The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 339

West County Edition Serving Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore and surrounding areas. Also: Los Angeles County News, Editorials and Weather Cos Angeles Slimes TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1994 VC WESTCCt SECTION All 1111 COUNTY f3fi -Air i mm if, Land Deal Clears Way for Cal State Campus a Education: Citrus grower agrees to sell 200 acres for site near Camarillo, lifting a 30-year barrier to a Ventura County university. state's most populous county without its own public four-year college. "This is the break we've been looking for," said Peter MacDougall, chairman of an advisory committee of volunteers pushing for a local state university. Michael Mohseni, whose family owns 200 acres west of Camarillo, said he was pleased with the transaction, despite a condemnation suit filed against him by Cal State officials to acquire the land.

"I'm happy to be contributing in a small way to Ventura County being able to get a four-year university after 10 or 12 years of effort by the state college," Mohseni said. "I would have preferred they had not acquired our property," he said. "But I was not ready to have them give up on the idea of having a state university in Ventura County because of us." The deal calls for the state to acquire 200 acres owned by the Mohseni Ranch off Central Avenue, and a neighboring 60-acre parcel owned by Sakioka Farms, Mohseni said. Specific terms of the deal will not be disclosed until this morning. Mohseni said the deal almost fell through in recent weeks.

"It was very apparent to me that the university was ready to walk away from the whole project," Mohseni said. "They Please see DEAL, B6 inform the Ventura County Board of Supervisors of the breakthrough. If the sale goes through as planned, it would be the first time Cal State officials have been able to acquire land for a Ventura County campus in more than 25 years. In the past eight years, university officials have tried to buy parcels in two other locations in Ventura for a campus. But local opposition forced them to back away from those deals, leaving Ventura County the By JEFF McDONALD SPECIAL TO THE TIMES A Camarillo lemon grower on Monday said he has agreed to sell 200 acres to the Cal State University system, clearing the hurdle that has blocked Ventura County from building its own public university for years.

Cal State officials have scheduled a news conference this morning to announce details of the agreement, moments after they 1 if I i- si Hiring Grants Offered; Local Police May Pass Law enforcement: Six county agencies are given the chance to add officers under Clinton anti-crime program. But officials say they may not be able to match funds. THORNTON CONVICTED: Mark Scott Thornton was convicted Monday on 13 counts in the 1993 slaying of Westlake nurse Kellie O'Sullivan. The findings include a special circumstance that could send the 20-year-old Thousand Oaks man to the gas chamber. Al 1 1 Photos by SPENCER WEINER Los Angeles Timet Two people walk along the beach near Ventura Pier as high waves pound near the shore line.

Taking a Pounding High Waves Rip Out 9 Pilings, Closing the Ventura Pier By MIGUEL BUSTILLO TIMES STAFF WRITER Six Ventura County police departments have been offered up to $1.1 million in federal money to hire a total of 15 additional officers as part of President Clinton's $30-billion anti-crime package. But some local police officials say the federal program requires them to match funds and despite an urgent need UNIVERSITY SITE: In the works for nearly 30 years, a Cal State University campus in Ventura County may finally become a reality. A citrus grower has agreed to sell 200 acres west of Camarillo for the public university site. Bl POUNDING SURF: Ventura Pier was battered by huge storm -driven waves, which ripped out nine pilings. The structure remains closed to the public and surfers were warned away from the powerful rip currents.

Bl NEW RECRUITS: Local police agencies have been offered federal funds to add new officers as part of the President's anti-crime plan. But officials say they may not have the money to take part in the program, which requires matching funds. Bl RELATED STORY President's crime control effort gets under way nationally. A4 ft for more officers, they may not be able to pay their part. Police agencies in Ventura, Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Camarillo, along with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, were notified Monday that they may begin recruiting new officers while their grant applications Please see POLICE, B6 Vacancy Rate for Commercial Space Drops During '94 1 By MATTHEW MOSK SPECIAL TO THE TIMES This has been a turnaround year for Ventura County business, as vacancy rates of industrial parks and office buildings have dropped to pre-recession lows and foreclosures have leveled off for the first time since 1990, analysts reported Monday.

The Northridge earthquake, which prompted some Los Angeles County businesses to head north, along with the continued lure of the county's quality of living led to significant boosts in business activity this year, the analysts said. Even without the earthquake, industrial, commercial and retail activity surpassed levels last seen in 1987. "This has been a superb year," said William Kiefer of Grubb Ellis the Oxnard-based firm that prepared the year-end report. "We've really seen a tremendous boost all the way around." The amount of vacant office space, a strong indicator of Please see ANALYSTS, Bo For Monday, Dec. 19 FANTASY Winning Numbora: 19-27-34-35-36 DECCO Winning Cards: Hearts: 4 Clubs: 7 0 Diamonds: 6 Spades: Jack DAILY 3 Winning Number: 0-0-3 TlmesLlne 8088463 Super 5610 Dally 3 5620 Decco Card 5630 Fantasy 5 5640 For same-day results, can Times Line from the 2 1 3, 3 1 0, 7 1 4, 8 1 8 and 909 area codes.

From the 805 area code, call (8 1 8) 808-8463. Ventura County Focus B2.B3 Obituaries B6 Weather BIO Classifieds Bll L.A. County News B12 OnlyinL.A. B12 Al Martinez B13 Air Quality B2.B10 Editorials B14 Commentary B15 By JULIE FIELDS TIMES STAFF WRITER Huge storm -driven waves battered the Ventura Pier on Monday, ripping out nine pilings and creating a powerful current that threatened to toss surfers against the wooden landmark. City officials said they are worried that more 60-foot supports near the weakened section will splinter and break away before repairs can be made.

Another strong swell from the northwest is expected to hit the Ventura coast Wednesday morning. "If we get really huge waves and then we lost another handful in that area, there is a concern," said building inspector Allen Bovitz. "We could lose the pier." The barnacle -covered pilings that tore loose were at least 50 years old and all from a section about one-third of the way down the walkway. They had been found structurally sound during a restoration of the pier completed last year, he said. The first ones were spotted breaking away just after dawn.

They continued to wash out one-by-one through the morning as waves splashed up through the pier's wooden planks. Eight of the poles washed ashore south of the pier, leaving a gaping section with little support. Just one piling remained in a row that previously had five supports. "The power in those waves is tremendous," Bovitz said. "It just finally took its toll on that particular spot," Hueneme Pier suffered no damage, authorities said.

And boaters at Channel Islands and Ventura harbors had no serious problems, although some fishermen chose to remain at dock. Replacing the nine Douglas fir poles is expected to cost $25,000 to $30,000 and take at least several weeks, said Tim Jonasson, a city civil engineer. The biggest obstacle is finding pilings that are the right size. The city already has a few on hand, but others will have to be bought from cities with wooden piers or ordered from lumber companies in Oregon. If new ones are ordered, the repairs could take months longer because each piling is cut from a tree hand-picked in the forest, Bovitz said.

The pier, the longest of its type in California, will remain closed until the work is complete. Police were called Monday afternoon to keep fishermen and passers-by. Please tee PIER, B4 ,11. -I, -i i A try Waves from 6 to 9 feet high crash against Ventura Pier pilings causing nine supports to be knocked loose. A huge caution sign hangs across the walkway, which underwent a restoration completed last year.

Ventura OKs Funding Aid for 2 Libraries i a a a i i UUJUU i i n'TTTfri By CONSTANCE SOMMER TIMES STAFF WRITER Ventura's two largest libraries staffed at a minimum, shuttered half the week will receive a $145,000 boost from city coffers starting in January, council members decided Monday. Responding to intensifying pressure from residents, the council voted 5 to 1 to reach into city reserves so that downtown's E.P. Foster and mid-town's H.P. Wright can stay open longer each week. The decision brought cheers of relief from the book lovers in the audience, many of whom have counted on the extra money since the council's finance committee recom- mended the expenditure earlierthismonth.

"The council did well tonight," said Betty Black, a retired librarian who lives in Ventura. "Every little bit helps, and this is a step in the right direction, but this isn't the end. This isn't where we want to stop." Please see LIBRARIES, B9 On the Record "What they've basically done is use the Ventura County district attorney's office to slander him." Harland Braun, attorney for Theodore Briseno, criticizing local prosecutors for a report suggesting his client may have lied during the Rodney G. King trial in Simi Valley. B4.