D-DAY: Fifty years ago today, thousands of...

D-DAY: Fifty years ago today, thousands of Navy Seabees swarmed the beaches of Normandy. . . . At H-Hour, demolition units blasted through the German obstacles on the beach so the first assault wave could land. Then construction battalions began building breakwaters and harbors. “They did all of this critical work at breakneck speed and all the while under enemy fire,” said Vincent A. Transano, historian at Port Hueneme’s Seabee base. Their role in World War II won high praise from Gen. Douglas MacArthur: “The only thing wrong with the Seabees is, there just aren’t enough of them.”

HONORABLE MOVE: Here’s a switch. Instead of boosting perks as some politicians have done, Santa Paula Union High School board members have eliminated their own health benefits to help balance the school district’s budget. . . . The board members must cut 10% from the budget, and forsaking health coverage saves as much as $15,000 a year, Supt. Robert Fisher said. “They feel that everyone needs to contribute to a balanced budget.”

COWBOY WAY: The feds have trotted out what they consider a reasonable deal. But Ventura County cattle ranchers have branded it as something that could drive their herds off public lands. . . . Federal officials want to double cattle grazing fees in the Los Padres National Forest (B1). They also want ranchers to share the cost of protecting sensitive wildlife habitat from being trampled. But ranchers are suspicious. Said one rancher: “It’s going to take a Philadelphia lawyer to figure this out.”

SKY’S FALLING: Ventura residents who live on tree-lined Varsity Street are hopping mad over the mess raining down in their neighborhood. . . . Budget cuts this year prevented the city’s trees from getting sprayed to prevent fruit from forming. So they pumped out a full load of dark-colored olives that stain the sidewalk and cars parked beneath them. At a meeting with 75 residents, Mayor Tom Buford got an earful about the threat from above. . . . The city’s tree-spraying program has been reactivated.