JUNK FOOD: Fillmore has become the first...

JUNK FOOD: Fillmore has become the first Ventura County city to launch a comprehensive program aimed at making better use of green waste through recycling and composting (B1), but the city lags behind the trendiest composters. . . . In upscale eateries from San Francisco to New York, culinary artists are using compost to prepare the ultimate back-to-nature cuisine. . . . Rich in nutrients and ecologically sound, compost cuisine has become all the rage in chic circles but is yet to catch on locally. “That would be like eating dirt,” said Victoria Hand, the county’s recycling chief. “I’ve seen a lot of uses for compost, but eating it?”

ALL-NIGHTER: It was nearly 3:30 a.m. when Thousand Oaks officials wrapped up their weekly council meeting Wednesday. Long, to be sure, but still no record. Debate 20 years ago on The Oaks mall stretched meetings until after sunrise. “Some people don’t last,” Deputy City Clerk Cindy LoPiccolo said. “They just leave and call us in the morning.”. . . Wednesday’s meeting was slowed by a hearing on whether to welcome a McDonald’s to town, featuring expert testimony on the odor of french fries.

PIER RESTORATION: The Ventura Pier is in the final stages of a $3.5-million reconstruction project that may be completed as early as the end of the year (Ventura Life, J6). . . . For 121 years, the wooden structure has been patched and repaired. Now, after four years of planning and one of massive rebuilding, it is reaching the point of full restoration. . . . A campaign called “Pier Into the Future” plans to raise $1 million to preserve and maintain the landmark.

MAGIC MOMENT: It was show time at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks as former Los Angeles Laker great Magic Johnson gave private lessons to 400 youngsters during his annual basketball camp (B1). . . . “Just seeing their eyes, so big,” said the basketball legend after a full day of drills and one-on-one. “Oh, man. It makes you want to cry.”