Laws against smoking in public make good policy
      I find it ironic that the folk so fond of claiming "freedom isn't free" and other limits on civil liberties are usually the first to wail "It's a slippery slope" when it comes to legal limitations on "liberties" that infringe on the rights or very existence- - the health- - of others
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Lake Sherwood dog owner isn't the victim
      I was surprised that the Acorn gave Brad Wear's dispute with the Sherwood Homeowners Association as much print as it did. I'd be even more surprised if any follow-up letters were printed by the Acorn as being worthy.
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Resident of Lake Sherwood has no right to break the rules
      Regarding the article last week "Which beloved pet will have to go," it's interesting to note that someone who can afford to move into Lake Sherwood can claim that they didn't know that the CC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions) had limits on the amount of pets.
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Irresponsible dog owners are plentiful but hard to catch
      While I love Sharon Branigan's idea of fining dog owners for leaving their dog's poop around ("Let's harshly fine people who don't pick up after their dogs," July 26 T.O.
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Home Depot holds all the cards on Kmart site
      Regarding Conrad Kantor's letter to the editor "Common sense should prevail on Home Depot plan" (July 26 T.O. Acorn ), Kantor and a few others have complained about how the shopping center on Hampshire Road has fallen into disrepair since the old Kmart closed.
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Top 10 reasons Home Depot should come to Westlake Village
      10. The Auto Mall needs some hefty competition for light pollution- - the only "stars" we want to see would be in our checkout line buying widgets made in China. 9. Can't wait to put that pesky Do-it Center out of business. 8.
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Canceling travel expenses a bad idea
      In response to the letter by Mike Dunn, "Trustee wants feedback from public regarding school closure plan," published in the July 26 edition, I'd like to comment on one of his suggestions. In his letter, Dunn proposes cutting the travel and conference expenses in an effort to ke...
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Family of James David Street expresses its gratitude
      We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your kindness, both in thought and deed during the last four weeks since our son passed away. It seems that we weren't alone in thinking our James was a remarkable young man, not least for his abilities to inspire oth...
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If crossing guards are missing, call the police
      I'm writing to inform your readers about the Thousand Oaks crossing guards. These are dedicated men and women who help schoolchildren across busy streets. We cross our students from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4 p.m., and some schools have a special schedule.
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Curb plaques would look better
      In response to the July 26 article on painting addresses on curbs, has anyone thought to offer curb plaques similar to the ones used near storm drains that state, "Drains to creek, do not dump"? These curb plaques with the specific address could be offered for purchase. They would last ...
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Is crime up?
      Two pages of Sheriff's Blotter? Either there's a new method of reporting incidents or we're at risk of losing our designation as being one of the safest cities with more than 75,000 popula tion in the U.S.
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Hydrogen is the future in transportation
      I'm a mechanical engineer with a master's degree and a strong chemistry background. And I know that hydrogen far surpasses any other possible fuel because of availability (all the ocean's water) and total lack of environmental impact.
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The national debt is our own fault
      On the July 7 CBS "60 Minutes" program, the topic concerned the national debt. I'm 85 years old. I remember after WWII, President Roosevelt said the debt would be eliminated. From that seed bed of debt, what a harvest.
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