SEESAW COUNTY: Until 1984, Ventura County was...

SEESAW COUNTY: Until 1984, Ventura County was Democratic territory. Then the GOP took the lead in registration, thanks to Los Angeles County Republicans moving into the east county. “Every time I see the L. A. County chairman, I thank him for sending so many Republicans our way,” Ventura County GOP Chairman Bob Larkin said. . . . Larkin said the party is planning registration drives to reverse last year’s gains by Democrats, who boosted their ranks to 41% of voters, not far behind the GOP’s 43%. . . . Deadline to register for the Nov. 2 election: Oct. 4.

AERIAL ALTERNATIVE: As cable television companies rearrange rate structures (B1), some viewers are turning to an old-fashioned solution: the outdoor antenna. “We’ve had a lot more people calling us about VHF antennas,” said Michael Byrd of DBS Satellite Television in Ventura. “They’re people on fixed incomes who remember the old days.” . . . Antennas start at less than $100, but a good one costs $400 to $500 installed. How well it works depends on the proximity of signal-blocking hills.

SOARING CRIME: That theft of a twin-engine Cessna from Oxnard Airport last week signaled a rare event for Oxnard police spokesman David Keith: a new crime. “It’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” said Keith, a nine-year veteran. . . . Most small planes can be locked, but some can be started without a key, said Tom Driscoll of Channel Islands Aviation. . . . “Obviously, it takes different skills to steal an airplane than to steal a car.”

TWO MOONS: How often is “once in a blue moon”? About every three or four years. That’s how often a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month--like the full moon that rose over Ventura County on Tuesday night. Last month’s first full moon occurred Aug. 2. . . . The moon doesn’t really turn blue, of course, and the term’s origin is unknown. . . . For countless couples, it has romantic connotations, thanks to an oft-recorded 1934 Rodgers and Hart song.

Party Lines

Republicans outnumber Democrats in Ventura County, but Democrats have the edge in six cities.

Where Democrats lead: Santa Paula: 57% Oxnard: 54% Fillmore: 50% Ventura: 46% Ojai: 45% Port Hueneme: 45% *

Where Republicans lead: Thousand Oaks: 52% Simi Valley: 50% Camarillo: 50% Moorpark: 49% Source: California Cities, Towns & Counties, 1993