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

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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

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California's New "Three Feet for Safety" Bike Passing Law Takes Effect September 16th

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Beginning September 16, 2014, a new law takes effect that requires motorists that are passing a bicycle on a highway to have at least 3 feet of clearance from the bicycle. Violations of this new Three Feet for Safety Act (AB 1371) can result in a $35 fine. The fine increases to $220 if the driver collides with the bicyclist while in violation of the law (which if you think about it how would they not be violating the law if they collided...hmm).

This law basically clarifies the existing law, which says cars must pass bicyclists at a "safe distance."

Now let's say you're driving on a two-lane highway like Potrero Road in Thousand Oaks where there's no bike lane and cars are coming the opposite direction as you approach a group of cyclists. What should you do? Obviously slow down so that you can pass with at least 3 feet of clearance after cars coming the other way have passed. Just make sure you're not crossing a double yellow line.

Two lane Potrero Road in Hidden Valley

Two lane Potrero Road in Hidden Valley

According to the California Bicycle Coalition, this law does not prohibit a bicyclist from passing a car by less than 3 feet. But that's because bicyclists present much less risk to car drivers than vice versa.

One may think, how in the world will anyone know if it is 3 feet vs 2 1/2 feet, etc. Short of attaching a yardstick to the side of your car, I guess we'll have to use our best judgment.

Speaking of bicycles...click here for some fun bike paths in and around Ventura County.

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Adopts Even/Odd Irrigation Schedule

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Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD) provides water to over 65,000 residents in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and unincorporated areas of western Los Angeles County.

In response to the statewide drought, LVMWD has adopted outdoor irrigation restrictions to three days a week. The LVMWD Board of Directors approved this restriction on August 12th.

Properties with even-numbered addresses may irrigate Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Properties with odd-numbered addresses may irrigate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The restriction applies to potable and recycled water users.

Watering is permitted at any time using a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle, a 5-gallon bucket or a drip irrigation system. Customers will be given time to make adjustments to their irrigation controllers. Enforcement begins September 1st.

Customers violating the outdoor irrigation restrictions and conservation measures below can be fined. After a written warning for the 1st violation, additional violations within a 12 month period can result in fines of $100, $200 and $500. Fifth violations can result in the installation of flow restrictors or even termination of service.

The following conservation measures are in effect:

  • Potable water shall not be us
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The Conejo Free Clinic Provides Medical and Legal Services to Those in Need

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The Conejo Free Clinic (CFC) is 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1976 that provides medical and legal services to those who may have no access to care. The CFC provides services to over 5,000 people annually in our community.

Medical services provided by CFC include primary and preventative general medical services, pediatric clinics, including childhood and school-required immunizations, women's health services such as health exams, mammograms and other tests as well as patient advocacy services when necessary. Legal service clinics take place the first four Tuesday nights of each month.

All CFC providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, RN's, medical assistants, receptionists, etc.) are volunteers. The office is managed by a staff of four employees, supported by a 15 member Board of Directors from the community.

CFC helps those who don't have adequate access to medical car

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City of Simi Valley Level 1 Water Shortage Restrictions Became Effective August 1st

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To comply with the State Water Resources Control Board emergency regulations requiring all water retailers in California to mandate water use reductions, a Level 1 Water Supply Shortage is in effect as of August 1, 2014. The Board of Directors of Waterworks District No. 8 (the Simi Valley City Council) has declared a Level 1 Water Supply Shortage, effective August 1, 2014.

(The Golden State Water Company is currently considering similar restrictions, their customers may reference www.gswater.com for updates. Note – City restrictions apply to Golden State Water Company customers also.)

All residents and businesses provided water by the City of Simi Valley, must immediately:

  •  Reduce landscape irrigation, limiting to 45 minutes per week per irrigation station/zone through October 31 (with exceptions for “smart” controllers, drip or low water emitting fixtures, and stream rotors with 70% efficiency)
  • Fix leaks, breaks, or malfunctions promptly, in no case longer than 72 hours.
  • All residents and businesses within the City of Simi Valley must:
  • Irrigate before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m., no more than 15 minutes per irrigation station/zone;
  • Cease any excessive irrigation flow and/or runoff;
  • Cease washing or spraying pavement (or any exterior hard surfaces) with exceptions when necessary, to alleviate safety or sanitary hazards;
  • Only wash a vehicle using a hose with an automatic trigger shut-off nozzle;
  • Use only recirculated water in decorative fountains or water features.

Commercial restrictions within the City of Simi Valley include:

  • Restaurants and bars may only serve water upon customer request;
  • Lodging establishments must provide guests the option to decline daily linen service;
  • Commercial car washes and decorative fountains must use recirculated water.

And irrigation restrictions to customers provided water by the City will change November 1:

  • Further reduce irrigation beginning November 1, 2014 to only 30 minutes per irrigation/zone, through March 31, 2015.

Visit www.bewaterwise.com for water supply updates, water conservation resources, rebates, incentive programs and more. For local information and resources such as Water Wise Gardening in Ventura County, visit www.simivalley.org/waterconservation.

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

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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.

City of Oxnard Mandatory Water Conservation Measures Effective 7/29

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The Oxnard City Council declared a Stage 2 Water shortage condition within the City and adopted mandatory water conservation measures to address the ongoing severe drought conditions.  The resolution was adopted during the July 29, 2014 council meeting and became effective immediately.
 
The State Water Resources Board (SWRCB) adopted resolution No 2014-0038 on July 15, 2014, in which SWRCB imposes emergency regulation for statewide urban water conservation. This resolution required that water suppliers, such as the City of Oxnard, implement mandatory conservation measures by August 1, 2014.      
 
The City’s resolution, prohibits and imposes a range of water conservation measures that are designed to reduce consumption of potable water in a variety of uses. Residents, commercial establishments, municipal and schools are required to implement the following water conservation measures:

  1. The use of running water from a hose, pipe, or faucet to clean buildings, pavement, tile, wood, plastic, driveways, parking lots, and other paved surfaces, is prohibited, except for compelling public health and safety reasons. If allowed, a hose with a positive shut-off nozzle must be used;
  2. All restaurants that provide table service shall post, in a conspicuous place, a notice of water shortage conditions and shall refrain from serving water except upon specific request by a customer;
  3. Use of potable water to fill or refill recreational or ornamental lakes, ponds or fountains is prohibited;
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