HONORED FOR GOOD WORKS—Acorn newspaper publishers Lisa Rule, left, and Jim Rule, ar right, share a sweet moment with Santa Comes to Agoura organizer George Annino, center, during the Agoura Hills/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce holiday reception at Reeds Furniture in Agoura Hills on Dec. 17. The Rules received the Penland Award for their dedication to helping the Acorn communities. JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers Acorn publisher Jim Rule was named winner of the 2009 Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce Penland Award, an annual honor given to local residents for their service to the community.

Rule’s wife, Lisa, also was on hand to receive the award, which was announced during a Chamber evening Dec. 17 at Reeds furniture store in Agoura Hills.

The Thousand Oaks couple purchased The Acorn in 1996 and subsequently introduced four additional issues: Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark and Camarillo.

The Acorn newspapers provide advertising and editorial support to a variety of public and nonprofit organizations stretching from Calabasas to Camarillo.

“When you do these types of things you’re doing it for the right reasons. You’re doing it out of the kindness of your heart,” said George Annino of Agoura Hills, a past Penland winner and for many years the organizer of the Santa Comes to Agoura charity.

The Rules received certificates of recognition from the offices of state Sen. Tony Strickland and Assemblymember Audra Strickland.

“The Acorn strives to be a community partner in every way,” Jim Rule said. “We’re thankful to the Penland committee and the Chamber for this award.”

The award is named after longtime resident Walt Penland, the first deputy sheriff of Los Angeles County to serve the area and one of the founders of the original Agoura Chamber of Commerce. Penland was born in Calabasas in 1905 and died in 1980.

His wife, Dot, was also known for her contributions to the community.

Past Penland Award recipients include business people Art Whizin, Grant Gerson, Mel Adams, Don Liebman, James Iwanoff, J.D. Thornbury, Vance and Pat Moran; and former Las Virgenes Schools Superintendent Bud Marley, Oak Park education leader Bob Kahn, Agoura Hills Mayor John Hood and Agoura Hills City Clerk Pat Manning.

—John Loesing