Gratitude Circle at Conejo Creek Park North Honors Contributors to "Play Conejo"

/

As part of its 50th Anniversary, the Conejo Recreation & Park District created non-profit organization "Play Conejo" for the purpose of supporting affordable and diverse recreation programs and parks in the Conejo Valley.  Learn more at www.PlayConejo.org.

Gratitude Circle is located at Conejo Creek Park North in Thousand Oaks

To honor community members and supporters of Play Conejo, CRPD created a 30 foot diameter "Gratitude Circle" at Conejo Creek Park North behind the Thousand Oaks Library.

The Gratitude Circle honors, celebrates and recognizes community members and businesses as supporters of their local parks by monetary contributions to Play Conejo with an inscribed plaque at one of the cardinal location walls. Plaques allow for up to three lines, with a maximum of 18 characters per line. Contribution levels are: Friends ($500-$999), Explorers ($1,000-$2,499), Trailblazers ($2,500-$4,999) and Visionaries ($5,000 and above).

To learn more and make a donation, visit www.playconejo.org/gratitude.html or call 805.495.6471.

The creek at Conejo Creek Park North in Thousand OaksConejo Creek Park North, perhaps the most visited park in Thousand Oaks, is located at 1379 East Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. This 44 acre park has two ponds with a creek connecting them, two separate play areas, beach-style volleyball courts, a NEOS game, multiple large, shaded picnic areas. a fitness trail about 2/3rds of a mile that circles the park, plenty of shade trees and multiple large, grassy areas.

Women's Economic Ventures Helps Local Entrepreneurs Succeed and Grow

/

Since 1991, Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) has helped low-and moderate-income women and men achieve self-sufficiency through self employment training, consulting, and access to capital. The following WEV services are available to women and men in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

Business Plan Courses

WEV’s 14-week Self-Employment Training (SET) and six-week Business Plan Intensive (BPI) courses provide guidance on starting or expanding a business by teaching the skills to assess feasibility, avoid costly mistakes and create a well conceived business plan. Graduates benefit from a local network of fellow entrepreneurs, expert guest speakers and an instructor experienced in owning a small business.

SET courses in Ventura and Camarillo begin in February and September. The BPI course in Ventura begins in September. Attendance of a free, 1-hour orientation is required in order to enroll in WEV’s courses.

Business Loans

WEV’s Small Business Loan Fund provides loans up to $25,000 to start-up businesses and up to $50,000 for existing businesses. The Loan Fund was created to diversify and expand the local economy and create new jobs by providing capital to small businesses that do not quality for conventional bank financing. Applicants must have resided in Santa Barbara or Ventura County for over a year.

Specialized Long-Term Consulting

Thrive in Five® provides long-term, individualized training, consulting and coaching for entrepreneurs in business at least one year. Regular one-on-one meetings with a business specialist and quarterly roundtables with peers keep the business owner acc

Read More

World Toilet Day is November 19th!

/

The World Toilet Organization was founded in 2001 as a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide.  The WTO's founding day of November 19th is celebrated each year as "World Toilet Day" to increase awareness of global sanitation issues.  WTO has over 150 member organizations around the world.

WTO founder Jack Sim was named a "Hero of the Environment" by Time Magazine in 2008.  He seeks to destigmatize the toilet and make it a status symbol for the poor.  "I want people to aspire to owning a toilet, just like others aspire to own a Louis Vuitton bag," he told Time.  Heck, I'm already there.

From the "Putting Things Into Perspective" department:  Over 2.6 BILLION people around the world do not have access to basic sanitation.  In other words, over 8 times the entire U.S. population around the world don't even have access to a toilet!

The WTO describes its logo on its website.  The logo's message is "Love our Toilet." "The logo of the WTO is the image of a toilet seat-cover viewed from an angle as how most people would see it. The ring in the middle of the toilet seat-cover signifies a connected circle of members. Blue was chosen as the color of the toilet seat-cover as a symbolization of water and how WTO is also closely-related to water issues."

Visit www.worldtoilet.org for more information.

4th Annual Ride to the Flags Passing Through Westlake Village on September 11, 2011

/

Ride to the Flags is an annual event that started in 1998 that takes hundreds of bikers on a ride to the 9/11 Flag Display Memorial Service at Pepperdine University's Alumni Park.  The event is an all-volunteer charity ride that donates 100% of proceeds to charity. This year's event raised over $25,000.

This year's 4th annual event started at Naval Base Ventura County and rode through Potrero Road through Hidden Valley on its way to Malibu.  We were able to watch the display of over 800 bikes at the intersection of Potrero Road and Westlake Boulevard as they made their way over to Kanan Road. Was a lot of fun seeing the different bikes and waving to the riders!  For more information about the event and to make donations, visit www.ridetotheflags.com.

Help a Local 8 Year Old Boy Diagnosed With Brain Cancer

/

UPDATE:  With sadness, we report that young Thomas Hearne passed at 4:30 p.m. today, March 19, 2009.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

thomashearne.jpg

Thomas Hearne, an 8 year old boy from Camarillo, was diagnosed with brain cancer on July 8th.  Initially emergency room workers thought it was a virus.  An MRI proved otherwise.  The next day Thomas was in surgery at Childrens' Hospital in Los Angeles to remove a tumor at the base of his brain toward the back of his head.  However, the cancer had already spread to his brain and spinal cord and Thomas is receiving chemotherapy.  Not only that, a contractor paid to remodel the Hearne house bailed out, leaving the Hearne family home in need of major work.

Please reach out if you can to help Thomas Hearne and his family in this time of need.  Visit www.thomashearne.titlereptom.com to learn more and to make a donation.  Or make checks payable to "The Hearne Family" and mail to Tami Tackett, 4829 Paseo Montelena, Camarillo, CA 93012.  Or make a deposit at any Washington Mutual branch into the "The Hearne Family" benevolent account.