Christmas Residential Holiday Light Display on Gemini/Waverly in Camarillo

As in many Christmas seasons past, homes on Gemini Avenue and Waverly Avenue south of Dunnigan Street in Camarillo are decked out with cartoon characters, trains, Santa, snowmen, and plenty of lights and other decorations this 2017 holiday season.

Drive the route or park and walk any night of the week. It is worth going out of your way for! From the the 101, take Arneill north past Ponderosa to Dunnigan. Turn right on Dunnigan and Gemini is the 4th street on your right. We've been stopping by this familiar display for years. 

It Will Be Illegal for California Employers to Ask for Salary Information Effective January 1, 2018

Recently signed into law in the State of California was AB-168 "Employers: salary information." This law prohibits all employers in the state to ask for salary history information from job applicants. Salary history is defined to include compensation as well as benefits.

The law goes on to say that the salary history information cannot be sought orally or in writing, personally or through an agent. 

This new law takes effect January 1, 2018.

The law does not preclude candidates to volunteer such nor prohibit employers from using that information to determine the salary for the applicant.

The goal of this law is to narrow the wage gap of men and women by removing the past pay variable from the equation. AB-168 also requires that employers, upon reasonable request, must provide the pay scale for a position to a job candidate. Of course, the law does not define "reasonable" or how narrow or wide the pay scale must be.

Text of AB-168 at THIS LINK.

Citroën Exhibit at Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard to Celebrate 100 Years in Operation

The Mullin Automotive Museum will offer a one of a kind retrospective on one of France's greatest automakers featuring work from its beginning to the present day. The exhibit opened to the public on Saturday, March 11th, 2017 and is the largest Citroen exhibit ever held in the U.S.  

"Citroën: The Man, The Marque, The Mystique," features cars from the entire history of the company as well as an in-depth look at Andre Citroën. The exhibit runs through the spring of 2018.

Citroën has built a reputation over the last 98 years as being a company willing to take risks and do things differently. It has managed to continually push the boundaries of technology and styling without losing its unique Gallic charm, something which is so evident in vehicles like the DS and the 2CV. Founded in 1919 by Andre Citroën, the company was responsible for building Europe’s first affordable mass-produced car, the Citroën Type A. The company also popularized the front wheel drive layout in addition to unibody construction and four-wheel independent suspension with its revolutionary Traction Avant executive car.

“Citroën is a marque that has always appealed to me on some level,” said Peter Mullin, founder and CEO of the Mullin Automotive Museum. “The way in which the company set about designing its often odd but always stunning vehicles, packing them with wildly innovative technologies, is fascinating to me. I’m so pleased that we will soon be able to share these incredible vehicles with the public who may not have ever seen them in person and I hope we’re able to create a new legion of Citroën devotees.”

“Citroën: The Man, The Marque, The Mystique” represents the most comprehensive look at the history of the famed French automaker ever attempted in North America and honors one of the world’s greatest and quirkiest manufacturers. The exhibition features 46 of the world’s most historic and unique Citroëns including a number of vehicles bodied by French coachbuilder Chapron, a rare twin-engined 2CV Sahara, a Traction Avant Cabriolet and an iconic HY Van. Visitors can also expect to see modern Citroëns such as the 2007 C6 and the 2009 C3 Pluriel as well as several late production model 2CVs dating from the 1980s and early 1990s, none of which were ever sold in the U.S.

The museum hosts semi-private tours available on Tuesdays and Thursdays and public days on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. Tickets are encouraged to be purchased in advance through the Museum’s website. For more information, visit www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com or call 805.385.5400.

The Mullin Automotive Museum is located at 1421 Emerson Avenue, Oxnard. The museum is typically open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 10 AM to 3 PM. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.MullinAutomotiveMuseum.com.

The first Citroën, the Type A, built in 1919.

Citroën DS

Ventura County Air Pollution Control District Old Car Buy Back Incentive Program

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) old car buy back program will pay you $1,000 to voluntarily retire your 1995 or older car, pick-up truck, van, or SUV. Funding of this program is limited and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis until each year’s grant funds are depleted.

Motor vehicles produce more than half of the air pollution in Ventura County. Removing older, high-emitting vehicles from the roadways helps clean up the air.

To qualify for the buy back program, vehicles must be operational and registered in Ventura County. Additional eligibility requirements apply. To find out if your car qualifies, visit www.oldcarbuyback.com/ventura.php or call the Old Car Buy Back Hotline: (800) 717-7624.

You generally must show that the vehicle has been registered with the DMV under a Ventura County address for at least 24 months to be eligible. Other requirements must also be met.

APCD is required by state regulations to offer to sell any eligible vehicle to the public and hold the vehicle for a minimum of 10 days during which the vehicle will be made available for public inspection prior to dismantling. There is an Excel spreadsheet link at www.oldcarbuyback.com/ventura.php showing the vehicle inventory.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Programs in Ventura County

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using this training, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in the community.

The Ventura County Fire Department in coordination with FEMA have joined together to assist local residents with disaster preparedness education and training. Visit the VCFD CERT Facebook page by clicking here.

GET YOURSELF TRAINED! IT'S FREE! AND YOU COULD HELP SAVE LIVES IN AN EMERGENCY!

CLICK HERE for a schedule of upcoming CERT classes in Ventura County.

CERT training programs throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas:

• Agoura Hills
• Calabasas
• Camarillo (link broken 5/4/17)
• Fillmore
• Malibu
• Moorpark
• Ojai (broken link 5/4/17)
• Oxnard
• Santa Paula
• Simi Valley
• Thousand Oaks
• Westlake Village

Three Asian Small-Clawed Otter Pups Born at the Santa Barbara Zoo on Saturday, October 7th

A pair of Asian small-clawed otters at the Santa Barbara Zoo have produced their first litter of pups with three healthy offspring born in a nesting box in their holding area on Saturday, October 7.

As in the wild, where the parents keep their pups in a den, these young otters will not leave their behind the scenes holding area until they are old enough to safely swim and have grown teeth so they can eat solid food. Depending on their development, keepers estimate the pups could go on exhibit as early as mid-December. 

Animal Care staff had recently confirmed that Gail was pregnant and estimated that she was due any day. When keepers arrived Saturday morning, Gail and Peeta remained in the nesting box.

“The parents didn’t come out to greet us and then we heard squeaks,” said the Zoo’s Curator of Mammals Michele Green. “That’s how we knew Gail had given birth.”

Gestation is 68 days, and after birth the female stays in the nesting box with the pups, but is relieved by the male for breaks.

Both of the Zoo’s otters are first-time parents, but are showing excellent parenting skills for the two pups (females and one male), according to keepers.

“Gail only arrived in March and it’s been fun to watch them bond, and now become parents,” says Green. “She’s a young mom, but doing very well. Peeta is attentive and diligent.”

Peeta was born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. in 2008. Gail was born at the Greensboro Science Center in South Carolina in 2013. The two were paired as part of a cooperative breeding program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Their names, inspired by characters in the popular “Hunger Games” books and movies, were given to them by their Santa Barbara Zoo sponsors Peter and Pieter Crawford-van Meeuwen.

The last time Asian small-clawed otters were born at the Zoo was in May 2011 when six pups were born to a pair named Jillian and Bob. That pair also produced five young in August 2010, the first of the species to be born at the Zoo in more than 20 years. The entire family group later moved to the National Zoo, where they live today. Another female, Katniss, was paired with Peeta, but they did not breed. She passed away in December 2016 from a kidney ailment.

When Will the Otter Pups Go On View?

Asian small-clawed otters usually keep their pups in their dens for several weeks until the young have learned to swim and have teeth to eat solid food. Green estimates that the family group may venture into their exhibit in December for swimming lessons in the small pool. By January, the pups should be proficient swimmers, and on view at varying times during the day. By spring, they could be diving in the larger pool. Information on their progress will be available at www.sbzoo.org.  

Foster Feeder Special to Support the Otter Family

The public can help the otter pups by becoming a Foster Feeder, which supports the cost of feeding the growing otter family. New otter Foster Feeders who donate at least $50 receive a custom otter plush embroidered with the Zoo’s logo, along with a Foster Feeder certificate, otter fact sheet and photo, recognition on the Zoo’s Foster Feeder board and in Zoo News, and a one year subscription to Zoo News. For information, visit www.sbzoo.org.

About Asian Small-Clawed Otters

Although this species is not listed as endangered, Asian small-clawed otters are seriously threatened by rapid habitat destruction for palm oil farming and by hunting and pollution.  They are considered an “indicator species,” meaning their population indicates the general health of their habitat and of other species.

This species, the smallest otter in the world, lives in freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps throughout Southeast Asia including southern India and China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Borneo, and the Malay Peninsula. They prefer quiet pools and sluggish streams for fishing and swimming. Unlike sea otters, they spend more time on land than in water, but they are skillful, agile swimmers and divers, with great endurance. They can stay submerged for six to eight minutes.

Asian small-clawed otters are about two feet long and weigh under 10 pounds, less than half the size of North American river otters. Their claws do not protrude beyond the ends of the digital pads, thus their names, and their feet do not have fully developed webbing and look very much like human hands.

They are one of the few species of otter that live in social groups. The bond between mated pairs of Asian small-clawed otters is very strong. Both the male and female raise the young and are devoted parents. In the wild, Asian small-clawed otters live in extended family groups of up to 12 individuals. The entire family helps raise the young, which are among the most active and playful of baby animals.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; general admission is $17 for adults, $10 for children 2-12, $13 for seniors 65+, and free for children under 2. Parking is $7.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

AZA zoos are dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great visitor experience, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and is the public’s link to helping animals in their native habitats.

Take a Hike with Popular Ventura County Meetup Group "The Moderate Hikers"

One of the most popular Meetup groups in Ventura County is The Moderate Hikers. The group is run by a local Thousand Oaks woman who started it with one vision in mind: To create a fun, social hiking group where everyone felt welcome.

Katya Volpi, Hike Leader & Organizer, says it all started from her failed attempt at hiking.

“About 8 years ago, I needed to start exercising regularly for my physical and mental health, so I decided to try hiking, but the few local groups out there were too advanced for me, which I ended up learning the hard way.”

She joined the group on a hike and quickly found herself losing sight of everyone as she fell further and further behind. “Here I was, on an unfamiliar trail, by myself, not knowing where it was leading, but I kept going because I didn’t want to give up."

"Once I reached the top of the trail, the entire group was waiting for me. The group of about 30 hikers were not too happy about it either because they were experienced and expected you to know your own abilities. I essentially did the Hike of Shame the entire way back, coming in last and looking pretty ragged. I vowed from that moment to become a stronger hiker.”

Hiking four to five days a week on her own for several weeks, Katya developed her skills and became better and stronger, but after trying another hike with that same group, she found she still couldn’t keep up.

“I didn't completely lose sight of them, and it certainly wasn’t difficult to finish the hike, but they were going at such a fast clip. I realized then that I am not super-fast, nor do I want to be. For me, it’s not a race, it’s an enjoyable, healthy activity. It was then I realized there was a need for a different option. I thought, there must be others like me that want to do a reasonable amount of miles at a moderate pace, so I decided to start my own group."

"I took note of what was lacking with the groups already established, thought about how I wanted to present mine, and saw an opportunity to make a better hiking group. I wanted it to be friendly and welcoming, so I get to know my members on a personal level. It’s a group where you can meet new people and make friends because I make it social, interactive and fun; we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I never want anyone to feel like they don’t belong.”

Those qualities are what she attributes to the success of the group. “I have been running The Moderate Hikers for 7 1/2 years, I have almost 3,000 members and we’re still growing strong. Even our name lets people know exactly what you can expect. Its success is a testament to my passion and commitment, but make no mistake, my members are what makes this group because without them, I wouldn’t have one. Every time I hike with them, I am inspired by their sense of adventure and willingness to participate! I am truly grateful to have such an amazing group.”

You can find Katya and The Moderate Hikers at www.meetup.com/themoderatehikers.