Barbara Brown and Doug Halter pose in front of the newly erected sign. Photos by Richard Lieberman
by Richard Lieberman
Barbara Brown, a neighbor in the Skyline community and Chair of the College Area Community Council led the effort to replace a sign at the entrance of the Skyline community. A prior attempt started in 2020 but was unable to complete the replacement of the sign. Renewing the project and involving the non-profit College Area Community College group was key in being able to bring the project to completion. “We got all the neighbors to pitch in and help fund raise for it and then all the neighbors pitched in to paint,” said Brown. In choosing the design and the font for the sign they kept in mind the age of the development. They also had security in mind when they chose the letters to be one single piece rather than single separate letters.
The community is located just off Foothill, near Arroyo Verde Park. Attending the event were attendees that included Ventura’s District two Councilmember Doug Halter, College Area Community Council (CACC) and the neighbors of Skyline.
The original sign was removed around 1990 and never replaced. The removal left the entrance bare and over the years the city’s maintenance crews covering up graffiti painted over the entrance with varying shades of beige. Neighbors and the local community funded the grassroots project. “Lots of volunteers helped paint the wall, and the project took about four months to complete,” added Brown.
Doug Halter councilmember commented “I think this sign is important because it defines the neighborhood,” he said. “So just seeing this makes it feel like the neighborhood is coming back together again,” he added.
