|
|
CIVIC CENTER GRAND OPENING EVENTS IN JULY ANNOUNCED |
|
The new
Calabasas Civic Center, a 25,000 square foot
Library, 27,000 square foot City Hall and a public
plaza, will be opening this July. To celebrate,
the City is inviting the entire community to mark this
significant community milestone during a Grand Opening
Celebration weekend. On the evening of Saturday, July
12, 2008, the City will be hosting a fundraising Gala to
benefit the Calabasas Library. The semi-formal event
will feature numerous selections of butlered hors d’
oeuvres, gourmet dessert buffet stations, various bar
beverages including vintage wines and cappuccino bar,
three areas with live music, and special advance tours
of the Library and City Hall. Exact ticket details will
be announced soon and tickets will be available on a
first-come, first served basis until sold out.
On Sunday, July 13, 2008, the City will be holding a
free Grand Opening Celebration for the Civic Center
featuring an official ribbon cutting ceremony and
dedication, complimentary hot dogs and soft drinks, and
open house tours of the new Library and City Hall. The
event will be held from 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. at the
Civic Center site next to the Commons. Additional
information about both Grand Opening events will be
featured in subsequent editions of e.News. For
more information about the Grand Opening weekend, please
contact John Bingham at (818) 878–4225
or jbingham@cityofcalabasas.com. |
top
|
LAS
VIRGENES CREEK RESTORATION COMPLETE |
Nearly 150 people participated in the grand opening/dedication
ceremony of Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project, including
the Mayor,
City Council members, commissioners and
Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev
Yaroslavsky. Chris Hooke, Vice president of the Ventura Chapter of
American Public Works Association presented the 2007 Project of the
Year Award to the City.
State Senator Sheila Kuehl sent a message through
her office director, Laura Plotkin and presented certificates of
recognition to Calabasas Public Works staff. Ten children who
participated in the previous week’s creek clean-up had the
opportunity to plant flowers at the project site. The children all
received certificates for their hard work and dedication. Mayor
James Bozajian remarked that, “A big ‘thank you’ is due to our staff
for the five years of work they did to devise a detailed plan and
obtain funding for the Las Virgenes Creek Restoration Project.
Saturday's grand opening ceremony was quite impressive. I am sure
the community will enjoy the new look of our Creek for many years to
come.” |
top
top
top
top
|
RESERVE NOW FOR A CALABASAS HISTORY TOUR |
|
 The
Calabasas Historical Society (CHS) is now taking
reservations for its new guided tour excursion
highlighting local historical landmarks. The Calabasas
History Tour will be offered on Sunday, March 9, 2008
and again on Saturday, April 12, 2008. The tour visits
several significant landmarks representing the Calabasas
area’s rich historical diversity. Knowledgeable guides
from the Calabasas Historical Society will share local
facts, legend and lore at such points of interest as the
Sepulveda Adobe,
Old Town Calabasas, Park Moderne,
King Gillette Ranch and the
S.O.P.H.I.E. Inc. Pet Cemetery. The last stop on
the tour will be the
Sagebrush Cantina for brunch or lunch at one of the
favorite area gathering spots since 1972.
The
Calabasas History Tour is a new program in conjunction
with the City of Calabasas’ recently passed
Historic Preservation Ordinance. “We are offering
tours to bring these preserved landmarks’ stories to the
community so people can appreciate their significance.
Knowing local history enriches one’s sense of place
while also putting perspective on the bigger picture.
We’re very excited to be a part of the program and hope
that people will take advantage of it,” says CHS
President Debbie Bruschaber. CHS members helping
to create the tours include Calabasas Mayor James
Bozajian, Debbie Bruschaber, Judy Jordan, Robin
Mitchell, and Taryn Wayne.
The 2.5
hour tour is free of charge and open to the general
public. Attendees will meet at the
Sagebrush Cantina to
begin the tour at 10:00 am. An optional brunch following
the tour is $23.95 on March 9 and $20.00 for lunch on
April 12. Seating is limited to 20 people. Reservations
must be made in advance by calling Debra Bruschaber at
(818) 591-1701 ext 205. Reservations are now being taken
for either the March 9 or April 12 excursion. |
top
|
CITY
SEEKING INPUT FROM ACTIVE CALABASAS SENIORS |
|
 The
Calabasas
Community Services Department, in cooperation with the
non-profit Partners in Care Foundation, is recruiting prospective
older adults to participate as stakeholders in focus groups to help
create meaningful activities and recreational opportunities for
seniors in Calabasas. As part of a project to assess the needs of
active senior citizens in the City, participating seniors will meet
with representatives from
Partners in Care to help the City
determine what current services are being used and to find out what
additional senior services would be of benefit to active seniors in
the community.
Partners in Care will also be distributing an invitation to seniors
in the City to participate in a survey questionnaire. Data
collected from the focus groups and surveys will be analyzed by
Partners in Care and will be included in a recommendation report
presented to the City this summer.
Active seniors interested in participating in
a focus group are encouraged to contact Toni Liebman at (818)
878-4225, ext. 261 or
tliebman@cityofcalabasas.com.
|
top
|
ARBOR DAY
CELEBRATION ON MARCH 15 |
|
 The
City of Calabasas and the
Mountains
Restoration Trust will be holding the annual
Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, March 15 2008 at
Gates Canyon Park
(map)
located at 25801 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Calabasas. A
fun tree planting
activity for children will commence at 10:00a.m. and the official Arbor
Day Ceremony takes place at 11:00a.m.
The event is free and
residents are welcome to come
out and get involved in helping to create a beautiful and healthy
environment in Calabasas. For more information about the Arbor
Day Celebration, please contact the Mountains Restoration Trust at
(818) 591-1701. |
top
|
LIFEGUARD AND WATER SAFETY CLASSES
AT THE TENNIS & SWIM CENTER |
|
 The
Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center is currently
seeking
Lifeguards and Swim instructors for the upcoming summer season. This exciting
summer job opportunity
provides a
comfortable outdoor work
environment near a
pool, interaction with friendly people and the
opportunity to assist with City events
like Movie Under the Stars or the 4th of July Splash
Party.
For applicants who are not yet certified as a lifeguard or swim
instructor,
the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center will
be hosting two lifeguard classes and two swim
instructor classes. The first lifeguard class runs from March
24 - 28, 2008 from 9:30a.m. to 4:30p.m. The second class takes
place on Mondays and Wednesdays on May 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 28 and
June 2 & 4 from 6:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.
The first swim instructor class
takes place on Saturdays from April 5 - 26 from 9:30.a.m to 5:00p.m. The
second swim instructor class takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from May 20 to June 12 from 6:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.
All classes costs $150.
For more information about summer lifeguard/swim instructor classes
or employment,
please call
Raine at (818) 222-2782. |
top
|
TIME TO
REGISTER FOR SPRING SWIM LESSONS |
|
 Parents
in Calabasas can now register their kids for spring swim lessons.
Registration forms are currently available at the
Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center.
Saturday lessons will begin on April
19 while Monday/Wednesday lessons start on April 21.
The two spring swim lesson groups begin on Saturday, April 14 and
April 16 respectively. Joe, the “Tiki Guy,” will be at the Swim
Center to accept registrations and answer phone calls starting March
3 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30p.m. - 6:30p.m.
Space is limited and the classes will fill-up quickly! For more
information, please call at the Tennis & Swim Center at (818)
222-2782. |
top
|
NEW
SPRING/SUMMER
RECREATION BROCHURE |
|
 The
City of Calabasas Recreation department is once again publishing a
combined Spring and Summer Recreation brochure for 2008. The double
issue, currently being mailed to residents and available
online in early March, will give families a chance to plan early
for summertime activities and classes while also taking advantage of
all the spring recreation opportunities in the City. The new
brochure features detailed information about adult and youth
classes, senior citizen programs, community news and information,
sports activities and much more.
Registration for spring classes will soon be available
online.
For more information about Calabasas recreation opportunities or for
help with class registration, please call the
Recreation department at (818) 880-6461. |
top
|
E-WASTE
COLLECTION EVENTS
|
|
 The
City is holding a free electronic waste collection on Saturday,
March 1, 2008 at Calabasas City Hall, 26135 Mureau Road in Calabasas 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.
Also on Saturday, March 8, 2008 there will be a free water based paint
and used 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. |
top
|
BIG
SUNDAY VOLUNTEER WEEKEND IN MAY |
|
 Big
Sunday is an annual volunteer weekend that takes place
each year in the Los Angeles area.
The 10th
Anniversary
Big Sunday
will take place on Saturday May 3 and Sunday May 4, 2008 and include
a series of environmental events labeled as Green Sunday.
Big Sunday volunteers come from, and volunteer in, all neighborhoods
from the greater Los Angeles area. There are volunteer
opportunities for every passion, every talent, and every age.
Projects are scheduled throughout the weekend to work with any
schedule. Projects can last anywhere from one hour to two days.
Everything about Big Sunday is completely non-denominational and
non-political.
Big Sunday has sent thousands of volunteers out to clean beaches and
rivers, clear brush, garden, rake, hoe, reforest, resoil, lay sod,
and, of course, plant countless flowers, shrubs and trees. Over the
years we've happily worked with many great environmental groups,
including Tree People, North East Trees, Heal the Bay, The Surfrider
Foundation, The Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, The Friends of the L.A.
River, Tree Muskeeteers, The California Native Plants Association,
Whittier Narrows Nature Center, Eaton Canyon Nature Center, and
many, many others.
For more information on Big Sunday, including sponsorship
opportunities, please visit
http://www.bigsunday.org/.
|
top
|
EXPANDED
POLYSTYRENE ORDINANCE TAKES EFFECT ON MARCH 31 |
|
 On
February 21, 2007, the
Calabasas City Council adopted
Ordinance
2007-233 banning retail food establishments, nonprofit food
providers and City facilities from using food packaging materials
made of expanded polystyrene, known popularly by the trademark name
Styrofoam. The
ordinance officially goes into effect on March 31, 2008. Food
packaging is defined in the ordinance as
all food-related wrappings, bags,
boxes, coverings and containers, and includes cups, glasses and
similar containers for drinking out of or for holding liquids, and
plates and serving tray. The ordinance excludes knives, forks,
spoons, lids, straws and materials used to package unprepared food.
The ordinance requires each retail food
establishment in Calabasas to comply with the ordinance on or before
March 31, 2008. Each retail food establishments is required to
submit a certification form before March 31, 2008 to certify
compliance with the ordinance. Restaurants
and other food service providers have the choice of many food
packaging products made of environmentally friendly alternatives,
such as bio-plastics made of corn, paper, and bagasse-ware made of
plant pulp, all of which meet the requirements of the ordinance.
Businesses with any further questions should contact Dana Blackburn
at (818) 878-4225 ext. 314. A
copy of the ordinance and an
informative brochure is
available on City’s website.
|
top
top
|
PAWS 4 HEALING READING PROGRAM
RETURNS TO THE CALABASAS LIBRARY |
|
 Bring
a new and emerging reader from grades K-3 to the
Calabasas
Library on Saturday, March 1, 2008 to share in a
unique reading program. Each participating child will
have 15 minutes to read to a therapy dog. The dogs,
each trained through the non-profit organization
Paws 4 Healing, will sit (or lie!) and listen while
your child experiences the joy of reading aloud. The
program is from 11:30a.m. to 1:30p.m and reservations
will start beginning at 11:00a.m. in the library. For
more information call, please call Jill Nevins,
Children’s Library assistant, at (818) 225-7616, ext.
2. |
top
|
PUBLIC INVITED TO MEETING TO DISCUSS
FRANCHISE WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM |
|
 Upon direction from the
Calabasas City Council, the Calabasas
Public Works
Department is developing a new solid waste franchise collection
system for residents and businesses. The franchise system will
replace the current permit system and it will provide benefits to
establish quality service and promote cleaner neighborhoods through
recycling services, environmental workshops, bulky item pick-ups,
and annual clean-up events. The franchise system will be designed
to provide uniform service standards for haulers operating in each
franchise area. The franchise system also will benefit the City by
limiting the wear and tear on City streets, will assist the City in
meeting the State's waste reduction mandate and City Council goal of
achieving 75% diversion rate by 2012, and will reduce the need for
new landfills.
The public is invited to attend a special meeting of the
Environmental Commission on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 7:00p.m. to
learn about the City’s upcoming solid waste franchise system and
express your expectations from the future haulers that will be
selected by the City. For additional information, please contact
the City of Calabasas Public Works Department at (818) 878-4225. |
top
|
5TH GRADERS TAKE PART IN NEW EDUCATIONAL
CAMP AT KING GILLETTE RANCH |
|
 On
Monday February 4, 2008 eighty-eight fifth grade
students from Chaparral Elementary School in Calabasas
became the first class to attend a new weeklong outdoor
educational camp at Historic
King Gillette Ranch
in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains run by the
Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).
Over a period of eight weeks, every fifth grader in the
Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD)--866
students from nine schools--will attend the program.
Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
naturalists will teach the program accompanied by
counselors from Calabasas and Agoura High Schools.
The
Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority
Outdoor Education Program combines the best of
residential outdoor education—campfires, wilderness
survival, night hikes, team building, and leadership
development—with a hands-on, environmental science-based
curriculum tied to State standards. Courses taught
during the five-day, four-night camp include ecology,
indigenous culture, watersheds, astronomy, natural
systems, adaptation, and weather.
The MRCA is a public agency of the state of California
established in 1985 pursuant to the Joint Powers Act
between the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the
Conejo Recreation and Park District, and the Rancho Simi
Recreation and Park District. The MRCA is dedicated to
the preservation and management of local open space and
parkland, watershed lands, trails, and wildlife habitat.
The MRCA manages and provides ranger services, including
fire protection, for over 60,000 acres of public
parkland. Additional information about the camp is
available by calling Dash Stolarz at (323) 221-9944,
ext. 198. |
top
|
ALLIED ARTISTS SHOWCASE OF "PLEIN
AIR" PAINTINGS |
|
 Families,
art lovers and nature lovers are invited to attend the 5th
annual
Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and
Seashore artist showcase of “plein air” paintings
Sunday, March 30, 2008 from 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., under
the oaks at the at Headwaters Corner, at Mulholland
Highway and Old Topanga Canyon Road North, Calabasas,
California. Admission is free with free on-site
parking.
The exhibit’s “plein air” art, which means painted
outdoors in nature, depicts the various parklands and
other scenic locations throughout the Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area. The painting above
is titled
"Wild Birds,
Malibu Lagoon" and was painted by Elena Roché.
Amateur and professional artists are presenting works in
oils, watercolors, mixed media, pastel and other art
forms interpreting the beauty of the Santa Monica
Mountains’ coasts and valley regions. Allied Artists of
the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore was formed in
1990 to keep alive the tradition of “plein air” painting
started by such California Impressionists as William
Wendt, Guy Rose, and Franz Bischoff in the early 1900s.
For more information about
Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT) or the event, contact
Hyla Douglas at (818) 591-1701 x 202. MRT is located at
3815 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Calabasas, CA 91302. The
website is
www.mountainstrust.org. For
more information about the Allied Artists, please visit
www.allied-artists.com. |
top
top
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.
e.News is developed by
the Media Operations Department
at the City of Calabasas.
Click here
to sign up a friend for e.News.
To unsubscribe
from the Calabasas E-Update, send the following email at any time:
|
|
The
City of Calabasas is proud to be hosting the 10th annual
