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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Mustard Fields and Sunsets by Camarillo Photographer John B. Mueller

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Photographer John B. Mueller took these great shots in Camarillo recently. The first one is a beautiful view of mustard fields near Lewis Road and Pleasant Valley Road. The other is a view of the sunset from Camarillo, facing the direction of Mugu Rock. 

Visit his website at www.johnbmueller.com and his Facebook page to see more of his work.

And here are some upcoming Camarillo events, things to do in Camarillo, fitness and sports activities in Camarillo and kids activities in Camarillo.

Regional Art Museum Proposed for Thousand Oaks Seeks Charter Members

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The Regional Art Museum (RAM) is a proposed 30,000 sq ft multi-level art museum to house a permanent collection of visual art and worldwide traveling exhibitions. Other goals of RAM include recognizing and highlighting local artists and offering outreach programs to local schools and organizations. The RAM will be located adjacent to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza as approved by the Thousand Oaks City Council in June 2010.

The RAM is seeking public support and participation. Become a Charter Member of this non-profit 501(c)(3)  tax-exempt organization and help bring the RAM to fruition! To learn more, visit www.regionalartmuseum.org. Membership application at www.regionalartmuse​um.org/pdfs/ram-brochure-a​pp.pdf

How Long to be Had Until Your Food Goes Bad Thanks to StillTasty.com

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StillTasty.com is a great resource for figuring out whether you should dine or dump the contents of your fridge and pantry. Very useful site for those who want to play it safe with their food. While I tend to go with "the smell test" when it comes to edibility, I found the site very useful and interesting.

StillTasty really nails it when it comes to usability. Just type in a word or two and you receive instant information. For example, let's take a look at hot dogs. Living in a house with kids, hot dogs are part of the Red Food Group that includes balogna, salami, bacon and Twizzlers. There are always hot dogs somewhere in the deep recesses of the fridge.

Type in "hot dog" and you get three options; cooked leftovers, opened package and unopened package. Click one of those and in very easy to read format using arrows they tell you how long you have to eat them from the fridge and freezer. Here's what StillTasty said:

Unopened package: Eat within 1 week after due date coming from fridge. Freezer life is about 1-2 months.

Opened package: Eat within 7 days after opening in fridge. 1-2 months in freezer.

Cooked leftovers: Eat within 3-4 days in fridge and once again 1-2 months in freezer.

That helps. Though hmm...am I really going to remember how many days/months have passed by...?  I guess I'll just have to make a mental note of it.

I always wonder about hard boiled eggs. StillTasty says they last 1-2 weeks in the shell and 1 week out of the shell.

The owners of the site pull their information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Do check it out at www.StillTasty.com.

OK, one more. An opened can of peanut butter lasts about 3 months in the pantry. Uh oh, better start sniffing those jars...

Conejo Valley Namesake - The Rabbit

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Yes indeed, there are a LOT of rabbits in the Conejo Valley, or Valley of the Rabbits! This little guy was seen at Cheeseboro Canyon in Agoura Hills. Looking for some great hiking, running and cycling? You'll find plenty of it there!

Rabbits like to run. How about training for an upcoming 5K or 10K? Great way to stay fit while enjoying the camaraderie of a local group run. CLICK HERE for upcoming local races!

Traveling with the Kids to Las Vegas: Things to See and Do

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Last month I wrote about traveling with the kids to Las Vegas based on my recent experience taking 5 and 8 year old boys there for 3 days. The focus of that article was how to get there and get around. Now I'd like to touch on what I did with the kids in Las Vegas to keep it a fun experience.

Since I'm not a big gambler, I don't get out to Las Vegas very often, and I had never taken the kids there. But we wanted to meet up with grandma in Vegas, so off we went. So I had some research to do, namely where to stay and what to do there with the kids.

Keep in mind that this write-up is based on my one recent experience in Las Vegas and thus in no way is meant to be comprehensive. There are plenty of options there and I wanted to share what I learned. But by all means do your own research!

Our Hotel Experience

Let's start with the hotel. My primary objectives were to find a kid-friendly hotel with fun things to do, nearby other fun activities and has food that the kids will enjoy. Mind you, my kids are at the age where they get antsy sitting around and waiting in fancy places so I had to really put some thought into where we were going to stay. Oh yes, I don't want to stay at a really expensive place. Also, I wanted to stay within close proximity of the Strip.

Choosing the hotel is not easy. There are over 3 dozen large hotels on or near the Strip. After doing some research using Expedia and other online resources, I decided to ask people in Facebook, to which I received an outpouring of advice.  Hotels referred to me were the MGM, Excalibur, Circus Circus, Monte Carlo, Orleans, Red Rock Resort, Mandalay Bay, Rio, Flamingo, Mirage, Vdara and Rio.

After more due diligence and thought, I opted to go with the

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