Animal License Canvassing Begins In Thousand Oaks on September 14th

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Thousand Oaks Dog Owners Be Prepared! Animal license canvassing will begin in Thousand Oaks on September 14, 2011.  Officers from the Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control will begin going door to door checking for current rabies vaccinations and to ensure residents are in compliance with dog licensing requirements.  The City of Thousand Oaks contracts with Los Angeles County for animal shelter and related services.

California State law requires all dogs over the age of four months to be vaccinated against rabies and licensed.  Securing a license is also important when searching for and identifying lost dogs.  Residents are required to comply and will be subject to license fees plus delinquency charges, including a $40 field enforcement fee to off-set field service costs. 

In order to avoid penalties, be sure to license your dog.  Residents will nee

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Will Hooters Hurt Home Prices in Thousand Oaks? CBS News Covers The Story!

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Several hundred Thousand Oaks residents have written City Hall regarding the proposed Hooters at Janss Marketplace.  There are allegations that Hooters will impact the value of homes in Thousand Oaks in this interview.

CVG has done a survey of residents regarding the proposed Hooters. With 285 responses in, approximately 30% of residents are no go on Hooters, 55% for Hooters and the remaining 15% for the most part could give a hoot.

As a result of all this Hooters hubbub, the City will be holding a hearing to address these concerns. Stay tuned.

Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria La Cucina di Venti Signs Lease at Paraiso Town Center

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Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria La Cucina di Venti Signs Lease at Paraiso Town Center
First New Tenant for Newbury Park Shopping Center Under New Ownership

La Cucina di Venti, a full-service version of the popular Pizzeria Venti “sliceria,” will open its newest restaurant at the Paraiso Town Center, a 50,000 square-foot lifestyle center in the Dos Vientos master planned community of Thousand Oaks, announced Peter Cohen, president of Paradise Capital Group.

“La Cucina di Venti is the evolution of Pizzeria Venti, a successful, small casual quick-service Trattoria-style restaurant with locations throughout the United States,” said Operations Partner Matthew Seerden.  “La Cucina di Venti builds upon that authentic Italian pizza-by-the-slice tradition ‘known as Pizza al taglio’ in Italy, to include table service dining in a family atmosphere with a menu featuring homemade Italian specialties and American favorites such as burgers and steaks,” said Seerden.

The new 4,299 square-foot restaurant at Paraiso Town Center also will include a full service bar, alfresco dining, corporate catering and delivery service.   The first La Cucina di Venti opened in Mountain View, CA in 2007 and is the highest grossing location

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Local Firefighter to Bike Across U.S. to Honor 9/11 Victims - Send Off on June 29th

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Local Firefighter Who Will Bike Across the US to Honor 9-11 Victims to Get Community Send-Off at Miller YMCA


Jorge Ostrovsky, a Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) firefighter and a Miller Family YMCA member, is joining other Los Angeles County firefighters as they bicycle across the United States to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9-11 and to honor those who continue to fight for our freedom and safety. This event, known as "Ride For 9-11," will start in Los Angeles July 24 and end in New York City Sept. 9. Money raised will go to the Leary Firefighters Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Miller Family YMCA will hold a send-off breakfast for Ostrovsky and nine other LACFD firefighters on Wednesday, June 29, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Y (320 Via Las Brisas, Dos Vientos portion of Newbury Park). The public is invited to this free event.

The Leary Firefighters Foundation (www.learyfirefighters.org) is dedicated to providing equipment and training to firefighters across the United States ensuring firefighters come home in the same condition they left for work. The Wounded Warrior Project, (http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org) provides various forms of support to wounded service members, aiding in their road to recovery. The program focuses on four main areas: Mind, body, economic empowerment and engagement.

For more information about the breakfast, call the Miller Y at 805-480-0309. For more information about Ride For 9-11, go to www.ridefor9-11.org.

Message From the Department of Fish & Game: Please Don't Feed the Coyotes!

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The Department of Fish & Game (DFG) recently informed Oak Park residents that someone is placing food out for coyotes at the creek between Oak Park High School and Medea Creek Middle School. Doing so can cause coyotes to become curious and aggressive. Please be aware of this issue and use extra caution when in local trails never to approach coyotes.

Additional information from the DFG regarding using caution around coyotes:

If you’re in the outdoors anywhere in California this spring, you might cross paths with one of the state’s most common predators – the coyote. Clever, nimble and quick, the coyote may at first glance appear to be more of a nuisance than a direct threat. But don’t let your guard down, the DFG warns.

Coyotes – especially those who live in urban settings and have grown accustomed to humans – can become emboldened to the point where they become a public safety threat.

“Once coyotes become habituated to people, they begin to exhibit increased levels of aggression, which can lead to biting incidents,” explained Kevin Brennan, a DFG biologist who works out of Idyllwild (Riverside County). Brennan has responded to hundreds of coyote incidents and is familiar with the inevitably unhappy result when coyotes become accustomed to humans.

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family and is native to California

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City of Thousand Oaks Tree City USA Recipient for 13th Consecutive Year

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The City of Thousand Oaks will be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA Community for its commitment to urban forestry.  Thousand Oaks has earned this national designation since 1998.  A special ceremony will be held at the May 24, 2011 City Council meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. recognizing the City of Thousand Oaks as a Tree City USA recipient.  The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

To become a Tree City USA community, agencies need to coordinate a citywide approach for tree management that includes tree care as part of its municipal code, an adopted forestry program, and annual recognition of Arbor Day.

“We commend Thousand Oaks elected officials, volunteers and its citizens for providing vital care for its urban forest,” states John Rosenow, Chief Executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation.

The City of Thousand Oaks annually maintains 27,000 City street trees of 160 different species. The City releases 700,000 beneficial insects each year as a part of our integrated pest management program to help reduce the need for insecticides.

In 1989, the City Council adopted an Urban Forestry Master Plan.  The overall goal of the Master plan is to provide the City with a sound basis for the creation and management of its community forest and to set policies that provide the greatest benefit for residents.

The City of Thousand Oaks understands the importance of caring for trees because they help reduce the heat island effect in urban areas caused by pavement and buildings.  Trees also help to moderate the climate, conserve water, and provide vital habitat for wildlife.

Note from Conejo Joe:

Other local cities that were on the previous year Tree City USA list include Calabasas (12 years), Ojai (1 year), Oxnard (26 years) and Simi Valley (10 years).

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

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

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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.