UCAAN Founder Rachel Shur Receives National Gold Presidential Service Award

Local resident Rachel Shur was recently presented with the National Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service by Senior Chaplain Dan Regan, United States Chaplain Service. He also presented her with a signed letter from President Obama and a Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award Pin.

Shur is a two time cancer warrior who beat terminal leukemia in 2006 and again in 2007. She is the founder of the United Cancer Advocacy Action Network (UCAAN), a 501(c)3 all volunteer run organization in Thousand Oaks.

Over the past five years, Shur has dedicated her time and energy into UCAAN and the people it serves: 2,575 cancer warriors, patients, survivors and their families have been helped by UCAAN and its team of dedicated volunteers.

Before Shur founded UCAAN, she volunteered her time to help other organizations and shared her cancer story at health fairs, local high schools and colleges. Eventually, it wasn’t enough for Shur and she saw what really needed to be her focus, the start of an organization unlike any other, a one-stop resource organization that would help cancer patients locally and nationwide.

UCAAN continues to grow as Rachel tirelessly does all that she can to help those struggling in our communities and beyond to find the help they need when they need it. UCAAN’s focus is “Finding Solutions for Cancer Patients in Need Locally & Nationwide.”  UCAAN has an extensive database of over 1,800 organizations nationwide that offer an array of support for those affected by cancer. UCAAN also has a personal fundraising program, in addition to two local financial assistance programs: Gas Cards to local patients to help them get to their treatment appointments, and fluoride trays to prevent dental deterioration caused by most cancer treatments. Additional services are planned for the future.

UCAAN helps anyone, any age with any form of cancer, nationwide. To find out more information about UCAAN or to make a donation visit www.UCAAN.org or contact the UCAAN office at 805-796-6090. To speak with Rachel Shur directly, call 805-479-1032 or email her at UCAANorg@yahoo.com.

The President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation (the Council) was established in 2003 to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve. The Council created the President’s Volunteer Service Award program as a way to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. The program continues as an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

See's Candies Coming Soon to The Promenade at Westlake in Westlake Village

UPDATE 6/23/14: See's Candies at The Promenade at Westlake is now open! Store hours and info at ca.thousandoaks.sees.com/chocolate_shops_thousand-oaks_ca_1ca045.html or call 805.497.6263.

Posted in April 2014:

This is pretty sweet, both literally and figuratively! Today The Promenade at Westlake announced that See's Candies will be opening soon, adding to the sugar mix that includes Sprinkles Cupcakes that opened on October 30, 2013 and Menchie's Frozen Yogurt.

Specific date not available as of yet. See's Candies Westlake Village will join other local See's locations at The Oaks Mall, Pacific View Mall in Ventura and Sycamore Square Shopping Center here in the Ventura County area.

From the See's website at www.sees.com:

See's Candies chocolate shops were founded 90+ years ago upon Mary See's basic principle of Quality without Compromise. To this day, we stand by this motto. Our chocolates and candies are made in our own factories located in both Los Angeles and South San Francisco. From these chocolate factories, we send our delicious candies to the rest of our See's chocolate shops throughout the country.

See's Candies has 200+ chocolate shops. Our great reputation is founded upon our delicious candies and chocolates, our free chocolate and candy samples, and our friendly customer service. To produce the best possible boxed chocolates, we follow in Mary See's footsteps and insist on using only the best ingredients (and we never add preservatives).

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill to Open at The Collection at Riverpark in Oxnard (Closed in 2015)

UPDATE MAY 2015: Well that didn’t last long…Toby Keith’s Oxnard closed less than a year after it opened.

Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill is a restaurant chain founded by country music singer Toby Keith. Over his career, Keith has released over 20 albums, 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs list (including 19 number one hits), and has sold over 40 million albums.

It opened at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard on May 31st.

Huge guitar-shaped bar at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in OxnardGigantic American flag makes for great photo opps on the back outside wall of Toby Keith's

The chain is named after his hit song "I Love This Bar," recorded in 2003, and feature large bars in the shape of guitars and live music.

As one would expect, Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill features American fare, including steaks, sandwiches, fresh fish, burgers, salads and more. Another feature is a 95 foot guitar-shaped bar.

This image of Smokehouse Nachos from Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill is both eye opening and stomach grumbling!

For updates and information, visit countrybaroxnard.com and www.facebook.com/TobyKeithsOxnard.

Ventura County Public Health First in California to Receive National Accreditation

Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) announced today that it has achieved 5-year national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). VCPH is the first public health department in California to earn this important distinction.

The national accreditation program, jointly supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, sets standards against which the nation’s more than 3,000 governmental public health departments can continuously improve the quality of their services and performance. To receive accreditation, VCPH underwent a voluntary rigorous, multi-faceted, peer-reviewed assessment process to ensure it meets or exceeds a set of quality standards and measures.

"I couldn't be more proud of the VCPH team for helping us achieve this extraordinary accomplishment,” said Rigoberto Vargas, Ventura County Public Health Director.  “The accreditation process, which took more than two years to complete, is a testimony to our department’s hard work, dedication and ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.”

Public health departments play a critical role in protecting and improving the health of people and communities. In cities, towns, and states across the nation, health departments provide a range of services aimed at promoting healthy behaviors; preventing diseases and injuries; creating safer neighborhoods; administering life-saving immunizations; and preparing for and responding to public health emergencies.

“I want to congratulate Ventura County Public Health on receiving national accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, California Department of Public Health director and state health officer.  “Accreditation is a distinction which means that the Ventura County Public Health department meets nationally accepted standards.  Many public health departments nationwide are preparing for accreditation but only a handful have actually achieved accreditation.  Ventura County is truly ahead of the pack.”

VCPH employs approximately 300 people, operates four clinics and seven Women, Infant & Children (WIC) centers and, frequently collaborates with medical providers, schools, businesses and community partners to mitigate health disparities and improve community access to care.

The national accreditation program was created collaboratively over a 10-year period by hundreds of public health practitioners working at the national, Tribal, state, and local levels. Since the program’s launch in September 2011, nearly 130 health departments have applied to PHAB for accreditation, and hundreds of public health practitioners from across the nation have been trained to serve as volunteer peer site visitors for the program.

To learn more Ventura County Public Health, visit www.vchca.org/public-health and to learn more about PHAB or sign up for the PHAB e-newsletter, visit www.phaboard.org.

The Wineyard in Thousand Oaks to Close Its Doors This Thursday, June 19th

Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page follower Danielle forwarded an email sent by owners of The WineYard in Thousand Oaks, adjacent to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza:

"Friends of The WineYard, after 7 1/2 years -  we sadly say good bye. When we opened The WineYard we never expected to be here this long and we are so grateful to you for being our friends.  You and your support have meant so much to us that our decision was very difficult to make.  We have enjoyed meeting you, talking with you and sharing our lives together.

Our last day is this Thursday, June 19th. Baby's Bad Ass Burgers food truck will also be here. Come and see us this week if you can. We will miss you terribly, but the time has come to move on. We hope to see you again, but until then, CHEERS!

Club WineYard: if you have wines to pick up please come in before Friday otherwise get in touch with us for your wine pick up.  Thank you for your support!!!

With the closing, many WineYard bistro tables and chairs, furniture pieces, patio futniture, coolers, etc... will be for sale."

Kora Bistro & Sushi Bar Coming Soon to Westlake Village

Kora Bistro & Sushi Bar is "coming soon" to 30990 Russell Ranch Road, Westlake Village, in the former home of 9021Pho (which will soon be re-opening at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks), directly adjacent to The Counter Burger.

I believe Kora will be serving up Japanese and Italian fusion cuisine. No other details at this point, so stay tuned.

UPDATE: Kora is no longer there. I don't know exactly when they opened or when they closed, but Barone's The Pizzeria Express is coming in early 2015 now!

SunLife Organics is Now Open at The Commons at Calabasas

SunLife Organics is now open at The Commons at Calabasas.

SunLife Organics offers organic juices, smoothies, signature superfood drinks, coffee, snacks, supplements, and frozen yogurt, brews Intelligentsia coffee and servse Malibu's only organic frozen yogurt with toppings like chocolate covered goji berries. For more information visit www.sunlifeorganicsmalibu.com.

Chipotle, Yogurtland and PizzaRev Coming Soon to the Camarillo Premium Outlets

This doesn't look too appetizing yet but soon this location will be serving up custom-made pizzas, burritos and yogurt for voracious shoppers at the Camarillo Premium Outlets.No word on specific timing at this point, but construction is underway in the parking lot of The Promenade section on the north side of the Camarillo Premium Outlets for a new Chipotle Mexican Grill, previously mentioned PizzaRev "Craft Your Own" Pizza and Yogurtland. I would suspect the target date is in the Fall 2014 time frame.

Chipotle currently has other locations in Newbury Park, Oxnard, Ventura (2), Westlake Village, Simi Valley, Malibu and Santa Barbara (2).

Yogurtland has locations in Westlake Village, Oxnard, Ventura, Simi Valley and Santa Barbara.