LONELY LEGUMES: Who’d have expected this? One...

LONELY LEGUMES: Who’d have expected this? One of the least-visited venues at the Ventura County Fair--that festival of farm life that starts today (B1)--is the Agriculture Building. “Believe it or not, it’s generally the least crowded,” fair spokesman Devlin Raley said. . . . The Ag Building houses prize-winning produce along with displays of rabbits and dairy goats. . . . Fair-goers’ biggest frustration? “Aside from complaints that the day can be an expensive one, it’s getting in and out,” Raley said. “Taking the shuttle is easier.”

QUICK TRIP: If you’re thinking about taking Metrolink to the fair, note this scheduling quirk: The last train to the Ventura Fairgrounds arrives at 6 p.m., while the last train out departs only half an hour later--barely enough time for a corn dog. . . . Ginger Gherardi of the county Transportation Commission said only one train crew is available. “If this is successful, maybe next year we’ll get trains going back later.” . . . Metrolink will make four round trips between Simi Valley and Ventura each weekend day.

TAX FACTS: Ventura County supervisors are trying to drum up support for a November ballot measure that would extend a half-cent sales tax (B1). It may be a hard sell. . . . The last time the county’s voters considered a half-cent sales tax proposal--a 1990 measure for transportation projects--they said no by a 2-to-1 margin. “The difference is, that was a raise and this is an extension,” said Richard Wittenberg, the county’s chief administrator. Ventura County’s 7.25% sales tax rate equals the lowest in California, he said.

BESTSELLER: In a city that regulates everything from tree trimming to shopping mall colors, it’s no surprise that the Thousand Oaks Municipal Code has sold out. The 900-page volume--”about the size of a family Bible,” City Clerk Nancy Dillon said--includes every city ordinance, and is must reading for developers, engineers and architects. Cost: $300 apiece. . . . Dillon ordered 50 more copies and cut type sizes to trim 300 pages, “so we’ll have room for growth.”

Fair Tip-Off

Tips on enjoying the Ventura County Fair, which starts today. Least Crowded Day: Monday Least Crowded Weekday Hours: Early in day Least Crowded Weekend Hours: Midafternoon Best Kept Secret: Agriculture Building Best Way to Get There: Shuttle buses Cheapest Admission: Friday, 12 and under free / Tuesday, 55 and over free Source: Fair spokesman Devlin Raley