Thousand Oaks, California
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Thousand Oaks (commonly referred to by locals as "T.O.") is a city located in Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned by the symbol of an oak. The city is part of a regional area called the Conejo Valley, which includes Thousand Oaks proper, Newbury Park, and part of Westlake Village, approximately 19 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the Los Angeles County/Ventura County line crosses right through the middle of Westlake Village; thus, Westlake Village is technically part of the city of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County, whereas Westlake Village in Los Angeles County is its own city, separate and distinct from Thousand Oaks. The city is served by both the Ventura Freeway and California State Route 23. California Lutheran University is located in Thousand Oaks.
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History
The area was once occupied by the Chumash people, and 2000-year old cave drawings may still be seen at the Chumash Interpretive Center, in the Lang Ranch section of the city.
The area's recorded history dates to 1542 when Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed at Point Mugu and claimed the land for his country. It eventually became part of the 48,671-acre (197 km²) Rancho El Conejo land grant by the Spanish government, thus becoming the basis of the name Conejo Valley (conejo means "rabbit" in Spanish, of which there are many in the area). It served as grazing land for vaqueros for the next fifty years.
In the late 19th century it was on the stagecoach route between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. The Stagecoach Inn was built in 1876, and is now a California Historical Landmark and a popular museum.
The Janss Family, developers of Southern California subdivisions, purchased 10,000 acres (40 km²) in the early 1900s. Janss eventually created plans for a "total community" and the name remains prominently featured in the city.
Jungleland USA was one of Southern California's very first theme parks. Wild animal shows entertained thousands in the 1940s and 1950s. Many TV and movie productions were filmed there and made use of the park's trained animals (among them, Birth of a Nation, Tarzan, and The Adventures of Robin Hood). The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza today stands on the hundreds of acres that is the former site of the park.
The City of Thousand Oaks was incorporated on September 29, 1964.
Geography
Image:ThousandOaksMap.JPG Thousand Oaks is located at 34°11'22" North, 118°52'30" West (34.189489, -118.875053)Template:GR. It is situated in the Conejo Valley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 142.5 km² (55.0 mi²). 142.1 km² (54.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.29% water.
There is a 400-foot high rounded hill across from the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. It is known locally as "Tarantula Hill" but its official name is "Dawn's Peak".
Demographics
As of the 2000 censusTemplate:GR, there were 117,005 people, 41,793 households, and 31,177 families residing in the city. The population density was 823.5/km² (2,132.8/mi²). There were 42,958 housing units at an average density of 302.3/km² (783.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.09% White, 1.06% African American, 0.54% Native American, 5.87% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 4.51% from other races, and 2.82% from two or more races. 13.10% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 41,793 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $76,815, and the median income for a family was $86,041. Males had a median income of $62,814 versus $40,634 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,314. 5.0% of the population and 3.2% of families were below the poverty line. 5.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Poverty, while generally quite uncommon, does exist in different parts of the city, namely among immigrant and illegal immigrant populations.
Property values in this area have appreciated more than 100% in less than ten years, during the late 90s and early 2000s.
The city regularly ranks as the first or second safest large city (population greater than 100,000) in the United States in annual surveys (the main competition being nearby Simi Valley).
Politics
Image:ThousandOaks.jpg Thousand Oaks is one of the few cities of over 100,000 which does not directly elect its mayor; rather the council members take turns rotating into the position. Amongst former members of the city's council are the late Ed Masry, attorney and activist. Masry achieved notoriety beyond his own community when Albert Finney portrayed him opposite Julia Roberts in the 2000 Academy Award-winning film, Erin Brockovich.
In late 2005, Masry had to resign his position due to failing health, primarily diabetes. His resignation was covered by the many news outlets, including a popular local newsource, The TO Acorn: "... known for his straightforwardness on issues of importance to him, including law enforcement, education and the environment. Masry is also chairman and chief executive officer of Save the World, Inc., which is developing devices to reduce pollution emitted by motor vehicles." Masry's son and law partner, Louis Masry, went on to say that: “Although my father is retiring from the city council, our family will remain active in the community supporting those issues of importance to him.” Masry died shortly after the article was written in December 2005 due to complications from diabetes.
Controversy arose, when in December, 2005, the remaining members of the Thousand Oaks City Council, in a 3 to 1 vote, decided to fill Masry's empty seat via appointment rather than a special city election. More than 40 candidates emerged during the process to be considered at public meetings that month. A local dentist and former planning commissioner named Dr. Thomas Glancy was ultimately named by the council to succeed Masry for the remainder of the three year term. Local press op-ed pieces still speculate as to if Glancy will take the "high road" and step-down from his appointed post in the Summer of 2006, so that an election for Masry's old seat could be held afterall, in the name of Democracy, to coincide with the regularly scheduled November election.
Today the city boasts a very active, and historically "slow growth"-minded city council. Along with the ordinances protecting the numerous oak trees, the city's leaders and residents alike boast of the ring of protected land, free from development, that surrounds the city's borders and which may account for the accelerating land values in recent years. More than 14,000 square acres have been designated as "Open Space" containing more than 75 miles of trails. Ironically, the most recent development in the community that adjoins the Civic Arts Center, known as "the Lakes" destroyed a grove of old growth oaks, although great pains were taken to relocate the larger specimens. The continued existence of the well known "open space" around Thousand Oaks will be at issue in the future as scarce land comes under development pressure that accompanies rising population and general demographic trends in the area.
Youth & professional sports
Organized sports and recreation for children and teenagers is a major focus of the community. AYSO soccer, Conejo Youth Basketball Association, Pop Warner football, Little League baseball, CYFFA flag football, girls' softball, organized swim team leagues, ice hockey, and even organized lacrosse and field hockey involve hundreds and even thousands of participants and their parents year in and year out. The term "soccer mom" applies to many such parents.
In the summer of 2004, the Little League National Championship team hailed from Thousand Oaks. The "Conejo Valley East" team of 11 and 12-year olds went 22-0 in local, regional, and World Series tournaments play claiming the national title at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania before losing in the international title game to the team from Curaçao, Caribbean.
In professional sports, the city is home to the Sherwood Country Club, a world-class golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. The course hosts an annual golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods.
Notable residents
Many notable persons have called the Conejo Valley their home over the years. This list includes, in alphabetical order:
- Sparky Anderson, Baseball Hall of Famer
- Frankie Avalon, singer
- George Ball, Broadway performer
- Erin Brockovich, legal activist
- Amanda Bynes of Nickelodeon TV and the WB Network's "What I Like About You"
- Richard Carpenter, singer and songwriter. In 2004, Carpenter and his wife pledged $3 million to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation in memory of Carpenter's late sister Karen Carpenter.
- Eric Garcia, novelist, Matchstick Men
- Wayne Gretzky, NHL Hockey great, co-owner of a popular restaurant.
- Scott Hamilton, Olympic ice-skating champion
- Hulk Hogan, wrestler
- Bob Hope's holdings once comprised what is now known as the Lang Ranch section of the city.
- David Lander, actor, best known for playing "Squiggy" in Laverne & Shirley
- Anne Lockhart of Battlestar Galactica (daughter of June Lockhart and granddaughter of Gene Lockhart) lives in the area and is very involved in local community theater groups including the Santa Susana Players.
- Heather Locklear
- Greg Louganis, Olympic diver, lives in nearby Oak Park.
- Howie Mandel, comedian
- Ron Masak, actor
- Virginia Mayo, film star of the 1940s, gifted her extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia to the Thousand Oaks Library. The Thousand Oaks Library also has an extensive collection of American radio programs and memorabilia archived comprising the best of Radio's Golden Age.
- Amanda McBroom, Broadway performer (who wrote Bette Midler's hit single, The Rose)
- Maureen McCormick, actress, The Brady Bunch
- Joel McCrea, an actor from the 1930s, and his wife, Frances Dee McCrea donated several hundred acres of their personal property to the newly formed Conejo Valley YMCA, and that land is now called Joel McCrea Park.
- Kevin Mitnick, computer hacker
- Michael Richards, Kramer of Seinfeld was also raised in Thousand Oaks and attended Thousand Oaks High School.
- Mickey Rooney
- Kurt Russell, actor, son of actor Bing Russell, was born and raised in Thousand Oaks.
- Joey Scarbury, singer
- Tom Selleck
- Artie Shaw, bandleader and composer
- Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith
- Mabel Stark, the late "world's only tiger lady trainer" appeared on What's My Line in the early '60s, promoting Jungleland.
- Donna Summer, singer
- Frankie Valli, singer
- Lyle Waggoner of The Carol Burnett Show
Points of interest
External links
- City of Thousand Oaks official website
- 2004 T.O. Little League team @ ESPN.com
- The History of Jungleland sponsored by Jungleland Skates
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