9th Annual Waves of Flags Display at Pepperdine University to Honor 9/11 Victims Will Be Open September 10 to 26

On Saturday, September 10, Pepperdine University’s Alumni Park will become home to the University’s ninth annual Waves of Flags installation. The display will commemorate the lives lost in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

Waves of Flags will feature a display of a total of 2,977 full-size flags—2,887 American flags for each American life lost and 90 various international flags representing the home countries of those from abroad who died in the 9/11 attacks.

On September 10th at 1 PM, a group of over 150 volunteers, including Pepperdine faculty, staff, students and Malibu community members, will join together to install and raise the flags.

The installation became a Pepperdine tradition in 2008 when the College Republicans, inspired by a similar display, wanted to bring the tribute to the University. Now in its ninth year, Waves of Flags has become a significant service project for the Pepperdine community.

In addition to the Waves of Flags installation, the University is the permanent home of Heroes Garden, a public space for visitors to reflect and honor all those who live heroic lives, including Pepperdine alumnus Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. (MBA ’95), a passenger on United Flight 93 whose life was cut short in the 9/11 attacks.

The garden's plaque reads: “Dedicated to freedom's heroes of September 11, 2001, and the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, among them Pepperdine alumnus Thomas E. Burnett, Jr., who sacrificed their lives to overcome terrorists’ intent on destroying American lives and landmarks in our nation's capital. We shall never forget.”

Waves of Flags will be open to the public for viewing and visitation at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road from September 10 to September 26. 

SCORE Ventura County Helps Over 1,000 Local Entrepreneurs Each Year

The Ventura County Chapter of SCORE is a 501(c)3 non-profitorganization that was founded in 1971. SCORE was founded as an organization in 1964. The organization’s 11,000 volunteers operate out of over 320 chapters through the country.

The acronym SCORE stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives. SCORE Ventura County counselors are an active group of over 60 volunteers who are retired successful business owners and managers who enjoy helping established and potential business owners achieve success.

SCORE Ventura County provides FREE individualized counseling in partnership with Chamber of Commerce offices in Camarillo, Malibu, Moorpark, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Greater Ventura County and Oxnard. Appointments can be made online at ventura.score.org/mentors.

SCORE Ventura County also provides workshops, some free and most for a small charge, for local entrepreneurs. Visit this link for upcoming events ventura.score.org/localworkshops.

In addition, the chapter is active in many other community projects such as Hispanic Programs Group, Boots2Business training for our military, collaboration with technical assistance partners at the SBA as well as working with local educational institutions.

There are many other useful resources on the SCORE Ventura County website at ventura.score.org. Call SCORE Ventura County at 805.204.6022 or visit their website for more information.

11th Amgen Tour of California Returns to Thousand Oaks at Stage 3 on May 17, 2016

The 2016 Amgen Tour of California, presented by AEG, will kick off this spring in the heart of San Diego for the first time in its 11-year history and conclude in Sacramento for the first time. Competing across nearly 800 miles of quintessential California terrain from May 15-22, the course will lead World Champions, Olympic Medalists, top Tour de France competitors and other elite professional cyclists south to north for only the second time since the race began in 2006, with 12 cities to host starts and finishes along the way.

The 2016 Amgen Tour will return to Thousand Oaks for a fifth time. Thousand Oaks will host the start of Stage 3 at Amgen’s campus on May 17, 2016. This stage will finish in Santa Barbara, up Gibraltar Road to the finish at 3,997 foot La Cumbre Peak.

The starting line of Stage 3 is at 1 Amgen Center Drive. It starts at 11:15 am. After a small loop at the start of the race, it will follow Rancho Conejo Blvd south and continue to Borchard Road west until the cyclists reach South Reino Road, where they turn left (south) to Potrero Road east towards Hidden Valley. Then on to Westlake Boulevard/Decker Canyon southbound to Mulholland Highway down to PCH north. From there, PCH to Las Posas Road north to  Hueneme Road westbound to Ventura Road north, then West Channel Islands Blvd. Then, North Harbor Blvd to Sanjon Road, then East Thompson Blvd to North Ventura Ave, around Lake Casitas, then onwards to the finish on Gibraltar Road to La Cumbre Peak in Santa Barbara at an anticipated time of 3:48 pm.

In addition to the men’s event, top professional women cyclists from around the world will converge during the latter half of the race to compete in the Amgen Tour of California Women’s Race, the most expansive women’s event in race history. The race will be the first U.S. event on the first-ever UCI Women's WorldTour (WWT).

The Amgen Tour of California is regarded as the most internationally respected and esteemed stage race in the U.S. and one of the largest sporting events in the country.

The 2016 Host Cities for the Amgen Tour of California include:

Stage 1 (5/15/16) – San Diego
Stage 2 (5/16/16) – South Pasadena to Santa Clarita
Stage 3 (5/17/16) – Thousand Oaks to Santa Barbara County
Stage 4 (5/18/16) – Morro Bay to Monterey County
Stage 5 (5/19/16) – Lodi to South Lake Tahoe
Stage 6 (5/20/16) – Folsom Individual Time Trial & Women’s Team Time Trial
Stage 7 (5/21/16) – Santa Rosa
Stage 8 (5/22/16) – Sacramento

More details at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Amgen has been the title sponsor of the race since its first year as a platform for Breakaway from Cancer®, its national initiative to increase awareness of important resources available to people affected by cancer – from prevention through survivorship. To learn more, visit breakawayfromcancer.com. 

About the Amgen Tour of California

The Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race created and presented by AEG that challenges the world's top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course that traverses hundreds of miles of California's iconic highways, byways and coastlines each spring. The teams chosen to participate have included Olympic medalists, Tour de France contenders and World Champions. Amgen Tour of California is listed on the international professional cycling calendar (2 HC, meaning "beyond category"), awarding important, world-ranking points to the top finishers. More information is available at amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Dave Grohl Makes Another Guest Appearance with Chevy Metal at Conejo Valley Days 2016

The 60th Annual Conejo Valley Days continues through tomorrow, Sunday, May 15th. Today's entertainment lineup included, among other great bands, 70s rock cover band, Chevy Metal, featuring Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins.

For the 2nd year in a row, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl made an unadvertised guest appearance with Chevy Metal. Fun times! Another photo of Grohl on the CVG Instagram feed.

A happy, low key crowd on hand for Chevy Metal

Dave Grohl and Chevy Metal at 2015 Conejo Valley Days

These folks perhaps caught fleeting glimpses of the band from this vantage point at the 2016 Conejo Valley Days

Scenes From the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 13th

The U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials took place on the Los Angeles Marathon "Stadium to the Sea" course on Saturday, February 13, 2016. 

The men's race started at 10:06 a.m. with a field of 211 qualifiers who ran qualifying marathon times of under 2 hours, 19 minutes (or sub 1:05 in a half marathon) between August 1, 2013 and January 17, 2016.  A total of 86 men met the "A" standard time of under 2 hours, 15 minutes, receiving funding support to get to the race.

Start of men's race (Photo Credit: Carl Pytlinski)

The women's race had a field of 246 qualifiers who ran a qualifying time of under 2:45 in the marathon (or 1:15 in a half marathon). A total of 42 women met the "A" standard of 2 hours, 37 minutes. A total of 11 "masters" women (age 40+) qualified, which was quite impressive.

Start of women's race (Photo Credit: Carl Pytlinski)

It was a warm winter day in Los Angeles, with temperatures in the mid 60s in the morning, reaching high 70s towards the finish of the race. And the race started mid-morning to accommodate TV broadcasts...unlike typical marathons that start early in the morning.

A total of 108 men completed the marathon course, including the top three, who are now slated to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The overall men's winner was 29 year old Galen Rupp, who was actually competing in his first full marathon!  His time of 2:11:12 earned him his 3rd trip to the Olympics, having competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 Olympics and 10,000 and 5,000 at the 2012 Olympics. Rupp took the silver medal in the 2012 10,000 meters, the first American male medalist in the 10,000 since 1964.

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Keflezighi and Rupp in the lead  (Photo Credit: Carl Pytlinski)

Following Rupp in 2nd place was three-time Olympian and now 40 year old master's runner Meb Keflezighi, who finished in 2:12:20. Meb is a sensation indeed, having earned the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, the first American medalist since Frank Shorter in 1976. After missing the 2008 Olympics with a hip injury (though he still finished 8th in the Olympic Trials), he went on to compete at the Olympic level again in 2012 with a 4th place overall. Rounding out the top three was 27 year old Jared Ward in 2:13.

A total of 149 women completed the 26.2 mile course, with the top three spots going to 32 year old Amy Cragg in 2:28:20, 32 year old Desiree Linden in 2:28:54 and 34 year old Shalane Flanagan in 2:29:19. This will be Cragg's and Linden's first visit to the Olympics. Flanagan holds the 2nd fastest American marathon time ever (a 2:21:14 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon) and this will be her 4th visit to the Olympics, having competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 games.

Cragg and Flanagan  (Photo Credit: Carl Pytlinski)

Congratulations to all of the competitors and best of luck with some solid training to those who have earned the right to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games!

And for 26.2 training tips to complete your first marathon

Marathons within a one hour radius of Ventura County

Some extremely fit looking runners at the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials  (Photo Credit: Carl Pytlinski)

Sweet Escapes In and Around Ventura County

"Sweet Escape" by Chuck Trunks

Looking for something to do around Ventura County but also looking for money missing from your wallet? Not to worry, there are plenty of escapes that won't cost you an arm and a leg around town. In fact, our mission in life here is to ensure you have hundreds of inexpensive, fun options in Ventura County and surrounding areas!

Free upcoming local events

Free things to do

Free kids' activities

Kids eat free deals

Get free food and stuff at Ventura County area eateries

That should get you started...but here's some more:

Family events

Upcoming 5K/10K events

Send your kids to a local summer camp

Go on a bike ride

Swimming and water play around Ventura County

Visit a local farmers' market

Go bowling

Throw a birthday party for your kid

Visit a museum

Not enough choices? Continue exploring Conejo Valley Guide and I can guarantee you'll find something fun to do.

Support Our Troops Through the Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program

At Halloween, many of us anticipate massive stockpiles of sugary sweets in our households.

As an alternative to consuming all this candy, consider donating it to our troops overseas. You may think, do we really want to send all that junk food to throughout the world? Sure! Everyone enjoys a treat! And truth be told, the troops themselves don't eat all this candy...much of it they enjoy sharing in the communities they patrol.

The Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program has partnered with Operation Gratitude and local dental practices to channel your candy stockpile to our troops. Local dentists "buy" back Halloween candy in exchange for cash or other items. The candy is shipped to Operation Gratitude and other U.S. Military support groups and in turn it is sent overseas, to children of deployed service members, wounded warriors, veterans and first responders.

There are nearly a number of local Ventura County dental practices participating in this program. Just visit www.halloweencandybuyback.com and enter your zip code for these or other locations throughout the L.A./Ventura County area.

Each practice has their own buy-back incentives. so make sure to call to learn more about their program and related time frames (usually the first several days after Halloween).