Polls Orange County

A new survey of Orange County's youngsters shows that one in three youths has tried smoking and that the number of 14-year-olds who smoke regularly is substantially higher than the national average. The survey of 397 junior high school students indicates that 36% of the 12- to 14-year-olds questioned had taken a puff at least once, according to the Southern Coast Regional Board, which coordinates tobacco control efforts in Orange and San Diego counties and is funded by federal cigarette taxes.

A survey of Orange County voters showed that most would approve spending tax money to support the arts, especially educational programs for children. The public poll, released by Arts Orange County, a nonprofit arts council, sampled 500 registered voters on what they thought about being taxed to fund the arts. The results showed that 70% of registered voters would support a small portion of local taxes being allocated to the arts.

Public access television ranks third as a source of local information, behind newspapers and city publications, according to a citywide survey on interest in education and government TV programming. The poll found that a majority of local residents rely on Orange County newspapers for local news and information. Residents' second-biggest source of local information was city publications, and television was third.

The recent Times Orange County Poll on education produced some encouraging findings about the local public schools. In Orange County, 54% of respondents grade their community's public schools at an A or B--about 11 percentage points higher than do Americans nationwide. Parents who actually have children in the schools give an even better response: Some 67% rank their schools in those categories.

Loara High School is the top-ranked team in the season's first Orange County Sportswriters' Assn. baseball poll. The Saxons (6-0) open Empire League play Wednesday against fourth-ranked Esperanza (6-1) on the Aztecs' field. The poll: Pos. School (League) Record 1. Loara (Empire) 6-0 2. Servite (Angelus) 5-1 3. Capistrano Valley (South Coast) 7-1 4. Esperanza (Empire) 6-1 5. Westminster (Sunset) 6-0-1) 6. El Dorado (Empire) 8-1 7. Mission Viejo (South Coast) 6-1 8. El Toro (South Coast) 6-1 9.

Orange County is a state of mind. Over its 100-year history, dreams, big plans and fantasy have played a vital role in turning this seaside desert by stages into bean fields, citrus groves, thriving communities, theme parks, marinas, airports, shopping malls, and booming centers of technology. New arrivals continue to drive median home values to levels that are among the highest in the nation. In each of the last three decades, 500,000 new shoppers have made the pilgrimage to this swap meet of the American dream.

Mater Dei High School, which completed its second straight undefeated regular season by defeating Servite Saturday, is the top team in the final Orange County Sportswriters Assn. poll. The Monarchs earned the top seed in the Southern Section 5-A playoffs and will begin defense of their championship Thursday night against St. Francis at Chapman College. Capistrano Valley, which earned the top seed in the 4-A division and will play Redondo Friday night, is No.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, which celebrated its second anniversary Thursday, has made extraordinary inroads in attracting a regional audience that characterizes itself as largely lukewarm to performing arts and culture events, The Times Orange County Poll has found.

The recent Times Orange County Poll on education produced some encouraging findings about the local public schools. In Orange County, 54% of respondents grade their community's public schools at an A or B--about 11 percentage points higher than do Americans nationwide. Parents who actually have children in the schools give an even better response: Some 67% rank their schools in those categories.

Orange County is one of those bellwether American places on the map--like Cook County in the Chicago area--that regularly tell us something about our national politics. This year, the traditional Republican stronghold in Southern California has gained a different kind of attention from the national press corps: Somehow in this perilous economy, it is not so entirely predictable anymore.

Public access television ranks third as a source of local information, behind newspapers and city publications, according to a citywide survey on interest in education and government TV programming. The poll found that a majority of local residents rely on Orange County newspapers for local news and information. Residents' second-biggest source of local information was city publications, and television was third.

A new survey of Orange County's youngsters shows that one in three youths has tried smoking and that the number of 14-year-olds who smoke regularly is substantially higher than the national average. The survey of 397 junior high school students indicates that 36% of the 12- to 14-year-olds questioned had taken a puff at least once, according to the Southern Coast Regional Board, which coordinates tobacco control efforts in Orange and San Diego counties and is funded by federal cigarette taxes.

Orange County is one of those bellwether American places on the map--like Cook County in the Chicago area--that regularly tell us something about our national politics. This year, the traditional Republican stronghold in Southern California has gained a different kind of attention from the national press corps: Somehow in this perilous economy, it is not so entirely predictable anymore.

Orange County is a state of mind. Over its 100-year history, dreams, big plans and fantasy have played a vital role in turning this seaside desert by stages into bean fields, citrus groves, thriving communities, theme parks, marinas, airports, shopping malls, and booming centers of technology. New arrivals continue to drive median home values to levels that are among the highest in the nation. In each of the last three decades, 500,000 new shoppers have made the pilgrimage to this swap meet of the American dream.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center, which celebrated its second anniversary Thursday, has made extraordinary inroads in attracting a regional audience that characterizes itself as largely lukewarm to performing arts and culture events, The Times Orange County Poll has found.

Loara High School is the top-ranked team in the season's first Orange County Sportswriters' Assn. baseball poll. The Saxons (6-0) open Empire League play Wednesday against fourth-ranked Esperanza (6-1) on the Aztecs' field. The poll: Pos. School (League) Record 1. Loara (Empire) 6-0 2. Servite (Angelus) 5-1 3. Capistrano Valley (South Coast) 7-1 4. Esperanza (Empire) 6-1 5. Westminster (Sunset) 6-0-1) 6. El Dorado (Empire) 8-1 7. Mission Viejo (South Coast) 6-1 8. El Toro (South Coast) 6-1 9.

Whether they live on the coast or inland, Orange County residents are solidly opposed to offshore oil drilling by a ratio of almost 2 to 1, a UC Irvine survey shows. That opposition--60% of those polled were opposed to offshore drilling, 34% favored it and 6% were undecided--cuts across geographic, economic, age and sex boundaries, as well as political party affiliation, said Mark Baldassare, who directs UCI's annual county survey from which the results were taken.

A survey of Orange County voters showed that most would approve spending tax money to support the arts, especially educational programs for children. The public poll, released by Arts Orange County, a nonprofit arts council, sampled 500 registered voters on what they thought about being taxed to fund the arts. The results showed that 70% of registered voters would support a small portion of local taxes being allocated to the arts.

Mater Dei High School, which completed its second straight undefeated regular season by defeating Servite Saturday, is the top team in the final Orange County Sportswriters Assn. poll. The Monarchs earned the top seed in the Southern Section 5-A playoffs and will begin defense of their championship Thursday night against St. Francis at Chapman College. Capistrano Valley, which earned the top seed in the 4-A division and will play Redondo Friday night, is No.

Whether they live on the coast or inland, Orange County residents are solidly opposed to offshore oil drilling by a ratio of almost 2 to 1, a UC Irvine survey shows. That opposition--60% of those polled were opposed to offshore drilling, 34% favored it and 6% were undecided--cuts across geographic, economic, age and sex boundaries, as well as political party affiliation, said Mark Baldassare, who directs UCI's annual county survey from which the results were taken.