CALLING OFF-ROADERS: It’s not quite the California...

CALLING OFF-ROADERS: It’s not quite the California Highway Patrol, but it might be a close second. . . Los Padres National Forest rangers are looking for volunteers interested in patrolling off-road in the Ballinger Canyon area. Members of the Off Highway Vehicle Patrol must have a motorcycle or a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a valid first-aid certificate. Some training is provided for the once-a-month commitment, but “it’s not an enforcement position,” said District Recreation Ranger Don Trammell.

SPACE OF THEIR OWN: The Simi Valley Boys & Girls Club may finally be getting a permanent home (B5). The club’s future has been tied up for years in litigation. . . . Meantime, other Boys & Girls clubs in the county have been going great guns. Membership in the Camarillo Boys & Girls has climbed to about 2,000, and increasing development may drive membership higher, said Executive Director Jay Grigsby. . . . Membership at the Port Hueneme club has also risen to 2,000 since former San Diego Chargers running back Chuck Muncie took the helm. And they’re thinking big: Plans for a cable access television show are in the works, said Program Director Jaime Zendejas.

CHILD ADVOCATE: Some Thousand Oaks parents see newly elected school board member Elaine McKearn as the strongest advocate for disabled children in their school district’s history (B5). . . . McKearn won her position after fighting the academic bureaucracy--and winning opportunities for more disabled children to attend mainstream classes.

NURSING BENEFIT: Tickets are a pricey $200, but proceeds from a March 3 benefit dinner will go to a worthy cause: the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Assn., a nonprofit group founded nearly 50 years ago to provide nursing and hospice services to county residents in their homes. . . . The association’s first fund-raising dinner will be held at the Oxnard Hilton, and Ventura County developer Martin V. Smith will be guest of honor. . . . . For information or reservations, call 642-0239, Ext. 766.