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Diversity and promise at Ventura College

The festival provided ample opportunities to highlight various cultural backgrounds.

Ventura College held the 3rd Annual Diversity in Culture Festival on Wednesday and Thursday, April 11&12. The Diversity in Culture Festival is a free, two-day public event that has been designated by the Ventura College Executive Team as, “Alternative Education Days.” The festival featured a variety of educational opportunities including guest speakers, panel discussions, visual and performing arts, student organizations, food, and a market place. This year’s theme, “Breaking Silence”.

The festival provides ample opportunities to highlight various cultural backgrounds, practices, and topics reflected in the campus and the local community. Annual highlights of the event include a native Chumash ritual; local Danza Aztec groups; and a panel of community religious leaders.

Festival organizer Gigi Fiumerodo states, “Diversity is often defined in many ways. The goal of the festival is to provide opportunities for our students and community to experience all it can be and hopefully learn more about our world and each other. Usually the discovery lies in that we are all more similar than we are different. Additionally, we hope the festival provides an opportunity for gathering, connectivity, and healing for our community.”

Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – Ventura Music Scene

by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

I’m loving the effort to liven up downtown with businesses staying open later during May and holding special events like a Mom’s night out or a pub crawl. Kudos to the merchants! But of course, you know nothing livens up a place like live music, and you know who has been doing right? Just take a look at the venues in the Ventura Harbor! The Boatyard Pub is officially providing live music seven days a week so between the Boatyard, 805 Wine Bar, the Copa Cubana, Margarita Villa (also seven days a week), and even the Ventura Comedy Club where Tom Scott and LA Express plays time to time, the place is about as lively as you can get!

Nothing goes with warmer weather like a cold brewski, so you won’t want to miss Surf n’ Suds, the beer festival with a surf twist, on Saturday, May 19, at San Buenaventura State Beach. The daylong event not only has over 50 craft breweries, ciders and wine, but they’ll have entertainment from Crosscut 805, DJ Hecktik and After the Smoke.

It’s always a treat when Hi Hat Entertainment brings Billy Vera and the Beaters to town so you’ll want to get your tickets in advance at HiHatEntertainment.com for Friday, May 11, at the Hong Kong Inn. They’ll perform their #1 hit tune, “At this Moment” along with “Millie make some Chili” and other favorites.

It’s awesome that the Museum of Ventura County is offering more live music. On Friday, May 11, it’s “Out of the Ashes: Healing in Story and Song”; the chamber music ensemble, Camerata Pacifica, performs on Sunday, May 13; the weekly Munch series continues Thursdays afternoons where local artists perform at lunch time; and two-time Grammy winner Laurence Juber (lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s Wings) headlines a fundraiser for the Ventura County Library Foundation on May 19. For more information and tickets, visit VenturaMuseum.org.

Quick Notes: cool shows at The Garage include the New Candys from Venice, Italy, on Thursday, May 10, and Jason Steady and the Soft Ponies from Omaha, NE, on Friday, May 11; Topa Mountain Winery in Ojai is hosting a Rose Soiree Event with music from The Salty Suites and The Dales on Saturday, May 12; Grapes and Hops hosts an earlier show on Mother’s day, Sunday, May 13 at 11 am with Stephen Inglis who will perform, “Cut the Dead some Slack” then it’s Dive Bar Steve and Friends at 3 pm; Caught Red Handed plays Plan B Wine Cellars on Sunday, May 13; Oxnard’s Strawberry Festival is over the weekend of May 19-20, and on the Main stage will be Hollywood U2, Highway Starr, Professional Americans, 40oz to Freedom and more; and finally, the Outlaws will be at Discovery on Sunday, May 20 with Crooked Eye Tommy opening.

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.

Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – Ojai News & Events

The Ojai Photo Club will feature photographer Scott Miles as its presenter for May. The free event, “The Scientific Photographer,” will be held on Tuesday, May 15, at 7 p.m. in Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 W. Santa Ana St.

The club, which is devoted to education, inspiration, and camaraderie, meets on the third Tuesday of each month, February – November. Only members may submit images for critique. More information is available at: www.ojaiphotoclub.com/

Jill Santos will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2018, to deliver a presentation on local non-profit Food Forward. Santos is an avid outdoor adventurist who moved to Southern California in 2007.

Food Forward rescues fresh, wholesome produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need and inspiring others to do the same. Food Forward staff and volunteers rescue more than 300,000 pounds of surplus produce each week from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and wholesale warehouses. These fresh fruits and vegetables are donated to over 300 hunger relief agencies across eight counties in Southern California.

On Sunday, May 20th, Ojai Jazz Concerts will feature Mitchell Forman on piano, Kevin Axt, on bass, and Steve Haas on drums. The event will be from 7-9 and doors to the Ojai Art Center, at 113 South Montgomery Street, will open at 6:30. Tickets are available at www.ojaijazzconcerts.com.

Mitch is an award winning pianist who has recorded multiple albums with Chick Corea, Stan Getz and many others.

Kevin is a 2 time Grammy winning bassist with 19 Grammy Nominations. Steve is an award winning drummer who has recorded albums with Cher, Manhattan Transfer, Mavis Staples and many others.

The Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation (OVLFF) invites you to its Annual Memorial Day Weekend Book Sale on Saturday, May 26, Sunday May 27 and Monday 28, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale will be held on the patio and parking lot of the Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Avenue. A huge amount of high quality books will be sold at prices that range from 50 cents to $2.00.

All profits from the book store go to providing the three Ojai Libraries, Oak View, Meiners Oaks and downtown Ojai, with revenue to support special programs for children and adults and for the purchase of additional materials and books.

For further information, visit http://www.ovlff or check out the OVLFF Facebook page.

“Visions of Destruction and Rebirth”

A concurrent exhibition hosted at 7 Ojai venues.

Artists often respond to what they see happening around them by creating something. The work can be evocative of a monumental encounter with fate as in the case of the Thomas Fire. The biggest California wildfire of all time summoned an intense, almost spiritual shared experience, and planted a seed for this special exhibit

Fire and police units respond to multiple intentionally set vegetation and rubbish fires

On April 30, spanning from 9:43am to 4:57pm fire and police units responded to multiple vegetation and rubbish fires, intentionally set in rapid succession within small geographic areas. Fires occurred at various locations between Harbor/Olivas & Telephone/Portola. No structures or property were significantly damaged, and no injuries were reported. An investigation is ongoing, anyone with pertinent information is encouraged to contact the Ventura Police Dept.

Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – Events

Events by Ana Baker

Ventura Poinsettia Dance Club Monday nights 7:30 – 9:45p.m. Poinsettia Pavilion. Ballroom, swing, Latin and line dancing. $10 members, $12 non-members. Dance lessons 6:45 – 7:15 $5 for couple $3 for single. Call Rick 415-8842 for more information.

 

There will be a regular Ventura Discussion Group meeting at Main Street Restaurant 3159 Main St., Wednesday from 4 – 5:45 p.m. Several people usually stay for a drink and a bite to eat afterward. Bring an interesting topic to discuss if you can.

Ventura’s ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club offers games for all levels of play.  Learn the game, play with your peers, and earn master points while you are having fun.  There is a game every day of the week.  Check out their website at www.vcbridge.org

The Ventura Retired Men’s Group welcomes interested men to their semi-monthly Tuesday lunch ($15) meetings at the Ventura Elks lodge. This regular congenial social event, besides a healthy, satisfying meal, supplies a welcome atmosphere to talk and joke, hear a speaker on a variety of relevant topics. Hear more from Steve at 642-1359

Country Western Line Dancing every Tuesday 7 – 9 p.m. Instruction every night. Located at the Moose lodge, 10269 Telephone Road. More information at countrylovers.com.

 

The Ventura County Philatelic Society meets on the first and third Mondays each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Foothills, 6279 Foothill Rd. Admission and parking are free. Come for a great evening.

Contact: Bill Garner 320-1601 or [email protected]

Mended Hearts of Ventura. Come share if you have had heart surgery or stent implant. Group meets the first Tuesday each month at noon at Lemon Wood Mobile Homes, 850 Johnson Dr. Excellent speakers leading Cardiologists, Nutritionists, and Dietitians etc. from our area.

Contact Richard Hatcher at 644-2733.

Are you a stamp collector? The Ventura County Philatelic Society meet on the first and third Mondays each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Church of the Foothills, 6279 Foothill Rd. Admission and parking are free. Contact Bill Garner 320-1601 or [email protected].

Letters for the Lost, an exhibit marking the 90th anniversary of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, commemorates the lives lost during one of America’s worst civil engineering disasters of the 20th century. At the historic Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula. The exhibit runs through July 16. 26 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula ,10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org or call 525-3100.

First Wednesday, of each month, 6-10 p.m., Gold Coast Modular Railroad Club meets at the Murphy Auto Museum. Now exhibiting Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10-4 p.m. Visitors and new members are welcome. 2230 Statham Blvd., Oxnard. www.gemre.com or 229- 74294 for more information

Cross Town Hikers, Join in on Wednesday nights for a moderate-paced hike that includes views of Ventura from the cross, a walk out to the end of the pier, and a stroll along the Promenade back to the Museum. Four miles with an 800-foot elevation gain. Meet at 7 p.m. sharp at the fountain across the street from the Mission. Join Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/800215670039426/

May 11: The General George S. Patton, Jr. Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution May luncheon meeting will feature a special program ” Technology and the Ironclad Ships During the American Civil War “, presented by Mr. Steven Lund. Garden Room, Marie Callender’s Restaurant 1295 S. Victoria Ave. at 11:30 a.m. For additional information or for assistance in determining your possible Revolutionary War genealogical roots, please call Bill Bays 650-3036 or Robert Taylor 216-7992. For information regarding SAR membership and chapter activities, visit the chapter website at http://pattonpatriots.org.

May 17: Ventura Water’s General Manager, Kevin Brown, will be the featured speaker at the meeting of the East Ventura Community Council. Mr. Brown, who oversees the city’s water and wastewater division will address the residents’ concerns about water shortage in light of new construction on the east side o. The council will also hold a discussion about the issue of possible redrawing of council boundaries to more closely coincide with the new electoral districts.

Ventura Police Department will report on crime and safety. 7p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, 346 N. Kimball Road.

May 17: The regular monthly meeting of Assistance League of Ventura County will be on Thursday, at the Chapter House, 913 East Santa Clara Street at 10 a.m., men and women are welcome. Assistance League is creating “A Brighter Tomorrow for Today’s Children” through several philanthropic programs: B.U.F.F.Y. Bear, Operation School Bell®, Girls Club/Teen Club, and Assistance League School for young children with learning disabilities. The Bargain Box Thrift Shop helps fund these programs. assistanceleagueventuracounty.org, like us on Facebook, or email [email protected]. Monday – Thursday, 8 – 2 p.m. 643-2458

May 20: The Ventura and Santa Barbara County chapter of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) will meet Sunday, in the Campus Student Center of Ventura College. The meeting starts at noon and at 11 a.m. there will be an informal workshop where a topic on clocks or watches will be demonstrated and discussed. There will be a mart where items will be for sale followed by lunch and an informational meeting and a program at 1 p.m. The program this month will be a presentation by David Walter on “Watchmaking”. There is a $3 admission charge. Lunch is available for $5. Watches, clocks & tools will be on display and for sale. More information at www.nawcc-ch190.com.

June 1, 2: Rummage sale at First United Methodist Church1338 E. Santa Clara St. Friday, June 1st, 9 – 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 2nd 9 – 12 p.m. Sat is 5 dollar a bag day.

June 6: 16th Annual Mustang, Ford and Ford Powered Charity Car Show. Stampede in the Park, Sunday, 10 – 3 p.m. at the Oak Park Community Park 5600 Hollytree Drive, Oak Park. Fun for all, vendors, food trucks, music, raffles, kids play area and beautiful cars. Charity is Best Friends Animal Society in Mission Hills.

June 13: The Ventura County Camera Club will hold a meeting on Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion. The first part of the meeting will be an instructional workshop followed by the showing of member images. A professional photographer from the area will critique member’s prints and digital images. Admission is free. Only members may submit images for critique. Call 908-5663 or WWW.VenturaCountyCameraClub.com for more information.

Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – Mailbox

Breeze:

Because of the police and ambassador presence on the promenade, the vagrant population on the promenade has all but disappeared. Also, the vegetation on the promenade is being cut away from the ground so there is no place for a vagrant to hide. Additionally, video surveillance cameras are being placed on the condos and Aloha Steakhouse in addition to the surf cam. Commander Tom Higgins was out on the promenade working on the placement of the video surveillance cameras today. Also there was a VPD patrolmen walking the promenade as well as two ambassadors. The City appears to be making a real effort. I am told you can go to the VPD Facebook page to view where the existing video surveillance cameras a focused on.

Murray Robertson

Sheldon:

Your piece on the a Aloha homicide and associated issues is outstanding. Thanks for your fair and thoughtful commentary.

City council member Mike Tracy

Mike:

Thank you very much you are the second city councilmember to complement me. It was the most difficult editorial I’ve written in 10 years. Written and re-written many times. I have written about it again in this issue.

Sheldon

Editor:

I’m not sure if people protesting the recent murder in the way they are are helping Ventura or destroying it. Certainly not helping our image much but this is what our free speech country is all about so I do respect that.

Richard Carlson Ventura

Thanks to Deena Gledhill for sending this photo to us.

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.
~ Oscar Wilde

Girl Scout Troop 61135 assist Ventura Land Trust (VLT) and SoCal Gas in planting in the Big Rock Preserve area

Scout Troop Leader Michelle Oberle and scouts Mia Earley, Carlyn Begalla, Kylie Nelson and Scarlett Oberle had a wonderful time as part of Girl Scout Troop 61135 who had the pleasure of assisting the Ventura Land Trust (VLT) and SoCal Gas in planting milkweed and other pollinator friendly plants in the Big Rock Preserve area. The girls in troop 61135 donated a portion of their cookie proceeds to VLT, to assist with purchasing plants, and they led a butterfly life cycle craft for children at the event. They loved planting butterfly friendly plants and helping with this event and look forward to the next one!

Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – Opinion/Editorial

I want to comment on the people who organized the rallies due to the recent murder. I’m sure that they feel that they are doing the best for Ventura, but I feel that they are misguided and hurting the city.

My concern is the amount of misinformation being spread by them saying that they are helping the city by ridding us of the homeless-vagrants.

It has become like a mob mentality. I certainly understand why people are angry, but we need to use that energy to solve the problem, not exacerbate it.

Much false information is being disseminated that people are reacting to without confirming. For instance, the City is providing and funding “wet houses”. A wet house allows individuals to drink alcohol inside the facility. There is no such city sponsored program in Ventura, this is not true.

Also, saying Chief Corney is making up his own laws, and they are too lenient. He does not make up laws – just tries to enforce the ones that we have.

I saw signs that said the homeless are murderers and killers (isn’t that redundant?) If our homeless are indeed murderers and killers they must be going to other towns to commit these crimes and then coming back to live in Ventura because our weather is so nice. Ventura is a city of 110,000 people. In the first four months of this year we have had only one tragic murder. Hardly a high murder rate. Ventura is just slowly recovering from the fires and now we have this very adverse publicity.

I am really disturbed by having so many TV channels and KFI radio reporting on our “problem”. Was it to make the protesters feel important and powerful? Instead of helping Ventura, involving major news outlets made us look like the murder capital of the West and can only hurt our property values and tourist trade. Tourism brings in lots of tax dollars that help to support the additional police that are being called for.

In response, police have stepped up patrols to 20 hours per day along the Promenade and added security cameras which has greatly decreased the amount of vagrant/homeless people congregating there.

But the question is where did they go? I have friends that live on the east side that say they have very little homeless there. Now, if the homeless go to the east side, residents are going to call for more police involvement. Should we just tell them that’s too bad because all the police are at the promenade? Where does it end?

The city has been taking steps to reduce the homeless, but this must be done considering existing laws and the lack of funds. They started an anti-panhandling campaign, created a patrol task force and utilizing the Park Safety Ambassadors more. A homeless workshop drew almost 250 people. The workshop helped lead to new zoning that allows for overnight stays and daytime services.

Other steps include a program run by the Salvation Army that allows people who have a driver’s license and valid insurance to stay in two designated parking lots and River Haven, a transitional living facility off Harbor. The Ventura Police Department has worked to ensure every officer and dispatcher receives mental health training (many homeless have addictions or are mentally ill).

There is a much better way to solve most of the problems on the Promenade, and it is a win-win solution. The Promenade should be a destination place with many unique restaurants, street musicians, jugglers, artists, magicians, etc. A place full of folks enjoying our wonderful weather and beach. When there are many people present the homeless will leave or be more easily monitored.

Under state law, law enforcement officers and mental health professionals can commit someone against their will for up to 72 hours under very specific conditions. Even if they are “arrested”, Ventura County has 30 psychiatric beds (at our Hillmont facility) available for such patients in a county of over 850,000 people. And, even if they do get admitted, 72 hours is not long enough to stabilize someone. It then takes a court order to hold them against their will. And, again, where would they be kept and who pays?

This problem is certainly not unique to Ventura. It is worldwide, even the Roman’s had to deal with the homeless. Blaming our City Council and Chief Of Police is absurd. Chief Corney and the Ventura Police Department do an excellent job with the funds that they receive. Our City Council understands the problem and have been trying to solve it as best they can for many years considering existing laws and available funding. Some people have tried to make this a political issue, but it is a social issue that needs to be solved.

Even if it is scary to many citizens, it is not a crime for the homeless to be walking down the street talking to themselves or yelling at people. The real crime is that there are not adequate detox facilities for those who want to get off drugs, hardly any mental health facilities or adequate housing for the homeless who need support to turn their lives around and to stay warm during our winters. If there is nowhere for a person to go, they stay in a public place.

We also have a more violent homeless group because of state laws that shifted the responsibility for incarcerating many low-risk inmates from the state to counties (“prison realignment”). This allowed parole consideration for nonviolent felons, changed policies on juvenile prosecution, and authorized sentence credits. Over a year ago, Chief Corney expressed concern that these early release programs might result in a more violent homeless population (vagrants they are called), and it has.

And we have a new group of homeless, those that lived in apartments, without fire insurance, who lost everything in the fires. Some are now homeless living in their cars and some of those that lost their cars are living on the streets.

Of course, the community must work together – we cannot be divided. I welcome, and encourage, your comments to me – both positive and negative. Send them to [email protected] if you want to be heard.

If you do send a note, please follow these guidelines:

Limit comments to about 300 words.

Don’t use profanity – I won’t print it.

Don’t just call me an idiot. It takes no intelligence to complain and criticize, so tell me why I am wrong and offer your solutions. Maybe I will agree with you and change my mind.