Message From the Department of Fish & Game: Please Don't Feed the Coyotes!

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The Department of Fish & Game (DFG) recently informed Oak Park residents that someone is placing food out for coyotes at the creek between Oak Park High School and Medea Creek Middle School. Doing so can cause coyotes to become curious and aggressive. Please be aware of this issue and use extra caution when in local trails never to approach coyotes.

Additional information from the DFG regarding using caution around coyotes:

If you’re in the outdoors anywhere in California this spring, you might cross paths with one of the state’s most common predators – the coyote. Clever, nimble and quick, the coyote may at first glance appear to be more of a nuisance than a direct threat. But don’t let your guard down, the DFG warns.

Coyotes – especially those who live in urban settings and have grown accustomed to humans – can become emboldened to the point where they become a public safety threat.

“Once coyotes become habituated to people, they begin to exhibit increased levels of aggression, which can lead to biting incidents,” explained Kevin Brennan, a DFG biologist who works out of Idyllwild (Riverside County). Brennan has responded to hundreds of coyote incidents and is familiar with the inevitably unhappy result when coyotes become accustomed to humans.

The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the dog family and is native to California

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Ventura County Habitat for Humanity Launches New Home Rehab Program

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Habitat to offer low-cost home repairs to qualified, low-income homeowners

Ventura County Habitat for Humanity will now begin repairing homes in partnership with qualified, low-income homeowners.  The new housing repair program called “Preserve a Home”, is rolling out “A Brush with Kindness”, which is aimed at providing simple exterior (only) repairs such as painting, window, minor siding and trim repair, landscaping and/or clean-up, brush/junk removal to low-income homeowners in need.

Habitat for Humanity’s “A Brush with Kindness” has a goal to serve low-income homeowners who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes.  The work is done by volunteers who use donated materials whenever possible.  The homeowner must meet have a demonstrated need, willingness to partner with Habitat and the ability to re-pay a no interest loan.  Payments made by the partner family are placed in a revolving fund to help ABWK serve others in need.   

“Preserve a Home and its “A Brush with Kindness” is part of our larger Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI). This initiative gives us a great opportunity to help more families in need, as well as have an impact on the entire neighborhood” said John Kistler, Construction Manager, Ventura County Habitat for Humanity. “Helping people repair and maintain their homes fits in seamlessly with Habitat's core mission of making decent, affordable housing available to low-income families.”

A Brush with Kindness is underwritten by a grant from Valspar, Habitat’s National

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City of Thousand Oaks Tree City USA Recipient for 13th Consecutive Year

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The City of Thousand Oaks will be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City USA Community for its commitment to urban forestry.  Thousand Oaks has earned this national designation since 1998.  A special ceremony will be held at the May 24, 2011 City Council meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. recognizing the City of Thousand Oaks as a Tree City USA recipient.  The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

To become a Tree City USA community, agencies need to coordinate a citywide approach for tree management that includes tree care as part of its municipal code, an adopted forestry program, and annual recognition of Arbor Day.

“We commend Thousand Oaks elected officials, volunteers and its citizens for providing vital care for its urban forest,” states John Rosenow, Chief Executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation.

The City of Thousand Oaks annually maintains 27,000 City street trees of 160 different species. The City releases 700,000 beneficial insects each year as a part of our integrated pest management program to help reduce the need for insecticides.

In 1989, the City Council adopted an Urban Forestry Master Plan.  The overall goal of the Master plan is to provide the City with a sound basis for the creation and management of its community forest and to set policies that provide the greatest benefit for residents.

The City of Thousand Oaks understands the importance of caring for trees because they help reduce the heat island effect in urban areas caused by pavement and buildings.  Trees also help to moderate the climate, conserve water, and provide vital habitat for wildlife.

Note from Conejo Joe:

Other local cities that were on the previous year Tree City USA list include Calabasas (12 years), Ojai (1 year), Oxnard (26 years) and Simi Valley (10 years).

New KCLU Broadcast Center to be Dedicated on Friday, May 20th

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Dedication for new KCLU building slated
Center expands production, educational opportunities

A dedication for the new KCLU Broadcast Center will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, May 20.

The $2.9 million center on the California Lutheran University campus in Thousand Oaks houses four state-of-the-art production rooms. Dubbed The Paulucci Studios, they will include the National Public Radio station’s first dedicated newsroom.

The two-story KCLU Broadcast Center also provides facilities for educational opportunities and community events that the previous center couldn’t accommodate. The Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Education Suite features a fully digitized classroom next to a student lab, providing an observation and workshop environment to train CLU broadcast journalism students. The second student lab will house a student-run digital Internet radio station.

There is also a community room that will be used for meetings and special events.

The new 6,570-square-foot center will replace the tiny studio in CLU’s Mountclef Residence Hall where the KCLU staff has produced award-winning local news and public affairs programs since it signed on in 1994. KCLU, which serves about 70,000 weekly listeners in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, has received more than 140 awards for broadcasting excellence in the last decade.

The public is invited to the dedication. Following the ceremony, people can take self-guided tours of the center. The site is north of Olsen Road on Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks. It is located on the east side of the street.
 
KCLU, a community service of CLU, broadcasts local and national programming in Ventura County on 88.3 FM and in Santa Barbara County at 1340 AM and 102.3 FM. Live streaming and archives are available at www.kclu.org.

Lifestyle and Relationship Expert Lissa Coffey Launches Interactive Video-Zine "CoffeyBuzz" Website

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CoffeyBuzz is an entertaining and informative weekly lifestyle video-zine that presents a fresh look at what’s new in lifestyle, fashion, health and popular culture. What makes us different is that the viewer, using the groundbreaking Hyperspots™ technology, can push a shopping cart through the video and interact with goods and services AS THEY APPEAR ON SCREEN. With Hyperspots™, viewers simply click on an item in the show and they are immediately provided with a direct link to either make a purchase, or learn more about the subject matter. Visit www.coffeybuzz.com to check it out for yourself! Pretty cool!

CoffeyBuzz is hosted by lifestyle and relationship guru Lissa Coffey.  Coffey, a Westlake Village resident, is a bestselling author and a frequent contributor to several talk shows. Emmy Award winning actor Charles Shaughnessy (Days of Our Lives, The Nanny) and his brother, Emmy Award winning producer David Shaughnessy (The Young and the Restless) produce the show along with Coffey to bring you this thrilling new online concept delivered in an engaging and fun weekly video magazine. Combining the very latest in online entertainment and online technology, CoffeyBuzz has your lifestyle…wired!

The Barkley Pet Hotel and Day Spa is the topic of the CoffeyBuzz show that will be posted May 10.  Tune in to meet Bunjee, Chloe, Marilyn Muttroe and many other VIPs, Very Important Pets!

Ojai Author Kate Sexton's New Novel "Awakening the Essence" Released May 3rd

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LOCAL AUTHOR KATE SEXTON'S NEW NOVEL RELEASED MAY 3RD
First book of a trilogy that contains over ten years of research

Ojai author Kate Sexton's new novel, Awakening the Essence: Book One of The Siren Chronicles, was released Tuesday, May 3rd. This is the first book of The Siren Chronicles, a trilogy focused on the ancient history of Europe as unveiled through the eyes of a modern woman's journey of discovery. Demonstrating a gift for the creation of legend, Sexton delivers a hypnotic novel of mysteries and profound knowledge and makes real a great dynasty - a family given to history and mythology, to murder and forbidden wisdom, to song and philosophy; a family that is itself haunted by a dangerous and secretive enemy.

About the Story
On a mountainside in the south of France, Rory Forsythe, a beautiful and successful entertainment executive, awakens from a car accident to discover she has acquired sensory abilities that both mystify and frighten her. While trying to comprehend these new abilities, she is catapulted into a worldwide power struggle that began eons ago.  With handsome Irishman Kelsey O'Keefe at her side, Rory takes up the hunt for the hidden location of an ancient family fortune. As these two set out to solve the mystery of her past, the novel moves backward and forward in time, from the present to an ancient temple in Babylon, and to a tribal circle of judgment held 8,000 years ago. Rory's inspired yet dangerous moves in this ruthless game bind her to the legacy she was born to protect - The Siren Chronicles.

Millennia ago women were honored as matriarchs and the leaders of nations. Respected and powerful. Today women fight for an equal role in society, their power suppressed, their intelligence hidden, and their voice muffled. Why? Was it simply the
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Four Seasons Westlake Village Plants Pomegranate Trees in Honor of Earth Day

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In honor of Earth Day, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village has planted fruit trees along the perimeter of the Hotel gardens. The choice to plant fruit trees was made to symbolize the Hotel’s commitment, along with the on-site California Health & Longevity Institute, to promote improved nutrition for guests, the community and children in particular. Pomegranates are considered a super food, and are an excellent source of potassium and Vitamins C and B.

Another pomegranate tree was donated to Oak Hills Elementary School. Registered dietitians from California Health & Longevity Institute worked with Superintendent Dr. Anthony Knight to improve the nutritional quality of the menus provided to the children in the school cafeterias of several schools within the Oak Park Unified School District.

 Oak Park Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Knight, students from Oak Hills Elementary School and representatives from Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village and California Health & Longevity Institute plant a pomegranate tree donated by the Hotel on school grounds in honor of Earth Day.

The tree planting initiative complements the commitment of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts to plant 10 Million Trees around the world. This long-term global initiative will form the cornerstone of the company’s commitment to supporting sustainability – just part of its existing substantial corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

In addition to the new pomegranate tree, Four Seasons chefs use a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on-site in the Hotel’s gardens and greenhouse. The garden-fresh selections include Swiss chard, cauliflower, tomatoes and a variety of herbs, such as pineapple sage.

For more information or reservations, please call (818) 575-3000 or visit www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage.

Free Reception for Dr. William Hart, Author of Community Memorial Hospital Book, in Ventura on May 22nd

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Author of Book on Community Memorial Hospital Honored

A free reception for Dr. William Hart, author of a recently published history of Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at the Museum of Ventura County’s event pavilion. Signed copies of  “The Hospital of Choice: Community Memorial Hospital: A History,” will be available in the museum bookstore, in both hard and soft cover. Hart will donate all proceeds from sales of the book to the museum.

Hart was the first Board Certified cardiologist in Ventura County, the first procedural cardiologist in the Tri-Counties, and he founded the first Coronary Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit in Ventura County. His book chronicles Community Memorial Hospital’s 109 years of growth since opening in 1902 as the Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital, founded by brothers Cephas and Thomas Bard.

The present Museum of Ventura County shares some founding history with the hospital. Dr. Cephas Bard’s collection of artifacts, often given him in lieu of payment for medical services, formed the original exhibition with which the museum began in 1913.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

Bard Hospital today at the corner of Fir and Poli Streets in Ventura

Official Malibu City Song Contest Entries Due By June 15, 2011

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The City of Malibu will begin accepting submissions for the Official Malibu City Song on Monday, March 28, 2011. Entries must be received by Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The song competition is open to musicians of all ages. Contestants younger than 18 must include a parent or guardian signature with their entry form. Songs should be approximately three minutes in length, suitable for groups as well as soloists, and be submitted on a lead sheet that includes lyrics. Musicians are able to submit more than one entry if interested. Subject material should be appropriate for posting on a public government website and not contain obscene, profane or inappropriate content. Musicians submitting songs for consideration do not have to be residents of Malibu.

For more information and an application visit the City of Malibu website at www.malibucity.org or CLICK HERE for a direct link to the contest web page.

Should be fun. Actual entries will be posted to the City of Malibu website HERE for public listening and voting.