Yesterday was National Popcorn Day, a celebration of America’s favorite frugal and fabulous snack. Popcorn isn’t just a guilt-free treat; it’s a canvas for culinary creativity. Forget the store-bought microwave versions; I have the scoop on making your popcorn gourmet. Popcorn is so easy to make. A healthier alternative to packaged processed microwave popcorn is to use an air popper […]
Neighbors
Financial planning for those on their own
Other Side of 50Last week my husband and I joined a Zoom call with my mother and her financial advisor. It was an annual call to go over my mom’s needs and goals in the coming year. My husband and I are my mother’s partners in her financial decisions. Up until five years before his death, my father handled their household financial affairs. […]
Work now for beautiful roses all year
As a new year dawns, gardeners make a dedicated promise—to care for their beloved roses. The steps they take in January are pivotal and set the stage for a year filled with flourishing gardens. At Otto & Sons Nursery in Fillmore, a group of around 50 gardening enthusiasts gathered Jan. 6 for Rose Care University, a two-hour deep dive into […]
Flashback fun
Test your know-how on oldies musicBy Mick Harper 1. Which group had a hit with “Rock Around the Clock”? 2. Name the ’60s group that made a hit out of the 1934 classic “Blue Moon.” 3. What did Jerry Weiss, Dick Halligan and Jim Fielder have in common? 4. Who sang lead on “My Girl”? 5. Name the song that contains this lyric: “The poet, […]
Gala held under the wings of Air Force One
Hundreds of revelers tore down the temporal wall between 2023 and 2024 at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley on Dec. 31 as the venerable institution held its 14th annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Attendees dined and danced beneath the decommissioned Boeing 707 that dominates the library’s Air Force One Pavilion. The jetliner, which served as the primary presidential plane […]
Ventura College Foundation touts success
Gives nearly $810,000 in student support during 2022-23The Ventura College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to Ventura College students, announced the distribution of $809,995 in assistance to roughly 5,000 students during the 2022 to 2023 school year. An additional $1.17 million was doled out to 68 Ventura College programs across 16 departments and divisions that benefit students across Ventura County. The announcement coincides with […]
Ventura County community colleges to host free workshops
Financial aid staff will assist students in accessing fundsMoorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College and the Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops to help students apply for funds to help with college costs. Funds can be used for tuition, books, housing, transportation, childcare, computers and more. In-person workshops are scheduled for February and March. The workshops are free and open to the community; […]
DAR members prepare for country’s semiquincentennial
The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, established by Congress, is planning and coordinating events to celebrate America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Lynn Forney Young, honorary president general of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, is serving on the commission. The DAR is working to create a row of trees called the “Pathway of the Patriots” near Yorktown, […]
Blood shortage leads to chance for donors to win trip to Super Bowl
The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood donors are being urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures […]
Whistleblower reveals health scam
The year ended as expected, with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General nailing even more criminals. One of the recent scams sends a chill down the spine: A company with branches in two states submitted false claims for patients getting remote cardiac monitoring services by signing them up for other levels of services than what the doctor […]