Offers a friendly, safe place to explore the bicycle as an alternative form of transportation.
Free test rides on the latest variety of electric assist bicycles. Both rear hub drive and mid-drive. Come experience the difference and see why the spread in price is warranted.

What inspired Shelley to start this business?
In 1982 she trademarked and imported for the first Italian made Quadricycles into California. The factory name at that time was “JOMARK.” She trademarked the name “Pedalina® “ and opened a dozen rental businesses in Ventura and Santa Barbara, CA.

Shelley Sund, direct descendant of a Washington State homestead family, moved from Seattle to San Diego and imported the first sea container, one of many and was on her way. Trademarking, talking to Franchise companies, and building up fleets and business locations all around. In 2003 she performed a corporate name change from Cycles-4-Rent, Inc. to Ventura Bike Depot, Inc which has been successfully in operation at 239 West Main Street from 1994 to present.

After forty-one years of building and evolving the bicycle business, Ventura Bike Depot has the advantage of a full-service bike shop with new bike sales, repairs & tune ups, plus rentals. Situated right on the bike path system, VBD has an identity all its own with great knowledgeable staff and friendly service.

Shelley Sund, CEO of Ventura Bike Depot, Inc.
Founding Member of The Ojai Bicycle Coalition (1999)
Cycle California Coast (2017)
NBDA Natonal Bicycle Dealer Association (Since 1982)
Channel Islands Bike Club member
Bike Ventura member & Donor
Speaker at the Womens Economic Ventures (WEV) in Santa Barbara, has drawn her advice to always be able to mold and change your business plan on the spot as this can be very useful, especially when you can identify that it may not be working as well and needs an adaptation or mutation.

A background of being tenacious and not accepting failure as an option has been a guiding force.
Remember the book about the story of “Mrs. Fields Cookies?” Hearing how even her own husband who was a financial wizard, told her it wouldn’t work but she did it anyway? Well…. LOL
Even during the recent pandemic and past economic downturns, this business has flourished.
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My target client/customer is anyone who loves to incorporate bicycles into their lives, somehow, someway. The motto is essentially “More butts on bikes” whether that’s for car replacement, a second car, recreational enjoyment, training, exercise, etc. bicycles are efficient, healthy, green and just plain FUN!

Open Everyday 9-5
239 West Main Street, Ventura, (805) 652-1114
[email protected]
Website: http://www.VenturaBikeDepot.com.

by Mary Olson

One County One Book
The Ventura County Library and Ventura County Library Foundation are beginning planning for One County One Book for 2023. One County, One Book unites the members of the Ventura County community in order to spread interest and facilitate discussion about selected books. The selected title for 2023 is Solito by Javier Zamora. This year, the author talk will take place earlier than in past years, on Saturday, September 30, 2023. The main author event, VIP Reception with the author, and booths featuring vendors, non-profits, local authors and children’s story time will take place on the campus of CSU Channel Islands.

Are you a local author, vendor, or non-profit who would like to participate?
Please contact: [email protected]

Legos at the Library
On Fridays, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, E.P. Foster Library hosts Lego Play. Children of all ages are invited to bring their imaginations and experiment with creative designs.

Hill Road Library’s Maker Lab offers Lego Challenge on Thursdays, from 3:30 to 4:30. On
Thursday, May 25, children can bring a favorite stuffed animal to Maker Lab and create protective
armor out of Legos to shield it with an exoskeleton or create a camouflage suit!

Find Your Voice! Family Musicals Film Fest and Coloring

Beat the heat this summer at Hill Road Library with air conditioning, fun family musicals, drawing,
and coloring for all ages.

Tuesday, June 6, 3:00 to 5:00 pm: Encanto
Tuesday, June 13, 3:00 to 5:00 pm: Sing II
Tuesday, June 20, 3:00 to 5:00 pm: The Lego Movie Part 2: The Second Part
Tuesday, July 11, 3:00 to 5:00 pm: Soul
Tuesday, July 18, 3:00 to 5:00 pm: Trolls World Tour

Find your Beach Reads
(and audiobooks and jigsaw puzzles)

Ventura Friends of the Library Bookstore in E.P. Foster Library
open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays, 1:30 to 4:00 pm.
You can also shop at our online store at https://venturafol-107753.square.site/s/shop and pick up your purchase at the store in E.P. Foster.

At Hill Road Library, check the Friends of the Library sales shelves, directly ahead of you as you enter the library. Choose your books and deposit payment in the box whenever you visit the library.

Dianna Cleveland has a passion for people and works with them to improve their lives by helping them make their home and office life more organized, efficient, simple, and easy. With her tech-savvy skills and vast experience in household and office organization, she helps people ranging in age from 35-95 to solve problems they haven’t been able to solve or haven’t had the time or family support to accomplish. Her work greatly enhances their lives by removing the clutter in their homes and in their minds, systematizing their day-to-day tasks, and to keep up with current technology; all of which helps them find more inner peace, joy, and more time to live their lives to the fullest.

She has a long list of the types of projects she provides to her clients which include de-cluttering, categorization, systematization, computers/TV/Smart Phones and Tablets, and several Internet issues and opportunities to simplify their lives. She is available for short-term projects or longer-term support. See her advertisement on page ____ for more details.

After a long marriage that ended five years ago, Dianna moved to Nashville for over a year, and then came back to Orange County, California where she had lived for over 27 years raising her family and running her own publishing business that provided specialized reading materials to schools to help students build their reading fluency and comprehension.

COVID-19 greatly affected her company’s sales as her clients were public and private schools, and not knowing what the lasting effects might be, an opportunity arose to sell her business during the pandemic. So, after more than 20 years of being self-employed, she decided to take that step, and then take a year or more off to rest and restart and then decide what was next. Her personal assistant work began with one person knowing a friend who needed help. She then was referred to others that also referred her to others which has given her the many current and past clients she has today.

Dianna has two sons and one daughter, all grown and doing well, and five grandchildren ranging from 1-7 years old. They live from San Clemente to Sacramento which led her to explore Ventura to be in the middle. She is very active in her community and also loves to play tennis! You can find details and contact information at www.diannacleveland.com.

by Ross Williams

Southern California’s real estate market is renowned for its competitiveness, especially when it comes to buying and selling businesses. However, Ian and Jamie Lashley have found their passion. They operate The Lashley Group, a boutique firm specializing in business brokering and residential real estate.

Ian’s journey began during the 2008 market crash when he decided to sell his retail clothing business. This experience led him to discover the world of business brokering, where he could leverage his skills and knowledge to assist other entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams. After gaining six years of experience with other brokerages, Ian took the plunge and established his own business brokerage firm.

While the past few years have proved to be a great for real estate, the current market has seen a significant slowdown in house sales. Consequently, Ian’s focus this year has ben on the flourishing business selling side.

Ian specializes in selling various types of businesses, with a particular emphasis on service, manufacturing, and the food and beverage industry. Many of these transactions involve negotiations surrounding purchase price, leases, and assets. Ian’s role primarily centers around mediating these negotiations, which can be influenced by factors such as financing, training, and the transition period with the previous owners. Maintaining confidentiality is crucial in business sales. Most sellers prefer to keep the sale hush-hush, as they don’t want to jeopardize client trust or worry their employees. Prospective buyers often need to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to inquire about a business for sale.

Determining the value of a business requires an assessment of its potential value and current worth. Ian examines profit and loss reports, tax returns, and cash flow to understand the business’s financials. This enables him to evaluate whether a business is underperforming and ascertain its true value.

Buyers come from various backgrounds and industries. Plumbers may acquire other plumbing businesses, while individuals may opt for retail, wholesale, or restaurants. Private investment groups might purchase businesses and retain the owners for a transitional period to learn the ropes. These groups often specialize in specific business types or industries like plumbing or manufacturing.

Ian and Jamie possess a keen eye for identifying individuals with the entrepreneurial spirit. The most rewarding aspect of their job is helping people achieve their dreams and being part of their clients’ journeys. Business Brokerage website: www.TLGbusinessbroker.com | Real Estate website: TheLashleyGroup.com | (805) 535-3693 | @TLGbusinessbroker

There are a wide range of themed events scheduled at the VCL branches, in addition to the regular Storytime and special events programs. Families are encouraged to stop by their local VCL branch to participate in themed bi-weekly STEAM activities and challenges and other subjects related to this year’s theme “Find Your Voice”.

VCL encourages the love of reading with a range of free activities for children, teens, and adults throughout the summer.

This program is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Molly Krill, Ventura County Library Youth Services Manager at (805) 677-7170

Ventura branches:

Avenue Library, 606 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura, CA 93001
E.P. Foster Library, 651 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
Hill Road Library, 1070 S. Hill Road, Ventura, CA 93003
Saticoy Library, 1292 Los Angeles Avenue, Ventura, CA 93004

“I am very proud of this book–One year in the making–a breezy look at the myths and mysteries of the Missions.”  Richard Senate. Paperback $15, Kindle $5, illustrated.

by Sheli Ellsworth

Thirty-three-years old, Shawn Hittle is a street performer who specializes in fire spinning. Fire performance typically involves moving and throwing objects like batons or rings made with wicks which can sustain a large enough flame to create an artistic effect. He attends a group that meets near the Seabridge Amphitheater in Oxnard for fire spinning tutorials and practice. “There are a lot of different techniques used. Sometimes we juggle fire and there are elements of martial arts we experiment with,” says Hittle.

Hittle grew up on a farm in Illinois where he was a member of 4-H and bred Dutch black and white tuxedo rabbits for show. He graduated high school with a 3.3 grade point average and went on to work in construction doing everything from framing to flooring. He took some online computer classes aspiring to work as a software technician.

Hoping for a job with his uncle, Hittle moved to Ventura with his girlfriend in 2018. His uncle had expressed enthusiasm for the burgeoning marijuana industry and promised Hittle opportunities. Little did heknow, his uncle was living out of his car and the commercial pot growing industry was more difficult than either had anticipated.

After six months, Hittle’s girlfriend grew tired of living in a tent and returned home. Since then, Hittle has been couch surfing and relies on his skateboard for transportation. Hittle is one of the city’s many homeless.

Hittle says that he gave up looking for employment. Like most homeless, he also has an ID problem. He has a cell phone, but it is not always in working order. “Because I skate everywhere, my phone takes a beating. Half the time, I’m not sure if it is working.”

Hittle has been fortunate. He has friends that occasionally volunteer a meal and bed here and there to him. He also receives supplemental food benefits through SNAP.

He has lived in Ventura longer than any previous location since he left home. Because his mother moved a lot, Hittle attended six different high schools in Illinois. He has the occasional call from his sister but is not in touch with any other relatives. Hittle says he would consider free housing but is not keen on oversight. “I stay out of trouble, so someone asking me where I have been or what I have been doing is unnecessary.”

He also says that many homeless seem to be a target of police. “When you know you haven’t done anything wrong, having the police stop you and ask questions is disturbing.” He says that Ventura is pretty low-key compared to some of the places he has lived and is surprised the police even bother.

Safety hasn’t been an issue for Hittle—yet—but he does admit that many of the city’s homeless have challenges beyond homelessness. “At least 40% of the homeless people here have some type of mental disability,” he says.” For Hittle, the situation is temporary. He hopes that the future will open some doors—until then fire spinning on the promenade keeps him busy.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens is having a color blindness viewer reveal at the end of the month.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens is looking for adults and/or children to try special EnChroma glasses for color blindness. If you’re color blind, or have a co-worker, friend, or friend who is, and lives in Ventura, please connect with us to try glasses that enable the color blind to see an expanded range of clear, vibrant colors.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens are looking for two or three volunteers, who will be chosen by EnChroma to participate on Tuesday, May 30 at 10am.

To be considered, you must live in Ventura and fill out a brief form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KJXYCNX.

You must be willing to speak with a reporter and be filmed about what it’s like to be color blind, and how colors appear to you, then try the EnChroma glasses and describe what you experience. It will require about an hour of your time. You’ll get to keep a pair of the glasses as thanks. EnChroma will contact those selected well in advance of the date and provide details. You must not have tried the glasses before the “reveal” date.