The Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center is celebrating 10 years with an exciting schedule of public festivities at the Center from December 4-11, 2009.  The Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center is a 30,000 square foot, state-of-the-art recreational facility that offers a variety of recreational, social, cultural, and educational programs and activities to meet the needs of the surrounding communities.  The Center opened in December 1999 and has consistently provided a safe and modern space for residents to exercise, hold private functions, attend a camp, and meet friends for games and recreation. 

The community is invited to help celebrate the Center's first 10 years starting on Friday, December 4, 2009 during a "Friday Night Slammer" featuring rock climbing, games, sports, pizza and special activities for kids ages 10-13.   Admission is only $10 per person and the event is from 7:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.  There will also be a rock music concert featuring the Harm on Friday, December 4 at the Community Center.  Doors will open at 7:30p.m. and admission is $10.  On Saturday, December 5, the Community Center is hosting the 2009 AHCCC Winter Badminton Open.  All levels are welcome to participate in this first annual tournament.  To inquire about registration and times, please call (818) 880-2993.  On Sunday, December 6, the public is invited to a free Jazzy Sunday Afternoon at the Community Center from 1:30p.m. to 3:30p.m.  Come listen and dance to music from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.  This free event will be held monthly on the first Sunday of every month.  Finally, on Friday, December 11, the Community Center will have an Open House with free use of the facility all day.   Members and non-members will be welcome to come workout, play basketball, take a fitness class and see what the Community Center has to offer.  During the evening on December 11, there will be a free Family Movie Night with a screening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at 7:00p.m.  The Agoura/Calabasas Community Center is located at 27040 Malibu Hills Rd in Calabasas. For more information on these 10th anniversary events at the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center, please call (818) 880-2993. 

Mayor Jonathon Wolfson will present the 12th Annual Calabasas Mayor's State of the City Address on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 in Founders Hall at the Calabasas Library.  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.  The speech will be videotaped and replayed on CTV-3 in Calabasas and available on demand via the Calabasas website. 

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. For more information about the Mayor's State of the City Address, please call (818) 224-1600.

CTV – The Calabasas Channel, the government access channel for the City of Calabasas, has been awarded first place in Overall Excellence for Government Programming at the National NATOA Government Programming Awards (GPAs) in New Orleans, Louisiana.   The NATOA Government Programming Awards are presented annually and recognize excellence in broadcast, cable, multimedia and electronic programming produced by local government agencies from the entire country.  Categories cover a variety of programming including, among others, community events, documentary, public affairs and public service, interview/talk show, performing arts, sports, election coverage and children’s issues. 
 
In addition to the Overall Excellence first place award, Calabasas also won first place in Election Coverage beating out entries from large-market cities such as Seattle and Denver. CTV provided residents with live election return coverage during the March 2009 Calabasas Municipal Elections as well as a Meet the Candidates program and an election wrap-up show. CTV was also awarded first place for best Video Text Bulletin Board, the graphics-based bulletin board for Calabasas residents that plays between programs on CTV.  CTV received second place in the Public Affairs programming category for the “Mayor’s State of the City Address 2009” and an Honorable Mention in the Public Education programming category for “City Spotlight – BioBlitz”. 
 
 CTV may be seen on cable in Calabasas by Charter and Time Warner subscribers on Channel 3. CTV is also web-streamed live 24 hours a day and CTV programming is available through the CTV Web Archive which allows users to watch any program at any time through their internet-connected computer. Award-winning programming may be viewed on demand from the City website at www.cityofcalabasas.com.

Interested in getting emails from the City of Calabasas with upcoming meeting agendas and project updates?  The City of Calabasas has launched a “Connect with Calabasas” webpage as a one-stop page for residents to sign-up to receive informational emails from the City of Calabasas.  For many years, Calabasas has posted all City meeting agendas, updates on major development projects, roadwork advisories, and the City’s electronic newsletter e.News on the City website at www.cityofcalabasas.com.  Now, residents can have these items emailed directly to their inbox by signing up on the “Connect with Calabasas” site.  Connect with Calabasas allows users to receive all City Council, City Commission and any other publically posted meeting agenda directly in their email inbox.  Residents may also sign up to receive updates on major development or public works projects in the City, Monthly Development Reports, updates on roadwork and road resurfacing projects, and to sign up for the monthly City electronic newsletter.  To sign up to receive Connect with Calabasas emails, please visit the “Connect with Calabasas” site.

The City of Calabasas is once again joining forces with Heal the Bay for the December 17, 2009 campaign “A Day Without a Bag.”  Free re-usable bags will be distributed to shoppers at two of the City’s three supermarkets  - Albertsons (26521 Agoura Rd) and Ralphs (in the Commons) - on December 17, 2009. 

“A Day Without a Bag” is an educational and grassroots event that involves businesses and individuals throughout Los Angeles County. On this day, shoppers and retailers are asked to forgo single-use, plastic shopping bags in favor of reusable bags.  By raising consumer awareness about personal choices, “A Day Without a Bag” focuses on education, rather than advocacy.  

More than 6 billion plastic bags are used in Los Angeles County each year. Disposable bags cost fiscally strained cities up to 17 cents per bag for disposal (this does not include the environmental costs). Plastic bags are made from fossil fuels. Americans use over 380 billion bags every year, throwing away this non-renewable resource. 

TEMPORARY ADVERTISING BANNER PERMIT INFORMATION FOR LOCAL RETAILERS

In light of the current hardships faced by many local retail businesses, the Calabasas City Council passed Resolution #2009-1213 on November 18, 2009 which allows retailers to erect a temporary advertising banner to assist them in attracting customers.  The resolution allows retailers to display an advertising banner of no more than 20 square feet in size for a total period of 28 days until April 2010. 

Retailers will need a permit to erect the banner, which is available at the public works counter at City Hall. The cost for the permit is $300 and the permit application is available online. Business owners with any questions about the program, which runs through April 18, 2010, may contact the Calabasas Planning Department at (818) 222-1600.

A Native Plants Sale and Festival will be held on December 5, 2009 from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. at the Topanga Ranch Motel parking lot located at 18711 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.  Landscape designers, botanists, and biologists will be available for free consultations.  The sale is a great opportunity to purchase native, drought-resistant plants for home or business use.  The Native Plants Sale and Festival originated at the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains and has been made possible by the support of local stakeholders, including the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, Heal the Bay, G3 LA (Green Garden Group), Natural Resources Conservation Service, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Mountains Restoration Trust, the Cities of Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village, the Malibu Creek Watershed Council and the founder of this event, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains.  The site has been provided by the generosity of California Department of State Parks.

Bring a  new and emerging reader from grades K-3 to the Calabasas Library on Saturday, December 12, 2009 to share in the unique reading program featuring some very special dogs.  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 be accepted beginning at 11:00a.m. in the library.  The Calabasas Library is located at 200 Civic Center Way in Calabasas (map). For more information call, please call Jill Nevins, Children’s Library assistant, at  (818) 225-7616, ext. 2.

Have a 3rd through 6th grader at home with an interest in reading?  The Calabasas Library features a First Wednesday Book Club specifically for kids in grades 3-6.  Membership in the book club is free and the next meeting is on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 4:00p.m. at the Library to discuss the book The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman.  The Homework Machine chronicles the exploits of four  classmates bound together by one very big secret: a homegrown homework machine that does their work for them.  Before long, members of the D Squad, as they are called at school are getting strange Instant Messages from a shady guy named Milner; their teacher, Miss Rasmussen, is calling private meetings with each of them and giving them pop tests that they are failing; and someone has leaked the possibility of a homework machine to the school newspaper! 3rd-6th graders, whether they've finished the book or not, are welcome to come by the Calabasas Library on December 2 to discuss the book and get a head start on January's selection!  For more information, please call Jill Nevins at 818-225-7616 or email jnevins@cityofcalabasas.com.

"Snow Snow Snow Day" returns on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at Gates Canyon Park in Calabasas.  As always, between 11:00a.m. and 1:00p.m., a winter wonderland arrives in Calabasas as TONS of snow will be on the ground for frolicking by children of all ages. 

Admission is only $7 per child ages 2-12 and children under 2 are free!  The mid-day event will also feature refreshments and arts & crafts (available for purchase).  Bring an inner tube, sled or saucer (please note that sleds are not provided) and get ready for snow-filled fun in southern California!  For more information, please call (818) 880-6461.

2010 WINTER RECREATION BROCHURE

Stumped about what recreation activities are available in the City of Calabasas? Make sure to check out the 2010 Winter Calabasas Recreation Brochure that will be mailed to all Calabasas residents in December.  The brochure features detailed information about adult and youth classes, senior citizen programs, community news and information, sports activities and much more. 

The 2010 Winter Calabasas Recreation Brochure will also be available online and paper copies will be available at City Hall, the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center and the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center.   Classes will run  from January to March 2010 so make sure to register early!   For more information about Calabasas recreation opportunities or for help with class registration, please call the Recreation department at (818) 880-6461.

The City of Calabasas  organizes two free monthly electronic waste collection events in addition to the usual monthly water based paint and used oil collection event. On  the first Saturday of each month (Saturday, December 5, 2009), an electronic waste collection will take place at the Albertson’s parking lot, 26521 Agoura Road (at Las Virgenes Road) in Calabasas from 10:00a.m to 3:00p.m. A second monthly electronic waste event will take place on the 3rd Saturday of the month, December 19, 2009, in the Vons Shopping Center parking lot at 23381 Mulholland Drive in Woodland Hills from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.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, December 12, 2009 there will be a free water based paint and used oil collection event at Calabasas City Hall located at 100/200 Civic Center Way (map) adjacent to the Commons from 10:00a.m to 2:00p.m. For more information, please contact the City of Calabasas Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818) 224-1600.

The Mercury Thermostat Collection Act of 2008 requires construction and demolition professionals to properly remove and dispose of out-of-service mercury-added thermostats. Effective since July 1, 2009, the law requires contractors who are installing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning components to transport out-of-service mercury-added thermostats in accordance with the Universal Waste Regulations found in CA Code of Regulations, Title 22, Chapter 23. Contractors and anyone engaged in building demolition must take out-of-service mercury-added thermostats to a collection location that is operated in accordance with Universal Waste Regulations. 

Collection bins for out-of-service mercury-added thermostats are required by law to be provided at HVAC wholesaler locations in California. To find a HVAC wholesaler near you, visit http://www.thermostat-recycle.org. Collection bins may also be found at local government agency household hazardous waste (HHW) collection facilities.  Failure of professional contractors to comply with this law may result in penalties of up to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each separate violation or, for continuing violations, for each day that a violation continues. Learn more about the law and the obligations for contractors and building demolition at:
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/HazardousWaste/Mercury_Therm_Act.cfm. Anyone with questions may contact the DTSC at thermostats@dtsc.ca.gov or DTSC’s Regulatory Assistance Officers at 800-72-TOXIC (800-728-6942).

WHAT TO DO ABOUT HOLIDAY WASTE

Americans generate about 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years than any other time of the year, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board. However, there are many alternatives in decorating gifts that are creative and environmentally friendly.

The beautiful colors and patterns in holiday wrapping paper contain dyes and chemicals that make it difficult to be recycled. Gift bags and pre-printed gift boxes are great alternatives to wrapping paper, especially since they are reusable. Be creative by wrapping presents in fabric or turn gift-giving into a game by hiding presents around the house. Consider giving gifts that do not generate waste such as music or sports lessons, gym memberships, or tickets for special events: concerts, the opera, a musical or sporting event.

Holiday trees can be properly cared for and recycled after the holidays: cut about one inch off the base of the tree trunk and place it in the tree holder with hot water. Also, consider purchasing an artificial tree or a live tree that can be planted after the holidays.  For those residents interested in "recycling" live Christmas trees, please remove all ornaments, cut the tree in half and place the tree in a green color yard waste bin for collection.  Please note that flocked trees and those coated with fire retardants cannot be accepted. 

Conejo Players Theatre - Thousand Oaks
Bert & Eddie
Book, Original Music and Lyrics by Dick DeBenedictis
Through December 12
Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm

Madrid Theatre - Canoga Park
     December 2009 Calendar

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza - Thousand Oaks

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 CTV archive.

CTV programming is now available on YouTube!

This month on CTV:

Author's Night
(View this program anytime with CTV Archiving)

Host Karyn Foley's guest is Nan Deane Cano discussing her book, "Acts of Light - Martha Graham in the 21st Century".

Tune in to hear Mrs. Cano's inspiration and steps she took to create this first book to comprehensively survey Graham's dances in full color digital photography, it also features personal interviews with this new generation of Graham interpreters, the meaning each dance has for them personally, and how they approach now-classic works and personalize their interpretations.

Calabasas City Hall will be closed  on Thursday, December 24, Friday, December 25, and Friday, January 1, 2010.   City Hall will also close at noon on Thursday, December 31, 2009.

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.  All City Council meetings and commission meetings take place in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Way in Calabasas. 

Want City Agendas delivered to your email? Sign up at http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/connect.html.

For a complete calendar of events and meetings during December, please visit our Calendar Page.