Time has come to find a home for the Vikings

Saturday at Big Sky Park, the new $2.8 million home of Simi Valley Girls Softball, was a day not soon to be forgotten by the more than 400 young ladies and their families who braved the day's gale-force winds to be part of an Opening Day unlike any other in the association's long history.

As if their brand-new facilities weren't enough, the girls and their coaches were also treated to an appearance by the biggest celebrity in girls' softball today (see related story page 9). The event served as icing on the cake for a successful project made possible by cooperation between local government agencies and one very special nonprofit, the Amanda McPherson Foundation.

Yet as joyous an occasion as Saturday was- and it most definitely was that- the opening of Big Sky Park reminded many in the audience of another staple of Simi Valley youth still holding its practices at Apollo High School- Simi Valley Vikings football.

Just as Simi Valley Girls Softball has become a rite of passage for many of the community's female youth, the Vikings have provided a positive athletic outlet for local boys (and girls) for more than 40 years. Swelling in popularity and membership, this past year the Vikings fielded 19 teams and nearly 500 players ages 6 to 14.

Because they've done so much to keep so many of our kids out of trouble and in shape, the Vikings have earned the right to have a field of their own. It's up to the community to make sure that happens.

Stay tuned in upcoming months as the Acorn keeps you abreast of what's happening in the search for a home for the Vikings. In the meantime, keep reminding Paul Miller and the city just how important you think this issue is.

The time has come for the Simi Valley Vikings to find a home. Let's let the success of Big Sky Park and Simi Valley Girls Softball guide the way.