CLASS ACT: Friends and colleagues remembered Thomas...

CLASS ACT: Friends and colleagues remembered Thomas G. Lakin on Sunday as a man who dedicated his entire career to education. . . . The popular chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District died Sunday (A1), the first known fatality from the so-called flesh-eating bacteria in California. . . . “He was a visionary,” said Elise Schneider, president of Oxnard College (B1). “He cared for people in our district and was a tremendous leader.”

TREES, PLEASE: The pumpkin patches that took up vacant lots and fields around the county are giving way to Christmas trees. . . . And not a moment too soon for those eager to embrace the season. In Ojai, where the Bower Tree Farm opened over the long Thanksgiving weekend, business has taken off at a good clip. “It started slow, but people are really starting to come in,” said Marilyn Bower, whose family has run the five-acre site for 25 years. . . . Nationwide, more than 34 million trees are expected to be sold by Christmas Day.

SAND BLAST: Once, the water in Mugu Lagoon was deep enough to allow U. S. Navy boats to maneuver, but no longer. . . . Now, about 240 million tons a year of sand and silt are pouring into the lagoon from a series of creeks and arroyos (B1). A report says the fresh-water infusion is threatening habitat in Southern California’s largest remaining salt marsh. . . . But don’t rush out to see the lagoon--you’ll need special Navy permission, a restriction that the report recommends be relaxed.

GETTING YOUNGER?: Oxnard leads the county’s 10 cities in birthrates, according to a recent study (B1). . . . Birthrates were lowest in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Camarillo. . . . That’s right in line with recent state figures showing that only 7.7% of Oxnard residents are senior citizens. In Moorpark--another city with higher birth rates--just 3.8% of residents are over the age of 65. . . . Looks as if the crunch for space in some of the county’s schools won’t end any time soon.