Squawkless in Summerland? No! Check Out the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary

It was not a planned visit.

My son and I were cycling from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara for the first time, enjoying a relaxing ride on Via Real/Lillie Ave, paralleling the 101 on the north side.

We passed a sign that said "McLeod Parrot Menagerie" and I heard birds, squawking birds. I said, let's check this out! 

Little did I know that co-located at the Menagerie is the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary.

Squawkless in Summerland!? Heck no! Lots of squawking and talking going on at this place!

The Sanctuary is a non-profit organization founded by Jamie McLeod that rescues and rehabilitates parrots that are unwanted, abused and orphaned. The organization also finds homes for these beautiful animals. 

The Sanctuary is home to over 60 of birds, some of which are ready for adoption; others may have conditions that prevent adoption.

We got the chance to chat with Jamie, who is 1984 graduate from the America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. She showed us the Skylar Learning Center, where children can learn more about these interesting, long-lived, intelligent creatures.

And of course we visited with the birds and had meaningful conversations with many of them. We heard words and phrases like "hello," "knock knock," "how's it going," "I love you," and so on. Quite entertaining. And we caught a few cool head bobs too!

We also learned that the McLeod Parrot Menagerie provides grooming and boarding, toys and other parrot-related products and services.

The Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary is a must see and less than an hour from central Thousand Oaks. Walk-in visits are available 10 am to 3:30 pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fees for non-docent tours are $10 for adults and $5 for 12 and under and 65+ seniors. Donations are welcomed (and tax deductible) as they help towards caring for and feeding the parrots. Docent-led personalized tours are also available with at least one week’s advance notice. You may observe the birds, but do not touch or feed them or their cages.

These fellows were quite entertaining.

To learn more, visit www.sbbird.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbbsbirds or call 805.565.1807. The street address is 2340 Lillie Avenue, Summerland.

Former Olympia Farms Property on the Rancho Potrero Open Space

The Rancho Potrero Open Space area is located in Newbury Park off of Lynn Road, just east of the intersection with Rancho Dos Vientos. The area includes an equestrian center where Rancho Potrero Community Equestrian Center is located and is adjacent to the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

On the west end of the space is a a property that used to be called Olympia Farms, which was owned by Greek immigrant, textile businessman and Arabian horse breeder George Patarias Huck. (Huck was tragically shot and killed in front of his home in Mt. Olympus in August 1984 at age 46.)

Huck's 638 acre property was sold to the Mountains Recreation and Conservancy, City of Thousand Oaks, Conejo Recreation and Park District and National Park Service for $4.2 million in 1993. 312 acres were carved out as an addition to Rancho Sierra Vista. The remainder is part of Rancho Potrero, which is maintained by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA).

In the 2021-2022 time frame, the Olympia Farms space was redeveloped and improved to include, pedestrian paths, a horse corral, drinking fountain for people and animals, picnic benches and a small amphitheater area. More info and footage at THIS LINK.

NOTE: THE SITE WAS REDEVELOPED IN 2021-2022 AND THE OLD RANCH BUILDING LUMBER DISCUSSED BELOW I BELIEVE IS IN STORAGE WITH THE CRPD.

These old ranch buildings are actually a Ventura County historical point of interest that was designated as such in May 1986. According to the City of Thousand Oaks, there were two large barns built in 1930 on the Dos Vientos Ranch. Joseph Lewis, business partner of City of Camarillo namesake Adolfo Camarillo, farmed 8,000 acres of land in this area. The barns were dismantled to make room for home development in Dos Vientos and the lumber currently resides here. The Conejo Recreation & Park District is working with the Conejo Valley Historical Society in finding other appropriate uses for these materials, such as displays at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park.

Summary of the New Residential Clean Energy Credit Signed Into Law on August 16, 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022. Among other things, One of the things it changed was the Residential Energy Efficient Property tax credit, which is now called the Residential Clean Energy Credit.

Under the old law, the solar energy credit, which was previously dropped from 30% prior to 2020 to 26% in 2020-2022 and 22% in 2023, was set to expire in 2024.

Under the new law, the credit is retroactively increased back to 30% for residential solar systems installed in 2022 through 2032. Then it will drop to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034.

Additionally, starting in 2023, the tax credit covers battery storage technology with a capacity of three kilowatt hours.

The tax credit is a non-refundable credit, but can be carried forward to future tax years.

Visit the Camarillo Ranch House for a Taste of Local Ventura County History

Built in 1892, the Camarillo Ranch House is a grand, three-story, 15-room home built by Adolfo Camarillo in the Queen Anne Victorian style. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in February 2003. The home features seven bedrooms, a grand staircase, tower bay, wooden refrigerator, wrap-around exterior balcony, hardwood floors and turrets.

The exterior and interior of the Camarillo Ranch House were restored by the City of Camarillo and Camarillo Ranch Foundation in 1999-2001.

The White Horse Stables were built in 1966 for the famed Camarillo White Horses. Breeding of the horses began in 1920 when Adolfo Camarillo acquired Sultan, a Spanish stallion, and bred him with a Morgan mare. The White Horses are now owned by members of the White Horse Association. Learn more about the White Horses at www.camarillowhitehorses.org.

Renovation of the historic 1905 Mule Barn at the Camarillo Ranch was completed in 2009.

Today the Camarillo Ranch is owned by the City of Camarillo and operated by the Camarillo Ranch Foundation. The Camarillo Ranch House operates as a museum, featuring rotating exhibits, along with historic home and school tours.

The 3 1/2 acre site is host to a number of community events each year and is available to private parties for weddings, parties, fundraisers and other events. It is a beautiful setting, shaded by historic trees planted before 1900.  You can't miss these trees as you drive by on the 101 freeway.

Docent-led tours of the house are currently (as of September 202) offered on Saturdays and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (last tour starts at 1:30 p.m.). House tour fees are $5 per person (cash only). Children 12 and under are free. The grounds are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are open to the public.

The Camarillo Ranch House is located at 201 Camarillo Ranch Road.  Visit camarilloranchfoundation.com or call 805.389.8182 for more information.

The California "Middle Class Tax Refund" Will Be Paid Out in October 2022 through January 2023

The State of California will be issuing tax refunds totaling about $9.5 billion to approximately 23 million Californians starting mid-October through mid-January 2023. This refund is called the Middle Class Tax Refund and was included in the $308 billion California state budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

The Middle Class Tax Refund payout will be as much as $1,050 per household, based on 2020 California “adjusted gross income” (CA AGI) on your tax return.

Qualifications:

• Must have filed your 2020 tax return by October 15, 2021

• Must have CA AGI that falls below certain parameters (shown below)

• Have been a CA resident for at least 6 months in 2020

• Was not eligible to be claimed as a dependent in 2020

• Must be a CA resident on the date the payment is issued

Payment Amounts on Married Filing Joint Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $150,000 or less: $1050 with dependent; $700 without dependent

• CA AGI $150,001 to $250,000: $750 with dependent; $500 without dependent

• CA AGI $250,001 to $500,000: $600 with dependent; $400 without dependent

(So let me get this straight. Our government is going to cut a check for $400 to a couple without kids who earned $500,000 in 2020. Mastro’s is going to be busy!)

Payment Amounts on Head of Household Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $150,000 or less: $700 with dependent; $350 without dependent

• CA AGI $150,001 to $250,000: $500 with dependent; $250 without dependent

• CA AGI $250,001 to $500,000: $400 with dependent; $200 without dependent

Payment Amounts on Single and Married Filing Separate Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $75,000 or less: $700 with dependent; $350 without dependent

• CA AGI $75,001 to $125,000: $500 with dependent; $250 without dependent

• CA AGI $125,001 to $250,000: $400 with dependent; $200 without dependent

How Payments Will Be Received

• If you filed electrically and used the direct deposit option on your return (assuming you had a refund), your payment will be received by direct deposit.

• Otherwise you’ll be paid via debit card.

For more information, visit the Franchise Tax Board “Middle Class Tax Refund” page at taxrefund.ca.gov.

Questions That Come to Mind (that are not addressed by the Franchise Tax Board):

• What happens if your banking information changed since then? Don’t know for sure but I suspect the payment would bounce and they would send you a debit card.

• What happens if your filing status changed from 2020 to today? For example, I was married in 2020 and filed jointly but am single and available (hint hint) today in 2022? Who gets our $1,050 (married, one dependent)? Me or my ex-spouse? Good question. No idea. The FTB did not provide alternative scenarios, so I’d imagine the primary spouse on the return will receive the payment.. You might have to track down the ex for your half.

• I was single in 2020 but am married today with a toddler. How much do I get? The FTB bases the payment on your filing status in 2020, so both you and your spouse will receive payments, if any, based on that.

• What happens if I lose the gift card? Well, you’ll have to bring that up with the FTB. Good luck! Best advice - don’t lose it.

• I didn’t file a tax return in 2020 because my gross income and CA AGI were less than the filing requirements published by the Franchise Tax Board. Otherwise, I met all the other requirements for the refund. How can I get it? Unless the FTB amends its initial rules to address your situation, it appears you are out of luck. But visit the taxrefund.ca.gov website for possible updates.

• I made $17.50 an hour at The Taco Shack in 2020 and will receive a $350 refund. My brother George pulled down $250,000 in 2020 as VP of Stuff at Bookoo Bucko, Inc. and will receive $200. How is that fair? Does that make any sense? Pretty much no, but let’s look at it in a different way. You’re getting 20 hours’ pay. George is only getting a couple hours’ pay. Feel better now?

• I think this whole thing is stupid. The entire $9.5 billion should be used to fund nine desalinization plants along the California coast. How do I tell them to keep the money as I think this is a waste? I don’t think there’s a mechanism in place to not take the refund. But if it’s burning a hole in your pocket, hit the CVG Tip Jar at bit.ly/SupportCVG!

Ride to the Flags 2022 9/11 Tribute Filmed at Mugu Rock in Point Mugu

Ride to the Flags began in 2008, accompanying the Wave of Flags 9/11 Memorial at Pepperdine University. Although not officially associated with the memorial - the ride does end at the memorial for a short service. Ride to the Flags is an all volunteer, charity ride with 100% of the riders' donations going to an injured warrior. The ride has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for select warriors in need of rehab equipment and life-enhancing services. Learn more at www.whiteheart.org/ridetotheflags.

This year's event raised funds for Navy EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) tech Jordan Stevenson, who sustained sever injuries on his first deployment to Afghanistan with the 3rd/75th rangers. Learn more about Jordan's story at youtu.be/T7DWSo3_1Es

This footage was taken from just southeast of Mugu Rock in Point Mugu State Park, just a couple miles away from the start of the event at Naval Base Ventura County.