On November 7, 2007, Katie and Andy Lutz welcomed Jason, a beautiful 8 pound, 5 ounce baby boy into their family. The entire family, especially Jason's big brother Aidan, was so excited to finally meet him. The next four months were filled with fun as they watched him grow and discover the world around him. Jason was strong and full of energy. He had sparkling blue eyes and he instantly returned any smile given to him. Aside from a small cold at 3 months old, Jason was perfectly healthy.

On March 11, 2008, the family suffered a devastating loss. Jason passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) during his morning nap. The Lutz family was shocked by this unexpected event and learned that this can happen to anyone. In fact, SIDS is responsible for the death of 1 out of every 2000 births in the U.S.

The hardest part of dealing with their loss has been not understanding why it happened.  SIDS information and its cause is unknown. There are several theories, but none have been proven.  There still are no answers.  The Lutz’s can't help but think that if something had been done differently, even just one small detail, would Jason still be here today. Would a greater awareness of SIDS have helped the Lutz family?

Over those four short months, Jason deeply touched the family in many ways. Not a day goes by where the Lutz family does not think of Jason. They are commemorating Jason’s life by organizing the 1^st Annual Jason’s Race on October 12^th. In doing so, they seek to raise SIDS awareness in the community.  Proceeds from Jason's Race will benefit SIDS research so that perhaps some day the Lutz family and others will have more answers. They hope the event will spare at least one family the devastation of losing a child.

Jason's Race will include a 5K Run/Walk and a 25 yard dash for kids 5 and under (all the kids receive medals!).  For more information, click here or visit the race website directly at www.JasonsRace.com.

The following information regarding the new City of Thousand Oaks Smoking Prohibition Ordinance is taken directly from the City of Thousand Oaks website.  The Ordinance, adopted by the City Council last month, becomes effective on August 8, 2008 and will effect smokers in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and the Ventura County side of Westlake Village.

Smoking Ordinance:

The Thousand Oaks City Council has adopted a new ordinance which
prohibits smoking in outdoor gathering places. The ordinance will take
effect on Friday, August 8, 2008 and specifically prohibits smoking in
the following places:

• Any playground and within 25 feet thereof;
• Any public gardens;
• Any outdoor service area (ex: ATM or theatre ticket line);
• The grounds of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, except in any
  designated smoking area;
• Any outdoor dining area (with limited permitted exemptions);
• The grounds of any public library;
• Any common area at a shopping center.

Click to read more ...

The FBI issued preliminary crime statistics for 2007 today, and...(drum roll)...CONGRATULATIONS, Thousand Oaks!  We are back to the Number 1 spot on the list among the 257 U.S. cities with populations over 100,000.  Our total crime rate in 2007 was 1.668%, or 16.68 crimes per 1,000 people.  This very slightly edged out the city of Irvine, California which was at a crime rate of 1.684% (not bad at all, Irvine!).  Irvine could have beat us if we had just another 25 reported crimes last year, so that was quite close.  Amherst Town in New York was 3rd place at a crime rate of 1.742%.

CLARIFICATION:  My "Safest City" designation was based on the "total" crime rate.  News reports today have ranked Irvine as the Safest City for 4 years in a row based on having the lowest "violent" crime rate, not "total" crime rate (see below).  As it stands, T.O. ranks 2nd among California cities for lowest violent crime rate and 1st for lowest property and total crime rates.  Irvine ranks 14th in terms of property crime rates among California cities.

The FBI groups two main categories of crimes; violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, assualt) and property crimes (burglary, larceny/theft, auto theft).  Thousand Oaks reported 182 violent crimes (70% of which were assault) and 1,942 property crimes.  While it feels good to be #1, we still have room for improvement.  Our overall crime rate actually grew by 6% in 2007 vs 2006.  However, our violent crime rate dropped by 19% while property crimes grew by 8%.

At the bottom of the list was St. Louis, Missouri, Orlando, Florida and Little Rock, Arkansas, at rates of 11.93%, 10.45% and 10.35%, respectively.  What this means is that you are 7 times less likely to be the victim of a crime in Thousand Oaks than in St. Louis.  The dubious honor of highest violent crime rate belongs to Flint, Michigan.  In 2007, 24 out of every 1,000 Flint residents were the victim of a violent crime.

Simi Valley ranked as the 9th safest U.S. city at a total crime rate of 2.09% (4th safest in California, after T.O., Irvine and Glendale).  Oxnard's crime rate was 2.747%, which was a slight drop from 2006.  This earned Oxnard recognition as the 12th most crime-free large city in California out of 65 cities.  Ventura was lower on the list, at #45.

Keep up the great work, fellow Conejo Valley residents!  For more information, visit www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.

I was stunned by the letter from Neftin Westlake last week.  The letter, dated April 7th, said that after 31 years, effective April 15th Neftin will no longer sell or service Volvo vehicles.

What the??  That was certainly a sudden change!

They go on to announce that effective May 1st, Neftin will offer a more extensive choice of Mazda vehicles.

So local Volvo owners, where do you take your car for servicing?  Please feel free to add a comment to this entry and share any recommendations.  Neftin references Calabasas Volvo (818.577.2500) and Ventura Volvo (805.644.9933) as alternatives.  But these are not very geographically convenient to us.

Better yet, who wants to step up and start a new local Volvo dealership??  Whoever does so gets free advertising here on www.ConejoValleyGuide.com! 

The Ventura County Star this week reported that the U.S. Postal Service will not change ZIP codes in the Conejo Valley.  The issue had been under consideration since last summer and would have impacted about 60,000 local addresses and post office boxes.

The USPS also recently announced that stamp prices are increasing from 41 cents to 42 cents on May 12th. 

I hate the hassle of using those "rate change" stamps, so I started buying "Forever Stamps."  The USPS has sold over 5 billion "Forever Stamps" since introducing them in April 2007.  They can be used any time in the future for mailing first class postage weighing up to one ounce. 

Stocking up on Forever Stamps now could save us money later!  Hmmm, could these be a good investment!?  Let's look at recent history!

On June 30, 2002, stamp prices went from 34 cents to 37 cents.  Had they sold Forever Stamps in 2002, one could have purchased, say, 10,000 of them for $3400.  On May 12th, if you still held these 10,000 stamps, they would be worth $4200.  This represents a 3.5% annual compound return, which is greater than typical money market accounts paid during the period.  Plus, this is tax-free growth! 

So no doubt you'll see some people selling Forever Stamps on eBay at a profit 5 years down the road.  And given how the stock market has been performing of late along with the Fed lowering interest rates, who knows, maybe stockpiling Forever Stamps is a way to beat the market!

Would I do this?  Heck no!  I'd probably lose the stamps or my kids would use them for wallpaper.  But I'll still buy them for personal use.  If you really want to save time and money, take a look at this prior blog post on the topic of paying bills online to reduce the need for stamps in the first place!

What is the typical career progression of someone with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, who does graduate work in molecular biology and spends the next 18 years working at the world's largest biotech company?

My good friend Chuck Trunks had a passion for art going back to his childhood in Philadelphia.  It was probably 10 years ago that I first saw some of his "precision abstract" artwork at his home in Camarillo.  I knew that eventually the rest of the world would join me.

Boy was I right.  Chuck left Amgen last fall to pursue the goal of working on his art full time and sharing it with the world.  This is a challenge to say the least as he gave up a steady salary and great benefits for the uncertain world of art.  But the world is already getting to know Chuck.

Chuck has completed nearly 30 works of art in four collections that share some of his thoughts about the world.  His "USA" and "True Love" collections deal with societal and relationship issues, respectively.  His "Interference" collection covers technology.  The collection he currently works on is called "Hopes and Dreams."  Each collection can take up to a year to complete.

As Chuck's friend I am well aware of his keen eye for detail.  Chuck is the guy you want to travel with because he'll have everything nailed down so you can just relax and have fun.  He'll also quickly notice if a kernel of corn is lodged in your teeth or there's a smudge on your mirror.  This knack for detail is well apparent in his meticulous work.

And in quick fashion Chuck's work is being seen.  His art is currently being displayed at the Malibu Gallery and at Museum Quality Framing in Camarillo.  But his work is really spreading like wildfire as self-adhesive fashion statement covers for iPods, cell phones and laptops.  Literally thousands of electronics around the world bear an original Trunks image.  (Check it out for yourself at gelaskins.com - a great way to keep your iPod scratch free...I know because I use one.)

To learn more about Chuck and his work, check out his aptly titled website, www.ChuckTrunks.com.

Chuck's latest work, "Pop Star" (Summer 2008):

Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Senior Deputy Joe Evans of the Thousand Oaks Police Department.  If you are interested in receiving these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

Good morning watchers. 2008 is here and it is up to us to move City watch to the next level. Until now City Watch as been mostly a one way information highway. While this has been very successful, I feel we can do better. I would like to add an interactive element to our program. I have a number of ideas on how to do this. We are going to try and open up City Watch to be the conduit for communities to receive better service and communication from their police services. 

As of today, City Watch is not only in the business of "catching crooks," we are also going to solve traffic problems in our neighborhoods. The Thousand Oaks traffic unit has agreed to partner with us and try to solve some of our traffic issues.

You can now send traffic complaints to City Watch. I ask that you send your name address and telephone number with each complaint or concern. Please give lots of details about the problem and any history of the problem that you may have. The traffic unit will contact you via  e-mail and advise you what they are going to do. By working together we can all have input into the solution and a hand in solving a very aggravating problem. This service starts today and I will keep track of the complaints and suggestions you all send in.

Let me warn you that our traffic unit is very aggressive and knows how to solve traffic issues. They will normally address most issues with enforcement. On some occasions they may feel  the problem is an engineering issue and will involve the City at that time.

I hope this works for all of you and lets get the ball going. As with all new programs we may need to make adjustments as we go. I will keep our communications open and let you know how things are going.

Good luck and lets keep our children safe.

Thanks for all you do,  Joe

Contact the City Watch Team led by Senior Deputy Joe Evans at tocity.watch@ventura.org or 805.371.8362.

Speaking of traffic, at least we don't face traffic like this in town:

There have been a number of local car thefts in the area, including items stolen from UNLOCKED cars in our tract, Dos Vientos and other locations.  Stay on the lookout for crooks and by all means, keep your doors locked.

For the 10/31/07 City Watch Alert update from Senior Deputy Joe Evans, click here.

To become a member of City Watch, contact Joe at tocity.watch@ventura.org or 805.371.8362.

Crime reporting information from the City of Thousand Oaks website (or click here):

I have information about or want to report a crime
Please call the Thousand Oaks Police Department at (805) 494-8200 or email Police@toaks.org  Please call 911 if this is an emergency OR THE CRIME IS IN PROCESS. (You may remain anonymous to report a crime.)

I want to report graffiti.
Report it quickly!  Call the Public Works Department 24 hour Graffiti Hotline, at (805) 449-2488, for round-the-clock reporting of graffiti incidents and free removal of graffiti from private property.

I want to report a burglary
Please call the Thousand Oaks Police Department at (805) 654-9511 or email Police@toaks.org  (THIS IS THE LOCAL DISPATCH NUMBER TO CALL TO GET A DEPUTY OUT TO YOU QUICKLY!)

I want to notify someone about gang activity or ongoing drug dealing
Please call the Thousand Oaks Police Department Special Enforcement Unit at 805-494-8297 or email Police@toaks.org

Join the City of Thousand Oaks Police Department in fighting crime in our community by joining City Watch.  City Watch was launched recently to enlist community in detecting and deterring crime. 

By signing up you will receive emails that provide details of any criminal activities in the neighborhood along with details about the alleged criminals.

City Watchers will also receive quarterly statistics about crime in the area, crime prevention tips, and other updates.

Contact Senior Deputy Jim DeSoto to become a member of City Watch by emailing him at tocity.watch@ventura.org or 805.371.8362.

Click here for a City Watch Information update from 10.15.07.

On a related note of crime, want to catch a bank robber?  Visit www.labankrobbers.org for surveillance photos of bank robbers thoughout Los Angeles, Ventura and other nearby counties.

Most of you by now have probably read about the Postal Service's proposal to change our ZIP codes in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village to "streamlize mail deliveries and increase sorting capacity" (according to today's L.A. Times article).  This would affect zip codes 91320, 91360, 91361 and 91362 along with P.O. Box ZIP codes in the area.

The change would bring mail sorting for the area from Santa Clarita to Oxnard, which would address capacity issues at Santa Clarita and would bring the sorting closer to "home."

If approved, the new codes would be announced next year and made effective July 1, 2008, with a one year "grace period" that would give us time to adjust.

I was irritated when I read about this.  Why do they have to inconvenience 60,000 business and residences to make this change?  Why couldn't they just leave our ZIP codes the way they are and simply re-route the mail sorting to Oxnard? 

Well, while I'm still frustrated with the proposal, I feel slightly better after learning more about the history and use of ZIP codes in the U.S.

ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan.  ZIP codes were rolled out by the United States Postal Service (formerly U.S. Post Office Department) on July 1, 1963.  Mr. ZIP, also known as ZIPPY, was used to publicize use of the codes in the 1960s and 1970s.

The first digit of the ZIP code represents the general area of the country,

Click to read more ...

Many of us enjoying walking, hiking, running and biking through the trails behind our tract in Point Mugu State Park.  Something I noticed the other day was how nice and new many of the signs on the trails looked. 

The Santa Monica Mountains Trail Council installed the signs over the course of 2007.  The Trails Superintendent purchased the 73 signs but there was no funding available to install them. so the SMMTC and local Eagle Scout candidates did the job!  The signs really look great and are quite helpful on the trails.  Click here for more information.

Support the protection and maintenance of our local trails by becoming a member of SMMTC.  Or better yet, consider volunteering!

www.smmtc.org

Phone: 818.222.4531

My friend and original Deer Ridge resident Fred Nuesca was featured in an article in the Ventura County Star the other day.  He has quite an amazing knack for restoring antiques and in particular, cash registers.  Thanks to the Ventura County Star for granting permission to post this article and to reporter Stephanie Hoops.

Retiree restores antiques

Newbury Park man likes cash registers most

By Stephanie Hoops

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Cash registers, clocks, slot machines, an old dentist's chair — you name it, Nuesca has fixed, cleaned, polished and refurbished it.

"I like taking things that have served in a business or something and then were replaced by the newer things and set aside and forgotten," he said. "I like to take them and bring them back to their original condition, the way they were originally finished."

Click to read more ...