FLAGGING INTEREST: When Frank Schillo floated the...

FLAGGING INTEREST: When Frank Schillo floated the idea of a county flag at the supervisors’ meeting Tuesday, Maggie Kildee remembered that there had been a similar proposal in the late 1970s. . . . That time it got as far as a drawing, which featured mountains, the outline of Ventura County and a condor. But the idea went nowhere, in part because some people weren’t wild about being represented by a condor, Kildee said. But “it would be nice to have a flag if we could agree on one that was symbolic of Ventura County,” she said.

FAMILY PRACTICE: As divorce becomes more prevalent and litigation more popular, Americans are turning to family law attorneys or mediators to help them maneuver through disputes over everything from residence to religion (E3). . . . Westlake attorney Cathleen Drury, who specializes in family law, says mediators can help if “you have two people who are really committed to the process. Otherwise, one person becomes disenchanted and you’re off to court.”

DRIVEN OUT? Thousand Oaks may have to close a popular driving range after a neighboring property owner filed suit, saying he was knocked unconscious by an errant ball (B1). . . . But the golfers who flock to the range aren’t happy. “We were here first,” golfer Tom McAlonis says. “Why do we have to sacrifice our recreation area for an office building?”

SILENT MOVIES: Ever think of how tough it would be to be deaf or hard of hearing and go to a movie? More than 41,000 hearing-impaired Ventura County residents know the frustration. . . . But Tri-County GLAD, an organization that serves the hard of hearing, has teamed up with American Family Theaters in Oxnard to offer closed-captioned first-run movies monthly. The first, “GoldenEye,” drew about 90 people, and organizers expect February’s feature, “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” to sell out. Call GLAD at 648-4523 for information.