BRIEFS


Party for rec and park district

Oct. 25 marks Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District’s 60th anniversary.

The district will hold a community grand finale Sat., Oct. 23 at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park, 5005 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley.

The celebration kicks off with a picnic in the park from 2 to 4 p.m. with games, cornhole, ladder ball, tug-of-war and relay races.

Guests will receive free gifts including T-shirts, 500 free food giveaways and interactive prizes on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

The park district will host a cake-cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on the stage to commemorate 60 years of service to the residents of Simi Valley and Oak Park.

Patrons can then get ready to rock from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with Guns N’ Roses tribute band Lose Your Illusion.

The group will entertain the audience with a stage show while performing chart-topping songs from the Guns N’Roses repertoire.

Guests may bring a picnic or buy food at the event. Attendees can arrive early to set up blankets, chairs and other necessities. Those who are staying for the concert should bring chairs.

For more information about the event, go to rsrpd.org, call (805) 584-4400, or email info@rsrpd.us.


Tracking down heirlooms on eBay

The Conejo Valley Genealogical Society will present Judy Janes discussing “Finding Family Heirlooms on eBay” from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tues., Oct. 19 on Zoom.

The talk will cover techniques for locating old Bibles, photos, books, family heirlooms, quilts and ephemera on eBay.

She will tell how to use the site, develop strategies and set up email alerts for items of interest.

For the Zoom link and password, email CVGSEvents20@gmail.com. For information, go to conejovalleygenealogicalsociety.org.


Democrats to meet on Zoom

The Democratic Women’s Council of the Conejo Valley will host independent consultant Samantha Stevens at their meeting at 10 a.m. Sat., Oct. 16 on Zoom.

Stevens will present the reappropriation process and how it affects counties and states.

The second speaker will be Gabe Teran, who is serving on the Oxnard City Council. He is a candidate for Oxnard City Council for the Nov. 2 election.

To make a reservation, call (805) 496-2192.


Program on local native plants

Three native-plant experts will share their knowledge in a virtual talk titled “NativeFirefoxPlants Demystified” at 7 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 14 on Zoom.

The program is part of the quarterly Conejo Open Space Foundation Speaker Series.

The speakers are botanical educators Laura Pasetta, Jenn Rodriguez and Antonio Sanchez.

Brian Stark, administrator of the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, will talk about problems with unauthorized harvesting of native plants and the devastation of flora caused by hikers and bikers carving new trails.

Pasetta, founder and owner of Wild Rootz Outdoor Adventures, is a trained clinical herbalist, California naturalist, organic gardener and nature photographer. Her presentation will cover how to identify native plants for food and medicine, and tips on native-plant gardening.

Rodriguez, who holds a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from UC Davis, will speak about native plants and pollinators. Rodriguez manages the Camarillo wholesale nursery Growing Works, which provides supported employment for adults with mental-health challenges.

Sanchez is the nursery manager and restoration volunteer coordinator for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He will speak about native plants in the garden and join Pasetta, Rodriguez, and Stark in answering questions at the program’s conclusion.

Register for the program at cosf.org/events/register.

The event is free; however, the Conejo Open Space Foundation requests a $10 donation to support future Speaker Series presentations.

Attendees who give a donation of $10 or more when they register will receive a voucher for a free 4-inch plant from Growing Works and a discount code for participating in a Wild Rootz adventure.