Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

George Vincent to speak at Prayer Breakfast

On Wednesday, November 13, at 7:30am, writer, director, actor, George Vincent to give keynote speech at the Ventura Family YMCA Annual Prayer Breakfast.

A free morning of music, prayer, and breakfast as you hear the powerful stories from writer and producer George Vincent. As a precious faithless man, Vincent finds himself carrying the weight of the world until a divine experience changes his life and he cannot deny the power of God.

“After experiencing a divine encounter that changed my life forever, I decided to share it with everyone whenever I could. While sitting in a coffee house, getting my car washed, buying groceries… literally any where.” – George Vincent

Ventura Family YMCA, 3760 Telegraph Road

Pierpont Racquet Club celebrating 42 years in sports, health & fitness in the community!  

With both indoor and outdoor pools and a whirlpool there is always room for a refreshing swim and dip!

The remodeled Front Lobby is welcoming and cozy for members and guests alike!

The Pierpont Racquet Club has been busy with remodeling and improvements to their beautiful sports and fitness facility.  Nestled on 5.5 acres of lushly landscaped grounds just a 1/2 block from Ventura’s beach front promenade and the beautiful Pacific Ocean, the PRC, as it’s known by its members, is a friendly home away from home, where members come to exercise, relax and enjoy their leisure time among friends.

You may have thought the Pierpont Racquet Club is just about Racquet Sports, but in addition to championship tennis courts, it is a multi-use facility that has Indoor & Outdoor pools, a Full Facility Fitness Center, Childcare for members, massage services and health & Nutrition counseling as well as club social events as well as the newly remodeled upstairs Clubroom Event Venue!

The locker rooms are newly remodeled with a Spa feel! With showers, dry sauna, and complimentary towel service, it’s the perfect place after your workout, tennis match, or massage!

In case you haven’t been down to the Club in a long time, you really need to stop by to see all the beautiful upgrades to the amenities and facilities and consider becoming a member of the PRC family!

The Pierpont Racquet Club is also celebrating Its 42nd Birthday this October!  During the month of October, new prospective members can receive a 42% off discount on the Join Fee!
(some restrictions apply. Must be 18 or older to be eligible).

The indoor/outdoor environment of the Upper Deck Spin Studio is just right for group spin classes!

For information about membership, please contact Membership Director Kati Escallier, or come by the Club anytime to take a tour and try out the Club!

California Travel Association kindly recognizes Visit Ventura

Leslie Snipes, Michele Foster, Marlyss Auster, Mike Laan and Michele Gilmour are proud of Ventura.

California Travel Association kindly recognizes what Visit Ventura knows: we’re a special place to work

Visit Ventura was kindly honored once again as a great place to work, this time by the California Travel Association (CalTravel). The California Travel Association is the united voice of the travel and tourism industry in California, advocating on issues and legislation that affect the tourism industry.

Visit Ventura was presented with CalTravel’s Great Workplace Award for 2019 at a gala awards dinner September 12th at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Some 350 tourism leaders throughout California attended the awards dinner.

The CalTravel award continues an ongoing string of awards for Visit Ventura, among them back to back (2018 and 2019) awards as one of the best places to work on California’s Central Coast, and Adrian golds, three years running, from Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The Adrian award is one of the most prestigious awards in the tourism industry.

CalTravel’s Great Workplace Award for 2019, while an honor, was no surprise to those who work in an office that has fun (recognizing the fine work of our colleagues with SpongeBob memes) while getting things done. Through creative thinking and various award-winning campaigns, Visit Ventura helps spearhead a tourism effort that generates close to $300 million in annual visitor spending and, equally important, creates roughly 2,600 jobs in Ventura.

Work can be play, and both can be elevated to an art.

“Success is about working hard, but life is also about having fun,” said Marlyss Auster, Visit Ventura President & CEO. “Our team has mastered the art of blending work and fun. So much great work gets done here. But there’s so much laughter too. I look forward to coming to work every day.”
Find out how Visit Ventura contributes to driving Ventura’s economy through tourism and meet the team.

“Farm Fresh Mobile Classroom,” is visiting schools throughout Ventura County

Kids at Mound Elementary participated with enthusiasm in learning about many of the foods grown in the community. Photos by Bernie Goldstein

As part of its new Ventura County Child Wellness Initiative, Students for Eco-Education & Agriculture (SEEAG) is hitting the road in its new “Farm Fresh Mobile Classroom,” visiting schools throughout Ventura County this school year and bringing its message of healthy eating, proper nutrition and daily exercise.

The 30-foot-long cargo van made its debut on Friday, September 13 at Mound Elementary School in Ventura. Third graders learned about locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables through hands-on activities. They prepared healthy snacks and received recipes that they can make at home as well as nutritional information to share with family members. The van will visit 120 schools and reach 10,000 Ventura County students by 2021.

As part of the van’s debut, five students created dishes from locally grown produce for judging.

“We want kids to get excited whenever they see our brightly colored van pull up at their school,” says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “Our goal is to cultivate a deeper appreciation for our local agriculture, and healthy eating and wellness practices that will stay with these young students throughout their life,”

Mobile Classroom Sponsors are Sprouts Community Foundation, Gills Onions, AGQ Lab, YCE Engineering, Pyramid Flowers. Wells Fargo, Montecito Bank & Trust and Crimson Pipeline.

For more about SEEAG’s Farm Fresh Mobile Classroom, visit www.SEEAG.org

Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program based in Ventura County teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this program, over 25,000 elementary school students in Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. SEEAG also hosts annual Farm Days—Santa Barbara County Farm Day, September 28, 2019 and Ventura County Farm Day, November 9, 2019. For more information, visit www.seeag.org.

Ventura College unveils new two-year agricultural business program

Pictured are Keith Barnard, VP of Sourcing at Mission Produce & Ventura College Foundation Board Member; Dr. Kim Hoffmans, President of Ventura College & Ventura College Foundation Board Member; Matt LaVere, Mayor of Ventura & Ventura College Foundation Board Member; Dorothy Farias, Faculty & Program Director, Ventura College Agriculture; Anne Paul King, Executive Director, Ventura College Foundation and Felicia Dueñas, Dean of Ventura College Career Education II. Photo by Bernie Goldstein

Mission Produce, the leading global supplier of high-quality retail and foodservice avocados, has installed a new one-acre commercial avocado orchard at Ventura College. The unveiling was held Wednesday, September 18. The company is providing a $15,000 in-kind donation to reinvigorate the orchard.

Because of the Mission’s generosity, Ventura College was able to enhance its agricultural programs and upgrade its orchard for a hands-on student experience. Students in the school’s new two-year agriculture business program will now be able to learn how a commercial orchard is maintained, avocados harvested, prepared for market and then sold. The Ag program will receive a portion of the avocado sales proceeds.

Students participating in the Agriculture program will apply knowledge of plants, animals, soils, and climates to environmental settings with understanding of basic principles of soil fertility and water quality. Students will predict plant growth outcomes by applying basic principles of botany, and be able to recommend management strategies in the use of Earth’s natural resources, including the ability to recognize, interpret, and recommend control strategies for common plant pests and diseases, and understand the implications of the use of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and integrated pest management principles used in Agriculture, Landscape Management, and Natural Resources Management.

Because agriculture is one of the top employers in the County, bringing in over two billion dollars, the goal is to introduce additional programs at Ventura College that get young people excited about potential careers in the industry. Keith Barnard, vice president of sourcing at Mission Produce and a member of the board of directors of the Ventura College Foundation, was instrumental in creating the Ventura College-Mission Produce partnership and reinvigorating the Ag program at the college. “One of the reasons I became involved with the Ventura College Foundation is because I believe in its mission to support students. Reestablishing the orchard was one of my goals as a board member,” said Barnard.

Cocina Sin Fronteras hosts annual haunted housing run/walk

These ladies will be running in the Haunted Housing Run/Walk.

Cocina Sin Fronteras, a nonprofit affiliate of the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura (HACSB), will host its fourth annual Haunted Housing Run/Walk, Saturday, Oct. 26, at San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro St. The Haunted Housing Run/Walk offers both a 5K and 10K with chip timing on a fast, flat oceanfront course along the Ventura Promenade. Races begin promptly at 8 a.m., followed by the free Kids Dash at 9 a.m. All proceeds from the event support the Housing Authority’s Scholarship Program that assists Housing Authority residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants to pursue higher education.

Early registration is $35 for the 5K and $40 for the 10K. Kids dash is free. Prizes will be awarded for the top three overall male and female finishers in both the 5K and 10K. All 5K/10K race participants receive an event t-shirt, bib and specially designed participation medal; breakfast burritos and donut holes will be served after the race. The family-friendly event will have free face painting, a jolly jump and a photo booth for all to enjoy. Costumes are encouraged with prizes awarded for best adult and best children’s costume.

The HACSB Scholarship Program awards six scholarships a year: three at $2,000 for a four-year college/university and three at $1,000 for community college/technical school. Since its inception in 2015, a total of 20 scholarships have been awarded.

“We believe that education provides opportunity, access and choices and is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, “said HACSB CEO Denise Wise. “100 percent of the proceeds benefit the scholarship program.  Most of our previous scholarship recipients were the first in their family to attend college. It is our vision to provide a resource that will allow our youth the chance to maximize their potential and life contribution.”

Registration for the Haunted Housing Run/Walk is available online at https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Ventura/HauntedHousingRun. Early registration discount is in effect through Sept. 26. For more information, call HACSB at 805-648-5008 or email hauntedhousingrun@hacityventura.org.

Cocina Sin Fronteras is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliated with the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura HACSB.

The Housing Authority of the City Of San Buenaventura (HACSB) is the largest residential landlord in the City of Ventura, currently managing 295 public housing units, 705 nonprofit affordable rental units, and more than 1,500 Section 8 vouchers. The agency is actively working to increase the supply of affordable housing and to improve the quality of life for hundreds more of the low-income residents of the City of Ventura. http://www.hacityventura.org/.

CAPS Media Produces City Police & Fire Dispatch Stories

Public Safety Dispatcher Erin Burden, shares her story with the CAPS crew.

As part of the continuing expanded services for the City, CAPS Media produced a set of behind-the-scenes productions exploring the extensive and fascinating emergency response systems utilized by Ventura City Police and Ventura City Fire departments. The videos are added to CAPS’ ongoing video informational updates directed by the City Manager’s community service division. We have also been working with the Ventura Unified School District and Ventura County Health in reporting on important issues such as vaping.

The Perfect Firestorm, the documentary film chronicling the extraordinary personal stories of survival and healing during and following the devastating Thomas Fire, was featured at the Sight + Sound Film Festival in Oxnard and will be screened twice at the Ojai Film Festival on Sunday November 3rd at 1pm and on Friday November 8th at 1pm at the Sane Living Center at 316 E Matilija St in Ojai. The entire CAPS Media production and postproduction team is honored to have The Perfect Firestorm selected for the film festivals.

The documentary was produced by CAPS MEDIA in collaboration with the Museum of Ventura County, Ventura City Fire and Police, Ventura County Fire, Sheriff’s, Office of Emergency Services and other agencies. The year-long project is based on dozens of first-person interviews with fire fighters, first responders, residents and others impacted by the tragedy. In addition to sharing their heartfelt, inspiring and at times tragic stories, the citizens throughout Ventura County provided CAPS Media with hundreds of personal photos and videos to help tell the story.

The Perfect Firestorm is a companion production to CAPS Media’s half-hour series Thomas Fire Stories Project featuring first-person stories that air every Friday night on CAPS Media.

CAPS Media continues to record, broadcast and stream local community council meetings throughout the city. In the coming weeks CAPS will cover East Ventura, MidTown, College, Westside, and Montalvo community councils. All programs air on CAPS Media Channel 6 and stream on capsmedia.org. Go to the schedule tab on the CAPSMedia.org website for dates and times.

Join us! Become a CAPS Media Member/Producer. If you have an interest in community television or radio production, or are just curious, drop by the CAPS Media Center on the first Thursday of the month @ 6pm to discover how to join the CAPS community of enthusiastic and engaged Member/Producers. A CAPS Media staff member directs the tour of the television studio and radio station, demonstrates the video equipment, explains the resources that are available, and answers questions about the benefits of becoming a CAPS Media member.

Member training includes HD videography/camera classes held on the 2nd Thursday, Final Cut postproduction editing classes on the 3rd Thursday, and CAPS Radio (KPPQ, FM 104.1) two-part classes on the 4th week. All classes begin at 6pm at the CAPS Media Center, 65 Day Road. For more information, go to capsmedia.org or call 805-658-0500.

Holiday Train Adventures on a train

Ventura County’s Fillmore & Western Railway is running several exciting Holiday Train Adventures this year!  Beginning Oct 5th are weekend departures on the PumpkinLiner & Zombie Hunter Trains. Then on Oct 26th a one time “Fright Night” Murder Mystery Dinner Train.  During November & December the railroad will offer the Sugar Plum Express Holiday Village & Tree Train + the all new Polar Express™ train ride!

What is the Zombie Hunter Train?
A unique interactive experience. Ride on open-air flat cars through the battlegrounds of the Zombie Apocalypse.  Armed with a mounted paintball gun help take down the attacking zombie hordes and save humanity! Hunt zombies from the train. Zombies do not shoot back. Departs from Fillmore.
What is the PumkinLiner?

Enjoy a family train trip to the “The Patch”. Visit the haunted house ($3), ride the antique carousel ($3), buy a pumpkin, take a hayride ($3) and try a home-cooked BBQ Tri-Tip sandwich.   Vendors, a hay maze, face painting and more are also on-site.  Departs from Fillmore.
What is the Sugar Plum Express Holiday Village & Tree Train?

Departing from Santa Paula Depot on Nov 30th & during weekends in December, take a short train ride to a Holiday Village. Once there you can select a pre-cut Christmas Tree, take photos with Santa, purchase unique gifts & goodies, enjoy the Winter Wonderland walk-thru, Carousel rides ($3), hop on the Holiday Jolly Jumper, see Santa’s Workshop and create a Winter craft. Also view the Koi fish, goats & birds while exploring.

What is The Polar Express™ train ride?
Similar to The Polar Express™ movie, there will be a full cast of characters from the Conductor to the Chefs serving hot chocolate and cookies. And who can forget Santa! Experience this 1 hour live-action spectacular while riding in vintage passenger cars out of the historic City of Fillmore.
Call 805-524-2546 or visit FWRY.com for more information and to purchase tickets. Josh Carsman, Marketing Director has mentioned that tickets are already selling fast so don’t wait!