Long time reader Ariel Cottrell shares her Breeze with her sister in Idaho.
Ariel is visiting Shelley, Idaho to see her sister-in-law Lois Dorrell and family.
Category Archives: This ‘n’ That
The Museum of Ventura County presents The Place We Call Home
The exhibition celebrates the diversity of our County.
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. Curated by Carlos Ortega, the exhibition celebrates the diversity of our County by exploring different interpretations of home.
Mr. Ortega said, “As MVC’s recently appointed Chief Curator, Ventura County, The Place We Call Home is the first of what I hope will be many engaging, immersive exhibits that seamlessly blend the past with the present and reflect the stories and experiences of our diverse community.”
Home means something different to everyone. Some people think of home as a place: the house or the neighborhood where they grew up. For some, home lives in their memories of celebrations and hardships. For others, family and friends make them “feel at home.”
Using installations as well as photographs, this exhibition highlights the lives of people living in Ventura County and examines their relationship to home, to community, and to each other. The historical photos are 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 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 will open at the Santa Paula Agriculture Museum at the Mountains to Sea Jubilee Event on Oct. 21, 2023, and run through October 6, 2024. The exhibition will also be on view at the following venues: Bank of America Performing Arts Center Thousand Oaks opens Nov. 11, 2023, Oxnard College at Condor Hall opens Nov. 27, 2023, and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District Activity Center opens December 9, 2023. “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.
For information about the exhibition as well as exhibition related events, please visit https://venturamuseum.org/exhibits/
Business Profile: Pierpont Racquet Club adds more pickleball courts
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and the PRC has added three more courts to meet the growing demand. In conjunction with the celebration of its 46th Anniversary, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at a mixer with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on October 5th.
The PRC’s 3 new courts now afford PRC members 8 courts to choose from, 5 of which are lit for night play. 5 of the courts are hard courts and the other 3 are all-weather courts with a surface that allows play when the other courts are wet and too slippery to enjoy safely.
The private membership Club first opened for tennis play in January 1977 and in October of that year, the Clubhouse opened. The PRC now offers 9 tennis courts and 8 pickleball courts in addition to two swimming pools and full fitness facilities. In celebration of its 46th Anniversary the PRC is offering a 46% discount on join fees for the month of October. Trial memberships are also available.
General Partner Spencer Garrett recalls that when the PRC first opened its door, racquetball was the fastest growing sport in the U.S. The PRC originally had 4 courts and at one time had 6 racquetball courts. Now the PRC offers only one court which gets limited play. The other courts have since been converted to add additional fitness areas as well as a family game room with ping pong.
Spencer Garrett believes pickleball is here to stay and that it will keep growing. “It’s an easy sport to get started playing and can be a very social game allowing players to make new friends”, commented Spencer. The PRC has introductory clinics and scheduled time for open play for various levels of play. Pickleball and tennis clinics are open to non-members as well as Club members.
Will pickleball replace tennis? Garrett doesn’t think that will ever happen. Tennis experienced a resurgence when Covid struck as people were looking for outdoor activities. Tennis play is still strong at the PRC and while some tennis players are gravitating to pickleball, most of those are playing both sports.
“Most anyone with basic hand eye coordination can be playing in short order and there is always someone more than happy to explain the idiosyncrasies such as the kitchen and scoring. Come down to the PRC and experience pickleball”, added Garrett. www.pierpontrc.com.
PRC Celebrates 46 Years!
In conjunction with the commemoration of its 46th Anniversary, PRC hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony during a vibrant mixer with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on October 5th. This event not only marked PRC’s remarkable history but also celebrated its continued commitment to fostering a vibrant community of racquet and paddle enthusiasts. As part of the club’s 46th-anniversary celebrations, PRC is extending a generous 46% discount on join fees for the entire month of October, with trial memberships also available.
PRC would like to give a special thank you to Topa Topa Brewing Co. and Salzer’s Pies & Pastries for their support in their anniversary celebration.
Max Pays Attention
This exciting children’s book by Dr. Barbara Gibson Paul, children’s author and child psychotherapist is for ages 4-8 year olds is a great purchase for schools, libraries, holiday gifts and birthday gifts. $14.95 Hardcover.
“Max Pays Attention” is about Max who is a 7-year-old boy who has trouble sitting still and following the rules in class. Max’s mom helps motivate him to improve his behavior in school. After lots of hard work Max finally starts to follow the rules and earns something special.
Dr. Pal stated “I was inspired to write this book after teaching special education and becoming a parent myself. I was in private practice as a child therapist helping parents and children to have less stress and increased happiness. I couldn’t find a self-help book to share with my client’s so I wrote “Max Pays Attention”.
“I’m a big believer in using bibliotherapy to help a child or adult with grief, self esteem, school concerns and/or relationship problems. I believe too many children lack motivation for a variety of reasons. In the book “The Little Engine That Could” the train thought he/she wasn’t going to get up the mountain but he/she was determined to get to the top and said “I think I can I think I can”.
Barbara Gibson Paul Psy.D.LMFT a resident of Ventura can be reached at 818-599-0053 to schedule a professional parenting consultation, schedule an author’s event or purchase the book.
Flags should not be forgotten
by Richard Senate
Just down from the old Mission San Buenaventura, at the end of Mission Plaza (formerly Figueroa Street) stands six naked flagpoles, There are three flag poles with the California State Flag, the City Flag and the Stars and Stripes–but no others.
What are the six empty flag poles and why were they put up in the first place? They were set up when the city was all spruced up for the Bi-centennial back in 1976. The six flag poles were to fly the flags that flew over our city over the years. The Spanish flag flown by Juan R. Cabrillo when he sighted the location of the city in 1542, The Spanish Flag flown when Fr. Serra established the mission in 1782 (it was different from the early flag) The flag of the Mexican Republic (slightly different than the one they use today), The flag of John C. Fremont when he captured the city in 1847 the original Bear flag and the 31 star flag when California joined the Union in 1850.
These were flown for many years but wind and sun took their toll on the banners and soon they were worn and needed to be replaced. They proved to be expensive but funds were found to buy a new set. They were flown but suffered in the tragedy of 9-11. Following the fall of the Twin Towers in New York all flags were to be flown at half mast. A city worker didn’t know if this rule applied to historic flags and left them at full staff. The public was emotional after what happened in the New York attack and wrote angry letters to the newspapers and city councilmen. The flags were lowered but after that they were not replaced and the poles have been empty since then.
Even with all of them flying, they forgot a historic flag that only flew over Ventura in March of 1838–at the Battle of San Buenaventura, a skirmish fought in a brief civil war when California was part of Mexico. Governor Alvarado toyed with the idea of making California an independent nation, separate from Mexico, then in a confused political state. His faction captured Santa Barbara and, in the style of that community, they threw a fiesta inviting the governor to attend. A bit in his cups, he had a simple Mexican flag brought (one without the eagle and serpent) and he took black paint and carefully wrote: “Independencia de California” across the banner–the flag of a free California Nation! He wanted the father at Mission Santa Barbara to bless the flag. When the padre saw this he knew this would mean war with Mexico City and refused. The flag was flown as the forces loyal to Alvarado marched south and took Ventura. Later a sober Alvarado made peace with Mexico City and he vowed to keep the territory of California under the Mexican Tricolor. The flag made in Santa Barbara is lost now but, it represented a historic event that would presage the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846. Maybe that flag should be flown over our community today?
Sierra Hwy
They play again at the Pierpont Bay yacht club on November 5 from 2 to 5.
by Patricia Schallert
An October gathering of musicians and guests at the Pierpont Bay Yacht Club in Ventura was a great kick off to the fall season in the Ventura Harbor.
Sierra Hwy, an Americana music group from Santa Clarita, along with local Ventura resident Stephen Mendel entertained an enthusiastic crowd. Guitarist Larry Schallert is the brother of local Breeze Photo Journalist Patrish Schallert who says her brother started playing the guitar as a pre-teen and was inspired by Patrish and his sisters to play. She and her four sisters played music together for years. Larry watched and followed and learned. He formed his band in 2005 and he traded the name Sierra Highway as it symbolizes the route from Newhall pass up through the desert to the eastern sierras to Tahoe. Larry says Sierra Highway is “a state of mind”. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the route and it’s beautiful the whole way.” There’s lots to say about “Sierra Highway”.
For instance, Charlie Chaplin‘s last scene of his last movie was filmed on Sierra Highway with him walking down the road hand-in-hand with his mate, a familiar scene we all know and remember.
Ventura ArtWalk returns
Exhibits inside Bell Arts Factory. Photos by Richard Lieberman
Ventura is known as one of the most creative communities in Southern California. It’s time to focus on the magic that brought many artists and entertainers to our area. ArtWalk is back! This family-friendly event Sept. 23-24, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., featured hundreds of artists in local galleries and creative collaboratives in businesses and other unique spaces. Large art installations, music, poetry, dance and theater will all be a part of this event run by a new and enthusiastic all-volunteer team.
Ventura’s long-running and popular arts event took a break during the pandemic and is back, better and larger than ever. Because of the great interest from the arts community, organizers decided on a two-day event to give participants extra time to see all the venues. The route started near Cemetery Park, traveled down Main Street and up Ventura Avenue, encompassing the Library’s Topping Room, City Hall, the Crowne Plaza, Ventura Mission, Museum of Ventura County, Vita Art Center, Working Artists Ventura(WAV), Bell Arts Factory and Art City. In between were numerous galleries and businesses featuring local artists and musicians. Two-day pop-up galleries along the route featured even more artists.
The event is also focusing on performing arts. Two stages, the Main Street Stage Downtown and the City Hall Atrium, will feature some of the area’s top performers. Highlights will include aerial acrobatics from The Aerial Studio, a performance from the Ventura County Ballet, and sets from local favorite bands Shaky Feelin and the Heavy Hitters. The Rubicon Theatre Company will entertain at City Hall. A third stage by Mission Park featured performance art.
It has not been held since 2019 and was welcomed back by folks enjoying the art and music. Hundreds of artists showed off their wonderful art.
Marie Lakin, ArtWalk Chair was thrilled with the wonderful attendance to the Walk and the many many artists participating.
To make it easier to attend Gold Coast Transit District offered unlimited ride passes for Saturday and Sunday along their routes.
To learn more about the ArtWalk event, performers and artists, visit www.artwalkventura.org.
Fun for all ages, with fabulous food and drinks
Beachside Bash held at San Buenaventura State Beach Park. Photos by Yana Khiyod
The three Rotary clubs of Ventura presented the End of Summer Beachside Bash on September 23, at San Buenaventura State Beach Park.
A national ribeye steak cookoff, car show, live bands and food trucks were at San Buenaventura State Beach Park. The event marks the end of summer and was sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Ventura, Ventura East, and Ventura South.
Fun for all ages, with fabulous food and drinks, a car show and a steak cook off, plus celebrity chef demonstrations and live music. All proceeds from this event will go to local charities.
Last year collectively the Rotary Clubs gave $770,056 to service-oriented organizations.
The cookoff was sponsored by the Steak Cookoff Association, in Ventura for the first time. Ventura bands Nautical Thrust and The Bomb will entertain with yacht rock, Latin soul, and funk. Grill demonstrations by award-winning BBQ chefs Kyle Matuszewski and Phil “the Grill’ Johnson. Visitors enjoyed a variety of offerings from food trucks, beer and wine, and shopped at local vendors.
“On behalf of Ventura’s three Rotary clubs, I am thrilled to invite our community to join us for a day of joy, connection, and giving back at Ventura’s First Annual End of Summer Beachside Bash” said Neal Lassila, President of the Rotary Club of Ventura.
Young crime victims attended Camp Hope
49 children at Camp Hope summer retreat.
To provide hope and foster resilience in childhood victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and physical and sexual abuse, the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC) hosted 49 children at its annual Camp Hope summer retreat.
Since 2015, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office and VCFJC have hosted an annual five-day-long summer camp in partnership with Camp Hope America, the first evidence-based camping and mentoring program in the nation for children exposed to trauma. Camp Hope’s goal is to give healing, hope and childhood experiences back to children and teens who have been impacted by violence.
For the last two years, Camp Hope has been held at Camp Daley, a Salvation Army property outside Calabasas. Camp Hope activities included hiking, ziplining, rock wall climbing, recreational pool time, art, mindfulness, yoga classes and a dunk tank. The campers are supported by college-age counselors at a ratio of 3:1 to ensure campers have the safety and guidance they need. Staff from the district attorney’s office, doctors and donors volunteer, as well.
The VCFJC launched Camp Hope after the Ventura County district attorney’s office noticed the generational impacts of violence as members of the same families were appearing as both defendants and victims year after year. Camp Hope was intended to be a proactive, rather than reactive, response to childhood trauma, as well as a crime prevention tool.
“Hope is a powerful tool in overcoming childhood trauma. One of the things we teach on a daily basis is that you should believe in your dreams, believe in others and believe in yourself,” said Mike Jump, chief deputy district attorney and executive director of the Ventura County Family Justice Center. “Your past does not define your future. You are in control. We talk about that around the campfire.”
This year’s camp was paid for with funds raised by the Ventura County Family Justice Center Foundation’s inaugural Hope Gala on July 28. The gala raised $140,000, which exceeded expectations for the event.
The VCFJC has identified 600 children who qualify for the camp, but enrollment is limited based on funds. Depending on the generosity of donors, the VCFJC hopes that next year’s camp will include a second session to accommodate an additional cohort of 50 campers.
The Ventura County Family Justice Center is continuing to expand its footprint in order to assist more children and their families after experiencing violence. The county is currently moving forward with plans to convert a 32,000-square-foot-building in Oxnard into a secondary VCFJC location. Christine Mitchell, the project manager for the much-anticipated East County family justice center, which is in the early planning stages, stepped into her new role the day of the Hope Gala.
To support the Foundation by sponsoring the Gala visit here: vcfjcfoundation.org.
The tails never stopped wagging
Photos by Patricia Schallert and Yana Khiyod
Pooch Parade is back
Presented by CARL the Annual Pooch Parade was held on Sept.24, at the Ventura Harbor Village main lawn. Canine Adoption and Rescue League is Ventura County’s largest all-breed, no-kill, non-profit dog rescue and sanctuary. Since 1996, they’ve helped thousands of dogs in need. Their creed is “Every Dog Deserves a Second Chance”.
The return of this dog day afternoon event engaged dog lovers with a fundraising dog walk, competitions and petexpo. C.A.R.L Pooches up for adoption showed off on a stroll down the promenade, then performed stunts and make friends while looking for their own forever home. The Pooch Parade is their biggest fundraiser of the year.
By enjoying a sunny day on the beach with food, sun, and dogs (so many dogs!). The dog competitions included agility, frisbee, treibball and obedience. The main event of the day was the dog parade.
This special canine event showcased over 20 vendors, a silent auction, an agility course, music, and captivating dog demonstrations.
