Ventura County Public Health Launches "Health Matters in Ventura County" Website

Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) recently launched Health Matters in Ventura County (www.healthmattersinvc.org), a website for accurate and timely health-related data for Ventura County. The website’s database, developed in partnership with Healthy Communities Institute (HCI), tracks more than 75 health and quality-of-life indicators in Ventura County using local, state and federal data.

In the same way that a car’s dashboard displays if a car is running well or not, www.healthmattersinvc.org’s dashboard displays health information in the form of a gauge – with green indicators showing better-than-average performance and red indicators highlighting areas needing improvement.

The unveiling of the new website corresponds with National Public Health Week (NPHW), an annual celebration sponsored by the American Public Health Association to recognize the contributions Public Health departments make in the communities they serve. This year’s NPHW theme is Public Health: Start Here.

Much like how VCPH programs help educate residents about making the right choices to achieve and maintain good health, www.healthmattersinvc.org is designed to provide decision-makers with a starting point to use when looking for the information they need to identify key health problems and develop initiatives to combat those problems. VCPH hopes that the site serves as a valuable resource to government agencies, nonprofits, educational institutions, students and community members.

The site serves as a data depository for health indicators such as HIV/AIDs, diabetes, obesity, cancer, STDs, as well as other infectious diseases. In addition, there is data for quality-of-life indicators including rates of smoking, DUIs, fast food restaurant density, water quality, violent crime and more. 

In addition to health indicators, the site also houses VCPH’s newly released health status report entitled “Transforming Ventura Communities: Understanding the Health Status and Needs of Ventura County.”  This report, funded in part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Community Transformation Grant, looks closely at the socio-economic factors influencing five strategic directions: (1) Health Eating and Active Living, (2) Tobacco-Free Living, (3) High Impact Clinical Preventive Services, (4) Social and Emotional Wellbeing and (5) Healthy and Safe Physical Environments.

Walmart to Showcase New Upscale Retail Concept "The Walmart at Thousand Oaks"

Since the first Walmart store opened in July 1962, Walmart has grown to over 11,000 stores in 27 countries, employing 2.2 million worldwide. Tomorrow, Walmart will open for the first time in the Conejo Valley, with a Walmart Neighborhood Market on Ventu Park Road in Newbury Park. Unlike a Walmart Supercenter, which averages 182,000 sq ft, a Walmart Neighborhood Market runs about 38,000 sq ft and with a primary focus on groceries.

Later this year, Walmart will continue its local growth by transforming The Lakes at Thousand Oaks into a brand new Walmart Upscale retail concept. The Walmart at Thousand Oaks will take the existing design of The Lakes and create an experience that will bring something for everyone!

The Walmart at Thousand Oaks will showcase a new level of sophistication.

This first Walmart Upscale pilot will capitalize on the aesthetics of The Lakes while sharing all the conveniences a Walmart Supercenter has to offer.

P.F. Chang’s, conveniently located at E. Thousand Oaks Blvd and N. Conejo School Road, will be become P.F. Goodrich, offering tires, brakes and oil changes at discount prices. California Pizza Kitchen will be renovated into California Pizza Hut, a slightly upscale version of Pizza Hut. 

On the west side of The Walmart at Thousand Oaks, in the former home of Claim Jumper (and more recently slated to be a Lassen's Health Foods), Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza patrons will be treated to a world-class McDonald's, where the iconic golden arches will lead to Thousand Oaks City Hall. Big Mac fans will sit in comfort at The McDonald's at The Walmart at Thousand Oaks, where each seat cushion will contain a coin-operated thermostat.

Other stores will be converted into a gigantic, multi-level Walmart Supercenter, with ample use of windows and skylights for natural lighting. Driving home on the 101, you may even see your spouse shopping at The Walmart at Thousand Oaks.  The current Brighton store, however, will be retained "as is" but will be renamed Jewelry and Accessories at The Walmart at Thousand Oaks.

City planners Hugh Gotta, Bea Kiddenme and Howie Aeur believe that, while this new "upscale" project may be a bit of a surprise to some, it is certain to bring joy to local residents and visitors alike. "Additionally," indicates Kiddenme, "we believe this project is timely from drought perspective as the lakes will be drained, and replaced with pavement and the new Garden Center at The Walmart at Thousand Oaks."

In the second phase of enhancements, a pedestrian access tunnel will be constructed to enable Mastro's Steakhouse customers easy access to The Walmart at Thousand Oaks.

APRIL FOOLS'!

We LOVE The Lakes at Thousand Oaks! Happy April Fools' Day!

April Fools' fun in prior years

"Prank it Forward" Brings Surprise Five Star Meal to Homeless Shelter in Glendale

Here is an uplifting video featuring a "Prank it Forward" at the Ascencia Shelter in Glendale. Director and prankster Greg Benson worked with his team to transform the shelter for one night into a fancy restaurant, complete with classical music and filet mignon, to the delight of 50 attendees. Learn more about Prank it Forward at sites.break.com/prank-it-fwd.

Post-Earthquake Moonset This Morning From Malibu and the Conejo Valley

Suzy Demeter of Suzy Demeter Photography caught this "moonset" of last night's full moon from Malibu this morning, about 30 minutes after most of us were jolted awake by a 4.4 magnitude quake at 6:25 a.m. The moon did not feel the quake. I asked him. But the rest of us sure did! The quake was centered somewhere between Encino and Westwood in the Santa Monica Mountains. Kind of a rude awakening to St. Paddy's Day and 20 year, 2 month (to the day) anniversary of the Northridge earthquake of 1994.

That full moon was shining bright up here in the Conejo Valley too, dodging around the early morning fog that soon burned off as we said our final goodbyes.

Quicken Loans and Warren Buffett Team Up For the 2014 NCAA March Madness "Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge"

According to a post on WarrenBuffet.com, Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway and Quicken Loans have teamed up to offer $1 billion to someone who is able to pick a "perfect" NCAA March Madness bracket. Registration for the Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge opens up on March 3rd.

What is a perfect bracket? That means picking the correct winner of every single game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament that begins on March 18, 2014. Berkshire Hathaway is ensuring the grand prize. I think they're good for the money, given the company has over $200 billion in net assets (assets less liabilities) as of September 2013.

The chances of winning are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, which in words is nine quintillion, two hundred twenty three quadrillion, three hundred seventy-two trillion, thirty-six billion, eight hundred fifty four million, seven hundred seventy-five thousand, eight hundred and eight. This actually gives me some incentive to play POWERBALL, with its much better chances of winning the prize at 1 in 176 billion!

Is this really $1 billion!? Well, kind of. If you take the winnings over 40 years, you'll receive $25 million each year. Or you can take a lump sum of $500 million up front. I think I'd go with that option. Of course, if there are multiple winners, you'll split the proceeds.

Quicken Loans is also giving away $100,000 to the top 20 scoring brackets! They are capping contest entires to the first 10 million registrants, thought they may expand that at their discretion. The contest is open to legal, 21 and older residents of the U.S. and District of Columbia.

Follow the Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge Facebook page at www.facebook.com/notes/quicken-loans/quicken-loans-billion-dollar-bracket-challenge-short-form-rules/10152185833560489 for details and official rules.

Thousand Oaks Charity "The Greater Contribution" Raises Funds to Fight Poverty Around the World

The Greater Contribution (TGC) is a Thousand Oaks based non-profit organization founded in 2006 by four women seeking to make a "greater contribution" to the world. It is an all-volunteer group that works to raise funds to fight poverty and raise awareness of the issues relating to poor people worldwide.

TGC provides "micro loans" ($50 to $300) to the world's poorest women and their families to enable them to create or expand a small business.  In many of the poorest countries of the world, these businesses are the only way families can work their way out of poverty.  Loans are repaid every 90-120 days and the money is loaned out over and over again, thus multiplying the number of people who can begin the journey out of poverty.

I spoke with Karon Wright, President, Executive Director and Co-Founder of TGC:

Micro loan borrower displays her new chicken coop!Who does TGC help? Those in the most impoverished nations of the world -- those struggling to live on less than the equivalent of $2/day. Our mission is to be a leader in the worldwide movement to eliminate extreme poverty by 2015.

How do you channel money to those in need and how does the money get repaid?  The money is transmitted to a monitored bank account in East Africa.  The loans are repaid every six months to the same account through our program director.

How else does TGC help these people?  TGC and our local partner on the ground in Uganda, Women’s Microfinance Initiative, will send a group of student interns there this month,  taking laptop computers and installing an internet café.   We are making grant applications to obtain funding for a nurse to be available in this remote village several days a week to provide badly needed health care. TGC will soon be selling aprons, handbags and jewelry made by the women of Buyobo. The women borrowers have been able to save money for a foundation for a new school.  The economy of the entire region has improved.

Another borrower with her pots.How many people do you help and where?  We focus on the countries in greatest need – those in East Africa.  Since inception, TGC has funded over 7,500 micro loans, benefiting over 39,000 people!

Why do you choose women entrepreneurs? We grant loans to women entrepreneurs because women are the hardest hit by poverty -- 70% of those living in dire poverty are women and because once a woman gets a micro loan and establishes a small business, her husband and children typically get involved.  So, we are really loaning to the whole family.

How can people help?  People can visit www.GreaterContribution.org to donate and to find other ways that they can help.

The Greater Contribution is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.