Bystanders help after truck crashes
Three men had to scale a fence to get to the victim
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      When three men preparing food for a carnival at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church heard the sound of metal against metal last Sunday morning, they knew something bad had happened on the street nearby.
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Candidates clash over Triunfo board
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com
      As a member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council, Mike Paule has had to learn quickly about issues affecting local residents, such as the availability of water.
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Congressman and his Democratic challenger have little in common
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (RThousand Oaks) is looking to cinch his 12th term as representative for the 24th Congressional District, but challenger Marta Ann Jorgensen thinks it's time for a Democrat to take over.
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Clarification
      The Acorn Newspapers and their publisher, Golden Rule Publishing, Inc., are in no way affiliated with ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform), which has been involved in recent controversy regarding the upcoming presidential election.
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Here are two Conejo homes that are scary
      For residents who want to get spooked without leaving town, the following homes have elaborate Halloween displays: 1077 Whitecliff Road, Thousand Oaks; and 410 Pacific Circle, Newbury Park.
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Grew up here, now wants to serve
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      Marlon Delano Williams said a recent epiphany inspired him to get involved in politics. Now he's competing with seven others to earn a seat on the Conejo Valley Unified School Board. "Last year, for some reason, I had some intuition or a dream that I wanted to start taking a political course in my life," said Williams, a driving instructor.
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Home sales up versus last year
      September sales of Conejo Valley single-family homes totaled 95. This compares to 150 sold in August and 71 a year ago, according to Patti Hepple, president of the Conejo Valley Association of Realtors. The median sales price for singlefamily homes in September was $667,760; in 2007 it was $789,600.
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Masry challenges Strickland again
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com
      Although Assemblymember Audra Strickland has defeated her twice before, Democrat Ferial Masry is back to fight for a spot as the representative of the 37th District. Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) replaced her husband as the 37th District Assembly member four years ago and wants to secure her post for her last allowable term.
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Challenger's goal is to protect the quality of life
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      Al Adam, a 30-year resident of Thousand Oaks, is running for a City Council seat to protect the quality of life in the city he loves, he said. He would like Thousand Oaks Boulevard to be revitalized but doesn't want to see tall buildings lining the thoroughfare.
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New gaming center in N.P. gives teens a place to go
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      A mother opens a business doing what she does best—providing a safe, fun place for teenagers—and Newbury Park teens get an answer to "What's there to do around here?" When Syd Lafitte realized her 30-year career as a mortgage company account executive was coming to an end, she thought about what else she did well.
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Spooky software can change phone into jack-o'-lantern
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com
      It's kind of spooky, but a Thousand Oaks software designer has found a way to spread Halloween thrills throughout the world. Greg Morris, owner of Thousand Oaksbased Energize Software, developed Halloween Experience, a Halloweenthemed entertainment application for Apple iPhones and iPods.
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Running a cross country carwash
     JOE BINOYA/Acorn Newspapers WATER FIGHT- Westlake High School cross country team members Genevieve Guerra, a sophomore, and freshman Diego Rivera splash each other during the team's carwash fundraiser last Saturday morning. Team members sold tickets before the event and attracted motorists who were driving by. Other customers saw it promoted in the Acorn's Datebook.
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Gold E. Locks on trial
      Conejo Valley Legal Professionals Association will hold a mock trial from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sat., Oct. 25 at the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge, 158 N. Conejo School Road, Thousand Oaks. "The Three Bears v. Gold E. Locks" will be a civil trial for damages. The Ventura County Bar Association will offer 2.5 units of general continuing education for the event.
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Nothing Up Her Sleeve
      JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers NOTHING UP HER SLEEVE— Bailey Petracek, 10, a fifth-grader at Lang Ranch Elementary School, gets a surprise when she offers her hand to a goat at Leonis Adobe Ranch in Calabasas on Oct. 19. The goat, who may be smarter than a fifth-grader, realizes there are no treats in Bailey's hand, so he decides to gnaw on her sleeve instead.
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Holiday stockings needed for U.S. troops
      Project Holiday Stocking will accept donations from Sat., Nov. 1 to Fri., Dec. 12. The project sends season's greetings in the form of holiday stockings to American troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Used book sale coming to Newbury Park Library
      The Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library will sponsor a used book sale from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Fri., Nov. 7 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sat., Nov. 8 at the Newbury Park Branch Library, 2331 Borchard Road, Newbury Park. Thousands of books will be available for purchase.
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Pets given dental exams
      The Caring Hands Veterinary Hospital recommends that pets be given yearly teeth cleaning to prevent periodontal disease and progressive tooth loss. Proper pet dental cleaning requires ultrasonic scaling, polishing and a fluoride application while under safe anesthesia.
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Rotary Club to host charity golf tournament
      The Rotary Club of Westlake Village Sunrise will present the 22nd annual charity golf tournament benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation on Mon., Oct. 27 at the North Ranch Country Club, 4761 Valley Spring Drive, Westlake Village.
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