Category Archives: Community Events

Jazz and classical music to be presented at the VMF concert

Kaytlyn Becker will perform at the Rising Stars concert

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.

Ventura College holds inaugural Diversity in Culture Festival

Recently Ventura College held its inaugural Diversity in Culture Festival on the Ventura College campus.

The event featured a wide variety of cultural performances, art, food and speakers from around the world. Events included a poetry slam contest featuring Ventura County’s poet laureate Phil Taggart and director Jonathan Carlander presenting his short film on Asperger Syndrome, “The Pleasing List,.”

Many performances included American Sign Language interpreters.

Vol. 9, No. 15 – April 27 – May 10, 2016 – Ojai News & Events

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]

Walk with NAMI Ventura County in the 12th Annual NAMI Ventura County Walk

Join last year’s NAMI walkers on April 30.

The 12^th Annual NAMI Ventura County Walk benefitting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)will be on Saturday April 30 at the Ventura Promenade. Check in and registration will begin at 9:00 am with the start time for the 5k walk beginning at 10:30 am. The Walk will be held rain or shine. There will be a program from 10:00 am to 10:30 am which will feature speakers from the Ventura County community.

The Walk is a tradition that provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the facts of mental illness, to erase the stigma associated with mental illness, and to raise funds so that NAMI Ventura County can continue to offer all of their programs and services at no cost to persons who can be helped by those services. It gives everyone a chance to show their support for all of the efforts put forth by NAMI Ventura County.

NAMI bases their mission on the principles of support, education, and advocacy for persons impacted by mental illness. They provide classes for family members, providers, and persons with a lived experience of mental illness. They also present in schools, hold support groups for family members, and provide outreach to persons who come to see persons who are in the inpatient psychiatric units in Ventura County. NAMI Ventura County also has a Peer to Peer class for persons in recovery and a Connections support group for persons in recovery as well.

The Walk in Ventura County is a fun family event with activities for children and opportunities to socialize. It also provides our community with a way for us all to come together to show our support for needed services for all persons impacted by mental illness.

To register as an individual walker or to form a team and/or to find information about sponsorships please call 641.2426 or visit www.namiventura.org.

Vol. 9, No. 15 – April 27 – May 10, 2016 – Events

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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City of Ventura Special Event Grants applications are due May 12

Applications are due May 12 for the City of Ventura “Special Event Permit Fund” – a grant program open to event organizers staging cultural festivals and special events in Ventura that activate public space and increase visitor spending.

Applicants must be a Ventura based nonprofit or an agency partnering with a Ventura based nonprofit planning an event occurring between July 2016 and June 2017. The maximum amount of an award is $2,000. Grants are to be used to cover all or part of the special event permit fees levied by the City of Ventura for special events occurring on public property.

Applications are available online at www.cityofventura.net/permits or by contacting Special Event Coordinator Michelle Godoy-Morales at 654-7749 or [email protected].

“The purpose of these City of Ventura grants is to champion community celebrations that attract residents and visitors, strengthen Ventura’s cultural identity and economic vitality, and promote entrepreneurial spirt and innovative partnerships between private sector and public agencies,” said Community Partnerships Manager Denise Sindelar.

Ventura College hosting grand opening celebration and building dedication of new state-of-the-art Applied Science Center April 21

Ventura College will host a grand opening celebration and building dedication of its new state-of-the-art Applied Science Center on Thursday, April 21, from 3-4 p.m. at the campus located at 4667 Telegraph Road. The event will include tours, a short presentation and remarks by school administrators, Chancellor Bernard Luskin and Board of Trustees Larry Kennedy, Chair. Established in 1925, Ventura College is one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District that include Moorpark College and Oxnard College

“Imagine students welding with a computer instead of a blowtorch and fixing the brakes on a car without touching a vehicle,” said Ventura College President Greg Gillespie. “This is the future of learning in the brand-new, state-of-the-art Applied Science Center at Ventura College.”

The 20,000 square foot center opens to students for the summer 2016 term. The facility is the brainchild of Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services Dave Keebler, and features three types of learning to ensure a deep understanding of a concept or skill: traditional textbook learning, virtual simulator experiences and a hands-on simulation lab where students work with smaller versions of the real project without fear of making costly mistakes.

Features of the center include large glass windows so that passersby can watch students and robots inside the classrooms at work; virtual simulators that provide a 3-D video model that can rotate items; and an Imax projection screen that can be used by college staff, students and the community for training, web conferencing and teleconferencing.

“We are pleased to invite members of our community to the dedication of the Applied Science Center on Thursday, April 21st,” said District Chancellor Bernard Luskin. “The center curriculum was designed to train students for high-demand positions within the manufacturing industry, where demand exceeds the supply,” said Larry Kennedy, Chair, Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees.

Public invited to Ventura City Council’s Community Workshop on Homelessness, April 18

The City of Ventura City Council will hold a Community Workshop on Homelessness, Monday, April 18, 2016 from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, Island View Room of the Derby Club. The purpose of the workshop is to:

Provide education and promote community ownership and alignment about homelessness

Foster healthy, collaborative dialogue regarding homelessness in our community through cooperative multi-agency relationships

Provide a starting point for renewed multi-agency and community efforts to identify barriers and strategies toward ending homelessness

The community workshop – facilitated by consultant Ken Lee — is intended to be a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue among the many public and private social service agencies, faith-based, business groups, community advocates and public safety agencies that interface with each other and with the homeless and disenfranchised individuals on a daily basis.

Workshop attendees will participate in group exercises designed so all participants will have an active role working toward creative solutions and enhanced programs through cooperation and collaboration. Small, diverse groups will work together to identify the opportunities, challenges and barriers associated with homelessness.

Before attending the workshop, community members are encouraged to review homeless data and materials available on the City’s website at www.cityofventura.net/homelessservices. The data includes service locations countywide and citywide, population counts, public safety calls for service, affordable housing inventory, zoning for emergency shelters, continuum of care funding, and articles regarding national best practices.

The workshop session will begin at 6:00 pm sharp – seating in the main room is limited, however there will be an overflow space immediately adjacent to the Island View Room.

For more information about the Community Workshop on Homelessness, contact Community Services Manager Peter Brown, 805-658-4707 or [email protected].

“A Country Fair with Ocean Air” gets ready to rock

Ventura County’s favorite 12 days of summer are coming August 3-14. The Ventura County Fair returns with contests, exhibits, animals, carnival rides and more fair favorites. The Grandstand Arena Entertainment Series promises to be a crowd pleaser, with 10 free concerts and 4 free PRCA rodeos.

This is the schedule so far:
Motor Sports (Wednesday, August 3)
Styx (Thursday, August 4)
Old Dominion (Friday, August 5)
2016 Academy of Country Music’s New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year
TBA (Saturday, August 6)
TBA (Sunday, August 7)
UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey 2016 (Monday, August 8)
America (Tuesday, August 9 -afternoon show)
Patti LaBelle (Tuesday, August 9)
Chris Young (Wednesday, August 10)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Thursday, August 11)
Trace Adkins (Friday, August 12)
PRCA Rodeo (Saturday, August 13, Sunday, August 14)

For show times, exhibit entries and additional information visit www.venturacountyfair.org or call 648-3376.

Dog Day Afternoon

Ventura Police Department officers and chief honor K-9’s.

by Richard Lieberman

The National Police Dog Foundation held its annual ceremony at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Ventura. The event to honor Police K-9s and their handlers drew participants from Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Among the participants Oxnard police, Santa Paula police, Ventura police, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Ventura County Search and Rescue were included in the ceremony.

Held on a Wednesday in March, Norm McDaniel spokesman and Emcee of the event and a National Police Dog Foundation board member, discussed with the attendees’ budget issues that target dogs and their handlers. Police dogs and their handlers are likely targets for budget cutting and generally among the first to be cut. “So these agencies really need the support of the public and organizations like the National Police Dog Foundation to be able to provide those additional funds to put those canines and those officers back on the street to help protect us” said McDaniel of Ventura.

Among the attendees Oxnard Police Chief Jeri Williams added “the presence of a police dog can immediately defuse a situation”, Williams also said, “Just hearing that bark, just seeing the dog next to the officer, adds a different dynamic and most times ends with a better resolved situation, “

Guest speaker James Corbett of Boston, a special FBI agent penned a book “Solemn Vow” which showcases photographs of 50 police dogs and their accomplishments. “Some saved a life, some have rescued little girls, some have pulled people out of fires,” said Corbett. All the proceeds from Corbett’s book will be donated to the National Police Dog Foundation.

Attending from the Oxnard Police Department Daniel Casson came with Jax, his 3rd canine partner since 1998. “The dog is probably the most valued and used tool in the Police Department because they do so many different things.” Said Casson.

Edo and his handler Nhut Huynh an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department faced an armed suspect, and two wounded victims earlier this year. Edo was used as a diversion entering the house from one direction so officers could enter the house from a different direction to rescue the wounded victims and apprehend the armed suspect. The plan worked and Edo went first to the two wounded hostages, and then found and engaged the suspect. Edo was named Hero of the Year by the National Police Dog Foundation at the event.

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