Boy, 15, arrested after bomb scare at NPHS
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      A 15-year-old boy has been arrested for calling in the bomb threat at Newbury Park High School last Tuesday. At 2 p.m. on Friday, the NPHS student was arrested at school for the false report, as well as for illegally possessing a knife on school grounds. He was cited and released to the custody of his parents.
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For the record
      The St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church Fall Festival will be this Sat. and Sun., Sept. 29 and 30, not in October. The hours are 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The church is at Kanan and Lindero Canyon roads. For information, call (818) 991-3915.
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FBI says 'Highway 101 bandit' still at large
      A man suspected of attempting to rob a Thousand Oaks bank last week is still at large, according to FBI Special Agent Kenneth E. Smith. The FBI calls the man who confronted a teller at Community West Bank, 951 S. Westlake Blvd., at 1:57 p.m. on Sept. 18, "The Highway 101 bandit.
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Local impact of Countrywide layoffs is unclear
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      The nation's largest mortgage lender will hand up to 12,000 of its employees pink slips in the next three months in an effort to stay afloat during the home-loan crisis. After cutting 900 jobs earlier this month and 500 in August, Countrywide Financial Corp. announced in mid September that up to 20 percent of its nationwide work force could be laid off.
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Business conference scheduled for Oct. 19
      The Ventura County Economic Development Association will focus on the issues businesses will face in the 21st century at its 37th annual Business Outlook Conference, "The 21st Century Express: Building a Competitive Edge Through Innovation and Excellence," from 8 a.m. to noon, Fri., Oct. 19 at Hyatt Westlake Plaza, 880 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village.
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Restraining orders may include pets
      A bill that allows criminal and family courts to include animals in domestic violence restraining orders was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this month. Senate Bill 353, which was written by state Sen. Sheila James Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), " . . .
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Robbery suspect sought in T.O.
      A composite sketch of a robbery suspect who's been targeting customers and employees during midday robberies at retail stores on Thousand Oaks Boulevard has been released by the Ventura County Sheriff 's Department.
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Compassion in the wake of tragedy
      GETTING LOVE FROM CONEJO VALLEY- Sandra Ruiz, right, gets a memorial basketball from Joe Evens, crime prevention officer of the T.O. Police Department. Peace officers and firefighters from local agencies faced off in a basketball game fundraiser last week at Newbury Park High School. Ruiz is the mother of Sev'n Molina, the 6-year-old boy who was slain on Aug. 12.
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Traffic stop leads to arrests
      Police never know what they will encounter when they make a traffic stop. It could be a mom driving her kids to school or an escaped felon with a gun. They take their chances. When Dep. Gene Martinez of Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement/Gang Unit initiated a traffic stop on a blue pickup truck on Sept. 18, 15.
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Conejo Valley food bank needs helpers, supplies to feed the hungry
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      The memory of a starving mother's tears of joy as she fed her hungry baby reminds Manna volunteer Donna Slater why she is there. "The young mother could no longer produce breast milk for her baby because she hadn't eaten in so long," Slater recalled. "When we gave her food, she cried almost the whole time- and so did I.
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Westlake High School instrumental music program gets new wheels
      On a recent Saturday, the Westlake High School instrumental music program unveiled a new 50-foot semitrailer as the flagship of its new corporate sponsor initiative in the Ralphs parking lot at the corner of Thousand Oaks and Westlake boulevards.
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Rotary dinner to benefit charity
      The Rotary Club of Westlake Village will host a fundraising dinner and auction at 6 p.m. Sat., Oct. 20 at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village. The evening will feature entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, fine wine, a gourmet dinner and live and silent auctions of art items and special events.
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Poker players: Mark your calendars for Nov. 11
      Be sure to mark your calendar for Sun., Nov. 11 when the Thousand Oaks Kiwanis Club Foundation presents its inaugural Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament with presenting sponsor Do-it-Center at the Borderline Bar & Grill, 99 Rolling Oaks Drive, just south of the 101 Freeway, off Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.
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Spanish philospher discusses language
      Francisco Alvarez-Gonzalez, a philosopher, will discuss the link between language and democracy in a free presentation from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Fri., Sept. 28, in the Overton Hall at California Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.
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Perfect place for kids
      AMERICAN GIRL- - Makena Cavarozzi, 8, explores the cabinets in the American Girl Ranch House in the Project Playhouse village at The Lakes shopping center. HomeAid Los Angeles/Ventura's seventh annual Project Playhouse display comprises four small themed homes, including the American Girl house.
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CVD theme contest underway
      The theme contest for the 2008 Conejo Valley Days is underway. More than 200 themes were submitted for the 2007 festival. The winning theme for the 2008 CVD will be selected by the Conejo Valley Days Committee.
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GOP stars come together
      BIG LEAGUE- Thousand Oaks Republican Women's Federated organizer Rosemary Licata is flanked by skating star Peter Carruthers, a four-time U.S. champion, left, and national talk show radio host Hugh Hewitt. The threesome visited at a recent luncheon at Westlake Village Inn.
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Dinner, auction will raise funds for kids' clothes
      The 12th annual North Ranch Country Club Pro/Am Tournament dinner and silent auction will be held at 7 p.m. Fri., Oct. 26 in a private home with a view of the Pacific Ocean in Malibu. The cost is $75 per person. Proceeds benefit Assistance League of Conejo Valley, which provides more than 800 children a year with clothes and backpacks.
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Relay for Life of Conejo Valley needs volunteers
      The American Cancer Society and the Relay for Life of Conejo Valley seek volunteers for the annual event at Newbury Park High School on Oct. 13 and 14. People are needed for an hour at the event to help with registration or data entry, as well as other duties.
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Interface offers parenting classes
      Interface Children Family Services of Camarillo will offer a low-cost 10-week series of Active Parenting Classes starting Thurs., Oct. 4 in Thousand Oaks. The program emphasizes effective discipline techniques, understanding children's behavior, strategies to encourage responsibility and problemsolving skills.
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Bags filled with care
      STUFFING WITH CHARACTER- My Stuff Bags Foundation president and CEO Janeen Holmes, right, shares bagging duties with Disney Live performer Amy Sontag during a stuffathon at the foundation's headquarters in Westlake Village last week. The bags will be distributed to children who have been removed from dangerous domestic situations.
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Enjoying an American tradition
      SQUARE DANCING- - Joseph Whittaker of Oxnard spins his mother, Madaline, at the monthly Buckles and Bows Square Dance Club event. It was held at the Goebel Senior Adult Center in Thousand Oaks last Saturday evening. The club welcomes dancers from other groups throughout Ventura County for a night of fun and frolicking at the senior center.
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Find out how black holes harmonize
      The Ventura County Astronomical Society will hold its monthly membership meeting at 7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 19 in the multipurpose room at Mesa Union School, 3901 Mesa School Road, Somis. Omer Blaes, professor of astrophysics at UCSB, will speak about "black holes that sing.
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Fall plant sales at Botanic Garden
      A two-day fall plant sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Oct. 13 and 14 in the Kids' Adventure Garden at the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, 350 W. Gainsborough Road, Thousand Oaks. The rain date is Oct. 20 and 21.
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Pack scouts for new cubs
      Cub Scout Pack No. 3785 of Westlake Village is forming a new Tiger and Wolf Den for the fall for first- through fourth-grade boys living in Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks or Oak Park. New Scouts are being accepted for Bear and Webelos I dens.
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Playhouses are on display at The Lakes
      Project Playhouse Village at The Lakes shopping center in Thousand Oaks will present weekend events through Oct. 20. •Pardee Homes will present "American Girl Day" Sun., Sept. 30. •On Sat., Oct. 6 Shea Homes' playhouse will be featured during "Firehouse Day." •"Fitness Day" with LL Development Partners will take place Sat., Oct. 13.
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Local quilters will present show at CLU
      Conejo Valley Quilters in Thousand Oaks will present their biannual quilt show, "A Gathering Under the Oaks," from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., Oct. 13 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Oct. 14 at California Lutheran University, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.
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Motorists set seatbelt record
      Seat belt usage by California motorists is at a new record high, 94.6 percent, according to an annual survey commissioned by the state Office of Traffic Safety. That's an improvement of more than 2 percent during the past two years. In 2005, the figure was 92.5 percent. In 2006 it rose to 93.4 percent.
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