Grants

Imagine that you are a well-educated, experienced artist. You have shown your work in prestigious places, achieved considerable recognition and influenced many students with your teaching, but you still remain in the art world's shadows and you can't make a living from the work you do in your studio. One day, out of the blue, you receive a phone call from New York saying you have won a $25,000 grant from a secretive organization you didn't know existed. What do you do? * Burst into tears?

The Fullerton Museum Center has received a $10,000 grant to help stage "Earth 2U, Exploring Geography." The exhibit, organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Geographic Society, is designed to show the relevance geography holds in everyday life, museum officials said. It is on a four-year tour of 40 cities across the country. The museum is at 301 N. Pomona Ave. Admission is free to the public on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m.

Long Beach officials have been invited to apply for a federal grant to help pay for a parking structure at the planned Queensway Bay tourist mecca. The city was formally asked to compete for a $6-million Economic Development Administration grant on same day last week that President Clinton visited the city's waterfront to bestow praise on the San Pedro Bay ports.

With just 20 students and more adrenaline than usual, Roxanne Correa started a new school year Wednesday at the city's first public elementary school to shrink its first-grade classes. The Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Pacoima had already planned to reduce classes to 23 students this year, but cut back further to take advantage of a state program that offers cash grants to public schools that can pull off a 20-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

With just 20 students and more adrenaline than usual, Roxanne Correa started the new academic year Wednesday at the city's first public elementary school to shrink first-grade classes. The Vaughn Next Century Learning Center had already planned for smaller classes this year, but plowed ahead even more quickly in response to Gov. Pete Wilson's pledge to infuse millions of dollars into public schools that can pull off a 20-1 student-to-teacher ratio.

The Jewish Federation Valley Alliance has awarded $43,700 in grants to support local social, religious and educational programs for youth and young adults. Projects and organizations receiving grants, which were announced Thursday: * The Jewish AIDS Services of Jewish Family Service will open a branch office in a local synagogue to be determined in the West Valley and in partnership with several congregations. Services will include counseling, workshops and support groups.

The city's school district has been awarded a $55,813 grant from the state Department of Mental Health for a program to help young children who have shown problems adjusting to school. The funding comes from the state's Early Mental Health Initiative, designed to help prepare at-risk children for academic success.

Orange Unified School District trustees, who just two weeks ago took a firm stand against accepting federal grant money, tempered their position Wednesday night by unanimously allowing officials to seek a $5-million technology grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The four-member conservative majority, which rejected $15,000 in federal career development grants in May, supported seeking the technology grant because the funds come with virtually no "federal strings."

A tuna biologist from Monterey, a voting rights attorney from Fremont, a social historian from San Francisco and a playwright who distilled all the voices of the Los Angeles riots into one compelling drama felt the touch of a magic financial wand Monday. Once again, a new crop of MacArthur Fellowships--the coveted, six-figure financial awards that carry no criteria or parameters--have been bestowed upon an eclectic group of thinkers, scholars and artists.

Citing concerns about liability and officer safety, the City Council decided Tuesday not to accept a state grant to start a police motorcycle traffic enforcement program. The Police Department had been offered a $79,600 grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety to pay for four motorcycles and related equipment. Police Chief Elvin G.