Conejo Valley Newsletter_February 2018

area newsletter FEBRUARY 2018 • CONEJO VALLEY

20 18

Community News Amgen named best place to work, repatriates cash

ocean life. The scientists are hoping to determine whether ash deposited into the Santa Barbara Channel in recent months serves as a fertilizer, is toxic, or has no effect at all. The research follows a study published in Science magazine that found that wildfire-affected runoff in Indonesia caused large algal blooms in ocean waters, which then reduced the amount of oxygen available for fish and coral.

Art school opens in Thousand Oaks Amgen Inc., the Conejo Valley-based biotech company, was recently named the best place to work among large biotech companies. The survey was conducted

by MedReps.com, a job site for medical sales representatives. In other news, the Amgen also filed notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission that they would be repatriating funds from their overseas operations, agreeing to pay approximately $6 billion in U.S. taxes in the process.

Scientists study effect of wildfires on local ocean waters

Doctoral students from UC Santa Barbara are engaged in a study of local ocean waters to determine the impact that recent wildfires has on

A former student of the California Art Institute has opened his own art academy at the former site of his alma mater. George Paliotto, a resident of Newbury Park, has begun teaching classes himself, opening the Westlake Academy of Art in Thousand Oaks. Paliotto’s classes focus on drawing, watercolor, and oil painting and are available to students of all skill levels.

Community News Country music festival expanding in 2018

Thousand Oaks to open bidding for pot dispensary

The OakHeart Country Music Festival, held each year at Conejo Creek South in Thousand Oaks, has been granted permission to sell an additional 1,000 tickets for the 2018 event, increasing the expected attendance to 8,000 people. OakHeart was founded in 2011 and has grown to become Ventura County’s largest outdoor music festival. Organizers have indicated they intend to invite two nationally known acts to headline in 2018 and are expecting tickets to sell out, as they did in 2017. Scaling up the size of the festival will require the use of the Conejo Creek West and Conejo Creek Northwest parking lots, increasing facility fees to $14,175. While officials have expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the festival, proponents point out that the 2017 festival generated $71,000 for Rotary Club charities and increased revenues for local business patronized by visiting music fans.

The City Council of Thousand Oaks recently approved a four-phase application process to become the city’s only two marijuana-related businesses. Following the passage of Prop 64 in November 2016, the city decided to permit a single medical marijuana dispensary and a single marijuana testing facility within city limits.

The city has now formalized their application process, which will begin in mid-January and could last until late June. Interested entrepreneurs will be required to pay application fees during each step of the process, as well as undergo extensive background and business plan reviews.

Despite related fees costing upwards of $20,000, competition for the dispensary permit is expected be fierce, as this would be the only dispensary in the Conejo Valley and could generate $2 million in annual revenue.

Restaurant

Spotlight

Little Calf Creamery

Tuscany il Ristorante

Café Firenze

652 East Janss Road Thousand Oaks

968 South Westlake Boulevard Westlake Village

563 West Los Angeles Avenue Moorpark

Little Calf Creamery and Café is a family restaurant serving artisan ice cream, sorbets and delicious salads, sandwiches, soups and burgers. Owners Scott and Jen Levin combined forces into a concept that would allow for families to enjoy a meal together with a sweet ending. The pair focuses on making ice cream from California happy, healthy cows.

They serve 14 year-round flavors and approximately four seasonal/ rotational flavors. Little Calf Creamery Café is open Monday Sunday from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

This family-run restaurant caters to those searching for a true dining experience. The polished Italian trattoria has a true upscale menu with flavors that linger on your palette, bringing you back for more. Popular entrees on the menu: baked polenta with mushrooms; spaghetti in cartoccio with seafood; and dry-aged New York strip.

Whether you are interested in a quiet celebration or a business meeting, Tuscany’s versatile menu and award winning wine list can meet your needs. Tuscany il Ristorante is open Monday – Friday 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 5 – 10 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday from 5 – 10:30 p.m.

Moorpark’s Café Firenze has got Top Chef fame, amazing ravioli, wines and about everything else Italian under the sun.

The upscale casual dining restaurant and martini lounge serves northern Italian style cuisine. When you walk into the restaurant you will experience the ambiance of a true Italian Villa with a large hearth fireplace and full leather sofas and booths. Its perfect location serves local Moorpark, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Ventura and other nearby communities. Moorpark Café is generally open Tuesday – Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. Sundays from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5 – 9 p.m. The restaurant also has wine tastings on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m.– 8:30 p.m.

SIGHTS & SOUNDS in LOS ANGELES

Natural History Museum

LACMA

Annenberg Space for Photography

900 Exposition Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90007

5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036

CURRENT EXHIBITION:

CURRENT EXHIBITION:

Tattoo November 19, 2017 – April 15, 2018

Painted in Mexico, 1700–1790: Pinxit Mexici November 19, 2017–March 18, 2018

Cuba Is September 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018

This exhibition focuses on Mexican paintings of the 18th century, a time that featured major stylistic advances as Mexican artists often sought to distinguish themselves from the European counterparts. LACMA has gathered over 100 works to display, including paintings that were previously unpublished, or were restored for the exhibition.

Cuba has long held the fascination of many Americans, and even as travel restrictions have decreased in recent years, few have seen what life is actually like on the island. This exhibit features over 120 photos depicting a wide range of Cuban subjects, as well as an original film documenting how the photographers captured the images.

Demonstrating 5,000 years of history, the Natural History Museum’s exhibition displays the cross-cultural impact of body art through the years and around the world. Featuring historic samples of tattoo art and the equipment used to create it, the museum also brings the experience into the present with a series of tattoo artists offering their services on-site during the exhibition.

2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA 90067 CURRENT EXHIBITION:

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