Miller Family YMCA Kicks Off Activate Newbury Park Program on Wed, April 3rd

Activate Newbury Park is a free, 8-week program open to all members of our community. The program involves walking groups on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with special activities thrown in on some of those dates (see schedule). Every few weeks, we will host a new medical professional from the UCLA health system to do a health lecture on Wednesday nights.

The program will begin on April 3 at our kick off Family Fitness Expo at the Newbury Park High School Gym from 5pm to 8pm. You are encouraged to register online, but you may also register at the Expo on April 3. A number of local vendors will be in attendance from our medical and health community to advertise their businesses and give free screenings. All participants will do their first confidential weigh-in at the kick off event. Weigh-ins will be each Friday at the YMCA anytime between 6am and 8pm.

Visit www.sevymca.org/newburypark/html/activate.html for more information.

New NEOS Ring Electronic Playground at Conejo Community Park in Thousand Oaks

During a recent visit to the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, I noticed something new in the adjacent children's playground at Conejo Community Park. Upon further inspection, I discovered there is what looks to be a new NEOS Ring electronic playground.

These NEOS playgrounds involve selecting a game involving lights, sounds and music and chasing them down by pressing buttons on the unit. NEOS can be a fun form of exercise for kids and adults alike. While I've never quite been able to understand most of the games (well maybe I should say I haven't taken the time to understand them), all I know is, the kids are entertained by these.

Other local NEOS play areas are at Conejo Creek Park North (though last time we were there it was out of order), Janss Marketplace (adjacent to Gold's Gym) and Peppertree Park in Newbury Park. If you are aware of others in the area, lemme know!

The NEOS at Conejo Community Park is a "ring" style NEOS device that is "designed especially for early childhood and accessible playspaces. One freestanding user control panel gives kids access to six games for one to two players. Then they're off in a mad dash around the 6' (1,83m) ring to hit the six blinking buttons before it's too late" according to NEOS manufacturer Playworld Systems. Playworld indicates the NEOS Ring is geared towards ages 2 to 12. If you're looking to buy one for own backyard...it retails for over $16,000!

The NEOS playgrounds at Janss Marketplace and Conejo Creek Park North are of the "Wall" variety while the Peppertree Park NEOS is circular. Here's the NEOS Wall at Janss Marketplace:

Conejo Community Park is located at Dover and Hendrix Avenues in Thousand Oaks.

New Creative Destination "Make Meaning" Coming Soon to The Oaks Mall

A not good update 2/4/16: Make Meaning announced they will be closing this location 2/7/15.

UPDATE 2/18/13: Make Meaning Thousand Oaks opened its doors on Monday, February 17th. They are located on the upper level of the outdoor shops section of The Oaks mall. If you are coming from inside The Oaks, Make Meaning is the first door on the right. Their phone is 805.852.1107.

Posted 1/30/13: Make Meaning is coming soon to The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks. Make Meaning is a place where both kids and adults can walk in and have creative fun with one of seven "Creative Experiences" including cake decorating, ceramics painting, candle making, glass design, jewelry making, soap making and paper crafting.

Thousand Oaks will be the fourth Make Meaning location. Other locations currently operate in New York, Dedham, Massachussetts and Scottsdale, Arizona.

As one example, Make Meaning offers pre-baked four, six or eight inch cakes that are covered in fondant icing that serve as the blank canvas for dozens of dazzling decorations...from fondant based shapes, edible glitter, disco dust, and more! Cakes will take a spin on a motorized turntable to create the color motif of your dessert dreams.

Ceramics Studio in Oxnard is New; Ceramics Studio in Camarillo is Adieu

Recently, Paintin' Place vacated its location at 330 N. Lantana in Camarillo in the Paseo Camarillo Shopping Center. Sorry to see them go. In the meantime, a new Color Me Mine Paint it Yourself Pottery location opened at The Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard last November. So net/net we are "even" in terms of paint-your-own-pottery places around town.

Click the image for a link to various ceramics studios in and around Ventura County.

Grand Opening of Freedom Park Baseball Complex in Camarillo on February 2nd

The 34 acre Freedom Park is located adjacent to the Camarillo Airport. The new Freedom Park Baseball Complex features lighted baseball fields - 4 youth and 1 adult. Also at the park is the Freedom Park BMX Raceway, a dirt track open for BMX racing and practice. For those who like to race remote control cars there are dirt and asphalt tracks available at the Freedom Park R/C Track. The Freedom Park In-Line Hockey Rink is the place to be if roller hockey is your thing. Lastly, Freedom Park has picnic tables, BBQ grills, horseshoe pits, a playground, and restrooms.

On Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 10am, Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District is hosting a grand opening events form the new baseball complex. To learn more, visit www.pvrpd.org/parks/active/freedom.asp or call 805.482.1996.

Del Prado Playfield in the Dos Vientos Section of Newbury Park is Now Open

The newest park in the Conejo Valley is the Del Prado Playfield, located on, most logically, on Calle del Prado between Via Rio and Via Las Brisas in the Dos Vientos section of Newbury Park. The park is located around the corner from Sycamore Canyon School and The Village at Dos Vientos, and within walking distance, about a half a mile, of Cypress Elementary via Kimber Drive/Via Rio.

This is a 26 acre park with a nice variety of things to do, including a unique playground area, 3 lighted softball fields with plenty of soccer space, basketball court, tennis court, two pickleball courts, plenty of walkways and, the holy grail of local parks, clean restrooms! There is also lots of available parking, well over 100 spots. Visit the Conejo Recreation and Park District website at www.crpd.org/parkfac/parklisting.asp for more information.

One of the more unique looking playgrounds around town. Never quite figured out what those green thingys are overhead but cool to look at!Like many local parks, Del Prado has a separate play area geared towards 5 and under.Pickleball. Yes, pickleball. Apparently one of the fastest growing sports in the country. I don't have a clue how to play just yet but a couple in what I'd estimate were in their 50s were playing on one of the 2 pickleball courts when I stopped by. Rackets looked like handball rackets and the ball looked somewhat like a whiffle ball that bounces on the court (which is roughly half the size of a tennis court). That's all I got for now on Pickleball but my interest is sparked and may have to actually learn how to play now.The grassy areas were quite brown on the large expanse of fields but I suspect they will be greening up a bit as we get towards Spring/Summer 2013.

Johnny Rockets in Agoura Hills Closed Its Doors on December 3, 2012

The Johnny Rockets (formerly) located at 5015 Cornell Road in Agoura Hills closed its doors on December 3, 2012. This is the second Johnny Rockets in the Conejo Valley to shut down during 2012, following closure of The Oaks Mall location early in the year.

This leaves us with a total of zero Conejo Valley Johnny Rockets. However, there are still two other local Johnny Rockets locations: at The Promenade section of the Camarillo Premium Outlets and the other at The Commons at Calabasas.

One thing to note for Johnny Rockets and movie fans is that both of these locations currently offer a "Movie and a Meal" deal. Buy a regular entree and drink and you can purchase a discounted movie ticket at the Edwards Camarillo Palace Stadium 12 and Edwards Calabasas Stadium 6 near each location. For example, at the Camarillo Johnny Rockets, they will sell you a movie ticket for $7.50, saving $3 off of a regular adult movie ticket of $10.50. At the Calabasas location, they currently sell movie tickets for $7.75, saving you nearly $5 off tickets normally priced up to $12.50.