Orange County Community

Tower 17 is one of 12 buildings in the 50-acre Douglas Plaza, across MacArthur Boulevard from John Wayne Airport. The business complex includes the Registry Hotel, Chanteclair and Hof's Hut restaurants, a retail center, and several office buildings. Plans call for residential condominiums and more high-rise offices. FACTS AND FIGURES Address: 18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine Developer: McDonnell Douglas Realty Co.

About the time Ronald Gilbert became a parent 20 years ago, his Jewish faith deepened and slowly he became Orthodox. The Orange County urologist and his family eventually moved from their home in Tustin to Huntington Harbour so they could more easily observe Shabbat, or the Sabbath, by walking to their synagogue, Chabad of West Orange County. Gilbert was known to freely dispense advice - medical and otherwise - and rabbis referred to him as a tzaddik , or righteous man. "I think we should come up with a new term and put it in the Yiddish dictionary with his picture by it, and we should call it a 'super-mensch' or a 'Ronald Gilbert mensch' or something and distinguish it from all the other mensches," his brother Glenn Gilbert recalled, using the Yiddish word for a person of integrity and honor.

Thank you for Lonn Johnston's article "The House of the Lord" (March 20). It's so refreshing to read a well-researched story that accurately handles both sides of the issue. I feel it's important that the Orange County community be aware of the difficulties we encounter as we seek to worship together. KERI COMER Irvine

The growing friction between Vietnamese LGBT groups hoping to march in Sunday's Tet parade and resistant organizers of the Lunar New Year event has exposed a deeper cultural struggle over gay rights in Orange County's sprawling immigrant community. For three years, LGBT activists have participated in the colorful gathering in Little Saigon, but this year - with the event shifting from city sponsorship to private hands - they have been rebuffed and quietly told to make a "sacrifice" and stay away, members said.

The staff at a barbershop in the Orange County community of Olive was doing more than cutting hair during Prohibition. The combination barbershop and pool hall was raided after authorities noticed unusually brisk sales of grape juice and cider. It turned out that the beverages were spiked with 20% alcohol. Source: "Reflections in Orange," by Merle Ramsey

Five men and four women from Orange County community colleges have earned Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. All-American honors. Max Alvarez, Jeremy Driscoll, Steen Lundblad, Niles Schyllander and Danny Wood, all from Saddleback; Shannon Curren and Fiona Jones of Orange Coast, and Laurie Smude and Debby Springer of Fullerton were selected. * Kent Dowding, a pitcher from Rancho Santiago College and Orange Lutheran High School, has agreed to play at Cal Baptist next season.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors' decision to build a jail in the city of Anaheim has brought the "fat cats" and their hired gun, state Sen. John Seymour, to fight for their corporate-interest money. Sen. Seymour and Anaheim Mayor Don Roth sure move swiftly when their masters' interests are in jeopardy. I have never seen them take any action when the homeless and the hungry ask for their help. It will be interesting to see if the Board of Supervisors gives credence to the large corporate interest or to the general welfare of the entire Orange County community.

Barbara Hammerman is an energetic, thoughtful and most capable leader and manager of the Grove Shakespeare Festival. The Times and Mr. Herman's editor seem to be accomplices in an orchestrated effort to manipulate facts and thus do a disservice to the reader who expects honesty in reporting. I know several of the board members who were subjected to the Bradac-induced Herman attack. Herman's feeble commentary and tirade are not worthy of the label of Los Angeles Times. The Times and the cultural richness of the Orange County community are diminished by the words and thoughts of Mr. Herman.

Administrative cost-cutting and a 6% jump in donations enabled the United Way of Orange County to dole out $14.3 million to dozens of community agencies ranging from the Girl Scouts to the American Red Cross on Friday. "The money is a huge support, not only the financial part that supports a number of our programs, but it also shows great community support in Orange County," said Ann Truxaw, director of resource development at Catholic Charities of Orange County.

Thank you for your editorial "Investment in the Arts is Just Good Business (May 8)." As you pointed out, a flourishing cultural environment stimulates business growth because it attracts potential customers to the area. By concluding that support of the arts is a wise business investment, you were able to reach Orange County's corporate community on a fiscal, rather than a purely philanthropic, level. One point, however, must be clarified. The editorial incorrectly states that Bowers Museum is "abandoning its plan to use city redevelopment money to build a new museum."

At a recent fundraiser for Democratic state Assembly candidate Phu Nguyen, tables at the Santa Ana restaurant featured signs recognizing various sectors of the community. Vietnamese. Korean American. School employees. "Arab American Community," read a placard at another table. Though the table at Emerald Bay Restaurant was only partially filled with Arab Americans, it underscored an unusual twist in a state Assembly race in central Orange County — a fight between a Vietnamese candidate trying to woo the Arab American vote and a well-known city mayor accused of denying his Egyptian heritage.

Denis came to the meeting in the community clubhouse with a four-page statistical analysis. Howard came with a cocktail. Perhaps it was inevitable that they would eventually get testy with each other. "Are you going to overtalk me, or am I going to overtalk you?" Howard said at one point, as neither would yield as they reacted to a woman's comment. "Well, I guess you're going to overtalk me," Denis said, adding, "I'm still going to take five minutes when she's done." "You can take 10," said yet another person in the crowd.

STOP ME if you've heard this one before. Some time ago, immigrant men invaded our tranquil municipality. As long as they quietly toiled, residents tolerated their presence. But once these hombres went out on the town, people became furious. "Their numbers, appearances and were strange and frightening," wrote one observer. Employers had to teach them how to use restrooms; after payday, the men swarmed into stores, frightening customers and merchants.

My little creek-stone house in Modjeska Canyon is fine. Thanks for asking. I received scores of e-mails from worried readers after writing dispatches last week about returning from my East Coast wedding to find that our home stood in the path of the Santiago fire. I was lucky; eight of my neighbors weren't. Now life is moving in the direction of normal. The roads are open, the army of firefighters is leaving and most of our neighbors are back at home in our beautiful little forest canyon.

Each week for 27 years, members of Los Amigos of Orange County have met to share stories, collect money for those in need and dabble in local politics. It's a loose-knit kaffeeklatsch led by the 74-year-old owner of two plumbing and building materials companies who ends each meeting in a prayer circle.

An uprising is brewing at Leisure World Laguna Woods: Residents are picketing, meetings are attracting hundreds and petitions signed by more than 4,000 people are demanding better fiscal management. "This too shall pass" is the mantra of frustrated retirement community officials, who have pledged to keep smiling. "It is a very vocal group," said Harry Curtis, president of the community's governing board. "I'm not sure that it's a long-term deal."

Of the 56 community colleges in Southern California, Orange Coast ranked first in the number of students it transferred to the California State University system during the 1993-94 academic year. The total of 1,115 transfers was slightly higher than in 1992-93, when 1,101 Orange Coast students transferred to state universities. De Anza College of Cupertino led the state in 1993-94 with 1,299 transfers.

The Orange County community has again been battered by violence and hate. This time the victim represents each one of us whether we be gay or lesbian, Asian, black, Latino, Anglo, immigrant, or longtime resident. We have been assaulted by hate, intolerance and a growing, frightening phenomenon of teens acting out hate and intolerance with violence and problem-solving with brute force. We, all of us, must be outraged and concerned, not only for the actual act but for our society itself.

The trustees of the South Orange County Community College District have ended their schools' summer study-abroad program in Spain, saying the country is dangerous and citing its withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The district, comprising Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, voted 5-2 last week to cancel the 14-year-old program. "Spain has abandoned our fighting men and women, withdrawing their support," said trustee Tom Fuentes, who spearheaded the move to cancel the trips.

Traumatized residents of Silverado gaped at a massive, rain-loosened boulder that killed one of their teenage neighbors and wondered Monday what joy could be found in their supposedly idyllic canyon. "It's very sad," said canyon resident Rebecca Stein, leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial for Caitlin Oto, the 16-year-old killed by the falling boulder Sunday night. "This is paradise out here, and it's only 15 minutes from the city. But this makes me think twice. I have three kids.