BARELY MOVING: You need a magnifying glass...

BARELY MOVING: You need a magnifying glass to find growth in Ventura County property values. “We’ve been lowering values for three years,” acting County Assessor Glenn E. Gray said. “And they’re still going down.” . . . Falling home prices are one factor; another is the drop in construction. . . . Last year, 2,800 property owners filed appeals to get their assessments lowered. This year, Gray expects 3,200 more. Result: less property tax revenue for local and state governments. . . . Neighboring Santa Barbara County enjoyed a 4.1% increase last year, while Kern County values soared 7.7%.

MEMORY GAP: Remember where you were 30 years ago today, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated? Nearly half of Ventura County residents have no such recollection--they weren’t born yet. . . . Kennedy carried Ventura County by 264 votes, but no local memorials have been erected since his death. . . . Oxnard does have Kennedy Place--a tiny lane near Churchill Drive and MacArthur Place.

STILL FIDDLING: Speaking of milestones, Joe Hunsinger of Simi Valley marks two today: his 56th birthday and the 2 1/2-year anniversary of his heart transplant. . . . Before his surgery at UCLA, “my heart was working at 15% of normal,” said Hunsinger, who is president of the California Old Time Fiddlers. . . . With his new pump, “my circulation improved and my fiddle-playing improved.” Heart transplants, first performed in 1967, have become almost commonplace. Total in U. S. last year: 2,173.

STATE CANDIDACY: Former Assemblyman Tom McClintock’s bid for state controller marks the first time since 1982 that a Ventura County resident has sought statewide office. . . . That was the year state Sen. Omer L. Rains of Ventura lost the Democratic nomination for attorney general to John Van de Kamp. . . . “It’s difficult unless you’re from an urban center,” said Rains, now a Sacramento lawyer. . . . Ventura County has produced no governors and only one U. S. senator: Thomas Bard (1899-1905).

Slow Growth

Counties with the lowest growth in assessed property value between 1992-93 and 1993-94. Lassen: -2.4% Orange: 0.1% San Diego: 1.2% Imperial: 1.4% Los Angeles: 1.9% Ventura: 2.0% State average: 2.8% Source: State Board of Equalization