Pies, Dances, Dogs and Dunks at Weekend Fest : But the star attraction at Port Hueneme Country Days will be Darlene O’Connell and the Dixie Flyers.

In an attempt to save their local Police Department, residents of Port Hueneme will throw a two-day shindig this weekend with plenty of family oriented events. Port Hueneme Country Days will include pie-throwing and pie-eating contests, a dunking booth, police K-9 demonstrations, square-dancing exhibitions and a show by the Old West Gun Fighters.

But the real deal happens Sunday when Darlene O’Connell and the Dixie Flyers headline a free, all-day concert of country bands. This group just keeps getting better. And you won’t get to see them in our area again until July.

Most of all, it’s a great chance to hear the new, seven-piece lineup. The Flyers have just added another hot male vocalist--John Styles. I caught the debut of this Travis Tritt look-alike at Santa Paula’s Frontier Club two weeks ago. And when he began to sing “Neon Moon,” people took notice.

The popular country-rock group Rhythm Rangers will precede O’Connell. I was in the audience last week when they opened for the Temptations at the California Strawberry Festival. The crowd loved them and shouted requests to keep them on stage longer.

Sweet Country and Wild Heart are two country bands new on the local scene. I haven’t caught up with them yet but the word on both is good. Besides, with free admission, the price is definitely right.

A portion of the profits from food and game booths will be donated to the Port Hueneme Police Officers Assn.

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More than 500 people are expected to attend the annual meeting of the Ventura County Farm Bureau at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on June 11. But don’t look for K-HAY radio deejay Charlye Parker to emcee the evening’s entertainment again this year.

“Charlye won a trip to Alaska at the Fanfest drawing and she’ll be gone June 6 through 13,” said Rex Laird, executive director of the 1,600-member Ventura County Farm Bureau. “She’s heard the call of the wild and it wasn’t wildlife,” added her buddy, Laird, with a chuckle.

“With the ratio of men to women at 18 to 1, maybe I can get a date,” said Parker, laughing. “I’ll try anything once.”

Highlights of the evening with host K-HAY’s Ray Taylor will include a recital of cowboy poetry by Waddie Mitchell of Elko, Nev., a tri-tip barbecue and dancing to the Rhythm Rangers band.

“This is when the total membership attends and elects the 13-member board of directors,” said Laird. “We’ve been doing an annual meeting since the organization began in 1914. But when we started the current style of meeting last year at the fairgrounds, with featured entertainment, we more than doubled the attendance over previous years.”

The banquet will take place June 11 in the Agricultural Building, Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura. Social hour is at 5:30 p.m.; business meeting and elections, 6:15 p.m.; entertainment starts at 8:15 p.m.. Western attire is suggested, reservations recommended. Farm Bureau members, $15 in advance, $29 at the door; non-members, $25 per person; call 656-3552.

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The Borderline in Thousand Oaks has dropped its Monday Night Line Dance Mania format. Starting Monday, line-dance lessons will be at 6 and 7 p.m. with a live band playing at 8 p.m. Cactus County will launch the new format.

Details

* WHAT: Port Hueneme Country Days concert with emcees Charlye Parker and Ray Taylor of K-HAY radio. Bands: Wild Heart, 11 a.m.; Sweet Country, noon; Rhythm Rangers, 1 p.m.; Darlene O’Connell and the Dixie Flyers, 2 to 4 p.m.

* WHERE: Hueneme High School athletic field, 500 Bard Road, Oxnard.

* WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

* COST: Free.

* PHONE: 984-8881.

* FYI: The event also runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday with food and game booths, a crafts fair, K-9 dog demo and many family oriented activities.