Ceres Ca

When young men from the downtrodden Parklawn neighborhood graduate from high school and enlist in the military, they are already considered a success. "We know from experience that they have a much better chance to make it out of here," said Antonio Diaz, a local fencing contractor and evangelical minister. Diaz lives in the grimy pocket of clapboard homes and rutted, unlighted streets ruled by the local Parklawn Boyz gang, or PLBz.

Marine Lance Cpl. Juana Navarro Arellano, 24, was killed last week in Iraq, the third female Marine killed there, officials announced Tuesday. She was a native of Ceres, near Modesto. Arellano died from wounds suffered during combat operations in Al Anbar province.

Marine Lance Cpl. Juana Navarro Arellano, 24, was killed last week in Iraq, the third female Marine killed there, officials announced Tuesday. She was a native of Ceres, near Modesto. Arellano died from wounds suffered during combat operations in Al Anbar province.

When young men from the downtrodden Parklawn neighborhood graduate from high school and enlist in the military, they are already considered a success. "We know from experience that they have a much better chance to make it out of here," said Antonio Diaz, a local fencing contractor and evangelical minister. Diaz lives in the grimy pocket of clapboard homes and rutted, unlighted streets ruled by the local Parklawn Boyz gang, or PLBz.

In this year of ocean bacteria, the Anaheim/Orange County Convention Bureau is urging the tourist industry to hit the local beaches Saturday as part of the 15th annual Coastal Cleanup Day. "We're only asking for three hours of your time," said bureau spokeswoman Elaine Cali, on the prowl for volunteers.

Re "Natural Resources Library Will Not Become History," July 7: The Wilson Administration has created and provides on the Internet an unparalleled tool to empower Californians to better protect and manage the environment--the California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (http://ceres.ca.gov). CERES accesses millions of pieces of data and information on virtually every aspect of California's natural and cultural resources--from state and federal agencies, the University of California, counties, watershed groups, environmental nonprofits and many other Internet sources.

With a final showdown a day away, supporters and critics of the Hellman Ranch project in Seal Beach are engaged in a fierce tug of war over whether state coastal law allows the filling of wetlands to build a golf course.

The buses were to pull out of Orange County shortly after dawn today, headed for Santa Barbara and an emotional showdown over the future of one of Seal Beach's last remaining pieces of open space. Two buses were to carry project supporters prepared to tell the California Coastal Commission why it should approve the building of 70 luxury homes, an 18-hole golf course and restored wetlands at Hellman Ranch.

A city as big as Los Angeles offers landmarks aplenty. Where to start? How about the Web? Sites for our most famous points of interest will tell you how to get there, when, what you'll see and how much it'll cost. A Star Is Born: What's more famous than the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Did you know that Joanne Woodward received the first star, back in 1960? For more history, a look at recent and upcoming ceremonies as well as the lowdown on nomination procedures, point your browser to http://chamber.

Nearly 100 years ago, naturalist John Muir helped protect California's wilderness and urged people to discover the beauties available in nature. "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out . . . that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."

The answer we are looking for: Don Cunningham authored the book and used "Yesteryear American Car Trivia" as the subtitle. This slender, fun paperback with a cover in Duesenberg yellow was published last month by Encore Edition Publications, whose president, comptroller, editor, proofreader, gofer and solitary employee is Cunningham. (Here it must be noted that among the drawbacks of self-publishing is a definite lack of funding for arcane reference books.

California's coastal commissioners face a political minefield next month when they are due to decide the future of a much-disputed plan for homes, restored wetlands and a golf course near the ocean in Seal Beach. If they vote the way their staff recommends, they could derail the Hellman Ranch project, which has the staunch backing of city officials.