Four Seasons Westlake Village Plants Pomegranate Trees in Honor of Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village has planted fruit trees along the perimeter of the Hotel gardens. The choice to plant fruit trees was made to symbolize the Hotel’s commitment, along with the on-site California Health & Longevity Institute, to promote improved nutrition for guests, the community and children in particular. Pomegranates are considered a super food, and are an excellent source of potassium and Vitamins C and B.

Another pomegranate tree was donated to Oak Hills Elementary School. Registered dietitians from California Health & Longevity Institute worked with Superintendent Dr. Anthony Knight to improve the nutritional quality of the menus provided to the children in the school cafeterias of several schools within the Oak Park Unified School District.

 Oak Park Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Knight, students from Oak Hills Elementary School and representatives from Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village and California Health & Longevity Institute plant a pomegranate tree donated by the Hotel on school grounds in honor of Earth Day.

The tree planting initiative complements the commitment of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to plant 10 Million Trees around the world. This long-term global initiative will form the cornerstone of the company’s commitment to supporting sustainability – just part of its existing substantial corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

In addition to the new pomegranate tree, Four Seasons chefs use a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on-site in the Hotel’s gardens and greenhouse. The garden-fresh selections include Swiss chard, cauliflower, tomatoes and a variety of herbs, such as pineapple sage.

For more information or reservations, please call (818) 575-3000 or visit www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage.

Free Reception for Dr. William Hart, Author of Community Memorial Hospital Book, in Ventura on May 22nd

Author of Book on Community Memorial Hospital Honored

A free reception for Dr. William Hart, author of a recently published history of Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at the Museum of Ventura County’s event pavilion. Signed copies of  “The Hospital of Choice: Community Memorial Hospital: A History,” will be available in the museum bookstore, in both hard and soft cover. Hart will donate all proceeds from sales of the book to the museum.

Hart was the first Board Certified cardiologist in Ventura County, the first procedural cardiologist in the Tri-Counties, and he founded the first Coronary Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit in Ventura County. His book chronicles Community Memorial Hospital’s 109 years of growth since opening in 1902 as the Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital, founded by brothers Cephas and Thomas Bard.

The present Museum of Ventura County shares some founding history with the hospital. Dr. Cephas Bard’s collection of artifacts, often given him in lieu of payment for medical services, formed the original exhibition with which the museum began in 1913.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

Bard Hospital today at the corner of Fir and Poli Streets in Ventura

Official Malibu City Song Contest Entries Due By June 15, 2011

The City of Malibu will begin accepting submissions for the Official Malibu City Song on Monday, March 28, 2011. Entries must be received by Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The song competition is open to musicians of all ages. Contestants younger than 18 must include a parent or guardian signature with their entry form. Songs should be approximately three minutes in length, suitable for groups as well as soloists, and be submitted on a lead sheet that includes lyrics. Musicians are able to submit more than one entry if interested. Subject material should be appropriate for posting on a public government website and not contain obscene, profane or inappropriate content. Musicians submitting songs for consideration do not have to be residents of Malibu.

For more information and an application visit the City of Malibu website at www.malibucity.org or CLICK HERE for a direct link to the contest web page.

Should be fun. Actual entries will be posted to the City of Malibu website HERE for public listening and voting.

Free Public Outdoor Wi-Fi Service in Downtown Ventura is Now Available

Free Public Outdoor Wi-Fi Access in Downtown Ventura

The City of Ventura announced last week that free wireless broadband service has been launched in the public spaces of Downtown.  Residents and visitors can stay "connected" through the network, provided by the Downtown Parking Management Program, to access the Internet, retrieve e-mail, or surf the Web without being connected to network cables.

The network, "Downtown Ventura Wi-Fi", offers wireless broadband service outdoors along Main Street beginning at Fir Street and continuing to the Museum of Ventura County between Poli and Santa Clara Streets.

Service is available daily during the hours of 6am - Midnight.  Users can access the service for a total of one hour, to assure use by the maximum number of persons at any given time. No special settings, user names or passwords are required.

Locate the network icon on your wireless device to connect.   Users must agree to accept the Terms and Conditions of use before connecting; the agreement also identifies and warns users of the potential security risks associated with the use of a non-secure public network.

Visit www.cityofventura.net for more information.

Camp Helping Hands® Partnership to give President’s Volunteer Service Award

Camp Helping Hands® Partners with the White House to give campers President’s Volunteer Service Award

Thousand Oaks summer camp Camp Helping Hands® announces its new partnership with The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.  As a service-learning camp, Camp Helping Hands campers and volunteer staff members can apply their summer camp service hours toward attainment of the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The Council created the award as a way to honor outstanding volunteers and to inspire others to help out in their community. Most colleges today emphasize service as a requirement for acceptance, so this is an award kids can proudly put on their resumes and college applications.

“This recognition is also something that our campers can refer to for the rest of their lives. It’s a wonderful way to emphasis to kids how service is such an integral and valued part of our nation's past and present," co-founder Anne Marquart said.

Depending on which award the participant earns, they can receive a President’s Volunteer Service Award lapel pin, a personalized certificate of achievement and a congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama.

Levels range from Bronze Level for kids who complete 50 to 74 hours, to Gold Level for kids who complete over one hundred hours. The highest award, the President’s Call to Service Award, is given to kids of all ages that complete 4,000 hours of service over a lifetime.

Camp Helping Hands is excited for its campers and volunteer staff with The President’s Council.

“Not only does this partnership validate the need for a program like Camp Helping Hands, but it also allows us to honor our campers, which will no doubt help further their lifelong commitment to service,” co-founder Meredith Cornelius said.

About Camp Helping Hands

The Camp Helping Hands project began when co-founder Cornelius realized her upper-middle class six-year-old daughter was spoiled. Understanding that her daughter was incapable of knowing what life is like when you don’t always have what you need, she decided it was time for her to learn compassion and empathy by volunteering her time to help others not as fortunate as her.

After researching service areas of interest on the Internet, they found a definite lack of programs accepting young children as volunteers.

Cornelius saw this as an opportunity and thought a summer camp would fit the bill. She knew this project was too big to tackle alone, so longtime friend Anne Marquart was asked to join the team as partner and co-founder.

The camp will take place at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks from July 18 to August 7, 2011. Service excursions will include trips to the Agoura Animal Shelter, Waste Management, Join the Farm and Community Roots Garden.

For more information about Camp Helping Hands, visit www.camphelpinghands.com or call 805-244-5071

California Health & Longevity Institute Shares Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Diet

Nutrition Director of California Health & Longevity Institute at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village Offers 10 Ways to Improve Your Diet (March is National Nutrition Month)

In honor of National Nutrition Month in March, Paulette Lambert, RD, CDE and director of nutrition at California Health & Longevity Institute located within Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, offers 10 easy ways individuals can improve their diet for optimum health.    “These simple strategies can promote weight control, optimum nutrition intake, longevity and even reduce our impact on the environment,” said Ms. Lambert, a registered dietitian and certified diabetic educator.  

Her recommendations include:

1. Eat 7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables daily.  Two cups of cooked vegetables, two cups salad (excluding iceberg lettuce) and two to three pieces of fruit ensure adequate antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber to lower risk for chronic disease.

2. Consume less animal protein.  Too much causes increased risk for CHD and cancer.  Limit to 9-10 oz. per day for men, 6-8 oz. per day for women and children.

3. Limit sugary “treats” to one to two per week.  

4. Avoid all sugar drinks including juices.  Limit calories in drinks to no more than 10 calories/8 oz.

5. Eat evenly throughout the day to avoid a high glycemic overload.  Three meals and one or two snacks are adequate for most of us.

6. Decrease condiments to one or two tablespoons to lower sodium intake, thereby reducing the risk for hypertension.   Even those with low blood pressure now should keep this in mind as it increases with age.  Studies show a high the sodium intake in younger years increases risk for hypertension at earlier ages.

7. Focus on real, whole food -- the less processed the better.  Look for foods with few ingredients.  For example, choose a cereal that has two to five ingredients, not 25!

8. Eat vegetarian protein three to five times per week to lower risk for chronic disease as well as reducing the impact of a high protein diet on the environment.

9. Spend food dollars on quality meats and poultry, not quantity. Cleaner, sustainable meats cost more, but are healthier for both you and the environment sure and the environment

10. Buy organic dairy when possible to avoid antibiotics and hormones that are added to factory livestock production.

To help guests and local residents learn out to these strategies into action, California Health & Longevity Institute offers the Wellness Kitchen hands-on cooking class and dining experience taught by registered dietitian-chefs.    In March, Wellness Kitchen class themes include “Family Meals in Minutes” and “Simple Healthy Cooking” where guests learn to make recipes such as Southwest turkey chilli and curried butternut squash and lentil.  Wellness Kitchen special events include “Meals that Heal,” where participants learn how to lower cholesterol and treat and prevent heart disease by preparing foods that maximize vitality and health. Young chefs ages 10 to 16 bake up fun in a “Junior Bread Bakers” class focusing on recipes for whole grain muffins, breads, biscuits and rolls.