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Iconic Downtown Restaurants Close

Three iconic downtown restaurants (all on same Main St. block) have closed. Limon Y Sal, Jimmy’s Slice (Jimmy Wright died in June) and Nature’s Grill. Jimmy’s Slice. The closing on Main to cars didn’t serve all restaurants (or other businesses) well.

Hopefully they (or new restaurants will open again soon. The owners of Limon y Sal say they’ll reopen soon.

Even though a sign at Nature’s Grill says “On vacation for the holidays,” this closing might be permanent.

The space at Jimmy’s Slice has been rented and a new restaurant could open early next year.

Limon y Sal has announced on social media it will be re-opening as early as next month.

Santa to a Senior program seeks holiday gifts for Ventura seniors

Visit the holiday display tree to choose a gift.

The City of Ventura invites the community to contribute gift donations for the Santa to a Senior program running until December 14, 2023. The initiative aims to bring holiday cheer to seniors aged 60 and above, affiliated with the Ventura Avenue Adult Center’s Senior Nutrition Program. This program caters to seniors through both in-person meals and homebound deliveries.

“This marks our fifth year running Santa to a Senior, and we’ve made updates to the program to better serve the more than 200 seniors who participate annually,” said Recreation Manager Emily Fox. “To ensure everyone feels the joy of receiving a gift this season, we kindly ask that the community choose items from our gift wish list. Your thoughtful contributions will make a meaningful difference in spreading holiday cheer to the seniors participating.”

The pre-approved Santa to a Senior gift wish includes:

  • $25 Gift Card (major grocery/pharmacy/retail stores)
  • Bath/Hand Towels
  • Gloves/Scarf (unisex)
  • Nail Trimmer/Manicure Tools
  • Non-slip Socks (unisex)
  • Soaps/Lotions/Scrubs
  • Blanket (unisex)
  • Toiletry Items (unisex)

To donate to the Santa to a Senior program, visit the holiday display tree to choose a gift. Trees are located at City Hall Room 226 and the Ventura Aquatic Center.

Participants can also purchase a gift from the pre-approved wish list and deliver it to one of the designated drop-off locations. New, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at Ventura City Hall, Ventura Aquatics Center, Ventura Avenue Adult Center, and Barranca Vista Center.

Visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/SantatoaSenior for complete program details or call the Parks and Recreation Department at (805) 658-4726.

Christmas tree fundraiser

Sustainably forested silver-tip fir trees from Northern California will be available for pickup on Saturday, December 2 during “Christmas At The Farm” at Petty Ranch (11971 Darling Rd.) in Ventura. Proceeds from the Christmas tree fundraiser will help fund Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) agriculture education and healthy eating programs for kids in Ventura County.

Trees are available from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on December 2 or can be delivered ($75 delivery charge). Free hot cocoa and cookies will be served. Local vendors will be on hand at a pop-up holiday market.

The trees were donated by Rob Paulus, a retired Cal Fire Battalion Chief, and his family to support SEEAG and its ag-education efforts. Paulus has a 200-acre parcel of private land near the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range.

“By purchasing your Christmas tree from SEEAG you’re supporting the education of thousands of students and improving the natural forest landscape, says Mary Maranville, SEEAG founder and CEO. “We thank Rob and his family for their wonderful donation.”

Tree sizes are 6′ to 9 ‘($175) and 8′ to 10’ ($225). SEEAG is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization so all tree purchases are tax-deductible. All trees must be pre-ordered by going to https://www.seeag.org/christmas-at-the-ranch.

For questions about delivery, call 805-892-8155 or email [email protected].

Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging

the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and

the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 100,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at [email protected].

“Julie” and four women on an adventure

Hannah, Gabe, Megan , Kaitlyn and “Julie” will be completely unassisted until the finish line.

by Patricia Schallert

The World’s Toughest Row starts in June each year with up to 20 teams participating from around the world. The annual edition of this race sees teams from all over the world starting from the historic harbor of Monterey, California, following the path of many adventurers and explorers who find the exhilarating challenge of rowing. An incredible atmosphere of apprehension and excitement is guaranteed during the pre-race period as teams complete their final preparations to set off to row across the mid-Pacific Ocean. A finish line as unique as Hanalei Bay on the island of Kaua’i is hard to beat as the backdrop to what will be the most incredible, once in a lifetime adventure.

Four women are training in the Ventura, Harbor now for this epic adventure across the Pacific Ocean in support of The Women’s Sports Foundation and Hawaii Domestic Violence Action Center. With a distance of 2800 miles, “The Worlds Toughest Row” is considered to be one of the most difficult races on the water.

The four women will be competing in the race class.  Their boat is 28 feet long and weighs 2,000 pounds. The boat is named “Julie” after Gabe and Megan’s mother. who was the girl’s biggest cheerleader and a huge supporter of equity in sports for women. The boat is a Rannoch R45 Elite ocean rowing boat, powered by solar energy and this will be the boat’s second crossing.

Hannah, Gabe, Megan , Kaitlyn and “Julie” will be completely unassisted until the finish line in Hawaii. These four women are also competing in the challenge of beating the worlds’ record, by launching on June 12th and expecting to land in Hawaii in mid July, 30 days later.

The current world’s record is 34 days for women. The women will face a long journey with challenges of 40-foot waves, extreme temperature, marine life encounter, sea sickness, and weight loss. Collectively, the team will row over 1.5 million strokes.

They will have a weather navigator on land alerting them of storms and weather-related changes.

With a rowing background, Hannah Byrd is looking forward to the “daring odyssey that demands unwavering determination and physical strength”.

Kaitlyn Piltz , navigator and steering, added that this challenge will be “an unshakable spirit of adventure, proving that gender is no barrier to conquering the mighty Pacific.”

Female ocean rowers who take on the monumental challenge, inspire others with their bravery and tenacity, reminding us that the human spirit knows no gender boundaries in the pursuit of adventure and exploration.

A fund raiser for Rowing Oceans for Women will be on December 2nd hosted by The Seaward Brewery located on Goodyear Ave. in Ventura. Call 805-302-6404 for more information. Music at the Rowing for women  fundraiser will be performed by the band Moxie Raven. The event will start at 4 o’clock until  9 o’clock.

National Register of Historic Places Nomination

Historic Washington School. Photo courtesy of San Buenaventura Conservancy Archives

by San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation

The San Buenaventura Conservancy for Preservation will hold a public update meeting about progress on the nomination of the Ventura Unified School District Historic Washington School Buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. The meeting will be on Thursday, November 16th at 6 p.m. at Grace Church Cooper Hall, 65 McMillan Avenue, Ventura. The Conservancy is in support of the preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic Washington School Buildings in midtown Ventura, and is in the process of nominating the school buildings to the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington School was built in 1925 and served as a Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) school until it was closed in 1983. The private Ventura County Christian school, which occupied the site in recent years, has relocated to a new campus near Ventura College. The property is currently vacant. It is included on the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) surplus properties list, which makes the property potentially available to be sold or redeveloped.

The National Register listing will make it clear to potential developers or speculators that the school buildings should be preserved and reused as a part of any development on the property. Additionally, after designation, the school buildings will be eligible for lucrative state and federal preservation tax credits and listing allows the use of the California Historic Building Code to facilitate rehabilitation.

Washington Elementary School is eligible under Criterion A because of its association with Education in Ventura.

The Washington Elementary School building is also eligible under Criterion C and is a good and rare example of an educational building redesigned in response to earthquake safety concerns in the city of Ventura.

The buildings at Washington School are eligible under Criterion C with a period of significance of 1935 and 1941.The Main Building and Auditorium at Washington Elementary School are examples of the Mediterranean-style as applied to education buildings and streamlined for the needs of earthquake safety and as works of master architect Harold E. Burket.

The nomination process by the Conservancy must be completed by March 1, 2024. Preliminary work done before the involvement of the Conservancy was useful and provided a foundation for future work on the project. The Conservancy expects up to $7,000 more in expenses to complete the Nomination. The Washington School Nomination Fund has been established by the Conservancy to accept gifts restricted to this project. Over $3,000 has been donated to the Fund to date. Expenses include the completion of the research and the analysis of the Washington School historic records at the Museum of Ventura County, Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) archives and the State Architect’s Office. Additionally, there will be Conservancy expenses to present the Nomination at the State Historic Resources Commission meeting in Sacramento in early 2024.

To learn more about the nomination process and about the special Buenaventura Conservancy Washington School Nomination Fund go to https://sbconservancy.org/washington-school.

Harold Escher Burket was a prolific Ventura-based architect who spent over 40 years designing primarily commercial and institutional projects throughout Ventura County, including the Spanish Colonial Revival-style Community Presbyterian Church and the Zig Zag Moderne-style Firestone Tire Store. Burket had a particular interest in school design—specifically the importance of light and air to a healthy learning environment—as evidenced in his many schools in Ventura County.

Successful completion of the Montalvo Safe Routes

City Councilmember Jim Duran, Mayor Joe Schroeder, City Manager Bill Ayub, VUSD Superintendent Dr. Castro, Montalvo Community Council, Montalvo Elementary School, City staff, and community members cutting the ribbon. Photo by Michael Gordon

The City of Ventura is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project. To commemorate this achievement, the City hosted a ribbon-cutting event on Tuesday, November 7, at the corner of Bristol Road and Grand Avenue.

The event featured key stakeholders and dignitaries, including the Ventura Unified School District, Montalvo Community Council, Montalvo Elementary School, City Council, staff, and community members.

The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project was a collaborative effort representing a substantial investment in our community’s infrastructure. It was specifically designed not only to enhance the safety and convenience of travel to and from Montalvo Elementary School for students and their families but also to provide a more accessible neighborhood for the Montalvo community. The new sidewalks and bike lanes not only facilitate travel to school but also allow the residents of Montalvo to interact more freely with their neighbors, promoting a healthy lifestyle and fostering community connections.

“This remarkable project is a shining example of what can be achieved when a community comes together. It has been a labor of love, driven by partnerships and dedicated community members,” said Mayor Joe Schroeder. “These collaborative efforts have resulted in crucial improvements to the Montalvo neighborhood, benefiting our students, families, and the entire community, fostering a stronger sense of community identity. The project was about more than just the school; it also improves safety since people don’t need to walk in the street.

The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project included over two miles of continuous sidewalks, one mile of new bike lanes, 12 new curb ramps, reconstruction of 26 existing curb ramps, 27 new pedestrian and bicycle crossings, and the installation of new landmark signage that enhanced the Montalvo neighborhood’s identity while improving safety and accessibility for its residents.

A significant portion of the project was funded by a Caltrans grant totaling $1.38 million, contributing to the broader Safe Routes to School program to improve student safety across the state. The City of Ventura also demonstrated its commitment to the project, contributing an additional $1 million through Measure O and gas tax funds to ensure its successful completion.

The Montalvo Safe Routes to School Project was another milestone in Ventura’s ongoing efforts to enhance pedestrian infrastructure, following similar projects in West Ventura and near Anacapa Middle School on Telegraph Road.

“I would like to share my appreciation with the city of Ventura for securing and dedicating this funding to realize the Montalvo phase of the safe routes to school implementation,” expressed Dr. Antonio Castro, Superintendent of the Ventura Unified District. “These improvements have the potential to generate an even more active walking and bicycling community to and from school. Any reduction to the number of vehicles present during school drop-off and pick-up times is welcomed, as is the possibility of helping promote the physical growth and development of our Ventura Unified students.”

For more information about this project, please contact Jeff Hereford, Transportation Manager with our Public Works Department by email at [email protected].

To learn more about this and other Public Works projects, visits the City’s website at www.cityofventura.ca.gov.

DaVita Health Tour arrives in Ventura providing free health screenings with its mobile testing center.

Two company representative Bertha Avalos and Vicky Ramos volunteer their time to raise CKD. Photos by Richard Lieberman

by Richard Lieberman

The DaVita Health tour campaign has arrived in Ventura. DaVita Health specializes in Dialysis, a life sustaining- treatment for those living with end stage kidney disease. The specialized bus is designed to offer free health screenings and kidney care education to residents of the cities they visit. The DaVita health screening bus visited Ventura on Tuesday October 24, 2023, setting up shop at the Pacific View mall in Ventura.

The mobile testing center is on a yearly tour offering free screenings and kidney care education in communities across the U.S. The screenings are free and designed to raise awareness of risk factors that could lead to chronic kidney disease. The health screenings will consider obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a family history of kidney failure.

Testing at the mobile center will specifically test certain factors that are indicative of possible kidney disease. The health screening testing will administer: a fingerstick glucose test that will determine diabetes risk, a blood pressure test that will determine hypertension, body measurement testing to determine body mass index, also available is a blood draw to determine a more in-depth measurement of kidney function. A qualified nurse practitioner will review with the participant the details and the results of the screenings.

Bertha Avalos and Vicky Ramos Davita company representatives described the services offered by the company “we deal mostly with patients with kidney failure, and we provide dialysis services for patients,” “The tour bus is a once-a-year event” Avalos said. “This is a totally free service and not intended to bring business into our clinics, but it is to serve the community” she added. DaVita maintains many full-service dialysis clinics all over Southern California. “This program is designed to offer kidney awareness to the community”, Avalos added. The tour bus is in action from September through November each year. “It’s a full nationwide tour, the tour started in Colorado then heads to California and proceeds from Georgia to Michigan and the tour will end around the week of Thanksgiving.”

Both Avalos and Ramos are part of the local team in California and volunteer to cover the tour in the local area. Avalos is the regional operations director for Ventura County and Ramos manages a Davita clinic in Moorpark. The bus can service around thirty residents a day, but numbers differ depending on the community they are in. “The biggest point to make is we are trying to spread awareness to our community members. So that they know what kidney disease is and that they take the steps that are needed to try and preserve their kidney function,” she stated. Avalos also said “We are trying to do our best to spread awareness within the community.

Closure of five blocks of historic downtown

Main Street Moves has been extended to July 2024.

In May of 2020, city staff, in partnership with the Downtown Ventura Partners, presented a proposal to City Council to allow for a temporary, 30-day closure of five blocks of historic downtown Main Street to vehicular traffic to allow for outdoor dining and shopping in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pilot project was a resounding success and provided a financial lifeline to many Ventura businesses.

Through a series of Council actions, Main Street Moves has been extended to July 2024. During this two-year period, various studies will be completed to determine the feasibility of a permanent, 24/7 street closure (Pedestrian Mall). Periodic updates to the community and Council will be forthcoming as studies are completed.

October 16, 2023 – City Council provided staff direction for the next steps with Main Street Moves, including continuing with the full closure while the environmental studies are complete, finalizing the parklet design guidelines, and creating a mechanism to transition the program liability from the Downtown Ventura Organization (DVO) to the City. Staff Report (PDF)

June 26, 2023 – City Council waives a second reading and adopts the Ordinance of the City Council of the City of San Buenaventura, amending Chapter 16.350 of the Municipal Code to provide regulations prohibiting the use of bicycles, electric bicycles, and other vehicles within Main Street Moves, and adding limitations on the use of any such vehicle on public rights-of-way and within shopping centers. Staff Report (PDF)

The work appears to be progressing as planned

42” diameter pipe was pulled under the Ventura Harbor.

by Patricia Schallert

On November 4th, the 42” diameter 1,450 foot long black pipe that was stretched down Anchors Way was pulled under the Ventura Harbor from Anchors Way to Marina Park. The 42” casing pipe below the Harbor, and the 20” outfall pipe below the ocean, are being constructed by Horizontal Directional drilling (HDD). With the 42” casing pipe now pulled in, the HDD work below the Harbor is completed.

The next step is to insert 4 smaller pipes (called product pipes) inside of the 42” casing pipe. The smaller pipes include the 20” outfall pipe, 2 new 10” sewer force main pipes to replace the existing aging Pierpont Lift Station, and a new recycled water line to irrigate Marina Park.

The contractor’s plan is to assemble these pipes in Marina Park and pull them back to the Anchors Way side of the project. Originally those pipes were going to be stretched along Anchors Way just like the 42” pipe, but the contractor has found a way to perform the work from inside the soundwall at Marina Park to reduce the impact on Anchors Way. This work will be completed in the coming weeks.

The HDD work under the seafloor is still on-going. The initial pilot bore hole has reached more than 4,000 feet offshore and the tip has “poked” out on the seafloor in about 55 feet deep water. This occurred on Nov 8th. The work appears to be progressing as planned and the next step is to connect the pilot bore head to the barge which can be seen from the shoreline in Ventura. There will be drilling equipment on the barge to assist with the upcoming work to enlarge the bore hole by a reaming process.

The onshore segment of the work is expected to start soon as well. That work will be along Anchors Way to Schooner, then on Schooner Dr., and finally along Harbor Blvd to south of Spinnaker Dr. When all the work is completed the 20” outfall pipe will be connected from the City’s Water Reclamation Facility south of the Harbor to the end of the outfall pipe more than a mile offshore.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers

Assemblymember Steve Bennett presented with “Environmental Champion” award.

Ventura Land Trust (VLT) honored distinguished donors and volunteers at its annual Supporter Spotlight event on Friday, November 3rd. Ventura Land Trust supporters joined the VLT Board of Trustees and staff members for happy hour and dinner while celebrating the 2023 VLT accomplishments and community impact.

The Environmental Champion Award was presented to Assemblymember Steve Bennett, representing California’s 38th district. Early in his career, Assemblymember Bennett co-authored the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiatives that have made Ventura County a national leader in land-use planning. As a legislator, Bennett focuses on renewable energy, supporting children in the foster care system, and improving access to resources for farmworkers and Ventura’s homeless population. He has continually been a champion for environmental causes and shows his commitment by protecting open spaces and his work with VLT. In 2023, he focused on raising environmental awareness by securing funding for trail improvements in California Assembly Bill 411. With Assemblymember Bennett’s support, VLT received a grant of $7.2 million dollars that is being used to prepare Mariano Rancho for opening to the public, as well as other capital needs at Harmon Canyon Preserve.

VLT also honors Heidi and Mike Whitcomb for their significant contributions towards the 20th Anniversary Gala held on October 14th 2023. Heidi and Mike chaired the gala committee and were pivotal in the planning, design, and execution of an event that pushed VLT’s boundaries in terms of sophistication and scope

Recognition was also provided for volunteer Michael Connolly. Volunteering as a VLT docent at Harmon Canyon Preserve (HCP) since December 2021, Michael has dedicated over 550 hours of service to VLT,

consistently going above and beyond his docent role by actively participating in VLT events.

“As a community-based organization, VLT is only able to accomplish the work we do thanks to the unwavering support of our volunteers, donors, and community members at large,” said VLT Executive Director Melissa Baffa. “We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of Michael Connolly and the Whitcombs – their volunteerism and broad support have made a huge difference at VLT. And where to start with Assemblymember Bennett? His decades of activism and leadership in the environmental arena have helped to preserve the quality of life for residents of Ventura County and surrounding regions. The funding he helped to secure for VLT is a game changer, allowing us to get a tremendous amount of work done in a short time and to open the 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho preserve to the public much sooner than we would have otherwise. It’s not just a gift to VLT – it’s a gift to the community and the native plants and animals that call this area home.”

VLT staff and board members expressed their gratitude for the dedication of all of the organization’s passionate volunteers and generous donors for supporting Ventura Land Trust, as well as Topa Topa Brewing Company, Ventura Spirits, and Himalaya for sponsoring the special event. Those interested in learning more about volunteering, donating, or becoming a member should visit the VLT website at venturalandtrust.org

Ventura Land Trust · 3451 Foothill Rd, Suite 201,