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Easy endorsement
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More from OpinionDowntown Ventura will be swinging and rocking Saturday, what with Kevin Costner's Hollywood movie premiere of "Swing Vote," free outdoor concert and Ventura City Corps' Concert on the Curb.
The popular actor, who once lived in Santa Paula, Ojai and Ventura, and attended Buena High, is returning to Ventura to "say thank you to my community."
His premiere at the downtown Century Theatres will include a pricy, soldout dinner for some 350 people, but a free concert afterward by country-rock band, Kevin Costner and Modern West, at about 7:30 p.m., in the middle of Main and California streets.
Proceeds will benefit local charities.
Ventura City Corps — a community-service organization for people ages 12 to 24 — is not only assisting with VIP parking and seating for Mr. Costner's premier, it is staging its own event — Concert on the Curb — that day, from noon to 7 p.m. at its headquarters, 77 N. California St. Along with giving away two guitars, signed by Mr. Costner, it will be selling hamburgers and hotdogs and signing up new members.
It is also teaming up with the nonprofit group, Peace Thru Music, collecting musical instruments from 1 to 5 p.m. through Friday at Ventura City Corps. Those instruments are then donated to schools and youth groups. Peace Thru Music has also lined up six local bands to play throughout Saturday afternoon, starting at 1.
It's not every day a homegrown celebrity holds a Hollywood movie premiere in his old hometown. Mr. Costner has ordered up a street party of "good, clean American fun."
For that, he gets our vote.
Ventura City Corps
For more information on the musical instrument drive or the Concert on the Curb event Saturday, call Heather Mackinga at 647-6707 or 402-6963 or e-mail heather.mackinga@yahoo.com; call Angie Hecht at 218-7364 or e-mail angmhecht@aol.com; or go online to http://www.peacethrumusic.org.
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