The Lompoc Record from Lompoc, California • 2

"A2 RECORD (Lompoc, Calif.) Monday, April 20, 1998 ParGruS rajiry spiers DriteiL-sJl sseioSIIIs The State sites, search for specific sex-related words and then block them. The brands include Cyber Patrol (motto: "to surf and Net NannyCybersitter and Surfwatch. Other programs, such as X-Stop, made by Logon Data Corp. of Anaheim, ate run by humans who look at Web pages every day and screen out ones with pornography, obscenity and bestiality. The filters are not Derfect.

They can block not only smutty sites' but also legitimate information on breast can Parent Cynthia Walker of Gilroy last week gave lawmakers a thick packet of seamy stuff she had obtained over the Internet Some were downloaded by a 12-year-old boy in a library, she added. These are beyond the social pale," she told the legislators, who were considering a bill to require public libraries to put filtering software on their Internet access computers. Lawmakers gasped, laughed nervously and exclaimed, "Oh, my goodness!" as they leafed through the prurient pages. Kids Safe of Granada Hills, a national organization that campaigns against child predators, says "the Internet is becoming the playground on which child molesters search for their next victims." Children not only can look at sexual or violent material on the World Wide Web, but can also be subject to explicit e-mail or entrapment by deceitful predators in chat rooms, Kids Safe says. Just this month, cer.

Wilv Web designers can also figure out Lew clerks bringing child support cases up to date -i SANTA ANA (AP) Long out of compliance with minimum state on maintaining child support records, Orange County has caHed in some backup. Forty law students and recent graduates are working past midnight, trying to bring 151,000 files up to date. Under an experimental program, the students help the Family Sup-port Division of the county district attorney's office from 4:45 p.m. to 74:15 a.m., sifting through piles of dusty files, some of which haven't 1een touched in years. V.

Each manages about 16 files a night, calling to find parents who owe iupport and updating information. Since the program began in November, the county has seen an increase in old collections. a. Z. Graduates earn $15.58 per hour for the work while third-year students bring in $13.57 per hour.

The money comes from the $1.2 million Xudget drawn from federal child support funds and so-called federal incentive dollars. "Professor teaching about racial issues in Star Trek If RIVERSIDE (AP) All right students, open your textbooks to the Chapter on how "Star Trek" Captain Jean-Luc Picard reflected conservative ideals dumg the Reagan-Bush years. i Can you explain how the Klingon Empire has been used as a Metaphor for the former Soviet Union? Daniel Bemardi thinks he can. Bernardi, 34, is an assistant profes-ior of comparative literature at the University of California, Riverside. OThis coming semester, hell offer a for-credit course that will teach students to look at three decades of "Star Trek" TV shows and movies in Jight of what he considers their racism, sexism and conservative politi- ways around them.

And use of filters on publicly funded computers has potential First Amendment problems. The California Library Association opposes such filters and says parents should monitor their children's use of the Internet Most filtering programs are installed on a home computer. But parents whose children know more about computers than they do may not always find such programs adequate. Internet-related bills MAJOR CONCERNS Children not only can look at sexual or violent material on the World Wide Web, but can also be subject to explicit e-mail or entrapment by deceitful predators in chat rooms, Kids Safe says. By JENNIFER KERR Associated Press Writer SACRAMENTO The scarlet letters on the computer screen tattled on Chris Machado: He had tried to access a racy Internet site forbidden by his parents.

His dad, Assemblyman Mike Machado, used his son's name to demonstrate a special filtering system his bill would encourage. The filter would let parents control their children's access to the Internet. Machado's bill, to be considered April 27 by the Assembly tax committee, is one of dozens introduced in the Legislature this year to stifle or curtail some of the Internet's seamier and scarier uses. The rapidly expanding Internet promises educational and economic opportunities for anyone with access to a computerBut it also is home to pedophiles, scam artists and other assorted crooks. "With the computer, there's a lot' of apprehension and fears," says Machado, D-Linden.

"Families shouldn't have to ban computer technology from their homes to protect their children." Lawmakers and the industry are attempting to find ways to balance the wide-open freedom of the Internet one of its biggest attractions and assets with parental concerns about their children's safety. Since 1993, the Internet has grown from 100,000 usersMmd only 100 World Wide Web sites to more than 60 million users and nearly 1 million Web sites. More than 10 percent of both are based in California, according to a new legislative Internet Caucus formed last month by two Silicon Valley lawmakers. Only a small percentage of Internet sites and sources contain adult material. It "can range from the relatively tame Playboy site with its pictures of centerfold models, to videos of men and women performing sex acts of all varieties, to illegal child pornography sites.

By The Associated Press Internet-related bills pending in the California Legislature this session would: Give a tax credit to Internet service providers who install filtering systems to let parents limit their children's access or to find ille-Eral child Dornoeraohv sites. pal ideology. Require libraries that provide Internet access to adopt and post a policy on access of adult material by children. rassea Require schools with Internet access to install a parental con trol device. Require public libraries with Internet access to install software Ion half the terminals to prevent access to adult material.

rassea Require state agencies with Internet Web pages that collect per George Devinna, 60, a substitute teacher, coach and school bus driver in Mammoth Lakes, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child pornography on his computer. He was identified on the Internet first in Louisiana and traced to his remote Mono County home. Congress in 1996 passed the Communications Decency Act, which tried to protect children from obscene materials on the Internet. er, the U.S. Supreme Court last summer threw it out, saying it improperly restricted the free-speech rights of adults.

That put the emphasis on technology. Since 1995, software firms have been selling "filtering programs. Most scan the text of Web sonal information about users to disclose that fact and give users the! loption to withhold the information. Passed I Make it a felony to obtain and use personal identifying inibrma- Ition to get credit, goods or medical information without consent on Khe person. Passed I Prohibit sending of unsolicited commercial e-mail, known as rspam," and allow Internet service providers to seek civil penalties lagainst spammers.

Passed I Require junk e-mail senders to provide an e-mail address or Itoll-free phone number for recipients who wish to get off the mailing Qist-P Make stalking through computer communications or e-mail a sdemeanor and require police to train in dealing with technology crimes. Construction state's witness protection defect suits fsiuyi cut i uiiU OT fifiui increasing praised le program that helped', cated as to what's going on here," into a new home. ne said. I the him move Students already are dubbing it "Star Trek 101." The idea, Bemardi said, is to show the connections between the jshows and the real world issues and views that influenced them. 12,000 gallons of napalm back in California CHINA LAKE NAVAL WEAPONS CENTERCAP) Twelve thou-Csand gallons incendiary gelatin napalm are in storage here today after, '-heading toward a recycling facility in Indiana only to be turned back in t-" The napalm arrived Sunday after 5 p.m., said Navy civilian spokeswoman Jeannie Light at the Naval Faculties Engineering Command in -San The napalm left Fallbrook Naval Weapons Facility on April 11 on what was intended to be a one-way trip to an industrial recycling plant in East Chicago, Ind.

But the recycler backed out of the deal, citing pohtical protests. The train was halted in Kansas City, about three-quarters of the way to Indiana. j- China Lake in the Mojave Desert was chosen for its high security, 1 'Proximity to a railroad and expertise in handling hazardous waste. The itwo 6,000 gallon containers could remain for up to three months until another company is found to recycle the Vietnam War-era flammable product used in bombs and flamethrowers. City of Hope cleared of wrongdoing I DUARTE (AP) The state attorney general's office cleared the City of Hope charity of financial wrongdoing after a yearlong investigation.

The civil probe found no evidence of malfeasance by officers and directors of the cancer charity, the attorney general's Charitable Trusts Section said in a Friday letter to the organization. The investigation was prompted by allegations made by former City Hope officials, including its ex-president, Dr. Sanford Shapero. Shapero, a 68-year-old Beverly Hills rabbi, left City of Hope in early -1996. His deputy, Andrew Leeka, followed months After leaving, Shapero allegedly threatened to destroy City of Hope's, reputation unless his settlement package was upgraded.

In November 1996, the FBI began investigating City of Hope's com-. plaints that it was the victim of an extortion scheme conducted by Shapero, Leeka and their former attorney, Hugo Gerstl. A short time later, Shapero wrote a list of complaints about bis for-. mer employer, which he gave to a friend and former City of Hope director, who contacted the attorney general's office. Former Kid stars may be able to collect cash LOS ANGELES (AP) Donny Osmond and Candice Bergen were the easiest to find.

But 11 names are still left on a list of child actors who may be owed money under a 1939 law named after boy whose fortune was gone before he turned 21. i For nearly 60 years, the court has been setting aside a percentage of child performers' salaries until they reach adulthood. The practice Jbegan under a 1939 law inspired by child star Jackie Coogan, whose mother spent his fortune before had access to it During the 1940s through the 1970s, the money was placed in savings bonds. Coogan had made about $4 million during bis years as a sad-faced ,19208 film star known as The Kid." But by age 21, Coogan was broke. His mother claimed she deserved every penny her son made, and never jntended for the fortune to be bis.

She said she didn't squander the earnings and treated him generously, giving him $1,000 for his 21st Amusement park sues to halt union protest BUENA PARK (AP) Knott's Berry Farm sued a local union, contending pickets are harassing its customers. The suit against Carpenters Union Local 803 of Orange was filed JFriday. It asks a court to limit the activities of protectors who began handing out leaflets to patrons at the park entrance on March 26. The union is protesting the use of non-union labor in building Knott's wooden roller coaster, Ghoetrider, set to open in December. It has questioned the safety record of the Ohio contractor.

The lawsuit contends that protesters have harassed and verbally abused patrons. The Orange County theme" park said it had received 17 written customer complaints. On Saturday, three members handed out fliers to many of the park's estimated 21,000 visitors. state, program aims to rebuild witnesses' confidence that they will remain alive if they come forward. It has paid for 26 protection efforts in the past three months.

Analysts expect the pace to pick up as more prosecutors realize they can tap the state fund for cases ranging from organized crime to domestic violence. THE RECORD LOMPOC 115 N. Street, lompoc, CA OPEN 8 A.M.. 5 P.M. DAILY he said Td be dead." Critics, however, say the program gives county prosecutors too much discretion about what services to offer at the expense of the state.

i California has no way "to ensure that funds are properly spent and accounted for," said California Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill warned. Gov. Pete Wilson has requested an additional $5 million for the program for the fiscal year beginning July. But Hill has urged the Legislature to allocate $3 million for the next year and to impose tighter controls, including annual audits. In the early 1990s, officials estimated that 40 percent of gang killings in Los Angeles County go unsolved because witnesses are afraid to talk.

Last year, before state reimbursement was available, Los Angeles County spent $260,000 to relocate 185 witnesses who did speak up. Program founder Robleto once saw 10 witnesses killed in a single year just in LAPDs South Bureau Division. "Society has to be edu- State's -new witness program being cited as national model LOS ANGELES (AP) California's fledgling Witness Protection Program could get a $5 million boost if the governor has his way, but a state analyst is recommending that authorities rein in the program. Launched in January, the program helps pay to relocate witnesses, some of whom also are crime victims. Many counties had offered piecemeal protection, but the state program allows prosecutors to expand the help offered to those in danger without relying on solely local budgets.

"When we ask a witness to come into the game, we need to protect him," said Sergio Robleto, a former Los Angeles police commander who helped draft the program. "If we dont commit to that principle, we're as bad as the bad guys." The program pays for many of the witness' expenses such as rent, food, medical costs and even psychological therapy. Witnesses can get armed escorts when they go to court to testify or, when needed, periodic police surveillance of their homes. One 40-year-old father came forward about a 1996 killing. He NEWS DEPT.

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to 10:00 a.m. 737-9024 LAGUNA NIGUELCAP) County's housing boom has brought with it a surge in construction-defect claims over alleged leaky roofs, poor insula-tion, dry-rotted walls and shifting soil, construction industry officials say. While no specific figures are kept on the number of construction-defect claims, developers are bracing for more lawsuits that they contend drive up housing costs, sometimes drastically. "We have a crisis on our hands," said builder Mick Pattin-son, president of Barratt American Inc. and an advocate for changes in construction-defect laws.

Tm very, very disturbed about the prospects of home ownership for many of our younger and needier people because of these types of lawsuits." Overall, annual losses to the California economy from construction-defect lawsuits and their effects on business range from $260 million tq $460 million, according to a 1996 study conducted for the National Association of Homebuilders by the University of Southern California. In the 1980s, 166,000 were built in Orange County, including a development that is now the focus of lawsuits. In March, four homes tumbled down the hill and damaged 12 units of a condominium complex. In all, 30 dwellings have been evacuated since December. Hilltop residents have sued the companies that built the neighborhood, claiming the hillside had been improperly graded.

Residents of the Crown Cove condominiums, that was damaged by the sliding homes, have demanded $15 million, according to their attorney, Thomas E. Miller. While El Nino-powered storms are blamed for soaking the ground and hastening the col-. lapse, residents long have con-tendes the site was unstable. Gcn.

Adm. $5.75 Sara. $5.75 Published Monday through Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings at the Lompoc Record building at 115 North "IT Lompoc, California, by Donrey Media Group. Entered as "Periodicals' in the Post HAPPY BiRTHDAYl An Shows Before 5:30 pm $3.75 1S TO YOU! from QTYOyAKGILS Office at Lompoc, California under act of Congress. Adjudicated, DMLV RECORD THE LOMPOC MY GIANT'0 4:80 11:30 legal newspaper from Superior Court Decree No.

47065. The Lompoc Record is a member of the California DULT flOefcOO LOST IN SPACE PMLV 4:30 -TrtO -MO 11:30 M0 Newspaper Publishers The Associated Press, The Audit, rQSD Bureau of Circulation, and the' California Newspaper Youth Foun-' GHEASE" dation. BIRTHDAY CLUB Let That Someone Know You Haven't Forgotten Them Submit a May Or June Birthday Today. National advertising representation- pais TITANIC by Paper! Companies with offices Chicago, Dallas, New York, Sarv Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit. DAILY 4:00 S-S 12:00 Ferlinghetti kicks off a 72-hour tribute to his works 1 PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) Lawrence Ferlinghetti whose City lights Bookshop in San Francisco was a center for the Beat Generation writers in the 1950s, seemed to have moved the center to a Prague church on Sunday.

Hundreds of artists and Ferlinghetti's admirers packed the Salva- tora church in downtown Prague to hear the poet read from his works when the "Nonstop Ferlinghetti tribute began in the early afternoon on 1 1 Sunday. Volunteers will take turns reading Ferlinghetti poems for 72 hours. They should include also former Premier Vaclav Klaus and Foreign Minister Jaroslav Sedivy. Marketing a key building block for theme park CARLSBAD. (AP) The opening of Legoland may be a year away, 1 but marketers hope a $10.

million campaign starting next month will build anticipation and shape the theme park into a household name. Lego, the Denmark toy company that manufactures the mulit-col-" ored, snap-together bricks, chose Carlsbad as the site for its first U.S. theme park. The $140 million attraction will open next March on 129 acres east of Interstate 5. Legoland will be a lushly landscaped park centered around 30 mil- lion Legos that form its main attractions, including large replicas of US.

landmarks such as the White House. There also will be low-key rides that look as if they are constructed with Lego bricks. The target audience for Legoland is families with children who are too young for other theme parks, and people curious about what can be with an unlimited supply of Legos. MAJ0II LEAGUE 3' UV 4-M M11401M SUGGESTED RATES: Single Copy by newsrack or newsstand Daily 50-Sunday (IncludNAJAwtobltTawt) 6-day home delivery by carrier MERCURY RISING" pa MY GIANT Daily and Sunday 7.35 por ma Muting tar JBfiftXJia. 03JICT 07 MY AFFECTION WWW 9999 WW WWW Large Selection Hand Made Crafts 1 Pt ent to local charitle oa Taesday A Saturday Can 736-1347 For Mora Information CarotyH Ichutts, Owner 1313-C No.

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