Conejo Valley Days terrific, especially the turnout and the parade

I appreciated your editorial in the May 3 edition encouraging residents to attend the Conejo Valley Days festivities. I wholeheartedly agree. I was one of the people who publicly encouraged the CVD parade to continue.

In January, once the parade was back on, I wrote to three baseball leagues, Conejo Valley Little League (CVLL), Thousand Oaks Little League (TOLL) and Newbury Park Pony Baseball, encouraging them to not schedule games during the morning of the parade.

My two sons play in the CVLL and umpire in TOLL, and both of those leagues didn't schedule morning games for the morning of the parade. (I don't follow the Newbury Park league so I don't know what happened there.) Conejo Valley Little League even has a float in the parade and encourages attendance at the parade on the game schedules posted on its website.

My kids will be marching in the parade with the Redwood Middle School Viking Band.

However, they also could have marched with their baseball league, Boy Scouts or the soccer league (AYSO). That is what the parade is all about--community organizations participating. I know many kids have the opportunity to march with various groups in the parade and will be marching with one of their groups.

The publicity machine for Conejo Valley Days this year has been great, and there appears to be more talk about the parade among residents than I've heard in recent years. The changes in the carnival, the activities at The Lakes after the parade and all of the other events associated with Conejo Valley Days have truly encouraged residents to participate.

It appears that weather will be cooperative this year as well, and I expect a very successful parade and carnival.

I marched in the parade in my youth, and my kids have marched several times already and look forward to it again this year. It's a great parade, and I'm sure no one will be disappointed.

I applaud the Acorn's support of Conejo Valley Days and its parade, carnival and other activities. The Acorn is truly a community paper.
Gail Ginell
Thousand Oaks

P.S. The parade did turn out terrifically. The weather was perfect and there were more spectators than I can recall in years. I marched behind my kids in the Redwood Band, and they were cheered all along the parade route. Conejo Valley Little League went all out with a float and a large group of coaches and players.

Hopefully, next year all community sports groups will call off games for the morning of the parade and encourage participation as did CVLL. All the participants were great and had a lot of fun.

Thank you to Aviara Real Estate for helping the parade continue; thank you to the parade committee; and thank you to the residents of Conejo Valley. Participants and spectators alike made for true community spirit.