Eight Ventura County Schools Receive 2017 Gold Ribbon Honors from California Department of Education

Eight Ventura County area schools are recipients of the 2017 Gold Ribbon Schools Award from the California Department of Education. The award recognizes middle and high schools that have developed innovative programs that support rigorous academic standards and create a positive school environment. The winning local schools are:

• A.E. Wright Middle School (Las Virgenes Unified School District)
• Adolfo Camarillo High School (Oxnard Union High School District)
• Colina Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Hillside Middle School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Moorpark High School (Moorpark Unified School District)
• Redwood Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Westlake High School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)

A.E. Wright Middle School received an additional award for being a Title I Academic Achieving School. This additional recognition is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds that assist in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line.

Eligible schools for the 2017 Gold Ribbon Award exclude schools that previously won the award in 2015. These schools include Sequoia Middle School (CVUSD), Thousand Oaks High School (CVUSD), Medea Creek Middle School (Oak Park USD), Oak Park High School, Ocean View Junior High, Santa Susana High (Simi Valley USD), Sinaloa Middle School (SVUSD) and Valley View Middle School (SVUSD).

This year, 275 Gold Ribbon honorees were selected out of 477 schools that applied. Additional information about the Gold Ribbon Schools Award is available at www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/gr.

The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement systems.

About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at www.vcoe.org.

Thousand Oaks Police Department Has Launched Scam Hotline for Local Residents

The Thousand Oaks Police Department has launched a scam hotline for its citizens. The hotline telephone number (805) 371-8327 provides information on various current types of scams (telephone, mail, email, text message, etc.) and gives callers the opportunity to leave information on scams they may have been exposed to. The phone line is a recorded informational message available 24 hours a day.

Scams are climbing at an alarming rate, not only in our community, but communities nationwide. The Thousand Oaks Police Department is dedicated to educating the community on current scams and ways to avoid falling victim to them. We have found by educating the community and providing essential information about current scams, the monetary loss from
victims of scams is avoided.

The scam hotline is not for reporting crimes. If you are a victim of a scam that has resulted in a financial loss, please call Ventura County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (805) 654-9511 to have an officer take a report.

Every year, thousands of people lose money to scams from a few hundred dollars to their whole life savings. In 2016, the Better Business Bureau reported that approximately 40,000 scams were reported, this does not account for the numerous scams not being reported or the monetary losses, which are in the billions of dollars.

For additional information on current scams contact the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov or the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org. To file an internet crime complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at www.ic3.gov.

Public Hearing To Be Announced for Construction of Car Wash Facility at Nordic Nursery Location in Newbury Park

Sarah R. pointed out via the CVG Facebook Page this weekend that there's a City of Thousand Oaks Public Hearing sign in front of Nordic Nursery, 1313 Newbury Road in Newbury Park. 

The sign announces a TBA public hearing on a proposed application to allow encroachment within the protected zones of on-site oak trees and the removal of two off-site oak trees in conjunction with the construction of a drive-thru car wash facility.

Well that's a bummer. Nordic Nursery has operated in the Conejo Valley since 1979. www.nordicnursery.com

AMC Theatres Completed Purchase of Carmike Cinemas on December 20, 2016

Muvico Theatre as seen from Tarantula Hill on a cloudy, rainy day in February 2017.

Carmike Stockholders approved a merger agreement with AMC Theatres on November 15, 2016 and the merger was completed on December 20, 2016.

Before the merger, Carmike operated 271 theatres with 2,923 screens in 41 states, with a focus on mid-sized communities.

Muvico Theatres was purchased by Carmike in November 2013 but continued to operate our local Muvico Theatre under its original name. Muvico premiered at the Oaks Mall on February 27, 2009. So we are talking three different owners in less than eight years!

No word yet on if AMC will maintain the Muvico brand.

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the world, with approximately 636 theatres and 7,623 screens worldwide, including the largest cinema operator in Europe, Odeon Cinemas Group. AMC indicates it has the #1 or #2 market share positions in 21 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, including the top three markets (NY, LA, Chicago). AMC, through its Odeon subsidiary, operates in seven European countries and is the No. 1 theatre chain in the UK & Ireland, Italy and Spain.

In a January 30, 2017 press release, AMC previewed preliminary 2016 results of revenue in the $3.2 billion range and net earnings in the range of $112 million to $120 million. It will release complete financial results after the market closes on February 28th.

Simi Valley Police Department Announces SAFECAM Camera Registry Program

SAFECAM is the Simi Valley Police Department’s newest crime fighting program and represents another opportunity for the police department to partner with local businesses and community members to help create an even safer place to live, work, and play. Through SAFECAM residents and business owners who operate security cameras have the opportunity to help the Simi Valley Police Department prevent and solve crime.

SAFECAM is a database of personal security cameras owned and operated by businesses and residents in the City of Simi Valley. Those who have security cameras on their business or residence are encouraged to register their cameras through SAFECAM. In the event a crime, traffic collision or other law enforcement related event occurs near the area where registered security cameras are located, Simi Valley Police Department personnel will be able to quickly contact the owner of the camera to request the footage. By being able to quickly locate and view security footage, Simi Valley Police Department personnel will be better able to identify possible suspects and bring them to justice.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The Simi Valley Police Department is dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to partner with local residents and business owners. By completing a registration form and submitting it to the Simi Valley Police Department your camera information will be entered into a database that is maintained by the police department. When a crime, traffic collision or other law enforcement related event occurs, officers will be able to quickly access the SAFECAM database, identify businesses and residences in the area that have security cameras, contact the owners of the camera and request footage which may help to identify suspects and assist with the apprehension and prosecution of those involved.

Information provided to the Simi Valley Police Department regarding camera systems will be for official use only. All personal information will be confidential and not for public dissemination.

HOW YOU CAN BE A PART OF SAFECAM

If your residence or business has a security camera system you can help the Simi Valley Police Department investigate and solve crimes by registering your camera in one of three ways:

• Go to www.simivalley.org/safecam to complete the on-line SAFECAM registration form. Then press the “submit” button at the bottom of the page.

• Print out the SAFECAM registration form from www.simivalley.org/safecam, complete it, and drop it off at the Simi Valley Police Department’s front counter or mail it to the Simi Valley Police Department Communication Center at 3901 Alamo Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063.

• Or, contact the Simi Valley Police Department’s Crime Prevention Representative, Jean-Marie Maroshek at (805) 583-6276 to help complete your registration over the phone.

The Simi Valley Police Department recognizes that they cannot prevent or solve crime by itself. The police department has had a long standing relationship with the community and SAFECAM is another way for the police and community to work together to help keep Simi Valley safe. There are more ways that you can be a part of keeping Simi Valley safe:

• Neighborhood Watch
• Next Door (electronic Neighborhood Watch)
• Business Watch
• Citizens on Patrol (Volunteer Program)

For additional information on all of the Crime Prevention Programs that the Simi Valley Police Department offers, call (805) 583-6276

Another local city with a video camera registration program is Ventura. Learn more at www.cityofventura.net/securitycameras.

Grand Opening of the Mel Vincent Park in Camarillo Slated for February

The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District announce it will be hosting a grand opening of Mel Vincent Park, 668 Calistoga Road, Camarillo on Saturday, February 4th. (If raining, it will be postponed to February 18th.)

The park is located in a new housing development off of Springville Road. The five acre park features state of the art outdoor fitness equipment, two playgrounds, four 1/2 court basketball courts, two sand volleyball courts, picnic tables and shelter and a meandering concrete path.

For a satellite view of the park layout in a pdf file, visit www.pvrpd.org/documents/LabeledSateliteView.pdf.

Grand Re-Opening of Museum of Ventura County in January 2017

The Museum of Ventura County is preparing excitedly for the Grand Re-Opening of its galleries after being closed since September 1.  A fundraising gala, “Splendors of the Museum” will be held on Saturday, January 7, followed by a community celebration—free and open to all— on Sunday, January 8 from noon to 5 pm.  The community celebration begins with an opening ceremony at 12:30 pm, followed by free tours throughout the afternoon of the museum’s new galleries.  Two new exhibits, “Masterworks of the Museum” and “Really Awful People, featuring the George Stuart Historical Figures” will debut.

The rebirth of this century-old institution came from a desire to give residents throughout Ventura County more access to their history, and to provide a more participatory and exciting experience for all visitors from the moment they enter the museum.

Under the new direction of interim executive director and consultant Elena Brokaw, it is no longer business as usual. “As I toured this treasured cultural resource from top to bottom, I immediately saw one core problem—not enough gallery space.  We needed to increase our ability to share more of the history of Ventura County with visitors and residents. Our 104-year-old collection comprises more than 31,000 historical objects, and it belongs to all of us.  Although it can never be displayed all at one time, the lure of “what is in the basement” is so strong.  We wanted to do something about that.”

Accordingly, exhibition space has been nearly doubled by reinventing spaces, such as the lobby, courtyard and museum store as galleries where more artifacts could be installed and stories could be told. Changes literally begin at the front door, where guests are greeted by historic photos, large-scale objects and digital installations covering previously blank walls. This space is now meant to “set the stage”, telling visitors where they are and what they can expect.

Even the way visitors proceed through the museum is different. Instead of entering through the museum store, they will proceed from the lobby into the outdoor courtyard space; they are literally re-directed into a more welcoming, expansive and chronological adventure.  This space features a historic timeline mural, created by local artist Ryan Carr, which transports visitors back in time.  Also in this space are citrus trees evoking the Mission Orchard, which existed on that very site 200 years ago.

Visitors will discover many artifacts and works of art that haven’t been seen for years, which have been researched and revealed by the museum’s curators.  The inaugural exhibition, “Masterworks from the Museum’s Collection” will pair works of art with artifacts and photos that convey the proud heritage and important stories of individuals and families throughout the region.

The beloved Chumash gallery, an essential field trip stop for 3rd- and 4th- grade students throughout Ventura County, has been transformed into a more vibrant and educational environment with the installation of large-scale graphics, authentic artifacts and interactive stations providing hands-on experiences for kids.  This re-invigorates the museum’s popular education program, led by a devoted Docent Council, which serves nearly 5,000 schoolchildren per year.

A new interactive gallery called “Is it Art?” brings forth some of the more unusual items from the collection and invites visitors into a collective discussion of what constitutes a work of art. 

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The Museum of Ventura County, located in historic downtown Ventura at 100 E. Main Street, was founded in 1913.  Its first home was in the County Courthouse building, now Ventura’s City Hall. www.venturamuseum.org

The museum’s collection of artifacts began with pioneer Cephas Bard, a doctor who accepted Chumash baskets, trinkets and personal items from indigenous patients in lieu of payment for his services. Bard was a beloved doctor from Pennsylvania who relocated to the California Coast with his brother Thomas, who became a U.S. Senator from California.

The collection has grown to over 31,000 artifacts, which includes Chumash-era objects and implements, as well examples of contemporary clothing, ephemera, fine art and photography from the past century. The Museum of Ventura County’s collection reflects life in Ventura County, and includes items from every city in the County.

One of the most well-known features of the Museum is its renowned Research Library, housing a collection of more than 150,000 documents, books, maps and historic photographs and periodicals.

Discovery Center for Science and Technology Announces New Executive Director

The Discovery Center for Science and Technology Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Vicki Holloway has been named Executive Director of The Discovery Center as of November 16, 2016, following a six-month assignment as a consultant to the organization.

Vicki brings over 20 years of experience in the fields of life and environmental science with professional expertise in strategy development, organizational design and efficiency, operations, communications and partner management. She has been an active volunteer in other nonprofit organizations in the community for 15 years.

As Executive Director, Vicki will be responsible for fundraising and grant management; volunteer recruitment, retention and recognition; program development and management; and community relations and outreach.

Serving residents of the Conejo, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties for over 20 years, The Discovery Center encourages curiosity, critical thinking and creativity through the exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). To date, volunteers of The Discovery Center have served over 200,000 children and adults with educational programs and events. For additional information concerning The Discovery Center please go to www.discoverycntr.org.

The Discovery Center for Science and Technology is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.