RATING GAME: Given the results of the...

RATING GAME: Given the results of the Ventura County Bar Assn.’s survey on local judges, justice is being well-served (B1). . . . Twenty-seven of the county’s 28 judges were ranked as very good, the poll of county lawyers found. Besides their usefulness to lawyers, such surveys enlighten the public, said Robert J. Meadows, an associate professor at Cal Lutheran University. “There’s very little knowledge about what judges do . . . they’re like anyone else with their own perceptions and beliefs.”

RWANDAN RELIEF: The local chapter of the American Red Cross chapter has raised $10,000 so far to aid refugees and orphans in Rwanda. . . .. “The citizens are just sending it in on their own, and that’s real good,” said Mike Goth, program manager with the local chapter. Donations peaked after coverage of the Rwandan cholera epidemic. . . .. The need is still great, Goth said. “It would appear that’s going to be an ongoing situation for a while.”

MELLOW RADIO: Shock value is a big weapon in the arsenal of your average radio talk-show hosts . . . but not in Ventura County (Ventura County Life, Page 8). Local deejays and chat-show types tend to be more mellow than their high-strung counterparts in L.A. Some say controversial topics upset faithful listeners. . . . But they’re not above a bit of silliness. “Our main objective is to have fun and try not to offend anyone,” says Dave Ciniero of KVEN’s “Dave & Bob Show.”

SURF RACERS: It’s all the rage in Australia, where entire families hit the beach together. . . . But in the U.S., surf racing is not widely known. That hasn’t stopped Deirdre Fisher, an Ojai math teacher who is also a lifeguard, from excelling at the sport, an amalgam of running, swimming, surf skiing and paddleboard-riding. (C8) “The people who get involved seem to be only lifeguards,” said lifeguard Carrie Whitman. That’s no big surprise, considering the rigorous training required. . . . But, Whitman said, “socially, it’s fun too.”