Happy Mother's Day!
Acorn
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 11, 2017
THOUSAND OAKS
For all the amazing Mother’s Day drawings, See pages 39-42, 48
Your Community Partner Since 1998
Circulation 40,246 | www.theacornonline.com | Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, North Ranch and Westlake
CVUSD
Ice in their veins
Board charts path forward
Thousand Oaks volunteers honored for snowy mountain rescue
District will select interim superintendent in-house, trustees decide
By Thomas McMahon Special to the Acorn
The man’s story was urgent and almost unbelievable: Five people had fallen down an icy chute and were badly hurt. It was the middle of this past winter, Feb. 4, and a volunteer search-and-rescue team from Ventura County was on a training mission in the snow in the San Gabriel Mountains. A panicked stranger approached them with a tale of true peril. “It sounded extraordinary, to be honest,” said Dep. Chris Dyer of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Dyer serves as deputy liaison for Ventura County Search and Rescue’s East Valley Team 3, and he was with the group for their frigid training. He and a few team members followed the man up the road to check out what he’d told them. — Please See Page 10
By Dawn Megli-Thuna [email protected]
Courtesy of Dep. Chris Dyer
MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers
HEROES FOR THE DAY—The Ventura County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue East Valley Team 3 received a meritorious service award during the department’s fourth annual special recognition awards ceremony May 3 at the Sheriff ’s Academy and Training Center in Camarillo. The top photo shows the team in February working to save a group of hikers that tumbled down an icy chute in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Asking for help from a higher power Hundreds gather outside City Hall to pray By Dawn Megli-Thuna [email protected]
With his head bowed, eyes closed and hands grasped by strangers, Gene Pan prayed for the United States on the front lawn of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza as the sun started to set last Thursday. After he prayed for the country’s politicians, the 36-year-old Christian missionary said a prayer for China. Visiting the Conejo Valley as part of a fundraising mission trip with his wife and infant daughter, Pan said he was accustomed to worshiping at secret meetings in private homes because of religious
As the clock winds down on the school year, Conejo Valley school board trustees are picking up the pace in their search for a new superintendent. The board of education held special meetings May 8 and 9 to discuss the process. At the May 8 meeting, they decided to forgo the use of a search firm to help recruit an interim to step in for ‘I want this Superintendent Ann Bonitatibus, who is terto be minating her contract transparent.’ with the Conejo Valley Unified School District — Sandee Everett as of June 30. school board member The head of schools announced her resignation March 30, two years into a three-year contract with the district, saying only that she was grateful for the opportunity and wanted to pursue other professional avenues. Based on the board’s direction, district human resources staff will conduct the search for an interim. A search firm still may be used to find Bonitatibus’ permanent replacement. Trustee Sandee Everett said she wanted to consider the opinions of staff and community members in the search. “I want this to be transparent,” she said at the May 9 meeting. Trustee Pat Phelps said she would prefer a retired superintendent who already knows the job to serve as interim. A previous interim superintendent for CVUSD, Neil Schmidt, was the retired superintendent of the Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District. He was brought on in 2001 to serve as the Conejo Valley’s schools chief while district officials sought a permanent replacement for Jerry Gross, who left after eight years. Trustees Mike Dunn and Everett said they were open to considering current district employees — Please See Page 3
persecution by the Chinese government. Standing among more than 500 people gathered in front of City Hall listening to a worship band at dusk, Pan said he’d never seen so many pray together in public before. “I can’t believe this is real,” he said. “It’s beautiful. You are so free.” The event, organized by the Conejo Valley Pastors Fellowship, an association of more than a dozen local faith leaders, was held May 4 in observance of National Day of Prayer. Several local government officials attended the gathering, including Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Councilmember RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers Joel Price, City Manager Andrew Powers and Conejo Valley Unified school BLESSINGS—Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Rob McCoy, in back, a pastor, leads a group board trustees Sandee Everett and John of city and county officials in prayer on the front lawn of the Civic Arts Plaza last Thursday, — Please See Page 15 the National Day of Prayer. The event was organized by the Conejo Valley Pastors Fellowship.
Page 10
May 11, 2017
Rescue
Dyer said the hikers spoke in broken English, but the urgency of the situation was clear. Team 3’s training day would now become a real-life rescue operation. Prepared for the worst Thousand Oaks-based Team 3 is a unit of Ventura County Search and Rescue, which operates under the auspices of the sheriff’s department. The 28 men and women of Team 3 are highly skilled volunteers who respond to wilderness and urban emergencies in Ventura County and beyond. Members undergo an initial 10-month academy and then ongoing monthly training, preparing for technical rescues in extreme environments, such as cliffs and swift water.
From Page 1 —
Driving about two miles north, they came to a group of frantic Korean hikers. They’d been trekking along the snow-covered Pacific Crest Trail when one member lost traction and slid more than 200 feet down an icy slope. Another hiker tried to descend to help the first but also slipped and fell. The scene repeated until five of the 10 hikers had slid down the steep slope and were stranded, some of them seriously injured. The others returned to the trailhead to seek help. There they met the man who found the search and rescue team.
Serving the greater Conejo Valley for 25 years Licensed | Bonded | Insured
Maid-In-America.Biz [email protected] 805.499.7259
24T14D
Maid in America HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES Paul Lopez Owner/Operator
Thousand Oaks Acorn
MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers
Team 3’s members work in a variety of fields: financial planning, welding, insurance sales, rocket science. They generally put in three to five full days a month responding to search-andrescue calls. “It’s a big commitment,” said team member Robert Frey, a doctor who lives in Thousand Oaks. Because the call of duty can take them to Ventura County’s mountains in the winter, Team 3 undergoes annual training in
SAVING LIVES—Above, Sheriff Geoff Dean, left, hands out commemorative coins to members of the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue East Valley Team 3 during the fourth annual special recognition ceremony May 3 at the Sheriff ’s Academy and Training Center in Camarillo. At left, a plaque bearing the team members’ names.
snow and ice. That was the reason for their fortuitous February excursion to the San Gabriel Mountains, where the season’s storms had built up a deep snowpack. “We were just trying to find the gnarliest place we could go,” Frey said. Ready for action On that clear, crisp day, Team 3 had begun training in an area off
of Angeles Crest Highway, about 35 miles north of La Cañada Flintridge, when around 10:30 a.m. they learned of the fallen hikers. “We were there training for essentially that same type of rescue,” said Matt Humphreys, a construction equipment operator and the team’s captain. After a quick briefing, Frey and Greg Brentin, an EMT and
Time for
Spring Cleaning!
Bring unwanted hazardous materials to our state-of-the-art facility, where it will be properly disposed or placed in our on-site Reuse Store! DO Bring: •paint •household cleaners •pool chemicals •batteries •fluorescent bulbs •pesticides & fertilizers •auto fluids, used oil & oil filters •solvents, glues & adhesives
DO NOT Bring: •business waste •medications •controlled substances •explosives FREE •ammunition oil Change •biological waste CaRe kiT •radioactive materials (City of Thousand oaks residents onlywhile supplies last!)
appointments available every Friday and saturday!*
RegisteR Online
www.toaks.org/gogreen or call 805-376-5007 Visit www.toaks.org/GoGreen to make a free appointment, complete guidelines and for free/discounted business waste disposal options. Transportation Tips & Limits
It is against the law to transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste at any one time in your vehicle. Pack waste securely to prevent tipping or spilling while transporting. * Excluding major holidays; Open to City of Thousand Oaks & Unincorporated Ventura County Residents ONLY
FREE
Reuse Store
Product availability varies. No appointment needed to shop at Reuse Store, located at the Hazardous Waste Facility.
Connect & Share Partially funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle)
19T05I
19ATMSC51T
at the
reclaimed household, paint & automotive materials
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 11, 2017
THOUSAND OAKS
For all the amazing Mother’s Day drawings, See pages 39-42, 48
Your Community Partner Since 1998
Circulation 40,246 | www.theacornonline.com | Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, North Ranch and Westlake
CVUSD
Ice in their veins
Board charts path forward
Thousand Oaks volunteers honored for snowy mountain rescue
District will select interim superintendent in-house, trustees decide
By Thomas McMahon Special to the Acorn
The man’s story was urgent and almost unbelievable: Five people had fallen down an icy chute and were badly hurt. It was the middle of this past winter, Feb. 4, and a volunteer search-and-rescue team from Ventura County was on a training mission in the snow in the San Gabriel Mountains. A panicked stranger approached them with a tale of true peril. “It sounded extraordinary, to be honest,” said Dep. Chris Dyer of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. Dyer serves as deputy liaison for Ventura County Search and Rescue’s East Valley Team 3, and he was with the group for their frigid training. He and a few team members followed the man up the road to check out what he’d told them. — Please See Page 10
By Dawn Megli-Thuna [email protected]
Courtesy of Dep. Chris Dyer
MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers
HEROES FOR THE DAY—The Ventura County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue East Valley Team 3 received a meritorious service award during the department’s fourth annual special recognition awards ceremony May 3 at the Sheriff ’s Academy and Training Center in Camarillo. The top photo shows the team in February working to save a group of hikers that tumbled down an icy chute in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Asking for help from a higher power Hundreds gather outside City Hall to pray By Dawn Megli-Thuna [email protected]
With his head bowed, eyes closed and hands grasped by strangers, Gene Pan prayed for the United States on the front lawn of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza as the sun started to set last Thursday. After he prayed for the country’s politicians, the 36-year-old Christian missionary said a prayer for China. Visiting the Conejo Valley as part of a fundraising mission trip with his wife and infant daughter, Pan said he was accustomed to worshiping at secret meetings in private homes because of religious
As the clock winds down on the school year, Conejo Valley school board trustees are picking up the pace in their search for a new superintendent. The board of education held special meetings May 8 and 9 to discuss the process. At the May 8 meeting, they decided to forgo the use of a search firm to help recruit an interim to step in for ‘I want this Superintendent Ann Bonitatibus, who is terto be minating her contract transparent.’ with the Conejo Valley Unified School District — Sandee Everett as of June 30. school board member The head of schools announced her resignation March 30, two years into a three-year contract with the district, saying only that she was grateful for the opportunity and wanted to pursue other professional avenues. Based on the board’s direction, district human resources staff will conduct the search for an interim. A search firm still may be used to find Bonitatibus’ permanent replacement. Trustee Sandee Everett said she wanted to consider the opinions of staff and community members in the search. “I want this to be transparent,” she said at the May 9 meeting. Trustee Pat Phelps said she would prefer a retired superintendent who already knows the job to serve as interim. A previous interim superintendent for CVUSD, Neil Schmidt, was the retired superintendent of the Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District. He was brought on in 2001 to serve as the Conejo Valley’s schools chief while district officials sought a permanent replacement for Jerry Gross, who left after eight years. Trustees Mike Dunn and Everett said they were open to considering current district employees — Please See Page 3
persecution by the Chinese government. Standing among more than 500 people gathered in front of City Hall listening to a worship band at dusk, Pan said he’d never seen so many pray together in public before. “I can’t believe this is real,” he said. “It’s beautiful. You are so free.” The event, organized by the Conejo Valley Pastors Fellowship, an association of more than a dozen local faith leaders, was held May 4 in observance of National Day of Prayer. Several local government officials attended the gathering, including Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña, Councilmember RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers Joel Price, City Manager Andrew Powers and Conejo Valley Unified school BLESSINGS—Thousand Oaks City Councilmember Rob McCoy, in back, a pastor, leads a group board trustees Sandee Everett and John of city and county officials in prayer on the front lawn of the Civic Arts Plaza last Thursday, — Please See Page 15 the National Day of Prayer. The event was organized by the Conejo Valley Pastors Fellowship.
Page 10
May 11, 2017
Rescue
Dyer said the hikers spoke in broken English, but the urgency of the situation was clear. Team 3’s training day would now become a real-life rescue operation. Prepared for the worst Thousand Oaks-based Team 3 is a unit of Ventura County Search and Rescue, which operates under the auspices of the sheriff’s department. The 28 men and women of Team 3 are highly skilled volunteers who respond to wilderness and urban emergencies in Ventura County and beyond. Members undergo an initial 10-month academy and then ongoing monthly training, preparing for technical rescues in extreme environments, such as cliffs and swift water.
From Page 1 —
Driving about two miles north, they came to a group of frantic Korean hikers. They’d been trekking along the snow-covered Pacific Crest Trail when one member lost traction and slid more than 200 feet down an icy slope. Another hiker tried to descend to help the first but also slipped and fell. The scene repeated until five of the 10 hikers had slid down the steep slope and were stranded, some of them seriously injured. The others returned to the trailhead to seek help. There they met the man who found the search and rescue team.
Serving the greater Conejo Valley for 25 years Licensed | Bonded | Insured
Maid-In-America.Biz [email protected] 805.499.7259
24T14D
Maid in America HOUSE CLEANING SERVICES Paul Lopez Owner/Operator
Thousand Oaks Acorn
MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers
Team 3’s members work in a variety of fields: financial planning, welding, insurance sales, rocket science. They generally put in three to five full days a month responding to search-andrescue calls. “It’s a big commitment,” said team member Robert Frey, a doctor who lives in Thousand Oaks. Because the call of duty can take them to Ventura County’s mountains in the winter, Team 3 undergoes annual training in
SAVING LIVES—Above, Sheriff Geoff Dean, left, hands out commemorative coins to members of the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Search and Rescue East Valley Team 3 during the fourth annual special recognition ceremony May 3 at the Sheriff ’s Academy and Training Center in Camarillo. At left, a plaque bearing the team members’ names.
snow and ice. That was the reason for their fortuitous February excursion to the San Gabriel Mountains, where the season’s storms had built up a deep snowpack. “We were just trying to find the gnarliest place we could go,” Frey said. Ready for action On that clear, crisp day, Team 3 had begun training in an area off
of Angeles Crest Highway, about 35 miles north of La Cañada Flintridge, when around 10:30 a.m. they learned of the fallen hikers. “We were there training for essentially that same type of rescue,” said Matt Humphreys, a construction equipment operator and the team’s captain. After a quick briefing, Frey and Greg Brentin, an EMT and
Time for
Spring Cleaning!
Bring unwanted hazardous materials to our state-of-the-art facility, where it will be properly disposed or placed in our on-site Reuse Store! DO Bring: •paint •household cleaners •pool chemicals •batteries •fluorescent bulbs •pesticides & fertilizers •auto fluids, used oil & oil filters •solvents, glues & adhesives
DO NOT Bring: •business waste •medications •controlled substances •explosives FREE •ammunition oil Change •biological waste CaRe kiT •radioactive materials (City of Thousand oaks residents onlywhile supplies last!)
appointments available every Friday and saturday!*
RegisteR Online
www.toaks.org/gogreen or call 805-376-5007 Visit www.toaks.org/GoGreen to make a free appointment, complete guidelines and for free/discounted business waste disposal options. Transportation Tips & Limits
It is against the law to transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste at any one time in your vehicle. Pack waste securely to prevent tipping or spilling while transporting. * Excluding major holidays; Open to City of Thousand Oaks & Unincorporated Ventura County Residents ONLY
FREE
Reuse Store
Product availability varies. No appointment needed to shop at Reuse Store, located at the Hazardous Waste Facility.
Connect & Share Partially funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling & Recovery (CalRecycle)
19T05I
19ATMSC51T
at the
reclaimed household, paint & automotive materials
