September 23, 2011 RSS feed / Front Page

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Lost, but never forgotten

REMEMBERING HEROES—Above, Civil Air Patrol Cadet Staff Sgt. Joshua Roe, 13, lights a candle for missing members of the armed forces at the National Prisoner of War-Missing In Action recognition ceremony at Veterans Plaza in Simi Valley on Sept. 16. More...

Renamed Simi fair focuses on fun

Music gets its due at five-day festival
By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

The event formerly known as Simi Valley Days opened its gates Wednesday, and while the moniker has changed the purpose remains: family fun and fundraising. More...

Clean scene

HANDS ON—Simi Valley residents, from left, Samantha Craig, 11, Megan Tenney, 11, and Catherine Nassiri, 11, dig under the rocks to find and remove trash during the Simi Arroyo cleanup on Sept. More...

Health & Wellness

Residents welcome proposed ER expansion

By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

Simi Valley Hospital has started the approval process for a proposed expansion of its emergency department and, so far, residents appear to be behind the project 100 percent. More...

Classes will focus on diabetes management

Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association will offer free diabetes classes at these dates and locations: • 1: 30 to 3 p. m. Wed., Sept. 28 at Goebel Senior Center, 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. • 2: 30 to 4 p. m. Wed., Oct. More...

Screenings available to detect blocked leg arteries

West Coast Vascular will conduct free screenings for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) on Sat., Sept. 24 at various locations in Ventura County. West Coast Vascular has offices at 100 N. More...

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Sports

Dirtbags clean up at tourney

CREAM OF THE CROP—The Simi Valley Baseball League 9-U Dirtbags won the Cal Ripken League Southern California State Championship earlier this summer in Los Altos. More...

Simi Valley, Grace Brethren poised to keep perfect records intact

Football Friday
By Stephen Dorman
sdorman@theacorn.com

Simi Valley is a football hotbed. The Simi Valley High football team enters tonight’s Marmonte League showdown at home against Agoura with a 2-0 overall record, 1-0 in league play. More...

SVHS duo loving life in the fast lane

By Eliav Appelbaum
eliav@theacorn.com

Erika Barr and Karla Vernola have had to work for everything. The senior leaders for the Simi Valley High girls’ cross country team demonstrate the good things that emanate from hard work, focus, determination and maturity. More...

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Police

Police Blotter

Sept. 5 An 18- year- old woman was arrested for theft in connection with a shoplifting in the 2800 block of E. Cochran Street on Sept. 1. More...

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Family

I Want a Reason

It was just a routine checkup. I’d had a pacemaker in my chest for a little more than a year due to a slow heart rate and frequent blackouts. While the technician assessed me and my pacemaker, I noticed her eyes growing diameters bigger. More...

October marks return of Underwood Family Farms’ Harvest Fest

Annual fall festival features folk tunes, tractor parades and pumpkin picking

Underwood Family Farms will present the 14th annual Fall Harvest Festival in October at 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark. More...

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Dining & Entertainment

Acorn proofreader pens sleuth caper

What happens when a former teen idol—now a recovering alcoholic looking for a comeback—is accused of murder? More...

The MOVIE Nut

“Contagion”

If Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” kept you away from the beach, then Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion” will keep you away from people— and in full supply of hand sanitizer. More...

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Editorials

Giving is an everyday blessing

The calendar officially flipped from summer to fall early this morning, so of course it makes sense that when we walk into local retailers throughout Simi Valley, we should be bombarded with . . . Christmas decorations. More...

Political Cartoon

Full Story

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Settlement reached in PD sex case

By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

Two Simi Valley cops were cleared of sexual harassment charges last week when the female officer who lodged the complaint withdrew her claims. More...

Sales tax revenues on the rise

First quarter up 8.5 percent over last year
By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

There’s good news on the local retail front: Simi Valley sales tax revenues for the first quarter of 2011 saw the highest gains in three years. More...

Vote online for favorite vacation pic

Online voting is now open for the winners of the 2011 Take Your Acorn on Vacation Photo Contest. From Tucson to Timbuktu, our vacationers have seen it all and have the pictures to prove it. Now it’s up to you pick the top photos of the year. More...

Community

Proposed state bill could end E-Verify

City wants to keep employment tool in place
By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

During his bid for Simi Valley’s top seat last year, Mayor Bob Huber made E-Verify one of his primary campaign issues, advocating for city leaders to adopt the program as a means of protecting local jobs for U.S. citizens. More...

Grant to help local homeless overcome financial barriers

By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

A startup program aimed at helping local homeless people get housed is ready to put the federal grant funds it won earlier this year to good use. More...

Community Garden ready to move

Simi Valley’s first community garden, Simi at the Garden, will participate in the nationwide “Let’s Move Day: America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids” at 8 a.m. Sun., Sept. 25. More...

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Schools

Scholars wrap summer research

Twenty-one undergraduate students at California Lutheran University who spent the summer conducting full-time research will present their findings at the eighth annual Student Research Symposium from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. More...

Academy reps to discuss application expectations

Two military academy information nights will take place at 7 p.m. Mon., Sept. 26 at the Thousand Oaks High School cafeteria, 2323 N. Moorpark Road, and Tues., Sept. 27 at the Adolfo Camarillo High School cafeteria, 4660 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo. More...

What seniors should be doing

While some seniors are immersed in application essays, others still need to finalize their college list. Wherever you are in the process, you want to continue learning about the schools so that you can prepare your strongest applications. More...

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Pets

Keeping Fido fit

‘HOLD ME’—Simi resident Steve Acosta clutches his dog Max as Gaby Alvarado of Dr. More...

Pet of the Week

HAVE CARROT, WILL TRAVEL—Nibbles is a 5-year-old female gray rabbit. Nibbles is sweet and very gentle. If you would like to adopt Nibbles, ask for animal ID No. More...

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Faith

Expo unites different faiths

PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING—Rabbi Michele Paskow, left, the Rev. Sarah Kitch, Buddhist monk Ven. T. Sutadhara and the Rev. More...

Temple hosting special S’lichot service

The observation of S’lichot, the traditional prayers recited in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, will take place at 8 p.m. Sat., Sept. 24 at Temple Adat Elohim, 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. The community is invited. More...

Film tells story of Liberian women’s uprising

Discussion to follow Sunday’s screening

The award-winning documentary film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” will launch the new monthly Community Cinema Film Series at the Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 7 p.m. Sun., Sept. More...

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Letters

Informed consent a double standard

I would prefer doing anything but writing a letter to you. But seeing your article in the Health section titled “Chiropractic board adopts informed consent” in the Sept. More...

Kiwanis helpful to teen parents

On behalf of the Minor Parent Program at Apollo High School, I would like to thank the Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley for their generous donation of $500 to the teen parent program. More...

Coyotes continue to pose problems

Sept. 9 was one of the saddest days of my life. Right before going to work around 6:50 a.m., I went out to my patio to say good morning and feed my beloved dog. More...

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Neighbors

Mules central to Scout’s Eagle success

Four-legged friends aid rehab of rural chapel
By Carissa Marsh
cmarsh@theacorn.com

To complete his Eagle Scout project, a Simi Valley Boy Scout is reaching back in time and utilizing an old-fashioned mode of transport—donkeys. More...

And the winner is . . .

PASSING THE TORCH—Simi Valley resident Gary Thomas, right, is presented the 2011 Fernando Award by 2010 winner Rafer Johnson during a finalist dinner Sept. 16 in Woodland Hills. More...

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