FEARS DISCOUNTED: Wal-Mart is building in Oxnard...

FEARS DISCOUNTED: Wal-Mart is building in Oxnard and is eyeing Simi Valley--to the horror of local merchants. But in Santa Paula, where K mart opened in 1990 amid similar fears, merchants have learned to compete. “It hurt us, but we’ve generated new business,” said Peter Ringle of Cauch’s Drugstore. And fewer residents leave town to shop, boosting sales taxes by $100,000. Said ex-Councilwoman Kay Wilson-Bolton: “Overall, it’s been good for the city.”