Neighbors
Books are bound for Africa
| April 15, 2021
When things are easily accessible, it’s easy to take them for granted. Take electricity and clean water, for example. Most of us never stop to question how these crucial services...
Westlake resident heads food drive
| April 15, 2021
HUNGRY TO SUCCEED— Christy Bassiri, center, of Westlake Village, receives a bag of groceries from a volunteer during a food drive April 10 at Berniece Bennet Park in Westlake Village....
Free fire-wise lecture series
| April 15, 2021
The Ventura County Resource Conservation District is offering a free outdoor wildfire prevention virtual speaker series. The next talk will be “Understanding Wildfire and History in Ventura County” from 6...
Very ‘tweet’ reader photo
| April 15, 2021
RED-CRESTED—Manju Venkat of Oak Park recently snapped this bird shot. Venkat says: “There is a lot of activity and interest in the proposed plans to restore Oak Canyon Community Park....
Student art shines in online show
| April 15, 2021
For 10 years, the Cultural Arts Council of the City of Agoura Hills and the Westlake Village Art Guild have presented the Greater Conejo Valley Student Awards Juried Art Show....
Family
Artistic reflections
| April 8, 2021
Agoura High School leads all competitors with six finalists in the 2021 Reflections art and music competition. AHS had more finalists than any other high school in a region that includes eight other school districts. Each year more than 10,000 student entries into the artistic...
Tooth be told: dental health
| April 8, 2021
Regular dental cleanings for kids are one of many aspects of people’s lives that have been interrupted over the past year. However, instilling good dental hygiene habits early is still critical in helping ensure long-lasting oral health for a child. Most dental plans cover children...
Squirrel of the Month
| December 3, 2020
OUT OF HIS GOURD— Diane Lind submitted this photo on behalf of her 13-year-old daughter Zoe, an eighth-grader at Lindero Canyon Middle School. Zoe took the picture in the family’s backyard in Agoura Hills. The critter discovered the Halloween jack-o’-lanterns and began feasting on them....
Health
Stroll healthy for pets, too
| April 15, 2021
POOCH PERFECT—Blanca DeCosta of Oak Park gets more bang for the buck by taking multiple dogs at one time as part of her local dog walking business. She’s also a professional dog trainer.
Belmont Village puts safety, health first
| April 15, 2021
Belmont Village Senior Living communities are celebrating the gift of “community immunity” while putting the spring back in everyone’s steps among the seven Los Angeles area locations: Hollywood Hills, Burbank, Westwood, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, Rancho Palos Verdes and Encino. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shed a...
Workshops for those with cancer
| April 15, 2021
Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara will host the following free virtual educational workshops for people affected by cancer. Cancer and the Law: Five Tips in Spanish from 6 to 7 p.m. Wed., April 21. The workshop will discuss the importance of various legal issues that...
Finding work through Project Search
By Christina Cox
christina@theacorn.com | April 8, 2021
The pandemic interrupted Kevin Clark’s internship at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard last year. The 25-yearold can’t wait to get back to work. The Camarillo resident, who is deaf and nonverbal, always knew he would be a great fit for a workplace; he...
Sports
Canyon quartet
FOOTBALL /// Canyon League
Eliav Appelbaum
Email: eliav@theacorn.com | April 15, 2021
Jake East, Alex Jones, Travis Throckmorton and Cooper Wallace all grew up within five minutes of each other. Jones, Throckmorton and Wallace went to preschool...
A Bolt to the heart
By Eliav Appelbaum
eliav@theacorn.com | April 8, 2021
The Chargers spent seven months training for a season they didn’t know would materialize. It all worked out in the end: Agoura High’s girls’ water...
Sommers vaults to record
| April 8, 2021
If Paige Sommers vaults any higher, NASA will want to hire her to explore deep space. Sommers, a superstar for Westlake High’s girls’ track and...
Schools
Local school districts grapple with return to standardized testing
By Christina Cox
christina@theacorn.com | April 15, 2021
As students adjust to the return of in-person learning, many will also be asked to sit down and take standardized tests for the first time...
Private academy offers post-pandemic assistance
| April 15, 2021
River Oaks Academy in Westlake Village is offering free pandemic academic recovery to high school students. The summer academy will run from July 1 through...
Scholarship supports young environmentalists
The Acorn Staff | April 8, 2021
Two Oak Park High School seniors, Daniel Conway and Naomi Lin, are the first recipients of the Conejo Open Space Foundation’s scholarship. They will receive...
Student Corps stages fundraiser to help local Westminster health clinic
| April 1, 2021
Volunteers from a local chapter of the Student Corps organization raised $500 and donated the money to the Westminster Free Clinic in a presentation held...
New boss at VCOE
| April 1, 2021
The Ventura County Board of Education named Cesar Morales as its new superintendent of schools. Morales will fill the vacancy created in February when Stan...
On the Town
Concepts of beauty and car art on display as museum reopens
| April 15, 2021
Two exhibitions at the California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks will give visitors the opportunity to reflect on the concept of beauty in contemporary art and view the debut museum exhibition of visual artist and photographer Jonathan Michael Castillo. The exhibitions—“Defining Beauty” and “Jonathan Michael...
Drive in for date night at Paramount Ranch
| April 15, 2021
Paramount Ranch will host a socially distant Spring Date Night Drive-In fundraiser and screening of “The Biggest Little Farm” from 6 to 9 p.m. Sat., April 24 at 2903 Cornell Road, Agoura Hills. Paramount Ranch is a National Park Service site in the Santa Monica...
‘Escape’ into student show
| April 15, 2021
The pandemic prompted Cal Lutheran University’s graduating art majors to delve deeper into their creative sides, and the results will be on display in a virtual exhibit that opened April 12. “Escapism,” which explores the outlets through which the students sought to escape their isolation...
COVID-safe ‘Guys and Dolls’
| April 8, 2021
Young Artists Ensemble and Conejo Theatre for Everyone will present “Guys and Dolls Jr.” as both a livestream and drive-in event. The musical will livestream over YouTube Live at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and Sat., April 16 and 17, and at 2 p.m. Sat. and Sun.,...
Faith
Passover marks a nation under God
By Brian Goldenfeld
Special to The Acorn | March 25, 2021
Passover begins Saturday night March 27 and ends Sun., April 4, but what is Passover? This holiday commemorates the departure of the nation of Israel from Egypt. Pesach marks the...
A faith perspective on good mental health during pandemic
By Christina Cox
christina@theacorn.com | March 25, 2021
From canceled birthday parties to the closure of small businesses, the devastation of the pandemic shaped every aspect of life over the past year. It especially worsened people’s mental health,...
Business
Say it with a festive sign
The Acorn Staff | April 15, 2021
Before the pandemic, Beth Benton, a resident of Oak Park for over 30 years, was...
First anniversary for CBD Comfort Zone
| April 15, 2021
CBD Comfort Zone in Agoura Hills is celebrating its first anniversary. Owner Stu Meyer opened...
Columns
Finding special surprises along the way
Gloria Glasser | April 1, 2021
It’s often said that it’s the little things in life that matter, and living in the age of a big pandemic, it’s a comfort to appreciate those things. I discovered this while visiting my old neighborhood, Westlake Hills in the Westlake portion of Thousand Oaks....
Authors, aging experts share life lessons
Andrea Gallagher | April 1, 2021
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the book “Live Smart After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Life Planning for Uncertain Times” that I co-edited and co-authored with 32 other experts in the field of aging. It was a passion project for a few members...
Shedding off the old burial cloths for new Easter garments
Sally Carpenter | April 1, 2021
It’s the detail in Bible stories that make them fascinating and describe great truths. On Sunday morning, Peter and the beloved disciple ran to Jesus’ tomb. “Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen...
Taking a spring stroll renews the spirit, brings hope
Gloria Glasser | March 25, 2021
In autumn, folks flock to see the fall foliage display, an array of intensely vivid colors that flare gloriously for weeks then drop to the ground, leaving bare, empty, spidery silhouettes. It’s kind of surprising that now that it’s spring, as deciduous trees begin to...
Technology gap adds to seniors’ COVID stress
Andrea Gallagher | March 18, 2021
Early on, when COVID vaccine appointments first became available for seniors age 75-plus, the online application asked the user to select their insurance. Most seniors have Medicare and selected that option. Next, they were instructed to upload a copy of their Medicare card. Calls were...
