Reminder About Super Bowl Parties From Thousand Oaks Police Department

Be the MVP of Safe and Responsible Driving on Super Bowl Sunday

Driving Drunk Is a No-Win Situation

As one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events, the Super Bowl brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. In many instances, fans will gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl-themed parties. The California Office of Traffic Safety, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Football League and TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management), have joined forces with law enforcement in the Avoid the 14 -Ventura County DUI Task Force to spread an important safety message to the public about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday – Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.

Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver.  Avoid the unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home. Drunk driving is always preventable, and driving drunk could result in seriously injuring or killing yourself or someone else. Motorists can expect Police, Sheriff and CHP to have a visible presence and to stop anyone who makes the dangerous decision to drink and drive.”

The Thousand Oaks Police Department is partnering with the Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force and will be deploying a DUI specific patrol car on Sunday, February 3rd within the city, from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm. The Deputy assigned to this car will be looking to stop and arrest drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.  This patrol car is in addition to regularly scheduled patrol officers, all looking for the tell-tale signs of an intoxicated driver behind the wheel.

In California, 774 people were killed in DUI crashes, with over 24,000 injured. These drunk-driving fatalities accounted for 29 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatal

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Darryl's Couch Craft Beer Pub Opened in Camarillo in Late 2012

Darryl's Couch Craft Beer Pub opened in the latter part of 2012. It is located at the bottom of the Conejo Grade off the the Camarillo Springs exit at 795 Camarillo Springs Road, Suite E, Camarillo. This is a craft beer lover's dream watering hole, featuring 11 rotating draft beers and another 30 or so bottled selections. While they don't serve food at the bar, you are welcome to bring your own or stop by the Village Greens Market next door.

Owner/manager Darryl Levi is a beer connoisseur who regularly treats customers to a new "Mystery Beer" that are subsequently shared on the bar's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/darryls.couch. Stop by and enjoy a relaxed environment and enjoy a game of pool. Visit www.darrylscouch.com or call 805.389.8947 for more information.

California Kettle Corn Retail Store Recently Opened in Newbury Park

California Kettle Corn recently opened what I believe is the only kettle corn retail shop in the area. Located at the Wendy/Kimber Plaza at 3321 Kimber Drive in Newbury Park (directly adjacent to the tantalizing N' Awlinz Bistro). I stopped by on a recent visit to Tony's Pizza and purchased several of the ten or so different flavors for my family's crunching pleasure. Needless to say, I didn't get to try any because my wife and kids devoured it.

Kettle corn flavors currently offered by California Kettle Corn includes bacon and cheddar, cheddar, chocolate, caramel, chocolate/caramel, hot jalapeno, grape, blue rasberry, pink strawberry and sweet corn. In addition, they serve specialty lemonades and shaved ice.

Learn more at cakettlecorn.com or call 805.715.1500.

Exhibit at Harbor Village Gallery in Ventura to Feature Work of Young Artists 2/13 to 3/11

Buenaventura Art Association will showcase works by the top three winners of the sixth annual Collegiate Emerging Artist Cup scholarship competition in a group show starting Feb. 13 at its seaside Harbor Village Gallery.

"Donuts" by Jeanette CoronaJeanette Corona, Paige Kilbourne and James Joseph Nagy placed first through third, respectively, in the March 2012 judging. Corona works in oils on canvas; Kilbourne and Nagy are pursuing careers in photography. Each will exhibit about a dozen pieces. They will attend an artists’ reception at the gallery 5-8 p.m. Feb. 15.  

Corona won for “Donuts,” a large, colorful close-up still-life, but said she prefers doing figure and portraiture work with live models. For this exhibit, she has selected some nudes, a couple portraits, an abstract and other subjects.

Photographing fashions and fantasies — often together — is Kilbourne’s passion. She likes to create surreal art, “making what is in my head com

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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.

New Jersey Mike's Set to Open at Pacific View Mall on Wednesday, January 30th

Another Ventura County Jersey Mike's Subs is opening on Wednesday, January 30th at the Pacific View Mall, 3101-1 E. Main St, Ventura. Located outside next to CPK. That brings us to around 14 or so Jersey Mikes in and adjacent to Ventura County. By the way, try a tuna sub "Mike's Way" at Jersey Mike's. Delish. Just don't try to kiss anyone afterwards. Visit www.jerseymikes.com.

Could It Be That a New Drive-Thru Starbucks in Newbury Park Coming in Early 2013?

Update 1/18/13: The Newbury Park Drive Thru Starbucks opened today.

Update 1/10/13: Starbucks employees indicated today that the drive-thru Starbucks across the parking lot will be opening on January 17th! Next to it is a Sprint store (there's also a Verizon store and AT&T store at The Village at Newbury Park.


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Village Fish Market and Restaurant to Open Soon at The Summit at Calabasas

Subsequent Update: Village Fish Market closed in the September 2013 time frame. Ouch, that wasn't very long.

Update 1/14/13: Village Fish Market and Restaurant has been open now for about a week!

Published 11/30/12: In April 2012 The Summit at Calabasas announced that Village Fish Market and Restaurant signed a lease to occupy a 5,455 sq ft space later this year. The Market/Restaurant will feature fresh fish items, sandwiches, salads and oysters.

The Summit at Calabasas is located at the corner of Lost Hills Road and Agoura Road. Visit The Summit at Calabasas Facebook page HERE. Village Fish Market is located at the southwest corner of The Summit, just west of Wolf Creek Brewing Co.

Fit 2b Thai Restaurant in Thousand Oaks Recently Closed Its Doors

Many years ago I used to enjoy Olga's Kitchen, located at 593 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, between Baja Fresh and El Pollo Loco. To my disappointment, Olga's closed, and subsquently Fit 2b Thai restaurant opened in its place.

My wife and kids enjoyed Fit 2b Thai. The food was ok to me but I just could never get over the use of the number 2 and b in place of "To Be" in the name of the place. Something unsettling about it to someone as obsessive over words as me (not that I'm God's gift to spelling or anything).

To be honest though, I'm a fan of pretty much any Thai food. So Fit 2b Thai was all right in my book.

But I digress. All this is a moot point now, because Fit 2b Thai closed its doors sometime apparently in the last part of December 2012 or very early 2013 time frame. Yes, the space is for lease again.

Olga's, are you reading this? There are no Olga's outside of Michigan and Illinois at the moment. Come back out here!