Beautiful, Beautiful Snow Seen From the Conejo Valley on White Friday 2019

/

What a treat it has been to wake up to a blanket of fresh snow in the Los Padres National Forest, clearly visible from the Conejo Valley today. While folks are out seeking Black Friday bargains, all they need to do is look up to experience a rare White Friday!

From Reino Road in Newbuury Park, near Newbury Park High School.

Do Well by Doing Good in the New Year! Volunteer Opportunities in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County

/
Volunteer.jpg

How about a new New Year's resolution for 2020! Resolve to dedicate some time towards a local organization that needs your help. Not only does it feel good to help others, but it helps broaden your horizons. And with the lousy economy, many people need your help. Or if you are one of those many people who is between jobs, giving time to those in need looks great on your resume.

So to summarize:

  1. Volunteering makes you feel good.

  2. Feeling good about yourself benefits all aspects of your life.

  3. There are many organizations and people who need your support.

  4. Volunteering is a great resume builder. You may even learn new, marketable skills as a volunteer!

Here on Conejo Valley Guide we have compiled an extensive, growing list of local volunteer and support organizations based in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County area. Click here to see the list and to click through to their websites.

A sampling:

These are just a few of the 60+ non-profit organizations listed here.  Contact us to be added to the list or if there is an event you would like to promote on CVG.

Dedication of 3.4 Mile Stretch of Highway 101 in Memory of Sergeant Ron Helus in Thousand Oaks

/
P1140337.JPG

On November 6th, a 3.4 mile stretch of Highway 101, between Hampshire Road and Lynn Road, was dedicated to the memory of Ventura County Sheriff’s Sergeant Ronald Lee Helus.

The prominently placed signs will serve as a reminder of the man he was and the sacrifice he made in order to protect those he did not know. at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday, November 7, 2018.

Live broadcast of the sign dedication on November 6, 2019.

F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter to Become Permanent Exhibit at Reagan Library in Simi Valley on December 7, 2019

/

Today, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced its “Operation Nighthawk Landing” project - a Reagan Foundation & Institute and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®. joint effort that will soon bring an F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter to the Reagan Museum for permanent exhibition. Made possible by loan from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the F-117 placed on display will serve as a visible reminder to the Library’s near half-million annual visitors of President Reagan's commitment to the rebuilding of the U.S. military through his “Peace through Strength” program.

The F-117 Nighthawk, Tail #803, nicknamed “Unexpected Guest,” flew more combat sorties (78) than all other F-117s combined. The aircraft entered service in May 1984, during President Reagan’s administration.

“The Reagan Library will now be one of two places in the nation where the general public can visit an F-117 Stealth Fighter on permanent display,” said John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “We are deeply grateful to Lockheed Martin for their outstanding assistance in restoring the aircraft for such a meaningful display and to the U.S. Air Force for making it possible for the Reagan Library to exhibit the plane for millions of visitors to enjoy for years to come.”

The F-117 Nighthawk was the world’s first operational stealth aircraft. Between 1981 and 2008, Lockheed Martin produced 59 operational F-117s and five developmental prototypes, but the aircraft weren’t publicly acknowledged until 1988. Known as “stealth fighters,” the F-117’s angular shape was designed to reflect radar waves and was bolstered by the use of a radar-absorbing material. Because the aircraft was only expected to operate at night, it was painted black to make it more difficult to discern against the night sky.

“I was privileged to fly the airplane when the program was classified,” said Lt Col Scott Stimpert, USAF (ret), a pilot for the F-117 tail number 803 going on display at the Reagan Library. “It was an exciting time, and a vitally important capability, but not something you could share with friends or family. I’m glad the airplane can come out of the dark to take its rightful place in the light, somewhere it can be seen and appreciated by the people it helped to protect.”

The F-117 Nighthawk will be going on public display at the Reagan Library beginning December 7, 2019, at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony during the Reagan Foundation and Institute’s annual Reagan National Defense Forum. The jet will be located outdoors near the Library’s F-14 aircraft, situated on the west side of the Library’s property and clearly visible from inside the Library’s famous auditorium.

“The F-117 was developed in response to an urgent national need,” said Jeff Babione, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® “It has paved the way for today’s stealth technology and reminds us to continue redefining what’s possible. It’s been a privilege for our team to collaborate with the USAF and the Reagan Foundation on this effort, and we are excited to see it on proud display at its new home.”

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is the nonprofit organization created by President Reagan himself and specifically charged by him with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles - individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. The Foundation is a non-partisan organization which sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Presidential Learning Center, The Air Force One Pavilion and the award-winning Discovery Center, as well as the Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C. The Reagan Library houses over 55 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It also serves as the final resting place of America’s 40th President and his First Lady.

www.reaganfoundation.org

The "Maria" Fire Near Santa Paula Burns Over 9,400 Acres Beginning Halloween Night

/

I was in Newbury Park on Halloween night when I looked up and saw orange flames in the distance. First I mentally freaked out because they looked pretty close by. But after checking out the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) “Pulsepoint” page (a web page that shows active and recent incidents in Ventura County), I learned this was most likely a fire on South Mountain, just south of Santa Paula.

Fires definitely can look closer than they actually are at night. Unfortunately, based on a number of recent experiences, I’m getting used to that.

In this case, the fire on South Mountain was clearly seen from the Conejo Valley as the mountain is over 2,300 feet in elevation (which is about 500 feet shorter than Boney Peak here in the Santa Monica Mountains). Although unnerving to see, the flames were easily 10 to 12 miles away from the Conejo Valley, measured point to point.

The fire was called the “Maria” Fire. I’m assuming it was named after something near the scene of the incident. There is a Santa Maria Street in Santa Paula that parallels the north side of South Mountain, so I’m going to assume that was what this wildfire was named after.

South Mountain overlooks the Santa Paula Airport and has the initials “SP” emblazoned on it. There are also oil fields clearly seen on the mountain as well as communications equipment at the top.

What a way to spend Halloween night. Within an hour of its identification, VCFD issued evacuation orders to homes in the perimeter south of the 126, north of Los Angeles Ave, east of Vineyard and west of Balcom Canyon Road.. About 1,800 homes were threatened as the fire crews strategically went into structure protection mode.

The wind driven fire was spreading quickly westbound, while moving slowly in the Santa Paula direction. Somis was also in the path of the fire.

One great thing about social media is that we have much more timely information about local disasters. The VCFD Public Information Officer Twitter account posts frequent updates, available to anyone via web browser at twitter.com/VCFD_PIO. (You don’t need to be a Twitter user to view the Tweets.) I’ve been impressed by the frequency and quality of communications from this VCFD account.

Of course, there are other sources for information, including the vcemergency.com website, which posts incident information, evacuations, emergency shelters and road closures.

As of Saturday, November 2nd at 7 p.m.., the Maria Fire stands at 9,412 acres and is 30% contained. Two structures were destroyed in the fire but at this time, no other structures are threatened. Evacuations orders were lifted at 2 p.m. today. A total of 1,579 total personnel are assigned to the fire, including 262 engines, 7 water tenders, 6 helicopters, 35 hand crews and 10 dozers.

Anticipated full containment is November 8th.

Wendy Fire in Newbury Park Burned 91 Acres in Rancho Sierra Vista on October 10th

/

The “Wendy Fire” started at 7:11 p.m. on Thursday, October 10th in the Rancho Sierra Vista open space in Newbury Park, within the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire was seen quite clearly from Potrero Road, near the intersection of Wendy Drive.

It was a nerve wracking moment for local residents, as the flames were clearly visible and the Santa Ana winds were unpredictable. It was just six years ago that the Springs Fire burned near this area, down to PCH, and then back up towards the Conejo Valley when the winds shifted.

But our local fire responders, armed with a helicopter doing constant water drops and a bulldozer going up to and nearly into the flames to create a fireline, along with winds that were pushing towards the ocean, we managed to survive unscathed.

Thankfully, no structures were lost. We were quite concerned that the flames might impact the Satwiwa Native American Culture Center. The National Park Service announced on Friday that it was not impacted.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

It was last reported that the blaze was 91 acres.

The park and surrounding trails are expected to reopen on Sunday, October 13 at 6 a.m. Saturday events at this site have been cancelled.

The site will remain closed through Saturday, October 12th. The park and surrounding trails will reopen at 6am on Sunday, Odtober 13th.

Firefighter engines and personnel from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Yosemite National Park, Redwood National Park, California State Parks, Ventura County Fire, Los Angeles County Fire, Los Angeles City Fire, Ventura City and Oxnard City and Ventura County Sheriffs (Thousand Oaks) assisted in fighting the fire.

Southern California Edison Has Announced Possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs

/

Southern California Edison (SCE) and other energy companies in California have announced the possibility of preventative power shutoffs in areas where there are elevated wildfire risks.

Much of the Conejo Valley and greater Ventura County are considered to be of extreme risk, according to a the California Public Utilities Commission. A map showing high fire threat areas is at https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/firemap/.

This is how Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) works, according to SCE:

  • When elevated fire conditions (e.g. strong winds) present a clear danger, SCE may shut off power temporarily on specific power lines for public safety.

  • SCE intends to notify customers of potential shutoffs 2 days in advance via email, text or phone call. They may also send another notice to customers a day in advance.

  • SCE will also notify local governments, the emergency management community and first responders.

  • SCE will update customers regularly via its website and social media.

SCE can sign up for alerts at www.sce.com/outagealerts.

Additional information and updates will be posted at www.vcemergency.com.

Additional safety tips during an outage from SCE:

  • Disconnect all sensitive electronics to prevent damage or loss of data.

  • If you use a portable gas generator, use it outdoors only.

  • Don’t connect a generator to your home’s circuit breaker panel.

  • Consider obtaining extra fuel for your generator for extended outages and keep the fuel in approved containers in a safe location away from ignition sources.