FIXER-UPPER W/VIEW: An Interior Department report concluded...

FIXER-UPPER W/VIEW: An Interior Department report concluded that housing for national parks employees on the Channel Islands is among the worst in the national system. That was two years ago. But not much has changed since then, said Channels Islands spokeswoman Carol Spears. . . . One park ranger continues to live in a shipping crate and another lives in a travel trailer. . . . One bonus: Every room has a view.

SPEND THOSE YEN: Japanese tourism in the San Fernando Valley is on an upswing because of the favorable yen-to-dollar exchange (Valley Business, Page 10). Tourism officials in the city of Ventura say they have seen a similar increase in Japanese visitors. . . . The Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau prints a sightseeing brochure in Japanese, said spokeswoman Millie Matz. Most popular destinations? Lemon groves and strawberry fields, Matz says. “In Japan, strawberries are a delicacy.”

DON’T PACK THESE: The gingham napkins are folded, the fried chicken tucked in an ice box and loads of suds--the alcoholic kind--are an arm’s length away (B1). It must be the Fourth of July. . . . But besides naming a designated driver, Ventura County Sheriff Larry Carpenter has this tip for revelers: Leave the illegal fireworks at home. Cherry bombs, firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles are outlawed even in Fillmore, where the safe and sane variety is sold . . Deputies, some mounted on horses, will be looking for violators, he said. “Unfortunately, some people celebrate too much.”

GOOD JOB: The Channel Islands chapter of the American Heart Assn. recently won an award for its success in educating the public about prevention of heart disease and stroke. The chapter, which covers Oxnard and Port Hueneme, got the award at a state American Heart Assn. conference. . . . “When you look at the volunteers we have here locally, the award is well-deserved,” said spokeswoman Ruth Anderson.