Soup and quackers for lunch
     FEEDING TIME-They say that rain is good for ducks and frogs. Here, 5-year-old Troy Steele of Westlake Village is surrounded by a flock of hungry ducks during a visit to Westlake Lake.
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Oak Park soon to receive emergency defibrillator
By Lori Porter
porter@theacorn.com
     The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will conduct a public hearing Jan. 25 to approve funding for a public defibrillator program and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for the community of Oak Park.
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School district changes class schedule
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com
     Agoura High School is adding an extra period to the daily classroom schedule next year and modifying its existing schedule.
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Taking the oath of office
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SWEARING IN-Las Virgenes Municipal Water District General Manager John Mundy, right, gives the oath of office to newly elected Board of Director President Charles Caspary, left, and Vice President Joseph Bowman.
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Safety concerns trigger gun lock giveaway
Some self-defense advocates oppose the new measures
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com
     Complete gun-locking systems are being given away at Agoura Hills Target Range in an effort to promote gun safety.
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Students aid tsunami relief
     Students at A.E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas are working hard to come up with creative ways to assist South Asia tsunami victims.
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Awareness turns to India
     HELPING OTHERS-Wealth of Nations Foundation President Bob Balan talks to Calabasas students about the Asian tsunami. Wealth of Nations is a nonprofit organization raising money for India, the third worst-hit country after Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
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Awards dinner honors Calabasas, Agoura Hills athletes
     Thirty athletes from across Southern California will be honored for their leadership, sportsmanship and athleticism this Saturday evening at the annual Night of Maccabi Champions at the new Milken Jewish Community Center in West Hills.
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Community launches campaign to assist victims of tsunami
Funds needed
by Jan. 31
     Various representatives from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks joined CLU President Luther Luedtke at a Jan. 11 meeting and embraced the goal of launching a voluntary fundraising campaign.
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Disaster relief well underway
     The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) has established a Tsunami Relief Fund so local donors can contribute to relief efforts aiding tsunami victims.
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Friend remembers community activist
Sandoval
worked to save
historic
Reyes Adobe
     Sandy Sandoval, a long-time community activist who worked to save the historic Reyes Adobe from demolition, died Dec. 27. He was 82.
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Check(ing) it out
     A WORTHY CAUSE-North Ranch Pavilions store manager Bob Ordas, left, and Jeff Haddox, Vons district manager, center, present a check for $1,000 to Hospice of the Conejo Valley executive director Ed Troupe.
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Gardens of the World seeks volunteer docents
     Gardens of the World Community Park is seeking volunteers to serve as docents at the park, located opposite the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza at 2001 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.
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Photo
     TEAM SPIRIT-The Los Angeles girls' basketball team is one of many to play in the Jewish Community Center's Maccabi Games in Washington, D.C. The games have more than 6,000 teen athletes who participate each August in the Olympic-style sporting events.
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Toastmasters are the talk of the town
     Conejo Valley Toastmasters is hosting its inaugural Thousand Oaks/Simi Valley "Speech-A-Thon" at 2 p.m. Sat., Jan. 22 at Borders Bookstore, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
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Calabasas film fest means big box office
By Michael Picarella
pic@theacorn.com
     The Method Fest Film Festival, which moved to Calabasas in October, has received a record 227 films for submission.
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Calabasas workshop, awards
     The City of Calabasas will host a public workshop on Jan. 25 at city hall to discuss a new bicycle master plan now in the works. For more information about the session, call (818) 878-4225 ext. 289.
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For the record
     In the Jan. 13 Acorn, Qdoba Mexican Grill was incorrectly identified as Adobe Restaurant.
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Saluting trailblazers
     HELPING HANDS-The Agoura Hills Fox Trailblazers of the Triunfo YMCA salute a job well done after loading boxes of nuts, beef jerky, and candy for overseas soldiers through the Homefront Ministry run by Catherine Pictaggi, back center, in Westlake Village.
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Tennis, Swim Center offers winter recreation classes
     The Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center will host a wide variety of classes this winter. Unless noted otherwise, classes are at 23400 Park Sorrento, Calabasas and the number to call for additional information or registration is (818) 222-2782.
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Friends of Oak Park schools host March 21 Golf Challenge
By Lori Porter
porter@theacorn.com
     Friends of Oak Park Schools, the only nonprofit education foundation dedicated to helping the Oak Park Unified School District with its financial needs, is hosting its second annual Golf Challenge on March 21 at North Ranch Country Club.
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Program teaches gardeners about proper composting
     Ian Eales, an engineer and avid composter, will share his expert advice on the proper care and feeding of compost in a free program at 1 p.m. Sun., Jan.
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Young composer to conduct his own work
By Sophia Fischer
sfischer@theacorn.com
     A gifted musician and composer, Lennon Leppert of Thousand Oaks is only17, but he
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Kids can learn to play nice
     The city of Agoura Hills Department of Community Services is offering a variety of classes for youth this winter. Following is a sampling of some of the classes that will be getting underway soon at the Agoura Hills Recreation Center, 30610 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
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Hospital using digital X-ray technology
By Michael Picarella
pic@theacorn.com
     Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center will no longer do X-rays of diagnostic images on film, but will replace that process with a new digital X-ray technology.
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Calabasas native active in business
Stacey Borden attending Harvard
     Stacey R. Borden, a Harvard College junior and 2002 valedictorian at Calabasas High, was recently elected president of Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business (HUWIB), the largest student business organization at Harvard with over 100 active members.
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AHS student sees Washington inauguration
     Michael Westerband, a student at Agoura High School, has been accepted into the People to People Presidential Inauguration event, a Jan. 19 to 23 educational program in Washington, D.C.
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Food share program
     SINGING FOR SUPPER-Black crows perched on a fencepost on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas share an apple core before flying off into the Santa Monica Mountains.
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Westlake Junior Women’s Club distributes $38,000 to charities
     The Westlake Village Junior Women
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Group needs book donations
     The Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura is collecting gently used books (hard and soft cover) to give to lower income seniors.
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Still time to enroll in clogging classes
By Michelle Knight
knight@theacorn.com
     Marry the Irish jig to tap dance and you
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Mixer meet and greet
     SMILES ALL AROUND-Sharing a photo opportunity at the Troop Real Estate Mixer hosted by the Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce last week are, left to right, Chamber member David Farkas, Chamber President Louis Masry, Government Affairs Chairman Alex Soteras, Troop Real Estate's Zane Widdes, and Chamber member Jim Nagle.
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Internet classes offered
     The city of Agoura Hills Department of Community Services is offering two sessions of a computer course "Navigate the Internet" for adults (age 18 or older) from 11 a.m.
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Newbury park workshop features cultural crafts
     Artist Michael Williams will lead a cultural craft workshop teaching participants how to make dream catchers or prayer sticks with beads, feathers and other materials in a two-session event on Sun.
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It’s time to fill out and submit financial aid forms for college
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com
     The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, should be completed for all college applicants, regardless of parental income levels, said Allison Pilmer, associate director of admissions at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
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Learn the art of making beaded flowers
     Bead artist Lananh Bui will conduct a series of classes on creating French beaded flowers at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas.
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