By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
Thousand Oaks might be better known for its numerous shopping centers, posh suburban enclaves, top-notch performing arts center and proximity to Hollywood (with more than a few famous names making...
PEAK PERFORMANCE Margherita Peak (elev. 16,763 feet) is the highest summit on Mount Stanley in the Rwenzori Range of Uganda.
Story and photos by Chuck Graham
It was raining monkeys. To be specific, it was raining colobus monkeys. They were literally...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
Never stop learning,” says 36-year-old Leslie Arnette. “Every job is a stepping stone if you want to have your own business one day.”
It’s a motto that has served the Ventura-based...
By Kimberly Rivers
The sun is just peaking over the ridges to the east. It’s late fall in Ventura County and while it might get hotter throughout the day, the morning is brisk and requires a coat. Across the county...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
There are few physical pursuits as demanding as mixed martial arts (MMA). Competitors engage in hand-to-hand combat, calling upon skills in boxing, jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai, taekwondo and wrestling to bring their opponents...
here is proof of an afterlife. For beautiful old trees, anyway. You’ll find it at BC West Creek Gallery in Casitas Springs, where trees that would have otherwise met a woodchipper or been turned into firewood find a second life...
By Karen Lindell
Satya Twena’s halo hats go through hell to become heavenly.
Most hats begin as a piece of felt — not the stuff used to make kindergarten crafts, but a super-strong fabric that is essentially the compressed, matted and...
by Kit Stolz
About five years ago, Michelle Ellison, a young mother living with her family in bucolic Ojai, experienced what she calls “a climate awakening.” This was not a joyous, uplifting experience. A story she encountered about the existential...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Luis Chavez
The small-town charm of Santa Paula can be felt most prominently in its downtown district. Main Street is lined with historic storefronts and could be mistaken for a movie set....
By Karen Lindell | Photos by Dina Pielaet
The team at the Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) Trauma Center is like a NASCAR pit crew during the golden hour.
The mixed metaphor works, these medical professionals say.
Similar to a racing...
