Mca Corp

A chain of low hills began to rise. Moving plates beneath the earth's crust pushed them skyward. They climbed imperceptibly at first, fractions of an inch over centuries. On the western flank of the central range, a river accelerated into a torrent. The crashing water cut a narrow, V-shaped canyon out of the granite. Twenty-three million years passed. An icecap enshrouded the summit of the range. Tongues of ice streamed down into the canyon. The ice thickened.

Pledging to help rebuild Los Angeles by giving youths a chance for an education, the United Negro College Fund announced Friday the creation of a $5-million endowment fund to assist young people who otherwise could not afford college. William H. Gray, president of the fund, joined Mayor Tom Bradley and more than two dozen local educators and business leaders at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles to launch a fund-raising campaign for the "Ladders of Hope" program.

MCA Corp.'s stock surged higher Monday on renewed takeover speculation following reports that longtime Chairman Lew Wasserman might be willing to consider dropping the company's resistance to a buyout. But an MCA spokesman and some analysts said a statement by Wasserman--who reportedly told columnist Dan Dorfman that he would "consider anything in the best interest of my shareholders"--was consistent with company policy.

A chain of low hills began to rise. Moving plates beneath the earth's crust pushed them skyward. They climbed imperceptibly at first, fractions of an inch over centuries. On the western flank of the central range, a river accelerated into a torrent. The crashing water cut a narrow, V-shaped canyon out of the granite. Twenty-three million years passed. An icecap enshrouded the summit of the range. Tongues of ice streamed down into the canyon. The ice thickened.

Pledging to help rebuild Los Angeles by giving youths a chance for an education, the United Negro College Fund announced Friday the creation of a $5-million endowment fund to assist young people who otherwise could not afford college. William H. Gray, president of the fund, joined Mayor Tom Bradley and more than two dozen local educators and business leaders at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles to launch a fund-raising campaign for the "Ladders of Hope" program.

Motown Records Corp. ended negotiations Wednesday to sell its recorded music business to MCA Corp., making the decision on the last day that Motown might have taken advantage of certain tax breaks before a new law goes into effect today. Jay Lasker, president of Motown's music group, said the decision was made by Berry Gordy Jr., the company's founder, chairman and controlling shareholder. "Mr. Gordy decided not to sell the company at this time," Lasker said.

Rankings by total California employees California % change Rank Company employees from 1986 1 Pacific Telesis Group 69,729 -4 2 Lockheed Corp. 50,000 -6 3 BankAmerica Corp. 43,047 -13 4 Northrop 37,000 0 5 Lucky Stores 28,200 1 6 Pacific Gas & Electric 27,300 -7 7 Carter Hawley Hale Stores 25,000 0 8 Hewlett-Packard 23,000 0 9 Pacific Enterprises 21,950 0 10 Security Pacific 20,000 0 11 Vons Grocery Cos. 20,000 -5 12 Chevron Corp.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday that it had brought an enforcement action against accounting firm Grant Thornton in connection with a 1998 audit of MCA Financial Corp., a bankrupt Michigan mortgage banking company. The SEC accused Grant Thornton, which jointly audited MCA's 1998 financial statements with another firm, of aiding and abetting in "MCA's violations of the antifraud and reporting provisions of the federal securities laws."

Campus Crusade for Christ, one of the most influential evangelical organizations in the United States, announced Wednesday that it will move from its mountain headquarters near San Bernardino to Orlando, Fla., primarily because of rising housing costs in California. The relocation from Arrowhead Springs is not expected for another two years, officials said.

MCA Corp.'s stock surged higher Monday on renewed takeover speculation following reports that longtime Chairman Lew Wasserman might be willing to consider dropping the company's resistance to a buyout. But an MCA spokesman and some analysts said a statement by Wasserman--who reportedly told columnist Dan Dorfman that he would "consider anything in the best interest of my shareholders"--was consistent with company policy.

The Litton Industries complex in Beverly Hills is a constant reminder that as far as architecture in Los Angeles is concerned, just about anything goes. Why shouldn't a corporate conglomerate with no particular image of its own live in a complex of white painted brick buildings that resembles a small New England village, set in grounds landscaped to look like an Italian villa?

With an impending change in management of its food and lodging concessions, Yosemite National Park has a chance for a new lease on life. But environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society and the Yosemite Heritage Trust say that there is no guarantee of a happy ending.