Nominations for Thousand Oaks Excellence in Arts Award Due July 28, 2017

The Excellence in the Arts Awards are designed to honor and celebrate persons and organizations that contribute to the vibrancy of the arts and culture and increase access to arts experiences in Thousand Oaks.

2017 Award Categories
The arts are defined as visual and performing arts, including but not limited to music, dance, theater, painting, sculpture, photography and traditional/folk art.  For these specific awards, the arts do not include literary arts. All winners may be asked to participate in city events, either by serving as an Arts Ambassador or through performance or exhibition opportunities. Philanthropy, while important, is not considered to be a factor in the criteria for any award.

1. Community Impact
   The Community Impact Award is presented to a person or organization who has inspired and encouraged the arts and culture in Thousand Oaks in a creative or innovative way. The winner will be notable in the community memory for years to come because of an emphasis on some or all of the following: a) bringing together organizations or people in the arts, b) elevating the arts and culture through visionary leadership, creativity, advocacy and volunteerism, and c) inspiring and encouraging artists and arts groups in the areas of innovation, outreach, inclusiveness and access.
2. Emerging Arts Leadership
   The Emerging Arts Leadership Award is presented to a person or organization demonstrating the potential to influence and elevate the arts and culture through outstanding vision, leadership and creativity.  Age is not a factor in this award.
3. Exceptional Arts Education
   The Exceptional Arts Education Award is presented to an individual or organization for excellent work in and significant contributions to arts education, either a) through enhancing the education curriculum within the school system, or b) through creating educational opportunities in the arts outside the school setting. 
4. Artist of the Year
   The Artist of the Year Award recognizes a dedicated individual’s excellence and accomplishments in an arts discipline.  This award is for unique vision, high artistic quality, creativity and innovation.
5. The Mayor’s Award
   The Mayor’s Award is granted each year to a recipient chosen by the Mayor of Thousand Oaks. There are not parameters or restrictions for this award, which is up to the sole discretion of the current mayor.

The award determination is based on the award criteria listed below and the category definitions detailed on the award nomination form. Nomination deadline is Friday, July 28th (extended - originally was the 20th) at 4pm. Learn more at www.toaks.org/departments/cultural-affairs/arts-awards.

Assisted Living Facility Being Built at the Top of the Conejo Grade in Newbury Park

Update 7/4/17: Photo showing progress to date. Photo shows smoke in the air from a 50 acre fire on the north side of the 101 on the Conejo Grade near Camarillo Springs exit. Firefighters nailed it as usual, the smoke cleared, and fireworks went off without a hitch.

Progress being made on the 130 unit Sage Mountain Assisted Living facility adjacent to the 101 in Newbury Park.

Posted 10/20/16:

Grading has started at 3499 Grande Vista Drive in Thousand Oaks

What's that you see going on at the top of the Conejo Grade on the north side of the 101? Grading is underway for the 130 unit Sage Mountain Assisted Living facility. This facility will contain 98 assisted living units and 32 memory care units, including studios and 1 bedroom apartments.

See a conceptual mock-up of the facility from the eastbound 101 at THIS LINK. 

Address of the project is 3499 Grande Vista Drive, Thousand Oaks.
 

The view down the Conejo Grade from this location.

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.

City of Simi Valley Offers Up to $50,000 Home Rehab Loans for Low-Income Homeowners

City of Simi Valley Offers $50,000 Deferred Payment Home Rehabilitation Program Loans with 2% Interest for Low-Income Homeowners

The City of Simi Valley offers deferred payment Home Rehabilitation loans up to $50,000 to low-income homeowners, with no monthly payments. Loans accrue 2% interest for the first 15 years, and are reserved for owner-occupied single-family homes in need of repair. Full repayment is required when the property is sold, refinanced, or leased, or when the property changes title. 

In order to qualify for these loans, household income may not exceed low-income limits published annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Repayment of Home Rehabilitation loans is required upon sale, refinance, or transfer of the property.

Examples of eligible work include roof repair or replacement, repair or replacement of damaged walls, doors, screens, hardware, cabinets, bathroom fixtures, kitchen built-in appliances, replacement of deteriorated floor coverings, connection to sanitary sewer, repair or replacement of severely deteriorated exterior stucco, siding and doors (including garage doors), window replacements, replacement of deteriorated/hazardous driveway, replacement of old heating and air conditioning systems, installing attic insulation, and weatherstripping.

For further information or to request an application contact the City’s Home Rehabilitation Coordinator at 805-583-6757 and visit www.simivalley.org/departments/environmental-services/housing-section-planning-division/home-rehabilitation-program for details.

Source: City of Simi Valley website at www.simivalley.org.

New Playground Equipment at Walnut Grove Park in Thousand Oaks

The Conejo Recreation and Park District recently introduced new and improved, raceway-themed playground equipment at Walnut Grove Park, 400 Windtree Avenue, Thousand Oaks.

This 6 acre neighborhood park also has an off-leash dog area, basketball courts a handball court (not many of these around town) and a large grassy area. No restrooms, however. www.crpd.org/parkfac/parks/walnutgrove.asp

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.