Council will review city codes; some may be made stronger
      The City Council will take a look at new municipal codes concerning building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical wiring, solar energy and other areas that are regulated by the state and sometimes enhanced locally. This will occur on Tues., Nov. 6 during a public hearing.
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Brand-new office now open
     IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers READY TO SERVE HER CONSTITUENTS- Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks welcomes visitors to her new office at 2967 Thousand Oaks Blvd. "I really like being right on the boulevard here, in the midst of things," she said. "Our neighbors even brought us welcoming gifts. It's so nice." Parks previously had an office at city hall in Thousand Oaks.
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Parenting lectures begin tonight in Thousand Oaks
      To help moms and dads with perhaps their most difficult job- parenting- a Parent Talk lecture series kicks off tonight and runs through the end of the school year. Terry Paulson will present "Parenting and the Humor Advantage" tonight at 7 p.m. at Ascension Lutheran Church.
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Assemblymember Strickland updates Chamber on health insurance options, state prisons and water quality concerns
      Some of the state's universal healthcare ideas can easily be compared to a cheap Las Vegas buffet, Assemblymember Audra Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) recently told the Thousand OaksWestlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee.
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For the record
      A vacation photo caption that appeared in last week's Thousand Oaks Acorn misidentified Shanghai as Singapore.
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T.O.'s law governing oak trees can infuriate homeowners and businesses
It should be waived for those who planted their own trees, mayor says
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      Oak trees, often regarded as sacred in Thousand Oaks, were targeted as threats to public safety during a recent City Council discussion over property owners' rights concerning the city's namesake trees.
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Parcel to be discussed by council
     COUNCIL TO REVIEW THE SITUATION- Previously graded land reviewed by a geotechnical engineer will be discussed during a public hearing on Tues., Nov. 6 during the City Council meeting. The parcel, near Hartglen Avenue and Tamarack Street, is a part of open space once graded by the developer of the homes below. The land was once covered by tarp that burned off during a fire. City officials say there's no threat to property, but the land, during heavy rainfall, could eventually cause a mudslide and block an emergency access road.
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City Council prevents lot split, acts to protect neighborhood
      The City Council, after deciding an 0.8-acre lot at 718 N. Rancho Road cannot be subdivided into two lots, set in motion a zone change so that the issue in one of the city's oldest neighborhoods won't come up again.
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CLU will host international chapel service on Nov. 14
      As part of International Education Week, California Lutheran University will host an International Chapel Service at 10:10 a.m. Wed., Nov. 14 in Samuelson Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.
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Mobile home parks may face zoning changes
      Commission unanimously recommended that two mobile home park areas should be designated for residential use if zone changes and General Plan amendments are made for the sites. The Conejo Mobile Home Park, 1200 Newbury Road, and Elms Plaza Mobil Home Park, 1262 Newbury Road, are currently designated for commercial use.
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Redevelopment agency to get report card
      How millions of dollars are being spent and whether or not goals have been reached will be discussed by the City Council next week at its Nov. 6 meeting. A public hearing on the midterm report- which covers 2004 to 2009- is supposed to explain how the redevelopment is going for the city, specifically on Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Newbury Road.
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Gretzky sale raises $200,000 for private school
      Wayne and Janet Gretzky's estate sale benefiting Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village raised more than $200,000 to go toward construction of the school's new baseball stadium and various programs at nearby Carden Conejo School.
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Local YMCA spruces up
      The Conejo Valley YMCA received a spruce up last month when the facility shut down for a week for repairs and upgrades.More than 20 volunteers, including YMCA staff, community members and CLU students, helped during the week.
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Entries sought for garden tour
      The Westlake Village Garden Club is looking for new gardens to include on its 35th annual garden tour, which will take place Sun., April 27, 2008. Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks residents who would like their gardens to be considered should call Carol Amenta, club president, at (818) 706-8217.
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An autumn tradition continues
     IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers 'WE WILL HAVE THESE MOMENTS TO REMEMBER'- Newbury Park homecoming queen Sangeeta Nair, 17, and king Samir Siddhanti, 17, smile at the crowd, and their parents, no doubt, during halftime at Friday night's NPHS homecoming football game. The Panthers are undefeated this season. See sports on pages 33, 34 and 35.
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Rockin' readers
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK- Lang Ranch Elementary School first-graders Aarti Subramanian, left, and Megan King, both 6, dance to live rock music performed by the Momeraths during a kickoff pep rally for the Lang Ranch Reading Rocks program. Students pledged to read for 2.5 million minutes by the end of the school year.
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Turkey Day Dash to help YMCA
      The Conejo Valley and the Miller Family YMCAs are hosting the third annual Turkey Day Dash on Thanksgiving morning, Thurs., Nov. 22. Preregistrations are underway now, and dayof registration begins at 7 a.m. at Dos Vientos Community Park, 4801 Borchard Road in Newbury Park.
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Former Beach Boy to play at charity event
      Many Mansions will host its third annual Bowls of Hope Project from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 11 at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu.
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Library screens 'Flyboys' film
      The Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library will host a free matinee screening of the film "Flyboys" at 1 p.m. Tues., Nov. 13 in the library's community room at 1401 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. The 2006 movie, rated PG-13, stars James Franco and Jean Reno. The film tells the story of three young men who became combat fighter pilots in World War I.
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Vets to share WW II stories at CLU
      The California Lutheran University history department will present "World War II Remembered: Our Greatest Generation" from 4 to 6 p.m. Mon., Nov. 12 in the Lundring Events Center on the university campus at 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks.
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One Eagle . . . and another
     REACHES THE PINNACLE- Jeremy Scott Hanna, a Newbury Park High School student, has obtained the rank of Eagle, the highest in Scouting. Jeremy, 16, refinished and rewired the "Reaching for the Stars" statue at Conejo Players Theatre, refurbished the benches in the seating area around the statue and cleaned away the overgrown vegetation. He has a passion for live stage performances. He's the son of Karen and Scott Hanna and was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
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Condors to fly over Veterans Day event
      A Veterans Day celebration will be held at 10:30 a.m. Sun., Nov. 11 at the Thousand Oaks Veterans Memorial at Conejo Creek Park, 1379 E. Janss Road, behind the library in Thousand Oaks. The free program is being presented by the Conejo Valley Chapter of the Military Order of World Wars and the Michael A. DiRaimondo Chapter No.
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Volunteer Opportunities
      Residents are invited to participate in any of the following volunteer opportunities in the area. For more information or to sign up, call the phone number listed for the event.
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Center presents free demo of new technology used for teaching Chinese
      The Golden Key Culture Center and Greater Thousand Oaks Telecommunity will host a free demonstration of some new technologies, used to teach Chinese and to video-conference, at 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 7 at GTOT's facilities, 463 Pennsfield Place, Ste. 202, Thousand Oaks.
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Staying in shape raising money
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers 'READY, SET, GET FIT'- Meadows Elementary School students charge through a banner for the first lap of the Mustang Marathon to raise funds for the school and promote student health and fitness. The smoky skies had cleared by last Friday morning, and the event went on as scheduled.
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Elks Lodge to hold flag retirement ceremony
      The Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge No. 2477 will hold its 13th annual Flag Retirement Ceremony at 1 p.m. Sun., Nov. 11 at 158 Conejo School Road, Thousand Oaks. Scouting units sponsored by the lodge will assist in the ceremony. Members of the public wishing to retire their flags may attend.
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Benefit concert to help police officer's family
      Friends and colleagues of the late George Michael "Mike" Selleh will hold a benefit concert in his memory at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills on Sun., Nov. 11. Detective Selleh, a 29-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and a 13year resident of Simi Valley, died in a motorcycle accident in the early morning hours of July 29.
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Blind cougar adjusts in captivity
By Mollie Hogan Special to the Acorn
      Our sightless cougar The Nature of Wildworks, a nonprofit wildlife care and education center in Topanga, strives to provide the best care possible for all its resident animals. As a rescue center, founded in 1995, we receive our share of injured critters with broken wings and limbs, head trauma, even blindness.
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YMCA will honor Boggs at Leadership Award Celebration
      The Southeast Ventura County YMCA will honor Steve Boggs, president of Standard Pacific Homes, at its 10th annual YMCA Leadership Award Celebration at 6 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley.
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Workshop teaches people ins and outs of credit repair
      Financial Solutions Services educates people on how credit repair can save thousands of dollars or more throughout a lifetime. Financial Solution Services conducts free weekly credit repair workshops at the FSS office at 28632 Roadside Drive, Ste. 145, Agoura Hills.
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Senior Concerns will preview gifts featured at its Bargain Boutique and Thrift Shop
      Senior Concerns' Bargain Boutique and Thrift Shop will host a preview of its holiday boutique from 4 to 8 p.m. Fri., Nov. 9 at 80 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks. The boutique will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10 at the same location.
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Networking group gets charter
      LeTip of Conejo Valley, a networking group of professionals, has chartered with 15 members. The members meet for lunch every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
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Jr. Women's Club hosts holiday boutique for charity
      The Westlake Village Junior Women's Club will host its 26th annual Gingerbread Holiday Boutique from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 15 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri., Nov. 16 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 5801 Kanan Road, Westlake Village.
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Meeting will include bingo and luncheon at Palm Garden
      The Thousand Oaks Woman's Club will hold its next meeting at 10:30 a.m. Wed., Nov. 14 at the Palm Garden Hotel, 498 Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park. Luncheon and bingo will follow the meeting. Cost of luncheon is $23.50. On the menu will be roast turkey with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie.
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