Eight Ventura County Schools Receive 2017 Gold Ribbon Honors from California Department of Education

Eight Ventura County area schools are recipients of the 2017 Gold Ribbon Schools Award from the California Department of Education. The award recognizes middle and high schools that have developed innovative programs that support rigorous academic standards and create a positive school environment. The winning local schools are:

• A.E. Wright Middle School (Las Virgenes Unified School District)
• Adolfo Camarillo High School (Oxnard Union High School District)
• Colina Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Hillside Middle School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Moorpark High School (Moorpark Unified School District)
• Redwood Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Westlake High School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)

A.E. Wright Middle School received an additional award for being a Title I Academic Achieving School. This additional recognition is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds that assist in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line.

Eligible schools for the 2017 Gold Ribbon Award exclude schools that previously won the award in 2015. These schools include Sequoia Middle School (CVUSD), Thousand Oaks High School (CVUSD), Medea Creek Middle School (Oak Park USD), Oak Park High School, Ocean View Junior High, Santa Susana High (Simi Valley USD), Sinaloa Middle School (SVUSD) and Valley View Middle School (SVUSD).

This year, 275 Gold Ribbon honorees were selected out of 477 schools that applied. Additional information about the Gold Ribbon Schools Award is available at www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/gr.

The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement systems.

About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at www.vcoe.org.

Circus Trix to Open Trampoline and Aerial Action Facility at Janss Marketplace in 2017

Update November 3, 2017: DojoBoom Extreme Air Sports now open at Janss Marketplace. www.dojoboom.com.

In February, Janss Marketplace announced it signed a 10 year lease with trampoline center operator Circus Trix for 37,773 sq ft of space - the space next to Toy R Us - Padavo Home Furnishings. Circus Trix plans to open this year.

Circus Trix filed a Special Use Permit application with the City of Thousand Oaks that was presented at the April 10th Planning Commission Meeting. The Commission unanimously approved the project.

The facility will be called DojoBoom - The Ultimate Extreme Air Experience. www.dojoboom.com

Maximum capacity of the facility will be 200 patrons and 25 employees, with proposed operating hours of 9am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 9am to midnight on Friday/Saturday.

The facility will include 18,045 sq ft of trampoline area, 4,071 sq ft of foam play area, three party rooms totaling 1,271 sq ft, a viewing area and more. It is a corporate-owned facility and Circus Trix is the largest trampoline center operated in the country. Learn more at www.circustrix.com.

There are currently 26 other locations in the U.S., with 13 more slated in 2017 (including Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles and Orange County in Southern California). Each location has a different name, like Sector Extreme Air Sports in New Orleans, DefyGravity Trampoline Park in Charlotte and Skywalk in Fresno.

Update: Padavo will be moving to the Riverland location at Janss. Riverland will be closing its doors April 30th.

Marshalls Moving from Janss Marketplace to Conejo Valley Plaza in Thousand Oaks on May 11th

The former Sport Chalet on Moorpark Road several weeks ago as it goes through transformations to become the new home of Marshalls. Kind of a sad sight, isn't it.

The former home of Sport Chalet at 1350 North Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, in the Conejo Valley Plaza, will become the new home of Marshalls (currently located in the Janss Marketplace).

Marshalls indicates the grand opening celebration will take place from 8am to 10pm on Thursday, May 11th. For updates, visit www.marshallsonline.com/store-finder/158.

Other local area Marshalls stores in Simi Valley and Oxnard. There are over 975 Marshalls stores in the U.S. Marshalls is named after Alfred Marshall, who gathered other investors to open a self-service department store in Beverly, Massachusetts offering "Brand Names For Less" in 1956. TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, purchased Marshalls in 1995 and operate as sister stores. And there you have it.

City of Simi Valley Offers Up to $50,000 Home Rehab Loans for Low-Income Homeowners

City of Simi Valley Offers $50,000 Deferred Payment Home Rehabilitation Program Loans with 2% Interest for Low-Income Homeowners

The City of Simi Valley offers deferred payment Home Rehabilitation loans up to $50,000 to low-income homeowners, with no monthly payments. Loans accrue 2% interest for the first 15 years, and are reserved for owner-occupied single-family homes in need of repair. Full repayment is required when the property is sold, refinanced, or leased, or when the property changes title. 

In order to qualify for these loans, household income may not exceed low-income limits published annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Repayment of Home Rehabilitation loans is required upon sale, refinance, or transfer of the property.

Examples of eligible work include roof repair or replacement, repair or replacement of damaged walls, doors, screens, hardware, cabinets, bathroom fixtures, kitchen built-in appliances, replacement of deteriorated floor coverings, connection to sanitary sewer, repair or replacement of severely deteriorated exterior stucco, siding and doors (including garage doors), window replacements, replacement of deteriorated/hazardous driveway, replacement of old heating and air conditioning systems, installing attic insulation, and weatherstripping.

For further information or to request an application contact the City’s Home Rehabilitation Coordinator at 805-583-6757 and visit www.simivalley.org/departments/environmental-services/housing-section-planning-division/home-rehabilitation-program for details.

Source: City of Simi Valley website at www.simivalley.org.

Opening of "Capability Center" in Tampa Will Lead to Loss of Up to 494 Amgen Jobs in Thousand Oaks

Last Month, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Develop Corporation announced that Amgen will be opening a "Capability Center" in Tampa in October 2017, employing 450 people by the end of 2018.  The 136,000 sq. ft. facility "will support a variety of functions with the delivery of business-enabling services including operational, analytical, staff support and business support activities."

What's good news for Tampa is bad news for Thousand Oaks. On Tuesday, April 11th, Amgen issued a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notice stating that up to 494 Amgen Thousand Oaks employees will lose their jobs as a result.

Amgen will continue maintaining its corporate headquarters here in Thousand Oaks, with about 5,125 employees. This is down from 6,000 in July 2014 and 7,500 in 2006 (according to this Pacific Coast Business Times article).

In addition to 450 employees in Tampa, Amgen will be adding some jobs to existing sites in San Francisco and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Local employee terminations will begin on June 16, 2017. www.amgen.com

Looking for a local job? LINKS TO OVER 300 LOCAL AREA EMPLOYERS

More on Amgen 2016 hiring announcements at THIS LINK.

County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in March 2017

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division (EHD) protects public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks and vector control.

The EHD publishes food facility closures at www.ventura.org/rma/envhealth/community-services/consumer-food/closures.html.

The following facility closures were noted in March 2017. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

Rock 'N Roll Pizza, 13816 Princeton Avenue, Moorpark;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions, no valid Permit to Operate;

Date closed - 03/31/17; Date reopened - 04/04/17

Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, 1464 Madera Road, #F, Simi Valley;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/29/17; Date reopened - 03/30/27

Salsa & Agave, 1450 S. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 03/28/17; No reopen date

Brick Oven, 888 New Los Angeles Avenue, Moorpark;

No hot water available for handwashing and utensil washing;

Date closed - 03/28/17; Date reopened - 03/29/17

Puerto Vallarta Seafood Restaurant, 3021 Saviers Rd., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/21/17; Date reopened - 03/22/17

Ken of Japan, 4340 Cochran Street, Simi Valley;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/21/17; Date reopened - 03/22/17

Now, 185 E. Santa Clara St., Ventura;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 03/15/17; Date reopened - 03/15/17

Starbucks, 575 Country Club Drive, Simi Valley;

Inoperable employee restrooms;

Date closed - 03/15/17; Date reopened - 03/16/17

La Espiga Bakery & Deli, 580 E. Third St. Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/13/17; Date reopened - 03/15/17

Kabuki Restaurant, 500 Collection Blvd., Oxnard;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 03/13/17; Date reopened - 03/13/17

Ragin' Crawfish, 480 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/09/17; Date reopened - 03/10/17

McDonald's, 60 Daily Dr., Camarillo;

Sewage overflowing within the facility, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/08/17; Date reopened - 03/08/17

Vanessa #8 Market & Liquor, 1250 E. Main St., Santa Paula;

Serious and repeated violations, operating beyond the limitations of the permit, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement;

Date closed - 03/07/17; Date reopened 03/07/17

Nekter Juice Bar, 3835 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., #H, Thousand Oaks;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/02/17; Date reopened - 03/07/17

Roger's Cafe, 1026 Mountain View Avenue, Oxnard;

No valid permit to operate;

Date closed - 03/02/17; No reopen date

Loteria Grill at The Promenade at Westlake Closed Its Doors Last Month

We received a heads up from Laurie W. via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page that Loteria Grill at The Promenade at Westlake has closed its doors. A call to the Hollywood Loteria location confirmed that the Westlake location is indeed closed last month (though the location is still listed on both the Loteria and The Promenade websites.

Loteria Grill opened its doors on April 19, 2012. Perhaps the eatery had a five year lease it opted not to renew. 

It was May 2011 when we first noticed that the prior occupant of that space, La Salsa, had closed its doors and Loteria was coming soon.

Now let's see what's next for this spot. Sorry to hear about this news.

Thousand Oaks Police Department Has Launched Scam Hotline for Local Residents

The Thousand Oaks Police Department has launched a scam hotline for its citizens. The hotline telephone number (805) 371-8327 provides information on various current types of scams (telephone, mail, email, text message, etc.) and gives callers the opportunity to leave information on scams they may have been exposed to. The phone line is a recorded informational message available 24 hours a day.

Scams are climbing at an alarming rate, not only in our community, but communities nationwide. The Thousand Oaks Police Department is dedicated to educating the community on current scams and ways to avoid falling victim to them. We have found by educating the community and providing essential information about current scams, the monetary loss from
victims of scams is avoided.

The scam hotline is not for reporting crimes. If you are a victim of a scam that has resulted in a financial loss, please call Ventura County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (805) 654-9511 to have an officer take a report.

Every year, thousands of people lose money to scams from a few hundred dollars to their whole life savings. In 2016, the Better Business Bureau reported that approximately 40,000 scams were reported, this does not account for the numerous scams not being reported or the monetary losses, which are in the billions of dollars.

For additional information on current scams contact the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. To file an internet crime complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at www.ic3.gov.