Dredging at Harbor will remove almost a million cubic yards of dirt. Photo by George Robertson.
The government FY16 Work Plan has been released and Ventura Harbor received an additional $2.5 million for the dredging of the Harbor federal entrance channel. This brings the total available money for dredging this winter to $7.3 million, which will enable the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge about 850,000 cubic yards of sand. This will put the Harbor in great shape again so boats can safely navigate the Harbor entrance. Storms and strong ocean currents could delay the dredging, though this is not expected to occur.
Harbor merchants and commercial fishing vessels have been hurt financially by the closing of the Harbor entrance and pleasure boats have been inconvenienced.
The Ventura Harbor Patrol has been escorting some essential boats in and out of the Harbor, and some pleasure boats that shouldn’t have been sailing out of the Harbor have been escorted back in by the Patrol.
The Harbor entrance became un-passable when a large amount of sand blocked its entrance due to large swells. It was closed on January 22 as a result.
A network of pipes will carry the removed sand to some local beaches which were eroded by the same winter storms that closed the Harbor.
Bridge to link promenade to downtown.
The City of Ventura’s California Street Bridge Pedestrian Project will begin construction this month. Enhancements include new lighting, decorative railings and sidewalk treatments which will create a safer environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists crossing the bridge and will help visually distinguish the California Street off-ramp as the entry to our historic downtown.
It will also make walking across to the promenade much safer and people friendly.
“This project connects two of Ventura’s greatest assets and economic drivers, our Historic Downtown and the Pacific Ocean. Creating a more walkable environment encourages pedestrians to explore Downtown and patronize businesses,” said Mayor Erik Nasarenko.
Construction is expected to be completed in August. Access may be restricted during construction work; detours will help guide pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists safely across the California Street Bridge through the project area. This project will require occasional northbound and/or southbound Hwy 101 night closures at the California Street Bridge; detours will route motorists around the construction. Every effort has been made by the construction company to make the work safe and efficient. There are numerous safety procedures and products being used, such as an modular aluminium trench box, to ensure that the utility workers are kept safe.
“Tens of thousands of people cross this highly visible pedestrian path between downtown and the beachfront every year,” said Kevin Clerici, director of the Downtown Ventura Partners business improvement district. “The taller railing, overhead lighting and art elements will go a long way to improve and beautify what is now a pretty inelegant walkway. We are grateful to see these long-awaited improvements completed.”
On Feb. 5, the Community Memorial Auxiliary held their annual awards lunch at the 4 Four Points Sheraton. At that meeting, Sandy Frandsen, Auxiliary President, and Norma Taylor, Treasurer, presented CMH President Gary Wilde a donation from the CMH Auxiliary for $125,000 to be used by the building fund.
Founded on a tradition of service, the CMH Auxiliary is an organization whose mission is to augment the programs and services of Community Memorial Hospital, a not-for-profit facility.
Auxiliary volunteers are men, women and students, from varied backgrounds, who share a common interest in helping others and providing comfort and assistance to patients and their families.
Auxiliary members donate their time and talents to many areas of the hospital. Their contributions, far-reaching and diverse, are vital for the efficient care of patients and guests. All auxiliary members commit to at least a year of service.
Profits from the gift shop, sales of souvenir birth certificates, and special events such as the book sale and fine jewelry sale, add to their annual monetary gift presented to the hospital.
New members receive individual training and complete a three-month probationary period.
The Board of the Ventura Music Festival has announced the appointment of Susan Scott as Executive Director. Scott served as consultant to the Festival last year and is well known to the arts and general nonprofit communities in Ventura County. Among her other accomplishments, Scott directed the three-year ArtsLIVE project of the Ventura County Community Foundation, served as Managing Director of Theater 150 in Ojai, and was founding Executive Director of the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura which is celebrating its ten year anniversary.
New West Symphony music director Marcelo Lehninger will lead the orchestra in a Masterpiece Series concert featuring the music of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Cellist Andrew Janss returns to the orchestra to perform Franz Joseph Haydn’s Concerto No. 1 in C Major for Cello & Orchestra. The program also includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to Il re pastore, K. 208 and the Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Opus 60 of Ludwig van Beethoven. Mr. Janss last appeared with the Orchestra during the 2011/2012 season.
The first performance will take place on Friday, February 26, 2016 at 8:00 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center located at 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard. The program will be repeated on *Saturday, February 27 at 4:00 and 8:00 pm at the Performing Arts Education Center on the campus of Agoura High School, located at 28545 W Driver Avenue in Agoura Hills and on Sunday, February 28, 2016 at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica located at 600 Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica.
Tickets priced from $29 to $102 are available by phone, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday at 1-866-776-8400. Tickets are also available in person at the New West Symphony office, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday and through the Symphony web site at newwestsymphony.org, 24/7. Tickets are also available at the respective concert hall box offices.
Come enjoy a little wine, a little cheese, a little chocolate,
And do a whole lot of good….
It’s an Ask Event benefiting Step Up Ventura
Take this opportunity to learn about an exciting new organization that provides homeless children and their families with much needed preschool and child care.
This is a fundraising event and your support is appreciated at any level you choose It’s being held on Friday, February 19th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at 499 Arnett Ave in Ventura.
On Feb. 9 Ventura City Fire Personnel responded to a reported vehicle into a building in the 300 block of Ferro Dr. The first arriving engine company found a mini-van that had left a hillside roadway, collided with exterior portions of a residence and a concrete pillar, coming to rest with the front left portion of the vehicle hanging over a steep embankment with other residences below, damaged electrical wires tangled in the undercarriage. A total of 5 victims were located and quickly triaged, three of which were children, one with facial trauma and one still inside the vehicle with a femur fracture. Utilities were controlled, the vehicle was stabilized and secured by the arriving truck company using heavy rescue rigging equipment. The severely injured child was stabilized and successfully extricated from the vehicle, all 5 patients were then transported to local area hospitals, requiring the use of 3 total ambulances.
A vagrant encampment fire that started in a confined space below the Union Pacific Train Trestle Sunday afternoon extended approximately 40 feet and significantly damaged a portion of the rail line on the bridge. Firefighters requested Union Pacific to stop all rail activities in order to make access to bridge. Ventura Police assisted by placing spotters up and down the rail line to warn firefighters if any trains were to about to cross the bridge.
Ventura Police located a subject, Joseph Duran (37 years-old), nearby who had been seen fleeing from the scene of the fire. Upon further investigation, it was learned that Duran is a vagrant who had set up camp in the river bottom. He lit an illegal warming fire that quickly got out of control when the winds picked up.
The fire severely damaged nearly 20 wooden supports and engulfed an area under the trestle. The fire was deeply seated in the creosote lumber and was extinguished within 80 minutes. Union Pacific representatives estimate that structural damage would exceed $10,000– and fiber optic communications lines, housed in the under portion of the bridge, were being evaluated for damage. At the time of this press release it is unknown the extent of damages of the communication network and if train activity could safely resume, engineers are currently assessing the damage.
A makeshift living area in the catwalk under the bridge was consumed by fire. Union Pacific Rail officials had contacted the occupant numerous times over the past few months but had failed attempts to permanently remove the individual who eventually started this fire. Joseph Duran was arrested and booked at the Ventura County Jail for 452(c) PC – recklessly starting a fire.
City of Ventura residents are encouraged to apply for a vacancy on the Planning Commission that advises the City Council on issues related to planning, development, and beautification of the City. The special recruitment process is now open and applications are available online at www.cityofventura.net/involved/advisory or from the City Clerk’s Office, Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli Street, Room 204. The application deadline is 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 8.
Qualified applicants will undergo interviews with the City Council Appointments Recommendation Committee in February. The recommended appointee will be considered by the City Council and confirmed in late February. Volunteers must be willing to serve a four-year term.
Applications may be submitted by e-mail to [email protected], by fax to the City Clerk’s Office at 641-1046, by mail to the City Clerk’s Office P.O. Box 99, Ventura, CA 93002, or hand-delivered to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall.
For more information call the City Clerk’s Office at 658-4787.
