Bill ensures cleanup at former site of Santa Susana Field Laboratory
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com
      The Santa Susana Field Laboratory, once a test site for experiments involving nuclear reactors, high-powered lasers, and rockets that helped man get into space, may one day become a state park. Following weeks of negotiations among the governor's office, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Boeing Company, Gov.
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Gallegly wants crackdown on illegal immigrants in jail
      Jamie Zuieback, director of the Office of Congressional Relations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Bart Rodriguez, acting assistant deputy director of ICE, recently met with U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks) at his Washington, D.C., office to discuss the illegal immigration jail detention program at the Ventura County Main Jail.
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Hang wins CLA'Hamm Award
      During California Lutheran University's Community Leaders Association's recent auction, Deborah Hang of Westlake Village was presented William E. Hamm Outstanding Service Award. Hang provided the organization with leadership and support for 10 years, serving as president and treasurer.
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Labor union's pressure campaign hits local senior living facilities
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com
      A labor union's national campaign to pressure a senior assisted-living organization to add more staff has hit Ventura County.
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T.O. resident, a WW II vet, shares his experiences serving as a bomber pilot
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      A boy who spent his youth surrounded by cornfields and cows in a small town in Iowa grew up to be a man who's displayed extraordinary courage to protect freedom.
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Gang unit arrests two teens in connection with shooting incident earlier this year
      Two teenagers have been arrested by the Thousand Oaks Police Special Enforcement/Gang Unit and charged with attempted murder. Simi Valley resident Christian Alex Gomez, 18, and a 17yearold male from Thousand Oaks al legedly were involved in what police describe as a gang-related shooting on Feb. 3.
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Peace officers run for charity in NYC Marathon
      Deputies from Ventura County Sheriff 's Department ran through the streets of the Big Apple last Sunday in the 38th annual New York City Marathon to raise money for a local charity. Capt. Randy Pentis challenged the staff at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center to raise $5,000 on behalf of the Doctor Darrell Davey MD Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund.
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For the record
      In an Oct. 25 article about a Thousand Oaks man who got a surgical implant for his spine, the name of Westlake Village physician Dr. Kapil Moza was misspelled.
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Garvin family prevails in court
      A Ventura County jury awarded $12.5 million in damages to the family of Glenn Garvin, a North Ranch resident who was killed last year. Garvin, 49, a traffic commissioner and endodontist, was killed on Sept. 16, 2006 when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle on Westlake Boulevard.
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Dinner topic: highrise buildings
      About 30 people are invited to enjoy dinner while discussing the flavor of Thousand Oaks with Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks. The first in a series of Slow Growth Dinner events is planned for 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 14 at Chocolatine French Pastries and Tea Room in Thousand Oaks. The dinners will focus on development and good government, Parks said.
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Newbury Park man dies of gunshot wound
      A 21yearold man was fatally shot in Newbury Park. Resident Juan Nabte was pronounced dead Monday after being shot at about midnight Sunday night. The shooting occurred outside the front of a condominium in the 500 block of Avenida del Platino.
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Charities need your help
      Here is what local charities need: Essential items such as:
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Goebel hosts craft bazaar
      The Goebel Senior Adult Center will host its annual holiday craft bazaar from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 10 at 1385 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. All items to be sold are handmade and will include beadwork, jewelry, quilts, afghans, ponchos, scarves, holiday bags, ornaments and woodwork items.
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Cash collected for candy at Weathersfield
      When Wendy Williams' two children- a second-grader and a fifthgrader at Weathersfield Elementary- came home with more than four pounds of candy each on Halloween night, she knew she had to get some of it out of the house.
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Learn about adoption in meeting at library
      November is National Adoption Month. The Children's Bureau is having an information meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 27 at the Grant Brimhall/Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road. Children's Bureau has a high success rate of newly formed families staying together because of a "matching team" approach.
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It's time to sign up for softball
      Registration for the Thousand Oaks Girls Softball Association will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. and Sun., Nov. 17 and 18 and Dec. 1 and 2 at the Ralphs grocery store at Moorpark and Janss roads and the Vons grocery store at Avenida de Los Arboles and Erbes Road.
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A sign that holidays are coming soon
     Photos by IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers TWIRLING FUN- Hayley Wank, 8, spins around while trying on a dress from the Twirlygirl booth as company owner Cynthia Jamin watches at Temple Etz Chaim's recent Hanukkah Boutique in Thousand Oaks. Hanukkah begins at sundown on Tues., Dec. 4.
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Book signing at Hallmark
      Carol Aebersold will sign copies of her new children's book, "Elf on the Shelf," from 5 to 7 p.m. Thurs., Nov. 15 at Sadie's Hallmark, 501 S. Reino Road, Newbury Park.
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Connecting
      Trauma in everyday life As fires continue to burn throughout southern California, we are reminded of how suddenly we can be impacted by something beyond our control. All it takes is an abrupt wind change, a single ember and years of home life and treasured possessions can be swept away.
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Events to benefit temple sisterhood
      Temple Adat Elohim's Sisterhood will present a Judaica Extravaganza from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on two Sundays, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, at 2420 E. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks.
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Future Foundation schedules 7th annual CLvFFie Awards
      Tickets are still available for the seventh annual Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation's CLvFFie (pronounced Cliffie) Awards, scheduled for Sat., Nov. 17 at Los Robles Greens Banquet Center in Thousand Oaks, say organizers.
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Indian center to craft goods from gourds
      A free family craft workshop from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 18 at the Rancho Sierra Vista/Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center at Lynn Road and Via Goleta in Newbury Park. Nadiya Littlewarrior, a Potawatomi gourd artist, will lead the workshop. Participants will create ornaments or necklaces.
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Dancing in the streets
     IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers DANCE PARTNERS- Adam Kamal, 4, of Newbury Park isn't too shy to dance with a member of the Jewels of the Nile bellydancing troupe at the T.O. Rotary Street Fair. Sunday's event had been postponed from an earlier date due to high winds.
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Community Foundation hosts Wednesday meetings
      The Ventura County Community Foundation has introduced "Open Wednesdays," a series of meetings in each of the county's 10 cities intended to provide a forum for local nonprofits, donors, community leaders and elected officials to discuss priorities for the foundation's programs, services and grant making.
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WWII buddies reunite after 65 years
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com
      The bonds of friendship forged among five World War II veterans were recaptured last month, when the octogenarians were reunited as a group for the first time in 65 years. Agoura Hills resident Kal Loeb, 86, organized the reunion lunch at Brent's Deli in Westlake Village.
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Hormone therapy office relocates
      Christine Farrell has moved her bioidentical hormone therapy practice to 3180 Willow Lane, Westlake Village. Farrell will continue to provide individualized hormone consultations and treatment for men and women using allnatural bioidentical hormones.
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Social club helps hospice
     DOING THEIR PART- Lannie Woodburn, left, and Ann Dillon, right, present a check to MariPrescott, director of Hospice of the Conejo. Every year, the Bella Vita Italian social club selecta local charity and hosts a benefit fundraiser. Bella Vita meets the last Friday of the month at SJude's Hall, 32032 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village. Call (805) 446-9225 or (818) 5979071 for more information. November is recognized as National Hospice Month.
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Teaching teens to be sensible with money
      A growing number of parents buy into the idea of teaching financial responsibility to their teens, but are teens still writing checks that their money skills can't cash? A recent poll says that might be the case. It found that today's teens use credit cards in high numbers, with those numbers increasing as teens grow older.
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High school royalty
     JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers RED CARPET WALK- Westlake High School Homecoming King Jordan Mannisto and Queen Rachel Browski walk the red carpet after they're chosen king and queen during halftime at Warrior Stadium last Friday night. It was a happy weekend because the Warriors beat rival Agoura in football, 41-10.
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United Way launches fund
      United Way organizations in Southern California have launched the regional United Way Southern California Wildfires Recovery Fund. David M. Smith, president and CEO for United Way of Ventura County, said, "This longterm recovery fund will support residents and communities for years to come in the hardest hit areas of the region.
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Calendar kids design posters
      ART WINNERS- Lang Ranch Elementary School second-grader Jonathan Sham, above left, and Westlake Elementary School fourth-grader Grace Levin, 9, above right, are honored for their first-place winning posters during an awards presentation by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) at Camarillo City Hall last week.
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Crafter shows her technique
     WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers MASTER OF ARTS- Cathy Philipp of Spun Glass Creations makes a rooster with spun glass and completes it with colors at the second annual Conejo Recreation and Park District Holiday Arts and Crafts Boutique. The event was last Saturday at Borchard Community Center in Newbury Park.
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Bottled water provideto shelters, firefighter
      During the recent Southern California fires, Regal Medical Group, a regional independent physician organization based in Northridge, donated 10,000 bottles of water for firefighters and victims of fire-ravaged areas. The water was delivered to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which in turn distributed the water to the areas affected.
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Jackson announces her candidacy for state Senate
      Former Assemblymember HannahBeth Jackson officially announced her candidacy for the state Senate in the 19th District. While Jackson served Ventura and Santa Barbara counties in the state Assembly, she worked with Democratic and Republican governors to get more than 60 of her bills signed into law.
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Make holiday cooking easier, tastier this year
      Holiday entertaining can be fun by keeping it simple. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy the holidays more and be less stressed. •Prepare as much as possible in advance. Choose freezable dishes for half the menu and prepare as much as possible the day before. Many desserts can be frozen.
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Time to change smoke detector batteries
      The Ventura County Fire Department reminds residents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors. Because a fire in a home can grow and spread quickly, having working smoke detectors in a home can literally mean the difference between life and death.
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'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'
Play Review
By Cary Ginell soundthink@aol.com
      "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," the season's first offering from Cabrillo Music Theatre, is one of two shows presented by the local production company this theater season that started out as a film and was later adapted for Broadway. The other, "Singin' in the Rain," will be staged next summer.
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Thousand Oaks couple to be honored for their philanthropic accomplishment
      The Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals will honor the 2008 award winners in philanthropy, volunteerism and professional fundraising at the National Philanthropy Day ;uncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tues., Nov. 13 at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara.
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Admission will be free, information priceless at Green Expo in fairgrounds
      The Green Living Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. and Sat., Nov. 16 and 17 in the Santa Cruz Hall at the Ventura County Fairgrounds at Figueroa Street and Harbor Boulevard.
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Conejo Players Theatre presents comedy
      Conejo Players Theatre will present the comedy "You Can't Take It With You" from Nov. 16 through Dec. 16 at 351 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. Showtimes are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with 2 p.m.
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'Change of life' for males is more subtle and takes years
By Thomas Giannulli, MD Special to the Acorn
      As the name implies, andropause is the male equivalent of menopause and denotes the agerelated decrease in male hormones, or androgens. Andropause is a medical condition that is rapidly gaining recognition in the current press, although it was originally described more than 50 years ago.
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Bank gets a new CCO
      Community West Bank has announced the addition of Richard Favor as executive vice president, chief credit officer. Favor joins the bank's executive team of Charles "Chick" Baltuskonis, chief financial officer, and Lynda Nahra, chief executive officer.
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Silverado opens new Orange County facility
      Silverado Senior Living Inc. has opened its newest memory care community at 240 E. 3rd St. in the historic district of Tustin, Calif. Silverado currently has two other Orange County communities, in Costa Mesa and San Juan Capistrano.
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Photo
     VALLEY SQUIRREL TAKES A BREAK- In the above photo taken in Woodland Hills by Westlake High School student Svetlana Lyalina of Thousand Oaks, this little guy enjoys a break in the midsummer sun by lounging on patio furniture. We apologize for the absence of an October Squirrel of the Month, especially to the thousands of readers who complained about it. (Actually not one person noticed it, and for that we were sincerely disappointed.) Don't let it happen again; send your squirrel photo as a jpg attachment to tonewstip@theacorn.com. Do it now, before you forget. For the digitally challenged, prints can be sent to the address on page 4.
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Clock shop, antiques store to close its doors
      Ingersoll's Clocks and Antiques is closing and will liquidate the inventory at half price through Nov. 30. Store hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Owners Jim and Annette Ingersoll have run the shop for 30 years. Jim Ingersoll repaired and refinished furniture and clocks, and Annette Ingersoll specialized in glassware and china.
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Learning respect for wildlife can be fun for kids
      Whether it's playing in the park, visiting a zoo or just looking out a window, experts say there are plenty of everyday activities that can be used to teach children to respect the environment and wildlife around them.
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