Carmel

The state was ordered Tuesday to pay up to $35 million to the Long Beach Unified School District for money spent on voluntary desegregation efforts from 1977 to 1984, a ruling that could affect dozens of school districts around California. The order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert I. Weil followed more than five years of efforts by the Long Beach district to recover the expenses of its desegregation program, which began in 1972.

Crumpled face down in a sand pit at the Misano racing circuit after crashing, tumbling and cartwheeling at 130 m.p.h. in the Italian Grand Prix last September, Wayne Rainey thought he was dying. He heard the roar of motorcycles racing only a few yards away and thought they were going to run over him. He tried to get up. He couldn't. In 24 years of racing, Rainey had fallen many times, but only once before had he been unable to move his legs.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tongues are wagging that SoftBank's billionaire founder, Masayoshi Son, may be the buyer of a $117.5-million estate in Woodside. No one is willing to go on the record -- everyone involved signed non-disclosure agreements. But one real estate source who requested anonymity because he didn't want to jeopardize future business relations said Son bought the exclusive property in the woodsy and very wealthy heart of Silicon Valley. Son is one of the richest men in Japan.

The 24th annual "Best in the West" home-building and design competition was dominated once again by Southern California builders and architects who snared 19 grand awards, including two coveted "Home of the Year" prizes.

Lenny Park of Rowland Heights shot a two-under-par 70 Thursday to win the American Junior Golf Assn. San Diego championship at the Auld Course in Chula Vista. His three-day total was 11-under 205. Park won by two shots over Kyle Gentry of Carmel and David Yoon of Irvine. In the girls' division, Allison Martin of Bakersfield shot 69-70-69--208 and won by 10 shots over Jane Park of La Crescenta and Walailak Satarak of Paramount.

Clint Eastwood knows how to set a scene on screen or at Mission Ranch, his strikingly handsome hotel and restaurant in Carmel. The hotel, a historic property, has a multimillion dollar view of the sea and beautiful grounds to match. Magenta bougainvillea spills from balconies, flowering pots decorate porches, huge cypress trees shade buildings and lawns. You'd expect a room to cost $500 a night or more. So how about $120 a night? Hard to believe, especially in a pricey tourist area like Carmel.

Wayne Branstetter did not know quite how to feel. For most Saturday's San Diego Section Masters wrestling meet, Branstetter, the Poway High School coach, said he felt like he was on top of the world. His team was cruising to its sixth Masters title in seven years. Guys who were not expected to be in the top four were winning. Seven Poway wrestlers made it to the finals. Poway had earned 187 1/2 points before the finals even started. But it did not receive one more point.

Fallbrook High School's Brent Noon found out on Thursday that there is such a thing as a psychological barrier. Noon's was 70 feet in the shot put. Until Thursday, only five high schoolers had ever surpassed it. Until Thursday . Noon spent last spring striving toward it, battling injuries and slumps. The battle continued into this season. Last week in a dual meet, Noon's best effort was just shy at 69-feet-11 1/2.