Water Wings Swim School Opening Soon at the Agoura Hills Town Center

Water Wings Swim School is opening very soon at the Agoura Hills Town Center, 30135 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, directly across from Future Track Running Center.  Nearly four years ago, this was Terri's Cafe.  FOLLOW-UP: They opened in August!

Water Wings is a year round swim school founded in 2003 with locations in Las Vegas and Northridge...and soon, Agoura Hills. I was shocked when I discovered this today. Quite a massive, heated pool completely full of water. Water wings provides private and group lessons to children and adults of all ages, starting at 3 months.

For more information, visit www.waterwingsswimschool.com or visit the Water Wings Agoura Hills Facebook page at www.facebook.com/waterwingsah. They are also currently hiring for this new location.

Color Mi Vino: Paint, Wine, Fun Opening Later This Summer in Simi Valley

Color Mi Vino: Paint, Wine, Fun is joining the latest big trend...painting with a glass of wine. They are looking to open in the coming months, with a target date in September, at 2955 B-2 Cochran St, Simi Valley (Sycamore Square Shopping Center).

Under the guidance of a trained artist, enjoy painting your masterpiece with a glass of wine, beer or non-alcoholic beverage. All supplies will be provided and no experience is required. You will be guided every step of the way.

For updates, visit colormivino.com.

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.

New Splash Pad and Picnic Shelters at Rancho Tapo Community Park

A new and improved splash pad was set to premier on Friday, May 22nd BUT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO NEXT WEEK at Rancho Tapo Community Park in Simi Valley. The new splash pad is 55% larger, has a water treatment and recycling system and had three different play areas! Yay!

"Looking West" Art Exhibit in Downtown Ventura October 7 to November 1

California Gold, oil on canvas by Ron Zolkover

Oxnard painter roams for vistas

The Buenaventura Art Association will present Looking West, an exhibition of recent oil-on-canvas paintings by Oxnard artist Ron Zolkover, from Oct. 7-Nov. 1 in the Clophine Dooley Gallery at the nonprofit group’s downtown Ventura location.

The solo show will include about two-dozen views of area landscapes and Santa Barbara Channel locales, said Zolkover, who will attend the opening reception 5-7 p.m. Oct. 11.

“I enjoy spending time in nature. Many of my works were done plein-air,” he said. “I love the spontaneity of painting in natural light … and the challenges of capturing the mood of the moment. You have to work fast and get the shadows down quickly.

“I try to paint daily,” said Zolkover, who has been pursuing his passion for 14 years. “It has been a long learning process that never gets old. There are plateaus and times when I feel like I am not evolving, but then there are times when I will make a quantum leap to another level … it is the process I enjoy.”

Some examples of his plein-air landscapes and seascapes can be found at californiapleinair.ning.com/profile/RonZolkover. The paintings in this show will range in size from 9 by 12 inches to 2 by 3 feet.

Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more about BAA, an artists cooperative celebrating its 60^th anniversary this year, visit www.buenaventuragallery.org or phone 805.648.1235 during gallery hours.

World Record LEGO Chain Event in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, September 27th

World Record LEGO Chain Event is taking place on Saturday, September 27th from 9 AM - 4 PM at Thousand Oaks City Hall.

We are attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Records by building the World Longest LEGO Chain. We need your help to do it.  We have over 100,000 LEGO bricks and need some families who love building with LEGOs to help us build it.

This charity event is a collaboration between the Conejo Recreation & Park District, Rotary International, and Play-Well TEKnologies to raise money to build a state of the art special needs playground at Old Meadows Park in Thousand Oaks.

By signing up to help build the world's longest LEGO chain, you will help bring this playground to the community.  To learn more and to register (only $5/participant), visit bit.ly/WorldLongestLEGOChainEvent

Hueneme Fishing Pier Closed through Summer 2014 Due to Severe Sand Erosion

Hueneme Fishing Pier closed through the summer due to severe sand erosion.

Due to severe sand erosion on the beach, the Hueneme Fishing Pier is structurally unsafe and will remain closed through the summer and until repairs are completed. Updates at www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us.

The Best Halloween Store Ever Opening in New Location in September 2014

2019 Update: The Best Halloween Store Ever has been located for the past several years at Janss Marketplace. This location is now the Tarantula Hill Brewing Company.

LOCAL ARE CRAFT BREWERIES AND TAPROOMS

The Best Halloween Store Ever is opening its new seasonal location this year at old Plummer's Furniture building, 244 E Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks. The retail space is more than double the size of its previous seasonal location at the old El Torito building, which was torn down and became a new Chick-fil-A this past May.

No doubt the owners of this store will continue in their quest to present some of the most terrifying, gruesome, not-for-faint-of-heart displays along with lots of fun for all ages, while presenting a large assortment of costumes and accessories to complete any costume. Get updates at www.facebook.com/besthalloweenstoreever.

Road Closure Information for Amgen Tour of California in Thousand Oaks May 17-18

Motorists are urged to plan ahead this weekend as the vehicular traffic through the east end of Thousand Oaks will be heavier than normal. The city will be hosting Stage 8 (the final stage of the race) of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California Bike Race. The race will consist of three 21 mile circuits and three 4.5 mile circuits.

On Saturday, May 17th at 8:00 a.m., parts of Townsgate Road and Village Glen Road will be closed to set up the course. The race will begin and end on Townsgate Road between Westlake Blvd and Lakeview Canyon Road. This area will remain closed until Sunday, May 18th at 10:00 p.m.

The race is scheduled to start just before 8:45 a.m. on Sunday. There will be rolling closures along the race route. The race is expected to end around 12:00 p.m.

The following streets will be affected. See maps below or visit www.toaks.org/living/amgen_tour_of_california/homepage/default.asp

• Lakeview Canyon Road at Agoura Road
• Westlake Blvd from Townsgate Road to Carlisle Road
• Triunfo Canyon Rd. from Three Springs Drive to Westlake Blvd.
• HARD CLOSURES during race: Westlake Blvd. southbound at Potrero Rd., and Westlake Blvd. northbound at Agoura Rd./Hampshire Rd. - then expanding to Triunfo Canyon Rd. during the small circuit.

Start/finish line area and 3 lap final finish route around Westlake Lake!Stage 8 course map

During this time, the Thousand Oaks Police Department urges motorists to use extreme caution in an around the affected area. There will be a large number of cyclists and pedestrians in the area. Please plan ahead and use alternative routes if possible.

To promote the safety of the riders and spectators, we ask that any suspicious persons or items along the race route be reported immediately to the Thousand Oaks Police Department at (805) 654- 9511 or by calling 911. We would like to remind residents, “If you see something say something.”