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GUEST COLUMNIST – Ventura hillside resident in favor of proposed Regent Properties Development

By Cris A. Sabo

Ventura Breeze guest columnist Mr. Robert Chianese in his article entitled: “New policies to keep Ventura number one” stated that the proposed Regent Properties development on Ventura Hillsides is somehow an “assault on the hills”, is “too risky” and would “destroy the character and environment of our hillsides panorama and blights the area”, among other nonsensical and inaccurate statements. Does he really believe that 55 high end luxury homes will destroy the character and environment of our Hillsides?

Mr. Chianese comments could not be further from the truth. Despite Mr. Chianese’s request for residents to support his petition against the development on the basis of keeping Ventura “identifiable” and “in character”, what he is actually soliciting others to support is his own self-interest, which is presumably not wanting any more cars driving past his house when these homes are built four years from now.

I too am a Ventura Hillside resident, but fully support the proposed Regent Properties limited scope, luxury homes development. I have no axe to grind, or financial interest in the matter. I support sensible, smart growth policies that benefits Ventura and the Community as a whole.

The 215 acres above Hillcrest Drive has been zoned for single family homes for many decades and is currently a no trespassing area without any legal public access. The Regent Properties proposed development includes the clustering of 55, architecturally-diversified luxury homes over only 40 acres, directly above Hillcrest Drive, with legal open space planned for the remaining 175 acres including easy public access to nature and walking trails, so that everyone in the Community can enjoy the remarkable ocean views.

The Regent Properties plan includes a sensible buffer between existing Hillside homes and the new development, with improvements to water / flood runoff and geotechnical conditions and limited impact to existing traffic. The proposed development will also help reduce fire hazards in the Hillside area, managing overgrowth, establishing appropriate fire breaks and most importantly, increasing quality graded road access to the area, which is crucial to contain any fire threats that may develop above it, or down the side canyons threatening other Hillside homes.

The Regent Properties development creates an opportunity the City of Ventura and Community needs, will help bring in income and wealth to the Community, increase nearby home values, help create local jobs, help protect and secure the local environment, all the while provide increased public access to our Hillsides.

The proposed development effort is a small, yet important step to help Ventura truly become a better place to live and grow a family.

 

 

CMHS offers patients many things

Community Memorial Hospital is now performing a procedure that implants a new, miniaturized, wireless monitoring sensor to manage heart failure. The CardioMEMS HF System is the first and only FDA-approved heart failure monitoring device that has been proven to significantly reduce hospital admissions when used by physicians to manage heart failure.

The CardioMEMS HF System features a sensor that is implanted in the pulmonary artery during a non-surgical procedure to directly measure PA pressure. The new system allows patients to transmit daily sensor readings wirelessly from their homes to their health care providers .

Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5.1 million Americans have heart failure, with 670,000 new cases diagnosed each year.

The CardioMEMS sensor is designed to last the lifetime of the patient and doesn’t require batteries. Once implanted, the wireless sensor sends pressure readings to a secure internet site that the physician can visit to review readings. There is no pain or sensation for the patient during the readings.

Data from a clinical trial showed that the CardioMEMS technology reduces heart failure hospital admissions by up to 37 percent.

For more information or to be referred to a physician authorized to perform the procedure please call the CMH Cath Lab at 652-3031.

The Cancer Program at Community Memorial Hospital is seeking individuals interested in becoming certified Reiki practitioners.  Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “Life force energy” is low, then we are more susceptible to illness and stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.

The next training is scheduled for September 21st from 9am to 5pm at the Cancer Resource Center at Community Memorial Hospital.

Lunch will be provided. Cost is $18 per person for materials and needs to be paid at the start of the training.  Also seeking trained and certified Reiki practitioners and Reflexologists willing to volunteer at the cancer center.

If you have an interest in volunteering please contact the CRC at 652-5459. They request that interested individuals be able to volunteer 4 hours per month for at least a year long commitment.

 

 

Demonstration exercise classes for seniors 55 years and older

As part of National Women’s Health & Fitness Day on September 30, the SCAN Health & Wellness Center in Ventura is offering free 45-minute demonstration exercise classes for seniors 55 years and older and their caregivers. Classes include Tai Chi for Rehab (9 a.m.)/Sun Style (10 a.m.), Senior Yoga (11 a.m.), Focus on Balance (12 p.m.), Strong Bones (1 p.m.), QiGong (2 p.m.) and Zumba Gold (3 p.m.). Women’s Health & Fitness Day, now in its 14th year, is a national program bringing attention to the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women. Organized by SCAN and the Health Information Resource Center, the program is free to seniors 55 and older and their caregivers. The SCAN Health &Wellness Center is located at 6633 Telephone Rd. Class spots are limited to those new to classes. Call 658-0365 for more information and to register.

Should you upgrade to Windows 10?

Tech Today with Ken May

Considering windows 7 end of life is soon approaching and Windows 10 was officially released back in July, many of you are probably wondering if you should do the upgrade. Particularly compelling this time around is that fact Microsoft is offering the upgrade free for the first year that it’s available. Coming hot off the heels of a fairly lackluster showing for its last release, Windows 8, Microsoft is betting the farm on this one.

I can say anecdotally that so far, after upgrading five computers, some Windows 7 and some Windows 8, it was one of the smoothest experiences I’ve ever had upgrading an operating system. One computer, which was the first one I did, on launch day, lost its video card driver, but it detected that it was missing, and automatically installed it after a reboot.

Every single application we’ve tested so far has worked just fine in Windows 10. Drivers and other software that worked in Windows 7and 8 all seem to be working well.

If you have an older PC, running Vista or Windows XP, you may run into issues with device drivers, but at this point, you’re probably lucky the computer is still running! Some privacy concerns have been raised about Windows 10, namely, that it sends diagnostic data back towards Microsoft. The concerns have been deeply examined, and it doesn’t look like Microsoft is doing anything differently than most other providers. In order to use features like Cortana, Microsoft’s Siri-like personal assistant feature, it needs to be constantly updating and learning.

Other concerns raised are regarding the new way Windows handles security and system updates. For the most part, by default, updates now automatically come in and are applied to your computer without requiring your approval. The updates go through 3-4 rounds of ever increasingly sized pools of people testing them first before they get to you. As a field technician for many years, and now as a CEO running a company that manages hundreds of computers for our clients, I’m extremely pleased by this. The vast majority of security issues we’ve seen, especially including virus infections, have been due to out of date computers missing critical patches. Many people seem to ignore these updates, so this new method should cut down the amount of infections we see.

The bottom line is, should you upgrade? At this point, we’re saying yes. If you had Windows 7, things are a little different, but it won’t take too much time to get used to. If you had Windows 8, definitely upgrade, as Windows 10 is much more user friendly, especially with the return of the Start Menu. Lastly, battery life has been improved a bit as well as the optional touch interface that runs on devices with touch screens, so if you have a mobile device, there’s even more reason to upgrade.

Ventura Film Society Season 7

Please join the Ventura Film Society for “Charlie’s Country” on Thursday Sept 24th at 7:15pm at the Century 10 Downtown Ventura. Australian director Rolf de Heer has created a highly atmospheric tale of a self-described “Blackfella”, caught between two cultures in modern-day Australia. In a richly personal, charismatic performance, indigenous acting icon David Gulpilil (“Walkabout”,  “The Last Wave”, “Rabbit-Proof Fence”) is a man adrift in the scrawny, white-policed settlements which barely pass for a homeland. The VFS is proud to present “Charlie’s Country”, the 9th of 12 films in our 2015 season. Tickets are $10 general, $7 seniors & $5 students and are available at the VFS Will Call table outside the theatre or in advance from www.venturafilmsociety.com. Visit www.venturafilmsociety.com for more screening information and to see the film’s trailer. VFS  628-2299. Special thanks to all of our donors, volunteers, patrons, and supporters, especially the Ventura Breeze. Thank you for supporting the Ventura Film Society, where we bring people together in the dark.

Vol. 8, No. 25 – September 16 – September 29, 2015 – Movie Review

Grandma/4 Palm Trees

By Eduardo Victoria/[email protected]

Grandma gets straight to the point. Armed with a fast pace and brief runtime, there’s nary a wasted moment, but instead a frank simplicity that hooks us from the very start up until the bittersweet end. Impressively directed and written by Paul Weitz, his latest film is an unabashed celebration of women, their beautiful diversity, struggles and bonds that only they can share with one another.

It’s also an undeniable showcase for star Lily Tomlin, who delivers by a large margin one of the best performances of the year as a no-nonsense grandmother confronting her demons in order to help her grandchild. Endlessly funny from minute-to-minute and with a massive heart, Grandma is one of this year’s absolute musts, brimming with vitality and a keen reflection of the women who shape the world for the better.

The story begins with Sage (Julia Garner), who visits her grandmother Elle (Lily Tomlin) with a predicament. Sage is pregnant, but afraid to tell her mother and needs over $600 for an abortion before the end of the day. Elle can’t find it in her heart to deny her granddaughter, but has also just cut all of her credit cards to shreds, so the two set out to scrounge up the funds any way they can. With only hours before an appointment, the two revisit a host of characters from Elle’s past; from old friends to ex-lovers and the like, Elle’s past will help to secure Sage’s future.

With such a simple but elegant premise, Weitz’s film is a breathtaking character study of one incredible woman, the choices that have defined her and how she holds up in light of a challenge. Told in chapter format, each encounter slowly reveals more about Elle and is straightforward but refreshingly honest, clear and precise.

Most notable is how Weitz takes potentially grim subject matter and executes it in a way that fully understands the breadth of its importance with a hopeful and positive viewpoint. In addition, much of the film’s strongest elements are understated, from Elle’s sexual preference to the inevitable abortion, making both status quo and in turn respecting his characters’ decisions in a way not really shown on screen before. Ultimately, the film never feels didactic when it easily could’ve been, instead amounting to a powerful examination of choice, consequence and female bonds.

It goes without saying that Lily Tomlin utterly owns this film as the whip smart, fast talking Elle. There’s a very stoic nature to Tomlin, with her character baring the weight of so much responsibility, yet consciously choosing to carry the load for the sake of others. Selfless yet flawed, Tomlin is utterly disarming and empowering at the same time.

I could watch her do anything and this role seemingly made for her. Julia Garner as Elle’s granddaughter Sage, Judy Greer as Oliva, Elle’s estranged lover and Marcia Gay Harden as Judy, Sage’s mother all get a chance to shine in their respective roles, but by design, none of them reach the heights of Tomlin’s firecracker of a character. It’d also be remiss of me if I didn’t mention how the cast is made up of exclusively women, it’s just another way the film excels, bringing to light incredible women who are all so different but fully formed.

Grandma is the unabashed feminist film that is sorely needed right now. Stunning and revelatory in its narrative economy, Weitz’s film cuts straight through the noise with urgency and powerful emotion. Intimate yet lively, this is a film that just needs to be seen, and another step in the right direction concerning the way women are celebrated on film with the complexity and honesty they deserve.

Playing at Century Downtown10  rated “R”

 

Vol. 8, No. 25 – September 16 – September 29, 2015 – Mailbox

Breeze:

I always find it amusing that Christians try to claim a more just value system because it is “external” and “independent.” I suggest that anyone making this claim read up on the Council of Nicaea and the Apocrypha. The former was a group of men that decided that Jesus was divine and equal to God the father, creating the modern idea of the trinity. The latter is a group of biblical books thrown out of the official biblical canon. Independent indeed. The Islamic State also claims an independent and external source of values that makes it moral to wage Jihad.

If the Christians are going to claim an external source, they better get serious about following it to the letter. In the same book of the bible banning homosexuality, the following are also banned: Shaving facial hair, divorce, uncovered heads while worshiping, prayer in public, eating raw steak, and eating various types of seafood. Where are the protests over surf and turf and barber shops?

As an Atheist I have heard that I should be able to “rape and murder all I want.” The fact is that I do rape and murder all I want, and that amount is zero. The amount most people want is zero. Humans have evolved a value system to get along with each other, and groups not familiar with the bible are getting along just fine.

Joey Waltz, Ventura

 

Breeze:

I am very concerned for the residents that walk the bike path in the morning. They are mainly young women with babies in strollers and retired folks like me. Having all these lowlifes hanging around the promenade/bike path to me is a real problem. Something has to be done to clean up the beach front. There is simply no excuse.

Murray Robertson (A retired old folk)
A Very Concerned Ventura Resident

 

Opinions:

I refer to Jill Foreman’s article about “Maria’s” story which appeared in your July 22 edition. Ms. Foreman is board member of “Ventura Homeless Prevention, Inc.,” or HPF. While I was genuinely moved by and it’s “feel good” ending, sadly, there are many of us whose interaction with HPF in the face of impending catastrophe was surpassingly unhelpful and callous. I should know. My own experience is one of those.

I am a married 62 year-old-man with a disabling heart condition and severe arteriosclerosis disease. My income is limited to Social Security Disability benefits only. In July, I found myself one-month behind in my rent and facing imminent eviction. I reached out to HPF for $1100 in one-time rental assistance to pay the amount and stop the eviction. I had no other resources or recourse. HPF was for us a measure of last resort, really of final resort. It’s the last stop before the streets, literally, as it was for us.

Unlike Maria, when I showed up at HPF’s downtown offices at the Ventura Salvation Army complex on 155 S Oak Street, I was treated in a humiliating way. I waited for an HPF person behind locked, wrought iron bars. When an HPF intake person finally came out, I stated my very personal business from the street behind the bars. I tried to state my need but was cut off almost immediately. The HPF person rudely interrupted me and said: “I have no money for you.” Stunned and nonplussed, the most I could say was “okay.” She then turned her back to me and re-entered her office. Nobody asked for my telephone number or address. My interaction with HPF was profoundly disturbing.

Bobby H

Opinions:

All I hear about is that we have a water drought problem. The solution is to not to use water!!!. Is that really a solution? If we had a health problem would a solution be to isolate everyone from each other? The solution would be to find a way to solve the problem. The solution to the drought problem is to produce rain. Now how can we produce rain? Easy, by cloud seeding !!!. Precipitation enchancement, commonly called “cloud seeding articially stimulates clouds to produce more rainfall or snow-fall, California has done cloud seeding in the 1950 through 1980’s. A report written in the California State Water Plan Update 2005 Volume 2, Chapter 14 Title Precipitation Enhancement indicates the benefits from cloud seeding. It is cheap to do, Costs for cloud seeding generally would be less than $20 per acre-foot per year. Safe It is environmental safe, The projects use silver iodide as the active cloud seeding agent, supplemented by dry ice if aerial seeding is done The potential for eventual toxic effects of silver has not been shown to be a problem, We have plenty of clouds over California so I ask why are we not cloud seeding??

Dr. Roland Handy

Answer In A Breeze

The Time Warner Co. is digging Telegraph and Dunning to connect St. Bonaventure High to fiber optic networks. They say they already serve the church and presumably the hospital. The presence and absence of the fiber optics in various neighborhoods can affect the decision by an employer to locate there. It would be an interesting read to find out more and about where it is and isn’t in town.

Regards,

Kioren Moss, MAI

A: We really don’t have any plans for future fiber optic lines that are pursed by the city and public funding since this is mostly generated by private companies. Therefore, we just react to requests from communication companies regarding impacts to public streets and right of way to put these facilities in. From a pure business standpoint in our City, I’ve heard there is a need for faster internet service that fiber optics can provide.

So if you want to discuss how the City works with these companies to facilitate their infrastructure with the least impact on the community, then please contact me. If you want to discuss how the City would encourage enhanced internet service for our business community, you should probably contact our Economic Development Manager, Leigh Eisen.

Rick Raives ([email protected])
Public Works Director City of Ventura

If you have a question you would like answered send it to [email protected] and we will try to get an answer for you.