TRASHED OUT: As if Ventura County didn’t...

TRASHED OUT: As if Ventura County didn’t have enough problems figuring out what to do with its own trash. . . . Now, trash hauler Waste Management is talking up an old plan to ship 300 tons of rubbish a day from Oceanside to the Simi Valley Landfill (B7). . . . Said Supervisor Vicky Howard of Simi Valley: “We were blindsided, and now we’re going to have to fight to keep this trash out of our county.”

OOPS! It seemed like an honest mistake. . . . Chancellor Thomas G. Lakin of the Ventura County Community College District was identified in a new college catalogue only as a Ph.D., rather than as Dr. Lakin. But someone felt it was offensive and stopped the presses after 1,000 of the catalogues had already been printed (B1). . . . The extra brochures are being distributed free of charge. . . . Meanwhile, the printer says that the catalogues have referred to Lakin as a Ph.D. for three years.

WRITE STUFF: Since it formed in 1932, the Ventura County Writers Club has grown from 10 members to 300. The club includes retirees, wanna-bes and at least two published authors (Ventura County Life, Page 8). . . . Members meet regularly to critique each other’s work as well as to offer support. The workshops, however, are not for the overly sensitive. . . . Recently, after listening to a fellow scribe read a chapter from her mystery novel in progress, one critic advised that she kill the first page. “You don’t need it--it stops the story cold.”

NOVEL IDEA: Speaking of writers and books . . . the Ventura County Board of Supervisors has approved a plan to extend the weekly hours of six county library branches. The action was made possible by extra money received from the county and community groups. . . . Although the city of Ojai contributed $30,000 toward the cause, the hours of its branch library will actually be reduced. The reason is that some money will be used to increase the working hours of the branch’s head librarian in order to improve operations.