Your TONA—Then, and Now!

by Martha Salzman

Part I from the May 2017 newsletter

Way back in 1975, a group of Thousand Oaks neighbors got together to explore ways of addressing some common neighborhood concerns. Residents whose homes were in the original 1911 Thousand Oaks subdivision were invited to attend the first planning meeting to determine their interests and concerns, such as insufficient usable park space, rush-hour traffic on narrow streets, illegal apartments, poor bus service, too many cars, and overhead utility lines. Sound familiar? Bylaws were established, a board was formed, and dues were paid. (For many years the dues were $2 per person, $1 for seniors!) A multi-page survey was extended to the residents, forming the first list of action items for TONA members and board of directors.

In the years that followed, TONA was directly involved in such issues as changing the huge asphalt playground that was at Thousand Oaks School into the green park that we all enjoy today. Along with that came the develop-ment of the Tot Lot and the restoration and daylighting of Blackberry Creek, which previously trickled through a culvert under the playground. After the 1989 earthquake, the old school, protected by landmark status, was declared unsafe. Plans were made, with input from TONA, and the new school building that you see today was finally open for business in 2000.

As the years passed, timely issues were dealt with. In 1984, the board voted to expand TONA to include the school area west of Colusa. Issues about Berkeley being a “sanctuary city” came up in 1985. Speed bumps and no-left-turn lanes were installed on narrow neighborhood streets to address some of the traffic problems in 1994. We learned about the beauty of the coast live oak and sudden oak death (1987), neighborhood use of solar energy (2009), coexisting with wildlife in the neighborhood (2010), and installation of a farmer’s market (2011). Presentations on earthquake and emergency preparedness have been featured at several general meetings. Candidates’ Nights, featuring presentations by the candidates for our city council members and mayor, have been a constant at fall meetings of TONA since the beginning. We are always looking forward to ways to address concerns of our members.

Part II from the Oct 2017 newsletter

Through the decades, many social traditions have developed through TONA. In 1978, TONA sponsored a giant neighborhood flea market on the school playground. Starting in 1978, for at least 10 years TONA and the Solano Avenue merchants sponsored a Halloween window painting contest for children 6–13. Other early events were the annual Fourth of July Wheel Parade on the school playground (decorated bikes, strollers, skateboards, scooters, etc.); annual teen dances for 7th and 8th graders (cost to the kids $1.50 to attend), a 1975 arts and crafts show with more than 20 local artists; neighborhood historical walks with long time member and history buff Trish Hawthorne. 

TONA has had many opportunities to weigh in on zoning issues from Solano Avenue, among them concerning use permits for the number of restaurants, what to do about and planning for closed businesses. (Did you know there used to be a Chevron gas station across the street from the Union 76 on the corner of Solano and Colusa?) For the last several years, we’ve been happy to award the Golden Acorn to businesses who have made particular contributions to our commercial area. 

Way back then, as now, TONA general meetings were held three times a year in the Thousand Oaks Baptist Church, and all residents of the area were invited. The newsletter is distributed to 1800 households by a dedicated staff of 50 volunteers. We’ve had as many as 290 paid members. We welcome all who live in the area! In 1997, the annual dues were increased to $4.00 for seniors, $6.00 for individuals, and $10 for families. It’s about time for a small raise, to help cover increasing costs of printing the newsletter. The news goes out to all households in the area, regardless of TONA membership. We are an organization that deals with neighborhood concerns at the local level. Neighborhood meetings provide a forum for local discussions of current and potential problems. We are a volunteer board of 11 people, open to all. We are so fortunate to call this wonderful neighborhood home! A special shout-out goes to Elizabeth Sklut, the very first president of TONA. Still on the board of directors, her name has been associated with each of the special actions and traditions of this valuable organization.