Ventura has a new place to party and if Saturday night’s benefit is any indication, it’s got the potential for being a great spot.   The Ocean View Beach Club is a creation of Rob Houck Presents and that night was a benefit for Ventura County AIDS Partnership, Salvation Army Food Pantry and the VC Rainbow Alliance.  About 300 people dance, drank and enjoyed the view from the rooftop of the parking structure next to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at the waterfront.  Cigars & tequila bars, food and drink were all inclusive.  Make no mistake, the record setting heat of the day added to the warmth of the evening event, which included great views of the islands and a stunning sunset.

CMH, the hospital that had some PR challenges when Michael Bakst was their president, and which paid $1.5 million to settle allegations of improper payments during Bakst’s time (See this story from the Star, Dec. 2008  http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/dec/20/ventura-hospital-to-settle-over-gifts-loans-to/) has truly turned a new leaf in the past four years.  Current president Gary Wilde, and company has restored goodwill and forged positive relationships with local physicians and the community.  Now comes the heavy lifting.

The state of California  mandates that a new hospital be built to seismic safety standards by a 2013.  To the tune of $200 million.  The idea is to solidify a plan by 2009 and generate funds to complete the project on time.  http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/18/200-million-hospital-plan-for-ventura-introduced/.  And while they’re at it, other ideas are bubbling up to include the area immediately adjacent to the hospital footprint.

It was pretty exciting to walk into a room full of planners, architects and others, who have been working on this project as a weekly lunchtime endeavor.  These photos show a little of what the vision could be like.

   Westside Cellar, one of downtown Ventura’s best restaurants, has closed its doors.  After several years of serving fine food and excellent wine in a cozy environ, Jimmy Mesa and Jim Rice have called it quits. It is was my kind of place - great ambiance, food and friendly, upscale but not snooty service (full disclosure - my son worked there as a busboy one night a week).  How can a place that does so many things right end up this way?  Hopefully this sad story will have a happy ending…stay tuned.

  Kudos to Tim Hoover and his posse for kicking down a ton of money and energy to produce and deliver the Ultimate Boarder event in Ventura last weekend.  Here’s the plan:  A guy has an interesting and novel idea for an event, the will and know how to make it happen and it goes off without a hitch.

The snowboard, surf and skateboard triathelon brought out atheletes from all over the globe who did two of the events in Ventura.  It was a boost to the local economy, bringing some folks into town for the first time and hopefully will create enough synergy for the UB crew that it has a year II again in this area.

Thanks to all who helped pull this week of day and night events together. 

The conservancy has celebrated it’s fifth anniversary.  It’sa  testament to the fortitude and ability of a small clatch of people who share a vision of protecting a local natural resource.  Yes, it could be viewed as NIMBYism but what differs is that they have a plan of what to do with the land as an alternative to development.  I’ve lived a lot of places and visited multiples more.  Each time I drive from L.A. into Ventura and look upon the hill with two trees, it makes me pine for the wilderness which is begining to disappear here, there and elsewhere.  Don’t get me wrong - there’s trillions of acres of open space in this country, it’s just that many kids will not get the chance to experience it, let alone live adjacent to it.  And that’s a shame.

          For years, art and music programs have been on the decline throughout the U.S.  As school budgets shrink, cultural offerings for students are often the first to go, so that staples such as math, science and English can continue (we need more students proficient in the three R’s).  So it was heartening to see 100+ Ventura High School art students creating chalk art paintings last week on the lawn in front of the auditorium.  Paintings so good, most were sold for $30-$60 each, benefiting the school’s art department.  A few images to give the flavor are posted here…

   I first related the Southern Pacific’s tresle bridge with Ventura back in the 1970’s when I hitch-hiked up and down the coast like so many of that generation.  That bridge meant leaving behind Southern California for the Central Coast, leading to San Francisco.  For me, it didn’t mean Ventura, a city that had generally been unfamiliar to the masses who were busy going elsewhere.  Fast forward to the present, to a city in search of the polish that will attract visitors, residents and commerce.

The first and perhaps most notable detractor?  That damned bridge.  Well I’m starting to make some calls to see what can be done about it.  Paint, lighting, an image makeover?  We’ll see.

   The new $63 million Broome library opened last Friday at California State University Channel islands, also known as Cal State Sushi.  The building, a modern glass & steel edifice desgined by British architect Sir Norman Foster, is a departure from the Santa Barbara Spanish style architecture left over from the former Camarillo State Mental Hospital, orginally populated in 1932 and shuttered in 1997.  It is impressive to see how far and fast the new university has come in just eleven years.  And very promising for the future - we need another professorial brain trust and cache of educated young adults in Ventura County.

  This video looks legit and it shows an asian elephant painting a picture of an elephant.  Sourced to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  You be the judge.  watch?v=_LHoyB81LnE

  I can’t help but see the irony in this:  The local paper names a new publisher in September, just as the economy is going south, then the publisher decides to as well.  To be specific, he’s going on a cruise ship.  Yup, you can cruise the Sea of Crotez with George Cogswell III…’no flying’ it reads. “Only 1,266 passengers” it advertises.  Call me crazy, but that still sounds like a lot of folks.    Most certainly a legitimate business expense for the paper; just doing research to help the new publication Frontera grow.  Ei Caramba!

An abreviated history of  the Star’s circulations:

Based on Audit Bureau of Circulation Publisher’s Statements (“Statements”) for the six month periods ended September 30  (in thousands)   Daily Newspaper 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 Ventura County (CA) Star 85 86 89 92 93  Sunday Circulation  2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 Ventura County (CA) Star 95 99 100 106 107