No Room at the Shelter

It sounds incredible--a speck of a Nativity scene crafted inside a walnut shell. Or how about one made from driftwood, or Coke bottles, or chocolate?

These are some of the 600 Nativity scenes on display in Thousand Oaks this weekend in an exhibit called “No Room at the Inn.” Now in its sixth year, the show raises money for Ventura County homeless shelters.

But this year, show organizers are adding a more kid-friendly twist to the look-but-don’t-touch exhibit. In a children’s corner, kids can play with less-fragile Nativity scenes, make Christmas ornaments and look at books about the holiday. They’ll get candy canes and stickers.

“We get quite a few children, and the smaller ones tire of looking at the baby Jesus they can’t touch,” said Nora Howells, who, along with Judy Crenshaw, launched the annual show.

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The women, both teachers, are tireless collectors of creches; Howells’ collection is up to about 100, and Crenshaw’s 140. For the three-day show, which draws about 1,000 viewers, manger scenes featuring Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus pour in from other area collectors, as well.

One rather serendipitous example came from Tina Shepherd of Camarillo. While walking along the beach, she spotted a piece of driftwood that looked remarkably like Mary holding Jesus. She kept it and eventually found other pieces that fit the motif.

The exhibit’s manger scenes reflect cultures worldwide--an African creche made from banana fiber, a bamboo manger from Taiwan and a Navajo scene with wolves and buffalo.

Some are humble, like the one crocheted a lifetime ago by an elderly woman who couldn’t afford one from the store. Or the papier-mache set bought for 10 cents in the days of dime stores.

Many are whimsical. In one scene, all the characters--including wise men and angels--are all mice.

Some are elegant, made of crystal or porcelain. One of Howells’ sentimental favorites is exquisitely carved of coal. She picked it up two years ago during a trip to Wales, the birthplace of her husband, Huw Howells, who died in 1993.

The couple, who were married 33 years, celebrated their anniversary Dec. 26, so it became a tradition early in their marriage to shop for a Nativity scene. It was at a Christmas party seven years ago that Huw Howells and Crenshaw hatched the idea of exhibiting their mounting collections of creches and raising money for the homeless. But Howells died of colon cancer before the first show, and it has since become a sort of memorial to him.

Over the last six years, the show has pulled in nearly $30,000, which goes to 13 shelter programs in the county.

On Friday night, the exhibit kicks off with a gala, featuring hors d’oeuvres, entertainment and a silent auction at St. Paschal Baylon Hall, 155 E. Janss Road. (One of the items is a handmade jeweled Christmas tree.) Hours are 6:30 to 9 p.m., and the cost is a $15 donation.

For a no-frills look at the scenes, visitors can see them 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The charge then is $3 for adults and $1 for children.

* “No Room at the Inn” runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at St. Paschal Baylon Hall, 155 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. For information, call 492-9420 or 484-2184.

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Looking for more of a natural spin on Christmas? During December, California State Parks rangers lead free weekly beach outings with a holiday twist.

The group scours the sand for natural ornaments such as seaweed to decorate a Christmas tree fashioned from sand. Luminarias, lighted candles inside sand-weighted paper bags, serve as the lights on the tree.

The event ends with cocoa (bring your own) and carols.

The first hourlong outing is 5:45 p.m. Saturday at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The others, also at this location, are 4 p.m. Dec. 12, 13 and 19. For information, call (818) 880-0363 or (818) 880-0350.

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The Santa Barbara Channel has had its share of shipwrecks, most notably the S. S. Winfield Scott, a Gold Rush-era paddle-wheel steamer that rammed into Anacapa Island in 1853. Much more tragic was a 1924 wreck near Point Conception above Santa Barbara that took 23 lives, giving it the sad distinction of being the worst peacetime disaster in Navy history.

The Ventura Maritime Museum at Channel Islands Harbor is marking the 75th anniversary of this wreck with a new exhibit that runs through Jan. 31. At 7 p.m. Friday, museum curator David Leach will retell what happened that foggy night of Sept. 8, 1924.

Earlier that morning, 14 Navy destroyers had left San Francisco for a high-speed test run to San Diego. Foul weather made it difficult for the fleet to get an accurate fix on its position along the way. And an earthquake and tsunami in Japan compounded the navigational problems.

Leading the vessels in single file, the lead ship, the Delphy, went aground on the rocky coastline at Point Honda. Eight destroyers followed, carrying some 800 men.

The museum has maps, letters, clippings and artifacts from the wreck. For information, call 984-6260.