Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

Vol. 10, No. 17 – May 24 – June 6, 2017 – Library Events

E.P. Foster Library

A California Native Plant Society Lecture 6/20 Tuesday @ 7-9pm .Tarja Sader “Studies of a National Park Botanist” presented by the California Native Plant Society, Channel Islands Chapter.

E.P. Needlecraft and Fiber Arts Club
6/8 & 22 Thursdays @ 10:30am
Get together with makers from all across the fiber-arts world.

Children’s Events Summer Reading (SR) Show: Luce Puppets!
6/21 Wednesday @ 11am & 3pm

Summer Reading (SR) Show: Silly Science! 6/28 Wednesday @ 3pm Silly Science Ric Morton Science Extraordinaire! Celebrate Summer Reading on the 2nd Floor!

Gaming Daze
6/16, 23, & 30 Fridays @ 2-4pm
Gaming Daze with both plugged and unplugged options! Play the WiiU and board games!

STEAM Boxes
6/20 & 27 Tuesdays @ 3:30-5pm
Join us for creative STEAM projects! Rocket Launch and Necklace Coding!

3D Printing Club
6/22 & 29 Thursdays @ 2-4pm
Our 3D Printing Club inspires individuals to explore this emerging technology through hands-on experiences.

Father’s Day Crafternoon
6/15 Thursday @ 3:30-5pm
Join us for a Father’s Day Crafteroon!

Avenue Library

Gaming @ the Library
6/6, 13, 20, 27  Tuesdays 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Socialize and strategize with Wii games and board games

STEAM  Boxes
6/7, 14, 21, 28 Wednesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

6/7 LED Circuit Art , 6/14 Bot Draw 3:30-4:30, 6/21 Gumdrop Bridges 3:30-4:30, 6/28 Lava Lamp 3:30-4:30. Create and build! Use your imagination and engineering skills with these fun STEAM activities! Aimed at children ages 9 and up.

Superbrain Yoga 6/10 Saturday 10:00am – 12:00pm Simple exercises to relieve stress and make you smarter!

Saticoy Library

STEAM Boxes
6/6, 13, 20, 27 Tuesdays 3:30pm – 4:30pm

6/6   LED Circuit Art  6/13 Draw Bot  6/20 Gumdrop Bridges 6/27 Lava Lamp  Create and build! Use your imagination and engineering skills with these fun STEAM activities! Aimed at children ages 9 and up

Gaming @ the Library
6/7, 14, 21, 28  Wednesdays 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Socialize and strategize with Wii games and board games

Summer Reading 2017 “Reading by Design”

6/12 10:30am
Kick Off Show Luce Puppets.  @ ATLAS Elementary School

6/22 3:00pm Silly Science with  Professor Ric Morton @  E.J Harrison Boys & Girls Club 11321 Violeta St, Ventura, CA 93004

6/29 3:00pm Magic with Shawn McMaster @ Saticoy Library

Vol. 10, No. 17 – May 24 – June 6, 2017 – Restaurant Review

Spencer Makenzie’s – A family affair
by Jennifer Tipton

John and Jennifer Karayan started out as a fairground concession stand in May 2007 with their giant fish tacos and have now seen their dream come true to own a successful family business.

Located at 806 E. Thompson Blvd.  Spencer Makenzie Fish Co. is named for their two oldest children, their son Spencer and daughter Makenzie. The next two children also have a place in the business as you can choose to have your tacos “Brooklyn style” and they now offer a “Parker burger”.  John stated, “My kids own me!”

Spencer’s is just a walk from the beach, the parking area is small but there are plenty of spots on the street. They offer a covered patio and bench-bar type seating outdoors with heaters on when it’s chilly.  Dogs are always welcome to the outside dining area and even offered water. One employee, Amy says, “My favorite part of working here is going out to see the dogs!”

Inside there are small tables, cozy booths, or you can sit up at the bar where you get a bird’s eye view of the chefs cranking out the food (did I mention this place is always busy?). These guys move at the speed of light and there is something quite nice about an open kitchen if not also entertaining. They have 36” flat screen TVs that feature skateboarding, surfing and other sporting events, for added entertainment.

And about that food – all the fish is sushi grade and there are many selections on the menu. I strongly suggest you order the tacos “Brooklyn style” which consists of adding a sweet chili sauce and the Spencer sauce (a mayo – sour cream base with signature seasoning), but grab plenty of napkins! The Parker burger is another big hit with an ahi steak, marinated red onions and can also be ordered Brooklyn style. I like the ahi salad as a lighter choice but if you were to accompany this with the homemade clam chowder (which has bacon in it and is probably not a lighter choice) … well, maybe you could call it a balanced diet?

Taco Tuesdays are the deal with parmesan crunchy shell tacos for $2.50 either chicken, carne asada or ground beef all loaded with cheddar cheese, lettuce and fresh bell peppers. Here’s a tip though, if you want to add avocado, order it because sometimes they forget to ask. Tuesdays also offer Mexican beers on tap for $4.50 and there is never a charge for bubbly water –  such a deal!

Very clean and very green, consistently good food along with outstanding service and friendly atmosphere that make you feel like one of the family at Spencer Makenzie’s.

 

 

 

 

Vol. 10, No. 17 – May 24 – June 6, 2017 – Person to Person

by Jennifer Tipton

How long have you lived in Ventura and why did you move here?

Dorrie Aguino
age 58
Retired from an accounting firm
“We moved here after the Northridge earthquake and it’s the best thing that ever happened to us! Ventura is the best town and has good schools too!”

 

Mike McBain
age 74
CEO – McBain Managerial Accounting
“I moved here in 1977 from Los Angeles because I like it better than L.A… Ventura has the beautiful ocean, the pier, the marina, the hillsides and not too much traffic.”

 

Kerry Anderson
age 52
Court Reporter turned Homemaker
“It’s been about 31 years since I moved here from New York, because at the time my family was here … apparently, I love it!”

 

Carol Reeves
age 66
Homemaker
“I’ve lived in Ventura for 35 years, we moved here because of my husband’s work-he’s a civil engineer. It’s beautiful here, we love it! The weather’s perfect and … the house is paid off!”

 

Jonathan Kennedy
age 37
Horse Trainer
“I’ve lived here 4 years because my wife had a home here (we just got married 2 years ago). I moved from Sacramento and I consider this a nice beach town, it’s not pretentious but very laid back.”

 

Chris Michaud
age 26
Business owner at Ubreakifix
“I’ve lived in Ventura since 2001, my family moved here because of my dad, he works for Raytheon. I’ve stayed because this is the best place ever-sunniest city .”

State of Education

Ms. Nan Drake E.J. Harrison & Sons Inc., Joseph Richards Jr.  Interim Superintendent VUSD, Dr. Erika D. Beck President, CSUCI, Dr. Greg Gillespie  newly appointed Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District,  Stephanie Caldwell President and CEO, Ventura Chamber of Commerce.

by Jennifer Tipton

On Thursday, April 27 the Ventura Chamber of Commerce hosted the State of Education, the event took place at the Wright Event Center here in Ventura. The event focused on presentations from the Ventura Unified School Superintendent and the Ventura College President who provided their perspective on past accomplishments, current state and a future forecast of education in the City of Ventura.

Ventura Unified School District Est. July 1, 1966 is the largest land owner in the City of Ventura which is about 165 sq. miles and serves 21,656 students with 576 of these being special education students.

Many attended the State of Education including our Mayor Eric Nasarenko, representatives for other leaders in the community, the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and countless others that support education in our community.

The first speaker was Nan Drake from E.J. Harrison who emphasized that making children successful meant much more than just providing an education, but preparing them for life.

The second speaker was Joseph Richards Jr. the Interim Superintendent of Ventura Unified School District who spoke about the changes that have taken place including the cultural population we serve and economic uncertainty.

For instance, 52% of students are Hispanic, 40% are Caucasian, 2% are African American while the remaining are of other cultural descent and 25% of these are English learners.  The cultural population of the students has changed dramatically over the years.

Regarding the economic uncertainty, in 1978 proposition 13 limited taxes which put schools at the mercy of the State, in 2012 proposition 30 increased revenues and they have been increasing ever since but we are still significantly below the State average for funding. Mr. Richards encouraged businesses to assist schools by collaborating partnerships and described the many ways to accomplish this.

Dr. Greg Gillespie the President of Ventura College since 2013 and the newly appointed Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District was the third speaker. Dr. Gillespie stressed that education is critical to opening doors to our community and again he spoke of how the demographic has changed with a decrease in student age and a dramatic increase in the need for financial aid. He spoke of a six-year educational masterplan in which priority #1 would be to put Ventura College in the top 5 colleges in the State and explained, “because we want to do a better job to provide a future to our community.” Dr. Gillespie wants to see kids “grow up here, get an education here, get a job here and raise a family here.”

The last speaker was Dr. Ericka Beck the President of California State University Channel Islands, she was excited to see some of her alumni in the audience and spoke about the changes taking place on her campus including a new program that builds drones to support the bee population using “swarm technology”.

The Traveler’s Café, (a new family owned restaurant located on Front St.) provided an outstanding buffet luncheon.

Oopsies! We were all wrong

by Jennifer Tipton

In our last issue, we reported that Kevin Costner was a graduate of Ventura High – oops! Kevin attended Cabrillo Junior High and although that would have put him attending Ventura High, his family moved to the east end of Ventura so he attended Buena High instead. However, he did not graduate from Buena either! Kevin’s family moved again before his senior year where he graduated high school from Villa Park (In California) in 1973.

And so, the rivalry between the Cougars and the Bulldogs continue spurred on by the Ventura Breeze.

Circus Vargas unveils original new production – SteamCirque!

Circus embarks on a brand new epic adventure under the big top!

Goggles, gears, and gadgets set the stage for Circus Vargas’ 2017’s retro-futuristic production, SteamCirque! Join them on a journey of fantastic proportions where children of all ages will marvel at the wacky and wonderful cast of characters that come alive in this exciting steampunk, science-fiction fantasy inspired circus odyssey!

Arrive 45 minutes early for an entertaining, interactive pre-show celebration, where kids can create their own magic under the big top, learning circus skills such as juggling, balancing and more! Meet and mingle with the entire cast after each performance. Capture the fun by posing for pics or selfies with your favorite cast members, all part of an unforgettable Circus Vargas experience!

An eccentric group of adventure seekers stumble upon a traveling circus in an imaginary Victorian city, far, far-away. SteamCirque’s peculiar protagonist, part magician-part inventor, attempts to industrialize the circus by incorporating his steam powered mechanical contraptions into the ordinary, typical circus rigging, filling the big top with new, imaginative acrobatic apparatus for the artists to perform their acts.

“SteamCirque is inspired by adventure, colored by imagination and brought to life by the amazing cast of Circus Vargas!”

Join for an amazing experience, under the big top as Circus Vargas celebrates its 48th year and create new and treasured memories for generations to come! This wonderful show has something for everyone! It’s 2 hours of amazing music, lights, magic, acrobats, aerialists, daredevils, comedians and more!

General admission tickets are $17-$32 for children and $27-$37 for adults. Reserved Ringside seating is $52-$67 for children and $57-$72 for adults. For Circus Vargas performance dates, times and to purchase tickets, visit www.circusvargas.com, call 877-GOTFUN-1 (877-468-3861) or visit the box office at each location. Follow Circus Vargas on Facebook and Twitter for updates, discounts and behind the scenes video.

In Ventura: Ventura County Fairgrounds

  • Thursday, May 25 – Monday, May 29
  • Thursday, May 25 – 7:30pm
  • Friday, May 26 – 4:00pm, 7:30pm
  • Saturday, May 27 – 1:00pm, 4:00pm, 7:30pm
  • Sunday, May 28 – 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 7:00pm
  • Monday, May 29 – 2:30pm, 6:00pm

 

 

Vol. 10, No. 16 – May 10 – May 23, 2017 – CAPS

 

The State of Education held at the former Wright Library (see article in this issue)

CAPS is prepping for Digital Storytelling programs and more

CAPS Media is busy with City, school and community productions, prepping for the Digital Storytelling programs and more.  Recently CAPS Media collaborated with the City’s Economic Development Department and the Chamber of Commerce to launch a new video series called “Spotlight on Local Business,” that offers an inside, behind-the-scenes look into the diverse and unique companies doing business in Ventura.

CAPS Media also recorded the annual State of Education event hosted by the Chamber featuring enlightening presentations by leaders from Ventura College, VUSD and CSU Channel Islands.

The City and VUSD’s popular Mayor-For-A-Moment video series is nearing the end of Season II.  Every month deserving 5th graders are selected to represent elementary schools.  CAPS Media produces video profiles on each young leader for presentation at City Council and VUSD School Board meetings.  This school year young mayors were honored from Loma Vista, Saticoy (ATLAS), E.P. Foster, Blanche Reynolds, Elmhurst, and Pierpont.  May and June will wrap up the series with mayors from Mound and Portola.

CAPS Media is gearing up to cover graduation ceremonies at Ventura College (May 19), El Camino High School (June 9) and Foothill High (June 15).  Home base for the extensive multi-camera productions is the CAPS Media mobile production truck. The elaborate productions are managed by the CAPS Media staff and supported by outstanding volunteer crew members from El Camino high and throughout the community. All these videos are available to view on channel 6 & 15 and on the caps media website.

In July the Digital Storytelling program continues at the CAPS Media Center for students, ages 10-15.  Young videographers, film makers and video storytellers get hands-on training with video cameras, audio recording equipment and computer editing software to create the stories the crew wants to tell.  Three week-long programs are scheduled July 10 – 14, July 17 – 21 and July 24 – 28.  To learn more about the Digital Storytelling program, go to www.capsmedia.org/events.

Aspiring (or experienced) journalists, photographers, videographers and storytellers are invited and encouraged to get involved at the CAPS Media Center.  Anyone who lives, works or attends school in the city of Ventura is eligible to be a member. For annual fees of only $25 (individual) and $75 (non-profit organization), member/producers are trained by the knowledgeable CAPS Media staff in the art (and fun) of video and radio communication.  Once certified member/producers may check out video cameras, tripods, and other gear for video production and book editing suites for postproduction to create the stories they want to tell.  And, for a small additional fee, member/producers can learn to create their own radio program to air on CAPS Radio 104.1 (KPPQ-LP).

Upcoming CAPS Media classes include: HD Videography/Camera, May 11, postproduction editing, May 18, a new production/storytelling class, May 25th and new member orientation, June 8th.  All classes start at 6pm.  Studio and Radio training classes will also be scheduled in the next few weeks.  To learn more and to sign up for classes go to capsmedia.org, email info @capsmedia.org, call 805.658.0500 or drop by the CAPS Media Center Monday 9a-6p, Tuesday or Wednesday 9a – 9p or Friday 9A – 6p.

Jazz vocalist helping community

Local Ventura jazz vocalist and social activist Toni Jannotta is on a mission.  As the recipient of two Ventura arts grants, Toni now believes that music is for the benefit of society in ways she hadn’t realized before. With her 2007 Cultural Arts Fellowship Grant from the City of Ventura, Toni merely finished her 3rd album.  But it was with her 2010 Artist in the Community Partnership Grant, awarded to her by the Ventura County Arts Council, that Toni found her groove and the meaning of music as a healing tool.

“Voices of the Homeless” was Toni’s first experience with producing music to help others.  It was a live storytelling concert performed at Working Artists Ventura (the WAV) on August 21, 2010.  “Voices of the Homeless” brought together jazz improvisers with members of our local homeless community.  It was a concert where the focus was on the homeless themselves educating the audience on who they really were.  At the same time this concert demonstrated the unique quality of improvisation.  All the music was made up on the spot as the musicians listened and responded to the stories they heard.  The performance later became a documentary.  It won Toni the 2012 Earth Charter and the Arts Award given to her by Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions.

Now Toni is ready to release another musical project in an effort to help and heal.  This project’s goal is to bring comfort to all those who have suffered abuse yet believe it was their fault.

The project is called “My Little Heart, Ruthie.”   It is a picture book and album, that tells the story of a little heart in isolation that must learn to free itself.  It is told as a children’s rhyme.  The illustrations are by artist Jennifer Mones.  Along with the book is a 22-minute jazz-inspired musical suite with narration, so that the reader can sit with the book, listen to the music, and be told a bedtime story.  The album features jazz harpist Carol Robbins, L.A. drummer Paul Tavenner, bassist Granville “Danny” Young, and our own multi-instrumental Venturan, Jon Crosse, who plays trumpet.

Toni’s hope is that this project soothes the middle school child who has been bullied or has witnessed things no child should have to, helps the adult still working through past traumas and wishes to feel alive again, and heals anybody, whether young or old, who would like to be held and told a simple little story of hope.  This project is for all those who need to be reminded that what they suffered was never their fault.

This project is in its finishing stages.  If you would like to help, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/ruthieheart.

 

For more information on Toni Jannotta, please visit:

https://www.tonijannotta.com

Lilac Festival in Pine Mountain Club May 20-21

by Mark Bailey President PMCCPOA

One of the best kept secrets in California remains the quaint “Aspen like” village of Pine Mountain Club (PMC). Located in the Los Padres National Forest at a little over one mile above sea level and nestled between Mt. Pinos and San Emegdio Mountain, Pine Mountain Club is remarkably easy to get to. Just a comfortable and scenic 90-minute drive from Ventura, about 50 minutes north of Magic Mountain. Those in the know often refer to PMC as “the nearby faraway place”.

The Villagers of PMC are already busy preparing for their 35th annual Lilac Festival set for the weekend of May 20th and 21st. It has been estimated that around five thousand visitors join the approximately three thousand locals for a weekend of arts, music, food, fun and family play. About 100 artisan vendors will begin displaying their unique works of art and creations both days starting at 10am. This is followed on Saturday, by acrobatic skydiving daredevils due to land at 11:00 am. This kicks off our yearly parade through the village center after the singing of our National Anthem by guest talented artists.

Throughout the weekend there will be entertainment for all ages including live music, plays, kiddie shows, golf and horseshoe tournaments, great food, and a large children’s play area with state of the art slides, inflatable bouncy houses, wall climbing etc. Most restaurants will be featuring live music on their outdoor patios.

Climatology wise, as with anyplace the weather in PMC can vary. Typically, in late spring, we can expect blue sunny skies during the day with temperatures in the mid 70’s and crisp clear star filled nights with temperatures in the 40’s.

To get to PMC, take the 126 East to Interstate 5 north and exit at Frazier Park. Go west 18 miles following the signs to the Pine Mountain Club Village.  For further information, including vendor applications, please go to our website at www.pmclilacfestival.com.

For fine wine enthusiasts considering visiting PMC, please visit our wine website www.wineinthepines.com for details on our world class wine tasting event taking place this June 10.

Catch some “Rising Stars”

“Rising Stars” is the Ventura Music Festival’s most popular free concert every year! Experience a mix of extraordinary young choral, classical and jazz performers at this free event open to everyone, thanks to generous underwriting by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Donations are welcome but no RSVP is required, just show up at the First United Methodist Church, 1338 E Santa Clara St.

Friday, May 12 @ 8pm – free The Rising Stars Concert includes the nimble and elite 15-member Ventura College Chamber Singers under the direction of Brent Wilson performing contemporary classic choral pieces.