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Vol. 11, No. 16 – May 9 – May 22, 2018 – A View from House Seats

The award-winning professional cast is outstanding at the Rubicon.

Rubicon Delivers in The Baby Dance: Mixed
by Shirley Lorraine

Affordable Broadway is in our own back yard. Continuing their 20th anniversary season with yet another World Premiere production, The Rubicon Theatre Company offers The Baby Dance: Mixed by acclaimed Emmy award-winning author Jane Anderson.

Anderson and frequent Rubicon director Jenny Sullivan have been collaborators since the plays’ conception and infancy. This staging is an updated version of The Baby Dance, brainstormed and brought to the Pasadena Playhouse stage in 1990 directed by Sullivan. Since then the play has been staged in several other countries and a translated version is currently running in France.

Once again, Anderson works with Sullivan who expertly directs this adaptation to include relevant current issues including a mixed-race couple of affluence seeking to adopt an African-American child. Their attorney has engineered an adoption agreement with a less well-off couple who already have four children and may be unable to care for another. The childless couple, an African-American woman and a Jewish Caucasian man, are desperate to adopt the baby when she is born.

The play simmers with highly charged emotion and conflicts from the beginning. The universal message of hope and anguish highlights sensitive situations that are humorous across ethnic and socio-economic lines. Both couples have myriad challenges to overcome and a desire for a “perfect” outcome despite their many differences. However, life has other ideas, as it often does.

The award-winning professional cast delivers warm, strong, engaging and complex characters across the board.

The mixed-race couple is played by Tracey A. Leigh as Regina, the adoptive mother. Her husband, Richard is played by Brian Robert Burns. They become acquainted with Wanda (Krystle Simmons) and Al (Gabriel Lawrence), who have decided that adoption would be the best option for their family’s current circumstances. They are joined by Carl Palmer who plays Ron, the adoption attorney who proves his ability to adapt quickly to any situation.

The across-the-board powerful performances are framed by settings designed by Rubicon technical veteran Thomas Buderwitz. Set dressing is exquisitely detailed by T. Theresa Scarano. The interior of the trailer where Wanda and Al and family live highlights their financial status and make-do creativity.

Stick around during intermission when the entire picture is transformed into a well-appointed hospital room – by itself a production worth watching. Sound is expertly filtered into scenes by Randall Robert Tico to complete the realistic and intricate settings.

The cast was invited by the author as well as the director to offer input into this new version of the play as they rehearsed and traversed the mine field that is involved in subjects of race, status and conscience. Talk-backs with the cast after the next two Wednesday evening performances will undoubtedly be extraordinarily insightful.

The Rubicon Theatre Company consistently provides high quality theatrical experiences. Their 20th anniversary season is proving to be another winner.

The Baby Dance: Mixed plays Wednesdays to Sundays through May 20 at the Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main St. (corner of Main and Laurel Streets) in downtown Ventura. Matinees: 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Wednesday May 9 and 16 performances will be followed by a talk-back session with the cast. Tickets: $30-$55. There is 24-hour ticketing and seat selection online at www.rubicontheatre.org. (805) 667-2900.

Help Cabrillo Middle School stay the best in engineering and music

The Rusty Sailors have invented a Microfiber Filter.

FIRST® LEGO® League has announced 20 semi-finalist teams that have advanced to the Eighth Annual FIRST® LEGO® League Global Innovation Award. The Rusty Sailors Robotics Team, from Ventura’s Cabrillo Middle School was selected from entries from more than 20 countries and all 50 states

for their outstanding project innovative solution that demonstrated originality while having the potential to add significant value in the world.

The Cabrillo Middle School Rusty Sailors have invented a Microfiber Filter for washing machines for the HYDRODYNAMICS? season, which focused on improving the water cycle and keeping microfibers out of the ocean’s waters and sea life. They collaborated with local scientists as well as developers at Patagonia to ensure their product would be a viable and responsible invention. This is the first time that a Ventura or Los Angeles regional team has advanced this far. The team will travel to San Jose June 19-21 to present their innovation to expert judges at San Jose State University, which culminates in the awarding of the top prize of $20,000 to continue work on their inventions; two runners-up will take home $5,000 each.

The Rusty Sailors have also been invited to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Invitational, at the University of Arkansas on May 16-20. The team will compete with their robot against 71 other teams from around the globe.

Coached by JD Sessa, the team is currently fundraising and looking for additional sponsors to assist them with travel, hotel and project/robot costs related to both of these events. Individuals can donate on their GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/rustysailors and companies who wish to sponsor can reach out to fundraising committee member and team parent, Marieanne Quiroz at [email protected]. Alternatively, purchasing wristbands (from somewhere similar to SleekWristbands.com) can be effective for fundraising. By putting the school name and logo on wristbands, it would be a lovely reminder of the fundraising efforts of all of the school.

FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9 to 16-year-old children created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Children work alongside adult Mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® and create an innovative solution to a real-world problem as part of their research project.

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.

Jazz is alive and well at Cabrillo Middle School. Help support music at Cabrillo Middle School by attending the annual Jazz Benefit Concert on May 19, from 5:30-7:30 at Boccali’s Restaurant in Ojai. Tickets are $29 and include all you can buffet dinner and non-alcoholic beverages while sitting outside under the oaks listening to live jazz music from Cabrillo Middle School Students and a special performance by Lito Hernandez Fotet.

There is also a wine raffle and silent auction for many interesting items. All proceeds benefit the music program which pays for instrument repair, music tutors, sheet music, field trips, and more. Purchase tickets now at squareup.com/store/Cabrillo-middle-school-music-boosters or at the door.

Corporate Games closing ceremonies and competition

Representing Taradyne Co of Ventura , “The Bucket Brigade” filled and hauled countless buckets of water from the shore while others shaped the sand. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

Thousands of employees from 80 Ventura and Santa Barbara County companies have been battling it out for the last six-weeks in the 29th Annual City of Ventura Corporate Games! The end of this business-to-business team sports competition took place on Saturday, May 5 at the Corporate Games Closing Ceremonies held at Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura.

In the last two events local companies faced off in the “Ventura’s Beauty” Sand Sculpturing Contest and Tug-O-War competition to end the competition and to win the overall and team unity trophies in their respective divisions in this final day of competition.

For more information on the Corporate Games, visit www.venturacorporategames.org.

Primrose Excursions

Recent Primrose Excursion trip took the group Los Olivos for a wine tour and painting.

by Rebecca Wicks

Bonnie Wiley has worn many hats throughout her years, but all have had one focus – to help people find happiness in their current life. Today she helps people find happiness through travel with her company, Primrose Excursions, which designs and sells trips ranging from day excursions to longer and even international destination tours. Wiley who is a recreation therapist by degree and has served in the field of behavioral therapy at rehabilitation clinics and state hospitals alike has always believed what you do in your free time is pinnacle to your overall health and happiness.

“I found when working with patients in recovery, what a person does in their leisure time often gives them overall value.” said Wiley. “Those who occupied their free time with something fulfilling seemed to always do better.”

Today, Wiley doesn’t use charts or treatment plans, but the goal is the same, to get people out of the house.

Before starting Primrose Excursions, Wiley supervised the City of Ventura’s two senior centers including its nutrition and travel programs. In her 12 years working for the City she grew the travel program from a very small program to a very successful and almost autonomous program.

“When we started it was a ‘hey, let’s go to Santa Barbara for lunch’ kind of venture,” said Wiley. “From there it grew and grew into a robust program with extended tours.”

In the end, the City terminated the extended tour part of the travel program, citing they were not in the business of travel. Wiley decided there was still a need and place for this type of programming in Ventura and started her company almost four years ago this month. She now organizes and sells 35-40 trips a year. She also acts as the tour director on all of these trips. In addition to these, she partners with three other companies that offer longer trips.

Wiley’s travelers are generally over 40, with most in their 60s. She stresses people come from all different kinds of backgrounds but have a similar interest in having their travel taken care of for them.

“There is value in group travel,” said Wiley. “You’re not alone. You may not know where to eat, I take care of that. You don’t have to depend on online reviews, I’ve already been there, I’ve already evaluated on your behalf.”

Wiley’s excursions regularly range from 30 to 56 people in size. Trips often have themes. For example, on a recent day trip the group visited a Japanese garden that was part of a water treatment plant in the San Fernando Valley, followed by lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The adventure ended with a tour of the Pacific Asian Museum in Pasadena. A Ben Franklin themed excursion took the group to Forest Lawn where they toured Revolutionary War era chapels, to a restaurant that was formerly a fire house – Franklin helped start the firehouse in Philadelphia – and later to the public library in downtown Los Angeles, because Franklin founded the first lending library in the United States.
Wiley even offers “surprise tours,” where travelers don’t know where they are heading to and are asked to pack in layers and bring comfortable walking shoes. A recent surprise trip took a group to Lake Arrowhead Resort. Upcoming excursions include a Dodgers baseball game, a night out to see the musical Singing in the Rain, and a trip to Hoover Dam and Las Vegas with extended tours through her partners going to Alaska, Washington D.C. and Thailand.

“People appreciate that I’m detail oriented and they know what they are getting,” said Wiley. “One of the main draws is they don’t have to drive, deal with traffic or parking – they can sleep, relax and know once they’ve arrived, they are taken care of.”

Parkinson’s Disease Support Group to host The Michael J. Fox Foundation

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group invites their members and care-partners, visitors and new friends who find themselves navigating Parkinson’s disease to join them on Wednesday, May 9 from 1 to 3PM for a special presentation. The presentation will be held at Lexington Assisted Living, 5440 Ralston St.

Advancement Officer Mary McQuillen of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will present on the following topics: an overview of MJFF’s mission; an update on promising Parkinson’s disease research; the latest legislation that impacts the lives of people with Parkinson‘s; priority areas for Parkinson’s policy work; and information on how to get involved with clinical research through Fox Trial Finder and Fox Insight.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today. Since inception in 2000, 89 cents of every dollar spent by MJFF has gone straight to grants and initiatives to speed a cure for Parkinson’s. To date, the Foundation has funded more than $800 million in research to bring an end to Parkinson’s disease. For more information, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

For those interested in attending the event, there is a drop-off/loading and unloading driveway in the front of the Lexington building. Extra parking is graciously available across the street in the Baptist Church parking lot. Reservations are not required. Attendees are invited to check in at the front desk for directions to the 3rd floor and sign-in at the meeting so we can keep in touch with you. For more information, call Patty at 766-6070.

The Ventura Parkinson’s Disease Support Group is an independent and volunteer-organized group, not affiliated with or a part of any other organization or group. Thanks to the generosity of the Lexington Assisted Living, they host their meetings every second Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3PM.

Ventura Breeze “un-official” Name The Green Pig Contest

The Ventura Breeze is holding an “un-official” Name The Green Pig Contest for the new pig that was in the St. Pats Parade to replace the one that died last year. Send you suggestions to [email protected]. They will be submitted to the pig committee for their consideration. The Breeze will select our winner and the lucky person will win 3 tickets to the Ronald Reagan Library.

Photo by Michael Gordon

Public invited to 3rd Annual “Monarch Madness” pollinator planting party

Juliana Danaus, will demonstrate how to make milkweed seed balls.

On Sat., April 28, from 9 a.m. – 12 noon, the Ventura Land Trust (VLT) will host “Monarch Madness” – a family-friendly pollinator planting event at the Big Rock Nature Preserve along the Ventura River. This 3rd annual free, open-to-the-public event is made possible by funding from SoCalGas.

VLT will demonstrate how to plant milkweed and other pollinator plants and provide attendees with instruction, gardening gloves, shovels, native plants and mulch. Special guest and monarch butterfly expert, Juliana Danaus, will demonstrate how to make milkweed seed balls and Ventura Girl Scout Troop 61135 will lead a butterfly-themed craft project.

“Thanks to generous support from SoCalGas, Ventura Land Trust will continue to repair areas burned in the Thomas Fire and replant a beautiful oasis near the Ventura River that attracts butterflies, bees and human visitors alike,” said Derek Poultney, VLT executive director.

This event is appropriate for people of all ages but children must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees should wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, long pants, a hat, sunscreen and bring a water bottle.

The Big Rock Nature Preserve is located off Highway 33 along the Ojai-Ventura Bike Trail, just south of Foster Park. To RSVP, go to www.venturalandtrust.org/events.

For more information, visit www.venturalandtrust.org or call VLT at 643-8044.

The land trust manages 90 acres of land along the Ventura River and is negotiating the purchase of its first hillside property. For more information, visit www.venturalandtrust.org.

A Grateful Dead Music Oriented Festival

Breeze staffer John Murchison, Front of House Engineer. The front of house engineer focuses on mixing audio.

by John Murchison

The Skull and Roses Festival Produced by Deluxe with DJE Sound and Lighting, at the Ventura Raceway was attended by thousands who were able to camp and enjoy the music as they did when the Grateful Dead used to play here years ago in the 1980’s.

The Main Stage included a backdrop of legendary sorts, a recreation of the Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” a legendary Sound system created by Owsley Stanley the Dead’s first sound engineer. Steve Parish part of the original Grateful Dead crew was present to give the replica versions of the Wall of Sound Speakers their correct placement. As well as telling many stories about touring with the iconic band. The arena offered 2 stages of music continuously with a rotating stage schedule, when one band was done the other stage would start.

I had the pleasure of seeing my first Grateful Dead show in 1974 at Roosevelt Stadium in New Jersey with that very system. The second stage was a dedication to Ron McKernan the former leader, keyboardist, and singer in the 60’s when the band first started.

The Festival was a Grateful Dead Music Oriented Festival with 20 different Grateful Dead Music Tribute Bands including multiple genres of the same music. for example “The Grateful Bluegrass Boy’s”, played bluegrass inspired versions of Grateful Dead Classics, “Punk is Dead”, another band played that genre of Grateful Dead Music, Ventura’s Own 9 Mile Skid, name inspired by a lyric from the song He’s Gone.

LA’s Grateful Dead Tribute Headlined Friday night playing two sets of Grateful Dead Music, which I had the pleasure of mixing. The Festival was met with many a sing along and proved that the Grateful Dead still have a solid following and continue to live on in the live music scene.

New City of Ventura Economic Development Manager

Estelle brings a strong background in strategic marketing and effective collaboration.

Ventura Community Development Director Jeff Lambert has announced that Estelle (Diaz) Bussa has been named as the City’s Economic Development Manager and will start in her new position on May 7. This selection fills a key management position in the City and supports the City Council’s priority of Creating and Maintaining Economic Development and Vitality.

Estelle is a fourth generation Ventura native and has a strong background in strategic marketing and effective collaboration. In her new role, she will focus on updating and implementing the City Council’s 5­Year Economic Development Strategy, including retention, expansion and attraction of businesses in Ventura. Estelle will work closely with the City Council Economic Development Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Ventura Partners, Visit Ventura, the Ventura Port District and other business partners. As a member of the Community Development Management Team, Estelle will work closely with the Planning and Building and Safety Divisions to support the City’s efforts to encourage private sector investment in Ventura.

Mayor Neal Andrews said, “Economic growth is vital to a healthy and vibrant business community and allows us to maintain city services and a high quality of life for our residents. We are pleased and looking forward to working with Estelle and our other community partners to further the City’s adopted strategy and to build upon the economic strength of our great city.”

Estelle previously worked four years at Patagonia where she served as International Planning Manager, Ecommerce Forecast Planner and Senior Supply Chain Analyst. She also has experience working for Adidas Group as a Senior Project Manager in Brand Harmonization. Jeffrey Lambert, Community Development Director, said, “Estelle is a unique and exciting choice for this position; her deep knowledge and commitment to Ventura and its prosperous future and her personal experience at Patagonia and beyond will support the City’s economic development goals.”

Estelle received her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Operations Management, from the University of Portland and a BA in Social Sciences from San Diego State University. She is proud alumni of Ventura High School and Ventura College, where she was a back-to-back State Champion in Woman’s Basketball.

“Ventura is a great place to live, work, and do business. I am excited for this tremendous opportunity to join the team and build upon what has been accomplished and to further the economic development related goals of the City,” said Bussa.

The 11th Annual Ventura Earth Day Eco Fest

Be sure to visit the Ventura Breeze at Earth Day and get a free copy of the Breeze.

This free event is the perfect way to spend a day with the whole family. The festival is the largest Earth Day celebration in Ventura County, attracting thousands of visitors and featuring 100+ exhibitors. This community driven event will take place in Plaza Park off Thompson St. in the heart of Downtown Ventura on April 21 from 10am-4pm.

Each year over 200 volunteers work hard to make the event a success. For 2018 expect to enjoy all-day entertainment on two stages, a children’s zone full of fun activities, free yoga classes throughout the day, scavenger hunt, raffle, silent auction, reading to adoptable dogs, food trucks, Green Car Expo and much more.

This year join the Earth Day Family Bike Ride organized by Channel Island Bicycle Club departing from Channel Islands National Park Headquarters on Spinnaker. Check in at 8:30am, arrive at the Ventura Earth Day Eco Fest at 10:15am. For more information go to: http://www.cibike.org/activities–events.html.

Organized by Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education in cooperation with the City of Ventura. All proceeds from the day‐long event go toward funding enrichment programs for Kindergarten through eighth‐grade students at the tuition‐free public school. Your support builds a conscious community that shapes our future generations.

Entertainment lineup including Jade Hendrix and Sea at Last along with other local talent . To learn more go to www.venturaearthday.org.