The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 230

IT a I Ti CosAnflclesSTtmcs TIVTHTV -N-'v WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1995 yU II I 'CfZ VC WESTCCt SECTION NsX JL -1L West County Edition Serving Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore and surrounding areas. Also: Los Angeles County News, Editorials and Weather ELECTIONS mm Camarillo Sharply Divided Over School Bond Education: Early returns indicate a close outcome. The $55-million measure would fix sites in the Pleasant Valley district. The election marked the third time in five years that the district has attempted to raise funds by a multimillion-dollar bond election. In June, 1991, the district tried to get a $75-million bond through, but fell short of the required two-thirds, or 66.7, margin, winning just under 60 of the votes cast.

Undaunted, the district tried again in November of that year with a smaller sum, $55 million, but again lost, this time pulling in 64.3 of the vote. District officials decided to try it again this year despite worries about an unsettled Ventura County economy and the fate of the Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, which was recently added to a federal base closure list. As worded on the ballot, the bulk of the $55 million was earmarked for the renovation or repair of the district's aging schools 13 of which are 30 years or older. Pushing hard for the measure in recent weeks was Howard Hamilton, the district's associate superintendent. "We have a difficult situation here," Hamilton said.

"We are at the point where our physical plant problems are going to start impeding our ability to educate." Please see BOND, B6 voter registrar, predicted there would be a 37 turnout for the vote on Measure the 30-year school bond initiative. As the close early returns came in, district officials remained hopeful the measure would succeed. "It's close, it's really close," said Dolores (Val) Rains, chairwoman of the school board. "I just hope it slides our way. I don't even want to think about it if we don't make it." ByJ.E.

MITCHELL SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Camarillo voters split sharply Tuesday in deciding the fate of a $55-million bond measure for the renovation and expansion of schools in the Pleasant Valley School District, with early returns indicating a close outcome. Bruce Bradley, assistant Ventura County Mi miii iiuii.ii.ri i i in III il i ii mi TEACHER HONORED: Robin DaPra of Ventura's De Anza Middle School is one of 12 California finalists for a White House award for math and science teachers. Students and colleagues say she's a whiz at simplifying complex mathematical concepts. B2 Officials Urge Increase in Car-Pooling Incentives Pollution: Extra vacation days and prizes are mentioned as ways to lure more county workers into leaving their cars at home. MMmwiB.iuiwi iuuiiiM mil, iw i mmmmmmtmmmmmmj mum lhhiuu i v.V.

1 v. .1, i r. It Pholoa by ALAN HAGMAN Los Angelea Times Fire Chief Randy Coggan rewards Lucy after she successfully completes a training drill identifying types of flammable materials. Jf WilMSU Jl a By CARLOS V. LOZANO TIMES STAFF WRITER Even with the four-day workweek, Ventura County government may have to provide bonus vacation days or cash incentives to get more employees to car-pool or use some other alternative transportation so that the county can comply with federal air-pollution laws.

During a study session on the issue Tuesday, department managers told the Board of Supervisors that more incentives are needed to meet increasingly stringent federal mandates that call for reducing the number of vehicles on the road. Peter S. Pedroff, director of the General Services Agency, and others suggested that extra vacation days, cash or prizes, such as a paid trip, might be good incentives to get more employees to leave their cars at home. "That may not be the way to go," Pedroff said. "That's somewhat innovative and maybe off the scale.

But I think we have to think in terms of those kinds of incentives for our employees." But Supervisor Judy Mikels expressed concern over the costs and extra workload for others that could result from providing Please see CAR-POOL, B4 LURING CAR-POOLERS: Incentives are needed to lure more county workers into leaving their cars at home, county officials say. Extra vacation days and prizes have been mentioned. Bl CAMPUS VANDALISM: An early morning destructive spree on a Ventura high school campus, described as a graduation prank that went too far, has resulted in the arrest of 15 teen-agers on vandalism charges. Bl VOTE DELAYED: The Board of Supervisors, acknowledging concerns of more than a dozen landowners, delayed a decision on updating the Ojai Valley Area Plan until further study is done on the issue. B5 Tonight Jackpot: $3 million Time: Sales close at 7:40 p.m.

For Tuesday, June 6 FANTASY Winning Numbers: 3-10-25-34-38 DECCO Winning Cards: Hearts: 3 A Clubs: Jack 0 Diamonds: 3 Spades: 8 DAILY 3 Winning Numbers: 4-0-8 TlmeaUne 808-8463 Super lotto 5610 Dally 3. 5620 Decco Cards 45630 Fantasy 5 5640 For same-day results, call TimesLine from the 2 1 3, 3 1 0, 7,1 4 8 8 and 909 area codes. From the 805 area code, call (8 1 8) 808-8463. For Results in Spanish (25 per call): Super Lotto Dally 3 976-5275 Fantasy 5 Decco 976-7275 Unleashing a Crime Foe Oxnard: Labrador retriever named Lucy joins Fire Department with newly hired chief and is poised to sniff out fuels during arson investigations. By PAUL ELIAS SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Li ucy works cheap.

For the simple pleasure of 'gnawing on a rolled-up 4 rr. gan trained a yellow Labrador named Buddy, an arson-sleuthing dog for the county Fire Department. Buddy has investigated scores of fires during his tenure, even helping firefighters rule out arson in an Ojai blaze last year. "Buddy's a great tool he saves thousands of man-hours," said county arson investigator Dave Chovanec, Buddy's handler. Coggan said Lucy will serve the same purpose in Oxnard.

And like Buddy, she will also be a public relations tool. "She helps solve arsons and she's great with kids." Through her wet nose, Lucy can detect the presence of everything from acetone to diesel fuel in the charred ruins of an arson fire. Though she hasn't yet responded to a call here, Coggan said Lucy is partly responsible Please see LABRADOR, B4 15 Teens Held in Vandalism at St. Bonaventure bath cloth, the chocolate Labrador retriever is trained to sniff out 11 types of fuel most commonly used by arsonists. The 3-year-old works for the Oxnard Fire Department and arrived with the department's newly hired chief, Randy Coggan.

"We were a package deal," said Coggan, who started work in Oxnard three weeks ago. Coggan is a big believer in dogs as arson investigators. He spent $6,000 of his own money two years ago to buy and train Lucy when he was working as fire chief in Redmond, Wash. And while serving two years as Ventura County fire chief, Cog 1 4 mum 2 Ventura County Focus B2.B3 B5 Obituaries B7 Weather Randy Coggan tests Lucy's abilities in a bumed-out apartment. B8 Classifieds B9 L.A.

County News B9 Only in L.A. B2.B7 Air Quality Ventura Backs Safeguards at Family Planning Clinics B12 Editorials B13 Commentary By PAUL ELIAS SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Ventura police arrested 15 teen-agers on vandalism charges early Tuesday after they allegedly caused $5,000 in damages at St. Bonaventure High School during a destructive spree that the students described as a graduation prank that went too far. Police ferried those arrested from the campus to the Ventura Police Station about 1 a.m., where they were fingerprinted, photographed and issued misdemeanor citations for vandalism. "It was a busy night," Sgt.

Ted Prell said. "It was a tremendous strain on our resources." It all began, some of those arrested said, shortly after midnight when about 40 students and other youths gathered near the Buenaventura Plaza mall and marched the half a mile to campus. Once on campus, police said, the students ransacked an unlocked classroom, broke dozens of Please sp ARRESTS, B3 Cn the Record unnecessary and unconstitutional. "There is no violence outside the clinics," said Linda Vahl of Oxnard, who said she has protested at family planning clinics for years. "The only violence is inside the clinics where the babies are being killed." But Mayor Tom Buford joined Councilmen Gregory L.

Carson, Steve Bennett and Gary Tuttle in agreeing to file a brief with the federal appeals court, urging reinstatement of the Santa Barbara law. Buford, who broke a 3-3 tie with a soft but firm "yes" after a moment's delay, offered no explanation for his vote. Council members Rosa Lee Measures, Jack Tingstrom and Jim Monahan opposed joining Please aee CLINICS, B6 on record as supporting Santa Barbara's challenge to the earlier court ruling. The Ventura council could have adopted a so-called "bubble ordinance" of its own. But the panel opted to wait until the 9th Circuit rules on the Santa Barbara law that was declared unconstitutional three months ago by a federal judge in Los Angeles.

Proponents of the laws, called bubble ordinances because they establish eight-foot safety zones around patients, urged the Ventura council to support the Santa Barbara case. Opponents, many carrying six-foot bamboo poles they called "leper wands" to distribute anti-abortion literature to women entering family planning centers, called the laws By JEFF McDONALD SPECIAL TO THE TIMES Rejecting arguments by abortion opponents and three of its elected members, the Ventura City Council has voted to join a Santa Barbara legal fight to reinstate protections to women entering family planning clinics. The 4-3 decision, which came Monday just before midnight, directs the Ventura city attorney to file a brief in support of the Santa Barbara City Council's appeal of a federal court ruling declaring a law it passed two years ago unconstitutional. Filing the brief with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does not make Ventura a party to the lawsuit.

It merely places the city 1 "I was alone then and I'll probably be alone this time. But this is an issue of taking away someone's rights." Vantura Councilman Jack Tlngstrom, who opposes restricting protesters at family planning clinics. Bl awkJfey fcjsdi.