Put on your figurative hard hat (standard, pink or sparkle-y — you choose!), on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, Ventura County! Are you a smart woman? Competitive? Generous? Fun?  Do you love to win!? If this describes you, consider putting together a team of four women to participate in a high stakes nailing – as in a hammer and nails – competition on behalf of Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. The goal is for each team member to secure $250 in pledges.

She Nailed It is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, April 30th. The event is also the ‘kick-off’ to Habitat’s International Women Build week.

Contact Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County at [email protected] or call 485.6065 to participate .

On Saturday, April 30th from 10am-2am, the Ventura Family YMCA is holding a free community event to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. This year marks the 25th annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day®, the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families.  The day-long event features activities such as a football clinic, the Major League Baseball’s Pitch, Hit & Run skills competition, performance by PB & Jam from the hit TV show “The Dancetime Boys,” raffles, a 1K Fun Run, climbing wall, inflatables and CPR classes and a lost child fingerprinting provided by the Community Police Foundation and the Ventura Police Department.

YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at over 1,300 Ys across the country by over 1.2 million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long, which is a critical time for kids’ health. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder to not let children idle away their summer days.

Visit ciymca.org/ventura for more information.

by Mark Bailey, President PMCCPOA

One of the best kept secrets in California remains the quaint “Aspen like” village of Pine Mountain Club (PMC).  Located in the Los Padres National Forest at a little over one mile above sea level and nestled between Mt. Pinos and San Emegdio Mountain, Pine Mountain Club is remarkably easy to get to.  Just a comfortable and scenic 90 minute drive from Ventura, about 50 minutes north of Magic Mountain.  Those in the know often refer to PMC as “the nearby faraway place”.

The Villagers of PMC are already busy preparing for their 34th annual Lilac Festival set for the weekend of May 14^th and 15^th.  It has been estimated that around five thousand visitors join the approximately three thousand locals for a weekend of arts, music, food, fun and family play.  About 100 artisan vendors will begin displaying their unique works of art and creations both days starting at 10am.  This is followed on Saturday by acrobatic skydiving daredevils due to land at 11:00 am.  This kicks off our yearly parade through the village center after the singing of our National Anthem by guest talented artists.

Throughout the weekend there will be entertainment for all ages including live music, plays, kiddie shows, helicopter rides (conditions permitting) golf and horseshoe tournaments, great food, and a large children’s play area with state of the art slides, inflatables, bouncy houses, wall climbing etc.  Most restaurants will be featuring live music on their outdoor patios.

Climatology wise, as with anyplace the weather in PMC can vary.  Typically, in late spring, we can expect blue sunny skies during the day with temperatures in the mid 70’s and crisp clear star filled nights with temperatures in the 40’s.

To get to PMC, take the 126 east to Interstate 5 north and exit at Frazier Park.  Go west 18 miles following the signs to the Pine Mountain Club Village.  For further information, including vendor applications, please go to our website at www.pmclilacfestival.com.

For fine wine enthusiasts considering visiting PMC, please visit our wine website www.wineinthepines.com  for details on our world class wine tasting event taking place this June 11.

The Ventura Music Festival is proud to present its most diverse Rising Stars concert ever, at 8 pm, Friday, May 6th, at the First United Methodist Church in Ventura (1338 E. Santa Clara).  Admission is free and audience members of all ages are invited to turn out for an exciting 75-minute program featuring young award-winning musicians: a 30-member high school choir; seven classical musicians ranging in age from middle school to college; and a jazz quartet.

The choir is the Camerata high school group of the distinguished Los Robles Children’s Choir, performing four songs under the direction of Edward Rouse, accompanied by Christine DeKlotz.

The classical musicians will be Grace Chen, Kaytlyn Becker, Dalton Hayse, David, James Gatchel and Kallen Meyer  who will perform selections by Saint-Saëns, Liszt, Brahms and Debussy.

The  jazz quartet, led by Blake Kasting on guitar, with Alex Smith on drums, Chris Seagraves on bass and Rachel Flowers on piano ,closes the evening with selections from Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane.  Each young musician is a past winner in the VMF Student Jazz Competition.

While admission is free, VMF encourages reservations via FB, or venturamusicfestival.org, by email [email protected] or by phone 648-3146.

Shirley Waxman will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, to deliver a talk entitled “Puja and Piety: Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist Art from the Indian Subcontinent.” Ms. Waxman is from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Community Speakers Program.

The Puja and Piety exhibition, on display at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, presents more than 160 objects of diverse media created for temples, home worship, festivals, and roadside shrines to celebrate and illuminate the complex relationship between puja—devotional practice—and religious imagery created to meet spiritual needs. This presentation will offer an overview of these vibrant traditions of private worship and public rituals and the spiritual connection between the images and the divine.

This event is free and open to the public

The City of Ojai Arts Commission is pleased to announce that they are sponsoring an open photography contest to select photographers for a book on the architecture of Ojai. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be used for the Arts Commission’s mentor/student intern program. Entries from photographers able to shoot both black-and-white and color photographs of Ojai architecture are sought.

The Commission’s goal is to produce a high-quality, coffee-table book that features important Ojai public buildings, places of worship, and residences. The final selection of architecture will be determined by the Arts Commission. A panel of judges, selected by the Commission, will select one or more photographers for this important one-of-a-kind project.

The contest will run from April 15 until July 31. For a complete description of contest rules and submission information, please visit http://ojaiphotoclub/apc_submit.html. If you have questions, please contact Bobbi Balderman at 798-2403.

From Friday, April 29, to Sunday, May 1, the Ojai Library will be taking part in WordFest 2016, a festival of words, ideas, and stories. WordFest is a literary nexus that encourages readers and writers of all genres, skill levels, and ages to partake in an extravaganza of events in and around the Ojai Valley. The mission of WordFest is to introduce Ojai to the world as a literary destination, to nurture aspiring writers as well as inspire seasoned authors to further develop their craft, and to celebrate the wealth of literary talent in the Ojai area.

On each of these days the library will have programming running all during our open hours, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday the library will host free writing classes, run by five esteemed writing instructors, with a different writing class every hour, on the hour. Saturday will feature book and magazine authors along with an open mic session for attendees. On Sunday they will have more author readings to wrap up the weekend! More specific schedule information can be found at www.ojaiwordfest.com.

All library events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, City Librarian, at  218-9146. The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue

Throughout the Ojai Studio Artists’ Angles: Best of OSA exhibit, the Ojai Valley Museum will host Art Talks every Saturday morning from 11 am – noon. Saturday April 30, Pam Grau, Jeffery Crussell and Carol Shaw-Sutton will be the featured artists. For further information, call 640-1390.

The Ojai Studio Artists mission is to create an environment where artists thrive ― professional and student alike — and fulfill the potential of the arts to enrich lives and build community.

One-act plays, dialogues, letters and songs from any period? We’ll provide the directors, actors and props. “It just happens that a Fifth Monday coincides with Memorial Day this year,” said Producer John Hankins.  The three or four Fifth Mondays in any given year spark Ojai ACT’s “Theater of the Imagination,” in which a variety of unusual and crowd-pleasing performances are produced.

“This is a great chance to showcase the wide variety of performance art that deals with the military throughout the ages, which includes drama, humor and music. Life and death conflict often reveals the human spirit in all its variety, and it ripples through to civilians,” said Hankins, a Vietnam War veteran.

“Soldier On” promises to unearth a gold mine that will be both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Submissions will be accepted until May 5; contact Hankins at 452-2885 or send to

[email protected]

Events by Ana Baker

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.

Apr. 28: Portuguese Fraternal Society of America – The local chapter of PFSA will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday at Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, 3159 E. Main.  This meeting is open to any person of Portuguese descent or interested in the Portuguese culture.  Gather at 11:30 a.m. for a 12 p.m. no host luncheon / meeting.  For more information and reservation, please call Yvonne Westervelt at 483-4168 or Cora Corella at 483-4168.

Apr.28: Ventura County Bird Club would like to invite you to an evening with Dr. Attila Molnar who will speak about advances in avian medicine and an update with Giant Panda conservation.  Otherwise known as “What’s up with Andy Panda”. This pleasant evening will be a presentation of case studies and slide show of exotic animals, and an open forum for questions to the Dr. about any of your concerns about your pet birds.  The Presentation will start at 7 p.m. at the Ventura Moose Lodge #1394, 10267 Telephone Rd.  Attendance is free and all are welcome.  For further information call 488-6244.

Apr. 30: Looking for answers, spiritual guidance, healers or a peek into the mystique? Come find this and more at the Emerging Spirits, Psychic Fair from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 4601 Telephone Rd. Unit #113 www.emergingspirits.org

Apr.30: Free Family History Program, Saturday, at 1:30 p.m. Ventura County Genealogical Society

Presents, Astrid Adler, German Author and Lecturer. “Forgotten People: German Emigration in the 19th Century” at the Ventura Family History Center3501 Loma Vista Rd.

In the 19th century nearly six million Germans left their homes for other lands, and for most, they would never see Germany again. Adler’s research into emigration from Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach uses historical evidence from passenger lists, censuses, emigration documents, family letters and family trees to tell the stories of the Germans who left. The German Special Interest Group meets monthly to talk about the challenges and successes in researching German families.

Apr.30: Audubon event, 8:30 a.m. Camino Real Park.  Leader: Raeanne Koerner  701-1919. Camino Real is a grassy park surrounded by pines and eucalyptus and is an excellent Spring migrant hotspot.

Apr.30: The 11th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival’s All-Star Jam dedicated to the late BB Chung King. Produced by the Ventura County Blues Society, at 2222 E. Ventura Blvd., in Camarillo. Gates open 10 a.m., music begins at 11 a.m. Pre-sale Tickets $30. Day of Show are $40. Kids 12 and under, free with paid Adult General Admission. V.I.P. Tickets $125 can be purchased online only. An exciting, all-day headlining acts, Food and Craft Vendor area; a powerful, diverse lineup. Festival proceeds benefits FOOD Share and other Ventura County area charities. Please bring a food item to donate. 501-7122.

May 1: Channel Islands National Park invites the public to “Find Your Park’s Story” at an upcoming event at the Museum of Ventura County that celebrates the National Park Service Centennial, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The “Soaring to Success” event celebrates the recovery of the bald eagles on the Channel Islands after their disappearance by the 1960.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist Annie Little will discuss this landmark recovery in two lectures, at 1:00 and 3:00 pm at the museum pavilion.  To watch (with Savana) bald eagle chicks develop this breeding season, visit the live bald eagle webcam or iws.org.

May 2,16: The Ventura County Philatelic Society will hold its Stamp trading and camaraderie.

Mondays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Church of the Foothills, 6279 Foothill Road.  Admission and parking are free. Come for a great evening.  [email protected] or 320-1601

May 3:  Mended Hearts of Ventura. Come share if you have had heart surgery or stent implant. Group meets the first Tuesday each month at the Community Memorial Hospital on the 8th floor from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Excellent speakers – leading Cardiologists, Nutritionists, Dietitians, etc. from our area who give excellent information. Richard Hatcher 644-2733

May 4: The Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers Club, (BCNN ) is a group of active women of all ages who live in Ventura, Oxnard, or Port Hueneme and enjoy activities such as hiking, bridge, dining, wine outings, reading, mah jong, cooking etc. Meeting is from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Ventura Museum Pavilion. No charge for meeting and no reservation is required.

Speaker: David Snow “The Flight of the Monarchs”. For additional information bcnnwomensclub.org

May 7:   The Garden Club of San Buenaventura will have its annual plant and yard sale at 10 a.m. Located at 2016 Greenock Lane across from Marina Park in Ventura. In addition to plants, there will be new books, Jewelry, Clothes and miscellaneous items. Proceeds go to children’s agricultural projects.

May 11: The Ventura County Camera Club will hold a critique meeting on Wednesday, at 7p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion. A professional photographer from the area will critique member’s prints.  Anyone with an interest in photography is welcome and admission is free. Only members may submit images for critique. See the club’s web site for more information about the club and examples of member’s work or call 908-5663.  WWW.VenturaCountyCameraClub.com

May 12: 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.  This month’s speaker will be author, speaker and small business expert; Nellie Akalp.

At the Wedgewood Banquet Center, 5880 Olivas Park Drive,.  Networking starts at 5:30 and dinner is from 6:00pm to 8:15pm. The cost for the dinner meeting is $28 for members who register early and $33 for guests and members who register after 5:00 pm on Monday, May 9th.  You can pay in advance at www.vcpwn.org/dinner-meeting, or at the door.

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

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