The 2009 Calabasas Pumpkin Festival, presented by the City of Calabasas and the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce, returns on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2009 from 10:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. at Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas.  The theme of this year's festival is "Hometown Event - Big Time Fun."  The Pumpkin Festival, which attracted over 33,000 visitors in 2008, will feature carnival games, arts & crafts, live entertainment, delicious food and beverages, derby races, pumpkin pie eating contests and a fun zone with inflatable rides.  New for 2009 will be the addition of a number of pumpkin-themed foods and beverages available for sale from numerous vendors on site.  On Saturday from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m., unlimited ride passes will be available for $2.00 off the normal price.   Plenty of additional information is available on the official Calabasas Pumpkin Festival website. 

The City of Calabasas, in conjunction with the Las Virgenes Unified School District, is inviting Calabasas families to take part in the 13^th annual International Walk to School Day program on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 beginning at 7:30a.m.  

Walk to School Day is an opportunity for parents and their children to take advantage of cooler weather by walking to and from school during daylight hours, reducing traffic, and increasing exercise levels.  Last year, students, parents, and community leaders from all 50 U.S. states walked to school during the event.  Walkers from the U.S. will be joining many countries from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day.     

The City hopes that at least 80% of Calabasas students will kick off the day at 7:30a.m. walking to school with parents, teachers and community leaders.  During the walk, volunteers will be handing out gifts and prizes to those participating in the walk. Other special activities include morning assemblies and rallies at each of the schools.  For more information about Walk to School Day in Calabasas, please contact Maralyn Gold at (818) 224-1691.

CALABASAS FIRST IN STATE TO ADOPT 2008 CALIFORNIA GREEN BUILDING STANDARDS

The City of Calabasas has become the first City in California to adopt a true Green Building Code incorporating California’s 2008 Green Building Standards Code.  Working from a mandate in the City’s recently adopted 2030 General Plan to think globally by acting as “a municipal role model in addressing global issues,” the new Green Building Code will ensure that all Calabasas development projects, large and small, utilize the best in green building principles, without adding burdensome costs or needless bureaucracy.  The California Green Building Standards Code is scalable to projects of all sizes and expands the previous building code targets of fire and safety to include occupant health and environmental efficiency and sustainability.  The Calabasas Building and Safety department is creating a checklist that applies to projects of all sizes within the City and includes a “menu” of voluntary options allowing contractors and builders to simply pick and choose from a list of green building standards in order to meet the City’s requirements. Many of the requirements are as simple as selecting an Energy Star branded appliance.  The Calabasas Green Building Code will go into effect in January 2010.

The 3rd annual Calabasas Drive-Thru Flu Clinic will be held on Sunday, November 1, 2009 from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. at A.C. Stelle Middle School, 22450 Mulholland Hwy. in Calabasas (map).  Free seasonal flu shots will be offered on a first come, first served basis, to Calabasas residents only. Residents of other communities can find  flu-shot clinics in their area on the internet.

  
Flu shots will once again be administered by Passport Health, the largest provider of travel medical/immunization services in the United States.  Please note that H1N1 flu vaccines will not be available during this event.  All Calabasas residents receiving flu shots must arrive and receive their shot in their automobile.  The minimum age to receive a flu shot at the clinic is 6 months.  Please note that due to the unique nature of this clinic, no walk-in participants can be accommodated.  Also, no pets can be allowed on-site for the clinic.  Participants are urged to wear short sleeves to help facilitate the drive-through process. 

A second drive-thru Flu shot clinic will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center (27040 Malibu Hills Rd in Calabasas) from 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. sponsored by the cities of Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills, Malibu, and Westlake Village in association with Pierce College and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  Also using the drive-through format, free flu shots will be available to anyone over the age of 6 months on a first come, first served basis.  As of October 1, 2009, the availability of H1N1 flu vaccine for the November 14, 2009 event is not known however more information will be made available in the November edition of e.News.

The Mercedes-Benz of Calabasas USTA Pro Tennis Championships are returning to the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center this October.  The tournament will take place from Saturday, October 17, 2009 to Sunday, October 25, 2009 at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center and will feature exciting tennis from top-ranked professional players.  All matches from Monday through Wednesday are free of charge.  Tickets, which are necessary for Thursday matches and to view the quarterfinal, semi-final and final matches which take place over the weekend, are currently available at the Tennis & Swim Center! For more information about the Challenger Men's Tennis Tournament, please call (818) 222-2782.

The 2nd Great Southern California ShakeOut will take place at 10:15a.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2009.  This high-profile, disaster preparedness drill represents a perfect opportunity for Calabasas families and businesses to make sure they are ready for potential disruptive earthquakes.   A full calendar of ShakeOut activities is available online.  The drill and other Shakeout activities are being organized to inspire Southern Californians to prepare for potentially large and damaging earthquakes and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.   Local officials will be participating in the ShakeOut and anyone can register their participation on the official Great Southern California ShakeOut website.  For additional information, please visit www.shakeout.org. 

The 12th annual The Method Fest Independent film Festival, scheduled for March 25 - April 1, 2010 in Calabasas, is looking for character and story-driven films featuring strong acting performances. The Method Fest features American and foreign feature films and short films and is named after "The Method" school of acting, which revolutionized the approach in acting, particularly in film.
 

The Method Fest will feature tributes to actors and top filmmakers, acting workshops, panels and seminars.  A variety of other activities will complement the Method Fest screenings including filmmaking seminars, daily/nightly parties and receptions, industry events, a variety of Indie Music events, a Lifetime Achievement Tribute, and the Awards Ceremony. The Method Fest’s Youth Program includes a short film and screenplay competition for middle school and high school students and awards for filmmaking and acting.

Deadlines for film submissions for the 12th annual The Method Fest are October 1, 2009 for Early Bird submissions, December 1, 2009 for Regular Entry submissions, and February 1, 2010 for Late Deadline submissions.  For more information, please call (310) 535-9230 or visit the festival web site at www.methodfest.com.

Each year, the Calabasas Environmental Commission hosts an environmentally-themed drawing contest open to students in elementary and middle schools.  In 2009, the contest theme is “The Benefits of Food Waste Recycling” and students are encouraged to submit their own hand-created drawings.  Drawings must be done on 8½” x 11” format in landscape orientation.  Contest submissions are due to the City of Calabasas, Environmental Services Division at City Hall (100 Civic Center Way, Calabasas, CA 91302) by Monday, November 2, 2009.  Thirteen winners will be chosen by the Environmental Commission on November 3, 2009 based on the creativity and theme of their illustrations.  The winning drawings will be printed as part of the 2010 City of Calabasas Community Recycling Awareness calendar.  The first winner’s drawing will be printed on the cover of the calendar and each winner will receive a $25.00 gift certificate.  For more information, please contact City of Calabasas at (818) 224-1600 or visit the Environmental Services Division website.

The Carl Gibbs Environmental Excellence Award is a symbol of commitment to California’s environment. The award, named for the late Calabasas Environmental Commissioner Carl Gibbs, honors a wide array of individuals, businesses, municipalities, government agencies, organizations, institutions, all working to benefit our environment. The Award recognizes voluntary activities by companies and organizations, big or small, private or non-profit, in or work done in the City of Calabasas and in California, that result in cleaner air or water, less waste, less traffic, conservation of energy and natural resources, efficient and water conserving landscaping, or reduced use of hazardous materials, etc. Furthermore, the Award honors those organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment or innovation above and beyond their primary mission.

Nominations for the 2009 award are welcomed from individuals, companies, government agencies, consultants, educators, researchers and students. When selecting recipients, the Environmental Commission considers measurable improvements to environmental quality, creativity, environmental achievements, commitment to protecting the environment, promoting community involvement and other core values of the Award. A nomination form is now available online.

Please submit nominations by November 25, 2009 either by mail to City of Calabasas, 100 Civic Center Way, Calabasas, CA 91302-3172 Attn: Alex Farassati; by fax to (818) 225-7338, or via email to afarassati@cityofcalabasas.com.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is offering Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training classes on Thursday evenings from October 8, 2009 to November 19, 2009 (7:00p.m.–9:30p.m.) and Saturday morning, November 21, 2009 (9:00a.m.–12:00p.m.).  All classes will be held in Founders Hall of the Calabasas Library, 200 Civic Center Way in Calabasas.  The  CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.  This free CERT training is open to all interested community members so participants do not have to be residents of Calabasas in order to attend.  Please click here to view the class schedule. 

Participants must attend all classes in order to receive a certificate of completion.  Previous CERT students who need to “make-up” a missed module or would just like a “refresher course” on a particular subject of interest are welcome to attend just that module. To sign up to attend these classes, please contact Debbie Larson, City of Calabasas Risk Management Analyst, at (818) 224-1616; or Maria Grycan, Los Angeles County Fire Department Community Services Representative, at (310) 456-7923.

2009 FALL RECREATION BROCHURE

The 2009 Calabasas Fall Recreation brochure is now available online.  As always, the brochure was mailed to all Calabasas residents and extra paper copies are available at City Hall, the Agoura/Calabasas Community Center and the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center.  The brochure features detailed information about adult and youth classes, senior citizen programs, community news and information, sports activities and much more.  Please look for Enrichment classes and other after school programs in the Recreation Brochure.  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, October 3, 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, October 17, 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, October 10, 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 Calabasas High School Study Buddies program is now in session for the 2009-2010 school year.  This program allows Calabasas elementary and middle school students to get free help with homework from at the Calabasas Library.  High school students are available to help elementary and middle school students with their homework and to work on study skills.  Study Buddies is available on most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30p.m. to 4:30p.m. in the Calabasas Library meeting room.  The library is located at 200 Civic Center Way in Calabasas.  For more information about the Study Buddies program, please contact the library for availability at (818) 225-7616.

Registration for the 2009 Calabasas Classic 5k/10k Runs is up and running.   The 6th Annual Calabasas Classic will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2009 in Calabasas on a scenic course that is certified and sanctioned by USATF.  The first 500 registered participants in the 5k/10k or combo races will receive a custom embroidered race hat by HeadSweats Race cap especially designed for 2009.  Additionally, the first 1000 pre-registered runners of the 5k, 10k or combo runs will get a GreenLayer Polyester Repreve Fabric short sleeved shirt made from recycled fabrics.  On an average, every pound of Polyester Repreve yarn conserves the equivalent of one half a gallon of gasoline.  Quantities will be limited so register early.  For more information on registration for the Calabasas Classic 5k/10k, please visit www.CalabasasClassic.com or email Julie Talbert directly. 

For the fiscal 2008-2009 year, Calabasas collected and recycled 17,459 pounds of dry cell batteries.  The U.S. Department of Transportation has established strict regulations for the handling, shipping and transportation of dry cell batteries.  When batteries are shipped to a recycling center, they are sorted and then shipped to various melting companies based on the battery type.  However, in the last ten years, over 800 documented cases of “battery incidents” have occurred during the transportation of dry cell batteries. Incidents range from batteries leaking, breaking, or catching fire (usually due to improper packaging or lack of insulation of batteries). The current DOT regulations require that batteries be properly insulated while being transported. This can be done simply by taping the positive (+) end of each battery with tape or stickers before depositing them into collection containers.   Covering the positive end batteries before recycling will ensure the safety of our roads and the continued success of the Calabasas battery recycling program.

Conejo Players Theatre - Thousand Oaks
Bert & Eddie
Book, Original Music and Lyrics by Dick DeBenedictis
November 13 - December 12
Thurs, Fri & Sat at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:00pm

Madrid Theatre - Canoga Park
     October 2009 Calendar

Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza - Thousand Oaks

On Saturday, October 31, 2009, there will be a free bulky item pick-up by Waste Management for Calabasas residents ONLY.  Furniture, mattresses, carpet, refrigerators and other appliances can be picked up by appointment only.  Appointments must be made by noon on Friday, October 30, 2009 with Waste Management by calling (800) 675-1171.  For more information about either the bulky item pick-up or the paint and used oil collection, please contact the Calabasas Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818) 224-1600.

The public is invited to attend a free Artist Reception and Exhibition sponsored by the City of Calabasas on Sunday, November 1, 2009 from 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. at the Calabasas Library.  Two local artists, Hiroko Yoshimoto of Ventura and Michelle Weinstein of Los Angeles, will be exhibiting their work.  Both artists currently have works displayed in Calabasas City Hall and in the Calabasas Library.  Ms. Weinstein will be on hand at the reception to discuss her work.  Michael Newman, President and Senior Appraiser of Beverly Hills Antiques, will be on hand to give complimentary appraisals of jewelry and antiques brought by attendees.  Admission to the Artist Reception and Exhibition is free and light refreshments will be served.  For more information, please call (818) 222-8888.

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:

Preview, An Eye on the Arts
(View this program anytime with CTV Archiving)

Host Laureen Morick interviews artist Jacqueline Stanford.

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

Host Karyn Foley's guest is author and
Calabasas resident Arnold Bresky, M.D.
 

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. 

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