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HAPPY
NEW
YEAR!
"Injustice
anywhere is a threat to
justice everywhere."
January 16 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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CALABASAS RECEIVES RECORD $1,000,000 DONATION TO BUILD BRANDON'S VILLAGE |
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 Capping
a year-long fundraising effort, the City of Calabasas is pleased to
announce that The Friedman Charitable Foundation has generously agreed
to donate $1,000,000 to fund the construction of Brandon’s Village, a
universally accessible playground at Gate’s Canyon Park
(map).
“This is the largest gift in the history of the City,” said
Mayor
Barry Groveman. “This record $1,000,000 dollar donation from the
Friedman Charitable Foundation will ensure that Brandon’s Village is a
playground where able-bodied and children with special-needs can play
together without encumbrance for generations to come. This is one of
the greatest moments in the history of Calabasas and a testimony of
our city’s commitment to provide recreation opportunities to all
residents. I look forward to the playground opening in the first half
of 2006.”
Brandon’s Village will be the only universally accessible playground
in the region. After members of the community suggested the project,
the Calabasas City Council allocated $100,000 to design the playground.
A Community Committee was formed to provide leadership and direction
for the project and includes Mayor Groveman, Parks and Recreation
Commission Chair Mark Shear, former Education Commissioner Robin Applefield, Community Services Director Jeff Rubin and Dina Kaplan and
Jo Ann Melancon, members of the Las Virgenes Special Education PTA.
Brandon’s Village is named for Dina Kaplan’s son Brandon who has
special-needs.
Working with
Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization that
designs and builds universally accessible
 playgrounds,
the Committee agreed on a playground design that will be about one
acre in size and serve over 5,000 special needs children from
Calabasas and the surrounding communities. All playground equipment
will be over 70% independently playable for children with disabilities
and will also provide meaningful and stimulating play opportunities
for able-bodied children.
The
Calabasas City Council held a special meeting on December 12, 2005
to recognize the Friedman Charitable Foundation’s incredible gift to
the community and celebrate the successful fundraising effort that
will allow Brandon’s Village to be built. |
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SOLUTIONS FOR HOLIDAY WASTE |
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 While
the presents
have been opened and the holiday season has
officially come to an end, the waste generated over the holidays is
still all around us. Americans produce about 25 percent more trash between
Thanksgiving and New Years than during any other time of the year,
according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
As part of ongoing efforts to reduce
waste, the City of Calabasas would like to help families reduce holiday
waste by providing insight on what to do with leftover holiday items.
Please do not throw away your holiday boxes
and ribbons! Over 38,000 miles of
ribbon are thrown out each year, which is enough to tie a bow around the
Earth. Try to save all the ribbons, boxes and holiday bags to
reuse for future presents or next year’s holiday season.
And instead of throwing away unwanted
presents, take them to shelters, toy drives or research funded stores to
help those that are less fortunate.
And remember to
recycle holiday trees and
greenery by removing all tinsel, ornaments, decorations, nails, bags and
metal tree stands. Then place trees and holiday greenery in the green
waste bin, on your appropriate recycling day. Holiday trees and other
holiday greenery will be collected on regular solid waste collection
days for a maximum of 15 collection days following December 25
through January 14, 2006.
For more information, please contact
Heather Stotland, the City of Calabasas Recycling and Solid Waste
Coordinator at (818) 878-4225. |
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SAVE THE DATE: 8TH ANNUAL CALABASAS STATE OF THE CITY
ADDRESS |
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 Mayor
Barry Groveman will present the 8th Annual City of Calabasas Mayor's
State of the City Address on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 in the Council
Chambers at Calabasas City Hall. The speech will be broadcast live on
CTV.
The State of the City address is an annual presentation by the Mayor of
Calabasas bringing residents, City staff and civic leaders together to
reflect on City accomplishments from the past year and to review plans
for the future. The
Calabasas Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer at
6:00p.m. and the speech will begin at 7:00p.m. Members of the
public are invited to attend. |
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AMERICAN RED CROSS AND CITY OF CALABASAS OFFER FREE TRAINING COURSES |
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 Are
you interested
in learning about how to open and run a shelter in response to
disasters that affect our communities? The City of Calabasas
and the American
Red Cross are offering a free course on two days in February to
teach residents the important components of emergency shelter
operations. Each course culminates in a tabletop drill. The
first session will take place on Saturday, February 18, 2006 from
9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. at the
Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center at 23400 Park Sorrento in
Calabasas. The second session will take place on Tuesday,
February 28, 2006 from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. at City Hall, located at
26135 Mureau Road in Calabasas, inside the Council Chambers.
To register or for more information, please contact Debbie Larson at
(818) 878-4225 x294 or
dlarson@cityofcalabasas.com.
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DEBBIE
O'HARE BRUSCHABER RECEIVES ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD |
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 The
Calabasas Environmental Excellence Award is a symbol of our
community's commitment to preserving California’s environment. The
Award recognizes voluntary activities by those who promote healthier
living in Calabasas, specifically by reducing waste and conserving
energy and natural resources. The award honors people and
organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment or innovation
above and beyond their primary mission. Debbie O’Hare Bruschaber of
the Mountains Restoration Trust will be awarded the Calabasas
Environmental Excellence Award at the next
Environmental Commission
meeting on January 3, 2006 at 7:00pm. The meeting will be shown live
on CTV.
Nominations for the Award are welcomed from
individuals, companies, government agencies, consultants, educators,
researchers and students. When selecting recipients, the
awards committee considers measurable improvements to environmental
quality, creativity, environmental achievements, commitment to
protecting the environment, promoting community involvement and
other core values of the Award. To nominate an individual or
institution, please download an “Environmental Excellence Award
Nomination Form”
(.PDF
.DOC) and return it to
Alex Farassati, Environmental Services Manager via
fax at (818)
878-4205 or e-mail at
afarassati@cityofcalabasas.com.
For more information, please contact
the City Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818) 878-4225.
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LOS
ANGELES COUNTY REPORTS RISE IN WHOOPING COUGH CASES |
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 Los Angeles
County is currently experiencing a significant increase in the number
of reported cases of
pertussis (whooping cough), similar to the trend
throughout California and the United States. Over 178 pertussis
cases were reported to the
County Immunization Program by the end of
August, which is nearly a three-fold increase in the number of cases
reported during the same time period of the previous 5 years and
exceeds the total number of cases reported during the entire year of
2004. Not since the 1970s has Los Angeles County experienced
this magnitude of pertussis morbidity during this specified time
period.
According to the County, adolescents
and adults continue to be the primary reservoir for transmission to
infants who are too young to have received at least 3 doses of a
pertussis-containing vaccine. The need to protect infants from
pertussis infection is underscored by the fact that to date in 2005,
there have been two pertussis-related deaths among infants less than 2
months of age in LAC.
For additional information about pertussis,
please visit the Los Angeles County Immunization Program's website at
http://lapublichealth.org/ip/index.htm or
call (213) 351-7800. |
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WINTER RECREATION BROCHURE |
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 The
2006 Winter Recreation brochure has been mailed out and is also
available 24 hours a day
online. The 46-page brochure features detailed information about adult and
youth classes, senior citizen programs, community news and
information, sports activities and much more.
Many classes begin in January so don't delay looking into recreation
opportunities for you and your family. Remember, you can also easily register for classes online!
For more information or for help with registration, please call (818) 880-6461. |
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ONE WORLD, ONE CALABASAS:
ARBOR DAY AND EARTH DAY EVENTS |
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 Production of waste
requires the consumption of scarce fossil fuels and involves
emissions of numerous air and water pollutants, which are harmful to
the Earth. In 1972, only 36 percent of the nation's assessed streams
were safe for uses such as fishing and swimming. Today, about 60
percent are safe, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency.
Yet more needs to be accomplished.
To celebrate Arbor Day and
Earth Day, the City of Calabasas is
promoting two events: 1) Stream to Sea Family Fun Day and 2)
Creek-Clean Up. To promote environmental awareness, the Stream to
Sea celebration will be held on April 1, 2006. Participants will
enjoy fun presentations and performances on conservation,
entertainment, contests, prizes and a tree planting ceremony.
Calabasas residents can help eliminate waste by partaking in a two
weekend long event. Help clean-up creeks around Calabasas on March
18, 2006 and March 26, 2006. Participants will receive a free
T-shirt, free food, community service credit and prizes in addition
to the enjoyment of helping the environment while having fun. But to
make this event rewarding and exciting, the City needs your help!
Become directly involved in the creek clean-up by sponsoring the
event. You can become directly involved by cleaning the creek,
provide prizes or supply snacks. For more information on how to
become involved and become a sponsor, please contact the Calabasas
Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818) 878-4225. |
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E-WASTE
AND PAINT COLLECTION EVENTS |
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 Two
free and special waste and recycling events will be taking place in
January for Calabasas residents. The city is holding a free electronic
waste collection on Saturday, January 7, 2006 at the future Calabasas
Civic Center site located at Park Sorrento behind the Commons shopping
center from 10:00a.m - 3:00p.m. Acceptable items include but are not
limited to CD players, laptops and personal computers, microwave
ovens, printers, radios, stereos, telephones, and VCR’s.
On Saturday, January 14, 2006 there will be a free water based paint
and use oil collection event at the
Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center
located at 23400 Park Sorrento from 10:00a.m - 2:00p.m. For more
information, please contact the City of Calabasas Recycling and Solid
Waste Coordinator at (818) 878-4225. |
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SPOTLIGHT SWING NIGHT IN FEBRUARY |
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 Spotlight
The Arts is hosting
"Spotlight Swing Nite" fundraiser on Sunday,
February 19, 2006 at the
Sagebrush
Cantina in Calabasas. The event will
feature the Big Band Sounds of Bob Faust & His All Star Band and will
be emceed by TV personality Stephanie Edwards.
The fundraiser begins at 5:30p.m. and will include dinner with
traditional American cuisine, swing dance demonstration and
instruction, dancing and raffle prizes. Tickets are $75 per
person.
For more information or to buy tickets, please call (818) 725-2978. |
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KEEPING
PARKS AND OPEN SPACES CLEAN |
We
all have favorite places outdoors that offer unlimited chances for
fun and recreation–whether we walk, jog, play sports, ride a bike or
even a surfboard. Favorite places also give us enjoyment because of
their natural beauty. Popular or quite, each of these areas should
be treated as though they’re our own – because they are.
America’s most majestic national parks have something in common with
our own library and City Hall. They all belong to the public – you
and I. In fact, over one-third of America is “public land.” Local,
state, and federal agencies set this land aside for many uses,
including transportation, education, and recreation. Other areas
protect nature, wildlife, and sites of historic significance.
Public lands help every community meet civic and cultural needs.
Keeping these areas clean is up to us. But research has found that
many people feel otherwise. Believing that “someone else” will
clean up after them is one attitude people use to justify littering
or dumping garbage. Having no sense of ownership is another. As a
result, millions of tax dollars and many hours are spent annually
picking up trash. Money is also spent removing graffiti and
repairing vandalism caused by people who don’t respect public land.
Showing respect for public lands such as parks and areas, set aside
as open spaces, can also mean hiking only designated trails, not
picking rare flowers or plants, and not disturbing wild animals.
The most important thing you can do is set an example for others,
especially by not littering. If everyone followed our example, tax
dollars could be used for everything from new playground equipment
to important community services. I can also:
1.
- Ask
family and friends to set examples.
2.
-
Teach children why it’s important not to litter.
3.
-
Follow park rules.
4.
-
Remember that public areas are mine to enjoy and care for, even
though I may be on vacation or in another community.
5.
- Hike
only where there are trails. Some areas, especially sand dunes on
beaches, can be eroded if too many people walk over them.
6.
- Have
your school class make a list of different public areas and what
they are used for. Visit several to see how they serve the
community’s needs.
7.
-
Invite someone from a local park or nature center to visit your
class and speak about the importance of caring for public areas and
using them wisely so that others can also enjoy them.
8.
- If
you belong to a civic organization, club, or recreational sports
team, organize a group project to repair playground equipment, build
benches, or enhance a neglected area. Work in cooperation with your
local parks department.
9.
- Pick
one area and learn about the plants and animals that are found
there. Why so you think it’s important to take care of their home?
1.
- Ask
a camera club if it will sponsor a photo contest, using public areas
as the subject. Camera stores can help contact club members.
2.
- Loan
an inexpensive instant camera to a school. Students can take a
picture of a favorite outdoor area and write a story telling why
it’s special.
3.
Call
the local Parks and Recreation department and volunteer to help
organize a “Pride in Public Parks Day” cleanup. Speak to
businesses, youth groups, churches, and civic groups about such an
event and ask for their participation.
Article courtesy of Keep America Beautiful
(www.kab.org)
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WHAT'S ON CTV? |
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Be sure to tune in to CTV
on cable channel 3 in Calabasas, through live
online web-streaming,
or watch any meeting or CTV program at ANYTIME through the new
CTV archive.
Programs this month
include:
Assembly from day
two of the teen drunk-driving awareness and education event held at
Calabasas High School in November 2005. |
Visit the
CTV Channel Guide for a complete listing of
programming.
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CALABASAS
MEETINGS
& HOLIDAYS |
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 Calabasas
City Hall will be closed on
Monday, January 2, 2006 (New Year's Day Observed) and Monday, January 16,
2006 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). City Council Agenda Items
are available online, the Thursday prior to a City Council Meeting.
Agendas for all commissions
are available online the Friday prior to the commission meeting.
For a complete
calendar of events and meetings during
January, please visit our
Calendar Page. |
That’s all for this month. If you have any questions
about e.News or City
issues in general, please email our Media Operations Director, Deborah
Steller,
at
dsteller@cityofcalabasas.com.
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at the City of Calabasas.
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