Child Car Booster Seat Laws in California are Changing on January 1, 2012

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Something to be aware of for next year. Earlier this month Governor Brown signed into law SB 929 to change child booster seat requirements and align them with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration standards effective January 1, 2012.

Current law requires children in the State of California under age 6 or under 60 pounds to be seated in a child restraint seat (e.g. booster seat).

The new law changes this requirement to children under 8 years of age, unless they are 4' 9" or taller.

As a father of kids in this age range, I do think this new law makes sense. The lap belt is supposed to cross the hip area, not lie across the tummy, while the shoulder belt should lie across the chest, not hike up the neck. We've experimented and without the booster seats my kids are simply not fully protected and the belt could do some major damage to their small bodies if not situated correctly.

This law is interesting in that it takes away the weight parameter and replaces it with height. Your kid is "off the hook" if they are 4' 9" or taller before the age of 8. Jersey Shore "celebrity" Snooki Polizzi is 4' 9" tall at the age of 23. If she were just slightly shorter perhaps it would be in her interest to use a booster seat in her car.

I digress. It is interesting how laws vary state by state on this issue. The majority of states require kids 7 and under to sit in booster seats, yet it is currently perfectly legal for a 4 year old to use an adult seat belt in the state of Florida, while Arizona and South Dakota allows 5 year olds to wear adult seat belts. At the other extreme, kids under age 9 in Wyoming all must be in kid seats.

Check out www.iihs.org/laws/mapchildrestraintagerequirements.aspx for well organized information regarding child seat belt laws by state.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas in Conejo Valley - An Ode to 2011

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"A Visit From St. Nicholas," more popularly known as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," was first published in 1823. This poem was used as a basis to remind us of many of changes we have seen here in the Conejo Valley and other parts of Ventura County in 2011.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, in Conejo Valley

Not a person was stirring, not one Hooters rally;

Roxy’s and Jack’s Delis closed down this past year,

Yet new restaurants have been quick to appear.


In August Red Robin came to The Oaks Mall,

Two weeks ago Red Lobster opened for all;

Buddha’s Belly Asian food in October,

And Olive Garden next month. Let’s stay sober!

 

But wait, not so fast, have a beer, hold your knees,

There’s Tipsy Goat, Ladyface Ale and Cr

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High Dividend-Yielding Stocks Can Reap Solid Returns for Cautious Investors

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In April 2010 and March 2009 I highlighted some stocks that pay decent dividends, as an alternative to low yielding bank CDs and bonds. The market was up a nice 40% from March 2009 to April 2009. Throw in a 4 to 5% dividend and you were looking pretty good!

From April 2010 to today (December 2011), the market was fairly flat overall. While the Dow Jones Industrials were up 5.5%, the broader S&P 500 index was flat. Given the volatility of the market with the European debt crisis, ongoing U. S. economy concerns and other current events, investing in the stock market can make you sick to your stomach. But other low-risk investments like bank CDs yield practically nothing.

As an alternative, check out some of these high-yielding stocks. While there were a couple duds, overall these stocks were up nearly 6% over the last 18 months, beating the S&P 500. Plus, they paid investors between 4 and 5% in cold, hard cash! Here's an update.

  • Altria (Symbol: MO) Stock was $21 in April 2010 and is $29 today ($17 in March 2009). With a current yield of 5.6%, why not profit on someone else's vice (hopefully not yours...lung cancer will cost you plenty long-term).
  • BP plc (BP) BP was one of only 2 duds in this line-up but only because of the Gulf oil spill in May 2010. It is at $40 today, down from $60 in April 2010 (t
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Historical Conejo Valley Pictures From Ed Lawrence

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(Originally Posted December 2008; Updated December 2011)

Ed Lawrence on December 16, 2011Ed Lawrence chronicled the growth of the Conejo Valley from 1958 to 2003 over a time that the population grew from 2,000 to 130,000.  Ed's work provides an amazing perspective on what this area was like 50 years ago to today. In June 2011, Ed sold his collection to the Thousand Oaks Library and other local community entities to preserve, digitize and make his work available for generations to come.

I was fortunate to chat with Ed in person tonight at a dinner hosted by Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks. He is 87 years old and looks great. He is currently in town working on organizing his photo collection. In his presentation, Ed included his very first photo in the Conejo Valley, a shot of Moorpark Road in 1958. Let's just say it looked nothing like Moorpark Road looks today!

The picture below shows a whole lot of sheep on Moorpark Road near the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard in 1965.  I'm pretty sure what is taking place is that they are flocking to Starbucks.  I could be wrong.

Photo courtesy of Ed Lawrence

Below is another of Ed's most well known shots. A shot of the Albertson

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Local Photographer Takes Photos at Lamppost Pizza Newbury Park on Closing Day

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Lamppost Pizza in Newbury Park closed its doors last Sunday. Was sad to see another Conejo Valley blast go away (Roxy's Deli and Jack's Deli are others that come to mind). Lamppost was a big hit with kids' sports teams and others in the community and will be missed. There's another Lamppost at Kanan and Lindero in Oak Park.

Photographer Scott Harrison took these nostalgic Lamppost photos on his iPhone 4S on December 4th. He and and I both have fond memories of Lamppost - in fact he had lunch there on its last day while I had dinner with my kids that night. See more of Scott's work at www.harrysonpics.com.

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Photos of the Lunar Eclipse on December 10, 2011 From Newbury Park

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While most of us were snoozing away this morning, some were viewing the lunar eclipse. According to Wikipedia, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a certain relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth.

Jonathan Stewart was one of the early risers this morning, taking in the views of the lunar eclipse. The Earth's shadow completely blocked the moon from about 6:06 a.m. PST to almost 7 a.m. Thanks to Jonathan we all get to see what transpired.

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'Tis The Season for Santa Barbara Filmmaker's "Roadside Santa" Documentary

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My kids and I always wave at Santa Claus facing the 101 freeway as we drive north through Camarillo and Oxnard. Since 2003 this 20 foot Santa has resided in the unincorporated area of Nyeland Acres, bringing smiles to the faces of passersby.

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Constructed in 1947, near the community of Carpinteria, Santa Claus was part of a roadside attraction known as Santa Claus Lane, a two-lane roadway that paralleled the south side of U.S. Highway 101, just west of the City of Carpinteria.  Between the late 1940s and the mid-1960s, Santa Claus Lane featured a thriving array of stores restaurants, motels, and a post office, as well as attractions, including a child’s train, small zoo, and pony rides, that catered both to travelers and nearby communities.

For over six years, Santa Barbara filmmaker Jody Nelson has chronicled the history of this popular Santa that will be made into a full-length film, "Roadside Santa." Through melding stories of community residents, interviews with scholars and activists, archival footage and stills, the documentary explores themes of cultural transition in California as experienced in the disparate communities that Santa has called home. “Roadside Santa” illuminates how the residents of Nyeland Acres have welcomed Santa to their neighborhood and reinvented him as a potent and positive symbol of community identity, demonstrating the adaptive capacities of new immigrant communities and American culture alike.

UPDATE Nov 2015: It does not appear that this film has been finalized as an fyi.

The video below highlights some some of the scenes, stories and interviews, as well as the popular annual Santa to the Sea Half Marathon that supports a toy drive for local underprivileged kids. Watch it! You'll learn about our own Ventura County Roadside Santa and how he brings joy to the local community.

Nelson is nearly finished with the film but is still interested in Santa Claus Lane photos, film footage and memorabilia from the 1940s to present day, Santa Claus Lane stories from people who lived/worked there and the whereabouts of the miniature train and carousel that used to reside there. She also seeks additional funding to help finalize the film and bring it to film festivals and perhaps TV.

Learn more by visiting www.nelsonfilms.com or at this Facebook page or calling Jody at 805.403.0602. She can also be reached at jgirlsb1@gmail.com.