Opening night at the Rubicon included many local dignitaries.

by Richard Lieberman

The Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura opened it’s 2022/2023 season with a play by Anna Deavere Smith “Twilight Los Angeles, 1992” a production that depicts the events of the 1992 L.A. riots. The production premiered on the 30^th anniversary of the Rodney King verdict and the L.A. riots. April 29^, 1992, the day the verdict in the Rodney King trial, triggered one of the most explosive events of the 20^th century.

The one man play chronicles the events leading up to and during the tumultuous L.A. riots. Starring Chris Butler and written by Anna Deavere Smith. Based on interviews conducted by Anna Deavere Smith all words spoken were by the real people involved.

Butler portrayed over fifty people involved in some way with the events leading up to, during and after the riots. His energy and accuracy in describing the events is unappareled in a real-life production.

Opening night at the Rubicon included many local dignitaries and politicians including Steve Bennett California State Assembly member, Doug Halter City of Ventura Councilmember, Erik Nasarenko Ventura County District Attorney, former state senator Hannah Beth Jackson, Regina K. Crawford, President of NAACP Ventura County, Joe Spano award winning actor and many others.

Steve Bennett California State Assembly when asked about the season premiere and how the new season will unfold said “I am very optimistic because I think people are desperate to get back out to these types of things where you can be together with people and watch live theatre” he said. Bennett added “Live theatre just touches you in a way that no other medium does. I am very hopeful and optimistic about the Rubicon theatre.” He also added “I think it is good for us to be reminded and I think it is a real compliment to the Rubicon that they are the ones that get to have this opening here with such an incredible actor.”

Doug Halter City of Ventura Councilmember was instrumental in the creation of the theatre and had this to say about his role and the upcoming season, “In 1998 I heard that the Ventura Pentecostal Church was for sale. I was surprised and impressed, the church had some 10,000 square feet of space with three stories and a great ocean view. I recognized that the church would be a perfect building to house a community theatre in its ground floor sanctuary,”

“I mentioned this to Karyl Lynn Burns, and she said “it has been my dream to create a local theatre here in Ventura” he added.

“I am very optimistic and looking forward to the upcoming season, all the credit goes to the wonderful artists and volunteers that make the Rubicon successful and fill a need for the arts and theatre in Ventura,” he said.

Karyl Lynn Burns Producing Artistic Director stated “We have created an environment where commitment and risk are encouraged, and where artists are nurtured and respected, “she said. She added “As a result the company has gained a reputation for invigorating interpretations of the classics and for supporting the developments of new work. Rubicon presents at least one World Premiere each season, as well as readings of works-in-progress,”

“The upcoming season will continue to honor the legacy and the traditions of our local community theatre” she added.

“Twilight Los Angeles” runs at the Rubicon until May 15.

Organizers of the event hope to raise an additional $1 million dollars.

by Richard Lieberman

In an effort to raise an additional $1 million for the Harmon Canyon Preserve the Ventura Land Trust held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Harmon Canyon Preserve, located off Kimball and Foothill roads on Earth Day, April 22. The preserve covers an area of 2,100 acres of Ventura hillsides.

Recently the final phase of fundraising for the Harmon Canyon Preserve was conducted by the non-profit Ventura Land Trust. The trust held a kickoff for the campaign with the ribbon cutting ceremony featuring local officials.

Organizers of the event hope to raise an additional $1 million dollars. The funding will go toward maintaining plant life, establishment of new oak trees, and the creation and maintenance of new trails.

The anticipated funds will also be used to remove invasive species like the wild mustard that has invaded the habitat and is growing throughout the canyon. The funds will also be used to clear out downed branches.

The Ventura Land Trust’s goals are to keep the trails open, operating, and available to the public permanently.

“We recognize that is a big promise but it’s something we are committed to for the people of our community and the wildlife,” said Mellissa Baffa Ventura Land Trust executive director. She added “$10.6 million has been raised for the preserve so far. The money comes from a mix of government and foundation grants as well as private doners.”

Harmon Canyon Preserve was opened to the public in June 2020 said Leslie Velez, outreach director for the Ventura Land Trust. From the 1800’s through June 2020, the property had been privately owned, she said.

“The canyon preserve designated for habitat conservation and public access, has been attracting 65,000, people a year since its opening for biking, hiking, and recreation,” Baffa said. “It’s our hope and anticipation that some of those tens of thousands of people that have fallen in love with this space will join the campaign and help to support it”.

Harmon Canyon Preserve is a living laboratory, teaching participants how to identify plants and animals and facilitating hands-on fieldwork projects. Hundreds of volunteers work hand in hand with Ventura Land Trust in the stewardship of Harmon Canyon Preserve each year building trails, removing invasive plant species, and ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors.

The history of the canyon dates back to its original habitants, the Chumash. A Chumash speaker, elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, tribal chair of the Barbareno/Ventureno Band of Mission Indians said, “opening the space was important. We lost a lot through colonization of our people. So, we are coming back to that. We are reconnecting that relationship that Indigenous peoples have to this earth and to this land,” Tumamait-Stenslie said.

Ventura Mayor Sofia Rubalcava remarked” the preserve offers Spanish-language signs that help make it accessible and inviting for all communities.”

“I know that Harmon Canyon also offers Spanish language tours so that people who maybe never thought of themselves as hikers or mountain bikers or preservationists can have access to this place and see how beautiful it is and want to come back,” said Rubalcava.

Joe Cahill, Chris Grant, Kevin McDermott, Barbara Brown and Christy Weir were all smiles as Chris Grant and Kevin McDermott planted the Coquito Palm.

The Ventura Tree Alliance, in partnership with the Ventura Botanical Gardens, planted a tree to honor founder Midge Stork — her philanthropic life and her profound contributions to our community and to the development of the Gardens. Midge Stork was one of the five founders and continued as a major force behind the creation, funding and initial development of the Gardens.

The tree chosen to plant in her honor is a Chilean Wine Palm, also known as the Coquito Palm for its small coconuts that first fruit when the tree is thirty to sixty years old. It is arguably one of the world’s most magnificent palms and is often depicted in Chilean historic paintings. The indigenous people of Chile also used its image as a pictograph for the word “huge”. The tree can grow to 80 feet in height and live to be 1500 years old.

This spectacular tree is considered a vulnerable, threatened species, due to the destruction of the tree in its native environment from over-harvesting of its palm honey for wine. Harvesting Chilean Wine Palms for the honey kills the tree. The Ventura Botanical Gardens is part of a global conservation program for this species.

The tree was planted on Earth Day, April 22, 2022. The Ventura Botanical Gardens and the Ventura Tree Alliance hope that visitors will stop by on their walks through the Gardens to pay homage to this tree as a remembrance of Midge Stork, an illustrious tour-de-force of Ventura.

The Ventura Tree Alliance works to enhance Ventura’s urban canopy, to beautify Ventura and contribute to counteracting climate change. The goals are to inspire, engage and support Venturans in planting and caring for trees through education, advocacy, volunteerism, and fundraising.

To find out more, visit VenturaTreeAlliance.com or VenturaBotanicalGardens.com and join us on Facebook.