Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation

Trustee Nominations Sought

2010-09-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

CLVFF is seeking qualified candidates for election to the Board of Trustees for terms commencing January 1, 2008. Candidates should be people of action and service who are committed to community needs and are willing to devote time and effort to the goals of the Foundation. Recommendations from the membership would be appreciated and should be submitted to the Foundation office at (818) 880-1054 not later than September 15, 2007.

Regional Art Museum, Architect's Concept

2010-08-16T15:08:00.000-07:00


Here is a rendering by Francisco Behr, of Behr Browers Architects, Inc., showing his conception of the Regional Art Museum. The museum would provide a colorful, dramatic and more inviting new entry to the existing Civic Arts Plaza. Below is a bird's eye view of the museum's position relative to the Civic Arts Plaza.

Notice that the second floor of the museum extends beyond the first floor to provide maximum gallery space while minimizing the footprint of the building. The west end of the second story actually extends out partially over the driveway and provides a colorful, contemporary look. For more information, and an opportunity to become a charter member of the museum, go to the Regional Art Museum's web site

Regional Art Museum Expands Membership Sign Ups

2010-08-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

The REGIONAL ART MUSEUM is happy to announce that Community West Bank located in Westlake Village will handle in-person enrollments for charter memberships of the museum. RAM President Frank Schillo stated, “We are extremely pleased that Westlake Village’s Community West Bank will handle membership sign-ups in person. It gives the public another opportunity to join us.” The in person sign-ups augment online membership applications at the RAM website and mailed applications sent to the RAM P.O. Box.

The Regional Art Museum is a non- profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt public benefit organization supported by membership, special events, donations and fundraising. The proposed 30,000 square foot museum will be located adjacent to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza as unanimously approved by the Thousand Oaks City Council in June. Individual charter memberships start at $50 with a senior’s discount available at $35. Members receive newsletters and email updates, free admission to exhibits, and discounts on classes, workshops and events. A family membership is $60 and provides a second membership card for spouse or second adult in the family plus all individual membership benefits. Business and community organizations are welcomed with charter Patron membership at $500. Charter Golden Circle memberships at $1000 for individuals and groups will be acknowledged on a lobby plaque.

Community West Bank is located at 951 South Westlake Blvd, Suite 100 in Westlake Village. For more information contact Lori Marie Barlow, RAM Treasurer, at the bank 805 494-5172; or Pat Grant, Membership Chair, at 805 495-5960. A brochure describing RAM membership opportunities is available by calling 805 409-3598. Please leave your name, home address, email address, and phone number so the membership committee can contact you. Membership information and applications are also posted online at www.regionalartmuseum.org.

The non-profit Regional Art Museum is the fulfillment of a study by the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation which determined the need for an art museum to serve the Greater Conejo region from Calabasas to Newbury Park. The goals of RAM are: to provide a permanent location to house visual art collections; to provide educational art programs for all ages; to highlight local recognized artists with periodic showings; and to house and accommodate national and international traveling shows and exhibits.

2010-08-11T17:09:00.001-07:00

"You can never plan the future by the past."
Edmund Burke

2010-08-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours."
Cesar Chavez

Regional Art Museum is One Step Closer

2010-06-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday evening, June 22, the Thousand Oaks City Council unanimously passed a motion that supports a Regional Art Museum on city owned property. The motion read: "Approve in concept a regional fine arts museum to be located generally in Downtown Thousand Oaks on City owned or provided land." Mayor Dennis Gillette indicated that it was important to support the motion so that a fund raising campaign for the Regional Art Museum could begin.

A Regional Art Museum is an initiative of the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation. A committee created by the Foundation and headed up by former Ventura County Supervisor, Frank Shillo, has been busy putting together architectural concepts and will soon launch a fund raising campaign. Check this site for updates.

2010-06-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable."
Coach John Wooden

Youth Congress Leadership Holds Wrap-Up Meeting

2010-05-26T13:41:00.000-07:00

Youth Congress Leadership students held their last meeting at Oak Canyon Park to discuss follow-up activities.

Follow-up ideas included establishing a Teen Court, conducting a food drive, organizing a teen volunteer fair and painting a mural.

Students will vote on the project that they want to pursue.

After the meeting, parents were invited to dinner prepared by the Kiwanis Club of Thousand Oaks.

2010-05-24T09:43:00.001-07:00

"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
Louis D. Brandeis

Tour of California Arrives Sunday

2010-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Amgen Tour of California rides into the Conejo/Las Virgenes region on Sunday, May 23. Over one hundred thousand spectators are expected to line the roadways along the race route. The route takes competitors four times around a loop that includes a steep section of Mulholland Highway locals call "the Rock Store" climb, and will finish on Townsgate Road in Westlake Village.

Photo: the BMC Racing Team on a training run.

Solar Energy Moves a Step Closer

2010-05-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, have found a way to put solar cells on paper with an ink jet printing process. Although the technology is years away from commercial development, it does raise interesting possibilities for future applications. Apparently, the cells do not generate the same amount of power as current solar cells, but their low cost may offset their lack of efficiency. Imagine solar panels that can be easily transported and then mounted with only a staple gun. Maybe you could even print up a batch at home and take them on camping trips to keep your coffee warm. As a paper product, it may have the added benefit of being completely recyclable. MIT's discovery is not the first nexus between the printing industry and the production of solar panels. A company called Nanosolar uses printing equipment to produce solar electric foil at very high speeds. The foil is then laminated onto a substrate material to produce the solar panel. This is a significant breakthrough in reducing the cost of solar power.

Perhaps the wide adaptation of solar energy to replace fossil fuels is not as far into the future as we think.

Youth Congress Visits Los Robles Hospital

2010-04-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Youth Congress Leadership Students Enthusiastic
about visiting Los Robles Hospital.

"The Youth Congress meeting at the Los Robles Hospital was extremely interesting. I was able to learn all about how the emergency room is handled and all the diferent jobs that are available in a medical career. I enjoyed this meeting so much that I picked up an application to volunteer at the Los Robles Hospital on my way out." Jamie Lutz

"I thought the presentation at Los Robles was great! The presentations were interesting and interactive, and the snacks was a plus! It was especially successful too because I could tell several people were interested in this subject and a lot of good questions were asked and answered." Melinda Fang

Lynn Tadlock, Director of Emergency Room Services,

talks to students about procedures in the Emergency Room

"My favorite part of the program was learning about the ABC's of the emergency room and learning which individuals are chosen to be accepted into the emergency room before others. It was disappointing to learn of the long waiting time to become a volunteer at the hospital." Dylan Flanders

Dr. Franklin Weil addresses the students.

"The emergency room nurses were interesting because they gave a lot of information on what we do not see happening in the emergency room. Dr. Weil gave me an increased knowledge of the medical field as he shared more about life as a doctor. Irene Brennick was also inspirational as she told us about helping out the patients and how big of a difference the volunteers make." Jordan Hobmann

Los Robles Director of Community Services, Irene Brennick

"I really enjoyed the meeting at Los Robles hospital. II liked the ER Nurses and I found their presentation on triage to be very interesting. I thought Dr. Weil was a great speaker and I got most of my questions about working at a hospital answered. I also liked hearing form Irene Brennick. She got me interested in volunteering there and I have already signed up to do so. In conclusion, I really liked last Thursdays meeting and I'm really glad we got the opportunity to go there." Madison Call

"The trip to the hospital was one of the best meetings so far. The part where we had to deduce which patient needed to be attended to first was very entertaining as well as educational. The speaker I liked the best was Irene Brennick. She made the volunteer program at the hospital sound not only a great way to get involved with the community, but also a great way to learn about the day-to-day functioning of the hospital. Being a 15 year-old, I can apply to become a volunteer there in a year and learn the ins and outs of being a doctor at the hospital." Jonathon Sears
"The session at Los Robles Hospital taught me a lot about the medical field that I did not know before. The nurses and Dr. Weil were very enthusiastic about there jobs which made me consider their field of work. Irene Brennick also incorporated a lot of knowledge of what goes on at the hospital besides the actual medical aspect such as marketing, volunteering, etc. This meeting was fascinating as well as informative of what goes on at a hospital, and what it needs to function. Overall it was very engaging." Effie Sklavenitis

"I found the meeting last Thursday to be very informative, and found the staff to be quite nice. The staff gave me a new perspective on the jobs of doctors and nurses." Steven Francus

I liked visiting the hospital a lot. I thought it was very informative and I truly learned a lot. I learned most from the first nurse and she was really interesting to listen to. Can't wait until the next one. Allie Gurvitz

2010-03-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." C.S. Lewis

Youth Congress Leadership Meets at Agoura Hills City Hall

2010-03-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Students comment on the program at the Agoura Hills City Hall:

"The meeting at city hall was very informative and insightful in terms of what it takes to run a city. I truly enjoyed watching the various speakers explain how local government plays into managing a city."

Tony Milgram

"I liked the presentations about city government because I went into it knowing very little. I really enjoyed hearing specific examples of how they are helping the community, and the "Before and After" picture they showed of that creek with the use of Ozone was really impressive."

Colleen Murphy

"I liked learning about the Reyes Adobe Road project from the power point presentation, since I live nearby. I also enjoyed learning about the street resurfacing using recycled tires."

Dylan Flanders

Youth Congress students take part in discussion at Agoura Hills City Hall

Tony Milgram takes over the Mayor's chair.

Assistant City Manager Louis Celaya talks to students.

2010-03-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

"I don't have to write about the future. For most people, the present is enough like the future to be pretty scary." William Gibson

Thank You to All of the Sponsors of Senior Congress VI

2010-02-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

Senior Congress VI was a great success and a tremendous help to the hundreds of area Seniors who were

able to attend. The Future Foundation's Board of Trustees wishes to convey its thanks to all of our community minded sponsors who made this event possible. A special thank you to St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church who provided the venue and to the Goebel Senior Adult Center who provided meeting space. In addition, Sunrise Senior Living donated lunches and Axicom provided technological support. We urge everyone in the Conejo/Las Virgenes Region to patronize the businesses and acknowledge the organizations whose contributions helped us to bring you this event.

Major Sponsors

Rotary Club of Newbury Park

Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks

Rotary Club of Westlake Village

Sunrise Senior Living/Brighton Gardens

Access TLC Care Givers

Agoura Hills Senior Retreat

Atria (Hillcrest & Las Posas)

Buena Vista Hospice Care

Grand Oaks Senior Living

Home Helpers

OakView at University Village

Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary

Wells Fargo

Sponsors
Accent Care
Advantage Plus Agency
Allied HealthCare Professionals, Inc.
AlmaVia of Camarillo
Assisted Health Care Services
California Senior Living
Continuity Care
Help Unlimited
Hillcrest Royale Assisted Living
LivHOME
Livingston Memorial
Los Robles Homecare Services
Options for Seniors
Personal Bookkeeping Solutions
Personal Parent Care
Recognitioning
Rehab Centre of Beverly Hills
Select Homecare
Senior Helpers
Stay in Home Reverse Mortgage, Inc.
Tutors and Nannies
Ventura County Area Agency on Aging
Ventura County District Attorney, Crimes Victims Assistance Program
Vitas Hospice

Photos

Thanks for the Memory, Part 2 is a Big Success

2010-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday's Thanks for the Memory, Part 2 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church was a tremendous success with 300 participating seniors. Click here to read the Ventura County Star's story: Active Brains, Lasting Memories.

What Youth Congress Leadership Participants are Saying

2010-01-29T09:08:00.000-08:00

"really informative and interesting. It did not get boring. Overall, it was enjoyable and provided me with information I did not know before."

Taylor Johnson

"I really enjoyed learning about the Miranda Warning and touring the jail cells."

Dylan Flanders

"..absolutely awesome! I learned a lot and became more aware of the intricacies of our community."

Calvin Fong

" very informational and fun at the same time."

Jamie Lutz

"the officer's presentation allowed me to see how hard others work in our community to ensure the well being of the citizens"

Effie Sklavenitis

2010-01-18T15:34:00.001-08:00

"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control."
Martin Luther King Jr.

2010-01-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

"The Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation is a nonprofit organization which provides an exciting and imaginative dimension for forward-looking people who live in the area. It offers such people a way to contribute to the larger and common good of this community. The contribution of the Foundation is the sum of the interests and abilities of its members, rising out of their own insights and convictions as they look for the best they and other citizens can give to the community."
Dr. Raymond M. Olson, Founding President

2009-12-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

2009-12-18T10:33:00.000-08:00

"The status quo is persistent and resistant. It exists because everyone wants it to. Everyone believes that what they've got is probably better than the risk and fear that comes with change."
From Tribes by Seth Godin

The Pen of the Future?

2009-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I was getting caught up with technology, along comes another innovation that I didn't even dream existed. I just became aware of the "Smart Pen" from Livescribe . The Smart Pen is actually a computer in a pen, complete with a video camera and microphone. That may not sound like a big deal, but the function of the Smart Pen differs dramatically from your laptop, Blackberry, or GPS device. Essentially, the Smart Pen gives connectivity to paper and pen. The pen is able to link what you write directly to your computer. You can take class notes with the pen, and later re-listen to the professor's actual words by simply touching that part of your notes with the pen. You can write in English and get a voice translation into another language. Or you can send an email by writing on a sheet of paper.

One downside is that the pen requires "smart paper," a paper pre-printed with microdots that allow the pen to "read" the image. However, the use of pre-printed paper does not appear to be a major obstacle to use of the Smart Pen. People are already using paper pre-printed with lines or grids, so the use of writing pads with micro-dots is not really a big change.

This technology links the paper world with the digital world. The potential applications go well beyond academia. Imagine seeing an ad in a magazine for a product you might want to buy. Putting the pen to the ad produces a verbal message of where you can buy that item and how much it costs. You can then make the purchase by writing "buy item" and signing your signature. Or imagine if your doctor could write your prescription and email it to your pharmacy at the same time. No doubt there are many more applications that haven't even been thought of yet. Perhaps this application of technology to the ordinary routines of daily life will bring about the biggest changes in the future.

Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center Celebrates 10 Years

2009-12-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

December 11 will mark the 10 year aniversary of the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center. What makes the center truly remarkable is that it was a cooperative effort between two neighboring cities to build one recreation facility serving both communities. It is a unique project in the State of California. In addition to the two cities, the project received support from the County of Los Angeles, and the State, as well as significant funding from private donations. The Bank of America (Countrywide), deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff station and hundreds of local residents contributed to the final project.

What is worth noting here is the recognition on the part of political and community leaders that the residents of the Conejo/Las Virgenes region should not be deprived of services because of political boundaries. In ten years, the Center has not become a political issue. The two cities created a joint powers board, made up of members from both cities, that oversees the facility. It has done a remarkable job of serving the greater region. Both cities can be proud of this record of cooperation.

2009-11-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."
Thomas Jefferson