Many Given Time to Mark Veterans Day

Most city, state and federal workers will get a day off today in observance of the Veterans Day holiday, but employees of Ventura County will be at work as usual.

Banks and other financial institutions also will observe the holiday today, but most Ventura County schools will take off classes Friday instead of today.

Offices in every city in the county will close Thursday, except for Fillmore, which will celebrate Veterans Day by closing on Friday.

South Coast Area Transit and other public transportation systems will operate on their usual weekday schedules. The county Municipal and Superior courts will be closed.

A memorial service hosted by the American Legion is scheduled at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura for 11 a.m. today. Hundreds of American flags--each representing a veteran killed in service--have lined the cemetery since Monday.

The Simi Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars No. 10049 also will host a memorial service at Rancho Memorial Park at 11 a.m.

Organizers of a ceremony at Constitution Park in Camarillo have lined up a host of local, state and federal officials to attend their Veterans Day event today.

Members of the committee are working to erect a permanent monument to Camarillo veterans that would be built in Constitution Park. The committee already has designed a curved concrete wall to hold a granite insert recognizing local veterans, said R.T. Lee, vice chairman of the Camarillo Veterans Memorial Committee.

The 11 a.m. event concludes a 24-hour ceremonial color guard, which began standing watch over the ground where the memorial is planned at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Oxnard is planning a free barbecue for veterans and their families after its Sunday service at 2700 Buckaroo Ave.