Not So Fast! Al Adam and Dennis Gillette Are 57 Votes Apart as Counting Continues

The next time the Ventura County election Web site will be updated will be today at 5 p.m. CVG will keep you updated.

Thousand Oaks City Council election results have not been certified and two of the candidates running for one of the three available seats are currently only about 50 votes apart.  That leaves Mayor Dennis Gillette and challenger Al Adam both wondering which one of them will be serving on the council for the next four years. Council member Claudia Bill-de la Pena got the most votes with Mayor Pro-Tem Andy Fox, who is usually at the top, coming in second. It's her third term and his fifth. Dennis is hoping for his fourth term. There were 13 candidates for City Council on the Nov. 2 ballot.

No one will know who wins for at least another week, Ventura County Clerk and Recorder Mark Lunn said. "It's far from over," he said.

His permanent staff of 15 along with 45 temporary workers still have about 14,000 ballots countywide left to count. These include some 4,100 of which they must either verify the signatures or correct mistakes such as those with lines that were not drawn so the computer would count them. Absentee ballots on which people wrote notes must also be cleaned up so the machines will scan them. Workers are making sure people did not vote more than once. They'll check this by looking at the precinct rosters and comparing them to absentee ballots cast. There are 10,557 provisional ballots that will also be checked carefully to make sure everything is in order such as everyone who voted were registered voters.

"It's too early to know who won. It is what it is. God Bless America," Lunn said.

Homeless May Find Permanent Shelter in Thousand Oaks Near Amgen

In compliance with state law, the Thousand Oaks City Council must zone at least one part of the city for an emergency shelter for homeless people. The council will consider making that permanent shelter inside a 349-acre parcel near Amgen at Rancho Conejo Road and Lawrence Drive in Newbury Park. The council will vote on issues concerning this public hearing and other matters at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9. The city is required by the state to zone for a homeless shelter that can be built without needing a public hearing or any other conditions other than the ones they set on Tuesday. Some of the conditions the city staff is recommending include no camping outside the homeless shelter, no one can be denied lodging because of their inability to pay, a maximum length of stay for those who are homeless is six months and separate sleeping areas for men, women and children. The city is required to create the zoning, but is not expected by the state to build or operate a shelter. The city plans to offer other sites throughout the city where shelters can also be built, but the one in Newbury Park is the only spot proposed that will not need any special considerations or permits after the zoning change. The public hearing will take place in City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. The public is invited to speak at the hearing or leave written comments.

Camarillo Library Will Become Independent on 1/1/11

On October 13, 2010, the Camarillo City Council voted to withdraw the City from membership in the Ventura County Library System (VCLS) and to operate the Camarillo Library as a municipal public library beginning on January 1, 2011. The decision appeared to be driven by finances...the City is expected to save nearly $700,000/year by running its own library by contracting with a private firm to do so.

The firm selected, Library Systems & Services, LLC (LSSI), has decades of experience in providing contract library support services around the country, and locally administers the entire Riverside County Library System as well as the City of Moorpark’s library. Oversight of the LSSI contract, as well as all strategic planning and policy decisions regarding the Library including personnel policy, will be done by the Camarillo City Council, which will initially serve as the Camarillo Library Board of Trustees. All donations and grant funds received by the Library will remain 100% with the Camarillo Library -- most notably, the generous contributions made by the Friends of the Camarillo Library.

For Ventura County Library patrons with Camarillo as their home library: to keep your Ventura County Library services smooth during this transition, the first step is to change your home location to another Ventura County Library location before 15 December 2010.

Up through 15 December 2010, you may make this change at the Camarillo Library or any other Ventura County Library location (excluding the Museum of Ventura County's Research Library). If you are not able to make the change during this time, on 1 January 2011, your account will be assigned to another library in the VC Library system.

Effective 1/1/11, those seeking to check books out of the Camarillo Library will have to obtain a new library card. Other than the new library card, the transition is expected to transparent.

More info on the City of Camarillo website at www.camarillolibrary.org.

New Auto Mall Sign, Landscaping, Zoning Coming Before Planning Commission

A 35 foot sign with a large color screen promoting the Auto Mall might be built along the 101 Freeway if it is approved. The big sign, angled parking, landscaping and other signage are included in an $8 million plan for the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall that is going before the Planning Commission at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 8., in the City Council Chambers on the second floor at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard.  Planning Commissioners will also be asked to decide if they will allow four oak trees to be removed, 17 to be transplanted and the protected space surrounding 22 to be encroached upon. The Planning Commission will be considering a mitigated negative declaration. For more information, call city planner Claudia Pedroso at (805) 449-2337. Those attending the public hearing are invited to speak or contribute a written comment on the matter.

Burlington Coat Factory Opened at Janss Marketplace in September

BURLINGTON CLOSED JUST UNDER 11 YEARS LATER, ON JULY 23, 2021.

National retailer Burlington Coat Factory opened at the Janss Marketplace in the former 85,000 sq.ft Mervyn’s building the last week of September. The Thousand Oaks store features a wide variety of the latest trends in ladies’ dresses, suits, sportswear, maternity and accessories; top name men’s suits and sportswear; quality, name brand shoes for men, women and children; famous label clothes for kids of all ages, and of course – COATS – the largest selection of coats in the nation with over 5,000 to choose from. The store also includes Home Décor and Baby Depot Departments.  For more information about Burlington Coat Factory, visit www.BurlingtonCoatFactory.com.

Scrumptious Mouth Watering Treats at The Bread Basket in Camarillo

The Bread Basket is a tiny little bakery located at the Las Posas Plaza Shopping Center at 83 East Daily Drive in Camarillo. It is easy to miss in a corner location across the parking lot from Taco Bell. But step right in and you are presented with a stunning array of unbelievably decadent pastries, cakes and other baked delicacies, many of which are packed with fresh fruits like strawberries, blackberries and other seasonal local grown produce. In fact, several times I've personally witnessed The Bread Basket staff unload fresh produce off a truck into the store.

We have purchased The Bread Basket birthday cakes for our family and office parties from time to time and they are out of this world mouth wateringly delicious...the cake, the creamy fillings, the fruits and the luscious frostings. You will not go wrong here for an amazing cake, breads and other baked goods.

But let's not stop there! The Bread Basket has delicious sandwiches made on their fresh breads. Every sandwich I've tried there I've like. Recently, I've been quite impressed with this healthy and substantial veggie sandwich featuring cheese, avocado, lettuce, sprouts, carrots, tomato, cucumber, sunflower seeds, etc. Quite filling and simply good to the last bite. They also have turkey, roast beef, ham and the other usual suspects.

A veggie sandwich you can really sink your teeth into at The Bread Basket

You can also order a "box lunch" with a sandwich, side salad, fruit and a decadent chocolate morsel. These are really, really good. I believe the cost of these box lunches is just under $10 (as of November 2010).

There is no space to eat inside The Bread Basket (heck, there's barely room for 8 people to stand) but there are a number of small tables outside (if you don't mind eating 5 feet away from parked cars). You won't be sitting there long though because the food is so good!

The Bread Basket website (www.breakbasketcake.com) was not functioning at the time of writing this but you can call them at 805.482.1337. Check em out!

Cholada Thai in Newbury Park Recently Closed

My family enjoyed that place though every time we went it was like 10% occupied. Apparently it closed in the last month or two (we were last there in the summer). The good thing is that there is a newer location in Thousand Oaks as well as the original location in Malibu. Visit www.choladathaicuisine.com for more information and phone numbers.

Loehmann's in Newbury Park is Closing! :<

As I was stopping PetSmart in Newbury Park to pick up goldfish food for my 5 year old's recent addition to his pet collection on Saturday, October 30th, I noticed a lot of "40% to 80%" signs along the road. Much to my wife's chagrin, we discovered that the Newbury Park Loehmann's is closing its doors. In fat, they are even selling store furniture and fixtures...pretty much everything except the walls. My wife asked me scope it out for her and there's stuff in there, but a fraction of what used to be. The pickins appear to be getting slim. Last day the store will be open is Sunday, November 7th.

There ain't any other Loehmann's close by here in Ventura County. The next closest stores are in Reseda, Burbank and Beverly Hills.