National Park Service Urges Pet Owners to Rethink Hiking with Animals in the Summer Heat

The National Park Service (NPS) is urging pet owners to think twice before hiking with animals after at least three dogs have died on local trails since July of this year.The National Park Service (NPS) is urging pet owners to think twice before hiking with animals after at least three dogs have died on local trails since July of this year.

“Keeping canine companions safe during a hike requires planning and a heavy dose of realism,” said Ken Low, a National Park Service ranger at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. “Hikers need to ask themselves, is my dog’s physical conditioning and age appropriate for this outing? If I decide to take them, am I leaving early enough and do I have enough water?"

The National Park Service and local search and rescue teams in Los Angeles and Ventura County together have reported about a half dozen canine rescues in 2021. Most of the dogs were suffering from a heat illness. Some did not have enough water.

"Wait for cooler weather before heading out on a hike with your four-legged friends," Low said. “We helped rescue two dogs from the Sandstone Peak area in the western part of our mountains on a recent weekend and it was over 90 degrees. People don’t realize that dogs can succumb to heatstroke in just 15 minutes.”

Hikers can check with their veterinarian to learn what their dog can handle. Some dog breeds make better hiking partners than others. The dog should also be evaluated to see if they are fit enough for the hike.

Young and old dogs might not be capable of keeping up on long, challenging hikes, and the burden on growing bones may be too much for puppies. Hiking in overly hot weather should be avoided, as dogs are more susceptible than humans to the dangers of excessive heat.

It's also essential that you take water for your dog. Dogs don't sweat the way humans do. Panting is their primary method for keeping cool, putting them at a higher risk of overheating than you when on the trail.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.

NewMark Merrill Companies Sees Flurry of Merchant Openings and Leases at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks

NewMark Merrill Companies Inc., a Woodland Hills-based shopping center owner and manager, has seen significant leasing activity at Janss Marketplace, a 458,000 square foot community center located on the Northwest corner of Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks.

NewMark Merrill recently announced that it signed Five Below to a 9,850 square foot lease to neighbor the now open ALDI grocery store that replaced a former Toys R Us space that closed due to bankruptcy. Construction for the Five Below location at Janss Marketplace recently began this month and is scheduled to open in October 2021.

This new lease with Five Below continues the momentum at Janss Marketplace. Starbucks opened a brand-new location at Janss Marketplace with a drive-thru at the end of 2020 and Wingstop opened earlier this year in the first quarter of 2021. California Fish Grill signed a lease for 2,975 square feet and opened on July 26th. Additionally, The Mighty Axe, an entertainment destination featuring axe throwing at wood targets in a safe and lively environment, signed a lease for 3,281 square feet and opened this past weekend. Finally, Pieology recently signed a lease for 2,200 square feet and is scheduled to open in early 2022.

NewMark Merrill has recently completed the installation of a mural named Conejo by artist Evan Meyer which was inspired by the rich history and abundant presence the cottontail rabbit has in the region as well as the namesake of the county. Janss Marketplace also saw the return of its signature July 4th community event after being cancelled last year after 20 consecutive years due to COVID. In a sign of the excitement from the City, the event welcomed over 3,000 people to the property to enjoy live entertainment, food, games, including an incredibly competitive pie eating contest and a dynamic and patriotic fireworks show.

“As the COVID crisis comes to an end, we remain dedicated to looking for ways to improve our centers and creating a sense of community with new merchants, art, gathering places, events and capital improvements. Having such significant leasing activity, community engagement, and increased traffic at Janss Marketplace reinforces the narrative that we have always believed, that centers that become part of the community and provided opportunities for people to create lasting memories will succeed no matter the times,” said Sandy Sigal, NewMark Merrill President and Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to see increased traffic at Janss and other centers throughout our portfolio as consumers return to having a sense of community.”

Janss features an outstanding tenant mix of key local, regional, and national retailers including ALDI Grocers, Regal Cinemas, DEFY Extreme Air Sports, Old Navy, Starbucks, Buca di Beppo and Gold’s Gym among other local retailers and merchants. The center's location at the NWC of Moorpark Road and Hillcrest Drive with over 58,000 daily traffic counts in Thousand Oaks with 155,000 people in the trade area makes it one of the most desirable retail locations in Southern California. Thousand Oaks continually ranks as one of the safest U.S. cities for its size by FBI reporting standards. For more information about Janss Marketplace, visit www.janssmarketplace.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JanssMarketplace.

About NewMark Merrill Companies

NewMark Merrill Companies, Inc. owns or manages a portfolio of over 85 shopping centers valued at more than $2 billion. Since 1987, President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy Sigal has led the company of shopping centers representing over 1,800 tenants and 10 million square feet in California, Colorado, and Illinois. The Company has founded and invested heavily in BrightStreet Ventures, its technology company, which is working on leading edge solutions for property owners and merchants to succeed in today’s retail environment. For more information, visit NewMarkMerrill.com.

Ventura County Library Welcomes the Public Back Into Buildings

Since April 7, 2021, the Ventura County Library System libraries, including libraries in the cities of Ojai, Ventura, Port Hueneme, and Fillmore, have welcomed the public back for limited indoor services including browsing and checkout of collections and computer use. Customers have up to 50 minutes per day to conduct activities in the library.

Since summer of 2020, customers have also been able to place holds for library materials online and pick them up when ready just outside the front doors of the libraries. Throughout the pandemic, the library system has worked closely with public health officials and within state guidelines for libraries to provide safe library services and programs.

The safety of customers and staff remain the first priority and customers may notice enhanced safety measures when they come back to the library, such as plexiglass barriers at service desks, availability of hand sanitizer, and socially distanced computer workstations. The library has covered additional costs throughout the pandemic associated with paying janitorial crews for more often and extra deep cleaning measures and upgraded filters on HVAC systems. The library continues to provide numerous online programs and resources, but also has plans to implement some in-person programs again as early as this summer. When the state reopens, public seating and tables will be made available again for study and reading, and time limits for library use per day eliminated.

At the Ventura County Library System, 42% of library employees were redeployed over the course of the pandemic to serve as Disaster Services Workers for other county agencies, performing tasks such as delivering meals to seniors, contact tracing and working at vaccination clinics. During the pandemic, several customer service modifications were made, some of which the library is planning to continue after the pandemic because they were so successful, such as offering live online tutoring for students in both English and Spanish, chat reference services, virtual STEAM and Storytime programs, and enhanced ebook collections. For a seven-month period in the past year, over 2,000 students received live tutoring online through the library. Over 25,000 people received virtual library cards online to access ebooks and databases, including many students accessing these resources for schoolwork. And from July 2020 to April 2021 an average of 15,600 items were checked out from the libraries per month. Ebook usage increased 75% over the past year, and eaudiobook usage increased 25%. From March 2020 to April 2021, staff produced 621 live Storytime programs on Facebook which had 70,044 unique views. In partnership with the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging, the Mobile Library delivered Face Mask Kits, containing face masks for children and adults, hand sanitizer and information for older family members, to some of the hardest hit areas of the county. In September 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved the library to go permanently fine free for overdue library materials, meaning there are no overdue fines that could prevent people from using the library. This positive change removes barriers to library services for some of the most vulnerable populations who need library services the most.

The Ventura County Library continues to partner with other agencies and non-profits to share resources and implement impactful programs designed specifically to meet the needs of people in Ventura County. Acknowledging that basic needs must be met before people can participate in lifelong learning and education, many of these partnerships focus on addressing the mental and physical well-being of community members in addition to providing library and literacy services. Other partnerships address the need for access to technology and digital literacy. For example, the library will soon implement Parent and Child Together classes in collaboration with First 5 of Ventura County to address the social and emotional needs of children and their parents and develop early literacy skills; and, a program to provide technology and workforce training through the Mobile Library in partnership with the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County and America’s Job Center of Oxnard. The library is also working with the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging to loan computers to seniors across the county to address social isolation and access to health information. And, in summer 2021 the Avenue Library will host the Lunch at the Library program to meet the nutritional needs of children who are out of school for the summer, along with the annual Summer Reading program to address literacy.

To find out more about the Ventura County Library, please visit us online at www.vencolibrary.org.

Ventura County Moves to the Red Tier Beginning Wednesday, March 17th

According to the County of Ventura, the County will move to the State’s Red Tier beginning 12:01 am Wednesday, March 17, 2021.

The State’s Blueprint tracks three metrics: the seven-day adjusted case rate, the seven-day testing
positivity rate and the health equity metric. Ventura County’s case rate is 6.5, testing positivity is 2.8%
(orange tier) and health equity testing positivity is 5.0% (orange).

Moving from the purple tier into the red tier for the County means:
• Restaurants can open indoors with 25 percent capacity or a maximum of 100 people, whichever
is fewer. The 11 pm closure requirement is lifted. The single household dining limitation is lifted.
State gathering guidance limits gatherings to 3 households or less.
• Retail establishments can open indoors at 50 percent capacity.
• Indoor shopping malls can increase capacity to 50 percent with common areas remaining closed;
food courts can open at 25 percent capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor
dining.
• Movie theaters can open indoors with 25 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer.
• Gyms, fitness centers, yoga and dance studios can open indoors with 10 percent capacity with
6-ft social distancing instead of the previous requirement of 12 ft.
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums can open indoor activities at 25 percent capacity.

• Breweries, wineries and distilleries that do not serve meals can open outdoors only with
modifications. The modifications include ensuring that patrons have reservations and patrons
observe a 90-minute time limit. Service for on-site consumption must end by 8:00 p.m.
• Bars that do not serve meals remain closed in the Purple and Red tiers.
• Private gatherings can occur both outdoors and indoors with up to 3 separate households.
• Schools are permitted to re-open for in-person instruction adhering to all state and county
directives. This includes grades 7-12. Grades kindergarten - 6 already had the option of opening.
• Family entertainment centers (kart racing, mini-golf, batting cages) can open outdoors with
modifications.
• Personal care services can continue to operate indoors following state guidance.

Additional updated guidance:
• Golf carts do not need a partition between members of different households. They are
recommended but not required.
• Local HOA pool guidance has been lifted. HOA pools are encouraged to follow suggested County
guidance. Public or community pools continue to follow state issued guidance.
• 2 swimmers per lane are permitted in a public outdoor swimming pool.
• Wind instruments are allowed outdoors with bell covers and 6 feet distance between
instruments. There must be 20 feet distance at a minimum between the instruments and the
audience.

For more information please visit www.venturacountyrecovers.org or by calling the COVID Business
Compliance line at 805-202-1805.

Ventura County Poised to Move Back Into COVID-19 Red Tier on Wednesday, March 17th

According to the County of Ventura, there is a distinct possibility that the County will be moving from the Purple Tier that we’ve been in since November 18, 2020 to the less restrictive Red Tier. Here are the details from the County:

The state has announced that once 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are administered in the most vulnerable communities in the state that the state will modify the case rate requirements. The state reached 2 million doses were achieved on March 12th. As a result, Ventura County may achieve the Red Tier on Wednesday, the 17th.

Here's what can be open once the County is in the Red Tier:

• Hair salons: open indoors with modifications

• Retail: open indoors at 50% capacity

• Malls: open indoors at 50% capacity and limited food courts

• Places of worship: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer

• Nail salons: open indoors with modifications

• Electrolysis: open indoors with modifications

• Personal care services (body waxing, etc.): open indoor with modifications

• Tattooing and piercing: open indoors with modifications

• Museums, zoos and aquariums: open indoors at 25% capacity

• Movie theaters: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer

• Hotels: open with modifications, plus fitness centers can open at 10% capacity

• Gyms: open indoors at 10% capacity 6 feet social distancing

• Restaurants: open indoors at 25% capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer

• Wineries, breweries and distilleries: outdoor only until 8 pm

• Bars: closed

• Family entertainment centers: outdoor only, like mini golf, batting cages and go-kart racing

• Non-essential offices: remote work only

• Professional sports: outdoor only at 20% capacity starting April 1

• Schools: can reopen for in-person instruction after five days out of the purple tier

• Theme parks: can reopen at 15% capacity starting April 1

• Live performances: outdoor only at 20% capacity starting April 1

Once 2 million vaccine doses have been administered, a new set of metrics will be used for determining tier placement:

• Widespread (purple): Counties with more than 10 daily new cases per 100,000 residents

• Substantial (red): 4 to 10 daily new cases per 100,000 residents

• Moderate (orange): 1 to 3.9 daily new cases per 100,000

• Minimal (yellow): Less than 1 daily new case per 100,000

The County of Ventura has a current case rate of 9.1, which means the County will meet the new state metrics and be in the Red Tier by March 17.

Covid is still spreading in Ventura County. Continue wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands frequently, staying home when sick and not gathering to help slow the spread.

More info about the state's tiers at: covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy.

On a related note, the County of Los Angeles moves to the Red Tier effective Monday, March 15th.

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library Launches Online Bookshop, Good Friends, Good Books

Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library (FTOL) has launched an online bookshop, Good Friends, Good Books.

The Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library Good Friends, Good Books online bookshop currently offers over 4,000 titles, including children’s books, adult fiction and nonfiction as well as CDs, DVDs and gift books.

The shop includes books and other items that have been donated by the community and range in quality from like new to gently used. All proceeds support the Thousand Oaks Library; all sales are final.

Items ordered before Friday evening will be ready for COVID-safe pickup the following Sunday morning at the main entrance of the Library between 9:30 am and 11:00 am.

If you miss visiting the FTOL bookshop inside the Grant R. Brimhall Library, this is the next best thing! The Library is located at 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks.

The mission of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is to increase awareness of, raise funds for, and actively assist the Thousand Oaks Library and its branch(s) to promote learning, literacy and cultural knowledge via materials, programs such as Summer Reading, materials and technology and services made available to the community.

Visit the bookshop at shopftol.org.

Regional Stay Home Order Has Been Lifted; Ventura County is Back to the Purple Tier Effective January 25th

From the County of Ventura:

State of California Lifts Regional Stay at Home Order for All Regions

Ventura County in the State’s Purple Tier Effective Immediately

The California Department of Public Health has announced that the Regional Stay Home Order has been lifted in Southern California. Four-week ICU capacity projections for the region are above 15%, the threshold that allows regions to exit the order.

The action allows Ventura County to return to the rules and framework for the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. Services and activities, such as outdoor dining and personal services, may resume immediately with required modifications. Tier updates will be provided weekly on Tuesdays by the California Department of Public Health

“We ask our residents to continue to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities from COVID-19 by limiting gathering with anyone you don’t live with, wearing a face covering whenever you leave home, maintaining at least 6 feet of distance from anyone you don’t live with and washing your hands frequently,” said Rigoberto Vargas, Public Health Director.

In alignment with Purple Tier 1, the following sectors are permitted for OUTDOOR operations only until further notice. These sectors must still maintain mitigation measures (social distancing, face covering, and sanitization):

• Restaurants

• Gyms and Fitness Centers (12 feet social distancing required)

• Places of worship

• Playgrounds and recreational facilities

• Family Entertainment Centers (e.g. bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages, kart racing, and arcades)

• Movie theaters

• Museums, zoos, aquariums

• Wineries

• Cardrooms, satellite wagering

Bars, pubs, brewpubs and breweries may operate outdoors if they are offering sit-down, outdoor meals. Outdoor operations may be conducted under a tent, canopy, or other shelter if no more than one side is closed.

Additional information for outdoor dining establishments:

•Sit down dining may only take place with members of the same household, it must be outdoors and must end by 11 pm.

•Maximum time a patron may be on the premises is 1 and ½ hours.

•Restaurants can remain open for takeout or delivery past 11 pm as their permit allows.

In alignment with Purple Tier 1, the following sectors are open for INDOOR operations. These sectors must still maintain mitigation measures (social distancing, face covering, and sanitization) and modifications:

•All retail (maximum 25% capacity)

•Critical infrastructure

•Hair salons and barbershops

•Libraries (maximum 25% capacity)

•Nail salons and electrolysis operations

•Personal care services (e.g. body waxing, estheticians, tattoo, massage)

•Professional sports (without live audiences)

•Shopping centers (e.g. malls, destination centers, swap meets, excluding food courts and common areas) (maximum 25% capacity)

To learn more about the State’s Tier system and specific allowable activities for Ventura County, visit the State of California's COVID-19 Blueprint for a Safer Economy website. More information at www.venturacountyrecovers.org

Thousand Oaks Police Department Vulnerable Population Officers Help to Assist the Homeless

Thousand Oaks Police Department Vulnerable Population Officers continue their efforts to assist our homeless community, collaborating with area social services to arrange placement in assistance programs. The latest success was helping deliver a homeless man to a substance abuse rehabilitation program after months of interaction.

On January 6, 2021, deputies assisted Ventura County Behavioral Health in taking the homeless person to a facility to begin a 7-10 day program for substance abuse rehabilitation. The program includes housing and treatment. The process began after Vulnerable Population Officers assisted Ventura County Behavioral Health with an assessment on the person and space was located for him at the facility. After that, Ventura County Behavioral Health will follow-up to pursue additional placement for housing and further treatment. This opportunity was openly accepted by the homeless person to take the positive steps forward for help. This success is an example of the continuous and dedicated work by collaborators, sometimes over a span of weeks, months, or even years, to maintaining contact with and find placement for homeless persons in need of assistance in our community.

Over the past two years, Vulnerable Population Officers, Senior Deputy Juan Cordova and Deputy Josh Richter, have collaborated with stakeholders to find needed assistance for our homeless population. A local area focus group was established that includes the City of Thousand Oaks, Harbor House, Lutheran Social Services, Ventura County Health Care Agency, Ventura County Continuum of Care, Many Mansions, faith- based organizations, Ventura County Superior Court - Homeless Court, Ventura County Public Defender, and other non-profit organizations.

If you know any homeless person in Thousand Oaks who is willing to take a positive step forward to get help, the Vulnerable Population Officers are interested in contacting those who suffer from mental health, drug addiction, disabilities, or are in need of medical assistance. You can reach out to Sr. Deputy Cordova at juan.cordova@ventura.org, dial 2-1-1 (in Ventura County), or call Ventura County Behavioral Health Homeless Services at (805) 981-4200.

local.nixle.com/alert/8465720

Regional Stay Home Order Goes Into Effect Sunday, December 6th for at Least Three Weeks in Southern California, Including Ventura County

State’s Stay Home Order Triggered in Southern California Region, Effective December 6, Midnight

The State of California’s Stay Home Order will go into effect on Sunday, December 6 at midnight in Ventura County and in all Counties in Southern California, after the Southern California Region's hospital ICU capacity dropped below 15%. The order closes many businesses and activities and urges people to stay at home whenever possible.

The California Department of Public Health reported on Friday evening that Southern California's ICU capacity dropped to 13.1%, triggering the Stay Home Order.

The order requires bars, wineries, nail salons, hair salons and barbershops, and other personal care services to close. Private gatherings of any size are prohibited. Restaurants can stay open for takeout and delivery, but they have to shut down both indoor and outdoor dining.

The Southern California Region Ventura County was placed in has, by itself, more than half the State’s total population. The region includes 11 counties. The County is urging the Governor to consider smaller, more targeted regions. The County, along with 58 Counties throughout the State, are also urging the Governor to consider additional, immediate assistance for impacted workers, families and businesses. The County of Ventura will continue to advocate and engage with the State on behalf of our County on a regular basis.

Schools opened while Ventura County was in the purple tier can stay open. K-6 schools that were given a waiver to reopen will be allowed to stay open. Retail stores will be allowed to stay open at 20% capacity.

Additionally, all non-essential travel is temporarily restricted statewide. Hotels and motels are now restricted to guests traveling for an essential reason.

Ventura County and all Counties in the Southern California Region are required by the State to stay under the lockdown for at least three weeks. After that, state health officials will evaluate ICU capacity and transmission rates to project at least four weeks into the future to determine if the stay home order can be lifted.

All Ventura County residents are further urged to help slow the spread by wearing a mask, social distancing and not gathering during this critical time. “Given the significant increase we have been experiencing in our county with COVID-19 with cases, test positivity, and hospitalizations, this order is the only remaining measure to flatten the curve as soon as possible,” said Rigoberto Vargas, Ventura County Public Health Director.

“Since it will take several weeks for these additional restrictions to slow in particular the very concerning rising hospitalizations, collectively and as the strong community that Ventura County is known for, I urge every resident and sector to support the measure in this order so that we can once and for all, given also the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine, get this virus under control. We will then be able to return to the path toward fully opening our business, schools and other sectors,” added Vargas.

The following activities and sectors must close by midnight on Sunday, December 6:

• Indoor and outdoor playgrounds

• Indoor recreational facilities

• Hair salons and barbershops

• Personal care services

• Museums, zoos, and aquariums

• Movie theaters

• Wineries

• Bars, breweries and distilleries

• Family entertainment centers

• Cardrooms and satellite wagering

• Limited services

• Live audience sports

• Amusement parks

Other sectors that will be allowed to stay open when operating remotely is not possible include:

• Critical Infrastructure

• Schools that are already open for in-person learning

• Non-urgent medical and dental care

• Childcare and pre-K

The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:

• Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.

• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

• Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

• Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.

• Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery. No indoor or outdoor dining.

• Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.

• Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.

• Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.

More information about the Stay Home Order can be found at: covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs. Local information at www.venturacountyrecovers.org.

vcportal.ventura.org/covid19/docs/2020-12-05_Stay_Home_Order_Triggered_in_Ventura_County_and_So_Cal_Region.pdf