Category Archives: This ‘n’ That

The DRC

The purpose of the Design Review Committee (DRC) is to review, consider approve or deny applications for approval of design of architectural, landscaping, aesthetics for public and private projects, applications for sign variances, and proposed design elements or components of specific plans, historic districts, or other special areas.

DRC is now a recommending body only, meaning they only provide comments and a recommendation to Planning Commission which is the final decision making body for larger projects requiring design review. DRC members do not need to agree on all recommendations, but they try to organize their comments and recommendations based on whether a majority of the board agrees. Ultimately, they pass motions which include comments and/or requests for revisions that are passed along to Planning Commission to deliberate and act on.  Many minor projects are reviewed and receive design approval at the Director’s level.

They serve 4-year terms.

Committee Members
Albert Antelman, Chair
William Growdon, Vice Chair
Anthony Tomasello
Jack Kiesel, Member
Curtis Cormane, Member

William A. Growdon is a licensed architect with more than 30 years of experience in architecture, design, and building (with hands-on experience in every construction trade). ​

​William has designed and directed hundreds of projects from conception to fruition — from new homes and remodels to mixed-use and commercial buildings (offices, retail shops, studios, and restaurants) to city planning and architectonic designs and fabrication.

Having served as a member of the local Planning Commission, William has an in-depth understanding of policies and processes and knows how to successfully navigate related challenges and create new opportunities. During his time serving with the City of San Buenaventura Planning Commission, William participated in creating and writing the City General Plan, the downtown-specific plan form-based code adopted by the city.

A California native, William was born in San Diego, raised in Manhattan Beach, and has spent most of his life in the beach towns along the Southern California coast. When he’s not working or traveling, William enjoys a simple beach town life with his family – surfing, camping, hiking and coaching his daughters’ soccer teams.

Anthony C. Tomasello received a Bachelors in Environmental science and economics from UC Santa Cruz, and a Masters in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development from USC. His professional background is in land development and entitlements, urban design, and construction management.

The New School of Architecture    Bachelor of Architecture Degree (1989)
​Registered California Architect
Member American Institute of Architects (AIA)
City of Ventura
Planning Commission (2003-2005)
​ Public Art Commission (2015-2020)

Albert Antelman, RA has spent 46 years as an architect, facility management researcher, business executive, government official and private consultant.  Since 2010, he has been a Senior Fellow with the Institute of Responsible Infrastructure Stewardship, Fairfax Station, VA. The Institute is a not-for-profit “think tank” that conducts research and promotes responsible stewardship of existing infrastructure assets as a way to safeguard public safety and limit service impairment caused by failure of aging infrastructure.

Prior to retiring from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in 2010, he was the principal investigator for facilities management and sustainment issues at the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme, California. He is a Registered Architect in the State of California, and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s of science in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA.

Jack Kiesel is an award winning landscape architect who has over 25 years of experience in landscape architecture, native plant restoration & enhancement, urban renewal, art and planning. His project list is extensive and includes many successful collaborations involving master planning of parks and civic spaces, plazas, open space enhancement, campus master planning, resorts and residential design.

Jack Kiesel’s work has been featured in Dwell, Green Magazine, Apartment Therapy, Central Coast Magazine and other publications.

Curtis Cormane has a B Arch from the University of Notre Dame.
He has been an instructor of architecture at Ventura College since 1996.

Ventura County Fusion defeat Long Island Rough Riders to win USL League 2 National Final 

Spectacular second-half goals gave the Ventura County Fusion their victory.

Spectacular second-half goals by Nathaniel Opoku and Marley Edwards gave the Ventura County Fusion a 2-1 victory Saturday night over the Long Island Rough Riders in the USL League Two national championship game in front of a packed house at Ventura College Stadium. It was the Fusion’s second national championship, the other coming in 2009.

The Fusion entered the 32-team tournament as the 5th seed in the Western Conference, after finishing second in the Southwest Division with an 8-2-2 record. The team, however, entered the title game having won eight straight games dating back to July 1. In the playoffs, the Fusion took out some of the best teams in the country including the Flatirons Rush, Southern California Seahorses,  Ballard FC and Flint City Bucks.  The Rough Riders, featuring east coast college players, advanced to the title game after winning the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-1-2.

After a scoreless first half, the Rough Riders tallied the first goal of the game at the 54-minute mark in the second. After dispossessing Fusion midfielder Bastien Oberli just past midfield, Justin Weiss took a through ball from Roc Carles Puig and slammed it past Fusion goal Tetsuya Kadono to give the Roughriders a 1-0 lead.

The lead did not last long. Five minutes later 16-year-old Fusion academy product Sergio Villapando drove down the right side of the field to the touchline before dumping a pass to Opoku directly to the right of the goal.  Opoku, with his back to goal, controlled the pass and floated a deftly weighted bicycle kick over goalie Wessel Speel’s head and into the Roughrider goal.

Marley Edwards doubled the Fusion lead in the 83d minute, firing a screamer into the bottom corner of the net to give the Fusion the lead and ultimately the championship.

“This has been a great journey,” said Fusion head coach Mike Elias after the game. “We shared it with a great group of boys, and this is the ultimate. I said to them the first day that we were in the training room that I wanted to win everything this year. Guess what, we won everything this year.  It’s absolutely superb. They surprised me, they stepped up to the challenge and they are just a fantastic group of boys.”

More at the Fair than Rides and Food – Keeping things Hyper Local

San Buenaventura Women’s Club members Shirley Lorraine (wearing a Breeze visor of curse), Anita Hensley and Janet Flickinger at their fair booth. The Disabled American Veterans of Ventura County has a plethora of information available to help veterans.

by Shirley Lorraine

Many changes have taken place as Fair management copes with the losses incurred from no fair for the last two years. This year involvement is light and there seems to be fewer entries, vendors and familiar touches overall. Nonetheless, it is good to be back at the Country Fair with Ocean Air.

Along the Garden Street entry, there are a series of tents. These tents contain volunteers from non-profit groups eager to catch people’s interest and disseminate information about their objectives and offerings.

Edward and Laura Balderas were the
first in line to enter the Fair. Photo by
Patricia Schallert.

This year, fairgoers are enthusiastically greeted by volunteers in bright blue shirts from the San Buenaventura Women’s Club. Members provide information to educate and entice interest in the philanthropic and social club that raises funds to give back to the community annually. The club offers a variety of social activities, including an evening section for those who are unable to attend day meetings The club supports arts and music programs in the high schools, law enforcement canines, provides veterans support and serves other local needs such as advocacy for children, domestic violence awareness and much more, for over 90 years. Ventura County also has Federated Women’s Clubs in Ojai, Oak View, Somis, Moorpark and Simi Valley. Anyone over 18 can join.

Across the way, there is a booth distributing information on N.A. – Narcotics Anonymous. Valuable information is available without charge. This year, for the first time, materials are available in both English and Spanish. Additional information can be found at naventuraCounty.com, or 1-888-817-7425.

Disabled American Veterans of Ventura County, a volunteer run organization, has a plethora of information available to help veterans and their families navigate the quagmire of paperwork needed to explore and gain benefits. Their national website is DAV.org. Search for the Ventura County chapter for information about local resources. Volunteers will chat, answer questions and gladly show memorabilia.

Offering a safe, calm and spiritually renewing experience is the Calvary Chapel of Ojai. They are featuring Prayer at the Fair, opportunities to share prayers with those who need some help from above for themselves or others. Pastor Dan Nelson is the coordinator for the effort, inviting all of similar faith to participate. There is no charge. Periodic prayer circles are offered as well. More information can be located at www.calgaryojai.org.

Also on scene is a booth for S.T.E.S.A., which stands for Service, Therapy & Emotional Support Animals. This organization provides advocacy and resources within Ventura County for those who need such animals. Founded by Pastor Nelson, this chapter is free to join while at the Fair, and free to renew annually. Services are currently within Ventura County only. This organization works closely with county and state level partners to maintain up to date resources and information. Their website, STESA.org, is currently being updated to include interactive capabilities.

The Garden Street entrance is across the way from Floriculture, and just before the livestock area. Come and visit.

Person To Person

Community Memorial Hospital’s CCU/ICU Nurse’s Reunion
by Jennifer Tipton

On Saturday, July 30th a group of old CMH nurses (not that any of us are old) gathered at the very lovely home of one of our own, Andrea Ricketts. Many hadn’t seen each other for years, so it was indeed a celebration! I am honored to have worked with these outstanding nurses, and when asked to share the event with the Ventura Breeze readers, I thought—let’s do it Person to Person style!

I asked six of the best CCU/ICU nurses:
“What’s your fondest memory of working in the unit at CMH?”

Andrea Ricketts
1986-2002 / returning 2008-present
“Caring for a young woman with Guillain-Barre syndrome; the young woman was the mother of two and ended up needing a ventilator to breathe. Because she couldn’t move her extremities, I laid the babies on their mother’s chest and picked up her arms to wrap around them. There were tears coming down her face and I knew how much it meant to her to hold them.”
(Author’s note: Guillain-Barre is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder with a rapid-onset of muscle weakness. It damages the peripheral nervous system, beginning in the extremities and progresses until it eventually affects the patient’s ability to breathe.)

Sonia Rieder
1996-present
“My favorite memory is when I met and married Randy, a physical therapist. He was working with my patient in ICU bed 8 and the patient had multiple IV lines. He asked me to help because he didn’t want to mess up my lines. Most PTs just go in and mess up everybody’s lines, but he was so thoughtful!”

Shirley Barela
1980-present (Forty-two years in the unit and still going!)
“Taking care of a young guy with a heart valve repair. The surgery started at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t end until midnight. He was on a ventricular assist device when I got him at midnight, it was 1982. I found out later that he died in that same room after his last surgery. He was waiting for a heart transplant.”

Merci Buhain
1982-2018
“Taking care of a patient that was over 400 pounds in ICU bed 7 (you know-the one that’s haunted). I had to use a footstool to stand on and needed help turning him. He was also on isolation, so we had to gown up every time we went in the room. I had him two nights in a row for continuity of care, and I remember crying at the end of my shift both times. He recovered and got discharged.”
(Author’s note: Didn’t I say fondest memory? But hey, at least this one retired and now happily takes care of her grandkids!)

Carolyn Estrada
1977-2008
“My favorite memory is when the nightshift nurses advocated for a twenty-five-year-old woman with cardiomyopathy. Her heart was so weak that the physicians said there was nothing they could do—she was done. But the nurses said no! We’ve got to save her! Because the nurses insisted, they put her on a ventricular assist device and sent her to UCLA. She came back several months later and said that she didn’t remember any of us, but thanked us for saving her life. She had fully recovered without needing a heart transplant. Even the physician had tears in his eyes. I am so thankful to have worked with so many nurses that truly cared about their patients, it can be a life changing event.”

Sue Kulpaca
1986-2005 / returning 2017-present
“I cared for the first HIV patient we had. He was in ICU bed 6 and because the rooms for bed 6 and bed 7 were connected, we used the room for bed 7 to change. We had to gown up for the HIV isolation room, with shoe covers and the whole bit. I took care of him every time I was on because no one wanted to. The curtain to the room was always wide open and it was like a fishbowl. When the patient’s partner came to visit, they had no privacy, so I finally closed the curtain to let them have some time together. Tearful. Close to my heart with a gay brother. So sad the way we treat some…”

I had a similar experience. In those days we knew so little about HIV/AIDS that many of us were frightened by it. You can read about it in my upcoming book:

“Off The Chart – A Nurse’s Journey of Heart and Humor.”

NAWBO celebrating members

Seana-Marie Sesma

The Ventura County Chapter of The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-VC) is celebrating Seana-Marie Sesma, founder of Your PR Girls and Mary Jane Services Network, who was recently named the 2022 California Woman Business Owner of the Year by NAWBO California (NAWBO-CA) at its annual Propel conference in Sacramento.

“NAWBO California’s annual women business owner of the year award recognizes a woman business owner who has demonstrated excellent leadership skills and business acumen,” says Amber Wallace, NAWBO-CA Immediate Past President. “It is an honor to recognize Seana-Marie Sesma for this award. Through multiple businesses and extensive community involvement, Seana-Marie is an accomplished entrepreneur and community leader. She is an inspiration to our NAWBO community.”

This year’s Woman Business Owner of the Year, Seana-Marie Sesma recognized a need in 2017 within the newly legalized cannabis industry and founded Mary Jane Services Network to support cannabis businesses in achieving and maintaining local and state licensure. Processes for applying for commercial licenses are arduous and complex. Mary Jane Services Network offers critical business resources and support to manage local and state application processes for all license types, and for maintaining compliance to ensure annual renewals. To date, every single Mary Jane Services Network client has achieved their local and state licenses and renewals.

As for her other business, Sesma founded Your PR Girls with her mother, Juanita over 24 years ago. Your PR Girls specializes in eco-friendly promotional products and marketing services for corporations and nonprofits throughout the United States. A consummate volunteer, Sesma is known for creating unique events, including a playful art installation immersive experience at Santa Paula Art Museum.

The Ventura County chapter has had two other members recognized with this award in the past six years – land use expert Dawn Dyer of Dyer Sheehan Group won in 2018 and Karen Bain and Lisa Kudirka founders of Shave It, a shave ice retailer were recognized in 2015.

“Together as leaders in business, it is imperative that we take a stand for what is right and supportive for all women,” commented Sesma. She has also won Green Business Awards from Ventura Chamber and City of Ventura.

NAWBO also installed new member to National Board of Directors

Dr. Janis Shinkawa

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) installed Dr. Janis Shinkawa Co- founder and Medical Director of Ohana Pet Hospital and member of the NAWBO Ventura County chapter to the 2022- 2023 National Board of Directors. The NAWBO National Board is a group of women from across America who support NAWBO’s mission to empower women entrepreneurs, regardless of race, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. To help women reach spheres of power and grow their businesses.

Chamber Ribbon Cutting at Crown Classic Museum

Photos by Michael Gordon

The new Crown Classic Museum held a Chamber Ribbon Cutting. Antique and restored automobiles from all over the Ventura area showed up to fill the parking lot of the former Toys Are Us.  The remodel store, located at 2975 Johnson Drive, was filled with several dozens of restored automobiles from the 1900s through the early 2000s.

 

The Bells of San Buenaventura

by Richard Senate

All of the missions have bells. They were important   for the spiritual community of the settlement. Some were big deep bells that were rang for sad events such as funerals or defeats in battle. Their were  also  smaller bells that were rang for happy events such as weddings and victories. The bell ringer was an important man and put together a number of cycles of ringing that gave information. If someone was spotted coming to the mission from the bell tower the bells were rang.

Was it a party of soldiers? A visiting padre? or an important person such as the governor” each one had a special ring that would give information to all who were working that day.  The bell ringer was an important man and his skills were passed down from father to son (or daughter).

Originally the Bells at Mission San Buenaventura were hung on rawhide thongs. Today they are held by  steel mountings. Today she has seven historic bells and five were cast with names of saints as well as dates. They are:  1) San Pedro Alcantara , cast in 1781, 2) Ave Maria y Joseph, 3) San Francisco, cast in 1781, 4) Maria Purysyma Maria D. Sapopan, cast 1825, and Pius XII Pont. Max, cast in 1956.  Tradition says that two of the bells were originally from the Mission Santa Barbara, borrowed when the bells intended for San Buenaventura were lost at sea. The bells were never returned and the story is told that each year the padre at Santa Barbara sends a letter, asking for their return, to which the padre of Mission San Buenaventura thanks them for the loan and informs them they will keep them another year!

Twice each day a bell is rang at the Mission–this clear sound isn’t from one of the older bells, it is a bell from an old railroad steam engine, donated in 1951 for this purpose.  On some special days, members of the parish make the long clime up to the bell tower and, with short ropes, ring all of the bells, this happened in 1976 when the Church received a special dedication as a basilica.  It is a glorious sound. Once the upper elements held three wooden bells, their exact purpose is unknown, but many speculate they were simply place holders for bells that never arrived. One didn’t survive, but fragments  of the other two can be viewed in the Mission Museum.  They were carved from ebony wood, but who fashioned them is unknown. It is known that the Chumash People were excellent carvers and it is highly possible they were created locally, even if the wood had to be imported. President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Mission in the early 20th Century and learning of the mysterious wooden bells wanted them sent to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. They were taken down from the tower but, in a change of heart, Ventura refused to part with them.

VUSD in the news

After a competitive sear​ch, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education has voted to hire Dr. Greg Bayless as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. Dr. Bayless began his new role on August 1, 2022. Dr. Bayless will replace Dr. Antonio Castro, who was recently named incoming VUSD Superintendent after Dr. Roger Rice announced his retirement.

In this new role, Dr. Bayless will oversee departments such as; Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Programs, Multilingual & Multicultural Education, Special Education, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, Student Support Services, and Health Services and Prevention Programs.

Dr. Bayless has over twenty-five years of educational experience with the Ojai and Ventura Unified School Districts. He has recently served as the Executive Director of Educational Services at Ventura Unified. Before that, he served as VUSD’s Director of Secondary Education since 2017. He also stepped in as Interim Co-Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services during the 2020-21 school year.

Dr. Bayless’s extensive experience in Educational Services Administration will serve him well as he successfully leads this team. In addition, he has served as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction and as Principal at Nordhoff High School in Ojai. He also served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction for the Ojai Unified School District before joining VUSD. Dr. Bayless’ strengths lie in his ability to build trust with families and partnering and supporting teachers and staff, serving as a conduit when needed between the sites and the district offices.

The Lions Club International Ventura Downtown Chapter will donate a Welch Allyn SPOT Vision Screener to Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at the Ventura Poinsettia Pavilion. This generous donation will give VUSD’s School Nurses a critical state-of-the-art vision screening tool that will screen students who are unable to be screened with traditional vision screening techniques. The SPOT Vision Screener is a handheld device that gives a digital reading within five seconds. VUSD’s youngest and most vulnerable students will benefit from early vision detection, which research shows are critical for children and their learning process. This donation is especially beneficial for younger children with limited verbal abilities and/or a language barrier.

“The Ventura Unified School District is beyond thankful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for the priceless donation of a Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener. When it comes to vision screenings, we need an equitable and accessible solution for our students with disabilities who struggle to conform to traditional vision screening within the educational setting to ensure that vision loss will not go undetected. With this generous donation, all of our children will now receive the timely vision services they need, eliminating the increased risk of impacting their cognitive, emotional, neurological, and physical development. VUSD is truly grateful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for partnering with us and helping to level the playing field for all of our learners,” stated Neil Virani, VUSD’s Executive Director of Special Education and Pupil Services.

Contact Ann Marie Bidlingmaier, R.N., VUSD’s Health Services & Prevention Programs Coordinator, at [email protected] or 805-641-5000 extension 1136 for more information.

New developments being proposed, approved or under construction in Ventura

Scandia Village (PROJ 12721) Location: 1010 Cachuma (District 5)
Description: 30 attached 2-story single-family homes on a 2.1 acre site
Status: Awaiting Resubmittal
Hearing Info:
Design Review Committee TBD
Planning Commission TBD
City Council TBD
City Contact: Shaveta Sharma, Contract Planner [email protected]

North Ventura Apartments (PROJ 11713)
Location: 2110 North Ventura Avenue (District 1)
Description: New 3-story, 29 unit apartment building with 6 affordable units on a 37,500 square-foot site.
Status: Approved
City Contact: Jared Rosengren, Senior Planner [email protected]

Palma Industrial Building (PROJ-14893)
Location: Vacant Lot on Palma Drive (District 7)
Description: A new 29,832 square foot industrial building on a 1.05 acre site.
Status: Approved
City Contact: Jared Rosengren, Senior Planner [email protected]