Steve West

After winning the 100-meter breast-stroke in record time on the first night of U.S. Olympic Festival competition, Steve West of Huntington Beach pointed out that his best event is the 200 breaststroke. It proved to be a fair warning Sunday when West scored a wire-to-wire victory in the 200 for his second gold medal and second Festival record at McDonald's Swim Stadium at USC. West's time of 2 minutes 18.

When Steve Westly joined EBay Inc. in the summer of 1997, the two dozen or so employees at the online auction house recognized immediately that their little company was growing up. In the middle of the Internet boom, EBay's small crew still came to work in sandals and shorts and gathered weekly in circles to make group decisions. New hires were given kits and told to build their own desks.

Steve West laughed at the suggestion that this is his last chance. The signs, though, are there heading into the U.S. Olympic swim trials, Wednesday through Aug. 15, in Indianapolis. West, who was oh-so-close to making the U.S. team in 1996, is 28 and there are kids--such as 18-year-old Brendan Hansen and 19-year-old Kyle Salyards--who are comers in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke. Those two, and West, are listed as "potential upsets" in the USA Swimming media guide.

In a boost to his struggling campaign for governor, state Treasurer Phil Angelides won the Democratic party's formal endorsement late Saturday -- and with it the promise of money and bragging rights as he seeks to reinvigorate his campaign against Controller Steve Westly.

Considering that it's been less than a month since Steve West got serious about swimming again, the former University of Michigan standout was happy with his performance Sunday at the Swim Meet of Champions. West, who missed making the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, won the the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute 5.48 seconds at the Marguerite Aquatic Center in Mission Viejo. At the 1996 Olympic trials, West was third in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

I followed in my parents' footsteps and spent seven years as a commercial real estate broker. It was tough living from commission to commission. But luckily, I sold my last building in 1991 just before the bottom dropped out of the real estate market. After that sale, I was on my way to an outdoor trade show when I realized the time had come for me to work at something I loved. I talked to my wife and we decided to turn our favorite hobby into our livelihood. Today, our company, S.W.

WEST, Texas - A week after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 14 residents, injured more than 150 others and leveled scores of homes, one emotion is notably absent here among citizens and officials alike: outrage. "Water under the bridge," said Steve Vanek, West's mayor pro-tem, referring to decisions that allowed homes and schools to be built near the plant. "It was an accident, and accidents do happen," said Jean Smith, 66, whose home lost most of its roof and sustained structural damage.

In a boost to his struggling campaign for governor, state Treasurer Phil Angelides won the Democratic party's formal endorsement late Saturday -- and with it the promise of money and bragging rights as he seeks to reinvigorate his campaign against Controller Steve Westly.

With big-name Democrats passing up the chance to make a run at ousting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the party's June primary is taking shape as a race between two virtual unknowns who appear headed toward a harsh campaign that some party leaders fear could benefit the Republican incumbent. "The Democrats can't afford a bitter and nasty campaign," said state party Chairman Art Torres. "The voters will be turned off by that."

California's biggest labor group is preparing to throw its support today behind state Treasurer Phil Angelides in the Democratic primary for governor, a move that would fortify his standing as the party establishment's favorite in the race. But even with labor tilting his way, Angelides faces mounting financial pressure and questions among some party strategists about whether he has responded aggressively enough to the threat posed by his June 6 primary rival, state Controller Steve Westly.

California's biggest labor group is preparing to throw its support today behind state Treasurer Phil Angelides in the Democratic primary for governor, a move that would fortify his standing as the party establishment's favorite in the race. But even with labor tilting his way, Angelides faces mounting financial pressure and questions among some party strategists about whether he has responded aggressively enough to the threat posed by his June 6 primary rival, state Controller Steve Westly.

With big-name Democrats passing up the chance to make a run at ousting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the party's June primary is taking shape as a race between two virtual unknowns who appear headed toward a harsh campaign that some party leaders fear could benefit the Republican incumbent. "The Democrats can't afford a bitter and nasty campaign," said state party Chairman Art Torres. "The voters will be turned off by that."

California First Lady Maria Shriver named as her top aide Tuesday a former senior official to ex-Gov. Gray Davis, the Democrat her husband tarred in the 2003 recall campaign as the symbol of ineffectual government. Daniel Zingale, who served under Davis as the link between the governor's office and the vast state bureaucracy, will be the new chief of staff to Shriver, a Democrat.

Steve West laughed at the suggestion that this is his last chance. The signs, though, are there heading into the U.S. Olympic swim trials, Wednesday through Aug. 15, in Indianapolis. West, who was oh-so-close to making the U.S. team in 1996, is 28 and there are kids--such as 18-year-old Brendan Hansen and 19-year-old Kyle Salyards--who are comers in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke. Those two, and West, are listed as "potential upsets" in the USA Swimming media guide.

Considering that it's been less than a month since Steve West got serious about swimming again, the former University of Michigan standout was happy with his performance Sunday at the Swim Meet of Champions. West, who missed making the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, won the the 100 breaststroke in 1 minute 5.48 seconds at the Marguerite Aquatic Center in Mission Viejo. At the 1996 Olympic trials, West was third in the 100 and 200 breaststroke.

I followed in my parents' footsteps and spent seven years as a commercial real estate broker. It was tough living from commission to commission. But luckily, I sold my last building in 1991 just before the bottom dropped out of the real estate market. After that sale, I was on my way to an outdoor trade show when I realized the time had come for me to work at something I loved. I talked to my wife and we decided to turn our favorite hobby into our livelihood. Today, our company, S.W.

California First Lady Maria Shriver named as her top aide Tuesday a former senior official to ex-Gov. Gray Davis, the Democrat her husband tarred in the 2003 recall campaign as the symbol of ineffectual government. Daniel Zingale, who served under Davis as the link between the governor's office and the vast state bureaucracy, will be the new chief of staff to Shriver, a Democrat.

Woodland Hills West reserve Chris Castillo was having a quiet summer watching baseball and chewing sunflower seeds when he was thrust into the starting lineup for West's critical American Legion District 20 Western Division doubleheader with rival Woodland Hills East on Sunday. But a dearth of at-bats for the outfielder is hardly breaking news. Last summer, Castillo was used primarily as a designated runner as West rolled through postseason play en route to a World Series title.

After winning the 100-meter breast-stroke in record time on the first night of U.S. Olympic Festival competition, Steve West of Huntington Beach pointed out that his best event is the 200 breaststroke. It proved to be a fair warning Sunday when West scored a wire-to-wire victory in the 200 for his second gold medal and second Festival record at McDonald's Swim Stadium at USC. West's time of 2 minutes 18.

Woodland Hills West reserve Chris Castillo was having a quiet summer watching baseball and chewing sunflower seeds when he was thrust into the starting lineup for West's critical American Legion District 20 Western Division doubleheader with rival Woodland Hills East on Sunday. But a dearth of at-bats for the outfielder is hardly breaking news. Last summer, Castillo was used primarily as a designated runner as West rolled through postseason play en route to a World Series title.