Photos of 2012 Pepperdine University Waves of Flags Tribute to 9/11 Victims

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For the last five years, students and volunteers from Pepperdine University have honored the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a display of flags at Alumni Park, Malibu (corner of PCH and Malibu Canyon Road). Each of the nearly 3,000 victims is memorialized with a flag reflecting their nationality.

Local photographer Scott Harrison took a number of photos of the 2012 display, some of which are shown below. The display will be up for another week. See more of Scott's work at www.harrysonpics.com.

Great Labor Day Weekend Culminates in a Rainbow Above the Conejo Valley

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The weather was seasonably warm this Labor Day weekend and under partly cloudy skies most of the day. To me the weather seemed picture perfect, and I believe this rainbow photo taken from the North Ranch section of Westlake Village sums up what a great weekend it was.

Photo courtesy of Ed Garnett. Speaking of Ed, he is a Board Member of the Conejo Free Clinic, which provides medical and legal services to local residents in need. I encourage you to take a look at this worthy local non-profit that helps our local community. .

Here were some of those clouds a little earlier tonight above Conejo Mountain, seen from the 101 Freeway in Camarillo.

Conejo Valley Clouds on a Balmy, Slightly Humid, Mid-August Morning

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We're slowly but surely coming off of a summer heatwave in this week as the early morning cloud cover makes its way in to the Conejo Valley. It is still hot out and the humidity in the air makes it feel slightly more hot. In any case, these clouds make for some dramatic scenes in the early morning Thousand Oaks sky.

View these and other scenes around Ventura County on the Conejo Valley Guide Pinterest boards at pinterest.com/conejojoe/ventura-county-views/

Simi Valley Residents Featured in 25th Anniversary Shark Week "Sharkzilla" Episode

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The last few years I've had several home remodeling projects managed by Sean Tohill of All Trades Ready Construction. Sean's a really nice guy and he and his team did some great work at my house.

Sean frequently mentioned his wife, Lisa, had a passion for unearthing fossils out in Bakersfield and that they spent many a weekend up there. But we never talked about it in detail as cabinetry, mirrors, tiles and bath fixtures represented the main topic at hand.

Two weeks ago he told me, "Make sure to watch 'Sharkzilla' on the Discovery Channel's 25th Anniversary Shark Week! You and the kids will get a kick out of it!" The Sharkzilla episode first aired this past Monday night. I recorded it and watched it the next day. HOLY MEGALADON! He didn't tell me that he and Lisa would be PROMINENTLY FEATURED in the show! They were great!

Shark Week 25th Anniversary sign and massive 6 foot tall megaladon fin temporarily on display at the Tohill residence in Wood Ranch!

Sharkzilla features the cast of Mythbusters and a team that constructed a MASSIVE 52 foot long megaladon shark that lived 15 million years ago. This gigantic creature wiith 8 foot wide mechanical jaws was brought to the sand next to the Ventura Pier to a cheering crowd.

So, where did Sean and Lisa Tohill come in? The Mythbusters team learned that the Tohills own an 85 acre White Whale Quarry in Bakersfield. Yes, 12 to 15 million years

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Restaurants New and Restaurants Adieu in Ventura County, January to July 2012

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The Local Buzz section of CVG is where we enjoy sharing tidbits on new restaurants opening or planning to open in and around the Conejo Valley and greater Ventura County. We also cover restaurants that close their doors.

Overall, we've noticed quite a lot of activity so far this year, so how about a quick summary for your dining pleasure (or displeasure as the case may be):

New Restaurant Announcements

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Ventura County Schools in U.S. News 2012 Ranking of Nation's Top High Schools

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In May 2012, U.S. News & World Report published its 4th ranking of the nation's best public high schools. The study covered nearly 22,000 public high schools across the country.

Schools were ranked based on the following factors measured 2009-2010: (1) how well students tested on reading and math proficiency assessments at the state level, factoring in disadvantaged students, who tend to score lower on tests; and (2) college readiness, based on how well schools prepare students for college-level work via Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

The median college readiness, measured on a scale of 0 to 100, was 16.3. A readiness index of 100 means that all 12th graders took and passed at least 1 AP or IB test. (More on the methodology)

There were 2,407 California high schools, 87,682 full-time teachers and 1,999,202 students enrolled during the survey period. To be ranked in California, schools must receive either a gold (top 500 nationally) or silver (top 501 to 2008 nationally) medal. 276 Callifornia schools received gold or silver medals.

We checked out local high schools in the Conejo Valley, Ventura County and adjacent areas and summarized the information below. There were 12 local schools that received gold/silver medal status and thus were ranked nationally and in California.

Malibu High School ranked 52nd in the state, with the highest local "college readiness" level. The top academic scoring school locally was Oak Park High School. Thousand Oaks High School

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City of Thousand Oaks Announces Winners of 2012 City Photo Contest

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Category People and Places (1st Place) Janss Marketplace Fountains by Desiree VidalThe City of Thousand Oaks has selected winners for its First Annual, "Faces, Places, & Open Spaces" Photo Contest.  Twelve winning photos were chosen out of over 100 entries from photographers of all ages and skill levels. Images best depicting the community in five categories: Environment, Architecture / Structure, People & Places, Business/Industry, and Mobile were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

A panel of judges from the City's Public Information Team, Cultural Affairs Commission, Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency, and Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce picked the winning shots. The photos were judged anonymously based on photographic quality, creativity, relevancy to category, and representation of Thousand Oaks. Some photographers won in multiple categories. 

Category: Architecture/Structure (1st Place) Dos Vientos Neighborhood by Shima Tshimanga

"The photo contest was a success and showcased resident’s skill in capturing the City’s beautiful landscapes, wildlife, events, parks, and community life in a great way,” said Public Information Analyst Rachel Wagner.  “We thank everyone who shared their images with us and hope to get even more entries next year.”  

Category Environment (1st Place) Horses in the Mist by Mike ShawThe first place winner in the Environment category, a photograph of “Horses in the Mist” near Hidden Valley, was submitted by Mike Shaw.  An aerial shot of the Dos Vientos neighborhood submitted by Shima Tshimanga won top prize in the Architecture category. Kelly Hammerslag entered the winning photo in the Mobile Phone category for her “Fourth of July Sunset” and also took third place in the Environment category for a line-up of oak trees on Los Padres Trail. Desiree Vidal not only came in a close second in the Architecture category, but her shots of a girl running through the Janss Marketplace Fountains and a woman jogging in Wildwood took both first and third place in the People and Places category.

Category Mobile (1st Place) 4th of July Sunset by Kelly Hammerslag

The winners will be honored at the Tuesday, July 10 City Council Meeting and their photos will be featured on the City’s Website and Summer Newsletter.  Visit www.toaks.org/photocontest to have a look at the winning photos.