Simi News

Congregation B'nai Emet will observe Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Commemoration Day, at 8 p.m. Fri., May 16 at the synagogue, 4645 Industrial St., Simi Valley. Rabbi Michele Paskow will conduct the service. Holocaust survivor Martin Glade will share the story of his family's plight with the Nazis.

California Car Cover Company will host its 13th Annual National Street Rod Association Appreciation Day Car Show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18 at the company's site, 9525 DeSoto Ave., Chatsworth. This year's event will honor Galpin Auto Sports, one of Southern California's leading custom shops and the force behind the MTV show "Pimp My Ride.

Erica Dion of Simi Valley, a sixth-grader at St. Rose of Lima School, is a runner-up in BIC Corp.'s national essay contest, the "Quality Comes in Writing" program. She will receive a $100 cash prize. Winners were chosen out of nearly 11,000 essay entries from around the country by Lifetime Learning Systems, an independent judging organization.

Officials from the local Waterworks District No. 8 are currently conducting studies of the water shortage in the Santa Susana Knolls and plan to discuss their findings at a meeting of the Simi Valley City Council in mid-June.

One way mothers can enhance their child's health is with the nutritional benefits of breast milk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that moms breastfeed exclusively for at least the first six months of a baby's life.

The 25th annual California Strawberry Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18 in Oxnard. Free on-site parking is available at Strawberry Meadows of College Park, 3250 S. Rose Ave.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SIGNS OF COMING SUMMER- One-year-old Tyler Boen tries to figure out how he will devour his giant cone of shaved ice during the annual Simi Valley Street Fair on Saturday. Perfect weather greeted scores of shoppers who came to peruse more than 350 booths. See more pictures from the event on page 16.

Hospice of the Conejo is sponsoring grief support for young adults ages 18 to 26. The group meets Wednesdays in the human services building, 80 E. Hillcrest Drive, Ste. 204, Thousand Oaks.

The Simi Valley Police Department will be aggressively enforcing the state's seat belt laws as part of California's 2008 Click It or Ticket mobilization, taking place through June 1. The campaign relies on enforcement and public education as a means to help California achieve the highest seat belt use rate in the nation.

City Planner Peter Lyons will take over as the city of Simi Valley's new director of environmental services, City Manager Mike Sedell announced Thursday.