The Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and the Ventura County Public Library are partnering to bring a practical, award-winning, and free of cost fall prevention course to Ventura residents starting in October. Many older adults experience concerns about falling and restrict their activities. This program is designed to help you manage falls and increase activity levels. Emphasizing practical strategies to manage falls, participants will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.

Victoria Jump, Director of the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging says, “Falls are not a natural part of aging. Evidence Based Exercise programs like Matter of Balance and others we offer can help a senior learn exercises and strategies to prevent falling.”

Anyone concerned about falls, interested in improving balance, flexibility and strength, or who has fallen in the past or anyone who has restricted activities because of falling concerns should contact the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging for more information and to register.

This free course will be held once per week for 8 weeks at EP Foster Library’s Topping Room. Classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. starting Thursday, Oct. 13 through Thursday, Dec. For more information and to register, please contact the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging at 477-7343 or 800-510-2020.

Ventura County Library System:Inspiring our community to explore, discover and connect.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Events by Ana Baker

Free admission stage show, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. First Sunday of every month.  Old Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Assoc. Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd. For more Information call 517-1131.

Ventura Poinsettia Dance Club meets every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill. Ballroom, swing, Latin, mixers and line dancing. Members $10, non-members $12, first time dancers are free. Call Rick at 415-8842 for more information.

There will be a regular Ventura Discussion Group meeting at Main Street Restaurant 3159 Main St., Wednesday from 4 p.m.to 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.

Audubon Events

• Oct. 15: 8:30 a.m.  Ventura Settling Ponds.  Leader:  Linda Easter  482-7537
  Enjoy a morning of mostly waterfowl birding. Spotting scopes are always welcome.
• Oct. 16: 8 a.m.  Wheeler Canyon.  Leader:  Gary Tuttle  525-2327
  This canyon provides good birding opportunities. We will be looking for raptors, ground doves, Western bluebirds and maybe a lewis wood-pecker.
• Oct. 22: 8:30 a.m. Canada Larga.  Leader : John Pavelko  798-2571
  We will walk and drive the canyon. Always a great walk! Some birds we may see are Western Bluebirds, Road-runners, sparrows, swallows, Red-tailed Hawks & perhaps a Ferruginous Hawk.
• Oct. 29: Prisoners Harbor, Santa Cruz Island.  A special trip with the boat leaving Ventura at 9 a.m. and heading directly to Prisoners Harbor.   Leader:  Joel Barrett.  Questions please contact Adele Ferguson at 415-4304

Oct.13:   The Ventura County Professional Women’s Network (VCPWN is hosting their monthly dinner meeting 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. at the Wedgewood Banquet Center.  This month’s speaker will be Tracy Williams.    She will teach the science behind the power of our thoughts and how we can apply the knowledge to create a life we love. Networking starts at 5:30 p.m. $28 for members who register early and $33 for www.vcpwn.org/dinner-meeting, or at the door.  www.vcpwn.org.

Oct. 14: Opera Santa Barbara to hold Noontime Concert at the EP Foster Library.
Spend your lunch hour listening to members of the Mosher Studio Artist Program, who will perform a selection of popular opera arias and duets as well as some musical theatre pieces. The concert will also offer a “preview” of Opera Santa Barbara’s upcoming production of Carmen. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to experience great opera in a room with great acoustics.

Oct.15: Saturday, Ventura Singles Roundtable discussion, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to talk about life, love, family, friends, work, fun, spirituality. Discussion led by Dr.Vondie Lozano, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Group guided imagery/hypnosis included. Ventura E.P. Foster Library, Topping Room.  For more information go to https://www.meetup.com/Ventura-Singles-Roundtable-Discussions/events/

Oct. 15: The Color Run will take place in local Ventura neighborhoods on Saturday, from 8 am to 12 pm, and may cause some traffic delays and/or parking issues.

The race begins in Downtown Ventura at Surfer’s Point Park and the finish line is at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness, and individuality. Now the single largest event series in the world, The Color Run has exploded hosting more than 225 events in 35+ countries in 2015.

Oct. 15: Thousands of free stamps will be available to those attending the 26th annual Youth Stamp Fair, sponsored by the Ventura County Philatelic Society and the Anacapa Middle School Stamp Club. Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Dudley House Museum.

Despite the event’s name, it is open to people of all ages who want to learn more about stamp collecting. In addition to being able to pick stamps for their collections from thousands of choices, the visitors will get a swag bag. Door prizes will be given throughout the event.

More information at 485-7121 or [email protected], or http://www.vcphilatelic.com.

Oct. 16: Sunday, Live Your Best Life Hypnosis Meetup, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dr. Vondie Lozano, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Hypnotherapist for, “What Would You Like to Attract into Your Life?” Group Guided Imagery/Hypnosis included. E.P. Foster Library, Topping Room. For more information go to www.meetup.com/live-your-best-life-hypnosis/events/

Oct.17: CA Zeta Chi parliamentarians will meet at 7 p.m. and will feature a lesson by President Bruce Rick titled “Incidents.”  The located at the Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, 3159 E. Main St.  Those wishing to eat should arrive at 6 p.m.  Non-members are welcome.  Membership is $25 per year.  For information, contact Sharon Hillbrant, 479-6738.

Oct.20: The East Ventura Community Council will hear from several candidates running for Ventura School Board during its monthly meeting. Those scheduled to appear are Steve Offerman, Sabrena Rodriguez, Ed Summers and Don Wood.

Erika Ruiz, Central California Outreach Manager for Compassion and Choices, will review strategies for having conversations with your doctor on options for end of life care. Tobie Mitchell from the City of Ventura Environmental Sustainability Office will explain a new community cleanup program offered by the City and E. J. Harrison. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church, 346 N. Kimball Road. For more information call 804-7558 or visit the group’s Facebook page.

Oct.22: On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ventura Friends of the Library will hold a  Book Sale at 11251 Riverbank Dr. This sale will be held on the grounds of the location of the warehouse where the Friends process book donations, allowing us to offer shoppers a very large selection of affordable quality used books, audiobooks, music and movies.

Oct.23: On Sunday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Ventura Friends of the Library will be holding their Annual Membership Meeting: Libraries Growing with Technology at E.P. Foster Library’s Topping Room. Antonio Apodaca, Makerspace Librarian, and Deya Terrafranca, City Librarian, will explain all that library tech has to offer and what will soon be available at a library near you.

Bring a friend to see the library’s 3D printer in action and discover the new dimensions of the library.  Admission is free.

Nov. 1:12 noon Mended Hearts of Ventura.
Come share if you have had heart surgery or stent implant. Group meets the first Tuesday at 12 noon at Carrows restaurant on Harbor Blvd. Excellent speakers – leading Cardiologists, Nutritionists, Dietitians, etc. from our area.
Contact Richard Hatcher 644-2733

Step Up Ventura will host its first benefit Murder Mystery Dinner at the Wyndham Garden Ventura Pierpont Inn on Friday, October 14th from 6 to 10 pm. Group seating and sponsorships are available by calling the Informant at (310) 497-9709.

Participants become a part of the scene as they enjoy dinner and an evening of fun and fantasy to help impact homeless children. Who knows, the person sitting next to you could be a stone cold killer.

Their vision is a community where the safety and well-being of children are not compromised by their parent’s circumstances or instability and do not have to live with repeated traumas, disrupted attachments, or neglect. A community where all children have a chance to form healthy relationships and have access to early childhood education that supports realizing their potential.

They work towards this goal by providing all day therapeutic daycare and preschool to homeless children age 0-5.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.stepupventura.org.

The  California Central Coast’s very own Scottish Festival—returns to the beautiful Ventura County Fairgrounds in October.  You can look forward to two solid days of Scottish fun and frivolity, games and gaiety and the tension of competition in these various venues:

Colorful Highland Dancers compete for prize money and trophies on the Amtrak Stage near the front entrance.  Then, follow your ears for the Pipe and Drum Band Competition and don’t miss the colorful Drum Major Competition and the famous Scottish Fiddle Competition. We convinced the very talented Rebecca Lominky and Shauna Pickett-Gordon to oversee and to judge these talented musicians.  There is more to come!  The athletes compete for trophies and bragging rights.

After the Herding Dog demonstrations, shaggy Highland cattle are nearby and shaggy Scots, too, in a fun-for-all Bearded Scot Contest!  A packed Children’s Glen will entertain the wee ones for as long as you will let them stay!  Opening Ceremonies and Grand Parade not to be missed at noon sharp on Saturday and a meaningful Closing and Awards Ceremony near the end of Sunday’s festivities.

Four Entertainment Stages are alive with the best Celtic performers to be found anywhere.  Perennial favorites, the Wood family known professionally as Celtic Spring headline their own stage.  Sharing that stage are excellent family spinoffs Bows & Toes and Three for Joy among others.  The centrally located Alex Beaton Stage will be home to long-time friends The Browne Sisters & George Cavanaugh and back “for the first time ever” Eric Rigler and Dirk Freymuth with a completely new acoustic bagpipe and guitar sound like none other! Lurking toward the extreme end of Clan Row, you cannot miss the sights and sounds of the Celtic Rock Stage anchored by heavy favorites The Angry Brians with lively local buddies, The Ploughboys!  One more stop midway down Clan Row is a wee stage we call The Pavilion Stage and it will be hopping all day.  Don’t miss our fabulous Harp Glen sponsored by the Clan Currie Society.  Plus, you are likely to find the great Los Angeles Fifes and Drums anywhere on the grounds.  Now, maybe time for some excellent Scottish and Irish food and bev, or shopping among unique and quality vendors or taking a class should you want to know more about Celtic cooking with The Celtic Caterer himself, Eric McBride, or history, the Gaelic language or Single Malt Scotch!

For further information see seaside-games.com or call John & Nellie at 818-886-4968

A Voice Discovered (AVD), a local non-profit organization, will be hosting their 3rd Annual Casino Night and Silent Auction Fundraiser to benefit people in the community with complex communication needs on Saturday October 8th from 6:00p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Those hoping to participate can get some practice beforehand by heading to the Mobile Wins casino on phone.

The event will raise money and awareness for people in the community with communication impairments who are unable to use speech as their primarily form of communication and require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to express themselves. The money raised will benefit A Voice Discovered’s grant programs for individuals and organizations in the community. The grants provide people with complex communication needs funding for services and/or equipment that they would otherwise not be able to access. The Casino Night and Silent Auction will be at Four Brix Winery in Ventura. Tickets cost $40 prior to the event and $50 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online through the website www.avoicediscovered.com . The purchase of a ticket includes a meal ticket, a glass of wine and funny money to get started at the Casino Tables provided by Aces and 8s. We will also have Silent Auction and Raffle items provided by local businesses. Those who enjoy the thrill of gambling may be pleased to know that you can take part in games from your own home with online casinos, some of which offer a casino welcome package to new members.

More information can be found at www.avoicediscovered.com

On Saturday, October 8,  the Library will be participating in Indie Author Day. This special day is centered around indie writing and publishing, and includes author panels, book readings, workshops, and information on how to get your self-published eBook into the library catalog.

At 11 a.m. everyone will have a chance to join a digital gathering featuring a Q&A with writers, agents, and industry leaders. Then, from 12 to 3 p.m. the library will host presentations by individual authors, and at 3 p.m. there will be a panel discussion. Visit indieauthorday.com for more information!

On Tuesday, October 11, at 6pm the Library will host Lois and Chelsea Reimers, who will speak about Lois Reimers’ books Our Child’s Roots and Hattie: She Was Wired Differently. Lois writes about genealogy and family autobiography.

Lois’ grandmother Carey first piqued her interest in genealogy in 1947 shortly after World War II ended, and as she learned more she was inspired to further uncover her family’s history.

The Library will be hosting a new Tuesday STEAM Club at 3:30 p.m. on October 11, November 15, and in December. Each meeting will focus on a specific activity geared towards elementary school-age students. The STEAM Club will help introduce these students to science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts.

Dr. Julia Ornelas-Higdon will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 1 to deliver a talk titled “Southern California’s 19th Century Wine Industry.” Dr. Ornelas-Higdon is the second speaker in the CSU Channel Islands Library Lecture Series. Discover the history of Southern California’s pre-Prohibition wine industry and the diverse groups who built it`. Learn what factors led to the demise of Los Angeles’ vineyards and wineries, and why the industry ultimately transitioned to Napa and Sonoma.

CSU Channel Islands hosts more than a dozen free public lectures from September through December at libraries throughout Ventura County.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue . 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.

Taste of Ojai, Ventura County’s Premier Culinary Event at The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa on Oct. 23,  Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5.p.m.  Music and Dance with Crooked Eye Tommy. Over 25 local vendors, Fine Foods, Wine, Silent Auction and Fun.  Tickets $75 per person.  TasteofOjai.com

From the Reins of H.O.P.E. Annual Fundraiser, join the 2nd Annual “Horses and Horse Power Ocktoberfest” on Saturday, October 1 from 2:00-6:00pm at the Thiessen Ranch 4588 Donlon Road, Somis. Tickets are $100 and includes Traditional German Food, Biergarten and Open Bar, and Dancing to the Alan Thornhill Band. To purchase tickets online, visit their website @ www.reinsofhopevc.org. All donations are tax deductible and support the Reins of HOPE’s mission to provide Equine Assisted Mental Health Therapy free of charge for our Veterans, Military Personnel, and Youth Programs in Ventura and Santa Barbara County.

Ivor Davis with Malibu singer Brooke Halpin are presenting a  “rehearsal” show at the Pierpont Racquet Club (500 Sanjon)free of charge on Sunday Oct. 2nd at 2 pm.

It will be  the tune up for “the Big One” a week later  at the legendary Crest Westwood Theater on Sunday October 9th–which is Lennon’s birthday (he would have been 76)

The big fundraiser is for Pancreatic Cancer–with proceeds going to battle the disease that claimed the life of Ivor’s lovely wife Sally and now Sandra Laby.

Tribute to a Working Class Hero, John Lennon
Sunday October 9th, at 1:30 p.m.
The Crest Westwood Theater
1262 Westwood Blvd

Tickets are $15 for students, $20 general seating, and $25 VIP seating.