Category Archives: What’s New

Local Society Hosts “Super Bowl of Gem Shows” 

The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society (VGMS) is hosting “Seaside Gems at Ventura,” the National Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show May 24-26  at the Ventura County Fairgrounds from 10am–5pm, Friday & Saturday and 10am–4pm, Sunday. The show is open to the public and features family-friendly events and exhibits. Admission is $8, with children under 13 free with a paid adult. (Note: the Fairgrounds also charges a parking fee.)

VGMS is celebrating its 80th anniversary and was selected from 600 similar nonprofit educational societies to host a truly big national event, namely, the Annual Show & Convention of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. They hope to welcome over 3,000 “rockhounds” as they converge on the Ventura County Fairgrounds for what’s described as “the Super Bowl of gem shows.”

This year’s “Super Bowl” organizers invite the general public to enjoy educational displays, dealers and demonstrators, speakers, silent auctions, raffles, and kids activities.  For instance, a beautiful gold specimen will be one of the featured displays.  Discovered by a young girl in Placer County in 1871, the California Golden Bear nugget is normally housed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History but will be on temporary display at the show alongside samples of our ultra-rare State Gemstone, sapphire-blue benitoite.

Nearly 100 additional educational exhibits are expected of hand-crafted jewelry and carvings, gemstones and crystals, minerals, fossils, and fluorescent rocks that glow in the dark.  These exhibits have been assembled from private collections and crafters throughout California and the U.S. and should be exceptional, given that over half will be entered into refereed competition vying for trophies.

Displays will be augmented by demonstrators illustrating how rough stones are crafted into gleaming gems.  Watch lapidary artists at work and question them for tips to try yourself.  They’ll demo lapidary arts like gemstone grinding, carving and polishing; jewelry-making techniques; bead stringing; silver work, and fossil prep.

Kids are sure to enjoy the Kids Booth. A variety of interactive activities are free or priced to match a child’s budget.  These include a Dino Dig; coloring activities; a spinning wheel where every spin wins a prize; grab bags filled with rocks, minerals, and fossils; “create-your-own-collection” boxes; and a sand-sifting activity. A prospecting club – Valley Prospectors of San Bernardino – will show kids and adults alike how to pan for gold just like a Forty-Niner.  Teachers will find free teacher resources, including rock samples and packets of educational materials at the show Welcome Booth.

To get a jump on Holiday shopping, 50+ vendors will be selling all manner of rock-related materials: rough agate, jasper, marble, and more to cut, carve, and polish; gemstone rough (amethyst, opal, emerald, sapphire, ruby, tourmaline, jade) to cab or to facet; cut and polished gemstones ready to be mounted into jewelry settings; lapidary and jewelry tools and equipment; minerals and gemstone crystals and meteorites for collectors, whether beginners or advanced; fossils and petrified wood from around the world; gem-, mineral-, and fossil-related publications; beads of all sorts; stone carvings, spheres, and other sculpted works for home decor; and fine custom jewelry ready to wear.

In addition to the professional vendors, hourly silent auctions will be held throughout the show for lapidary rocks and gemstones, minerals, geodes, petrified wood, and fossils. And don’t miss the raffle! Those purchasing winning tickets will take home great prizes that include high quality jewelry; mineral and fossil specimens; and more—including a one hundred dollar bill.

A Speakers Series features nontechnical lectures with talks on topics such as meteorites, amber, an Australian gold mine, the geology of the Channel Islands off-shore from Ventura, and beautifully banded Condor Agates from Patagonia by the man who introduced them into the U.S. market.

VGMS and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies are dedicated to encouraging interest in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, the lapidary and jewelry arts through education, activities, and exhibitions, such as this nationwide show, which circulates around the US and comes to California only once every seven years. AFMS is composed of local societies and clubs from throughout the US. AFMS and its affiliated societies are 501(c)3 nonprofit, educational organizations. Proceeds from their shows go toward educational endeavors, such as scholarship funds for undergraduate and graduate college students and a free badge program for children. During an Awards Banquet Saturday night, not only will trophies be given for best competitive displays, but also scholarships will be awarded to college students working toward degrees in the earth sciences.

For more email [email protected] or call 805-312-8467 or visit the show website at 2024CFMS-AFMS.com and the local Ventura society website at vgms.org.

Vol. 17, No. 17 – May 15 – May 28, 2024 – As I See It

by Shelon Brown

Ventura Councilmember Liz Campos accused a former city executive of bullying her. The City Council voted to accept a city-led investigation that found she wasn’t bullied.
Campos accused former acting City Manager Akbar Alikhan of bullying her during a closed-session meeting in May 2023 when he allegedly didn’t let her leave the room until she took a certain position on an issue.

The City Council voted on April 9 to accept the results of a city-led investigation into Campos’ allegations, which determined she was not harassed or bullied. The probe was headed by a consultant hired by the city and not by the city.

Alikhan, who left Ventura last year and is now the deputy city manager in Thousand Oaks, denies Campos’ accusations. “The results of the investigation clearly shows any such allegations were patently false,” Alikhan said.

The council voted 5-1 to receive and file the report. Councilmember Mike Johnson voted no because he said he wasn’t given the full investigative report and felt the investigation was incomplete and should continue.

•Ventura and Oxnard colleges will each get new presidents in July after Ventura County Community College District trustees unanimously approved contracts for the top roles during a Tuesday night board meeting.

Claudia Lourido-Habib, currently the president of Porterville College will take over as president of the 11,700-student Ventura College from the retiring Kimberly Hoffmans on July 8. She’ll earn $288,660 in salary and $94,610 in benefits annually during a three-year contract.

• “Three years ago, we were a great nation,” Trump said at a rally in Michigan. Biden was president three years ago (ooops).

In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Trump said of the upcoming presidential showdown, “If everything’s honest, I’ll gladly accept the results. I don’t change on that. If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.” If this doesn’t scare you, you just don’t get it.

Trump has claimed that because his jury is 95% Democrats it is just another witch hunt. That means that 11.4 jurists are Democrats and one is 40% Democrat and 60% Republican, so maybe it will be a hung jury.

•Jeff Asher is a New Orleans-based crime data analyst who has worked at the CIA and Department of Defense. As early data showed murders declining nationwide, he wrote that the U.S. was experiencing a major drop in killings.

“Murder plummeted in the United States in 2023, likely at one of the fastest rates of decline ever recorded. The decrease in murders is “potentially historically large,” USA TODAY was told, and it’s not just killings that are declining. Preliminary 2023 FBI data “paint the picture” of a big decrease in overall crime.

•An LA Times survey asked should LeBron James return next season, or should he and the Lakers part ways? The results: Part ways 59.2%. Remain 40.8%.
I’m 100% for him leaving. He is like a petulant spoiled 10-year-old who always needs to get his way. Often on defense the Laker’s only have 4 players because he is still at the other end of the court arguing about not getting a foul call.

He is much more concerned about his huge ego than anything else. And how can he be the GOAT having won just 4 NBA championships in 20-years?

•A TV ad stated that their product has “30-years of clinical research.” Of course, they didn’t say what the researched showed. Truth in advertising “30-years of clinical research showed that our product doesn’t work.”

•I had a tooth extracted and part of the instructions was; “No smoking for the first 24 hours.” So, after 24 hours I started smoking and remembered I never smoked. Very bad instructions.

Vol. 17, No. 17 – May 15 – May 28, 2024 – Ventura Music Scene

The Strawberry Festival returns to the Ventura Fairgrounds for the second year in a row. Enjoy live music which is included in the price of admission from Drew Dolan, Smooth Sound of Santana, Surf City All-Stars, Petty or Not, Conner Cherland, Will Breman, Rey Fresco and more. Tickets for Saturday, May 18 and Sunday May 19 can be found at CaStrawberryFestival.org.

The Rubicon concert series, Ventura Live, continues with a special event coming up on May 26 called The Palomino Nights Country and Rhythm Revue benefit concert. There will be performances by Mark Masson & Jam Grass, Beau Ted & Tailor Maide, the Van Allen Twins,
Buck Moon, Josephoenix and Jay Ponti. The evening is sure to get your toes tapping and your heart racing to the sounds of bluegrass
and true-blue country standards. Proceeds support Rubicon’s leadership and acting programs to empower economically challenged young people. Find out more at RubiconTheatre.org.

I kept waiting to find out what the music would be for X Games hailed as sports & music festival last summer to no avail, but I’m pumped to announce there will be live music included in the price of admission for X Games Ventura 2024. As a press time, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated rap artist Wiz Khalifa will perform on Friday, June 28 and eight-time Grammy nominated Kaskade will offer up electronic dance music on Saturday, June 29. More to come as they roll the artists out.

Shout Outs: Firstly, congratulations to local musician Jayden Secor for graduating Magna Cum Laude with both a music production degree and a business administration degree from Cal Lutheran; and secondly, I couldn’t be more proud of Gaby Montiel for being selected by Successfully, a global outlet, which highlights a handful of people for 2024 from around the world from all different walks of life who inspire.
I hope you take a moment to look up Successfully.World to read her story.

Quick Notes: Angry Ferret in Moorpark is celebrating their 3rd anniversary with DVR on Saturday, May 18; Gigi’s has a free show with Popperz and Dogsled out of Houston, TX, on Thursday, May 16; locals Romper open for Stiff Little Fingers and Ricky Warwick at the Majestic Ventura Theater on Thursday, May 23; and reggae legends, Burning Spear play the Ventura Music Hall on Tuesday, May 28.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com

CAPS digital storytelling summer program 2024

ECTV Students in Control room.

The CAPS Digital Storytelling summer program returns this year with week-long sessions July 15-19 and July 29-August 2 for students ages 10-14. Guided by experienced videographers and storytellers, the summer camp crews collaborate in teams of four or five to create their own video productions. The fast paced and engaging creative program features hands-on, experiential learning in all aspects of media storytelling including story development, scripting, casting, staging, directing, camera training with HD camcorders and smartphones, video composition, lighting, remote and in-studio production, graphic design, editing and more.

Each weeklong session runs Monday – Friday, from 8:30am to 1:00pm with class sizes limited to 10-12 students. The Digital Storytelling program is held at the CAPS Media Center at 65 Day Road in Ventura, between Loma Vista and Telegraph, on the eastside of Ventura College. The weekly fee is $250 for the week and includes five 4-hour sessions, a one-year family membership at CAPS, a CAPS Crew Member shirt, graduation certificate and a special Friday night film festival for friends and family. The registration deadline is June 1. Go to capsmedia.org/digitalstorytelling to sign up.

Prior to the summer program CAPS crews will be busy with multiple productions including recording and live streaming ceremonies for Ventura College graduates and all of the VUSD High Schools graduates. The Ventura College graduation is on May 17 at 10am. The VUSD graduations are June 11 – 13. On Tuesday, June 11 ceremonies begin at 10am with El Camino High School, Pacific High School at 12:30pm, Foothill High School at 2:30pm and VACE at 5:30pm at Ventura College. Wednesday, June 12 is Buena High School’s ceremony beginning at 4pm at Buena. The Ventura High School graduation is to be held on Thursday, June 13 at 3pm at Ventura High. All graduations will be live streamed by CAPS on the day of the ceremonies and recorded for broadcast on CAPS channel 15 in the days and weeks that follow.

Recently CAPS launched ReCAPS, the special weekly series featuring storytellers throughout Ventura County. Every Monday night at 7pm a new edition of ReCAPS premieres on CAPS Channel 6 and streams online, with stories and histories by local storytellers sharing their personal journeys. Recent ReCAPS storytellers include Moses Mora, Adam Hart, Jake and Jenny Dilbeck, and Carlos Ortega. In the coming weeks ReCAPS will feature Luis Sanchez, Lucas Zucker, Regina Hatcher-Crawford, Jim and John Proctor, David Endaya, Dustin Gardner and many more.

Congratulations to Phil Taggart, one of CAPS Media’s many artists in residence, who, along with his Arts In Exile crew won a 2024 WAVE Award for excellence in community programming from the Alliance for Community Media’s Western region.

Everyone in the community is invited to visit the CAPS Media Center on the first Monday of each month at 6pm for informal introductions. The evening includes a tour of the CAPS studio, information on CAPS membership benefits, and a creative overview of media production from concept development through production. Everyone is encouraged to drop by and discover what CAPS has to offer.

CAPS Media manages and programs cable channels 6 (Public) and 15 (Education and Government), and CAPS Radio KPPQ in Ventura, and manages the CAPS Media Center, at 65 Day Road, which is open Tuesday – Thursday, 12p– 8pm. CAPS provides unlimited creative resources and expertise to everyone in Ventura.

Explore. Lower Harmon Canyon

Encelia californica is beloved by native bees and beetles.

Now is the perfect time to hit the trails and explore. Lower Harmon Canyon is open and promises unforgettable beauty!

California brittlebush (Encelia californica) is in peak bloom! One of four sensitive plant alliances in Harmon Canyon, Encelia californica, are true Southern California locals – growing in coastal sage scrub from San Luis Obispo County to northern Baja. To spot these beauties, look for daisies with dark centers (disk flowers) and yellow “petals” (ray flowers).

Encelia californica is commonly seen on drier south and west-facing slopes and is beloved by native bees and beetles. The east side of Trail 101 is a wonderland for this special community – slow down and check out all the pollinator action!

Interesting observations are everywhere – including at your feet! In the moist early morning hours, keep your eyes peeled for the Trask shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta traskii). Considered a sensitive species in California due to habitat loss and degradation, these beautiful, long-lived animals are thriving in the vibrant shrublands of Harmon Canyon. To distinguish them from the invasive European garden snail (Cornu aspersum) look for their narrower shell with a distinctive dark-colored band that follows the whorled spiral.

Helminthoglypta traskii are active longer than usual this year, enjoying the moist conditions of our extended rainy season. They estivate (a state of dormancy like hibernating but in response to heat and dryness) during the drier months and may not be as visible soon, so enjoy these delicate detritavores while you can.

When and what is Passover?

In 2024, Passover runs from the evening of April 22 to the evening of April 30.

Passover is a festival of freedom.

It commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt, and their transition from slavery to freedom. Passover or Pesach is an important, biblically derived Jewish holiday. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.

Passover commences on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts for either seven

days (in Israel and for Reform Jews and other progressive Jews around the world who adhere to the Biblical commandment) or eight days for Orthodox, Hasidic, and most Conservative Jews.

A day commences at dusk and lasts until the following dusk, thus the first day of Passover begins after dusk. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.

The rituals unique to the Passover celebrations commence with the Passover Seder.

In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born.

The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to “pass over” the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday.

When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten.

Vol. 17, No. 15 – April 17 – April 30, 2024 – Ventura Music Scene

by Pam Baumgardner
VenturaRocks.com

Most people know by now that the Skull and Roses 2024 festival has been cancelled. The letter that went out to ticket buyers tried to explain the promoter’s sad circumstances and I was feeling for the guy until I got to the bottom of the letter and read (and I quote), “REFUNDS: While tickets and hotels were sold on a non-refundable basis, we sincerely wish that funds were available to refund all purchases. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case at this time.” The promoter plans to post updates as more information becomes available. I’m hearing from a lot of ticket buyers that they have already received notice that their tickets will be refunded via the ticket outlet. But what about all the deposits for hotels and airfares people invested in to be there? How about the vendors (some of which never got fully paid for last year)? I’m probably the biggest non-deadhead around, but I love the deadheads who attend these events and my heart goes out to them, and all the vendors who trusted the promoter. Let’s hope he keeps his word and does what is necessary to make good on all his debts, no matter how long it takes and can we please try to keep bankruptcy out of the equation.

Meanwhile, no need to go cold turkey on Grateful Dead covers as several of the bands have already secured shows around town. You’ll want to check out The Six who hosts the Deal on Thursday, April 18; the Crowne Plaza’s outdoor bar will host The Peoples Dead and Hyryder on Friday, April 19, Winchesters has Cats on the Bandstand Friday, April 19; and Tony’s Pizzeria has The Alligators, Shaky Feelin’ and Hyryder on Saturday, April 20. I’ll add to the VenturaRocks.com calendar as I hear about more of these last-minute gigs.

Though the guys don’t look a day over 25, Army of Freshmen will play the Ventura Music Hall for their 25th Anniversary Show. Opening will be Nerf Herder on Saturday, September 14.

DW’s Café has been trying out live music; still to come this month the Urban Soul Band, Vanise Terry Trio, and Bossman Music. DW’s is located at 2855 Johnson Drive, Ventura.

Quick Notes: Bacon Brothers just added to Libbey Bowl schedule for Sunday, June 30; The White House will host a special dinner music event with The Kings of Queen on Wednesday, April 17; Tommy Quale’s Petty “Round the Campfire” at Namba on Saturday, April 20; Psychedelic Summer plays the Crowne Plaza’s Aqua Beachfront Bar on Sunday, April 21; Salzer’s Records will have an in-store acoustic performance by Def Leppard’s Phil Collen on Sunday, April 21; and The Robot Uprising’s final show will be on Saturday, April 27, at Vaquero y Mar playing with All-a-Blur and 5th Street Saints.

Do you have any music-related news or upcoming shows you want help publicizing? Please send all information short or long to [email protected], and for updated music listings daily, go to www.VenturaRocks.com.

Restoring the Junipero Serre Statue: The Good News 

Jerry Cranham is restoring the statue back to its original luster.

by Patricia Schallert

Restoration efforts are underway to preserve the distinguished statue of Junipero Serra, now situated at the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura. The objective is to carefully remove dirt and red paint while safeguarding the original patina, seamlessly restoring the colors to their initial finish. The patina, which results from exposure to the elements, showcases the statue’s aging and basic appearance. To prevent the emergence of a green tint often seen on older statues, an oil bronze finish is meticulously applied, ensuring it maintains its intended look since its creation in 1989 for Junipero Serra.

Pastor Tom Elewaut making sure Jerry is doing a good job.

The restoration process encompasses several crucial elements. An evaluation of the statue’s condition identifies areas in need of repair. Skilled expert Jerry Cranham employs specialized techniques, using gentle solvents and tools to eliminate dirt, grime, and pollutants, while stabilizing and reconstructing any damaged portions. The addition of a protective coating serves to guarantee the statue’s durability. With Jerry’s expertise, he places  emphasis on historical accuracy and while preserving the statue’s original features and historical integrity.

Jerry began the restoration project the day it arrived at the Mission and careful observation showed red paint splatters on the  statue.  “Removal of red paint splatters entails the careful usage of an X-acto knife and scrapper to avoid scratching the statue and exposing its cast and metal.”  A mixture of linseed oil, denatured alcohol, mineral spirits, and Scotts Liquid Gold oil effectively eliminates surface dirt, including aged particles. Scratches are skillfully filled with wax and sealed to “maintain the statue’s integrity”. Jerry also uses a modified bees wax to restore “color and finish”.

The natural patina, developed through atmospheric exposure, is respected, while the absence caused by a previous cleaning process is accounted for.

The statue’s significance lies in its representation of the original 1930s installation, completed through the WPA Works Progress Administration (WPA) National project, constructed as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal initiative. The statue has a rich history in Ventura, having been recast in 1989, commemorating Junipero Serra’s role as the city’s founder and the namer of both the city and county of San Buenaventura.

Fr. Tom Elewaut, Pastor of the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura describes the final phases of restoration which includes the delivery of the original bronze plaque to the statue’s site. A bronze sign will commemorate the original installation at City Hall in 1989, while a second plaque will display the date of installation at the Mission in March 2024. Landscapers will meticulously incorporate vegetation and rocks to accentuate the statue’s surroundings. The base will be polished to a dark black, resembling marble. Completion of the final phase is anticipated by April or May.

For those interested in contributing to the restoration and preservation of the Junipero Serra Statue at the Mission Basilica San Buenaventura Gardens, a GoFundMe account has been created to directly accept donations. Your generous support will significantly contribute to this valuable endeavor. Donations can be made through the following link: Help preserve ~ Ventura St. Junipero Serra Statue, organized by Mission Basilica San Buenaventura .