PET PEEVE: Pet stores sell lots of...

PET PEEVE: Pet stores sell lots of bunnies this time of year, spurring the Humane Society to warn parents to think about what they’re getting into. “We would prefer that people not buy Easter pets, because we wind up with them six months later when they’re no longer tiny and cuddly,” says society President Joyce George. “People discover that chickens and ducks are messy and loud, and bunnies can scratch.” . . . Joyce suggests stuffed animals “or my personal favorite, chocolate.”

HEAT WAVE: One of the few people complaining about this weekend’s unusually warm temperatures (B1) is Bruce Rockwell, a former resident of Nome, Alaska, and a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard. “I like it about 60 degrees,” he gripes. “I’m just a fan of cool weather.” . . . It’s not expected to start cooling down until Sunday.

PUNCHING FOR ATLANTA: There will be lots of students and teachers watching TV today when Fernando Vargas, Channel Islands High School’s Olympian hopeful, fights in Oakland (C10). . . . The 18-year-old Vargas, who is on independent study this semester as he pursues his bid to box for the U.S. team in the Summer Games, “is quite a popular figure” at the school, says Principal John Triolo. “We’ve got a lot of people wearing go-for-the-gold T-shirts.” . . . Vargas, who pummeled his first two opponents in the Olympics trials, has defeated today’s foe in their last two meetings.

DOUBLE PASSION: Pitcher Josh Towers, who is 7-1 so far this season with Oxnard College (C10), likes surfing as well as baseball. But Towers, who graduated from Hueneme High, doesn’t mix the two sports. . . . “During the season, I’d rather concentrate on baseball, school and work,” said Towers, who landed a starting job after playing well during winter ball.