The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 305

Community News: South Check-In Line Athens Florence flic SouthCentral Watts use uw Exposition Park II -J" I JH' ft ing crew Aug. 8, and city officials later said the permit was improperly issued because there was no evidence that the damage to the house was Among the alternatives proposed by some residents is the rehabilitation of the house for use as a child-care center, said Jim Childs, a neighbor and chairman of a CRA advisory group. JAKE DOHERTY WATTS 5 File Initial Papers to Challenge Flores City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores, who lost her bid for a seat in the U.S. House last week, could face five challengers next April when she is up for reelection. Spokeswoman Niki Tennant said Flores, who was unavailable for comment, is undecided on whether to seek a fourth term-, a decision is expected within the next two weeks.

Flores' 15th Council District stretches from Watts and South-Central to San Pedro and Wilmington. Five possible contenders have filed papers with the city Ethics Commission declaring their intent to raise funds for campaigns. The papers represent the first step toward declaring candidacy. The five are Los Angeles school board member Warren Furutani; Latino community leader Xavier Hermo-sillo; Janice K. Hahn, daughter of retiring Supervisor Kenneth Hahn; San Pedro attorney Diane Middle-ton, and Wilmington businessman Rudolph Svorinich Jr.

Flores also has registered with the commission. Each of those who decide to run will have to file another declaration with the commission between Jan. 20-25, indicating their intent to become a candidate. Between Jan. 30 and Feb.

13, each will have to file a nominating petition with the city clerk's office. Although Hermosillo said his decision will hinge on whether Flores runs, Middleton and Svorinich said they will run in any case. "I want to bring a message of hope and vision to the people of this district," said Svorinich, a lifelong San Pedro resident. Hahn and Furutani could not be reached for comment. DUKE HELFAND SOUTH LOS ANGELES Williams Pledges Bigger Police Role In a talk before more than 200 people last week, Police Chief Willie L.

Williams urged South Los Angeles residents to take a more active role in their communities and pledged more police involvement. During a 20 -minute address Monday at the Weingart YMCA, Williams touched on a broad range of issues, including community -based policing programs and sensitivity training for police officers. Much of his address was on the need for more community input in Police Department policies. "You are our most important customer. Part of the process of doing things differently is involving you, the men and the women who live in the city, the men and the women who work in the city, ROSEMARY KAUL Los Angela Times Applicants Tuesday at The Boys market at Martin Luther King Jr.

Shopping Center included Betty Taylor, above, one of 2,000 people who applied for about 100 new jobs at the store, which was damaged in the spring riots and is set to reopen Dec. 5. SOUTH-CENTRAL Coalition Urges United Way Boycott Charging that employee donations by African-Americans to the United Way of Greater Los Angeles are not benefiting black social service agencies, a coalition of community groups last week called for a boycott of donations to the charity. The boycott, organized by the South-Central-based Brotherhood Crusade, seeks to persuade black employees of utility companies such as Pacific Bell, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, General Electric and ATeVT to cease contributions to the United Way through annual payroll deductions. Danny Bakewell, president and chief executive officer of the Brotherhood Crusade, charged that the United Way has established a monopoly on charitable giving through employee payroll deductions and that the majority of money raised from African-Americans does not return to their community.

"We are asking African-American employees to withhold giving to the United Way and give instead to the Brotherhood Crusade," Bakewell said. Bakewell alleged that the United Way of Greater Los Angeles raises $8 million annually from African -Americans and returns less than $3 million to nonprofit agencies serving blacks. United Way officials dismissed those allegations and said they do not track donations by race. "Mr. Bakewell's estimates are wrong by our records," said Herbert Carter, president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Carter said $8 million of the $34.1 million distributed by his organization in 1991 was given to agencies that serve African-Americans. More than 150 protesters demonstrated Thursday in front of Pacific Bell's Downtown corporate headquarters. The protest was organized by the Brotherhood Crusade and a coalition of 100 community-based groups and politicians, including Rep. Maxine Waters CD-Los Angeles), the Rev. E.V.

Hill of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and the Rev. Carl Bean of the Minority AIDS Project and Unity Fellowship. -ELSTONCARR what it wants in the future. The role of the Police Department is to create a healthy environment that will encourage other businesses to come back to your neighborhood and stay." Some of the residents praised Williams after his speech.

"Since Willie Williams has come aboard, we see a change in the attitudes of the police officers," said Perry Crouch of Watts. "The police treat you differently Now they at least stop and talk." -ELSTONCARR ST. JAMES PARK City May Save Victorian House A 19th-century Victorian house scheduled to be razed by a developer in August may now be purchased by the city following a recent City Council vote. Responding to community protests against the demolition, the council approved a motion Oct. 30 by Councilman Mike Hernandez directing the Community Redevelopment Agency to prepare a recommendation on acquiring the property at 2377 Scarff St.

known as the Hodgman House, and to set aside enough money to buy the property. The house, named for Edwin C. Hodgman, a Civil War ferry captain and a Los Angeles civil servant and businessman, is within the CRA's Adams-Normandie project area. Two state preservation agencies and the U.S. Department of the Interior have designated it as a "contributing structure" within the St.

James Park historic district north of USC. Chris Carbonel, a Torrance developer who owns the property, said he planned to demolish the house and build townhouses for low- and moderate-income residents. Carbonel had received an expedited demolition permit from the city after he said the property was damaged during the April-May riots. The city had eased procedures to allow property owners to rebuild quickly. But a few neighbors opposed to the demolition stopped the wreck black, white, purple, green, men, women and gay," Williams said.

During a question-and-answer period, Williams was asked what role he and his department might play in helping to reduce the number of liquor stores in the area. "It is not for the city or the police to tell you what you should have in the neighborhood," Williams said. "The community should determine the men and the women who pay taxes," Williams said. "I need your help and I need your assistance in making the Los Angeles Police Department work." He also said that all officers will receive additional sensitivity training and that he hopes to change the force to better reflect the city's diversity. "The new officers are going to be.