BLACK HISTORY: The city of Port Hueneme,...

BLACK HISTORY: The city of Port Hueneme, which has the largest percentage of African Americans in Ventura County, has been hosting a photo exhibition depicting the history of the black community as a prelude to Black History Month. . . . “We’ve had a lot of people come in just to look at it,” said Sara Ellinwood, of the Ray D. Prueter Library. . . . Black History Month starts today, and the library will display a collection of old photos from Oxnard resident Ira Mae Verrett.

DRY SPELL?: Weather watchers have marked the end of another month with below-average rainfall (B1), raising fears that the county may be entering another dry period. . . . Rainfall totals countywide measured only 36% of normal, and no rain is on the horizon at least through Sunday. “It’s not as bad as the worst,” state hydrologist Maurice Roos said, “but it would sure be nice if it were better.”

RADAR WARS: Opponents of a microwave radar tower have taken their fight to the airwaves. Ojai residents, joined by Rep. Elton Gallegly, are scheduled to tape an episode of the “Montel Williams Show” today. . . . “We want no radiation without representation,” said David Hedman, a spokesman for the group that has sued the federal government to prevent a 98-foot weather-tracking station from being switched on. . . . The daytime talk show apparently has found fertile ground in Ventura County. Williams did a segment last month on twin brothers from Oxnard who traded places in jail.

QUIET COMPETITION: Borla Performance Industries is making a lot of noise in the Japanese muffler market (Valley Business, Page 10). . . . The Oxnard company, which markets a line of stainless-steel exhaust systems, introduced its first product for the Japanese at a Tokyo auto show last month. . . . “We’re riding the wave of American automobiles that are winding up in Japan,” company President Alexander Borla said.

African Americans

Percentage of blacks in Ventura County cities: Port Hueneme: 5.7% Oxnard: 5.3% Ventura: 1.7% Camarillo: 1.6% Simi Valley: 1.5% Thousand Oaks: 1.2% Moorpark: 1.0% Ojai: 0.3% Fillmore: 0.2% Santa Paula: 0.1% Source: U.S. Census