HOLD THE SMOKE: Go ahead. Order the...

HOLD THE SMOKE: Go ahead. Order the Big Mac, the fries, the chocolate milkshake--but hold that after-fast-food cigarette. . . . Anti-smoking advocates in Ventura County hailed a decision by McDonald’s Corp. to banish smoking in all its company-owned restaurants nationwide. (D1) “We feel really good about it,” said Jerry Leavitt of the Smoking Action Coalition, which pushed for no-smoking laws in Ventura and Ojai. . . . But not all restaurateurs agree. Many showed up at a Camarillo City Council meeting to oppose a ban on smoking in restaurants in that city (B1).

LOST CONNECTION: Seems like only yesterday that Moorpark officials were eager for the Simi Valley-Moorpark freeway connector to ease traffic on local streets. Now they’re worried that commuters whiz by, oblivious to what the city has to offer. . . . The city wants permission from the state Department of Transportation to put up signs along the connector touting Moorpark’s historic downtown business district. But Caltrans says it has no record of the request. . . . “We’re somehow lost in the twilight zone on the deal,” Councilman Scott Montgomery said. “A lot of people look for the Old Town area. Since the connector has gone in, they haven’t been able to find it.”

HELPING OUT: Volunteering to help people in need is hard to do for busy Ventura County residents, but many somehow find the time (Ventura County Life, Page 24). . . . Experts offer tips on getting started and who needs assistance. Since the Jan. 17 earthquake, help is needed more than ever.

SAVE THE TREES: Living up to the city’s name, officials in Thousand Oaks approved a law to give some trees historic designation. . . . Under the Historical Tree Project, officials will mark the city’s most significant trees with plaques, and perhaps map out a walking arboreal tour of the Conejo Valley. . . . “It’s nice to see that, despite the severe economic pressures we face, we will remain true to our name,” Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski said.