Ventura County Library Opens New Location on Hill Road in Ventura on December 3rd

On December 3, 2017, a new branch of the Ventura County Library is opening on Hill Road across from the Ventura County Government Center. The 5,100 square foot facility is ideally suited for library services on the east side of Ventura. Hill Road Library is within walking distance of several schools and residential areas, is conveniently located on a bus route, and will provide a well-lit parking lot.

Hill Road Library will feature traditional library hours and services such as adult literacy tutoring, early childhood literacy classes, training classes, and a collection of print materials. The Hill Road Library will also make use of technology to expand services, including laptop computers available for check-out for use in the library and high speed internet access. Makerspace equipment like a 3D printer and desktop CNC carver machine will also be featured.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved ongoing funds in the amount of $250,000 to operate the new library, while the City of Ventura approved $50,000 annually that will allow for an additional 16 open hours per week.  The City also provided $25,000 for one-time capital expenditures.  The Ventura Friends of the Library raised and contributed $200,000, much of which came from used book sales to local residents. 

Come see the new library for yourself at the grand opening event: Sunday, December 3rd from 12 noon to 2pm.  Don’t miss the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 12:30pm!  Enjoy BBQ compliments of the Ventura Downtown Lions Club and music from Rubicon Harmonix.

The Hill Road Library is located at 1050 Hill Road in Ventura. Beginning December 3, 2017, hours of service are Monday through Wednesdays, 10am to 6pm; Thursdays, 2pm to 6pm; Fridays through Sundays, 10am to 2pm.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Nominations for Thousand Oaks Excellence in Arts Award Due July 28, 2017

The Excellence in the Arts Awards are designed to honor and celebrate persons and organizations that contribute to the vibrancy of the arts and culture and increase access to arts experiences in Thousand Oaks.

2017 Award Categories
The arts are defined as visual and performing arts, including but not limited to music, dance, theater, painting, sculpture, photography and traditional/folk art.  For these specific awards, the arts do not include literary arts. All winners may be asked to participate in city events, either by serving as an Arts Ambassador or through performance or exhibition opportunities. Philanthropy, while important, is not considered to be a factor in the criteria for any award.

1. Community Impact
   The Community Impact Award is presented to a person or organization who has inspired and encouraged the arts and culture in Thousand Oaks in a creative or innovative way. The winner will be notable in the community memory for years to come because of an emphasis on some or all of the following: a) bringing together organizations or people in the arts, b) elevating the arts and culture through visionary leadership, creativity, advocacy and volunteerism, and c) inspiring and encouraging artists and arts groups in the areas of innovation, outreach, inclusiveness and access.
2. Emerging Arts Leadership
   The Emerging Arts Leadership Award is presented to a person or organization demonstrating the potential to influence and elevate the arts and culture through outstanding vision, leadership and creativity.  Age is not a factor in this award.
3. Exceptional Arts Education
   The Exceptional Arts Education Award is presented to an individual or organization for excellent work in and significant contributions to arts education, either a) through enhancing the education curriculum within the school system, or b) through creating educational opportunities in the arts outside the school setting. 
4. Artist of the Year
   The Artist of the Year Award recognizes a dedicated individual’s excellence and accomplishments in an arts discipline.  This award is for unique vision, high artistic quality, creativity and innovation.
5. The Mayor’s Award
   The Mayor’s Award is granted each year to a recipient chosen by the Mayor of Thousand Oaks. There are not parameters or restrictions for this award, which is up to the sole discretion of the current mayor.

The award determination is based on the award criteria listed below and the category definitions detailed on the award nomination form. Nomination deadline is Friday, July 28th (extended - originally was the 20th) at 4pm. Learn more at www.toaks.org/departments/cultural-affairs/arts-awards.

2017 Aloha Beach Festival in Ventura Has Been "Put on Hold" by Organizers

The Aloha Beach Festival took place in Promenade Park/Surfer's Point in Ventura on Labor Day Weekend the last 12 years. The event featured surfing, outrigger canoe and surfing competitions live music, arts and crafts, food vendors and more.

This year, event organizers have indicated the festival has been put on hold as they "assess the enormous rate hikes the City of Ventura" has indicated. They will "take time off, and reflect on why we do the Aloha Beach Festival based on pure love." 

That's a bummer.

For updates, visit www.alohabeachfestival.us.

Oil Painting Exhibit at Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center in Calabasas 5/1-6/8

Summer Days are Here Again (Marnie Smart Piuze) 12x24

Flowing out of over three decades of exploring and enjoying the coastal shores, bluffs, and mountains, Marnie Smart Piuze’s plein air oil paintings are a grateful expression of the peace and wonder they impart.

“I feel like I’m having a vacation every time I’m painting,” says Piuze, who has lived in Malibu since 1971, always taking advantage of the trails and scenery. “I love nature. That’s why I’ve always hiked and raised my kids to value natural resources.”

Piuze has been painting for 15 years and is a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore. Her work will be on display May 1 through June 8 at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center. An opening reception will be held there on Sunday, May 1 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The visitor center is located at King Gillette Ranch, 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. For more information, call 805-370-2301

2015 Fit 4 The Cause Miracle of Movement Gala on September 19th Was a Smashing Success

Fit 4 The Cause, a local non-profit that combines social media-fueled flash mobs with fitness education and philanthropic giving, received its 501(c)(3) status a year ago just 90 days after filing with the IRS. 

Founded by PR expert and ACE certified Fitness Pro Cindy Rakowitz, Fit 4 The Cause continued pushing the limits over the last 12 months, culminating in a packed house at the its inaugural Miracle of Movement Gala at the Sheraton Agoura Hills.

Cindy Rakowitz along with "The Duo" - Honoree Sourena Vasseghi and Chris Stevenson

What a great event!  Led by Fox Sport Radio talk show host Tomm Looney, this gala was entertaining and inspirational.

The theme of the night was "Smashing Obstacles." Honorees celebrated for smashing personal obstacles were Lisa Roub, who received the 2015 Advocacy Award and Sourena Vasseghi, recipient of the 2015 Inspiration Award.

Roub learned in April 2014 that she had breast cancer at the age of 40. After much research she opted to have a bilateral mastectomy. After the surgery, she was told that the cancer spread to her lymph nodes and would necessitate four rounds of chemotherapy. The thought of losing her hair was now a concern. But she discovered a new treatment, Penguin Cold Caps, that prevents hair loss by freezing the scalp to 40 degrees below zero on chemo days, protecting the follicles and minimizing hair loss. Roub has been cancer-free for nearly a year. She was honored for sharing her experiences with others in need of support and advice. 

Miracle of Movement Gala Honorees, Sourena Vasseghi and Lisa Roub

Vasseghi is an award-winning author and inspirational speaker who suffers from severe cerebral palsy. Although he has limited motor skills and a significant speech impediment, he is an award-winning author and inspirational speaker. But since he can't really speak to an audience, he has partnered with "interpreter" Chris Stevenson of Stevenson Fitness in Oak Park. The duo had us both laughing and crying as they took us through some of the challenges Vasseghi faces in life and how we all can learn from them. Vasseghi is an Agoura Hills resident and is married with two kids. You have to meet this guy. Learn more at sourenav.com.

We also enjoyed a conversation with NFL linebacker Brady Poppinga at the Gala. Poppinga shared thoughts on commitment and returning from injury over the course of his career. After playing at BYU, he was drafted in 2005 by the Green Bay Packers, where he played six years, then the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys. 

Two thumbs up to all of the great sponsors for this event that made it happen, with a shout-out to Champion Level sponsors Edison International, Humana/Brian Sullivan and the Law Offices of Friedman & Bartoumian.

The team from Champion Level sponsor, Law Offices of Friedman & Bartoumian 

Every Picture Tells a Story Photo Exhibit at Ventura College Santa Paula Campus 8/3 to 12/18/15

Every Picture Tells a Story - From Presidents to Pop Stars
Personal Collection of Journalist Ivor Davis
August 3 - December 18, 2015
Monday- Thursday, 8 am to 8:30 pm
Ventura College Santa Paula Campus
957 Faulkner Road, Rm 106, Santa Paula, CA 93060

Reception with Ivor Davis and Book Signing
Thursday, September 24 - 6 to 8 pm

World Record LEGO Chain Event in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, September 27th

World Record LEGO Chain Event is taking place on Saturday, September 27th from 9 AM - 4 PM at Thousand Oaks City Hall.

We are attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Records by building the World Longest LEGO Chain. We need your help to do it.  We have over 100,000 LEGO bricks and need some families who love building with LEGOs to help us build it.

This charity event is a collaboration between the Conejo Recreation & Park District, Rotary International, and Play-Well TEKnologies to raise money to build a state of the art special needs playground at Old Meadows Park in Thousand Oaks.

By signing up to help build the world's longest LEGO chain, you will help bring this playground to the community.  To learn more and to register (only $5/participant), visit bit.ly/WorldLongestLEGOChainEvent

"The Vernacular Bestiary" Exhibition at Santa Paula Agriculture Museum 3/1 to 6/15

The Premiere Exhibition of “The Vernacular Bestiary” and a Call for Poetry

From March 1 through June 15, 2014, the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula will present the first exhibition of “The Vernacular Bestiary: Animal Snapshots from A to Z.” This collection of anonymous amateur photographs has been collected by photographer and gallerist John Nichols over the past two decades and has never been publiclyexhibited.

Dog, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection

The abecedarian display of creatures is comprised of photographs taken over the past 120 years.   An adjacent kids’ reading and exhibit area will encourage children and their families to read and write poems, as well as draw and display their own responses to the animal-themed exhibition. Animal poems by published poets will also be shared, in binders that can be carried around the exhibition area. 

Fish, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection

Call for Poetry: Writers are invited to preview selections from The Vernacular Bestiary online immediately at http://flic.kr/s/aHsj5133kr or see the original snapshots at the Agriculture Museum, beginning on March 1.  They may submit up to three original poems of up to 25 lines each inspired by any of the snapshots. Submission implies that the poems can be used by the Agriculture Museum non-commercially to publicize the exhibit (credit will be given) and copyright reverts back to author. Poems must be submitted to VBpoem@gmail.com by March 29. A panel of judges will select poems to be shared at the “An Afternoon of Animal Verse” to take place in April. Poets will be contacted and asked to read their selected poems at the event; poet Jackson Wheeler will read the poems of any who cannot attend.

The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula. Information about the museum can be found at www.venturamuseum.org or call 805.525.3100.  Museum hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 – 4.  For more information about the exhibition and the call for poetry, contact John Nichols at sespenichols@gmail.com or at (805) 525-7804. 

Colt, from The Vernacular Bestiary, John Nichols Collection