Two Views From Conejo Valley Trails the Weekend of February 10-11, 2018

We're lacking rain this winter in Southern California once again (last year was a different story) so our trails in the Conejo Valley aren't as green as they should be in mid-February. But nonetheless, they are still beautiful. Here are a couple views this weekend; one from the Potrero Ridge Trail and the other from the Rosewood Trail in Newbury Park.

For over 50 over trails and hikes throughout Ventura County and adjacent areas, visit THIS LINK.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Ventura County Serves Local Foster Kids

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Ventura County is a non profit, volunteer driven organization that recruits, trains and supports volunteers from the community to become sworn-in officers of the court who provide a consistent, caring adult in a foster child's life. Children helped by CASAs include those for whom home placement is being determined in juvenile court.  Most of the children are victims of abuse and neglect.

CASA organizations have been around for over 30 years in just about every every county and state across the nation with over 70,000 volunteers serving court dependent children. CASA has been serving children in Ventura County since 1985.  We currently have a team of 130 volunteers and serve over 200 court dependent foster children.

Each hour of our CASA program staff time generates 22 volunteer hours of direct support to a child.   The CASA formula is simple: additional funding means the capacity to recruit, train and support more volunteers to be matched with a foster child.

We have 80 children on a waiting list for a CASA right now.  For those 80 kids the CASA advocate may be the one, consistent, concerned adult by their side during a tumultuous phase of  their life.

To learn how to donate time or funds to this worthy 501(c)(3) organization, visit www.casaofventuracounty.org.

Blue Star Museums Program Free Admission to Active Duty Military at 1,800+ Museums

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year.

Free admission is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, which includes active duty U.S. military  - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and up to five family members.

Local area museums in Ventura County, Santa Barbara and nearby areas that are participating

• Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard
• Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
• Santa Barbara Museum of Art
• Museum of Ventura County in Ventura

For a complete list of museums participating in the Blue Star Museums program, visit www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums.

Britney Spears Posts Photo of Herself and Boyfriend at Popular Thousand Oaks Trail

I’ve been with this man for over a year... everyday he inspires me to be a better person and that makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! 🌈🌸❤️ pic.twitter.com/LRpaF2LFyI

— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 5, 2018

Yesterday around 1:30pm, Britney Spears Tweeted a photo of herself and boyfriend Sam Asghari on a popular local trail destination in the Conejo Valley. This particular location tends to get overwhelmed with traffic, which causes problems for local residents. But there are dozens and dozens of outstanding trails in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas compiled on THIS PAGE. Britney, if you are following this site, I challenge you to post a photo of yourself on five other Conejo Valley trails, perhaps including Angel Vista Peak, Space Mountain on the Los Robles Trail, the Lang Ranch/Woodridge Open Space, Sunset Hills Trail and the Hillcrest Open Space.

Britney mentioned in her Tweet that she has been with fitness model and aspiring actor Asghari for over a year. We can almost confirm that based on her Tweet 11 months ago showing the two of them in that same overly popular local hiking area.

My baby's birthday 💜 @SamAsghari0 pic.twitter.com/vzz5MZxhC3

— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) March 4, 2017

And Asghari posted the same photo on his Instagram page, where he currently has 519K followers.

The Most beautiful girl ❤️ @britneyspears #Repost ・・・ I’ve been with this man for over a year... everyday he inspires me to be a better person and that makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world!! @samasghari 🌈🌸❤️

A post shared by Sam Asghari (@samasghari) on Feb 5, 2018 at 1:35pm PST

County of Ventura Provides Proposition 64 Marijuana FAQs

Note that the following excerpts come from information published by the County of Ventura at ventura.org with regard to the passing of Proposition 64, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative.

This proposition was passed in the recent Presidential General Election by a margin of 57..1% (7,929,915 yes votes) to 42.9% (5,945,764 no votes). In Ventura County, the margin was slightly closer, with 55.56% for the measure and 44.44% against the measure.

Immediate Changes with Passing of Prop 64:

Personal recreational use: Adults 21+ may use and grow recreational marijuana for personal use. Marijuana use is not allowed in public places. Personal growing of marijuana is limited to six plants per residence/property.  You may possess, transport or purchase up to one (1) ounce of marijuana and up to eight (8) grams of marijuana concentrates under Prop 64.

Prop 64 allows the County to establish additional restrictions in unincorporated areas, but has not done so at this point in time.

Commercial marijuana cultivation, manufacturing or sales operations: There are no
immediate impacts upon commercial marijuana activities; such activities continue to be
prohibited in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County. Commercial cultivation,
manufacturing, sales and distribution require a license from the County of Ventura and
the State of California.

Can I Sell Home Grown Marijuana?

No. Prop 64 does not allow for selling any product derived from a marijuana plant.

Can I Smoke Marijuana While Driving?

No. Prop 64 prohibits driving under the influence of marijuana. It also prohibits smoking or ingesting marijuana, or even possessing an open container or package of marijuana while driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

Can I Smoke Marijuana in Public Places?

No.

Where Can I Buy Marijuana for Recreational Use in Ventura County?

At this time, no retail or manufacturing businesses have been approved for selling recreational marijuana in Ventura County.

Thousand Oaks Community Park Has Several Unique Features Worth Exploring

Thousand Oaks Community Park, located at 2525 N. Moorpark Road, just north of Thousand Oaks High School, has something for everyone. This large, park is home to the Thousand Oaks Community Center, a hub for year-round events and activities for all ages. The center has a full-size gym, several fully-enclosed racquetball courts and other great features. More info at www.crpd.org/parkfac/1koaks.

If you have young kids, probably the most popular feature of this park is the playground and adjoining "Ant Hill." The Ant Hill is a unique, small man-made hill covered with artificial grass that is a fun play slide area for the kids. Bring a piece of cardboard and enjoy the ride.

This nearly 36 acre park also has soccer and softball fields, four tennis courts, one sand volleyball court and plenty of picnic area. Both the park and the community center are popular for birthday parties. On the east side of the park is another unique feature you won't find in other parks, the Rabbit Flats Disc Golf Course. I connected with a group enjoying a Saturday round on this nine acre course and learned that there are specialized discs for disc golf.

The course is free to the public. I'd recommend a walk-through first to explore. Just be mindful of flying discs!

Historic Carousel at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara Closed First Week of December 2017

The historic 1916 Allan Herschell Carousel has operated at Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara since 1999. Nearing the end of its 20 year lease with the City of Santa Barbara, the owner of the Carousel opted to relocate it Hood River, Oregon, for installation in a dedicated museum of historically significant carousels.

The Carousel is one of three machines produced by the Allan Herschell Factory in the 1915-1917 time frame. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 13, 2000. It is 40 feet in diameter, with a 19 foot wooden pole in its center, supporting 35 jumping, hand-carved wooden horses plus two hand carved art deco style wooden chariots.

This carousel originally operated outdoors on the east coast, where it was used for decades without adequate maintenance. It was purchased in 1970 by Seaport Village in San Diego, where after 10 years in storage it was sold again to its current owners. 

While this is sad news for local residents, the good news is that this historical carousel will be preserved in its new location in Hood River.