Category Archives: Community Events

Stamp out Hunger food collection event in Ventura May 14th

On Saturday May 14th, our local letter carriers will be carrying over 100,000 pounds of food for stamp out hunger! They want to collect as much food as possible for those in need right here in Ventura County – and they need your help!

All you have to do is leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mail box tomorrow! Your letter carrier will pick it up and deliver it to food share so it can be given to a family, child, or senior in need.

It’s easy! Help Food Share, National Association of Letter Carriers, and Farmer’s Insurance stamp out hunger tomorrow!

What to donate: Non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, vegetables, meats, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, pasta, rice, beans and cereal.

Most needed items:
Canned Soups
Peanut Butter
Canned Meats
Cereal
Canned Vegetables
Pasta, Beans, & Rice
Canned Fruit

Food Safety:
No glass containers!
No items that will melt or perish in the heat
No chocolate, no fresh produce, no frozen items
No soda/beverages and non-food items.

National Police Week May 15-21

National Police Week begins this Sunday, May 15th and runs through Saturday, May 21. The Ventura Police Community Foundation invites all to come out with the Ventura Police Department and help raise money for Community/VPD events, Public Safety and City of Ventura Youth Programs including the Police Activities League by participating in Ventura Restaurant Week.

Please come and dine at the restaurants listed below during the week of Sunday, May 15 – Saturday, May 21. Each restaurant listed will donate 20% of the bill to The VPCF, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) dedicated to strengthening the partnership between the citizens of our community including youth, schools and businesses and the Ventura Police Department.

See event flyer for participating restaurants as well as dates, times and additional information about the fundraiser. Flyer must be presented in hard copy form or on phone to the server for the 20% discount to be donated. For more information about The VPCF, please visit www.venturapolicefoundation.org

Sunday, May 15 Spencer Makenzie's 806 East Thompson Blvd. 11:00 am to 8:30 pm
Monday, May 16 Chick-fil- A 1321 Eastman Ave. 6:30 am – 10:00 pm
Tuesday, May 17 CPK 3401 East Main 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 pm
Wednesday, May 18 Jersey Mike's 1145 S. Victoria Ave. 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thursday, May 19 Casa de Soria 1961 East Thompson Blvd. 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday, May 20 Red Brick Pizza 4990 Telephone Road 11:00 am – 10:30 pm
Saturday, May 21 Two Trees Cade 7822 Telegraph Road 7:00 am – 9:00 pm

Ventura Hillsides Conservancy to host “Bike and Hike,” Saturday, May 21

On Sat., May 21, from 1-3 p.m., the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy (VHC) will host “Bike and Hike” – a free community bike ride along the Ojai-Ventura Bike path. VHC staff will lead riders on a 12-mile round-trip excursion to their Big Rock Preserve. Upon arrival, VHC will conduct a hike on their nature preserve before returning to Ventura.

VHC will be joined on the ride by representatives from VCCool, a Ventura-based grass roots climate change action organization, who will help with any bike repairs needed along the route. Those who need to tune up their bike before the ride are encouraged to visit, Ventura Bike HUB, VCCool’s do-it- yourself community bicycle shop located at 1150 N. Ventura Ave., Ventura. For store hours, visit: www.vccool.org.

This event is appropriate for bike riders of all ages who are comfortable riding on a slight incline for a stretch of 45 – 60 minutes each way. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Riders should meet VHC staff at the Ventura River kiosk near Ventura’s Main Street Bridge at 1 p.m. and bring their own bicycles, helmets and water bottles.

To RSVP, go to www.venturahillsides.org and click on the Events tab. For more information, call VHC at: (805) 643-8044.

“Take Your Bike to Work Week” May 16-20

“Take Your Bike to Work Week,” an annual event that encourages commuters to change up their daily commute and try riding their bikes to work, will kick-off Monday, May 16, 2016.

Co-sponsored by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD),“Take Your Bike to Work Week” will run May 16-20 and feature prize drawings, free bus rides, cyclist pit stops and a social media contest.

  • Cyclists Ride Free on VCTC – From May 16-20, VCTC will offer free bus rides to customers who bring a bike on board any blue VCTC bus. Bicycle loading instructions and transit tips for cyclists can be found at www.goventura.org.
  • Pledge and Win Prizes –Ventura County commuters who pledge to ride their bike to work just once during the week will be entered into a drawing to win prizes including a Fitbit, a GPS device, one of three $100 VISA gift cards or a $500 gift certificate for a new bike. Pledge online at www.goventura.org.
  • Pit Stops –VCTC and VCAPCD will host morning pit stops to support riders on their way to work. Pit stops will include free refreshments, bike tune-ups and giveaways at the following locations:

 

County Government Center – May 17,7-9 a.m.

800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, next to bus roundabout

Partners: County of Ventura, Open Air Bicycles

 

 Oxnard – May 18, 7-9 a.m.

Plaza Park, corner of Fifth and “B” Streets

Partners: City of Oxnard, Performance Bicycles
Thousand Oaks – May 19, 7-9 a.m.

Elks Lodge Parking Lot, 158 N. Conejo School Rd., across from Conejo Elementary School

Partners: City of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Cyclery

 Ventura – May 19, 6-9 a.m.

Northeast corner of Santa Clara and California Streets

Partners: City of Ventura, Trek Bikes of Ventura

 

  • Social Media Photo Contest – Social media users who post a photo of themselves and their bikes to Facebookor Instagram and tag VCTC by Friday, May 20, will be entered into a drawing to win a commuter-friendly folding bike. VCTC can be found on Facebook (@GoVentura) and Instagram (@Go_VCTC.).

“Integrating biking into your workday commute reduces pollution and traffic in our community,” said VCTC Executive Director Darren Kettle. “This Bike Week, we especially want to encourage people to take advantage of our offer to bring a bike on board any VCTC bus and ride for free. In an expansive county like Ventura, combining biking and transit is a fun and practical way to experience a car-free commute.”

“Take Your Bike to Work Week” is part of VCTC’s ongoing efforts to encourage and improve biking in Ventura County. Working with cities, the County and cyclists, VCTC is currently drafting a Bicycle Wayfinding Plan that designates important regional bike routes and specifies design rules and signage templates to make these routes safer and easier to navigate for cyclists of all ages and ability levels.

By designating certain bike lanes as part of a regional network, the Bicycle Wayfinding Plan will allow jurisdictions to better compete for active transportation grants, bringing more funding to the County for bicycle improvements.

Those interested in exploring community bike paths can use VCTC’s Bikeways App on Apple and Android, which maps all existing bike routes in Ventura County.

About the Ventura County Transportation Commission

The Ventura County Transportation Commission is the regional transportation planning agency committed to keeping Ventura County moving. Program information is available at goventura.org.

Vol. 9, No. 16 – May 11 – May 24, 2016 – E.P. Foster Library programs and events

Adult Programs & Special Events

Adult Coloring Book Break
5/11, 18, 25 Wednesdays @ 12-2pm
Available from 12pm to 2pm so stop by for a minute or ten!

5/12 Thursday @ 3:30pm
Library LAB Makerspace
Learn to 3D print and get an intro to digital design in this entry-level workshop.
Seats are limited, registration is required. Please email [email protected] for more information.

Opera Santa Barbara
5/13 Friday @ 12pm
These concerts, featuring members of the Mosher Studio Artist Program, are offered fre to the public,

Spontaneous Chess
5/14 & 24 Saturday & Tuesday @ 1pm
Calling all chess players! Keep your skills sharp with this one-hour, drop-in session of free play.

Art Tales Reception
5/25 Wednesday @ 5:30
Join us to celebrate the winners of the 8th Annual Art Tales Writing Contest.

National Paper Airplane Day
5/26 Thursday @ 3:30pm
Topping Room
Put down your electronics and pick up a sheet of paper—join us in a celebration of the paper airplane!

Spanish Conversation Group
5/28 Saturday 10:30am in the Rentfrow Room
Are you learning Spanish but need some practice speaking? Join this informal group to chat and practice your Español!

Poetry Open Mic Night
5/12, 19, 26 Thursdays 7:30-9pm On these Thursday nights, come join this group of writers as they meet in the Topping Room to share their work.

Ukulele Jam Session
5/23 Mondays 7-10pm
Locals gather to play the ukulele on the first and third Monday of the month.

Early Literacy Class
5/17, 18, 24, 25, & 31
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10:30am
A great way to introduce your child to early literacy and the library.

TAG Teen Advisory Group
5/18 Wednesdays 4 pm
Active members will get credit towards School Community Services Hours.

Youth Chess Club
5/16, & 23 Mondays 3 pm
Learn to play chess or improve your current ability! Assisted by Class A tournament player Jack Cashman.

Lego LAB: Build, Learn, and Play!
5/24 Tuesdays 3 pm
05/28 Saturday 10 am
Exciting themes every meeting. Children of all ages welcome!

Dance Party!
5/19, and 05/28, Friday, Thursday, Saturday 10-11 am
Enjoy non-stop music and movement for children ages 2-5 and their grownups in the Topping Room!

Party!
3/11, 03/17, and 03/25 Fridays and Thursday 10-11 am
Enjoy non-stop music and movement for children ages 2-5 and their grownups in the Topping Room!

 

 

Rubicon Theatre Company presents Noel Paul Stookey one night only May 15

Rubicon Theatre Company presents Noel Paul Stookey (“Paul” of Peter, Paul and Mary)in “At Home: Ventura” Sunday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m.

Returning after last year’s sold-out concert, singer/songwriter Noel Paul Stookey  brings his intimate musicality to the Rubicon Theatre Company stage again. Noel will perform Stookey standards such as “The Wedding Song,” “In These Times,” and “Jean Claude,” and previously unreleased solo songs from the Peter, Paul and Mary albums.

Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St.
Tickets: $69.50/Free to Rubicon Gold Coin Members
Box Office  667-2900
www.rubicontheatre.org

Ventura Kiwanis Officer of the Year Awards

On Friday, May 20th, The Kiwanis Club of Ventura will host their 49th annual Officer of the Year event.

Last year there were 170 guests in attendance, many of them Ventura County peace officers and their families.

Ventura Kiwanis Officer of the Year Awards Dinner
The Tower Club 300 Esplanade Dr., 22nd Floor, Oxnard
5pm Reception / Cash Bar
Dinner – 6pm
Program – 7pm – 9pm

The event is open to the Public and costs  $40 per person.
RSVP via email @ [email protected] or  648-1143.

Hansel and Gretel in Fairy Tale Land

Footworks Youth Ballet presents Hansel and Gretel in Fairy Tale Land, a whimsical adventure where the famous duo encounter a whole new world straight out of the pages of their favorite bedtime stories. The audience will be delighted as enchanting gnomes and pixies lead them to a land where Nursery Rhymes, Fairy Tales and Willow Trees come to life. Prepare to be dazzled by beloved storybook characters such as Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs, The Cat and the Fiddle, Little Bo Peep, and many more in this charming ballet children will be sure to love. This is new and original ballet in the classical style, choreographed and directed by Kirsten Oakley of Oakley Ballet Center in Ventura.

As a complement to the classical, narrative setting of Hansel and Gretel in Fairy Tale Land, Footworks Youth Ballet also features two one-act ballets—Charles Gounod’s Iand Sergei Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony (a.k.a. Symphony No. 1 in D Major). Choreographed by Oakley’s mentor, Yvonne Mounsey (1904-2012), it showcases a more sleek and modern style that is based in classical ballet but features increased energy and speed, pared-down sets and costumes, and less reliance on a narrative setting.

The broad repertoire that Footworks Youth Ballet presents and exposes to the students of Oakley Ballet Center and to the community in Ventura County is yet another way in which the company provides education in this beautiful art form.

As always, in a Footworks Youth Ballet production, all the roles are filled by the student dancers, ages 6-18 (except, in this production, one male professional guest artist). The production is a hands-on project where director Kirsten Oakley can choreograph to students’ strengths but also extend their knowledge of the art from in a full-scale production.

Footworks Youth Ballet presents each production in an Outreach program to over 3200 elementary and middle school students. These performances are presented through greatly reduced, or free, ticket prices.

Join Footworks Youth Ballet for their Family Educational Hour one hour prior to each show to learn more about the production, costumes, ballet history and music. Footworks Youth Ballet offers family-friendly matinees on both regular performance days (June 4th and June 5th) at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14, $16 and $20 and can be purchased by calling 486-2424 or buying online at
http://www.footworksyouthballet.org.

Footworks Youth Ballet is a nonprofit ballet company whose purpose is to provide educational opportunities to young people through the art of ballet.

Vol. 9, No. 16 – May 11 – May 24, 2016 – City of Ventura Classes

City of Ventura Imagination classes check out hundreds more on our web-site

Call  658-4726 or 654-7552 to register, if you already have an ACTIVENET account online, visit www.cityofventura.net

Classes/Events held the Barranca Vista Center ~ 7050 Ralston Street  unless otherwise noted

Line Dance with a Twist  18 years-adult
5/11/6/15         M/W    1-2 pm                         $60      #5684
For experienced line dancers: enjoy fun exercise with a twist of salsa, ballroom and jazz. Instructor Jackie Ringhof. No class 5/30.

Basic Guitar  9 years-adult
5/17-6/28         Tuesday           7-8:30 pm        $55      #5625
Learn folk and pop strums, patterns and chord progressions. Students provide own acoustic or electric guitars. At Dudley House, 197 N Ashwood St. Instructor Randy Covington. No class June 7th.

Dance & Date Night  18 years-adult
5/22-6/26         Sundays                        $69/person      #6460
Learn a new dance every six weeks. Select the hour (5 to 8 pm) you want to attend and the dance you want to learn www. pmhouseofdance.com. Instructor Patricia Monico. Classes held at House of Dance, 3007 Bunsen Ave, Suite E. To register 658-4726.

Afternoon Delight Ballroom  50 years+5/26-6/30         Thursday          1-2 pm             $69 per person                        #6463
Avoid nighttime driving and join us, couples or singles, to learn three new ballroom dance styles every six weeks. Instructor Patricia Monico. Classes held at House of Dance, 3007 Bunsen Ave, Suite E. To register call  658-4726.

Intro to Aikido for Youth  7-16 years
5/29-6/19         Sunday             11 am-12 pm   $40      #6384
Students focus on conditioning and basic aikido techniques in a cooperative environment to help gain focus and awareness. Instructor Dennis Belt. Classes held at Aikido Dojo Training Center, 2406 E Main St. To register call  658-4726.

 

Circus Vargas is indeed a family operation.

event circus
The wonderful Circus Vargas  returns to Ventura under the big top.

Owned and operated by a talented young couple who together with their immediate and extended family have managed to produce some of the most incredible productions in live family entertainment in generations, all under the Big Top!

Every member of the family is involved in the day to day operations of the circus and together they function like a well-oiled machine. From the most veteran member of the family to the youngest child everyone works together.

A small self-contained city on wheels, they travel from town to town, yet always manage to keep some semblance of stability and continuity. Laid out across whatever parking lot or grass field the Big Top calls home that week, the setup is almost always the same. “We are our own little community. We have the same neighbors in each town. The trailers are parked in the exact same spots relative to the Big Top, so the environment is always familiar. You feel at home even in a place you’ve never been to before”  Katya Quiroga, Co- Owner-Producer along with husband Nelson.

The Quiroga family has 4 generations of its own traveling with Circus Vargas. Add to that the many other performers from all over the world along with their families and you’ll understand why no one is ever lonely and certainly never bored. There are more than 20 children and teenagers at Circus Vargas and they have constant supervision. “There is always someone’s grandmother, father, mother, brother or aunt around,” laughs Katya, “so not much chance for anyone to misbehave and we are very big on respecting our elders”

Circus Vargas host, Jon Weiss, who travels with his wife and 3 children says it best. “The circus is a family in the sense that we feel responsible for each other. There is a tremendous respect you have for each other that doesn’t come from any other kind of job. Sometimes you literally have each other’s lives in your hands. We work together. We play together. We have barbeques, birthdays and baby showers. There is a kinship and sense of  community.”

It is only fitting that with so much togetherness, these friendships foster a deep respect and camaraderie that cultivates into sincere affection that is felt under the big top. They care about each other. Not only while they are performing but behind the scenes, as well.