Camarillo Drive-Thru Chick-fil-A Decision to Be Appealed at City Council Meeting Tonight

Update 11/3/11: City Council upheld the Planning Commission's denial of a Chick-fil-A drive-thru at the Camarillo Premium Outlets. Hey Chick-fil-A, we love ya! How about another location? Maybe Thousand Oaks!? :>

At a September 6, 2011 Camarillo Planning Commission meeting, Chick-fil-A was denied the approval to build a 4,670 sq ft drive-through location at The Promenade section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets. Although a number of attendees supported the Chick-fil-a at the meeting, including representatives from the Camarillo and Oxnard Chambers of Commerce and others in the community, the Planning Commission voted against the proposal by a 3 to 2 margin.

The primary reason for rejecting the application was that a The Promenade is not consistent with the specific plan for the area and is not a good fit for the location. Representatives from the adjacent Johnny Rockets were not in favor for the drive-thru because of concerns of auto exhaust fumes impacting diners in the outdoor patio area of their restaurant as well as potential traffic issues.

The decision was appealed and is being presented to the Camarillo City Council tonight. City Council will be asked to reaffirm the Planning Commission's denial by the city's Community Planning Department. Stop by if you are "hungering" for action. Most people I know love Chick-fil-A, including my family, and would love more locations other than the existing one in Oxnard. But I can see the potential concern for a drive-thru in that particular location.

Conejo Valley Resident, Plant Based Dietitian and Author to Appear on Dr. Oz Show

Julieanna Hever is a well known Plant Based Dietitian and author of recently published book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition. She's about to become even more well known as she makes an appearance on the Dr. Oz Show on Friday, October 28th at 3pm PST on ABC.

She will appear in two segments; one segment providing her experta advice regarding a whole food, plant-based diet; the other segment she makes and tastes three of the recipes from her book.

Julieanna is a plant-based dynamo. If you see her, you may well give up meat, sugar and other non plant-based foods in your diet...and feel great!  In fact she's appeared before here on CVG.

Learn more about Julieanna at www.toyourhealthnutrition.com.

Miller Family YMCA to Host Indoor Cycle-A-Thon and Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive on Saturday, November 12th

Miller YMCA To Host Indoor Cycle-A-Thon and Thanksgiving Food Basket Drive

The Miller Family YMCA of Newbury Park will be holding its first indoor Cycle-A-Thon, Saturday, November 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Y (320 Via Las Brisas, Newbury Park). The event will raise money for the Y's Healthy Living Program. During the cycle-a-thon, 150 Thanksgiving Day food baskets will be assembled for distribution to residents in the community.

Teams of riders will be cycling nonstop on stationary bikes during the cycle-a-thon. The cyclists will be entertained throughout the day with music and live entertainment. Everyone who participates will receive a continental breakfast and lunch and goody bag. Prizes will be awarded in categories including the team raising the most money, the rider who pedaled the longest and the team with the most spirit.

"We're asking teams to collect donations of at least $200 per team," says Katie Beck, the Miller Y executive director. "We're hoping to raise $5,000 that day--through the cycle-a-thon, a raffle, a silent auction and direct donations."

Volunteers are also needed to assemble the food baskets during the cycle-a-thon. "Many of our neighbors need a little extra help this holiday season. As part of the Y's ongoing Healthy Living Program, we want to make sure these families have everything they need for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner," says Beck.

Community members can donate nonperishable items to the food basket drive from November 1 through November 10 or donate $35, which provides a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of four.

Only 15 cycling teams can participate in the cycle-a-thon. For more information including how to form a team, join an existing team or to volunteer, contact Katie Beck at kbeck@millerymca.org or call the Y at 805-480-0309.

Paraiso Town Center in Newbury Park to Be Renamed The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch

Paraiso Town Center to Be Renamed The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch

Paraiso Town Center in the Thousand Oaks master planned community of Dos Vientos Ranch will be renamed The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch, announced Peter Cohen, president of Paradise Capital Group, which acquired the 50,000 square-foot mixed-used retail and office complex in June 2010.

A new name was very important in our efforts to rebrand and market the property, said Cohen.   We wanted to give the center a fresh start with a new name that was easy to pronounce and remember. While Paraiso (Spanish for "Paradise") was a beautiful and obviously very distinctive name, four out of five people would pronounce it incorrectly, and that is not good from a marketing perspective.

Immediately after acquiring the center, Paradise Capital Group conducted an informal poll and learned that the community was largely in favor of a name change.   There has been a lot of negative stigma associated with the center for some time and getting a new owner and new name for this beautiful center is great for Dos Vientos Ranch and all of Thousand Oaks, said Dan Bonfiglio, a local resident and president of the Dos Vientos Ranch Community Association.  It's exciting to see the positive changes taking place and it's obviously working  as we are seeing leasing activity for the first time in years.
Since acquiring the center, approximately 7,500 square feet of retail and office leases have been signed nearly doubling the existing occupancy.

There has been a lot of interest in the center since the ownership change, said CB Richard Ellis Vice President Lawrence Tanji, who leads the retail marketing on behalf of Paradise Capital Group. The new name is yet another example of the positive changes taking place there and local retailers and business are taking notice.

Built in 2008, The Village at Dos Vientos Ranch includes 40,000 square feet of ground level retail and restaurant space with outdoor dining, and 10,000 square feet of office space.  The Mediterranean style complex also features a children's playground and landscaped common areas with fountains.  The centerpiece is an outdoor amphitheater with a performance stage and movie screen.

Retail tenants include La Cucina di Venti, Boney Mountain Coffee, Red Coral Sushi Restaurant, Fitness Together, The Art Box and Paraiso Cleaners.  Office tenants include ETF Portfolio Management, Paraiso Family Dental and Orthodontics, Team Resources, McQueen & Associates and Worldwide Supply.

Bicycle Thefts Continue in the Conejo Valley - Anyone Recognize This One?

The Thousand Oaks Police Department has been reporting an increase in bike thefts in the area for a number of months now.  This crime frequently happens when garage doors are left open or bikes are left in patios. Here's a recent example along with detailed information from a Conejo Valley Guide Facebook follower. Should you become aware of the whereabouts of either of these bikes, CONTACT US or call TOPD Dispatch at 805.654.9511.

Stolen from garage in Southshore Hills neighborhood, Westlake Village around 5:30PM on Saturday, Sept 24th, area of Triunfo Canyon Rd, Glastonbury Rd, Hillsbury Rd:

Men’s road bike: 2008 Giant TCR Advanced Team Silver/Black, medium-large frame, with Mavic wheels and Ritchey carbon components and accessories. Valued at $10,000. PICTURED ABOVE

Also stolen was a men’s mountain bike: 2008 Giant Trance 1 Mountain Bike, Silver, medium-large frame, valued at $2500. EXAMPLE BELOW

Lesley Leighton Promoted to Associate Conductor of Los Angeles Master Chorale

Lesley Leighton, an established choral conductor and long-time singer with the Los Angeles Master Chorale who was appointed assistant conductor of the chorus a year ago, has been promoted to the newly-created post of Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Master Chorale (LAMC) it was announced by LAMC Chair Mark Foster. Her three-year term begins July 2011 and continues through the 2013-14 Season.

In this capacity Leighton will continue to work closely with the Chorale’s Music Director, Grant Gershon, to provide increased input on artistic programming and educational outreach projects, provide assistance at rehearsals and support Gershon’s leadership. In addition, during the 2011-12 Season, she will ascend the podium twice: on opening night, October 16, 2011, she will conduct Tarik O’Regan’s Tal vez tenemos tiempo, and on the season’s penultimate concert, “Andes to the Sea,” on April 29, 2012, she will also be featured. Leighton will conduct the Chorale in subsequent seasons as well.

“Lesley has been an invaluable asset to the Los Angeles Master Chorale,” says Foster. “By promoting her to Associate Conductor, we are acknowledging her significant artistic role in our organization.”

“Lesley is a tremendous musical talent with keen sensibilities and wonderful conducting skills,” states Gershon. “It has been a pleasure to work with her over the past year. A consummate musician with a deep knowledge of and passion for choral music, Lesley has been an amazing resource for both the Chorale and me. Her promotion is well deserved, and I look forward to continuing to build upon our successful artistic partnership.”

Leighton, a native Angeleno who attended Westchester High School, was appointed Assistant Conductor in July 2010 and will begin serving as Associate Conductor in July 2011. She sang with the LAMC from 1991 to 1997, before moving to New York City to continue her professional freelance music career and to serve as Director of Development for the Office of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. She rejoined the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2007. Since 2008, Leighton has served as Artistic Director of the 100-voice Los Robles Master Chorale and its Consort Singers for which she also established, in 2010, its annual High School and College Choir Festival. In addition, she directs the newly established New West Symphony Chorus, which debuted in May 2011. Among other professional highlights, in June 2011, she prepped a choir for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Japan Relief concert held at Disney Hall and has performed with some of the world's most eminent conductors, including Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, Loren Maazel, Simon Rattle, and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Her opera credits include principal appearances with New York City Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Köln Opera, and Glyndebourne.

Leighton studied with LAMC Music Director Emeritus Paul Salamunovich at Loyola Marymount University, where she earned her BA in choral conducting. She obtained a Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Southern California, where she is currently working on a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral music with her mentor and nationally recognized choral conductor, Jo-Michael Scheibe. The recipient of a two-year teaching assistantship from the Thornton School of Music at USC, Leighton was also honored in 2009 through the university's “Remarkable Women Awards” program in recognition of her "outstanding accomplishments and endless dedication" in the area of choral music.