The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 71

ORANGE COUNTY Cos Angeles (Times Saturday, November 21, 1987 LOCAL AND SOUTHLAND NEWS EDITORIAL PAGES CCtPart II it kmm 1.1"1""":'": "I I KDOC Jurors Hear Claims of Favoritism, Phony Ratings By JOHN SPANO, Times Staff Writer A jury heard claims Friday that a former manager of KDOC-TV cooked up phony ratings to boost ad sales, granted special favors to an employee with whom he was romantically involved and unfairly fired a salesman who had been with the station since it first went on the air. Steve Conobre, 66, who helped open Orange County's only commercial station in 1982, said he was fired unjustly in 1984. His wrongful termination trial opened this week in Orange County Superior Court. Conobre sued the station, whose major shareholder is Pat Boone, for lost wages, emotional distress and medical expenses for a heart attack he said he suffered as a result of the firing. Also named as defendants are director Calvin Brack, former general manager Michael Volpe and controversial talk show host Wally George.

Countercharges Conobre said George pushed for his termination because he interfered with the talk show host's romantic pursuit of another member of the KDOC sales staff. George is expected to testify next week. KDOC attorney Thomas R. Sheridan said Conobre simply was not measuring up in his job. "He was not a good salesman," Sheridan said.

"He was at home when he belonged at work. He was insubordinate." Volpe, who said he now runs a media consulting firm, left the station last year. His contract was not renewed by Golden Orange Broadcasting Co. which operates KDOC. Eileen C.

Moore, Conobre's attorney, told jurors Friday that in 1983 Volpe ordered the eight-member sales staff to use fake ratings figures. The station did not subscribe to either of the national audience ratings firms, Arbi-Please see KDOC-TV, Page 6 fiSSf Jim-, 4 Beauty in Helping Lotto Loser's Lament Wrong Day for Right Numbers By DIANNE KLEIN, Times Staff Writer So he forgot. Big deal. So he could have come into some money, paid off his house, both houses. Who cares? So he could have spent the rest of his life in luxury, with a fishing rod dangling between his fingers.

Maybe a gold fishing rod, maybe from the stern of his yacht. So what if it was $8 million? But Jim DeSantis lost. So did the rest of us, but not like Jim DeSantis. His numbers, all six of his special one-of-a-kind numbers, came up Wednesday as the winners of the $8-million California state lottery jackpot. But there was a problem.

DeSantis, 40, a foreman in The Times' Orange County composing room, has been playing those same numbers ever since Lotto started. He plays every Wednesday and Saturday. But he just missed last Wednesday. He was called into work early, thrown off schedule. By the time he made it in, he remembered.

It was still Wednesday and his numbers 44 12 39 36 2 47 popped into his mind. "But I've only won $5 in a year, so I just Please see LOTTERY, Page 6 A bobcat's yawn, a burrowing owl's stare, a spicier monkey's delight and a little monkeyshining, clockwise from left, are among the more pleasant sights at the animal rehabilitation center in Anaheim. MARKBOSTER Los Angeles Times the Beast New Disney Store The new Disney Store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa officially opens today. 5 BUSINESS BRIEFCASE CALENDAR 'A Rose Is a Rose' Pat Bond's one-woman show about writer Gertrude Stein explains "A rose is a rose. Waylon Jennings Solos The country music star will appear on stage alone at Crazy Horse in Santa Ana.

J2 12 Pavarotti to Perform Luciano Pavarotti will perform arias at the Performing Arts Center to benefit Opera Pacific. 13 That Long Already? The Celebrity Theatre is billing its Sunday show as "The 30th Anniversary of Rock'n' Roll." 13 Rabid 'Foxes' There's too much venom in Golden West College's production of "The Little Foxes." 14 WHAT GOES ON 12 MOVIE GUIDE 14 They See By GORDON GRANT. Times Staff Writer Greg Hickman walked into a large cage and coaxed a young great horned owl off its perch and onto his heavily gloved hand. Four other owls watched with great round eyes. "All of these birds have been shot, either with BBs or pellet guns," said Hickman, director of the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program.

"This little guy was hit by a pellet gun and left lying along Santiago Canyon Road with a broken wing bone. We patched him and the other ones up. They're just about ready to go back to the open spaces." Once, when the fields and mountains of southern Orange County were as wild as any in the West, its furred and feathered creatures had it to themselves. But with raging development, the number of people who shoot owls and hawks for fun and often leave them wounded has doubled in recent years, according to wildlife experts. Opossums are trapped in backyards, baby bobcats are taken from their mothers for pets and then abandoned.

The list goes on. Paradoxically, the one place in the county where wild birds and mammals can be treated for wounds or sickness, then returned to their native haunts and where teen-age and adult students are taught the tricks of understanding their patients is in a busy commercial-residential neighborhood in Anaheim, miles to the north: the North Orange County Regional Occupational Program. The state-funded program, on a two-acre compound on La Palma Avenue, is Please see ANIMALS, Page 12 Orange Coy nutty index A Guide to Local News in All Sections of Today's Times ORANGE COUNTY Man Arrested in Fraud A Newport Beach man is indicted and arrested on federal mail fraud charges as TV cameras roll. 3 Alzheimer's Center Opens The nation's first medical center designed for Alzheimer's disease patients opened in Los Alamitos. 3 Sentence in Charities Case A former director of Catholic Charities of Orange County gets BUSINESS IlillilBlilWIIIIIPIMslPlipiplWM Patients Will Decide Pacific Mutual Insurance Co.

will send out forms that give doctors guidelines about life support. 3 Waiting in the Wings If Dan Lungren is named state treasurer, two Assemblymen will fight for his seat. AIR QUALITY DIGEST 2 5 7 SOUTHLAND WEATHER RELIGION SPORTS Doug Williams Resurfaces The veteran backup quarterback will start for Washington against the Rams on Monday. 8 The Loyal, the Few Cal State Fullerton averages only 4,52 1 fans for home football games, and not many students. 16 Los Alamitos in Final, Finally The Griffins, who often are also-rans, will meet El Dorado for the3-A water polo title.

uL. PREP FOOTBALL 18-21 COMMUNITY COLLEGES 17 LIFE Pastorius' Pieces Sculptor Hal Pastorius of Laguna Beach weathers storms as well as his works of art do. Nannies to the Rescue Busy working couples are finding the need for live-in child care to be "nannyversal" these days. Rocky Road to Success Prospecting is a rigorous life but a pleasant living for gemologist Dana Gochenour of Tustin. 7 CLIPBOARD HORSES PHOTOGRAPHY Classified Advertising, Part XI Tops in the Market Bob Richards' company has become the leader in the T-top and moon roof industry.

Fluor's 'Poison Pill' Directors approved a plan to make the company less vulnerable to a hostile takeover. New Charges for Molinaro Fraud charges were filed against John L. Molinaro, ousted head of Ramona Savings. jail term in grand theft..