The Murals of Santa Paula Provide a Pictorial History of the City

The City of Santa Paula is the geographical center of Ventura County, located in the rich agricultural Santa Clara River Valley. The city is surrounded by rolling hills and rugged mountain peaks in addition to orange, lemon and avocado groves. Santa Paula is often referred to as the "Citrus Capital of the World."

Santa Paula covers an area of 4.7 square miles and at the date of the 2010 U.S. census had a population of 29,321. It is the 7th largest (and inversely 4th smallest) city in Ventura County in terms of population. The city was incorporated on April 22, 1902.

Something unique to see while in Santa Paula is a series of nine murals that depict various historical aspects of the city, including its first inhabitants, the Chumash, the discovery of oil, its Latino culture, founding of the Santa Paula Airport, local farming and more. Learn more at this link and by visiting www.santapaulamurals.org.

Click this link for other things to do in Santa Paula!

Sam Donaldson Speaks at Ronald Reagan's Birthday Celebration in Simi Valley Today

Every year, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library hosts a celebration to commemorate the February 6 birthday of our 40th President. The event is free and open to the public. 

Today marked the 106th birthday of President Reagan, who passed away in 2004. This was the first celebration that took place without the First Lady, Nancy Reagan, in attendance, who passed away exactly 11 months ago -- March 6, 2016.

The keynote speaker at today's event was former journalist and White House Correspondent Sam Donaldson. 

The Reagan Library's Executive Director John Heubusch introduced Donaldson as the perfect person to reflect on Reagan's ability to reach across the aisle and use humor to achieve such remarkable success; "...while looking through President Reagan's speeches, I found over a dozen references to Sam Donaldson as the punchline to a joke."

Donaldson was in great form, today, speaking for over 20 minutes, bringing many fun anecdotes and stories to the appreciative crowd.

"Perhaps the most important of Reagan productions came at Geneva, Switzerland*, on the day when the man who called the Soviet Union an evil empire, met for the first time, a maximum leader for that empire -- Mikhail Gorbachev" Donaldson started. "We'd asked the President back in Washington whether he was nervous about meeting this leader, Gorbachev." "Reagan responded <panned by Donaldson in Reagan voice> 'Oh no, I once co-starred with Errol Flynn'" to the laughter of attendees. It was an entertaining and informative keynote and you can see it in the video below. (Donaldson begins at around 17:30 into the video.)

* The Geneva Summit was held on November 19 and 20, 1985. It was the first meeting between Reagan and Gorbachev to discuss international relations and the arms race.

More on the Reagan Library at THIS LINK. And check out the Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries in Santa Barbara at THIS LINK.

Pacific Coast Highway Was Originally Called the Roosevelt Highway

The 1400 mile stretch of road called the Roosevelt Highway (U.S. 101) in the 1920s was re-named Pacific Coast Highway in 1941.

This postcard, from back in the days when it cost only a penny to mail a postcard (the 1930s) indicates "the varying scenery, such as oil being drilled out of the ocean, makes motoring an interesting pastime in California." It shows an image of the Roosevelt Highway between Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Bob then indicates to his dear friend Jane, "Just dropping a line to say all is well in Calif. There's lots of strange things to see in this state. You should be taking your Sunday rides out here."

Now what does Bob mean by that? Well, never mind. Speaking of Ventura and Santa Barbara beaches, visit THIS LINK for public beaches spanning from the Ventura Harbor through Carpinteria and THIS LINK for Santa Barbara area beaches.

The Pond is Back Near the Rancho Sierra Vista - Satwiwa Parking Area in Newbury Park

After weeks off and on rains in the area, the pond is back next to the main parking area at Rancho Sierra Vista - Satwiwa in Newbury Park, part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Having lived in the Conejo Valley for over 20 years, I remember years ago when the pond seemed to fill up most every year and gradually dry up by early summertime. But this hasn't been the case over the last five or six years.

Based on how it looked today, and with another big storm on the way on Sunday, this pond is looking good to go for awhile.

And this means other ponds in the area are filling up, like Twin Ponds in Dos Vientos, as well as the waterfall in the Boney Mountain Wilderness.

The Waterfall in the Boney Mountain Wilderness earlier this week (Photo Credit Vanessa C.)

Rare Images of Ventura County History on Display at CSUCI Beginning January 26th

Ladies in feathered hats boarding the first train from Oxnard to Hueneme; a Model T Ford clattering through a beet field and the opening ceremony for the Conejo Grade are some of the images available in a newly-digitized collection at CSU Channel Islands’ John Spoor Broome Library.

About 40 historic photos of Ventura County from the collection will be on display in the John Spoor Broome Library art gallery beginning Jan. 26 in “Ventura County: Places, Voices and Histories,” a series of photographs, penny post cards, and posters that show Ventura County over the last 100 or so years.

The opening for the exhibit will be Thursday Jan. 26 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the gallery at One University Drive in Camarillo.

Professor of Art and Broome Gallery coordinator Irina D. Costache, Ph.D., curated the show, which is organized in collaboration with CSUCI’s Head of Unique Collections Matt Cook and Professor of Chicana/o Studies Jose Alamillo, Ph.D.

The show will be organized into sections that highlight different aspects of Ventura County’s history such as cars and roads, people, places, fields and farms.

Historic “voices” in the show will be in the form of a video of Ventura County’s “braceros,” a term to describe Mexican laborers who worked in the fields on a seasonal basis. 

Cook said it took staff and student volunteers several years to digitize all 1500 images in the collection, much of which was housed at the E.P. Foster Library in Ventura.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CSUCI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CSUCI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CSUCI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CSUCI’s Social Media.

Twelve More Interesting Clubs in Ventura County That You May Not Be Aware Of

In another post we highlighted 12 interesting clubs in and around Ventura County that you may have never heard that also may be of interest. There were selected from the list of 100 local area clubs and organizations on this site. Well, we've selected another dozen clubs and groups that were probably not on your radar to highlight here.

The Ventura County Astronomical Society meets the 3rd Friday night of the month at Moorpark College. Sounds like an out of this world group of folks, with top notch speakers, viewing events and more.

The Ventura County Bass Club promotes fellowship and fun in the area of bass fishing (no, not bass guitars) through friendly competition and conservation efforts. 

The Los Padres Ski Club was founded in 1937 to promote and enjoy the relatively new (at the time) sport of downhill skiing! Meets the first Thursday of the month at the Pierpont Bay Yacht Club and hosts ski trips and other social activities.

Established in 1979, the Conejo Valley Genealogical Society hosts several meetings a month for those looking to explore their family roots.

The Channel Islands Woodturners is a local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners. It meets monthly at a woodshop in Ventura.

The Conejo Valley Orchid Club meets monthly at the Westlake Village Town Hall to learn more about orchids, see orchid displays and participate in a raffle.

The Conejo Valley Amateur Radio Club is a non-profit that meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at the East County Sheriff's Station in Thousand Oaks. The club is very active in community events and emergency response.

The Roam'n Relics Car Club based in Simi Valley showcases pre-1979 American cars. In addition to attending local car show events, the club has been hosting its own annual show for well over 30 years, raising funds for local charities.

There are three gem and mineral clubs in Ventura County - Conejo Gem & Mineral Club, Ventura Gem & Mineral Society and Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society. These clubs work together each year to host annual gem and mineral shows open to the public and bring entertaining and educational programs and exhibits for kids. Each club meets monthly.

The Ventura County Dog Fancier's Association was formed in the late 1920s and incorporated in 1935. The club meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at Ventura County Animal Services in Camarillo.

History on Display at the Channel Islands Maritime Museum in Oxnard

Located in the Channel Islands Harbor next to The Whales Tail Bar & Grill, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum houses an outstanding collection of maritime art, objects and unique ship models.

The Museum is home to a permanent collection of extensive marine art, featuring works by 17th century Dutch and Flemish artists Willem van de Velde and Bonaventura Peeters. Noted modern artists in the collection include John Stobart, Montague Dawson, David Thimgan, Roy Cross and Christopher Blossom.

The museum houses one of the two largest collections of antique Napoleonic prisoner of war sailing ship models in the country. Three thousand years of maritime history are illustrated by historic ship models, including the life's work of renowned builder Edward Marple. Exhibits on whaling, sailors' arts and the history of the Channel Islands Harbor and Port of Hueneme round out the collection.

The Museum also hosts lectures. temporary exhibits, open houses and more.

The museum is open Thursday to Monday from 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is $7 for Adults, $5 for Seniors (62+) and $3 for children ages 6 to 17 (as of October 2016). Admission is FREE the 3rd Thursday of each month. For more information, visit www.channelislandsmaritimemuseum.org or call 805.984.6260.