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Local, award winning fiber artist Karen Payton takes her fabric portraits to Coastal Communities Cancer Center

Local, award-winning fiber artist Karen Payton has taken her fabric portraits to the windows of the Coastal Communities Cancer Center at 2900 Loma Vista (and Joanne).

Karen Payton has a background rooted in the apparel industry but currently splits her time between creating art and working in digital marketing. She has been collecting fabric and old clothing for years and searches for harmonious colors and patterns to complete her work. Many of her images include hand embroidery using thousands of colored stitches to render beautiful, soulful portraits. Embroidery is one of the best ways to personalize fabrics. Karen is extremely talented at embroidery, with most of her designs being from her own mind.

After two close friends began treatment for cancer, Karen was drawn to the opportunity to display her work at the hospital. “If I can bring even a moment of joy to patients and their families, it would mean so much.” Karen’s art will be on display in the windows until June 8.

After seeing the impact of these fabric portraits upon the patients in this center, perhaps more people around the country would like to do something similar to put a smile on some people’s faces. People don’t even just have to create portraits, they could also look at personalizing clothing or other pieces of fabrics. Beginners can always get their machine embroidery designs online if they’re not too sure what designs to use. There are websites online that offer multiple designs, guaranteed to make some people smile. All people would need is an embroidery machine and they would be ready to go. Putting smiles on the patient’s face is so rewarding, so it might be fun to follow in Karen’s footsteps and do some embroidery of your own.

Traveler Cafe

Lara and Tony have created a unique eating establishment.

by James Francis Gray

The MacIsaac family persevered through life’s most difficult challengers to open Traveler Café, located at 1070 E. Front St.

Traveler Café, founded by three generations of the MacIsaac family— Grandfather, Robert MacIsaac, first, who passed away in February of 2018, Father, Tony MacIsaac, second and daughter, Lara MacIsaac, third. They began with a common desire to create a unique eating establishment here in the Ventura area.

Lara’s parents, Tony and Jennifer, were vital in the very beginning, designing the restaurant and negotiating the lease, etc. Lara, from day one, handled the day-to-day operations.

A gathering place of comfort where food is prepared from scratch, served with warmth and a friendly smile. Customers are their family and family is always first.

After Lara earned a B.A in History from California State University, Channel Islands the family decided to open Traveler Café. It took almost one year before settling on the Front street location. Everyone pitched in, Tony, his wife, Jennifer, Lara and grandfather, all working long hours to achieve a set goal.

The newly restored establishment is in its second year, bringing a joyful eating experience to Ventura.

The café is inspired both, as individuals and as a family of world travelers. They do their own baking from scratch and smoke the meats on the premises. They create delicious recipes to ensure the tastiest worldwide culinary experiences.

Comfort inside and out, offer a special dining delight. The inside design has a collection of posters and knick-knacks from their world travels and have added customer travel photos, too. The dog friendly outdoor patio is a perfect spot for pet lovers.

High quality is tops with the Traveler Café patrons, new customers and anyone who walks through the friendly doors.

Traveler Café initially featured an eclectic menu. A new expanded menu, now offered to all by their best professional staff of cooks, bakers and friendly servers. They cannot thank enough, their dedicated staff and employees for making Traveler Café a success.

Traveler Café is and continues to be a wonderful and heartwarming success.

On April 28 , 2-4pm Ventura Food Coop will present a free workshop “Living Food” at Harvest Café. Discussion led by Michelle Lopez Dohrn and Susan Cousineau.

Do you want to start a business?

Are you ready to become an entrepreneur, or expand your existing small business? Afraid to “go it alone,” or unsure how to proceed? WEV’s training programs guide you in taking the next step. Attend a free 1-hour orientation, where you’ll meet a WEV representative that will help you determine if SET, EXPLORE, or another WEV program is right for you!

WEV’s business training classes are offered in English and Spanish throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Free orientations are held throughout the year and are required for enrollment in a training program.

Exact locations given at registration. Free but registration is required

Orientation locations are subject to change. For more information, dates and to register for an upcoming orientation, visit WEV’s Web site at http://www.wevonline.org/orientations.

Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV provides training, consulting and loans to help entrepreneurs start, grow and thrive in business. While WEV targets its services toward women, it serves men as well, and provides many services in English and Spanish.

Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and consulting to over 14,000 women and men throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and made more than $4 million in loans, assisting over 4,000 local businesses. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

To learn more, visit www.wevonline.org.

City of Ventura to replace Downtown parking pay stations with new, improved model

The City of Ventura is replacing Downtown parking pay stations with a new, improved model that is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). The new technology offers enhanced screen displays and options for future software upgrades such as pay-by-cell. There are no changes to the current parking program rates and hours of operation.

Much like cell phones and computers, pay stations and pay station system technologies are rapidly evolving. The current base operating system on the original pay stations will no longer be in compliance with the PCI DSS therefore, the pay stations will be replaced. This recommendation is supported by the Downtown Parking Advisory Committee.

All net revenue from the parking pay stations goes back into Downtown and funds a police officer who is dedicated to making downtown a safer and cleaner place to visit. Parking revenue was recently used to install security cameras, lighting upgrades, and other improvements. The pay stations help to create turnover and open parking spaces allowing customers to find parking close to merchants.

11th Annual Eco Fest held on Earth Day

On Saturday, March 21 Ventura celebrated Earth Day at the 11th annual Eco Fest held in Plaza Park. The event is presented by the Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education (located off of Ventura Ave.) in cooperation with the city of Ventura. The celebration included entertainment, food trucks, over one-hundred exhibitors, the Ventura Breeze booth attended by Jaime Baker, James Francis Gray and Ana Baker and much more.

Grand Opening of Kellogg Park

It was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration for park that has something for all ages.

by Amber Hansen

The City of Ventura and The Trust for Public Land held the long-awaited and highly anticipated Grand Opening of Kellogg Park on Saturday, April 14, from 10 am to noon. The event began with an official ribbon cutting and speeches by: Nancy O’Connor (Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships, City of Ventura), Matt LaVere (Deputy Mayor, City of Ventura), Mark Martinez (on behalf of Congresswoman Julia Brown), State Senator Hanna-Beth Jackson, Guillermo Rodriguez (California State Director of The Trust for Public Land), Sedrick Mitchell (Deputy Director of External Affairs, California State Parks), Mr. Yukio Shinozaki (Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mitsubishi Corporation), Michelle Newell (Public Affairs Specialist for Aera Energy), local donors David Hilty and Steven Peterson, and community member Jackie Pierce.

Nestled between rolling green hills, on the corner of Kellogg and Ventura Avenue, the park features state of the art amenities including: two playgrounds (for ages 2-5 and 5-12), nature play areas, permanent cornhole stations, chess and checker tables, outdoor fitness equipment stations, an amphitheater, and ¼ mile walking path.

Aside from the man-made amenities, Kellogg Park is built with 1.5 acres of native plants. The park is built with water efficiency in mind and the grass play areas are drought tolerant. 95 new trees have been planted on the property, which will provide shade and a splash of greenery on the Westside in the years to come.

The park also features a new community garden with 47 plots available for members of the public to rent. The garden focusses on organic practices, free from the use of pesticides, and includes composting bins for community gardeners’ use. Attendees of the Grand Opening were able to tour the new garden space and obtain information about renting a plot.

Nancy O’Connor, Director of the City of Ventura’s Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department, said “Kellogg Park is an exciting addition to the Ventura Community. The variety of play amenities, the walking path, and the amazing views reaffirm the City’s commitment to our residents and their quality of life.”

The opening was packed with excited families taking full advantage of the new play areas, workout stations, and other amenities. A live band provided entertainment for the public and free goodies were handed out- it was an immensely joyful and exuberant celebration.

Matt LaVere, the Deputy Mayor of the City of Ventura, stated “what makes Ventura such an incredible place to live is its amazing collection of parks, beaches and open space. Kellogg Park is absolutely beautiful and I know children, families, and seniors on the Westside are going to love this latest addition to their neighborhood.”

For more information about Kellogg Park or to make a donation, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/KelloggPark.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live near a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit www.tpl.org.

Kellogg Park Timeline

2012 Kellogg St. parcel listed for sale

2013 Ventura City Council approves purchase of the site. Trust for Public Land (TPL)and City receive $1 million grant from the State of California

2014 TPL and City receive $584,000 grant state of California

2015 Pacific Coast Landscape and Design hired to design park. Ventura Community Partners Foundation begins major fundraising campaign

2016 TPL and City receives a second $230,800 grant from the State of California and $1.5 million grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the US Department of the Interior

2017 Construction begins on Park. Kellogg Park receives additional funds of $240,000

April 14, 2018 Kellogg Park opens to the public

Dietary supplements

Eating a variety of healthy foods is the best way to get the nutrients you need.

by the National Institute on Aging

Dietary supplements are substances you might use to add nutrients to your diet. There are a large number of different dietary supplements out there such as cat’s claw, and typically they might contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, herbs or other plants, or enzymes. Most of the time eating a variety of healthy foods is the best way to get the nutrients you need. However, some people don’t get enough vitamins and minerals from their daily diet. Your doctor or health team can tell you if you need to take something extra that might be missing from your daily diet. There are loads of different diet supplements that you can get such as this Lectin Shield, but you have to find the right one for you first.

If you are thinking about using dietary supplements:

Find out as much as you can about any dietary supplement you might take. Talk with your doctor, your pharmacist, or a registered dietitian. If your doctor said that you struggled with maintaining an erection consider VigRX Plus on LeadingEdgeHealth.com. A supplement that seemed to help your neighbor might not work for you. If you are reading fact sheets or checking websites, be aware of the source of the information. Read more about choosing reliable health information websites.

Just because something is said to be “natural” doesn’t mean it is safe or good for you. It could have side effects. It might make a medicine your doctor prescribed for you either weaker or stronger. It could also be harmful to you if you have certain medical conditions. You may also find it easier to take in certain forms based on your conditions, such as those you can see if you click here. Speak with your doctor before you make any choices.

Your doctor needs to know if you decide to use a dietary supplement. Do not diagnose or treat any health condition without first checking with your doctor. Learn how medications can interact with dietary supplements. For more information, visit the National Center for Complementary and

Integrative Health.

Choose brands that your doctor, dietitian, or pharmacist recommend. Don’t buy dietary supplements with ingredients you don’t need. Don’t assume that more is better. It is possible to waste money on unneeded supplements.

Make sure any claim about a dietary supplement is based on scientific proof. The company making the dietary supplement should be able to send you information on the safety and/or effectiveness of the ingredients in a product, which you can then discuss with your doctor. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Forum highlights life-saving techniques to live “stronger together”

The Ventura County Elderly Fall Prevention Coalition will be hosting a bilingual Fall Prevention Forum that will focus on life-saving strategies and offer a variety of other services, including health assessments, pneumonia and flu vaccinations. The event will be held at Oxnard Family Circle on Saturday, April 28th, from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

With the tagline, “Stronger Together,” the bilingual forum will provide a variety of methods and informational sessions in both English and Spanish that are designed to arm adults and caregivers with the tools necessary to prevent falls and increase mobility. Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. Of those individuals, half will die within a year from complications and injuries sustained from the fall.

The forum will feature health assessments, free pneumonia and flu vaccinations, as well as glucose, blood pressure, and vision screenings. Individuals will also have the opportunity to take part in exercise demonstrations for Zumba, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, Stepping On, and A Matter of Balance. Lunch and refreshments will be provided to those in attendance.

Speakers will include Vladimir Serrano, MD, Family Physician with Magnolia West Clinic, and Dr. Thomas Duncan DO, Trauma Medical Director, Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital.

Oxnard Family Circle is located at 2100 Outlet Center Drive in Oxnard. To register for the event, or for more information, please contact the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging’s Fall Prevention Program at 477-7343.