The Coffee Connections Wednesday morning networking meetings are held every week, 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. at Spice-Topia, 576 E. Main St. in downtown Ventura. They start the meeting right after reading the Breeze.
Sitting front row center is Debbie Echevarria of Your Business Support, the founding leader of the Coffee Connections networking group with the Ventura Breeze contributing writers Carol Leish and James Francis Gray at her side. For more information visit their web page www.ybstoday.com.
Employment Development Department (EDD)invites you to attend aNo Charge an Employee or Independent Contractor Seminar on December 6, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
EDD Tax Office Training Room
4820 McGrath Street, Suite 200
To make reservations, visit the EDD website at www.edd.ca.gov/Payroll_Tax_Seminars/ or call 866-873-6083.
The EDD is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Requests for services, aids, and/or alternate formats need to be made prior to the event by calling 866-873-6083 (voice) or TTY 888-547-9565.
by Sheli Ellsworth
Local author, Patrice Karst, is planning the sequels to her bestselling (2000) children’s book, The Invisible String. Karst describes the book, that has sold more than 250,000 copies, as a heart-warming and reassuring story that addresses the issue of separation anxiety for children of all ages.
Karst’s “string” is the love that binds us to each other, reminding us that we are never alone, and that when we are loved beyond our wildest imagination. “I simply wrote it because it was something that had comforted my son Elijah from me being gone all day as a single working mother and I wanted him and all others to know that this string transcends time and space and that love connects us all and always will and nothing is stronger than love—not time or space or anger or even death.”
Karst says the book is also being used by school districts, therapists, hospitals and hospices, the military, the prison system, divorce attorneys, foster and adoption programs, bereavement groups, etc. and helps children understand what love really is.
Karst, who has been writing since she was a teenager, is also the author of The Smile That Went Around the World, and the adult books: God Made Easy and The Single Mother’s Survival Guide. She wrote her first book as the result of a difficult break-up. Karst says she, “. . . has been on a fascinating spiritual journey since she was a young girl looking out in awe at the glistening stars.”
Born in London, England, Karst moved to Ventura from Ojai a couple of years ago and lives at the beach with a zany wiener dog named Coco. She loves living in Ventura. She says the food, the people, the hills and the beach make for a unique Bohemian vibe.
by Jennifer Tipton
It all started with a Bible study group in 1867, before that Ventura had only one church, the historic Mission of San Buenaventura, founded in 1782 by Padre Junipero Serra.
The location for First United Methodist church has changed several times with the first built in 1874 on Oak Street and then a new structure on Oak and Meta in 1891 that served as a beacon to all travelers passing through Ventura on Highway 101. Due to an expanding congregation, the church moved again in 1928 to its current location at 1338 East Santa Clara.
Being part of Ventura for 150 years, the church has some interesting history …
In 1917, one of the ministers was overseeing the Easter sunrise service at Serra cross, he began the walk up the steep road before dawn and when he arrived at the top, he suddenly fell dead at the foot of the cross shocking everyone!
On December 21, 1921 Troop 102 of the Boy Scouts of America was organized at The First United Methodist Church and is there today as the oldest troop in Ventura.
When the church moved to its current location, the building on Oak and Meta was sold to the Salvation Army, it burned to the ground shortly thereafter.
The memorial windows in the sanctuary were dedicated in 1929 with the beautiful rose window donated by the American Legion in memory of the men who died in WW1.
In 1950, Ventura College Miss Mildred Keys instructor and chairman on their Commission on Education passed away and the family established the church library in her memory, the Mildred Keys Memorial Library
I met with Barbara Tomblin, a minister at the church since 2002 and Dave Stork, a church member since 1948. When asked about the changes in the church, I’m told they have added a contemporary (more casual) service to accompany the traditional service on Sunday mornings and the sanctuary now offers an audio induction loop for the hearing impaired, Dave said, “you can sit in the parking lot and listen to the sermon!”
Dave belonged to Troop 102, he was one of 5000 attending the boy scout jamboree in 1950, and it was Dave’s dad that did the woodwork seen in the sanctuary today.
The First United Methodist Church is an onsite tutoring center for Project Understanding and some members are very active in the community; Dave’s wife, Midge is on the Board of Directors with Ventura Botanical Gardens and Shelly Foote is a volunteer at the museum after being a costume historian at the Smithsonian (Shelly’s parents were married in the church).
Barbara shares, “there have been a lot of changes, except for the music program which has always been exceptional”, she reports the Director of Music, Sally Rose Bates has commissioned a song writer to compose a song just for the church’s 150th anniversary.
On Sunday, November 19th, First United Methodist Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary beginning at 8am and including a special all community Thanksgiving lunch.
For details visit www.fumcventura.org
Cooler water temperatures and other favorable sea conditions have returned the Ventura Squid Fleet to the Ventura Harbor Village. In late October and early November squid landings are increasing. They are currently averaging over 500 tons per day.
All of the squid seiner* slips are occupied with some vessels even rotating in a shared slip arrangement.
All three squid offloading companies are currently in full operation with individual seiner vessels making squid landings at the Ventura Harbor Fish Pier daily, Monday through Friday.
One vessel, Ocean Angel II, made a landing the second week of November of 100 tons of squid. At $1,000 a ton this vessel received a $100,000 payday. The Port District receives $7.99 for each ton off-loaded by the squid companies.
News of the Ocean Angel II landing has resulted in an enormous number of requests for seiner moorage in the harbor which unfortunately they cannot accommodate.
The previous three squid seasons proved largely disappointing for California with small individual vessel loads and missed quotas.
The current squid landings are re-igniting enthusiasm among the fishermen and delighting visitors to Ventura Harbor who can observe the vessels arriving into the harbor and the activity of the squid being off-loaded from the Ventura Harbor Village Promenade.
Frank Locklear
Manager, Ventura Harbor Village Marina, Commercial Fisheries and Technology
“The Ventura Harbor Village welcomes the return of squid to the area. The presence of the squid fishermen and their vessels paint a colorful maritime picture of the harbor. Please come visit the Ventura Harbor Village and enjoy all the wonderful food, activities, sights and sounds that the Ventura Harbor provides.”
*Seine (/seɪn/ SAYN) fishing (or seine-haul fishing) is a method of fishing that employs a seine or dragnet. A seine is a fishing net that hangs vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down by weights and its top edge buoyed by floats. Seine nets can be deployed from the shore as a beach seine, or from a boat.Boats deploying seine nets are known as seiners.
A gala event celebrating the opening of the newly restored Meister Hall will take place at Temple Beth Torah, 7620 Foothill Road at 6 p.m. on Saturday December 2.
“I am delighted that Meister Hall has been given such a magnificent makeover,” said long time Temple member Barbara Meister, “and I am happy that we continue to be an integral part of the Temple’s remarkable history in Ventura County.”
Almost 40 years ago Meister Hall was named to honor the generous support of longtime residents Barbara and Larry Meister, and it has since served as the venue for countless Temple events—from weddings to bar mitzvah’s to the annual Jewish Film Festival.
The Dec 2nd fundraiser features a landmark four course wine-maker’s dinner, live music and a live auction.
Arrivals at Temple Beth Torah will be ushered into the newly restored community center which has just undergone a major six month refurbishment.
This opening event, sponsored by the Temple’s Brotherhood, includes an exciting evening of gourmet food with matching wine introduced by oenophile (a lover or connoisseur of wine) Ron Halpern, a long time Temple Beth Torah member. Jay Kosoff will be MC for the evening.
Tickets for this special event, are $75.00 and reservations can be made by calling Temple Beth Torah at 647-4181.
by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com
The holiday season is in full swing with Ventura looking as lovely as ever with music keeping us as lively as ever. To start off with, it’s the “social event of the year,” Ventura Winter Wine Walk and Holiday Street Fair on Saturday, December 2. The holiday street fair is free and runs from Noon until 8 pm; the main stage of music is also free and located at the corner of Main and California with City Hall as the backdrop. The bands rockin’ the event this year are the Road Brothers, Adelaide and the Bomb. Then of course it’s the Wine Walk (21 and over) which typically sells out every year; it runs from 4 until 7 pm.
Squashed Grapes is hosting a fundraiser for the local chapter of Notes for Notes on Saturday afternoon, December 2, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm with two acts on the bill. Firstly, it’s the East Valley Road band featuring Notes for Notes students who are raising funds to help them get to a Blues competition in Nashville, and then it’s Patrick Warburton’s band called The Bearded Pearl Clams featuring Pearl Jam tunes. Yes, you read that right, it is that Patrick Warburton of Seinfeld and Rules of Engagement fame. It’s all about raising awareness about this amazing program available to our up and coming young musicians here in Ventura where they have a state-of-the-art recording studio available to them and soon a mentoring program featuring a Master’s program with key local musicians. You can learn more about this non-profit organization at NotesForNotes.org.
The Surfrider Foundation’s 8th annual Pints Against Plastics benefit will be held at Discovery on Saturday, November 25th, with Through the Roots and Rising Son providing the reggae. The fundraiser is for litter prevention efforts for Ventura County beaches and rivers. Find out more at Ventura.Surfrider.org.
Quick notes: Kick off the holiday weekend with pre-Thanksgiving fun on Wednesday night, November 22, with Yachtley Crew at Bombay’s; Nathan McEuen returns to town with a show at Grapes and Hops on Friday, November 24, with what he calls Nathan McEuen and the Enormous Ego Band; there’s a Numbskull Productions show at the Garage with Captured! By Robots on Friday, November 24; catch The Tenderloin and Spivey Spi at Duke’s on Seaward on Friday, December 1; the Old Time Country Music Christmas concert will be held on Sunday, December 3, at the Poinsettia Pavilion; and just released, the soundtrack to the documentary featuring local blind musician, Rachel Flowers, “Hearing is Believing.”
And finally, Ray Jaurique and the Uptown Brothers are working on their second release. Ray told me he’s penned ten or eleven new songs and that this one will include some special guest players; they’re working out of Castaway 7 Studios here in Ventura.
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.
Elena Brokaw and Board Chair Kate McLean accepting a donation Amy Fonzo.
The Museum of Ventura County and California Resources Corporation (CRC) hosted a “Moment of Gratitude,” on Thursday, Nov. 9, to thank city and county officials and community members for their support throughout the Museum’s fiscal challenge. In a special presentation, CRC’s Amy Fonzo, manager, external relations, gave the museum a check for $5,000 to seed the museum’s new corporate giving program, and encouraged other corporations to ‘meet us or beat us’ in their support of the museum.
Ventura County Community Foundations Director Vanessa Bechtel, in attendance at the event, responded by committing VCCF to a Corporate Platinum Membership of $2,500.
In addition, Elena Brokaw, who recently accepted the permanent position as executive director, introduced the Museum’s new board of directors and shared an update on the museum’s progress over the past four months, including the securing of $1.675 million in corporate and individual gifts, and the procurement of one main location in Camarillo to be used to catalog and store the museum’s extensive collection . Brokaw credited TOLD Corporation’s Rod Gilbert, who is a special advisor to the Museum with being instrumental in securing the new storage location.
“The museum has so many treasures that for years have been packed away in storage,” said Brokaw. “We are eager to begin a formal process of identifying and cataloging the entire collection, and expanding our programming to incorporate all of the pieces of history currently in our care.”
The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library. Located at 100 East Main St., the Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Visit venturamuseum.org or call 653.0323 for more information.
Footworks Youth Ballet presents Tchaikovsky’s famous classical holiday ballet The Nutcracker on December 9th and 10th in two full-length performances at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. They’ll be accompanied by the Footworks Community Orchestra and singers from the Carpe Diem Chorus. Family friendly matinees on both days begin at 2 p.m.
This 14th annual production of The Nutcracker will dazzle audiences with its colorful costumes, professional sets and live orchestra and choir. Artistic director Kirsten Oakley also adds a little twist to the story each year, providing a freshness and whimsy that makes each year special.
Founded by Kirsten Oakley, Footworks Youth Ballet was created with the goal of providing a place for young people to thrive and grow through the joy of dance as they learn the art and discipline of classical ballet. Technique classes are offered through Oakley Ballet Center, for children ages 5-18.
In keeping with the mission of Footworks, senior student dancers perform in principal roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy or Snow Queen, giving young artists the opportunity to partner with professional male guest artists. As Oakley explains, “Even if a student leaves ballet after high school, they take with them a great appreciation for the classics, having explored the art form to its utmost and seen the results of their dedication and effort.”
For each ballet production, Footworks Youth Ballet hosts a sold-out performance for over 3,000 school-aged children to see the ballet. Most of the tickets for the children are provided at the reduced fee of $5.00 each, and many of the students qualify for free tickets.
Join Footworks Youth Ballet for their Family Educational Hour one hour prior to each show to learn about the production, costumes, ballet history and music.
The Nutcracker, presented by Footworks Youth Ballet.
Sat. Dec. 9th, 2:00 pm
Sun. Dec. 10th, 2:00 pm
Oxnard Performing Arts Center
Tickets $19, $24, $29
Call 486.2424 to buy tickets, or order online at footworksyouthballet.org
The high school Youth and Government delegates of Ventura Family YMCA are on a mission to raise supplies to create care packages for US soldiers overseas. Every year the Youth and Government of California devise a Social Initiative for Y delegations across the state to participate in as part of their #BeTheChange movement.
The Ventura Delegation are assigned to collect snacks and treats.
The Youth and Government is a cause-driven program that strives to engage high school youth in a hands on experience that educates them on government while fostering their ideas, leadership skills, character and critical thinking.
