Digitally Preview Your Mail Each Morning with USPS Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery by USPS allows you to preview your mail each morning with a digital copy of each letter-sized item to be delivered to you via email. You can also log in anytime and see images of previous week’s mail. Additionally, you can see the delivery status of any packages coming your way.

If you’ve ever had your mail stolen, this gives you the ability to at least see what mail was stolen from you. Or you can see first thing in the morning what mail is being delivered, alerting you to anything of particular importance.

You will see the address side of mail delivered. You of course will not be seeing contents of that mail.

Learn more and sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com.

Daylight Saving Time is Back ALREADY on Sunday, March 10th!

Daylight Saving** Time is coming back again! Yes, this will take place on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 1:59 a.m. When the clock strikes 2 a.m. that morning, you will lose one hour of beauty sleep.

So try to get to bed early the night of March 9th or you might feel grumpy on Monday! Especially when you realize it feels a lot darker that morning. But the good thing is it'll be a lot lighter out at dinnertime!

** Contrary to what many of us think, it is called Daylight Saving Time, not Savings Time. Make sure to correct anyone who says it wrong if you really want to get on their nerves. But the reality of it is that we're not saving any daylight, we're just shifting it around.

Roller Skating, Roller Blading, Ice Skating and Skateboarding Around Ventura County

Looking for some wheel fun around the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County? Look no further than this list of nearby skating, blading and boarding venues in and around the area.

ICE SKATING

LA Kings Iceoplex Ice Arena in Simi Valley

Hockey Alley Ice Skating Training Facility in Newbury Park

ROLLER SKATING, ROLLER HOCKEY

Skating Plus Indoor Roller Rink in Ventura

Tri-Valley Roller Hockey League in Calabasas

SKATEBOARDING

Pleasant Valley Skate Park in Camarillo

Bedford Pinkard Skate Park in Oxnard

Westlake Skate Park in Westlake Village

The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum opened at the Simi Valley Town Center opened in December 2018. There is a small ramp available at this 10,000 sq ft facility.

Fillmore Skate Park

Santa Paula Skate Park

Borchard Skate Park in Newbury Park

Poindexter Skate Park in Moorpark

Westpark, Hobert Park and Pacific Skate Parks in Ventura

Ojai Skate Park

Skate Plaza at Berylwood Park in Simi Valley (opened August 12, 2020)

CLOSED

Channel Islands Ice Center in Oxnard (closed its doors in April 2016 but is looking to raise funds for a new home)

Skatelab Skate Park in Simi Valley closed its doors 1/6/19 after 21 years in operation, but its founder indicated a new location is coming.

The Holiday Ice Rink at The Lakes at Thousand Oaks operated annually from mid-November to January until the 2019-2020 holiday season.

The Conejo Valley Ice Skating Rink opened in 1977 at 510 North Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park (which today is the address of Hampton Inn & Suites). The facility closed its doors in 1994, after 17 years in business.

How to Be Coyote Aware in the Conejo Valley and Greater Ventura County

Living in the Conejo Valley, surrounded by thousands of acres of open space, most of us come into contact with coyotes from time to time. Coyotes are a vital component of rural and urban communities, deserving of respect for their adaptability, resilience and intelligence. Below are some tips on coyote awareness, courtesy of Project Coyote.

Facts:

• Coyotes are members of the dog family; they are curious, adaptable, and learn quickly.

• Coyotes often mate for life, are devoted parents, and are highly communicative (barks, yips, howls).

• Coyotes weigh 18-35 pounds in the West.

• Coyotes may be more protective of dens/territories during pup rearing (April-Aug).

• Coyotes eat large numbers of rodents and rabbits, as well as fruit, vegetation, insects and carrion. They help keep ecosystems vital, healthy and clean.

• Coyotes are naturally wary of people but can habituate to our presence and the reliable food sources that we provide.

Safety:

• DON’T FEED COYOTES. Their life and your safety depend on coyotes remaining wild and naturally wary of people.

• Remove attractants; pick up trash, secure garbage, and feed pets inside. Don’t leave food or pets outside at night.

• Walk dogs on leashes, especially during pup rearing season (April-Aug). Pick up your small dog if you see a coyote and don’t let pets roam.

• If approached, don’t run. Wave arms, make noise and walk toward the coyote until he retreats. Be “Big, Bad and Loud.”

• Avoid areas where coyotes may be denning or feeding/hiding pups.

• Appreciate coyotes from a distance. Share this information with family and friends.

Additional information found on the City of Calabasas website at www.cityofcalabasas.com/government/public-works/environmental-igr-division/living-with-coyotes-in-calabasas.

U.S. 101 in Ventura County is Designated "The Screaming Eagles Highway"

As you drive U.S. Route 101 northbound in the Conejo Valley just past the Westlake Boulevard offramp, you’ll see a sign that says "The Screaming Eagles Hwy 101st Airborne Division."

The sign was authorized by Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 54 (ACR-54) Screaming Eagles Highway: 101st Airborne Division, in 2003.

The 101st Airborne Division ("Screaming Eagles") is a specialized modular light infantry division of the U.S. Army trained for air assault operations. It was formed in World War I on July 23, 1918 and has been involved in every major U.S. war since then.

The 101st Airborne Division was instrumental in the success of the D-Day Invasion, the Operation Market Garden in Holland, in Bastogne for the Battle of the Bulge, in Vietnam for Operation Nevada Eagle, and in many other courageous missions worldwide. 

In recognition of the 101's significance for military personnel of the 101st Airborne Division, the Assembly designated the 44 mile section of the 101 in Ventura County as the Screaming Eagles Highway.

The sign was unveiled in September 2005. The same sign is placed on the southbound 101 just south of the Bates Road offramp on the Ventura/Santa Barbara County border.

California Minimum Wage to Increase from $15.50 to $16 Per Hour on January 1, 2024.

Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum wage for all California hourly employees increases to $16 per hour, up from $15.50 per hour that was effective January 1, 2023.

The federal minimum wage for 2024 is still $7.25, a rate unchanged since it became effective on July 24, 2009.

California minimum wage rates apply to Ventura County residents.

The City of Los Angeles minimum wage rate has been $16.78 per hour since July 1, 2023. Each year, the minimum wage is adjusted for inflation; the adjusted rate is announced on February 1st of each year and becomes effective on July 1st of each year. The city’s 2024 minimum wage rate increases to $17.28 effective July 1, 2024. See wagesla.lacity.org.

The County of Los Angeles minimum wage rate became $16.90 per hour effective July 1, 2023 and increases to $17.27 per hour (yes, one penny less than the City of Los Angeles minimum wage…who knew) starting July 1, 2024. See dcba.lacounty.gov/minimum-wage-for-businesses. This rate applies to employees in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

But WAIT…you may have heard that hourly employees of national fast food eateries in California will receive minimum wage rate of $20 beginning April 1, 2024.

Facts and Figures About the Ventura County Call Box Program

2023 UPDATE: This was originally posted in 2013 and updated in 2016. The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) provided an update of the Ventura County Call Box program at its April 7, 2023 meeting. There are currently 429 emergency call boxes in Ventura County, averaging 1,200 calls for motorist assistance per year, down from 3,000 calls per year in 2016. There were 1,131 call box calls in 2022, down from 1,179 in 2020. In 2022, the call boxes were upgraded from 3G to 4G/LTE cellular technology.

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Ever wonder about the call boxes on the side of the highways around town? Currently, 29 of the state's 58 counties have call box programs.  Statewide, there are 15,000 call boxes, lining some 6,300 miles of California highways. Call boxes throughout California generate more than 100,000 calls per month.

Costs associated with the call box program are paid for by a $1 annual fee included in the County/District Fees shown on your DMV vehicle registration notice.

Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol and regional "SAFE" ("Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways") agencies jointly operate the program. In Ventura County, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) oversees the call box program.

Since 1985, the goal of SAFE is to quickly identify and respond to freeway incidents such as breakdowns and accidents in order to minimize their impacts in terms of congestion, public safety and air quality, and to increase the reliability of the freeway system and better manage traffic flow.

There are currently (as of September 2016) 560 active call boxes in Ventura County, roughly 40% on Highway 101, 20% on Highway 126, 15% on Highway 118 and the remainder on PCH, SR 23 and Highways 33, 34 and 150.

So the question most of you may have is, does anyone actually use call boxes given the proliferation of cell phones? The answer is...yes...but the numbers have dropped dramatically over the years.

Over the last five years, an average of roughly 3,000 calls for assistance have been made from call boxes in Ventura County each year. While this is down dramatically from the 17,000 calls made in the year 2000, they are still being used.

In recent years, 420 call boxes have been upgraded from 2G to 3G service. The remaining 141 call boxes will be removed in 2016-2017, with an anticipated cost savings of $380,000 over the next five years. This is based on a review of the SAFE program presented to the Ventura County Transportation Commission in its September 9, 2016 meeting.

Visit the VCTC website at www.goventura.org to learn more about transportation options in Ventura County.

Note: Originally posted in 2013. Updated in 2016.