BOOK LOVERS: It’s no surprise that Ventura...

BOOK LOVERS: It’s no surprise that Ventura County’s best-educated city is also one of its wealthiest. “You have to have a good education to become affluent,” said Barbara Wilson of the American Assn. of University Women in Thousand Oaks. . . . Having college-trained neighbors helps Cal Lutheran University: “They appreciate what we’re trying to accomplish,” said University Pastor Mark Knutson, recalling town-versus-gown tensions in other college cities. . . . He sees concrete evidence of the city’s love for books: “That’s why T.O. has supported such a beautiful library.”

BUNNY CROP: As patios replace pastures, it’s harder for Ventura County’s 4-H Club members to raise large animals (B1). . . . So some have switched to rabbits, which will outnumber chickens, ducks and geese at the Ventura County Fair. Why rabbits? “They’re easier than most animals,” said 13-year-old Bryan Puente of Somis, who has 17 rabbits entered. “They’re little and they’re fun to play with.”. . . Rabbit judging starts Thursday.

HEAVY BREATHING: You’ve seen them in bookstores--the slick paperbacks showing demure maidens and bare-chested hunks. “They’re breathing so deeply, the clothes pop off their backs,” said Ed Elrod at the Ventura Bookstore. . . . OK, romance novels aren’t great literature. They’re just great merchandise. . . . “They’re unbelievably popular,” said Kimber Allen at B. Dalton Bookseller in Thousand Oaks. . . . That’s why five Ventura County women are learning how to write them (B5).

JASON WINS: If Wally Hein had seen any of those “Friday the 13th” movies, he’d have known better than to get tangled up with Jason and his pals. But at least he lived to tell about it. . . . Hein leased out a building he owns on Thousand Oaks Boulevard for the filming of “Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday,” which opened Friday. But shooting blood baths left quite a mess, so Hein took the filmmakers to Small Claims Court. He lost. . . . “Next time I’ll get a deposit,” Hein said.

Higher Education

Percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree. Ventura County Average: 14.2% Thousand Oaks: 22.8% Ojai: 18.4% Camarillo: 18.3% Moorpark: 16.5% Ventura: 16.4% Simi Valley: 12.9% Port Hueneme: 9.2% Oxnard: 7.3% Santa Paula: 5.8% Fillmore: 4.8% Source: California Cities, Towns & Counties, 1993