Chanukah Celebration at Camarillo Premium Outlets on Thursday, December 29, 2016

1st Annual Ron Stillwell Memorial Golf Tournament Benefiting TOHS Baseball on February 6, 2017

The 1st Annual Ron Stillwell Memorial Golf Tournament is planned for Monday, February 6, 2017 at the Spanish Hills Country Club.

Benefiting Thousand Oaks High School Baseball, this inaugural golf tournament features pro baseball players on each hole, games and contests. There is also a dinner and live and silent auctions featuring baseball memorabilia and other items. Golf and dinner $190/person.

For information, call 805-300-3317 or email daycampk@gmail.com. Visit tohsbaseball.com for registration form. The tournament starts at 9:30 am.

Kwanzaa Celebration at Cal Lutheran Thousand Oaks on Thursday, December 8, 2016

Cal Lutheran to host Kwanzaa celebration

Free event includes ceremony, food, music and dance

California Lutheran University’s Black Student Union is hosting a Kwanzaa celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8.

The free community event featuring food, performances and a ceremony will be held in the Kingsmen Room of the Student Union on the Thousand Oaks campus.

Cal Lutheran students will present the principles and symbols of Kwanzaa. The celebration of heritage will include authentic African and African-American food, a libation ceremony, arts and crafts, music and dance.

Millions of African-Americans observe Kwanzaa from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year. It is a special time when families and friends unite to strengthen and encourage one another.

The Student Union is located at 3391 Mountclef Blvd

Cal Lutheran’s Black Student Union and Office of Multicultural Programs are sponsoring the event. For more information, contact Linda Boberg at lboberg@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3323.

Sankta Lucia Service at Cal Lutheran Thousand Oaks on Thursday, December 8, 2016

Cal Lutheran to hold Sankta Lucia service

Student elected by classmates wears crown of candles

California Lutheran University’s dramatic Sankta Lucia Festival, in which a student wears a crown of lighted candles, will be held at 11:25 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, in Samuelson Chapel.

Undergraduate students select five female and five male representatives whose depth of character and faith make them leaders in the Cal Lutheran community. In the festival, Lucia, her attendants and their escorts enter to the accompaniment of an ancient hymn and read an adaptation of the legend. Attendants then light the candles in Lucia’s crown.

The Swedish ceremony pays homage to the Christian martyr who died at the stake on Dec. 13, 304 A.D. and symbolizes the spirit of a centuries-old legend of Christian service. The tradition, which was brought to America by Swedish immigrants, has been part of the university’s holiday celebrations since its early years. The festival honors the character traits of mercy, humility and purity of heart, as seen in the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew.

The Office of Campus Ministry at Cal Lutheran is sponsoring the free event.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available in the lot at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. For more information, contact Elizabeth Lohr-Myers at campusministry@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3228.

Hanukkah Celebration at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks on Monday, December 5th

Cal Lutheran hosts Hanukkah celebration

Hillel students organizing service activity, ceremony

California Lutheran University is hosting its annual Hanukkah celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5.

Organized by students in the university’s Hillel club, the event will be held in Lundring Events Center on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The ceremony will feature the lighting of the candles on the menorah. The community can also join faculty, staff and students in enjoying traditional food and activities.

For the first time this year, participants are invited to bring a toy and assemble holiday packages during the event for children served by Many Mansions. Hillel members are volunteering for the nonprofit throughout the year.

This year Hanukkah takes place from sundown on Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. Every year, Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees defeated the army of the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanies and won their religious freedom.

Hanukkah is referred to as the Festival of Lights because, according to tradition, a rekindled menorah burned for eight days although it only held enough oil to burn a single day. The holiday is a reminder to rekindle our spiritual lights and shine for the world.

Although Cal Lutheran has long hosted Hanukkah celebrations, the Hillel club in recent years has organized more events for the campus and the nearby community. In 2012, Rabbi Belle Michael took over as the adviser for Hillel and became the first Jewish member of the university’s Campus Ministry staff. The Oak Park resident also began helping to lead chapel services.

The number of Jewish students at Cal Lutheran is growing and currently stands at about 150. Hillel, led by president Briana Shneyder of Encino, provides a community for the Jewish students and opportunities to explore their identity with one another and community members. Celebrations draw students from many faiths and perspectives, and club members participate in the campus’s interfaith activities as well as social justice events. The club recently put together an advisory board made up of community leaders, parents, alumni, faculty and staff.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is on the north side of Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Mountclef Boulevard.

Cal Lutheran’s Office of Campus Ministry is sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Shneyder at bshnede@callutheran.edu or Michael at bmichae@callutheran.edu.

37th Annual "Santa Comes to Westlake/Agoura and Beyond" Food Drive on December 10, 2016

Santa may be the busiest guy you know around the holiday season, but he is taking his time out of his toy-making schedule to once again help the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club host the 37th annual Santa Comes to Westlake/Agoura & Beyond food drive.

This year's non-denominational event takes place in the Agoura Hills’ DIY HomeCenter parking lot on Saturday, December 10, 2016, from 8:30am-11:00am. Participants can help bag collected food and assist in the deliveries.

Founded originally by George Annino and the Agoura Optimist Club, the annual food drive has helped over 21,000 Conejo Valley families. Its goal is to brighten the holiday season for predetermined local families in need by delivering bags of groceries directly to their door step. Numerous organizations including local churches, schools, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Girl Scouts of America participate in hosting food drives and sorting canned and packaged foods for delivery.  In addition, residents of the Conejo Valley help by donating money towards a bag of groceries for a family in need.

How can you help?

1. The Westlake Village Juniors encourage the community to join them on December 10 to sort and deliver the food. This is a great opportunity for groups, families with kids, and individuals to help their neighbors and spread the holiday joy.

2. Purchase a bag of groceries for a needy family. It is $20 per bag. Checks can be made out to the Westlake Village Junior Women’s Club and mailed to: P.O. Box 4412, Thousand Oaks, CA91359. 

3. Donate at one of the designated food drives.

Community Food Drives

Visit www.westlakejuniors.org/events/santa-comes-to-westlake-agoura/overview for updates on food drive locations.

For questions contact santa@westlakejuniors.org or visit www.westlakejuniors.org

Christmas Around the World Tree Exhibit at Reagan Library 11/12/16 to 1/8/17

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is pleased to announce that Christmas Around the World is back in 2016. The exhibit includes 26 exquisitely decorated trees representing the 26 countries that President Reagan visited while in office, as well as a White House Tree.

Decorations encompass the bright and festive colors of the Caribbean, the crystals of the Nordic countries and the traditional decorations of England and Europe. Of particular note is the Vatican tree decorated entirely with white ornaments featuring a life-size white peacock that adorns the tree’s branches. The featured tree is an elegant reproduction of President and Mrs. Reagan’s White House tree complete with “Reagan Red” decorations and dozens of hand-blown glass ornaments.

The exhibit is on display November 12, 2016 through January 8, 2017.

The Reagan Library is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.  Museum fees are: $21.00 general admission, $18.00 for seniors 62 and over, $15.00 for children 11-17, $10 for children 3-10 and free for children 2 and under.  For more information,  call (800) 410-8354 or visit www.reaganlibrary.com. Located at 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley.

Menorah Lighting Hanukkah Events at Janss Marketplace 2016

Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks presents the following Menorah Lighting Hanukkah events this upcoming 2016 holiday season:

Tuesday, Dec 27: Thousand Oaks Chabad Center celebrates the 4th night of Hanukkah with a candle ceremony from 5:30-7:30pm. Event will include traditional Jewish music and food, sizzling hot latkes, free entertainment, kids' craft activity and face painting. Giant 18 foot menorah will be illuminated at 6:30pm.

Wed, Dec 28: Temple Etz Chaim will host the 5th night of Hanukkah candle ceremony.

Visit www.janssmarketplace.net.

8th Annual Day of the Dead Celebration at CSU Channel Islands on November 1st

CI celebrates Day of the Dead with ofrendas, sand murals, and dancers

CSU Channel Islands (CI) students will help professional artist Sergio Hernandez create a sand mural in front of the John Spoor Broome Library as part of CI’s 8th Annual Day of the Dead celebration.

Hernandez and the students will begin designing the sand mural in a 4-foot by 8-foot frame at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 so it will be ready for the celebration, scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m.

The public is invited to the event, which will begin with a traditional Aztec blessing, followed by a performance from Danza Tlaloc Ollin, an indigenous Aztec dance group made up of CI students.

Roberto Rodriguez of the Mexican Consulate will be among the guest speakers. He will provide an overview of the meaning, history and differences in the way the Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in various regions of Mexico.

Celebrated throughout Mexico and parts of Central and South America, the Day of the Dead is an opportunity for families to remember family and friends who have passed, and to support them on their spiritual journey. It is an ancient tradition that was transformed when the Spanish explorers arrived in Mexico more than 600 years ago.

“When the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they tried to replace the old traditions with traditions they brought from Spain,” Rodriguez said. “The celebration became a combination of the old Aztec tradition with All Saints Day, part of Spanish Catholicism.”

Ofrendas, or “offerings” describe homemade altars in homes that will contain common elements such as flowers, water, photos, and cherished articles from the deceased.

“Every article has meaning,” Rodriguez said. “And the elements are different in different parts of Mexico. In Ecatepec, for example, they prefer candles. In Michoacan, the 1st of November is dedicated to the elders and the 2nd of November is for the children.”

The CI celebration will include colorful ofrendas created by CI’s Art program. Guests are invited to view them on display in the John Spoor Broome Library Gallery.

Rodriguez explained that the Mexican states closest to the U.S. border tend to combine Halloween with the Day of the Dead, mixing jack-o-lanterns with traditional sugar skulls and the ubiquitous “La Calavera Catrina” or just “Catrina.”

Catrina is a zinc etching done in the early 1900s by a Mexican printmaker depicting a female skeleton in an elaborate hat. Catrina became synonymous with Day of the Dead. 

The event is sponsored by CI’s Art program, Intercultural Services, and the Mexican Consulate.

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 CI 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 (CI) 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. CI’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. CI 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 about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

4th Annual Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County Hearts & Hammers Event on Oct 1st

The Hearts & Hammers Dinner and Auction is a wonderful community event and major fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County. This fun-filled evening will include music from Goleta Sound, live and silent auctions, dinner and dessert, and a complimentary glass of wine or beer (plus cash bar). To purchase tickets or a table online, go to heartsandhammers.eventbrite.com. You can also purchase over the phone by calling Rosalyn at 805-485-6065 x 101.

• What: Hearts & Hammers Dinner and Auction
• Where: Serra Center, Camarillo (5205 Upland Road)
• When: Saturday, October 1, 2016 6pm
• Why: To have a fun evening and to help Habitat build more homes!