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Walk with NAMI Ventura County in the 14th Annual NAMI Ventura County Walk

The Walk is a tradition that provides an opportunity to raise awareness about mental illness.

The 14th Annual NAMI Ventura County Walk – NAMI Ventura County Mental Health Hero’s Remaining Strong benefiting the National Alliance on Mental Illness will be on Saturday October 13, at the San Buenaventura State Beach Parking (near the Pier). Check in and registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the start time for the 5k walk beginning at 10:30 a.m. The Walk will be held rain or shine. There will be a pre-walk program from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. which will feature speakers from the Ventura County community.

The Walk is a tradition that provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the facts of mental illness, to erase the stigma associated with mental illness, and to raise funds so that NAMI Ventura County can continue to offer all their programs and services at no cost to persons who can be helped by those services. It gives everyone a chance to show their support for the efforts put forth by NAMI Ventura County.

NAMI bases their mission on the principles of support, education, and advocacy for persons impacted by mental illness. They provide classes for family members, providers, and persons with a lived experience of mental illness. They also present in schools, hold support groups for family members, and provide outreach to persons who come to see persons who are in the inpatient psychiatric units in Ventura County. NAMI Ventura County also has a Peer to Peer class for persons in recovery and a Connections support group for persons in recovery as well.

The Walk in Ventura County is a fun family event with activities for children and opportunities to socialize. It also provides our community with a way for us all to come together to show our support for needed services for all persons impacted by mental illness.

To register as an individual walker or to form a team and/or to find information about sponsorships please call 805.641.2426 or visit www.namiventura.org.

Museum OF Ventura County honored ArtWalk2018 Artists

An event was held at the Museum OF Ventura County honoring ArtWalk2018 Artists Of Distinction John White and Song Byeok on Oct. .4. ArtWalk was held Oct.6&7.

Councilmember Cheryl Heitmann presented John White with a plaque of honor.

ArtWalk is one of Ventura’s signature events, drawing thousands each year.

John M. White of Ventura is a painter, sculptor and performance artist. He has been exhibiting publicly for more than 40 years. Culturally, politically and aesthetically influenced by the late ’60s, White’s work exemplifies this period of redefinition and experimentation.
Considered one of the seminal California performance artists, White has staged hundreds of public performances since 1967

Continuing a tradition of bringing exciting, newsworthy artists to Ventura, ArtWalk selected of North Korean artist Song Byeok as the Global Artist for this year’s 25th anniversary event. Now residing in Seoul, South Korea, Song was once an official state propaganda artist in North Korea. Here in the United States he is being called the Andy Warhol of South Korea.

The Oct. 24 issue will have more photos of the event.

Vol. 12, No. 1 – Oct 10 – Oct 23, 2018 – Movie Review

A Simple Favor
Movie Review: 3 Palm Trees out of 4 Palm Trees

by Victoria Usher

A Simple Favor is a 2018 film directed by Paul Feig. Screenplay by Jessica Sharzer. Based on 2017 novel by Darcey Bell. Cinematography by John Schwartzman. Music by Theodore Shapiro. Film Editing by Brent White. Produced by Paul Feig, Jessie Henderson, Mike Drake, and Jason Cloth. Costume design by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus.

The film stars Anna Kendrick (“Pitch Perfect”), Blake Lively (“Gossip Girl”), and Henry Golding (“Crazy Rich Asians”). It is a mystery, thriller, and it has some fantastic surprising comedy thrown into the mix as well. In the film, Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) are two suburban mothers who meet each other at the school that both of their sons go to. Despite their obvious differences, they very quickly become close friends. Stephanie is an extremely kind, upbeat, and perfect stay at home mother who runs her very own and very popular mommy vlog. Emily is mysterious, gorgeous, always dressed to kill fashion publicist with a past she would like to keep buried. The two women start spending some time together, they get to know each other a little better, and they share a few secrets with each other. Everything seems okay until one day Emily suddenly goes missing. Stephanie decides that she is going to take it upon herself to figure out what exactly happened and find Emily. But once Stephanie begins her investigation she very quickly gets pulled deeply into Emily’s twisted and dark past, which in turn forces her to open her eyes and face her own dark past.

I believe that what truly keeps you on the edge of your seat while you are watching this film are the main cast and their amazing performances. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively were brilliant choices for this movie. They have wonderful chemistry when they are on screen together. The way the two of them playoff of each other works extremely well. It was an unexpected but successful and welcoming duo. Both of their characters different personalities made their friendship on screen even more exciting and intriguing to watch.

My main complaint would be that after watching the entire film and thoroughly enjoying the well thought out and thrilling plot line, the ending of the film that was chosen was very anticlimactic and disappointing. But other than that, it is a film that kept me guessing and that I without a doubt enjoyed watching.

Rated: R Running Time: 1h 59m

Serra Cross

Volunteers and professionals are helping to restore the cross.

by Councilmember Christy Weir

The Thomas Fire devastated our Ventura hillsides, including Serra Cross Park. All of the vegetation was burned, and signs, fence, trash cans, picnic tables, lights and sprinkler system were destroyed. The cross caught fire, but thankfully only a small section suffered major damage. We have discussed the option of replacing it with a new wooden cross, but the public has let us know that the scorched section serves as a vivid reminder of Ventura’s resiliency and strength through this disaster.

We have spent the past ten months working on the park: removing burnt landscaping; cutting down dead trees; removing thousands of broken bottles and other debris that collected over decades and was revealed by the fire; grading the grassy area and installing new irrigation; installing new sod and hundreds of plants; sanding and repainting damaged metal benches and trash cans; mulching paths; planting ten new oak trees; replacing the up-lights that illuminate the cross at night. All of this work was done by Dafau Landscape, Halter-Encinas Landscape, Creico Electric and many dedicated volunteers.

The gates to the park have been locked since December, so there has been no vehicle access. All of the gates are located on City-owned property (Grant Park), and will be reopened when the City Parks Department decides that public access is safe. All 106 acres of Grant Park burned and there has been a massive effort by the Ventura Botanical Gardens and city staff to renovate the park for all of our residents to enjoy again.

Serra Cross Park is owned and maintained by the Serra Cross Conservancy, a non-profit formed in 2003, when the city decided to sell the cross. Renovations after the fire have been very expensive and donations are welcome. Future plans include new signage, reclaimed wood picnic tables, fencing, a variety of trees, sidewalk, curb and parking lot improvements.

Tax-deductible contributions may be sent to Serra Cross Conservancy at PO Box 48, Ventura CA 93002. Our website is www.serracrosspark.org, and we are now booking weddings and other events for 2019. We look forward to welcoming the public back up to the cross in the coming months.

Help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month

For the eighth year in a row the Ventura City Fire Department will again join forces with firefighters across the country to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Ventura City Firefighters will wear Pink Embossed T-shirts from Oct. 1st to Oct. 15th in support of this cause.

The Ventura City Fire Department, and the Ventura Fire Foundation, will again be partnering with the Downtown Ventura Organization in promoting and distributing Ventura City Fire Department Pink Embossed T-Shirts to raise money for helping women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Every Fire Apparatus will have a flyer available that lists all downtown businesses where shirts are available to the public. The businesses joining the efforts are:

Blazing Scissors, 104 N. Ashwood Ave (805) 642-4088 @blazingscissorssalon

Chamber of Commerce, 505 Poli St. (805) 643-7222 venturachamber.com

Coastal Skincare, 428 S. Poli St. Suite C (805) 641-2345 coastalskincare.net

Crush Salon & Dry Bar, 654 E. Main St. (805) 653-0663 saloncrush.com

Snapper Jack’s Taco Shack, 533 E. Main St. (805) 648-4555

snapperjackstacoshack.com

Tiki Girl, 434 E. Main St. (805) 643-4800 shoptikigirl.com

Ventura Visitors Center, 100 S. California St. (805) 648-2075 visitventuraca.com

Very Ventura, 540 E. Main St. (805) 628-3540 fun-in-ventura.com

T-Shirts will be available at the above locations for the month of October, as long as supplies last. T-Shirts are $20 each. Cash or check. Checks payable to the Ventura Fire Foundation.

Unfortunately, there will be no shirts available at Fire Stations for sale.

Dedicated proceeds will go to fund the Ribbons of Life Breast Cancer Foundation located in Ventura that specifically serves women and families in Ventura County. This has been a huge success in past years and we are hoping for the same this year. http://www.ribbonsventura.org.

Vol. 12, No. 1 – Oct 10 – Oct 23, 2018 – A View from House Seats

by Shirley Lorraine
Millie Musical a whiz-bang in Simi

For pure fun and entertainment presented with pep by top-notch performers, the musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie” now playing through October 21 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center is highly recommended.

Studio C Performing Arts out of Westlake Village has put together an outstanding cast for the lively, toe-tapping 1920’s musical. Richard Morris and Dick Scanlan penned the book for the staging, adapting the original story and screenplay by Richard Morris. The staging includes a few minor variations on the 1967 film’s storyline as well as added songs and musical numbers.
Millie Dillmount (Colette Peters) arrives in New York City with hopes of finding a job and marrying her boss. The naïve girl from Kansas quickly finds the City less hospitable than she had figured. A chance meeting with Jimmy Smith (Nick Tubbs) directs her to the Priscilla Hotel run by Mrs. Meers (Stephanie Lesh-Farrell) which caters to hopeful actors usually down on their luck. Along the way Millie decides to become “a modern”, updating her look and finding a new best friend in Miss Dorothy Brown (Bryce Hamilton).

With her perky attitude and exceptional stenographer skills, Millie lands a job in an insurance agency. Her boss, Trevor Graydon (Brent Ramirez), a handsome, charismatic up and comer, meets her approval as a potential husband.

Meanwhile, back at the Hotel, orphaned girls are disappearing. Mrs. Meers, along with her henchmen, Ching Ho and Bun Foo, heads up a scheme to sell the hapless girls into slavery. Ho and Foo converse convincingly in their own language with English subtitles provided.
Jimmy introduces Millie to chanteuse and million-heiress Muzzie Van Hossmere (Monica Quinn). Jimmy and the gang ultimately squash the slavery ring, surprises are revealed, and true love is found.

There is not a weak member in this cast. The leading players all possess exceptional voices, beautifully displayed. Ramirez and Quinn particularly give standout performances. A memorable song paying homage to Gilbert and Sullivan’s Modern Major General carries a quickening tempo and impressive articulation. Everyone wears a headset mic which, combined with bundles of vocal power, reaches easily beyond the 12-piece orchestra led by Mazie Rudolph.

Lesh-Farrell plays it up as the villain and Ginny Grady is a hoot as Miss Flannery, the office manager. Laughs are generous throughout as the entire cast camps it up just enough without going overboard.

Director Jeffrey Scott Parsons keeps the action swift and the characters lively. Simple yet creative scene changes often happen as singing and dancing is taking place downstage. There is no down time waiting for scene changes. Period costuming is spot on and charming throughout.

Crisp, fun choreography by Keenon Hooks is tight and well executed, especially given the number of actors on the stage at once. One highlight is a scene at the insurance company involving steno desks on rollers. Both the male and female ensemble dancers make the choreography shine even more.

Thoroughly Modern Millie is just plain fun and extremely well done.

Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave, Simi Valley. www.sime-arts.org or 805-583-7900. Tickets are $25, seniors and students $22 and kids 12 and under are $18. Curtain is at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. on Sunday through Oct. 21.

Beatrice Wood Immersion Experience

Beatrice Wood Immersion Experience at the home and studio of Beatrice Wood (1893-1998) in the beautiful Upper Ojai Valley on Sunday October 21, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Group limited to 15 Participants. $125 members / $150 non-members
Purchase tickets at www.FocusOnTheMasters.com or call 805.653.2501

All proceeds benefit Focus on the Masters (FOTM)Archive & Library.

Participants will work with clay in her studio, study her art books, utilize her colored pencils to create drawings and prepare lunch in her kitchen.

You will be guided by Kevin Wallace, Director of the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts & Happy Valley Cultural Center along with Focus on the Masters Executive Director, Donna Granata and discuss Beatrice Wood – her philosophy on life, love, longevity, & legacy.

All materials and a gourmet vegetarian communal lunch will be served.

To reserve a spot http://www.focusonthemasters.com/beatricewoodexperience.html#beatrice

Vol. 12, No. 1 – Oct 10 – Oct 23, 2018 – Opinion/Editorial

•WOW, WOW and WOW! Pinch me again – it can’t be true that we just completed our eleventh year of publication. Our first issue was on Oct.24, 2007.

There are so many people to thank, that I can’t thank them all. Our wonderful readers, our fabulous advertisers who keep us in business, and our unbelievably dedicated staff including writers, photographers and distributors. A special shout-out to Alfred J. Lewis – who makes the paper great every issue and continues to be my free therapist – Breezy Gledhill, who brings in the money and Cindy Summers who contributes in various ways while also making our website wonderful.

It goes without saying that it is very important that our dedicated readers support our advertisers so that we can continue to be Ventura’s “beloved newspaper.” It is their dollars that keep us in business.

•In our last issue’s Person to Person article it asked readers, “Do you think the Top Hat Restaurant should be declared a historical building and should it remain there as part of the planned new development?”

There wasn’t enough space available for my two cents, so here it is:

“No, it’s not historical. If it’s historical – I’m ancient! It’s just an old nondescript plywood building with no historical significance or looks. I do agree with one of our readers who said it should be moved to the outside area of the Ventura County Museum.”

And speaking of Person to Person, a panel of Republican women have defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh following allegations of attempted sexual assault. One posed the question, “What 17-year-old boy hasn’t done this in high school?”

I didn’t do that (I did pull a girl’s pigtail in the second grade), but maybe I was the exception so perhaps in our next “Person to Person” we should ask men if they sexually assaulted any girls while in high school?

•There are many legal marijuana dispensaries in nearby communities. Perhaps our new city council members (3 or 4) will see the folly of Ventura not having any and the large amount of tax money that we are losing. It is legal now ya know!

•Per a cover story, the City Council has hired Alex McIntyre to be our new City Manager. His base annual salary will be $255,000 plus other allowances and benefits consistent with similar executive management positions.

Before you get overly excited regarding his salary, the City Manager is typically the highest paid city employee, since he’s the City’s Chief Executive Officer like that of a very large corporation and is the boss of all city employees. He only answers to the City Council. Mr. McIntyre’s tentative start date will be November 13, 2018.

His salary is similar to other local city manager’s. Thousand Oaks: $244,000, Camarillo: $245,000 and Oxnard: $252,000.

• In a previous issue I stated that I would not comment further on the national political scene. I have had more readers condemn me than praise me for this stance, so I am changing my mind. I have also commented on the importance of a free press in a well-functioning democracy. It is even more vital that readers express their opinions.

None of the following phrases were written by me (except a few comments in parenthesis). You can draw your own conclusions.

“President Donald Trump’s opening remarks at the United Nations Tuesday created an awkward and unexpected moment, with other world leaders laughing or grumbling at the American president’s boast about his administration’s accomplishments.” (He later stated that he was kidding. Maybe he could be a regular on Saturday Night Live).

“President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that China supposedly respects him for his ‘very very large brain’ during a news conference where he addressed wide-ranging issues.” (I don’t dare touch this one).

“The President said he is not in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico based on a personal feud with a local mayor.”

“President Trump told a crowd of supporters in West Virginia on Saturday night that he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “fell in love” after overcoming early hostilities.”

“When asked about the allegations of sexual assault against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump said that it is a ‘scary time’ for men in the United States and that men are now “guilty until proven innocent.” (Especially for men who don’t have $130,000 to pay off a “porn star”).

“A survey of 25 nations by the Pew Research Center showed that respondents from across the globe have less confidence in Trump’s ability to lead than they do in Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping” (how sad is that)

• If you disagree with me, just writing to call me an idiot and saying that I’m stupid (even if true) doesn’t take the least bit of intelligence.

Write to me at [email protected] and express yourself (in a way that can appear in a family newspaper, please). You might even get me to change my mind/perspective.

Speaking of opinions, there is a huge amount of misinformation on the site Nextdoor.com, so be mindful of what you read. Just try to verify statements before making definitive comments. The downside of social media is that too many comments are seen as being factually correct. I’ve noticed that there has been a lot of misinformation lately regarding our police department, city council and our homeless situation.

Don’t leave messages (based on fake news) for council members like “I demand to know why the city council approved a strip club downtown”. Instead, “I heard that the city council approved a strip club downtown, is that true?”

The city council is not your enemy. They are trying to serve the city the best they can.

Would you take that job for what amounts to maybe $3 per hour?

Don’t get me wrong I certainly do not agree with all of their decisions. Just make sure you are well informed.

City of Ventura improves safety and access at Five Points

City of Ventura Bicycle Master Plan identified the redesign as an opportunity to improve bicyclists’ access.

New signalized crossings, traffic striping, and pedestrian-activated flashing beacon crossings have been installed at the Five Points intersection in Midtown to improve safety and access through this intersection located at Thompson Boulevard, Main Street and Telegraph Road. Drivers are advised to take proper safety precautions, yield to pedestrians and bicyclists in the right-of-way and share the traffic lanes in a safe and cohesive manner.

The Five Points intersection improvement project includes the installation of new access curb ramps, sidewalk and passageways through medians, traffic signage and striping, and concrete median islands.  New bike boxes (bright-green box on the road with a white bicycle symbol inside) have been installed on the eastbound and westbound lanes of Main Street at the intersection. As a reminder, drivers should stop behind the white stop line (behind the green box) when the traffic signal is yellow or red; do not stop on top of the bike box. When the traffic light turns green, drivers and cyclists move through the intersection with cyclists going first. Bicyclists should enter the bike box from the green bike lane.

Two new pedestrian-activated flashing beacon crossings have been installed on the eastbound lanes of Thompson Boulevard; at Frances Street, and on the south side of the intersection. Motorists are required to stop for pedestrians however pedestrians should make sure cars are stopped before they begin to cross the street.  These improvements are important to increase motorists’ awareness of pedestrians and bicyclists at intersections especially at multi-lane crossings such as Thompson Boulevard.

The City of Ventura Bicycle Master Plan identified the redesign of the Five Points intersection as an opportunity to improve pedestrian and bicyclists’ access and safety. Last year the City of Ventura was named a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

Vol. 12, No. 1 – Oct 10 – Oct 23, 2018 – The Pet Page

•SPAN Thrift Store is providing $10 spays and neuters for low income cat and dog friends.

New Location is at Albert H. Soliz Library – El Rio, 2820 Jourdan St., Oxnard on Friday, October 26th. Please call to schedule an appointment 805-584-3823.

•On October 27 WHO LET THE DOGS OUT FAMILY FUN FESTIVAL, A COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER on behalf of Ventura Police K-9 Partners will be held at the Harbor Cove Café located in Ventura Harbor. 100% of proceeds go to the K-9’s medical fund.

There will be a singles auction with a surprise auctionee even though he is not single. Look for the advertisement in the Ventura Breeze November 24 issue and find out who you can bid on to spend a glorious two hours with.

Even ducks visited the CARL grand opening

•On Saturday, September 28, the Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) held their grand opening for the CARL Boutique Thrift Store new location.

Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit all breed, no-kill dog rescue and adoption organization. Since 1996, C.A.R.L. has rescued and placed thousands of unwanted, sick, abandoned, and homeless dogs. Dogs in their adoption program are placed in pre-screened, loving and secure homes. CARL makes a lifetime commitment to all their dogs.

CARL’s mission is to advocate for animal welfare, seeking to end the needless deaths of companion animals through its adoption, education, and outreach programs. They rely entirely on donations and do not receive government, state or city funding.

The thrift store was created to help CARL in their mission to help animals. All proceeds from the thrift store go directly to help the animals. The former thrift store had been open for 3 years and was located at 4160 Market Street.

​The new store location is at 2750 E Main St. (in the “old Sears building) next to Smart & Final.

The store is receiving donations of clothing, house wares, books, furniture and jewelry. Drop off time for donations are Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

For more information about the store, donating or volunteering, go to www.carlthrift.org. They can also be reached at (805) 667-9111 or email at: [email protected].

For more information about Canine Adoption and Rescue League (C.A.R.L.) please visit http://www.carldogs.org

•The National Police Dog Foundation is very pleased to announce the availability of another 50 (12-month health insurance) K-9 Health Insurance Grants. They are now accepting applications.

In 2017 they launched their K-9 Health Insurance Fund, which was established from an initial donation by Petplan Pet Insurance. The fund is supported by designated gifts from the public to the National Police Dog Foundation and a $50 donation from Petplan for each new pet insurance policy booked by the public using the campaign code NPDF10 at https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/petplan/. Pet parents who use the code can also receive a 10% discount on their new policy.

The purpose of the fund is to offer grants to law enforcement K-9 units, ensuring the continued well-being of the K-9s.

Petplan’s support of the K-9 Health Insurance Fund, and their passion for improving the quality of life and access to essential veterinary care for K-9s, is the driving force and the major sponsor of the fund.

In 2017 they were only able to offer 5 grants. Thanks to Petplan and your donations, earlier this year they granted 50 health insurance policies, and now are offering another 50 grants to pay for 12 months of K-9 medical insurance. The grants are limited to 1-4-year-old K-9s and a maximum of two grants will be granted to each agency.

This is the season of giving. They need your support to be able to continue to offer grants that will keep your local K-9s healthy, on-the-job and ready to protect you.

Grant application deadline for these 50 (12-month health insurance) grants is October 26th, 2018. No applications will be accepted after this date.

To apply and for more details, please go to https://nationalpolicedogfoundation.org/health-ins-grant-app-50-fall-2018/

•by Victoria Usher

Madison Square Garden in New York City has always hosted the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where a plethora of dogs come from far and wide along with their owners in order to compete. The dog show has pups of all shapes, sizes, and personalities, but there was one beagle pup named Uno who became a crowd favorite and was able to capture the hearts of everyone watching. Uno was special because he was so much more than just a show dog; he was kind, playful, and a truly lovable pup. Everyone watching the dog show and all of the fans were able to easily imagine him being their dog because of his wonderfully unique personality.

Ch. K-Run’s Park Me In First, also known as Uno was a 15-inch beagle from Belleville, Illinois, who won Best in Show in the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club dog show. He was the first beagle to claim the top prize at Westminster and the first beagle to win the hound group since 1939.

Sadly, Uno recently passed away at the age of thirteen from cancer. He was loved, and he lived a happy life on a ranch in Austin, Texas. The all-American dog named Uno will never be forgotten, he will always be in our hearts.