Townehouse residents enjoying their new outdoor dining. Photos by Richard Lieberman
by: Richard Lieberman
Nancee Borgnine and Harvey Marasigan, both Director of Sales for Ventura Townehouse announced the opening of “The Pier” an outdoor dining patio within the Townehouse facility.
“We have a large and beautiful property and during a pandemic we decided to expand and do something outside. Management thought it was a great idea so we smashed everything in the exterior of the main building and built a gazebo that is now called “The Pier” so that our residents can still enjoy themselves and be outside and feel comfortable and secure and their families can come and visit them as well,” said Borgnine, daughter of well-known movie and television star Ernest Borgnine.
“It was perfect timing and moving forward we thought our people would enjoy being outdoors, and this small area within the confines of our property was barely used and we thought that would be a perfect spot for something like this,” Marasigan said. “We pitched the idea to the owner Jay Issacs, and he thought it was a brilliant idea and residents were really excited by the idea and so here we are.”
The Pier offers residents an outdoor venue to dine, socialize, relax and visit with family and friends in an outdoor setting. “Our residents can enjoy three meals a day out there, and we are going to do some special things during the holiday season Father’s Day, Fourth of July and others, added Borgnine.
The site is situated on 12.5 acres so there is plenty of room to expand and create additional outside areas their residents can enjoy.
“We tell people that if you move into a community like this to live, to live your life, there are a lot of benefits to living here just like this,” Marasigan added. Typically assisted living homes like this offer to their residents the ability to socialize and be around others without having to worry about boredom. The facility has much to offer and there is always something to do. For residents “its like living on a cruise ship that never leaves the dock,” added Borgnine.
Residents are offered a multitude of amenities and living programs that are noteworthy. Residents have access to all types of daily activities.
The facility is redesigning interiors from the top floor down and will undergo a complete make over from floor to floor.
The Townehouse offers seniors independent adult living facilities, customized memory care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and respite care.
CAPS Media’s award-winning radio station, KPPQ-LP, hasn’t missed a beat during the past year’s pandemic. Launched in 2017 the station is still going strong delivering engaging, locally focused programming every day 24/7. Despite the fact that the KPPQ Radio studio in the CAPS Media Center is still closed to the public during the pandemic, the dedicated CAPS Media/KPPQ Member DJs and Hosts, consistently create innovative, engaging and entertaining programs in their homes for airing on 104.1fm in Ventura and streaming worldwide on myTunerRadio and on capsmedia.org.
The range of KPPQ programming is as diverse and interesting as the Ventura community itself. KPPQ music includes The Pam Baumgardner Music Hour, The Pure Rock Show, Oldies with Double K, Doc’s Delta Blues Lounge, Ojai Dream, NAMBA Performances and more, including everything from rock to bluegrass, psychedelic, hip hop and oldies, plus local artists from ska to jazz to rock and roll.
In the past few months a wide variety of individual and community topics have been explored in the locally produced and curated KPPQ programs including Ventura Vibe!, In The Women’s Room with Kathleen Good, ECTV produced by students from El Camino High, Teen Centric, Creative Community, Women of A Certain Age, Attainable, and Fireside Tailes with Wolfgang, plus Ventura Library programs for kids and the elderly, the YMCA’s commitment to health and fitness, the Ventura Botanical Gardens offerings, the Surfrider Foundation initiatives and more.
Other KPPQ engaging discussions addressed women’s health and fitness programs, zero waste and composting, personal growth and career planning, while socially conscious and political discussions centered on Black Lives Matter, Stand Up for Racial Justice, Stem education in schools, Democracy in Danger and much more.
Despite the fact that the KPPQ Radio studio at the CAPS Media Center is still closed to the public, innovative and creative DJs and hosts are continually producing outstanding radio programs in their homes.
To learn more about KPPQ and to join the Radio team contact Elizabeth at [email protected]. Elizabeth will get you the info you need to know and set up a time for online training to get you on the air on KPPQ-LP Ventura.
In addition to the outstanding productions by KPPQ DJs, CAPS Media crew members have stayed very active throughout the pandemic facilitating City meetings and producing informative videos for the City and County. Every week CAPS team members coordinate, broadcast and stream multiple City meetings including City Council meetings, committee meetings and more.
CAPS crews working on the CAPS studio soundstage record monthly updates by Ventura City Mayor Sofia Rubalcava’s. The mayor’s engaging reports provide the community with valuable information including her insights on city government and the community.
In addition, every week throughout the pandemic CAPS Media crews facilitated the County’s COVID updates with county officials from the County government center and locations throughout the community.
During the shutdown, CAPS Member/Producers can submit programming via the online portal at capsmedia.org for broadcast and streaming on CAPS public access television Channel 6 and on CAPS Radio KPPQ 104.1FM. All of us at CAPS Media hope everyone stays Safe, Strong, Socially Distant and Healthy during these very challenging times. We encourage everyone to continue getting tested and get vaccinated. Thanks again for the continuing community effort to Stay Strong during these challenging times.
Demonstration by residents held in opposition to development. Photo by Richard Lieberman
by: Richard Lieberman
A recent demonstration by residents who live around and near the proposed Haley Point housing project marched from California and Main to City Hall. The protesters have organized, set up a GoFundMe page and are asking the city to hear their concerns about the proposed project. The proposed development by Warmington Residential is slated for 72-unit condominium project and of those 72 units 14 units, or 20% will be offered below market rate for moderate income households. Each unit will have a two-car garage.
The group now known as Midtown Ventura Coalition has grown using social media to get their message out to residents. “We were notified in August about a zoom meeting with the developer Warmington Residential who wants to build seventy-two townhouses on a 4.2-acre plot near the end of Channel Island Drive where it meets Seaward Ave, we looked at the design and the design is pretty and we liked the way it looked, everyone of us wants to see more housing in Ventura,” said Jim Gibson, a sixteen-year resident of Rancho Drive. “The problem is this is on what is almost a cul-de-sac the far end of a low-density neighborhood where peoples children are playing in the streets,” he added. Gibson also added that the group has reached out to city officials and the developer to express concerns about increases in traffic density and how the city is handling the developer’s requested variances, combining requests for smaller setbacks and fewer parking spaces into one request.
If the decision is not what the neighbors want or if the decision is not what the developer wants it will be appealed. “We fully expect it to be appealed,” said Peter Gilli, community development director for the city. In May 2020, the City Council passed a measure to facilitate processing projects dubbed an Emergency Streamlining Ordinance (EMSO). The EMSO made two changes, according to Gilli, One, a project will still have multiple hearings, with recommendations coming from those boards. But the last hearing body, determined by Gilli according to the ordinance, will “make a final decision on the project” The final decision is also subject to an appeal which puts the project before the city council for a final non-appealable finding.
“Zoning says that the developer has to have a twenty-foot set back, they are trying to bring it down to thirteen, which is a 35% reduction of what’s required in that neighborhood” said Miles Glazner spokesperson for the group. “They are trying to put two variances together, they are trying to put the rear set-back which they want to do 17.8 and the from one they want to bring down to thirteen feet they want to combine those two variances saying that is just one,” added Glen Overly “We are in favor of the kind of development that will provide the housing we need,” he added.
State law prohibits the city from changing plans when it comes to modifying density or not approving housing developments. “The general plan designation for this site allows more housing than the developer has proposed. That is state law now. Five years ago, it was different. Now if a project complies with the density range of the General plan, then our ability to shrink or deny the project has been eliminated, added Gilli. Before the current plan it was commonplace for the city to demand fewer units even under allowable densities and impose that on the development. “The city can’t do that anymore, the states emphasis is on the housing crisis has taken that away and limited the city’s ability to do things like that,” he said. Adding Gilli said “Our residents have not wanted to hear that answer,” Currently Ventura is in the planning stages of an update covering the existing General Plan. With the update and state law, the city is mandated to approve housing projects that do not conflict with the General Plan.
Haley Point, for the most part, complies with state law and complies with city rules. State law puts the city in a position where they must comply and to grant what the developers are asking for.
WEV will present the 2021 Rock Star: Lifetime Achievement Award to Lupe Anguiano.
Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) is proud to announce the 30 finalists for the 11th annual Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards (SOE) to be held virtually on May 21, from 12noon -1:30pm. The SOE Awards celebrate outstanding women business owners from Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties in ten industry categories. Community members are invited to attend the free, online event; register at Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards.
A panel of independent judges, who all live outside the tri-county area, selected the finalists from an impressive group of applicants throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. This year, the judges also took into consideration the impact the businesses make in their community and the entrepreneurs’ resiliency to the challenges presented by the global pandemic.
Alison Kenis, Lynette Coverly and JoAnne Hadley are finalists to receive awards.
Stacy Harris, a judge from Phoenix, Arizona, said the finalists are “an impressive class of driven female entrepreneurs adapting to an unpredictable environment during the pandemic in support of community and creative services and products.”
“We are thrilled to honor these incredible women who have shown strength and creativity in keeping their businesses going through a tough year,” said Kathy Odell, WEV CEO. “It’s important to take the time to stop and celebrate these accomplishments not only to recognize the winners but so we can all be inspired by them.”
Along with the 10 category winners, WEV will present the 2021 Rock Star: Lifetime Achievement Award to Lupe Anguiano, an entrepreneur and activist known for her work on women’s rights, the rights of the poor, and the protection of the environment who has founded two impactful nonprofits.
World-renowned political activist and feminist organizer Gloria Steinem told WEV, “I’m so glad that you are honoring my longtime friend, Lupe Anguiano. She has been my trusted leader, from the farm worker struggle to today’s understanding that as human beings, we are linked, not ranked. She always has been ahead of me on the path, and she lights the way ahead.”
Major sponsors of the 2021 Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards include American Riviera Bank, City National Bank, Cox, County of Ventura, JPMorgan Chase & Co, La Arcada, LinkedIn, and Ventura County Credit Union.
Women’s Economic Ventures is dedicated to creating an equitable and just society through the economic empowerment of women. WEV is a business resource network for anyone looking to start a business, grow a local business, or improve their business skills. WEV provides small business training, advisory services, financial literacy programs and small business loans in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. While WEV’s focus is on women, it welcomes people of all gender identities into the WEV community. Business courses, programs and loans are provided in both English and Spanish.
Since 1991, WEV has provided business training and small business advisory services to more than 19,000 people throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. WEV has made more than $6.4 million in small business loans and helped more than 5,000 local businesses start or expand, generating an estimated $770 million in annual sales and creating nearly 12,000 local jobs. WEV is a U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center and Microlender, as well as a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).
The City Center has been in operation for the last seven years.
Since 2014, local Ventura organization The City Center has developed a residential program working with the homeless population – achieving 100% success rate.
Finding a way to ensure homeless families in need are given a chance to have success in life is a challenging task. The City Center however, has a 100 percent success rate at helping graduates rebuild their lives. Since 2014, 253 people have graduated from its program debt free with full-time employment and reliable transportation, representing 78 families who will never return to homelessness.
Led by Executive Director, Jim Duran, The City Center has worked to lift people out of homelessness or defeat with the help of its onsite staff, case managers, therapists, and mentors.
“It’s giving a hand up, rather than a handout,” said Duran. “Each family receives the help and guidance they need to find and hold jobs, leave all government support behind, and learn to care for themselves and their children.”
Though housing is temporary, The City Center allows their residents to stay in the program for one to two years. Graduates of The City Center leave with a savings account and no longer need government assistance. Additionally, 30% of residents leave with college degrees, trade school degrees and/or certificates of completion in their field.
“We work with our residents over many months with a variety of methods to get them back on their feet,” said Duran. “We want them to be empowered to become independent, but we always do it through guidance and love, that’s the secret to our success.”
The City Center has been in operation for the last seven years. In order to continue this support and structure for their residents, they are working to purchase their property, which is a converted motel, located at 837 E. Thompson Blvd. This next step will assist them in moving their success ratio and programs forward into more converted motels in more cities in Ventura County.
To learn more about The City Center and information on ways to support them, please visit
Old furniture did not meet new state standards for classrooms.
In order to accommodate the large number of families who wanted to return in-person instruction and to abide by the State’s requirement to bring students back to the classroom to the “fullest extent possible,” VUSD needed to maximize classroom space as much as possible in order to comply with the recently changed public health guidelines providing for three feet between student desks. Many of our classrooms would not have accommodated such changes due to being filled with older furniture such as double desks which took up too much space.
Therefore, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) used one time money provided by the state to help with these exact issues to purchase new, smaller single desks for many of our classrooms. These changes were discussed several times during publicly agenized Board of Education meetings. And because VUSD does not have storage space to hold on to older, more obsolete furniture we decided not to waste public funds trying to find a place to store such items. Instead, and based on hearing from many families that our students do not have a dedicated space at home to study, we felt the best use of this furniture would be to continue to support the education of our students by declaring the items surplus and providing families a chance to claim and use these desks at home. This action also assists with environmental impacts that would have occurred had we discarded them in local landfills. For additional information or discussion, please feel free to contact Rebecca Chandler, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, at 805-641-5000 x 1202.
Hi: I’m Dextyr, an 8-year-old Irish Terrier mix who is looking for a new home. I am having a hard time adapting to a baby in the house. I love to watch you cook, cuddle, and play with you. I’m very loyal and loving. I get nervous in new situations and babies/kids scare me. I am house and crate trained. I need to be the only pet as I don’t care for cats or other dogs. Not shown in the picture is my awesome mohawk.
Canine Adoption and Rescue League C.A.R.L. CARL Adoption Center-call 644-7387 for more information.
These two bonded boys came in as strays. We think they are about 6 months old, so should give you years of fun. We think it’s time for these cute guys to have a home of their own. Ventura County Animal Services – Camarillo location – 600 Aviation Drive. A770393 and A770394
∙Once again, I want to thank our wonderful readers who are contributing financially to support the Ventura Breeze. The Breeze staff appreciates what you are doing to help keep us in print. The good news is as COVID control allows more businesses to open, our advertising base, is improving.
∙In this issue (page 7), we have an article on a proposed 72-unit townhouse project to be located on Channel Dr. There has been organized objection to the project. The proposed Haley Point development includes 14 units, or 20%, which will be “below market rate” for low- and moderate-income households. This is a very important part of the project. The Haley Point project is located in Dist. 2, represented by Councilmember Doug Halter.
It is important to know that the State of California is basically now in charge of all housing projects in California per Senate Bill 330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, whether single-family housing or multi-units like this one.
The State wants much more housing built in California with an emphasis on low and moderate income households. When 20% are affordable units per the State bonus density, the developer gets two concessions (not city variances – that’s out of the city’s hands). The developer used their two concessions to reduce two setbacks. In other words, they did not request any discretionary approvals or variances from the city. The development also gets some leeway on parking standards. But each unit will have a 2-car garage.
If a project complies with the density range of the General Plan (which this does), Ventura’s ability to reduce units or deny the project has been eliminated. The state’s emphasis on the housing crisis has limited the city’s ability to do much regulation. The Ventura General Plan designation for this site actually allows more units than the developer has proposed.
Soon R-1 single family lots will be a thing of the past and all residential lots will be allowed to build another unit. Again, state mandates. The State, under some conditions, is also lowering parking standards.
This will be a very good-looking development and much safer and better looking than the blight that was there. And the value of immediate homes will be greatly increased, plus crime will likely be reduced because of this project.
∙I find ads on TV from some attorneys very disturbing. One such ad is targeted to women who have been sexually assaulted. It gives a list of possible exploiters to sue. Among the list is “by a wealthy businessman.” So, if you’ve been assaulted by a businessman who is not wealthy (they don’t mention what wealthy is exactly) don’t bother contacting them because it isn’t worth their time to help you out in a humanitarian manner.
Talk about an oxymoron (a building on Ventura Ave.)
∙Another aspect of the Derek Chauvin conviction that I think is just as important is that the “blue wall of silence” has been eliminated in this trial with police officers (even Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo) testifying against Chauvin. I think policing will change in the aftermath of Chauvin’s guilty verdict and officers (knowing that other officers might now testify against them) will be more aware of their actions.
∙Five months after the presidential election, the Supreme Court recently said that it won’t take up a case from several Republicans challenging changes to election rules in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. The unsigned ruling sends yet another message that the court’s majority has no interest in relitigating the last election.
Before Monday, the justices had already declined several requests to dive into one of the most litigious elections in history, denying petitions from then President Donald Trump and other Republicans seeking to overturn election result in multiple states President Joe Biden won.
∙With our very divided two-party system, being president is very tough. Any president is immediately approved by 50% and condemned by 50% before they even do anything. Therefore, a president with a 55% approval rating is considered to be doing a good job.
∙Former President George W. Bush, who has mostly stayed on the political sidelines after leaving the White House, has reemerged with criticism of his Republican successor as he advocates for a sharply different immigration policy from former President Donald Trump. “The problem with the immigration debate is that it, one, can create a lot of fear. ‘They’re coming after you,'” Mr. Bush said during a recent interview with CBS News at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas.
“The country was very divided during that period of time. And, you know, as a result, he wasn’t reelected,” Mr. Bush said of Trump.
∙Six days after Election Day 2020, then President Donald Trump tweeted this: “Nevada is turning out to be a cesspool of Fake Votes.” He added that when the findings were released, “will be absolutely shocking!” All of the country votes were shocking to him because he lost.
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, a Republican, announced that her office had found zero “evidentiary support” for claims of fraud or bias in the Silver State’s 2020 election results.
“While the Nevada Republican Party raises policy concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting, automatic voter registration, and same-day voter registration, these concerns do not amount to evidentiary support for the contention that the 2020 general election was plagued by widespread voter fraud,” wrote Cegavske in a letter to the Nevada GOP.
∙Georgia’s new sweeping elections law has a number of controversial provisions that will restrict access to voting. One in particular sounds as if is from SNL. Under the bill, signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, it’s now illegal to hand out food or water to people standing in line to vote.
“No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give, or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector,” the new law states.
Perhaps voters can be bought-off for a slice of pizza.
∙This sounds like another episode of SNL. A 28-year ban on yoga in Alabama’s public schools may be in place a little longer. The Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday deadlocked on legislation from Rep. Jeremy Gray, a Democrat, that would lift the prohibition after testimony from Christian conservatives, who claimed it would lead to proselytizing in public schools by followers of Hinduism.
“Yoga is a very big part of practicing Hindu religion,” said Becky Gerritson, a longtime conservative activist. “If this bill passes, then instructors will be able to come into classrooms as young as kindergarten and bring these children through guided imagery, which is a spiritual exercise, and it’s outside their parents view, and we just believe that this is not appropriate.”
And I’ve seen people practicing yoga on park lawns which could kill the grass so I agree (down with yoga).
If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful after all. ~ Michelangelo
“It was perfect timing and moving forward we thought our people would enjoy being outdoors, and this small area within the confines of our property was barely used and we thought that would be a perfect spot for something like this,” Marasigan said. “We pitched the idea to the owner Jay Issacs, and he thought it was a brilliant idea and residents were really excited by the idea and so here we are.”
“We tell people that if you move into a community like this to live, to live your life, there are a lot of benefits to living here just like this,” Marasigan added. Typically assisted living homes like this offer to their residents the ability to socialize and be around others without having to worry about boredom. The facility has much to offer and there is always something to do. For residents “its like living on a cruise ship that never leaves the dock,” added Borgnine.
