The Conejo Valley Guide "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, highlights of local things to do, compilations and other items. Focus is on information relevant to Ventura County and surrounding areas, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Somis, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Barbara and Moorpark.
The Conejo Valley Guide® "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, local things to do, holiday event compilations, announcements and more.
For those who missed it, here's some footage from the annual Fireworks Extravaganza in Thousand Oaks last night. Fireworks are launched each year from "Fireworks Hill," located above the Conejo Recreation and Park District offices and bordered by Hillcrest Drive on the south and Wilbur Road on the east. This footage was taken from the north.
"Fireworks Hill" in Thousand Oaks, as viewed in greener days of January 2015.
UPDATE 1: Due to high demand for this rebate program, MWD announced that new terms and conditions are applicable to rebate requests submitted after 1 p.m. on May 12, 2015. Residential turf removal rebates are now capped up to a maximum of $6,000 per property. Those who received a previous rebate may apply for additional rebates up to a maximum of $6,000 per property for all past and current rebate requests. The program was increased from $100 million to $450 million
UPDATE 2 (7/9/15): Believe it or not, MWD announced yesterday that the additional turf rebate funds have been depleted due to extraordinary public response and that applications will no longer be accepted later this week. A waiting list for future rebates will be maintained by MWD to allocate any rebates earmarked for turf removal that are not claimed by approved applicants.
The average homeowner uses over half their water on outdoor irrigation and water-intensive turf grass is the primary culprit. The State of California offers a rebate of $2 to $3 per sq ft of turf removed in the SoCal Water$mart 2014-2015 Turf Removal Program.
To qualify for a rebate, customers must remove actual grass in a designated area and be replaced with a new landscape that does not include live turf or turf-looking plants, but must include some non-turf plants and follow and additional municipal/city requirements. The new landscape must be permeable to air and water; areas with concrete and other surfaces do not qualify for the rebate. Synthetic turf is eligible for rebates unless otherwise not states in your area's terms and conditions.
Funding is available on a first come, first served basis based on available funding. Work must be done within 120 days after receiving approval for the rebate.
Learn more and file for a rebate at socalwatersmart.com.
Find out if your specific property address is eligible, and how much your rebate will be based on estimated square footage at mwdturf.conservationrebates.com/13-TRM1-HT/estimate.php.
If you are served in the Calleguas Municipal Water District, including Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks (including Newbury Park and incorporated portion of Westlake Village), Port Hueneme and unincorporated areas including Camarillo Heights, Fairview, Las Posas Valley, Oak Park, Santa Rosa Valley, Lake Sherwood, Somis, and Naval Base Ventura County, you are most likely included in this rebate program.
The City of Camarillo sponsors an excellent website, Camarillo Water-Wise Gardening, as a resource for local residents looking to create water-wise, drought tolerant landscaping for its residents. But the site is free of charge and available to anyone looking for information.
The site has information about how to design and install a water-wise garden, irrigation methods and equipment that will help you to water your landscape more efficiently, and suggestions on how to easily and effectively maintain your garden.
The Garden Tours section of the site contains hundreds of photos from 24 different gardens. If there is a particular plant you'd like more information about, simply click the box and the next screen will have detailed information, including plant name, size, color(s), sun/water requirements and more. Click the "Add" button and the plant will be added to your "List." You can also click the Add button on any of the garden photos to be added to your List (described more below).
The Plants section includes plants categorized by Low Maintenance Trees, Low Maintenance Shrubs, Vines, Ground Covers, Low Water Perennials and Ornamental Grasses/Clumping Plants. Again, there are literally hundred of photos in this section of the site. Click an item of interest and add it to your List.
The "My List" section of the site contains the various photos you clicked in other sections of the site. Click one of the report formats and you'll see a printable report you can bring on your next trip to the nursery.
The Garden Resources section of the site has extensive information about how to design a garden, including design principles, a questionnaire, creating the design, drainage, plant design, installation and working with professionals. The irrigation section discusses plant water needs, smart controllers, irrigation systems and eliminating overspray and runoff. The maintenance section covers mulch, irrigation maintenance and other tips.
Overall, this is remarkably useful, informative and easy to use website! Check it out at www.camarillogardening.com.
Since 1969, the City of Thousand Oaks has conducted a communitywide attitude survey to sample city residents' views on planning and other issues. Prior to 2013, the survey was conducted every five years; the survey is now performed every two years.
True North Research of Escondido conducted the 2015 survey as in years past. They phone surveyed a "statistically representative" sample of 400 Thousand Oaks residents out of close to 100,000 adults (there are about 129,000 total residents).
True North is also doing a supplemental web survey, sending postcards to residents today to complete the survey at www.toaks.org/survey by July 1, 2015.
Photo courtesy of local darts promoter L. David Irete
Thousand Oaks residents continue to rate the quality of life highly here, with 96% rating it good or excellent (97% in 2013). 65% rate it excellent (61% in 2013 and 66% in 2009) and 31% rate it as good (36% in 2013 and 31% in 2009. This is consistent with previous surveys, where 96% to 98% of residents have rated quality of life as good to excellent - an outstanding statistic.
If You Could Change One Thing?
One survey question asked if City Government could change one thing, what would it be. Topping the list at 14% of responses this year was to reduce traffic congestion, up from just 5% in 2013.
Local Shopping
Another question asked what percentage of your household's retail shopping (excluding groceries) dollars are spent in the City of Thousand Oaks...less than 10%, 10% to 19%, 20% to 29% and so on. My first response is, who the heck would actually know to this level of precision? I certainly don't. In any case, 34% of respondents indicate they spend less than half of their retail dollars in the City, up from 30% in 2013.
Half of the survey takers said they'd like to see additional retail establishments in Thousand Oaks. Of these, 21% would like a large discount store like Costco.
Respondents were then asked which of six specific businesses they'd like to see in the City, some of which have expressed an interest in coming to (or expanding in) Thousand Oaks, including Sam's Club, Lowe's, Walmart, Home Depot, Costco and IKEA. Again, Costco was the overall top choice at 22%, but IKEA received the largest combined tally of 1st/2nd choice selections at 42% vs 39% for Costco.
Information Sources for News, Events, Programs
True North asked a series of questions regarding sources for City of Thousand Oaks news, services, programs and events. The Acorn weekly newspaper was noted by 42% of responses (up from 36% in 2013 and 41% in 2009). The Internet (not City's site) was the 2nd highest response at 29%, followed by the City's website at 23%. Ventura County Star was mentioned by 12% of respondents (down from 24% in 2013). Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) was noted by 7%, up from just 1% in 2013.
Other options given were Ventura County Reporter, LA Daily News and other sources. True North did not list Conejo Valley Guide, with its base of 50,000 monthly unique visitors, in its survey. Give them a piece of your mind when you complete your supplemental survey at at www.toaks.org/survey!
47 THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY OF THOUSAND OAKS
Governor Jerry Brown issued mandatory statewide water restrictions with a mandatory 25% reduction in water use through February 2016. This 25% reduction is a statewide, aggregate goal, not a specific goal directed at individual residences. That said, we all need to do what we can to cut back water use.
In a recent drawing on the CVG Facebook page, local residents were asked what they are doing to cut back on use of water. Here's what they said:
No more car washes
Watering lawn less
Put in artificial grass*, flush toilets less, take shorter showers
Shorter showers and gave up flower bed
Water lawn once a week instead of twice a week
Stopped watering lawn...planning to change the landscape
Turn the water off when brushing and washing
Bricks in the toilet tank to reduce water per flush
Took out the grass
Rain barrel system
Shorter showers was mentioned numerous times
Washing more clothes in bigger loads
Put buckets out when it rains
Rarely wash the car
Using water saving shower heads
Showering together (hmmm)
Shower timers
Showers instead of baths
Take baths every other day instead of every day
Soaking and washing dishes with half-filled sink instead of running water
"If it's yellow, let it mellow...etc."
Got rid of lawn and installed drip system
Fixed all leaking faucets
Buckets in showers to collect water as it warms up to use outside
California American Water provides low flow shower heads like this one as, well as faucet aerators and other conservation supplies to customers.
There are a variety of water conservation rebates available for Southern California residents under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Water District. Visit socalwatersmart.com for more information. In addition to turf replacement rebates (which due to huge demand, as of May 12th stopped taking applications...but they they indicate checking back May 26th for possible new funding, terms and conditions), rebates are available for items like properly implemented rain barrels, high-efficiency clothes washers and toilets, weather-based irrigation controllers and rotating sprinkler nozzles.
* Artificial grass: California American Water explains why artificial turf is not included in turf exhange programs. Artificial turf is not a living landscape and does not increase biodiversity of plant, animal and insect populations, provide habitat for local fauna, foster healthy soils, cool surrounding air temperatures (artificial turf can get significantly hotter than surrounding air temperatures) or sequester carbon or produce oxygen like living plant material can. Artificial turf is not water free. It must be watered periodically for cleaning and may require chemicals periodically. And because artificial turf can get very hot in direct sunlight, water may be needed to cool it for comfortable use.
The National Do Not Call Registry (the Registry) gives U.S. consumers the opportunity to limit telemarketing calls received on their personal phone numbers, such as home and cell phone numbers. Register your number(s) by visiting www.DoNotCall.gov or by calling 888.382.1222. The National Do Not Call Registry is a free service managed by the Federal Trade Commission.
Once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, most telemarketers should not call your number. If they do continue calling, or if you have received a telemarketing call that uses a recorded message instead of a live person, you can file a complaint.
Placing your number on the Registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls. Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors are still permitted because they are not considered "telemarketing." However, if a third-party telemarketer calls on behalf of a charity, a consumer may ask not to receive any more calls from, or on behalf of, that specific charity. If the third-party telemarketer calls again on behalf of that charity, the telemarketer may be subject to a fine of up to $16,000.
If a call is for the sole purpose of conducting a survey, it is not covered by the Registry. However, callers purporting to take a survey, but also offering to sell goods or services, must comply with the Registry.
Debt collectors may also continue to call you whether your number is on the Regi
English singer/songwriter Tom Fletcher and his son Buzz remind us that the simplest things in life can be the most fun. Try not to smile while watching Buzz's reaction to his father blowing the seeds off of a dandelion (Taraxacum).
Looking for a local garden club? Check out the Local Clubs listing here on CVG.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
Conejo Valley Guide® covers thousands of events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County, California and surrounding areas.
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