Fort Ord

The first students were scheduled to arrive in less than a week, and old Fort Ord still looked nothing like a college campus. Hard hats were everywhere--gutting old barracks, pouring concrete, hammering drywall, running telephone lines. Hank Hendrickson was not worried. The vice president for administration at California's newest state university sat last Thursday in his corner office--the former base dental clinic--and promised that it would all be lashed together in time.

Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney visited a motor home factory here Tuesday as his campaign aides sought to deflect allegations that his former company defrauded the government out of millions of dollars. Accusing the Clinton administration of playing politics with a federal grand jury, a Cheney spokeswoman questioned the timing of the criminal investigation into possible financial wrongdoing by Brown & Root, a Texas-based engineering firm overseen by Cheney until July.

The California Lottery's new $3-million jackpot eluded 20 contestants in the "Big Spin" for the second straight week, but three spinners did win $1 million each. Jody DeGenero, 21, of Fort Ord in Northern California was the 10th contestant to spin the wheel and became the day's first $1-million winner. Joining him later were Kellie Wood, 23, a meat wrapper from Modesto, and Milton Barnette, 56, a retired resident of El Sobrante in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The first students were scheduled to arrive in less than a week, and old Fort Ord still looked nothing like a college campus. Hard hats were everywhere--gutting old barracks, pouring concrete, hammering drywall, running telephone lines. Hank Hendrickson was not worried. The vice president for administration at California's newest state university sat last Thursday in his corner office--the former base dental clinic--and promised that it would all be lashed together in time.

When I first saw John Seitz, the grayed and stocky electronics teacher was struggling to reach double digits in a sit-ups drill at a Fort Ord training field as fellow Army reservists half his age cheered him on. The drill over, his brown military T-shirt soaked, he hopped up from the ground and lined up for the next exercise, yelling: "Over 50 years, over here!" There were no takers.

Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney visited a motor home factory here Tuesday as his campaign aides sought to deflect allegations that his former company defrauded the government out of millions of dollars. Accusing the Clinton administration of playing politics with a federal grand jury, a Cheney spokeswoman questioned the timing of the criminal investigation into possible financial wrongdoing by Brown & Root, a Texas-based engineering firm overseen by Cheney until July.

A soldier who tried to sell stolen military computers in Ventura County at the end of the Persian Gulf War was court-martialed after one of his potential customers reported him to a Crime Stoppers hot line, officials said Thursday. Army Spec. John Sheppard, 24, who was stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey County, was convicted of multiple counts of larceny and wrongful disposition of government property by a general court martial June 1, said Fort Ord public affairs officer Reyola Carlisle.

If the Navy base at Point Mugu is closed, surely that would be a preferable site for California State University, Channel Islands (CSU-CI, pronounced Susie) than Camarillo. Today's resources for education are severely strapped. Look at how often the Ventura College District has had to revise its budget downward. But Point Mugu already has buildings for classrooms, offices, gymnasia, library, etc. It has ample parking and a beautiful location that will rival that of UC Santa Barbara.

I am an activated Orange County reservist radiologist serving at Fort Ord, Calif. The war has been over for three weeks; why am I still here? We have been informed that we must stay until our whole unit is back here. Part of our unit, the 8th Evac Hospital, has volunteered (or been volunteered) to treat Iraqi POWs and then move the hospital to Kuwait to continue to care for them. I came and I have served during the time of the national emergency. There are no casualties here; so why is my presence still required?

Laurette Maritz, a senior three-time All-American golfer from United States International University, won the 12th tournament of her collegiate career Sunday, taking the Women's Collegiate Patty Sheehan Golf Invitational at Monterey's Fort Ord Bayonet Golf Course by two shots. Maritz' three-day total of five-over-par 221 tied the tournament record set by Oklahoma State's Val Skinner in 1983. Despite Maritz' performance, USIU, ranked No. 16 in the country, finished 11th in the team competition.

When I first saw John Seitz, the grayed and stocky electronics teacher was struggling to reach double digits in a sit-ups drill at a Fort Ord training field as fellow Army reservists half his age cheered him on. The drill over, his brown military T-shirt soaked, he hopped up from the ground and lined up for the next exercise, yelling: "Over 50 years, over here!" There were no takers.

The California Lottery's new $3-million jackpot eluded 20 contestants in the "Big Spin" for the second straight week, but three spinners did win $1 million each. Jody DeGenero, 21, of Fort Ord in Northern California was the 10th contestant to spin the wheel and became the day's first $1-million winner. Joining him later were Kellie Wood, 23, a meat wrapper from Modesto, and Milton Barnette, 56, a retired resident of El Sobrante in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has opened a branch office on the Marine base, DMV officials announced Friday. The office, in Building 20255 just inside the main gate, will initially be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If demand warrants it, hours will be extended. The office provides vehicle reg istration and drivers' licensing services but does not offer on-the-road driver tests, which cannot legally be administered on the base.