area newsletter NOVEMBER 2017 • CONEJO VALLEY
20 17
Community News Great White hot spots found off coast of Ventura and Oxnard
Shark experts at CSU Long Beach have identified the waters near Ventura and Oxnard as prime locations for juvenile great white sharks. By tagging and tracking sharks over time, they have found that young sharks are tending to spend the summer months off the coasts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties before migrating south to Baja when winter comes. The following year, many of the sharks tend to return to the same area were the swam the year before. According to the experts, these areas are safer for young sharks and provide plenty of food, leading many sharks to spend several summers in our waters. Locals have indicated that shark sightings have increased over the past few years, but nevertheless, contact with humans remains rare.
Thousand Oaks nonprofit to build homes for vets
Many Mansions, a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable housing, has been awarded grants worth nearly $6 million to build housing for veterans. The California Department of Housing and Community Development provided the lionshare of the funds, $5.6 million, as part of their Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention program. Many Mansions will be using the money to build 40 residential units in Oxnard, for which there is already a waiting list of potential leasees. Despite recent improvements, homelessness among veterans is a chronic problem in the United States, with as many as 13,000 veterans sleeping on the street in a given night.
Community News New apartments meet resistance in Simi Valley
Local firefighters and aircraft from the Channel Islands national guard base have been utilized in recent weeks to fight wildfires around the state. C-130 planes loaded with fire retardant have been dispatched to Santa Barbara and Fresno, while civilian firefighters have assisted on the ground in San Luis Obispo. Officials indicate that over 50,000 acres have been burned statewide.
Shakespeare Festival overcomes tragedy Simi Valley’s Neighborhood Council #3 has recommended that the city’s Planning Commission not approve the construction of apartments at the corner of Alamo St. and Tapo St., where a shopping center currently stands. The project calls for the construction of a mixed-use complex comprised of 278 residential units and 8,100 square feet of commercial retail space. The Neighborhood Council objected to the density of the project as well as its 4 story height. Earlier this year, Neighborhood Council #3 lended its support to the Belwood Enclave project, a development of single family residences to be built on the site of the former Belwood Elementary. The Planning Commission approved the project in May.
Locals help fight fires around the state
The annual Kingsmen Shakesepare Festival in Thousand Oaks will carry on despite the unexpected death of actor/director John C. Slade, who was directing this year’s production of ‘Julius Caesar.’ Slade, a longtime Ojai resident, passed away on July 7 following a car accident. Though distraught to lose their friend and colleague, the cast and crew decided that “the show must go on” with artistic director Michael J. Arndt stepping in to direct the play. The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company is a professional troupe based at California Lutheran University. The festival, which this year also included a production of ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost,’ began in 1997.
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
J. Paul Getty Museum
LACMA
1200 Getty Center Drive Los Angeles, CA 90049
5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
CURRENT EXHIBITION:
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney July 18 - November 26, 2017
Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage July 31, 2017 - January 7, 2018
In honor of David Hockney’s 80th birthday, the Getty is exhibiting a two-part retrospective of his career, focusing on self-portrait paintings than span 65 years of his life, as well as photographs and Polaroid photocollages from the 1980’s.
This exhibition focuses on the work Marc Chagall created for the stage, as well as iconic paintings depicting musicians and lyrical scenes. Of particular note are Chagall’s set and costume designs that haven’t been exhibited since they were originally seen on stage. The exhibition also includes the screening of documentary footage of the original performances.
Annenberg Space for Photography 2000 Avenue of the Stars #10, Los Angeles, CA 90067 CURRENT EXHIBITION: Cuba Is September 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018 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.
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