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Rubicon Theatre kicks off landmark 25th Silver Anniversary Season

Season 25 begins! Rubicon Theatre, Ventura County’s premiere non-profit professional theatre company, dedicated to entertaining, engaging and enriching the lives of the region’s residents and visitors through innovative live performances, is thrilled to launch the company’s 25th “Silver” Anniversary Season, entitled Truly Yours, with The Fountain Theatre’s acclaimed West Coast Premiere production of The Lifespan Of A Fact running October 4 – 21, 2023.

Based on the nonfiction book by John D’Agata and Jim Fingal named “Best of the Year” by the Huffington Post, this fast-paced, funny, smart and timely play follows the conflict between an ambitious young fact-checker trying to make his mark and a prominent writer who has created a groundbreaking and poetic essay that may save a flailing magazine from collapse. The two come head-to-head in what Charles McNulty of the L.A. Times described as “an epic journalistic battle over the meaning of truth…ratcheted up for comic effect.”

Written by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, The Lifespan Of A Fact had a successful run on Broadway in 2019 with Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter”), and Tony winners Bobby Cannavale and Cherry Jones. The production ran for more than 100 performances.

The Fountain Theatre transfer directed by Simon Levy stars Ron Bottitta, Jonah Robinson and Inger Tudor. The production garnered more than a dozen rave reviews. McNulty lauded the play as an “engaging comedy,” noting that the authors don’t take sides and that the play offers an opportunity to “reexamine our assumptions.” BroadwayWorld hailed the production’s “sizzling performances,” while The Hollywood Reporter called the play “ingenious.”

Creator Gordon Farrell posted of the upcoming run, “Do not miss it! The best production of my play since Broadway — and in some ways better! A total treat! Get your tickets now!”

The Lifespan Of A Fact opens Saturday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m., with low-priced previews October 4 – 6. Performances during the regular run are Wednesdays at 2 and 7 p.m. (talkback following), Thursdays and Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30 – $79.50 with discounts available for subscribers, students, military and equity.

Olivas robbery riddle solved!

Did Joaquin Murrieta rob the Olivas?

by Richard Senate

For decades the Great Robbery at the Olivas Adobe was an enigma. Everyone knew something big had happened but the fact of the event were obscured over the centuries. No one knew who robbed the house, what year and date it happened or even how much was taken.

Storytellers had added much—the outlaw could only have been Joaquin Murrieta, the celebrated bandit who terrorized all California, and the amount taken must have been staggering. With one suggestion it was $75,000 in gold. The riddle was cracked by the hard-working research skills of Olivas Docent Lisa McGuirk who searching old newspaper clipping discovered a brief article in the Santa Barbara Gazette from the 1856 issue, dated September 18th. This find put all the stories to rest (at long Last).

To quote the article:

“We learn that a robbery was committed on the Olivas Rancho, below San Buenaventura, on Sunday evening last, by a large party of men (one report says thirty), who broke into the house and succeeded in carrying off $4,500. Two men have been arrested, and are in the custody of authorities at San Buenaventura.” $4,500 dollars in 1856 would be worth $157,307.07 in today’s purchasing power. Family legends say that the two captured men were taken to a tree in Ventura and hanged. The money was never recovered. Thanks to the hard work and eagle eye of Ms. Lisa McGuirk fact can now replace folklore at the Olivas Adobe.

Thistle Class

It was a weather perfect weekend for an incredible 3-day regatta with competitors from NY, NC, FL, WA, OR, ID and CA. Ventura has become a favorite regatta of the year for some that participated. Ventura Yacht Club hosted the race and is being recognized as a premiere venue for one design dinghy racing at a national level!

According to Stanton Smith, the Thistle Class is currently one of the most popular Corinthian classes in the US and boasted an 88-boat national Championship this year in Montana.

Ventura College presents:“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

Jared Lantiegne (who dazzled audiences last year as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Musical) will star in this production.

The uproarious musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” comes to Ventura College’s Performing Arts Department beginning October 19, jump-starting the Halloween season with a burst of merry mayhem.

Winner of four Tony Awards (including Best Musical), “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” is a British black comedy recounting the macabre life of Monty Navarro, a poor relation of one of England’s finest families (the D’Ysquiths), who are as snobbish as they are wealthy. When Monty learns he is eighth in line to the family fortune, his desperation to improve his circumstances – and impress a woman — sets him on a murderous path to eliminate those who stand between him and his inheritance.

The musical is based on a novel by Roy Horniman, and features music by Steven Lutvak, a book by Robert L. Freedman, and lyrics by Lutvak and Freedman. Despite its murderous nature, the show is surprisingly family friendly. The show’s high body count is matched by memorable tunes and hilariously witty lyrics. In its New York run the New York Times gushed “bloodlust hasn’t sung so sweetly, or provided so much theatrical fun, since Sweeney Todd first wielded his razor with gusto many a long year ago!”

One of Gentleman’s Guide’s conceits is that a single actor must play all eight doomed members of the D’Ysquith clan, singing, dancing, and bicycling through personas at a dizzying pace. At Ventura College, Jared Lantiegne (who dazzled audiences last year as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Musical) will take on this chameleonic tour-de-force.

Isaiah Maldonado will play Montague “Monty” Navarro. Taylor Bernstein, who starred as the Governess in Ventura College Opera’s production of Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw” will play Sibella Hallward, Lily Calhoun is Phoebe D’Ysquith, Isabella Catalano is Miss Shingle and Ivy Calhoun is Evangeline Barley. Costumes are by Anais Libunao and Sets/Lighting by Jamie Birkett.

The talented student cast will be accompanied by a live professional orchestra under conductor

Brent Wilson, who also staged the production. Wilson is the Performing Arts Department’s CoChair at Ventura College, resident guest director at Viterbo University, and director of choral studies at University of California, Santa Barbara. He served as Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master of Opera Santa Barbara for over twenty productions and conducted productions of The Consul and Don Pasquale. His production of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti for Viterbo University was awarded third prize (collegiate division) by The National Opera Association.

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” runs October 19-22, with evening performances at 7:30 PM in the Yunker Auditorium at Ventura College’s Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 for adults. VCPA is offering $5 tickets for seniors & students. The Ventura College Performing Arts Center is located at 4700 Loma Vista Road, Ventura. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at https://ventura.vbotickets.com.

Ventura Water – In Focus

Wes Corney examines a water sample from the Santa Clara River Estuary, Sept. 2023.

by Ventura Water

Throughout our series highlighting the people and processes that make up Ventura Water, the importance of excellence in the workplace has been an underlying theme. This month, focusing on the Laboratory Team, the necessity for consistently high quality of work is as clear as clean water. By collecting and analyzing our water not only does the Lab Team ensure the water we drink meets or exceeds water quality standards, but they also make sure the water we discharge back to Earth’s water cycle is safe. Water quality standards are developed and enforced by the State Water Resources Control Board. Simply put, the work the Lab Team does substantiates how well the water and wastewater systems are running. They’re also an integral part in the daily operations of Ventura Water’s facilities, running tests that give plant operators information they need to keep systems running efficiently.

Among the Lab Team’s eight members are many science degrees, certifications, areas of expertise, and decades of experience, which completes a robust team. Six lab analysts handle liquid and solid samples, following various testing methods and procedures and using sophisticated equipment to compile results for reporting. The Laboratory Supervisor oversees lab operations, planning for future water quality standards, and opportunities to improve efficiency. Accuracy and accountability are paramount to the Lab Team’s work.

Wes Corney holds a degree in microbiology and has been on the Lab Team for three years. He’s a local, having grown up in Ventura, and says the opportunity to serve his community is what he appreciates most about his job. As Ventura Water’s only Laboratory Assistant, he is always on the move. Each week Wes collects samples from over forty sampling points across the city. Some are taken at treatment facilities, others from wells or tanks, and some directly from local water bodies.

The rigorous work our Lab Team performs keeps Ventura Water in compliance with State and Federal water quality standards, and because of the vital role they play in public health and environmental protection, excellence must be their standard. Next month we’ll focus in on Ventura Water’s Environmental Compliance Team, who monitors water coming into the wastewater plant, protecting it and the environment from harmful pollutants.

Vol. 17, No. 01 – Oct 4 – Oct 17 2023 – Forever Homes Wanted

Chuck is a sweet, gentle old man who walks well on leash, and has done great with children and adults here at the shelter! While he doesn’t appear to be reactive to other dogs, we think a doggie sibling just as mellow as he is would suit him best.

He has several large masses that, while we believe to just be fatty, make shelter life a little extra uncomfortable for him. If you have a big heart for senior pups with frosted faces, Chuck is the guy for you.

If you’d like to meet Chuck, schedule an appointment at https://www.vcas.us/adopt or come down to the shelter during normal Adoption Hours of 1:00pm – 6:00pm Tuesday – Sunday. If you have questions, please contact us at (805) 388-4341 or [email protected].

Hulk

Hi: we’re Hulk, Lightning and Thor, adorable and adventurous Great Pyrenees, Chow, Boxer, German Shepherd and Labrador X (DNA test results). Our mom Kiki was pregnant and rescued from Apple Valley shelter in her hour of need. CARL volunteers (Team Kiki) stepped up to sponsor her so we all could come into CARL’s adoption program.

Thor

We’re in a foster home, but what we really want is our forever home. Our other siblings have found theirs, we’re still waiting for ours. We can’t wait to start making wonderful memories as a cherished member of a loving family.

If you’re ready and able to give us a lifetime of love and wonderful memories, please fill out an application to meet us. Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L. https://carldogs.org/
CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.

Lightning

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

by Mary Olson

Ventura County Library Offers Local Adults Scholarships to Earn Diplomas through Career Online High School.
According to the 2020 census, almost 15% of adults over the age of 25 residing in Ventura County are without a high school diploma. If you are over the age of 19 and ready to finish high school, the Ventura County Library is offering Career Online High School (COHS), a fully accredited online diploma program for you!

COHS scholarships are available through the VCL’s partnership with the California State Library and Smart Horizons Online Education, providing a 24/7 online classroom, personal academic coaches, and real-world career training.
The program includes courses in a variety of career pathways such as childcare and education, commercial driving, food services, home care professional, hospitality, introduction to manufacturing, office management, retail customer service, security professional, and general career preparation along with regular academic subjects.

Upon graduation, you will have an accredited diploma, a certificate in your chosen career path, a ready to use resume and cover letter, and other tools to start or advance your career.

For more information about the Career Online High School, visit www.vencolibrary.org/cohs or contact Antonio Apodaca—Education, Literacy, and Outreach Manager for Ventura County Library—at [email protected] or (805) 677-7159.

Former FBI and DOJ Special Agent Kenneth Strange will visit the Ojai Library at 2 pm on Saturday, October 14, to talk about his newest book, A Cop’s Son: One G-Man’s Fight Against Jihad, Global Fraud and the Cartels.

Strange served with three distinct and distinguished U.S. government agencies pursuing criminals and bad actors, including some of the most heinous criminals on the planet. His service to those agencies brought him into direct conflict with Jihadists, International Fraudsters, and the Cartels. What sets this book apart from any other in the law enforcement genre are not only the true crime investigative stories accrued over a remarkable career or the posthumous homage paid to his father’s storied 38-year NYPD career, but the fact that few federal agents could cobble together such fascinating and diverse investigations across the globe.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146 or [email protected].

Women’s Economic Ventures presents a Financial Empowerment Class, in the Topping Room in E.P. Foster Library on Saturday, October 7, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm

In this free 3-hour class, you’ll learn how to: Take control of your personal finances: understand your “money mindset” and create new financial habits to increase your financial confidence and resilience; Set meaningful financial goals: Create a budget, pay off debt, manage your money and achieve your long-term financial goals and Become a more effective and financially confident business owner.

Learn more and register at https://www.wevonline.org/classes-resources/financial-empowerment/

The Teen Advisory Group meets in E.P. Foster Library on the 2nd & 4th Mondays, 5 to 6 pm. Teens plan fun TEEN and CHILDREN’S events and earn community service hours. For more information, call 805 626 READ

Game On! Board Games for All Ages at Hill Road Library, Sundays, 11 am to 1 pm. Drop by and choose from over 35 games to play! For all ages. Fun for families or a great reason to meet with friends.

Annual Beach Cleanup

Photos by Michael Gordon

Ventura County held its annual Beach Cleanup. It covered several areas, some not the Pacific Coast, some inland like Santa Paula. These photos are at Surfers’ Point Promenade.