St. Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo Captured By Local Artist in Oil Painting

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Camarillo by Linda DarkLinda Dark of Camarillo has admired the St. Mary Magdalen Chapel for years, so she decided to put oil paint to canvas in this rendition. The cornerstone for the Chapel was laid on July 1, 1913 and the Chapel was dedicated on July 4, 1914. The Chapel is named after Adolfo Camarillo's oldest sister, Magdalena. The church is located in Old Town Camarillo at 2532 Ventura Boulevard.

Learn more about the church at www.smmcam.org.

Also check out this rendition of El Tecolote Cafe in Camarillo by Linda.

How to Protect You and Your Children From the Spread of Enterovirus D68

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is one of more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses. This virus was first identified in California in 1962. EV-D68 can cause mild to severe respiratory illness. Mild symptoms may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. Severe symptoms may include wheezing and difficulty breathing.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed 4 enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases in patients in San Diego (3) and Ventura (1) counties a few weeks ago.

Parents should seek medical attention immediately for children who are having any breathing difficulty (wheezing, difficulty speaking or eating, belly pulling in with breaths, blueness around the lips), particularly if the child suffers from asthma. There is no specific treatment for persons with EV-D68, nor is there a vaccine to prevent it. However, everyone six months of age and older should receive influenza vaccine every year to protect themselves against that important cause of respiratory disease. 

Healthcare providers should consider EV-D68 as a possible cause of acute, unexplained severe respiratory illness, even if the patient does not have fever, and consider laboratory testing of respiratory specimens for enteroviruses when the cause of respiratory illness in severely ill patients is unclear.

The best way to prevent transmission of enteroviruses is to:
 
• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after changing diapers.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.

More information at www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/ev-d68.html.

Scenes From Saturday's City of Thousand Oaks 50th Anniversary Parade

The weather was perfect for today's 50th Anniversary City of Thousand Oaks Parade down Thousand Oaks Boulevard.  The theme of the parade was "Remembering the past, honoring the memories" and the event lived up to it. The 1 1/2 hour parade featured marching band, color guards and drill teams from Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park High Schools, the Redwood Middle School Marching Band, dozens of dignitaries from Thousand Oaks past and present, vintage cars, floats, equestrians and much more.The following video footage and photos capture just a small fraction of the fun! There were smiles all around. More photos on the CVG Facebook Page at this link.

Ventura County Area Schools in U.S. News 2014 Ranking of Nation's Top High Schools

In April, U.S. News & World Report published its 2014 ranking of the nation's best public high schools. The rankings were based on data from 31,242 public high schools and from that total, 19,411 schools with high enough enrollment and sufficient data to be ranked.

As in 2013 and 2012, schools were ranked based on: (1) how well students tested in state-level reading and math proficiency, taking into account disadvantaged student scores (who tend to score lower on tests); and (2) college readiness, based on how well schools prepare students for college-level work.

The median college readiness score, measured on a scale of 0 to 100, was 18.17 (it was 14.8 and 16.3 in 2013 and 2012). A readiness index of 100 means that all 12th graders took and passed at least 1 Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test.

There were 2,026 California high schools and over 2 million students enrolled during the 2011-2012 survey period. To be ranked in California, schools must receive either a gold (top 500 nationally) or silver (top 501 to 2,019 nationally) medal. 415 Callifornia schools received gold or silver medals (down from 501 in 2013).

Rankings of local high schools in the Conejo Valley, Ventura County and adjacent areas and summarized in the table above. There were 14 local schools that received gold or silver medal status and thus were ranked nationally and in California. Last year, Moorpark and Fillmore High Schools were on this list but were not ranked for some reason this year.

Topping the local school rankings for the 2nd year in a row was Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, which moved up 3 places to the 35th top rated school in California. Rounding out the top 5 were Westlake, Malibu, Oak Park and Calabasas High Schools.

Overall our local schools performed quite impressively! 19 out of the 23 schools on the list scored at or above the median college readiness scores.

While the rankings and underlying detailed information are interesting and informative, before coming to any conclusions, do check out the detailed school information available at www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california.

Drone Footage of Pepperdine University 9/11 Waves of Flags Display

Just when I thought I'd finally seen enough of the 2014 Pepperdine University 9/11 Waves of Flags display in rememberance of the 2,977 victims of the terrorist attacks in 2011, I saw this amazing video.  Kevin Foley, a "Droneographer," shot this footage that provides a new perspective on this spectacular annual display. Visit www.greenmediadrones.com for more information about Foley's services.

2014 Pepperdine University Waves of Flags Display and 9/11 Memorial Service

Pepperdine University continues to honor lives lost on 9/11 this year with its stunning display of flags at Alumni Park, Malibu. Each flag, reflecting each victim's nationality, represents each of the nearly 3,000 victims of that tragic day. The flags will be on display until Monday, September 22nd.

Tom Burnett, an alumnus of Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business and Management is one of the heroes remembered in this tribute. Burnett was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93, in which passengers' attempt to take control of the hijacked airliner and divert it from reaching the terrorists' target, United 93 crashed in a field in Pennsylvania rather than striking a building or landmark in the nation's capital, causing more loss of human life.

As it has annually since September 2001, the Office of the Chaplain, the Department of Public Safety, and the Office of the President will host a brief memorial service at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 11th, at the Heroes Garden, a 14,880-square-foot outdoor sanctuary that overlooks the Pacific Ocean on one of the highest bluffs on the Malibu campus. The garden serves as a public space to pause, reflect, and honor those who sacrificed their lives on 9/11, including Burnett.

Guiding the time of prayer will be John D. Barton, visiting associate professor of religion at Seaver College and associate director of the Center for Faith and Learning, who will offer a brief devotional. This brief service brings together the Pepperdine and greater Los Angeles communities to remember, honor, and look ahead towards peace and reconciliation.