By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

This week in 1975, the "butter scandal" was front page news once again in The Acorn.

The week prior, the owner of a local market had gone public with the issue of price regulations placed on dairy products by the state. Under California law, grocers were required to sell dairy products above a certain price, but there were no caps placed on how high those prices could be.

According to the article, the public was led to believe that the dairy industry was keeping down prices on staples like milk, butter and cheese, but that the situation was actually the opposite.

The issue came to light after Vance Moran, owner of Whizin’s Market in Agoura, came under fire by the state’s dairy regulation agency, the Bureau of Milk Marketing Enforcement, for selling butter too cheaply at 59 cents a pound. The bureau had ordered Moran to raise his price or risk jail or a $1.3 million fine.

Moran took the issue to the Agoura Valley Chamber of Commerce where he admitted to earning far too much on the sale of dairy products in his store than he should be.

Members expressed outrage and pledged to fight retail sales regulation in favor of competitive pricing. A petition attracted more than 3,000 signatures from Chatsworth to Thousand Oaks in an attempt to alert elected government representatives. The Acorn served as a petition site where concerned citizens could add their signatures.

Perhaps it was the butter issue that helped put Agoura on the map because that same week a representative from a commuter bus company spoke at a Chamber of Commerce meeting about the possibility of adding bus service to the area.

Mounting concern about the growing number of relocation houses popping up in Old Agoura prompted a visit from the Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chief and a representative from the L.A. County Department of Building and Safety.

Both representatives spoke at a meeting of the Old Agoura Valley Homeowners Association. Members were concerned with some of these older relocation homes downgrading the area where many residents were building custom homes.

In a related issue, members were encouraged to help clean up the area by removing unsightly objects that had been discarded, including old cars, trash and storage piles.

A front page article and photographs announced the opening of The Laughing Horse restaurant on Agoura Road. Owned and operated by a French-born restaurateur and his wife, the article detailed the owner’s extensive background in high caliber restaurants in France and Switzerland.

His new restaurant in Agoura would be a slight departure from what he had done before. The Laughing Horse would carry sandwiches, takeout, and three sizes of seven different types of hamburgers.

The Acorn will be taking a look back at our first year’s issues over the next 12 months, giving an historical perspective on "30 Years Ago in The Acorn." If you have memories to share from that time period, please send your submission to Sophia Fischer at sfischer2@yahoo.com or fax to (818)706-8942.

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