CI professor Clare Steele will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 10 to deliver a presentation titled “Ocean Litter and Microplastics: A New Wave of Research.” Dr. Steele comes from CSU Channel Islands (CI), and is the first speaker in this season’s CI Library Lecture Series.

This talk will explore recent advances in the problem of microplastic pollution and discuss how changes in consumer choices, policy, and legislation can reduce the impact of microplastics on the Southern California coast.

California author Obi Kaufmann will visit the Ojai Library at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, February 10 to present a book signing for his 2017 epic, The California Field Atlas. Kaufmann—a poet, painter, and naturalist—sees California as a magical network of living systems that connect in a grand, quilted array of ecology and beauty.

Shortly before the Thomas Fire changed life so dramatically for local residents, the Ojai Women’s Fund (OWF) held its year-end event to honor and award 11 Ojai nonprofits with $64,000 in community grants. The funds raised during 2017 via OWF membership donations will help support Ojai programs serving five focus areas: arts, education, environment, health, and social services.

The OWF is a collective of hundreds of Ojai women who pool donations to create and gift grants to local nonprofits that serve Ojai through a wide variety of programs: from those that meet critical health and social service needs, to those that further education, provide environmental protection, or simply to enhance the human spirit through arts.

In its first two years as a local grant-funding philanthropy, OWF has raised and gifted $124,000 via generous donations of nearly 400 members. All women who live in the Ojai Valley are welcome to join the Ojai Women’s Fund. Visit www.ojaiwomensfund.org for more information.

Aria Elan and Eden Edwards will visit the Ojai Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, to deliver a concert entitled “An Afternoon of Jazz and Storytelling.” Singer/songwriter Elan has spoken and performed at women’s conferences, colleges and universities, libraries, and more. Edwards, a Grammy scholarship recipient, is a sophomore at Camarillo High School, an artist, and an environmentalist.

These events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Herb Walks with Lanny Kaufer has arranged with author Obi Kaufmann for an intimate event in Ojai on Saturday, February 10th, 10: 00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Ventura River Preserve and a downtown indoor location. Obi will join Lanny on a nature walk in the morning and then share the process of creating his 2017 book, The California Field Atlas, in an afternoon slideshow presentation. The indoor session will include an on-the-spot, live painting in the watercolor-and-calligraphy style of the book’s illustrations.

$25 for adults; $20 for seniors 62 and older; $15 for students 13-18

Register at www.HerbWalks.com or call 805-646-6281.

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Ojai is pleased to present an exhibition featuring members of the Ventura County Handweavers Spinners Guild, March 3 – April 15. Every Saturday and Sunday, members will present free demonstrations of fiber processes in conjunction with the Center’s educational programming.

Founded in 1970, the Ventura County Handweavers & Spinners Guild is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to the education and promotion of fiber arts, with a focus on weaving and spinning.

The public is invited to attend the Reception on Saturday, March 3rd, from 2 – 5 pm.

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.

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 on the 8th floor at Community Memorial Hospital. They have excellent speakers leading Cardiologists, Nutritionists, and Dietitians etc. from our area.
Contact Richard Hatcher at 644-2733.

Audubon events:

February 3, 9 a.m. Work Day Fillmore Fish Hatchery. Sandy Hedrick 340-0478
This is a new venue for restoration planting for the balance of this work season. Planting native plants for a future interpretive center on 5 acres at the entrance to the Fish Hatchery. .

February 10, 8:30 a.m. Canada Larga. Linda Easter 519-2833.
Drive and walk this beautiful canyon road and one of the best birding hotspots.
Target birds will include: Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Nuttall’s Woodpecker and White-breasted Nuthatch.

February 19, 8:30 a.m. Barranca Vista Park. Adele Fergusson 415-4304
Hope to see Townsend Warblers, Nuthatches and Red Shouldered Hawks.

February 24, 8:30 a.m. Ormond Beach. Tevin Schmitt (661) 904-1563
Will look for a variety of waterfowl.

Feb. 3: The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, KuanFen Liu Artistic Director celebrates its 15th Season “Sounds of Generation Z” concerts Friday Saturday at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church 1338 E Santa Clara St. The concerts will highlight solo student musicians Peiming Yang, Petite Suite by Claude Debussy. Donations of $20 are appreciated. Youth 18 and under are free. For more information call 484-8000 or visit website www.CHICOVC.org.

Feb. 4: Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions will be holding their Monthly Meeting on Sunday from

3 – 5:30 p.m. The Age of Consequences film at E.P. Foster Library, Topping Room, 651 E. Main St.

Through unflinching case-study analysis, distinguished admirals, generals and military veterans take us beyond the headlines of the conflict in Syria, the social unrest of the Arab Spring, the rise of radicalized groups like ISIS, and the European refugee crisis – and lay bare how climate change stressors interact with societal tensions, sparking conflict. Following the film will be a discussion about our local responses to this global crisis. theageofconsequences.com.

Feb. 4: The 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will be open for docent-led tours from 1 – 4 p.m. accompanied by period music in the parlor and upstairs library landing. The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood streets. For information please call 642-3345 or visit the website at www.dudleyhouse.org.

Feb. 8: The Ventura County Professional Women’s Network (VCPWN), one of the county’s long standing organizations supporting the interests of women business owners and professionals, is hosting their monthly dinner meeting at 5:30 PM at Wedgewood Banquet Center Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard, 600 E Esplanade Dr.

VCPWN is excited to host author, speaker, and the founder of Zest Business Consulting and Miracle Manifestation Groups, Jennifer Martin. Jennifer will be presenting: Leveraging Your Personal Brilliance: Bringing the Best of YOU to Work and to Life”

For more information about the event log on to www.vcpwn.org. You can also get more information about joining this great group.

Feb. 10: The Ventura College Men’s and Women’s basketball teams, along with the Ventura Breakers Youth Basketball Club, will host the 19th annual barbecue fundraiser dinner and games on Saturday.

Tickets are $15. Barbecue dinner at the Ventura College Cafeteria will be served from 4-7 p.m.

Ventura College will play Moorpark College, with the Men’s game at 7p.m. and the Women playing at

5 p.m. Ticket prices include dinner and admission to both games. Proceeds benefit VC men’s and women’s basketball and the Ventura Breakers Basketball Club. Information and tickets: 289-6118, and www.vcweplayhard.com.

Feb.13: 7:30 pm Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road.

We often hear how the Audubon Society began in response to the slaughter of millions of water birds. Join VAS chapter vice-president, Cynthia Hartley, for an overview of the origins of the Audubon Society 100 years ago. Then we’ll move forward in time and look at modern day least tern and snowy plover conservation work at Ormond and Hollywood Beaches. Learn about life and death in the dunes, and the work done by current day activists to help protect our nesting shorebirds.

She has a master’s degree in geographic information science (GIS) from the University of Maryland and teaches GIS (computer mapping) at CSUCI. She is also a member of the Ormond Beach Scientific Advisory Committee that advises The Nature Conservancy, The City of Oxnard and the California Coastal Conservancy as they plan for the Ormond Beach Restoration project.

club’s hardbound bi-annual anthology, newsletter and website. Go to venturacountywriters.com for more information, email [email protected] or call Sheli Ellsworth at 499-3490.

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 is a regular Ventura Discussion Group meeting at Main Street Restaurant 3159 Main St., on Wednesdays 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 on the 8th floor at Community Memorial Hospital. Excellent speakers leading Cardiologists, Nutritionists, and Dietitians etc. from our area.

Contact Richard Hatcher at 644-2733.

Audubon events

Jan. 21: 8:30 a.m. Ventura Settling Ponds Leader: David Torfeh 647-3325, The settling ponds at the Ventura Harbor are a reliable place to find ducks, grebes, gulls and terns, as well as songbirds and raptors.

Jan. 28: 8:30 a.m. Camino Real Leader: Raeann Koerner 701-1919, Camino Real is a grassy park surrounded by pines and eucalyptus and is an excellent place to see birds. Meet outside the park.

Jan. 18: East Ventura Community Council meeting will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m.  A representative of the Ventura Police Department will give an update on crime and safety. The council represents those who live east of Victoria Avenue. Books in good condition are always accepted on behalf of Ventura Friends of the Library. First Assembly of God Church, 346 N. Kimball Road.

For more information, contact John McNally, Chairperson, EVCC 804-7558.

Jan.18: The regular monthly meeting of Assistance League of Ventura County will be at the Chapter House, 913 East Santa Clara St. Meeting begins on Thursday at 10 a.m., social beginning at 9:30 a.m. Guests and new members are welcome. Assistance League is creating “A Brighter Tomorrow for Today’s Children” through several philanthropic programs. For more information assistanceleagueventuracounty.org or email [email protected]. Telephone: Monday – Thursday 8- 2 p.m. 643-2458

Jan.20: Ventura Friends of the Library will hold a Bag o’ Books Sale at Hill Road Library on the patio. 1050 S. Hill Road from 10 – 3 p.m. Members of Ventura Friends of the Library can take home a bag of books for $1. For non-members, the price is $3 a bag.

Jan. 20: Ventura County Rising is a community gathering event to be held at Plaza Park at 10 a.m. To bring community members both awareness and inspired action items that can help heal the people of the county, can strengthen the stability of the state and especially the nation and earth.

Jan. 21: 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 regular meeting starts at noon and at 11 a.m. Also a mart where items will be for sale followed by lunch and an informational meeting and a program at 1 p.m. More information about chapter 190 can be found at www.nawcc-ch190.com.

Jan.24: The College Area Community Council will meet on Wednesday, at 7 p.m. A representative from the Ventura Fire Department will discuss the response to the Thomas Fire, lessons learned, recovery efforts and plans for the future. The meeting will include an update on the transition to city council election by districts and, as always, an officer from the VPD will be there. The Council meets in the Wright Event Center at 57 Day. CACC represents citizens between Mills and Victoria bordered by Foothill and Hwy. 126. Call 644-8695 for more information.

Jan.25: The local chapter of the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America (Council #128) will hold its monthly meeting. This meeting is open to any person of Portuguese descent or interested in the Portuguese culture. Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, 3159 East Main Street at 11:30 a.m. for a 12p.m. no host luncheon/meeting. For more information and reservation, please call Cora Corella at 483-6285.

Jan.25: The Friendship Connection, a group of retired women will be having lunch at Wicked’s Brew, 4561 Market St. at 11:30 am. Suz-Anne Shoblom, Director at Damsel in Distress, will speak about safety for women. Prospective members are welcome to join. Call 659-3460 for more information.

The Ojai Valley Museum is planning a week-long trip to Toledo and Chicago to attend the 200th anniversary of Libbey Glass. The trip will leave from LAX on Thursday, May 3 and return on Thursday, May 10. Space has been reserved for 24 persons on a first-come first-served basis. The cost including transportation, accommodations, admissions, and estimated meals is $2,100 per person roundtrip.

A preliminary meeting for those who might be interest will be held at the Ojai Valley Museum on Wednesday, January 24 at 5:30p.m. For further information please contact Tony Thacher at [email protected].

Chamber On The Mountain is pleased to present their first performance of the new year with the internationally renowned ensemble, Trio Valtorna, on Sunday, January 28, at 3:00 pm. Performance will take place at Logan House in Upper Ojai. Trio Valtorna brings exceptional chamber music to appreciative audiences, with a repertoire that includes both classic and contemporary works,

Shirley Waxman will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, to deliver a talk entitled “POP Art and the American Dream.” Ms. Waxman comes from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Community Speakers Program.

In the years following World War II, the United States enjoyed an unprecedented period of economic and political growth which led to an explosive change in our culture.

This talk explores the works of the most celebrated American Pop artists, including Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, and Wayne Thiebauld, who all boldly experimented with new media and the American Dream.

Local author Fred Whitman will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 27, to read from his new book The Ghost of Saddle Mountain. This is Whitman’s debut novel, inspired by the eleven years he lived in San Francisco and enjoyed the live music scene that still thrives there.

Whitman’s youth spent exploring and building tree forts in the canyon behind his home instilled in him an appreciation for nature and the miracles of life. Those interested in his work as a sculptor can see more at www.fredsrockart.com.

Bonnie Landau will visit the Ojai Library at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, to deliver a talk entitled “Calming the Hyper Child: Practical Tools for School and Home.” Mrs. Landau is an Ojai resident, author, and consultant for parents whose kids struggle to learn in traditional settings.

There are many reasons kids find it hard to be calm. Bonnie will provide information on why children are hyper or over-stimulated, and she will discuss practical examples of calming techniques.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The American Red Cross will be on hand at the Ojai Library on Saturday and Sunday, January 6 & 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help families affected by the Thomas Fire with recovery plans.

Red Cross caseworkers will connect one-on-one with people to create individualized recovery plans, navigate paperwork, and locate help from other agencies. In some situations, the Red Cross may provide direct financial support. The assistance can be used for such needs as an apartment deposit, to buy clothes or food, or to cover immediate transportation expenses. Red Cross clean up kits (sifters, cleaning supplies, shovels, etc.) will also be provided.

Please bring proof of address; photo identification is preferred. For additional information, contact a Red Cross representative at (512) 745-2920 or 987-1514.

The Ojai Art Center Theater and director Michael Addison announce auditions for Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the second production of the 2018 theater season.

Auditions will be held in the Sonshine Room of the Ojai Presbyterian Church, 304 N. Foothill Road Friday, January 19 at 6:30pm; Saturday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm with callbacks also at the Church on Monday, January 22 at 6:30pm.

The 4 Star Alliance Awards for 2017 were announced over the weekend and the Ojai Art Center Theater garnered 12 awards, including outstanding lead performances by Sean Mason as “Groucho Marx” in Animal Crackers A Musical and Sara Mitchell as “Molly Aster”, Peter and the Starcatcher.

The Gala to celebrate the 2017 Season awards will be held at the High Street Arts Center In Moorpark on January 14 at 7 PM.

The 2018 season kicks off with On Golden Pond January 26.

The Ojai Valley Green Coalition will host an E-waste Collection & Recycling Event on Saturday, January 20.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine bring accepted items to the Nordhoff High School parking lot, located at 1401 Maricopa Highway. The event is open to all Ojai Valley residents and businesses.

For details on accepted items please visit ojaivalleygreencoalition.org or call 669-8445.

Performances To Grow On is proud to present a new series in Ojai called “Imagination Celebration”. The series begins with Hobey Ford’s newest production, “Sea Song” on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 3 pm at the Ojai Art Center. Sea Song is the story of a boy discovering nature for the first time through a fascination with the life cycle of the sea turtle.

Tickets in advance are available online at www.ptgo.org(click on the Family tab) $10 for children, $15 for adults, at the door tickets are $3 more. In addition to the performance, Hobey Ford will be offering a workshop on making shadow puppets on Sat. Jan. 27 at 11 am at the Ojai Art Center. The 90 minute workshop is suitable for both adults and children and the cost is $15. Tickets for the workshop are also available online.

Patricia Hartmann will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 13, to read from her new book Lonesome Mountain. Hartmann is a teacher, writer, and artist who lives with her husband in Ojai. When her great-aunt Daffodil dies, Lonesome Mountain protagonist Lizzy unexpectedly inherits “Sweet Apple Farm”—the spot where she spent an idyllic summer as a child. She hires Gabe to repair the farmhouse and bonds with his timid daughter, Chloe.

Hartmann will show a video trailer for Lonesome Mountain, followed by a short reading. A Q&A session and book signing will follow; copies of Hartmann’s other books will also be available.

Free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The Winter Wellness Workshop with Jess Starwood and Lanny Kaufer will be held on Saturday, February 3: 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Learn the art and science of preparing home remedies and preventative potions.

The cost of the workshop including all materials is $60. To register, please visit www.HerbWalks.com or call 646-6281. Please email questions to [email protected]. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with all necessary info prior to the event.