, 7-9pm, the finally completed new CommunityMemorialHospital (CMH) will have an open house. It’s an amazing hospital and a great opportunity to check it out before it officially opens, probably in mid December. There is also some wonderful art to enjoy there.
• On this cover is an article about ALTRUSA and Westpark. I attended the event they held recently and was extremely impressed with the behavior and discipline of the second to fifth grade kids that were there. Not a sound from them as they entered the gym and sat on the floor in lines based upon their grade levels. Politely clapping as the ladies of ALTRUSA were introduced (even when I was as well). I think this is a real tribute to Anita Diaz and her amazing staff.
And I still feel that Westpark is the best family-oriented park in Ventura.
• Our new City Manager, Alex McIntyre received unanimous council approval of his contract so he starts out with a good chance of council support (our previous City Manager was approved 4-3). Even though he is the “boss” he still answers to the City Council.
With a new city manager and at least three new council members this could be an opportunity for new and fresh ideas coming from City Hall. Maybe even a new look at legal marijuana stores here and the large tax revenue that they can bring.
•Eugene Robinson, of the Washington Post Writers Group writes, “President Trump’s constant, relentless, remorseless lying is a central feature of his presidency, an unprecedented threat to our democracy and, in my view, an impeachable offense.”
• Even after his death, at age 76, Stephen Hawking remains a major thinker and brilliant scientist. In his new book, which was completed by his family after his death, he answers questions that he received most during his life.
A few of his answers:
“Alien life is out there, artificial intelligence could outsmart humans and time travel can’t be ruled out.”
“There is no God. No one directs the universe. For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse that was inflicted by God. I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature.”
“There are forms of intelligent life out there,” he writes. “We need to be wary of answering back until we have developed a bit further.”
“Travel back in time can’t be ruled out according to our present understanding,” He also predicts that “within the next hundred years we will be able to travel to anywhere in the Solar System.”
• In our next issue, we’ll announce our first (in conjunction with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce) “Ventura’s favorite food and drinks.” So be sure to enter your vote for your favorites to show local vendors that you appreciate their fine food and drinks.
• There seems to be a lot of depression these days. If you, or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.
• “We need to get rid of the homeless.” We hear that constantly but just saying that really won’t get rid of the homeless. Some type of housing that provides an opportunity to get their lives back on track is necessary. Especially with the special care needed for the homeless mentally ill (about 1/3 of the homeless population).
I know some say, “Why should those bums have free housing when I need to pay for mine.“ I certainly understand this but we can’t have it both ways. Can’t complain that they are out there and then also complain about the solution.
Homeless housing doesn’t need to be luxurious. During the Thomas Fire, buildings at the fairgrounds provided shelter for the displaced with cots and portable toilets. There are even portable showers that could be provided.
I’m sure most homeless worked at some time in their lives. Maybe if they were cleaned up, given decent food and counseling they could go back to work.
I know it is all about the funding. The council is working out terms with the county to lease 2323 Knoll Drive for a year-round homeless shelter. It will cost an estimated $4 million to convert the building into a residential facility,
If you have better ideas and solutions I sure would like to hear them. As would the City Council.
Ventura’s councilmember Cheryl Heitmann (that’s her in the middle) celebrated the historic, cultural, religious, and natural resources common to both cities.
The 3rd annual Loreto Half Marathon starts at 7 am on November 11th in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Ventura’s Sister City!
Caryl Cantrell, Chair of Ventura/Loreto Sister Cities Committee will be at the starting line as she has been training for the past few months to run 13.1 miles to raise funds for Ventura/Loreto Sister Cities. In 2015, Loreto City Council and Ventura City Council voted unanimously to approve a sister city relationship. Loreto and Ventura’s mayors exchanged keys to their cities, expressing enthusiasm about potential opportunities for both cities.
“Join me in supporting Ventura’s Sister City,” Caryl says, “There is still time to make a donation!” The funds raised will help the Committee continue cultural exchanges such as an artist exchange and community development projects in Loreto. It is so easy to donate by going to the Ventura Sister Cities Cultural Exchange Facebook page and clicking the Donate button or by visiting www.tmre.org, clicking the DONATE link, and scrolling to Ventura/Loreto Sister Cities.
It seems that no matter what the situation or scenario, William Shakespeare already has it covered. Based very loosely on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Return to the Forbidden Planet uses a clever mix of science fiction, rock music and many of the Bard’s words to weave its tale. Author Bob Carlton debuted the musical in London in 1989 to rave reviews. Rubicon first presented it in 2016 and brought it back specifically for the theater’s 20th anniversary season.
Imagine Galaxy Quest meets Plan 9 meets Shakespeare.
The action begins the minute one enters the theater. Members of the crew of the ship Scientific Survey Flight Nine welcome patrons and assist in acclimating them to their surroundings and rules to follow while in flight.
As the voyage begins Captain Tempest (Daniel DeYoung) and the crew is introduced to their new Science Officer – a woman. Egads. She immediately abandons ship on the last shuttlecraft just before the ship crashes on an uncharted planet. The planet is ruled by Prospero (Kevin Bailey), a brilliant scientist who was rocketed there fifteen years ago by his wife, Gloria (Rebecca Ann Jonson) who coincidentally is the new Science Officer, before his greatest discovery was revealed. Their infant daughter Miranda was along and the two have been exiled on the lonely planet.
Captain Tempest welcomes Prospero onto his ship and things turn a bit crazy. Miranda (Kimberly Hessler), who is now of age, has never seen other men before and right away is struck by the Captain. The ship’s cook, Cookie (Andrew Huber), is smitten with Miranda and vows to win her over. Along the way we are introduced to Ariel (Larry Cedar), a quite hip and groovy robot.
The plot is a relatively simple one of love found, love lost, and love regained. The setting on a space ship armed with a rock band creates an entirely new way to present Shakespeare. It just continues to prove that his words are timeless, as they adapt easily to any situation, no matter how farfetched.
Return to the Forbidden Planet is just plain fun. Riddled with over 20 familiar tunes of the 50’s and 60’s such as Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood, Shake, Rattle and Roll and She’s Not There, the action is a continual panoply of sight, sound and surprises.
The cast is out of this world talented all around. The Navigation Officer (Eric Shorey) plays a mean synthesizer and the ship comes complete with its own on-board drummer, guitar players and back-up dancers. Shouldn’t they all?
The energy is electric. The stage setting is clever, with all the bells and whistles a space ship could have. On opening night there was a slight hitch in one mechanism and the cast dealt with it so well it took a few moments to realize anything was amiss. Shakespearean dialogue continued until all was resolved and the action progressed seamlessly.
If you caught the show in 2016, go again. If you missed it before, be sure to catch it this time before it spins back into space.
Return to the Forbidden Planet runs through November 4. Performances are Wednesdays at 2 and 7 p.m., Thursdays at 7 p.m, Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Rubicon Theater, 1006 E. Main St, Ventura. www.rubicontheatre.org or (805) 667-2900 for tickets. Prices vary.
Several months ago, one of my neighbors told me a scary story. She and her husband did not know that her very young daughter had made a “friend” of a sneaky little enemy that had invaded their house. The little girl had been feeding a mouse.
The mother said, “I told her, Honey, that mouse could have bitten you. But children are so innocent and naive-she thought the mouse was her friend who would never bite anyone.” Fortunately, the little girl had not been bitten, and the parents immediately called someone like Oregon Insect and Rodent Control to rid their property of mice. Things could have gone much worse and the little girl was lucky not to have been hurt by the mouse!
But let’s find out why this “cute little mouse” (the child’s words) could have been very dangerous. For example, a surprisingly high percentage of the white-footed mice collected last summer in Howard County, Md, in an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Areawide Integrated Tick Management Project, turned out to be infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
The high rate of white-footed mice infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, in Howard County – just over 50 percent of captured mice -was a little surprising to ARS project leadership. Then it was demonstrated that white-footed mice elsewhere in the USA have infection rates as high as 80 percent.
What may this mean for homeowners? Professionals would advise caution on several levels. For example, unwittingly, people often make mistakes. So, which category might you be in when it comes to the most common mistakes homeowners make regarding rodent prevention? Consider:
17% of homeowners leave trash bins uncovered.
25% of homeowners place trash and recycling bins curbside on non-designated pick-up dates.
30% of homeowners do not properly seal pet food stored in garages.
30% of homeowners have doors and windows that are not tightly sealed.
22% of homeowners are not keeping vegetation trimmed and manicured.
However, the most helpful advice and solution we can offer is to warn families to call the professionals for help as soon as you become aware of a potential pest threat to your family’s health, as did the little girl’s wise parents. These Pest Control services will be happy to help you eliminate these pesky rodents from your home and ensure your family are safe in your own home.
From our family of experienced technicians to your family, please let us be there for you. We are all good neighbors working together in the fight against disease and “the sneaky little enemy in the house.”
Call 1-800-284-7985 for O’Connor Pest Control. www.oconnorpest.com.
The grass at Montalvo park is always brown but grass at other parks is green and looks so much better. Why is that?
Michelle
As always we ask those who know.
Michelle:
The turf at Montalvo Hill, planted before the drought, is Marathon grass which requires more water than some more drought tolerant turf types planted in other parks. With the drought that we are currently in and have been for the past 6-7 years, Parks also has to abide by the water restrictions for passive, non-athletic turf. Montalvo Hill is a passive turf park, planted with a less drought tolerant turf. We water athletic turf more to keep ensure that it is playable and safe for users.
Thank you,
Tom Martin Parks Manager
Parks, Recreation and Community Partnerships
City of Ventura
Have a question send to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer?
Opera Santa Barbara welcomed the arriving singers who have been selected as the 2018-19 Chrisman Studio Artists: Ashley Armstrong, Michael Killmorgen, Jennifer Lindsay and Yazid Gray.
They will be in residence from October-November and then January-May 2019. The singers will perform small roles and cover principal artists in the opera’s three mainstage productions this season, La Bohème (Nov. 9-11), Eugene Onegin (March 1-3) and The Crucible (April 26/28). They will also participate in a 25th anniversary gala event (January 26).
The studio artists are the backbone of OSB’s educational outreach programs, performing free noontime concerts throughout the Central Coast from Santa Maria to Thousand Oaks, and serving as the improvisational talent for the popular in-school opera workshop called Opera Lab designed for 3-6th grade classes in schools throughout the area.
Soprano Jennifer Lindsay joins the Chrisman Studio Artist Program for Opera Santa Barbara’s 2018/19 season, covering Tatiana in Eugene Onegin and both Mimì and Musetta in La bohème, and singing Mary Warren in The Crucible. Prior to joining Opera Santa Barbara, she will make her role debut as Mimi in La bohème with Opera Connecticut.
Tenor Michael Kollmorgen, has been performing since he was seven years old as a member of the The Tulsa Boy Singers. He attended Oklahoma State University, where among many productions he sang the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème. Michael attended the University of Houston for his graduate studies, earning a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance this past May.
Mezzo-soprano Ashley Kay Armstrong makes her Opera Santa Barbara debut as Olga in Eugene Onegin as a member of the Chrisman Studio Artist program. This past season she was a Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre Young Artist, and sang
in Brigadoon and Turandot. She was also an Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera and sang in the world premiere of Cosmic Ray and the Amazing Chris with Thompson Street Opera.
Baritone Yazid Gray is a recent graduate of University of Michigan where he received his Master’s in Vocal Performance. While there, he performed in several mainstage productions including the premiere of William Bolcom’s newest opera, Dinner at Eight.
For more information about the studio artist residence program, auditions and schedules for appearances please visit the Opera Santa Barbara website operasb.org.
The week of October 21-27, 2018 is National Teen Driver Safety Week, and the Ventura Police Department wants to remind parents and guardians the importance of talking to their teen drivers about new responsibilities and rules that come with operating a vehicle. If you are interested in finding out more about traffic safety, you may want to check this traffic school florida online.
For teens, getting a license is a rite of passage tied to freedom and independence, but is also something that can be dangerous because teens lack experience behind the wheel and are more likely to take risks, said Traffic Sergeant Michael Brown. National Teen Driver Safety Week is a way to encourage all parents to instill good driving habits that help their teens stay safe on the road.
Car accidents can have devastating consequences, especially if anyone involved is seriously injured. The cost of medical expenses after car accident can be high, so the best course of action to prevent accidents on the road is to educate people about driving safety.
Above all, the reality is that vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens ages 15 to 18. According to data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 73,736 crashes in 2016 involving drivers 16 to 20 years old in California alone. In those crashes, 437 people were killed.
Throughout the week the Ventura Police Department will join the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) in offering tips to parents and caregivers on how to talk to teens about the consequences of making dangerous and illegal choices behind the wheel.
Graduated Driver License (GDL):Learn about Californias GDL laws, which place restrictions on passengers and driving late at night during the first year they have a license.
Lead by example: Practice safe driving yourself. Have practice driving sessions with your teen.
Set Ground Rules: No cell phones, no passengers, no speeding, no alcohol, no drowsy driving, and always buckle up. No keys until they know the rules. Establish consequences you will enforce if your teen breaks the rules.
With driving comes great responsibility: Remind your teen that driving requires your full attention. Texts and phone calls can wait. Teach them about zero-tolerance laws, and the adult consequences they face for driving after drinking or using drugs. Urge them to never ride with someone who has been drinking or using drugs. It should be noted that young adults that aren’t of age to drink legally can always still research into how they go about how to get a fake id, so if you feel your teen may not be drinking and driving due to their age, it is always worth considering the potential. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Whether its drinking and driving, not wearing a seat belt, speeding, driving distracted or with friends in the car, its important for parents to let their teen know that driving is not a right, but a privilege, said Traffic Corporal Al Gomez. It can be taken away when they dont follow the rules.
To learn more about teen driver safety, visit the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) website at http://ghsa.org/html/issues/teens/index.html.
•Free pet clinic helping dogs of the homeless community. Free dog vaccinations. Friday, Oct.26, 12-2pm. SPAN 110 N. Olive, Ventura. There will also be food, toys, collars, harnesses and leashes. Buddy Nation will be there to help and SPAN has graciously donated the space in front of their store.
•Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC) has received a new $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities. The grant has been earmarked to support the pet retention efforts of the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, so they can continue helping homeless pets in the City of Santa Paula.
On Oct. 20, a large cheering (and warm) crowd enjoyed the Howl-O-Ween costume dog contest held at the Ventura Harbor Village. The selected judges chose these 2 (a tie) as the best in show.
Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, SPARC, is a No-Kill, No-Excuses, 501(C3) city pound in Santa Paula where every single animal arriving gets a second chance at life.
•A team of researchers at Cornell University has found evidence suggesting that little dogs lift their legs when peeing at a higher angle than bigger dogs as a means of tricking other dogs into thinking they are bigger. In their paper published in Journal of Zoology, the group describes a study they carried out and what they found.
Most anyone familiar with dogs knows that they tend to pee in a lot of spots, especially males. They also seem to like peeing on objects that extend up from the ground, such as bushes, fire hydrants, etc. Prior research has suggested that such behavior is a way for dogs to communicate with one another. Communications can occur because dogs have very keen noses and brain parts able to tease out specifics from other dogs simply by sniffing their urine. By sniffing dogs can learn a lot about the dog—such as its gender, age, fertility and some aspects of its health. These communications occur as a means for dogs to learn more about other dogs in the area. And now it seems that some dogs have added a little something to the message they want to convey—some trickery involving size.
Their study consisted of taking many dogs of all sizes out for walks and observing very closely how they behaved when peeing. One important factor they noted was the angle of the leg when raised. Another was measuring where on an object the urine wound up.
The team found that little dogs lifted their legs at a higher angle than bigger dogs and in so doing caused their pee to be applied higher up on targeted objects than it would be otherwise. The researchers suggest this likely indicates that the little dogs are attempting to trick others dogs in the area into thinking they are bigger than they actually are.
•Dogs form an attachment to their owner and as a result can find it stressful to be separated from them. It used to be conventional wisdom that you should ignore your dog before you go out, but a pilot study finds gentle petting of dogs before a short separation makes them more calm than if they were ignored before the separation.
Separation-related issues are a welfare concern for dogs and may affect the human-animal bond. But how to help dogs who don’t have separation-related issues has received very little attention.
A new study by Dr. Chiara Mariti et al, published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, looks at the effects of gentle petting on dogs’ stress response to separation.
As it is a pilot study, there were only 10 dogs. The study took place at a field which was a neutral location, away from the dogs’ homes where they were used to being left, and the dogs were on leash.
All dogs took part in two conditions. In the gentle petting condition, the owner spent one minute petting the dog before going away and leaving the dog with the experimenter.
In the neutral condition, owners ignored the dog for one minute prior to going away and leaving the dog with the experimenter.
The dogs were not highly stressed by the separation, as shown by low salivary cortisol levels and by their behaviors.
When dogs were petted before the absence, they spent more time showing calm behaviors during the absence, and their heart rate was lower after the test, compared to when they were ignored before the absence.
Calm behaviors were lying down, and sniffing the ground for a period of 3 seconds or longer (sniffing for a shorter period was seen as a stress signal, as sniffing can be a sign of stress in dogs).
The paper concludes. “This pilot study suggests that petting a dog before a brief separation from the owner may have a positive effect, making the dog calmer during the separation itself. Further studies are needed to analyze more in depth its effectiveness, especially in dogs affected by separation anxiety.”
