We’re being invaded—but in a good way. The advancing army means us no harm; in fact, they bear no arms whatsoever. They are winged beings called California painted ladies. Their common name may suggest denizens of a 19th century frontier brothel, but the name refers to the species’ speckled palette of orange, black and white. Their suggestive name notwithstanding, painted […]
2019-03-21
Keep your eye on the birdie
The Conejo Valley Audubon Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. Mon., April 1 at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo. Frank De Martino, club president, will discuss “Fly Me to the Moon: Bird Migration Myths and Realities,” longstanding myths and contemporary science relating to migratory birds. Organizers say, “Come celebrate April Fool’s Day by taking […]
Local hikes in super technicolor
The super bloom in Lake Elsinore’s Walker Canyon drew an estimated 100,000 visitors over the weekend, creating traffic jams and unmanageable crowds that prompted officials to shut off access to the fertile open space. But for Ventura County residents, fields of technicolor wildflowers can be observed much closer to home because hikes in the Conejo and Simi valleys are also […]
Enough of Kanan traffic
Solutions to busy road being soughtGnarly traffic on Kanan Road has plagued residents for years. Now, something is being done to address the problem. The City of Agoura Hills, Ventura County and two public school districts are trying to come up with a plan to ease traffic congestion on the road during peak periods. A regional study of the Kanan Road corridor was discussed by […]
Region governed by new wildlife corridors
Animal protections put into placeVentura County made history March 12 by becoming the first county in the nation to create special zoning for the protection of wildlife. The so-called wildlife corridors hope to give threatened animals such as cougars more room to run between the mountains and the sea. Three years in the planning and comprising some 500,000 acres with more than 7,390 privately […]
Bobcat killed on LV road
An adult male bobcat, B-361, was struck and killed by a car the evening of March 15 on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas. The male cat was collared by National Park Service biologists Nov. 6, 2018. He roamed between the burned and unburned areas of Malibu Canyon, the park service said. His carcass was collected and will undergo a necropsy, […]
Slowly but surely the debris gets hauled away
WOOLSEY FIRE UPDATEState contractors say they have removed burned metal, concrete, ash and debris from nearly 150 residential properties in Los Angeles and Ventura counties affected by the Woolsey and Hill fires. The homeowners are participating in the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program. Crews have cleared debris from 127 properties in Los Angeles County and from 21 parcels in Ventura County—and will […]
Fire-damaged parks slow to open
The heavy rains over the last few months have healed most of the visible damage from the Woolsey fire—burn scars and blackened plant life have been replaced by lush greenery that invites locals to return to the Santa Monica Mountains where they can enjoy the recent sunny weather. Local parks are a different matter. Some spaces are still showing signs […]
High-end store takes the low road
Vintage Grocers exits the Westlake PromenadeThis story was updated 2:55 p.m. March 29, 2019. March 15 started as a normal workday for Kilie Mackey. But when the Vintage Grocers receiving manager arrived at the Westlake Promenade store Friday morning, she was shocked to find it had been closed—permanently. “People were there painting the windows white to block them out, and there was a sign on the […]