Simi Valley girl's essay chosen as runner-up in national contest
      Erica Dion of Simi Valley, a sixth-grader at St. Rose of Lima School, is a runner-up in BIC Corp.'s national essay contest, the "Quality Comes in Writing" program. She will receive a $100 cash prize. Winners were chosen out of nearly 11,000 essay entries from around the country by Lifetime Learning Systems, an independent judging organization.
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Strawberry Fest is this weekend
      The 25th annual California Strawberry Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 in Oxnard. Free on-site parking is available at Strawberry Meadows of College Park, 3250 S. Rose Ave.
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Cops get serious about buckling up
      The Simi Valley Police Department will be aggressively enforcing the state's seat belt laws as part of California's 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, taking place through June 1. The campaign relies on enforcement and public education as a means to help California achieve the highest seat belt use rate in the nation.
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Ocean safety info now offered at beaches
Bilingual signs will be installed along the coast
      Visitors to California's beaches are about to receive new and critical safety information to help them protect themselves and their families from dangerous ocean conditions.
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