Race team is fueled by love
By Victoria Talbot
vtalbot@theacorn.com | June 2, 2023
The first Christmas after the height of the COVID pandemic was a time to celebrate, a time to finally be out and about and get together with family and friends....
Oh baby!
June 2, 2023
Following a year that saw higher than normal mountain lion deaths in the region, National Park Service biologists say they are pleased to announce that cougar P-77 recently gave birth...
Honoring America’s fallen warriors
By Michele Willer-Allred
michele@theacorn.com | June 2, 2023
Speaking to an audience at Monday’s Memorial Day commemoration at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Melanie House recalled the day in 2004 when she said goodbye to her husband,...
Photo op for all DadsFree Access
June 2, 2023
Father’s Day is Sun., June 18, and The Acorn wants to showcase him! Birthdays, graduation day, weddings and other special moments— the bond between a father and child lasts forever....
Books are all in the family as author shares latest work for children
May 12, 2023
Liora Paniz’s children book “Miss Lynnie the Librarian” had its worldwide release on April 16, National Librarian Day. The book is also available in Spanish as “Miss Lynnie La Bibliotecaria.” Paniz is the daughter of Lynn Paniz, a retired Medea Creek Middle School librarian. With...
Teen takes her disabilities cause to Capital Hill
May 12, 2023
Isabella Hass, 15, went to the nation’s capital April 19 to advocate for the rights of people like her with Down Syndrome. The Westlake Village resident visited the office of Sen. Alex Padilla and talked with Priya Amilineni, the health legislative correspondent in Padilla’s office....
Happy Mother’s Day
May 12, 2023
Dear Bay Laurel Elementary Moms (and yes, that includes our amazing staff members who are mothers): THANK YOU so much for all that you do for our school and your children. You are superhumans, and you are so appreciated. I hope you all have a...
Finding alternative activities and reducing screen time for kids
Bonnie Vandenberg | April 21, 2023
Question: Over the past few years, we’ve gotten into the habit of using screen time much more than I’d like. How do I encourage my kids to do other things besides always using a phone or screen? Helping kids to do something besides spend time...
Fentanyl deaths still on the rise
By Michele Willer-Allred
michele@theacorn.com | March 17, 2023
While the overall number of fatal overdoses decreased slightly in Ventura County in 2022 compared to the year before, fentanyl-related deaths continue to peak, according to a special report on drug use released last week by the Ventura County medical examiner’s office. Sometimes first-time users...
County COVID order ending
By Victoria Talbot
vtalbot@theacorn.com | February 17, 2023
Three years after public health officials first uttered the words “COVID-19,” Ventura County authorities are preparing to lift the emergency declaration that gave government the power to shutter businesses, order vaccines and face coverings, and enforce social distancing measures. The Board of Supervisors announced it...
Judaism and the life-saving potential of organ donation
By Brian Goldenfeld
Special to The Acorn | February 10, 2023
Organ donation, the process of transplanting healthy human organs into sick patients, can be a life-saving procedure, which is why many Jewish authorities from across the denominational spectrum believe it to be a religious duty. Jewish tradition considers saving human life—pikuach nefesh in Hebrew—to be...
Bolts zap way to first CIF title
By Eliav Appelbaum
eliav@theacorn.com | June 2, 2023
In 2021, Agoura High’s boys’ golf team clubbed its way to last place in the Marmonte League. The Chargers are now CIF-Southern Section Division 3...
Collide in Clovis
By Eliav Appelbaum
eliav@theacorn.com | May 26, 2023
Going to state. Those are the three sweetest words high school track and field athletes want to hear this time of spring. An armada of...
GRADUATION 2023
By Stephanie Bertholdo
Special to The Acorn | June 2, 2023
Oak Park High School students were back in the classroom full-time this year, but school life for this crop of graduates was still different than...
Oak View grads enjoy focused setting
By Stephanie Bertholdo
Special to The Acorn | June 2, 2023
Eight seniors at Oak View High, the school of second chances for many students who, for a variety of reasons, need to tackle the rigors...
La Reina grads ready to make an impact
By Christine Menges
christine@theacorn.com | June 2, 2023
Xingzhu (Brianna) Dong Brianna Dong’s legal first name is Xingzhu (pronounced Ching-ju), but her classmates know her as Brianna. International students like Brianna choose an...
Scroll down to see social media discussion
By Eamon Murphy
eamon@theacorn.com | May 26, 2023
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, though it hardly takes a specially designated portion of the calendar to know that people are struggling these days....
Sloan named new principal at Oak Hills
May 19, 2023
Heather Sloan was appointed new principal of Oak Hills Elementary School in Oak Park for the upcoming school year, effective July 1. At a recent...
Actresses reveal . . . great comedic chemistry
By Cary Ginell
originjazz@aol.com | June 2, 2023
“Calendar Girls,” a 2009 play based on a hit 2003 film, is Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi’s comedy about six middle-aged women from a village in Yorkshire, England, who decide to raise money by doffing their clothes. It’s all for a good cause. One woman’s...
5-Star’s fairy tale theater
June 2, 2023
5-Star Theatricals’ second show of its 2023-2024 season, is the nine-time Tony Award nominated, revised 2013 Broadway version of the musical “Cinderella,” running July 14 through 23 at the Kavli Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and...
Peter Strauss Ranch comes alive with sound of local musicians
June 2, 2023
The second of the Tiny Porch Concerts in the 2023 Summer Series, featuring Steve Poltz and Abby Posner, will be at 5 p.m. Sun., June 4 at the Peter Strauss Ranch, 30000 Mulholland Hwy., Agoura Hills. Poltz is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. He brings a...
Exhibit showcases photography students
June 2, 2023
The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center is sponsoring a pop-up art exhibit featuring current and recently graduated students from the Moorpark College Photography Department. The exhibit, titled “Finding Our Voices,” will be on display through July 31 inside the Simi Valley Public Library, 2969 Tapo...
A time to treasure the gift of the Torah
By Brian Goldenfeld
Special to The Acorn | May 26, 2023
Shavuot—the third festival in the Jewish calendar that began Thursday evening May 25 and runs through Shabbat, Sat., May 27—is the holiday on which Jews celebrate the giving of the...
Group says mission accomplished
By Cytlalli Salgado
csalgado@theacorn.com | April 21, 2023
In an effort to tackle food insecurity, a local church donated more than 1,400 cases of food to nine nonprofits to redistribute to Conejo Valley residents through their food banks....
Amgen loses decision over cholesterol drug
By Eamon Murphy
eamon@theacorn.com | June 2, 2023
In a long-running patent dispute that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,...
Helping children to deal with their fears
Bonnie Vandenberg | December 2, 2022
Question: I have three kids—3, 8 and 11—and I want to know how to help them handle being afraid. I notice an increase in angst in all my kids, caused by the things they read, hear about, watch or imagine. My friends tell me their...
Social Security cost-of-living increase a good time to discuss senior finances
Andrea Gallagher | December 2, 2022
Due to this year’s meteoric rise in the consumer price index, a measure of inflation in the cost of goods and services, Social Security beneficiaries will receive an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment for 2023. Only three times in the past 46 years has the Social Security...
Organ donation: questions and answers
Andrea Gallagher | November 25, 2022
The organ and tissue donation process is unfamiliar to a lot of us. Some people may not even know they’re registered donors. Understanding the law and how it’s applied is important. The first time many of us heard of choices about organ donation was at...
Heads up to prevent injury from falls
Andrea Gallagher | October 21, 2022
Morning walks in my neighborhood are one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. I love the coolness of daybreak and the special sightings of the stag and two does that frequent our open space. I also enjoy my walk because each day at...
Signs that point to the best time for retirement
Andrea Gallagher | October 6, 2022
I’ve been thinking a lot about retirement lately. One of our amazing staff members, who has been with Senior Concerns for the last 13 years, retired last month. It just doesn’t seem real. I always thought of Dana as young. Certainly not the person to...
SHERIFF’S BLOTTER
June 2, 2023
Agoura Hills On May 10, two men and two women entered Albertsons on Agoura Road carrying large bags and filled...
How to reach your local sheriff
June 2, 2023
Residents who live in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Chatsworth, Hidden Hills, West Hills or Westlake Village may contact the Los Angeles...
