2015 Fit 4 The Cause Miracle of Movement Gala on September 19th Was a Smashing Success

Fit 4 The Cause, a local non-profit that combines social media-fueled flash mobs with fitness education and philanthropic giving, received its 501(c)(3) status a year ago just 90 days after filing with the IRS. 

Founded by PR expert and ACE certified Fitness Pro Cindy Rakowitz, Fit 4 The Cause continued pushing the limits over the last 12 months, culminating in a packed house at the its inaugural Miracle of Movement Gala at the Sheraton Agoura Hills.

Cindy Rakowitz along with "The Duo" - Honoree Sourena Vasseghi and Chris Stevenson

What a great event!  Led by Fox Sport Radio talk show host Tomm Looney, this gala was entertaining and inspirational.

The theme of the night was "Smashing Obstacles." Honorees celebrated for smashing personal obstacles were Lisa Roub, who received the 2015 Advocacy Award and Sourena Vasseghi, recipient of the 2015 Inspiration Award.

Roub learned in April 2014 that she had breast cancer at the age of 40. After much research she opted to have a bilateral mastectomy. After the surgery, she was told that the cancer spread to her lymph nodes and would necessitate four rounds of chemotherapy. The thought of losing her hair was now a concern. But she discovered a new treatment, Penguin Cold Caps, that prevents hair loss by freezing the scalp to 40 degrees below zero on chemo days, protecting the follicles and minimizing hair loss. Roub has been cancer-free for nearly a year. She was honored for sharing her experiences with others in need of support and advice. 

Miracle of Movement Gala Honorees, Sourena Vasseghi and Lisa Roub

Vasseghi is an award-winning author and inspirational speaker who suffers from severe cerebral palsy. Although he has limited motor skills and a significant speech impediment, he is an award-winning author and inspirational speaker. But since he can't really speak to an audience, he has partnered with "interpreter" Chris Stevenson of Stevenson Fitness in Oak Park. The duo had us both laughing and crying as they took us through some of the challenges Vasseghi faces in life and how we all can learn from them. Vasseghi is an Agoura Hills resident and is married with two kids. You have to meet this guy. Learn more at sourenav.com.

We also enjoyed a conversation with NFL linebacker Brady Poppinga at the Gala. Poppinga shared thoughts on commitment and returning from injury over the course of his career. After playing at BYU, he was drafted in 2005 by the Green Bay Packers, where he played six years, then the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys. 

Two thumbs up to all of the great sponsors for this event that made it happen, with a shout-out to Champion Level sponsors Edison International, Humana/Brian Sullivan and the Law Offices of Friedman & Bartoumian.

The team from Champion Level sponsor, Law Offices of Friedman & Bartoumian 

Westlake Village Community Park, Skate Park and Triunfo YMCA Facility

Westlake Village Community Park construction well underway

Westlake Village Community Park is located on a hilltop at 31107 Thousand Oaks Blvd (just west of Lindero Canyon Road). There is a one-way entrance and a one-way exit off of Thousand Oaks Blvd that can be accessed by vehicle, bicycle, or sidewalk during park hours.

This is a 19 acre site that includes the park as well as the 55,000 sq ft Triunfo YMCA facility slated to open in early 2016. 

View of the Triunfo Y facility under construction

Once completed, Westlake Village Community Park will contain eight acres of lighted synthetic turf athletic fields for soccer, baseball, softball, and other sports, a walking/jogging trail, skate park, picnic areas, outdoor volleyball and basketball courts, fitness equipment, restroom/concession facilities, and children’s play areas. 

Ball fields 1 and 2 as well as the skate park are currently open to the public.

Skate park at Westlake Village Community Park is open to the public

Ventura County Sheriff's Office Announces "Operation Take Back the Pumps" Effort

Operation Take Back the Pumps is a collaborative effort by Ventura County law enforcement agencies, businesses, and Federal agencies to combat credit/debit card fraud and identity theft facilitated through the illegal use of credit card skimming devices placed on gasoline/fuel pumps.

Identity theft is a national problem that is significantly affecting citizens in Ventura County. One way thieves are obtaining victim’s credit and debit card information is through the use of illegal card skimming devices being surreptitiously placed in fuel pumps. When an unsuspecting customer swipes their debit or credit card into the pay station on the fuel pump, these illegal devices capture the card and pin information. The thieves then use this stolen information to commit identity theft and other fraud related crimes. Losses from a single illegal skimming device on a fuel pump usually averages between $50,000 and $100,000.

Operation Take Back the Pumps consists of multiple phases designed to combat identity theft perpetuated by the use of illegal card skimming devices on fuel pumps. The phases consists of training law enforcement and gasoline station personnel on prevention methods and the identification/detection of illegal skimming devices; Programs that promote regular inspections of the pumps for tampering and/or illegal card skimming devices, if the agency should decide; And finally, education of the public on practices that will help keep them from becoming victims of identity theft.

Operation Take Back the Pumps was coordinated by the Moorpark Police Department and launched on August 13, 2015, beginning with a joint effort by all of the involved agencies/businesses coming together in an attempt to inspect all fuel pumps in Ventura County. This proved to be successful as 1,512 fuel pumps were inspected and three (3) illegal skimming devices were discovered and removed. These devices will be used as evidence in an attempt to identify and prosecute the suspect(s) responsible for these crimes.

The following is a breakdown by city of pumps inspected and the number of illegal card skimming devices found:

City of Camarillo - 155 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Fillmore - 76 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Moorpark - 72 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Ojai - 44 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Oxnard - 335 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Port Hueneme - 8 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Santa Paula - 42 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Simi Valley - 173 pumps inspected and no devices found
City of Thousand Oaks - 272 pumps inspected and three (3) devices found
City of Ventura – 335 pumps inspected and no devices found

Law enforcement and participants in this operation encourage the public to consider the following steps when purchasing fuel. Following these steps will significantly reduce the risk of being victimized by identity thieves.

• Pay with cash whenever possible.
• If paying with a credit/debit card, go inside the gas station instead of paying at the pump.
• Look for security seals/stickers on fuel pumps. If the seals/stickers are broken, cut or read “VOID,” do not use that pump and immediately report your observations to gas station personnel

Source of Release: Ventura County Sheriff's Office

Ribbon Cutting for Phase I of Rotary Dreamcatcher Playground in Thousand Oaks Took Place Today

Working with the Conejo Recreation and Park District, the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Sunrise has been working to raise $500,000 by 2016 to expand and refurbish the existing special needs playground at Old Meadows Park in Thousand Oaks. The Therapeutic Recreation Unit of CRPD provides special programs for residents with disabilities and is located at the park. The playground, available to special needs and all children, has been named the Rotary Dreamcatcher Playground.

Today the ribbon cutting for the $300,000 Phase I of the project took place. Phase I expands the size of the playground and contains mat surfacing, rolling turf hills, large shaded areas, tree log swings, seagull swings, harmony chimes, hammocks, pod seats, picnic tables and many other cool features.

Phase I was possible due to the tremendous fundraising efforts of the Rotary, CRPD and Play Conejo and with generous grants from the Tull Family Foundation, County of Ventura, Farmer’s Insurance, City of Thousand Oaks, the TO Rotary Club and the Rotary Foundation, Kenrose Kitchen Foundation, Verizon, CBC Federal Credit Union, and Harrison Industries.

Old Meadows Park is located at 1600 Marview Drive, Thousand Oaks, off of Erbes Road.

Phase I is done but the fundraising continues! Visit www.rotarydreamcatcher.org to learn more and to support the effort.

Ventura County Library System Launches "Career Cruising" Exploration Program

Ventura County Library cardholders can now access Career Cruising, a bilingual (English and Spanish language) career exploration and research program for all ages. Available now, Career Cruising provides age-appropriate career development, assessments, planners and other resources to assist users to achieve their full potential in school, career and life.

Your Ventura County Library card is all you need to create a personal account (My Plan) and complete interest and skills assessments resulting in a personalized list of career matches. With your personal My Plan account, you can find careers, schools, and majors of interest to you, create a resume and prepare a personal career and life plan.

If you don't have a library card, get one at any of our Ventura County Library locations. Visit vencolibrary.org to find a library near you.

Ventura County eLibrary's Career & Jobs online resources include:

• Career Cruising
• Career Transitions
• LearningExpress Job & Career Accelerator
• LearningExpress Library of practice tests and skills courses

Ventura County Library System: Inspiring our community to explore, discover and connect.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

City of Thousand Oaks Adopts Drought Action Plan to Conserve Water

Per the State of California issued mandates, Thousand Oaks must reduce water consumption citywide by an average of 32%. In response, the Thousand Oaks City Council has adopted a comprehensive Drought Action Plan and declared a Level 2 Water Supply Shortage with a series of water conservation measures which impact residents, businesses, City operations and other local agencies.

Community Measures:

• Outside irrigation is now limited to 2 days a week for no more than 15 minutes per station per day
• Outdoor irrigation prohibited between 9 AM - 5 PM
• Watering is prohibited during or 48 hours after rainfall

City Measures:

• Removal of over 916,000 square feet of turf in street medians
• Removal of non-essential turf at all City facilities
• Establishment of new watering systems to provide water to trees in the medians
• Emptying of The Civic Arts Plaza fountain 

Enforcement of the new requirements will be focused on voluntary compliance through education, but fines of up to $500 per occurrence are possible for repeat offenders. A host of water conservation information, rebates and resources can be found at www.toaks.org/savewater. A water hotline is available to report water waste and to request a free in-home water conservation consultation at (805) 375-5747.

Cal Lutheran to Dedicate Bronze Statue of Richard Pederson on April 18th

After five years in the making, a bronze statue of the farmer who donated his land for the California Lutheran University campus in Thousand Oaks will be dedicated at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 18.

The statue of Richard Pederson, a son of Norwegian immigrants, will be dedicated during the Scandinavian Festival, but the site will be accessible to people who are not attending the event. The statue stands next to Soiland Humanities Center near the flagpoles on Memorial Parkway. The ceremony is free and open to the public.

Cal Lutheran President Chris Kimball will preside over the event. Pederson’s niece, Janet Pederson Reeling of Bishop, plans to attend.

While serving as an artist-in-residence during Cal Lutheran’s 50th anniversary in 2009, Paul Lucchesi of West Virginia decided to sculpt a statue of Pederson based on a black-and-white photograph of him looking out over his ranch. With the statue now at the top of an incline near the center of campus, Pederson will forever look out over the university he made possible.

The original clay sculpture sat in storage until last spring, when the Cal Lutheran Community Leaders Association, Artists and Speakers Committee and University Advancement paid for Lucchesi to return to campus to create a wax mold and prepare it for casting in bronze.

Pederson had been ready to retire a bachelor when he donated his 130-acre ranch in 1957 so California Lutheran College could be built. The ranch’s chicken coops were converted into the first offices and classrooms. Classes began in 1961 with 330 students. Today, the university has 2,800 undergraduate and 1,350 graduate students who come from around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures.

Pederson’s parents, Lars and Karn Pederson, had paid $3 an acre for the ranch land and $2 an acre for the hillside in 1890 when they became one of the founding families of the Norwegian Colony.

After Lars Pederson died, the family moved to Santa Barbara, but Richard and his brother Peder returned in 1913 and their mother later joined them. They lived in a Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog kit house, which today is the home of the Music Department. They grew alfalfa, hay, tomatoes and grapefruit and raised chickens, selling about 9,000 eggs a day. Pederson died in 1976 at the age of 81.

Kneady Bakery Open to the Public Fridays through Sundays in Moorpark

Kneady Bakery is now open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. inside the Community Marketplace located at 709 Science Drive in Moorpark.   Grand opening weekend is April 3 - 5, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, April 3 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kneady booth #436. The Ceremony will include VIP Guests and fresh-baked goodies for visitors.

The Kneady bakers are confectionary nerds, rebelling against your ordinary, everyday bakery. They do not make cakes or cupcakes, but instead specialize in gourmet dessert and brunch bars, custom gift baskets, and unique treats.  Founders, artist Ashley Guerrero and globe-trotter Kati Angelini, personally oversee the baking of each product. Kneady participates in official parties and style lounges for the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, Sundance Festival, Coachella, and Grammys, with treats such as chocolate chunk Wookies, Robert Brownie Juniors (made in an Iron Pan), and their most famous Ed MacaRooneys.

If you can’t visit their storefront, items can be ordered by the dozen through the online bakery and delivered throughout Los Angeles, Ventura County and the coastal cities.  Kneady Bakery also does On-Set Catering, Private Celebrity Events, and Fundraisers. 

Donating their time for a good cause is part of their culture, and they have donated their baked treats to several different charities and fundraisers including Toys for Tots, Cancer Awareness, and the Entertainment Aids Alliance.  Their gift baskets are often found on the desks of Hollywood’s hardest working executives and creatives. They provide personal catering for VIP parties, and special events and occasions, with past events including book signings, music releases and theatre openings.  Kneady Bakery uses mostly organic ingredients, and recycled and green packaging materials.  Gluten free and vegan items are offered alongside anything you might be craving. If they haven’t invented it yet, it might be time.

To find out more about the 2 Baked Girls, visit www.kneadybakery.com.