Are you having a problem and don't know who to call? Try dialing 211
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      Anyone who's hungry, homeless or suicidal can call a number for personal help any time of the day or night. It's free and it's easy to remember. Just dial 211. Those who suffer from substance abuse, depression, spousal abuse or feel cornered by life's circumstances can dial 211.
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Junior Ranger Day coming to Thousand Oaks
      The National Park Service will celebrate National Park Week in April with Junior Ranger Day events at 100 National Parks throughout the country. In the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Junior Ranger Day will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sat., April 28 at the Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center, 4126 Potrero Road, Thousand Oaks.
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Flowchart for arts services organization is mind-boggling
By Nancy Needham nancy@hotmail.com
      Flowcharts are designed to help people understand how an organization works, but the one created to explain T.O. Arts Services is more confusing than helpful. It shows how unorganized the group has been, critics have said. "It's enough to give you a headache," said Linda Pappas Diaz, assistant city manager.
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What's up with that?
      It looks like it could be a castle. It has a turret, lots of square footage and a U.S. flag flying from the top. Many have asked, "What's up with that?" Some are disappointed to hear it's going to be a bank. Just a bank. Nothing else. No coffee shop, no dress store, no place to stop and buy anything.
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War in Iraq topic of library meeting
      Dr. Dahlia Wasfi will address "The Human Cost of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wed., April 25 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. Wasfi spent her early childhood in Iraq and has visited her family there several times since the 2003 invasion. She'll describe her experiences, the negative impact of the U.S.
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Global warming rally set for Saturday
      Conejo Valley residents concerned about the effects of global warming will rally at 10 a.m., Sat., April 14 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. The purpose of the rally is to urge Congress to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050 as part of the Step It Up 2007 Campaign.
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Amgen gets new financial officer
      Amgen announced Tuesday the appointment of Robert Bradway as executive vice president and chief financial officer for the T.O.-based company. Bradway replaces Richard Nanula and will be responsible for Amgen's finance, strategy and investor relations operations.
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Minor earthquake hits Conejo
      Some residents of Conejo Valley were awakened early Tuesday morning by the jolt of a 3.4 magnitude earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey, the temblor hit at 6:27 a.m. and occurred 9.5 miles below the surface of the earth in the Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village vicinity. Locally, no damage was reported.
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What do you think about the city's plan to spend $500,000 to paint the Civic Arts Plaza parking structure?
     RITA DUARTE Dispatcher for The Gas Co. "I think that's an excessive amount of money to spend to paint a parking lot structure. It doesn't even look like it needs it."
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      The Thousand Oaks Library will present special programs during the month of April as part of "Celebrate Your Library Month," proclaimed by Mayor Andy Fox, and National Library Week April 15 through 21. The Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library is at 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, (805) 4492660; and the Newbury Park Branch is at 2331 Borchard Road, Newbury Park, (805) 498-2139.
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Easter with the Elks
      HAPPY HOLIDAY- - A pair of 10-year-olds, Enzo Hernandez, left, and Alexi Jensen smile after winning prizes for finding special Easter eggs. The annual event was hosted by the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge No. 2477. Don Ansell, left, was chairman of the event, and Catherine Koeritz is the lodge's exalted ruler.
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'My Stuff Bags' receives grant
      My Stuff Bags Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides duffel bags filled with new belongings to abused, neglected and abandoned children, has received a $19,860 grant from the Sketch Foundation for its "My Stuff Bags for Los Angeles Children Project.
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Post-parade roundup at The Lakes
      A "Post-Parade Roundup," featuring middle school and high school jazz bands, drum lines and color guards, will take place after the CVD parade on Sat., May 5. The concerts, beginning at 11 a.m., will be at The Lakes shopping center and the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Mary and Richard Carpenter Park.
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Serving taxpayers
      LEARNING THE PUBLIC'S PREFERENCES- Tom Hare, administrator of parks and planning for Conejo Recreation and Park District, keeps a list of the ideas presented by residents at a recent strategic planning session at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center.
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Children's Bureau offers adoptive parent orientation
      Children's Bureau will offer a parent orientation from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tues., April 24 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. More than 70,000 children have been removed from their parents' homes due to abuse and neglect, and 119,000 children are waiting for adoptive homes in the U.S., according to a bureau spokesperson.
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Artist shows future of walkway
      DROP-OFF BECOMES WALKWAY- The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza turnaround will become a pedestrian plaza to provide greater safety for patrons, according to city staff. Linda Pappas Diaz would like residents to provide feedback during the transition phase. Make your comments by calling (805) 449-2121 or send an e-mail to jpappadiaz@toaks.org.
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Freezer burn
By Leslie Gregory Haukoos leslieh@theacorn.com
      You see the signs of it everywhere. Brown trees and shrubs that look like there isn't a bit of life left in them; trash bins overflowing with dried-out foliage, planting beds swept clean following the winter freeze. But home garden ers are on top of the situation and have already visited the local garden shop to fill their SUVs full of fresh, new plantings.
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Savings, retirement advice protects women
      Women are making tremendous strides in their financial lives. Female homeownership is at an all-time high, with one-fifth of residential real estate now being held by single females. Women are now the primary breadwinners in roughly onethird of U.S. households. Still, women are more likely to face shortfalls in retirement than their male counterparts.
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Leadership Council helps to fill gap for women in need
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com
      The year Raquel Montes turned 8, her life took a turn for the worse. Her mother died, and it wasn't long afterward that her father, an alcoholic, remarried. Their home had always been a violent one, but after her father married again, the abuse intensified.
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Young people in foster care face a crisis
      Did you know? +In Ventura County, there are about 85 females between the ages of 16 and 19 in foster care. Of these young women, 16 are pregnant or already parenting. +It's estimated that 25 to 30 female foster youth in Ventura County will be emancipated this year.
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The perseverance of life
      After spending much time in the cold Northeast this winter, I am amazed by species' adaptations to survive the winter. Upon returning I also marvel at the chaparral plants' adaptations allowing for survival during intense heat and drought.
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Some seniors gambling more than money
      There's good news for seniors who may have a gambling problem. A free national helpline offers information and resources. When it comes to gambling, the stakes for many seniors may be higher than they suspect. The number of seniors who gamble has grown; in fact, seniors have become one of the fastestgrowing groups of gamblers.
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Wedding gifts make worldwide difference
      For Erin Wilhelm-Hilkey, a film production manager, and Eli Tate, an Air Force pilot, their upcoming marriage was a chance to help others begin their lives anew as they began their own. When the excess and planning of a wedding became overwhelming, the couple from Chapel Hill, N.C., decided to register at Heifer International to help them keep perspective.
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Writer speaks at GOP mixer
      There will be a Ventura County Republican Party mixer at 7 p.m. Wed., April 25 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Air Force One Pavilion. Cyrus Nowrasteh, producer and writer of "The Path to 9/11," will speak, and local elected Republican officials will attend.
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KCLU receives three Edward R. Murrow Awards
      California Lutheran University's National Public Radio station, KCLUFM, has received three Edward R. Murrow Awards, which qualifies the station as a nominee for national awards in the small-market radio category, according to CLU President John Sladek. The awards came on the heels of one of the station's most successful membership drives, he said.
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Ladies Workout Express offers Zumba Latin-dance aerobics
      Ladies Workout Express is offering classes in Zumba, a Latin dance-inspired aerobics class that burns calories in a cardiovascular training as participants move to a Latin beat. Zumba incorporates salsa, flamenco, tango and merengue, and originated in Miami in 1999, according to Zumba Fitness LLC.
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Chamber of Commerce seeks ads for directory
      A new and improved Community Directory from the Agoura/Oak Park/Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce will be distributed to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the region. There will be listings and ads for businesses, schools, law enforcement agencies, homeowners associations and nonprofit charities.
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