COMING OF AGE: Moorpark College, which opened...

COMING OF AGE: Moorpark College, which opened its doors in 1967, was formally dedicated on this date in 1968. . . . Public Information Officer Gerry Olsen, who has been at the college since its birth, said there were about 2,500 students and five buildings then; there are four times the students and 13 buildings now. . . . The first winter, Olsen said, the rains were so torrential that the hillsides were washing away. “We had a lot of mud that flowed down the hill,” he said. “We just scooped it up and put it back again.”

ANIMAL PASSION: People love their pets--primarily, experts say, for the unconditional love the animals offer. And they show their love--more than six out of 10 dog owners buy their pets Christmas presents, one survey says. (E3) . . . But perspective is important, says Deena Case-Pall, a Ventura County psychologist and animal-behavior consultant. “Don’t make them into people,” she said. “They are absolutely members of our families and share our lives, but it’s important not to lose sight of the animal nature of the pet.”

FAR AFIELD: The Civil War was fought thousands of miles from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and that may be the very reason the library’s new memorabilia exhibit is so popular, with up to 500 schoolchildren a day trooping through since it opened. (B1) . . . “It is spectacular,” said spokeswoman Lynda Schuler. “We’ve had to open the museum an hour earlier every day” for classes. . . . West Coast residents don’t often have the opportunity to see Civil War artifacts, she said.

ON THE MOVE: When Lin Koester became city manager in Simi Valley 16 years ago, the vote was 5 to 0. When he was chosen to take the county’s top job on Tuesday, the vote was 3 to 2. (B1) . . . But he’s not fazed. “A 3-2 vote is just that. It’s a majority vote, and I’m happy I got a majority vote,” he said. . . . Koester is expected to make the switch in June.