December 1 marks the beginning of “The Arrive Alive on US 101” sober driving coalition, a cooperative public safety effort supported by the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, and the California Office of Public Safety. The goal of the program, which will run through Sept. 30, 2013 is to assess the US 101 corridor and recommend traffic safety improvement strategies for reducing alcohol-involved collisions and promoting anti-DUI education and awareness.

Be responsible and don’t drink and drive - the health and safety of you, your family, and others in the community depends on it!

Dispose of household hazardous waste and e-waste the right way on Saturday, December 1, 2012 in Malibu. Los Angeles County residents are invited to stop by the Malibu Civic Center rear parking lot (23519 West Civic Center Way, Malibu) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to dispose of their toxic materials. Acceptable items include brake fluid, paint thinner, cleaners with acid or lye, pesticides, herbicides, household batteries, car batteries, pool chemicals, motor oil, oil filters, expired pharmaceuticals, anti-freeze, and fluorescent light bulbs. Electronic waste includes computer monitors, televisions, computer CPUs, keyboards, printers, cellular phones, etc.

Please make sure items are brought in a sturdy box and note that there is a limit of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of hazardous waste per trip. Business waste will not be accepted. For a complete list of acceptable items and restrictions, please visit www.CleanLA.com or call 1-888-CLEAN-LA.

Spring is just around the corner, and that means baseball! Registration for the 2013 Spring T-Ball and Coach Pitch Leagues will begin on December 10 at de Anza Park and will continue until leagues are full. T-Ball is for ages 4-6 and Coach Pitch is for ages 7-8. Leagues run from March 16 - June 1 and each team will play one game per week on Saturdays at either Grape Arbor Park or Creekside Park. There will be one practice per week based on the coach’s schedule. There are no try-outs and players will be placed on teams based on friend requests or the school which they attend. The league fee is $140 and includes uniforms, team pictures, and a trophy.

Parents, we need your help! Please volunteer to be a coach. A coaches meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, February 25 at de Anza Park. For more information, please call (818) 880-6461 or email lwilhelm@cityofcalabasas.com.

Emphasize fun and learning while building character one swing at a time!

Jackie Goldberg, aka “The Pink Lady”, will present “Get Up, Get Out, Get a Life: Humor in Aging” at the Calabasas Savvy Seniors Luncheon and Winter Class Registration to be held on Wednesday, December 12 at noon in Founders Hall, located behind the Calabasas Library, 200 Civic Center Way.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to register for Savvy Seniors winter classes, lectures, excursions, and meet class instructors, neighbors, other active seniors and representatives from the City of Calabasas. The fee for the catered lunch and presentation is $15. Registration forms can be found in the City of Calabasas Recreation Brochure, which is available at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center, Juan Bautista de Anza Park, and Creekside Park/Community Center. The code number for the luncheon is #5200.401. For more information about Savvy Seniors and to add your name to the mailing list, contact Kimberly Colp at (818) 880-6461.  

Grab on to the holiday spirit at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center on Wednesday, December 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will be a shopper's wonderland of exciting vendors selling gifts for the holidays. Pick up presents for everybody on your list! Public is welcome. For additional information, please call (818) 222-2782.

The Calabasas City Council has approved the formation of a task force to set priorities, research, and assess appropriate sites for construction of a new Senior Center in Calabasas. The task force, comprised of Calabasas Mayor Mary Sue Maurer, Councilmember David Shapiro, and five residents, will work together and come up with suitable locations for the Council’s review.

The proposed Senior Center is part of an ongoing effort by the City of Calabasas and its Savvy Senior Program to help seniors live better by easing the physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges attributable to age and disability. As the nation’s elderly population continues to increase over the next 20-30 years, municipalities like Calabasas recognize the demands of the aging population and are supportive of programs like those offered at senior centers, which are designed to promote healthy, active senior lifestyles.

Each year, the Talbert Family Foundation chooses a single, local family to be the beneficiary of their Holiday Toy Drive. That family submits their wish lists and the Foundation reaches out to the community to get all of the items collected. Everything is then delivered, as a surprise to the children (from Santa), on Christmas eve. It is the Foundation's goal to make one day filled with joy and magic, in a year otherwise scarred by catastrophic illness.

This year, the Holiday Toy Drive will benefit the Gates Family. Michael Gates, age six, suffers from a recurring brain cancer. Please help make the holidays special for this family. For Michael's story and/or to make a tax deductible donation, visit  http://talbertfamilyfoundation.org/pages/Michael.html. To obtain the Gates' wish list or for additional information, please contact Alison Watters at alisonwatters@mac.com. All items must be received by December 21, 2012. 100% of the proceeds will go to Michael's family.

Mayor Mary Sue Maurer will present the 15th Annual Calabasas Mayor's State of the City Address on Thursday, January 24, 2013 in Founders Hall at the Calabasas Library. The the speech will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer immediately afterwards. Members of the public are invited to attend. The speech will be videotaped and replayed on CTV-3 in Calabasas and available on demand via the Calabasas website.

The State of the City address is an annual presentation by the Mayor of Calabasas bringing residents, City staff and civic leaders together to reflect on City accomplishments from the past year and to review plans for the future. For more information about the Mayor's State of the City Address, please call (818) 224-1600.