Former Olympia Farms Property on the Rancho Potrero Open Space

The Rancho Potrero Open Space area is located in Newbury Park off of Lynn Road, just east of the intersection with Rancho Dos Vientos. The area includes an equestrian center where Rancho Potrero Community Equestrian Center is located and is adjacent to the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa area in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

On the west end of the space is a a property that used to be called Olympia Farms, which was owned by Greek immigrant, textile businessman and Arabian horse breeder George Patarias Huck. (Huck was tragically shot and killed in front of his home in Mt. Olympus in August 1984 at age 46.)

Huck's 638 acre property was sold to the Mountains Recreation and Conservancy, City of Thousand Oaks, Conejo Recreation and Park District and National Park Service for $4.2 million in 1993. 312 acres were carved out as an addition to Rancho Sierra Vista. The remainder is part of Rancho Potrero, which is maintained by the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA).

In the 2021-2022 time frame, the Olympia Farms space was redeveloped and improved to include, pedestrian paths, a horse corral, drinking fountain for people and animals, picnic benches and a small amphitheater area. More info and footage at THIS LINK.

NOTE: THE SITE WAS REDEVELOPED IN 2021-2022 AND THE OLD RANCH BUILDING LUMBER DISCUSSED BELOW I BELIEVE IS IN STORAGE WITH THE CRPD.

These old ranch buildings are actually a Ventura County historical point of interest that was designated as such in May 1986. According to the City of Thousand Oaks, there were two large barns built in 1930 on the Dos Vientos Ranch. Joseph Lewis, business partner of City of Camarillo namesake Adolfo Camarillo, farmed 8,000 acres of land in this area. The barns were dismantled to make room for home development in Dos Vientos and the lumber currently resides here. The Conejo Recreation & Park District is working with the Conejo Valley Historical Society in finding other appropriate uses for these materials, such as displays at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park.

Summary of the New Residential Clean Energy Credit Signed Into Law on August 16, 2022

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022. Among other things, One of the things it changed was the Residential Energy Efficient Property tax credit, which is now called the Residential Clean Energy Credit.

Under the old law, the solar energy credit, which was previously dropped from 30% prior to 2020 to 26% in 2020-2022 and 22% in 2023, was set to expire in 2024.

Under the new law, the credit is retroactively increased back to 30% for residential solar systems installed in 2022 through 2032. Then it will drop to 26% in 2033 and 22% in 2034.

Additionally, starting in 2023, the tax credit covers battery storage technology with a capacity of three kilowatt hours.

The tax credit is a non-refundable credit, but can be carried forward to future tax years.

Visit the Camarillo Ranch House for a Taste of Local Ventura County History

Built in 1892, the Camarillo Ranch House is a grand, three-story, 15-room home built by Adolfo Camarillo in the Queen Anne Victorian style. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in February 2003. The home features seven bedrooms, a grand staircase, tower bay, wooden refrigerator, wrap-around exterior balcony, hardwood floors and turrets.

The exterior and interior of the Camarillo Ranch House were restored by the City of Camarillo and Camarillo Ranch Foundation in 1999-2001.

The White Horse Stables were built in 1966 for the famed Camarillo White Horses. Breeding of the horses began in 1920 when Adolfo Camarillo acquired Sultan, a Spanish stallion, and bred him with a Morgan mare. The White Horses are now owned by members of the White Horse Association. Learn more about the White Horses at www.camarillowhitehorses.org.

Renovation of the historic 1905 Mule Barn at the Camarillo Ranch was completed in 2009.

Today the Camarillo Ranch is owned by the City of Camarillo and operated by the Camarillo Ranch Foundation. The Camarillo Ranch House operates as a museum, featuring rotating exhibits, along with historic home and school tours.

The 3 1/2 acre site is host to a number of community events each year and is available to private parties for weddings, parties, fundraisers and other events. It is a beautiful setting, shaded by historic trees planted before 1900.  You can't miss these trees as you drive by on the 101 freeway.

Docent-led tours of the house are currently (as of September 202) offered on Saturdays and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (last tour starts at 1:30 p.m.). House tour fees are $5 per person (cash only). Children 12 and under are free. The grounds are open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are open to the public.

The Camarillo Ranch House is located at 201 Camarillo Ranch Road.  Visit camarilloranchfoundation.com or call 805.389.8182 for more information.

The California "Middle Class Tax Refund" Will Be Paid Out in October 2022 through January 2023

The State of California will be issuing tax refunds totaling about $9.5 billion to approximately 23 million Californians starting mid-October through mid-January 2023. This refund is called the Middle Class Tax Refund and was included in the $308 billion California state budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

The Middle Class Tax Refund payout will be as much as $1,050 per household, based on 2020 California “adjusted gross income” (CA AGI) on your tax return.

Qualifications:

• Must have filed your 2020 tax return by October 15, 2021

• Must have CA AGI that falls below certain parameters (shown below)

• Have been a CA resident for at least 6 months in 2020

• Was not eligible to be claimed as a dependent in 2020

• Must be a CA resident on the date the payment is issued

Payment Amounts on Married Filing Joint Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $150,000 or less: $1050 with dependent; $700 without dependent

• CA AGI $150,001 to $250,000: $750 with dependent; $500 without dependent

• CA AGI $250,001 to $500,000: $600 with dependent; $400 without dependent

(So let me get this straight. Our government is going to cut a check for $400 to a couple without kids who earned $500,000 in 2020. Mastro’s is going to be busy!)

Payment Amounts on Head of Household Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $150,000 or less: $700 with dependent; $350 without dependent

• CA AGI $150,001 to $250,000: $500 with dependent; $250 without dependent

• CA AGI $250,001 to $500,000: $400 with dependent; $200 without dependent

Payment Amounts on Single and Married Filing Separate Tax Returns:

• CA AGI $75,000 or less: $700 with dependent; $350 without dependent

• CA AGI $75,001 to $125,000: $500 with dependent; $250 without dependent

• CA AGI $125,001 to $250,000: $400 with dependent; $200 without dependent

How Payments Will Be Received

• If you filed electrically and used the direct deposit option on your return (assuming you had a refund), your payment will be received by direct deposit.

• Otherwise you’ll be paid via debit card.

For more information, visit the Franchise Tax Board “Middle Class Tax Refund” page at taxrefund.ca.gov.

Questions That Come to Mind (that are not addressed by the Franchise Tax Board):

• What happens if your banking information changed since then? Don’t know for sure but I suspect the payment would bounce and they would send you a debit card.

• What happens if your filing status changed from 2020 to today? For example, I was married in 2020 and filed jointly but am single and available (hint hint) today in 2022? Who gets our $1,050 (married, one dependent)? Me or my ex-spouse? Good question. No idea. The FTB did not provide alternative scenarios, so I’d imagine the primary spouse on the return will receive the payment.. You might have to track down the ex for your half.

• I was single in 2020 but am married today with a toddler. How much do I get? The FTB bases the payment on your filing status in 2020, so both you and your spouse will receive payments, if any, based on that.

• What happens if I lose the gift card? Well, you’ll have to bring that up with the FTB. Good luck! Best advice - don’t lose it.

• I didn’t file a tax return in 2020 because my gross income and CA AGI were less than the filing requirements published by the Franchise Tax Board. Otherwise, I met all the other requirements for the refund. How can I get it? Unless the FTB amends its initial rules to address your situation, it appears you are out of luck. But visit the taxrefund.ca.gov website for possible updates.

• I made $17.50 an hour at The Taco Shack in 2020 and will receive a $350 refund. My brother George pulled down $250,000 in 2020 as VP of Stuff at Bookoo Bucko, Inc. and will receive $200. How is that fair? Does that make any sense? Pretty much no, but let’s look at it in a different way. You’re getting 20 hours’ pay. George is only getting a couple hours’ pay. Feel better now?

• I think this whole thing is stupid. The entire $9.5 billion should be used to fund nine desalinization plants along the California coast. How do I tell them to keep the money as I think this is a waste? I don’t think there’s a mechanism in place to not take the refund. But if it’s burning a hole in your pocket, hit the CVG Tip Jar at bit.ly/SupportCVG!

Ride to the Flags 2022 9/11 Tribute Filmed at Mugu Rock in Point Mugu

Ride to the Flags began in 2008, accompanying the Wave of Flags 9/11 Memorial at Pepperdine University. Although not officially associated with the memorial - the ride does end at the memorial for a short service. Ride to the Flags is an all volunteer, charity ride with 100% of the riders' donations going to an injured warrior. The ride has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for select warriors in need of rehab equipment and life-enhancing services. Learn more at www.whiteheart.org/ridetotheflags.

This year's event raised funds for Navy EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) tech Jordan Stevenson, who sustained sever injuries on his first deployment to Afghanistan with the 3rd/75th rangers. Learn more about Jordan's story at youtu.be/T7DWSo3_1Es

This footage was taken from just southeast of Mugu Rock in Point Mugu State Park, just a couple miles away from the start of the event at Naval Base Ventura County.

My Experience Renewing my Driver’s License and Getting a REAL ID Card

In 2020 I received a driver’s license renewal notice from the California DMV. I received the renewal notice four months prior to the expiration date. The notice indicated that my last two renewals had been by mail and that the upcoming renewal required me to renew at a DMV office.

I wondered why they were requiring me to go into a DMV office to renew the license this time. According to the DMV, in order to renew by mail, you must provide your Social Security number and be under 70 years old when your current license expires, and answer “no” to all of the following questions:

1. Have your last two licenses been renewed by mail?

2. Has your license been expired for over one year?

3. Does your license expire more than 60 days from today?

4. Are you currently on any type of driving probation?

5. Are you changing or correcting your name?

6. Do you have a driver’s license from more than one state or jurisdiction?

7. Within the past two years, were you convicted of any vehicle code moving violations, did you fail to appear in court for any vehicle code moving violation, were you suspended for DUI or refuse or fail to complete an alcohol screening test or have you been at fault in one or more collisions?

OK, no problem, it is what it is.

The renewal notice first required me to complete an application online at www.dmv.ca.gov.

To complete the application, you must create an Online Service account on the DMV website. They require a two-factor authentication to prove your digital identity, which means you’ll need an email address as well as a way to receive a text message or phone call for a six-digit confirmation code. If you do not want to do this at your phone or computer, you can do it on a terminal at a DMV office.

After you create the account, you will need to confirm your name, address, Social Security number (if applicable) and the type of card you are applying for. They will also ask if you want to register to vote and if you want to be a registered organ and tissue donor; however these will not be completed until you visit a field office to complete the registration process.

So after completing the application, which was actually quite painless and quick, you will receive a confirmation code. Bring the code to the DMV office to continue the license renewal process.

The next stop is scheduling an appointment. For me, this was the broken step. There’s a link provided to make an appointment. You select an office and look for a time. I searched five different DMV offices and there were absolutely no times available. But as one might expect, the appointment system did not give any hints as to other DMV offices with available openings, nor did it show the “next available” day and time. For me, this was an exercise in futility. Truly a glitch in the system when you have to spend hours attempting to schedule an appointment online…to save time.

So instead, I drove to the Thousand Oaks DMV office at 8am on a Tuesday morning.

This was a great move. No line! No hassle!

Awaiting my turn at the Thousand Oaks DMV.

I had all the documentation with me, including the renewal form and $36 renewal fee.

But I decided to up the ante and upgrade my license to the REAL ID card. The REAL ID card is a federally-mandated card that, unless you prefer to carry your passport with you, will be required to board domestic airline flights or access some federal facilities beginning May 3, 2023 (originally October 1, 2020…it has been extended several times due to the pandemic). May 7, 2025 (extended another two years on 12/5/22).

So for example, on May 3, 2023 you have a flight from Burbank to Vegas. If all you have is your standard driver’s license, they won’t let you fly; you’ll need either the REAL ID or a U.S. passport even for a domestic flight. MORE ON REAL ID

The key is being prepared. I was prepared for REAL ID. There’s an online checklist at www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/real-id/how-do-i-get-a-real-id/real-id-checklist that includes the following:

1. Proof of identity – such as U.S. passport or passport card, certified, copy of U.S. birth certificate, etc.

2. Full name^ – if your true full name is not listed on the identity document, you will need to provide a document that shows that.

3. SSN – you need to prove your SSN by showing a Social Security card, W-2 or other items.

4. Where do you live – you will need two different documents showing your current address, such as utility bills, medical documents, mortgage bill, etc.

With all of the above in hand, plus a backup document. I showed the documentation at the front counter after waiting briefly in a line. The clerk was impressed with my organizational skills. On to the next step in the process.

^ As additional clarification, if your current name is different than your maiden name, bring documentation showing your name change(s) - e.g. marriage certificates or other original or certified documentation showing the name change.

They gave me a number. The line was extremely short on a Tuesday morning (though when I was done around 9:15 am, there was quite a few more people waiting). After about 10 minutes, my number was called.

I went to the counter and told the clerk that I was there to renew my license and to migrate to the REAL ID. She asked for all my documents. She reviewed them, taking photos of most of them as I recall. She also had me provide a thumbprint. All digital. No ink involved.

After just a few minutes’ wait, the next step was a vision test. I passed!

Next up, photo time. She sent me to the photo guy and told me to come back when done. There was no line. Just a quick “stand there behind the line” and a quick smile and I was on my way back to the counter.

The final step was my only “fumble.” The renewal fees paid at the DMV office currently cannot be paid via credit card – choices are cash, check, money order or debit cards. Doh! Luckily, I had visited the ATM recently and gave her cash. Credit cards can actually be used for internet based transactions – but not for in person and by mail transactions. At least not at this time.

That was it. Done! She printed my receipt and a temporary license, should for some reason I not receive the new license prior to the expiration date of my current license. Fingers crossed!

---

THE EPILOGUE

On Monday, August 26th. I came home to a REAL ID card in the mail., which was great news. The postmark on the envelope was August 22nd. So I’m happy!

But…getting this card took more effort than I originally thought. My license expired in mid-July but I was given a temporary license to carry with me until the new card was received. I waited and called and waited. No card.

I called and told them the situation. No card. Was it sent? No. Why? I was asked what document did I bring to show my proof of identity. I told them I brought my passport. DMV indicated the Department of Homeland Security was reviewing my documents to verify they were legitimate. Well, ok.

Two weeks later, no card. I called again and told them my temporary license was expiring soon. They told me I could call the DHS/DMV Legal Presence Unit to find out what the holdup was. This was getting a bit time consuming. Where the hell is my card?

But I called the number, and each call ended with “We are currently experiencing higher than average call volume. Please try your call later.” Higher than average, eh? Does that mean when call volume is lower than average they answer the phone immediately?

So, the day before my temporary license was to expire (and about a month after my actual license had expired), I had the pleasure of visiting the Thousand Oaks DMV again.

When I told the clerk my situation - that my REAL ID never came in the mail and my temporary license was about to expire, of course she sent me to a line to apply for a new driver’s license.

I was unsure of why I would have to do that. Do I start the whole process again? I was completely unprepared for that.

So I went back and stood in the line again, and this time, another woman understood the situation and issued me a new temporary license on the spot. She also told me the REAL ID would be mailed to me soon.

Success at last!

Most of the folks I dealt with at the DMV were nice and courteous. But it was glaringly apparent that the organization needs a complete re-do. The DMV needs to hire experts to review processes in place and how they can be improved. Processes currently seem so unnecessarily complicated and confusing that frustration is bound to happen.

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2020. UPDATED IN 2022.