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CITYWIDE PLASTIC BAG BAN: PHASE II
BEGINS |
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 Attention
Calabasas Shoppers: Phase II of the Citywide Plastic Bag Ban
begins January 1, 2012.
On February 9, 2011, the
Calabasas City Council passed
Ordinance No. 2011-282 to ban the use of single-use
carryout plastic bags that pollute our environment and
constitute a high percentage of litter across the country.
Beginning July 1, 2011, shoppers were no longer offered
disposable plastic bags while shopping at Calabasas
supermarkets (Albertsons, Gelson's, Maddy's Market, Ralphs,
and Rite Aid).
The new year marks the beginning of Phase II of the ban.
Disposable plastic bags will no longer be offered at
convenient stores, liquor stores, and mini-marts as of
January 1, 2012.
Shoppers are encouraged to use
reusable shopping bags whenever possible. Please note that
small plastic bags will still be available in stores for
fruits and vegetables.
Under the terms of this law, stores will have reusable bags
available for sale and will also offer recyclable paper bags
for 10 cents each in lieu of customers bringing their
reusable bags or simply carrying items purchased without a
bag. The fees collected from bag sales will only go towards
helping stores comply with the new law.
Lower income residents who participate in the California
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
Children program will receive either reusable bags or
recyclable paper bags for free. For
additional information, visit
http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/bags.html.
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LIVING WITH COYOTES |
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 On
December 14, 2011 the
Calabasas
City Council unanimously approved the City's
Coyote Management Plan. The goal of this Management Plan
is to support coexistence with urban coyotes using
education, behavior modification, and development of a
tiered response to aggressive coyote behavior. The tiered
response requires active participation on the part of the
entire community including residents, homeowners
associations, volunteers, and city personnel. This
Management Plan is based on research and best known
management practices and includes a full spectrum of
management tools. Basic principles that guide this Plan are
based on the following:
1. Urban Wildlife is valued for biological diversity, as
members of natural ecosystems, and reminders of larger
global conservation issues.
2. Urban wildlife and wildlife habitats are important to
Calabasas residents. Although urban environments are more
favorable to some species than others, coexistence is the
foundation of the City's general wildlife management
programs.
3. Human safety is a priority in managing wildlife/human
conflicts that pose a danger to people.
4. Preventive practices such as reduction and removal of
wildlife attractants, habitat manipulation (e.g. removal of
potential coyote denning areas), and responding
appropriately during human and wildlife interactions when
interacting with wildlife are key to minimizing potential
human conflicts.
5. Calabasas management techniques and decisions are based
on a a thorough understanding of biology and ecology of
urban wildlife species.
6. Education and communication are essential in supporting
human and animal needs and coexistence.
7. Emphasis of this management plan is placed on
preventative measures and nonlethal controls.
For more information about living with coyotes in Calabasas,
and the City's Coyote Management Plan, please visit
http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/coyotes.html.
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JANUARY EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY |
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 Study
Buddies return this month!
The Calabasas
Library
Study Buddies program allows Calabasas elementary and
middle school students to get free help with homework at the
Library. High school students are available to help
elementary and middle school students with their homework
and to work on study skills.
Spend your lunch hour at the Library! Join Deanne Wenger,
RYT on Thursday, January 5th and Thursday, January 19th from
12pm-1pm for
yoga. No experience is necessary and all are welcome.
Just be sure to wear comfortable clothing, bring a yoga mat
or large towel and some water. The Library is also hosting
bingo from 12pm-1pm on Thursday, January 12th. It's a
great opportunity to win fun prizes, meet others in the
community and kick off the new year!
On Wednesday, January 11th at 7pm, the Calabasas Library
will
welcome authors Laurie Stevens (The Dark Before Dawn)
and David Rocklin (The Luminist). Both authors
have received Kirkus starred reviews for their first novels.
Come learn about the writing process, what it means to be
published and what the future holds for these talented
individuals.
Are you an adult who loves all types of movies? Attend the
next
Film Fanatics meeting at the Library on Wednesday,
January 18th to watch a throwback to the screwball comedies
of the 1930's, starring Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal.
The Library is now offering
Parent Education 101. On Thursday, January 19th at 7pm,
the Children Services Department for Kids Protection
Planning will be teaching about easy steps you can take to
ensure your children will always be taken care of in the way
you want and by the people you want, should anything happen
to you. Please sign up at the Children's Reference Desk if
you plan on attending.
Explore Calabasas History is a new monthly series at the
Library led by the Calabasas Historical Society (CHS). On
Thursday, January 26th at 12pm, you are invited to come
learn the history of the first subdivision of Calabasas. See
a video, photographs and maps from the CHS collection.
Attendance is free and all are welcome.
For more information on any of the January
Calabasas Library events, please call the Calabasas
Library at (818) 225-7616.
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CERT TRAINING CLASSES OFFERED IN 2012 |
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 Following
a major disaster, emergency personnel may not be
able to meet all demands for assistance. People may
have to rely on each other to meet immediate life
saving and life sustaining needs, particularly
in isolated neighborhoods that may be cut off
from the main roads for a period of time. The
County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) program was developed
to provide basic training in safety and life saving
skills for the general public.
The
Los Angeles County Fire Department will be offering
CERT Training classes in Calabasas on Thursday
evenings (6:30p.m. – 9:00p.m.) from January 26, 2012
to March 8, 2012 and on Saturday morning (9:00a.m. –
12:00p.m.), March 10, 2012. All classes will be
held at the Calabasas/Agoura Community Center, 27040
Malibu Hills Road in Calabasas. This free CERT
training is open to all interested community
members.
Participants must attend all classes in order to
receive a certificate of completion. To sign
up to attend these classes, please contact Debbie
Larson at (818) 224-1620. |
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2012 RECYCLING AWARENESS CALENDAR NOW
AVAILABLE |
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 The
2012 Community Recycling Awareness Calendar is now
available free at City facilities including City Hall,
the Calabasas/Agoura Community Center, and Juan Bautista
de Anza Park. The
Calabasas Environmental Commission hosted their
annual environmentally-themed drawing contest open to
students in elementary and middle schools. The
contest was titled "the Benefits of Green Waste
Recycling” and encourages students to submit
hand-created drawings.
Fourteen winners were chosen by the
Environmental Commission based on the creativity and
theme of their illustration. The winning drawings
are printed in the 2012 City of Calabasas Community
Recycling Awareness calendar. For more
information, please contact Calabasas Department of
Environmental Services at 818-224-1600. |
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2012
WINTER RECREATION BROCHURE |
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 The
2012 Calabasas Winter Recreation brochure was mailed to
all Calabasas residents in early December. 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.
The 2012
Winter Calabasas Recreation Brochure is also available
online and paper copies are available at
City
Hall, the
Agoura/Calabasas Community Center and the
Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center.
Classes will run from January to March 2012 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. |
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STUDENT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION HOSTED BY
C-SPAN |
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 StudentCam
is
C-SPAN’s
annual student documentary competition which challenges
students to think about issues of national significance
and express their thoughts in film. This fall,
C-SPAN is offering middle and high school students a
chance to create a 5 to 8 minute video documentary about
the topic The Constitution and You. Students are
asked to select any provision of the U.S. Constitution
and create a video illustrating why it is important to
them. Winners in both middle and high school
categories receive cash prizes. Teachers who are listed
as a faculty advisor can win equipment for their school.
In all, C-SPAN will be awarding $50,000 in prizes.
One California student videographer will
win a trip to Washington, DC for him or herself and a
parent or guardian – including a VIP tour of the C-SPAN
studios.
Entry forms and completed videos must be
submitted online by January 20, 2012. Additional
information about StudentCam is available online at
www.studentcam.org. |
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HAM RADIO LICENSE STUDY SESSIONS
IN 2012 |
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 The
City of
Calabasas and the
Lost Hills Disaster Communications Service
invite the public to attend a one-day Amateur
Ham Radio Study and Exam Session for an Entry
Level FCC License. The one-day sessions
will take place four times over the course of
the year: January 15, April 15, July 15,
and October 21. Each session will take
place at the
Lost Hills Sheriff's Station from 9:00a.m.
to 4:00p.m. There is a $30.00 class fee
that includes class expenses and a hot lunch.
Please note that registration is required and
walk-ins will not be accepted. There will
be two free follow-up classes from 7:00p.m. to
9:30p.m. on dates after each exam offering
information on which ham radio to buy and how to
program a radio and get it on air.
Participants can now
register for classes online or by
sending a check to Norm Goodkin, 22287
Mulholland Drive #162, Calabasas, CA 91302.
Please include the name of the participant, the
class date, an email address and a phone number
with the registration. For more
information, please contact
Norm Goodkin at (818) 222-7893 or
Debbie Larson at (818) 224-1620.
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E-WASTE
COLLECTION EVENTS |
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 The
City of Calabasas organizes
two free monthly electronic waste collection events.
On the first Saturday of the month (Saturday,
January 7, 2012), 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 (January 21, 2012) in the Vons
Shopping Center parking lot at 23381 Mulholland Drive in
Woodland Hills from 10:00a.m. to 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.
For more information, please contact the City of
Calabasas Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator at (818)
224-1600.
The City
of Calabasas holds bi-monthly collections for paint and
used oil.
On Saturday, January 14, 2012 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. |
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WINTER HOME HEATING TIPS |
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Home heating
can be one of the biggest winter expenses for many
people. Here are some tips to keep bills down while
still staying warm:
- Lower the temperature on your
thermostat. Even just lowering it a couple degrees can
make a difference!
- Consider using a programmable
thermostat. That way, you won't have to remember to turn
down the temperature each time you leave the house.
- Clean or replace furnace filters as
directed by the manufacturer.
- Remove dirt, lint and obstructions
from all heating vents and furnace registers.
- Slightly reduce the temperature on
your hot water heater.
- Make sure you have the proper
insulation throughout your home.
- Plug air leaks in your house.
Common problem areas are windows, doors and the
fireplace.
- Use the sun! Open curtains and
shades during the day, and close them at night to help
retain the heat.
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FEMTOCELL (CELL
PHONE SERVICE EXTENDER) |
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 A
femtocell is a small cellular base station,
typically designed for use in a home or small
business. It connects to the service provider's
network via broadband (such as DSL or cable). The
typical coverage is 5,000 square feet or 40
feet radius and can support up to 5 concurrent
devices. A femtocell allows service providers to
extend service coverage indoors, especially where
access would otherwise be limited or unavailable.
For more information and for links to specific
providers, visit
http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/services.html. |
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SCE CUSTOMERS MAY JOIN SMART METER
DELAY LIST |
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 The
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
recently ordered area utility companies, including
Southern California Edison, to create a delayed
Smart Meter installation program. Smart Meters
are a new form of utility meter that sends real-time
data to utility companies via a wireless signal.
Opponents of the new meters raise concerns about
potential dangers from long-term exposure to the radio
frequencies and electromagnetic fields emitted by
the devices.
The new delay program allows customers who still
have analog meters to keep their old meters while
the commission considers approval of a permanent
opt-out program.
Southern California Edison has
set up a webpage to answer frequently asked
questions about Smart Meters. Any resident
interested in participating in the delayed Smart
Meter program may call Southern California Edison
toll free at (800) 810-2369. |
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CALABASAS CALENDARS,
MEETINGS
& HOLIDAYS |
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  Calabasas
City Hall will be closed on Monday, January 2,
2012 and Monday, January 16, 2012.
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 at City Hall during January, please visit
our City
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.
e.News
is developed by the
Media Operations Department
at the City of Calabasas.
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