What an abundant smorgasbord of colorful blooms and resident fauna were discovered by visitors to the Ventura Botanical Gardens this spring. More than 90 photographers captured the ever-increasing variety of plants in the Mediterranean climate botanical collections found in the Gardens.

A panel of judges evaluated over 200 submissions and selected winning entries in five categories: Best Overall, Critters, Botanical Macro, Botanical Close-up and Garden Scenes. Winning entries were also chosen by “open voting” on the Ventura Botanical Gardens’ Facebook page.

The judges this year were Greg Montana, photographer and owner of Dexter’s Camera; Monica Furmanski, Assistant Professor of Photography at Ventura College; and Stephanie Hogue, Owner of Latitudes Gallery. Greg continues Dexter’s 70 years of excellent support to the photography community and still processes film. Monica exhibits work locally and nationally and operates the 643 Project Space, an artist run gallery on Ventura Avenue, with her husband Matthew. Stephanie’s work is well known locally for capturing the beauty of the ocean and natural elements of our area. Visitors find her work at Latitudes Gallery on Main Street in downtown Ventura.

The contest is open to photos from throughout the year but spring is a favorite season. This year the rains triggered an abundance of new growth, color, birdsong, and scenes captured by our entrants. Denise Dewire, a winner in both the Judges’ and Peoples’ Choice contests, said: “I love VBG and am a charter member. It’s amazing how the Gardens have evolved and how it has come back since the Thomas fire.” Tara Pinley, a winning newcomer to Ventura, is rediscovering her interest in photography. She said: “I’m amazed by the natural beauty in the area — especially the Botanical Gardens where I enjoy gorgeous views of the ocean and gardens all at the same time. It really makes Ventura a wonderful place to live and share with nature.”  

To view all the winning photos go to https://venturabotanicalgardens.com/in-bloom/

Winners in the Judges’ Choice by category were:

• Best Overall: Denise Dewire (1^st and 2^nd), Jacqueline Counter (3^rd)
• Critters: Matthew Bear (1^st), Tara Pinley (2^nd), Michelle DiGuilio (3^rd)
• Botanical Macro: Chuck Aghoian (1^st), Alex Davis (2^nd), Chuck Aghoian (3^rd)
• Botanical Closeup: Lina Li (1^st), April Holmes (2^nd), Leslie Leavens (3^rd)
• Garden Scenes: Elisabeth Revenis (1^st), Gannon Hutchison (2^nd), Benjamin Mati (3^rd)

Winners in the Peoples’ Choice were: Denise Dewire (1^st, 3^rd and 4^th), Scott Geist (2^nd) and Elizabeth Revenis (5^th)

Ventura Botanical Gardens congratulates all the winners and hopes this visual smorgasbord will fuel an appetite for more visitors to experience the Gardens.

Ventura Land Trust celebrates 20 years of conservation in 2023, starting with a free community birthday party on Friday, May 19th at Topa Topa Brewing Company (4880 Colt Street, Ventura, 93003) from 6-9 pm.

“From the beginning, this has been a community endeavor,” says Ventura Land Trust (VLT) Executive Director Melissa Baffa. “We were started 20 years ago by a concerned group of citizens who wanted to protect the hillsides north of the city from development. They wanted the natural beauty of those hills to be preserved for generations to come, and that mission still holds true today.”

Founded in 2003 as Ventura Hillsides Conservancy, Ventura Land Trust (VLT) protected its first parcels of land along the Ventura Rive—donated by local families—in 2012. VLT stepped into the spotlight in 2020 with the opening of the 2,123-acre Harmon Canyon Preserve. Open daily for free, Harmon Canyon Preserve has been embraced by the community as a recreation destination and as a place to experience nature’s beauty and diversity close to home.

The threatened hillside land that inspired the organization’s founding, Mariano Rancho, was purchased by VLT in 2019 and is expected to open to the public as a nature preserve in 2025.

The community spirit and support that has sustained VLT for two decades continues to drive its conservation work. Each year, hundreds of volunteers work alongside staff on land restoration projects and community outreach, and hundreds of thousands of individuals visit VLT preserves.

“Not all land trusts open their conserved lands to the public,” says Baffa. “For VLT, welcoming visitors to these open spaces is an both an invitation to experience how special they are and a call to action. When we connect people to nature, they understand why it’s worth protecting.”

VLT offers guided hikes and field-based educational excursions in English and Spanish. Nature exploration program Ventura Wild fosters a sense of belonging and awareness of the natural world for children as young as two years old.

“Looking ahead from here, we are digging into the science of nurturing biodiverse habitats that are resilient in the face of climate change. We’re building a land trust that reflects the full diversity of our region and welcomes everyone into open spaces,” says Baffa.

“Twenty years may seem like a long time, but for nature, it’s barely a blink. VLT is really just getting started on the promise we’ve made to protect these open spaces forever. It’s a big promise, but we are sharing this vision and work with so many other people, businesses, and organizations. It makes our community and our planet stronger.”

Learn more about Ventura Land Trust at www.venturalandtrust.org.

KPPQ features a dedicated and talented crew of local DJs producing unique and information programming. Every month CAPS Media and KPPQ features a DJ who helps define the style and sound of Ventura community radio on KPPQ- LP at 104.1FM and on myTuner. Doc Ventura is performer, guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and best of all a KPPQ DJ. A Chicago blues man, transplanted to beautiful Ventura, shares his love of the blues from the 1920’s through the present day on Doc’s Delta Blues Lounge. Doc Ventura says “I believe if you LIKE the blues you will LOVE them after tuning in”. The hour-long show features familiar stars like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf but the majority of the program is dedicated to lesser known blues artists such as Homesick James, J.B. Hutto, T-Model Ford that are often overlooked in radio. The diversity of blues styles and forms found in Doc’s Delta Blues Lounge entertains, informs, and builds appreciation of this indigenous art form. Doc has four solo albums. You can catch Doc and his Delta by the Beach Band or with The Milo Sledge Trio throughout Ventura and up and down the central and south coast. Tune in to 104.1fm on Thursdays at 7pm and Sundays at 3pm to enter Doc’s Delta Blues Lounge. All KPPQ locally produced programs, as well as national and international shows, can be enjoyed 24/7 at 104.1 FM and streamed worldwide on myTuner Radio and on capsmedia.org. Many of the shows are available on-demand on the KPPQ podcast network found at capsmedia.org/radio. Stay tuned for the next DJ profile in your Ventura Breeze.

Recently CAPS Media crews produced a promotional video for Ventura County Fire publicizing the Department’s Junior Fire Academy. As outlined by Fire Fighter Spencer White, the three week-long summer sessions are free for boys and girls aged 13-15 who are Ventura County residents and want to learn what it takes to be a part of the fire service. The academy creates a fun learning environment for students to experience the physical and mental rigors of the Fire Department’s daily emergency operations. Training includes First Aid and Hands Only CPR, Structure and Wildland Fire Suppression, Rappel Operations, Confined Space awareness, Hand Tool usage and more. The camp also includes tours of fire stations, demonstrations by 911 dispatch, Air units, ambulance EMTs, rescue dog demonstrations and much more. For details go to VCFD.org/junior-fire-academy.

CAPS Media manages two television channels and one radio station in Ventura providing public programming on television, radio and online streaming twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on all distribution outlets.

CAPS’ channel 6 presents programming created by and for the public including community information programs, faith-based services and more. CAPS manages and presents government meetings at City Hall including city council, design review, general plan advisory committee and planning commission on channel 15 which also features education and information programs including those by El Camino High School students.

To learn more about CAPS, visit capsmedia.org. A video on the home page, CAPS Media City Council Presentation 2023, presents an overview of the organization.

Ojai events

“Elemental,” An art exhibit featuring the work of six talented Ojai artists will run from April 2nd to April 30^th with an opening reception Sunday, April 16^th, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at The Ojai Art Center.

The “Elemental” art show promises to be a must-see exhibition for art lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. In addition, a Patio Pop-Up Show of recent work will be featured Sat. & Sun., April 15th & 16th, from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The exhibit and pop-up show will feature a wide range of artwork for sale.

For more information about the “Elemental” art show or to schedule an interview with any of the featured artists, please contact Helen Solomon, (805) 317-1504.

The Ojai Art Center is proud to announce that local artist Rick Sharp’s vintage artwork will be featured as the official image for this year’s 46th Annual Art in the Park fine art event.

Art in the Park is an annual event that celebrates the beauty of fine art and nature. This year’s event will take place on Memorial Weekend (Saturday and Sunday, May 27th and 28th) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Libbey Park (downtown Ojai) and will feature a wide variety of art exhibits. The event is free, open to the public, and is a great way to spend a day enjoying the outdoors while supporting local artists.

Exhibitor applications are being accepted through the end of March. For more information about Art in the Park, please visit www.ojaiartcenter.org.

It is our utmost goal to provide this programming for low or no cost, to students- public, private, and homeschooled” says Kara Lakes, Executive Director, about the mission of Performances To Grow On and The Ojai Storytelling Festival. When representatives of the Ventura County non-profit reached out to local public schools to offer The Mitzvah Project, an acclaimed 75-minute, three-part Holocaust/social justice-themed educational program, for free, the lack of interest was surprising. Only Nordhoff High School, in PTGO’s home city of Ojai, accepted the free educational programming.

The Mitzvah Project, PTGO decided to open up their community shows to reach as many students, teachers and administrators as possible. Both community performances, March 18th at the Ventura Center For Spiritual Living and March 19th at the Jewish Community Of Ojai, will be free to ages 14 through college, administrators, and teachers.

To reserve your free tickets go to- https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/ojaistoryfest/6604/event/1314168

The Mitzvah Project is a moving and immensely important three part presentation that dramatically explores the nature of prejudice through the interconnected lives of three unique characters from different backgrounds who cross paths during the darkest days of the Holocaust.

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is pleased to present a performance and release party for Ojai residents Alyse Korn and Robert Kyle’s new CD Tuesday’s Child on Sunday, March 26th at 5 pm. They will be joined by musicians Kevin Winard and Ahmet Turkmenoglu.

The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is located at 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road in Upper Ojai.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at https://www.beatricewood.com/alyse_korn_robert_kyle.html

or by calling the Center at 805-646-3381

Topa Topa Brewing Co.’s headquarters in Ventura, is hosting a dance party, “Bash for the Birds” on Friday, March 31 from 7 to 11 pm to benefit Ojai Raptor Center (ORC).

The event will be held in the Sagebrush Garden of Topa Topa Brewing Co.’s 4880 Colt Street location.

Advance tickets are $10 at https://donorbox.org/events/415896. Tickets at the door will be $15. 21 over and only.

100% of ticket sales benefit ORC.

The City of Ventura’s Public Works Department received a $52,588 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) that will fund activities emphasizing the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians.

“Active modes of transportation like biking and walking are great ways to explore our beautiful community,” shared Public Works Director Phil Nelson. “We are grateful for the support from the Office of Traffic Safety to help continue enhancing the safety and comfortability for those using our streets and sidewalks outside of cars.”

Grant funds will support a variety of activities focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety:

Bicycle training courses that educate youth on safe riding behaviors.

Helmet fitting inspections and distribution of helmets to those in need.

Community and school education presentations.

Community bike rides that encourage and teach riders safe riding skills.

Pop-up events that promote road visibility with safety equipment such as reflective armbands/leg bands and bicycle headlights/taillights.

“Every bicyclist and pedestrian should feel safe on the road,” OTS Director Barbara Rooney said. “Education is one of many important tools that collectively work to ensure everyone reaches their destination safely, regardless of how they travel.”

The grant program will run through September 2023.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For more information about active transportation in the City of Ventura, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/ActiveTransportation.

Leonard aka Lenny is 8-years-old. He likes to sleep, get brushed and look for food any where he can.

Unity of Ventura has named Rev. Heidi Alfrey as its new senior minister. Alfrey was previously senior minister at Unity of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

After its previous minister retired in 2019, Unity of Ventura started its search for a replacement. Soon after, COVID hit and the search was suspended. Alfrey applied at the end of August and met all the criteria.

“We were looking for someone with a strong sense of community,” says Sharie Lieberg, president of Unity of Ventura’s Board of Trustees. “Rev. Alfrey brings energy and enthusiasm and was very well received by the congregation when she was a guest minister. She gives lessons that are very relevant to the congregation. People feel they can relate to her.”

The Unity movement was founded in 1889. The founders researched all the world religions looking for similarities. Unity has become known worldwide as a spiritual community that welcomes all lifestyles, faiths, genders and ethnicities, and believes positive prayer makes a difference. Unity of Ventura was established in the 1950s. Alfrey is only its third minister in the last 30 years.

“So many people feel their early religious upbringing doesn’t fit for them today and don’t know where to go to feel spiritually connected,” says Alfrey, who, besides being an ordained Unity minister has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. “When I first attended a Unity center 38 years ago, I experienced an immediate sense of welcome, acceptance and peace. Unity teaches that every person is a spiritual being, it is the essence of being alive. Life doesn’t happen to us; it happens through us. One doesn’t need to look outside of one’s self for validation.”

Alfrey hopes to expand Unity of Ventura’s spiritual community by offering a series of ongoing Sunday morning teachings that offer relevant and practical solutions to navigate the ups and downs of life. Community events and wellness classes in 2023 will focus on creating and sustaining fulfilling and joyful lives. Unity will continue to be involved and support local non-profits.

“Especially in the current-day world, people are looking for a spiritual place where they can be inspired, be valued and be celebrated just the way they are,” says Alfrey. “Unity of Ventura is that place.”

Unity of Ventura holds services on Sundays at 10 a.m. at Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura. For more information, call 805-653-1059 or go to www.UnityofVentura.org.