MOVING UP: The improved Writing Center at...

MOVING UP: The improved Writing Center at Valley College has entered the modern age, and that can mean only one thing: Computers, of course. The center now has two Macintosh computers for students who need help in writing. . . . The old center was, safe to say, a bit out of date. Its only equipment was a set of dictionaries (B3).

RABBINICAL VISIT: On Thursday, the rabbi spoke to the students at Emek Hebrew Academy in Sherman Oaks. But not just any rabbi. Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, one of Israel’s two chief rabbis, visited on the first day of his trip to Los Angeles. (B3) . . . Speaking in Hebrew, he questioned how strictly American Jews practice their religion.

DIVERSITY: The West, no matter what Hollywood tells us, was not explored exclusively by white cowboys riding off into the sunset. It was a group effort, attracting a wide range of cultures. . . . And this has not escaped the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum (above), which will open a gallery to honor the ethnic groups who took part in the adventure. See Valley Life! Page 10.

MELLOW MATADOR: CSUN first baseman Jason Shanahan sounds too good to be true. He leads his Matadors in batting average, home runs and wholesomeness. “I’ve never been somebody who does crazy things just for the sake of it,” he says. . . . Shanahan, however, better get some help from his teammates this weekend in a do-or-die series against division leader San Diego State (C10).

NO SECOND FIDDLE: For years, it was a festival without a proper home. Well, no longer. Finally, the annual Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest and Dance & Folk Arts Festival seems settled at Paramount Ranch near Agoura. And this Sunday, the sounds of bluegrass and banjos will be alive again. . . . “People sometimes come across the country just for this,” said one performer. See Valley Life! Page 4.