In Brief
By Claire Palermo 07/23/2009
“Virtual Ventura” offers a new look at downtown
Panomatics, an international company that designs virtual tours, has launched “Virtual Ventura,” an interactive online tour that allows viewers to explore historic downtown Ventura from the comfort of their own homes or offices, via high-definition 360-degree panoramic photography.
More than 25 Ventura businesses are currently featured in the virtual city tour, including Watermark on Main, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Candlelight Kitchen and Bar, Café Fiore, We Olive, Brooks and The Lodge. Participating merchants and venues can use the virtual tour of their business on their own Web sites.
Users navigate through Virtual Ventura with a full range of left-right, up-down motion as if they were actually walking into local shops, restaurants and art venues. The tour opens with a beautiful view from the City Hall front entrance facing Poli Street, and lets users choose their personal tour routes from there.
Panomatics recently opened its first U.S. office at 440 San Clemente St. in Ventura. “Virtual Ventura” is located at virtualventura.net.
Stream Team raises awareness of water pollution
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously on July 16 to add six reaches (a river or stream segment of a specific length) of Calleguas Creek and its tributaries to California’s list of water bodies that are polluted due to trash impairments. This change was primarily due to the monitoring and advocacy of the Ventura Coastkeepers’ Stream Team.
Jason Weiner, a Ventura Coastkeeper, explained the process required to get an endangered body of water onto the regional radar. “Every two years, the board is supposed to reevaluate bodies of water by gathering data from nonprofits, who monitor the trash levels on the beaches and samples of the waters themselves,” he said. “From there, we submit the data, the board lets the public comment on it, and holds a hearing. Thankfully in this case, we successfully added the six reaches to the list.”
The new listing designates several streams within Ventura County as polluted, including Calleguas Creek just before it drains into Mugu Lagoon, and again in Camarillo near Channel Islands University; Conejo Creek in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks; and Arroyo Simi in Simi Valley.
Weiner isn’t sure whether being added to the list means that regional authorities will take action to clean up the water anytime soon. “There’s a long list of places that need help,” he said, “and resources have to go to the most polluted ones first. Eventually, they’ll get to these reaches, but having them listed is an important first step to preserve the ecological integrity of the county. ”
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