Fir & Main

From a second story window in a former church on the edge of Downtown Ventura, California, I watch the world go by. On nice days, between the bulky beige structures of the Ventura Theater and the Downtown post office, I spy Santa Cruz Island rising above a sliver of blue Pacific waters. A sea of cars fills a nearby parking lot. A host of characters pass my window throughout the day; busy assistants shuffling to mail important documents, city workers strolling for their daily exercise, homeless men and women headed to escape their troubles at the nearby plaza park, and hungry carnivores seeking their prey at the rib joint across the street.

Save for the island views on the better days, it’s not exactly the most scenic vantage point in the world, but it is the reality of Fir & Main. But, as the editor of the Ventura County Reporter and a native of the city of Ventura, I’ve got some sense of what this place is all about, as well as an opportunity to reflect on the broader world around.

Welcome to Fir & Main.