RARE BIRDS: They have returned in droves....

RARE BIRDS: They have returned in droves. The California least tern and other endangered birds have flocked to a natural lagoon at Ormond Beach in Oxnard to nest (B1). . . . But now the Ventura County Flood Control District is being pressured to drain the lagoon to control insect breeding. A developer is also asking for relief because it claims some of its vacant land is being flooded. Said Nick Gorely, senior vice president of the Baldwin Co.: “It’s our property and it’s being damaged.”

MEMORIAL HIGHWAY: Plans are underway to designate California 126 as the Korean War Veterans’ Memorial Highway in honor of their military service. . . . State Sen. Gary K. Hart will meet with local veterans in Santa Paula today to finalize details for the designation. . . . Meanwhile, a portion of the highway, notorious for its high number of terrible collisions, has earned another nickname: Blood Alley.

BACK TO SCHOOL: The lazy days of summer are over, and it’s time to hit the books again. . . . But it won’t be quite the same for some Ventura County students returning to school this week. . . . At Garden Grove Elementary School in Simi Valley, many students are expected to show up wearing blue and white uniforms as part of a new school policy (B6). . . . Although the uniforms are optional, a private company has been doing brisk business at the school selling pants and skirts. Said Principal Elroy Peterson: “They’re selling like hot cakes.”

SIDEWALK SURFERS: Other than bowling, there’s not much for a teen-ager to do in Ojai. . . . At least that’s the view of 15-year-old Jake Frost. So Jake and his buddies set out to build a 25-foot-long, 5-foot-high wooden ramp in Jake’s back yard where they could practice their daredevil skateboard moves (B1). . . . Word soon spread, and kids from as far away as Ventura started showing up to test out the ramp. . . . The neighbors, of course, are none too thrilled. Said one elderly resident: “They’re driving us crazy.”