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Would you like to have a new year that really feels new? Often, instead of experiencing a new year, we are dragging around behaviors and habits that are from our past. Here is a way to live a truly new year.

Unity of Ventura is holding a “New Year’s Meditation Retreat” Saturday, January 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Poinsettia Pavilion (3451 Foothill Road, Ventura). The day will incorporate “silent” meditation, Vipassana training and guidance so participants can focus on how to obtain the changes they want in their life as they start the new year. All faiths are welcome.

The day will consist of sitting, walking and lunch--all in silence. Chairs will be provided. Bring your lunch and a cushion (or whatever is used when meditating) if you wish to sit on the floor. The retreat is $35 per person ($25 by December 25). To register, go to https://www.unityofventura.org. For more information, contact Rev. Heidi Alfrey at revheidialfrey@gmail.com, 808-280-2510.

Let the Games Begin!

Join People’s Self-Help Housing for The Builder Games! Cheer on teams building playhouses for children, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. Enjoy gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music! Funds raised benefit the programs of PSHH.

Join us to see who carries home this year’s title, Builder Games Champion!

TICKETS, TEAM ENTRY, SPONSORSHIPS, and more info: pshhc.org/BuilderGames

The Good Good Show is a monthly stand up comedy show featuring the hottest comics working today that you've seen or heard on Comedy Central, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, HULU, Sirius XM and more.
FEATURING: Ahmed Bharoocha, Ellen Sugarman, Julie Weidmann, Sara Kay Godot and Shaun Platt.

Come have a laugh with us and enjoy a delicious craft beer!

7:30pm $10

Show is 21+

The Mardi Gras Ball is the largest fundraiser for Community Conscience, a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your support ensures RENT-FREE office space for 13 Human Service non-profits who provide assistance to those in need. With the proceeds from the Ball and other donations, Community Conscience can continue to provide rent-free office space in the Human Services Center to thirteen local non-profits, enabling them to more effectively serve our community.

The Ball is expected to be attended by more than 300 community leaders, guests, and media. Together we will celebrate your commitment to the health and wellness of this community.

Festivities begin at 5:00 PM with a champagne reception, hors d’oeuvres, entertainment by the Chris Banta Trio, and the silent auction. A wonderful dinner will follow, along with a live auction, King & Queen recognition, and lively evening of dancing to Fifth Avenue Entertainment.

For more info visit www.communityconscience.org or call 805.494.3543.
To purchase tickets, tables or sponsorships, visit: https://mgb2023.givesmart.com/

The Santa Barbara chapter of the national organization Association for Women in Communications will welcome back its annual movie night with a screening of the documentary Fresh to Frightening at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, at the Balboa Building Theater in Santa Barbara.
AWC member and filmmaker Sharon Green will be present to discuss her and work and adventures photographing yacht races around the world. Free for members, $25 for nonmembers. For more details, visit awcsb.org or Facebook.

Chalice Community Forum will present a theatrical event, "Gerald C. Rivers-- the Voice of Dr. King" live in Newbury Park and online via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m.

Rivers, a classically trained Shakespearean actor, has been presenting the words and works of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for more than 30 years. He has dedicated his life to keeping alive the spirit and inspiration of King through his skillful renditions.

The event will include musical performances by singer-songwriter and guitarist Merlin Snider, who blends American roots music from folk and blues to rock, gospel and jazz. His soulful melodies and thoughtful lyrics reach across borders of heart and mind. Snider will perform both original songs and some of the hymns that inspired Dr. King in his life and work.

Gerald Rivers has committed to memory more than 20 of King's speeches. He is able to combine threads from several of them to flow seamlessly into a theme to inspire his audiences. Pop and soul vocalist Mijan Owens is quoted on Rivers' website as saying about one of the actor's performances, "It was like Dr. King had literally stood up, got out of his grave and was alive and present in you for that time."

Rivers is a versatile actor who has performed at festivals and regional theaters, and for 25 years at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, where he is a company member. He has done voiceover for numerous cartoon films, video games and advertising campaigns.

The live performance will be presented at Chalice Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Conejo Valley, 3327 Old Conejo Road in Newbury Park. Masks are strongly recommended. Ticket donations are $20 each, or $10 for students and those 25 years old and under. Tickets to view the event on Zoom are available at $10 by registering at forum.chaliceuu.org. Arrangements can be made with Chalice Community Forum for those unable to donate.

For information, contact Randall Edwards via e-mail at forum@chaliceuu.org or through the church office at (805) 498-9548.

Ventura County Astronomical Society

And the Moorpark College Foundation

Present: Comet Man Charles S. Morris

Charles S. Morris has seen over 300 comets. He’ll talk about how to visually observe comets, the pros and cons of digital imaging, and what the average person can contribute to science. Throughout his talk he’ll show stunning images of the comets he’s observed then wrap up his talk with a look ahead to significant comets in 2023.

Go to the Moorpark College Forum (applied Arts Bldg)

Before Solomon and before the First Temple, there was The City of David. What have the centuries left behind to tell us of this king and his kingdom? Archaeologists have worked tirelessly to reveal the secrets of life held in the layered rocks of Jerusalem and in the city that bears his name today.

Christine Maasdam is pleased to share her most recent experience at the dig site in Israel. This lecture will outline the topography of early Jerusalem and provide an overview of the wars and cultures that have left physical objects embedded in the landscape to bear witness to their historical presence. What mysteries are revealed in the latest finds? Join us as we delve into the traces left by ancient scribes, the hidden stashes of wealth, the remnants of long ago meals, mosaic floors walked upon or the mikvah ritual baths all demonstrating the richness and complexity of The City of David.

Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

The dramatic and theatrical Baroque style of the 17th century rapidly travels through Europe and evolves with its geographic regions and patronage. Originally emerging as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, when it reaches the northern Protestant regions, it expands to accommodate a growing open art market. Flanked by Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt van Rijn, these two artists, along with all of the artists that they inspire and influence, define the Northern Baroque tradition.

Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Adjunct Professor of Art History at Moorpark College and an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.

This course will cover the entire history of Universal Studios including its early embrace of television, which turned the studio into a giant television production factory. We will discuss Carl Laemmle – an innovative pioneer who built the studio and was responsible for some of the early, ground-breaking decisions (including opening up to the public for tours). We will also talk about Lon Chaney – Universal’s first great star – and other big names in the silent era.

We will continue through the 1930s discussing some of the early “talkie” hits, including “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Dracula,” and “Frankenstein.” Although they were successful, poor decision-making led to Laemmle’s ouster. Into the 1940s and 1950s, lots of changes turned up some popular, memorable (and yes, campy) movies. The 1960's Universal was where Alfred Hitchcock ended his career and where Steven Spielberg's began, ushering in the modern era of the Movie Blockbuster. Universal's vast TV legacy (Columbo, Law and Order, etc.) remains a dominant factor in what we watch on streaming services today.

We will also look at the Universal conglomerate which includes, among other enterprises, the music business and the hugely popular Universal Studios Tours and Theme Parks.

Matthew Weisman received his MFA in Film from Columbia University School of the Arts where he also taught classes in Cinema Studies and directed the Cinematheque film program. His undergraduate degree in English is from Boston University. A professional screenwriter and producer, he taught Graduate Screenwriting at the USC School of Cinema for fifteen years. He is a retired member of The Writers Guild of America. He has taught several continuing education courses in film and television history and appreciation both online and in the classroom.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older.