55 Hour Closures of 118 / 23 Freeway Interchange February 7-10 and 21-24

55-HOUR CLOSURES OF SR-118/SR-23 INTERCHANGE PLANNED 2/7-2/10

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will close the northbound Moorpark Freeway (SR-23) connector to the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway (SR-118) at Los Angeles Avenue from 10 p.m. Friday, February 7 until 5 a.m. Monday, February 10.

The closure is required to implement emergency repairs of bridge joints on the Arroyo Simi Overhead structure.

Electronic freeway message signs will begin warning of the impending closure a week in advance. Caltrans is urging motorists to avoid the interchange if at all possible and to expect delays.

Eastbound SR-118 will be directed to exit northbound SR-23 at Tierra Rejada Road, travel eastbound and then turn left onto Madera Road to return to eastbound SR-118.

Motorists continuing on eastbound SR-118 from eastbound SR-118/Los Angeles Avenue will take southbound SR-23 to Tierra Rejada Road.

Work will take place around the clock and may generate noise and dust for residents adjacent to the freeway. Otherwise, the work is not expected to involve significant community impacts.

A second 55-hour closure will be required to perform the same work on the westbound Sr-118 connector to southbound SR-23, currently scheduled from 10 p.m. Friday, February 21 through 5 a.m. Monday, February 24. Additional information will be provided closer to that date.

Source: Caltrans District 7 www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/news

Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society Will Not Host Railfest 2014 Event

The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society has announced at www.scrvrhs.com that it will not be hosting a 19th Annual Santa Clara River Valley "Railfest" event this Spring, primarily because of "the uncertain contractual relationship between the Fillmore & Western Railway and the Ventura County Transportation Commission, along with the related recent court decisions as published in the media."

The Society indicates that the Fillmore & Western Railway may undertake their own version of Railfest for 2014 and that it is in no way relinquishing our rights to the annual "Railfest Event." The Society is hopeful that by next year, VCTC and Fillmore & Western have an agreement in place for continued rail operations and that Railfest will be back.

Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie Celebrates 4th Anniversary and Co-Founder Nouzille Elected to Board of Brewer's Association

LADYFACE ALEHOUSE & BRASSERIE CELEBRATES 4th ANNIVERSARY

Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie celebrates its 4^th Anniversary with a week of events in January.Sunday the 19th, all taps at the award-winning Agoura Hills brewpub begin pouring Ladyface ales and, over the course of the week, guests will be able to enjoy special releases, archived vintages, barrel-aged brews, collaborations, and casks.

One of those special releases is Ladyface 4th Anniversary Ale, a Belgian dark strong ale. This year’s theme is Flores et Fructus, the traditional flowers and fruit offering for a 4^th anniversary. Limited-edition 4th Anniversary glassware, with a year-long discount program, go on sale when Ladyface opens Monday, January 20^th at 11:30am.

Over the course of the week, there will be a Brewery Hangout with Brewermaster David Griffiths, a reservation-only Brewmaster’s Dinner, Barrel-Aged Beer Night, music and more. Event details can be found on the Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie Facebook page and at www.ladyfaceale.com.

And in other Ladyface news, Cyrena Nouzille, Ladyface Co-founder and General Manager has been elected to the Board of Directors of the national Brewers Association to serve a three-year term. The Brewers Association is a nonprofit trade association and is the largest organization of brewers in the United States with more than 1,900 brewery members and 38,000 American homebrewers.

Nouzille, a resident of Agoura Hills and former Planning Commissioner for the city, currently serves on Brewers Association’s Brewpub Committee.  Ladyface Ale Companie is also one of the founding members of the Los Angeles Brewers Guild and Nouzille will be serving on its 2014 Events Committee.

Ladyface Ale Companie was established in late 2009 along with its restaurant Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie. Named the Best Brewery an international RateBeer.com Best Brewpub in 2011 and 2012, and LA Weekly’s 2013 Best Brewery in LA, Ladyface is known for their award-winning Belgian, French and American style ales.  La Blonde, La Grisette, Blind Ambition Abbey Ale, Trois Filles Tripel, and seasonal ales such as La Trappistine® Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Bluebelly Barleywine and Dérailleur® Bière-de-Garde are brewed onsite. Ladyface is one of Los Angeles County’s first modern day microbreweries, and the first brewpub in the Conejo Valley. Visit www.ladyfaceale.com.

Greater Conejo Valley Chamber Announces Director of Government and Economic Affairs

Assembly Legislative Aide Adam Haverstock Joins The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce as Director of Government and Economic Affairs

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce announces the hiring of Adam Haverstock, former aide to California State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell, as Director of Government and Economic Affairs.  Haverstock will oversee relations with local, state and federal government officials and assist in managing the Conejo Valley Tourism Improvement District.

Adam Haverstock is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Recreation and Tourism Management.  He graduated with Leadership Honors and served as Associated Students President, traveling to Sacramento many times to advocate for higher education policies on behalf of CSUN.

Haverstock worked on the campaign for State Senator Tony Strickland and served as Campaign Manager to for Assemblyman Jeff Gorell during both of his campaigns for State Assembly.  He served on Assemblyman Gorell’s staff as a Field Representative from 2010 to 2013.  A resident of Moorpark, he also serves as a Commissioner on the Moorpark Parks and Recreation Commission.

The Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest chambers in the state of California with approximately 1100 business members, serving the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills.  It is one of only five 5-Star Chambers in  California, as rated by the accreditation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, placing the Chamber in the top 1% of chambers of commerce nationwide.

For more information, please visit www.ConejoChamber.org or call 805-370-0035.

Ventura County Public Health Encourages Residents to Get Flu Shots

Ventura County Public Health keeps watchful eye on influenza activity, encourages public to get flu shots

In response to Kern County Public Health reports confirming that eight Kern County residents have been diagnosed with severe 2009 influenza A (H1N1) influenza that required hospitalization, Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) officials have been keeping close tabs on flu activity in Ventura County. Several Kern County flu patients have been placed in the intensive care unit and, in some cases, have required support on a ventilator. Kern County borders Ventura County to the east.

So far, flu activity has been relatively low in Ventura County with only two patients hospitalized with confirmed cases of H1N1 and one patient hospitalized with a suspected H1N1 case. Because flu season generally does not peak until January or February, VCPH officials are encouraging anyone who has not yet received an annual flu shot to do so immediately. Most years, flu shots are especially important for the most vulnerable - the very young, very old and those with chronic illness. Because the H1N1 influenza is different from the average flu virus and tends to hit young, healthy people through middle-aged adults harder, it is very important that everyone be vaccinated this year.

“The 2013 – 2014 flu vaccine is a good match for the viruses that are currently making people sick,” said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County Health Officer. “This year’s shot includes the 2009 H1N1 strain, which is responsible for 97.7% of all flu illnesses so far this season.” According to the CDC, influenza and related complications are the eighth leading cause of death in the United States and influenza was associated with an estimated 381,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. last year. The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone six months of age and older, including pregnant women.

Although the flu typically causes the most severe cases in children, the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions, during the 2009 worldwide pandemic, young, healthy people were impacted in greater numbers by the H1N1 virus. That year, the flu caused more illness in children and young and middle-aged adults than in older adults.

“Being vaccinated will reduce your chances of catching H1N1,” said Levin. “In addition, if you do get H1N1, the vaccine will help lessen the severity of your illness.”

For a list of Ventura County flu shot clinics, go to: http://www.vchca.org/public-health/publichealth- clinics and click on the red “Get Your Flu Shot” button for the January and February schedules.

For more information on the 2013 – 2014 flu season, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

California Lutheran University to Launch Veterans Entrepreneurship Institute

CLU starts vets entrepreneurship program

University increases emphasis on job-creating skills

California Lutheran University is launching a Veterans Entrepreneurship Institute in January as part of an increased emphasis on preparing people to create their own business opportunities.

Nelson Pizarro, an assistant professor of entrepreneurship in CLU’s School of Management, will lead 10 three-hour Saturday workshops for military veterans. Each of the 20 participants in the pilot program will receive a full scholarship, with partial funding coming from a Ventura Country Community Foundation grant.

Pizarro, who founded six companies and has conducted business in 46 countries, will help veterans to build on the discipline, commitment and leadership they developed through military service. New skills such as entrepreneurial thinking will help participants to either start their own businesses or improve their prospects in the job market. Each participant will create a product or service during the course.

The program is part of a new emphasis on entrepreneurship at CLU driven by School of Management Dean Gerhard Apfelthaler. It has resulted in the addition of faculty, curricula and programs.

Under Pizarro’s guidance, a student entrepreneurship club has formed and started organizing events. The School of Management revived its free Entrepreneur Roundtable lecture series for the public this summer, and Pizarro has started a new professional mentor program. Apfelthaler is starting a seed fund for students and alumni to test their concepts and an accelerator fund to help launch tested ideas. The university plans to launch an incubation facility in Westlake Village in 2014.

Pizarro has developed three new courses for the entrepreneurship track in the MBA program. One of the classes, which covers entrepreneurial thinking, will also be offered for undergraduate students in all disciplines.

Bill Gartner, a new faculty member and one of the most-cited scholars on entrepreneurship, will begin teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in new-venture development in January. He also plans to teach an entrepreneurship course in summer that would be the university’s first massive open online course (MOOC). Gartner will work with faculty to integrate entrepreneurial thinking across all disciplines, particularly in the arts and humanities, and organize a summer speaker series. He was formerly the Henry W. Simonsen Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California and the director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Georgetown University.

The deadline to apply for the Veterans Entrepreneurship Institute is Jan. 6. To complete an application, visit callutheran.edu/veterans. For more information, contact Pizarro at 805-493-3371 or npizarro@callutheran.edu.

Carmike Cinemas Completes Acquisition of Muvico Theatres on November 21st

Carmike Cinemas Completes Acquisition of Nine State-of-the-Art Theatres and 147 Screens from Muvico Theatres

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKEC), a leading entertainment, digital cinema and 3-D motion picture exhibitor, today (11/21/13) announced the completion of its previously announced purchase from Muvico Entertainment, L.L.C. (d/b/a Muvico Theatres) of nine entertainment complexes with an aggregate of 147 screens in Florida, California, and Illinois.

Of the nine theatres purchased, seven are located in Florida, with one each in Illinois and California. Ninety seven percent of the acquired auditoriums are digital and feature stadium seating. Approximately 24 percent of the screen count is 3-D-capable and four theatres have premium large format screens – two IMAX® and two MuviXL. Every location features select auditoriums that contain D-BOX motion-code action seats, and a majority of the theatres offer beer and wine service. Each of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Rosemont, Ill., locations contains within the theatre complex a Bogart’s Bar & Grill full-service restaurant. All 147 screens are participants in the Screenvision Cinema Network, which includes more than 14,000 screens throughout the US. Inclusive of the Muvico screens, Carmike’s theatre portfolio now consists of 257 theatres with an aggregate of 2,681 screens in 37 states.

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. is a U.S. leader in digital cinema, 3-D cinema deployments and one of the nation’s largest motion picture exhibitors. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had 247 theatres with 2,521 screens in 36 states, with a digital footprint of 2,418 screens, including 229 locations with 954 screens also equipped for 3-D. The circuit includes 32 premium large format auditoriums featuring state-of-the-art technology and luxurious seating, including 20 “BigDs,” 10 IMAX® auditoriums and two MuviXL screens. As “America’s Hometown Theatre Chain,” Carmike’s primary focus is small to mid-sized community locations. Visit www.carmike.com for more information.

Note to local moviegoers here in Thousand Oaks: Although owned by Carmike, the theaters continue to operate, at least for the time being, under the Muvico brand, although to buy tickets online you will be visiting the Carmike website at www.carmike.com/ShowTimes/Theater/320 or call 805.494.4702.

CLICK HERE FOR MOVIE THEATERS THROUGHOUT VENTURA COUNTY