January 2013 Thousand Oaks Police Department City Watch Update

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Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Senior Deputy Tim Lohman of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you would like these updates directly from via email, click here for more information.

The month of January is rapidly coming to an end.  I am in hopes most of you have been able to maintain the New Year resolutions you set for yourself.  Although difficult, I am sure with a little push we can all accomplish what we set out to do.

In light of the recent shooting at the school in Connecticut and other schools throughout the country, the Thousand Oaks Police Department has been committed to working with the all of the schools in our community to prepare for any such incident.  Our priority has always been the safety of the community as we strive to develop a plan to ensure the residents are kept safe during a catastrophic event like a school shooting.

Community Event

Parents, do you want to know what goes on at underage parties? Straight Up Ventura County in collaboration with the Conejo Unified School District, Breakthrough, Engage Recovery and the Thousand Oaks Police Department is going to expose parents to underage binge drinking and the drug culture. 

Many adults feel drinking and partying is a rite of passage and think teen parties are the same as when they were young.  Parents need to face the current realities and learn why and how adults need to help change these dangerous norms. 

The participants will tour a local home set up to portray a teen party with youth actors. The event is open to the public (adults only) and it is FREE.  If you are interested you must register online at www.straightupvc.org/register or call 805 647-4622.

On the Crime Front:

Scams

A victim recently informed me someone claiming to be with the Social Security Office contacted her.  They had her name and address.  The caller told her they needed to send out a new Medicare card, but before they do they needed to verify the bank where her deposits go.  The victim questioned the reasons for inquiring about the banking information

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Women's Economic Ventures Helps Local Entrepreneurs Succeed and Grow

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Since 1991, Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) has helped low-and moderate-income women and men achieve self-sufficiency through self employment training, consulting, and access to capital. The following WEV services are available to women and men in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Business Plan Courses

WEV’s 14-week Self-Employment Training (SET) and six-week Business Plan Intensive (BPI) courses provide guidance on starting or expanding a business by teaching the skills to assess feasibility, avoid costly mistakes and create a well conceived business plan. Graduates benefit from a local network of fellow entrepreneurs, expert guest speakers and an instructor experienced in owning a small business.

SET courses in Ventura and Camarillo begin in February and September. The BPI course in Ventura begins in September. Attendance of a free, 1-hour orientation is required in order to enroll in WEV’s courses.

Business Loans

WEV’s Small Business Loan Fund provides loans up to $25,000 to start-up businesses and up to $50,000 for existing businesses. The Loan Fund was created to diversify and expand the local economy and create new jobs by providing capital to small businesses that do not quality for conventional bank financing. Applicants must have resided in Santa Barbara or Ventura County for over a year.

Specialized Long-Term Consulting

Thrive in Five® provides long-term, individualized training, consulting and coaching for entrepreneurs in business at least one year. Regular one-on-one meetings with a business specialist and quarterly roundtables with peers keep the business owner acc

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Hiking Up To the Ancient Oak Trees at Juan Bautista De Anza Park in Calabasas

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We've been going to Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas from time to time for years. The park is well maintained, has decent play areas, plenty of flat walkways for scootering and more. But before this sunny Martin Luther King Day holiday we never made the trek up the steep little trail directly behind the picnic table  area on the right hand side of the park.

Steep, but it isn't that far. Views are outstanding. There was filming taking place at the very top. But the stars of the show are the ancient oaks that dot the path.

Do you see eyes in the shadows? I do...but it certainly wasn't planned!

The sun, just slightly older than these oaks on the hill, smiles down on all of us this warm MLK Day.

Calabasas Based Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Developing Double Chin Reduction Drug

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For anyone driving the 101 freeway through Calabasas, it's hard to miss the blue Kythera sign south of the freeway on Agoura Road.

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals was founded in 2005, with a primary focus of commercializing its development-stage product, ATX-101. Currently in late stage Phase III clinical trials in the U.S., ATX-101 is a synthetically-derived form of sodium deoxycholate, a compound that promotes the breakdown of dietary fat.

ATX-101 is being tested for the reduction of submental fat. "Submental" is the area below the chin. Yes, Kythera is developing an injectable product aimed towards reducing double chins! There is no such product in existence today; thus, Kythera aims to be the first FDA-approved drug for this purpose.

ATX-101 is an injectable that, after 4 to 6 treatments, has provided statistically significant reductions in submental fat, with over 90% of patients in a long-term clinical follow-up study maintaining positive aesthetic results after two years!

Of course, the product will not be available to the U.S. general public until Kythera completes Ph III clinical trials in mid-2013 and subsequently files for FDA approval. While Kythera has retained full rights to commercialize ATX-101 in the U.S. and Canada, it has partnered with Bayer to commercialize the product throughout the rest of the world. After positive Ph III clinical study results in Europe last year, Kythera expects that Bayer will file for marketing approval in the European Union sometime this year.

The cost of developing a drug, let alone a "first-in-class" drug, is substantial. Kythera raised $81 million in its IPO last October after raising a total of $108 million in four rounds of venture capital. But if ATX-101 is approved, Kythera believes the drug has the potential to reach long-term annual sales of over $500 million. Given Allergan's Botox sales are well over $1.5 billion per year, with roughly half used for aesthetic purposes, Kythera's estimates would seem to be achievable.

Kythera stock is traded under the symbol KYTH. The stock went public at $16 and currently has a price of $29.15, giving Kythera a market valuation of over half a billion dollars! Congratulations to the Kythera management team for what they've done over the last seven years and what a truly amazing success story this will be if this product reaches the market.

And for those fighting losing battles with dreaded submental fat, you may have a non-surgical alternative soon thanks to Kythera.

Learn more about Kythera at www.kytherabiopharma.com.

Celebrate Conejo Recreation & Park District's 50th in 2013 with the Play Conejo Challenge!

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The Conejo Recreation & Park District turns 50 in 2013! To celebrate, CRPD presents the Play Conejo Challenge! The Play Conejo Challenge entails completing activities and attending events throughout the year, accumulating at least 50 points and receiving a cool "PLAY CONEJO CHALLENGE CHAMPION - 50 FOR THE 50TH" t-shirt for your efforts!

Visit www.crpd.org/playlist to download the Play Conejo Challenge activity list, find things to do, and start accumulating points. Then either have a CRPD staff member write in the completion date or keep track yourself by writing down an observation. You have the entire year to acccumulate points!

This is about more than getting a free t-shirt! This is about having fun and celebrating along with CRPD! There are over 100 activities to choose from and as many as 151 points achievable. Activities and events on the list include the following CRPD locations and available points:

  • Conejo Valley parks (up to 5 points)
  • Borchard Community Center (up to 11 points)
  • Conejo Community Center (up to 11 points)
  • Thousand Oaks Community Center (up to 14 points)
  • Dos Vientos Community Center (up to 7 points)
  • Goebel Senior Adult Center (up to 12 points)
  • Alex Fiore Teen Center (up to 13 points)
  • Hillcrest Center for the Arts (up to 14 points)
  • Therapeutic Recreation Unit (up to 8 points)
  • Aquatics (up to 7 points)
  • Districtwide/General Activities (up to 33 points)
  • CRPD Partner Events (up to 16 points)

Have fun with the Play Conejo Challenge!

California Sales and Use Taxes Set to Increase by .25% on January 1, 2013

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Due to voter approval of Proposition 30, the statewide sales and use tax rate will increase one quarter of one percent (0.25%) on January 1, 2013. The higher tax rate will apply for four years – January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016.

This is the first sales and use tax rate change since July 1, 2011, when rates in most of Ventura County dropped from 8.25% to 7.25% (except Port Hueneme and Oxnard, where rates dropped from 8.75% to 7.75%). Oxnard and Port Hueneme both voted in a Transactions and Use Tax of .5% effective April 1. 2009 that is reflected in these rates.

Thus, effective January 1, 2013, sales and use tax rates in all of Ventura County, except for Port Hueneme and Oxnard, will increase to 7.5% (8% in Port Hueneme and Oxnard).

Our neighbors in the L.A. County portion of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Malibu and Calabasas will pay 9% effective January 1, 2013, while most of our neighbors in Santa Barbara County will be paying 8% (except Santa Maria, which will be at 8.25% because they added a .25% Transactions and Use Tax in that city effective October 1st of this year).

The highest sales and use tax rates in the state will continue to be in Pico Rivera and South Gate, where rates will be to 10% effective January 1st. In November 2012, La Mirada voters approved a 1% temporary sales tax rate increase that will expire in five years. As a result, La Mirada joins the 10% sales and use tax club effective April 1, 2013.

There are a number of cities currently at a 9.5% effective rate, include Avalon, Santa Monica. El Monte, Inglewood and South El Monte. Effective April 1, 2013, the City of Commerce and Culver City join this list.

This is taxing just writing about this stuff!

For updates, visit the California Board of Equalization website at www.boe.ca.gov.

Here is a history of sales and use tax rates (excluding district taxes) in California going back to August 1, 1933.

  • 8/1/33:  2.5%
  • 7/1/35:  3%
  • 7/1/43:  2.5%
  • 7/1/49:  3%
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Cold, Clear Saturday Makes For Wonderful Conejo Valley Views From Angel Vista

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The temperatures have been particularly cold these last several days, with nighttime temps in the low 30s and highs only in the mid 50s in the Conejo Valley.  With barely a cloud in the sky, these conditions make for optimal hiking around town! This morning I took the Rosewood Trail up to Angel Vista in Newbury Park. Here are some of the views I took in.

Angel Vista has panoramic views stretching from Camarillo/Newbury Park to Thousand Oaks, Hidden Valley and beyond. And a bench and picnic table to boot. It can be accessed via the Rosewood Trail off of Lynn Road (just west of Regal Oak Ct) or the Los Robles Trail. The Conejo Open Space Foundation provides a useful map at www.cosf.org/website/html/los-robles-angel-vista.html. Other trails and hiking options at THIS LINK here on CVG.

Looking to do something fun around Ventura County and adjacent areas but don't like the cold weather outside? No worries...check out one of over 40 museums around town.