Agoura Hills accepting applications for grants
City will award up to $20,000
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
      Community organizations and charity groups that serve the Agoura Hills community are invited to apply for monetary grants through the city's Community Outreach Grant Program, Greg Ramirez, city manager, said. Depending on the grant requests, the city has set aside between $16,000 and $20,000 for the program, Ramirez said.
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FOR THE RECORD
      •Las Virgenes Unified School District has paid for added security for the upcoming outdoor education programs scheduled for King Gillette Ranch. •The correct hours for Willy's Smokehouse in Agoura Hills are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and and 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday through Sunday.
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Oak Park MAC addresses health concerns
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com
      The Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council said it would to send a letter to the Triunfo Sanitation District outlining the community's concerns about the upcoming construction of the new Oak Park water tank in the hills above Oak Canyon Park.
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Learning from the expert
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers GETTING A LEG UP- Tae Bo inventor and fitness guru Billy Blanks leads Oak Christian School students in fitness movements geared toward self defense during the recent Oaks Christian School Preventative Healthcare and Making Wise Choices Symposium. The students themselves planned the all-day activites, which included hip-hop dancing and an obstacle course.
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Congestion results in Old Town parking fee
      Starting immediately there will be a $2 charge to park in the Leonis Adobe Museum parking lot on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Officials from the museum in Old Town Calabasas said the fee was necessary due to the high demand for parking from the adjacent Farmer's Market. The fee will be used to pay for parking lot attendants.
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Creek ready
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      After more than seven months of restoration and construction, the city of Calabasas is ready to officially celebrate the reopening of the Las Virgenes Creek. A ceremony and gathering will be held Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the creek project site on Agoura Road near Las Virgenes Road. The event is free and the public is invited to attend.
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School helps to make Chinese adoptees and parents feel at home
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      Every Sunday morning at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, a group of more than 80 children and their parents come from all over the Conejo and San Fernando valleys and beyond to submerge themselves in a culture they want to better understand.
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Children make a cultural connection
     LAURA STARKS/Special to The Acorn YEAR OF THE RAT- First grade students at Sumac Elementary School get in the spirit of the season. The mother of one of the students brought traditional Chinese goodies to the classroom to help the children celebrate the Chinese New Year.
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Artist to give demo in clay
      Thousand Oaks Art Association will present "Sculpting the Portrait with Paul Lucchesi" from 7 to 9 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 21 at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, 2331-A Borchard Road in Newbury Park. Lucchesi is a sculptor and painter whose work is inspired by Italian Renaissance and Baroque sculpture.
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Making memories together
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers STICKY FINGERS- Oak Hills Elementary School first-grade students Briana Arquilevich, left, and Skylar Hartmire, both 6, enjoy cotton candy at the Oak Hills Elementary School pre-school carnival.
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Calabasas Library hosts kids show
      "Wendee's Musical Adventures" will be held at 11 a.m. Fri., Feb. 22 at the Calabasas Library, 23975 Park Sorrento Street. The show is for children ages 5 and under. The event is free and no tickets are required. Due to limited space, no strollers will be allowed in the show. For more information, call (818) 225-7616.
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Project Vote Smart brings election information to local students
Many high school seniors will cast their votes for the first time this November
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      The bus that pulled into Calabasas High School's parking lot last week didn't hold a visiting sports team or outofdistrict students. Instead, the motor coach- painted in bright red, white and blue- served as a mobile voter information unit, helping high school seniors gear up for the first election in which they'll be allowed to cast a vote.
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Farmers' market offers winter harvest
Avocados, apples now in season
      Tasty fruits and ripe avocados can be found at the Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers' Market this winter season. Mike and Mary Shore of Santa Paula continue to bring tangerines and Clementines to the market, and will soon have the Dancy variety, a mandarin orange commonly known as a tangerine, available.
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Students help their own with school supply donations
      The middle school students at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village will provide backpacks stuffed with school supplies for Ventura County children in need. At The Dream Fund Outreach's inaugural Educator's JOY Awards last year, teachers expressed concern for children who cannot afford basic school supplies.
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Calabasas teen hits the stage in T.O.
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      Eighteen-year-old Beth Alison has been taking voice lessons since she was 9, and can't remember a time when she wasn't singing. "I honestly don't know what got me to start taking lessons- I've just always loved music," said Alison, who counts Judy Garland and LeAnn Rimes as big influences.
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At the Library
      Agoura Hills The Agoura Hills Library announces its calendar for FebruaryAll activities will be at the library29901 Ladyface Court. For more information on any program, call (818) 889-2278.
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Agoura Hills honors volunteers
City also remembers Thom Bancroft, tennis organizer
      Volunteerism is alive and well in the city of Agoura Hills. To thank the hundreds of volunteers who keep the city's events and programs humming smoothly, Agoura Hills hosted its 20th annual Volunteer Recognition Night on Jan. 23.
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Agoura Hills Senior Retreat hosts student photo contest
      Agoura Hills Senior Retreat, an assisted living community, is sponsoring a photo contest themed "From Generation to Generation." Entries will be judged by the Senior Retreat residents at a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sun., March 30.
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'The King and I,' an innovative show
Play Review
By Cary Ginell soundthink@aol.com
      When Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "The King and I" premiered on Broadway in 1951, critics were equally ecstatic about the songs, the opulent costumes, the acting and the sheer beauty of the show. I thas since become a daunting musical to put on, especially by small companies with limited budgets.
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Viewpoint seniors vie for National Merit Scholarships
     EXCELLENCE- The seven Viewpoint School seniors named as semifinalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Competition have moved up to the finalist round. Front row from left: Cleo Handler-Jedrlinic of Tarzana, Maddie Schwarz of Agoura Hills and Michaela Shaw of Agoura Hills. Back row: Lake McManus of Woodland Hills, Justin Bauer of Porter Ranch, Aren Gates of Westlake Village and Josh Craft of Calabasas. The Viewpoint students are among 15,000 finalists now competing for 2,500 National Merit Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each. The scholarship winners will be announced in April.
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Upcoming high school reunions
      •Agoura High School Class of 1978 will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sat., Aug. 16 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel. •Agoura High School Class of 1988 will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sat. May 3 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.
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Local teens chosen for YMCA youth government program
      Local teens will act as officers and hold key positions at the 60th Annual California YMCA Model Legislature/Court, part of the YMCA's Youth and Government program. The conference is from Feb. 15 through 17 in Sacramento.
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'Honk' if you're happy
     SHE'S GOT CLAWS- Erin Ticktin and Eric Groth perform a scene from "Honk!," a musical based on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Ugly Duckling." The show runs from March 1 through 9 at the Conejo Players Theatre in Thousand Oaks. For information, call (805) 495-3715.
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Wedding bells will chime
     Photo courtesy Felicia Perry Photography VALENTINES- Philip "P.J." Petrone and Kara Lemma, daughter of Ed and Kathy Lemma of Oak Park, will marry on May 24 at St. Jude's Catholic Church in Westlake Village. The couple will honeymoon on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.
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