Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

The Festival of the Lights, Chanukah

Every year Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, but the starting date on the western calendar varies from year to year. This year it will start on sundown on Dec. 7 and end on Dec.15.

In the land of Judea there was a mean (boo) Syrian king, Antiochus. The king ordered the Jewish people to reject their God, their religion, their customs and their beliefs and to worship the Greek gods. There were some who did as they were told, but many refused. One who refused was Judah Maccabee(hooray).

Judah and his four brothers formed an army and after 3 years of fighting, the Maccabees were finally successful in driving the Syrians out of Israel and reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem.

When Judah and his followers finished cleaning the temple, they wished to light the eternal light, known as the N’er Tamid, which is present in every Jewish house of worship. Only a tiny jug of oil was found with only enough for a single day. The oil lamp was filled and lit. Then a miracle occurred as the tiny amount of oil stayed lit not for one day, but for 8 days.

Jews celebrate Chanukah to mark the victory over the Syrians and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. The Festival of the Lights, Chanukah, lasts for eight days to commemorate this miracle of the oil. The menorah candles are lit to celebrate the 8 days that the oil stayed lit.

The spellings of Chanukah has caused some confusion. Part of the reason for this confusion may be due to the fact there is no exact English translation of the Hebrew word for Chanukah. So, to help clear up some of the confusion here are just a few of the different spellings one might encounter. They all celebrate the holiday.

Chanukah, Chanukkah, Hanuka, Hanukah , Hannukah ,Hanukkah. In the United States it is most common to use the spelling Chanukah.

The Bookmark About Libraries and Friends

by Mary Olson

On Saturday, December 2, noon to 1:00 pm, Ray D. Preuter Library will host a Living History performance. Connie Korenstein continues her performances of historical figures as part of the 150th anniversary of Ventura County. She portrays Lucy Levy, a Parisian socialite born in 1882. Lucy’s tale is one of love, travel, and surprise, as she adjusts to life in Hueneme, California, during the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression.
This event is sponsored by the Ventura County Library Foundation.

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo, local textile artist, teacher and author of Threads of Awakening: An
American Woman’s Journey into Tibet’s Sacred Textile Art, will visit the Ray D. Prueter Library on Saturday, December 9 at 1:00 pm. Trained by two of the finest living Tibetan appliqué artists, Leslie learned to stitch bits of silk into elaborate figurative mosaics that bring the transformative images of Buddhist meditation to life.

These events are free and open to the public. Ray D. Prueter Library is located at 510 Park Avenue, Port Hueneme For additional information, please contact Timothy Furgal, Regional Librarian, at (805) 486-5460 or [email protected].

Saticoy Library will host an after-school Engineering Exploration program with Marta Alvarez on Thursday, November 30, 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Marta Alvarez, a civil engineer who founded YCE, Inc., an agricultural surveying company in Ventura County and member of the Society of Women Engineers, will present what it takes to become an engineer & land surveyor, provide a demo of surveying equipment and show examples of projects. This program will also be offered at Avenue Library on Tuesday, December 12 at 3:00 to. 4:00 pm. For more information on these activities, call 805 626-READ.

Local author and Ventura County prosecutor Richard Simon will visit the Ojai Library at 6 pm on
Thursday, December 7, to talk about his book, Bring Me to Life. Simon has worked on high-profile, local cases featured on television and in media, and was Ventura County’s assigned prosecutor on the Golden State Killer case. Bring Me to Life is Simon’s mystery thriller about a top prosecutor who is assigned the case of his career. This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146 or [email protected].

Ventura Friends of the Library Bookstore, 2nd Look Books, in E.P. Foster Library
is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
We also invite you to visit our online bookstore for local sales
https://venturafol-107753.square.site/s/shop.

You can find unique items in the Art, Architecture & Photography category such as “The Antiquarian Sticker Book:An Illustrated Compendium of Adhesive Ephemera” . The Performing Arts category covers the territory from the legendary Hammer Studio to Star Wars. The Vintage & Collectible offerings will pique your nostalgia for old comics, classic cars or classic literature. When you make a purchase at the online store, you will receive an email letting you know when your order will be ready for pickup at the bookstore in E.P. Foster.

Candlelight Remembrance Service

Participants in services included: Dr. Paul Lenderman-Spiritual Counselor, Raquel Jensen-Spiritual Counselor,  Hospice Physicians Dr. Lisa Deihl Rajala, and Dr. William Rajala, Marianne Cody Administrator, Susan Derby-Social Worker, and Michael Boyko

On the evening of November 9, greater Ventura again gathered as the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service on Main St. as it opened its doors for the ninth annual Candlelight Remembrance Service. The caring professionals of Assisted Hospice of Ventura hosted the ceremonies.

This notable evening is for any individual who has experienced a loss and is looking to honor their loved one(s) in a particularly special way.  We gather, reflect, give tribute with poems and music and finally recite our loved one’s names during our candle service.

“The turn out for nights like tonight really surprises me” says Michael Boyko, Funeral Director and owner of the funeral home.  “It’s just a sign to me that our community really needs this.  The last several years haven’t been easy and we’re proud to invite all to gather for this ceremony.  It doesn’t matter who you’ve lost, or when, or where, all are welcome.”

Iconic Downtown Restaurants Close

Three iconic downtown restaurants (all on same Main St. block) have closed. Limon Y Sal, Jimmy’s Slice (Jimmy Wright died in June) and Nature’s Grill. Jimmy’s Slice. The closing on Main to cars didn’t serve all restaurants (or other businesses) well.

Hopefully they (or new restaurants will open again soon. The owners of Limon y Sal say they’ll reopen soon.

Even though a sign at Nature’s Grill says “On vacation for the holidays,” this closing might be permanent.

The space at Jimmy’s Slice has been rented and a new restaurant could open early next year.

Limon y Sal has announced on social media it will be re-opening as early as next month.

“Julie” and four women on an adventure

Hannah, Gabe, Megan , Kaitlyn and “Julie” will be completely unassisted until the finish line.

by Patricia Schallert

The World’s Toughest Row starts in June each year with up to 20 teams participating from around the world. The annual edition of this race sees teams from all over the world starting from the historic harbor of Monterey, California, following the path of many adventurers and explorers who find the exhilarating challenge of rowing. An incredible atmosphere of apprehension and excitement is guaranteed during the pre-race period as teams complete their final preparations to set off to row across the mid-Pacific Ocean. A finish line as unique as Hanalei Bay on the island of Kaua’i is hard to beat as the backdrop to what will be the most incredible, once in a lifetime adventure.

Four women are training in the Ventura, Harbor now for this epic adventure across the Pacific Ocean in support of The Women’s Sports Foundation and Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center. With a distance of 2800 miles, “The Worlds Toughest Row” is considered to be one of the most difficult races on the water.

The four women will be competing in the race class.  Their boat is 28 feet long and weighs 2,000 pounds. The boat is named “Julie” after Gabe and Megan’s mother. who was the girl’s biggest cheerleader and a huge supporter of equity in sports for women. The boat is a Rannoch R45 Elite ocean rowing boat, powered by solar energy and this will be the boat’s second crossing.

Hannah, Gabe, Megan , Kaitlyn and “Julie” will be completely unassisted until the finish line in Hawaii. These four women are also competing in the challenge of beating the worlds’ record, by launching on June 12th and expecting to land in Hawaii in mid July, 30 days later.

The current world’s record is 34 days for women. The women will face a long journey with challenges of 40-foot waves, extreme temperature, marine life encounter, sea sickness, and weight loss. Collectively, the team will row over 1.5 million strokes.

They will have a weather navigator on land alerting them of storms and weather-related changes.

With a rowing background, Hannah Byrd is looking forward to the “daring odyssey that demands unwavering determination and physical strength”.

Kaitlyn Piltz , navigator and steering, added that this challenge will be “an unshakable spirit of adventure, proving that gender is no barrier to conquering the mighty Pacific.”

Female ocean rowers who take on the monumental challenge, inspire others with their bravery and tenacity, reminding us that the human spirit knows no gender boundaries in the pursuit of adventure and exploration.

A fund raiser for Rowing Oceans for Women will be on December 2nd hosted by The Seaward Brewery located on Goodyear Ave. in Ventura. Call 805-302-6404 for more information. Music at the Rowing for women  fundraiser will be performed by the band Moxie Raven. The event will start at 4 o’clock until  9 o’clock.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination

Historic Washington School. Photo courtesy of San Buenaventura Conservancy Archives

by San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation

The San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation will hold a public update meeting about progress on the nomination of the Ventura Unified School District Historic Washington School Buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. The meeting will be on Thursday, November 16th at 6 p.m. at Grace Church Cooper Hall, 65 McMillan Avenue, Ventura. The Conservancy is in support of the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Washington School Buildings in midtown Ventura, and is in the process of nominating the school buildings to the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington School was built in 1925 and served as a Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) school until it was closed in 1983. The private Ventura County Christian school, which occupied the site in recent years, has relocated to a new campus near Ventura College. The property is currently vacant. It is included on the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) surplus properties list, which makes the property potentially available to be sold or redeveloped.

The National Register listing will make it clear to potential developers or speculators that the school buildings should be preserved and reused as a part of any development on the property. Additionally, after designation, the school buildings will be eligible for lucrative state and federal preservation tax credits and listing allows the use of the California Historic Building Code to facilitate rehabilitation.

Washington Elementary School is eligible under Criterion A because of its association with Education in Ventura.

The Washington Elementary School building is also eligible under Criterion C and is a good and rare example of an educational building redesigned in response to earthquake safety concerns in the city of Ventura.

The buildings at Washington School are eligible under Criterion C with a period of significance of 1935 and 1941.The Main Building and Auditorium at Washington Elementary School are examples of the Mediterranean-style as applied to education buildings and streamlined for the needs of earthquake safety and as works of master architect Harold E. Burket.

The nomination process by the Conservancy must be completed by March 1, 2024. Preliminary work done before the involvement of the Conservancy was useful and provided a foundation for future work on the project. The Conservancy expects up to $7,000 more in expenses to complete the Nomination. The Washington School Nomination Fund has been established by the Conservancy to accept gifts restricted to this project. Over $3,000 has been donated to the Fund to date. Expenses include the completion of the research and the analysis of the Washington School historic records at the Museum of Ventura County, Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) archives and the State Architect’s Office. Additionally, there will be Conservancy expenses to present the Nomination at the State Historic Resources Commission meeting in Sacramento in early 2024.

To learn more about the nomination process and about the special Buenaventura Conservancy Washington School Nomination Fund go to https://sbconservancy.org/washington-school.

Harold Escher Burket was a prolific Ventura-based architect who spent over 40 years designing primarily commercial and institutional projects throughout Ventura County, including the Spanish Colonial Revival-style Community Presbyterian Church and the Zig Zag Moderne-style Firestone Tire Store. Burket had a particular interest in school design—specifically the importance of light and air to a healthy learning environment—as evidenced in his many schools in Ventura County.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers

Assemblymember Steve Bennett presented with “Environmental Champion” award.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers at its annual Supporter Spotlight event on Friday, November 3rd. Ventura Land Trust supporters joined the VLT Board of Trustees and staff members for happy hour and dinner while celebrating the 2023 VLT accomplishments and community impact.

The Environmental Champion Award was presented to Assemblymember Steve Bennett, representing California’s 38th district. Early in his career, Assemblymember Bennett co-authored the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiatives that have made Ventura County a national leader in land-use planning. As a legislator, Bennett focuses on renewable energy, supporting children in the foster care system, and improving access to resources for farmworkers and Ventura’s homeless population. He has continually been a champion for environmental causes and shows his commitment by protecting open spaces and his work with VLT. In 2023, he focused on raising environmental awareness by securing funding for trail improvements in California Assembly Bill 411. With Assemblymember Bennett’s support, VLT received a grant of $7.2 million dollars that is being used to prepare Mariano Rancho for opening to the public, as well as other capital needs at Harmon Canyon Preserve.

VLT also honors Heidi and Mike Whitcomb for their significant contributions towards the 20th Anniversary Gala held on October 14th 2023. Heidi and Mike chaired the gala committee and were pivotal in the planning, design, and execution of an event that pushed VLT’s boundaries in terms of sophistication and scope

Recognition was also provided for volunteer Michael Connolly. Volunteering as a VLT docent at Harmon Canyon Preserve (HCP) since December 2021, Michael has dedicated over 550 hours of service to VLT,

consistently going above and beyond his docent role by actively participating in VLT events.

“As a community-based organization, VLT is only able to accomplish the work we do thanks to the unwavering support of our volunteers, donors, and community members at large,” said VLT Executive Director Melissa Baffa. “We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of Michael Connolly and the Whitcombs – their volunteerism and broad support have made a huge difference at VLT. And where to start with Assemblymember Bennett? His decades of activism and leadership in the environmental arena have helped to preserve the quality of life for residents of Ventura County and surrounding regions. The funding he helped to secure for VLT is a game changer, allowing us to get a tremendous amount of work done in a short time and to open the 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho preserve to the public much sooner than we would have otherwise. It’s not just a gift to VLT – it’s a gift to the community and the native plants and animals that call this area home.”

VLT staff and board members expressed their gratitude for the dedication of all of the organization’s passionate volunteers and generous donors for supporting Ventura Land Trust, as well as Topa Topa Brewing Company, Ventura Spirits, and Himalaya for sponsoring the special event. Those interested in learning more about volunteering, donating, or becoming a member should visit the VLT website at venturalandtrust.org

Ventura Land Trust · 3451 Foothill Rd, Suite 201,

The Place We Call Home – A Community Experience

In honor of the County of Ventura’s 150th Anniversary, the Museum of Ventura County (MVC) is pleased to present “Ventura County, The Place We Call Home – A Community Experience” satellite exhibition, at Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks. Curated by MVC Chief Curator Carlos Ortega, the exhibition celebrates the diversity of our County by exploring different interpretations of home.

“We are thrilled to unveil an exceptional museum exhibition that delves deep into the intricate tapestry of ‘Home’ within our community. I am immensely proud to present this thought-provoking exploration of the myriad ways in which ‘home’ resonates with each and every one of us,” stated Elena Brokaw, The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director.

An installation-based exhibition experience, “Ventura County, The Place We Call Home” highlights the lives of people living in Ventura County and examines their relationship to home, to community, and to each other. It also features historical photos drawn from the Museum’s Research Library, as well as historical societies throughout the County. The photographs of the County today are by a diverse group of photographers and artists.

The contemporary photographers and artists contributing to the exhibition experience are Ben Bribriesca, Cristian Castro, Jorge Corralejo, Blake Fagan, Leah Mata Fragua, Porfirio Gutierrez, MB Hanrahan, Oliver Krisch, Trinh Mai, Cris Mejia, Amy Oliver, Liisa Pynnonen, Zaydee Sanchez, George Sandoval, and Amadeo Sumano.

The exhibition experience will be on display at Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Thousand Oaks through January 14, 2024, and is currently on view at the Santa Paula Agriculture Museum now through October 6, 2024. It will also be on view at the following venues: Oxnard College at Condor Hall, opening November 27, 2023 and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Activity Center, opening December 9, 2023.