Say, Was That Sly? : Summer doldrums are no match for the thrill of celebrity watching. Keep an eye out for Dan Haggerty, Donna Mills, Tom Selleck and a host of others.

These are definitely the dog days of summer. You’ve watched about as much baseball as you can stand. You’ve done the bird-watching thing and still can’t tell a Least tern from a U-turn. And counting passing Amtrak cars can be tedious after a while.

No doubt about it, you need a new hobby to get you through to autumn.

So allow us to suggest stargazing. We don’t mean those boring, inanimate celestial objects. We’re talking about actual walking, talking, music, television and movie stars.

Celebrity-spotting is a cheap non-contact sport that requires little more than a minimal level of alertness.

Lest you think Ventura County is off the beaten path for real celebrities, we can put you at ease. Though this may not be the first area to come to mind when talk turns to celebrities, there is a long tradition of them residing in these parts.

Even 30 years ago, while visitors from Iowa were trying to glimpse movie stars at Hollywood and Vine, locals were liable to see Sonny and Cher, the Carradine clan and Walter Brennan cross their path.

In fact, there have been enough celebrities in this area to generate legends.

There’s the probably true story about Jerry Mathers, the Beav of “Leave it to Beaver,” having attended Cal Lutheran.

“I can confirm that a person by the name of Gerald Patrick Mathers was enrolled from the fall quarter of ’67 to the winter quarter of ‘68,” said Jean Sandlin, the university’s public information officer.

Staci Stoch, a student at Cal Lutheran, provided more solid information.

“I recall that my father went to Cal Lu at the same time as (the Beav),” she said. “And my dad said that he lived across the hall from him in Mt. Clef dorm.”

Then there’s the rumor about Jan-Michael Vincent being “discovered” while surfing the Oxnard-Ventura beach. If he wasn’t discovered, at least he was raised here.

“Jan-Michael Vincent was from the Oxnard area,” said an Oxnard property manager who requested anonymity. “In fact, my mom was a good friend of his aunt, who I believe lived in Camarillo when he became popular in the mid-’70s. I wanted to meet him but didn’t then. But I’ve met Jan-Michael within the last three years. My husband played in a band at a party at his house.”

And what was that about Sonny and Cher?

“I remember in the ‘60s when the storms hit the Oxnard Shores,” said Oxnard native Gloria Urango, a former real estate agent. “Sonny and Cher were in danger of serious damage to their home.”

Urango also had a story about the celebrity’s celebrity, Paul Newman.

“I remember I was in high school,” she said. “My mom said she was driving on Wooley Road and saw Paul Newman pass her in a convertible. They were both turning, so their eyes met. And she couldn’t believe those gorgeous baby blue eyes.”

More legends could be around the next corner, but someone has to be out there to record them.

The following unscientific guide will help point the way to some popular watering holes of the famous, formerly famous, nearly famous, and self-proclaimed famous.

Use the guide to impress your celebrity-starved relatives on their next visit. No more buying maps to the stars’ homes. See ‘em close up--dining, renting videos, pushing a grocery cart or jogging.

You would expect to see the rich and famous at local country clubs, at posh hotels and restaurants. But celebs also like pizza and movies, and they don’t always send a gofer to pick up their clothes at the dry cleaners.

And if you think that was Tom Selleck buying frozen peas at Gelson’s Market in Westlake, it probably was.

Employees at local chambers of commerce and realty associations were reluctant to discuss celebrity residents, so we augmented our guide with person-on-the-street queries.

Many people have stories, and everyone’s perception of celebrity is relative--or a relative. Consider the woman who was excited because she attended Cal Lutheran University with the niece of Myron Floren, Lawrence Welk’s accordion player. Or how about the woman whose friend’s husband’s brother used to date actress Heather Locklear.

A celebrity is most likely to cross your path in the Ojai Valley, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and just across the county line in Agoura Hills. And folks in Moorpark, Fillmore, Simi Valley and Piru can count on filming locations to bring out the stars. Elsewhere in the county, a successful sighting experience requires considerably more luck and effort.

WESTLAKE

For random daily spotting, your best bet is probably Westlake Village. Locklear and her drummer-spouse Tommy Lee, Frankie Avalon, and other equally glamorous residents of North Ranch drop into Bauducco’s Italian deli and Gelson’s on a whim. And around the corner, Jack’s Restaurant attracts its share of stars as well.

Rob Lowe, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Selleck have been known to drop in on occasion, though probably not at the same time. (That’s OK. That kind of triple dose of celebrity would be too much for the novice stargazer.)

Other stars drop by too.

“Grizzly Adams--Dan Haggerty--came in the other day,” said a Jack’s Place host, “and dropped off some applesauce.”

Clearly a city with so much star potential needs some quality star searchers. Patricia Van Evera is one of them. A 20-year resident of Newbury Park, Van Evera works in Westlake Village.

“I personally was next to Robert Young in Gelson’s Market recently at the deli counter,” said Van Evera. “He was buying a large container of chicken salad and I remember thinking, ‘God, who’d pay $8 a pound for chicken salad?’ And the moment he spoke to ask politely if he was in my way, I knew who it was.”

One secret of being a good spotter, clearly, is knowing when you have spotted someone; another is keeping track of the ever-relocating celebs. Van Evera does her best.

“Donna Summer’s house in Hidden Valley is up for sale, but I heard her father is still living there,” she said. “I don’t know if Sophia Loren still lives here, but my husband used to see her in the North Ranch mall in the early ‘80s when she used to pick her son up from karate lessons.”

A North Ranch mall note: Van Evera said she has seen Mickey Rooney there on numerous occasions.

THOUSAND OAKS

According to our spotters, Thousand Oaks is a great place to see celebrities in your average, no frills locations.

Buddy (Jed Clampett) Ebsen has been seen at Lumber City, Maureen McCormick Cummings (Marcia of “The Brady Bunch”) at Toys R Us, and actor Joe Don Baker at the pro shop of Los Robles Golf Course.

Late one Sunday morning, John Laroquette, a.k.a. Dan Fielding of television’s “Night Court,” was seen outside Holiday Hardware in Janss Mall, where he and his family were downing some ice cream cones.

Kellie Martin, of TV’s “Life Goes On,” has been easily spotted wearing her trademark red-framed glasses while cruising The Oaks mall with her mom. Also seen: “Knot’s Landing” star Donna Mills and watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher.

An employee at Hilltop Feed said country singer-heartthrob Dwight Yoakam was in the store a few months ago.

“It was near closing on a Sunday as I recall,” said the woman, who did not want to give her name. “I don’t remember if there were customer reactions or what he bought. It really wasn’t that important to me.” She said many stars who live on ranches in nearby Hidden Valley have accounts at the store.

A number of mom-and-pop places have their share of celebrity customers. A check of photos on their “Walls of Fame” can provide a clue as to which places provide the best opportunities for a sighting.

Chen’s Szechwan Restaurant is a good spot. Helen Shih, the assistant manager there, rattled off some top-notch celebrities, including Dan Peterson, the dark-haired, hunky model whose photo adorns the covers of Chippendale’s calendars. The former Thousand Oaks High School student still resides in the area.

“We have many famous people come in here,” said Shih. “Angie Dickensen still comes in pretty often. Jon Voight last came in a few months ago, and so does Michael Chang, the tennis player.”

OJAI

David Mason, president of the Ojai Valley Museum and vice chairman of the Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, unofficially keeps track of celebrity migrations to the Ojai area.

He said celebrities live either in the country or in a nice section of town.

“They choose Ojai because it’s a close enough commute to the city, but they still have the rural atmosphere,” he said. “I think most residents enjoy having them here because they mingle on the streets and it’s fun. They are so delightful and get extremely active in civic and community affairs. We have a lot of writers and producers, but they’re not recognizable.”

Among the crop of stars you might spot are Mary Steenburgen, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Strauss, “Quantum Leap” star Scott Bakula, and Peter Scolari.

Denny Miller, who played Tarzan in the 1950s and was the scout on television’s “Wagon Train,” also calls Ojai home, as do Larry Hagman, June Allyson and musician Chris Hillman, formerly of the Byrds and currently of the Desert Rose Band.

And the best places to see these people?

Chances are you’ll find them wining and dining at Roger Keller’s, Boccali’s, L’Auberge or the Ojai Valley Inn lounge. But don’t overlook Avanti in Oakview, the Ranch House in Meiners Oaks or Wheeler Hot Springs.

“Celebrities can be seen everywhere in Ojai,” Mason said. “They generally live a full life here and don’t have to hide.”

AGOURA HILLS

We know, it’s not strictly within county lines, but for a chance to glimpse stars like these, it’s worth the commute.

Charlie Sheen has been spotted shopping for picture hooks in the Agoura Hills Lumber City, and his brother, Emilio Estevez, is a regular habitue of the Mann Cinema off Kanan Road. For you music fans, here’s a tip: Estevez has been seen, at times, with wife Paula Abdul.

Julie Kavner, star of last summer’s feature film “This Is My Life” and the voice of television’s Marge Simpson, was seen at the Mann recently. Cheech Marin of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong is also a cinema regular.

Note: Don’t forget to check Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor adjoining the movie theater and Hamburger Hamlet across Kanan Road.

SIMI VALLEY

Folks in the motion picture and television industries often film in some of Ventura County’s more scenic locations. It’s no major coup to spot a celebrity near Simi Valley’s Big Sky Ranch, or on location in Fillmore or Piru, but it will still make for a nice (embellishable) story for the grandkids.

“We have commercials being filmed here all the time, especially in the East County,” said Frank Ugolini of the Ventura County Planning Department. He said Deercreek Road in the Santa Monica Mountains is a popular site for car commercials. And the rustic white fences and horse farms that dot Potrero Road in Hidden Valley appeal to many filmmakers.

By the way, watch for James Brolin to turn up in Simi Valley and Hidden Valley, where episodes of his new television series, “Angel Falls,” are being shot.

VENTURA

By all accounts, few celebrities seem to beach up in Ventura. Ironically, the city is home to the county’s greatest celebrity magnet--the Ventura Concert Theatre.

Of course, those people are all on stage, so they hardly count.

It’s the equally famous friends of those people on stage, who sometimes drop by to see a show, who can make for quality celebrity encounters.

And there’s always the chance that some famous somebody or other will accidentally wander over from neighboring Oxnard.

OXNARD

What’s on the celebrity menu in Oxnard? Check the local eateries where, our sources say, the stars are likely to be chowing down.

“We have quite a lot of celebrities from the TV shows,” said a manager at the Lobster Trap Restaurant in the Casa Sirena Hotel and Resort in the Channel Islands Harbor. “They ride bikes and walk around the boat area. George Kennedy lives right across the street from the restaurant. We had Connie Stevens here the other day.”

The celebrity clientele at the Whale’s Tail Restaurant, across the channel from the Lobster Trap, is pretty impressive too, according to the Whale’s Tail manager: Robert Urich, Chuck Norris, Richard Nixon, musician Randy Meisner, and some dark-haired guy from “General Hospital.”

You may also want to check out the Channel Islands Sportfishing Center, Oxnard (CISCO) where, an employee told us, comedian Cheech Marin spends time.

A 43-year-old property manager and resident of Silver Strand beach, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was in Oxnard when longtime resident Brandon Cruz became famous. She recalled the excitement when the boy was selected to co-star with Bill Bixby during the 1960s and 1970s in the television series “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.”

“Now I know all the Cruz family and Brandon,” she said. “They live in the Silver Strand beach area. And Tito, one of Michael Jackson’s brothers, has been living in the Mandalay Bay area. It’s exciting to meet them at first. But then it’s no big deal because you realize they are normal people like the rest of us.”

Star Search

Perhaps you’ve seen these celebrities in the area:

THE RATING GAME

You, too, can rate your celebrity sightings. To play the game, you must be fair. Count random sightings only.

* No points are awarded for stars performing at scheduled events or appearances. But points can be accrued if you spot a celebrity attending the function as a civilian.

* Determine the value of each incident by how famous and how overexposed the celebrity is: Fewer points are given for high-profile celebs such as Peter Strauss and Tim Conway, who frequently attend local charity functions. More points are awarded for premium sightings of maverick celebrities such as Dwight Yoakam or Emilio Estevez, who live nearby and drop into the county for horse feed or to catch a film.

* You earn triple points if the sighting becomes an encounter where actual words are exchanged.

* Also earn a triple score by spotting someone with high name recognition but whose face isn’t well known. Ditto for recognizing hard-to-name but familiar character actors.

* And if Elvis agrees to pose with you for a photo, you can retire as a Grand Master Celebrity Spotter.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

Maintain your dignity. Do not be a nuisance. It’s OK to acknowledge a celebrity’s presence or accomplishments with a smile or polite remark, but don’t push for an autograph.

* Don’t cause a stampede by shouting a celebrity’s name--especially if he or she is accompanied by family.

* Spare the celebrity stories of how you’ve seen every film or bought every record he or she ever made.

* Never take a photo without permission, especially if the celebrity has food in his or her mouth or is leaving a restroom trailing toilet paper from a shoe.

* Never ask about an ex-spouse or if the latest tabloid story is true.