Annual Pepperdine University 9/11 Memorial Flag Display

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Once again this year, Pepperdine University will honor the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with nearly 3,000 flags. This stunning tribute will be located at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road from September 9th through September 19th.

Pepperdine has planned additional 9/11 10th Anniversary Remembrance events this year as follows:

Pepperdine University is presenting a special 9/11 remembrance on Pepperdine's Malibu campus on Sunday, September 11, 2011 commemorating the 10th anniversary of the attacks on America. Amid a breathtaking display of 2,977 flags on the University's expansive lawn – honoring the victims and emergency responders who died on 9/11 – Pepperdine will present a reading of the victims' names beginning at 11:00 a.m. A total of 20 readers from service, charitable, religious, and professional organizations will join 15 individuals from the Pepperdine community in reading the names.

View of the flags at 6 p.m. on 9/10/11, the eve of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11:

Some photos of the flag display at the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook page

At 4:00 p.m., Pepperdine will hold an hour-long memorial service commemorating the lives of our fallen heroes. The program will include remarks by Pepperdine President Andrew K. Benton, California Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, and Deena Burnett Bailey, whose husband, alumnus Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., was one of the heroes who perished on Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.

Also scheduled is a 1 p.m. viewing o

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Random Encounter with the 4th Annual West Valley Memorial Ride on Saturday, Aug 27th

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The 4th Annual West Valley Memorial Ride took place this past Saturday, August 27th. I had never heard of the ride nor knew what it was when I happened upon it but later discovered this event is organized by Officers of the West Valley Division of the Los Angeles Police Department who first organized the event in 2008 as a memorial to fellow officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

This event featured 400 riders and was orchestrated with the help of the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Motor Officers of the Valley Traffic Division of LAPD.

After torturing my body on a brutally hilly and quite hot trail run called the Bulldog 25K, I was ready to get home, shower up and relax. But...NOOoooo...after pulling onto Malibu Canyon/Las Virgenes northbound toward the 101, there are legions of police officers on cycles and cars. First I thought it might be a 9/11 memorial, but realized it was too early for that. Oddly, I noticed cars of all shapes and sizes, like vintage 1960s police cars. I thought maybe budget cuts were forcing LAPD to cut back ha ha.

But then traffic was completely stopped for me and others before reaching the 101 freeway. The police officers were followed by motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. Thinking on my feet, uh, well, on my rear end, I grabbed my little camera and start videotaping, figuring I'd capture a few seconds of footage. But the cycles kept coming...and coming...and coming. I looked over at the 101 westbound and there was a steady flow of cycles coming to the Malibu Canyon offramp. Not a single car in sight.

I was determined to keep filming until the last motorcycle. So as a result there are over 7 minutes of footage below. Had I known about this I'd have taken high def footage on my Droid for a clearer picture. But in any case, this chance encounter was certainly a pleasant and fun surprise.

East Ventura County Sheriff Watch Update - August 15, 2011

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Here is the latest "East County Sheriff Watch" alert from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. This program is designed to target unincorporated neighborhoods in the area, such as Oak Park, Bell Canyon, Lynn Ranch, Casa Conejo and Lake Sherwood. If you would like these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

The following is a summary of recent crimes in the unincorporated areas surrounding Thousand Oaks.

Oak Park

China Flat Trail Head – Vehicle Burglary

07-19-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered victim’s locked vehicle when it was parked across the street from the entrance to China Flat Trail Head.  Property was removed from the floorboard of the vehicle. 

Conifer Street – Grand Theft from Residence

07-22-11 – Known suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked bedroom and removed jewelry.  The suspect was arrested and charged by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office. The jewelry was not secured in a safe.

Covewood Street – Vehicle Burglary

07-20-11 – Unknown suspects entered the victim’s vehicle through a partially rolled down window when it was parked overnight in the driveway of the residence.  Suspect(s) reached in and removed victim’s property from the floorboard.

Parkside Court – Theft from Vehicle

07-23-11 – Unknown suspect(s) entered

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City of Thousand Oaks Invites Review of Draft Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan

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Thousand Oaks Boulevard business owners and the City have looked into how to revitalize and beautify the corridor and create a pedestrian-friendly destination for years. In 2005, the Thousand Oaks Boulevard Improvement District (BID) was formed and business owners voted to fund a Thousand Oaks Boulevard Specific Plan (in accordance with Section 65450 of the California Government Code) that would lay the foundation for future Boulevard modifications and development.

Map of proposed Thousand Oaks Specific Plan boundary

The purpose of the Specific Plan is to create a unique and identifiable commercial corridor for Thousand Oaks that is an economically viable, self-sustainable and pedestrian-friendly destination.  It includes refinements to existing regulations where necessary to further the community goals and vision.

The proposed Specific Plan covers a 345-acre area located along and near an approximately 3-mile stretch of Thousand Oaks Boulevard, roughly from the Moorpark Road to Duesenberg Drive, covering about 1.8 million sq ft of existing, mostly retail and office, commercial development. The T.O. Blvd Specific Plan does not include the separate 24-acre Civic Arts Plaza Specific Plan.


View Larger Map

The City estimates that future development within the Specific Plan area is about 1.2 million sq ft of non-residential building floor area, including 861,000 sq ft of r

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Brush Fire in Newbury Park Contained in 2 Hours - View of the Smoky Sunset

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KTLA news reported that a brush fire near the Conejo Scales was reported around 7 p.m. tonight in a moderate to heavy brush area. Thanks as always to the great efforts of the Ventura County Fire Department, the fire was out by 9 p.m. with no structural damage. Here's a view of the sunset looking toward the Conejo Grade tonight around 8 p.m. from the Ventu Park area, thanks to one of our favorite CVG Facebook followers.

City of Calabasas Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bag Ban Starts July 1, 2011

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CITY OF CALABASAS SINGLE-USE PLASTIC CARRYOUT BAG BAN

BRING YOUR OWN REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS OR PURCHASE PAPER BAGS AT CALABASAS GROCERS BEGINNING JULY 1, 2011


From the City of Calabasas website at www.cityofcalabasas.com/plastic-bag-ban.html

Calabasas has joined the growing ranks of municipalities encouraging residents to bring reusable bags when shopping. On February 9, 2011, the Calabasas City Council passed Ordinance No. 2011-282 to ban the use single-use carryout plastic bags that pollute our environment and constitute a high percentage of litter across the country.

As of July 1, 2011, shoppers will no longer receive disposable plastic bags while shopping at Calabasas supermarkets: Albertsons, Gelson’s, Maddy’s Market, and Ralphs and Rite Aid.

As of January 1, 2012, smaller drug stores, convenience food stores, smaller retail stores and grocers will stop offering disposable plastic bags.

Under the terms of the new law, stores will have reusable bags available for sale and will also offer recyclable paper bags for 10 cents each in lieu of customers bringing their reusable bags or simply carrying items purchased without a bag. The fees collected from bag sales will only go towards helping stores comply with the new law.

Lower income residents who participate in the California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children program will receive either reusable bags or recyclable paper bags for free.

Shoppers are encouraged to use reusable shopping bags whenever possible. Please note that small plastic bags will still be available in stores for fruits and vegetables. Produce bags and product bags are bags without handles used exclusively to carry produce, meats, or other food items to the point of sale or to prevent such food items from coming into direct contact with other purchased items.

More information and details on the benefits of using re-usable bags at www.cityofcalabasas.com/plastic-bag-ban.html.