Footsteps

Near the end of the 1930s, the Nazis were making inroads in Latin America. To quell that momentum, President Roosevelt named Nelson Rockefeller head of a special agency -- a veritable international chamber of commerce and cultural exchange agency -- that sent various Hollywood celebrities to visit these countries to, in effect, win the hearts and minds of the people. Hollywood was even asked to include Latin American themes in its movies to bolster good will. One such celebrity ambassador was Walt Disney, who traveled the area during the late summer of 1941.

How did [the writer] miss the Sports Walk in San Pedro ("The Paths of Greatness," April 2)? It has been in place for many years; it starts at Pepper Tree Plaza at 6th and Harbor, and runs west up both sides of 6th Street. It started out as a way of recognizing local sports greats and then added others of national fame. --JOHN GILHULY San Pedro

I'd like to compliment Edward Wright on his "Happy Tails to You" article (Aug. 1). We recently returned from the Silver Lake and Mammoth area, where we took many of the hikes suggested in Wright's article. Twenty Lakes Basin and Little Lakes Valley were filled with wildflowers and scenic views. Thank you for your helpful information. JUDI KORAL and PAUL SCOTT Fountain Valley I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Mexico that I took in response to your Jan. 10 article "To Mexico, With Sketchbook."

As development has pushed residential and agricultural areas closer together in the North County and as more migrants have sought non-agricultural jobs, the visibility of illegal aliens has increased. Scruffy, unemployed men lining the roadways, regardless of their ethnic background, understandably create discomfort for those unaccustomed to seeing them. Predictably, the increased visibility and contact bring complaints to elected officials and, perhaps, more crime.

Well, President Clinton can do it . . . so why not go to China? The California Manufacturing Technology Center is looking for Orange County-based companies--manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees--to take a nine-day trip aimed at matching them with Chinese trade partners, The July 25-Aug. 3 trade mission will visit industrial centers in Beijing, Dalian and Wuhan.

Syrians who hope for improvement in their country's stagnant economy might take some small encouragement from their new president's inaugural address this week. But Syrians who yearn for an easing of one-party authoritarian rule are out of luck. Bashar Assad, son of the man who for three decades ruled Syria with a frequently bloody hand, took the oath of office fresh from a national referendum that awarded him a comfortable 97.29% of the votes cast.

For most young adults, starting college means leaving the family nest and setting out on their own for the first time in their lives. Not for Monique D'Balcazar. Next month, the 15-year-old prodigy from Panorama City becomes a student at Cal State Northridge, but she won't be alone. At her side in the classroom will be her mother, Jo-ana, 34. "I think parents should be involved in their children's education," Jo-ana D'Balcazar said of her decision two years ago to follow her daughter to college.

Politics runs in the family for some people, including a number of candidates in last week's U.S. Senate elections. Here's how they fared. --- Jack Carter (D) Ran for: A Nevada seat held by incumbent John Ensign Family ties: He is the eldest of President Carter's four children. Result: He lost. --- Thomas H. Kean Jr.