ONE THING THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS count on Mayor Christy Weir for is an eye for the aesthetics of her city. Since initiating her "Beautify Ventura" award several months ago, she has honored a citizen or business every month who has contributed to the attractiveness of our surroundings.

So that graffiti-covered atrocity of a train bridge over the 101 Downtown has been on our mayor's hit list for a long time. It's one of my pet peeves, too, as I reported in an earlier entry.

"It's such an eyesore," Weir said. "And because of its prominent location, people
traveling on the freeway identify it with Ventura, which isn't good for business."

So recently Weir went to Assembly member Pedro Nava and asked for assistance. Nava in turn wrote a letter to CalTrans. And slowly the wheels of change are grinding along.

There's been lots of finger pointing going on between the City, CalTrans and Union Pacific over who is actually responsible for this unwelcome mat to our city. "Both CalTrans and Union Pacific could not agree up until almost a month ago," explained Jerry Breiner of the Downtown Ventura Organization. "Finally CalTrans took the ownership of the maintenance."

The goal is to not just paint the bridge, but prevent future graffiti with increased security, fencing, and perhaps lights and cameras, Weir said.

The Downtown Ventura Organization has even grander ideas, Breiner said. "There has been much talk from the Downtown community to do something special there, to make it a true gateway with something other than silver paint. Public Art could get involved: pretty much anyone other than CalTrans painting it would be great."

In the mean time, if you know of an uglier bridge anywhere in the world, please send me a photo. I'll post it.

ANYONE HEADING DOWNTOWN on Sunday should stick around until 7 p.m. when well-known contemporary swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is scheduled to play at the foot of City Hall and march with a percussion section in tow all the way to the grand opening of the Watermark restaurant at Chestnut and Main.

Once there, they'll play from the open rooftop bar in a event somewhat reminiscent of when the Beatles played from the rooftop of Apple studios. Music fans take note; the show is free.

I went to the "soft opening" of the Watermark on Monday night. Owners Mark and Kathy Hartley and Jim Rice have a hit on their hands. If you want to go, better make reservations. I predict it will be packed. The food is great and the three dining levels are remarkably comfortable and full of historic ambiance. My favorite spot is the rooftop bar W20 with its retractable roof, comfy banquets, fireplace, aquarium and great views. A private dining room with its own terrace is tucked in the back.

Hartley, a musical agent who represents many top acts, was a major force behind the recent Kevin Costner event Downtown and promises to bring even more great entertainment our way.

The Watermark is a much-anticipated and welcome addition to our bustling Downtown.

BY NOW, DOWNTOWN VENTURA Organization Director Rob Edwards is probably sick of going to City Council meetings with yet another request.

The energetic and savvy DVO head has asked for increased police presence, better lighting and sanitation in an effort to amp up business and tourism Downtown and improve property values. City budget cuts have foiled some of his efforts. So Edwards and other Downtown stakeholders have a better plan - a Property-Based Business Improvement District (PBID).

It's a pretty simple idea: property owners form a group to determine the area's needs over and above what the city can provide and work from there to determine the costs of extra services, which could include outside marketing efforts. Extra assessments are then attached to property tax bills and the money is collected by the county and returned to the non-profit group formed by the stakeholders to oversee expenditures. Unlike a tax imposed by a government, assessment rates are determined by those paying and thus they also decide how to invest those pooled resources.

The DVO took the first steps to get the ball rolling with a series of three town hall meetings this week to determine interest in the idea.

The plan has the support of Downtown titan Dan Frederickson, former president of Kinko's and builder of the area's newest class A office building. He has been very vocal about Downtown's safety at night and the need for a greater police presence. "Having the police visible around the area has a phenomenal impact," he said.

ALSO EXPRESSING SUPPORT are business owner and community activist Doug Halter and Chamber of Commerce CEO Zoe Taylor, who said she has worked in other cities with PBIDs in place. "By far they have become better communities."

The boundaries of the improvement area paying the assessments will be determined by a steering committee made up of property owners and any other interested individuals. That steering committee is in formation and first met on Wednesday. By state law, the assessments can be based on one or all of these three attributes: a commercial building's gross square footage, street frontage, or a vacant parcel's square footage.

Any decision to proceed would go through a petition and then a ballot process voted on by property owners with 51 percent of the vote needed to pass. Greater weight would be given to those who own more property. It would not need citywide approval, but would require ratification by the City Council and public hearings. The PBID would sunset in five years when it would be subject to another vote.

Extra services could be performed by the city or through private means.

"We are exploring this idea," Edwards said. "We'd be forming this district to enable ourselves to invest more and thus do for ourselves rather than returning to the city with hat in hand every month. Business Downtown will improve because of it. It's empowering and a very viable funding mechanism that works in over 1,000 other towns in America. It's like a homeowners association, but for commercial properties in a defined neighborhood district: Downtown Ventura."

EVEN WHEN THEY live so close to Tinseltown, it's still easy for Venturans to get excited about an old-fashioned movie premiere in their hometown.

Our laid-back city got a big dose of Hollywood glamour with the premiere of Academy-Award winning actor Kevin Costner's new Disney movie, "Swing Vote," and a wonderful free concert afterward that drew thousands.

The stage, set up at the intersection of California and Main, faced City Hall and thus created a natural amphitheater with concertgoers spread up the hill and out onto the side streets. It was a mellow evening of kids and dogs milling about and great music from Costner's band, "Modern West."

The congenial actor is also a pretty decent singer and guitarist and has assembled a band of talented musicians. He made a grand entrance through a delighted crowd after a montage of his films ran up on the the stage.

What was the most fun was listening to his candid and often heartfelt patter between sets. He clearly has a great affection for the city he grew up in. "Thank you, Main Street," Costner said to the crowd. "I went to junior high right over there at Cabrillo. My whole life's wrapped up here."

But he couldn't resist putting in a big plug for his film, "We have a deal here," he told the crowd. "You came free, so I expect you to go see the movie."

NOW THE FIXATION of many adoring female fans, he recalled his Buena High School days when it wasn't always that way. "I wasn't much with the girls. I wanted to be. The only dances I went to were Sadie Hawkins ones where the girls asked the guys."

Costner was also apparently confronted with his old high school yearbook picture a few times during the day. "I was really small back then. But thank you for sticking that in my face 100 times today," he joked to classmates in the crowd.

He also invited his mother and father to the concert. "I'm so thankful they're alive to see this."

Kudos go to Costner's childhood friend Tim Hoctor, a Ventura realtor, for convincing Costner to stage the event in his former hometown. "Tim said to me, 'If we die and never do something for our hometown, we will have missed out.' "

The guy with the magic wand today was local entrepreneur and music agent Mark Hartley who helped pull off the whole event. The showpiece of the day was Hartley's new restaurant, The Watermark, which was the setting for the $500-a-ticket charity premiere party. I have already fallen in love with the remodeled building and its classy interior, but was still curious about the menu. The artful and enticing spread out in the adjoining reception tent left no doubt this will be a first-class epicurean endeavor.

HOPEFUL CELEBRITY WATCHERS at the premiere party might have been a bit disappointed. Costner was quickly spirited up the stairs for an interview with "The Insider" host Pat O'Brien. Some of the high-profile co-stars of the film such as Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper and Nathan Lane, didn't attend. But actress Virginia Madsen, a Ventura County resident, was in attendance along with "Swing Vote" co-star Madeline Carroll.

I had a chance to speak with The Watermark's interior designer, Kathleen McMullen Coady of Tower Designs. The interior was a collaboration between her and Hartley, who has taken on many projects Downtown and has a talent for transforming buildings. Whose idea was the cool jellyfish tank on the third floor? "That was Mark's," she said. "He's very creative."

I want the booth underneath that tank when I go back there.

Since the two-plus hour concert was such a resounding success, I hope very much we can do it again with another act some time. It was a community-building effort and a great way to show off our thriving Downtown.

Kudos also go to both City Corps and Peace Through Music, who put on a great side event at the City Corps headquarters in front of City Hall. The musical lineup was stellar and the City Corps kids made wonderful volunteers at the Costner event.

THE HISTORIC Elks Lodge on N. Ash Street has seen better days; its once tidy exterior has fallen into disrepair since the Elks set up shop elsewhere in Ventura. Likewise, the upper two levels of the parking structure at the end of California Street are rarely used by anyone except for the occasional seagull. But both structures have been given new life by local movers and shakers who are busy creating vibrant new spaces.

For David Armstrong and Stephen "Schaf" Schafer, it's about finding new space for the arts. Armstrong coaxed Elks Lodge owners Jeff Becker and Vim Jonker into letting them use the space in exchange for cleaning it up. Becker and Jonker plan to build condos nearby.

"Our vision is to make this a dynamic center for the arts with three to four resident companies and cost-effective rentals for occasional users," Schafer said.

The three-story structure, built in 1928, has a 300-seat theater. Events scheduled for the facility this summer include children's theater classes and various activities associated with the Rubicon International Theatre Festival.

It's all part of a grander vision for Downtown called Project Encore. Next up are revitalization projects for the abandoned and current E.P. Foster libraries "to become a dynamic community space where people discover art, music, language and history," Schafer said.

"The building blocks for a unique cultural district are in place -- it is up to us to make it a reality," he added.

A FEW BLOCKS AWAY, Rod Houck has his own magic cooking. He received a permit to tent the top of the city-owned parking structure and turn it into the Ocean View Beach Club for events. And while it will be a for-profit venue, his first big event is a fund-raiser on June 21 for Angel Project, which benefits several charities, including the Ventura County AIDS Partnership.

"I love to do a couple of events for charity a year," Houck said. The energetic local entrepreneur already manages the popular Eucalyptus Lane off Victoria Ave., which is in heavy use for weddings and charity events year round. Over the years, Houck has helped raised thousands of dollars for non-profit groups like the Boys and Girls Clubs and Casa Pacifica.

The upper deck of the parking garage is used occasionally by the city for events, but languishes most of the year, said Dori Boyer of the city's Economic Development Department. It is only opened for parking for large events Downtown like the County Fair.

Houck plans to stage weddings on the nearby beach and hold receptions in the new Beach Club.

These creative uses of abandoned spaces help keep the local economy pumping and make Ventura an even livelier place.

A clean-up day for the Elks Lodge, 11 S. Ash St., is planned for Saturday, June 14 at 9 a.m. Volunteers are asked to bring work gloves, mops, paint, cleaning materials, water and snacks. For more details and a full list of needed items, visit www.downtownventura.org

Angel Project's "The Second Annual Evening Under the Stars" will be Saturday, June 21 6:30-11 p.m. at the new Ocean View Beach Club, on top of the parking garage at 500 W. Harbor Blvd. Tickets are $50 in advance and $65 at the door. For more information, go to www.angel-project.org

MY FRIEND KATHY is never one to miss a good shopping experience. If I want to go to the mall, she's always up for it. But I was surprised to learn awhile back that she avoided shopping Downtown.

Why? I asked her. "The people down there creep me out," she told me, referring to the panhandlers and chronically homeless who can often be unnerving to visitors.

So I kidnapped her one day, took her out to lunch and shopping and completely changed her point of view about Downtown. She had a great time and has returned several times since without me.

But one bad experience can have a lingering effect. As I listened to Downtown business owner Jim Rice plead last night to the City Council for the weekend police foot patrols to be fully restored, I realized just how desperate the merchants down there are feeling these days since the foot patrols were lost to recent budget cuts.

"Feeling safe and feeling comfortable where you are is what makes you go back to a place," Rice said. "The bad guys are winning here. When I bring investors to this town ... it is the single biggest issue. When I bring my friends from Westlake and Agoura, they say 'How do you live here? There's a bunch of crazy people here.' "

Apparently his speech made an impact on the council, too. They voted to restore the foot patrols through the summer months and revisit the issue this fall when it is known how much money has been collected from the 911 fee. Proceeds from the fee will go to pay for the costs of the city's 911 call center and free up money for additional police services. At this time, the plan is to hire an additional two-person team for problem areas such as Downtown.

THE COUNCIL ALSO VOTED to continue the funding for the city's efforts in the 10-year plan to end homelessness, which has brought a community outreach supervisor who works with the homeless population to get them off the streets.

In terms of the numbers of homeless, Ventura ranks second only to Oxnard in the county. And while all of these folks are certainly not causing trouble Downtown, the few who do -- along with those who have homes but are just unruly -- have the potential to cast a pall on our blossoming tourist trade, one of the few bright spots in the local economy.

These small investments in extra policing and social services will pay dividends for us all.

I am sorry to note, however, that the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, which helps bring tourist dollars here in the first place, did not fare as well. The council approved a $60,000 cut to next year's anticipated funding on a 4-3 vote.

THE WAY ACTOR KEVIN COSTNER explained it, his long-time best friend Tim Hoctor, a Ventura realtor, "has these big ideas and it always begins with me."

"I really think we should do something for Ventura," was how Hoctor framed it to his friend. The famous actor, who grew up here and admits his heart never quite left, agreed. So Costner and Hoctor got together with city officials, local business folks - including entrepreneur Mark Hartley - and made it happen.

The result? A July 26 benefit party at 2 p.m. at Hartley's new restaurant The Watermark followed by a splashy red carpet premiere at Ventura's Downtown Century 10 for Costner's new Disney flick "Swing Vote," capped off by a street party at 8:15 p.m. headlined by Costner's band Modern West.

"It's Ventura. It's my community. ... I thought let's have a street party and make it all-American fun," he said.

The Academy Award-winning actor reminisced fondly about his childhood in Ventura at a press conference today held to officially announce the event. "Ventura was very big in my life," he explained. The star of "Bull Durham," "Dances With Wolves," and "Field of Dreams," spent many days fishing off the Ventura pier as a boy.

He lived in a house near Foothill and Wells in East Ventura and attended Saticoy Elementary, Cabrillo Middle School and Buena High, where he played basketball and befriended legendary Buena coach Joe Vaughn. "This was an idyllic life here in Ventura," he said. His family moved away when he was a sophomore. "It broke my heart when I left," he said.

He's made many visits back since making it big and has been occasionally spotted in the stands at Buena basketball games. Costner has a home up the road in Summerland and not too far from where his wife grew up near Santa Ynez. "We are old dogs. We go back to what we know. We'll probably do the majority of our living here in this area."

The tickets for the premiere and party at The Watermark - at $500 apiece - are already sold out, but the evening street party is free and open to the public. The Downtown Ventura Organization is currently working on parking alternatives for the thousands who are expected to show up.

MY SON LEARNED HOW to spell his first four-letter word from the graffiti on the Union Pacific train bridge over the 101 Downtown. "Mom, what does F - - - mean?" he asked as we went whizzing underneath. This is a family blog, so I won't fill in the blanks.

I went up to take photos of the bridge the other day and that particular word is still up there in all its glory, several years after our errant spelling lesson. It's surrounded by lots of other colorful words, too, as the photo above shows.

In a city concerned with coaxing tourists to get off on the California Street exit and stay awhile, that train bridge isn't exactly a welcome sign. Recognizing this, many good folks have tried to get Union Pacific Railroad to clean up its act and have been duly discouraged over the years.

It was one of the first things Chris Palmieri, a city streets supervisor, tried to tackle when he started his job a little over a year ago. "My calls (to Union Pacific) basically went unanswered," he said. "I don't know what their maintenance priorities are." The city's own graffiti abatement program strives to get taggings covered up within 48 hours, he said. But the train bridge is not under the city's purview and city crews can't paint over the graffiti without consultation and approval from two slow-moving entities -- CalTrans and Union Pacific.

So what this basically means is that taggers are now bringing their grandchildren down to look at what they spray-painted while hanging upside down over a freeway many years ago. I exaggerate. But it feels that way to many of us.

However, good news may be on the horizon for those who do not appreciate the charms of this particular street art. Our City Attorney's office has sent a letter to Union Pacific reminding them that it is a violation of our municipal code to have graffiti standing too long, Palmieri said. And talks are in the offing between all the parties involved to see what can be done.

NOW, TO BE FAIR, painting a train bridge that runs over a freeway isn't an easy undertaking. The 101 will need to be closed in sections and bucket trucks will need to be brought out to do the work. Because of overspray hazards, the entire bridge will need to be encased in plastic sheeting. "It's a bigger deal than just going up and painting it," Palmieri said.

And you have to wonder if they feel it's a fruitless effort to go through all this trouble only to have the graffiti magically reappear the following Saturday night. But I, along with many others, feel it's worth the effort and I suggest while they're at it they should install some high-beam lights and alarms to deter further incidents.

If that doesn't work, I'm OK with trained attack pigeons.

AS EACH STEEL GIRDER is put in place at the new building under construction at 60. S. California, Dan Frederickson's dream for Downtown Ventura comes a little closer to fruition.

Frederickson and his partners -- wife CiCie along with Paul and Natalie Orfalea -- are excited and relieved to have the project finally come together, Frederickson said. Most will remember the Orfaleas and Fredericksons from their association with another very successful Ventura-based enterprise -- Kinko's. Orfalea was the founder and Frederickson was president. The company was sold in 2004 to the FedEx Corporation.

Their latest Ventura enterprise will house more than 20,000 square feet of prime office and retail space. Small businesses will occupy the upper floors and retail space will be leased at the bottom; the top two floors will have ocean views. Frederickson will announce the bottom-floor tenants shortly.

Why a five-story office building Downtown? "It's basically to serve as an example for the type of development that I would like to see Downtown," Frederickson said. "It's for businesses who want to be Downtown and feel the Downtown culture and aesthetic."

Frederickson and his wife also make Downtown their home, as such he's been a big booster of the area and wins high praise from Ventura's Mayor Christy Weir. They are both founders of the Downtown Ventura Organization. "He's just a great guy," Weir said. "Dan has been a really positive influence Downtown. He is bringing Class A office space that will really contribute not only to the architectural beauty of the area but also to the economic vitality by bringing space for high-wage jobs."

As part of the project, a unique partnership was developed between the city and Frederickson. The project needed parking and Frederickson will lease 55-57 spaces for his tenants over a 25-year period from the city. A bridge from his building to the adjacent parking structure is being built. "This is proving to be the first attempt to generate significant revenue to the city for public parking," he said.

WORKING WITH CITY HALL on the project has sometimes been challenging, said Frederickson, who is known for his straightforward and outspoken manner. "The planning process was horrible, with little communication and little support from the Planning Department. It took about five years to get the permit to build," he said. "Some of the time was due to the changing Downtown Plan and modifications to the original design.

"Very simply, the city needs to proactively support and help expedite the development that the community wants."

But, he was careful to add, "Since my building has been approved, the city's been fantastic. Building and Safety have been supportive and very solutions-oriented to the problems that you are faced with when you build in a downtown. The building will be completed on time and on budget in no small part to their help and assistance."

Frederickson is a guy who gets things done. Recognizing the area's issues with the chronically homeless who are often alcoholics, he and his business partners put up the seed money to provide consulting to determine how and if Ventura could develop a "Sober Center." This idea is evolving into a network of Sober Centers around the county.

The busy real estate developer and his partners in OFFCO, LLC are also working on other projects. They own the Alessandro Business Plaza at 101 and Seaward in Ventura and are completing an office/medical park in Osage Beach, Mo. at the Lake of the Ozarks.

If all goes well, construction on the California Street building will be completed by November, Frederickson said. "I hope that the building adds to the continued success of our Downtown."

WHEN I FIRST MET Mark Hartley he was finishing up a phone conversation with country music superstar client LeAnn Rimes while at the same time giving his input at an important civic forum. Since that time I have had the occasion to be impressed many more times with this local entrepreneur.

A music agent and principal in the Fitzgerald Hartley Co. who works with some of the nation's top talent, Hartley could live anywhere he wants, but chose Ventura for its coastal charm. Since putting down roots here, he has also invested heavily in our thriving Downtown. Name a cool building and he has had a hand in transforming it. Even the Star Lounge received a facelift thanks to Hartley.

But it's his latest venture which has everyone talking. We've all been waiting patiently for the Watermark, a three-story dining extravaganza, to open on the corner of Chestnut and Main. It's housed in the historic Groene building.

I recently poked my head in the door to check on the restaurant's progress, as I often do when walking past, and was lucky enough to find Hartley in the house. He offered to give me a tour.

The project has taken longer than expected, Hartley said, because of the difficulties involved in adding a third story and an elevator to the handsome brick-and-tile building. The third level, with its retractable glass ceiling and panoramic views, is called W2O and will be open daily for lunch and late-night drinks and light meals. There's also a private dining room with an ocean view and terrace.

The main dining room, full of historic ambiance, polished marble and comfy banquettes, will specialize in steaks and seafood. The mezzanine level features a lounge area and a separate loft for wine tastings and special events.

THE DAY I VISITED, a special restoration expert was putting the finishing touches on the historic ceiling. "That's Harrison Ford's guy," Hartley explained. "I only have him for a little while."

Hartley has assembled the place a bit like William Randolph Hearst assembled San Simeon, with found pieces shipped from all over the country. And it's full of little touches that are uniquely his -- the jellyfish tanks on the third floor and commissioned works of art such as a painting by a local artist with an inset video of the artist painting it. The building, which once housed a bank, still has its vault. And that's where Hartley's keeping his special liqueurs.

A chef has just been hired and if all goes well, the Watermark and H2O will be open in June and will no doubt be packed with patrons. I can't wait.

In our slowing economy, with construction stalled all over town, it so wonderful to see the work going on in our Downtown. And we are lucky to have citizens like Hartley who love their town enough to invest in its future.