Events by Ana Baker

Want to cure the Holiday Blues? Consider joining Circle of Friends, a social group for retired women. The Club is seeking new members. The group meets monthly for a business/luncheon on the first Wednesday of the month at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road, Ventura. Various events promote friendship and fun among the members. For more information, call Loretta at 805-216-1694 or Carol at 805-340-6336. The price for a luncheon is $25, and the annual fee is $50.

The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcome to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Lyle Hotzler at 805-341-9820 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.

Wanna Play Bridge? Join us for ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games

every Tues. Wed., and Thurs. At 12:30 p.m. All levels of play, and we

will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one. Lessons are

available. Contact: Richard 805-850-8011 or Rose 805-659-9223 or

[email protected]. All Welcome.

Nov. 4-6: The Queen of the Cove is the first all-women’s longboard surf competition in Ventura and will be held at C Street. The event will feature amateur and professional divisions, is open to all ages, and will benefit More than Conquerors Surf, supporting foster youth and engaging them in surfing. There will be a special event on Sunday celebrating the legacy of Ventura surf pioneer Mondo’s Mary with a paddle out in sweaters—something Mary adopted in place of a wetsuit in the 1950s.

Nov. 6:  Open house tours of the 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will take place on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.  Admission is free.  The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood Streets (197 N. Ashwood).  Please call (805) 642-3345 or visit the website at dudleyhouse.org.

Nov. 6: Old-Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Assoc.

Sunday, 2 -4 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Rd.

Live Music on stage. Jamming in the Canada Room. Free Admission. Free parking and

open to the public. For more information, call 805-517-1131 or visit Facebook: OTCBGMA.

Nov. 8: Ventura Audubon Society: Ten Million Birds: A Bird Photographer’s View of Great Salt Lake. 7 – 8:30 p.m. Poinsettia Pavilion and Zoom. Join our November program featuring wildlife photographer Mary Anne Karen. Our November program will be a hybrid meeting via Zoom or in person at the Poinsettia Pavilion, Canada Larga Room, 3451 Foothill Rd. For more information and the Zoom link, go to https://www.venturaaudubon.org/monthly-speakers.

Nov.8: November 8, 2022, Tuesday, San Buenaventura Women’s Club meeting. Noon Lunch ($20) program and meeting. Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road. Program: Mary O. Kerrigan, Exec. Director of Step Up Ventura. (805) 654-8370. Reservations required. Everyone welcome.

Nov. 13: Olivas Adobe Volunteer, Open House at 10 a.m., Do you like gardening, history, and planning events? See how volunteering at the Olivas Adobe can fit into your schedule. We have something for everyone to share and enjoy this historic site.

Nov. 13: Toys of Old 11- 3 p.m. Discover what toys may have been enjoyed by young and old alike at the Olivas Adobe through the ages. Croquet, dice, board games and more. Costumed docents will be on-site for tours of the Olivas property, and the gift shop will be open with unique items for purchase. Also, the Family of Distinction exhibit, with paintings by Laura J Jespersen. For more information, go to www.cityofventura.ca.gov/Olivasadobe.

Nov. 15: Livingston Webinar Series – How to Be a Grief Partner
You do not need extensive training in psychology to provide support to someone grieving. This free webinar will give you the tools to create a proper environment for the bereaved to follow their natural process to do their grief work. This webinar is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. To register, visit lmvna.org/webinars.

20: The Ventura and Santa Barbara County chapter of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) will meet on Sunday in the Campus Student Center of Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road. The regular meeting starts at 11 a.m. There will be a mart where items will be for sale, followed by lunch. An informational meeting and a presentation on clocks or watches will start at 1 p.m. Bring a watch or clock for a free evaluation. Monthly meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday at the Ventura College location. More information about chapter 190 can be found at www.nawcc-ch190.com.

Nov 27: 10th Annual Giant Christmas Tree Lighting from 5-7 p.m. at the Orchard Community Church, 8180 Telephone Rd. Come kick off the Christmas Season as we light our Giant Christmas Tree in East Ventura. Free snacks & activities for the whole family! The lighting ceremony begins at 6:45 p.m. with selfies, photo ops, photo booths, Live Music, a Caroling Choir, Free Hot Chocolate, Popcorn, Crafts, Face Painting, Cookie Decorating, Christmas Bingo, and more.

The Ojai Film Festival returns November 3-20, 2022 for its 23rd year with both in-person and virtual events, celebrating the works of filmmakers from around the world. The official festival schedule includes 84 selected films (varying from features, shorts, documentaries, and animated films), over a dozen seminars, panels, and receptions with filmmakers, live music from local artists, and the Awards Brunch.

For the second year in a row, the festival will run in hybrid form, screening all films in person from November 4-7 at the Ojai Art Center, and virtually from November 8-20 via the Eventive.org festival hosting platform, doubling last year’s length of virtually available stream times.

This year’s festival features an expanded selection of conversations with filmmakers and creatives that delve deeper into the world of film, production and post-production, from the Emmy-nominated director and producer team, Michael Milano and Noémie Dumont  (137 Shots, Ojai Burning) to VFX Specialist, Bill Mather (Star Trek: Generations, Men in Black and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), and more. This year’s World Music in Film seminar, designed to raise awareness of the many world cultures that are presented to us through a variety of mediums, will focus on the music in film tracks.

Two Lifetime Achievement Awards, now known as Distinguished Artist Awards, will be presented to audio engineer Paul Massey (Moonage Daydream, Deadpool, 007: No Time to Die) and actress Jacqueline Bisset (Loren and Rose, La Ceremonie, The Deep).  For the second year in a row, there will also be two dynamic Diversity in Film panels, and a special Diversity Film Award, sponsored by Panavision.  All awards and trophies will be presented at the Awards Brunch on Sunday, November 6, to which all are invited.

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai is pleased to present BeatoFest, an art fair featuring live music, tours, and demonstrations on the back patio of the Center. A wine bar and vegetarian fare will be among the offerings. The event is free to the public. On Sunday, Nov. 6, from 11am-4pm.
“Beato” is the nickname of Beatrice Wood, and the event celebrates Wood leaving her home, studio and art collection for the creation of an art center in Happy Valley, in honor of Annie Besant’s 1927 vision for the land.
Live music begins at 11 am with Francisco Leon, followed by the RubySky Music from Noon to 2 pm. Jill Martini & The Shrunken Heads take the stage from 2 – 3 pm, and singer/songwriter Kimberly Lee performs at 3 pm.
The film Special People: Beatrice Wood, directed by Gail Cottman, will be screened throughout the day, and the Center will be open for self-guided tours.
For more information, contact the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts at 805-646-3381 or [email protected].
A special event coming up at the Ojai Library. California State University Channel Islands Professor of History Rainer F. Buschmann, Ph.D. will visit the Ojai Library at 1pm on Saturday, November 19, 2022, to deliver a talk titled “Primitive Art in Civilized Places: Oceanic Art between the West and the Pacific.”

A new exhibition, Ojai Day Mandalas, opens at the Ojai Valley Museum. The pop-up exhibit will only be on view for four weeks. It runs through November 6.

The annual Ojai Day Mandala is a long-time tradition. Started by local artist River Sauvageau, she continues to lead a small group of women who plan the design and lead the community painting. The exhibition explores making the yearly Mandala through drawings, photographs, and videos provided by the self-titled Mandala Mavens.

In addition to Ojai Day Mandalas, small exhibitions on a range of topics related to the history of the valley, and a diorama of the Sespe Wilderness, are always on view at the museum.

The Ojai Film Festival spotlights filmmaking in the Ojai Valley, and surrounding areas, with the Gold Coast series which ties up the four days of in-person screenings on Monday, November 7. This year’s Bill Paxton Award goes to Travis Greer, whose narrative feature “Time Capsule” will screen that evening at 7 p.m.

Honorees, including Greer, will receive their awards at a brunch on Sunday morning, November 6, in the Ojai Art Center courtyard. Gold Coast screenings happen at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m. on Monday, November 7, also at the Ojai Art Center.

The Ojai City Council declined to deal with the decision to allow up to three cannabis lounges in the city. Council members decided to hold off on the item until a new City Council is installed in January.

A cannabis lounge allows cannabis smoking, vaping or consumption of edibles on-site. Port Hueneme is expected to open the first cannabis lounge in Ventura County this fall.

Events by Ana Baker

The Ventura Senior Men’s Group continues to meet for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcome to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Lyle Hotzler at 805-341-9820 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.

Wanna Play Bridge? Join us for ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12:30 p.m. All levels of play, and we will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one. Lessons are available. Contact: Richard 805-850-8011 or Rose 805-659-9223 or [email protected]. All Welcome.

Oct. 22, 23: The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO for short) turns 20 years old this season. To commemorate that birthday, CHICO, which features some of the most talented musicians in Ventura and Santa Barbara County, will celebrate with two exciting concerts culminating in a gala celebration and a champagne reception after the second concert. The concerts will take place in Camarillo on Saturday, October 22, at 7 p.m. located at St. Mary Magdalen Church 25 N. Las Posas Road. Sunday, October 23 at 3 p.m. in Ventura, at Ventura First United Methodist Church, 1338 E. Santa Clara Street.

Oct. 22: The Ventura County Genealogical Society will host the Annual Family History and Genealogy seminar, presented virtually this year as a webinar on Zoom. Presenting:

Making Sense of the Census. An In-Depth Look at Census Records by Gena Philibert-Ortega

Learn how to search census records more effectively. Saturday, 8:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Registration fee: $30. Registration is available online.

2022 Annual Seminar

Oct. 26: The College Area Community Council will be holding a Zoom meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Council meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month and include speakers and discussion on neighborhood and community interest topics, including public safety and economic development. An invitation and link to the meeting will be sent to everyone on the CACC mailing list. CACC represents citizens in the area bounded by Mills Road on the west, Hill Road on the east, city limits on the hillsides on the north, and the 126 Freeway on the south. Visit the College Area Community Council website @ https://caccventura.com to learn more, add to the mailing list, or access a link to the Zoom meeting.

Oct. 30: Ventura Friends of the Library will hold their Annual Membership Meeting in E.P. Foster Library Topping Room 651 E Main St, from 2- 4 p.m. Keeping with the Taste Makers theme of One County One Book, we have invited Emily Tan from SpiceTopia to spice up our meeting with a flavorful tale. All are invited to attend. A brief business meeting for members will follow the presentation to receive the Treasurer’s report, elect the Officers for 2023, and vote on a bylaw change.

Nov. 2: 9:30 a.m, BCNN monthly coffee meet at the Ventura Yacht Club in Ventura Harbor. The speaker will be our own harbor area’s Connie Korenstein. Connie is known as the actress behind many recreations of Oxnard history and has written a children’s book on this. At the meeting, Connie will talk about the history of women’s hats from 1600 on. Many will be available to try on and photograph.

BCNN (Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers) is a group for women from Ventura, Oxnard and Port Hueneme. It has dozens of small group off shoots from sports activities, to wine tasting, bridge, games, book groups and more. Newcomers are welcome to attend gratis, to see if they like it. (www.bcnnwomensgroup.org)

Nov. 2,16: Parent grief support group. The Compassionate Friends (TCF) of West Ventura County provides free grief support for families after the death of a child. Parents, grandparents, and siblings over 16 are welcome to join us on

the first and third Wednesdays of every month from 7-8:30 p.m. via ZOOM. First-time attendees join the call at 6:45 p.m. We provide peer-led support where you can openly grieve without judgment. If interested, please contact (805) 835-9100 and leave your email address so we can forward the ZOOM link via email a few days before the scheduled call. For more information, visit TCFVentura.org. To speak with the TCF Chapter Leader in Ventura, contact Laura Lindsay at (914) 610-8918. We welcome you to this club no one ever wants to join. We understand grief and are here to help you take the next step in your healing journey.

Nov. 5&6: The Gold Coast Gem Show is coming to the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring dealers, including demonstrators and local Gem and Mineral Societies. Diane Cook, the owner of Daisy’s Rocks and Things, has curated a variety of vendors/dealers who specialize in gems, minerals, and fossils. Show goers will find unique and quality specimens, beads, jewelry, and lapidary supplies, including demonstrations and kids activities, fun for the whole family.

The show is free and open to the public (fairground parking is additional). The show hours are Saturday, November 5, 10-5 pm, and Sunday, November 5, 10-4 pm. The Ventura County Fairgrounds is located at 10 W. Harbor Blvd.

Nov.19: Channel Islands PC User Group (CIPCUG) Online and live at our temporary location Ventura County Computers 2175 Goodyear Avenue, Unit 117 (805) 289-3960

Discussion, Tutorial, and Q&A sessions centered on Computers, email, and the Internet, social media brokers such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Yahoo. Events begin at 9:30 am.

All CIPCUG events can be attended online. Due to limited space, live attendance is reserved for members. Details for connecting to online events are emailed before the event.

Ojai ACT approaches election season with Walter Cronkite is Dead, a play about conversation and understanding in politically and culturally divided times. The play runs three weekends only, through October 16.

Written by multi-award-winning playwright Joe Calarco, Walter Cronkite is Dead stars Sindy McKay and Jill Dolan as Patty and Margaret—two strangers forced together for a long night in a public place.

Performance times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. General admission is $20, $18 for students and seniors, and $15 for Art Center members. For Ticket information and group sales call 805-640-8797.

Local author Chip Fraser will visit the Ojai Library at 1pm on Saturday, October 8, 2022, to speak about his books Philosophy of a Dashboard Saint and Looking for Emerald City. This talk will center on being kind and doing good—two concepts we can never have enough of.

California State University Channel Islands Assistant Professor of Art Simon Quiroz will visit the Ojai Library at 1pm on Saturday, October 15, 2022, to deliver a talk titled “Coloring Motion Pictures.” This program is part of the CSUCI Library Lecture Series, presented in collaboration with the Ventura County Library.

Along with this talk, two additional Library Lecture Series programs are scheduled for the coming weeks. Colleen Delaney, Ph.D., will deliver a talk titled “Chumash Presence Past and Present” at the Hill Road Library (1070 S. Hill Road, Ventura) at 11:30am on Saturday, November 5, 2022. Finally, Rainer F. Buschmann, Ph.D., will deliver a talk titled “Primitive Art in Civilized Places” at the Ojai Library at 1pm on Saturday, November 19, 2022.

Chamber On The Mountain, a chamber music concert series in presents Anita Graef, Cellist with Louise Chan, Pianist, on Sunday, October 16, 2022, 3:00 pm at Logan House (located at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts in Upper Ojai). Tickets $30.00 at www.ChamberOnTheMountain.com. Audience members are invited to meet the artists at a lovely outdoor patio reception following the performance.

The show is all music, all the time, with very little dialogue in the evening. “The songs are outstanding and so well-known that they need no introduction,” Camp said. “The song list is lengthy, including such favorites as “Nothing Like a Dame,” “I Can’t Say No,” “My Favorite Things,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “If I Loved You,” and many more.

“I wanted OPAT to produce a show that celebrates these two giants of musical theater while making us feel glad to be back attending live performances after the pandemic,” said Joan Kemper, Executive Producer at OPAT. Tickets are available soon at www.ojaitheater.org. Prices are $30 for seniors and students and $40 for general admission—telephone orders at 805-640-5814.

After a summer break, walking tours of historic Ojai resume on October 22. Put on your comfortable shoes, bring a friend or family member, and enjoy learning about Ojai as you walk around town.

The Ojai Valley Museum offers walking tours at 10:30 am every Saturday. The 90-minute tours are interesting and informative. Trained docents share stories about the people, places, events, and architecture that shaped Ojai.

Walking Tours of Historic Ojai start at the Ojai Valley Museum. They are offered year-round (except during Ojai’s hottest months). Tickets are $10 per adult, $25 per family, children 6-17 and OVM members are $5 and include admission to the museum all day.

The Ojai Valley Museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Free parking is available behind the museum, off Blanche Street. The Museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

For more information, call the Museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 201, email [email protected] or visit the museum website at OjaiValleyMuseum.org.

The Ojai Valley Museum is holding a raffle for a beautiful quilt made by the Ojai Community Quilters. Tickets are on sale now with the winner drawn on October 15, Ojai Day. Tickets are available at the museum or contact the museum to purchase. All proceeds benefit programs at the museum.

The “Grandmother’s Garden” quilt has a special history. Heidi DiCapua started the quilt with blue pieced medallion flowers with red centers. Unfortunately, she passed away before finishing the medallions. Her husband Peter donated the flowers to the Ojai Community Quilters. Heidi belonged to the group for many years.

Glenda King, Sheryl McArthur, Ann Scanlin, and Jane Weirick took on the task of completing the 49 large and 36 smaller flowers and turning them into a queen-sized quilt. It was then machine quilted by Susan Leech. Making this quilt was a labor of love for the group. They dedicated the quilt to the memory of their long-time friend Heidi, and her beautiful detailed work.Photographs don’t do the quilt justice. See it in person at the Ojai Valley Museum.

The Ojai Valley Museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Free parking is available behind the museum, enter from Blanche Street. The Museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm and until 7 pm on the 3rd Friday of the month. Suggested admission is $5 per adult,$1 for children 5-18. Facemasks are encouraged inside the museum.

In Kara Lakes, Brian and The Ojai Storytelling Festival have found the ideal person to continue Performances To Grow On in the spirit Brian intended. Kara has been a teacher in the Ojai Valley for over 20 years, bringing creative music and storytelling techniques to her students. Kara looks forward to expanding accessibility to low income, hearing impaired, and special needs communities, with help from local organizers. To that end, Kara will continue expanding access to the art of storytelling.

Purchase tickets for the 21st annual Storytelling Festival, October 27th-30th, 2022 and find out about other events by visiting /www.ojaistoryfest.org

Ojai ACT Artistic Director Tracey Williams Sutton pulled some magic out of her hat with the announcement of the company’s 2023 season of plays. Opening the season in January 2023 will be Becky’s New Car, by Steven Dietz. Becky is a middle-aged woman in a middle-aged marriage with humdrum job and a humdrum adult son living at home. Then she meets a mixed-up millionaire who makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Or can she? The audience are her new best friends on this quirky adventure so prepare yourself to listen. It’s definitely worth the ride.

Red by John Logan, directed by Aileen Marie Scott will open in March.

For the summer musical, Artistic Director Williams Sutton will direct Nunsense, the original musical in Dan Goggin‘s successful franchise. It seems there’s been a tiny mix up in the kitchen and the sisters need money. Fast. Don’t miss their raucous fundraising attempts next June.

The mood shifts to the dark side in September with the production of the classic 1929 mystery, Rope by Patrick Hamilton.

For the holiday season OACT will offer the majestic musical, Scrooge, directed by Gai Laing Jones, with book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricuse. Adapted from the film—also written by Bricuse—this colorful rendition of the Dickens’ classic brings 19th century London alive again.

Events by Ana Baker

The Ventura Senior Men’s Group meets for a social lunch and program at the Poinsettia Pavilion on the first and third Tuesday each month. Men of all descriptions are always welcomed to stop in to sample our shenanigans. Bob Likins at 805-587-1233 or Rick Follenweider at 650-520-1098 can supply details.

Wanna Play Bridge? Join us for ACBL sanctioned duplicate bridge games every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:30 p.m. All levels of play and we will guarantee to have a partner for you if you need one. Lessons are available. Contact: Richard 805-850-8011 or Rose 805-659-9223 or [email protected]. All Welcome.

Sept. 7, 21: Parent grief support group. The Compassionate Friends (TCF) of West Ventura County provides free grief support for families after the death of a child. Parents, grandparents and siblings over 16 are welcome to join us on the first and third Wednesdays of every month from 7-8:30 p.m. via ZOOM. First-time attendees join the call at 6:45 p.m. We provide peer-led support where you can openly grieve without judgement. If interested, please contact (805) 835-9100 and leave your email address so we can forward the ZOOM link via email a few days before the scheduled call. For more information, visit TCFVentura.org. To speak with the TCF Chapter Leader in Ventura, contact Laura Lindsay at (914) 610-8918. We welcome you to this club no one ever wants to join. We understand grief and are here to help you take the next step in your healing journey.

Sept.10, 11: The 14th Annual Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival, benefitting Food Share of Ventura County and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Ventura, returns to Ventura Harbor Village 10-5 p.m. The event allows artists to display their work in the artist’s vendor festival near Fisherman’s Memorial between Andria’s Seafood Restaurant and Market and Brophy Bros Clam Bar and Restaurant.

Sept.11: Rancho Days – Celebrate Life on the Rancho Olivas Adobe. Experience what it was like to live and work on Rancho San Miguel. Free hands on activities, storytelling, music and more. New exhibit in the small adobe. Open Sundays 11-3 p.m. September-December. House tours for a small fee. www.cityofventura.ca.gov/olivasadobe.

Sept. 15: The East Ventura Community Council meeting is on Thursday at 7 p.m. Participants will hear from City of Ventura Planning Staff on the topic of Land Use Alternatives. The community is invited to weigh in on the options, which include increased heights and the possibility of utilizing SOAR protected lands. The East Ventura Community Council is inviting local candidates for City Council in Districts 4, 5 and 6 to introduce themselves. This will be an opportunity for candidates to share information about themselves and their goals. (It will not be a forum for questions.) Commander Weeks of the Ventura Police Department will discuss area crime statistics.

Sept. 17: The Ventura County Genealogical Society presents Free Family History Program online with Zoom, Saturday 1- 4p.m. https://venturacogensoc.org/this-month/
Presenter: Chris Paton “British & Irish Newspapers”
Presenter: Karen Fortin “Creating Google Earth Tours”
All monthly lectures and workshops are free to our members and the
public. Non-members should request an invitation here

Request Invitation to Lecture

Sept. 17: at 7pm Call Me Elizabeth, a one-woman show about the early life of Elizabeth Taylor, will be presented at NAMBA Performing Arts Space. The production, written by Kayla Boye and directed by Erin Kraft, comes to Ventura following a critically acclaimed world premiere in the 2022 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Set in May 1961, Call Me Elizabeth is inspired by Taylor’s conversations with writer Max Lerner as they discuss plans for a biography. General admission tickets are now on sale for $20 and may be purchased by visiting www.nambaarts.com or by calling the Box Office at 805-628-9250. 47 S. Oak St.

Sept. 18: 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, 4667 Telegraph Road. The regular meeting starts at 11a.m. and a mart where items will be for sale followed by lunch. An informational meeting and a presentation on a topic on clocks or watches will start at 1 p.m. Anyone interested in watches and clocks, (modern & antique) is invited to visit and join our chapter. Bring a watch or clock for a free evaluation.
More information about chapter 190 at www.nawcc-ch190.com.

Sept. 20: At 5:30 pm, Livingston’s Grief & Bereavement Program will be offering a weekly Good Grief Club to children from 7-11 years old who have lost a loved one. The club will be focused on the themes of acknowledging death and remembering the loss of the person that passed. The club will run for 8 weeks. Contact (805) 389-6870 for more information.

All support groups are free for the community. Additional support groups include General Bereavement Support Group Mondays 3:00 to 4:30 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Tuesdays 10:30 am to 12 pm. General Bereavement Support Group Wednesdays 6:30 to 8 pm.  Adult Loss of Parent Support Group 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month 6:00 to 7:30 pm. Reinvesting in Life After Loss Wednesdays 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Widow and Widower’s Support Group Wednesdays 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Young Widow and Widowers Support Group Tuesdays 5:30 to 7 pm. Visit www.LMVNA.org for more information.

Sept. 23: The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is closing out its two-year program, Close to Home: A Community Conversation Spotlighting the People, Places and Perspectives Surrounding Homelessness, with a night of storytelling. The public is invited to OPAC on Friday, from 6 to 8 pm for a free outdoor performance called Stories from the Street.

Sept. 28: The College Area Community Council will be holding a Zoom meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Everyone on the CACC mailing list will receive an invitation and link. Visit the College Area Community Council website to be added to the mailing list or to access a link to the Zoom meeting @ https://caccventura.com

Looking for warm-hearted comedy relief during the dog days of summer? Ojai ACT has Just the Ticket for you. From the pen of prolific playwright Peter Quilter, Just the Ticket is a joyful and ingenious one-woman show starring Ojai actress Lynn Van Emmerik, directed by Tom Eubanks.

Just the Ticket runs through Sunday, September 4. Performance times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. General admission is $20, $18 for students, seniors, and Art Center members. For more information and group sales call 805-640-8797.

Local author Tamara Davis will visit the Ojai Library at 2pm on Saturday, September 10, to speak about her book, Despite the Buzz. Despite the Buzz is a colorful cautionary tale concerning tech’s toll upon learning, relationships, safety, and wellbeing. The paperback was locally designed and published in Ojai.

The artful story is educational and exciting! A new high school teacher raises awareness about screen use inside her Reflective Writing classroom, but she doesn’t realize the danger lurking.

schools of thought. The realistic and romantic fiction is recommended for readers over 14 years of age. For more info, please refer to despitethebuzz.com.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146 or [email protected].

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai, CA. Hours of service are 10am to 8pm Monday through Thursday and 12pm to 5pm Friday through Sunday.

Forget fighting the beach crowds. Come to serene Ojai for a relaxing afternoon of smooth jazz with Grammy-winning performers on Saturday, August 27, 2 p.m. at the Ojai Art Center. Don’t miss this chance to experience the unique musical blend of Gregg Karukas, Thom Rotella, and Tyler Hammond. Doors open at 1 p.m.. Tickets cost $25 online and $25 at the door. No refunds. Questions? Call: 805-746-0936

Ojai Performing Arts Theater Holds Audition For A Grand Night

“We’re looking for strong singers who can respect and deliver on the incredible songs in a revue we’re calling ‘A Grand Night for Ojai: the Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein.”

Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Sonshine Room of the Ojai Presbyterian Church, 304 N. Foothill Rd.

Actors are asked to bring sheet music for a song that will demonstrate range and comfort with musical material. Call Stuart Crowner for an audition appointment at (805) 646-9277.