2686 Kitchen recently held their Ventura Chamber ribbon cutting. Located at 2686 Loma Vista Rd. it is a new place to sit and enjoy a meal, or make a quick stop to pick up lunch or dinner. Their menu features hearty salads, sandwiches, and appetizers. Park right in front to pick up your meal for yourself, the office, coworkers and more. 805-643-7444
Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP (FCOP) has welcomed Joyce Wallach to the firm as attorney of counsel. Wallach brings more than 30 years’ experience specializing in business and corporate law. She will work out of the Ventura office location.
“We are excited to have Joyce join the FCOP family,” said FCOP Managing Partner Mike Velthoen. “Her expertise in contract negotiations and business transactions will add depth to our comprehensive business law practice areas.”
Wallach graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in history and went on to earn her law degree at U.C. Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. An experienced corporate/securities/business attorney, she began her career as an associate at Sidley Austin, one of the largest law firms in the world. She later went in-house as general counsel to a Nasdaq-traded corporation. Wallach has also served as in-house counsel to the California State Legislature. Her experience includes an assembly fellowship and legislative aide position to then-Assemblyman Gray Davis.
For more information, visit www.fcoplaw.com.
The award is bestowed annually upon one outstanding woman-owned, California-based business.
This past April, in Sacramento the National Association of Women Business Owners, California (NAWBO-CA) named Dawn Dyer of Dyer Sheehan Group as its 2018 California Woman Business Owner of the Year. Just a few days prior, Dyer received NAWBO Ventura County’s (NAWBO VC) local Woman Business Owner of the Year award during the organization’s annual BRAVO luncheon.
The California award is bestowed annually upon one outstanding woman-owned, California-based business in recognition of excellent leadership and business acumen, which makes the honoree an inspirational role model to other women business owners throughout the state. The California Woman Business Owner of the Year award is quite an honor considering that NAWBO-CA represents the issues and interests of more than 1.3 million women business owners in California.
“Dawn believes in building strong relationships with women business owners that are based on mutual respect, mentoring and professional support,” said Elaine Hollifield, NAWBO VC President. “She is a wonderful role model for our chapter and our state.” Dyer is in the running for the 2018 NAWBO National Women Business Owner of the Year award being presented in September in Spokane, Washington.
Dawn Dyer has over 30 years’ experience as a land use expert, market analyst, and real estate consultant to public agencies, major corporations and private investors throughout Southern California. Dyer is the founder of the Ventura County Housing Trust Fund, a 501c3 multi-million dollar revolving loan fund that addresses affordable housing needs of the Homeless, Veterans, Farmworkers and Emancipated Foster Youth. As a California Delegate to Drexel University’s Vision 2020, Dawn is excited about working on the Centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
“I believe in the inherent value of real estate, and the importance of good land use planning. I am passionate about the critical role of housing stability to the health of communities, and I love helping create quality homes for families, our workforce, and those in need.”
The local Ventura County chapter of NAWBO is committed to strengthening the wealth creating capacity of its members while promoting economic development within the entrepreneurial Ventura County community. Additionally the local chapter focuses on creating innovative and effective change in the business culture, building strategic alliances and transforming public policy for the benefit of its members. Membership is open to women sole proprietors, partners and corporate owners as well as those businesses that support women owned businesses. Learn more: www.nawbovc.org.
Waypoint Ventura is a new vintage trailer hotel and RV park located at the end of Ash over the railroad tracks with views of the ocean and pier. They had their official Chamber ribbon cutting on June 12. It consists of completely remodeled 1940’s-1970’s vintage aluminum trailers (like Airstream) with a private deck. There are also sites for guests to bring their own vintage/retro trailers.
Photos by Michael Gordon
Burgerim Gourmet Burgers recently held their grand opening Chamber ribbon cutting in Downtown. Burgerim is a rapidly expanding burger franchise with 160 locations around the world.
440 E Main Street 805-667-8910
Photos by Michael Gordon
If you haven’t been to A Smart Garden nursery yet, you are missing out. This hidden gem is located near the Mission in Downtown Ventura, just 50 yards south of Main Street at 33 S. Palm. Owner Cari Vega has curated a garden center for the 21st century, where chemical treatments are a thing of the past and organics are simply common sense, not a newfangled fad. To that end, the nursery’s soils, fertilizers, sprays, seeds and vegetable starts are organic only.
The store is located in a cavernous brick building dating back to the 1890’s with huge windows, high ceilings with exposed wood beams and big skylights. It exudes a palpable charm that customers regularly comment on, and houses the nursery’s selection of houseplants, pottery, gardening tools, decorative items and a splash of antiques. It also doubles as the garden center’s classroom.
Since opening just over a year ago, A Smart Garden has hosted an impressive 32 gardening classes and workshops in the main building. In addition to teaching many of the classes herself—including the popular succulent wreath workshop–Vega regularly recruits other local gardening experts to share their gardening expertise on topics including California native plants, beneficial insects, edible landscapes, greywater systems, drip irrigation and other environmentally-focused topics. “Classes have been a terrific way of meeting local residents and getting a feel for what’s important to them in gardening,” says Vega. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to both the classes and the overall mission of the nursery,”
The outdoor nursery is stocked with a wide selection of drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plants displayed in a beautiful courtyard setting. “We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to succeed in their gardening efforts without drawing excessively on our limited water supply, so we focus on carrying plants that will perform well in our area with minimal care and minimal water,” Vega says. That includes everything from trees to groundcovers and dozens of California native plants from local grower Nopalito Natives.
To help the community recover from the effects of the Thomas Fire, A Smart Garden has instituted a special discount for residents who are replacing items lost in the fire. “The fire impacted all of us, so if we can help each other get back to normal we are all stronger for it.” Vega continued, “Together we can have a tremendous positive impact on our local and global environments. We’re looking forward to a long and successful collaboration here in Ventura.”
A Smart Garden nursery owner Cari Vega’s 30-year career in horticulture has included floral design for film and television set decorating, interior landscaping, landscape design/consultation/maintenance, and teaching a wide range of gardening classes.
For more information, please contact Cari Vega at 667-8585.
by Richard Lieberman
Lynn Dralle originally from Bellingham, Washington has opened Lynn’s Consignment Shop, 1975 East Main St. With her mom and daughter working together the family has put together an impressive site. Specializing in antiques, collectables and a wide variety of consignment pieces.
Lynn a talented author has penned several instructional books about selling on eBay, some of the titles include “The 100 Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay”, “Money Making Madness”, The 3rd 100 Best Things I have Sold on eBay, and “The 4th Best Things I’ve Sold on eBay”.
Lynn’s saga begins with her late grandmother Cheryl Leaf who was running an antiques business from her home starting in 1950. “I learned about business and life from her” said Dralle. “I went to antique shows and sometimes even missed school.” added Dralle. Dralle has earned a BS in Business Administration from USC, and later earned an MBA from USC.
A first time visit to Ventura convinced her she found the right place to live and open her business. “I fell in love with Main Street, I knew this was right” she said. Clean, classy and well-priced this new Ventura business is a great addition to the midtown area. “ I am so happy I found this place.” She said.
The store opened on March 1st and has already exceed their monthly cash flow projections by 25%.
“My location at 1975 E. Main Street is the perfect place to start and may be all I need if I can turn my inventory as fast as I think I can”, Lynn added.
“Our marketing plan includes advertising in the Ventura Breeze, and word of mouth which is so important in a city like Ventura.”
We welcome Lynn and her family to Ventura. Stop by and see this beautifully arranged store, and browse some of Lynn’s treasures.
Ventura favorite Spencer Makenzie’s Fish Co. has opened their long-anticipated second location in Camarillo. The original is a beloved Ventura institution racking up national accolades from FiveThirtyEight, Business Insider, the Chive and Foursquare, amongst others, for their delicious, hand-crafted fish tacos, burritos, ‘sushi grade’ ahi tuna burgers, and more.
The new location is at 311 Carmen Drive, Camarillo. The new location features a large outdoor patio. Sporting the same beachy-themed decor of the original, but with more square-footage, the main dining room will feature a variety of seating arrangements.
Spencer Makenzie’s is also nationally famous for its annual End of Summer Block Party and “Throw Down” cornhole tournament.
Originally founded in 2007 by John Karayan and his wife Jennifer as a festival concession, the Karayan’s named their award-winning restaurant after two of their children – their son Spencer and their daughter Makenzie.
During that time, they perfected such signature dishes as Giant Fish Tacos, Clam Chowder, and Shrimp & Fish Ceviche and into unique recipes that provide a tastier, healthier and delicious alternative to typical “Fast Food”. Everything is made to order, they only use sushi grade fish, produce is purchased from local vendors and 100% of their famous sauces are homemade.
The original Spencer Makenzie’s Fish Co. is located at 806 East Thompson Blvd. The Camarillo location is at 311 Carmen Drive. For more information, please visit www.spencermakenzies.com.
by Richard Lieberman
The law firm of Benton, Orr, Duval & Buckingham has served Ventura since 1882. Moving to their current location at 39 North California Street in 1960 the firm has been in continuous service for many years. The firm in the 1950’s employed Erle Stanley Gardner attorney and prolific writer. He penned the well-known Perry Mason series of detective and attorney stories.
One long term attorney at the firm, Thomas E. Olson, has been at the firm since graduating from U.C. Davis in 1978. Occupying the same space since 1986 Olson said “you can tell I like change, 32 years in the same office” he stated.
Olson added, “the bulk of my practice consists of estate planning, probate, trust, and litigation. I have a good aptitude for numbers, so I know how to do accounting, there are a lot of attorneys I know that is an Achilles heel for them they don’t understand numbers really well.” “That is how my practice has grown through the years. Probate Court is the area I live in.”
“The firm since I started has always had a major litigation component.” The firm’s litigation department has for many years done work for Ventura City, County of Ventura, and various other entities. The firm has also done considerable amount of Pro-Bono work for various Ventura non-profits.
Since 1998 Olson has had responsibility as managing director handling the business side of the firm. Currently the firm has 7 attorneys working on various aspects of the business. Olson also reports his most interesting case goes back 60 years. “It’s a case where I got my best result ever” he said.” The case concerned real estate and probate over an extended period. Eventually winning the case and having property in question returned to a legal heir.
Here at the Breeze we celebrate and appreciate a firm with such a long term relationship of trust and reliability for the Ventura community.
(805)648-5111 www.bentonorr.com
Recently Ventura Chamber ribbon cuttings were held at the following businesses. Photos by Michael Gordon
The Vent: Human Performance Center , 4013 Main St. 995-9030.
Dena Rogers State Farm® Insurance Agent , 970 S. Petit Ave. 642-9715
Ventura Bike HUB , 490 N. Ventura Ave. 641-2665
Ambrosia by Caffrodite ,1987 E Main Street 628.9289
