Hey, Bob: GOP presidential hopeful Bob Dole...

Hey, Bob: GOP presidential hopeful Bob Dole bypassed Ventura County this week, but local Republicans are working to get him next time he’s nearby. . . . “We’ve got a number of different sites around the county that we’ve identified as potentials and have notified the Dole campaign that we would be delighted to have him,” says Karen Kurta, head of the county GOP central committee. And if Bob can’t swing it, Kurta says, wife Elizabeth would be fine.

Party Hardly: Ahhh, the 1990s. Now every kid can spend the summer at the hip-shakingest beach party ever. It’s fake, and it’s on TV, but everyone’s invited. This year’s special bonus: the MTV Beach House is in Ventura County (B1). . . . So you can actually go to the pretend party and be on TV pretending all those people are your friends. “It’s just like being at a real barbecue,” guest Samantha Ellis says. Call (310) 589-9735 to invite yourself.

Flag Lag: Thousand Oaks, Camarillo and Ventura will all have their city flags in a Sacramento display that is destined for the Smithsonian Institution. At least, Ventura hopes to be included. The flag, as they say, is in the mail. . . . “At this point, I have not heard from Ventura,” said Rich Kenny of the North American Vexillological Assn., a flag-appreciation group. . . . A Ventura spokesman assures that the flag went out this week.

One Good Turn: Dan Brockett of Camarillo wanted to make more than a pledge to Ventura County’s only public radio station, KCLU-FM (88.3). He runs the Videogenics production company and offered to create a public service announcement. . . . Now, Brockett’s good deed has paid off: His TV spot for KCLU was a finalist for a national award from the International Television Assn. The ad featured a sax player blowing the station’s call letters.