The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 152

LOS ANGELES TIMES D6 FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1997 ORANGE COUNTY BRIEFLY Highest: 179 ft. 6 inches Rattler Fiesta Texas Air Force Extends Hughes Contract A Thrill Apart Wooden roller coasters are back in vogue. Some say the lurching, bumping rides provide a special type of thrill. Knott's Berry Farm is keeping the details San Antonio, Texas on its upcoming wooden coaster a secret, but here are CC 1 US II. 1 Steepest: 58.6 degrees Cyclone Coney Island Brooklyn, New York some facts about wooden coasters and milestones f.Taan Streak Cedar Point -Sandusky Ohio established at other 65 mph Mean Streak Cedar Point Sandusky, Ohio Longest circuit: 7,400 ft.

The Beast Kings Island Kings Mills, Ohio New Wooden Coasters Constructed In the U.S.: 1996 FULLERTON Hughes Aircraft Middle East Operations unit said Thursday it has received a seven-month, $120-million extension of its U.S. Air Force contract for maintenance and operations of the Royal Saudi Air Force's command and control system. Hughes' Fullerton-based Middle East unit has been prime contractor for the U.S.-supplied Peace Shield System in Saudi Arabia since its inception in 1991. The contract extension is not expected to create more jobs at the Hughes facility in Fullerton, where about 2,500 administrators, engineers and technicians are employed in several operating units, including 90 in the Peace Shield program. (John ffDett) Rockwell Unit to Get NYSE Listing SEAL BEACH Rotk well International Corp.

said Thursday it has received approval to list the stock of its Meritor Automotive Inc. business on the New York Stock Exchange next month under the symbol MRA. Rockwell, which is shedding all of its non-electronics businesses, has said it will spin off its Troy, automotive parts unit to shareholders on Sept. 30. The automotive unit is the original Rockwell business.

In the last 18 months, the company also has sold its graphics business one of the world's biggest manufacturers of commercial printing presses and its once formidable aerospace and defense businesses. After the automotive business is spun off, Rockwell, which is moving its corporate headquarters to Costa Mesa from Seal Beach next month, will design and manufacture factory automation systems and equipment, commercial aviation communications and control equipment, and semiconductors for telecommunications applications. (John ff Dell) Furon to Buy Medical Device Makers LAGUNA NIGUEL Furon a maker of poly mer components, said Thursday that it has agreed to acquire two privately owned medical device manufacturers for cash. The price wasn't disclosed. Furon said that Scientific Device Manufacturer Inc.

in San Raphael and an affiliated company, AS Medical GmbH in Fraureuth, Germany, will complement certain Furon operations and expand the company's base in the United States and Europe. The two companies manufacture sheath introducers, catheters and related products for use in cardiology and anesthesia care. The combined companies, with annualized sales of about $7 million, will operate as part of Furon's Medex subsidiary, which is based in Columbus, Ohio. (James S.Gnnelli) Big 2-Year Contract for Burlington IRVINE Burlington Air Express has won a two-year heavyweight air freight shipping services contract from Racal Recorders Southampton, England. The contract calls for Burlington to provide both inbound and outbound services for the company from the United Kingdom.

The worldwide contract includes shipments from subsidiary companies in the United States and Europe, as well as to its global distributor network. StarTronix, 15 Investors Settle Suits COSTA MESA-StarTronix International Inc. said Thursday that it has reached an agreement with 15 of 17 investors who had filed two lawsuits against the company over its private stock placement last year. The provider of Internet products said the two remaining investors agreed to a mechanism for resolving all outstanding issues on prearranged terms. Location Park Coaster "Athoi, Ind.

Hamilton, Ohio ITImber Terror Z. Sltverwbod Park 7." Little Dipper Strieker's Grove I Ravine Flyer 7.C2 Waldameer Beach Underground Adventureland I Wildcat Hershey Park I'S. Great White Moray's Pier I Pegasus Chief Teddy Bear Strieker's Grove Erie, Pa. :T.Z Des Moines, Iowa Hershey, Pa. Wildwood, N.J.

Wisconsin Dells. Hamilton, Ohio World Coaster Facts Wooden coasters: 128 Steel coasters: 743 Countries with most operating coasters: Country Coasters 1. United States 427 2. England 114 3 Japan 66 New Wooden Coasters Constructed in the U.S.: 1997 1997 Zeus Big Chief Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Coaster Heads Where to link up with other roller coaster fanatics: Tim Meiago's Directory of Amusement Park and Roller Coaster Links: http:users.sgl.netrollocstamuse.html "The Track" online magazine: http:thetrack.rollercoaster.com American Coaster Enthusiasts: http:members.aol.comcoasterfunACEhome.htm Roller Coaster FAQ: http:faq.rollercoaster.com Source: American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE), World Wide Guide to Parks and Rides, RoHer Coaster FAQ; Researched JANICE JONESlos Angeles Times Seacliff Settles Defective-Condo Lawsuits HATLEY MASON Los Angeles Times Retro Ride on Boards at Knott's the planned community's 186-unit Club Series development.

The homeowners sued over problems that included roof leaks, ground water intrusion, dry rot in the framing of the buildings, deteriorating drywall, and plumbing and electrical defects. Seacliff Partners could not be reached for comment, and the names of the subcontractors were not disclosed. about $800,000 in costs and fees for construction reports and expert witnesses and an undisclosed contingency fee for the homeowners' attorney, Thomas Miller, a Newport Beach construction defects specialist. Miller said a settlement reached Thursday provided $4.7 million for the 238-unit Club Series South development, while a settlement reached a week ago and announced Thursday provided $6.2 million for ByJOHNO'DELL TIMES STAFF WRITER HUNTINGTON BEACH-Own-ers of more than 400 condominiums in two developments in the Seacliff master-planned community have settled construction defects claims against the developer, Seacliff Partners, and its subcontractors for $10.9 million. The settlements, announced Thursday, include payment of And they're more jerky, not as smooth as the metal coasters which just adds to the thrill." More than a dozen wooden coasters have been built at theme parks around the world in the last two years, according to the Manchester, England-based World Wide Guide to Parks and Rides.

Nine of those coasters were added at parks in Eastern and Midwestern states. Word of the proposed coaster, which reportedly would be one of Knott's largest single projects, comes several months after Disneyland hinted that it might add a wooden coaster during a planned expansion of the Anaheim park. Park officials were not available on Thursday to discuss the planned coaster. But documents filed with the city of Buena Park indicate that the new coaster will be located on the park's western quadrant and would cross over Grand Avenue and run through an area that's now used for short-term parking. The coaster's entrance would be located near the park's "Pan For Gold" attraction.

Construction would force demolition and relocation of a warehouse, some offices and the park's steam plant. City planners indicate that "potentially significant" environmental impacts connected with the ride including air quality, noise and traffic circulation could be "mitigated to a level of insignificance." The park did not indicate when the new coaster would be ready to open. Amusement: Wooden roller coaster will rise 1 12 feet, offer what enthusiasts say are thrills that steel coasters lack. By GREG JOHNSON TIMES STAFF WRITER BUENA PARK Knott's Berry Farm plans to add a huge wooden roller coaster on the amusement park's west side, a move that would boost the park's collection of coasters to five. The new, as-yet-unnamed attraction would rise to a height of 112 feet as it carries 1,680 passengers per hour on a 100-second ride.

Park officials outlined the wooden coaster's basic design in documents filed recently with the city of Buena Park. Earlier this year, Knott's added Windjammer, a steel racing coaster with a 60-foot plunge and a 90-second ride. While most new coasters are made of steel, enthusiasts maintain that "woodies" are a ride apart from what the metal-construction coasters offer. "It's a different kind of thrill," said Jim Benedick, a partner with Management Resources, a Tustin-based theme park industry consulting firm. "Steel coasters have the loops and twists, but wooden coasters can give you that certain thrill when you hit the drops.

I I PINNACLE Continued from Dl Irvine office and its European sales office in Amsterdam, according to documents filed with the Securities American Red Cross Permanent Charities Hit EftTFITAMMtNI iNWrtlUf 1 Saturday, August 23, 1997 Group Reportedly Buying Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel DANA POINT A New Mexico hotel investment group recently agreed to acquire the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel luxury resort for about $225 million, according to published reports. Strategic Hotel Capital Inc. will buy the 393 -room oceanfront resort from Prudential Insurance Co. of America, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, which quoted unnamed sources. Strategic Hotel is a new partnership made up of New Mexico-based real estate investor Security Capital Group and investment bankers Goldman Sachs Co.

The Journal said the Ritz-Carlton would be the centerpiece of a deal that would eventually include other hotel properties. Officials at Prudential declined to comment Security Capital executives in Santa Fe could not be reached for comment. The hotel, where rooms average $225 a night, is considered one of the most successful operations in the chain of 32 Ritz-Carltons. It has an 80 occupancy rate. Prudential put the resort on the block at the start of the year as part of a process begun a year earlier to sell some of its landmark U.S.

properties, such as the Chicago Hilton and Towers, NationsBank Tower in Dallas and the Prudential Center in Boston. MELINDA FULMER 9 a.m. -1 p.m. and Exchange Commission. It now has 85 employees, mostly at its Irvine corporate office and its Colorado Springs manufacturing plant and operations center.

Analysts said the firm's problems began in 1995 when it changed its focus from reselling data storage devices to manufacturing the systems. But it didn't start shipping its Apex drive, a high-capacity optical storage system, until late last year. "They didn't have the deep pockets to keep the technology moving forward and compete against companies like Sony or Hitachi," said John Freeman, an optical disk drive analyst with Strategic Marketing Decisions in. Immunizations Health Screenings Blood Pressure Vision Dental Health HeightWeight Family Health Review Safety Booth Mom Dad Information Booth And Much More FUN CRAFTS CLOWNS O.C. Stock Watch Of the 100 largest publicly traded companies in Orange County, these 10 made the biggest change in price on Thursday.

Biggest Gainers Biggest Losers Last ula Chanet QrngeCunt5LlocatiQns: Columbia San Clemente Hospital Medical Center 654 Cam i node Los Mares, San Clemente Corbin Community CenterTalbert Medical Group 2215 W. McFadden Avenue, Santa Ana Sierra Health Center 1815 West Avenue, Ful lerton Forother locations and Information call: 1 (800) 870-KIDS $2.88 27.78 Watson General $1.00 Smith Micro Simulation Sci. $14.00 11.44 AmeriQuest $0.25 Comprehensive Care $11.75 9.30 Interpore Intl $6.25 Los Gatos. If it had stayed with the reseller business, it would probably be a hot, $120-million company today." Pinnacle, which is working on the next generation of the Apex drive, said that orders for its optical storage products have been much lower than expected. "This company is really in trouble," said Wolfgang Schlichting, a senior research analyst for International Data Corp.

in Framing-ham, Mass. "They've been losing money for quite some time. And with the emergence of newer products, I think their market is going to shrink even more." The company has not posted a profit since the third quarter of 1995. It lost $5 million in its latest quarter, which ended June 28, compared with a loss in last year's second quarter. Revenue fell 31 to (11.3 million.

Pinnacle Micro remains in default on much of its trade debt, but it has won a 60-day moratorium, which expires Sept. 14. Pinnacle's stock gained nearly 2 cents a share to close Thursday at 73 cents a share in Nasdaq trading. Ceradyne BioLase Tech. $6.38 $3.81 8.51 7.02" Cam Data Sys.

wahico Envro. $2.19 $0.94 Bloomberg Orange County Index: 165.82 0.21 An index of 113 Orange County companies, based on a value of 100 calculated on Dec. 29, 1994 Orange County Sponsors: IRVINE HEALTH FOUNDATION ORANGE COUNTY For Rental and Resale Real Estate listings in Stf ni if rvf Omnno rnnnfi; turn in ht Timoc ClaccifitvJc C2.