Kimberly and Dean Brower owners of Pulse Drumming

Our experiences take us to so many places in this lifetime. As parents of three very special children,
Armando (21) Lindsey (21) and Bill (20) we have had the pleasure of learning to appreciate life for all it
has to offer.

Both our Biological children are recovering from strokes, Bill at age 4 1/2 months and Lindsey at 9 1/2
years. I was working as an emergency room nurse at the time and together with my husband (Dean)
made the choice to work from home while taking the kids to all their daily therapies and extracurricular
activities. Lindsey recovered from her strokes with the loss of her vision & most of her hearing, she's a
full time college student, studying to become a teacher of special needs students and is married to our
very patient, son-in-law , Christopher. Bill is wheelchair bound and attends Boswell School for the
physically and mentally challenged. He loves swimming, horseback riding and Drumming. Three years
ago we adopted Bill's best friend Armando. He attends a Job Training Program and works at Rusty's
Pizza. He enjoys going to the movies, WWE Wrestling and taking African Dance Classes with Lisa Beck.

Working as a private duty nurse, I decided to spice up the work day and take one of my very special
clients to an African drumming class (facilitated by Chief and Jennifer Merlich) The class was so much
fun, and brought so much joy to the both of us, we started bringing our friends to join in. We couldn't get
enough we wanted to attend drum circles, shop for new drums and percussion instruments, but there
was no place to shop in Ventura. We had to drive to the Los Angeles area to find stores that catered to
our needs, but we wanted more.

My very special client, friend passed away shortly after we started our drumming, but I continued on with
my trusted buddy Val. We filled our homes with percussion instruments, took our djembe's everywhere
and drove our families nuts with weekend jam sessions (during family BBQ's)

Looking for an investment in our families future, my husband and I decided to take a huge career change,
open our own business, one that the whole family could participate in. The boys could work with us and
learn all about the retail business all the while learning to become independent and earn their own
spending money. This opportunity is so exciting for us, we put our trust in the Lord to lead us in his
direction. He has truly provided for an amazing opportunity.

We have teamed up with our bestest buddies, the Vanoni's to create an experience unlike any other.
Cheryl Vanoni and myself have been involved in Girl Scouting leading several troops and large events over
the past 12 years. We are combining our talents and creating events unlike any this county has
experienced. We hope to bring together clients of all walks of life, all coming together to create a rhythm,
a beat, a PULSE.

Ventura's new 6-acre park models green development
By Kevin Clerici (Contact)
Saturday, January 19, 2008

James Glover II / Star staff
Konkoba performer Budhi Harlow dances at the opening of Ventura's Montalvo Hill Park on Friday.

Montalvo Hill Park, Ventura's newest neighborhood green space, was opened Friday with speeches, a youth
dance performance and the dedication of two bronze sculptures.

The 6-acre park at Hill Road and Tanager Street is a good example of how parks can be tucked nicely between
new and existing housing and be within walking distance of schools (Montalvo Elementary) and shopping
centers (Montalvo Square), Mayor Christy Weir said.

"It's the most walkable example of new development in the city," she said before Friday's dedication. "It's a great
environment and a model for how we should build."Across the street from the park is a condominium project
reserved for seniors, and dozens of new homes in the Promontory Pointe development.

The park features open turf and playground areas, a basketball court, landscaped pedestrian paths and other
amenities. A city recreation employee worked with students from Montalvo's after-school program to choreograph
a dance performance for the opening. Montalvo Hill Park beat out dozens of other suggested names in a city
contest. Thirty-two people submitted 50 suggested names after the city sent 5,000 postcards to neighbors
seeking input.

Housing developer John Ashkar and Pacific Heritage Communities designed, constructed and gave the park to
the city, fulfilling its development agreement. Southern California Edison also dedicated property for a narrow,
linear portion of the park that meanders near Victoria Avenue, city Public and Visual Art Supervisor Denise
Sindelar said.

The city plans to hire private landscaping crews to keep the park maintained, Park Supervisor Ralph Deex said.
The park's two bronze sculptures — "Movement" and "Kid's Play" — were created by veteran artist Louis Longi of
Laguna Beach."Movement" is a 10-foot-tall bronze of a female figure in motion and is located near Victoria at the
park's west entrance. "Kid's Play" is smaller and located within the park near the main recreation area.

To create "Kid's Play," Longi held a two-day workshop with students from Montalvo School to make small wax
figures that were cast in bronze and placed on the outstretched arms of the childlike figure. Longi received a
$20,000 contract to design, fabricate and install the artwork.

Bridging Cultural Gaps
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Ventura County Star by Alicia Doyle
Free library program brings diverse education, from storytelling to African drumming

Librarian Mary Lynch was driving downtown in Ventura when she saw something that inspired her to bring a new
offering to families at the H.P. Wright branch library. What she saw was a street performance by Pulse
Drumming, a Ventura group that specializes in West African rhythms, dance and song.

"I had been driving past them on Main Street and thought how interesting they were," Lynch recalled. With that,
she recruited Pulse Drumming to perform "Lions, Tigers and Drums, an African Musical Safari with Budhi Harlow"
at the library. The band plays at 3 p.m. Dec. 5.

"They will parade around the library with horns, drums and noisemakers," Lynch said. "I think the kids will have a
blast." The drumming event is part of the library's ongoing free family program, which began several years ago
and is offered on the first Wednesday of the month. Some of the past programs have featured presentations by
the Humane Society, Ventura firefighters, martial arts students and the Oxnard Gem and Mineral Society.

Events for families

"We look for programs that will be of interest to many age groups, especially things families can do together,"
said Star Soto, youth librarian. Family programs draw people to the library and remind them of the many
accurate and verifiable resources that are available for free, Lynch said.

"Information is vital to a democratic society, and an educated and informed population can make better
decisions," Lynch said. With the Internet and the ability for everyone to be their own publisher, the ability to
analyze information becomes ever more important, Lynch added.

"Libraries offer books and databases written by known authors and published by companies that are willing to
take responsibility for their work." The picture book collection is also an incredible resource, Lynch said.
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of books are available for free, and you get to return them so you don't
have to build shelving to put them on."

Getting exposure to language

In addition to the free family program, storytimes are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays, Soto added.
"Storytimes introduce children to the library and re-introduce their parents," Soto said. "Children get exposure to
language and learn to enjoy reading. We hope that storytimes will help make reading a lifelong habit, and create
the happy memories of a parent and child enjoying a story together."

Kim Brower, the owner of Pulse Drumming, expects families to have an interactive cultural experience when West
Africa culture is brought to life through rhythm, dance and song.
"Animals play a very large role in the West African culture and their relationship to the generational storytelling,"
Brower said. "Masks are an important part of African storytelling, and each child will receive their own mask to
take home and decorate how they wish."

Fun and interactive programs

The goal at Pulse Drumming is to create cultural understanding through experience, she added.
"The programs are fun, exciting and very interactive," Brower said. "No matter your age or ability, everyone is
able to experience instant success in the world of percussion."

In addition to the library program Dec. 5, Pulse Drumming can be seen by the public locally on Dec. 2, during
the downtown Ventura Street Fair. The troupe will perform that day from 10 to 11 a.m. at Santa Clara and
California streets and from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Fir and Main streets.

The H.P. Wright Library is at 57 Day Road in Ventura. For more information, visit www.vencolibrary.org or call 652-
6219.

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/nov/21/bridging-cultural-gaps/