THE CHOICEST PIECE of prime property in Ventura is getting a remake.

Long a spot for weddings, picnics and tourist photos, Serra Cross Park in Ventura's Grant Park is scheduled for a major beautification effort.

That is, if we can raise the money.

In 2003, a group of us, led by now-Mayor Christy Weir and former Historic Preservation Committee Chair Tracy Long, launched an effort to buy the property from the city after it was put up for sale. The city was forced to divest itself of the cross and one acre of land surrounding it because of a pending lawsuit charging that the principle of separation of church and state was being violated by city ownership and maintenance of a cross.

We raised $104,000 and had the winning bid for the property. Our group, the Serra Cross Conservancy, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, has been managing the property ever since.

Taking care of a popular public park hasn't always been easy. As it is with any public area, there is a certain element who visits and likes to be destructive. Even the Cross itself has been subject to vandalism - and subsequent repairs - over the years. Site maintenance is financed through donations for use of the property for weddings and events.

IT HAS LONG BEEN OUR DREAM, however, to do something more for the people who love visiting this scenic spot. So we enlisted the aid of a wonderful local design firm, Ted Temple and Associates, to design something really special. We are excited by the firm's plans. For an idea of what it will look like, see the watercolor painting above by local artist Norman Kirk.

The upper circular parking area will be turned into a scenic walking and strolling area with a fountain, benches, native plants, sycamores and two levels of trails. The parking lot will be relocated to an adjacent area. The cross platform and cross itself will remain intact, but will be spiffed up. We've already put in new plantings and hope to put in boulders around the base and a new walkway.

"Ventura's Grant Park is one of the most spectacular locations in the county," Weir said. "The goal of the Serra Cross Conservancy is to maintain the historic cross and surrounding one-acre park and enhance the landscaping to make this gem even more beautiful and usable. We depend on donations, so this will be possible only through the generosity of our community."

Weir is doing her part to generate those donations. She was recently asked to participate in the "Salsa with our Local Stars Dance Contest & Charity Fundraiser" at the Oxnard Salsa Festival on Sunday, July 27. So she's working on her dance steps and will donate the proceeds from the fundraiser to the Cross beautification efforts.

With the city's Grant Park Master Plan on hold, this privately funded effort may be the only chance we have for many years of doing something better for this underutilized but beautiful public space.

For more about the dance contest go here. If you would like to learn more about donating to the Serra Cross Conservancy, go here.

WHY DIDN'T WE have stuff like this when I was a kid?

That was my first thought as I wandered around SummerFest yesterday at the Ventura Unified School District Education Service Center. This is the third year of this free, family event and the word has gone out that this is one not to be missed. We estimated nearly 6,000 people attended!

My friend and fellow Ventura Education Partnership board member Ed Wehan spends a good part of his life organizing this annual day of healthy and fun activities for children. Wehan's a dynamo. He's a runner, hiker and tireless advocate for all things healthy. He's aided and abetted in his SummerFest efforts by some of the best volunteers around. A big thanks to our great sponsors for making this happen, too!

"SummerFest is an amazing role-model event that allows the youth of this community to celebrate physical activity and good nutritional habits without them ever knowing it," Wehan told me. "With the support of parents, educators, government officials and our business community, kids learn the importance all of us put on a healthy, fit lifestyle. This means smarter and healthier kids."

I watched kids having a blast exercising yesterday on all manner of activities from rope bridges to obstacle courses to bike rodeos to a giant inflatable boat. There was also amazing entertainment on the stage and, of course, healthy food.

It was a great outlet for our local sports- and child-oriented businesses, too, as many rented booths at the venue and signed up lots of new customers.

In an electronic age where kids are often drawn to sedentary activities, this event is a winner!