VENTURA NEWSWATCH

SKULL DAYS: Close on the heels of Halloween comes Day of the Dead, celebrated by many in the Latino community as a way of remembering deceased loved ones (F1B). . . . The holiday may sound ghoulish, but participants say it isn’t. “Although it’s something you’re supposed to be scared of, I came away feeling more relaxed and with a different attitude about death,” said 22-year-old Blanca Vera of Oxnard. . . . Local celebrations often involve humor, poetry, music--and current events: The west county Dia de los Muertos pageant will include a play welcoming Selena to the afterworld.

AIR MUGU: A panel of local officials and U. S. Navy brass has agreed to go ahead with plans to open a commercial airport at Point Mugu (B1). . . . With the airstrip already in place, cargo service could be up and running after environmental reviews are completed. Both FedEx and United Parcel Service have said they’re interested in using a county facility.