1997 Year

As Orange County enters a new year, community activists, elected officials and municipal leaders countywide talk about their top priorities for the coming 12 months. Here is a sampling of their New Year's resolutions: * Registered nurse Judy Curreri, a community activist and former Dana Point City Council member, is determined that 1997 will see renewed public awareness of health-care issues.

Despite taunts from Democrats that congressional Republicans produced a do-nothing record this year, the session about to end has been one for the history books in at least three ways. It is the first Congress in a generation to write a balanced budget. It is only the third in history to open an impeachment inquiry. And, along the way, it has inspired an extraordinary rise--and an abrupt fall--in public approval of the institution of Congress.

BATTING AVERAGE Gwynn, San Diego: .372 Walker, Colorado: .366 Piazza, Dodgers: .362 Lofton, Atlanta: .333 Joyner, San Diego: .327 Grace, Chicago: .319 Galarraga, Colorado: .318.

A rising tide lifts all boats. Or so it seemed once again on Wall Street in 1997 as the stock market posted its third consecutive year of 25%-plus gains, while the value of most local stocks floated up as well. In 1997 the Dow Jones industrial average skyrocketed 25%, after having jumped by 29% in 1996 and 37% in 1995. Since this great bull market began its climb in August 1982, the Dow Jones average has spiked up a dizzying tenfold.

It was a year of promise--Orange County's credit rating bounced back--and perplexity: Just who put the Duchess of York in charge of crowd control at a Costa Mesa dinner benefit? It was a year that saw allegations of election fraud, indications of a municipal trash scandal in Orange and questions of whether a 300-pound pig made a suitable housemate in Anaheim.

Local law and policy makers adopted regulations covering everything from gun sale curbs to improving sanitation conditions in restaurants. San Marino gave the green light to alcohol sales in restaurants, while Pasadena residents found a way to have eternal rest in columbaria. Here's a sampling of local laws approved in 1997. Los Angeles County No parking--Since 1991, the county has prohibited parking cars in frontyards. But enforcing the measure required hearings, witnesses and costly paperwork.

Those who think the movie industry will get runaway costs under control in 1997 should think again. Studio honchos readily admit they're addicted to "event pictures"--the buzz words of 1996--and have no intention of kicking the expensive habit any time soon. They figure their energies and resources are better risked on hugely exploitable films like "Independence Day" that can generate megaprofits worldwide than on mid-size ones where returns are minimal at best.

Los Angeles International Airport posted record annual traffic in passengers and cargo for 1997, with 60.1 million travelers and nearly 2.1 million tons of goods passing through the facility, airport officials announced. The number of travelers increased 3.7% over 1996. The amount of cargo was up nearly 9% over the previous year. International passenger traffic rose 5%, to 14.7 million, while domestic traffic grew 3.3%, to 45.4 million.

In recent appearances on both "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," a member of the rock band Chumbawamba cheekily wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the phrase "One Hit Wonder." It was a defiant gesture because just about everyone in the pop world has been thinking the same thing about the English group since its novelty hit "Tubthumping" began racing up the charts late last summer.