SAVORING SUCCESS: Ventura fans of red-hot Lakers...

SAVORING SUCCESS: Ventura fans of red-hot Lakers forward Cedric Ceballos are crowing with excitement now that their home-grown hero has scored 50 points in a single game. . . . “It’s the first topic in the morning conversation,” said Doug Caldwell, development director for the Boys & Girls Club of Ventura, where Ceballos hosts an annual fund-raising auction. . . . Interest in the August event has peaked since the Ventura College alumnus returned to California after a stint with the Phoenix Suns. “He’s kind of come back home now that he’s with the Lakers,” Caldwell said.

BUSY SOLSTICE: It may have been the shortest day of the year, but the first day of winter was a busy one for the county’s emergency workers--by land and by sea (B1). . . . In the west county, several motorists were injured on roads shrouded in a dense, early morning fog, while half a dozen surfers bandied about by strong waves had to be pulled from the ocean. . . . In Ventura, the pier--already closed for repairs after a pummeling earlier this week--appeared to bear up.

FERTILE GROUND: Last summer’s discovery of an Ice Age pygmy mammoth skeleton on Santa Rosa Island fueled an already enthusiastic local interest in fossil-hunting (Ventura County Life, Page 8). . . . Skilled fossil-seekers have long known that the county is ripe territory for unearthing prehistoric remains. . . . Fossil aficionados hone their knowledge by studying geology, zoology and botany--and history. . . . “Knowing the past gives me a feeling of continuity,” said paleontologist Ed Mercurio.

HOLIDAY HELP: More than 2,000 Oxnard residents received the makings for holiday feasts Wednesday when St. John’s Community Outreach Program distributed food baskets to families in need. . . . The baskets included 400 turkeys donated by Oxnard’s Centerpoint Mall. . . . Food bank organizers are struggling to feed the poor at a time of decreasing donations and rising hunger.