KID POWER: With more than a 10th...

KID POWER: With more than a 10th of its population under age 5 and 20% more enrolled in district schools, Moorpark is crawling with kids. No wonder the school district--which had only one elementary school 10 years ago--had to build four more. A second middle school is under construction. . . . The baby boom also affects city services. “We probably have more park space than most cities our size,” says Jim Aguilera, community development director. . . . Just opened: Arroyo Vista Park, the city’s largest at 59 acres.

LOOKING HOMEWARD: Cal Lutheran University, which draws more than 40% of its 2,900 students from Ventura County, is trying to target a broader area (B6). . . . At Thomas Aquinas College near Santa Paula, they’re taking the opposite tack. “There’s a lot of good students right under our nose that we’re missing,” said Daniel Davidson, assistant director of admissions. The school has 210 students from 33 states and several foreign countries, but only 10% come from Ventura County. . . . Aquinas’ enrollment has doubled in six years.

ROUGH CROSSING: The railroad crossing on California 118 west of Moorpark prompts more complaints than any other in Ventura County, Caltrans Supervisor Dale Servaes says. But relief is on the way (Street Smart, B1). . . . One reason it’s so bad: The tracks run almost parallel to the road. “You’re crossing at a severe angle, so there’s a bigger gap. And there’s more rail to cross,” Servaes said. . . . Another source of complaints: California 126, crossed by railroad tracks three times in a 10-mile stretch.

NIPPING BUD: People buy a lot of beer at the Stop N’ Go market in Oxnard’s La Colonia neighborhood. They also steal a lot (B1). . . . But not any brew will do. “Most of the time, they steal Budweiser,” clerk Tina Rush said. Reason: “It comes in 18-packs. The others don’t.” . . . She said the store sells more beer than any other product. “Your arms get heavy dragging those beers across the scanner.”

Where the Kids Are

Percentage of population under 5 years old: Moorpark: 11.4% Fillmore: 9.2% Oxnard: 9.2% Santa Paula: 9.2% Port Hueneme: 9.0% Simi Valley: 8.2% Ventura: 7.1% Camarillo: 6.8% Ojai: 6.6% Thousand Oaks: 6.4% Source: California Cities, Towns & Counties, 1993