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Veterans Day at Government Center Nov. 11th

November 11: Veterans Day at the Government Center this year commences at 11:00 AM. The location is outdoors at the corner of Telephone and Victoria Avenue in Ventura, near the flags that represent every branch of the military. Wreaths will be laid by friends and family members , one at each flag.  This annual event is provided by the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation and a collaboration of city officials. Held or shine! In the event of rain it move indoors.

There is plenty of parking and we suggest arrival between 10:15-10:30 AM as we begin promptly at 11:00. The 11 o’clock hour represents the exact time the War ended.

Mayor Heitmann and many other dignitaries will attend.  Lyn Fairly is  Master of Ceremonies.

Community invited to important Ventura Water Stakeholder Meeting Nov. 3rd

Community members invited to attend important Ventura Water Stakeholder Meeting, November3 at 11am

Santa Clara River Estuary Stakeholder Meeting
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at 11am
Community Meeting Room at Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli St., Room 202
Who should attend:  Community members who are interested in learning about how the City plans to provide a sustainable water future for Ventura residents while addressing the complex interests and opinions surrounding the Santa Clara River Estuary.

In December of 2011, the Ventura City Council voted on a final settlement agreement and consent decree with Heal the Bay, and Wishtoyo Foundation/Ventura Coastkeeper to resolve legal actions associated with the City’s Reclamation Facility discharges of tertiary treated water into the Santa Clara River Estuary.  In this agreement, the City agreed to further investigate and determine how best to utilize this water resource for the future, while preserving the natural habitat of the Santa Clara River Estuary.

By the end of December 2015, the City must propose a project or projects that would eliminate 100 percent of the discharge from the existing Reclamation Facility to the estuary.  The City is hosting a stakeholder meeting on Tuesday November 3, 2015, at 11 a.m. in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall to discuss proposed solutions and to clarify what 100 percent diversion represents.

For more information contact Craig Jones at Ventura Water, 223-4378

 

Vol. 9, No. 2 – October 28 – November 10, 2015 – Forever Homes Wanted

scamp to adopt VCASThis gorgeous girl is Summer, a 13 year old spayed brown tabby. Summer came in as a stray but it’s obvious she was someone’s cherished pet. Summer is healthy and friendly and gets along with other cats, too. She can be a bit aloof, but that’s only until she gets to know you. Give her a little gentle attention and her friendly demeanor with come out. She would love nothing better than to spend her days at your side while you read or watch TV., or waiting patiently for you to come home from work so she can listen to you talk about your day. Summer is waiting to meet you at VCAS! Animal ID: A622936

Hi: I’m Nevada an active 4 year old Shepherd mix who is in need of a new home. I’m affectionate and obedient and love to play. I’m loving and gentle with small dogs, children and adults and I get along with most other dogs too, but not alpha dogs. Although active, I also enjoy hanging out on the couch with my people and hopefully you’ll let me do the same in your home too. I’m house and crate trained and I’ll even let you know if I have to go out. If I sound like the addition to your family that you’ve been looking for, stop by and meet me!  CARL

Vol. 9, No. 2 – October 28 – November 10, 2015 – Two on the Aisle

My Fair Lady at the Rubicon
by James Spencer and Shirley Lorraine

Famed English playwright George Bernard Shaw premiered a play in 1913 about an egotistical professor of phonetics, Henry Higgins, who wagers he can pass off an uneducated flower girl as a duchess simply by teaching her to speak correctly.  He selects a subject and along the way reluctantly finds he has fallen in love with his creation.  Shaw titled his play Pygmalion, after the sculptor in Greek mythology who fell in love with a statute he carved.

Decades later, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe adapted Shaw’s tale and turned it into the 1956 blockbuster musical, My Fair Lady.

This enchanting  story with its memorable score now graces the stage of Ventura’s Rubicon Theatre Company seven times a week through November 15.

The direction by Rubicon co-founder James O’Neil is fresh and vibrant as he presents the action in an engaging story-telling style with staging perfectly suited to the Rubicon’s specialized performance space.

Central to the story is the character of Professor Henry Higgins,  played by multi-award winning actor Joseph Fuqua.  Professor Higgins is often described as being annoyingly boorish.  While Fuqua portrays Higgins as self-absorbed and inconsiderate, the traits arise from his social obtuseness, rather than innate churlishness.  The result is a deep and rich characterization .

The title role of Eliza Doolittle is performed by Kimberly Hessler, who provides Eliza with all the savvy and vulnerability demanded by the part.  Rubicon’s Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns calls Hessler “one of the finest voices I have ever heard – a pure, true effortless soprano…”  We could not agree more.  Her entire performance is precise, engaging, powerful, as well as vocally pristine.  She’s just spot on.

Everyone in the 17-member cast gives a balanced performance.  Most handle several roles ranging from household staff members to aristocrats.  Memorable performances are also turned in by Patrick DeSantis and Susan Denaker as, respectively, Eliza’s father and Higgins’ mother.

The score is performed on two baby grand pianos located on stage adjacent to the grand staircase that is the main set piece.  The all-important musical director is Lloyd Cooper, who performs on one piano and Chris Kimbler plays the second.

Rubicon’s hallmark attention to detail heightens the experience. The costumes, hairstyles and special effects are exquisitely showcased during a scene where sumptiously clad aristocrats gather for opening race day at Ascot. Even the stage hands, who enter only during partial black outs to efficiently change set pieces, are costumed as Edwardian butlers in tails.  During the race sequence, the thundering pack of horses can be heard moving across the back of the theatre in an enjoyable demonstration of surround sound techniques in a live theatre setting.

In short, My Fair Lady turns out to be grand.

My Fair Lady plays until November 15, 2015.  Show times: Wednesday – 2 & 7 p.m.; Thursdays & Fridays – 8 p.m.; Saturdays – 2 & 8 p.m.; Sundays – 2 p.m.  Talk backs follow at Wednesday evening shows.  Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA, 93001.  Tickets – $54.00 – $64.00.  Ticketing and seat selection available 24/7 at www.rubicon.theatre.org.  667-2900.

Vol. 9, No. 2 – October 28 – November 10, 2015 – A Tender Touch Senior Placement

“Holiday Depression in aging loved ones”
By Connie De La Rosa

During the holidays, we often thing of joyful times with family and friends but some of our elders, it can be a time of sadness, isolation and loneliness.  “Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is prevalent during the holidays and winter season due to issues such as being confined indoors, missing loved ones or chronic illness/pain” states Heidi Johnson, MFT Intern of psychological services in Oxnard.

Mrs. Johnson states that depression in the elderly looks different than the younger generations as it can mask itself as health related issues which often causes the depression to go on untreated. For example, symptoms such as  decreased or no appetite, sleep disturbances, incontinence, chronic pain, memory loss/confusion, mood disturbances and fatigue, loss of self worth, increased use of alcohol/drugs and fixation on death. Diabetes and urinary tract infections may also be signs; however, please consult with your primary physician.

What to do when someone is in imminent danger?

Ventura County Crisis Team is 1-866-998-2243
Call 911 for emergency services
Go to nearest hospital emergency room
Call National Suicide Hotline toll-free, 1-800-273-8255 or TTY 1-800-799-4889
Call your doctor

If they are not in imminent danger, acknowledge and offer to work together in

seeking assistance for treatment.  There are Community mental health centers that can provide treatment on ability to pay.  For more information, call 200-7756.

Vol. 9, No. 2 – October 28 – November 10, 2015 – Opinion/Editorial

SB•  There are new 25 MPH signs on Poli St. to reduce driving speeds. Because it is a quicker way to travel East and West, the street is used more like a highway then a residential street. In fact, it is used by a lot of people after downtown bars close. There is less chance of being stopped by the police then by using Main or Thompson. My son recently got a speeding ticket on Poli, doing 40 MPH, and the ticket cost with traffic school included is just over $300. So, beware.

I have suggested this idea previously. Since Poli runs through Ventura High School, the street is closed-off during school hours. Drivers then use Main and Thompson to go East and West as they should.

Why not just permanently close Poli at the school and make it part of the campus? Would make the school much prettier and safer and would definitely slow down traffic on Poli. It works now when the street is closed off so why not make it permanent? The VUSD would need to purchase one, or maybe two homes to accomplish this.

•  Thanks for your many opinions sent in regarding Regency’s proposed 55-house hillside project. I’m not sure why people think that I am supporting the project at this time based upon my comments. I do not know if I am for or against it yet. When I have a final opinion about whether I think it is good or bad for Ventura, I will let folks know.

I have received several emails from people who oppose the project and Regency has received many letters supporting it. In a future issue we will have much coverage about the project.

One of our writers and I recently met with Regency to see the proposed development plans and to hear what they had to say about the project. Their presentation was very professional and well-articulated. Their presentation is much more than is actually required by the City at this time in the very preliminary approval process.

Readers have been writing to me in opposition and some want to meet to show me what is wrong with the project. I appreciate the feedback, but because I have been an architect for 47 years, I will be able to review the plans and make my own decision about the merits, or downfalls, of the development.

I also understand that this project will not be what I consider “executive housing”. I was merely pointing out that Ventura needs “executive housing.”. This will certainly be luxury housing, and it might be as close as we can get with the limited land available in Ventura. Though, there is land in Ventura’s “sphere of influence” that could be looked at for executive housing at some point.

•  Regarding future building developments, on September 16, the Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) voted unanimously to annex property into the city of Ventura, marking an integral step toward development of a 70-acre project known as Focus Area One.

Focus Area One is more than 100 acres in total and includes the current Ventura Auto Center and Olivas Park, which will become a state-of-the art commercial district that will serve the City of Ventura and the region.

“This is an important milestone in our progress toward fulfilling the City’s goal of developing destination retail adjacent to our Auto Center,” said Mayor Cheryl Heitmann. “The proposed development will complement the Auto Center and will provide sought-after services to our residents.”

The LAFCO action amended the City of Ventura’s sphere of influence to include a 6.65-acre site, which formerly served as the Montalvo Community Services District wastewater treatment facility. The Montalvo plant will be decommissioned and demolished, allowing for the construction of a new road and levee that will facilitate development of the new project.

“The City has collaborated with the private investment community for years to design and construct the infrastructure needed to support development at this site,” said City Manager Mark Watkins.  “This latest action is a victory for the project and for the City as a whole. This is a high-profile development site along the 101 corridor; it will be a great asset to the City,” said Watkins.

•  As I’m sure you have heard, there was a proposal to include some paid parking in the Downtown parking structure. I hear people against this idea saying, “look what happened when they put parking meters in Downtown. Look what they did to business.”

So, conducting an impromptu experiment, I wanted to see first-hand the impact they are having. I drove Downtown (11:30am on a Wednesday) and counted the empty spaces (not including the 24-minute parking spaces). There were 3 empty spaces on the North side of Main and 5 on the South side. A total of only 8 empty spaces, so the parking meters have had little, or no effect on people parking in Downtown.

The good news is that Ventura’s City Manager has released a statement announcing negotiations are continuing, but settlement options for the Santa Clara Parking Structure do not include paid parking.

According to Watkins, “Over the last few weeks, the City has heard from concerned citizens about the proposed changes to the Santa Clara parking structure. We recognize that this is a significant issue that matters to our community. Listening to the voices of our residents, we are further negotiating with the interested parties to continue to explore options that do not include paid parking.”

In addition, Watkins announced the parking structure item has been moved to the City Council meeting scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2. It had been scheduled for Oct. 26.

•  Channel Islands National Park Superintendent, Russell Galipeau, has announced the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to replace the pier at Scorpion Anchorage on East Santa Cruz Island.

The park plans to replace the existing pier to provide safe accessible, efficient, and sustainable access for visitors and park staff.

Public involvement is essential to the success of the project. Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies can submit comments at www.parkplanning.nps.gov/ScorpionPier.

Comments can also be mailed to:
Scorpion Pier Project
Channel Islands National Park
1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

•  Once again, Ventura is considering a sales tax increase to be included on the November 2016 ballot. Our current sales tax rate is 7.5%. The City Council voted to spend a maximum of $80,000 to launch a campaign to inform/educate Venturans to persuade them to vote yes in this election.

A private survey conducted recently shows that a majority of Venturans would approve an increase if the revenue generated would improve essential city services. Only a simple majority is required to pass this sales tax increase. Depending on the amount of increase (1/2% or 1%), the new revenue could reach an estimated $10-$20 million a year.