Did You Know That Six Streets at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall are Named After Luxury Brands

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Thousand Oaks Auto Center (now Auto Mall) ad from the early to mid 1960s.

Thousand Oaks Auto Center (now Auto Mall) ad from the early to mid 1960s.

The Thousand Oaks Auto Center (now Auto Mall) opened in 1967, making it one of the oldest auto malls in the country. Currently (2023), 29 brands are sold at the mall.

Did you know...that there are five streets running roughly north/south in the Auto Mall between Thousand Oaks Blvd and Auto Mall Drive that are named after five previous luxury brands? The five streets, from west to east, are as follows:

Auburn Ave - Luxury brand sold from 1900 to 1937.

Marmon Ave - Luxury brand sold from 1902 to 1933 (Marmon Motor Co build the first Indianapolis 500 winning car in 1911).

Cord Ave - Luxury brand sold in 1929-1932 and 1936-1937.

Pierce Arrow Ave - Luxury brand sold 1901 to 1938.(Its firs car in 1901 was a single-cylinder, two-speed no-reverse car called Motorette.

Packard Circle - Luxury brand sold from 1899 to 1956.

There's also Duesenberg Drive, which connects to Auto Mall Drive on the north, to Hillcrest. Luxury brand sold from 1913 to 1937.

T.O. Auto Mall website is at www.toautomall.info

Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship in Newbury Park Serves the Disabled

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Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship teaches horseback riding to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. Founded in 1994, Ride On has given over 100,000 safe, effective and individualized lessons and therapy treatments. Serving the Conejo Valley, Ride On's Newbury Park site is operated in partnership with the Conejo Recreation and Park District. In the San Fernando Valley, Chatsworth is home to a newer facility and 3 acre ranch.

Ride On serves over 200 riders each week at its 13 acre Newbury Park location at 401 Ronel Court and its Chatsworth location. The minimum age for therapeutic riding is 4 years old and all disabilities are served, both mental and physical.

Therapeutic riding is a unique combination of sport, recreation and education. Specially trained NARHA qualified instructors use their knowledge of disabilities to teach horsemanship skills to riders with varying ability levels. A typical therapeutic riding lesson involves safety on and around horses, warm up exercises, games and riding skills including equitation and obstacle. Increased balance, strength and self esteem are some of the benefihts of this wonderful recreational activity.

Ride On also offers hippotherapy for clients as young as 2 years old. Hippotherapy is the use of the horse’s movement for rehabilitation. Licensed Therapists properly position the patient on the horse, analyze the patient’s response and direct the horse’s movement to achieve specific patient treatment goals. Hippotherapy facilitates improved balance, posture, mobility, communication and behavior for patients of all ages and many disabilities.

Ride On’s primary funding sources are income from lessons, grants, special events and private donations. Ride On is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Visit www.rideon.org or call 805.375.9078 for more information.

Throwback: Grand Opening of the Tournament Bowl in Oxnard on November 8, 1958

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The 32 lane Tournament Bowl opened its doors on Saturday, November 8, 1958 at 3443 Saviers Road in Oxnard. The facility featured a cocktail lounge, dining room, coffee shop and children’s playroom. Open 24 hours!

The grand opening featured free door prizes - free souvenirs “for both men and women!” and featured appearances by future United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famers, Steve Nagy and Harry Smith.

While I don’t know the exact date the Tournament Bowl closed its doors (I believe it was the early 1990s), what I do know is that a Ralph’s grocery store is now located there.

The Tournament Bowl hosted the Oxnard PBA Open September 24-27, 1964.

The other Oxnard bowling alley in years past was the Wagon Wheel Bowl, which closed in May 2015.

Finally, a brand new Bowlero opened at The Collection at RiverPark in Oxnard in October 2021, so for now, bowling is still alive in Oxnard!

BOWLING ALLEYS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Drive-In Movie Theaters That Once Were Located in Ventura County

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Once upon a time there were drive-in theaters around Ventura County, providing family entertainment combined with fresh air.

The Simi Drive-In was located at 361 Tierra Rejada Road. It opened in 1963 and closed in 1997, for a 34 year run.

The Pacific 101 Drive-In in Ventura was located at 4826 E. Telephone Road (at the 101). This theater opened in 1948 and closed in 1998. Fifty years!

Sky View Drive-In in Oxnard at 1250 S. Oxnard Blvd opened in 1955 and closed in 1988.

The Santa Paula Drive-In Theatre was located on Harvard Blvd at Barkla (which I believe today is Palm Ave). It opened on Thursday, May 18, 1950 and closed in the 1978 time frame.

Pacific’s Thousand Oaks Drive-In Grand Opening in August 1967

The Thousand Oaks Drive-In was located at Kelley Road and Newbury Road in Newbury Park (now Kohl's) It opened in 1967 and closed in 1983.

The West Wind All Digital Drive-In in Goleta closed in September 2022 after operating from 1966 to 1991, then 2010 to 2019, then once again from 2020 to 2022.

Facts and Figures About the Ventura County Call Box Program

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2023 UPDATE: This was originally posted in 2013 and updated in 2016. The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) provided an update of the Ventura County Call Box program at its April 7, 2023 meeting. There are currently 429 emergency call boxes in Ventura County, averaging 1,200 calls for motorist assistance per year, down from 3,000 calls per year in 2016. There were 1,131 call box calls in 2022, down from 1,179 in 2020. In 2022, the call boxes were upgraded from 3G to 4G/LTE cellular technology.

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Ever wonder about the call boxes on the side of the highways around town? Currently, 29 of the state's 58 counties have call box programs.  Statewide, there are 15,000 call boxes, lining some 6,300 miles of California highways. Call boxes throughout California generate more than 100,000 calls per month.

Costs associated with the call box program are paid for by a $1 annual fee included in the County/District Fees shown on your DMV vehicle registration notice.

Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol and regional "SAFE" ("Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways") agencies jointly operate the program. In Ventura County, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) oversees the call box program.

Since 1985, the goal of SAFE is to quickly identify and respond to freeway incidents such as breakdowns and accidents in order to minimize their impacts in terms of congestion, public safety and air quality, and to increase the reliability of the freeway system and better manage traffic flow.

There are currently (as of September 2016) 560 active call boxes in Ventura County, roughly 40% on Highway 101, 20% on Highway 126, 15% on Highway 118 and the remainder on PCH, SR 23 and Highways 33, 34 and 150.

So the question most of you may have is, does anyone actually use call boxes given the proliferation of cell phones? The answer is...yes...but the numbers have dropped dramatically over the years.

Over the last five years, an average of roughly 3,000 calls for assistance have been made from call boxes in Ventura County each year. While this is down dramatically from the 17,000 calls made in the year 2000, they are still being used.

In recent years, 420 call boxes have been upgraded from 2G to 3G service. The remaining 141 call boxes will be removed in 2016-2017, with an anticipated cost savings of $380,000 over the next five years. This is based on a review of the SAFE program presented to the Ventura County Transportation Commission in its September 9, 2016 meeting.

Visit the VCTC website at www.goventura.org to learn more about transportation options in Ventura County.

Note: Originally posted in 2013. Updated in 2016.

Homeless Shelters in Ventura County Offering Hot Meals and Overnight Cots

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Many of Ventura County's homeless find comfort in the warm, dry places open to them for sleeping overnight. Most shelters offer food--a hot meal for dinner, sometimes a pastry or bagel for breakfast and sack lunches for the road. Some facilities have showers. All depend on volunteers. Sometimes volunteers come forward to offer entertainment during dinner--a youth group singing, a bell choir. Or, more practical volunteers give free haircuts. Clothes and toiletries are donated.  Each shelter is an opportunity for those with compassion to help men, women and children in need.

Some people find shelter rules too hard to follow and so they live on the street even in cold, rainy weather. For instance. no pets are allowed and some do not want to be separated from their furry companions. But the rules are meant to keep the shelters safe.

Children and adults who sleep in a shelter must show proof of a recent, within 60 days, clear TB test before they will be allowed in a shelter. It's the law. Ventura County Public Health Clinics will provide free TB tests to shelter users. Anyone intoxicated or behaving in a disorderly manner will not be allowed inside any shelter site.

Here is a List of Homeless Shelters available in Ventura County (courtesy of County of Ventura Human Services Agency) (Info current as of June 2023 and subject to change, so call first).

OXNARD - YEAR ROUND SHELTERS

Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County (previously called Ventura County Rescue Mission) 234 E. 6th Street, Oxnard, open year round. Provides place to sleep, hot meal, shower for a limited number of guests for up to 10 consecutive nights. Check-in by 5 p.m. Call 805.487.1234 or visit vcrescuemission.org.

Lighthouse Womens & Children’s Mission--Emergency Shelter 104 N. Hayes, Oxnard, operated by The Rescue Mission Alliance year round. Serves single women, mothers with children (boys up to 10 years old; some exceptions made up to age 12). Provides a place to sleep, hot meals and shower. Call 805.385.7200 or visit vcrescuemission.org/lighthouse/about.

Kingdom Center (Gabriel's House) Women's Shelter at 1450 S. Rose Ave, Oxnard has a year-round shelter for up to 20 single women and women with children. Call 805.487.3445 or visit gabriels-house.org for more information.

VENTURA - YEAR-ROUND SHELTERS

Our Place Safe Haven 536 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, operated by Turning Point Foundation is open year round. Serves homeless mentally ill/single men and women with place to sleep, showers, meals, laundry facilities, mail and phone and case management. Capacity is 10. There is a waiting list. 805.652.2151 or turningpointfoundation.org/housing.

Salvation Army Emergency Shelter at 155 S. Oak Street, Ventura operates year-round, with a capacity of 12 homeless, single men and single women. venturatlc.salvationarmy.org

WINTER SHELTERS

Simi Valley P.A.D.S. (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) has rotating meal sites year round and overnight sleep sites from November 1 to March 31. Simi Valley residents only. Families and singles. Overnight shelter sites check-in at 7:30 pm with a capacity that varies by site from 30 to 40 people.  For dinner sites and other information, call 805.579.9166 Monday to Thursday 9am to 2pm.

Overnight Simi Valley shelter locations from November through March include the following:

Dinner sites by the Samaritan Center of Simi Valley are summed up at samaritancentersimivalley.org/dinner or call 805.579.9166 for details (and for year-round meal sites).

Ojai Valley Family Shelter has rotating Church sites with 6 p.m. check in from December 1 to March 31 to serve Ojai residents only (must show 6 month proof of residency). Hot meals, a place to sleep and showers. Up to 25-30 singles and families are welcome. Call 805.804.7094.

Conejo Valley Winter Shelter locations operated through 2019. Non-profit Harbor House currently provides a daily pickup meal program. See www.harborhouseto.org/volunteer.html.

The West County Winter Warming Shelter at the Army National Guard Armory, 1270 Arundell, Ventura is scheduled to open December 1st through March 30th. Open to families and singles. Check in 6pm, exit 6am. Capacity 125. Hot meal, place to sleep, shelter. Hot meal served 6:30pm to 7:30pm.Call 2-1-1 downtownventura.org/shelter/

History Tidbit - Sav-On Drugs Store in Thousand Oaks in the Early 1970s

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Photo Credit: Thousand Oaks Library - Conejo Through the Lens Collection

This Sav-on Drugs store opened in the Conejo Valley Plaza, 1382 Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, in 1972. CVS acquired 700 Osco Drugs and Sav-on Drugs store in 2006, though the Sav-on brand name is now owned by Albertson’s. Sav-on originated in California in the mid 1945s, founded by Alton Clark (who later founded the aptly named Clark Drugs) and C. J. Call. Sav-on was the first self-service drug store in California.