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Passover

Passover or Pesach is an important, biblically derived Jewish holiday. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

Passover commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan (Passover 2018 will start the evening of

March 30 and will end the evening of April 7) and lasts for either seven

days (in Israel and for Reform Jews and other progressive Jews around the world who adhere to the Biblical commandment) or eight days for Orthodox, Hasidic, and most Conservative Jews.

A day commences at dusk and lasts until the following dusk, thus the first day of Passover begins after dusk. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

The rituals unique to the Passover celebrations commence with the Passover Seder.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born.

The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to “pass over” the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday.

When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten.

Visit Ventura honored

Visit Ventura has been awarded gold and silver.

Visit Ventura is honored to receive gold and silver awards from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) in the 61st annual Adrian Awards, the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition.

Visit Ventura has been awarded gold for their “Pit-Stop Serenades to Celebrate Awesome Moms” public relations campaign orchestrated in partnership with dude. be nice. The campaign celebrated three moms whose endless support illustrates the community spirit behind Ventura’s sunny disposition, starring a backdrop of three iconic Ventura locations. Families led unknowing moms to pre-staged locations where busloads of well-wishers unloaded in flash mob style to sing moms their favorite songs. With the help of generous partners, moms also received Ventura staycations, reiterating the message that Ventura is the perfect holiday destination. Watch the video here.

Visit Ventura is also honored to receive a silver award for their “Destination Storytelling Through Music” marketing campaign orchestrated in partnership with Sound Off Films and singer/songwriter Haley Grigaitis. Upon finding the song ‘Pierpont’, Visit Ventura sought to partner with the singer/songwriter and a local production team to create a shareable music video featuring Ventura landmarks and cameos of well-known locals. The goal was to add a musical element to Ventura’s brand identity that would resonate with new audiences and develop a stronger sense of identity for existing audiences. Watch the video here.

“Our team is honored to be among the top tourism industry organizations to receive Adrian Awards for travel marketing excellence and ever-grateful to have a board of directors and community partners that trust our vision to bring kooky ideas to life,” said Visit Ventura President & CEO Marlyss Auster.

Out of over 1,100 entries submitted this year, Visit Ventura’s work was judged to be exceptional by expert hospitality, travel, tourism, and media professionals. Judges were asked to evaluate each entry based on its own merit and success in achieving its objectives. At least three judges reviewed each entry.

Kellogg Park Grand Opening & Ribbon-Cutting

Explore the park and all of its new amenities.

Let’s play! The City of Ventura Parks, Recreation & Community Partnerships Department is proud to announce the official Grand Opening and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Kellogg Park, located at the corner of Kellogg Street and Ventura Avenue, on Saturday, April 14 from 10 am-noon. Opening day festivities include live music, games of cornhole and chess, free snacks and giveaways (while supplies last). Explore the park and all of its new amenities including play and exercise equipment, a walking path, turf slide, public art, and an amphitheater.

Tours of the new Kellogg Park Community Garden will take place during the opening celebration from 10 am-noon. Garden plot rental fees will include raised planter boxes, water, and gardening equipment to grow healthy, organic fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

For more information about the park or grand opening, visit the Kellogg Park website.

To date 7 countries and 49 states responded by providing quilts

Volunteer Staci Brown and Kat Merrick proudly display one of the quilts available for those affected by recent tragedies.

On December 4, 2017 the Thomas Fire and mudslides devastated Ventura and Montecito. Watching this devastation unfold the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild(MQG)

and “superbuzzy” Fabrics & Craft Supplies Store decided to help by creating quilts for those affected. To date 7 countries and 49 states responded by helping in the quilting efforts and over 400 quilts were delivered to the Modern Quilting Guilds headquarters in Ventura.

Seeing the need for help in distributing the quilts to those affected they contacted Kat Merrick Founder of Totally Local VC’s Local Love Project for help.

On Thursday, March 8, the Modern Quilting Guild, Mission San Buena Ventura, The Jewish Federation of Ventura County and Totally Local VC’s Local Love Project hosted a Pop Up Shop to distribute quilts along with other donated houseware items. The event took place in the Parish Hall at the Mission.

Besides the handmade quilts the Jewish Federation donated sheet sets, Totally Local VC’s Local Love Project donated many items as did FOOD Share.

Scott Griffin, Ventura MQG VP and Kelly Stevens, Ventura MQG founding member and owner of superbuzzy, each began projects to bring comfort and loving warmth to the fire and slide victims. As the fire spread northwards, these efforts were coordinated to answer the quilt needs of victims in both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

When founder Kat Merrick created Totally Local VC (TotallyLocalVC.com) over 9 years ago she and her team made a solid commitment to our community. When she lost her home in the Thomas Fire her commitment to helping others became even stronger.

She stated “Our goal is to activate members of our community in the aftermath of a traumatic event within Ventura County and the 805 to provide relief and support to those affected by disaster or in a time of need. We work to solve immediate needs for those impacted by either a disaster in our community or those in need as well as provide the necessary items to help our neighbors as they work to restore their lives.”

Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Report

Storm water runoff can transport physical hazards into the ocean. Photo by Richard Lieberman

As part of the Ventura County Ocean Water Quality Monitoring Program, the Environmental Health Division is providing the following precautionary information for the public. Rainfall that is significant enough to result in runoff can flow into storm drains, channels, creeks, and rivers that empty onto the beaches of Ventura County. In general, 0.2 inches (2 tenths of an inch) of rainfall may be enough to create significant runoff conditions.

There is a potential for storm water runoff to carry disease causing bacteria to the beaches and into the ocean water. In addition, storm water runoff can transport physical hazards such as partially submerged tree limbs and logs into the ocean that could result in serious physical injury. Contact with this runoff water will result in an increased risk to human health and should be avoided for at least 72 hours after all rainfall activity has ended.

As a result of the recent and predicted rainfall, the public is advised to avoid body contact with all storm water runoff and ocean water at all Ventura County beaches. Any items that may have come in contact with runoff or ocean water should also be avoided. If contact occurs, wash thoroughly with soap and water.

Any shellfish on or from Ventura County beaches may have also been exposed to this contamination and should not be eaten.

This advisory will remain in effect for 72 hours (3 days) after all rainfall has ended.

Bacteriological sample results for specific beaches are also available on the Environmental Health Division hotline (recorded information), 805/662-6555, and on the Division’s Web page at:

http://vcrma.org/envhealth/technical-services/ocean/index.html

You can also view any current beach advisories and learn about the State ocean water quality standards on the VC Safe Beaches app, available for Android and Apple devices.

Ventura Family YMCA gives to employees who lost homes

Dana is one of the staff who received $1,000.00.

At the YMCA Campaign Report Night on Feb. 23, four employees who lost their home from the Thomas Fire received $1000 from the Ventura Family YMCA. The $4000 was donated from San Francisco YMCA’s emergency relief fund.

Every year, the San Francisco Y donates to a fund to support YMCAs that have experienced disasters or have other dire needs. “When the Director of Human Resources heard about the fires in the Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, he gathered the team together and they determined, right away, that they wanted to support the work that Ventura YMCA was doing to help those impacted by the fire,” said Margo Byrne, Chief Operations Officer of the Channel Islands YMCA.

The Ventura Y has elected to keep the names of the four employees anonymous. At the report night, one of the employees shared her story about how the YMCA helped her during the Thomas Fire. The Y staff member explained that they didn’t take anything when they initially evacuated with her four children. “We were up to the left of Ventura High School so we weren’t that concerned.”

When her neighbors started evacuating, she and her family left to her father’s house. When they arrived, she asked her father to take her back to the house to pick up a few items. They returned to find her whole street on fire, and they left with nothing.

The morning after her house had burned down, Amy Bailey Jurewicz, Executive Director for the Ventura Family YMCA, was the first to check on her. The employee stated, “I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt if the Y had not offered the childcare that they did, I would not have made it through this.”

At the end of the night, Amber Stevens, Associate Executive Director at the Ventura Family YMCA, stated, “We have amazing staff here. It’s nice to be able to say we can help when we hear our staff is in trouble.” The Y also paid all of their employees for hours while the facility was closed during the fires.

Information about the Ventura Family YMCA, visit http://www.ciymca.org/Ventura or call 642.2131.

Cypress Place accepting scholarship applications

Ventura High School students Daniela Aranda and Sierra Conboy) were awarded “Senior to Senior Legacy Scholarship” in 2016.

When the owners of Cypress Place Senior Living decided to create a scholarship fund for local high school students wanting to pursue a college degree, the Cypress Place Senior Living “Senior to Senior Legacy Scholarship” was created.

By awarding two $2500 scholarships to local high school seniors, residents at Cypress Place are attempting to pass on opportunities for young people in the community, according to Steve Spira, executive director at Cypress Place.

Applicants need to have a verified 3.2 or higher GPA and to have applied for fall 2018 admission to a college or university with the intention of obtaining a degree. Applicants are also asked to submit an essay about their reason for pursuing higher education along with a personal account of how a senior or seniors has affected their life, including specific examples of intergenerational experiences of the applicant.

Residents on the Resident Scholarship Committee at Cypress Place will read the essays, then hold oral interviews with the semi-finalists to determine the two award winners.

The scholarships are open to senior students at Ventura High School, Buena High School, Foothill Technology High School, El Camino High School, and St. Bonaventure High School. The deadline for submitting a completed application packet is Friday, April 20, at 5:00pm. Qualified applicants will be invited to a mandatory oral interview on May 11. The presentation of the two scholarships will be held Thursday, May 31, at 5:30p.m. at Cypress Place Senior Living. The recipients must be available to attend the presentation event to receive an award.

For more information or to receive an application packet please contact Pam Staniland, Director of Sales and Marketing at Cypress Place Senior Living 656-9500 x 201,or via email at [email protected].

Cypress Place Senior Living is at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Lane. To learn more about Cypress Place Senior Living of Ventura, visit their web site at www.cypressplaceseniorliving.com.

“Pig with no name” to return for St. Patrick’s Day Parade

When the Ventura Elks Lodge’s 30th annual County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade makes its march up Main St., it will feature a new green pig.

As Ventura history can report, Shamhock – the giant inflatable green pig who’d been a mainstay of the parade for 26 of its 29 years – collapsed last year along the parade route, right in front of the judges’ viewing stand.

To parade committee chairman Tim O’Neil, who’d “fathered” the pig back in the 1980s, it was a devastating loss. “He died right there in front of me,” said O’Neil, who announces the parade every year.

Now, the parade committee is thrilled to announce that, using the dead pig’s “DNA” (i.e. fabric) along with copious photos, they’ve been able to create a new exact identical pig, who will debut at this year’s parade!

The resilient pig plays right into the “Ventura Strong” theme of the milestone parade, which will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 17, at the San Buenaventura Mission on Main St., and will proceed along Main to Ash Street.

The true heroes of the “Ventura Strong” movement are the parade’s grand marshals: the incredible first responders who worked tirelessly to suppress the raging Thomas Fire and to help its victims.

To honor them, the parade committee encourages all spectators to bring homemade signs thanking the first responders for their remarkable efforts and courage. We really want them to feel the love.

Also joining the parade this year will be Irish Belles Cameryn Boggio-Shean of Ventura High and Jonyssa Carrillo of El Camino High. For the first time in the eight-year history of its Irish Belle program, the parade committee has selected two winners to share the honor. Both Cameryn and Jonyssa are seniors at their Ventura high schools.

Presented each year by the Elks Club’s Ventura Lodge No. 1430, the popular St. Patrick’s Day parade draws thousands of spectators, and dozens of entries.

The judges who will select winning entries this year are Nicole Ipach of California State University, Channel Islands; Ventura Unified School District Superintendent David Creswell; parade committee member James Lockwood, Sue Georgino of Georgino Development and the Elks Club’s Connie Stahl.

Dozens of sponsors support the annual parade, including many who have given generously every year for decades.

The NALA helps kids through Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s Project Easter

The NALA, a boutique marketing agency headquartered in Ventura, is asking the community to participate in the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation’s Project Easter, which entails collecting Easter baskets for children with cancer and their siblings. The Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation (TBCF), the NALA’s charity partner, is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization providing financial and emotional support to families of children with cancer living in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation provides emotional, educational and financial assistance to families living in the Tri-County Region that have a child with cancer. The vision of Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation is to be the lead agency to instill resilience in families experiencing pediatric cancer. It provides programs that allow parents to be supported and to know they are not alone. For more information, please call 962-7466, or visit http://www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org.

“We will put together the baskets with all of the goodies donated and TBCF will then deliver them to hospitals. The baskets are given to children with cancer, as well as their siblings,” said Tiffani Tendell, the NALA’s Press Manager and Charity Director.

Santa Barbara area residents can donate directly at the office of the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, 3892 State Street, Suite 220, until March 22nd. https://www.teddybearcancerfoundation.org/project-easter

TBCF helps defray costs that are often overlooked. These include monthly bills (rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.), automobile and related transportation costs, and other similar expenses, as a parent usually has to take time off work or quit their job to spend quality time caring for their child in the hospital during their treatment. To donate directly to TBCF, please visit https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E105892&id=2.