BRIEFLY 'FUN RAISER' SLATED AT TEACHING ZOO.

MOORPARK - Mammals, magic and the military will be featured at a ``fun raiser'' today at the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at America's Teaching Zoo on the campus of Moorpark College.

The event, which is sponsored by the Marines and Friends Organization and the EATM Feeding Program, will be held from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the zoo. Family entertainment, including magic, balloon artistry, clowns and a visit from Bugs Bunny, will augment the chance to get an up close look at some of the 115 exotic animals that live at the compound.

A special aspect of the event will be to visit with U.S. Marines, some recently returned from the war in Iraq. The Marines will also be raising money for their Special Education Scholarship program.

Admission is $6 for children age 12 and under; $8 for adults. Children under age 3 will be admitted free. For further information, call [phone].

Silent Western under the stars

AGOURA - Silents Under the Stars classic movies continue tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Paramount Ranch in Agoura.

The feature presentation is ``The Vanishing American'' (1926) starring Richard Dix, Lois Wilson and Noah Beery, a rare instance of a silent Western told from the American Indian point of view. It was filmed on location in Monument Valley and Flagstaff, Ariz.

The ranch is open for touring the old Western town where many films, short subjects and commercials have been shot. Visitors are invited to bring blankets and a picnic dinner to enjoy prior to the movie and flashlights to find their way back to vehicles after the two-hour movie. There is a fee for the movie. For directions to the Paramount Ranch, call [phone] or visit the Web site at www.nps.gov/samo/maps/para.htm.

`Being Earnest' now being staged

SIMI VALLEY - ``The Importance of Being Earnest'' will play through Oct. 19 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley. This Oscar Wilde farce of mistaken identity follows the adventures of two bachelors and the complications their deceptions create with two women who will only marry a man named Earnest.

The play is produced by the Santa Paula Theater Center. Performances are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults; $15 for seniors and students and $12 for children age 12 and under. Call for reservations at [phone].

Wildlife program offered for kids

OAK PARK - A free children's wildlife program will be presented at 10 a.m. Saturday in the amphitheater of Oak Canyon Community Park, 5600 Hollytree Drive, Oak Park.

Participants will be able to see wild animals, learn about respecting native wildlife, learn how to play safely in a wilderness environment and discover ways to avoid animal conflicts.

Organizations supporting the event include the California Wildlife Center, the Mountains Restoration Trust, the Mountain Lion Foundation, Nature of Wildworks, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and the South Coast Wildlands Project.

Handweavers will hold open house

OXNARD - The Ventura County Handweavers and Spinners Guild is having its annual open house from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 27. The open house will be at 714 Del Norte Blvd., Unit 115 and 120, Oxnard. Members from Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties will be displaying their handiwork.

The community is invited to learn about the guild at the event, which will feature demonstrations of spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, crocheting and various other fiber crafts.

The artists will also have items for sale, including hand-spun yarns, handwoven, knitted or crocheted articles of clothing such as scarves, shawls, hats and mittens, and felted items.

For information, call Lynne Woods at [phone].

Becerra named to cities league

SIMI VALLEY - City Councilman Glen Becerra was named president of the Channel Counties Division of the League of California Cities last week.

Becerra took office at the league's annual conference in Sacramento. He will serve a one-year term, leading officials of the 25 cities in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties on mutual policy and regional issues.

Prostate testing offered for free

VENTURA - The Prostate Institute at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura will offer free disease screenings through September.

Tests are recommended for men older than 50, African-American men, and those with a family history of prostate disease.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness month. Prostate disease kills 30,000 American men each year.

For more information or to schedule a test, call [phone].

Debris-clearing notices being sent

SIMI VALLEY - Property owners within the city limits of Simi Valley will soon receive reminder notices to clear away tumbleweeds, weeds or debris on their parcels before the deadline of Oct. 30.

The debris poses a hazard and a nuisance to residents if left unabated. For information on the abatement program, call the Department of Community Services at [phone].