School district grapples with special education
Policies have been a good IDEA, although some parents disagree
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
      Between the federal guarantee of "free and appropriate public education" for all children- including those with special needs- and the limited capacity of school budgets to pay for the special education, lies a battleground.
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Smoking ban discussed
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      The Calabasas City Council was expected to discuss an expansion of the city smoking ban at last night's meeting. The ordinance prohibits smoking in public places. City officials now want the ban to include apartment buildings.
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Theatre on the Hill goes on a romp
Venue's new troupe specializes in comic operettas
By Cary Ginell soundthink@aol.com
      One of the newest and most welcomed theater companies in the Conejo Valley is the Ventura County Gilbert and Sullivan Repertoire Company. Founded in 2006, the company brings the delightful comic operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan to local theatergoers.
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Article
By Deborah Barber askDrDB@yahoo.com
      Narcissism is alive and well. A topic of much clinical interest back in the '80s, it has experienced a resurgence with the advent of Gen Y'ers (the cohort born between 1979 and 1994). My colleagues on college campuses are noticing a sense of entitlement in students that appears to ignore traditional climbtheladder approaches to success.
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Sweet Greek melodies grace festival
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers MINSTREL- Oak Park resident George Markos strums an eight-string Greek bouzouki prior to a performance at the Ventura County Greek Festival on Sunday. The classic instrument is made of several elements: the bowl is maplewood, the face is spruce, the inlay is abalone and the neck is ebony.
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Classes open at Agoura/Calabasas Center
      The Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center is offering summer programs. For more information on any of the courses, call (818) 880-2993 or visit www.ahccc.org. +Classes beginning tomorrow, Fri., June 22, are Tiny Tot Ballet for children ages 3-5 and Cheerleading for ages 5 to 8. The ballet class is $85 and the cheerleading class is $100.
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Boys & Girls Clubs announce new staff
      The Boys & Girls Clubs of Conejo & Las Virgenes has hired two new staff members. Madeline Sattler has been hired as director of development and will provide leadership for the organization's fundraising programs. Sattler has worked for the American Cancer Society and Senior Concerns.
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Assistance League presents new board
      The formal installation of the new 2007-08 board for Assistance League of Conejo Valley took place recently during a luncheon at North Ranch Country Club. Members who completed more than 11,000 volunteer hours during the past year celebrated a successful year for both fundraising and projects accomplished.
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Local musician receives top-notch endorsement
      Pianist and composer Alan Roubik of Agoura Hills joined the ranks of the world's master pianists and composers when he received the endorsement of the Austrian piano manufacturer Bösendorfer, considered the Rolls Royce of pianos.
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Article
      Residents are invited to participate in any of the following volunteer opportunities in the area. For more information or to sign up, call the phone number listed for the event.
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Free events for final Potter book
      The Calabasas Library is presenting the following events for the release of the last book of the Harry Potter series. All of these programs are free and no tickets are required. +Magician Tony Daniels will perform his magic show for all ages at 11 a.m. Fri., July 6. Due to space limitations, no strollers are allowed.
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A day on the links
     IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers ON TARGET- Chris Mitton of Chino Hills releases a putt as Aaron Cohen of Centura City watches from behind at the fourth annual Kyle Patrick Rudow Memorial Golf Tournament at the Calabasas Country Club & Golf Course in Calabasas. The tournament has raised more than $100,000 for charitable organizations that improve the lives of children. The competiton is held each year in honor of a Calabasas High School graduate who died in an automobile accident at 20 years old in 2003.
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Favorite recipes needed for Calabasas cookbook
      A local cookbook project, "Calabasas Community Cares," needs recipes from residents, city officials, employees and businesses in Calabasas. The cookbook will be the first project of its kind and will showcase the city's caring spirit.
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Just a good 'ole time at the Adobe
     FUTURE OF HISTORY- Above, Madison Morgan, 4, of West Hills, left, and Skylar Kajiwara, 3, of Moorpark, get to know a pair of curious goats during the Leonis Adobe Old Town Western Bar-B-Que. Right, Bharat Panchanathan, 27, a history major at Pierce College, and his mother, Ambuja, enjoy the festivities. The Leonis Adobe Historical Society presented Panchanathan with a $500 scholarship. The historical society gives scholarships to two Pierce College students annually, one history major and one agriculture major.
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Life jackets can be life savers
      The Fourth of July holiday is reportedly one of the busiest boating weekends of the year. Safety advocates say life jackets could play a pivotal role in keeping boaters out of harm's way. Research conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard indicates that wearing a life jacket is the number one safety precaution boaters can take on the water.
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Man's disability inspires others
      Sourena Vasseghi never allowed his physical condition to get in the way of his hopes and dreams. Born with severe cerebral palsy and confined to a wheelchair, Vasseghi decided to turn his challenges into victories. Vasseghi, who will speak to audiences Thurs., June 28 at the Westlake Village Inn, has become a leading spokesperson for the disabled.
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Learn African folklore embroidery
      Classes in African folklore embroidery will be offered from 4 to 5 p.m. Thursdays, June 28 through Aug. 2 at the Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center, 23400 Park Sorrento. Adults and boys and girls from ages 8 and up can learn about African tribal traditions and customs through a creative needle art called African folklore embroidery.
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Find out whodunnit in Tales in Park's 'CSI: Mother Goose'
      Fairy Tales in the Park will present "CSI: Mother Goose" in July at local parks. Performances will be at 2 p.m. Sun., July 1 at Harbor View Park in Channel Islands Harbor; 11 a.m. Sat., July 7 at Foxfield Park in Westlake Village and at 4 p.m. the same day at the Rancho Simi Amphitheater in Rancho Simi Community Park; 11:30 a.m. Sat.
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Leisurely reading
     BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers EXPLORING NEW WORLDS- Ann Niefield of Calabasas checks out a cookbook for sale at the Friends of the Calabasas Library quarterly book sale last Saturday. Friends of the Library events help to fund the purchase of library materials not covered by the city budget as well as supporting the summer children's reading program, book club and the rental book program.
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Tips offered on taking photos of kids' sports
Heeding a few simple tips can result in professional quality shots
      A sporting event can be a gold mine when it comes to taking great photos of children. Soccer matches and swimming lessons are prime material, but capturing fast action can pose challenges. How can you be sure to take digital pictures that are truly worthy of frames?
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Make a date with The Acorn
      The Acorn invites community members to submit brief blurbs for free inclusion in our weekly Datebook calendar. Datebook is devoted to announcements of local events that are offered free of charge to the public or require a minimal fee; exceptions are made.
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Article
      The Agoura Hills Library will present the following activities from June through July at 29901 Ladyface Court, Agoura Hills. For more information, call (818) 889-2278. +A book club offers children ages 9 through 11 the opportunity to read books and share refreshments. For a list of books to be read, call children's librarian Grace Bernard.
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Walking in the president's footsteps
     TAKING FLIGHT- Mayor Susan McSweeney and students from White Oak Elementary School visit Air Force One at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The city of Westlake Village sponsored a field trip for all White Oak Elementary fifth-graders to visit the former president's library.
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Calabasas Library begins summer reading program
      The Summer Reading Program at the Calabasas Library will run from June 26 through Aug. 19 at 23975 Park Sorrento St., Calabasas. The library will offer reading incentives each week, and there will be a prize drawing at the end of the summer.
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Free film in the park
      The city of Agoura Hills Department of Community Services opens the 2007 summer Movies in the Park series with "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" on Sun., June 24 at Sumac Park, 6000 Calmfield Ave., Agoura Hills. The film, rated G, will begin at dusk. Concessions will be available starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
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Calling all hams, are you receiving?
     BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers NEW TO THE AIRWAVES- Above, 47 eighth-grade science students at A. C. Stelle Middle School in Calabasas receive their ham radio licenses and call letters recently. Below, front left, Patrick Lincoln, 14, of Bell Canyon, and Ellen Butterworth, 13, of Calabasas, are ready for the ham radio station in the science classroom to begin operation. Behind them are, left, R. C. Smith of North Hills, who began operating a ham radio in 1939, and Thomas Fakehany, a reserve captain with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The school's ham radio program is one of the biggest in the nation.
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Calabasas bus routes revised for summer
      Public transportation routes in Calabasas will be revised for the summer. Line 1 will continue unchanged. Lines 2 through 11 will be consolidated into lines 2, 3 and 4. The three routes will provide looping service in segments of the city during peak hours only. Line 2 will include a stop in Agoura Hills at Willow Elementary School. The service is free.
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Westlake Junior Women to host July 4 parade
      The Westlake Junior Women's Club will host its 37th annual Community Fourth of July Parade at 10 a.m. Wed., July 4. The parade will assemble at the Los Robles Urgent Care Center parking lot on the corner of Agoura Road and Lakeview Canyon. The parade route will travel four blocks to the Berneice Bennett Park on Village Center Road.
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Arbor Day Foundation to provide tree ID booklet
      The National Arbor Day Foundation has a resource available to help an average person identify trees in a simple, stepbystep process. "What Tree Is That?" is an 84-page pocket guidebook that helps distinguish different species of trees in California and the Western region of the United States.
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To everything, a season
      Each morning the sun rises or the alarm rings, heralding our daily rituals, our circadian rhythms. Depending on the time of day, we care for our hunger pains, hygienic needs, and necessary communications.
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Rose Club to host speaker
      The Ventura County Rose Society will host its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thurs., June 28 at the Cowan Conference Center, 550 Airport Way, Camarillo. The meeting begins with questions and answers by consulting rosarians, as well as a rose show. Attendees are welcome to bring roses to display.
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Everybody was kung fu fighting
     MARTIAL MONKS- The Henan Province Performing Arts Ensemble and the Shaolin Monks Martial Arts Troupe will present four traditional Chinese art forms- kung fu, tai chi, classical instrumental music and Peking opera- in a single performance at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum on Thurs., July 19. For information, call (310) 455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.
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Presidential campaigner to discuss, sign memoirs
      Political campaign strategist Robert Shrum will discuss his latest book, "No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner," at 7 p.m. Tues., June 26 at the Platt Library, 23600 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills. Shrum was the senior strategist to John Kerry and Al Gore, and he helped write former President Bill Clinton's State of the Union addresses.
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Thanks from AYBA
     HELP FOR THE FUTURE- AYBA President Mitch Mandell presents a $500 scholarship to Agoura High School senior Nicholas Scott Tejada. It's one of two scholarships the organization gave to young people who have participated in AYBA as players, coaches, scorekeepers or officials while accomplishing high academic marks. Tejada has been both a player and coach with AYBA since he was in grade school.
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Toastmasters will meet
      The Calabasas Toastmasters meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Mondays at the Motion Picture Hospital, 23388 Mulholland Drive. The meeting provides opportunities for speaking in front of a supportive and friendly group. The meeting is free and guests are welcome.
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Jogging buddies
     FUN RUNNIN'- Students participate in Oak Hills Elementary School's inaugural jog-a-thon recently. The event raised funds for the school's physical education program.
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Astronomy buffs wish upon a star cluster
      The Ventura County Astronomical Society will host guest speaker Dr. Nate McCrady at 7:30 p.m. Fri., June 22 in the multipurpose room at Mesa Union School, 3901 Mesa Road, Somis. The public is invited. McCrady will speak on "Super Star Clusters." New adaptive optics images are providing new views of super star clusters.
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Heschel West dinner raises $175,000
      A fundraising dinner for Heschel West Day School raised more than $175,000 last month. During the dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, David and Helen Rifkind received the Outstanding Leadership award, and Jan Saltsman, principal of the school, was presented with the Excellence in Education award.
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Fire Academy graduates ready to join the department SDt
Grads will continue learning as probationary trainees
      The Ventura County Fire Department has announced the graduation of its 45th Fire Academy on Fri., June 15. The 24 graduates will be assigned to fire stations in the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura City Fire Department and CarpinteriaSummerland Fire Protection District.
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Beginning bridge class in Agoura
      The city of Agoura Hills Older Adult/Senior Recreation Program is offering instruction to beginning bridge players free of charge from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at the Agoura Hills Recreation Center, 30610 Thousand Oaks Blvd.
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Article
      Army Pvt. Jason A. Deramo has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. He is the son of Stephanie Steren of Calabasas and a 2004 graduate of Calabasas High School.
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Malibu Arts Festival in July
      The Malibu Arts Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. and Sun., July 28 and 29 at the Malibu Civic Center, 23555 Civic Center Way in Malibu. The festival features painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers and other artisans.
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Teaching teen motorists how to drive safely
      According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, car crashes take more young lives than all other causes and in larger proportion than for any other driving age group. Most of the fatal crashes and serious injuries come in the very earliest months of unsupervised driving.
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Wedding bells chime
     CONGRATULATIONS- Warren Anderson and Dee Ann Duffey will tie the knot in July. Anderson, a graduate of University of Colorado, Boulder, is a financial consultant for Charles Schwab in Englewood, Colo. Duffey, a graduate of Montana State University, is a tax manager in the Global Employment Services group of Deloitte & Touche LLP in Denver, Colo. Anderson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Anderson and Susan Ward of Oak Park. Duffey is the daughter of James Duffey and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Iversen of Fairview, Mont.
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GOP women host wine tasting
      The Westlake Village Republican Women Federated will host a wine tasting and live music event at 6 p.m. Fri., July 13 at a private estate in Westlake Trails. Winemakers Lyn and Jan Gelfand of Gelfand Wines will pour their Paso Robles Big Reds. Recording artists The Surfaries will provide original surf music.
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Expectant women's group meets
      "Baby on the Way" is a weekly support group for pregnant women that meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays 660 Hampshire Road, Ste. 116, Westlake Village.
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Apply to fisheries journalism class
      The Fisheries Journalism Academy, a free, twoweek summer program for Ventura County middle and high school students, will be held July 9 through 20. The application deadline is Thurs., June 28, and space is limited.
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