Land Use

Protesters stoned to death two people of Asian origin during a demonstration against a Ugandan Asian company that wants to grow sugar cane in the country's largest natural forest. Two other people were killed in the rioting, and protesters also vandalized a Hindu temple. Troops set up roadblocks in parts of Kampala, the capital, to try to halt the protests.

For Byron Clayworth, it didn't get much better than this: sipping a beer, camping on the beach with his buddies and their families, frying up dinner for 15 on a homemade wok, and, most of all, zooming around the dunes on an amazing variety of off-road vehicles. That about 25,000 other people were enjoying the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in much the same way this weekend was no big deal.

Just a few decades ago, the Taylor Yards was a two-mile-long expanse of railroad tracks where trains were coupled together to connect Los Angeles industry to the rest of the nation.

Orange County is considering ripping out the back nine of a popular Newport Beach executive golf course for overflow parking at John Wayne Airport, unsettling golfers hooked on the club's convenience and inexpensive greens fees. As word quickly spread, golfers began signing petitions urging county and airport officials to keep all 18 holes of Newport Beach Golf Course in play. "More parking is a waste of space," said Doug McCready, 61, an Orange resident who has played there for decades.

\o7O\f7NLY a sap, it seems, would believe that you can pull money out of thin air. But an interesting proposal is floating around L.A. that would, in effect, do just that -- and it might well work, raising meaningful sums for worthwhile aims such as affordable housing.

The tombstones in the graveyard are polished, but the village church, which counted only three Sunday regulars, was cracked and water-stained when it was sold for $10,000 to an aspiring filmmaker, who hung a poster of musician Lou Reed beyond the vestibule. The altar was stripped. Icons and pews were carted off with the steeple bell.

It's a small gesture of defiance -- a narrow metal bridge that allows off-road vehicles illegal access to this archeologically rich canyon. But the modest structure, built by San Juan County officials on U.S. government land, is a symbol of the widespread local resistance to federal authority across much of southern Utah's magnificent countryside.

For two hours we ascended Silver Canyon at a pace slow enough to relish the scenery but at times squeezing hard on the all-terrain vehicles' throttles to scramble up incredibly steep side roads. Being in control of such responsive machines was empowering; it seemed the only part of this rugged White Mountains landscape we could not climb were its precipitous canyon walls.

Southern California Edison's plan to replace Pasadena plant nurseries with self-storage units and parking lots has sparked a vocal campaign to preserve a two-mile swath of land under power lines at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. In a region facing fierce development pressure, the debate illustrates the growing importance of remaining open space, even if it lies under tall towers and a thick web of power lines.

Walt Disney Co. believes Anaheim should have more affordable housing -- but not as close to Disneyland as some local officials and developers propose, Chief Executive Robert Iger said Monday. Speaking before a group of journalists at Disneyland Hotel, Iger called the theme park the "best neighbor Anaheim has ever had." Iger noted that the city's resort area occupied less than 5% of the land in Anaheim but generated 50% of the city's revenue.