Farming on the edge - A yearlong series on the state of farming in Ventura County
Agriculture has shaped the county's landscape and anchored its economy for more than a century. Now the industry finds itself at a crossroads, as soaring land and labor costs, urbanization and global competition threaten to change it forever.
So you want to fish? - By Nicolas Martinez
Whether you're looking for a new hobby or just looking to spend some time with a son or daughter, Ventura County is a prime spot to take up angling.
First the stage, then the world - By Giselle Velasquez
Ventura's Livery Theatre is home to adult workshops far removed from drab courses on real estate or low-carb cookery. Teachers and students even make up the coursework as they go along — literally.
Building a 'green' house - By Allison Bruce
Environmentally sensitive homes don't have to look drab. And with the right plan, the outcome can rival any luxury home.
Fear of green - By Tom Kisken
Farmers face a tough challenge this year: How to rebuild consumer confidence dented by two E. coli breakouts in three months.
L.A. Auto Show - By Star staff
Each year, car manufacturers go to great lengths to "wow" the public with their newest ideas and hottest inventions. This year was no different.
Salsa by the numbers - By Anthony Plascencia
Columnist Jason Love tries his two left feet at salsa dancing and learns that it's more than just a way to get girls.
Designworks USA - By Allison Bruce
The elements of good design are essential in cars BMW builds, but DesignworksUSA in Thousand Oaks takes good design to a new level.
Honoring the departed - By Marjorie Hernandez
As thousands celebrate the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, people of other cultures embrace the tradition.
Schools on wheel, classroom without walls - By Giselle Velasquez
A look at how low-income and special needs-students benefit from an often overlooked resource.
Black Friday - By Allison Bruce
The busiest shopping day of the year often yields some of the best deals of the year. But consumers aren't the only ones banking on the big day.
Mammoth at a crossroads - By Zeke Barlow
Can Mammoth Mountain become a world-class resort while keeping the small-town charm the locals crave?
An auspicious day in Bali - By Colleen Cason
The Balinese revere tradition. This is how the people of Gianyar observe their most public ritual, a mass cremation.
Homecoming: A family rebuilds - By Jean Ortiz
Five months after a fire ravaged their Thousand Oaks home, the Pineda family is getting a second chance in life.
Observing the Griffith - By Karen Quincy Loberg and Anthony Plascencia
After a two-year hiatus, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is finally ready to reopen its doors.
Given new hope - By Allison Bruce
Three-year-old Jack Frye has a rare degenerative disease that up until now had no treatment options beyond easing the symptoms. Now, a new drug offers treatment and hope.
Elections - By Tom Kisken
Propositions, candidate profiles, endorsements and more from the 2006 general elections.
Gobs of goblins - By Giselle Velasquez, Mandy McCarthy and Jenni Mintz
When the lights go out in Ventura during the month of October, the freaks come out at the Seaside Haunt. Here's a look at what goes on behind the madness.
Doggy playtime - By Giselle Velasquez and Mandy McCarthy
On any given day, dog lovers and their canine companions gather for a little neighborhood fun.
Disaster's domino chain - By Tom Kisken
Some of the mountains that surround Ventura County are still green and covered with healthy pines. But so much brush was consumed by the 254-square mile Day fire that flood control is the next big concern.
Call of the waves - By Zeke Barlow and Jenni Mintz
After being paralyzed in a boating accident, world-class racer Don Krebs used his newfound limitations to open doors for himself and others.
Chewing the fat with FiltaFry - By Jenni Mintz and Allison Bruce
By taking used cooking oil and recycling it, FiltaFry adds life to the product and saves money for its clients.
Racing with people power - By Jenni Mintz
These works of art float, climb and sometimes need to be pushed, but it's all done through manpower. This is the Kinetic Sculpture Race.
Flying the contentious skies - By Colleen Cason
The Henry T. Oxnard Historic District is known for its towering palms, but pilots who fly into the nearby airport consider the tall trees an aviation hazard.
Charged up for electric carts - By Jenni Mintz
California's strict emissions standards and rising environmental concerns are driving up the use of greener off-road transportation and equipment.
Foam fan - By Kevin Clerici
One pest control specialist talks about Ventura's organic approach to weed control.
Kings of Karaoke - By James Glover II
Every night of the week, you can hear singers belting out songs in a bar full of cheering patrons. The songs aren't always crooned in tune, but they're sung with heart.
Dueling dreams - By Colleen Cason
Two charities prepared to raffle off what they described as "dream homes." Here's a look inside both.
The world between - By Kim Lamb Gregory
Two local transgenders look for acceptance as this marginalized community has begun to march into the mainstream.
Islam after 9/11 - By Tom Kisken
Five years after that fateful day of September 11, 2001, Muslims in Ventura County talk about what it's like to follow Allah in an age of fear.
Bringing up baby - By Teresa Rochester
Lulu and her baby, Micah, have taken up temporary residence at America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. For these camels, it's a perfect place to bond.
For the records - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
At age 23, Julian Bunetta has already written and produced hits for Hillary Duff and others. Watch him work his magic at his home studio in Calabasas.
So you want to rock climb - By Brian Snyder
Learning to crawl around on rocks is not for the faint of heart. Take a look at what it takes and decide if you're ready.
Day Fire coverage - By Star staff
Ventura County's largest brushfire in 2006 devastated areas from as far north as Ojai, to areas east of Piru. Here's what happened.
The big game - By Tom Kisken
An ongoing rivalry of words will finally bring Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure together on the football field. Watch and listen as students, players and coaches talk about the hype, the smack and the outcome.
Your autumn garden - By Brian Snyder
As the days become shorter and the nights become cooler, an area nursery offers advice on how to show off your garden in the fall.
All in day's work - By Allison Bruce
Work Training Programs Inc. helps people with disabilities find satisfying work in their communities. And the women at Roots and Wings Child Care Center do what they must to keep the center running smoothly.
Scars that will never disappear - By Tom Kisken
Kathy Adlum was at home in Camarillo when the twin towers came crashing down. Her son-in-law was one of the victims.
Lifesaving lessons - By Teresa Rochester
Inspired by recent natural disasters, more than two dozen high school students enroll in a class that teaches how to save lives in a major emergency.
Striving for citizenship - By Tom Kisken
This story chronicles the experiences of a student, a teacher and an examiner as immigrants from Mexico prepare to become citizens of The United States.
Mission With Bikes - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
Mark Blum can't ride the hundreds of bikes in his Agoura Hills backyard. But he can give them all away. Blum has multiple sclerosis, but he's also on a mission.
Something to woof about - By Tom Kisken
Let loose more than 60 dogs on a course with four hurdles and throw in a few tennis balls. What you get is the sport of flyball.
Baby you can drive my kart - By Gretchen Macchiarella
Jim Hall Kart Racing has been a staple of Oxnard for nearly 25 years. With a new address and a $300 a-day operating budget, the school continues to serve both amateurs and professional drivers.
The big cat - By Jean Ortiz
It roamed eastern Ventura County for weeks, prompting a weeklong search that had the public watching with intrigue. This is the story of a 352-pound tiger named Tuffy.
In pursuit of perfection - By Brian Snyder and Gretchen Macchiarella
The remodeling boom has been fueled by low interest rates that made borrowing cheap and big projects popular. Now everyone wants the perfect home.
Spending curve - By Marjorie Hernandez
As students and parents crowd stores in preparation for the new school year, teachers are doing some last-minute shopping of their own.
Weighing in on the Conejo Grade - By Karen Quincy Loberg and Marjorie Hernandez
Since 1970, million of truckers have passed through the Conejo Inpsection Facilty. For Lani Farr, safety on the road is the ultimate goal.
Martial Law - By Tom Kisken, Teresa Rochester and Julliette Coughlin
Armed with radios and clipboards, golf marshals encourage slow golfers to pick up the pace, unclog bottlenecks and diffuse potentially explosive situations.
Wild about Harry Potter Camp - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
With several months to spare before the release of the final installment of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, what's a Muggle kid to do?
Sheila's struggle - By Star staff
Sheila Patchett's family was torn apart when a boating accident killed her son and her ex-husband. While coping with that pain, she was diagnosed with cancer. It was her battle with the disease that gave her the strength to live again.
Fear on the fourth - By Colleen Cason
The annual July 4th fireworks show near the Ventura County Animal Shelter in Camarillo has drawn controversy for years. Columnist Colleen Cason brought a video camera inside the shelter during the show.
Golden dreams of yellow umbrellas - By Allison Bruce
Donna Moore runs a dream business on the beach, with a 23-foot-long yellow trailer and an army of tables, chairs and yellow umbrellas.
A power of dis-play - By Rhiannon Potkey
Kiara Nowlin might be small in stature, but she packs a powerful punch as she hurdles through the air.
Four who chose liberty - By Colleen Cason and Allison Bruce
Star readers from 24 countries offered their stories on how they became citizens. These four were chosen to share.
Standdown stories - By Kevin Clerici and Gwen Roberts
Violunteers set up a three-day retreat in Ventura to lure homeless vets and offer help to those who seek it. Here are three stories from the fold.
Mr. Tad's wild ride - By Colleen Cason
A mild-mannered middle-aged hardware merchant has owned one of those "wow" cars since the '60s. He recently discovered the downside of his fabulous ride -- quite by accident.
Making movie history - By Allison Bruce
A virtual timeline of the history of moviemaking.
One word at a time - By Kevin Clerici
Ninety-three-year-old Peggy Pallant vows to continue doing what she began two decades ago; free English tutoring to anyone.
Sip & sample - By Kim Lamb Gregory
Eat, drink and tour the Adolfo Camarillo house during the "Taste of Camarillo" food and wine festival.
Unfinished business - By Rob Varela
Oxnard boxer "El Feroz" Fernando Vargas prepares to take on "Sugar" Shane Mosley for the second time. After losing the first time by TKO because of a swollen eye, Vargas has something to prove.
A city at sea - By Zeke Barlow
An aircraft carrier is home to 5,000 men and women who love and hate their jobs keeping planes coming and going.
So you want to ride the waves? - By Jean Ortiz and Kevin Clerici
Surfing is a staple of California coast life and its popularity remains strong. For those who've always wanted to know how it's done, here's you chance.
Thousand Oaks Childrens' Library - By Jean Ortiz
They say it's for the kids, but children and adults alike will find plenty to do at the new facility.
Making her pitches - By Rhiannon Potkey
Camarillo High junior pitcher Lindsey Dean shows us how to make a softball fly with pinpoint precision.
Something about Mary - By Colleen Cason
"The DaVinci Code" plays on the fascination with Mary Magdalene. The hit movie contends she gave birth to Jesus' baby. But a New Testament scholar proposes a much different scenario.
The rattlesnake wrangler - By Jean Ortiz
Bo Slyapich doesn't have the average 9 to 5 job. He spends his days hunting through brush, rocks and under homes looking for unwanted snakes. It's a wild job that he has to take seriously.
Happy trails - By Rhiannon Potkey
The daily grind of being a rodeo competitor is full of hard work, hard knocks and long hours. But for three area high school students, being on the back of a horse has been the ride of a lifetime.
The best do-dads - By Colleen Cason
For many of us, the most cherished items we have hold no great monetary value. Instead, it is a momento from a father and it speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.
Making room - By Jean Ortiz
City officials across Ventura County say the trend is to expand their homes rather than to buy bigger. Now the City of Thousand Oaks is looking into how to preserve its character.
Agriculture has shaped the county's landscape and anchored its economy for more than a century. Now the industry finds itself at a crossroads, as soaring land and labor costs, urbanization and global competition threaten to change it forever.
So you want to fish? - By Nicolas Martinez
Whether you're looking for a new hobby or just looking to spend some time with a son or daughter, Ventura County is a prime spot to take up angling.
First the stage, then the world - By Giselle Velasquez
Ventura's Livery Theatre is home to adult workshops far removed from drab courses on real estate or low-carb cookery. Teachers and students even make up the coursework as they go along — literally.
Building a 'green' house - By Allison Bruce
Environmentally sensitive homes don't have to look drab. And with the right plan, the outcome can rival any luxury home.
Fear of green - By Tom Kisken
Farmers face a tough challenge this year: How to rebuild consumer confidence dented by two E. coli breakouts in three months.
L.A. Auto Show - By Star staff
Each year, car manufacturers go to great lengths to "wow" the public with their newest ideas and hottest inventions. This year was no different.
Salsa by the numbers - By Anthony Plascencia
Columnist Jason Love tries his two left feet at salsa dancing and learns that it's more than just a way to get girls.
Designworks USA - By Allison Bruce
The elements of good design are essential in cars BMW builds, but DesignworksUSA in Thousand Oaks takes good design to a new level.
Honoring the departed - By Marjorie Hernandez
As thousands celebrate the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, people of other cultures embrace the tradition.
Schools on wheel, classroom without walls - By Giselle Velasquez
A look at how low-income and special needs-students benefit from an often overlooked resource.
Black Friday - By Allison Bruce
The busiest shopping day of the year often yields some of the best deals of the year. But consumers aren't the only ones banking on the big day.
Mammoth at a crossroads - By Zeke Barlow
Can Mammoth Mountain become a world-class resort while keeping the small-town charm the locals crave?
An auspicious day in Bali - By Colleen Cason
The Balinese revere tradition. This is how the people of Gianyar observe their most public ritual, a mass cremation.
Homecoming: A family rebuilds - By Jean Ortiz
Five months after a fire ravaged their Thousand Oaks home, the Pineda family is getting a second chance in life.
Observing the Griffith - By Karen Quincy Loberg and Anthony Plascencia
After a two-year hiatus, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is finally ready to reopen its doors.
Given new hope - By Allison Bruce
Three-year-old Jack Frye has a rare degenerative disease that up until now had no treatment options beyond easing the symptoms. Now, a new drug offers treatment and hope.
Elections - By Tom Kisken
Propositions, candidate profiles, endorsements and more from the 2006 general elections.
Gobs of goblins - By Giselle Velasquez, Mandy McCarthy and Jenni Mintz
When the lights go out in Ventura during the month of October, the freaks come out at the Seaside Haunt. Here's a look at what goes on behind the madness.
Doggy playtime - By Giselle Velasquez and Mandy McCarthy
On any given day, dog lovers and their canine companions gather for a little neighborhood fun.
Disaster's domino chain - By Tom Kisken
Some of the mountains that surround Ventura County are still green and covered with healthy pines. But so much brush was consumed by the 254-square mile Day fire that flood control is the next big concern.
Call of the waves - By Zeke Barlow and Jenni Mintz
After being paralyzed in a boating accident, world-class racer Don Krebs used his newfound limitations to open doors for himself and others.
Chewing the fat with FiltaFry - By Jenni Mintz and Allison Bruce
By taking used cooking oil and recycling it, FiltaFry adds life to the product and saves money for its clients.
Racing with people power - By Jenni Mintz
These works of art float, climb and sometimes need to be pushed, but it's all done through manpower. This is the Kinetic Sculpture Race.
Flying the contentious skies - By Colleen Cason
The Henry T. Oxnard Historic District is known for its towering palms, but pilots who fly into the nearby airport consider the tall trees an aviation hazard.
Charged up for electric carts - By Jenni Mintz
California's strict emissions standards and rising environmental concerns are driving up the use of greener off-road transportation and equipment.
Foam fan - By Kevin Clerici
One pest control specialist talks about Ventura's organic approach to weed control.
Kings of Karaoke - By James Glover II
Every night of the week, you can hear singers belting out songs in a bar full of cheering patrons. The songs aren't always crooned in tune, but they're sung with heart.
Dueling dreams - By Colleen Cason
Two charities prepared to raffle off what they described as "dream homes." Here's a look inside both.
The world between - By Kim Lamb Gregory
Two local transgenders look for acceptance as this marginalized community has begun to march into the mainstream.
Islam after 9/11 - By Tom Kisken
Five years after that fateful day of September 11, 2001, Muslims in Ventura County talk about what it's like to follow Allah in an age of fear.
Bringing up baby - By Teresa Rochester
Lulu and her baby, Micah, have taken up temporary residence at America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. For these camels, it's a perfect place to bond.
For the records - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
At age 23, Julian Bunetta has already written and produced hits for Hillary Duff and others. Watch him work his magic at his home studio in Calabasas.
So you want to rock climb - By Brian Snyder
Learning to crawl around on rocks is not for the faint of heart. Take a look at what it takes and decide if you're ready.
Day Fire coverage - By Star staff
Ventura County's largest brushfire in 2006 devastated areas from as far north as Ojai, to areas east of Piru. Here's what happened.
The big game - By Tom Kisken
An ongoing rivalry of words will finally bring Oaks Christian and St. Bonaventure together on the football field. Watch and listen as students, players and coaches talk about the hype, the smack and the outcome.
Your autumn garden - By Brian Snyder
As the days become shorter and the nights become cooler, an area nursery offers advice on how to show off your garden in the fall.
All in day's work - By Allison Bruce
Work Training Programs Inc. helps people with disabilities find satisfying work in their communities. And the women at Roots and Wings Child Care Center do what they must to keep the center running smoothly.
Scars that will never disappear - By Tom Kisken
Kathy Adlum was at home in Camarillo when the twin towers came crashing down. Her son-in-law was one of the victims.
Lifesaving lessons - By Teresa Rochester
Inspired by recent natural disasters, more than two dozen high school students enroll in a class that teaches how to save lives in a major emergency.
Striving for citizenship - By Tom Kisken
This story chronicles the experiences of a student, a teacher and an examiner as immigrants from Mexico prepare to become citizens of The United States.
Mission With Bikes - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
Mark Blum can't ride the hundreds of bikes in his Agoura Hills backyard. But he can give them all away. Blum has multiple sclerosis, but he's also on a mission.
Something to woof about - By Tom Kisken
Let loose more than 60 dogs on a course with four hurdles and throw in a few tennis balls. What you get is the sport of flyball.
Baby you can drive my kart - By Gretchen Macchiarella
Jim Hall Kart Racing has been a staple of Oxnard for nearly 25 years. With a new address and a $300 a-day operating budget, the school continues to serve both amateurs and professional drivers.
The big cat - By Jean Ortiz
It roamed eastern Ventura County for weeks, prompting a weeklong search that had the public watching with intrigue. This is the story of a 352-pound tiger named Tuffy.
In pursuit of perfection - By Brian Snyder and Gretchen Macchiarella
The remodeling boom has been fueled by low interest rates that made borrowing cheap and big projects popular. Now everyone wants the perfect home.
Spending curve - By Marjorie Hernandez
As students and parents crowd stores in preparation for the new school year, teachers are doing some last-minute shopping of their own.
Weighing in on the Conejo Grade - By Karen Quincy Loberg and Marjorie Hernandez
Since 1970, million of truckers have passed through the Conejo Inpsection Facilty. For Lani Farr, safety on the road is the ultimate goal.
Martial Law - By Tom Kisken, Teresa Rochester and Julliette Coughlin
Armed with radios and clipboards, golf marshals encourage slow golfers to pick up the pace, unclog bottlenecks and diffuse potentially explosive situations.
Wild about Harry Potter Camp - By Nicolas Martinez and Karen Lindell
With several months to spare before the release of the final installment of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, what's a Muggle kid to do?
Sheila's struggle - By Star staff
Sheila Patchett's family was torn apart when a boating accident killed her son and her ex-husband. While coping with that pain, she was diagnosed with cancer. It was her battle with the disease that gave her the strength to live again.
Fear on the fourth - By Colleen Cason
The annual July 4th fireworks show near the Ventura County Animal Shelter in Camarillo has drawn controversy for years. Columnist Colleen Cason brought a video camera inside the shelter during the show.
Golden dreams of yellow umbrellas - By Allison Bruce
Donna Moore runs a dream business on the beach, with a 23-foot-long yellow trailer and an army of tables, chairs and yellow umbrellas.
A power of dis-play - By Rhiannon Potkey
Kiara Nowlin might be small in stature, but she packs a powerful punch as she hurdles through the air.
Four who chose liberty - By Colleen Cason and Allison Bruce
Star readers from 24 countries offered their stories on how they became citizens. These four were chosen to share.
Standdown stories - By Kevin Clerici and Gwen Roberts
Violunteers set up a three-day retreat in Ventura to lure homeless vets and offer help to those who seek it. Here are three stories from the fold.
Mr. Tad's wild ride - By Colleen Cason
A mild-mannered middle-aged hardware merchant has owned one of those "wow" cars since the '60s. He recently discovered the downside of his fabulous ride -- quite by accident.
Making movie history - By Allison Bruce
A virtual timeline of the history of moviemaking.
One word at a time - By Kevin Clerici
Ninety-three-year-old Peggy Pallant vows to continue doing what she began two decades ago; free English tutoring to anyone.
Sip & sample - By Kim Lamb Gregory
Eat, drink and tour the Adolfo Camarillo house during the "Taste of Camarillo" food and wine festival.
Unfinished business - By Rob Varela
Oxnard boxer "El Feroz" Fernando Vargas prepares to take on "Sugar" Shane Mosley for the second time. After losing the first time by TKO because of a swollen eye, Vargas has something to prove.
A city at sea - By Zeke Barlow
An aircraft carrier is home to 5,000 men and women who love and hate their jobs keeping planes coming and going.
So you want to ride the waves? - By Jean Ortiz and Kevin Clerici
Surfing is a staple of California coast life and its popularity remains strong. For those who've always wanted to know how it's done, here's you chance.
Thousand Oaks Childrens' Library - By Jean Ortiz
They say it's for the kids, but children and adults alike will find plenty to do at the new facility.
Making her pitches - By Rhiannon Potkey
Camarillo High junior pitcher Lindsey Dean shows us how to make a softball fly with pinpoint precision.
Something about Mary - By Colleen Cason
"The DaVinci Code" plays on the fascination with Mary Magdalene. The hit movie contends she gave birth to Jesus' baby. But a New Testament scholar proposes a much different scenario.
The rattlesnake wrangler - By Jean Ortiz
Bo Slyapich doesn't have the average 9 to 5 job. He spends his days hunting through brush, rocks and under homes looking for unwanted snakes. It's a wild job that he has to take seriously.
Happy trails - By Rhiannon Potkey
The daily grind of being a rodeo competitor is full of hard work, hard knocks and long hours. But for three area high school students, being on the back of a horse has been the ride of a lifetime.
The best do-dads - By Colleen Cason
For many of us, the most cherished items we have hold no great monetary value. Instead, it is a momento from a father and it speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.
Making room - By Jean Ortiz
City officials across Ventura County say the trend is to expand their homes rather than to buy bigger. Now the City of Thousand Oaks is looking into how to preserve its character.
