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Dr. Noelle Nelson is the featured speaker at Unity of Ventura, Sunday, May 15. Services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are at the Santa Paula Room in the Poinsettia Pavilion (3451 Foothill Rd., Ventura). Dr. Noelle’s topic for Sunday is “You matter. You count. You are important!” She will discuss how the act of appreciating oneself and others is critical to successfully navigating through these chaotic times.

A long-time member of Unity of Ventura, and Vice-President of its Board of Trustees, Dr. Noelle knew from the first service she attended back in 2010, that she’d found her spiritual home and has never wavered since. A clinical psychologist, consultant, podcaster and author of over a dozen best-selling books, Dr. Noelle focuses on how we can all enjoy happy, fulfilling lives while accomplishing great things in love, at home and at work, through the appreciation of ourselves and our world. Two of her most recent books are "Phoenix Rising: Surviving Catastrophic Loss: Fires, Floods, Hurricanes and Tornadoes" and “The Longevity Secret: How to Live Happy, Healthy & Vibrant Into Your 70s, 80s, 90s and Beyond."

Music during the service will be provided by Smitty and Juljia, Ojai-based artists known for their uplifting sounds and sensational vocal harmonies. Unity of Ventura celebrates diversity and honors our Oneness. All lifestyles, faiths, genders and ethnicities are welcome. Following the service is an informal gathering for coffee/tea/snacks on the Poinsettia Pavilion patio with its panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. For more information, contact Jana Rector at 805-794-5787 or go to www.UnityofVentura.org.

Join author and plant educator Lanny Kaufer for the second in a series of leisurely evening strolls on the historic wetland that is now the Ojai Meadows Preserve on Wednesday, May 18, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. He’ll identify native plants that have been used for centuries by the Chumash and other Indigenous people of California for food, medicine, fiber, housing, ceremony and much more. Gardeners will see how these plants can be used in home yard and garden landscapes. Participants will view first-hand the many benefits of the preservation and restoration of this special piece of land by the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC). In the pond at the low spot in the wetland, the group will likely see waterfowl and typical wetland plants such as tules. This walk is presented under a Special Use Permit from OVLC.

Before the walk, Kaufer will have copies of his book, Medicinal Herbs of California, available for sale and signing. A number of plants that the group will meet can be found in the book. He’ll also have Milt McAuley’s classic Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains which includes every plant they’ll see.
Paid registrants will receive a confirmation email with parking directions, what to bring, weather forecast, etc. Afterwards, they will get a follow-up email with a list of all plants and wildlife seen. No dogs or smoking, please. Light rain will not cancel. Heavy rain will.

The cost for the walk is $25/person. Senior, student and child discounts are available by request. Register now at HerbWalks.com or by calling 805-646-6281.

The Elite Theatre Company is excited to welcome audiences to our next main stage production, ‘Night, Mother, directed by Brian Robert Harris. April 22, 2022 through May 22, 2022, Fri-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Marsha Norman’s astonishing play explores a mother’s and daughter’s lives, relationships and up-to-the-minute life-defining choices with unblinking honesty, raw humor, and suspense. The Elite Theatre Company is located at 2731 Victoria Avenue, in Fisherman’s Wharf at the Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard, California.

Join us for Oxnard College’s FREE Family Festival on Sunday, May 1st from Noon - 3pm! Our family-friendly event will include a kids zone, live music and dance, food trucks, and retail vendors. The Kids Zone includes face painting, jolly jumps, carnival games, train rides around campus, OC Fire Academy’s fire truck, and more! We’ll also showcase our college’s award-winning programs and have an open house for our Child Development Center, which provides childcare services to local families. The event will take place on Oxnard College’s Performing Arts Plaza and on the grass along Rose Avenue. Parking is FREE and all ages are welcome. Come get to know your Oxnard College!

Wednesday series: May 4, 11, and 25 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Museum of Ventura County Join other artists for a series of three drawing sessions with nude and clothed models at the Museum. Every experience level is welcome. Organized by artists Cathy Barroca and Barbara Brown. Chairs and easels will be provided; artists must bring their own supplies. 10-35 participants per class. Registration required by April 29. Minimum of 10 participants required. Class will be confirmed on April 30. Fee for all three sessions: $50 for MVC members and students. $65 for non-members.

This lecture will explore and speculate on the crisis in Ukraine, its origins, development to date, and possible outcomes. It does so by addressing a series of questions. What was Russia after by invading Ukraine in February 24th? Why did the Russian troops not succeed initially? What have been the changes in Russian strategy? Conversely, why has the Ukraine resistance proved so effective? How effective now and in the future are the international response in arms, political support and sanctions? How might the conflict end? What might all sides settle for? How has the crisis affected international relations? Does it mark the beginning of a new Cold War and the end of economic globalization? What is the impact on the international system and the foreign policy of key individual states such as China, India, and Saudi Arabia? Note: This lecture is a follow-up to the lecture presented on March 8th, but you do not need to have attended the March lecture to attend this lecture. Dr. Herbert Gooch is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at California Lutheran University. He formerly served as Director of the Masters in Public Policy and Administration program and Assistant Provost for Graduate Studies at Cal Lutheran. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley in History, he holds a M.B.A in Management and both masters and doctoral degrees in Political Science from U.C.L.A. He has written extensively and is a frequent commentator on political affairs locally and statewide. He has been at Cal Lutheran since 1987 and lives in Newbury Park with his wife. His interests include politics, film and travel. 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.

Enjoy a fun concert performed by the Sing! Children’s Chorus, representing over 30 Santa Barbara elementary schools. All attendees are welcome to join the choristers for a post-concert reception on Towbes Court. PROGRAM TO INCLUDE Now I Walk in Beauty, Navajo Prayer Morning Song with Cherokee Amazing Grace, arr. James Green Rise, Rise, Thou Merry Lark, arr. Ruth Elaine Schram Durme, Durme, arr. Audrey Snyder Storm, by James M. DesJardins “Cuckoo” from Friday Afternoons, by Benjamin Britten Tongo, arr. Greg Gilpin Marienwurmchen (Ladybug) by Johannes Brahms, ed. Mary Goetze Kokoleoko, by Mary Donnelly and George Strid The Path to the Moon, by Eric Thiman The Orchestra! by Rachel Leach

Join us at the Museum of Ventura County and/or the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula this summer for Play-Well TEKnologies LEGO® Summer Camps! The Play-Well LEGO® Summer Camps are designed to help develop and enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills, expose children to the concepts and vocabulary of engineering, architecture and physics, and to provide an opportunity to have a great time with a terrific and versatile building system. There are so many summer camp opportunities to choose from at either Museum, learn more and register at https://venturamuseum.org/education/play-well-teknologies-summer-camps/.

What do you get when you cross five gifted actors with fifteen roles, and a ton of surreal humor? Find the answer at the Ojai Art Center Theater starting next week. “All In the Timing,” an award-winning collection of one-act comedic plays by American playwright David Ives, runs April 29 through May 15. “All In the Timing” won the Outer Critics Circle Playwriting Award, was included in “The Best Plays of 1993-94,” and in the 1995-96 season was the most-performed play in the country after Shakespeare productions. The show entails a collection of farcical sketches that focus primarily on language, wordplay, existentialism, and the complications of romantic relationships. The New York Times called David Ives “One of the most intelligent and anarchically funny playwrights. His utterly delightful one-act plays percolate with comic brio.” Director Steve Grumette has assembled five versatile actors, including himself, to play fifteen different roles. “I first became aware of ‘All in the Timing,’ David Ives’ brilliantly funny anthology of one-act plays, nearly 20 years ago when asked to perform one of the roles. I found the piece so hysterically funny I could barely hold the script in my hands while learning the lines,” Grumette said. “Since that time, I have been involved with no fewer than six separate productions of the show and find my enjoyment in bringing them to the stage has increased with each successive outing.” “Bring your wits and prepare to laugh ‘til it hurts,” cast member Daniel Ruark said. “‘All in the Timing’ asks the audience and performers to release themselves into an intelligent world of delight.” Join the fun and laugh-filled experience as the Art Center Theater presents this series of one-acts over three weekends beginning with the opening night performance on Friday, April 29th.

Join Ventura artist Kay Zetlmaier at the Santa Paula Art Museum for the premiere of her solo exhibition, "Geomorphic: A Living Earth," on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Having found her true voice in abstract art, Zetlmaier presents her newest works in the medium of oil and cold wax. Inspired by the natural world and humanity’s place within it, Kay paints layers of bold shapes, luminous colors, and complex textures to convey nature’s strength and fragility. Admission to the premiere is $5 for SPAM members, and $10 for non-members. "Geomorphic: A Living Earth" will be on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum from May 14, 2022, to September 11, 2022. Image: "Earth Teach Me" (detail) by Kay Zetlmaier, 2022, Oil and cold wax on cradled panel, 60 x 48 inches. Available for purchase beginning May 14, 2022.