Oil Painting Exhibit at Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center in Calabasas 5/1-6/8

Summer Days are Here Again (Marnie Smart Piuze) 12x24

Flowing out of over three decades of exploring and enjoying the coastal shores, bluffs, and mountains, Marnie Smart Piuze’s plein air oil paintings are a grateful expression of the peace and wonder they impart.

“I feel like I’m having a vacation every time I’m painting,” says Piuze, who has lived in Malibu since 1971, always taking advantage of the trails and scenery. “I love nature. That’s why I’ve always hiked and raised my kids to value natural resources.”

Piuze has been painting for 15 years and is a member of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore. Her work will be on display May 1 through June 8 at the Santa Monica Mountains Interagency Visitor Center. An opening reception will be held there on Sunday, May 1 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The visitor center is located at King Gillette Ranch, 26876 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas. For more information, call 805-370-2301

Institution Ale Moving Soon to New, Larger Brewery and Tasting Room in Camarillo

Update April 23, 2016: Obvious progress being made but no word yet on timing.

Posted November 20, 2015:

Renovation work in process at the new Institution Ale Company in Camarillo

Local craft brewery Institution Ale Company is building out its new location at 3841 Mission Oaks Boulevard in Camarillo in the former home of Price-Leho Precision Metal Stamping.  This is a highly visible location adjacent to the Camarillo Ranch House seen by thousands of cars passing by each day on Highway 101.

But that old Price-Leho building, vacated more than a few years ago, already looks completely different, as the new occupant is giving the place a dramatic face lift. 

The building will look completely different from this old school Price-Leho building

Institution Ale's new tasting room will consist of 1,500 sq ft, plus an additional 800 sq ft outside patio area, a combined total over five times its existing tasting room at 438 Calle San Pablo in Camarillo. Food options will be limited to include just pizza and soft pretzels, created from scratch, as the owner focus on the beer!

The new brewing area will also be five times larger than its current space, which will allow for up to 12,000 barrels of freshly brewed beer a year.

Opening date will be announced in the coming months at institutionales.com.

In the meantime, Institution Ale continues to operate at its current location, serving up a variety of micro-brewed beers in its tasting room.  Open 4-10PM Tuesday through Thursday, 1-10PM Friday, noon to 10PM Saturday and noon to 6PM Sunday. Closed Mondays. Call 805-482-3777 for more information.

Sport Chalet Announced on Saturday It Is In Process of Closing All Stores

This morning we heard the news that Sport Chalet is closing all of its stores and will no longer sell merchandise online. The competitive world of retail sporting goods finally caught up to Sport Chalet, which operates 51 stores in four states. The company was founded on April 1, 1959.

There are (soon to be were) Sport Chalet stores in Thousand Oaks in the Conejo Valley Plaza Shopping Center on Moorpark Road south of Janss Road) and in Oxnard near Fry's.

Although it was a shock, it is not a complete surprise. Sport Chalet, previously a publicly-traded company, was acquired by a private equity group in 2014 for $17 million in cash and the assumption of $50 million in debt. According to a July 1, 2014 LA Times article, the company had reported annual losses every year since 2007. That's quite a long time.

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is Now Open in Oak Park

The Charhouse BBQ & Grill is now open at 706 Lindero Canyon Road, #788, Oak Park (northeast corner at Kanan). It has been open for about a week but there will be a grand opening celebration with live music on Saturday, April 16th. 

Charhouse BBQ's menu features an assortment of burgers, sandwiches, entrees and salads. Some items that have my attention are the Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Hardwood BBQ Grilled Chicken, BBQ Tri-Tip Platter, Angus Filet Mignon, Fire Roasted Artichokes, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Ribs, Blackened Ahi Sashimi Salad, Cashew Kale Salad with Roasted Chicken and more. 

Their website (still under construction) will be www.thecharhousebbq.com.

Q Sushi and Kieu Hoang Wine Lounge in Westlake Village to Open on Thursday, April 14th

Q Sushi and Kieu Hoang Wine Lounge has announced that it will be opening its doors at The Shoppes at Westlake on Thursday, April 14th. Looks like quite a nice place! Visit www.qsushi.com.

County of Ventura Food Facility Closures in March 2016

The County of Ventura Environmental Health Division (EHD) protects public health and the environment by ensuring conformance with State laws and County ordinances pertaining to food protection, hazardous materials, hazardous waste, individual sewage disposal systems, land use, medical waste, ocean water quality monitoring, recreational health, solid waste, underground fuel tanks and vector control.

The EHD publishes food facility closures at www.ventura.org/rma/envhealth/community-services/consumer-food/closures.html.

The following facility closures were noted in March 2016. Keep in mind when reviewing this that there are many possible reasons for the closures, most of which are very temporary issues.

March 2016

La Cita Nightclub (restaurant only), 441 W. Hueneme Road, Oxnard;

Inoperable warewashing sink resulting in no means to adequately wash utensils;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

The Grove Bar and Grill, 341 Williamsburg Way, Thousand Oaks;

No permit to operate, no plans submitted;

Date closed - 03/30/16; No reopen date

Big Daddy O's Beach BBQ, 2333 Roosevelt Blvd., Oxnard;

Repeated and serious violations;

Date closed - 03/29/16; No reopen date

4-Way Meat Market, 403 Cooper Road, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/28/16; Date reopened - 03/29/16

Papa John's Pizza, 5722 Telegraph Rd, Ventura;

Overflowing sewage in the facility, unsanitary conditions

Date closed - 03/25/16; Date reopened - 03/26/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2736 Vineyard Ave., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/23/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Senior Nutrition, 533 Santa Clara Ave., Fillmore;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/22/16; Date reopened - 03/24/16

Campo Vanessa's, 1700 E. 5th Street, Oxnard;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions, equipment not working properly resulting in the contamination of food;

Date closed - 03/21/16; Date reopened - 03/25/16

Keystone Catering, Mobile Food Facility, License # 8Y31411;

Inoperable equipment resulting in unsafe food temperatures;

Date closed - 03/20/16; Date reopened - 03/22/16

World Famous Franks, Mobile Food Facility, License # 16818F1;

Operating without a permit;

Date closed - 03/17/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Subway, 2031 Statham Blvd., Oxnard;

Cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/16/16; Date reopened - 03/17/16

Pizza Man Dan's, 2390 Las Posas Rd.#J, Camarillo;

Sewage overflowing within the facility;

Date closed - 03/13/16; Date reopened - 03/15/16

Burger King, 5950 Telegraph Rd., Ventura;

No hot water available for handwashing or utensil washing;

Date closed - 03/11/16; Date reopened - 03/11/16

Siesta Market, 1372 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 
Rodent infestation, cockroach infestation, unsanitary conditions; 
Date closed – 03/09/16; Date reopened 03/10/16

Ay Chi Hua Hua, 1145 Ventura Street, Fillmore;

Repeated and serious violations, failure to adhere to a compliance agreement;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

Reyes Creek Bar & Grill, 26905 Scheideck Road, Maricopa;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/02/16; Date reopened - 03/03/16

The Taj Cafe, 574 E. Main Street, Ventura;

Rodent infestation, unsanitary conditions;

Date closed - 03/01/16; Date reopened - 03/02/16

Cal Lutheran Begins Hub101 Incubator Program as Part of Co-Working Space Re-Launch

The California Lutheran University Center for Entrepreneurship is beginning a startup incubator program as part of a re-launch of its co-working space.

The Hub101 Incubator Program is an intensive three-month series of one-on-one mentor sessions, workshops, speaking events and investor meetings for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. The inaugural program will begin April 11 and culminate in a pitch night to investors from throughout Southern California.

Originally opened in 2014 along with the Center for Entrepreneurship in Westlake Village, the co-working space is now run by the university rather than a contractor. Clients will benefit from the university’s educational resources and professional network. The School of Management’s entrepreneurship program is located in the Westlake Center.

Daniel Ball and Greg Monterrosa joined the center in February to run the co-working space, the incubator and other programs. Ball, the program manager, has served as the co-director of Startup Next Los Angeles and worked as a product and marketing consultant for early-stage companies. Monterrosa, the community manager, co-founded Westlake Village-based MyLLC.com and last year mentored more than 100 startups through Startup Weekend Europe.

Ball and Monterrosa organized Conejo Valley Startup Week, which was hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurship in February. Entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts participated in a series of events that culminated in a pitch competition at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza that drew more than 200 audience members.

The co-working space for regional entrepreneurs is designed to promote collaboration among clients, community members, faculty and students. Located just off Highway 101, the open high-tech area offers desks, private offices, classrooms, conference rooms and event space. A coffee bar and patios with fire pits provide additional areas for individual and collaborative work. Memberships begin at $49 a month.

“The center offers a place to work that is quieter than Starbucks and provides a sense of community that you don’t get working from home,” Monterrosa said.

For more information on the incubator program, go to Hub101.LA or call 805-493-3661. For more information on the co-working space, contact Monterrosa at gmonterrosa@callutheran.edu.

Freebirds World Burrito Has Closed Its Agoura Hills Location

Photo from Freebirds

We have learned from Tony S via the Conejo Valley Guide Facebook Page that Freebirds World Burrito in Agoura Hills has closed its doors. It follows the footsteps of Freebirds World Burrito locations in Ventura and Simi Valley that closed over a year ago. All three locations opened in 2011.

If you are still having cravings for Freebirds, the closest location is now in Granada Hills.

Masai Giraffe Calf Born March 26th at the Santa Barbara Zoo

The Santa Barbara Zoo’s Masai giraffe Audrey has given birth to a calf, and the two are currently bonding, off view to the public, in the Giraffe Barn. Audrey, aged eight, gave birth to the calf on March 26 at 9:28pm in the Zoo’s Giraffe Barn after approximately five hours of labor.

The calf will have its first medical exam Sunday or Monday when height, weight, general health and sex will be assessed by the Zoo’s animal care team and vet staff. The results of the exam will determine when the calf will leave the Barn. Until that time, Audrey and the newborn calf are not on view to the public or available to media.  The calf has not been named yet.

The Zoo’s giraffe herd is part of the population of 120 Masai giraffes that live at 28 North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Michael, the calf’s sire, is considered the most genetically valuable male Masai giraffe in captivity, because he has few relatives in zoos other than his offspring born here at the Zoo, which now numbers five.

“Michael’s genetics greatly help the diversity of the North American Masai population,” said Sheri Horiszny, director of animal care. “Every Masai giraffe born here is critical to keeping the gene pool robust.”

This is the fourth birth for Audrey at the Zoo. Her last calf, Buttercup, born in November 2014, is currently part of the Zoo’s giraffe herd. The Zoo’s other female giraffe, Betty Lou, is also pregnant, and is expected to give birth in July 2016. This is her third pregnancy and her other offspring are at other accredited zoos as part of a cooperative breeding program of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (see below). Giraffes have a 14.5-month gestation period.  Audrey is sponsored by the Dreier Family.

Support the Herd

The public can help the Zoo welcome this long-necked arrival by becoming a Foster Feeder sponsor of the giraffe calf.  A donation of $50 helps with the cost of feeding the growing giraffe family. New giraffe Foster Feeders receive a baby photo of the calf along with a certificate, giraffe fact sheet, and recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

About the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Giraffes

Audrey and Betty Lou arrived in Santa Barbara in March 2010, from the Los Angeles Zoo. Betty Lou was born at the San Diego Zoo on August 2, 2007, and Audrey was born on February 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Zoo. Michael arrived from Parc Safari in Quebec, Canada, in January 2012.

Besides the new calf and Buttercup, Audrey’s other offspring include Dane, a male calf, born on April 18, 2014, who currently resides at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas. She was also the mother of “surprise calf” Daniel, born in January 2011. Unknown to anyone, she was pregnant when she arrived at the Zoo, and gave birth to Daniel just short of her third birthday, which is extremely young for giraffes. She refused to nurse, so Daniel was hand-reared by Zoo staff.  Daniel died in October 2012 after being anesthetized for a dental procedure to treat a life-threatening abscess and infection in his lower left jaw. Though his procedure went well, he went into respiratory arrest and could not be revived.

Betty Lou gave birth to a female giraffe, Sunshine, in April 2013, just 10 days after Dane was born. Sunshine has moved to the Phoenix Zoo as part of the AZA program. Her most recent calf, Asha, was born in March 2015 and has recently moved to the Toledo Zoo.

There are an estimated 37,000 Masai giraffes in Kenya and Tanzania, but a more thorough census is required. They are at risk due to poaching and habitat loss and degradation. Giraffes are the tallest land mammal, and the Masai is the largest subspecies, growing up to 17 feet tall and weighing 2,700 pounds.