Neighbors
WHS alumnus a lauded lensman
By Ashley Mowreader
ashleym@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
He used to be known as the kid with a camera. Jacob Moscovitch is a 2017 Westlake High School alumnus, 2021 Missouri School of Journalism graduate and a nationally recognized...
YMCA returns to in-person gala
| July 29, 2021
The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is back live and will host its fourth annual gala Sat., Sept. 18 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. This year’s theme is...
Survival swim lessons can save the life of a child of any age
By Makena Huey
makena@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
Kim O’Brine laughs as she guides 2½-year-old Wrenley Comer through the pool. It’s a sunny Friday afternoon in Camarillo, and O’Brine is teaching the toddler how to float and swim,...
Bridal show offers displays, vendors, prizes
| July 29, 2021
The 39th Bridal Premiere will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Aug. 1 at the Hyatt Regency Westlake, 880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village. Couples can often...
Rancho Simi Rec and Park honors director
The Acorn Staff | July 29, 2021
Wayne Nakaoka, the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District’s director of planning and maintenance, was recently honored as the Employee of the Year by the California Association of Recreation and...
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...
Health
Agoura martial arts school takes competition to the mat
| July 29, 2021
KARATE KIDS—In late June, five students ages 10 to 17 from the Agoura Hills World Champion Karate School competed at the USA International Martial Arts Championships in Las Vegas. They came home with 17 first-place awards, four seconds and four thirds. Top left, Maria Gorodnya,...
Too much screen time? Chances are your eyes are really feeling it
By Makena Huey
makena@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
The world may be opening up, but electronic devices are not shutting down. As children and adults shift from learning and working remotely, screen time and the associated side effects may decrease, but people will still be spending hours in front of a computer or...
Moms aim for a Gigi’s Playhouse
By Melissa Simon
melissa@theacorn.com | July 22, 2021
When a mother is determined to make something happen for her child, nothing can stop her. Bring 12 mothers together and nothing is insurmountable. Simi Valley residents Kirsten Riddick and Cara Armstrong and Chatsworth resident Laurie Samaan are on a mission to open a local...
New doctors come home to practice medicine
| July 15, 2021
In 2004 Moorpark High school student Yasimin Taheri worked as a volunteer at Los Robles Health System. This week, she returned to the hospital as Dr. Yasimin Taheri, a member of the inaugural Graduate Medical Education class at Los Robles. Taheri said she is beyond...
Sports
Super squad
BASEBALL /// Ventura County Baseball Academy
By Eliav Appelbaum
eliav@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
It’s an all-star team that isn’t technically an all-star team. Three years ago, the Ventura County Baseball Academy held a tryout at Newbury Park High...
Red soccer team in blue heaven
| July 29, 2021
YEARN FOR THE CUP—The CVU Boys 2006 Red soccer team won the Cal South 2021 Presidents Cup and advanced to the U.S. Youth Soccer Far...
Once in a lifetime
Eliav Appelbaum
Email: eliav@theacorn.com | July 22, 2021
Sports brings people together. The Olympics, the greatest spectacle of athletics, amplify humanity’s yearning for a better world. Three people with deep roots in the...
Schools
A solution to those high textbook costs
| July 29, 2021
Textbooks and supplies are often among the largest educational expenses college students face. As a result, 65% of college students have avoided buying textbooks due...
Holiday show auditions
| July 29, 2021
Auditions are scheduled for “Home for the Holidays,” a Youth Theatre Intensive production, at 5 p.m. Tues. and Wed., Aug. 10 and 11 at Conejo...
COLLEGE STANDOUTS
| July 29, 2021
Michelle Florey of Agoura Hills and Lydia Bachman, Kayla Jou and Raegynn Moody of Westlake Village earned spring 2021 dean’s list honors at Baylor University...
Agoura High School student has convincing way about him
By Ian Bradley
ianbradley@theacorn.com | July 22, 2021
Give Casey Simpson five minutes and he can convince just about anyone to see things his way. The 17-year-old Agoura High School student won first...
COLLEGE STANDOUTS
| July 22, 2021
The following students made the dean’s list (3.5 GPA) at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa: Michela DeFalco and Kaitlin Wiltshire of Agoura Hills; Alexander...
On the Town
‘Les Miz’ takes on modern setting
| July 22, 2021
For its 41st annual teen summer musical, Young Artists Ensemble didn’t pick a light, frothy show. Instead, it’s staging “Les Misérables,” an epic tale about a former prisoner’s lifelong struggle for redemption. The shortened “school edition” of this musical, based on the novel by Victor...
Rotary Wine and Beer Fest ready to pour again
| July 22, 2021
The Thousand Oaks Rotary Foundation will hold the 20th annual Thousand Oaks Rotary Wine and Beer Festival from 5 to 9 p.m. Sat., Aug. 28 at the Hyatt Regency Westlake, 880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village. At the festival, guests can sample California limited-production handcrafted...
Hueneme festival comes back to the beach
| July 22, 2021
After a hiatus and a cancellation in 2020 because of the pandemic, the City of Port Hueneme, in partnership with the nonprofit REACH, will host the Hueneme Beach Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Aug. 28 and 29 at 550 E....
Flower power at the farmers market
| July 22, 2021
BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS—Shoppers inspect the fresh flowers July 18 at the Westlake Village Farmers Market. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays at 2797 Agoura Road in the Westlake portion of Thousand Oaks. Masks not required.
Faith
Jehovah’s Witnesses encourage disaster prep with go bags
| July 29, 2021
Don’t think you need an emergency kit? Think again. Jolted awake at 3 a.m. by a neighbor’s knocking, Aaron and Jacqueline Pate were greeted by the sight of flames encroaching...
Lawyer trades courtroom for pulpit
By Alex Wilson
alex@theacorn.com | July 22, 2021
The new pastor at First Baptist Church of Camarillo did not know while growing up in Brazil that his path would lead to God. The Rev. Glenn Bezerra, 40, was...
City honors volunteer serving at-risk, foster youth
By Dawn Megli
dawn@theacorn.com | July 22, 2021
For Myia Perry, serving foster children is personal. The 30-year-old Camarillo resident is an enthusiastic volunteer at James Storehouse, a faith-based nonprofit in Newbury Park that is dedicated to at-risk...
Business
Area business owner Joey Buttafuoco receives COVID-19 grant
By Daniel Wolowicz
moorpark@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
Joey Buttafuoco, infamous for his illegal sexual relationship with a teenager who later shot Buttafuoco’s...
Here’s to the beer in Conejo Valley
By Becca Whitnall
becca@theacorn.com | July 29, 2021
Hoping to tap into the popularity of local craft breweries, a craft-cocktail bar in Thousand...
Columns
BRANCHING OUT
| July 29, 2021
Each week the Acorn Newspapers presents a new episode of “Branching Out,” a podcast that explores the issues in our community and the people who make the news. In this installment, Acorn reporter and host Ian Bradley welcomes housing expert Ray Pearl, a Westlake Village...
Purse snatchers target older women
Andrea Gallagher | July 29, 2021
Recently I noticed the ATM in my grocery store had been removed. I was a bit baffled by the decision, and a bit annoyed. The location was convenient. I could combine my shopping trip with banking. One stop, two chores accomplished. What I did not...
Diversity of faiths join hands into forming one country
Sally Carpenter | July 15, 2021
The USA is perhaps the only country that began as a haven for those fleeing religious persecution. Up to the 17th century, religious freedom was an unknown concept. Serfs and villagers pledged loyalty to the faith of their overlord or king. In fact, a common...
Discipline tips: Why can’t siblings all just get along?
Bonnie Vandenberg | July 8, 2021
Question: Ms. Bonnie, what can I do to help my children get along? Everyone says sibling rivalry is normal, but I can’t stand their fighting! There isn’t a parent alive with more than one child who doesn’t know this feeling, whether the children are toddlers...
Celebration of life rituals can resume
Andrea Gallagher | July 1, 2021
I’m hoping my cousin gets the healing she needs this month. Almost a year after her brother David passed away, she is having a celebration of life for him. I wrote about Janet in a January 2020 column titled “A life is changed in the...
Crime
SHERIFF’S BLOTTER
| July 29, 2021
Agoura Hills On July 19 a thief stole a bicycle from a home on Medea Lane. The culprit broke a...
