Although demand for services is growing, the Ventura County Fire Department will lose money if the state budget slashes cash from local coffers. The department, managed by Ventura County Fire District, serves six cities and all of the unincorporated areas in the county. More...

As a mother, I love to take my daughter to our local park and play on the swings and slides and dig in the sand together. But as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, I'm also aware of the inherent danger that playgrounds can pose to young children. More...

Elton John and Tim Rice's Tony-winning production of "Aida" is the first of the classic Broadway shows to be staged by the high school and college age youngsters who make up the Conejo Players' new Conejo Youth Theater company. Here the company performs a stunning rendering of the musical adaptation of Verdi's famed opera about love and redemption. More...

THURS., JULY 2 Democratic Club Of Camarillo Meets at Orchid Building, 816 Camarillo Spring Road, Camarillo. Social mixer 6:15 p.m. Program 7 p.m. Guest speaker John Krist, Ventura County Farm Bureau, speaks on agriculture's role in history, culture, economy of Ventura County. Dr. Kristofer Young of Ojai discusses his efforts to support local farmers. More...

The following Thousand Oaks residents received aca demic honors at their respective colleges. •Amy Schaffer, who is majoring in computer science and multimedia studies, was named to the 2009 spring semester dean's list at Northeastern University in Boston. More...

The releaguing situation continues to linger over the local high school sports scene like coastal fog in the summertime. More...

The Thousand Oaks Redevelopment Agency gave $240,000 in grants to six businesses at the June 23 City Council meeting. With the goal of revitalizing the businesses, the grants had been recommended on May 12 by the Business Roundtable, a citizen's committee appointed by the City Council. More...

PRETTY AND PETITE— Little Star, a 7-month-old Chihuahua mix, is all of 6 pounds of love. She was looking for a new home at the recent Animal Advocates Alliance Ventura County adoption event at YogaWorks in Westlake Village. The group brought nearly a dozen dogs in search of foster and permanent homes. More...

Newbury Park A robber stole cash from Citibank on Newbury Road between 1:20 and 1:24 p.m. June 20. The male allegedly entered the bank and handed a note to a teller. In his note, he demanded money and indicated he had a weapon. The teller was fearful and complied, and the robber fled the scene. More...

The imprisonment of seven members of the Bahai Faith in Iran has not been forgotten by local Bahais. More...

The Conejo Valley 4-H Club installed its 200910 youth officers in June. The new club officers are Katherine Trockey, president and vice president of programs; Emmaline Trockey, vice president of ways and means, and communications officer; Kathy Bass, treasurer; Meghan Woodard, secretary; Kyla Vinson, newsletter editor; Raquel Stanton, More...

On June 11 the Acorn printed a vicious personal attack on a private citizen (me) by Thousand Oaks traffic commissioner Rick Lemmo. More...

Q. Several European white birch trees of mine have died. I still have others. What can you tell me about this situation? A. Birch trees are native to many areas of the world. There are Red River birch that inhabit the eastern part of the United States and white paper birch that grow in the northern areas of this country and Canada. More...

The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate our American heritage. No matter who you are and regardless of your politics (or whether you couldn't care less about politics), if you're an American, Independence Day is a time to celebrate. More...

VACATION WINNERS—David and Pam Schneider of Thousand Oaks enjoy their grand prize, a free trip to Maui, which they won at the Hospice of the Conejo's annual Gala Casino Night. More...

Prudential California Realty's Oxnard/Channel Islands office has presented awards for top honors in February and March. Joy Luna was named top selling agent in February. Call her at (805) 216-1358. Adam Ipatzi was awarded top producer in February and top selling agent in March. He can be reached at (805) 331-0895 or visit www.homesweetventura county. More...