BOSS BEACHES: A new travel guide lists...

BOSS BEACHES: A new travel guide lists the sands of Ventura and Oxnard as 14th best in the state. The list of 25 beaches in “Frommer’s Great Beach Vacations” bases its choices on such criteria as water quality, surf, temperature and tourist amenities. . . . Of the top 15 beaches, only three--Point Reyes, Monterey and Santa Cruz--are in Northern California. The book’s top choice? La Jolla, followed by Malibu, Santa Barbara, Point Reyes and Laguna Beach.

CIVIC-MINDED: In Los Angeles County, more than half of those summoned to jury duty don’t show up. But in Ventura County, the no-show rate usually runs between 11% and 17%, says court official Betty Kane. . . . Kane attributes the greater turnout in part to Ventura County’s policy of sending out a summons along with its initial questionnaire. Los Angeles sends out a questionnaire, then follows up with a summons to those who answer, but it’s harder to ignore a summons than a survey, Kane says. One more plus: Ventura’s method saves postage, Kane points out.

PRINCELY PALETTE: Great Britain’s Prince Charles, whose job as king-in-training apparently doesn’t take up all his time, is quite an accomplished watercolorist, his people say. (B1) To prove the point, they’ve put together a traveling art show, which has just settled in at the Reagan Library near Simi Valley. . . . Unfortunately, the library is closed, a victim of the federal budget crisis. But the show will go on as soon as a crucial funding bill is signed by President Clinton.

TEE TIME: Casa Pacifica, the county’s shelter for abused and neglected children, stands to benefit by about $50,000 from the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout at Sherwood Country Club (C2) . . . Tanya Gonzales of Casa Pacifica says the shelter raises about $600,000 of its $5.2-million annual budget from donations, and the shootout gift is among the largest this year. The golf tourney also aids a children’s cancer group in Arcadia.