DREAM DEFERRED: James Kallas once hoped to...

DREAM DEFERRED: James Kallas once hoped to build his dream house atop a parcel of land he owns near Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks (B4). . . . But times have changed in the 34 years since he bought the land. Now, city officials say a plan to buy the property may set a bad precedent because other landowners hampered by the city’s building policies may seek similar deals. Said Kallas: “It has been a never-ending struggle.”

BLOWN OVER: A beeper may be about the only way to reach Jim Martin these days. . . . The Ventura businessman has been deluged with phone calls from around the world about Call of the Wind, his paging system that summons windsurfers when the breeze picks up. “It’s unbelievable,” said Martin of the calls from Japan, Australia and Germany. “Good Morning America” and other national television shows want interviews. . . . But he pays a price: Because of the constant interruptions, what used to be a 10-minute job to program a beeper now can take hours.

DASHED HOPES: Oxnard boxer Fernando Vargas is bowing out of the U.S. Amateur Championships (C6). . . . Vargas, the youngest amateur national champion ever, recently brought home a bronze medal from the Pan-American Games in Argentina. But a stomach virus has forced him to withdraw from the U.S. championship games, which are taking place this week in Colorado Springs. . . . “I was worried about my performance,” Vargas said. “When I fight, I want to show 100%.”

ON THE RANGE: Point Mugu State Park is getting three new rangers. . . . Kelly McCague, Doug Bosch and Christina Craig recently finished an intensive 21-week Ranger Academy course that included peace officer training and park operations. All three have previous experience with park agencies. . . . They’re arriving just in time, said park official Jim Holt. The peak park season begins around Easter with spring break and extends through the summer until Labor Day.