Category Archives: Agoura Hills

Agoura Hills

On Fire Watch!!1! close to home

Smoke from the Calabasas fire in the distance

Smoke from the Calabasas fire in the distance

I was getting ready for work when I heard the steady thump of a helicopter. My curtains were not completely open, so I opened them more and saw the telltale ochre skies. Oh, yeah. Brush fire.

This one turned out to be in Calabasas and it burned toward Agoura Hills. It looks really big, from the pictures I took, and I of course did what Trinity hates me to do — drive-by shooting with my camera. What?? This is what I do. Just be glad I have a lot of practice.

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Prettiest library ever?

I’m pretty sure the Agoura Hills public library is the prettiest library in the county. When I went here a couple of weeks ago for the first time, I was shocked at how pretty it is. It’s location on Ladyface Court is relatively new — the library moved here (in the same complex as Agoura Hills City Hall) in October of 2001.

I mean, just look at this little walkway, on the edge of a circular courtyard. On a lazy day off, I can easily imagine coming out with my free library books and settling down on that bench to enjoy the sunset.

Secure in the belief that this is one of the prettiest libraries in the county, I set out to prove it with pictures. This is the entry of the library — I’m standing in the “Friends of the Library” section, where they keep stuff that’s for sale. Check out those woodsy eaves and the enticing shelves of CDs and DVDs available for borrowing. FYI, I tried to take these pictures on the down low, since I’m not entirely sure what the policy is on taking pictures at a public library. I was also not trying to look like a pedophile, thank you very much. Technically, I think you should be able to take pictures at a public library, since it is public property.

Here, among the shelves and turnstiles of popular fiction, there are study tables alongside windows that look out onto these great trees.

I love the decor of this library — its so welcoming. I think it actually looks more welcoming than Barnes & Noble or Borders, where so many — including myself — are guilty of spending way too much time, and thus too much money.

I shot the children’s section through shelves — it turned out pretty all right, and I didn’t get any kids in the picture. Whew.

So, with this post, I am issuing a challenge to other bloggers — get out and check out your local library. Take pictures and post them, and if you think they’re as welcoming and handsome as the Agoura Hills library, well, we’ll see. Why the challenge? Well, I tend to think we (not just blogger, everyone) don’t spend enough time in our libraries. Our counties and cities have spent a lot of money upgrading a lot of them, yet, we have no idea about them! So this challenge, in a way, is a shout out to my library and community and a way for you to do the same. Just, uh, be careful about taking those pictures.

Also, I think that the Central Library in downtown should be disqualified from the get go — obviously its a favorite for many. The point is for all of you to visit your local libraries and share them with the world.

And if you want to visit the Agoura Hills library yourself, its at 29901 Ladyface Court in Agoura Hills and is open Monday through Wednesday, 10 to 8, and on Thursday through Saturday from 10 to 5.

USC football players join forces with the dragon man

Just kidding.

It’s been a banner week for racists, joking and otherwise.

Turns out this Agoura Hills kid by the name of Clay Matthews is now playing football at USC, then decided to join Facebook and create a group called “White Nation” that advocated people to “arrest black babies before they become criminals.” Oh, but that’s not it – four of his teammates thought it would be funny to play along.

“This group is not for the faint of heart,” read the group’s description. “All members are athletes of Caucasion (sic) descent. DISCLAIMER: In no way are the following memebers (sic) intolerant of others, we are just doing our duty of protecting the Arian (sic) brotherhood.”

An athletic department source who wished to remain anonymous said the group was a joke and had no serious purpose.

The “joke” began when a black football player nicknamed some of his teammates “White Nation,” the source said.

Stefanie Gopaul, a freshman majoring in psychology, discovered the group through her Facebook friendship with Sartz and Cushing and sent private messages to both, expressing her concern.

“Dallas Sartz said that White Nation is a joke on the team and that he’s not like that,” Gopaul said. “I was still really upset about it.”

Gopaul created the Facebook group, ” Clay Matthews (USC football player) expresses anti-black sentiment,” and invited all of her Facebook friends to join.

“I honestly thought (Sartz and Cushing) were taking me as a joke,” Gopaul said. “I posted the group so that they would know that (the White Nation group) is inappropriate.”

The group received a strong response, at one time having as many as 90 members, and students expressed their outrage on the group message board and in personal messages to Gopaul.

“I received some very upset comments,” Gopaul said. “A high school student wrote to me and said he wanted to go to ‘SC next year and that he was glad I created the group and that it made him look at the school differently.”

I actually stumbled upon this story via a video I cut at work.

I suppose this kid could have set up the group on Facebook as a joke. I mean, he’s not going on any network news shows and saying that he hates them or anything. Plus, if he truly felt the way he did, he’s not smart going to a school like USC, surrounded by a longstanding black community.

But at the same time – dude. You were accepted to USC, act as if you were smart enough to get in. Because a move like that was just not smart.

Why I like Agoura Hills

My boss was asking me the other day how I was liking my new place, and how he couldn’t believe I drive out to Agoura Hills everyday. Well, this would be one reason why. You can’t beat a view that’s mostly green grass and trees from both your living room and bedroom patios.