FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: Volunteers hauled more than...

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM: Volunteers hauled more than 560,000 pounds of debris off California beaches during a three-hour cleanup last September, including a bag of undelivered mail, three sets of dentures, 13 television sets and two kitchen sinks. . . . The Center for Marine Conservation released those statistics to mark the beginning of summer. . . . In Ventura County, as in the state as a whole, most of the trash was cigarette butts. Above, a beach-junk breakdown.

FAMOUS COACH: What’s left to win for Jerry White, former baseball coach of Oxnard and Moorpark colleges? He’s been named to the California Community College Baseball Coaches’ Assn. Hall of Fame. . . . White posted a combined record of 287-120 during 11 years at Oxnard and Moorpark. His teams took five divisional championships and four conference championships. . . . In 12 prior years at Hueneme High School, his teams won seven league championships.

JUVENILE HOMES: Officials at Juvenile Hall, where the population of delinquents has more than doubled in a decade, are begging Ventura County for a new facility (B1). . . . Oxnard, by far, is the greatest contributor to the crunch. On a random day in 1990, Oxnard youths made up 36.5% of the 85 residents; Ventura was next at 16.5%, and Thousand Oaks had 9.4%. On the same day this year, Oxnard kids made up 47.7% of 132 residents. Ventura had 8.3% and Thousand Oaks, 2.3%.

VEGENETICS: It Came From Saticoy. . . . Genetically improved tomatoes developed by Petoseed Co. Inc. of Saticoy have won approval from the federal government. The tomatoes retain more pectin, making them thicker for spaghetti and pizza sauces. . . . Petoseed’s product is the first genetically enhanced tomato cleared in both the U.S. and Britain. . . . It sounds Brave New World-ish, but Petoseed founder Howard Peto began producing hybrid vegetable seeds in 1950.

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Beach Debris

Most common debris picked up on Ventura County beaches by volunteers: Plastic: 46% Paper: 21% Glass: 15% Metal: 12% Cloth: 2% Rubber: 2% Wood: 2% Source: Ventura County Solid Waste Management Dept.