Views From the Old Boney Trail in Pt. Mugu State Park on Last Sunday of October

/

October is almost done and Halloween is this coming Friday. And today is another sunny day, blue skies, with temperatures in the mid 70s, making this yet another nice day for a hike. If you're looking for a bit of a strenuous hike in the Boney Mountain State Wilderness, the Old Boney Trail is something to consider. Accessible from Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa in Newbury Park, plan on half a day of hiking for panoramic views covering Boney Mountain, the Oxnard Plain, Conejo Valley and Hidden Valley.

OldBoneyTrail_sign.JPG
BoneyTrail102614_1.JPG
BoneyTrail102614_2.JPG
BoneyTrail102614_4.JPG
BoneyTrail102614_5.JPG
BoneyTrail102614_3.JPG

New Farm Motif Playground at Borchard Community Park in Newbury Park

/

Borchard Community Park is located at Reino Road and Borchard Road in Newbury Park. Recently a new play area was completed in this cool barnyard motif. Based on initial response on the CVG Facebook page, this new playground is already a big hit!

This nicely appointed park and community center also has softball/soccer fields, restrooms, tennis courts, a labyrinth and fitness area, skate park, basketball courts and more. Visit crpd.org for more information.

BorchardNew1.jpg
BorchardNew2.jpg
BorchardNew3.jpg
BorchardNew4.jpg
BorchardNew5.jpg
BorchardNew6.jpg

2014 Pepperdine University Waves of Flags Display and 9/11 Memorial Service

/

Pepperdine University continues to honor lives lost on 9/11 this year with its stunning display of flags at Alumni Park, Malibu. Each flag, reflecting each victim's nationality, represents each of the nearly 3,000 victims of that tragic day. The flags will be on display until Monday, September 22nd.

PeppFlags2014_3.jpg

Tom Burnett, an alumnus of Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business and Management is one of the heroes remembered in this tribute. Burnett was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, in which passengers' attempt to take control of the hijacked airliner and divert it from reaching the terrorists' target, United 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania rather than striking a building or landmark in the nation's capital, causing more loss of human life.

PeppFlags2014_1.jpg

As it has annually since September 2001, the Office of the Chaplain, the Department of Public Safety, and the Office of the President will host a brief memorial service at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th, at the Heroes Garden, a 14,880-square-foot outdoor sanctuary that overlooks the Pacific Ocean on one of the highest bluffs on the Malibu campus. The garden serves as a public space to pause, reflect, and honor those who sacrificed their lives on 9/11, including Burnett.

Guiding the time of prayer will be John D. Barton, visiting associate professor of religion at Seaver College and associate director of the Center for Faith and Learning, who will offer a brief devotional. This brief service brings together the Pepperdine and greater Los Angeles communities to remember, honor, and look ahead towards peace and reconciliation.

PeppFlags2014_2.jpg

City of Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade Planned for Saturday, September 27th

/

The City of Thousand Oaks celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year! As part of this celebration, the City is hosting a parade on Saturday, September 27th with the theme "Remembering the past, honoring the memories." The parade will take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thousand Oaks Boulevard from Duesenberg Drive to Erbes Road.

The Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade will honor the past with a down home feel. There will be vintage (1964 and older) cars, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department Mounted Police, antique fire engines, local Conejo Valley area high school marching bands, equestrians, floats and much more. The parade is FULL, with over 100 entries!

A special edition to the parade is the 9/11 Angels, five Camaros dedicated to those who lost their lives on 9/11. Each Camaro displays every hero lost on 9/11 by name in gold lettering. There is an Angel vehicle for each of two Trade Towers, First Responders, Pentagon and Pennsylvania Flight.

The Parade begins at 9:00 am with a military flyover and Color Guard, followed by City officials, VIP’s, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, some of the original mayors who helped form the city, local school bands and drill teams, local service clubs, antique autos, police service units, floats from various organizations, horses, fire trucks and much more.

John Short, well known locally for his role as President of Thousand Oaks Little League for 12 years and other community endeavors, has been designated as

Read More

2014 Pepperdine University Waves of Flags Display in Honor of 9/11 Victims

/
Pepp911_2014_1.JPG

Once again, Pepperdine University students and volunteers have staged a display of nearly 3,000 flags in honor of each of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The display is at Alumni Park, at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Each victim is memorialized with a flag reflecting their nationality. 

Pepp911_2014_2.JPG
Pepp911_2014_3.JPG
Pepp911_2014_4.JPG
Pepp911_2014_5.JPG
Pepp911_2014_6.JPG
Pepp911_2014_7.JPG

Opening of "essential ingredients" Painting Exhibit at Buenaventura Gallery on Sept 9th

/

Opening September 9 at the Buenaventura Gallery in downtown Ventura is "essential ingredients," an exhibition of paintings by Gail Pidduck.

“This show is different from my normal work,” said the longtime Santa Paula artist known for colorful plein-air California landscapes and her depictions of rural life and people in the Santa Clara River Valley. “I wanted to explore visually the things that are important to me in life, and have some fun.”

On display through October 4 will be 15 of Pidduck's oil-on-canvas works created over the past year. She will attend an opening reception 5-7 p.m

Read More

Help Track Recovery From Springs Fire in Point Mugu State Park and Rancho Sierra Vista with Your Cameras

/

If you're out and about in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa and Point Mugu State Park, you may come across one of these photo stands on the trails.

The sign, sponsored by the National Park Service and California State Parks, says the following:

Much of Point Mugu State Park and Rancho Sierra Vista burned in the May 2013 Springs Fire. We are monitoring how the ecosystem responds. YOU CAN HELP!

Place your camera or camera phone on the L-shaped bracket and take a photo of the view (no zoom or filters).

Post your photos using hashtag #springsfire__ to Twitter and flickr.

Photos will be used to create a time-lapse of the recovery. See your photos come to life on our Springs Fire Recovery Map!

While I don't know exactly how many of these photo brackets are out there, I've come across three of them on the Hidden Valley Overlook trail in Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa.

View from SpringsFire03View from SpringsFire04

I'm not the only one that noticed these contraptions. Some folks have posted photos to Twitter already. Like these #SpringsFire04 photos.